Navratri 

Man is a bundle of desires. Everything that he does is with the intent of satisfying them. The ancient rishis knew that to gain the state of Absolute Bliss and Knowledge we have to look inward. Keeping this in mind they introduced festivals throughout the year to remind man of his supreme goal and ideal. A spin off is the happiness and spirit of unity that festivals promote. 

The festivals of Navratri, Dussehra and Deepavali are a picturesque web into which so many strands have gone, religious, social and cultural, cherished and preserved by people in the north, south, east and west alike. There may be variations in details, social values attached to it, but the essence is one. For example, in Maharashtra it is also the commencement of the fresh crop year. But in the Western Ghats the occasion is looked upon as the parting of seasons and coming in of the sunny weather.  

The traditions may be the same in north or south, although the emphasis may be more on one aspect in some parts of the country. One cannot help but appreciate the marketing genius of the rishis who invented these traditions. They used the same festival to weave the country into one cultural unit and practiced the popular MNC mantra, think global, act local, long before MNC's ever existed. It reflects their understanding of human psychology.  

Navratri is known as the Festival of Nights. It begins on the first day of the Hindu month of Ashwin and is dedicated to honoring the three Devis – Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Total worship lasts for nine days, out of which the first three are dedicated to Durga (the Devi of Strength and Valor), the next three to Lakshmi (the Devi of Wealth and Prosperity) and the last three to Saraswati (the Devi of Knowledge). The images of Devi Durga are created, worshipped and immersed in a sea or lake. In Gujarat, Garbha dance is performed. In the South, houses are decorated, and toys are displayed. 

The festival of Navaratri is popularly known as Durga Pooja in Bengal. The invocation of various forms of Devi is not without significance. Devi Durga is known as the one who killed the demons that terrorized devoted religious seekers. So also in our minds are the monsters of passion, lust, greed, jealousy, which have to be annihilated before we can reach spiritual unfoldment. By invoking Durga / Kali we are invoking our own power to destroy negative forces within. Think positive and remove negative forces from your mind to achieve success. 

Full of superstition and misunderstood tradition, some people believe that the scriptures ask us to be docile, passive people. India has been ruled for a thousand years due to such misunderstanding. The scriptures ask us to be aggressive if the cause is noble. If protecting our country means we have to be aggressive, so be it. 

Having destroyed the negative forces, we should move to the positive aspects. That is done by Shree Lakshmi Pooja. Lakshmi is the Devi of wealth, both material and spiritual. In our country people worshipped wealth with religious fervor, and thus it is not surprising that as long as the tenets of the Vedas were nicely prevalent in our country India was the richest country in the world, attracting traders from all over the world.  

However, the culture which asks us to respect wealth also symbolically shows the place of wealth in life. Lakshmi is shown sitting at the feet of Narayan, serving him. Wealth should be used for goodness and the pursuit of the truth. However, Lakshmi does not represent the external wealth only but the inner wealth too, like the qualities of love, kindness, devotion, patience, charity etc. At the end of the second phase of the festival, these divine qualities should have replaced the negative thoughts. 

Having developed these divine traits, next is the invocation of Saraswati, the Devi of Knowledge. It is only those who have eliminated the negatives in their mind and inculcated some positive virtues that realization of truths and facts is possible. The summum of Indian traditions, values, culture and philosophy is to make everyone more awakened and knowledgeable. Knowledge alone is the singularly most potent factor to make the real difference in our lives, for our professional success and our inner contentment. Invocation of the blessings of Devi Saraswati involves concrete steps to pursue knowledge, like going to the teacher, study of the Shastras, reflection and meditation. 

Mahisasura-Mardini

The Sacred Narrative of Durga Ma 

Om Sarvamangalamangalye
Shive Sarvaarthasaadhike
Sharanye Triyambake Gauri
Narayani Namostute... 

Thou auspicious one,
The source of all auspiciousness.
The eternal consort of Shiva,
O Three-Eyed, Fair Goddess,
Thou the Bestower of all desires,
The refuge of all.
Salutations to Thee, the Power Divine. 

According to the narrative from the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana, Rambha, king of the demons, once fell in love with a water buffalo, and his son, the demon Mahishasura – the buffalo demon - was born out of this union. 

Legend has it that Lord Brahma is said to be very liberal with granting boons and is easily pleased when prayed to without any thought as to who is praying and asking him for a boon. He is very generous in granting boons to the demons unguardedly.

Even Mahisasura – The Buffalo Demon, with his intense prayers to Lord Brahma won him and got bestowed the boon that he could change between the two forms of Human and Buffalo at will and could not be vanquished by any God or Man. With his new powers, he unleashed a wave of terror and invaded the Gods, who sought help from the Supreme Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. But none of the Gods could defeat him and the Demon created havoc on heaven, earth and the nether world. 

So the Tridev energized Parvati, the wife of Shiva, with all their creative forces and powers, transforming her into the beautiful, powerful and glorious Goddess Durga. Her face was sculpted by Shiva, torso by Indra, breasts by Chandra (the moon), teeth by Brahma, bottom by the Earth, thighs and knees by Varuna (wind), and her three eyes by Agni (fire).  

"I am Durga, the inaccessible one," said the glorious goddess. "I am Prakriti, the substance that gives form and identity to all things. I am Shakti, the power that enables all creatures to exist, to feel, think, act and react. I am Maya, the delusion that makes life alluring yet elusive." 

"Give me your weapons and I shall destroy he who seeks to dominate me," said the great goddess.  

Each God also gave their most powerful weapons to her. Shiva gave his trident, Vishnu his discus (chakra), Indra his thunderbolt, Kumara his lance, Brahma his bow and arrow, Vishwakarma his shield and Kubera his mace and the raging lioness Narsimhi – Durga's Mount came from Narsimha.  

Thus, Durga became the centrifugal force of all the unbridled, untamed, restless energies of the cosmos. She could not be subjugated by the authority of any man, beast, god or demon. 

News of Vindhyavasini, the beautiful goddess who resides atop a mountain, reached Mahisha. "She shall be my queen," declared the buffalo-demon. He ordered his 2 generals – Chanda and Munda – to fetch her. 

Chanda and Munda placed Mahisha's offer of marriage before Durga. When Durga did not reply, the demons threatened her with violence. The goddess showed her wrath and beheaded them both with her sword.  

The gods named this amazing warrior-woman Chandi, the fierce one. This form of the divine goddess is worshipped during the sandhikshan of Durga Puja festival, as sandhi/chandi puja. 

The death of his two generals and the violent rejection of his marriage proposal enraged Mahisha. "Bring that proud woman before me in chains and I shall show her who the master is." 

A hundred thousand asuras armed with bows, arrows, spears and swords surrounded the mountain of Durga's abode to capture her. But as they marched up the mountain, the goddess hurled her missiles and killed all the demons. 

Humiliated by the defeat, Mahisha asked Durga, "Why won't you marry me? Am I not the lord of the three worlds?" 

"I shall marry only he who defeats me in battle," revealed the goddess. 

"Then let us fight," responded the buffalo demon. 

A great battle ensued. Mountains shook, oceans trembled, clouds scattered across the sky, as the buffalo demon attacked Durga. He rushed towards her, sometimes as a buffalo, sometimes as a lion, sometimes as an elephant. The goddess broke the buffalo's horns with her mace, sheared the lion's mane with her lance, cut the elephant's trunk with her sword. 

Weapon after weapon, she hurled at the buffalo demon, but each time he managed to rise up undefeated. 

Realizing that her weapons had no effect on Mahisha, Durga threw them all aside, dismounted from her lion and with her bare hands sprang upon Mahisha's back. With her tender feet, she kicked his head. The demon, immune to all the weapons till now, fell senseless at the touch of Durga's feet. 

Durga then raised her trident and plunged it into the buffalo-demon's heart, thus conquering the unconquerable, and being known as Durgati-Nashini (Killer of the Evil One) or Mahisasur-Mardini (Slayer of the Buffalo-Demon). 

Devi's Splendor 

The gods descended from their celestial abode, saluting Durga, praising her valor after the annihilation of Mahisasur. From beneath the earth, rose the forest spirits, yakshas and nagas. They offered the goddess - flowers, incense and jewellery. Sages venerated her with lamps. 

"Stay with us, protect us, do not leave us," they cried. 

"I am always with you," said the goddess. I am the mother who feeds you, the sister who supports you, the daughter who charms you, and the nymph who enchants you." 

"I am Saraswati who bestows upon Brahma the knowledge to create the world; I am Lakshmi who gives Vishnu the wherewithal to preserve the cosmic order; I am Parvati who allures the ascetic Shiva into worldly life." 

"I am the heat of fire, the movement of wind, the moisture of water, the radiance of sun, the luster of moons, the sparkle of stars, the fecundity of soil, the sovereignty of Kings." 

"I am Prithvi, the sacred earth, bringing forth life, nurturing all plants and animals. I am Grama-Devi, the village goddess, on whose body man builds houses and grows crops." 

"My essence is present in every woman. They, like me, are vessels of fertility, sources of love and life." 

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