Mystic Mantra: Nine nights of Durga

Sarva Mangala Mangalye
Shive sarvartha sadhike
Sharanye trayambake Gauri Narayani namostute

Vasant Navratri or Chaitra Navratri, as it is called, is a nine-night worship of Goddess Durga of her nine forms. These nine nights represent the nine powers of cosmic forces, which help the universe to create, sustain and reabsorb into the universe.

This Navratri coincides with the spring season wherein new leaves, flowers and plants start to grow again after the old ones have been discarded. The start of a new life is indicated by nature and thus the first day of this Navratri coincides with Yugadi (ugadi) also. Yugadi is made up of two words: “yug” and “adi”. Yug means “new age” and adi means “start”, thus Yugadi means start of a new age, new era, new life and new cycle.

Before Vasant or Yugadi, trees shed all of their old leaves, flowers and fruits and old plants die. Nature does this with two intentions. One to shed what’s old and get an attractive new look and, second, to live longer. In the process of producing new leaves and flowers, trees have to draw extra energy from the earth, environment and the sun so in the process it becomes active and this activity makes it live longer.

This act of nature teaches us to shed our old habits, mental conditions, stale ideas, and allow new ideas, thoughts, vision, behaviour and attitude to grow. When new things grow they are tender, look beautiful and attract others’ attention and the process also gives us a longer and healthy life.

During these nine nights when we worship the nine forms of cosmic powers with surrender and bhakti we get cleansed in the inner compartment of our being and start nurturing a new life. The birth of Lord Ram on the ninth day of this Vasant Navratri signifies the birth of a new divine being within our inner self after the vigorous worship and thus this ninth day is also called Ram Navami.

Lord Ram is known as Maryada Purush. He established the highest levels of principles for a husband, son, brother, ruler, father, etc. We are thus reminded of these maryadas and dharma during Navratri, Yugadi and Ram Navami.