A suggested Navaratri reading schedule for the Devi Mahatmyam~

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(The Devi Mahatmyam is a collection of 700 Slokas on Sri Durga from

MarkaNDeya PuraaNa: An English translation is given below)

 

Navaratri is celebrated four times a year. They are Ashada Navaratri, the

Sharada Navaratri, the Maha Navaratri and the Vasantha Navaratri. Of these,

the Sharada Navaratri of the month of Puratashi and the Vasantha Navaratri of

the Vasantha kala are very important. If you refer to the agni purana, then

it is said that the Puratashi and Panguni (in Tamil months) i.e. Asvin and

Chaitra are like the two jaws of Lord Yama. If one wants to escape the mouth

of Yama, then one should celebrate Navaratri on these two occasions. A

similar analogy is presented in the devi bhagavatam. Devi bhagavatam also

talks in detail on how one should observe fasts, and how one should

meditate/work on these days. According to legend, Durga sat on the tip of a

needle for nine days, doing a severe penance to destroy the evil Asura

Mahisha. On the first three days, she meditated as Herself, the next three

days as Mahalakshmi and the last three days as Sarasvati. This signifies

progression from tamsik, to rajasik to satvik and eventually obtaining

liberation. The tenth day during Sharada Navaratri is called vijayadashami to

signify the victory on the day of dashami. It is, however, a long tradition

that one reads the devi-bhagavatam or the devi mahatmyam (Durga saptasati,

700 verses on Durga) during this period. Devi bhagavatam notes that Rama

meditated and fasted for nine days after Sita was kidnapped by Ravana. There

are numerous such incidents on how people's wishes were granted. The reading

of Devi Maahaatmyam during Navaraatri is to be done follows \\ Based on

emails from S. A. Bhandarkar and M. Giridhar \\

 

\\ Chapter 1 (Madhu kaitabha samhaara) is to be read for 1st day,

 

\\ ch 2 thru 4 (Mahishhasura samhaara) to be read on 2nd day,

 

\\ ch 5 and 6 (Dhuumralochana vadha) on the 3rd day,

 

\\ ch 7 (Chanda Munda vadha) on 4th day,

 

\\ ch 8(Rakta biija samhaara) on 5th day,

 

\\ ch 9 and 10 (Shumbha Nishumbha vadha) on 6th day,

 

\\ ch 11(Praise of Narayani) on 7th day,

 

\\ ch 12 (Phalastuti) on 8th day,

 

\\ ch 13 (Blessings to Suratha and the Merchant)on 9th day

 

\\ ch 14 (aparaadha xamaapaNa) on 10th day

 

See whole text for "The Devi Mahatmyam" on line at

http://sdbbs.tripod.com/devi.html

 

Have a wonderful preparation for Navaratri!

 

Jai Maa!!!