The Inner Significance of Navarathri

OM

TriDevi

Navarathri means nine nights. Darkness is associated with night. What is this darkness? It is the darkness of ignorance. The purpose of the Navarathri celebration is to enable man to get rid of nine types of darkness which have taken hold of him. When a reference is made to Devi, it signifies the unified form of Dhurga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. The three together represent Shakthi. Shakthi is the energy that accounts for all the phenomena of Prakruthi (Nature). Nature is energy and the controller of that energy is the Lord.

Prakruthi (Nature) is made up of the three qualities, Sathwa, Rajas and Thamas. Saraswathi represents the Sathya Guna. Lakshmi represents the Rajo Guna and Parvathi represents the Thamo Guna. As Prakruthi (Nature) is made up of these three qualities (Sathwa, Rajas and Thamas), to get control over Nature, man has been offering worship to Dhurga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. These are not goddesses but deified symbols of the three qualities.

The role of Nature in the creative process

To acquire the grace of the Lord, man has to offer worship at the outset to Prakruthi. On the one hand you need human effort and on the other you have to acquire the grace of the Divine. Prakruthi (Nature) and Paramaatma (the Omni-Self) are like the negative and positive poles in electricity. However powerful the Lord may be (as the positive pole), there can be no creation without Prakruthi (representing the negative pole). The basis for creation is Prakruthi. For instance, however good the seeds you may have with you, without planting them in the ground you cannot reap the fruit. The role of Nature in the creative process is similar. When man forgets God and desires to enjoy the benefits of Nature, he becomes ultimately a demon like Ravana who brought about his own destruction. To secure the grace of the Lord, one has to have purity of the heart, purity in speech and purity in action. This triple purity is described in Vedantic parlance as Tripurasundari. Lakshmi, who is the embodiment of all prosperity, is represented by the heart. The mouth represents Saraswathi. Kriyaa Shuddhi (Purity in action) is represented by Dhurga. The observance of the Navarathri celebration is to get rid of the darkness in which man is enveloped, by cultivating the triple purity of thought, word and deed.

The human body emerged from Nature. Nature has two forms: Aparaa Prakruthi and Paraa Prakruthi. Aparaa Prakruthi includes Ashta Aishwaryas (eight forms of wealth), and Kaama,Krodha, Moha, Lobha, Mada, Maatsarya and the three mental faculties in man: Manas, Chitta and Ahamkaara. Paraa Prakruthi (the higher Nature) represents the consciousness in man. Without the Praana (life force) and Chaithanyam (consciousness) man is only a corpse. True humanness consists in controlling the five elements which make up the Aparaa Prakruthi (lower Nature) and merge in the higher Nature represented by the life force and Chaithanyam (consciousness).

Maintain steadiness of mind during worship

The Navarathri has been divided into three parts the first three days being dedicated to the worship of Dhurga, the next three days to the worship of Lakshmi and the last three days to the worship of Saraswathi. All Hindu festivals have a sacred purpose. Unfortunately, nowadays the festivals are observed only with external rituals without understanding their inner meaning. In the performance of all forms of worship there should be steadiness of mind and body. Only then concentration can be achieved. Today men are unable to maintain steadiness of body and mind.

 The basic significance of Devi Navarathri is the adoration of Prakruthi (Nature). Devi refers to Bhudevi (Mother Earth). All the vital requirements of man can be found in the earth. Those who travel to the moon have to carry with them the oxygen, water and food they need from the earth. None of these can be found on the moon.

The power of Manthra

Today we know how radio and television broadcasts are transmitted to all parts of the world by radio waves. Is it unbelievable that Krishna was able to similarly appear in the homes of Gopikas simultaneously? If a Yantra (machine) could achieve such a result, how much more power should be attributed to Manthra? The power of the divine name and form is all pervading. The electromagnetic waves in the atmosphere can preserve sounds and forms for all time.

If a mechanical contrivance could achieve broadcasting simultaneously, is it incredible that much more could be done by the divine power of manthras? What is needed is the power to tune in to the Spirit just as appropriate tuning is needed to receive a radio or TV broadcast. Regard your heart as a radio receiver. Your concentration is the tuning device. You will experience the Divine when you tune your heart properly. This calls for firm, unwavering concentration.

 The inauguration of the Navarathri celebrations means that you should use this occasion for offering worship to Nature and resolving to make sacred use of all natural resources.

The mere removal of hate from the heart will not ensure Ananda.

Love too should be cultivated. That is to say, uproot hate and plant love. 

If the absence of hate ensures Bhakthi, then hill and anthill, tree and twig, mud and mountain--what do these hate ? They have no dislikes. For this reason, can we ascribe Bhakthi to them at all? We do not ascribe bhakthi because, for that would be absurd. Hence not just removal of hate from the heart but Love too should be cultivated. The Bhaktha must first be free from hate and full of Love.

Hate breeds fear, hate is the seedbed of anxiety, scandal and falsehood. It drains your mind of peace. You may have light without oil, fire without smoke, breeze without a bearer fanning you, a chilliness in the air of your room in the sizzling heat of summer--but, unless you are at peace with yourselves and with those around you, your pulse will be quick and your blood will be racing in rage and rancor. Love alone can alleviate anxiety and allay fear.

Sri VishnuLakshmi

HAPPY NAVARATHRI

Happy Guru Purnima

OM

GURU Purnima

Guru Purnima is the annual occasion for expressing gratitude towards the Guru or the Divine Teacher. It is observed in memory of the great Sage Veda Vyasa who is considered to be the supreme preceptor of mankind. The word Guru means “the remover of darkness.” Hence, Guru Purnima, celebrated on a full-moon day, is the day for eradicating ignorance and illuminating our lives with knowledge. There are 12-13 full moons in a year. While the Vaishakha full moon is dedicated to Lord Buddha and the Jyeshtha full moon is dedicated to Mother Earth, the Ashada full moon is dedicated to the memory of masters. This is an auspicious day to review how far one has progressed in life and to turn back to the spiritual path. And it is especially significant for students who desire to get their teachers’ blessings.

All those who aspire to spiritual enlightenment worship Sage Veda Vyasa on this day in honor of his divine personage and the disciples perform puja. He, born to Satyavati and Sage Parashara and also called Krishna Dwaipayana, edited the four Vedas, wrote the eighteen Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavata. To him goes the credit of composing the authentic treatise of Brahma-Sutras to explain the background of the Vedas. He even taught Dattatreya, who is regarded as the Guru of Gurus.

Guru Purnima also heralds the Chaturmasa or the setting in of the eagerly awaited rains and is important to the farmers as it ushers in new life in the fields. The rainwater in plentiful showers accompanies the advent of fresh life. People consume milk and fruits on this day and practice rigorous Japa and Dhyana. It is also a good time to commence spiritual lessons. Traditionally, seekers of spirituality start to intensify their spiritual Sadhana from this day. In the past, wandering spiritual masters and their disciples used to settle down at a place to study and discourse on the Brahma Sutras and engage in Vedantic discussions. Seekers do Satseva of the Guru during this period for their spiritual progress.

“Guru’s form is the basis of meditation, Guru’s feet are the basis of worship, and Guru’s words are the basis of mantra.”

In India, spiritual gurus are often equated with God and regarded as a link between the individual and the Immortal. Just as the Moon shines by reflecting the light of the Sun, the disciples gain from their Gurus. Guru is the only assurance for the individual to transcend the bondage of sorrow and experience the consciousness of the Reality. The Guru is considered as an embodiment of the archetypes of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, and through His grace one reaches the highest state of wisdom and bliss. Hence, the Guru’s guidance helps in managing worldly affairs with ease.

Further, according to the Rishis of yore, cosmic energy flows through the human body: it enters through the crown chakra and leaves through the feet. It is believed that the cosmic energy flows from the Guru’s feet in abundance.

"Sage Bhrigu approached to select a Lord as the receipient of Yagna offerings." (taken from Wikipedia)

The Saptarishis, who are the venerated masters who completely dedicated themselves to the pursuit of divine light, are Atri, Bhrigu, Pulastya, Vasishtha, Gautama, Angirasa and Marichi. They are ’seers’ who possess knowledge about the past, present and future of humanity.

Jupiter represents Guru, that is the only planet that has the potency to nullify any affliction caused by the other planets. Hence, Jupiter represents the higher mind and goes quiet for transmitting knowledge.

The relationship between the Guru and the Disciple is a sacred one. It is purely spiritual in nature and based on the maturity of Gyan (spiritual knowledge) and Sadhana (spiritual practice). It is the Guru who dispels the darkness of ignorance, arising out of bodily attachment.