Nava Durgas; mantra; getting rid of anxiety

The Adiveda Weekly #19

Sep 25, 2022

Hari Aum Sadhakas!

An important aspect of the reverence for the divine feminine in the Hindu tradition is the sanctity we place on the sacredness of the land itself which is known as Bharat Mata or Mother India. The goddess cult in India is kept alive by the celebration of Navaratri or the nine days of the worship of the goddess. This festival (this year from 26th September to 4th October) is dedicated to the feminine nature of the divine. On 5th October, we celebrate Vijayadashami or the day of victory.

The Hindu way of life

The mother is an integral part of every creature’s life. Without her no creature – either animal or human could ever survive. The only religion that has truly respected this idea and understood the great importance of the feminine in human life, is the Sanatana Dharma. Hence, the worship of female deities is an integral part of our culture. Today modern science has discovered that the actual strength which the baby gets, comes from the mother and not the father. Obviously, our rishis were well aware of this fact and that is why they attributed all power or “shakti” to the goddess.

Actually, there are four festivals in Bharat that honour the Divine Mother. Of these the most important is the Sharad Navaratri, celebrated during autumn. It starts immediately after the amavasya – new moon of the month of Ashwini (September/October) and continues for nine nights. The important point is that this festival is known as nine nights and not days. This is because it closely tracks the growth of the moon from total darkness to almost full brightness on the 10th day of victory.

Reflection of the week

“The Sanatana Dharma teaches us that this world is dualistic and we have to accept both sides of the coin of life if we want to live a happy and contented life. The symbol of Bharat is the lotus flower that is born in the filth and muck at the bottom of the pond and rises above it and raises its head to the sun! So it is said that only the one who can accept the seamy side of life with equal exuberance, is capable of arriving at the beautiful confluence of these opposites in the divine ocean of nectar.”

For your everyday practice

“Aum Aim, Hreem, Kleem.” Repetition of this mantra will bring you closer to the three aspects of the Divine Mother.

For your health and well-being

It’s International Coffee day this week. Here’s what you need to know about coffee and caffeine:

If you find you are prone to anxiousness and stress, take a moment to consider how much coffee you drink in a day. Coffee, because of its high caffeine content, can add to jitteriness and anxiety symptoms. Consider cutting down or eliminating your coffee and switching to something like organic green tea instead. Green tea contains less caffeine as well as an amino acid called L-theanine, which can support mood and sleep.

By Dr. Poorna Menon, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

From Vanamali Mataji’s desk

We have two methods of celebrating Navaratri. Some worship the primary forms of the goddess consecutively for three days. The first three days are kept for the worship of Durga Devi for she is the one who can help us to remove all our negative vibrations and thoughts. The next three days are meant for the worship of Lakshmi Devi to bring auspicious traits into the mind that has been cleared of all negativity by Durga. The last three days we conclude the festival with the worship of Saraswati Devi who is the one who can grant us wisdom and final liberation from these mortal coils.

There is another tradition by which sincere sadhakas (spiritual seekers) worship the Nava Durgas – the nine forms of the Divine Mother during the nine nights. The 10th day is Vijayadashami – the day of victory when Durga Devi slays the demon Mahishasura and Saraswati bestows the divine light of consciousness to all.