Navaratri, the Nine Nights of Mother Divine

May All Be Blessed!

Navaratri is coming! The first night of the Vedic festival of Maha Navaratri, the “Great Nine Nights” of Mother Divine, will occur on October 15, 2023. The festival will extend through October 23.

The word Navaratri (or Navratri) literally means ”Nine Nights” in Sanskrit — Nava (or Nav) meaning nine, and ratri meaning night(s). There are actually nine nights and also ten days included in the celebration of Navaratri.

The Four Navaratri Festivals

Navaratri occurs four times a year. Two of these more minor festivals are observed in winter (January or February), and summer (June or July), known as the Gupta Navaratris. These are less celebrated with public festivities and tend to be observed more privately by yogis and tantrics (gupta means hidden, secret, or private) The other two more significant festivals occur in the fall and spring. They occur relatively near the equinoxes, which are crucial astrophysical turning points when our bodies and minds undergo dramatic energetic and physical readjustment.

The fall festival is called Sharad or Ashwin Navaratri. As the main Navaratri of the year, it is known as the maha or great one. In Vedic culture, this is a very joyful and also a profoundly sacred time. During this festival, celebrants fast, pray, and chant. It's also common to meditate, attend a yatra (go on a pilgrimage), offer charitable donations or service, participate in Vedic fire ceremonies (havan/yagya/pujas), and take holy baths (dipping in sacred rivers).

I took this photograph on the fourth day of a nine-day yagya (yajna or havan) at Bhole Baba Ashram in Chiliyanaula, India a few years ago. Can you see the head of what might be a white swan standing tall in the aarti fire? It appeared at the end of the puja. It has happened before in another photograph I took of the dhuni (sacred burning fire) in Haidakhan. The swan is a sacred symbol of Bhagavan, the Divine Highest Power, and also it is Saraswati’s vahana (mount or vehicle). The head and beak look to be pointing at the photo and seat of my guruji Sri-Sri 1008 Haidakhan Babaji.

Celebrating the Divine Feminine During Navaratri

During Navaratri, we celebrate the divine feminine power which is known as Adi Parashakti or Maa Shakti, according to yogic and tantric traditions. Maa Shakti is generally associated with the universal creative power which connects to the Earth and is responsible for the creation and destruction of the universe. She is personified by various goddesses and their archetypes throughout all the world’s spiritual traditions.

For a few examples, Maa Shakti is a great warrior; the raw creative power; Mother Earth; youthful maiden; wise old crone; sister; lover; wife; keeper of the family hearth; teacher; artisan; alchemical granter of worldly boons; daughter of the stars; and, in my favorite aspect, loving mother to her children. Though she is worshiped in a variety of forms, She is ultimately the one supreme dynamic power within all creation.

Maa Shakti By Ckvicky 1992 - Own work

Understanding the Meaning of Navaratri

Navaratri commemorates the allegorical battle between Goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura. This battle lasted nine days. The tenth day is known as her day of victory, or Vijaya Dashami. The deeper purpose of Navaratri is sadhana (spiritual practice). As the Divine Mother’s power is reignited during this special festival, we are given an opportunity to tap into the massive surge of her vital spiritual energy (kundalini) which moves spontaneously within our sublime energy systems.

In fact, the deeper meaning of Navaratri is related to this unprompted energy flow and the subsequent opening of our subtle spiritual centers during this rarefied time. During the Nine Nights of Mother Divine, the entire planet is bathed in divine purifying energy which can help us to rise above the negative power of the world. This purification process not only facilitates spiritual, emotional, and intellectual blessings, but also material ones.

This beautiful image is called Rainbow Girl, by Josephine Wall: "Mother Nature performs her dance of life with one foot in the flowers and the other in the stars. As she floats the rainbow of hope behind her, she promises our world will always have her protection." https://josephinewall.co.uk/art-gallery/goddesses/)

How to Celebrate Navaratri

We can do our own personal spiritual practice or attend temples and gatherings to celebrate Navaratri, or both. During Navaratri, many devotees like to read and study the Devi Bhagavata Purana (Devī Bhāgavatapurāṇa). Also known as the Devi Bhagavatam, Bhagavata Purana, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, this is an ancient Sanskrit compilation of stories and hymns related to the goddess in her various forms. Another book I like to read is the Devi Mahatmya (Glory of the Goddess) also known as the Durga Saptashati or simply Saptashati, Chandi, or Chandi Patha.

One way to celebrate is by worshiping the Dasa Mahavidya, the ten great tantric/yogic wisdom goddesses, one for each of the ten days of Navaratri. These mysterious goddesses are most often worshiped during the Gupta Navaratris.

Dasa Mahavidya by the Calcutta Art Studio - Top row: Kali, Tara, Shodashi (Tripura Sundari), Bhuvaneshvari, and Bhairavi. Bottom row: Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi, and Kamala

More commonly, we celebrate Navaratri through the worship of nine manifestations or forms (swaroops) of Durga Mata. These are known as the Nava Durga or Nav Durga (or Navadurga or Navdurga). You might want to tune into my Instagram page, where we will be sharing information about how to honor each of these nine forms this year. I plan to post a new video for each night of Navaratri.

Navadurga: Onlinekhabar.com and Gita Press

In another scheme, the first three nights of Navaratri are devoted to Durga Mata, the principle aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is the fierce and valorous aspect of the Supreme Being known as Shakti (goddess power). Her vahana (mount) is a lion or tiger which represents freedom from fear and mastery over the lower nature.

We invoke Durga Mata to help us burn up our egoic impurities; remove our internal blocks and external difficulties; and ultimately, to strengthen the power of our connection with Divine Oneness. Aum Dum Durgayei Namah! Aum Dum Durgayei Namah! Aum Dum Durgayei Namah!

The second three nights of Navaratri are dedicated to the sweet goddess Lakshmi, who represents beauty, abundance, love, kindness, and integrity. She ultimately helps us remember our true nature. Om Shreem Mahalakshmiyei Namah! Om Shreem Mahalakshmiyei Namah! Om Shreem Mahalakshmiyei Namah!

During the last three nights of Navratri, we celebrate Saraswati — the healing, cleansing, and illuminating aspect of the Divine Mother who governs sound, music, wisdom, knowledge, and the arts. Saraswati means “She Who Flows,” as she represents Om/Aum, the most sublime vibration of the Universe flowing through the blissful divine sound current.  Aum Aing Saraswatyei Namah! Aum Aing Saraswatyei Namah! Aum Aing Saraswatyei Namah!

Saraswati by Shruti Prasad (Fine Art America)

As you can see, we have a variety of ways to celebrate Navaratri, both in the traditional manner and also in more modern ways. The point is, for me, that the Kundalini Shakti, the Divine Mother’s power, is spontaneously rising within each of us and within nature during this time. Therefore, it is a blessed time for all sorts of contemplative practices that can help us attune to these deep transformational energies.

In addition to meditation, fire ceremonies, chanting mantras, charitable giving, healing practices, spending time in nature, and studying sacred texts, this is an important time to honor our devatas, gurus, and of course the Divine Mother, in order to invoke their blessings for the benefit of the whole world.

The Divine Mother is so beautiful! But remember, in Her higher manifestation even that beauty is formless. She is in everything. Her divine, compassionate love is expressed in the raindrops. Her beauty is reflected in the colors of the rainbow. She offers fresh hope to mankind with the rose-tinted clouds at dawn. Above all, be ever conscious of Her presence in your heart. (Paramahansa Yogananda)