What is Navratri?

[Guest guest]

Here are some beautiful thoughts on the Navratri festival, which

begins this Friday night. They were written by Shakun Narain

Kimatrai, a Sindhi woman who would appear to be very wise indeed.

The link to her webpage is below:

 

NAVRATRI

 

Navratri literally means 'Nine Nights'. These days are

astrologically very powerful for Spiritual upliftment.

 

During these days and nights, prayers are offered to Mother, who is

the Manifestation of the Absolute Energy that pervades the Universe.

As Durga sitting on a Lion, she is a Manifestation of Shakti or the

Primordial Energy. The Power to breathe, walk, digest etc, comes

from Ma Durga.

 

As Laxmi She is abundance. Not only material, but of Air, Land,

Space etc. The fact that you have understood what I have written so

far is due to the Grace of Ma Saraswati' She is the 'OM', from where

all sound emanates. 'Ma' is the 'Garbha' (Womb) from where the

Universe manifests.

 

The word 'Garba' stems from 'Garbha' and symbolizes the Dance of

Creation The first three days of 'Navratra' are dedicated to Ma Kali

to annihilate the enemies within

 

The next three days are dedicated to Ma Laxmi, and the last three

days are dedicated to Ma Saraswati.

 

On the tenth day a Bonfire is lit to burn the Self-arrogating Ego.

Whether we pray to Ma or not, she thinks of us all the time. She

holds us in our arms when dejected, gives us various gifts from time

to time, but admonishes us when we cross our line.

 

....

 

And once more `Navratri' is on! The nine nights in which we shall

worship the Cosmos and the Cosmic Self as The Mother Goddess!

 

The Mother has various names and forms, but the one that comes to

mind is very relevant to the times that we are going through. Allow

me to describe Her to you!

 

Mother holds weapons and emblems in Her 10 hands. She has a benign

face, a smile and a golden yellow hue. She rides a lion and drives a

spear into the chest of a Demon. That Demon's name is Mahishaasur, I

would prefer to call him Terrorism.

 

Mother has taken it upon Herself to make the world free of

oppression. The Devi Mahaatmya, which consists of 700 verses and is

part of the Markandeya Puraana describes the battle between Mother

and the demons.

 

Mahishaasur changed his form many a time, but Mother ultimately

trapped him under Her foot. The demon and his various forms

represents evil and its various disguises. Also the base instinct in

man.

 

It is believed that Sri Ram prayed to the Mother before embarking

for Lanka to fight the demon Raavana.

 

The Mother is known as Shakti or the Divine Female Energy. Her other

popular names include: Uma or Light, Kali or Dark, Gauri, the

Yellow, Durga, the Invincible, Bhairavi, Jagaddhatri, Amba,

Chamundi, Bhadrakali

 

Each night of the Navratras is dedicated to one form of Mother:

 

1. Mata Shailputri - Daughter of Parvatraj (King of the Mountain)

Himalaya. She married Shankar and gave birth to Ganesh (The Remover

of obstacles) and Kartikeya (The God of War).

 

2. Mata Brahmachaarini - She gives the world the message of Pure

Love.

 

3. Mata Chandraghanta - She establishes Justice. She wears the

crescent moon on Her head.

 

4. Mata Kushmaanda - She provides the `Everyday Sustenance' to the

world.

 

5. SkandMata - She gives the world the gift of Discrimination of

right from wrong.

 

6. Mata Kaatyayini - She constantly fights against Evil and devious

entities.

 

7. Mata Kaalraatri - She killed a demon called Raktabeej. (He had

the power to produce a demon from every drop of blood, that fell

from his body. Mother eventually licked the blood before it could

touch the ground, and thus overpowered him.)

 

8. Mata Chaamunda - She killed the 2 demons, called Chanda and Munda

and re-established order. Mata Maha-Gauri who also rid the world of

evil forces.

 

9. Mata Sidhidaarti - She is a Treasure house of Yantra Tantra

(Mystic Powers) and Gyaan (Knowledge)

 

Let us worship Mother to help us through the difficult times the

world is going through. We must have faith that virtue and

goodness will continue to prevail despite the heavy odds.

 

....

 

A mother has the ability to generate life.

 

God's desire to create is represented by a Female Energy.

 

Hindus have always believed in worshipping the Male and Female

aspect of God together.

 

In common parlance, one often hears, that Krishna without Radha is

incomplete.

 

Rama and Seeta are also always worshipped together.

 

Shiva and Parvati are worshipped in the form which is conceived as

united in a single body.

 

Hindus believe that the Mother stands for everything that is

everywhere in the Universe.

 

Whether we pray to Mother Goddess or not, She thinks of us all the

time.

 

She holds us in our arms when we feel sad, in the form of our own

mother, or friend.

 

Mother Laxmi gives us various gifts from time to time. As Mother

Saraswati, she teaches us all the wonderful things that we need to

learn. And as Mother Kali, She teaches us lessons that may be

painful, but are ultimately for our own good.

 

- Shakun Narain Kimatrai

 

Source: http://www.dalsabzi.com/