Navaratri Worship of The Divine Mother And Significance

Faith Mysticism

oi-Staff

By Staff

Friday, October 8, 2010, 16:09

Navaratri ushers in the mood to worship the Divine Mother; a festival dedicated to Her alone. Navaratri worship is a noted religious aspect for the Hindus.

What is Navaratri?

The term Nava means nine and the term Raatri means night. Navaratri means, Nine nights. We hence celebrate and worship the Divine Mother for nine nights.

Navaratri was first celebrated during the Spring (Basant or Vasanta Navaratri). However it came to be observed in Autumn (September-October) after Lord Rama worshipped the Divine Mother, during the season, when He was to indulge in a battle with Ravana. Hence it also came to be known as 'Akala Bodhan' or the 'untimely welcome' to the Mother (for Navaratri worship). In South India it also called as Rama Navaratri.

The Legend

It is a well known fact that Navaratri is celebrated for the Divine Mother's victory over Mahishasura. Mahishasura was born of a demon father (Rambha) and a she buffalo owing to which he had a body of a human and the head of a buffalo. He wreaked havoc all over the three worlds that the gods approached Lord Siva and Vishnu and Brahma. Out of the flames of fury that emanated from them emerged Mother Durga who slayed Mahishasura in the ensuing battle. Hence she came to be hailed as Mahishasura Mardhini.

As per another version, it is believed that the Mother engaged in a tough battle with the demon Bhandasura for nine nights and emerged victorious on the tenth day by vanquishing him. Hence the tenth day is celebrated as Vijayadashami, or the day of victory. (Read detailed story of the emergence of Durga & the slaying of Mahishasura)
Navaratri worship (Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati)

Navaratri worship differs from place to place. While in the South it is celebrated as Navaratri, in the Eastern parts it is celebrated as Durga Puja commencing from the seventh day of Mahalaya for four days. It is also called as Dasara in both North and South India.

The first three days of Navaratri worship are dedicated to Goddess Durga, the second three days to Goddess Lakshmi and the last three days to Goddess Saraswati. All these forms are but the different aspects of the same energy.

Goddess Durga is worshipped for gaining noble values and for the destruction of the evil in one. She also bestows one with the energy or power required to live a virtuous life.

Goddess Lakshmi bestows one with spiritual wealth and material wealth for a truly prosperous life.

Goddess Saraswati blesses one with spiritual wisdom which ultimately snaps the connecting cord of the birth and death cycle. She is also the source of all knowledge and arts.

Symbolic Significance

Navaratri is symbolic of fighting one's own infirmities to realise the ultimate truth. The divine Mother stands for the Supreme Self (Paramatma) or the ultimate truth and Mahishasura stands for the ego laden Jivatma (Individual self) with the combination of Rajo (demonic) and Tamo guna (Inertia). The infirmities of the individual self are destroyed by the Supreme Self for the ultimate self realisation, the goal of life.

Hence let us celebrate Navarati invoking the Mother Divine in all three forms to bestow on us noble virtues, true wealth and true knowledge in order to realise the Supreme Self (Self realisation)

Jai Matadi!