Navaratri: Day Eight

[Guest guest]

Marge <margdevi > wrote:

 

 

> Day Eight:

>

> SARASWATI: The last three days are devoted to

> Saraswati, the Goddess of

> Wisdom, Knowledge and the Arts, wife of Brahma; it

> is a time of receiving Divine Guidance on how to

> properly use all resources sent your way. This is

> making most efficient and purposeful use of

> everything you are given.

>

> Night and Day Eight:

> Mahagauri - The Great White Goddess

> Mahaguari begins at Sunset Sept. 29 and ends at

> Sunset on

> Sept 30.

>

> Goddess Saraswati is generally depicted with four

> arms (some pictures may show only two arms), wearing

> a white sari and seated on a white lotus. She holds

> a book and a mala in Her rear two hands, while the

> front two hands are engaged in the playing of a lute

> (veena). Her right leg is shown slightly pushing

> against Her left leg. She uses a swan as Her

> vehicle. There is a peacock by Her side gazing at

> Her. This symbolism illustrates the following

> spiritual ideas:

>

> a.. The lotus is a symbol of the Supreme Reality,

> and a white lotus also denotes supreme knowledge. By

> sitting on a lotus, Saraswati signifies that She is

> Herself rooted in the Supreme Reality, and

> symbolizes supreme knowledge. The white color

> symbolizes purity and knowledge. The white sari that

> the Goddess is wearing denotes that She is the

> embodiment of pure knowledge.

>

> b.. The four arms denote Her omnipresence and

> omnipotence. The two front arms indicate Her

> activity in the physical world and the two back arms

> signify Her presence in the spiritual world. The

> four hands represent the four elements of the inner

> personality. The mind (manas) is represented by the

> front right hand, the intellect (buddhi) by the

> front left hand, the conditioned consciousness

> (chitta) by the rear left hand, and the ego

> (ahankara) by the rear right hand.

>

> c.. The left side of the body symbolizes the

> qualities of the heart and

> the right side symbolizes activities of the mind and

> intellect. A book in the rear left hand signifies

> that knowledge acquired must be used with love and

> kindness to promote prosperity of mankind.

>

> d.. The mala signifies concentration, meditation,

> and contemplation,

> leading to samadhi, or union with God. A mala in the

> rear right hand

> representing ego conveys that true knowledge

> acquired with love and devotion melts the ego and

> results in liberation (moksha) of the seeker from

> the bondage to the physical world.

>

> e.. The Goddess is shown playing a musical

> instrument that is held in

> Her front hands, which denote mind and intellect.

> This symbol conveys that the seeker must tune his

> mind and intellect in order to live in perfect

> harmony with the world. Such harmonious living

> enables the individual to utilize acquired knowledge

> for the welfare of all mankind.

>

> f.. Two swans are depicted on the left side of the

> Goddess. A swan is

> said to have a sensitive beak that enables it to

> distinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk and

> water. A swan, therefore, symbolizes the power of

> discrimination, or the ability to discriminate

> between right and wrong or good and bad. Saraswati

> uses the swan as Her carrier. This indicates that

> one must acquire and apply knowledge with

> discrimination for the good of mankind. Knowledge

> that is dominated by ego can destroy the world.

>

> g.. A peacock is sitting next to Saraswati and is

> anxiously waiting to

> serve as Her vehicle. A peacock depicts

> unpredictable behavior as its moods can be

> influenced by the changes in the weather. Saraswati

> is using a swan as a vehicle and not the peacock.

> This signifies that one should overcome fear,

> indecision, and fickleness in order to acquire true

> knowledge.

> - Bansi

> Pandit

>

> Blessings to all!

> Jai Maha Maya Ki Jai!

> Love,

> Marge

>

> p.s. Prepare your 'instruments of work' for Day

> Nine.

> On the last day of Navaratri, devotees are asked to

> bring something to the ceremonies that depicts their

> 'line of work.' A carpenter could bring a hammer; a

> plumber a pipe wrench; a doctor a stethoscope; a

> writer a notebook; a computer person a 'mouse'; you

> know what represents your work. Have that ready for

> your prayers on Day Nine (the last day of the

> Navaratri).

>

> This item is blessed during the ceremony, for

> continued work devoted to the Divine and for

> abundance and prosperity through that work.

>

>

>

>

>

> ******************

> Do what you Love.

> Live where you Love.

> Love where you Pray.