Rimple Sanchla's Blog, page 20

Eight Avatar of Goddess Durga – GODDESS MAHAGAURI

Mahagauri is the beautiful manifestation of Goddess Durga in her eighth form. She is worshiped on the eighth day of Navratri, more commonly known as Ashtami. Being a symbol of purity, serenity and tranquility, Mahagauri is said to put an end to all the suffering of her devotees. It is also believed that Mahagauri is the 16-year-old unmarried form of Goddess Parvati.

When the incitement of demons was so much beyond the limit that even celestial beings were tortured by the evil asuras, gods gathered for finding a solution for this menace and a divine energy in the form of light emerged from them and took the form of goddess Durga. She was the one who manifested in different forms and slain the demons over a period of nine days. This was a great welfare of the entire human race and the gods regained their right over the fruits of the yajnas. The eighth form of goddess Durga is known by the name of mother Gauri by devotees. She incarnated on the eighth day (ashtami) of the Navaratri. She is of very fair complexion as the kunda flowers and a bright moon. She attained the divine beauty by performing a great penance and hence she is known as Maha-Gauri. The goddess is four-handed and holds a trident on the upper right hand and holds the boon-granting gesture in the lower right hand. In the upper left hand, she holds the gesture of fearlessness and a damaru in the lower left hand. She is riding a bull which means that a white bull is her vehicle who is very courageous and an emblem of dharma. Goddess gained the wife hood of great Lord Shiva with her extremely difficult penance and hence she is also popularly known by the names like “Bhavaani” and “Shivaa”. By her worship, her devotees can get all their wishes fulfilled. Also, goddess eradicates diseases, fears, pains, obstacles etc. with her divine powers. She constantly blesses her children with happiness.

Mythological story of Goddess Mahagauri

Goddess Mahagauri ensures overall welfare of every devotee. The most famous story about her found in the scriptures is that for getting Lord Shiva as his consort, she performed extreme penance in the deep forest in a very difficult way for many years which was never done by anyone before. As a result, Lord Shiva was pleased with her penance and devotion and asked her to ask for a wish. Goddess immediately expressed her wish to get him as a consort. God said, “be it so”. But because of the difficult penance for several years, her body had become very weak and darker. Lord Shiva took some water from his kamandalu and sprinkled over her and she was transformed to a great radiant fair complexion as per the wish of Lord Shiva. Since then she was known as Mahagauri. She is the ultimate shelter of every devotee and an embodiment of prosperity.

Another tale explains the story that goddess Parvati did a stringent penance for getting lord Shiva as her consort. As a result of her long and difficult penance, she was married to Lord Shiva. Once upon a time, Lord Shiva platonically says something to the goddess which she takes in a wrong way and goes to a secluded place and starts the penance. After a long period, lord Shiva himself starts searching her and reaches the place where she is in a deep penance. While performing the penance, her body was illuminated with a bright aura hence Lord Shiva blesses her with extremely fair complexion. Since then she is better known as Maha-Gauri. She is as radiant as the bright moon. This form of the goddess is extremely auspicious.

 

 

Seventh Avatar of Goddess Durga – GODDESS KAALRATRI

Goddess Kalratri, also known as Maa Kaali, is the seventh avatar of Goddess Durga. Devotees worship her on the seventh day of Navratri. They seek her blessings to eliminate all troubles from their lives. This form of Maa Durga is believed to destroy all demons, ghosts and negative energies. She is also believed to be the destroyer of time and death. Although intimidating in appearance, this Devi is benevolent towards all worshipers.

There are many mythological stories that tell us about the transformation of Goddess Durga into Maa Kalratri. According to the most common legend, two demons Shumbha and Nishumbhainvaded and defeated devlok (the realm of demigods). These demigods prayed to Goddess Parvatifor help who readily transformed herself into Goddess Chandika, to battle with demons on behalf of all devtas. Goddess Chandika, also known as Chamunda, transformed herself into Goddess Kalratri and killed both these demons. Maa Kalratri fought another demon called Raktveej and kept drinking his blood till he was completely dead, causing her tongue to appear blood-red.

For the protection of dharma and for the destruction of the demons, whenever sages and noble men have prayed to the god, he has time and again incarnated on the earth as a divine power to save the living beings. In the same way, goddess Durga manifested out of the energies of all the gods for the very same reason. The seventh form of goddess Durga manifested on the seventh day of Navaratri and she is known as “Kaala-raatri”. She manifested for the welfare of devas and human beings of the earth. Because Puranas speak of the legend that in the ancient times, when demons like Mahishasura, Shumbha, Nishumbha etc. after obtaining boons, dominates and tortures the beings of earth and heavens, the religion or dharma starts to get diminished on the earth. Humans on the earth started forgetting their human values and righteousness and demonic energies started spreading everywhere. Noble qualities like yajnas, charity, social service, dharma, kindness, forgiveness etc. started disappearing. When god worship was abandoned and gods, parents, gurus were not respected. During such darkness in the world when the whole of humanity was sinking deep in the demonic qualities, goddess Kalaratri incarnated to save humanity from the oppression of the demons. She is the embodiment of auspiciousness and is the destroyer of demons and evils of the earth. She is the giver of fearlessness to the whole of humanity and celestial beings. Goddess Kali is known by this name due to her powers. Because she is the energy which even transcends the death and time, meaning even death is helpless in front of her. She was known as “Kaala- raatri” by her devotees because she is the end of even the kaala (death). The word “Kaala” literally means time and time is also known with respect to death and hence “kaala” also means death.

Kaala is the destroyer of everything. Kaala engulfs everyone at right time. Goddess Kali is even more fierce and intense than the kaala. In front of her, no demons or even kaala can stand. Thus, Sri Kaali is the savior of this world and heavens. She saves her devotees from ghosts, demons, fears, sorrow, poverty, diseases, pains etc. and grants them fearlessness. She blesses the devotees with peace and prosperity. The seventh form of Durga is known as Kalaratri which is famous since the ancient times. Even though her appearance is very frightening, but she is the source of eternal light and wisdom and takes such fierce form only for the welfare of her devotees. The form of the goddess has four arms and in the upper right hand, she holds the boon gesture as she blesses her devotees with the desired results. In the lower right hand, she holds the fearlessness gesture which ensures the protection of her devotees. She holds the mighty sword in the upper left hand and a trident in the lower left hand. Her hair is dense, black and is scattered which makes her look very fierce. She has three eyes which are round as the shape of the universe and are extremely fearsome. It has the luster of the lightning thunder and also appears like extreme darkness at the same time. She exhales heavy flames of fire as her exhalation. She is having a great garland in her neck and she has a mule as her vehicle. All kinds of troubles and diseases are taken away by her worship and one gets back the peace and happiness in his life.

Mythological tale of goddess Kaalratri

Mother Kalaratri is always compassionate towards all of her devotees. We find several instances in Puranas about goddess Kalaratri. Among the scriptures, Durga Saptashati is the foremost which gives a detailed account of nine forms of Durga in an authentic manner. Apart from this, some portions of the stories are also found in Devi Bhagavata and related Puranas. It is believed that Kalaratri is a form of goddess Kali only. She is the giver of visible results in the age of Kaliyuga. Because Kali, Hanuman, and Bhairava are gods which can be invoked easily and grants the desired fruits to the devotees. There are several names and forms of goddess Kali but by her devotees, she is called by the names like Bhadrakali, Dakshina Kali, Matra Kali, and Maha kali. All these forms are equally powerful and auspicious hence she is also known as Shubhankari which means the one who always does welfare of the people. In Durga Saptashati there is a mention of Goddess Bhadrakali slaying the demon Mahishasura. It is mentioned that during the battle, as the demons approached near the goddess with their mighty army, they showered so many arrows on the goddess as if clouds are pouring the rain drops on the peak of mount Meru. In return, goddess broke these arrows with her giant arrows in an effortless manner and also killed the chariot riders and horses as well. Apart from that, she also destroyed their bows and their military flags. After cutting their bows, she pierced them with her mighty arrows. Then Sri Bhadrakali threw the “shola” weapon which destroyed their weapons and the demons including great Mahishasura lost their lives.

In the same manner, goddess Kali, whose face is very fierce, incarnated for the destruction of demons named Chanda and Munda. Some portion of her story is as follows Sages says that– Meanwhile, after getting the orders from Shumbha, demons like Chanda and Munda departed with their great Chaturangini army and mighty weapons. After reaching the golden peak of the Himalayas, they saw the goddess sitting on the lion. Soon they started struggling to get hold of the devi. During this time, goddess showed anger towards the demons due to which her face got darkened. Her eye brows got frowned and from her kali emerged with a terrifying face and form who was holding pasha and sword. She is holding a strange khatvanga weapon and wearing the garments of leopard’s skin. She was also wearing a garland of skulls as an ornament. Her body was slim with less flesh she was looking horrific due to her body which as nearly a skeleton. Her face was very big and she further looked fearsome due to her moving tongue. She was making a great roaring sound which was resonating in all the directions. By slaying the demons she soon broke up on to the army of demons and destroyed everyone with her mighty power.

 

Sixth Avatar of Goddess Durga – GODDESS KATYAYANI

Whenever the oppression of the demons starts dominating the earth, whenever sages, saints, and celestial beings get victimized with the torture of the demons, then there is certainly a divine incarnation of supreme energy for the betterment of the world and suppression of the evil. In the same manner, goddess Bhagwati incarnated as Sri Katyayani for the sake of betterment of the world. She is the one who saved the entire universe from one of the greatest demons, Mahishasura by curbing his ego and destroying him along with his army. This divine form of goddess Durga is well known amongst the devotees in the name of Sri Katyayani. She grants fearlessness to the devotees and also blesses them readily by removing diseases, sorrows, obstacles, and guilt. Just by remembering her one attracts her divine blessings. As per the story found in the Durga Saptashati, for the betterment of devas, goddess manifested as Katyayani for saving them from evil demons. She manifested in the hermitage of sage Katyayana who worshiped the goddess as his daughter and hence she is known as Katyayani. She is the slayer of demons like mahisha and she is the manifestation of divine energies of Lord Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara. The first ever mention of her worship is related to sage katyayana who achieved glory and liberation by the worship of goddess Katyayani. She made the sage famous by adopting his name as a blessing for his penance. Since then she was known as “Katyayani”. Her form is divine and she has four arms in which she holds various weapons. She holds a sword, lotus, fearlessness gesture, and blessing gesture. Goddess blesses one with successful life and also enhances his intellect and skills. She grants any desired fruits when asked with sincerity and purity. With her blessings, her devotees gain excellence in the respective fields to which they belong. They achieve greatest heights in their related areas.

Mythological Tale of goddess Sri Katyayani

For the betterment of the devotees, goddess Katyayani who is the form of Adi shakti manifested as the sixth form for removing the fears of the world due to the evil asuras. As per the legend, the first manifestation of this goddess for the welfare of celestial devas took place in the house of sage Katyayana. Sage accepted her as his daughter and worshiped her with devotion and hence she was known as “Kaatyaaayani”. In the ancient times when the world was suffering from the outrage of demon Mahishasura, the fruits of Vedic sacrifice were snatched from the devatas. All the celestial gods started thinking about some solution for ending this menace of demons and some way to establish righteousness. Finally, they decided to gather and invoke the primordial energy because none of the devas were able to win over this demon. This was because Mahishasur had a boon from the gods that he would be killed only by a female (feminine power) and hence male deities were not able to harm him. Because of pride and ego over his powers, the demon started misusing the power and tortured innocent beings. Gods gather and invoked a goddess from their own energies. She was known as Katyayani. With her divine powers, the goddess completed her mission by destroying mahisha demon on the final day of Navaratri. As per another ancient tale, a sage named Katyayana did heavy penance and asked for a great daughter as a boon as a result, goddess Katyayani took incarnation in his house and blessed him for his penance and rescued the world from the fear and darkness of demons.

Fifth Avatar of Goddess Durga – GODDESS SKANDAMATA

For the welfare of the entire world and for the betterment of the devatas, goddess Durga manifested as nine different forms during the nine days of Navaratri. In this sequence, the incarnation of goddess Skanda-maata takes place exactly on the fifth day for blessing the devotees. In the Vedas and Puranas, various deities are not only equated with the parents, but they are also known as “bhakta-vatsala” meaning affectionate towards their devotees. This shows that they act towards the protection and nourishment of this world in the same manner as the parents are protective and affectionate towards their children. They make best efforts to make their children happy and to remove negativities and obstacles from their life. If children suffer from any pain or sickness; there is a tendency to immediately make best efforts to save the child from these problems. Even when the children have differences with them and even when the children are deeply rooted in ego and pride of youth, position, money etc. Even when the children turn away their faces from the parents when they are in need. Despite all these, parents never forget their children and their affection never ceases for their children until their last breath. Similarly, the divine form of the goddess known as Skandamata is always prepared to bless her children and help them during their distress. She tries to dispel the obstacles with her kind blessings. If a devotee is genuinely devoted towards her and surrenders his ego to the goddess, she is capable of immediately showering her divine grace. As per the Chhandogyashruti, the Sanatkumara born out of the goddess is known as “Skanda”. As she is the mother of Sri Skanda, she is known as “Skanda-mata”. She is the mother of Skanda, who is the commander of the army of devas. She holds Skanda (child form) in her lower right arm. She also holds blessing gesture, lotus flower and rides a lion who is the symbol of bravery. Goddess is the giver of all the desired fruits to her children.

Another story of Origin (this is quite different from the first one)

According to Hindu mythology, when all devtas (deities), manushya (mankind) and rishis (sages) were tired by the atrocities of demon Tarkasur, they sought help from Brahma to help end this demon’s tyranny. Brahma, who was earlier pleased by the hard penance of Tarkasur, granted him with the boon of invincibility from all, except Lord Shiva’s son.  Upon being urged by all the devtas, Lord Shiva agreed and got married to Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya and later, their son Skanda (also known as Kartikeya / Murgan / Kumara / Subrahmanya) destroyed the demon. Being the mother of such a valiant son, Goddess Parvati came to be known as Skandamata. This devi became the fifth form of Goddess Durga.

Mythological story of Sri Skandamata

The auspicious form of goddess Skandamata is very divine and effulgent. Her vision and blessings grant wealth, prosperity, and progeny in a miraculous way. In the Durga Saptashati, we find a story regarding the goddess narrated in a very beautiful manner. She is the remover of pain and sorrows from the life of all living beings. She is omnipresent and her worship is capable of granting all the desires and riches. She is the one who is behind the origin of the world and she nourishes this universe with her motherly affection. Even in extremely negative situations and even during the crisis, she never forgets about the welfare of this world. She always removes the fears of the devotees and those on whom the goddess has showered her grace are always respected everywhere, they are blessed with glory and wealth. They never go away from dharma and their spouse and children are always protected and nourished. By receiving her grace, noble men perform righteous and religious actives on a regular basis and finally ascends to the heavens. Hence the goddess is certainly giver of the boons in all the worlds. By merely remembering her, devotees can get rid of any fear or negative emotions. She inspires the devotees with righteous and positive thoughts when remembered with a pure heart. Her worship is capable of saving one from fear and poverty. O, Devi! There is no one like you who is so compassionate and propitious for every living being.

Fourth Avatar of Goddess Durga: GODDESS KUSHMANDA

On this earth, devotees have been regularly blessed by the divine energy since time immemorial. Be it the order of creation, the evolution of living creates, fighting with the evil forces or the establishment of humanity and religion on earth, nothing is possible without the grace of the cosmic goddess. Even though in this materialistic world, we have gone miles away from the core spiritual values and have started forgetting god or divine powers, the cosmic goddess always wishes good for all the beings of the creation. The fourth divine form of goddess Adishakti is famous in this world in the name of “Kooshmaandaa”. She is the creator of this world. Not only this, she is the embodiment of divine light. She not only illuminates the world through her light but also empowers the planets, solar system etc. to sparkle with her cosmic light. She is the ultimate energy who is behind the creation of the world.  It is said that she is the origin of various types of heat, she also holds this universe in her womb. Thus she is also known as “Jagat-Janani” or “Adi-shakti”. She is the ever compassionate towards every being of the world. The manifestation of Sri Kushmanda is believed to be on the fourth day of the Navaratri. She has a divine form which is beyond words, she has eight arms.  For the welfare of the living beings, she holds in her right hands, kamandalu, bow, arrow, and lotus flower. In the left hand she holds, a pot of nectar, rosary, gadaa, and chakra respectively. She is seated on a giant lion and she is emitting brilliant light which illuminated all the directions. The light and aura of all the living and non-living beings are only because to her energy. With the blessings of the mother, devotees can overcome diseases, fear, sorrows, and obstacles. Further, they are always protected by the known and unknown enemies by the goddess.

Another story:

According to Durga Saptshati, Goddess Durga was very pleased with her avatar of Kushmanda. It is believed that the supreme goddess of power or Adi-Parashakti, appeared in the form of Siddhidatri from the left side of Lord Shiva’s body. After taking the form of Siddhidariti, Goddess Parvati started to live inside the core of the sun and, hence, came to be known as Kushmanda Devi. This implies that Kushmanda Devi is the only goddess who resides in the core of the sun, from where she controls the entire solar system.

The name Kushmanda is a compound word that consists of three Sanskrit words ‘ku’ (meaning-little), ‘ushma’(meaning-warmth) and ‘anda’(meaning-egg); which combined together means a little warm cosmic-egg.

Kushmanda Devi is depicted with eight hands. She has kamandal, dhanush, bada and kamal in the right hands whereas, she is holding an amrit-kalash, jap-mala, gada and chakra in her left hands. Her beautiful female form is seen sitting on a lion that denotes dharma and justice.

Mythological tale of Goddess Kushmanda

The fourth form of the goddess is related to the manifestation of the universe, she holds the universe in the divine (cosmic) womb. In the beginning of the universe, there was no existence of life or any major activities. But the divine form of Kushmanda was very effulgent as that of the several Suns. From the divine light of the goddess, the whole of the universe got illuminated as if an egg is formed into the flower. Due to the bright smile of the goddess, the universe was filled with joy and creativity. Thus her name was known as “Kooshmaandaa”. The creator of the worlds, Maa Kushmanda always illuminates the universe with her light. She always witnesses the good and bad karmas done by the beings of various worlds. She then arranges a system for the fruits of one’s deed based on his karmas by her divine powers. Not only this, she also dispels the darkness (ignorance) from the lives of the beings with her divine light (knowledge). She is the knowledge of wisdom. She is not only the mother of the universe, but also the goddess of wisdom, wealth, intellect, light, and strength and is very auspicious and compassionate.

Third Avatar of Goddess Durga – GODDESS CHANDRAGHANTA

From the very ancient times, people in the great land of India have inspired to realize and witness the divine power of supreme god. A rich and refined culture is a witness that there have been many manifestations of the divine on this land in various forms. It is clear that happiness and prosperity of a nation are not possible without the blessings of the divine. Human birth will time and again get deluded in the darkness of ignorance. Crooked, violent, and evil forces will regularly try to pose dangers of humanity and religion. To stop inhuman and incest forces on earth, goddess Durga has incarnated nine times already to save the world from the danger of evil. The third form of the goddess is known as Chandraghanta who is worshiped as the third manifestation of Durga and who is the dispeller of pain and fear. She fulfills the wishes of devotees with her generous blessings. She had incarnated on the third day of Navratri. She is the giver of desires and boons. She controls the transmission of various sound forms across the world. With her worship, the hearing energy is enriched and one can get connected to the celestial sounds. She is the slayer of demons and savior of devas, humans, and many other living creatures. In her bell (gong) she is holding many astonishing sounds and hence known as “Chandra-ghanta” because she holds the moon on her forehead. Goddess Chandraghanta is famous amongst devotee, she has a golden complexion and is very bright. Many groups of asuras get killed with the horrifying sounds of her gong. She has ten arms, of which, she holds (from upper arm) in her right arms, lotus, arrow, bow, rosary, respectively. In the left arms, trishula, sword, gadaa, kamandalu, and gesture of fight. She rides a lion and saves the world from the demonic beings by killing them. This form of goddess Durga is ever ready to save the world from evil forces and enemies.

Another Story:

According to legends, when Sati burned her body in the yagya agni, she took rebirth as Parvati to Parvatraj Himalaya. Parvati married Lord Shiva.  On the day of their marriage, Lord Shiva arrived with all his Aghoris and Ghosts to take Devi Parvati along with him. On seeing this form of Shiva, her parents and all the guests were horrified.

Looking at all this, Parvati transformed herself into Goddess Chandraghanta and approached Lord Shiva. She requested him to reappear in the form of a charming prince. In the mean time, she revived her family from the shock and erased all their unpleasant memories. Since then, Devi Parvati is worshiped in her Chandraghanta avatar as the goddess of peace and forgiveness.

Legend of Goddess Sri Chandraghanta

Goddess Chandraghanta incarnated as the third form of goddess Durga in order to kill the demons. Goddess did justice to devas by destroying the great army of demons in the heavens. As she is a kind goddess for the whole world, she takes care of all devotees and removes their pain. She is the inherent intellect of people which allow them to gain wisdom and understand the scriptures. You are the one and only who saves those drowning in the ocean of samsara. Her face is glowing as a bright moon and she has a smiling expression on her face. But on the contrary, her face became fierce and red in color like the rising moon, her eyebrows frowned when looked at the demon Mahishasura. After seeing such a terrifying face, demons died instantly. None can ever stay in front of such a ferocious energy. O, Devi! Bless us with your affection. Because of your affectionate aspect, the whole world survives, and your terrifying form is the reason of the destruction of many of races/clans. This was evident when the might army of Mahishasura was destroyed in moments due to your fierce aspect. As soon as the goddess took her bow to kill the demons, the whole universe resonated with the might sounds of the bow. At the same time, the great lion of goddess also started roaring loudly. These terrifying sounds weakened the hearts of demons and killed most of them instantly.

9 DAYS OF NAVRATRI

The beginning of spring and of autumn are two very important junctions of climatic and solar influence. During this period Earth is relatively much near to Sun facing its maximum gravitational pull. It is believed that during this phase, the divine energy intervenes with extra power to pass earth this course with much ease and smoothness. As per Hindu mythology, this divine energy is- Goddess Durga. The Navratri in this context is also celebrated as thanksgiving festival to Goddess Durga for saving, protecting and nurturing life on Mother Earth.

During these days people usually avoid taking meat, fish, eggs, alcohol, onions, garlic, grains, lentils, legumes (beans) because special divine energies of empowerment are not able to reach the individual. In addition, these food items act as a barrier in radiating energy in any form. Further, these tend to accumulate and process free-floating negative karmic energies from other living beings and the environment.

The nine rupa’s of Durga -Shailputri, Brahmcharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandmata, Katyaini, Kaalratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhatri represents different traits of human beings such as Smiriti, Shraddha, Lajja, Hunger, Thirst, Forgiveness, Luster, Beauty, Sight, Truth etc. These also control various systems and organs of human body. So everything related to human mind, psychology and body are controlled and maintained by these nine forms of divine energy. During nine days of Navratri By worshiping a particular form of Durga one is blessed with different physical, mental and psychological strength.

Significance of Nine Days of Navratri

1st Day of Navratri – The first night of Navratri is devoted to the worshiping of Goddess Shailputri. She has the manifestation of Green Light with her. This light helps to reduce anger in Human beings. This energy manifests in Anahata or Heart chakra. The organs related to this chakra are the heart, back, shoulder, arms, hand, Lungs and Chest area. The gland associated with this chakra is Thymus gland. This chakra relates to Love, an ability of an individual to give and take unconditionally. It enhances listening capability of individuals. Thus meditating on this chakra help in removing emotional blocs, treating traumas and healing of diseases related to concerned organs, glands, and system efficiency. This is the starting point of their spiritual discipline.

2nd Day of Navratri – The second night of Navratri is associated with Goddess Bhramcharni, who is the storehouse of knowledge and wisdom. She has the manifestation of Blue Light with her that personifies love and loyalty and empowers actualization of goals. The organs related to this chakra are throat, lung, and neck. The gland associated with this chakra is thyroid gland. The upper digestive tract is also associated with this chakra. This energy resides in Visudha or Throat chakra. It blesses the worshipper with awareness about the spirit of truth and purpose, ability to communicate about one’s needs and requirements. It also helps in healing of diseases related to concerned organs, glands, and system effectively.

Visiting Maa Vaishno Devi’s temple on Ashtami during Navratri is considered highly auspicious.

3rd Day of Navratri – The third night of Navratri is associated with Goddess Chandraghanta who is a giver of bliss, peace, serenity, and growth in activities, the purpose of life. She has the manifestation of red light with the pink hue in her. Residing in Mooladhar or root chakra this energy provides the worshiper with powers of self-awareness, stability, and security. The organs related to this chakra are Kidney, bladder, pelvis, vertebral column, hips, and legs. The gland associated with this chakra is an Adrenal gland. The system associated with this chakra is an excretory system. It provides strength and courage to native. With this, It also helps in healing of diseases related to concerned organs, glands, and system effectively.

4th Day of Navratri – The fourth night of Navratri is associated with Goddess Kushmanda who is destroyer sorrows of the mind and ego by harmonizing the macro-universe with the inner micro-universe of the individual. She has the manifestation of Orange Light with a golden hue that personifies creativity and respect for others creative works, destroying false ego in an individual. The organs related to this chakra are the uterus, large bowel, lower abdomen, ovaries, testes, sexual organs. The reproductive system is also associated with this chakra. This energy resides in swadhisthan or Sacral chakra. It endows the worshipper with the virtue of Self-respect. It also helps in healing of diseases related to concerned organs, glands and system effectively

5th Day of Navratri – The fifth night of Navratri is associated with Goddess Skandmata who transform energies provided by other goddesses in form of wealth and strength for native. She has the manifestation of indigo light with the silver hue. The organs related to this chakra are eyes, lower head, nose, and ears. Pituitary Gland is also associated with this chakra. Residing In Agya or Brow chakra this energy provides the worshiper with the virtue of self-responsibility- responsibility to oneself to follow the soul path and trusting one’s own intuition. It also helps in healing of diseases related to concerned organs, glands and system effectively

6th Day of Navratri – The Sixth night of Navratri is associated with Goddess Kaatyayani who gives boons and fulfills wishes of the native. She has the manifestation of Yellow Light with her that personifies self-worth, intellect, self-confidence and moral principles. The organs related to this chakra are liver, spleen, stomach and l intestine gallbladder and middle back. The gland associated with this chakra is Pancreas. This energy resides in Manipur or Solar plexus chakra. It endows the worshipper with the virtue of how one feels about himself and how others perceive him. It also helps in healing of diseases related to concerned organs, glands and system effectively

7th Day of Navratri – The Seventh night of Navratri is associated with Goddess Kaalratri who destroys fear and ignorance of the worshiper and blesses the individual with fortitude and fearlessness. She has the manifestation of violet light with purple-blackish hue. The organs related to this chakra are Top of the head, brain and Nervous System. The gland associated with this chakra is pineal Gland. Residing in Crown chakra this energy provides the worshiper with higher consciousness or spiritual awareness. It helps in the spiritual upheaval of individual Atma with Parmatma. It also helps in healing of diseases related to concerned organs, glands and system effectively

8th Day of Navratri – The eighth night of Navratri is associated with Goddess Mahagauri who destroys all sins of devotees and worshiper gets purified in all respects. She channels the thought waves of the devotees towards the path of the virtue and destroys Asat. Cumulative energy manifested in the whole body and being reflected signifies balance and creativity in the highest form.

9th Day of Navratri –The ninth night of Navratri is associated with Goddess Siddhidatri who provides the worshiper with all sidhis, beings fulfillment and satisfaction in individual lives. This energy is radiant in form of golden light over crown chakra instilling service to God and libration of a soul from the vicious circle of life and death.

Kanya or Kumari Pujan During Navratri’s

During navratris, Kumari or Virgin girl is worshipped for nine consecutive days. A Kumari is a symbol of un-manifested energy and by worshipping her, this energy gets activated as a result of which radiant frequencies in the universe get attracted and worshipers get benefited by it. The Hindu scripture- Rudryamla Tantra, has categorized girl into different age groups for worshiping the goddess. The result of boons begetted differs for each Kumari Pujan.

A one-year-old girl is called “Sandhya”, two years old is called “Saraswati”, three years old is called “Tridhamurthy”, four years old girl is called “Kalika”, five is “Subhga”. At six, she is “Uma” at seven, she is called “Malini” and “Kubja” in her eighth year. She is “Kaalsandharbha” in nine, “Aparajita” in ten and “Rudrani” in eleven years of age. A girl in the twelfth year is “Bharavi” and “Mahalaxmi” in thirteenth. In her fourteen, fifteen and sixteenth year, she is known as “Peethnayika”, “Chetraja” and “Ambika” respectively.

The significance of three claps during Garba or Kanya Pujan:

It is believed that divine energy is awakened by the musical rhythm of three claps through the frequencies of desire, action, and knowledge, representing the Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. It also signifies awakening of fire element

With the first clap, Lord Brahma energy of desire gets awaken. This energy signifies wishes in mind of an individual

With the second clap Lord Vishnu energy related to action get awaken. This energy signifies actions performed by individual for fulfillment of desires.

With the Third clap, Lord Shiva energy related to begetting results get awaken. This energy signifies boons given by God to Individual.

On each day, I shall post one article about each of the 9 manifestations of Goddess Durga.

Durga Pooja – The Source of Invincible Energy

Land of India is not just limited to a great and sacred culture but it is also a holy hand of gods where many incarnations of the divine have manifested. There are many Puranic stories related to these incarnations. The whole universe, including the sun, stars, planets, constellations and five elements is governed mysteriously by the Supreme Being. It is an eternal truth that nothing possible without the supreme energy (Para-Brahma).  Even though many people in today’s technology era are trying to force their views onto others about the non-existence of gods and deities, but the truth is they certainly realize the divine power in a way or other. Hinduism is also known as “Sanatana Dharma” which means eternal religion since time immemorial. There is a lot of knowledge about the whole universe, its origin, and expansion. Our Vedas and Puranas are a witness of the fact that whenever there is a harm to the religion and empowerment of demonic forces like misconduct and crime; god incarnates in various forms to free the world from demonic powers and save the people of truth and devotion. These incarnations re-establishes the dharma.

Similarly, when the entire earth and heavens were the victims of demons like Mahishasura, then all the gods gathered and with the inspiration of God almighty, they projected their energy into a single form and granted it various weapons and superpowers and made it invincible and auspicious. She is known by the name Adi Shakti, Maa Jagadamba, Durga or Amba in the whole world. Mother Durga is not only the protector of this world but also the giver of boons. The divine tales of Shiva and Shakti are narrated in a captivating manner in the Devi Bhagavata, and other Puranas like Surya, Shiva, Srimad-Bhagavatam etc. Without the power of Shakti, not a particle of the universe can move. Even the supreme witness Shiva (devoid of vowel “ee”) is like a corpse without the Shakti. Goddess Shakti incarnated on nine days in different forms like Jayanti, Mangala, Kali, Bhadrakaali, kapalini, Durga, Kshama, Shivaa, Dhaatri, Swaaha, Swadha etc. and slew the great demons like Shumbh-nishubha, Mahishasura, Raktabeeja etc. She helped the pupil of this world by removing their misery and helped in reestablishing the dharma.

Our ancient seers who were the well-wishers for the entire humanity have provided us with the appropriate methods of worshiping the goddess. Sage Medha advised King Suratha to worship and take refuge in goddess Durga who is the giver of prosperity, heavens, and liberation. By following this advice King achieved never-ending kingdom and fame. Since the time when goddess Durga took the form from the energies of various devatas, several people have devoted their lives and got great boons and grace from the goddess. What to talk of humans when even the celestial deities are themselves engaged in the worship of Shakti. Even Lord Rama himself worshiped goddess Durga during the Navratri to get victory over Ravana. In the whole of India, the energy of the goddess is celebrated during Chaitra Shukla pratipada and Ashwina Shukla pratipada every year in a grand manner. These are also known as Vasanta and Shaaradiya Navaratra. Apart from these, there are two other lesser known Navaratris which are celebrated by a fewer number of people. These are four major festivals for goddess Durga. The beginning of Vasanta (spring) season is a celebration for the agriculture-dominated nation like India.  During these days, the crop of wheat is sown and on the other hand, the crops of paddy give hints of harvesting which brings an elated feeling to the farmers and to the whole of the country. On this auspicious occasion, the whole of the country worships goddess Durga with Vedic methods for nine days. This is the reason why it is called as “Navaratri”. As a result of worship of goddess Durga, people get rid of sorrow, obstacles, poverty, and diseases and obtains the desired results as a blessing.

Buddhu sa mann hai – Kapoor & Sons

While the first song I chose in the “Feel the music” section was intense, poetic, romantic and deep, second song is fun, exciting and full of life. It’s also one of my favorite song – Buddhu sa mann hai from the movie Kapoor & Sons.

Dabi dabi si hansi honthon pe phansi hai

Gududi kar rahi hawa

Oo.. halla macha rahi hai pagal si khwaishein

Khushiyon ki mili hai wajah

Kuch hai junoon sa

Kuch pagalpan hai

Sau baatein karta ye buddhu sa mann hai

Buddhu sa mann in this song means Lively, carefree heart… an innocent heart… not the literal meaning of the word buddhu (idiot).

As we grow, we seldom notice the tickles of the wind, feeling the gush of breeze on your face, hands, clothes you wear. The tickling of breeze on your skin, your surroundings. We are not even aware of our internal state at times. The song reminds us of those innocent childlike desires – that is carefree, alive, lost in the beauty yet aware. When you know whats going on within you. As the wind tickles, a hidden smile is trying make its way to the lips that seems to be stuck. Crazy desires are raising their voices as I have discovered the reason for happiness. The feelings are passionate and somewhat maddening. And the lively, carefree, innocent heart speaks out a hundred conversations without thinking. 

Karne de khwaabon ko badmashiyaan

Chalne de nazron ki manmaaniyan

Dhoondhe chalo kuch thikane naye

Hone de pagli pagli si nadaaniyab

Hosh mein rehna hai kyun

Rehne se hoga kya

Behoshiyon mein hai maza

Oo.. bachkaani harkatein jo hoti hain hone de

Khushiyon ki mili hai wajah

Kuch hai junoon sa

Kuch pagalpan hai

Sau baatein karta ye buddhu sa mann hai

Let Dreams be playful at times, Let eyes wander wherever they wish to, carefree. Lets meander about in search of new unfamiliar destinations. Let the crazy naiveties happen. Lets be childlike today. What’s the need to be in consciousness? What’ll happen if You’ll remain in that state? There’s excitement in this intoxication There’s pleasure in letting go of your worries and being relaxed. In this state, one acts like a kid, without worrying about everyday problems. Let the childlike acts happen I’ve discovered the reason for happiness. The feelings are passionate and somewhat maddening. And the lively, carefree, innocent heart speaks out a hundred conversations without thinking. 

Mausam ne bhi ki hai kuch koshishein

Hone lagi dekho ye baarishien

Sar pe chadha hai yeh kaisa asar

Daude raftaar mein dil ki sab dhadkanein

Dhun koi chal rahi hai, kaano mein dheeme se

Roshan hai zyada yeh subah

Halchal jo ho rahi hai seene mein hone de

Khushiyon ki mili hai wajah haan

Kuch hai junoon sa

Kuch pagalpan hai

Sau baatein karta ye buddhu sa mann hai

The season also has made some efforts to let loose, and hence it has started raining. Wondering what has impacted my mind? I am excited and my heart beats rapidly in delight. A soft melody slowly rings in my ears and the morning appears to be brighter than usual. I don’t wish to put an end to the hustle and bustle within my soul. I’ve discovered a reason to be happy now. The feelings are passionate and somewhat maddening. And the lively, carefree, innocent heart speaks out a hundred conversations without thinking. 

If you have seen the movie, you would actually connect to the song with the characters and the story of the movie. A perfectly imperfect family dealing endless number of issues in terms of finance, relationships, career. Each one is upset with other family members in some or the other way, without speaking about it. In middle of all of these, they find a reason to celebrate, let loose, let go and live. Letting go of personal worries for the moment, letting go of fights for the moment, letting go of complaints for the moment and celebrate. There’s another beautiful song from the same movie – Bolna mahi bolna, one day will write on that too

Mumbai rains – the flip side

Mumbai rains have been news of the nation in last 24 hours. I switched on news channel to see the mumbai updates. Switched it off in 2 minutes. I opened my whatsapp and am flooded with more messages on dangers and alerts of mumbai rains than the flood in mumbai itself.  I myself was out whole and had reached home at about 5pm. On my way I would stop by to click some beautiful pics of Mumbai. At some of the places my car tyres are drowned to almost 75%, driving slowly, trying to figure the potholes and its size by the movement of the vehicles ahead of me. Looking around at bikers and seeing them wearing windcheaters and raincoats that are totally of no use. On a bridge, my vision is totally blurred coz of heavy rains. All I could see is whiteness and rainshowers. After 4 hours of drive I reached home. Enjoying the view from my window, allowing rains to pour in my house and playing with raindrops. I was very hungry after a long drive. Maggie came to be a savior. After some time, I saw people are all set to go for 5 days Ganpati Visarjan. I was like wow! That’s what so special about this city of dreams. Mumbaikars have a different spirit altogether. And I saw that everyone is so capable to help themselves as well as others. But the news channels and whatsapp and facebook adds so much of drama around it. Drama not in the sense that people are having troubles. But they are sometimes hyped, they create panic, they spread rumors and so on. This kind of a situation in Mumbai has its own beautiful flip side too if we just don’t look at the struggles that we face for 1 day. I would like to share some of the good things I came across during this crisis.

Alerts and dangers are issued in public interest. Roads are flooded. But visarjan is full on. That’s the spirit of Mumbai. That’s why people say Mumbai never sleeps.

Beauty of rains!

Food Distribution at rustomjee dahisar west to needy person who loss house in yesterday rain

MUMBAI POLICE: They are always there the unsung heroes.

Click to view slideshow.

KEM HOSPITAL

National park highway bridge. Posted by Rajesh jain with message:

Next time you put concrete in River…. remember…

next time you cut trees … remember…

next time you cut mangroves remember….

next time you throw plastic on the road and rivers remember….

This is how nature will give you back all of these things.

Tweet by Anand Mahindra:

Mumbai local train—or Hovercraft?

 

And here in Mumbai,a friend stuck in a car to the airport for 5 hrs told me that slumdwellers came out to serve stranded people tea&biscuits https://t.co/tzhGobH28Q

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) August 30, 2017

Why Mumbai gets flooded even in slightest rains?

Marine Drive after heavy spell of rains.  (Picture courtesy: Shreyansh Sheth)

Click to view slideshow.

 

Another beautiful aspect of these floods:

All over internet relief center details were being circulated. During such crisis, everyone unites and help each other. You see only one religion and one class in these crisis and that’s HUMANITY. Mandir, Masjid, Church, Dargah, people living in slums, people living in small and large apartments, restaurants and hotels, all were just there to help everyone.

And there were rumors too