Dear Editor,
Sharada Navratri is a nine- day/night period dedicated to the worship of the Universal Mother, Mata Durga. She is the embodiment and consolidated form of Mother Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati; and, as such, she is the invincible fortress that represents Shakti (power), and whose blessings are sought for the protection against negativity and evil.
Each night is dedicated to one form of her manifestations, as listed here: 1.Shailputri: Goddess Shailputri (Goddess of Nature) is depicted with a beautiful face, having a crescent moon on her forehead. She destroyed the demoness Tarika, and is worshiped for the realisation of the self within, on the first day. 2. Brahmacharini: Goddess Brahmacharini is depicted bare-footed and carrying a Jaapmala in the right hand and a Kamandalu in the left. She is worshipped for ascetic qualities, on the second day. 3. Chandraghanta: Goddess Chandraghanta is depicted with ten hands. She rides on a tigress, and is worshipped for peace and serenity, on the third day. 4. Kushmanda: Goddess Kushmanda rides on a lioness, shines as the sun, and is specifically known for her prowess. She is worshipped for health, wealth and strength, on the fourth day. 5. Skandmata: She is shown with four hands, in two of which she carries lotus flowers, in the second left hand she carries baby Skanda, and the second right hand is Abhaymudra. She rides on a lion, and is worshipped for wisdom and purity of the heart, on the fifth day. 6. Katyayani: Goddess Katyayani is depicted sitting on a lion, and she was born to attack Mahishasura, and came to be known as Katyayani. She is worshipped for the desire of a righteous partner for marriage, on the sixth day. 7. Kalratri: The Goddess of Fierceness, was manifested to destroy the demon Raktabija. As the name suggests, she is depicted in a very ferocious form. This form of the Goddess is worshipped for the removal of ignorance and darkness, on the seventh day. 8. Mahagouri: Goddess Mahagouri is depicted sitting on a bull. This form of the Goddess is worshipped for the removal of suffering and the enlightenment of spiritual seeker, on the eighth day of Navratri. 9. Siddidhatri: Goddess Siddhidhatri is the moola roopa of Goddess Parvati. When, at the beginning of the universe, Lord Shiva worshipped the unmanifested form of Shakti, she had no form; therefore, she was depicted as the left half of Shiva. The devotee seeks her blessings for the realisation of the Divine or Brahman, as she completes the mundane world, on the ninth day of Navratri.
As the warrior form of Goddess Parvati, she was transformed into Durga by combining the power and divine energies of all the Gods. These divine powers and energies of all the Gods are represented by the different weapons held by Goddess Durga. Not only the weapons, but each and everything related to Goddess Durga symbolises some or the other divine things, as noted below.
1. Lion: Symbolises courage and the uncontrolled materialistic desires and tendencies, such as greed, jealousy, anger, selfishness, arrogance, etc. Goddess Durga sitting on a lion symbolises that we need to control our materialistic desires, needs and emotions, and face our problems with courage.
2. Red Saree: The red saree symbolises passion. It also represents her way of protecting mankind against evil and bad.
3. Conch: The conch represents happiness and dedication for fulfilling our responsibility happily. It gives us a lesson that one must perform his/her duties with contentment, and not with resentment.
4. Sword: The sword signifies the importance of distinguishing and eradicating our negative and evil qualities, be ready to quit his/her bad habits, and embrace good habits; and, also, one should raise voice against unjust and mean actions.
5. Chakra: The chakra symbolises duty and righteousness. It shows the importance of acknowledging our duties and responsibilities, and fulfilling them to achieve our goals in life.
6. Lotus Flower: The lotus flower symbolises austerity, purity, and detachment from the materialistic world. It gives us a lesson that, despite staying in the mud water, the lotus water remains pure, lively, and full of colours. Similarly, we, humans, too should try to reflect the good in bad, be a humble soul even during the toughest of times, and never be impudent.
7. Trident: The trident symbolises courage and bravery. It tells us that no matter how grave the situation, we should never lose our hope. Instead of running away from the problems in our lives, we should stand strong and face our problems with full courage, hope and determination.
8. Forgiveness: The right hand (the forgiving mudra (positions)) symbolises the need to forgive others. There’s no good in holding on to the grudges. We should always forgive others, and seek forgiveness from those whom we have hurt. In addition to this, we must not say rude things to others, or hurt others for our pleasure and selfish needs.
9. Club: The club symbolises devotion and bravery. We must accept whatever the Almighty sends to us. Whether it is happiness or sorrow, we must accept whatever comes in our way, and face it with bravery.
10. Bow and Arrow: The bow and arrow symbolise perseverance. No matter what problems come in our lives, we need to persevere and always stick to the truth. We must not lose our character or make wrong decisions.
11. Snake: The snake represents the beauty and truth of destructive times. Those who are living on this earth will have to die, and their souls will take a new form in the next life. It also symbolises goodness in darkest times.
Guyanese revere the auspiciousness of this significant period, and hope that COVID-19 can dissipate and a healing process can materialise from the eradication of evil, suffering, and unhappiness. Let us pray that all leaders will overcome any ignorance, and allow wisdom to prevail, so that light will replace darkness. As we prostrate for the protection from any form of negativity, let us envelope the love for our fellow mankind in our bosoms, and sanctify our hearts with purity and peace.
As we successfully conclude another celebration of Sharad Navaratri, may the weapons of Shakti Ma, represented by the power to withdraw, discern, decide, tolerate, accommodate, let go, face and cooperate be used to destroy any lust, ego, anger, greed, jealousy, attachment, pride or malice that may surface. Let the darkness be removed and be replaced with purity and love, so that our intellect may remain clear, positive and powerful.
The advent of Vijay Dashmi heralds the culmination of Sharad Navaratri. May the grace of Durga Ma’s Divinity continue to evolve around your wellbeing, providing you with the energy to prosper with enlightenment.
Shubh Navratri.
Respectfully,
Jai Lall
