Navratri

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JAI MAA,

 

Aim Hrim Klim Chamundaye Vichche "

 

There are 9 Navratri in one year. (40x9=360 days of the year) Most

people

only know or observe only two, one in the beginning of the New Year

Chaitra

(April) and another after six months (in the month of Aswin).

 

On the tenth day of the First Navratri (Chaitra or April) is the

Janma divas

of Sri Ram or Ramnavmi is celebrated.

 

On the tenth day of Second Navratri is Vijayadashami, the day when

ten heads

of ego was grought to earth by God himself. Jagdamba Bhagwati or

Shakti

upasana, Sri Ram Charit Manas, SriMad Bhagwat Geeta, Durga

Shaptashati, Guru

Geeta, Sri Sai Charitra , Ved, Puran any kind of sadhana is performed.

 

Some bhakta observe 6 Navratri and they are Varsha, Sharad, Shishir,

Hemant,

Vasant, Grishma.

 

Still very popular are 4 Navratri; Ashwin, Paush, Chaitra & Kartik.

 

Guruji always prayed to

 

OM SHAKTI OM. KRIYA SHAKTI, ICCHA SHAKTI, GYAN SHAKTI OM.

 

OM KATYAYANYAI VIDMAHE KANYAKUNARYAI CHA DHEEMAHI,

TANNO DURGA PRACHODAYAT.

 

AUM MAHALAKSHMAYE VIDMAHE VISHNU PRIYAYE DHI MAHI TANNO LAKSHMI

PRACHODAYAT

 

AUM VAGDEVYAI CHA VEDMAHE KAMARAJAYA DHEEMAHI, TANNO DEVI

PRACHODAYAT.

 

She is in three form, always changing, Absolutely beautiful, beguiling

, feel her now, talk to her now. Then She will energize every cell in

your body. She is Radha Rani, she is Mata Seeta, she is Mata Parvati.

 

Approach Her with an open heart. Lay bare your heart to Her with

frankness and humility. Be as simple as a child. Kill ruthlessly the

enemies of egoism, cunningness, selfishness and crookedness. Make a

total, unreserved, and ungrudging self-surrender to Her. Sing Her

praise. Repeat Her Name. Worship Her with faith and unflinching

devotion. Perform special worship on the Navaratri days. Navaratri

is the most suitable occasion for doing intense spiritual practices.

These nine days are very sacred to the Divine Mother. Plunge

yourself in Her worship. Practise intense repetition of the Divine

Name, having a regular " quota " of repetitions per day, and the

number of hours spent on it.

 

Recite Sri Lalita Sahasranama, Devi Mahatmya , recite maximum number

of Japa of the Navarna Mantra, Aim hreem kleem chaamundaayai vichche,

pray to Mother Durga for the first three days, Mother Lakshmi for the

next three days, and Mother Saraswathi for the last three days.

 

Read Sri Ram Charit Manas, SriMad Bhagwat Geeta, Durga Shaptashati,

Guru Mantra, Ved, Puran what ever your heart desires and your

wisdom tells you.

 

On the Vijaya Dasami day worship Gita, Upanishads, Brahma Sutras,

Ramayana, Srimad Bhagavatam and/or all sacred and spiritual books,

pens, instruments etc.

 

Start your sadhana today. Do some thing, do not wait for tomorrow.

 

Chant " Om Shakti OM " today and for nine days.

 

If possible perform a havan or homa with mantra for your Ishta, Sri

Sukta, Navarna Mantra.

 

Sri Rama worshipped Maa Durga at the time of the fight with Ravana,

to invoke Her aid in the war. He fought and won through Her Grace.

Mata Seeta entered Lanka as Maa kali so Shri Ram can win the war.

The war of good over evil.

 

But Her love is clean and pure as pure can be. Drown yourself in HER

love today. Do not go for attachments and expectations, they will

only give rise to more expectations. From Her you will learn that

every thing is alive- from lily blossom to cactus thorns, from blade

of the grass to the tallest cedar, from the smallest pebble to the

tallest mountain peak. Listen you will hear the song of life; the

force of the life. This is the gospel of nature. BE one with nature.

Physicists and scientists every one agrees that everything is pure,

interchangeable, imperishable energy. This energy is only a form of

divine Shakti which exists in every form. The EEE of Shiv, without

HER, SHIV is SHAV.

Navaratri is rich in meaning. At one level, Navaratri signifies the

progress of a spiritual aspirant. During this spiritual journey, the

aspirant has to pass three stages personified by Durga, Lakshmi and

Saraswati. Then, he or she enters into the realm of the infinite,

wherein one realizes one's Self. Navaratri, which literally

means 'nine nights,' dedicates three days each to worshipping the

Divine in the forms of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. The tenth day,

though, is the most important; it is known as Vijayadashami,

the 'tenth day of victory.'

 

The reason behind the worshipping of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati

lies rooted in the philosophy that the attributeless absolute can

only be known through the world of attributes, the journey is from

the known to the unknown. Hence it is said that Lord Shiva, who

symbolizes pure consciousness, can only be known through Shakti, who

represents divine energy. That is why people worship Shakti, also

known as Devi, in Her various manifestations.

 

Navaratri is not only significant for spiritual aspirants; it has a

message for those who lead a worldly life as well. They should

invoke Durga's help to surmount obstacles, pray to Lakshmi to bestow

peace and prosperity, and contemplate upon Saraswati in order to

gain knowledge. These three ingredients are just as necessary for a

full and complete worldly life. In reality they are but invoking the

Shakti that is within themselves.

 

Maa Durga, Maa Lakshmi and Maa Saraswati are not different entities,

but different facets of the One singular Divinity. They are together

on top the the Bindu in Om, They are together on top of the bindu in

Sri Yantra.

 

The Upanishad also says: " The supreme power of God is manifested in

various ways. This power is of the nature of God, manifesting as

knowledge, strength and activity " .

 

Shakti is the omnipotent power of the Lord, or the Cosmic Energy.

The Divine Mother is represented as having ten different weapons in

Her hands. She sits on a lion. She keeps up the play of the Lord

through the three attributes of Nature, namely, Sattwa, Rajas and

Tamas. Knowledge, peace, lust, anger, greed, egoism and pride, are

all Her forms.

 

Chandi is the Goddesswho tears apart all of these thoughts. And the

Chandi Path is the story of how She manifests in the lives of

devotees to facilitate the recapture of divine authority from the

demonic forces, to fill our lives with love, respect, devotion and a

sense of meaningful purpose

 

If one was to look at the crux in brief, it is the story of the

destruction of evil and forceful evil ways. Karma or action, Bhakti

or devotion and jnan or wisdom all three are an integral part of the

Chandi Path. Is there any one in the world who doesn't want

protection from evil, pains and problems?

 

The Goddess, who is all pervading and within all, protects all.

Today all of us are surrounded by enemies like greed, lust, hatred,

disease etc. It this Shaptashati, 700 Sholaks of Devi Maa, Chandi

Path recitation done at home, especially during Navratri is very

beneficial and fruitful.

 

The devotees experience the fulfillment of their wishes in due

course if not immediately. Whether it is in the form of something

worldly, or even the ultimate freedom from the cycle of rebirth and

death.

 

" My Beloved, it is called pooja because it destroys the Karmas of

previous births, ends the cycle of birth and death and grants

complete fulfilment. " Kularnava 17:70

 

" Na mantram no yantram tadapi ca na jane stutimaho

na cahvanam dhyanam tadapi ca na jane stutikathah "

 

Neither do I know chants nor do I know methods, nor do I know how to

make prayer. I don't know how to invoke you nor how to meditate, I

have no knowledge of any songs.

 

na mokshas-yakanksa bhava-vibhava-vanchapi ca na me

na vijnana-peksa sasimukhi sukhecchapi na punah

atastvam samyace janani jananam yatu mama vai

mrdani rudrani siva siva bhavaniti japatah

 

I do not have any desire for deliverance (moksha), I do not have any

desire for worldly wealth. I do not have any craving for knowledge.

I also do not want happiness. . . so I have this prayer that the

rest of my life may pass in uttering all the names of the Goddess.

 

The struggle with Ravana might also be seen as a struggle of worldly

and cosmic powers and a struggle against his own ignorance and

separation from the spiritual world.

 

Sri Ram is always pictured with Mata Sita and lakshmanji because

they portray essential aspects of the divine relationship. Mata Sita

represents the Shakti, the primordial energy that drives the

universe. Lakshmana is the guardian of the earth assisting Rama in

his maintenance of order. Hanuman is the ideal devotee

 

As you start and move on your Spiritual journey, different

personalities will come your way. Some in flesh and blood and some

through 'words on page'. Each one like a sculptor chiseled and

hammered at different facets of your personality. Welcome every one

of them with open heart and,

 

Ekai dharam,ek vrat nema

Kaai bachan man pati pad prema

 

Recite the Lord's name in whichever way, and in whatever form you

like and that will enhance your faith in your own Ishtadeva

(personal deity).

 

Let us once again remember the words of Sharbhang:

 

Naath sakal sadhan main heena

Kinhi kripa jani jan dina

So kachhu dev na mohi nihora

Nij pan rakheo jan man chora

 

have no means of reaching you, oh Lord! except through Your own

grace, When you do accept me as your own, it would not be a matter

of surprise for me, Nor shall I consider it a favour on your part ,

For I know it to be a manifestation of Your own nature ,Which is

All Merciful

 

When a pilgrim feels he has failed after trying every prescribed

means to reach the Lord, he cries out in despair. Tears well up in

his eyes, and he feels the pangs of separation from the Lord He now

feels he can do nothing more in his sadhana. This feeling of

helplessness when all means fail, it is called " Vyakulta " by

Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The devotee now consciously surrenders to the

Lord.

 

Tulsidasji speaks of the plight of such devotees 's thus :

 

Gad gad gira , nayan baha neera

 

Which means:I feel the flow of joyful tears and

 

Naath sakal saadhan main heena

 

Which means: I have no means to reach you Oh Lord

 

Always, always watch for the EGO. However humble you are in your

spiritual sadhana, the ego will obtrude to a certain extent, and it

will be an obstacle to your inner advancement.

 

Now, if you surrender all your actions to the Lord including your

evil ones, then you would be inflicting sorrow on the Lord! And a

truly religious person will not want to do the above.

 

Chitvat panth raheo din raati

 

" He abused me, he laughed at me, he struck me. " Thus one thinks and

so long as one retains such thoughts, one's anger continues. Anger

will never disappear so long as there are thoughts of resentment in

the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of

resentment are forgotten.

 

When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a

lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself,

you will learn both peace and joy. Pride leads to violence and evil.

The truly good gaze upon everything with love and understanding.

Pleaple closest to you will hurt you the most, the only one who will

not hurt is your Maa.

 

Don't worry people will alway say things about you. Keep on walking,

walking and walking to your goal. Crawl if you have to but do not

give up. I am always with you whether you know it or not. Close your

eyes and think about me in all honesty and I will appear in front of

you.

 

Ehi kali kaal na saadhan dooja,

Jog jagya jap tap vrat puja.

 

All of you have very busy work life schedule, performing difficult

penances and rituals will not be possible, only chanting the Lord's

name and keeping His remembrance in your heart will enable you to

achieve Him.

 

Every day I request Maa to grant me

Magnanimity of the River,

Kindness of the Sun,

Humility of the Earth.

 

If i can be

Beautiful in poverty

Content in Hunger

Cheerful in Grief

Friendly in Hostility

 

I request MAA to bend down and lift me up so I can be worthy of Her.

 

" Mere to Giridhar Gopal, doosra na koi "

 

My dear divine souls I remember all of you as much I you miss me.

But I must continue my sadhana so I can help all of you.

 

Chitvat panth raheo din raati

 

Stare yearningly at the path that will unite the lord to

you......and wait.....and cry.....like the Gopis of Vraj did.

Chitvat panth raheo din raati.

 

God knows how many nights Sharbhang kept awake waiting for Sri Ram!

Ab Prabhu dekhi juraani chhaati. 'I only feel at peace when I look

upon the Lord " . Devotees while waiting for the Lord sing to Him:

 

Daras bin dookhan laage nain. " Our eyes hurt because we have not

seen you. "

 

Naath sakal saadhan main heena

Kinhi kripa jaani jan dina

 

That is all I have to say to you, offer to you

 

Naath sakal saadhan main heena

 

O, Mother of the Universe, I have never rubbed your feet or done any

sort of service, I have not given you wealth, but even strangely

enough, you are bestowing your grace on undeserving me Because a son

can be bad, however, it is not in the Mother's nature to be bad.

Kuputro Jayate kwachidapi kumata na bhawati

 

We bow to You, we bow to You, We bow to You in the three states of

waking, dreaming, and sleeping states O Divine Mother!

 

Avahanam najanami, najanami visarjanam,

poojamchaiva najanamani kshamaswa Maheswari.

Yatkrutam yatkarishyami tathsarvam twamarpanam,

poojam poorna phalam kuru " .

 

JAI MAA.

 

Rajyalaxmi

 

SRI Devi Dakar 1008 names & Sri lalita 1008 names Havan on October 28th 2007

New Jersey (U.S.)

28th October 2007 (Last Sunday of the month)

Time: 3:00 - 6:00 PM

Please call 609-799-3015 for directions.

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Please join us in our 24 hours MahamRitunjay Jaap starting on 29th

Dec 2007 at 10:00 AM to 30 Dec 10:00 AM Community hall

(Durga Mandir) Kendal Park NJ USA.

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