NAVARATRI - A CELEBRATION OF DEVI SHAKTI

Nava means nine and ratri means night. Like we spend nine months in our mothers womb, these nine nights are a time for self referral, a time for reflection, a time to go inwards and celebrate.

In West Bengal, people celebrate Navaratri with a lot of artistic fervor, their is feast and celebrations. People get together for the famous Dhanuchi Naach - where women dance with the earthen pots filled with coconut husks, shells and incense lit on fire to the traditional beats of 'Dhaks'. People dress up in the best of traditional attires and take part in the festivities which is a way to show reverence to Goddess Durga. In north India, people set up 'pandals' or exhibitions with huge statues adoring Ma Durga in her various forms slaying the demons. But has anyone ever wondered that did those demons really exist? Where did all the fight happen? Who were these demons troubling the common people?

As per Vedic knowledge, the first three days are the days of tamo guna - a quality which is signified by lethargy, negative thoughts and emotions. Next three days are of Rajo Guna -  a quality marked by activity and restlessness in body and mind. And the last three days are dedicated to Sattva - a quality that manifests as pure bliss, positivity, enthusiasm and joy. Whenever Sattva dominates in life, victory comes. This happens on the tenth day which is celebrated as Vijayadashmi.

We often get bogged down in life by problems that may be physical, mental or spiritual.  Navaratri relieves one of misery and brings comfort. The preparation for these nine nights in ashram usually start weeks before, when people from all around the world start voluntarily coming to ashram to help arrange, organise and serve during the Navaratri pujas and the yagyas that start from shashti, 6th day of Navaratri.

Inertia is characterized by the demon Mahishasur in our puranas, his attack on us makes us lazy and unproductive. Pride and shame who are represented as the demons Shumbh and Nishumbh have often got us into troublesome situations.

Extreme forms of cravings and aversions manifest in our body as fear, illnesses like bulimia and other eating disorders and is represented by the demons Madhu & Kaitabh. The demons Chanda and Munda is responsible for unreasonable logic, they lead to us into making bad decisions and wrong perspective in life. Blurred vision is a result of the demon Dhoomralochan winning over our mind, who doesn't let us move forward in life. Demon called Raktabeeja is the cause of all obsessions in us.

When we celebrate, fast and keep silence, we raise our energy levels that elevates the prana shakti in our body. This high prana in us has the power to destroy negative qualities like intertia, pride and shame, extreme cravings and aversions, unreasonable logic, blurred vision and obsessions.

So the puranas share the stories of how these negative qualities in us can be removed with the help of shakti or high prana and that is Goddess Durga. Isn't it a nice to know that these negative qualities are not a part of us but are an effect of some outer influence or negative energies which is not our nature.

'Navaratri represents how the negativity can be conquered by the inherent positive qualities in an individual, so that one emerges as a divine being.' - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Our puranic stories have a deeper meaning and you need a scientific mind to understand them. They are very practical and full of wisdom. Unfortunately, today we hold onto the traditions blindly without knowing its essence and understading the true meaning behind the puranic narratives. Only when we awaken the Durga shakti or energy in us can we overcome these demons or negative qualities that prevent us from reaching our true potential and being in our true nature.

At Bangalore ashram, thousands of people get together and sit for an Advance Meditation Program at the start of Navaratri, which is a great way to detox your body and calm you mind. Going into silence helps to turn one's attention from outer worldly things to subtle inner realms. Meditation and sewa (voluntary service), both have a purifying effect on us that helps to reach a blissful state beyond our limited existence.

In Navaratri, all the variety in the Universe converges to reveal the one Divinity which adores and uplifts you; cares for you like a mother' - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji

Being in silence purifies the speech and brings rest to the chattering mind. When we meditate, we transcend the three states of being- namely sleeping, walking and dreaming and enter the fourth state - turiya avastha or the no mind state which brings peace and love.

When we do sewa or take up voluntary service without any expectations, we automatically overcome our personal limitations and inhibitions. Both meditation and service activities help one to grow on the spiritual path.

Celebrating the nine nights dedicated to the divine mother in Bangalore Ashram is an experience not be missed this lifetime. These nine days spent in meditations, silence, satsangs, chantings, yagyas and homas uplift the spirit of not just individuals but the whole world.

Navaratri is the victory of the absolute reality that we all are part of one consciousness over apparent duality- of gender, religion, colour, caste and nationality. Here, lakhs of people from around the world get together to celebrate and go back to the source.

(pic courtesy: @BangaloreAshram and Creative commons)
Copyright @ Kannu Priya