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प्रथमं शैलपुत्रीति द्वितीयं ब्रह्मचारिणी ।
देव्याः कवचम्
तृतीयं चन्द्रघण्टेति कूष्माण्डेति चतुर्थकम् ॥
पञ्चमं स्कन्दमातेति षष्ठं कात्यायनी तथा ।
सप्तमं कालरात्रिश्च महागौरीति चाष्टमम् ॥
नवमं सिद्धिदात्री च नवदुर्गाः प्रकीर्तिताः ।
उक्तान्येतानि नामानि ब्रह्मणैव महात्मना ॥
prathamaṃ śailaputrīti dvitīyaṃ brahmacāriṇī |
Devyāḥ Kavacam
tṛtīyaṃ candraghaṇṭeti kūṣmāṇḍeti caturthakam ||
pañcamaṃ skandamāteti ṣaṣṭhaṃ kātyāyanī tathā |
saptamaṃ kālarātriśca mahāgaurīti cāṣṭamam ||
navamaṃ siddhidātrī ca navadurgāḥ prakīrtitāḥ |
uktānyetāni nāmāni brahmaṇaiva mahātmanā ||
First is Śailaputrī, second is Brahmacāriṇī,
third is Candraghaṇṭā, Kūṣmāṇḍā is fourth;
fifth is Skandamatā, sixth is Kātyāyanī,
and seventh is Kālaratri, and Mahāgaurī is eighth;
and ninth is Siddhidātrī, these are well-known as the Navadurgās,
these names were indeed uttered by the great Lord Brahmā himself.
Śarada Navarātrī
In our tradition - across Bhāratavarṣa, Navarātrī is most commonly celebrated twice a year. The festival of 9 auspicious days and nights - that is 9 proper tithis, according to the Hindu pañcāṅga - occurs once each in Dakṣiṇāyana and Uttarāyaṇa. In Dakṣiṇāyana, it takes place during the waning lunar fortnight or śukla pakṣa, of the Āśvayuja māsa or month. This occurs during the Śarada ṛtu or season, and is thus known as Śarada Navarātrī. And in Uttarāyaṇa, it takes place during the śukla pakṣa of Caitra māsa; in Vasanta ṛtu, therefore known as Caitra or Vasanta Navarātrī.
Navarātrī is the grandest of the Hindu festivals in which the Divine is adored as Mother. About this beautiful festival, also known as Durgā Pūjā, Swami Sivananda tells us -
The beginning of summer and the beginning of winter are two very important junctions of climatic and solar influence. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother. They are indicated respectively by the Rama-Navaratri in Chaitra (April-May) and the Durga Navaratri in Aswayuja (September-October). The bodies and minds of people undergo a considerable change on account of the changes in Nature. Sri Rama is worshipped during Ramnavmi, and Mother Durga during Navaratri.
The Durga Puja is celebrated in various parts of India in different styles. But the one basic aim of this celebration is to propitiate Shakti, the Goddess in Her aspect as Power, to bestow upon man all wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, knowledge (both sacred and secular), and all other potent powers. Whatever be the particular or special request that everyone may put before the Goddess, whatever boon may be asked of Her, the one thing behind all these is propitiation, worship and linking oneself with Her. There is no other aim. This is being effected consciously or unconsciously. Everyone is blessed with Her loving mercy and is protected by Her.
Durga Puja or Navaratri commences on the first and ends on the tenth day of the bright half of Aswayuja (September-October). It is held in commemoration of the victory of Durga over Mahishasura, the buffalo-headed demon. In Bengal Her image is worshipped for nine days and then cast into water. The tenth day is called Vijaya Dasami or Dussera (the “tenth day”). Processions with Her image are taken out along the streets of villages and cities.
The mother of Durga (that is, the wife of the King of the Himalayas) longed to see her daughter. Durga was permitted by Lord Shiva to visit her beloved mother only for nine days in the year. The festival of Durga Puja marks this brief visit and ends with the Vijaya Dasami day, when Goddess Durga leaves for Her return to Mount Kailas. This is the view of some devotees.
Just as Śrī Vināyaka was welcomed into the home a few weeks before the commencement of Śarada Navarātrī, and tears abound when he finally leaves for the visarjana process; the Divine Śakti is similarly welcomed into the home at Navarātrī time. Navarātrī, however, ends not with a visarjana but with the tenth day of celebration known as Vijaya Daśamī or Daśaharā. For it is on the Daśaharā tithi that not only did Śrī Rāma annihilate Rāvaṇa; but also Śrī Durgā, in various avatāras, triumphed over different asurās.
With this year’s Navarātrī Durgā Pūjā, let us explore each Navadurgā Devī in depth.
|| Prathamaṃ Śailaputrī Ca ||
वन्दे वाञ्छितलाभाय
श्री नवदुर्गा स्तोत्रम्
चन्द्रार्धकृतशेखराम्।
वृषारूढाम् शूलधरां
शैलपुत्री यशस्विनीम् ॥1॥
vande vāñchitalābhāya
Śrī Navadurgā Stotram
candrārdhakṛta-śekharām |
vṛṣārūḍhām śūladharāṃ
śailaputrī yaśasvinīm ||1||
Salutations to the one who can fulfill my wishes,
who is adorned with a crescent moon on her head,
rides on a bull, carrying the triśūla,
Devī Śailaputrī, the illustrious one.
Devī Śailaputrī is the daughter of Himavān. She represents strength and unwavering determination, akin to the unyielding mountains. She is the absolute form of Mother Nature, consort of Lord Śiva, and mother of Śrī Gaṇeśa and Kārtikeya. In this avatāra she rides Nandi, the bull, and is dvibhuja, with two arms, holding the triśūla and a lotus in each hand.
In her previous birth, she was known as Satī, the daughter of Dakṣa Prajāpati. In this birth, she is Goddess Durgā born into the house of Parvata Rāja Himavān; therefore she is known as Pārvatī or Hemavati, also Bhavāni - the embodiment of Bhū. As per Upaniṣad, in this form Goddess Haimā had broken the ahaṅkāra of Indra and other devās. Being ashamed, they bowed and prayed, exalting her in the Upaniṣad itself.
Durgā as Śailaputrī represents the mūlādhāra cakra - situated at the base of the spine, which grounds us to the earth and provides a foundation for personal growth. This cakra is her abode. Awakening this cakra instills a sense of security, stability, and courage in one’s life.
Śailaputrī Devī is the essence of earthly existence. It is believed that the Moon - the provider of all fortunes - is governed by Her. So, any bad effect of Candra deva can be overcome by worshiping her. Her divine energy is latent in every human being. Her tattva (element) is Earth, and Her guṇa (quality) is coherence. Her favorite flower is the hibiscus, and color orange. We see this personified in the Lalitā Sahasranāma Stotram as जपापुष्प-निभाकृतिः (japāpuṣpa-nibhākṛti) - She who has the color of the hibiscus:
स्वर्गापवर्गदा शुद्धा जपापुष्प-निभाकृतिः ।
ओजोवती द्युतिधरा यज्ञरूपा प्रियव्रता ॥ १४७॥
svargāpavargadā śuddhā japāpuṣpa-nibhākṛtiḥ |
ojovatī dyutidharā yajñarūpā priyavratā || 147 ||
She who gives svarga and also the path to it, who is pure, who has the color of hibiscus,
Who is full of vigor, who has light, who is of the form of sacrifice or yajña, who likes penance.
This pratipadā, may we remain steadfast in our sādhanā and pray to Devī Śailaputrī. May we gain the stability, courage, and unwavering determination that she grants - much needed for the journey that remains ahead.
Next - Brahmacāriṇī | Navadurgā - Part 2
References
- Śrī Durgā Saptaśati, Devī Māhātmyam, Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa
- Navadurgā Stotram
- Śrī Lalitā Sahasranāma
- Durga Puja or Navaratri
- Navadurga Symbolism of Chakra Awakening
- Significance of Navadurga
- 9 Divine Forms of Goddess Durga