You worship Devi (goddess) in these nine days of Devi Navaratri. You should consider Devi as your Divine Mother. This Devi is called Satya Swarupini, which means she is the embodiment of Truth. So, worshipping truth amounts to worshipping Devi. If you understand and follow this truth, you will be successful in every field.
The Vedas also proclaim this Principle of Truth. There are many in this world who chant the Vedas. Many have gone through the sacred texts. But they do not seem to follow the right path. In fact, when we tread on the right path, only then we will know the true meaning of the Vedas and the sacred texts.
Since ancient times, the sages and saints undertook many spiritual practices in their quest for Truth. They were determined not to give up till they had the vision of Truth. Ultimately, they declared to the world that they had seen God, who is all brilliance, full of effulgence and is beyond the darkness of ignorance. They also declared that God is not far off in a distant land, but is present in the human body. (SSS Vol.31, p. 282)
During these nine days, Goddess Shakti (Energy Principle) is worshipped. Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Forgiveness are all the expressions of the Principle of Shakti. Truth is the primal cause. There is nothing other than this. All faculties of energy are present in this Truth. So, consider Truth as your mother and follow it. (SSS Vol.31, p. 282)
What is the inner significance of Devi Navaratri? People worship the Triune Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati during these nine days. Who is Durga? She is the embodiment of all powers. Saraswati is the presiding deity of speech and wisdom.
The Gayatri Mantra begins with ‘Om Bhur Bhuvah Suvaha’. ‘Bhuh’ means materialisation. It represents matter, which is subject to change. Bhuvah represents life principle, i.e., vibration. Savitri is the presiding deity of life principle. You must have heard the story of Savitri, who restored her dead husband back to life with the power of her devotion and surrender. Saraswati is worshipped s Jnana ‘Devata’ as she confers good intellect and wisdom. This is described in the Vedas as Prajnanam Brahma. Prajnana does not mean worldly knowledge. It is Constant Integrated Awareness, which is changeless and eternal.
The Divine Mother has three names Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati. Gayantham Trayathe Iti Gayatri (Gayatri protects those who sing her glory). Gayatri, being the presiding deity of our senses, helps us to master the senses. Savitri, being presiding deity the life principle, protects our life. Saraswati bestows on us the changeless and eternal wisdom. Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati are present in every man, but he is not able to understand and experience their presence. Consequently, he is giving room to wicked qualities and indulging in evil deeds, thereby ruining his life. His bad habits are responsible for his downfall. First of all, man has to develop good habits and transform himself. How could Savitri revive her dead husband back to life? She transformed the vibration by contemplating on God incessantly. That led to the resurrection of her husband. When you develop divine feelings, nothing is impossible for you. Any mighty task can be accomplished through pure and selfless love. Love develops divine power in you.
(Goddess Lakshmi Durga Saraswati)
Human being is the repository of divine energy. Durga (Goddess of Energy). Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) and Saraswati (goddess of Wisdom) are present in the human. Man is not weak or forlorn. He has all the capacity to experience divine bliss. In spite of being endowed with all powers, man is weak. This is the effect of evil company. You should not take it amiss, but the fact is that the modern system of education is ruining the lives of many. Modern education is leading to agitation instead of elevation. It is giving rise to evil qualities like anger, greed, desire, jealousy, etc. In fact, people who unlettered have the virtues of humility, obedience, love and peace. Humility is the hallmark of education. One may acquire high qualification, but all his knowledge becomes useless if he lack humility.
You must manifest love and be embodiments of love. Love is God, live in love, you can achieve anything. Hence develop the spirit of love. Love is the most potent weapon that can win over anyone. What was the weapon that protected our ancients who lived in the forests? It was not hydrogen bomb or atom bomb; it is enough if one has the weapon of love. You can conquer the entire world with the power of love.
People worship Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati during these nine days. Durga destroyed the demons. As the weapons are no longer needed, people perform Ayudha Puja. When we pray to Durga wholeheartedly, she will protect you in all your endeavours.
You are not able to understand the principle of divinity. Nobody in this world can help you the way God helps you. Hence surrender yourself to God and pray for His help. Also devotion to God safeguards our ancient culture. People are haunted by misery and grief as they have forgotten God.
Control your emotions. Develop love. Do not entertain evil thoughts. Nothing can confer the experience of bliss that proximity of God gives. Love all and all will love. (DD on 09.10.02, pp. 4-8)
During the Navaratri worship, you have to express your love to the Divine Mother in nine different ways. God wants your love and nothing else. Your love should not branch out in different directions. It should flow directly towards God. If you love others, you will be loved in turn. If your utter harsh words, they will come back to you as resound. Fill your heart with love and compassion. Hridaya is that which is filled with Daya (compassion).Compassion is the hallmark of a true devotee. One who lacks compassion cannot be called a human being.
Having spent this Navaratri in the worship of Divine Mother, your heart should be filled with love and compassion. The heart bereft of love and compassion is verily a cemetery. Right from dawn to dusk, love should be undercurrent of all your activities. The moment you get up from bed, resolve that you would tread the path of love. Only then can you have the vision of God, who is the very embodiment of love. True spiritual practice lies in connecting love to love. Love can transform even a hard stone into butter. Swami always teaches the principle of love. It is enough if you call ‘Baba’ with love from the depth of your heart. He will come to your rescue. Consider love as your life-breath. If there is no love in your prayer, it will prove futile. Love should be ‘heartful’ and not artificial. Be friendly with all and have a smiling countenance always. What is the use of talking sweetly if your heart is filled with bitterness? Only love can fill your heart nectarous feelings.
The moment you eschew evil, love will automatically enter your heart. True love is related to the Atmic principle. Worldly love is bound to change with the passage of time, whereas spiritual love is permanent. Even your breathing process speaks of the presence of love in you. When you inhale, you make the sound ‘So’ and when exhale ‘Ham’; together ‘Soham’ means, ‘I am That’. The principle of ‘I’ is uniformly present in all. This can be experienced by following the nine paths of devotion. Never give scope for differences. Understand the unity ‘I and You are one’. Your love gets fragmented when you fail to visualize unity in diversity. There is only one heart, which is changeless. Divine love alone is true and changeless. The mariner’s compass always points towards northern direction; likewise your love should always be directed towards God. (SSS Vol.36, pp. 115-116)
On the eight day of Navaratri festival you enter into the worship of Saraswati. All types of instruments and weapons and those things, which are used in one’s profession, are all worshipped on that day. This illustrates the aspect of Sarva Devata Swarupini, Kali. The inner meaning of all this is that everything in the world there resides the Divinity. Everything is pervaded with the Divine – Vishvam Vishnu Swarupam. This is not Mithya. This is the Truth. If you cultivate this feeling at all times, you attain to this Supreme State. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavati – As you think, so it happens. We should develop good thoughts. All that we do should be transformed into worship. That is the secret of success in spiritual life.
The Navaratri is celebrated in commemoration of the victory of Divinity (Daivatvam) over Satanity (Danavatvam) through intercession of the Mahashakti as Chandi, Durga and Kali; this day is Deepavali commemorating the victory of heavenly over hellish influences, of virtue over vice, as symbolized by the victory of Krishna – Satyabhama over Narakasura, of the upward pull into Heaven and the Drag – down into Hell. Man’s career in this world is a perpetual struggle between the down –dragging impulses and the elevating impulses. It is Dharmakshetra where the Kurukshetra battle is being waged from birth to death.
Navaratri is celebrated in honour of the victory that the Parashakti (the Goddess of Energy, immanent in the Microcosm and the Macrocosm) achieved over Asura of Evil Forces, as described in the Devi Mahatmyam and Devi Bhagavatam. That Parashakti is in everyone as the Kundalini Shakti, which is able to destroy, when awakened, the evil tendencies inside the mind; so, the Navaratri is to be dedicated by all for the propitiation of the outer and the inner world may have peace and joy. By means of systematic spiritual exercises (Sadhana) it is possible to tap the inner resources that God endowed you with, and elevate yourselves to the purer and happier realm of the Reality.
The Navaratri is the festival to commemorate the Victory of the Good over Evil. The Embodiment of divine power (of Parashakti), in its various manifestations :sattvika, as Mahasaraswati,rajasika, as Mahalakshmi, tamasika as Mahakali, was able to overcome the forces of vice, wickedness and egoism, during the nine days’ struggle and finally, on vijay dasami day (the tenth Day commemorating Victory), the Valedictory Worship is done. (NNSG Vol.8, pp. 68-70)
As a part of Navaratri celebrations, people worship different forms of divinity. You should develop sacred feelings and experience divinity. What is the inner meaning of Navaratri celebrations? These nine nights represent nine planets. Each planet has its own significance. However these planets are not outside, they are with in. If your feelings are impure and unsacred, the result also will be the same. You are responsible for the good and bad you think and experience. They are not the products of the outside world. They are the reaction, reflection and resound of your inner being. Man faces vicissitudes of life as he is bound by these three. But he forgets these three and tries to search for solutions to his problems. He thinks he is highly intelligent. In fact that is not true intelligence. He lacks faith in divinity. That is real cause of his suffering. God is one. Likewise human beings are one though Akara (form) and Acharana (behaviour) may vary. But due to his narrow mildness, man is unable to understand this unity.
Navaratri celebrations are symbolic of nine forma of energy. What we have to cultivate during this Navaratri is the feeling of oneness. Though there are nine forms of energy, the underlying truth in all of them is one and the same. That is the principle of the Atma. It is all pervasive. It is present not only in Human beings, but in all living beings. (DD on 17.10.04 , p. 5)
Today we are celebrating Dussehra festival. What is the meaning of Dussehra? It means we should purify all our actions performed by Dasendriyas (five senses of action and five senses of perception) so that we get sacred results. Everyone has to perform some action or the other in this world. The primordial cause of all actions is the energy principle symbolized by Devi (Divine Mother). This energy principle is the driving force behind all actions. First and foremost, we should attain the grace of Devi. That is why Devi is worshipped during Navaratri celebrations. Devi manifests in three forms, namely, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Navaratri festival teaches us to perform the worship of these three forms of the Divine Mother. When we worship Lakshmi, she bestows wealth, gold, food grains and all other materialistic conveniences on us. Similarly, worship of Saraswati develops our power of intellect and worship of Durga surcharges us with divine energy. Therefore, worship of these three forms of the Divine Mother during the Navaratri festival is very beneficial for us.
We acquire divine energy by worshipping Devi. This helps us to perform only sacred actions with our senses. This is the inner meaning of Navaratri festival. (SS Nov 09, pp. 332-333)