[world-vedic] Navratra

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Navaratri is a joyous festival which is celebrated every year by Hindus, during

early fall season (occurs during late September and early October). The Goddess

in the form of the Universal Mother is worshiped for nine nights and hence the

name *nava-ratri.' On the tenth day, the festival comes to an end with a

special puja called Vijaya Dasami. During the ten days of the Dasara festival

(ten days and nine nights), it is common for Hindus to read and recite slokas

on the greatness of Mother Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Mother Durga

symbolizes the power of purposeful action (Kriya Sakti). Lakshmi represents the

will power (Itchaa Sakti) and Saraswati stands for the power of knowledge (Jnana

Sakti

-

sanjeev nayyar

Undisclosed-Recipient:;

Monday, March 31, 2003 8:52 PM

[world-vedic] Navratra

DAL-SABZI for the AATMAN-Shakun NarainNAVRATRASNavratras will start on the 2nd

of April 2003.> > Navratra literally means '9 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, Spaceetc.> > The fact that you

have understood what I have written so far is due tothe> 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 3 days

of 'Navratra' are dedicated to 'Ma Kali' to annihilate the> enemies> > within> >

The next 3 days are dedicated to 'Ma Laxmi' and the last 3 days are> dedicated>

> to Ma Saraswati.> >> > On the 10th 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 holdsus> in> > our arms when dejected, gives us various gifts from time to

time, but> admonishes> > us when we cross our line.> > These nine nights we

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

Allow me to describe Her to you!> > Mother holds various weapons (mace,

sword,disc, arrow, trident) and> emblems in> > Her 10 hands.> > Different

weapons are required to destroy different enemies and> circumstances.> > If one

looks closely, different enemies of the mind require different> approaches> > to

weaken them.> >> > Take anger, for instance, observe that whenever one is angry,

it is> because a> > certain desire has not been fulfilled. So one of the weapons

for anger,is> 'less> > expectations'> > For jealousy, the weapon would be

'raising ones own self esteem and> performance'> >> > Mother 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.> >> > 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

variousdisguises.> 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 crescentmoon> 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 rightfrom> wrong.> > 6. Mata Kaatyayini- Constantly

fights against Evil and devious entities.> > 7. Mata Kaalraatri-She killed a

demon called Raktabeej. (He had thepower> 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 worldis>

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'.> > I have heard that the Female counterpart of God is 'Maya' the

Creation.> > The Energy that created the Universe stems from the Female Energy

ofGod.> > And God and His Creation is not separable.> > God is not only His

Creation, but lives in every atom of It.> > Mother, is worshipped as the

Universal Energy> > Hindus believe that the Mother stands for everything that

is everywherein> 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 ownmother,> or> > friend.> > Mother Laxmi gives us various gifts

from time to time.> > As Mother Saraswati, she teaches us all the wonderful

things that weneed> to> > learn. And as Mother Kali, She teaches us lessons

that may be painful,but> are> > ultimately for our own good.> >> > If you would

like more information on Mother and Navratri, do click onthe> following:> > For

information on the mystical No 9, click:> >

http://www.dalsabzi.com/Articles/mystical_no_9.htm> >> > For the Navratra

Katha, click:> >

http://www.dalsabzi.com/Wisdom_Scrip/devi_mahatmya_navratri_katha.htm> >> > For

an introduction to Kali Ma, click:> >

http://www.dalsabzi.com/Articles/kali_maa.htm> >> > For an introduction to

Goddess Laxmi, click:>

>>http://www.dalsabzi.com/Language_Festivals/laxmi.htmhttp://www.dalsabzi.com/>

Language_Festivals/laxmi.htm> > It is auspicious to read the Ramayana during the

9 days ofNavratri.Would> you> > like to know about Its Symbolic aspect?> > Click

here:> > http://www.dalsabzi.com/Books/Symbolisms_Ramayana/intro.htm> >> >

Sincerely, Shakun> >> >> >> >> >> > For personal messages and inspiring

messages to Shakun Narain, email her> at snarain (AT) vsnl (DOT) com> >> > Dal Sabzi for

the Aatman can be read at her web-site> http://www.dalsabzi.com> >> > If you

would like to be added, change of address or removed from this> mailing> >

list, please go the following web page :> >

http://www.dalsabzi.com/mailing_list.htm> >> > Since India has no anti-spamming

law, we follow the US Unsolicited> Electronic> > Mail Act of 2000, which states

this cannot be considered spam if it> contains> > contact/removal information,

which this mail does.> http://spamlaws.com/federal/hr3113a.html.> >> >> >>>This

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