Chaitra Navratri: Mahagauri

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Carmilla de Rosa

Mahagauri

On the eighth day of Chaitra Navratri, Shakti is worshipped in the form of Mahagauri (Mahagauri=extremely white). She has four arms. In Her upper right hand She holds a trishul (trident) and in Her lower left hand She carries a Damaru (small, two-headed drum). Her upper left hand is in the Varada Mudra position, and Her lower right hand forms the Abhaya Mudra. She rides atop a white bull and rules the planetary body Rahu (In Vedic astrology, Rahu is the northern node of the Moon). The following origin of this form in mythology is related by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi:

She observed severe penance as Goddess Parvati to get earn Lord Siva as her husband. Once, Lord Shiva was rude to her by pointing out her dark complexion. She started observing hard penance. This went on for over a thousand years. During this period her body got covered with soil. It became darker than ever. Then one day when Lord Shiva came looking for Mother. He was pleased with her penance. Thereafter he took Maa to the Ganges and bathed her lovingly. Mother regained her beauty with pure complexion and earned the name Maha Gauri.

In this form Mahagauri represents purity and austerity. She scours and scrubs the filth from the souls of Her devotees and purifies their hearts. Both married and unmarried women especially worship Her on this day, as She is said to guide unmarried women in finding a good husband and She blesses married women with peaceful and harmonious marital lives.

Kumari Puja during Ashtami Puja celebrations also occurs on the eighth day of Chaitra Navratri, as related by this passage from astrosage.com:

On the sacred occasion of Ashtami Pooja, Kanya Poojan (feeding of little girls) are also done to please Goddesses of Navdurga (nine forms of Durga). Nine little girls are invited at home of worshippers and are fed varieties of delicious sweet dishes. Devotees pay the best homage to nine little girls considering them nine forms of Navdurga. This ritual accomplishes their Pooja and gives blessings of Nav Durga.

Her mantra is:

Shwete Vrishe Maha Rudha Shwetambardhara Shuchih

Maha Gauri Subham Dadhyanmahadev Pramodada

Which means in English:

Goddess Mahagauri who rides on white bull, wear pure white clothes, giver of happiness, be propitious to me.

For purposes of pronunciation, I have included a link to the spoken mantra (The mantra itself lasts for the first 35 seconds of this video, after which a speaker gives a lecture in Hindi).

Resources:

http://www.astrosage.com/festival/navratri/devi-maha-gauri.asp

http://vedicgoddess.weebly.com/3/post/2012/09/gauri-the-8th-aspect-of-durga-maa-navaratri.html

http://rampuri.com/navdurga-navratri/

Chaitra Navratri: Kalaratri

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Carmilla de Rosa

Kalaratri

On the seventh day of Chaitra Navratri, Shakti is worshipped in the form of Kalaratri (Kala=time, black in reference to the primal darkness before the Creation, Ratri=night). Kalaratri is a form of Kali. She is dark in complexion and rides atop a donkey. She is depicted with four arms, Her right hands positioned in Abhaya and Varada mudras and Her left hands holding a sickle and a thorn-like iron weapon. In mythology, She slayed the dreadful demon Raktabeej, as Miss Saxena relates:

In this form Goddess Kalratri killed Raktabeej. Raktabeej was a demon who could multiply from every drop of his blood which fell on the ground. The Goddess Kaalratri killed him by licking the blood before it could reach the ground and hence conquered him.

Kalaratri’s form is dreadful and repulsive in appearance (She is the most misunderstood of the Hindu Goddesses by many Westerners!), but She is very protective of Her devotees and protects them against the evil spiritual influences of demons and dark forces. While She has a ferocious side, She also has a very maternal side. She also aids Her devotees to rid their lives of tamasic qualities, effectively destroying ignorance. She governs the planet Saturn and is associated with the Sahasrara (thousand, infinite) chakra, which is located on the crown of the head. It is the chakra of Pure Light and of Supreme Consciousness. Awakening the Sahasrara chakra leads to ultimate spiritual enlightenment.

Her mantra is:

Ekveni Japakarnapura Nagna Kharastitha

Lamboshthi Karnikakarni Tailabhyakta Sharirani

Vaampadolla Salloh Lata Kanthak Bhushna

Vardhan Murdha Dhvaja Krishna Kalratri Bhayankari

Which means in English:

She is naked, rides on an donkey, has a long tongue, lustrous body, wears ornaments on her legs like lightning, is black in color, has unlocked hair, big eyes and ears and is very dangerous looking. Meditating on this form of Kalratri removes all obstacles as well as removes all magical effects created by others.

For purposes of pronunciation, I have included a link to the spoken mantra (The mantra itself lasts for the first minute of this video, after which a speaker gives a lecture in Hindi).

Resources:

http://www.drikpanchang.com/hindu-goddesses/parvati/durga/navdurga-kalaratri.html

http://rampuri.com/navdurga-navratri/

http://www.chakras.net/energy-centers/sahasrara

http://mantrashlokas-madhuri.blogspot.com/2011/06/maa-kalaratri-worship-of-fiercest-forms.html

http://experiencehinduism.com/festivals/navratri-seventh-day-seven-form-durga-kalaratri

http://vedicgoddess.weebly.com/3/post/2012/08/kalaratri-by-yogi-ananda-saraswati.html

http://www.astrosage.com/festival/navratri/devi-kalaratri.asp

Chaitra Navratri: Skanda Mata

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Carmilla de Rosa

Skanda Mata

On the fifth day of Chaitra Navratri, Shakti is worshipped in the form of Skanda Mata (Skanda=a Hindu God, Mata=Mother). Skanda Mata is a form of Parvati and as Her name implies, She is the mother of Skanda. She has four arms and holds lotus flowers (symbolising blooming above the murk to achieve enlightenment) in Her two upper hands. In Her right arm, She cradles Her Son Skanda and She keeps Her left hand in the Abhaya Mudra position (indicates for the devotee not to fear and is a symbol of protection). Skanda Mata is a Warrior Goddess, riding atop a lion and defeating the Asuras (demons). However, She carries no weapons. Like his Mother, Skanda is also a warrior.

Skanda Mata governs the planet Mercury. She is associated with the Vishuddhi (Visha=impurity, poison, Shuddhi=perfection) chakra, located around the larynx and known as the Throat Chakra. The importance of the Vishuddhi chakra in Hindu thought is best narrated in this passage from the Holy Scriptures of the Puranas:

The Devas (gods) and Āsuras (demons) wanted to raise the treasure Amrita (the nectar of immortality), which was hidden in the depths of the ocean, to the surface. They used Mount Mandara as the stirring stick and the world serpent, Vāsuki, as the rope. The gods held the tail of the snake and the demons held its head. In this way they were able to churn the ocean of the world with their combined power. Numerous treasures and precious objects emerged from the ocean and, finally, the longed-for Amrita rose to the surface in a golden vessel.

But the serpent they had used to churn the oceans spat out a deadly poison that was capable of destroying the whole earth. Quickly the Devas caught it in a bowl so it was not able to do any harm. But as they had absolutely no idea what to do with it or how they could permanently “dispose” of it, they turned to Lord Shiva for help.

Lord Shiva is the most gracious of all the gods, and will never refuse a request from anyone. He took the bowl of poison and drank it down to the very last drop. However, in the process he did not swallow the poison but held it in the Vishuddhi Chakra and purified it by means of Ujjāyī Prānāyāma (a breath contorl technique used in yoga) and Jālandhara Bandha (a yoga position). In this way he rid the world of a deadly peril. Through the poison his throat was coloured dark blue, and since that day he has borne the nickname Nīlakantha (the blue-throated one).

This story demonstrates the purifying qualities of the Vishuddhi Chakra. This idea is also extended into yoga practice, in which conscious regulation of the breath is of great importance. Regulated breathing not only rids the body of physical toxins, but also purifies the emotions and conscious on a spiritual level. The importance of Vishuddhi Chakra is explained on a spiritual level in the following passage from chakras.net:

It is not just the external world that is extremely polluted, but also the psyche and consciousness of many people. For as long as the pernicious, toxic qualities of discord, rivalry, envy and resentment eat away at our mind, the light of God consciousness cannot shine through.

Just as Lord Shiva neither spat the poison out, nor swallowed it, we should not swallow our problems as we harm ourselves through this; but we should also not spit them out as this can cause another type of damage. Like Lord Shiva, who purified the poison in his throat, we can also resolve our problems with the help of the Vishuddhi Chakra.

Skanda Mata cares for Her devotees as Her own children and is often worshipped to remove obstacles from the devotee’s life. As Our Mother, She helps us to realise the poisons in our conscious and teaches us the best method in which to overcome these obstacles that hold us back from spiritual enlightenment.

Skanda Mata’s mantra is:

Sinhaasangataam Nityam Padmaanchit Kardwayaa

Shubhdaastu Sadaa Devi Skandmata Yashaswini

Which means in English:

Skanda Mata, who rides upon a lion with Kartikeya (another name for Skanda), holds lotuses in Her two hands and Varmudra (the mudra of blessing) in one hand, be propituous to me.

For purposes of pronunciation, I have included a link to the spoken mantra (The mantra itself lasts for the first 35 seconds of this video, after which a speaker gives a lecture in Hindi).

Resources:

http://www.drikpanchang.com/hindu-goddesses/parvati/durga/navdurga-skandamata.html

http://rampuri.com/navdurga-navratri/

http://vedicgoddess.weebly.com/3/post/2012/09/september-05th-20121.html

http://www.chakras.net/energy-centers/vishuddhi

Chaitra Navratri: Chandraghanta

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Carmilla de Rosa

Chandraghanta

On the third day of Navratri, Shakti is worshipped in the form of Chandraghanta (Chandra=Moon, ghanta=bell), who is the married form of the Goddess Parvati (after marrying Shiva, Parvati started adorning Her head with a half moon in the shape of a bell, hence the origin of Her name). As Yogi Ananda Saraswathi writes:

In meditation, as soon as the sadhak (someone who follows a way of life in order to achieve Nirvana) invokes her, her bell immediately become active and starts ringing to protect the devotee under her shelter. The crescent moon is symbolic of feminine energy. It is also associated with clairvoyance and knowing without thinking. The crescent also represents illumination,new beginnings and making dreams a reality. It is connected to rebirths and how our true essence really is immortal. That is why she is called ‘Chandraghanta’. Her ornaments are rich and signify material comfort.

Chandraghanta’s mount is a tigress and is depicted with ten arms. She holds a trishul (trident), gada (a blunt mace/club), sword, and kamandal (an oblong water pot carried by ascetics) in her four left hands and keeps the fifth left hand in the Varada Mudra positition (symbolises the giving of blessings). In Her right hands She carries the lotus flower (symbolising blooming above the murk to achieve enlightenment), dhanush (bow), arrow, and Japa mala (prayer beads) while keeping Her fifth hand in the Abhaya Mudra position (indicates for the devotee to not fear and a symbol of protection). She governs the planet Venus.

Chandraghanta is associated with the chakra Manipura (Mani=pearl, jewel, pura=place, city), which is the first chakra that has emerged into the conscious (Muladhara chakra is located in the unconscious and Swadhistana chakra is in the subconscious) and is located at the solar plexus. Chandraghanta is worshipped for peace, tranquility, and prosperity in life. She is the Goddess of bravery and possesses great power which aids Her in battles against demons and forces of darkness. As written by Miss Sanchitta Chowdhury:

Goddess Chandraghanta is the representation of Supreme bliss and knowledge. It is said that by Her blessings, all the sins, sufferings, bad energies etc are eliminated from Her devotees’ life. By riding a tiger She inspires Her devotees to be fearless. By worshipping Goddess Chandraghanta one gets rid of all the worldly sorrows and attains supreme spiritual bliss.

Her mantra is:

Pindaj Pravara Rudha Chand Kopastra Keyurta

Prasadam Tanute Maham Chandra Ghanteti Vishruta

Which in English means:

O Goddess Chandraghanta, who rides on Tiger, angry on enemies, holds many weapons in ten hands, be propitious to me.

For purposes of pronunciation, I have included a link to the spoken mantra (The mantra itself lasts for the first 35 seconds of this video, after which a speaker gives a lecture in Hindi).