Dear Devotee of Maa Durga,

very warm greetings to all of you for Navaratri 2009 starting from 19 Sep 2009.

Navratri, the festival of nights, lasts for 9 days with three days each devoted to worship of Ma Durga, the Goddess of Valor, Ma Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Ma Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge. During the nine days of Navratari, feasting and fasting take precedence over all normal daily activities amongst the Hindus. Evenings give rise to the religious dances in order to worhip Goddess Durga Maa.

Devi/Durga Shlokam

Sarva-mangala-mangalye Shive Sarvaartha-sadhake
Sharanye Trayambake Gauri Narayani Namostute

Explanation
Goddess Parvati is the consort of Lord Shiva and is worshipped as Sakti. The Puranic literature describes her as having many forms, including Durga, Candi, Kali and Uma.While Siva symbolizes the efficient cause of the creation, Sakti symbolizes the material cause.Translation
The one who is the auspiciousness of all that is auspicious (sarvamangalamangalye), the consort of Siva (Sive), who is the means of accomplishing all desires sarvarthasadhake), who is the refuge of all (saranye), the three eyed one(tryambake),the fair complexioned one(Gouri), Salutations to you, Narayani(narayani namostute). Salutations to the consort of Sri Narayana (Sri Lakshmi Devi), who is all auspicisous, who is the Mastress of all, who blesses devotees succeed in their efforts and who is the refuge of all.

Annapoorna Shlokam

Annapoorne Sada poorne, Shankara Pranavallabhe
Gyana Vairagya Sidyartham, Bhikshaam Dehi cha Parvati
Mata cha Parvati Devi, Pita Devo Maheswarah
Baandava Shiva Bhaktyascha, Svadeso BhuvanatrayamAnnapoorne

– the wife of Lord Shiva; She who is full of food; Sadapoorne – who is always full of resources; Sankara – of Lord Sankara(Shiva); Prana – the life-force; energy; Vallabhe – the beloved; Jnana – knowledge; Vairagya – attitude of renunciation; Siddhyartham – to fulfill the purpose of; Bhiksham – alms, food; Dehi – giveus; Namostute – we bow down to YouO Annapurna, Who art ever full, the beloved life-force of Lord Sankara (Shive, O’ Parvathi – grant me alms that I be firmly established in Knowledge and Renunciation. Mother is shakti, father is shiva, relatives are the devotees of shiva and own country is all the three worlds.The festival of Dassehra, also known as Vijayadashmi, is one of the fascinating festivals of India and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm.

Shri Durga Saptashati Kshama Prarthana

Listen on line   The Navratri festival is dedicated to the Mother Goddess. Known by other names such as Durga, Devi, she occupies a special place in the Hindu pantheon. She represents Shakti, the cosmic energy that animates all beings, and is also considered to be prakriti (nature), the counterpart of purusha. Together, they are responsible for the creation of the world according to the Puranas and Vedas (ancient Hindu Scriptures).

Devyah Kavacham

 

This nine-day festival is celebrated in a unique manner. A different form of the Mother Goddess is worshipped on each different day. On the first three days, the Goddess Durga (Goddess of Valour) is venerated. The next three days are spent in the worship of the Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth). and the last three days are a celebration of the Goddess Saraswati (Goddess of Learning and Arts). Together, the three goddesses are worshipped as the feminine equivalent of the Hindu Holy Trinity.
The festival of Navratri also coincides with the festival of Dussehra or Vijaya Dashmi. Vijaya Dashami (literally meaning ‘The Day marking the Triumph of Good over Evil’) falls on the day after Navratri, and is associated with another legend where Lord Rama killed the demon-king Ravana. In the northern parts of India, Ram Lilas draw from the epic, theRamayana, to bring the life and times of Lord Rama back to the common folk through dramatic representations.

MOTHER DURGA
The Saviour from all Sorrows and Dangers.
The Durga Puja is celebrated in various parts of India in different styles. But the one basic aim of this celebration is to propitiate Shakti, the Goddess in Her aspect as Power, to bestow upon man all wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, knowledge (both sacred and secular), and all other potent powers. Whatever be the particular or special request that everyone may put before the Goddess, whatever boon may be asked of Her, the one thing behind all these is propitiation, worship and linking oneself with Her. There is no other aim.

Jai Mata Di – Shri Nav Durga Raksha Mantra

The mother of Durga (that is, the wife of the King of the Himalayas) longed to see her daughter. Durga was permitted by Lord Shiva to visit her beloved mother only for nine days in the year. The festival of Durga Puja marks this brief visit and ends with the Vijaya Dasami day, when Goddess Durga leaves for Her return to Mount Kailas.

This is the view of some devotees.

MOTHER KALI The Destroyer of Demoniac AttributesDevi worship is, therefore, worship of God s glory, of God’s greatness and supremacy. Kali is represented as the consort of god Shiva, on whose body she is often seen standing. She is associated with many other Hindu goddesses like Durga, Bhadrakali, Sati, Rudrani, Parvati and Chamunda. She is the foremost among the Dasa-Mahavidyas, ten fierce Tantric goddesses. MOTHER SARASWATHI The presiding Deity over Creation and DissolutionOnce you have accomplished your task on the negative side, that of breaking down the impure propensities and old vicious habits, the next step is to build up a sublime spiritual personality, to acquire positive qualities in place of the eliminated demoniacal qualities. The divine qualities that Lord Krishna enumerates in the Gita, have to be acquired.

Maha Lakshmi Stotram

Namaste stu mahamaye

sripithe sura-pujite,

Sankha-cakra-gada-haste

mahalaksmi namo stu te.

O Mahamaya, abode offortune, who art worshipped
by the Devas, I saluteThee; O Mahalakshmi, wielder of conch,
disc and mace, obeisance to Thee.

Namaste garudarudhe

kolasura-bhayankari

Sarva-papa-hare devi

mahalaksmi namo stu te.

My salutations toThee, who rides the Garuda and art a terror to Asura Kola;
O Godess Mahalakshmi, remover of all miseries, my obeisance to Thee.

Sarvajne sarva varade

sarva-dusta-bhayankari,

Sarva-dukha-hare devi

mahalaksmi namo stu te.

O Godess Mahalakshmi, who knowest all,

giver of all boons,a terror to all the wicked,

remover of all sorrow, obeisance to Thee.

Siddhi-buddhi-prade devi

bhukti mukti-pradayini

Mantra-Murte sada devi

mahalaksmi namo stu te.

O Godess, giver of intelligence and success
and of worldly enjoyment and liberation, Thou
hast always the mystic symbols as Thy form,
O Mahalakshmi, obeisance to Thee.

Adyanta-rahite devi

adyasakti mahesvari

Yogaje yoga-sambhute

mahalaksmi namo stu te.

O Godess, Maheshwari, without beginning
or an end, O Primveval Energy, born of Yoga,
O Mahalakshmi, obeisance to Thee.

Sthula-suksma-maharaudre

mahasakti-mahodare,

Maha-papa-hare devi

mahalaksmi namo stu te.

O Mahalakshmi,who art both gross and
subtle, most terrible, great power, great prosperity
and great remover of all sins, obeisance to Thee.

Padmasana-sthite devi

parabrama svarupini,

Paramesi jagan matar-

mahalaksmi namo stu te.

O Godess, seated on the lotus, who art the
Supreme Brahman, the great Lord and Mother
of the universe, O Mahalakshmi, obeisance to Thee.

Svetambara-dhare devi

nanalankara-bhushite,

Jagat-sthite jagan-matar-

mahalaksmi namo stu te.

O Godess, robed in white garments and
decked with various kinds of ornaments, Thou
art the mother of the universe and its support,

O Mahalakshmi, obeisance to Thee.

Mahalaksmyastakam stotram

yah pathed bhaktiman narah,

Sarva-siddhim-avapnoti

rajyam prapnoti sarvada.

This hymn to the great Goddessof Wealth,
if read with devotion, will bestow all success,
will grant all worldly position.

Eka-kale pathen nityam

maha-papa vinasanam

Dvi-Kalam yah pathen nityam

dhana-dhanya-samanvitah

If always read once a day, great sins will
be destroyed. If always read twice a day,
wealth and prosperity will ensure.

Tri-kalam yah pathen nityam

mahasatru-vinasanam,Mahalakshmir-bhaven-nityam

prasanna varada subha.

If always read three times a day, the great
enemy(ego) will be destroyed. Mahalakshmi
will be ever pleased with that auspicious one

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