Navaratri is an important major festival and is celebrated all over India. The word Navaratri means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. Navaratri is a Hindu festival which is dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity DURGA as such this nine-day Hindu festival, is a celebration of Shakti (power).
The festival which has a deep religious significance is celebrated five times a year – Vasanta or Chaitra Navaratri, Ashadha Navaratri, Sharad Navaratri, Paush Navaratri and Magha Navaratri. However, it’s Vasanta Navaratri which falls in March-April and Sharad Navaratri (during September-October) that are celebrated with much fanfare throughout the country.
Vasanta or Chaitra Navaratri, which is observed during the Shukla Paksha of Chaitra, is mostly observed in northern India and western India. The celebration marks the start of the Hindu New Year as per the Luni-solar calendar and Maharashtrians celebrate is as Gudi Padwa while Kashmiri Hindus observe it as Navreh. Even in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, Hindus celebrate it as Ugadi. The nine-day festival which is also known as Rama Navratri ends on Rama Navami, Lord Ram’s birthday.
Meanwhile, Sharad Navratri, also called Maha Navratri, celebrated during the lunar month of Ashvin is widely celebrated in eastern part of India as Durga Puja and also, northern and western regions. This Navratri which is dedicated to nine forms of Maa Shakti namely, Durga, Bhadrakali, Jagadamba, Annapurna, Sarvamangala, Bhairavi, Chandika, Lalita, Bhavani and Mookambika, celebrates the slaying of demon Mahishasura by Goddess Durga, after a long battle of nine days.
Vasanta or Chaitra Navaratri, which is observed during the Shukla Paksha of Chaitra, is mostly observed in northern India and western India. The celebration marks the start of the Hindu New Year as per the Luni-solar calendar and Maharashtrians celebrate is as Gudi Padwa while Kashmiri Hindus observe it as Navreh. Even in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, Hindus celebrate it as Ugadi. The nine-day festival which is also known as Rama Navratri ends on Rama Navami, Lord Ram’s birthday.
Meanwhile, Sharad Navratri, also called Maha Navratri, celebrated during the lunar month of Ashvin is widely celebrated in eastern part of India as Durga Puja and also, northern and western regions. This Navratri which is dedicated to nine forms of Maa Shakti namely, Durga, Bhadrakali, Jagadamba, Annapurna, Sarvamangala, Bhairavi, Chandika, Lalita, Bhavani and Mookambika, celebrates the slaying of demon Mahishasura by Goddess Durga, after a long battle of nine days.
Symbolizing victory of positivity over negativity, Navratri literally means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit (Nav-Nine and Ratri-nights). During these nine nights and ten days, the three forms of the goddess -Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati - are invoked.
According to Hindu scriptures, especially people use to worship Nav Durga (Nine forms of Durga) during Navratri. These are nine manifestations of the Goddess Durga, where each of the nine manifested forms are consecutively venerated throughout all the nine nights. The nine manifested forms of Goddess Durga (Parvati) are: Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayini, Kaalratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri.
According to Hindu scriptures, especially people use to worship Nav Durga (Nine forms of Durga) during Navratri. These are nine manifestations of the Goddess Durga, where each of the nine manifested forms are consecutively venerated throughout all the nine nights. The nine manifested forms of Goddess Durga (Parvati) are: Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayini, Kaalratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri.
There’s another legend associated with Sharad Navratri. It is believed that Lord Ram ahead of the battle worshipped all the nine forms of Goddess Durga to gain her powers in order to defeat Ravana. It is on the tenth day, which is also known as Vijayadashami or Dussehra, Lord Ram won back Sita.
Amidst great celebration, the mind can be carried away and easily go off-center. Usually in any celebration, the mind goes everywhere. So to bring back the mind to the centre, we keep a joyful silence with awareness. The mind is always conditioned to patterns.
So this is like conditioning the mind to a set pattern that is conducive to growth. The first three days are tamasic, the next three rajasic, and the last three sattvic. In life, all these three qualities co-exist and we have to skillfully get past them. These nine days are a reminder of this. It is the awakening of the Divinity – that quality of the Mother Divine which does not negate anything, yet nurtures the good qualities. Supporting the positivity in us and skillfully removing the negative can be learnt by invoking and awakening the Divine in us. This is what is done in the Chandi Homa.
Irrespective of the qualities of a child, the mother always loves the child. Same is with the Mother Divine.
This all-inclusive power supports us and brings out the divine quality in us. This can happen only when we are doing our sadhana. These nine days are a reminder to be a good sadhak (seeker).
People fast during these divine nine-days but what most don’t know is that on each day, a different form of Goddess Durga is worshiped.
Navratri is a festival of spiritual celebrations. We can celebrate it for many reasons and in many ways. But concept is same “Kill negatives and Generate positives” This festival is to live “spiritually-disciplined-life” for 9 days, such as:
1. Take satvik (simple) food to survive, not to relish.
2. Wear plain clothes to cover the body, not for fashion.
3. Complete your sleep on hard-surface, not on soft bed, for luxury.
4. concentrate on knowledge and enlightens, no entertainment or enjoy.
5. Read and study the religious and spiritual book,no Gadgets for pleasure.
6. Talk in low voice with soft tone, no shouting, no aggressive body gestures
7. Do your daily routine-work yourself, don't taking help of others.
8. Do commitment to quit anger, greed, lust, cruelty…etc,
9.Do commitment for to adopt kindness, caring, serving, honesty…etc.
Following above path we can transform our home into a temple. In addition to the above while doing your daily worship sing loudly the undermentioned Shakradaya Stuti, Devi Suktam, Aparadh Kshamapana Stotra, Aarti, Thal and Vishwambhari Stuti twice a day throughout the nine days in the early morning as well at the late evening and distribute the blessed food (prasad ) to as many as possible people in your surroundings.
All those who are unaware of what and how to sing, have to simply click on the title below to get the YouTube video of the same.
Sakradaya Stuti
Amidst great celebration, the mind can be carried away and easily go off-center. Usually in any celebration, the mind goes everywhere. So to bring back the mind to the centre, we keep a joyful silence with awareness. The mind is always conditioned to patterns.
So this is like conditioning the mind to a set pattern that is conducive to growth. The first three days are tamasic, the next three rajasic, and the last three sattvic. In life, all these three qualities co-exist and we have to skillfully get past them. These nine days are a reminder of this. It is the awakening of the Divinity – that quality of the Mother Divine which does not negate anything, yet nurtures the good qualities. Supporting the positivity in us and skillfully removing the negative can be learnt by invoking and awakening the Divine in us. This is what is done in the Chandi Homa.
Irrespective of the qualities of a child, the mother always loves the child. Same is with the Mother Divine.
This all-inclusive power supports us and brings out the divine quality in us. This can happen only when we are doing our sadhana. These nine days are a reminder to be a good sadhak (seeker).
People fast during these divine nine-days but what most don’t know is that on each day, a different form of Goddess Durga is worshiped.
Navratri is a festival of spiritual celebrations. We can celebrate it for many reasons and in many ways. But concept is same “Kill negatives and Generate positives” This festival is to live “spiritually-disciplined-life” for 9 days, such as:
1. Take satvik (simple) food to survive, not to relish.
2. Wear plain clothes to cover the body, not for fashion.
3. Complete your sleep on hard-surface, not on soft bed, for luxury.
4. concentrate on knowledge and enlightens, no entertainment or enjoy.
5. Read and study the religious and spiritual book,no Gadgets for pleasure.
6. Talk in low voice with soft tone, no shouting, no aggressive body gestures
7. Do your daily routine-work yourself, don't taking help of others.
8. Do commitment to quit anger, greed, lust, cruelty…etc,
9.Do commitment for to adopt kindness, caring, serving, honesty…etc.
Following above path we can transform our home into a temple. In addition to the above while doing your daily worship sing loudly the undermentioned Shakradaya Stuti, Devi Suktam, Aparadh Kshamapana Stotra, Aarti, Thal and Vishwambhari Stuti twice a day throughout the nine days in the early morning as well at the late evening and distribute the blessed food (prasad ) to as many as possible people in your surroundings.
All those who are unaware of what and how to sing, have to simply click on the title below to get the YouTube video of the same.
Sakradaya Stuti
Devi Apradh Kshamapana Strotra
More for Gujarati knowing people:
More for Gujarati knowing people:
Hindu religious scriptures assure that by above mentioned worship in the stated duration one can receive happiness, peace, enlighten and strong will power to face any challenges and liabilities.
These make us a real human being.
Thanks for reading.
Mahesh Bhatt
These make us a real human being.
Thanks for reading.
Mahesh Bhatt
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