Understanding Devi

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

Durga is also referred to as 'Jaya Durga' or the one who brings victory.

• Durga and the color red

  Durga is associated with red. She is depicted as wearing a red saree. Red is 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.

• The Nav Durga

  The Nav Durga are the nine aspects of the Durga Shakti which act like a shield to ward off all negativities. When you have obstacles or mental blocks, just remembering these qualities of the Devi can remove your mental blocks. For people suffering from anxiety, self-doubt, fear, simply chanting the names of the Devi 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 next three days of Navratri honor the Devi in the form of Lakshmi. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Wealth is a vital ingredient bestowed upon us for the maintenance and progress in our life. It is much more than just having money. It means abundance in knowledge, skills and talents. Lakshmi is the energy that manifests as the complete spiritual and material well-being of a person.

There are eight aspects to this divine energy that may be bestowed upon us:

• Adi Lakshmi

  Is the memory of the source. When we forget that we are part of the entire creation, we feel small and insecure. Adi Lakshmi is that aspect which connects us to our source, thus bringing strength and calmness to the mind.

• Dhana Lakshmi

  Is the aspect of material wealth.

• Vidya Lakshmi

  Is the aspect of knowledge, skills and talents.

• Dhanya Lakshmi

  Manifests as wealth in the form of food. It is said that we become what we eat. The right amount of food and right type of food, eaten at the right time and place, affects the body and mind positively.

• Santana Lakshmi

  Manifests as wealth in the form of progeny and creativity. People full of creativity, skills, and talents are bestowed with this aspect of Lakshmi.

• Dhairya Lakshmi

  Manifests as wealth in the form of courage.

• Vijaya Lakshmi

  Is the aspect that manifests as victory.

• Bhagya Lakshmi

  Is the aspect of good luck and prosperity.

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. So on the three days dedicated to Devi Lakshmi, we pray to the Divine Mother to bestow us with all these aspects of wealth.

The final three days of Navratri are dedicated to Saraswati.

Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge - the one who gives the essence (Saara) Self (Swa). She is often depicted as being seated on a rock. Knowledge, like a rock, is a steadfast support. It stays with us at all times.

Saraswati plays the veena, a musical instrument the mellifluous notes of which bring harmony and peace to the mind. Similarly, spiritual knowledge brings relaxation and celebration into one's life.

Her vehicle is a swan. It is said that if a mixture of milk and water is given to a swan, it will drink just the milk. This symbolizes the power of discrimination (viveka), using which we must take the positive from life and leave the negative.

There are peacocks accompanying the Devi. A peacock dances and displays its glorious colors just before the rains, and not all the time. This energy of the divine gives one the ability to express the right knowledge in the right atmosphere, and at the right time.

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.