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. It is the time of the year to spend with yourself, nurturing and rejuvenating yourself through prayers, chants, meditation, fasting, and other spiritual practices, and coming out feeling refreshed, renewed and creative. This is the significance and the true spirit of Navratri.

Navratri is celebrated to glorify the spirit in us. The spirit in us alone can destroy all negative qualities (inertia, pride, obsession, cravings, aversions, etc). By turning inward during Navratri, and getting in touch with the spirit within, we can overcome these negative tendencies and invoke the position qualities that are within us, thus feeling elevated and renewed.

“There are 64 divine mother impulses which govern the subtle creation. These are responsible for restoring all earthly and spiritual benefits. They are simply part of one’s awakened consciousness. These nine nights are celebrated to rekindle those divine impulses and celebrate the innermost depth of our lives.”

As said by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
The Art of Living Founder

Devi durga and the red colour

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 be effective. When you pray to Durga, she brings forth dynamism in you to make things move.
Durga is also referred to as ‘Jaya Durga’ or the one who brings victory.

The Nav Durga

The Nav Durga are the nine aspects of theDurga Shakti which act like a shield to ward off all negativities. When you have obstacles or mental blocks, just remembering these qualities of the Devican remove your mental blocks. For people suffering from anxiety, self-doubt, fear, simply chanting the names of theDevi can elevate your consciousness and make you more centered, courageous and composed.

Mahishasuramardhini form of Durga

The Devi Durga, in Her form as Mahishasuramardhini, is the destroyer of Mahisha. The word Mahisha means buffalo which is a symbol of laziness, lethargy, and inertia. These are the qualities which impede the spiritual and material progress of an individual. The Devi is a storehouse of positive energy and any trace of laziness or inertia dissolves in her very presence.

 

 “The first three days of Navratri celebrate the Devi in the form ofDurga. In the presence of Durga Shakti, negative forces fade away. She transforms negativity into positivity.”

As said by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
The Art of Living Founder