Nava Durga and Navaratri

 Hari Aum.

There are four 'Navaratris' or 9 night festivals that are celebrated each year to worship the Divine Mother. These occur in spring, summer, autumn and winter (the autumn festival, known as 'Sharad Navaratri' is the most popular and widely-known).

Tomorrow is a highly auspicious day in the Vedic calendar-- it is New Year's day based upon the lunar calendar. It is also the first day of the spring Navaratri (known as Chaitra Navaratri).

From the perspective of jyotisha (or Vedic astrology), this day is suitable to begin new spiritual and material endeavours. It is said that any new venture started on this day (that is based upon dharma/ righteousness) is blessed with success.

It is a perfect day for the worship of the Divine Mother. She has numerous wonderful names and forms. And She can be worshipped in any of these during Navaratri. However, this festival is associated with the worship of nine special forms of Durga, known as 'Nava Durga' ('nava' means 'nine' in Sanskrit). 

As we are about to enter this extremely auspicious period, let us contemplate these nine beautiful forms of the Divine Mother. These are as follows:

1. Shailaputri: the first day of Navaratri is associated with Shailaputri ('Shaila' means 'peak' and 'putri' means 'daughter' in Sanskrit). This is another name for the incarnation of Durga as Parvati-- the daughter of the peak or the Himalaya mountain King. 

She is depicted as holding a trident in Her right hand, and a lotus in Her left. These respectively represent Her actions to destroy evil and grant blessings. 

2. Brahmacharini: the second day of Navaratri is associated with Brahmacharini. This is the form of the Divine Mother immersed in spiritual practice. She represents the power of devotion and penance. 

She is the Goddess of renunciation, who gives up everything to attain Shiva. Intent upon Him, She engages in constant recitation of His well-known mantra (the panchakshara). 

She holds a japa mala (prayer beads) in Her right hand, and the kamandalu (water pot of an ascetic) in Her left. She is known as 'Tapasvini', the embodiment of tapas. 

She was also called 'Aparna' by the rishis in the forest when She gave up eating leaves ('parna') that symbolise material Nature. Bilva leaves are sacred to Shiva and She had previously been eating only these while fasting from all other food. She represents mastery over the senses and the ability to withdraw the mind inwards to contemplate the Divine. 

Worship of the Mother in this form gives the devotee the ability to perform intense spiritual austerities including japa, meditation and fasting. 

3. Chandraghanta: the third day of Navaratri is associated with Chandraghanta. This is a form of the Divine Mother in union with Shiva. She wears the crescent moon in Her hair symbolising their unity (this is traditionally associated with Him). 

This is a fierce form of the Divine Mother, golden in colour and holding various divine weapons, along with a lotus and prayer beads. She adopts this form when Shiva appears in His fierce form (leading Him to then adopt a gentler aspect!). 

This form of the Mother is associated with strength and courage. She grants fearlessness and protection to Her devotees.

4. Kushmanda: She is the deity of the fourth day of Navaratri. She is the Goddess of light and of Creation, and is particularly associated with the sun. She represents love, warmth, vitality and healing. 

In Her hands, She holds various weapons and also two pots filled with honey and 'amrita' (divine nectar). Worship of Mother Kushmanda is performed for physical health and mental peace. She is also associated with fertility, childbirth and spiritual awakening (spiritual rebirth). 

She governs the 'anahata chakra' in particular and Her worship is said to cleanse and heal this chakra or spiritual energy centre.

5. Skandamata: This is the Goddess in the form of the Mother of Kartikeya. She is worshipped on the fifth day of Navaratri.

As a result of the union of Shakti with Shiva, a son (Kartikeya or Skanda) is born. Skandamata represents the maternal aspect of the Goddess--She holds the baby Skanda in Her arms. 

As She rules the 'Vishuddha chakra' located at the level of the throat, Her worship is said to grant clarity in communication and better self-expression. She gives the ability to resolve disputes through diplomacy rather than aggression and is thus associated with harmony and peace (both within the family and in society). She also gives mental clarity and wisdom. 

(Those who worship this form of the Mother are also said to gain the blessings of Her son, Skanda. He is a powerful form of the Divine associated with the granting of protection and destruction of all evil). 

6. Katyayani: The Mother in this form is the Goddess of justice. She is worshipped on the sixth day of Navaratri.

She assumed this form to destroy the ego, represented by the asura (demon) known as Mahishasura. She is the Goddess at war, extremely fierce and intent upon the destruction of evil.

Her worship is said to remove all obstacles in material and spiritual life. She is traditionally worshipped by unmarried girls seeking a suitable partner.

She governs the 'ajna chakra' (located in the region of the space between the eyebrows) and is thus associated with granting intuition and spiritual wisdom, and the ability to perceive truth (beyond the illusion of the material universe).

7. Kalaratri: This form of the Divine Mother is worshipped on the seventh day of Navaratri. She resembles Mother Kali in that She is as black as night ('Kala' means 'black' and 'ratri' means 'night' in Sanskrit), has long, wild hair and is wrathful. She hold weapons in Her hands, and is associated with the destruction of the lower aspect of our nature (represented by the asuras 'Shumbha' and 'Nishumbha').

She governs the seventh chakra, located at the crown of the head, known as the 'sahasrara' (that is said to resemble a lotus with a thousand petals). Her worship is associated with the total and complete annihilation of the lower ego and with the attainment of enlightenment or realisation of one's true spiritual nature as being one with Truth or God.

She is said to grant the ability to overcome even the most testing of obstacles, the capacity to break negative habits (including recovery from addictions).

Like other fierce forms of the Mother, Her worship is said to grant protection from danger, destruction of evil and suffering. 

She is known as Shubhankari, the auspicious One as Her worship is said to grant overall success and wellbeing in life.

8. Maha Gauri: She is worshipped on the eighth day of Navaratri. She represents the polar opposite of Kalaratri, being of a radiant white colour, the embodiment of peace and serenity. 

She is particularly associated with the power of compassion and forgiveness, and through these, the attainment of harmony within the family and society. She is worshipped for emotional healing, and the removal of all negativity. 

The Mother in this form is depicted as the embodiment of all virtue and purity, the One who grants spiritual strength.  Like Kalaratri, She too is associated with the sahasrara chakra, symbolising the attainment of spiritual consciousness.

9. Siddhidatri: She is worshipped on the ninth day of Navaratri. She holds a conch shell (representing wisdom including sacred sounds/ mantras), weapons in the form of the discus/chakra and mace (representing the destruction of ignorance/evil) and a lotus (representing the granting of divine blessings. Note- these four are also associated with the form of Narayana/ Vishnu). 

She represents the culmination of spiritual endeavour, the attainment of spiritual consciousness, the removal of all ignorance. She is the giver of spiritual abilities or 'siddhis' (which are naturally bestowed once the lower nature is completely transmuted into the divine). She represents balance between the material and spiritual aspects of life. 

She is also associated with the famous 'Ardha Narishvara' form. In this form, Shiva and Shakti assume a single divine form, with the right half depicting the form of Shiva and the left half the form of Shakti. This form represents  the state of balance of the masculine and feminine energies within oneself, the balance of Purusha/ Spirit and Prakriti/matter. 

This completes a brief description of the nine beautiful forms of the Divine Mother, each associated with a particular day of the Navaratri festival.

Please see below for some useful links related to this subject:

1. Mantras and prayers for Navaratri worship including of the Nava Durga forms:

https://greenmesg.org/stotras/durga/

2. Recitation of some famous mantras of the Nava Durga:

The beautiful Nava Durga stothram

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgDAbk_6nzY

Mantras for each of the Nava Durgas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IK-ZlZUEck&list=PL0NTVBK7D46YKMH5cGLoBiKuQC5AOWfJp

Let us pray to the Nava Durga forms of the Divine Mother during this Navaratri for spiritual and material wellbeing for ourselves, our families, our society and the world at large. The above mantras and prayers, as well as the Navarna mantra, would be suitable to recite during this time.

Om Sri Durgayai Namah.

Om Namah Shivaya.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Sati: the legend of the Shakti peethas

 Hari Aum.

As Navaratri, the celebration of the glories of the Divine Mother, approaches, I would like to write a bit about a famous Puranic legend connected with Her. This is the story of Sati and the creation of the 'Shakti peethas' (sacred sites associated with Her as Shakti; in Sanskrit, the word 'shakti' means 'power' and the Mother as Shakti embodies Divine Power).

 The reason I feel like writing about this topic currently is that I recently received an email that suggested performing worship of a particular form of the Mother that is associated with these Shakti peethas (this occurred as a result of my being on the mailing list of a spiritual organisation that teaches Goddess worship— this is not the exact tradition of my Guru though there are many similarities). 

This was recommended due to the upcoming sacred period of Navaratri (and I have decided to perform this sadhana, and some additional related ones, but will not describe the exact details here— this is because, although it is very much a 'right hand' sadhana, it associated with the tradition of Tantra and may be prone to misunderstanding. I may write another post on this subject later).

So let us study the legend of the Shakti peethas, how these were formed and the reason for their great significance and importance in worshipping the Mother over many centuries up to the present day.

Once upon a time, Lord Shiva and His eternal Consort and Power, Mother Shakti, were in a state of separation (externally that is of course; no separation was ever possible internally). The Mother was in an unmanifested state (without form) at this time, and Shiva retreated to His home at the snowy peak of Mount Kailas and spent all His time absorbed in meditation. 

Over time, a state of great imbalance and negativity manifested in the universe. To correct this and restore a healthy balance, it was deemed necessary for the Divine Mother to take on a physical avatar and unite with Shiva. In order to achieve this purpose, the Divine Mother was born as the daughter of a celestial being called 'Daksha'. He was the son of Brahma, the creative aspect of the Divine, and held an important position (known as 'Prajapati' in Sanskrit) within the material realms assisting his father in creation.

Unfortunately, Daksha was a rather proud and ignorant man. He regarded himself as a great devotee of Narayana/Vishnu. Due to his inability to perceive the oneness of the various forms of God, he regarded all other forms of the Divine as inferior, especially Lord Shiva whom he particularly despised. 

Over time, Daksha and his wife, Prasuti, had a number of charming and beautiful daughters. Their youngest daughter, whom they named 'Sati' (meaning 'one who is the embodiment of Truth) was an avatar of Shakti. She was an exceptionally charming, sweet and intelligent child and Her father and family doted upon Her.

When Sati and Her sisters grew up into beautiful young women, it was deemed that it was time for them to marry. The sisters of Sati married various noble sages and left the family home. Eventually it was Sati's turn, and She had set Her entire heart and mind upon Shiva alone (being His eternal consort, this was natural). 

When the time came, She declared Her wish and intention to seek and marry Lord Shiva. When this news fell upon her father's ears, he was shocked and greatly angered!

How could his own daughter even contemplate such a thing, he reflected! Determined to do everything possible to prevent Her from marrying Shiva, he approached Her and spoke in a manner that he had never spoken before. 

Filled with fury, he stated that he would never permit Her to marry Shiva! Instructing Her to stay away from Him, he declared that She would be cast out of the family forever if She dared to go against his wishes! 

Sati, who had only ever received great love and affection from Her father and family, was filled with great grief at his words. She listened to him silently and, after he had finished speaking, attempted explain Her desire to marry Shiva. 

Her father, however, had no time for any explanations. He angrily left Her quarters stating that She was to obey his orders. He would find Her a suitable groom and She would marry the person he chose-- and that was to be the end of the matter! 

Sati was deeply distraught at Her father's opposition to Shiva. However, as it was Her divine destiny to unite with Him, She sought and found Him and They got married. They experienced great peace, love and contentment as a result of Their divine union.

When the news of the wedding of Sati and Shiva reached Daksha's ears, He was filled with immense rage. 

He declared that his once beloved daughter, was now dead to him! He stated that nobody in the family was ever to utter Her name again and She had ceased to exist as far as he was concerned. 

Sati's mother, sisters and other family members were filled with great sorrow at Daksha's resolve, but were unable to change his mind. They were thus compelled to accept his wishes. Years passed and there was no contact between Sati and Her father or the rest of Her family. 

One day, while in the company of Shiva at Their home in Mount Kailas, Sati noticed a large number of celestial beings passing by. They appeared to be on their way to a grand ceremony of worship. She called to them to ask where they were going, and they replied saying that they had been invited to Her father, Daksha's home. They explained he was going to conduct a great yajna (fire ceremony) in honour of Vishnu and other divinities. 

The only exception was Shiva who would not be honoured in any way at Daksha's ceremony (though it was the tradition that He too ought to have been worshipped). All Her sisters, their husbands and extended family were invited to the grand event. Sati and Shiva, however, had received no invitation. 

Sati was filled with anguish at the thought of Her father not wanting to see Her after so many years. She thought he would surely be willing to forgive his own beloved daughter if only She could meet and speak with him. She told Shiva that They should attend her father's home and that it did not matter that there was no invitation-- She was Daksha's daughter after all and had a right to visit Her own father!

Shiva heard Her impassioned plea in silence. He replied saying that They should not go; it would be unwise, He said, to go to places where one was not invited. Sati was very upset that Her husband did not seem to understand Her feelings. He did not seem to realise the grief and pain that She had experienced in separation from Her family. It was only natural that She would want to try and reconnect with them.

She told Shiva that She would go alone if He was unwilling to accompany Her. She would speak to Her father and make amends. All would then be well, She assured Him, and the rift between Her husband and father would be healed.

Shiva looked at Her with a mixture of immense tenderness and sadness. He told Her that all would not be well if She went, and therefore, She should not go-- She should remain with Him at Kailas where She would be safe. He knew that Daksha had no real devotion to the Divine (whether as Narayana or any other form), and the sole purpose of his worship, was only self-aggrandisement and to humiliate Him by the exclusion. 

However (in accordance with the Divine Lila that was unfolding), Sati was unable to accept Shiva's advice. She insisted that She would like to attend the worship and meet Her family. Bidding Him goodbye, She said that She would soon return and then made Her way to Her parental home where the grand worship of Narayana was about to begin.

As She arrived at the entrance to Her father's magnificent palace, the guards tried to block Her way saying She had no invitation. She told them to stand aside as She was a daughter of Daksha and had every right to be there. 

She then entered the palace and saw that it was filled with divine sages, the demi-gods, apsaras, gandharvas and all manner of celestial beings. The entire area had been decorated beautifully with heavenly flowers and lamps, and the air was fragrant with incense. 

Seeing Her childhood home and family, Sati was filled with great joy. Her mother and sisters saw Her enter and were filled with delight. They rushed to greet Her and they all embraced each other with great affection.

Daksha heard the commotion and murmuring among the guests caused by the arrival of Sati. What was the matter, he demanded. What was all the fuss about! The palace attendants quietly told him that his daughter, Sati, had arrived. Hearing this, Daksha was filled with great rage and indignation. 

Declaring that he had no daughter called 'Sati', he marched over to where She stood just within the entrance to the palace. After severely rebuking Her for coming home, he was still not satisfied. 

To cause even greater pain, he launched into a tirade of abuse against Shiva. (I am not going to describe in detail the negative words he used here, but suffice to say, these were related to the appearance of Shiva, His character, His apparent lack of worldly wealth and so on-- all these statements were based upon spiritual ignorance, which Daksha embodied, and were entirely false).

Sati, who had managed to tolerate the insult and humiliation of Herself, could not bear to hear a word against Shiva. Upon hearing the slander of Him, She became inflamed with a terrible rage (until this time, She had manifested as a sweet youthful woman, with little evidence of Her divine power-- this now changed).  

Blazing with divine wrath, She declared that every word that Her father had uttered against Shiva was completely false-- and that this was only a testimony to his own enormous pride, ignorance and undivine nature! 

She then stated that She did not desire to remain his daughter for an instant longer, and therefore, would give up Her body immediately. Her ears, She said, had been polluted by being exposed to the ignoble statements about Shiva made by Her father. 

He did not know anything at all about Shiva, She declared, closing Her eyes, and fixing Her mind upon His presence within. She then used Her divine power to create a mystic fire that engulfed Her physical body. Her burning body fell to the ground as She departed. 

There was a terrible uproar in the palace upon this occurrence. Previously, nobody had dared to say a word as father and daughter confronted each other, but this was too much for them to bear! Everyone present was filled with great sorrow at Sati's departure, and had a dreadful sense of foreboding of things to come. Daksha however, was briefly startled, but then composed himself and remained unrepentant. 

Meanwhile, at Mount Kailas, Shiva felt the energy of Shakti leaving Her physical body. He felt the immense suffering and grief that Sati had experienced before She left. He had not been affected by Daksha's foolish and ignorant statements about Him (which had been going on for years), but inflicting such suffering upon Sati and causing Her to leave Her body, was completely unacceptable to Him.

Filled with immense grief and divine wrath, He decided to teach Daksha a lesson once and for all. He then drew two strands from His matted locks of hair, and as He did so, the strands transformed into two, exceedingly fierce divine forms-- a male form, called 'Virabhadra', and a female form, called 'Bhadrakali'.

"Go", said Shiva to these divine manifestations, "and teach Daksha a lesson". Virabhadra and Bhadrakali were exceptionally powerful manifestations of divine anger and were frightening to behold. 

In accordance with Shiva's instructions, They set off rapidly for Daksha's home accompanied by various attendants. Upon arrival, They entered the palace and destroyed all the arrangements for the false, egoistic worship that Daksha had wanted to conduct. Next, they turned to Daksha himself. 

Now, in the yogic tradition, the head is said to represent the ego. It represents the intellect. Daksha's conduct over the years, including his behaviour with Sati, had clearly demonstrated beyond any doubt that his intellect was severely corrupted and that he was devoid of virtually all goodness. His mind and intellect were filled mainly with pride, anger and other vicious, undivine qualities. 

As a gesture to relieve Daksha of the burden of this terrible ego, Virabhadra severed his head from his body (this may seem a bit macabre, but this story has an esoteric meaning-- and does not in any way condone anyone severing heads in general! 

It is the egoistic head that needs to be removed for us to make spiritual progress, so that our Higher Self can express itself, so that we can attune ourselves to the Divine-- this is a key message of this Lila. Perhaps this is the reason why, in many spiritual traditions, people bow down before the Divine, placing their heads upon the ground as an act of worship. This symbolises humility and giving up the ego before God).

Upon Daksha's head being severed from his body, there was an outcry at the palace. Shiva Himself appeared at this juncture, and upon seeing Him, various family members pleaded with Him to restore the Prajapati's life. Hearing their prayers, Shiva agreed, and Daksha was revived. He understood that he had been a victim of foolish pride and other negative qualities and repented for his past mistakes. He asked for forgiveness from Shiva who blessed him.

Another fascinating aspect of this Divine Lila now unfolded. Filled with immense grief at Sati's departure, Shiva lifted Her lifeless body from the ground and embraced this; the sight of the body served as a reminder of the injustice and cruelty that She had faced. This filled Him with extraordinary rage and pain, and unleashed tremendous cosmic forces of destruction from within His being. 

The serene, meditating form of Shiva now transformed into an avatar of cosmic destruction-- Rudra. As He held the body of Sati, He began to dance the dance of destruction, the Rudra Tandava (this is usually conducted at the end of a cycle of creation to pave the way for the next one)!

However, it was not yet time for that cycle of creation to end. Therefore, Vishnu, the Preserver of the universe, stepped in and took action to protect all of creation. He released His divine weapon, the fiery discus known as the Sudarshana chakra, at Shiva. The weapon sped towards Him and swiftly caused the disintegration of the body of Sati.  

Shiva, seeing that there was no longer any physical trace of Sati, withdrew again from the world. Returning to His home at Mount Kailas, He went deep into meditation for many years (until Sati returned as Parvati and They were reunited for ever more-- will try and write another post about this happier event later!).

The disintegrated parts of Sati's body fell on to the Earth and became the famous 'Shakti peethas' (each part of Sati became a unique manifestation of the Mother). These are places that are said to have a potent presence of the personal aspect of the Divine Mother. (They are also associated with Shiva; it is said that He guards each one of these areas in a unique form known as 'Bhairava').

Worship of the Mother in the forms associated with the Shakti peethas is said to grant great spiritual and material blessings.

These places are particularly associated with the practice of Tantra (a specific method of worship of the Divine using certain mantras, pujas, homams and so on). This includes both the ‘right hand’ (dakshina marga) and ‘left hand’ (vama marga) paths of spirituality.

Tantra sadhana should generally always be performed under the guidance of a genuine Guru of the tradition. The student who embarks upon the path of Tantra in particular must have already cultivated a high degree of practice of the yogic ethics (particularly ahimsa, satya and brahmacharya; as without these, there is a very real risk of a serious spiritual fall).

The practice of the Tantric worship of the Divine Mother can range from the recitation of simple mantras to more elaborate types of ritual. The one that I am performing for Navaratri is a relatively simple one advised by a lady Guru whom I respect and regard as a genuine spiritual teacher (though I do not know her personally and have not met her—though I might try to one day). In accordance with the teachings of my own Guru, Sivananda, I am not practicing any elaborate mantras with many beejas and so on as this is not the main spiritual path that I usually follow. 

I do find the Tantric forms of the Mother beautiful and fascinating though, hence the reason I have decided to perform a simple worship of one of these for Navaratri. I may write further posts on the various forms of the Goddess in the Tantric tradition as I learn more and perhaps practice a bit of this type of sadhana.

In summary, there are various messages in the story of Sati, ranging from the dangers of excessive egoism to the importance of being able to see One God in all names and forms (and thus being able to respect all, while practicing one's own spiritual path). And also, most importantly, the power of the grace of God that manifests as various personal aspects that we can connect with and worship to benefit spiritually.

May Mother Sati bless us all with spiritual progress and material happiness.

Om Shaktyai Namah.

Om Namah Shivaya

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S. There are a couple of eclipses coming up in the next two weeks (including one in three days time). These are excellent times for sadhana for spiritual and material progress. Let us chant mantras for the peace and wellbeing of ourselves, our loved ones and the entire cosmos during this time.

Lakshmi sahasranama

 Hari Aum.

Om Sri Mahalakshmyai Namah.

I hope all readers are keeping well and that your sadhana is going smoothly. We are now exactly a month away from Navaratri, the nine day celebration of the glories of the Divine Mother.

I chanced to come across the Lakshmi sahasranama today, a very beautiful prayer to Mother Lakshmi and wanted to share this with you.

In Sanskrit, 'sahasra' means 'one thousand', and 'nama' means 'name'. So 'sahasranama' means 'one thousand names'. The two most well-known and popular sahasranamas are the ones dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the Divine Mother Lalita. These are recited in temples and in the homes of devotees all over the world. However, there are sahasranamas for various other deities, including Mother Lakshmi. 

Today is Friday, the day of the Goddess, and I was listening to the Mahalakshmi ashtakam (eight verses in praises of Mother Lakshmi) this evening while doing some rather dull, household chores. After listening to this and also singing along for a while, I was in the mood to continue to enjoy the experience of devotion to Mother Lakshmi.

Knowing that 'sahasranamas' tend to be on a longer side, I decided to do an online search and came up with a beautiful rendition of the Lakshmi sahasranama (please see links below). The meaning of the Sanskrit names of Lakshmi were so sweet and melodious to the ear that I felt I really had to write about this today. I was also very tempted to perform a puja while listening to the sahasranama (will keep this for another occasion soon as it is now a bit late in the day).

This prayer is described in the Skanda Purana and is said to have been recited by the sage Sanatkumara (who explained to other sages who then went on to teach this to their own disciples). 

Lakshmi sahasranama recitation: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8EGm9OwSNc

The entire prayer (in various scripts):

https://vignanam.org/samskritam/sri-lakshmi-sahasra-nama-stotram.html

Meaning of each of the one thousand names of Mother Lakshmi:

https://www.teluguone.com/devotional/amp/content/mahalakshmi-sahasranamam-%E2%80%93-1008-holy-names-of-goddess-english-script-937-27566.html

The Lakshmi sahasranama has a very sweet, benevolent, gentle energy associated with it. The Goddess is this form is essentially depicted as the nourishing and compassionate Mother of the entire universe.

The sahasranama broadly describes Her as One who:

-bestows peace, happiness, health and wealth (both material and spiritual)

-vanquishes evil (for example, She is described as Kali, Durga, Narasimhi and Varahi)

-gives wisdom (She is described as Sarasvati)

-has a beautiful form and qualities  

-is the beloved of Vishnu

-is the embodiment of mantras and worship

-can be propitiated by the recitation of mantras and performance of worship

-is the origin of all Creation

-is the Sustainer and Destroyer of all 

-deludes (as Maya) and also removes delusion (by granting Self realisation)

-is Mother Nature in all aspects (including the five 'great elements' namely, fire, water, earth, air and space)

-is the Supreme Being, the granter of all blessings

From a spiritual perspective, hearing or reciting this is said to grant divine blessings, devotion to God and spiritual liberation. 

From a material perspective, this prayer is said is to grant worldly comforts and wealth, a peaceful home and good health. 

From the perspective of Vedic astrology, this would be particularly helpful for those who have a weak Venus in their birth chart (as Lakshmi is the presiding deity for this planet) and those who are ruled by the Venusian signs (Taurus and Libra as the ascendant and/or moon sign).

I have to admit I really enjoyed listening to this sahasranama and feeling connected to Mother Lakshmi--I plan to listen to it many more times in the coming weeks and will hopefully learn to recite at least some of it (I was also surprised and pleased to see the name 'Aparna' on the list; I have always secretly wished my first name had a more direct connection with Vishnu and was glad to finally discover that this is in fact the case!).

I hope that you too enjoy listening to, reciting and contemplating upon the meaning of this beautiful meditative prayer dedicated to Mother Lakshmi.

Om Sri MahaLakshmyai Namah.

May Mother Lakshmi bless us all.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Gupta Navaratri and an introduction to Tantra

 Hari Aum.

Last night was the first night of the extremely auspicious nine-night festival of worship of the Divine Mother known as 'Gupta Navaratri' ('gupta' means 'secret' in Sanskrit). Worship of the Mother during this time is said to yield great spiritual benefits.

Unlike the well-known Navaratri festival that occurs in autumn, this one is celebrated only by select groups of devotees of the Goddess, particularly those who follow the path of Tantra (which includes worship of the Dasha Mahavidyas-- ten powerful forms of the Mother). However, any devotee of the Mother (not only Tantriks) can worship Her during this auspicious time. 

This year, the duration of Gupta Navaratri is from January 30 to Febuary 7 inclusive. This is an amazing time to read the Saptasloki Durga, recite the Navarna mantra or any other mantra of the Mother, and if one is able, to read or listen to the entire Devi Mahatmyam. 

One can listen to or recite the famous Vedic prayers such as the Shri and Medha Suktams. Recitation or listening to the Durga kavacham will grant protection. The Lalita Sahasranama or one thousand names of the Goddess is also an excellent way to worship Her.

In addition to the recitation of mantras and hymns, one can perform pujas and homams. In India, there is an ancient tradition of giving presents to little girls during this time as a form of honouring the Divine Mother who resides within them-- this is a good time to make donations to support charities dedicated to the welfare of girls and women in particular (living forms of the Mother).

In short, this is the perfect time to connect deeply with the Divine Mother via a variety of spiritual practices and to gain Her grace and blessings.

Furthermore, you may have heard that there is currently a beautiful planetary alignment in the skies. The planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are broadly arranged in a line-- various people say that this indicates some positive spiritual energies in the cosmos.

From a Vedic astrology perspective, Venus, the planet symbolising the Divine Mother, has recently entered the sign of Pisces where it is 'exalted' or particularly strong. Venus also signifies happiness in life, material prosperity, divine love and devotion to God. This is an additional factor that makes this time especially conducive for worship of the Divine Mother.

To have this combination of Gupta Navaratri, with an exalted Venus in Pisces, and a beautiful planetary alignment is not that common, and I feel one should make the best use of this precious time to worship the Mother.

I am certainly going to do my best to make the most of this opportunity. My favourite form of the Mother is Durga, the protective, compassionate and powerful aspect, and I will spend extra time in this period soaking myself as much as possible in Her mantras and worship. 

In previous posts, I mentioned that I am developing an interest in the field of Tantra, and that I would like to educate myself a little with regard to this style of worship (I have been following the Vedantic path so far in my spiritual life).

This Navaratri feels like the perfect time to introduce myself to this style of worship. I recently came across this excellent and detailed video (please see link below) on Tantric worship of Mother Durga. I am currently in the process of watching and understanding this; I note that it involves the use of mantras, detailed visualisations and hand gestures (mudras). It seems to be an extraordinary method of developing a sense of oneness or unity with Mother Durga.

{I am fond of using the technique of visualisation in devotional practices (manasik puja), and have been learning hand gestures or 'mudras' in my recent study of Bharatanatyam dance, so find this type of worship very interesting. I am also curious because it describes the tradition of Tantra as practiced in Kerala, India from where my family originates (my paternal ancestors have worshipped Mother Kali in our home temple for centuries with the help of priests who are practitioners of this method)}.

 

I hope you have a wonderful Navaratri, and if like me, you are curious about the practices of Tantra, I hope you find this video helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izbN5lV_eMQ

Om Sri Durgayai Namah.

Om Aim Hrim Klim Chamundayai Vicche.

May Mother Durga bless us all.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Vijaya dashami greetings and the comfort zone

 Hari Aum.

Tomorrow is the tenth day of celebration known as 'Vijaya Dashami' that occurs after the auspicious nine nights of Navaratri. This is a highly auspicious day according to the Vedic calendar. Any material or spiritual venture that commences on this day is said to have the blessings of the Divine and will be successful (according to the principles of Vedic astrology).

It is a perfect day (muhurtha) to begin a spiritual practice such as mantra japa or purascharana. It is a wonderful day to renew our spiritual resolves. On a more material level, it is an excellent day to start a new project or take up anything new related to our personal wellbeing.

This day is especially associated with the worship of Mother Sarasvati, the Goddess of wisdom, the One who presides over education and the arts. It is a day of great celebration across various schools of yoga as well as those related to classical music and dance in India. 

It is a day to express our gratitude to our Gurus, both in spiritual and material life. It is a day to celebrate our teachers, to pay our respects to them, and to please them by committing to study the subjects that they teach us with renewed zeal and enthusiasm.

Like many yogis everywhere, I hope to celebrate this highly auspicious day by worshipping Mother Sarasvati. I will also be attending my usual music and dance classes on this day and will have an opportunity to give thanks to my Gurus. I remember my spiritual Guru, Sivananda, in particular on this auspicious day-- he is the source of all blessings, both spiritual and material, in my life.

This is also a good day to challenge oneself, to take up something that we want to do but have not yet managed to, something that may place us a little outside our comfort zone. This may involve deciding to cultivate a new skill, take up a new hobby, or do something that challenges us in a positive way-- something that helps us to grow and develop further. This can help us in our spiritual lives by giving us opportunities to cultivate various positive qualities.

The universe has recently provided me with an opportunity to step out of one of my comfort zones; this is related to the field of dance. I am generally not too comfortable with the idea of performing anything on stage (this is related to various childhood experiences including being raised in a home where the expectation was that I would be 'seen and not heard' and also an unpleasant experience of public speaking at school as a young child!). While I am generally comfortable with chatting with people one-to-one or in a small group, I feel distinctly uneasy at the prospect of public speaking or performing before a larger group!

When I first started learning Bharatanatyam a couple of years ago, my intention was to take up a much-loved hobby for the improvement of my own wellbeing and health. It was also to be able to explore an art form that has a very beautiful spiritual and devotional dimension. I felt this could be a valuable addition to my bhakti yoga practice and this has indeed turned out the case (I practice dance at home in front of an altar or temple with various forms of the Divine and also my Guru-- I always feel that They are very supportive and appreciative even at this very early stage in my learning!).

As I was struggling to keep motivated with learning dance (due to various other commitments) while having only individual classes, I switched to learning in a group from late last year (and supplement this with individual classes too when needed). 

However, I had no intention whatsoever of taking any dance examinations (in fact, I firmly told my teacher at the outset that I would not do these as I was only learning dance as a hobby and not to obtain a qualification!). And I certainly did not anticipate performing for a long time to come! 

But we are influenced by the company we keep (a key part of spiritual life too of course-- hence the great value of satsanga!). 

And my fellow dance students are not only highly enthusiastic--some of them are positively eager to get onto the stage! It was because of my dance classmates that I felt inspired to take the dance examination in summer this year (this compelled me to practice more seriously so was very useful). 

And now, our dance teacher has announced, quite unexpectedly, that he wants our class to do a little performance on stage in a few months (this is a lot sooner than I had expected-- I was under the impression that we would not be expected to perform until towards the end of next year which felt like a long way away!). 

After this announcement, I privately shared my wariness of being on stage with my teacher; his response was to reassure me, saying there was nothing to worry about as he would train us all very well and I would be performing in a group (and not alone-- thankfully!). 

I have decided to trust him (and myself-- for now anyway!); this is because I have seen his other students perform, and I know he sets a relatively high standard and ensures his students are ready (regardless of their stage in learning)! So, I now find myself being swept up in a current of preparing for a mini-dance performance and have decided to simply go with the flow! 

I am trying to find time to practice dance in the midst of other commitments related to home and work. As the saying goes, 'where there is a will, there is a way'!  (Again, here too, I am inspired by my fellow students who also have other commitments based upon their own stage in life, including those related to family, work and education). 

As Lord Ganesha is traditionally worshipped first in any venture in the Vedic spiritual tradition, the first devotional piece we will be performing will be dedicated to Him. I am praying to Ganesha, the Divine remover of obstacles, to remove all obstacles in the path of my satisfactory performance of this piece as a form of devotion to Him!

And, as the auspicious Vijaya Dashami day approaches, I am also praying to Mother Sarasvati, the Goddess of the arts, to bless me with the ability to perform dance (and vocal music which I am also learning and which is mandatory for Bharatanatyam) to an acceptable level and in a manner that is pleasing to the Divine (with a decent level of skill, but without any unhelpful ego!). I would like Her to help me step out of one of my comfort zones (I feel this will also be of benefit to me spiritually). We shall see what She says-- only time will tell!

I hope you too will be inspired on this beautiful day to take up something new of value, especially related to spiritual life and possibly even comfort zones! May Mother Sarasvati bless us all with spiritual progress and grant us success in learning in all aspects of life!

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah.

Om Sri Sarasvatyai Namah.

Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundayai Vicche.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S. Vijaya Dashami is also celebrated as 'Dussehra', the day when Lord Rama defeated the demon-King Ravana and was re-united with His wife, Sita. It is a day of the victory of good over evil. It is a wonderful day to worship this great avatar of Lord Narayana. 

Om Sri Rama, Jaya Rama, Jaya Jaya Rama.

Hari Aum Tat Sat. 

The spring Navaratri and Durga worship

 Hari Aum.

The spring Navaratri is upon us and this is a very good time to worship the Divine Mother (there are four Navaratris every year at the onset of the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter; the autumn one is the most famous of these but the others are also valuable for spiritual seekers). The coming ten days are highly auspicious to pray for one's own peace and wellbeing, for those we love and for the world as a whole. (This festival also marks the beginning of the lunar calendar in accordance with Vedic astrology and the date this year falls on March 22-- so a very happy lunar new year to everyone).

This festival is dedicated to the victory of good over evil. Let us pray that all wars on the planet come to a peaceful end. I do believe that the Divine Mother listens to our prayers and that She responds appropriately. Many Gurus and spiritual seekers (including many of us) have experienced this and we continue to feel Her grace in our lives.

Let us therefore do some worship, no matter how small, every single day in the coming ten days in praise of Her, to invoke Her benevolent aspect, to pray that She intervenes to bring peace to all.

In the Sivananda tradition, the first three days of Navarati are dedicated to Mother Durga, the second three to Mother Lakshmi and the final three to Mother Sarasvati. 

The final, tenth day, known as Vijaya Dashami, is celebrated as the day of victory, the day when the good within and without us, triumphs over negativity within and without. This is a day when the lower ego has been offered to the Divine and devotion has won, truth has won, and peace/divine qualities have won over the opposite.

There is a connection between the festivals involving Durga worship and Rama worship. In autumn, the tenth day after Navaratri is celebrated as Vijaya Dashami and also as Dussehra. The former, Vijaya Dashami, is to celebrate the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura (representing all evil qualities within and without us), while the latter, Dussehra, celebrates the victory of Rama over the demon Ravana. 

Similarly, during the spring Navaratri, the ninth day is celebrated as the auspicious day of the birth of Sri Rama, the avatar of Narayana (Rama navami). This is therefore a very good time to worship the Divine Mother and Father together. We need their protection and guidance today more than ever before.

To switch to a depressing but unavoidable and necessary subject, according to various experts, the risk of a nuclear war on the planet currently is the highest in the past forty years. They say that public awareness of what a nuclear war involves, and the consequences including the 'nuclear winter', is generally very low.  

(Please see below for a link related to this subject --this presents the results of a recent survey study conducted by Cambridge University which highlights some important points):

https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/public-awareness-of-nuclear-winter-too-low-given-current-risks-argues-expert?utm_campaign=alumni&utm_medium=email&utm_source=1252145_M18558%20March%202023%20alumni%20e-newsletter&dm_i=6DCH,QU5T,3JY2E7,3C3PF,1

Politicians in democracies make decisions based upon public opinion. Our opinion as citizens is therefore very important. And, as the experts say, a nuclear war conducted in one area, will affect the entire Earth's population via the following nuclear winter. Countries that are far away from the war zone will also be very seriously affected. 

I am emphasising this only to highlight our duty to pray for peace. This is not just for others, for faraway people who live in a distant land and speak a different language from us. The Earth is our common home, and if a nuclear war takes place (no matter where it occurs), it will affect every one of us and our loved ones-- that is what the experts clearly tell us. We should therefore continue to pray and do spiritual practices for peace.

We can be forgiven for finding this situation completely surreal. Despite the Earth having witnessed much conflict during our lifetimes, most of us grew up in an era where there was a relatively low risk of a nuclear conflict. 

To hear military experts and scientists (such as those in the article mentioned above) talk of nuclear war and a nuclear winter that destroys millions of lives all over the planet and say that this is a very real possibility, is truly the stuff of the darkest and most horrific of nightmares. But unfortunately, no matter how many times we pinch ourselves hoping this is not true, hoping to wake up from this awful nightmare, we cannot. This danger is the truth, the reality that we face together today.

The good thing in all of this danger and misery is that yogis tell us that the names and mantras of God have a power far greater than any nuclear weapon. The Divine has the power to protect and transform hearts and minds, and this is what is required to avoid physical destruction on our planet, our home. 

We need to pray that we may be transformed, and that all beings may be transformed, into instruments of the Divine (instead of instruments of the diabolical). Our inner wish to change and transform, to give up our personal ego/selfishness, is absolutely essential, no matter how difficult this task may seem, no matter how often we fail (this does not mean that we have to give up our own happiness, only that we also need to take others into consideration, and most of all, the will of God-- this is the key). 

And we will fail many, many times, that is inevitable, but we absolutely cannot give up. No matter how often we fall, we must get up and keep trying. That is the nature of the spiritual path, that is why we are all here on this planet today. May peace prevail, may truth prevail, may our divine nature prevail over the opposite.

May the will of God be done, may we all become instruments of the Divine, this should be our most sincere and ardent prayer.

Om Sri Durgayai Namah.

Om Durgam Devim sharanam-aham prapadye.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S.

This is wonderful time to worship Mother Durga via both physical and mental puja. One can offer Her light, incense, flowers (red ones especially), fruits, sweet rice (kheer), kumkum (red turmeric powder). One can worship Her via the famous Sri Yantra, a geometrical structure that represents Her physical nature (this can be done physically or within the mind as manasik puja). 

Various prayers and slokas can be used for Durga worship such as the navarna mantra, Durga mantras, the 32 names of Durga, the Mahishasura Mardini stothram, Saptasloki Durga and Devi Mahatmyam. 

One can also listen to the Durga sukta, the famous Vedic prayer in praise of Mother Durga (the suktam prayer should only be recited if one knows the correct Vedic pronunciation (incorrect pronunciation may give adverse effects according to the Gurus), otherwise listening alone is adequate and will give both spiritual and material benefits).

Durga suktam

1. Recited slowly with Sanskrit lyrics and English translation (this may help to learn to recite the suktam if one wishes):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLcIwRLLq9o

2. Recited slightly quicker the traditional way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=620Rx1RROxs

Om Sri Durgayai Namah.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Navaratri worship

Hari Aum.

There are many ways of worshipping the Divine Mother during Navaratri. I am sharing some simple ideas for this here (these are available online):

1. Chanting of mantras:

Om Shri Durgayai Namah
Om Shri Mahalakshmyai Namah
Om Shri Saraswatyai Namah

Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundayai Vicche (navarna mantra)

Durga gayatri mantra:  Om Katyayanyai vidmahe, Kanyakumaryai dhimahi, tanno Durga prachodayat

Lakshmi gayatri mantra: Om Mahadevyai cha vidmahe, Vishnupatnyai cha dhimahi, tanno Lakshmi prachodayat

Saraswati gayatri mantra: Om Vagdevyai cha vidmahe, Kamarajayai dhimahe, tanno Devi prachodayat


2. Chanting of slokas

- Saptasloki Durga (a miniature version of the Durga saptashati or Devi Mahatmyam for those who cannot chant the entire scripture in Sanskrit)- I like chanting this.

- Chanting of ashtakams (prayer with 8 slokas)- e.g. Mahalakshmi ashtakam

- 32 names of Durga

-Mahishasura mardini strothram- composed by Adi Shankaracharya (again meant to be helpful for those who cannot chant the entire Durga saptashati)

3. Chanting longer hymns and prayers:

-Lalita sahasranama (1000 names of the Divine Mother)

-Devi Mahatyam (also called Chandi path and Durga saptashati)- 700 slokas in praise of the Divine Mother's lilas and glories

Performance of ceremonial worship such as pujas and homams are also popular during navaratri.

I personally like chanting simple mantras and the Saptasloki Durga during navaratri as well as doing some kirtan in Her praise.

Hari Aum Tat Sat

Navaratri and climate change

Hari Aum.

Navaratri, the festival celebrating God as the Divine Mother, starts tomorrow. This is a wonderful time to worship Devi. My Guru Sivananda advises chanting the navarna mantra (Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundayai Vicche) as much as possible during this time to obtain the grace and blessings of our Universal Mother.

The headline today on Nature and climate change on the BBC news website is rather alarming to say the least:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45775309

At the rate the human species is destroying the planet, the coral reefs with be wiped out, land will go under water due to melting of polar ice-caps and unbearable and unnatural weather phenomena will increase. We have already got our share of abnormal weather with unprecedentedly hot summers, forest fires and so on. 

Why am I mentioning climate change on a website related to spiritual practice? Because Nature is a manifestation of God. Nature is an aspect of the Divine Mother, of Divine Energy. 

When we act carelessly with no regard to Nature, we are disrespecting the Divine Power that created all this. We cannot call ourselves worshippers of the Divine Mother if we act carelessly and destroy Her manifestation in Nature, if we create disharmony and discord in Her creation. No. To be able to call ourselves Her real devotees, we have a duty to start thinking and taking practical steps to do our bit to stop destroying the planet, which is Her creation.

What can we do individually to reduce our carbon footprint and to stop destroying the planet?

Lots of things. Some things can be done from today, other things will require more time to plan and implement.

Some things we can do from today:

1. Eat less or no meat- scientists all over the world say that production of meat for consumption is terrible for the environment. Cows in particular produce a lot of methane which is bad for the environment. Stop eating meat if you can, or at least reduce meat consumption if possible. You will need to ensure adequate intake of protein from vegetarian sources such as lentils, pulses, nuts etc and also include some dairy intake to avoid vitamin B12 deficiency. Eating vegetables is very good to reduce risk of cancer and other diseases according to scientists. So it is good for us and the planet to be mostly if not totally vegetarian.

2. Stop wasting electricity- switch off lights etc when not in the room, line dry clothes (instead of tumble-drying) if possible etc.

3. Walk more and drive less- good for the environment and for our health

There are many more things that can  be done- the website below gives some more examples (there are lots of other good websites with more information):

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/7-instant-ways-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint_us_59321992e4b00573ab57a383?guccounter=1

Let us make a pledge this Navaratri, in honour of the Divine Mother, that we, Her children will do everything possible to stop destroying the planet, that we will honour Her creation and treat it with the respect it deserves.

Also, we need to reduce plastic waste. There is a disgusting amount of plastic filling up the oceans and destroying the lives of creatures living there. Not to mention the landfills filling up with the stuff. We need to use reusable shopping bags, and avoid single-use plastics where possible.

For women, there are reusable menstrual pads available- these are made of some sort of highly absorbable microfibre or something. I was wary of trying these but finally bought some on Amazon (which had very good reviews from other customers) in order to reduce my plastic waste. I have to say that they work very well (absolutely no odour/leakage etc), are comfortable and can be machine-washed and come out sparkling clean. They are affordably priced and seem to be of very good quality (look like they will last any months, possibly years). I have stopped using the disposable plastic-lined sanitary pads completely since discovering these. I would encourage women spiritual seekers to explore this option (many different companies are making these) as one way to reduce plastic waste.

I have also made a promise to myself that every week or at least every month, I will try and identify one plastic item to replace with some environmentally-friendly product (e.g. replacing plastic toothbrush with toothbrush made of biodegradable material). I would encourage you to do the same. This is an important aspect of worshipping God who created Nature.

Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundayai Vicche.

Salutations and prostration again and again to the Divine Mother. May She give us the iccha shakti (will-power), jnana shakti (wisdom) and kriya shakti (power of action) to worship Her properly, including the courage to take steps to change our lifestyles to live in harmony with Her creation.

Hari Aum Tat Sat