Śrī Kātyāyanī Vratā

This chapter describes how the marriageable daughters of the cowherd men worshiped Kātyāyanī to get Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as their husband, and how Kṛṣṇa stole the garments of the young girls and gave the girls benedictions. (Srimad Bhagavatam: 10.22.4) कात्यायनि महा-माये |  महा-योगिन्य् अधिज़्वरि नन्द-गोप-सुतं देवि |   पतिं मे कुरु ते नमः इति मन्त्रं…

Māyā-Śhakti = The Lords Power of Illusion

O Brahmā, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness. In the previous verse it has already been concluded that in any stage of the cosmic manifestation—its appearance, its sustenance, its growth,…

श्री दुर्गासप्तशती पाठ एवं हवन

१. श्री दुर्गासप्तशती पाठ करना नवरात्रिकी कालावधिमें देवीपूजनके साथ उपासनास्वरूप देवीके स्तोत्र, सहस्रनाम, देवीमाहात्म्य इत्यादि के यथाशक्ति पाठ और पाठसमाप्तिके दिन विशेष रूपसे हवन करते हैं । श्री दुर्गाजीका एक नाम ‘चंडी’ भी है । मार्कंडेय पुराणमें इसी देवीचंडीका माहात्म्य बताया है । उसमें देवीके विविध रूपों एवं पराक्रमोंका विस्तारसे वर्णन किया गया है ।…

Bestowing dispassion: Kaalratri

The seventh form of the Mother Divine is said to be Kaalratri. It is a very fierce and terrifying form of the Mother Divine. There can be no form more terrifying than this in the entire Creation but even this terrifying form has a motherly aspect to itand. The Kaalratri form of the Mother Divine…

The epitome of beauty: Mahagauri

The eighth form of the Mother Divine is called Mahagauri. Mahagauri means that form which is  beautiful and resplendent. If you see,  Nature has two extremes. One of the forms is Kaalratri which is  most terrifying and devastating , and on the other hand you see Mahagauri which is the most beautiful and serene form…

Personifying Perfection: Siddhidhatri

The ninth form is called Siddhidhatri. Devi Mahagauri gives you all blessings and boons that you seek for material gains, so that you become content from within and move forward in life. Siddhidhatri form of the Mother Divine blesses you with Siddhis (extraordinary capabilities) so that you do everything with perfection. What does Siddhi mean?…

Top 4 from Devi Saraswati’s classroom

Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge – the one who gives the essence (Saara) to the Self (Swa). Devi Saraswati is the consciousness which vibrates with different types of learning. She is the source of spiritual light, remover of all ignorance and the source of knowledge. #1: Steadfastness: She is often depicted as being seated on a…

The Radiating Kushmanda

The fourth form of the Mother Divine is called Kushmanda. Kushmanda is also the Sanskrit word for ‘pumpkin’. Now, if you even jokingly call someone a ‘pumpkin’, they will feel insulted and charge at you! What does the word Kushmanda really mean? A pumpkin is round. So here, it refers to your Prana (subtle life…

Steady and Sturdy, the gifts of Chandraghanta

The third form of the Mother Divine is Chandraghanta. What does the word Chandraghanta mean? Chandra (Moon) means the mind. The mind keeps having its ups and downs. Usually we fight with our own mind. Negative thoughts  such as jealousy, hatred, etc. come in the mind and one starts struggling to get rid of them,…

When Navratri is celebrated

Color, zest, dance, devotion, prayer…Navratri has multifold significance for anyone celebrating this festival. Though rituals could differ, the feeling of joy and celebration are common. An ode to the festival called Navratri. When Navratri is celebrated, Seasons are in the midst of change And Nature is renewing itself. There is magic in the air –…

The peak of experiences – Shailaputri

The first name of Goddess Durga is Shailaputri. Shaila means the peak. How have the scriptures called Goddess Durga as the daughter of the peak? We usually think this means that the Goddess is the daughter of Mount Kailasa, but this is a very basic or lower level of understanding.  On the path of Yoga,…

Demystifying Brahmacharini

The second name of the Mother Divine is Brahmacharini. What does Brahman mean? That which has no end, no shore nor beginning; That which is omnipresent and beyond which there is nothing; It is the ultimate and all-pervading. Brahmacharini means That which is present in the vastness, that which moves in the infinity. Moving in…

Secret of manifesting the Nav Durga in your daily life

The nine nights of Navratri celebrate and honor the nine different aspects of Mother Divine known as Nava Durga. The Mother Divine manifests Herself in these nine different forms with each form signifying something subtle and deep. Do these forms really exist? Yes, in the most subtle realms of creation. They are not visible in…

Celebration of Navratri & the 3 gunas

Gunas are our innate qualities that can be refined through the Divine consciousness. This Mother Divine is a symbolization of the creation, and the entire creation is made up of five elements. The Devi is Trigunatmika – the owner and master of the three Gunas. She is the storehouse of good qualities. The qualities of…

8 aspects you’ll love to learn about Devi Lakshmi

There are eight aspects to this divine energy that may be bestowed upon us. At different stages in life, different aspects manifest in a person. For example, Dhairya Lakshmi may make a person courageous, but without Vijaya Lakshmi, one would not be victorious. On the three days dedicated to Devi Lakshmi, we pray to the…

The one thing you need to know about Navratri

‘Navratri’ means the ‘nine nights’. ‘Nava’ means ‘nine’, and ‘ratri’ means ‘night’. Nights provide rest and rejuvenation. At night you turn inward (you sleep) and you feel refreshed and rested in the morning. In the same way, Navratri or the Nine Nights is that time (of the year) when you turn inward towards your source….

Devi Durga and the Color Red

Devi Durga and the color red Durga is associated with red. She is depicted as wearing a red saree. Red is the color of dynamism – the ‘moving’ energy. You may be trained and skilled, but if you are not able to move things, people, and efforts in unison, then the results are delayed, and you can’t…

Why is Devi Worshiped?

The energy, which is the womb of the entire creation, which has given birth to all that is, is called Devi, or Divine Mother. Everything in this creation, your body, mind, intellect, ego; the physical and subtle energies, are all the manifestation of that one energy into many different forms, and that one energy is…

Significance of Navratri Yagnas

Ratri (night) is that which gives peace and rest. Just like we rest at night every day, in the same way, twice a year, there is a tradition of taking deep rest by going deep into meditation and rejuvenating our being. And this is usually done during the Chaitra (March-April) and Ashwin(September-October) months of the…