Navaratri (15th – 23rd October 2023)

1. Introduction

Navaratri is a widely celebrated festival by Hindus across the world. This 9-day festival is celebrated by worshipping Deity Shakti (Divine Energy). Navaratri commences on the first day (Pratipada) of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Ashwin.

In this vrat (Vowed religious observance), a clay pot is installed in a sanctified area of the house. A lamp is placed in the pot and is kept lit for 9 days. The pot symbolises the Universe. The uninterrupted lit lamp is the medium through which we worship the brilliant primordial energy Adishakti (meaning, Shri Durgadevi). During Navaratri, Shri Durgadevi’s Principle is more active in the Universe. When we understand the spiritual science underlying the various rituals in the worship of Shri Durgadevi, we become worthy of absorbing more of the Shakti Principle, thus acquiring more of Her grace.

2. History of Navaratri

This vrat was advocated by Sage Narad to Prabhu Shriram so that He could kill Ravan. After completion of this vrat, Prabhu Shriram attacked Lanka and finally killed Ravan. The Goddess fought with the demon Mahishasur for 9 days from Pratipada to Navami and finally killed him on the Navami night. Since then, She came to be known as Mahishasurmardini, the annihilator of Mahishasur.

3. Importance of Navaratri and Vijayadashami

Whenever tamasik, demoniacal and cruel people become powerful and start troubling the sattvik, righteous people, the Goddess incarnates to reinstate Dharma (Righteousness). This is the vrat of this Deity.

During Navaratri, it is believed that the Goddess Principle is a thousand times more active than usual. To get the maximum spiritual benefit from this Principle, chant the following as much as is possible during the period of Navaratri :

|| Shri Durgadevyai Namaha ||

(To learn how to chant this Name, please visit : www.sanatan.org/en/a/99969.html)

4. What ‘Name’ should we chant during Navaratri ?

Navaratri begins on Ashwin Shukla Pratipada (15^th October). According to one school of thought, Shri Mahakali (who has a Tama predominant temperament) is worshipped on the first 3 days of Navaratri to reduce the Tama component in ourselves.

The next 3 days, to enhance the Raja component in ourselves, Shri Mahalakshmi (who has a Raja predominant temperament) is worshipped; and on the last 3 days, to intensify spiritual practice, Mahasaraswati (who has a Sattva predominant temperament) is worshipped. Chant the Names of these Deities during these days.

(To learn more, obtain Sanatan’s Spiritual Text – ‘Shakti’ from the Sanatan centre nearest to you.)

5. Continuous burning of an oil lamp

One of the observances during Navaratri is that an oil lamp is kept lit continuously for 9 days. Following are the benefits of this ritual :

• The distress caused by negative energies reduces, thus reducing the pressure in the environment

• Due to the radiant vibrations emanating from the oil lamp, the individual benefits at the level of his / her bhav (Spiritual emotion)

• The Shakti Principle in the Universe is attracted to the oil lamp light, and everyone around it benefits

• The sattvikata (Spiritual purity) and Chaitanya (Divine consciousness) in the environment increase

• The individual gets the experience of Anand (Bliss) and Shanti (Peace)

6. Garba

In Hindu Dharma, ‘Garba’ means singing devotional hymns praising the Goddess with rhythmic clapping. Singing devotional hymns is a way to awaken Shri Durgadevi from Her meditation through the medium of the manifest spiritual practice of rhythmic clapping, and appealing to Her to assume the destructive form for Her activity in the Universe.

To symbolise the Matrushakti during Navaratri, a deep-garbha is worshipped in Gujarat. The word garbha-garbho-garbo became prevalent because of the deep-garbha worshipped during the 9 days.

Why perform Garba with three claps ?

The destroyer form of the Goddess is awakened by the musical rhythm of three claps through the vibrations of will, action and knowledge, representing the Principles of Deity Brahma, Shri Vishnu and Deity Mahesh respectively.

These are the three main manifest energies of God. During Navaratri, the marak (Destroyer) Principle of Shri Durgadevi gets awakened gradually. The marak form of the Goddess is channeled through these three energies. By clapping three times, the energy of Her resolve gets activated. Hence, it is more desirable and fruitful to praise the Goddess through the rhythmic three claps. The meaning of the three claps is :

• The first clap is related to the Principle of Deity Brahma, which is symbolised by the energy of will. As a result, this energy of Deity Brahma gets awakened in the Universe. It also gives approval to the wishes in the mind of the individual according to the bhav.

• Through the second clap, the action-related waves of Shri Vishnu Principle provide energy to the individual for performing actions.

• Through the third clap, the knowledge waves of Deity Shiva Principle bring about the actual act, and as a result, give the desired fruit to the individual.

The act of clapping generates Tejtattva (Absolute Fire Principle), so it is possible to awaken the destructive form of the Goddess through the claps.

The act of clapping is symbolic of worshipping the Tejtattva. Invoking the Goddess by singing devotional hymns and moving around in a circle while clapping helps in the awakening of bhav towards the Goddess.

Praying to the Goddess

‘O’ Goddess ! We have become powerless, attached to Maya (The Great Illusion that the material world only is real) by pleasure and sensual enjoyments. O’ Mother ! Be the source of our strength’.

Prevent malpractices during Navaratri and preserve the sanctity of the festival !

In ancient times, during the Garba dance, songs of the Goddess, Krushnaleela and compositions of Saints only used to be sung. Today, this collective dance worship of the Deity has acquired a distorted form. The Garba is danced with obscene body movements and to the tunes of film songs. Under the pretext of Garba, adultery takes place. Chewing tobacco, alcohol consumption and noise pollution take place at the site of the worship of the Goddess. These malpractices are harmful for our Dharma and culture. Today, preventing these is a part of abiding by Dharma. Sanatan Sanstha has been conducting public awareness campaigns against such malpractices; you too can participate.

(To learn more, please visit : www.sanatan.org/en/a/90718.html)

When tamasik people become powerful and start troubling the sattvik people, Goddess incarnates to reinstate Dharma !