Darkness is associated with night. What is this darkness?
It is the darkness of ignorance. The purpose of the Navarathri celebration is to enable man to get rid of nine types of darkness which have taken hold of him. When a reference is made to Devi, it signifies the unified form of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. The three together represent Shakthi. Shakthi is the energy that accounts for all the phenomena of Prakruthi (Nature). Nature is energy and the controller of that energy is the Lord.
Prakruthi (Nature) is made up of the three qualities, Sathwa, Rajas and Thamas.
Saraswathi represents the Sathwa Guna.
Lakshmi represents the Rajo Guna
and Parvathi represents the Thamo Guna.
As Prakruthi (Nature) is made up of these three qualities (Sathwa, Rajas and Thamas), to get control over Nature, man has been offering worship to Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. These are not goddesses but deified symbols of the three qualities. The role of Nature in the creative process To acquire the grace of the Lord, man has to offer worship at the outset to Prakruthi. On the one hand you need human effort and on the other you have to acquire the grace of the Divine.
Prakruthi (Nature) and Paramaatma (the Omni-Self) are like the negative and positive poles in electricity. However powerful the Lord may be (as the positive pole), there can be no creation without Prakruthi (representing the negative pole).
The basis for creation is Prakruthi. For instance, however good the seeds you may have with you, without planting them in the ground you cannot reap the fruit. The role of Nature in the creative process is similar. When man forgets God and desires to enjoy the benefits of Nature, he becomes ultimately a demon like Ravana who brought about his own destruction.
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To secure the grace of the Lord, one has to have purity of the heart, purity in speech and purity in action. This triple purity is described in Vedantic parlance as Tripurasundari.
Lakshmi, who is the embodiment of all prosperity, is represented by the heart. The mouth represents Saraswathi. Kriyaa Shuddhi (Purity in action) is represented by Durga. The observance of the Navarathri celebration is to get rid of the darkness in which man is enveloped, by cultivating the triple purity of thought, word and deed.
The human body emerged from Nature. Nature has two forms:
Aparaa Prakruthi and Paraa Prakruthi. Aparaa Prakruthi includes Ashta Aishwaryas
(eight forms of wealth), and Kaama, Krodha, Moha, Lobha, Mada, Maatsarya
and the three mental faculties in man: Manas, Chitta and Ahamkaara.
Paraa Prakruthi (the higher Nature) represents the consciousness in man. Without the Praana (life force) and Chaithanyam (consciousness) man is only a corpse. True
humanness consists in controlling the five elements which make up the Aparaa Prakruthi (lower Nature) and merge in the higher Nature represented by the life force and Chaithanyam (consciousness).
The Navarathri has been divided into three parts the first three days being dedicated to the worship of Durga, the next three days to the worship of Lakshmi and the last three days to the worship of Saraswathi. All Hindu festivals have a sacred purpose. Unfortunately, nowadays the festivals are observed only with external rituals without understanding their inner meaning. In the performance of all forms of worship there should be steadiness of mind and body. Only then concentration can be achieved. Today men are unable to maintain steadiness of body and mind.
Significance
The basic significance of Devi Navarathri is the adoration of Prakruthi (Nature). Devi refers to Bhudevi (Mother Earth). All the vital requirements of man can be found in the earth. Those who travel to the moon have to carry with them the oxygen, water and food they need from the earth. None of these can be found on the moon.
Nava – that also means ‘new’ – denotes ‘nine,’ the number to which sages attach special significance.
Goddess Durga has nine manifestations: each goddess has a different form and a special significance.
1. Shailaputri
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Shailaputri, literally means the daughter of the mountains. Variously known as Sati Bhavani, Parvati or Hemavati, the daughter of Hemavana – the king of the Himalayas, she is the first among Navadurgas. The embodiment of the power of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, she rides a bull and carries a trident and a lotus in her two hands.
2. Brahmacharini
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Brahmacharini, is the second form of Mother Goddess, and her name means one who practices devout austerity. She holds a rosary in her right hand and a water utensil in her left hand. Filled with bliss and happiness, she is the way to emancipation – Moksha
3. Chandraghanta
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The third facet of Goddess Durga is Chandraghanta. She has a ‘chandra’ or half moon in her forehead in the shape of a ‘ghanta’ or bell. She is the apostle of bravery and possesses great strength to fight in the battle against demons.
4. Kushmanda
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Kushmanda is the fourth form of the mother goddess. She is considered the creator of the universe. The universe was no more than a void full of darkness, until her light spreads in all directions like rays from the sun.
5. Skanda Mata
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The fifth aspect of the Mother Durga is known as Skanda Mata – the mother of Skanda or Lord Kartikeya, who was chosen by gods as their commander in chief in the war against the demons. Skanda Mata has four arms and three eyes, holds the infant Skanda in her right upper arm and a lotus in her right hand which is slightly raised upwards.
6. Katyayani
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The sixth form of Mother Durga is known as Katyayani. According to legend, she is the daughter of a great sage called Kata, who wished to have a daughter in the form of a goddess. Katyayani was born to Kata as an avatar of Durga.
7. Kaal Ratri
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Kaal Ratri is the seventh form of Mother Durga. She has a dark complexion, disheveled hair and a fearless posture. She is black like Goddess Kali and holds a sparkling sword in her right hand battle all evil. Her gesture of protection assures us of freedom from fear and troubles.
8. Maha Gauri
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Maha Gauri is intelligent, peaceful and calm. She wears white clothes, has four arms, and rides on a bull.
9. Siddhidatri
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Siddhidatri is the ninth form of Goddess and has supernatural healing powers. She blesses all Gods, saints, yogis, tantrics and all devotees as a manifestation of the Mother Goddess.
mighty krishna 