Navratri

When I decided to do some back ground check on Navratri, I had no clue I would be flummoxed by so much of literature.

 

Hear me  ( Read, Actually) out  , then decide for yourself , what your essence will be. This is my practical, religious & spiritual synopsis !

 

The Universe would just be a place of lifeless elements, if not for the Energy , that resides within this entire Cosmos!

 

Shiva would be Shav , if not for Shakti !

 

Shakti is the Manifestation , of various forms of energies of either gods, goddess , or both. Shakti is also another form of themselves , with different power/ virtue.

 

Shakti , is the personification of the active side of the divine energy of Lord Shiva. In fact,  represents the furious powers of all the male gods, and is the ferocious protector of the righteous, and destroyer of the evil.

 

We obtain our life energy or life force from a power field operating between cosmos and earth. This Cosmic power is fed into the energy body through the Chakras.  Chakra's are energy centers along the spine located at major branchings of the human nervous system, beginning at the base of the spinal column and moving upward to the top of the skull. The 7 primary chakras have been amalgamated with the Shakti's of Navratri , moving from the Root of Spirituality towards Moksha, each form representing each Chakra.

 

Nine Days Navratri Celebrations:

 

Nine forms of Shakti are worshipped during the Navratri. Navratri is separated into sets of three days. These sets are made in order to emulate/worship, different facets of the supreme goddess.

 

1^st  - 3^rd day of Navratri: On the first day of the Navratri, a small bed of mud is prepared in the puja room and barley seeds are sown on it. These initial days are dedicated to the Supreme powerful force, Ma Durga , the Goddess of power and energy, to cleanse all our contaminations, evils and defects.
 
4^th – 6^th day of Navratri : During these days, Goddess of peace and prosperity, Ma Lakshmi , is worshipped as the mother of spiritual wealth, with her Blessings of  never ending Wealth.   

7^th – 8^th day of Navratri :These final days belong to Ma Saraswati, Goddess of Wisdom, The one is responsible for spiritual enlightenment/ knowledge and overall success in life. On the 8th day , yagna/ havan is performed. 

9^th day is Mahanavami :The festival of Navratri culminates in Mahanavami. On this day Kanya Puja is performed. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Shakti are worshiped.  

 

Shakti,  is also worshipped under nine different names for the nine days in Navratri. Every day, she assumes a new character, a new look and a new duty. For the initial six days , the Puja celebrations are limited to home. The celebrations acquire a festive form since the seventh day when the festivities of Navratri ( Garbha ) surround the atmosphere.

1^st Day: The first form of Shakti is Shailputri . She is considered the daughter of the Himalayas, who inspires us to be innocent, pure and to do good to all. She is the embodiment of the power of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

 

The representation begins with , Muladhara : Base or Root Chakra (last bone in spinal cord), and starts its Ascend all the way towards Moksha!

2^nd Day : The second form is of, Brahmacharini, who practice's devout austerity, & whose sacrifice's and focused meditation's are unparalleled.Her name is derivative of the word 'Brahma', which means 'Tapa' ( Penance ), and endows, happiness, peace, prosperity and grace upon all.

 

She  represents  , Swadhisthana : Sacral Chakra (ovaries/prostate)

3^rd Day : On the third day the goddess is worshipped as Chandraghanta, for peace, tranquility and prosperity in life. She also reminds us of the need to crush evil & demons within us.  She is the symbolic representation of beauty and bravery.

She represents , Manipura: Solar Plexus Chakra (navel area)

 

4^th Day : Kushmanda, is the form of the Shakti worshipped on the fourth day. It is believed that She is the creator of the entire Universe and she has created the entire Universe by her laugh. She is the ideal wife to Shiva, who complements the work of her husband and performs her duty in peace,  unconditional love.

 

She represents, Anahata: Heart Chakra (heart area)

 

5^th Day : On the fifth day, Skand Mata, is worshiped , who radiates energy , nourishment and happiness, just as every mother does.

 

She represents, Vishuddha : Throat Chakra (throat and neck area)

 

6^th Day : On the sixth day, the goddess is worshipped as Katyayani,. Katyayani has three expression filled eyes and ten arm to hold the weapons with which she destroyed the demons, just like she helps us destroy all our failings.

 

She represents, Ajna : Brow or Third Eye Chakra (pineal gland or third eye)

 

7^th Day : On the seventh day, the Goddess is worshipped as 'Kalratri', destroyer of ignorance& make's one Fearless .

 

Last representation is Sahasrara : Crown Chakra (Top of the head; 'Soft spot' of a newborn).

 

8^th Day :On the eight day, 'Maha Gauri', is worshipped. She embodies the spirit of womanhood – power, compassion and beauty. She represents calmness and exhibits wisdom.

 

Once , your spiritual knowledge/journey has reached the Sahasrara, one shall manifest in become one with Shiva , himself, totally in Bliss .

9^th Day :On the ninth day, Siddhidatri, is worshipped for power, prosperity & knowledge. It is believed she consists of all the eight siddhi's (virtue's – honesty, compassion, valour, justice, sacrifice ,honor , spirituality, humility).

 

Since she has all virtues , she is the one who represents, Moksha, one's final destination, Liberation from the cycle of birth & Death !

 

Symbolism of the Shakti's :

Many Arms : The Goddess are all depicted as having eight or ten hands. These represent eight quadrants or ten directions in Hinduism (north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest , north pole , south pole). This suggests that she protects the devotees from all directions.

Three Eyes :  Like Shiva, Shakti, is also referred to as "Triyambake" meaning the three eyed Goddess. The left eye represents desire (the moon), the right eye represents action (the sun), and the central eye knowledge (fire).

Vehicle - the Lion :The lion represents power, will and determination. This suggests to the devotee that one has to possess all these qualities to get over the demon of ego.

There are various Objects in her hand, out of which some symbolize thus:

·         The Conch shell symbolizes the 'Pranava' or the mystic word 'Om', which indicates her holding on to God in the form of sound. conch shell represents the vibratory powers of manifestation

·         The Thunderbolt signifies firmness. The devotee must be firm like thunderbolt in one's convictions. Like the thunderbolt that can break anything against which it strikes, without being affected itself, the devotee needs to attack a challenge without losing confidence.

·         Lotus in the hand is not in fully bloomed, symbolizing certainty of success but not finality. The lotus in Sanskrit is called "pankaja" which means born of mud. Thus, lotus stands for the continuous evolution of the spiritual quality of devotees amidst the worldly mud of lust and greed. lotus refers to both spiritual and material abundance

·         The Sudarshan-Chakra , which spins around the index finger of the Goddess, while not touching it, signifies that the entire world is subservient to her will and is at her command. She uses this unfailing weapon to destroy evil and produce an environment conducive to the growth of righteousness.

·         The  Trishul (Trident) is a symbol of three qualities - Satwa (inactivity), Rajas (activity) and Tamas (non-activity). Trident pierces through the veils of the past, present and future and teaches us about birth, life and death

·         The Kamandal is viewed as a symbol of ascetism .

·         The Rosary is lessons on concentration and spiritual growth.

·         The Gada is club she wields can be used to beat a new path

·         The Shield is for protection, a bow for determination and focus, and an arrow for penetrating insight.

·         The Bell is used to invoke mental clarity and to clear the air of negativity.

·         The Skull or severed Head,  is a common motif also associated with Durga in her fiercest of forms, represents the ego and all the ways we become slaves to our egos.

·         The Axe, the Javelin , Noose & other Weapons symbolize the cutting through the obstacles that impede our progress & clear the path for spiritual growth.

·         The Bow and Arrows represent energy. Holding both the bow and arrows in one hand, indicate's  control over both aspects of energy - potential and kinetic.

·         The Knife is a Symbol of Liberation, it severs or excises that which no longer serves us whether it be a destructive belief, an unhealthy relationship, or a toxic situation we find ourselves embroiled in.

·         The Khadga (Sword)  that she holds in one of her hands symbolizes knowledge, which  points to the focus and discriminating wisdom that is necessary in life.

Trivia : The word "Garba" or "Garbha" means "womb", and in this context the lamp in the pot, symbolically represent life within a womb.