We are midway through the Vasanta (Chaitra) Navaratra. The devout would be engaged in penance seeking boons from goddess Durga. The purpose by and large is driven by the desire to get empowered and being able to face challenges ahead with ease and comfort. Also, successfully negotiate the opportunities likely to unfold and translate them into fruits. Many of the seekers worship an earthen idol of the deity. But is it about seeking power from the inert idolIJ It is something difficult to digest. If, however, we look at the associated philosophical import underlying the idol, it would be found serving a relevant purpose.
Going by common perception, Durga is identified with shakti. But shakti does not mean physical prowess or energy as we understand in modern context. It actually implies self-intelligent energy-mechanism vital to creation, sustenance, and recycling of dynamic existence. Physical prowess is just one dimension. There are two other associated dimensions of shakti, when seen in practical terms: Wisdom and rightful creative-aspiration respectively symbolised by goddesses Saraswati and laxmi. And the three, perceived as co-runners are worshipped in togetherness. In fact, they are three different dimensions of the same creative energy excited by the primordial source — the energy-whole, having all the three dimensions in equilibrated balance before the creation chain got excited. The three, acting upon each other in togetherness hold the key to our dynamic existence. Naturally then, one without the other two would become meaningless. No wonder if you happen to visit Vaishnava Devi temple towards the northern end of the country, you will find three pindas, symbolising the Mother-trinity. Also, at Kamakhya temple in Assam in the east, another shakti-peetha, you have idols of the three deities side by side.
Remember, physical energy as we know, does not have its own drive. It will move the way we wish to direct it – towards productive or destructive ends. So, there has to be a purpose involved which is driven by our desire. Desire again, has to be well reasoned and positively oriented, otherwise it could get misdirected. And the action too, needs to be steered intelligently to bring about desired results. Acknowledging this very truth, not only we simply have presence of all the three in the shakti-peethas mentioned above. During the nine days of the Navaratra regime, the prime focus keeps shifting from Durga to laxmi and then Saraswati, each being assigned three days.
Our learned masters knew in very clear terms that there are no form-gods in existence in the heaven, the way we perceive them. But there are forces vital to our different dynamic functions. And those forces are there within each of us as well. There is a saying: “Yat Brahmande tata pindam”, (As is the cosmos, so is the living world). It implies that we are a product of collective working of all the forces existent in the cosmos, and so are very much available within all of us. All that we are supposed to do is to invoke those forces from within that lie dormant because of our ignorance. But how would you relate and find connect with these invisible forcesIJ
There needs to be a sense of awareness about these forces. We get reminded about the need to holistically pursue these shakti-variants in togetherness. These symbols were accorded the status of deities. In this sense these symbolisms perceived as deities in common parlance could serve a great purpose towards human resource development.
Going through the usual mills of life, one often forgets the fundamentals of life. To remind us the same at regular periodic interval, they designed Navratras twice a year, as a part of our annual calendar. The timing too, has been purposely set. They are set with the onset of two productive cycles of agriculture, the major economic activity in the olden days. They also coincide with two major seasonal changes, which would warrant preparing ourselves to take on the varying dynamics of nature in all strength. So remains the provision of temporarily changing our diet regime during the period, which facilitates cleansing of our internal system, so as to remain in good health. Chanting of mantras help us rejuvenate our energy mechanism, and through the related concepts, we try to become mentally responsive to the fundamentals of life.
With these words I wish the valued readers a very happy Navaratra.
The writer is an astrologer, vastu consultant and spiritual counsellor. Write to him at G-5, Basement, Jungpura Extension, New Delhi 14
Tel: 9818037273/ 24310031
Email: pioneerqueries@bharatastro.com
Website: www.bharatastro.com
