After this year’s nine nights of worship to the Divine Mother, Amma led celebrations for the triumph of light over darkness. In her message, Amma explained how the goddesses Durgā, Lakṣmī, and Sarasvatī provide the essential human needs—strength, wealth, knowledge, and justice.
During Navarātri, people fast and perform rituals to reflect upon life’s external and internal challenges. The tenth day, known as Dusshera or Vijayadashami, brings joy and hope for a world that shines with love, compassion, and peace.
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On this auspicious occasion of Navarātri, Amma would like to share some thoughts on the festival’s deeper meaning. During Navarātri, we worship the infinite power that carried the universe in Her womb, giving birth to and sustaining all that is sentient and insentient. It is this divine power that we worship in the forms of Durgā, Lakṣmī , and Sarasvatī.
Even in ordinary life, it is the mother who is the pillar of strength for the family. She imparts mental strength, good values, spiritual wealth and the initial life lessons to her children. The cosmic embodiment of this concept of motherhood is represented as Jagadambā—the source and cause of the universe.
The celebration of Navarātri is not to be limited to some external rituals. It should be considered as an intense spiritual practice. Navarātri worship is the process of the spiritual aspirant supplicating and inviting the boundless divine power through the form of the Goddess into their heart with the sincere prayer, “Please reside in my heart forever!”
The forms of Durgā, Lakṣmī and Sarasvatī represent the three powers that reside in human beings, jñāna-śakti, icchā-śakti, and kriyā-śakti—the powers of will, knowledge and action. Goddess Lakṣmī represents icchā-śakti. Goddess Durgā represents kriyā-śakti. And Goddess Sarasvatī represents jñāna-śakti.
To perform any action, our organs of action require strength. To acquire wealth, the mind and desires should have strength. To acquire knowledge, the heart must be open. This is why we pray kara-madhye sarasvatī—“May Sarasvatī reside in the middle of my hand.”
These three powers are fundamental to the sustenance of life. In whatever field one may work, to achieve success we need all three of these powers. However, in reality, these three powers are not separate; they are one.
In essence, the nine days of Navarātri symbolise the spiritual journey of a seeker in pursuit of self-realisation. Initially, the seeker has to develop spiritual values—inner spiritual wealth. In the end, he has to reach the ultimate goal, which is beyond all such values. The final goal of this journey is to end where one initially started. This is the real essence of Navarātri and Vijayadaśamī.
Even in ordinary life, it is the mother who is the pillar of strength for the family.
Amma
Health, wealth, education and the strength to fight injustice are essential in human life. Durgā, Lakṣmī and Sarasvatī provide us these four fundamental human needs.
No matter how much physical health, wealth or education one has, only wisdom can bestow the love, patience and compassion needed to make others happy. We need to purify the mind, make it one-pointed and destroy ignorance.
The mind is often compared to a lake or a mirror. If the water in the lake is muddy, we won’t be able to see its bottom. Even the Sun will not be reflected properly on its surface. Likewise, a mind clouded by material desires and selfish thoughts cannot think clearly or recognise its own flaws.
Just as a dusty mirror does not reflect our image properly, an impure mind cannot properly reflect the light of the Self. Our tendency is to become like a judge when it comes to others’ flaws, but to argue like a lawyer when it comes to our own.
Instead, we should try to correct our faults, just as we look into a mirror to clean our face. We look in the mirror and try to make our face as beautiful as possible. Similarly, we should have the wisdom to see our inner tendencies and purify our mind.
Then, to lead a life filled with peace and happiness, Amma shared a list of resolutions that should be taken up on this auspicious day and practised throughout the year, bringing blessings into our lives.
Vijaya Dashami Resolutions
The 1st resolution: Firmly establish the truth in your mind that you are not this perishable body. When the conviction “I am the Supreme Self expressed in this body” becomes deeply rooted, we will be able to transcend all limitations.
The 2nd resolution: Establish the truth that no one is separate from you. Think that we are all one. Even if we are unable to love everyone, we must try at least not to hate or be angry with anyone. We must resolve to accept them at their own level.
The 3rd resolution: You will remain calm and not become agitated when life does not go as you expect. Develop the attitude of accepting everything that comes to you. Enjoy the uncertainty of life.
The 4th resolution: Have a goal in life. Keeping that goal in mind, focus your attention on the present moment.
The 5th resolution: Always think positively. Recognise that it is the internal world we create that becomes our external world.
The 6th resolution: Be careful with your words when you interact with others. Listen to what comes out of your mouth when you speak.
The 7th resolution: Reiterate positive resolves in your mind. Try to do actions with a prayerful attitude.
The 8th resolution: Set aside a sizeable portion of time for meditation and mindful silence. These will help develop your inner strength.
The 9th resolution: Try and forgive the mistakes of others. Along with this, forgive your own mistakes and try to correct them.
The 10th resolution: Observe your own mind and introspect. Just as we brush our teeth daily, we must also try to keep our mind clean.
The 11th resolution: Pay attention to your physical wellbeing. Exercise in moderation, and eat moderately at regular times. Make a firm decision to practice this.
The 12th resolution: Abandon self-criticism and love yourself.
The 13th resolution: See others as manifestations of God whenever possible and love them accordingly, and to thereby develop the basic qualities of humility and patience.
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Amma shared a final prayer.
May my children be able to live a blessed life. This is what we must strive to remember, nurture, awaken and instil in our lives through the principle of the Divine Mother. May we all attain this, and may divine grace bless my children to achieve it.
Read about the Navaratri celebrations in Amritapuri.
