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NAVRATRI

9 NIGHTS OF THE DEVI

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NAVRATRI

In Sanskrit, “Nav” means nine, “Ratri” means night.

Navratri is the Hindu festival of reverence of the divine mother or Adi Shakti which is celebrated for nine nights.

“Shakti,” the Sanskrit word for power and strength is feminine and often embodied in the various forms of the loving yet fierce and powerful Devi. Shakti is derived from the word “Shak,” which means being able to do.

Adi Shakti makes the wind blow, the oceans churn. She is the heat of the fire and earth that gives. She is the source of all life.

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The Divine Mother is worshipped year round.

Navratri comes several times in a year:

Vasant Navratri – March/April

Ashada Navratri – June/July

Sharad Navratri – September/October

Poushya Navratri – December/January

Magha Navratri – January February

The most important one, however, is Sharad Navratri - in Fall

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SRI DURGA DEVI

Protects and

removes harm

SRI LAKSHMI DEVI

Provider of wealth, beauty, and fortune

SRI SARASWATI DEVI

Provider of

knowledge and music

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WHY IS DEVI

WORSHIPPED?

The main purpose is to worship the feminine divine (Devi) in her various forms for nine nights.

Devi fights to restore Dharma

- the righteous order

It is also a celebration of victory of good over evil.

One of the key stories around Navratri centers on Devi Durga. She fought a fierce battle with an evil demon Mahishasura, who was tormenting the entire world and killed him with a trident.

•Various forms of feminine energy: Devi can manifest, maintain, and dissolve. Devi can be gentle; she can be ferocious;

�As legends have it, Mahishasura was a king with the head of a buffalo. After years of penance he earned immortality-a boon that he should not be killed by a "man or animal" on the face of Earth. Brahma granted him this wish, and then told him that a woman will be the end of him.

Mahishasura believed that there is no woman in the world who could cause him any harm. The legend continues, Mahishasura, high on the power of "immortality", attacked Trilok (the three worlds of earth, heaven and hell) with his army. He even tried to capture Indralok (the kingdom of Lord Indra).

Devi Durga was created to combat Mahishasura. The trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva came together to create a powerful female form with ten arms. Armed like a warrior, the goddess rode into battle on a lion. Durga then fought Mahishasura over a period of fifteen days during which he kept changing his shape to become different animals and misled her. Finally when he transformed into a buffalo, Goddess Durga stabbed him with her trident and that was the end of him.

The legends narrated during Durga Puja talk about how Mahishasura gained so much power, and was sexist enough to not believe he could be killed by a woman.

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AN ANCIENT TRADITION

Devi, an all-embracing Mother Goddess worshipped in and around the vast Indian Subcontinent, since prehistoric times.

She is the local protector for innumerable villages, she can be quiet and nurturing. But she is also a cosmic force, addressing manifestation and dissolution.

The feminine “tatva” (essence) is present in all sentient beings-- in men, in trees, in animals, in birds, in everything.

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FOUND ACROSS INDIAN SUBCONTINENT & BEYOND

Sculpture of Mahishasuramardini in Vaital Deul temple, c. 750 CE, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India

The four armed Devi - 1st. CE, Nagar, Rajasthan. Seen holding up a Mahisha (buffalo)

Devi Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon (Mahishasuramardini)

Kushan period, 2nd century CE, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh

Mahishasuramardini, 9th century

Indonesia (Java)

INDIA, PAKISTAN, BANGLADESH, NEPAL, AFGHANISTAN & INDONESIA

Devi Durga defending the universe from the asura Mahisha�Ref. about Asuras vs. Devas - The Difference Between Devas And Asuras, Gods And Demons (hinduwebsite.com)

�Picture 1: The earliest images of a Mahishasuramardini found are terracotta plaques from Nagar in Rajasthan, belonging to the 1st c. BCE – 1st c.CE time

period. The four armed devi in photo 1 is of 1st c. CE from Nagar Rajasthan, and she is seen holding up a mahisha/buffalo (theriomorphic representation of the asura), by pushing him up with her front right hand and pulling his tongue with her front left hand. She carries a rectangular armour or khetaka in her back left hand, and a trisula in her back right hand. Her simha/lion vahana sits quietly below her, and seems quite uninvolved in the tussle going on above him. Few more similar images were found from Nagar (ranging from 1st c. BCE to 1st c. CE), thus showing the presence of the devi worshippers (Shakta group) in this region even in the pre-Kushana era (Agrawala, 1958).

Picture 2: Similar images of the devi from the Kushana period were also found from Besnagar and Mathura https://www.artic.edu/artworks/105068/goddess-durga-slaying-the-buffalo-demon-mahishasuramardini). The findings of these murtis in the late 1940s- 50s dispelled the earlier theory (by Banerjea, 1941) that Mahishasuramardini murtis were not extant prior to the Gupta period.

Picture 3: - http://dla.library.upenn.edu/dla/southasia/image.html?id=SOUTHASIA_MBW80TK1000023 - �Sculpture of Mahishasuramardini in Vaital Deul temple, c. 750 CE, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India�

Picture 4: In Southeast Asia, this theme appears in Indonesian art and in the early sculpture of Thailand and Cambodia

The Goddess Durga Victorious over the Buffalo Demon, Mahisha (Mahishasuramardini) | Indonesia (Java) | Central Javanese period | The Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org)

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COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS

NAVRATRI

ACROSS THE WORLD

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WESTERN INDIA

Garba

& Dandiya

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The World’s largest Garba gatherings occur in the state of Gujarat.

Here some 60,000+ people came together in the city of Vadodra to play Garba and Raas Dandia

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Reminder to play the Garba video...

The music and dance of Garba and Dandia has made its way into popular culture as shown in these clips from popular Indian movies over the past decades

PLAY VIDEO -download and keep a local copy on your PC in advance

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1guxxW3nnoFD5RQLtumTYdEWiSoGck1IQ/view?usp=sharing

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SOUTHERN INDIA

�Dussehra, Golu or Bombe Habba

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IN OUR HOMES

“GOLU”

Spaces for Women and Children

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Moortis of Devi Durga are installed in neighbourhoods in elaborately designed pandals (marquees) and worshipped throughout the nine days.

EASTERN INDIA

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EASTERN INDIA

Dhunuchi Naach & Dhak Beats

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Reminder to play the

Durga Puja Dhak beats …
PLAY one of the 2 videos provided here
download and keep a local copy on your PC in advance

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NORTHERN INDIA

Dussehra

Community “Ramlilas” and Ravan Burnings

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NORTHERN INDIA

Kanjak Puja

Young girls are seen as an embodiment of the Devi and worshipped in special home rituals

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Ramlila

Grassroots enactments of Ramayana are common

Mount Madonna High School, California has done this for 40+ years

Ramlila or Rama’s Play is a performance of Ramayana - celebrating Rama’s return from exile, an avatar of Sri Krishna. The most representative Ramlilas in India are those of Ayodhya, Ramnagar and Benares, Vrindavan, Almora, Sattna and Madhubani.
Ramlila is a global phenomenon-enacted in countries across the globe. For instance Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia. Mauritius, South Africa and many more!
Ramlila: Ramlila brings the whole population together, without distinction of “caste”, religion or age. The audience is invited to sing and take part in the narration. All the villagers participate spontaneously, playing roles or taking part in a variety of related activities, such as mask- and costume making, and preparing make-up, effigies and lights.
Right here in the US, the Mount Madonna High School in California has enacted Ramayan for 40+ years

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Ramlila - South-East Asia

Wayang Kulit - a traditional puppet show depicting stories from Ramayana, performed in Indonesia which can last many nights

Ramlila being performed in various South-East Asian Countires

Ramayan is a global phenomenon-enacted in countries across the globe. For instance Ramlila is performed in: Suriname, Guyana, Mauritius, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Fiji, Myanmar, Trinidad and Tobago
The deep and enduring cultural impact of the Ramayana reverberates in Thailand, from its national epic to the names of kings.Ramayana based Ramlila is a part of performance arts culture of Indonesia particularly the Hindu society of Bali.
Thailand: Ramakien is the national epic of Thailand. The present version being performed all over Thailand is said to be compiled by King Rama I. The older version were lost in the destruction of Ayutthaya in the 18th century. - Ayutthaya - the former capital of the kingdom of Siam is the transliteration of Ayodhya, the capital of Bhagwan Ram as mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana.
Myanmar (Burma): Yama Zatdaw. Yama refers to Rama and Zatdaw literally means ‘act or play’. In this play Sita is referred to as Thida. The oral tradition of Ramayana is believed to have been introduced into Myanmar during the reign of King Anawratha, in the 11th century CE.
Laos:Phra Lak Phra Ram is the national epic of Laotians. Lak here refers to Lakshman, Ram’s devout brother. Despite being a Theravada Buddhist nation, Phra Ram is considered a previous incarnation of Buddha and the Laotian Ravana - Hapmanasouane, the previous incarnation of Mara, the demon who was a hindrance to Buddha’s enlightenment.
Cambodia: Reamker: The Khmer text refers to Rama as Phrea Ream and Sita as Neang Seda. Despite being a Theravada Buddhist nation, Rama is a very popular historical figure and the readapted text consist of many stories which are non-existent in the mainstream Hindu versions.
In Java, Indonesia, the Ramayana is performed in the form of Wayang Kulit is a traditional puppet show which can last many nights.

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THE UBIQUITY OF THE DEVI

HOLISTIC CELEBRATIONS

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AYUDHA POOJA

Devi is present in sickles of farmers, tools of the trade, weapons of the soldiers, books & libraries.

�She dwells in the instruments of music, paintbrushes of artists or chisels of sculptors.

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NAVRATRI:

ECOLOGY AND HEALTH

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NAVAPATRAKA PUJA:

�

DEVI IS WORSHIPED AS THESE 9 DIFFERENT PLANTS

Banana, Kachvi, Turmeric, Pomegranate, Ashoka, Bead, Paddy, Bilva, and Barley

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VRAT (FASTING) & SPECIAL FEASTS

Special “satvik” foods are a hallmark of the festival. Devotees avoid a variety of foods or forgo solid food altogether for the 9 days.

Navratri is also a time for us to relax, turn inwards and recharge ourselves with new energy. Fasting during Navratri reduces the restlessness of the mind and brings forth awareness and joy.
According to the Hindu system of Ayurveda, fasting rekindles the digestive fire. An increase in the digestive fire burns the toxins in the body. When the toxins are flushed out of the body, it loses dullness and lethargy. All the cells of the body are rejuvenated. Fasting, therefore, is an effective therapy to cleanse our body. When the body is cleansed, the mind becomes calmer and more peaceful because of the deep connection between the body and mind.
Modern science has also shown the benefits of fasting…
The terms associated with fasting in the Hindu traditions are Vrat and Upavas. Vrat can be defined as solemn vow, a commitment one makes in his/her sadhana. Upavas literally means to stay/live close to the divine - not indulging in materialistic pleasures during the festivities and participating in rituals or practising self realization to elevate one's consciousness. Vrat is a more serious resolve, upavas is in many ways a ‘subset’ of it. However in context to fasting they are interchangeably used by practising Hindus which is acceptable.

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BLESSINGS OF DEVI TO ONE AND ALL ON THE AUSPICIOUS OCCASION OF NAVRATRI

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME & SUPPORT

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Back-up

Use the following slides with details on the Devi honored each day ONLY if presenting to those interested in a much longer and more spiritual discussion.

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NAVRATRI:

The Nine Devis

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Shailaputri

Shailaputri, literally meaning the daughter of the mountains, is worshipped on the first night of Navratri. She is known for her love and devotion towards Bhagwan Shiva. She symbolizes purity and new beginnings.

Ma Shailaputri – The Goddess of First Day of Navratri

Ma Shailaputri (literally – Daughter (putri) of Mountain (shaila)) is worshiped on the first day of Navratri, the 9 days of prayers and celebration in India that mark the 9 days of battle between the goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura. She was the daughter of the God of Mountains, Himalaya. Popularly known as Parvati, her husband is Shiva and she has to sons – Kartikeya and Ganesha. To understand the story behind the birth of Ma Shailaputri, let’s have a look at one of her earlier incarnations in the form of Sati.

Devi Sati (or Sati) was the daughter of a great king, Daksha Prajapati. According to the legend, Daksha Prajapati was one of the sons of Bhagwan Brahma.

Daksha did not want his daughter, Sati, to marry Shiva as he considered Shiva to be a dirty ascetic not worthy of marrying a girl from a noble family. Sati, however, disobeyed her father and married Shiva. After marriage, she moved with her husband to Kailash Parvat (mountain), the abode of Bhagwan Shiva.

Once, King Daksha organized a grand yagna (religious congregation) and called upon all the gods (Devas) to attend the grand yagna. He disliked Shiva and did not invite Sati and Shiva for this yagna. When Sati came to know of the grand yagna, being organized by her father, she longed to go home and attend it.

Shiva dissuaded her from going to the yagna. He tried to reason with Sati that since they had not been invited, it was obvious that the King did not want them there.

But Sati ignored her husband’s advice and went to the ceremony, all by herself. There she felt uninvited as none of the relatives were happy to see her, including her own father, King Daksha. Only her mother, Prasuti, was delighted to see her daughter and embraced her.

Sati felt a great sense of pain at being unwelcome in her own house. Daksha even insulted Shiva in front of her and in the presence of all the guests. This was too much for Sati to bear. In extreme grief, she jumped into the sacrificial fire at the altar meant for the holy yagna and immolated herself.

The news of Sati self-immolation reached Shiva. In his anger, he invoked Veerbhadra, a fearful form, and at once proceeded to destroy Daksha. He decapitated Daksha and annihilated the entire sacrificial canopy that was prepared for the holy yagna.

Shiva then carried the half burnt corpse of her wife as he could not part with her, even after death. As Shiva carried the body with him, the body parts fell at various places. These places later came to be known as Shakti-peethas. There are 52 Shakti-Peethas in India. King Daksha was later forgiven by the intervention of Bhagwan Vishnu and was given life by attaching a ram’s head to his body. He was able to complete his yagna in the presence of all the Gods.

In her next birth, Devi Sati was born as the daughter of Himalaya, The God of Mountains, and was named as Shailaputri. Her other names in this incarnation were Parvati and Hemavati. In this birth again, she was married to Bhagwan Shiva. She defeated all prominent Gods and is considered an embodiment of Shakti (Power).

Ma Shailaputri is the most prominent goddess among the Nava Durgas (Nine Goddesses). She is worshiped on the first day of Navratri due to her endless glories. She rides a bull, Nandi, and carries a trident in one hand and a lotus in the other.

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Brahmacharini

Brahmacharini, the avatar of the divine mother worshipped on the second night of Navratri. Devotees worship Maa Brahmacharini to provide them with the strength and determination to observe the nine-day fast, abstaining from food and sometimes even water. This avatar of Maa Durga teaches penance, devotion, restraint and solitude. It teaches that one should not abandon his or her duties when faced with adversity

Maa Brahmacharini – The Goddess Worshipped on Second Day of Navratri

Ma Brahmacharini is the goddess who is worshiped on the second day of Navratri, the 9 day long festival in India that marks the battle between the good and evil, be it in the form of Goddess Durga vs Mahishasura or Bhagwan Rama and the rakshasa Ravana. It is one of the nine avatars of Goddess Durga. In this avatar, Durga embodies tapa or penance. The name Brahmacharini is derived from two words – “Brahma” here means tapa or penance and “Charini” means an ardent female follower.

After she immolated herself in the sacrificial fire of the yagna, Durga took rebirth as the daughter of the King of the Mountains, Himavan. She was named as Parvati (after the Hindi name for mountains – parvat) or Hemavati.

When Parvati grew up, sage Narada – son of Brahma, paid her a visit. He told her that she stands a chance to marry her husband from her previous birth, Bhagwan Shiva, if she followed a path of penance. Determined to marry Shiva in this birth as well, Parvati embarked upon an extremely difficult regime of penance and devotion. For a thousand years, she ate only fruits and flowers. Thereafter, for a hundred years she ate only vegetables, followed by three thousand years of eating only fallen leaves. She slept on the floor of the forest under an open sky for years in order to successfully complete her tapa. Thus, she earned name Tapascharini or Brahmacharini which means one who follows the path of Tapa.

Finally, she gave up eating fallen leaves as well, and continued her penance without food and water for many years. Due to this act of giving up eating leaves (parna, in Sanskrit), she came to be known as Aparna. Due to thousands of years of penance, her body became extremely weak and fragile. Her mother, Maina, was deeply pained seeing her daughter in such a state and out of sorrow, she cried out “O! Ma!”. Since then Parvati also came to be known as Uma.

The news of such long and hard penance reached everywhere. In the end, Bhagwan Brahma appeared in front of Parvati and told her that no one had observed tapa the way she had. He also told her that only she could have undertaken such hardships as her love for Shiva was true and pure. He also blessed her that she would have Bhagwan Shiva as her husband in this birth.

Following her penance, Parvati came to be known as Maa Brahmacharini. Later, Bhagwan Shiva accepted Parvati as his wife. In this avatar, she holds a rosary in her right hand and a Kamandala (a utensil to hold the holy water) in her left hand.

Devotees worship Ma Brahmacharini on the second day of Navratri to provide them with the strength and determination to observe the nine-day fast while abstaining from food and sometimes even water.

This avatar of Maa Durga teaches penance, devotion, restraint and solitude. It teaches that one should not abandon his or her duties when faced with adversity. Devotees worship Maa Brahmacharini for virtue, peace, prosperity, happiness and nobility.

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Chandraghanta

This avatar of Goddess Durga is known and worshipped as Maa Chandraghanta on the third night of Navratri. Her forehead is bedecked with the crescent moon (Hindi: Chandra) resembling the shape of a temple bell (Hindi: ghantaa).

Maa Chandraghanta – The Goddess Worshipped on the Third Day of Navratri

On the third day of Navratri, the third Power (Shakti) of Goddess Durga is worshipped. This avatar of Goddess Durga is known and worshipped as Maa Chandraghanta (Mother Chandraghanta). Her forehead is bedecked with the crescent moon (Hindi: Chandra) resembling the shape of a temple bell (Hindi: ghantaa).

The story behind the birth of this avatar goes as follows. In the previous incarnation as the wife of Bhagwan Shiva, Devi Sati self-immolates herself in the sacrificial fire meant for a grand yagna. In her next incarnation, Ma Adi Shakti (Supreme Power) takes birth as Parvati. In this birth, her parents are King of the Mountains, Himavan and Mena.

(According to Shiva Purana, Himalaya and Mena had worshipped Ma Adi Shakti to appease her. Pleased with their devotion, Adi Shakti took birth as their daughter, Parvati.)

Upon the insistence of Sage Narada, Parvati observed austere penance to get Bhagwan Shiva as her consort. Shiva, after losing Sati, had become detached from worldly affairs and had retired into the mountains in deep meditation, isolation and austerity.

But after seeing Parvati’s resolve to get him, Shiva relents and agrees for the marriage. On the day of marriage, Shiva reaches King’s palace in a most terrorizing form along with the strangest marriage procession. His body was smeared with ash with snakes around his neck and in the matted locks of his unkempt hair.

His marriage procession consisted of ghosts, ascetics, sages, goblins, ganas, ghouls and aghoris. Upon seeing such a terrorizing form of Bhagwan Shiva and his strange marriage procession, Parvati’s mother and other relatives are left in a state of shock. Most of them faint purely out of terror.

To avoid any embarrassment to her family and to Bhagwan Shiva, Parvati transforms herself into a terrorizing form – Chandraghanta.

In this form, her complexion was golden and she possessed ten arms. In nine of her arms she wielded the following weapons – a trident, mace, arrow, bow, sword, lotus, goad, bell and a kamandalu (water pot), while with the tenth hand, she blessed her devotees. Her vehicle is a lion. This from depicts that Adi Shakti can be terrible and malevolent towards her enemies while being compassionate and motherly towards her devotees.

In the form of Chandraghanta, she prayed and persuaded Shiva to take the form of a handsome prince and also turn his marriage procession nobler. Shiva thus appeared as a charming prince bedecked with many jewels. Shiva and Parvati’s marriage was solemnized as per rituals. The day of their marriage is celebrated as Maha Shivratri every year.

By the grace of Ma Chandraghanta all the sins, distresses, physical sufferings, mental tribulations and ghostly hurdles of the devotees are eradicated. Riding on the lion, she exudes fearlessness in her devotees. She also embodies serenity. The devotees who adore and worship her with their deeds, mind and speech, develop an aura of divine splendor around themselves. It is said that they can easily achieve success in every walk of life. Maa Chandraghanta is ever ready to destroy the wicked being but to a devotee she always appears as the kind and compassionate mother showering love, peace and prosperity.

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Kushmanda

It is said that when the universe was non-existent and there was darkness everywhere, Maa Kushmanda produced this “little cosmic egg” with her smile. The universe was then filled with light. It is believed that she is the source of all the energy in the universe. “Ku” means little, “ushma” means warmth or energy and “anda” means egg. Hence Kushmanda literally is “little cosmic egg”. She is worshipped on the fourth night of Navratri.

Maa Kushmanda – The Goddess Worshipped on the Fourth Day of Navratri

Ma Kushmanda is worshipped by devotees on the fourth day of Navratri. This avatar of Adi Shakti is also referred to as the Smiling Goddess. Her name is made up of three distinct words. The first word is “Ku” which means little. The second word is “Ushma” which means warmth or energy. And the third word is “Anda” which means egg.

Upon combining the three words, one can derive the meaning of her name which means the one who is the creator of this “little cosmic egg” called Universe. As mentioned above, this form is a happy manifestation of the goddess.

There is an interesting story about Maa Kushmanda. It is said that when the universe was non-existent and there was darkness everywhere, Maa Kushmanda produced this “little cosmic egg” with her smile. The universe was then filled with light. It is believed that she is the source of all the energy in the universe. Further, it is also believed that she lives in the core of the Sun and thus provides energy to all the beings. She is believed to provide direction to Surya, the Sun God.

After creating the Universe, Ma Kushmanda created the first beings. These were three supreme goddesses. With her left eye, she created a terrorizing form and named her Mahakali. From her center eye (on her forehead), she created another ferocious form and named her Mahalakshmi. From her right eye, came an extremely benevolent and smiling form, which she named Mahasaraswati.

From the body of Mahakali, a male and a female took birth. The male had five heads and ten arms. He was named as Shiva. The female had one head and four arms. Her name was kept Saraswati.

From Mahalakshmi’s body also a male and a female took birth. The male had four heads and four arms. Ma Kushmanda named him as Brahma whereas the female was named as Lakshmi. She had one head and four arms.

When Ma Kushmanda glanced at Mahasaraswati, she also gave birth to a male and a female. The male had one head and four arms. He was named Vishnu. The female had one head and four arms and was named Shakti.

She then offered Shakti to Shiva, Saraswati to Brahma and Lakshmi to Vishnu as consorts.

Thereafter, Ma Kushmanda absorbed the three supreme goddesses and herself entered Shakti as an orb of divine and unending energy.

It is thus believed that Ma Kushmanda is a form of Shakti who created this Universe and was the first being in the entire Universe. The gods that she created then went on to create other living beings in the Universe.

Maa Kushmanda possesses eight arms. She wields a Kamandalu, a bow, an arrow, a lotus, a pot of nectar, a disc, a mace and a rosary in her eight arms. She rides a lion which evokes fearlessness in her devotees. She bestows all pleasure and her regular worship brings prosperity, powers, pleasures and salvation. She destroys all ailments, troubles and hurdles of her true devotees

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Skandamata

In this form, Durga has four arms. She holds Kartikeya (Skanda), her son in one hand, holds a lotus in the second and the third hand and blesses her devotees with the fourth hand. She rides a lion and sits on a lotus. Kartikeya is also known as Bhagwan Murugan in South India. He is the commander-in-chief of the of the army of gods. Skandamata is worshipped on the fifth night of Navratri.

Skandamata: The Goddess Worshipped on the Fifth Day of Navratri

Skandamata is the fifth avatar of Durga and is worshipped on the fifth day of Navratri. Skanda is another name for Bhagwan Kartikeya (Maa Parvati’s son and Bhagwan Ganesha’s brother). Mata means mother and thus Skandamata means mother of Skanda or Kartikeya. As is clear from the name, she is another form of Maa Parvati.

In this form, Durga has four arms. She holds Kartikeya (Skanda) in one hand, holds a lotus in the second and the third hand and blesses her devotees with the fourth hand. She rides a lion and sits on a lotus (due to which she is also called Padmasana). Kartikeya is also known as Bhagwan Murugan in South India. He is the commander-in-chief of the of the army of gods.

The birth of Kartikeya is an interesting story. After Sati immolated herself, Shiva became detached from the worldly affairs and started practicing austere penance as an ascetic. At the same time, the gods (devas) were under an attack from demons (asuras) who were being led by Surapadman and Tarakasura.

They had a boon that only Shiva or his offspring could kill them. Fearing that Shiva may never have an offspring, the gods rush to Bhagwan Vishnu for help but Vishnu tells that the gods themselves are responsible for the situation. Had they not attended Daksha Prajapati’s yagna without Bhagwan Shiva, Sati would have never immolated herself. He then tells them about Parvati, who is an incarnation of Adi Shakti and destined to be Shiva’s consort.

On behalf of gods, Rishi Narada approaches Parvati and tells her that if she observes extreme penance, she would get Bhagwan Shiva as her consort, who was also her husband in the previous birth. After thousands of years of observing penance, Shiva relents and marries Parvati.

Shiva and Parvati’s energy combines and produces a fiery seed. Bhagwan Agni is entrusted with carrying the seed safely to Saravana Lake till the radiance from the seed becomes Shiva’s offspring. The heat from the seed becomes unbearable even for Agni to hold and he hands over the seed to Ganga who safely carries it to the lake in forest Saravana. Goddess Parvati then took the form of the water body as she alone was capable of carrying the seed of her consort, Shiva. Later, six-faced Kartikeya takes birth and is taken care of by six Krittikas (mothers). He thus gets the name Kartikeya. He grew up to be a handsome, intelligent and powerful youth and thus got his name Kumara (Youth in Sanskrit).

Kartikeya was to be taught by Brahma but on the first day he asked Brahma the meaning of Om. Brahma explained him the meaning in twelve thousand verses, but he was not satisfied. He asked the same question to Shiva who explained him the meaning in twelve lakh verses. Still unsatisfied, he himself explained the meaning of Om in twelve crore verses.

As the commander-in-chief of the army of gods, he is blessed by all the gods and given special weapons for the war against Tarakasura and Surapadman. He, later, kills Tarakasura in a fiercely fought battle.

Thus, Maa Skandamata is worshipped as the mother of a supremely gifted child. When a devotee worships Skandamata, Bhagwan Kartikeya is automatically worshipped as he is sitting in her mother’s lap. Her worship leads to peace, prosperity and salvation.

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Katyayini

Maa Katyayini, worshipped on the sixth night of Navratri, slayed the demon king Mahishasura. The slaying of Mahishasura is celebrated in many parts of India. She is also named as Mahishasuramardini, the one who killed Mahishasura.

Maa Katyayani: The Goddess Worshiped on the Sixth Day of Navratri

Maa Katyayani is worshipped on the sixth day of Navratri. She is one of the most worshipped forms of Durga and is considered a destroyer of evil. She has four hands and she wields a longsword and a lotus in two of them. She blesses with the third hand and protects with the fourth one.

According to the legends, there was a sage known as ‘Kat’ who had a son named ‘Katya’. Later, a sage named ‘Katyayan’ took birth as his descendant. Sage Katyayan had no offspring. He observed austere penance and worshipped the gods for a child.

Meanwhile, the demon Mahishasura was creating a lot of trouble for the gods. His oppression was increasing day by day. The gods approached Vishnu to sought a way to end Mahishasura. At Vishnu’s behest, Shiva and Brahma joined him and then the Trinity (as Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma are collectively known as) emitted flames which took the form of Katyayani.

A manifestation of Durga, she then took birth as the daughter of Sage Katyayan as a result of which she came to be known as Katyayani.

Maa Katyayani was created to end the sins being committed by the demons and was born as a fighter. She had a resplendent form with three eyes, eighteen hands and was refulgent as a thousand suns. The gods gifted her with a lot of weapons to kill Mahishasura. Shiva gifted her a trident, Vishnu gave her a discus (Sudarshana Chakra), Varuna gave her a conch shell (shankha), Agni gave a dart, Vayu gave a bow, Surya gifted her a quiver, Indra gifted a thunderbolt, Kubera gave her a mace, Brahma gifted her a rosary and a water pot, Kala gave her a sword and a shield and Vishwakarma gave her a battle axe and many other weapons. Her vehicle is a lion.

Thus armed, Maa Katyayani proceeded towards Vindhya mountains where Mahishasura lived.

There is an interesting story on the birth of Mahishasura. His father Rambha, was the king of demons (asuras). He once fell in love with princess Mahishi, who was cursed to be a water buffalo. Mahisha is the Sanskrit word for buffalo. Mahishasura was born out of the union of Rambha and Mahishi. Due to his lineage, he was able to change form between an asura and buffalo.

A fierce battle took place between Maa Katyayani and Mahishasura. She defeated him and cut off his head with a sword. The slaying of Mahishasura is celebrated as Durga Puja in many parts of India. She is also named as Mahishasuramardini, the one who killed Mahishasura.

According to Bhagavata Purana, the young marriageable girls in Gokula observed fast during the entire month of Margashirsha and worshipped Goddess Katyayani to get Bhagwan Krishna as their husband. They made an earthen deity of the goddess and worshipped it. From then on, it is believed, that girls who observe fast and worship Katyayani will find worthy husbands. In Tamil Nadu, Devi Kanya Kumari, the virgin goddess is said to be an avatar of Maa Katyayani. She is worshipped during the Pongal which also coincides with Makar Sankranti.

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Kaalratri

Maa Kaalratri is the form of Adi Shakti that destroys evil-doers and thus ends cruelty. She is extremely benevolent towards her devotees and rewards them by removing the sorrow and darkness from their lives. She is worshipped on the seventh night of Navratri.

Maa Kaalratri: The Goddess Worshipped on the Seventh Day of Navratri

Ma Kaalratri is the goddess who is worshiped on the seventh day of Navratri. Kaal refers to time as well as death in Hindi whereas ratri refers to night or darkness/ignorance. Hence, Ma Kaalratri is the one which brings the death of darkness or the one who ends ignorance. She is also commonly referred as Kali.

Ma Kaalratri is the most terrorizing forms of Durga. Her complexion is dark as night and has untied bountiful hair. She has four hands and carries a scimitar and a thunderbolt in two of her hands. The other two hands are held in the form of ‘giving’ and ‘protecting’. She has three eyes and flames come out of her nostrils when she breathes. Her necklace shines like the Moon shines in the night. Her mount is a donkey. She is also referred as Shubhankari as she always brings auspicious results to her devotees.

There are some interesting stories behind this terrorizing form of Durga. Once two demons named Shumbha and Nishumbha invaded devaloka and defeated Indra and his army. After losing his kingdom, Swarga, Indra along with all the other gods went towards the Himalayas to seek help. They prayed to goddess Parvati and sought her assistance in getting their kingdom back.

Parvati created Chandi and sent her to kill the demons. In the battlefield, Shumbha and Nishumbha sent two demons Chanda and Munda. Chandi created another goddess, Kali, to fight Chanda-Munda. Kali killed both of them and thus came to be known as Chamunda.

Another demon, Raktabeej, was sent to kill Kali. In Hindi, Rakta means blood and beej means seed. Raktabeej had a boon, which he had received from Brahma, that as soon as a drop of his blood would fall on the ground, a look-alike of Raktabeej would get created. This meant that every drop of his blood that would fall on the ground would act as a seed from which another demon, similar to Raktabeej, would appear.

When Maa Kaalratri saw this, she realized that is impossible to kill Raktabeej as long as his blood falls on the ground. A furious Maa Kaalratri started drinking the blood of each clone of Raktabeej that she attacked to prevent the blood from dropping on the ground. This way she killed Raktabeej.

Chandi also killed Shumbha – Nishumbha and thus help Indra and other gods win back their kingdom from the demons.

Ma Kaalratri is the form of Adi Shakti that destroys evil-doers and thus end cruelty. She is extremely benevolent towards her devotees and rewards them by removing the sorrow (darkness) from their lives.

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Mahagauri

The Goddess in the form of Mahagauri has four arms, carries a trident and a damaru (a small two-headed drum) in two of them and is worshiped as the Goddess of kindness and morality. She rides on a white bull and is clothed and ornamented in white. She is worshipped on the eighth night of Navratri. She is known for her luminous beauty and radiance.

Maa Mahagauri: The Goddess Worshipped On The Eighth Day of Navratri

Mahagauri is the Goddess worshiped on the eighth day of the 9-day long festival of Navratri in India. Maha means extremely and gauri means white. She is worshiped by devotees to attain loyalty in relationships and create life-long bonds.

The story of Mahagauri has many versions. The most popular one goes like this. After killing all demons in the form of Kaalratri, Parvati was left with skin as dark as night. This made her husband Mahadev tease her with the nickname ‘Kali’ (dark-skinned). Agitated, Parvati applied to Brahma by undergoing a severe penance lasting many days, to regain her fair skin. Pleased, Brahma advises her to take a bath in the Mansarovar River in the Himalayas (some local variants replace the Mansarovar River with the holy Ganges river).

Acting on Brahma’s advice, she takes a bath in the river. As she bathes, her dark skin separates from her and takes the form of a female. This female is Kaushiki who goes on to slay the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. Shumbha and Nishumbha had gained a boon from Brahma, according to which they could not be slayed by a man, demon, God or deity. Parvati regains her white complexion and beauty, and comes to be known by the name Mahagauri, which means “extremely fair”.

In another story, Parvati wishes to beget Bhagwan Shiva as her husband and as per Rishi Narad’s advise, she undergoes a severe penance deep in the forest to please Shiva. She forgoes all comforts, even food, and braves heat, cold, rain and storms for many years.

Her body is soon covered with dirt, soil, insects and dry leaves. Pleased by her devotion, Bhagwan Shiva acquiesces and bathes her in the water of the Ganges that flows from his locks. She emerges in the form of Mahagauri, as white as a jasmine flower and clothed in white.

The Goddess in the form of Mahagauri has four arms, carries a trident and a damaru (a small two-headed drum) in two of them and is worshiped as the Goddess of kindness and morality. She rides on a white bull, is said to be nine years old (this being the reason why some parts of the country perform kanya-pujan, worshiping the unmarried girl) and is clothed and ornamented in white.

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Siddhidatri

Maa Siddhidatri resolved Brahma’s troubles in the task of creation by turning Shiva’s person into half woman. This made Shiva “Ardhanareeshwara.” Siddhidatri bestowed eighteen kinds of rare perfections and powers and potentialities (Siddhis) on Shiva. By virtue of these siddhis, Shiva happened to develop a divine splendor. Maa Siddhidatri is worshipped on the ninth and final night of Navratri

Worship Maa Siddhidatri on the 9th day of Navaratri

Maa Siddhidatri is the ninth manifestation of Durga and is worshipped on the ninth day of Ashwin’s month Shukla Paksha.She is represented with four arms sitting on lotus flower. Her arms hold Gada (bludgeon), Chakra, Shankh (scallop shell) and lotus flower. Her appearance glows in red saree. Her vehicle is Lion.

When the Universal mother was gripped with the idea of projecting creation, She, first of all, created Bhagwan Shiva who prayed to Her to endow him with perfections. For this purpose, the universal mother produced Goddess Siddhidatri from Her own person. As the behest of the universal mother, Goddess Siddhidatri bestowed eighteen kinds of rare perfections and powers and potentialities (Siddhis) on Bhagwan Shiva. By virtue of these siddhis, Bhagwan Shiva happened to develop a divine splendor.

Having acquired the siddhis from Goddess Siddhidatri, Bhagwan Shiva created Bhagwan Vishnu who in turn created Bhagwan Brahma who was entrusted with the task of the Creation whereas Bhagwan Vishnu got the task of Protection and Bhagwan Shiva that of Destruction.

Bhagwan Brahma felt a great difficulty in his task of the Creation in the absence of man and woman. Thereupon he remembered Mother Siddhidatri. When she appeared before him, Bhagwan Brahma said to her, “Oh Great Mother! I cannot carry on with the task of the Creation in the absence of man and woman. You kindly solve this problem of mine through your supernatural attainments (siddhis).”

Having heard Bhagwan Brahma, Mother Siddhidatri converted half the person of Bhagwan Shiva into a woman. Thus Bhagwan Shiva became half-male and half-female. Thus, the problem of Bhagwan Brahma was resolved and the task of the Creation went on smoothly. Bhagwan Shiva obtained all Siddhis by blessings of Siddhidatri. This culminated in him becoming ‘Ardhnareeshwar’. Worshipping Maa Siddhidatri solely with prescribed customs and rituals certainly endows all Siddhis and blessings to devotees.

On the ninth day of Navratri, Kanya Poojan is also performed with grand touch. Little girls are offered homage and feed with blessed meals. Yagya, Maha Pooja and other grand celebrations are also performed to delight Navdurga on this day. Each day of Navratri has a significant importance, but ninth day is the most prominent, as this is the final and concluding day of Durga Pooja.

On the final day of Navratri pooja, worshippers and devotees of Durga wonderfully pay homage to Goddess Siddhidatri. This Goddess is revered to offer all types of Siddhi (perfection) to her devotees and thus glorified with name ‘Siddhidatri’. . Worshipping goddess Siddhidatri on the ninth and final day of Navratri bestows all Siddhis to worshippers and successfully completes their Navratri Pooja.

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Ardhanareeshwara

Ardha - Half

Nari - Woman

Eshwara - God

Shiva who is known as Adi Yogi (the first yogi) is portrayed as half man and half woman.

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NAVRATRI

9 NIGHTS OF THE DEVI

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Navratri Quiz Question #1:

What are some other names for the Hindu Festival of Navratri?

Festival of Nine Nights
Dussehra
Durga Puja
All the above

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Navratri Quiz Question #2:

Navratri celebrates the ____________ ?

The Feminine Divine
Shakti - Feminine Energy
Devi - Feminine Goddess
All the above

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Navratri Quiz Question #3:

Different parts of India celebrate Navratri in very different ways.

But there are a many common threads that run through all of them.

Is this true or false?

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Navratri Quiz Question #4

In which month is Navratri celebrated?

Shravan
Oct-Nov
Chaitra