Nine Days of Mother Divine---This festival is observed twice a year in India at the beginning of two very important junctures of climate change, spring and autumn, when solar influences are seen as the most auspicious opportunities for acknowledging the divine power of Nature, and also for expressing thanksgiving for Nature’s ability to maintain correct balance in the entire universe. As these dramatic changes occur in Nature, changes also occur in the bodies and minds of people everywhere, so it is only natural to pay tribute to that which helps all of us to maintain our physical and mental well-being.
"Nava-ratri" literally means "nine nights".
I personally adore the richness, and deep level of feeling which is expressed in the religious traditions of India. I myself am not a practitioner of the Hindu religion, but I am one who respects and admires the beauty and truth which pervades the cultural and religious traditions one finds there. My own religious beliefs have only become stronger and more profound since I first was introduced to the rich tapestry of knowledge which reverberates from within the source of all these traditions. Recently UNESCO World Heritage Foundation proclaimed the Vedic Tradition of India to be “the common heritage of all mankind.”
Veda itself is not a religion; Veda means knowledge---total knowledge. When we look closely, we can easily see how ancient Vedic science, Vedic knowledge and Vedic traditions have provided sustenance to all the great religions of the world. That being said, let us examine further the beautiful celebration of the Nine Days of Mother Divine.
During Navratri, the Creator is invoked in the form of the Universal Mother, lovingly referred to as Durga--- “remover of miseries”. She is called “Devi", goddess, or "Shakti"---the divine energy or power inherent in Nature. This divine feminine energy helps the male energy of the creator proceed with the work of creation, preservation and destruction of everything there is. One does not have to be a practitioner of the Hindu religion to know God as the embodiment of eternal silence--- completely motionless and absolutely changeless, the one who is---Brahm, Totality, the One who does nothing and achieves everything. He has created the Shiva manifestation of himself as Infinite Silence, and Vishnu, Infinite Dynamism, and he has manifested the three aspects of Mother Divine who act through the mechanics of Nature to give birth, nourish, and provide for everything in creation. Durga, the Divine Mother unfolds everything which arises from the divine totality, re-confirming the modern scientific finding that energy is imperishable. It cannot be created or destroyed. It simply is---and it always is---there.
She is Mother of All, and we are her children. God's glory, his cosmic energy, his greatness and supremacy are seen as best displayed and depicted through the motherhood aspect of God. Just as a child finds all divine qualities in the mother, the great traditions of India give the mother aspect of God all glory because in the great and ancient cultures of India, Mother is seen as the creative aspect of the absolute nature of life itself.
Vasant Navratri, is celebrated in Spring, and is observed during the Shukla Paksha, the waxing phase of the moon, in the month of Chaitra according to the Hindu and the Vedic lunar calendars. Nine nights are dedicated to honoring the three holy aspects of Mother Divine with continuous performances of puja, yagya, and devotion. This year, 2010, Vasant Navratri begins on March 16th and ends on March 24th.
Vasant Navratri is also known as Vasanth Navrathri, or Basant Navratri, Vasant Navratras and also as Ram Navratri, and it is most popular in northern India, especially in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and other northern states, where religious temples in the hill states conduct elaborate devotional ceremonies and melas (gatherings) during this period. It is a time of expressing great thanksgiving to Mother Nature – who protects and sustains the entire human race. Most devotees in northern India undertake fasting as part of their observance; fasting is known to help rid the body of impurities, to clarify the mind, and to help the body adapt to the change of climate during this time of year.
The first three days of the festival are devoted to that maternal force in Nature we have been introduced to: Durga; Durga, destroyer of “inner demons”--- gives her blessings and helps remove physical impurities which may be hindering us from seeing the truth.
The second three days honor Lakshmi, the aspect of Mother Divine who is adored as the giver of spiritual well-being and material abundance; she is the power of Nature which bestows inexhaustible wealth to the world.
The final set of three days is devoted to Saraswati, giver of wisdom and the divine personification of learning, music and the arts. In order to have all possible blessings and success in life, adoration is given to all three aspects of Mother Divine during these nine days and nights of devotion, which are marked by powerful ceremonies (yagyas) and continuous celebration. In some instances, there is a further delineation into 9 aspects of the divine feminine powers found in Nature, which are then grouped into these three.
Ram Navami, is the special day which falls on the ninth day of this festival and is a day dedicated to the memory of Lord Rama, hero of the classic tale, the Ramayana*, and to the commemoration of his birth. Lord Rama is remembered on this final day of celebration for his prosperous and righteous reign---a period of peace and unparalleled prosperity in which “suffering was not found."
*This is an epic poem of courage, magic and humor, containing 18 books and 24,000 verses divided into 500 songs.
At midday, when Lord Rama is supposed to have been born, a special prayer is performed in his honor.
In northern India especially, an event which draws great popular participation is the Ram Navami procession. The main attraction is a gaily decorated chariot in which four persons are “dressed up” as Rama, his queen Sita, his brother Laxman, and his disciple Hanuman. The chariot is accompanied by a phalanx of men dressed as Rama's solders and colorful displays. The participants vigorously shout out praises about the happy days of Raja Ram’s reign.
For a glimpse of some of these ceremonies during this festival, go to:
http://www.maharishichannel.in/ ~ Choose Channel 3
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