Marsha's question about the 9 Durgas

[Guest guest]

J'ai Maa! Marsha,

Hope I might be able to answer your question about the 9 Durgas. In

the Cosmic Puja written and translated by Swami Satyananda Saraswati

of the Devi Mandir there are 2 offerings to the 9 forms of Durga.One

is one page 120 and the 9 forms are 1)Sailaputri-Goddess of

Inspiration 2) Brahmacaarini-Goddess of Learning 3) Candraghante-

Goddess of practice 4) Kuusmaanda-Goddess of Refinement 5)

Skandamaata-Goddess who Nurtures Divinity 6)Kaatyaayani-Goddess who

is Ever Pure

7)Kaalaraatri-Goddess of the Dark Night of Overcoming Egotism

8)MahaaGauri-Goddess of the Great Radiant Light 9) Siddhidaatri-

Goddess Who Grants Perfection

 

There is another worship of the 9 forms of Durga on Page 132 of the

Cosmic Puja:

1) Brahmaani-Creative Energy 2)Maahesvari-Great Seer of All

3)Kaumaari-the Ever Pure One 4)Vaisnavi-the Energy Pervading All

Existence 5) Vaaraahi-the Boar of Sacrifice 6) Naarasimhi-the Man

Lion of Courage 7) Indraani-the Energy of the Rule of the Pure

8) Caamunda- The Slayer of Passion and Meaness 9) Kaatyaayani-The

Ever Pure One

 

These are the 9 Durgas which battled against the seed of desire in

Chapter 8 of the Chandi Path.

 

There is also reference to the 9 Durgas in the Devi Kavacham(Armor of

the Goddess) in the Chandi Path on Page 57 and 58.

 

Both of these texts are written in Sanskrit, along with a

transliteration and an English translation.There is more explanation

in English of these 9 Durgas which I did not include here.

I would highly reccommend both texts for study and for worship.

 

You can read more about Navaratri:

http://www.shreemaa.org/article16.htm

http://www.shreemaa.org/article23.htm

If you like to make a special offering to the Goddess on each day of

the Navaratri then read the following article:

http://www.shreemaa.org/article18.htm

 

Hope this helps.

Parvati

 

 

 

Hi Sarada-

>

> On the questions conserning Navaratri. Does Swamiji know of any

books

> in English that are available in the USA that explain the Navadurgas

> of both the Spring and Autumnal festivals and I had also heard of

the

> Autumnal Festival using Mahakali, Mahalaksmi, & Mahasarasvati. -

Or -

> if there are no such texts available now and Swamiji has the time

for

> an encapsulated explanation of who is on which night and what is to

> be concentrated on each night I've always been curious.

>

> I ususally worship with the Kali Mandir down in Laguana Beach, CA

for

> Navaratri & they worship the Dasha Mahavidyas south Indian style

with

> puja & havan. I have the McKinley, Frawley plus a book on Tantra (I

> can't remember the author at the moment) on the Mahavidyas, but if

> there are any more good texts out there I'd be interested.

>

> If anyone on the list knows of any good books or, if it's not an

> intrusion, knows or practices using the Navadurgas or the Mahadevis

> during spring and autumn festivals and would like to share I'm "all

> ears".

>

> Jai Ma

> Marsha

>

>

>

> , "Sarada" <sarada_saraswati>

> wrote:

> >

> >

> > Question from Nitya: Durga Navaratri is approaching, and my mind

is

> > more fully with

> > Durga-Ma.

> > I regularly offer Durga puja, and also chant Chandi Pathah; in

both

> > texts

> > prayer is made to the Nine Durgas

> > (in Chandi Pathah, this is in Devya Kavacham, 3rd through 5th

> > shlokas).

> > My question:

> > My understanding is that the nine Durgas--from Goddess of

Inspiration

> > (Shailaputri) to the Goddess Who Grants Perfection (Siddhidaatri)-

-

> > are the divine processes of our Selves as we approach God through

our

> > prayer and sadhana.

> > Is this true?

> > Also, are the nine Durgas a cycle, through which we spiral

through

> > again and

> > again on our eternal journey?

> >

> >

> > Answer from Swamiji: They are a process. they are a cycle, but

they

> > are also the Goddesses

> > who take us along the path. There is actually a Goddess who

become

> > embodied as Inspiration. You can feel Her blessings every time we

> > get

> > excited about something.

> >

> > Yes, it is true. But their definitions will continue to expand as

we

> > move deeper and deeper into the experience.