Navratri(Festivals of Nine Nights)-Facts and Myths

Introduction

The beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are two very important junctions of climatic and solar influence. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother. The dates of the festival are determined according to the Lunar Calender.

Navaratri ("nava" + "ratri") literally means "nine nights." This ritual is observed twice a year, in spring and in autumn. "Vasanta Navaratri" or Spring Navaratri is nine days of fast and worship that Hindus undertake during spring every year. Swami Sivananda retells the legend behind this 9-day springtime ritual during which the devout Hindu seeks the blessings of the Mother Goddess.

Significance of the Nine Days in Navratri

During Navaratri, we invoke the energy aspect of God in the form of the universal mother, commonly referred to as DURGA, which literally means the remover of miseries of life. She is also referred to as "Devi" (goddess) or "Shakti" (energy or power). It is this energy, which helps God to proceed with the work of creation, preservation and destruction. In other words, you can say that God is motionless, absolutely changeless, and the Divine Mother Durga, does everything. Truly speaking, our worship of Shakti re-confirms the scientific theory that energy is imperishable. It cannot be created or destroyed. It is always there.

Traditions of Navratri

There are five Navaratris devoted to the worship of Shakti (Durga/Parvati). Out of these only three are being celebrated now namely; Sharad Navratri, Vasant Navratri, and Ashada Navratri.

Sharad Navaratri

This is the most important of the Navratris, and is simply called Navratri or occasionally, Maha Navratri (the Great Navratri). It is celebrated during Sharad (beginning of winter, Sept-Oct). It celebrates the slaying of Mahishasura by the goddess Durga. The festival is observed in most parts of India, particularly in Northern India, Eastern India, and Western India.

Vasant Navaratri

This is celebrated during Vasant Ritu (beginning of summer) (March- April). This Navaratri is celebrated in North India. Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu observes Navaratri during this period.

Ashada Navaratri

This Navaratri is particularly important for all Upasakas of Varahi- Celebrated in July-August. This is called Guhya Navaratri in Himachal Pradesh. Varahi is one of the seven Matrikas of Devi Mahatmya.

Signficance of Nine Nights Celebration
Navaratri is divided into sets of three days to adore different aspects of the supreme goddess. On the first three days, the Mother is invoked as powerful force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects. The next three days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees the inexhaustible wealth. The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the mother as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine mother; hence, the worship for nine nights.

Legend of celebrating Vasant Navratri (in Devi Bhaagwata)

King Dhruvasindu of Kosala was killed by a lion during one of his hunting expeditions. Preparations were made to crown the prince Sudarsana, the son of Queen Manorama.But, both King Virasena of Kalinga (the father of Queen Manorama), as well as King Yudhajit of Ujjain (the father of second Queen, Lilavati), were desirous of securing the Kosala throne for their respective grandsons. They fought with each other. King Virasena was killed in the battle. Manorama fled to the forest with Prince Sudarsana and a eunuch. They took refuge in the hermitage of Rishi Bharadwaj.The victor, King Yudhajit, thereupon crowned his grandson, Satrujit, at Ayodhya, the capital of Kosala. He then went out in search of Manorama and her son, and found them at Rishi Bharadwaj’s ashram. The Rishi said that he would not give up those who had sought protection under him. Yudhajit became furious. He wanted to attack the Rishi, but his minister told him about the truth/power of the Rishi’s statement. Yudhajit returned to his capital.Fortune smiled on Prince Sudarsana. A hermit’s son came one day and called the eunuch by his Sanskrit name Kleeba.

The prince caught the first syllable “Kli” and began to pronounce it as “Kleem”. This syllable happened to be a powerful, sacred Mantra. It is the Beej Akshar (root syllable) of the Divine Mother. The Prince obtained peace of mind and the Grace of the Divine Mother by the repeated utterance of this syllable. Devi appeared to him, blessed him and granted him divine weapons and an inexhaustible quiver.The emissaries of the king of Benares passed through the Ashram of the Rishi and, when they saw the noble prince Sudarsana, they recommended him to Princess Sashikala, the daughter of the king of Benares.The ceremony at which the princess was to choose her spouse was arranged.

Sashikala at once chose Sudarsana. They were duly wedded. King Yudhajit, who had been present at the function, began to fight with the king of Benares. Devi helped Sudarsana and his father-in-law. Yudhajit mocked Her, upon which Devi promptly reduced Yudhajit and his army to ashes.Thus Sudarsana, with his wife and father-in-law, praised Devi. She was highly pleased and ordered them to perform her worship with havan (yajna) and other means during the Vasanta Navratri. Then she disappeared.Prince Sudarsana and Sashikala returned to the Ashram of Rishi Bharadwaj.

The great Rishi blessed them and crowned Sudarsana as the king of Kosala. Sudarsana and Sashikala and the king of Benares implicitly carried out the commands of the Divine Mother and performed worship in a splendid manner during the Vasanta Navratri.Sudarsana’s descendants, namely, Sri Rama and Lakshmana, also performed worship of Devi during the Vasanta Navratri and were blessed with her assistance in the recovery of Sita.It is the devout Hindu’s duty to perform the worship of Devi for both material and spiritual welfare during the Vasanta Navaratri and follow the noble example set by Sudarsana and Sri Rama. He cannot achieve anything without the Divine Mother’s blessings. So, sing Her praise and repeat Her Mantra and Name. Meditate on Her form. Do worship. Pray and obtain Her eternal Grace and blessings. May the Divine Mother bless us with all divine wealth!

Note: One unable to observe fast on all Navratri days should fast on the 7th, 8th and 9th lunar days and worship Goddess Durga. This affords religious merits of observing a fast on each of the Navratri days.