Navaratri - Honoring the Divine Mother

Navratri is a nine-day festival, rich in meaning, focused on the different forms of the Goddess. This is scheduled for one hour every night from 7:30pm - 8:30pm. On Saturday, September 23, the puja will be done during the satsang schedule, 5:30-7:30pm. 

During this spiritual journey, the aspirant has to pass three stages personified by Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Read more below ('What is Navaratri?')



Sri Durga ( 20th, 21st, 22nd )

Sri Lakshmi ( 23rd, 24th, 25th )

Sri Saraswati ( 26th, 27th, 28th )



SCHEDULE :

1.Aum (Chanting of the primordial sound 3 times)

2.Guru stotram (honoring the role of spiritual preceptor)

3.Ashtottaram (chanting the 108 names of the Divine Mother - Names of Durga: nights 1-3 | Lakshmi: nights 4-6 | Saraswati: nights 7-9) 

4.Mahishasura Mardini Stotram (hymn honoring the victory of the Divine Feminine within us over our lower animalistic tendencies)
5.Ya Devi (hymn recognizing the Divine Mother in every aspect of life)
6.Bhajans (devotional singing, if time permits)
7.Devi Arati (a custom from the Yogic tradition, where the light of knowledge and auspiciousness is honored through the symbolic rotation of lit camphor, or wicks soaked in ghee, in a clockwise motion)
8. Amma Arati
9. Shanti mantra (Closing prayers for World Peace)
10.Prasad

WHAT IS NAVARATRI?

Navratri is a nine-day festival, rich in meaning, focused on the different forms of the Goddess. 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/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 significance of each stage of worship has clear parallels in the different stages of sadhana (spiritual practices): first, negative tendencies need to be controlled; second, virtues need to be ingrained; third, after gaining the necessary mental purity, spiritual knowledge needs to be acquired. Only then will the sadhak (spiritual aspirant) attain spiritual illumination. 

Navaratri is not only important 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, when we pray like this, we are but invoking the Shakti that is within ourselves. 

Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are not different entities, but different facets of the singular Divinity.