THE GLORIOUS SIGNIFICANCE OF CHAITRA NAVRAATRI
Uma Maheshwari
Dubai
Hari Aum!
My heartfelt prostrations at the Charan Kamal of Sree Ram and Maa ji who is the form of Devi Maa Herself, and Sree Guru Parampara. We all devotees were really blessed to listen to Maa's Talks on Chaitra Navraatri and took a holy dip when Her words of wisdom came as a shower of Divinity!
It made us change our attitude to embrace Beatitude. We listened to the hymn.
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥
"Rupam Dehi, Jayam Dehi, Yasho Dehi, Dvisho Jahee",
from Sree Durga Saptashati (700 shlokas) in Markandeya Purana in Maa’s sweet voice.
She explained to us that Rishi Markandeya ji reminds us to remain in the thought of Devi Maa to evolve from our lower nature to realize our True nature as man lives in his instinctive nature without using his discriminating faculty (Intellect). In this text, the Rishi explains the process of changing our attitude which has developed over innumerable births being an ego centric individual and embrace Beatitude. For that, we must do three types of Pratishthaas by reading 3 Charitaas from Sree Durga Saptashati to remain in Beatitude.
1.Satya Pratishthaa (Establishing the 'Truth'): as Truth only remains unchanged over three periods of time and is covered by our non-apprehension. In this, we need to read Pratham Charita, 1st chapter explains the annihilation of Madhu-Kaitabha which is our materialistic attachments, by Karma Yoga Sadhana.
2.Prana Pratishthaa, invoking Goddess Lakshmi (Divinity) in the Idol on the 6th day of Navraatri and reading 2nd,3rd and 4th chapters of Sree Durga Saptashati. It explains how the Goddess kills Mahishasura (mind is trained to kill our animalistic nature) by Upasana Yoga.
3.Mantra Chaitanya, keeping the Goddess alive, by chanting different mantras, reading from 5th to 13th chapter, Uttara Charita. that is by reading scriptures like this slowly one develops Knowledge which kills Shumbh, 'I' ness and Nishumbh, 'My'ness by Gyana Yoga Sadhana. On the 9th day, one embraces Beatitude, seeing the True Nature (Sree Ram born in our Hearts). It happens gradually through our life.
Normally it takes many Janmaas, even many Manvantaraas to change our attitude from being materialistic, with attachment and possessions, to attain Beatitude. But if we follow, understand and practise what Rishi Markandeya ji has revealed in Durga Saptashati from the Vedas, it will not take much time to shed our ego (attitude) and embrace Beatitude to see Atma Ram in our hearts. We pray to Maaji, Devi Maa and Sree Guru Parampara to give us the strength to open our Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra granthis and realize our True Self.
ॐ जयंती मंगला काली भद्रकाली कपालिनी
दुर्गा क्षमा शिवा धात्री स्वाहा स्वधा नमोऽस्तुते।
None of this would have been possible without Manish ji. It is due to him that we all are benefiting with the Karunaa Kataksham of Maa and we were able to understand the significance of Chaitra Navraatri. Coming from Tamizh Nadu, I did not know much about the significance earlier. Dhanyavaad Manish Ji !
Hari Aum!
Pranaam