Navratri festival is dedicated to Shakti, the Divine Feminine. She is the Divine Mother who creates and sustains the Universe. During the 9 nights of Navratri, 9 forms of the Goddess are worshipped. This is also a time for spiritual practices or Sadhana. Devotees chant Mantras, meditate and observe fast to purify their body, mind, and soul in order to connect with the Goddess and invoke her help to destroy all forms of negativity that hinder our material and spiritual progress.
Navratri glorifies our inner spirit, which alone can destroy negative qualities like laziness, pride, ego, inertia, obsession, cravings, hatred, envy, jealousy, etc. It is a time to turn inward so that we can focus on and overcome the negative tendencies that lurk within us. Only then can we discover the positive qualities within us. This process of self-purification and rejuvenation is essential to realize the Divine.
Navratri falls during the autumn season. At this time, nature is in a state of transformation. These nine nights are very holy due to the presence of subtle energies in the environment at this time of the year. These energies can help us in our inward journey. Hence, spiritual practices like prayers, chanting, and meditation are more effective now.
Subtle creation is ruled by 64 divine mother energies or sacred feminine forces. These have the power to restore all earthly and spiritual benefits and are also part of one's awakened consciousness. Navratri is a 9-day celebration to rekindle these divine energies.
Navratri Yagnas
Navratri celebrations include many Yagnas and Homas, which are performed to eliminate the misery, sorrow, and pain in the world, and also to usher in peace. They also protect the environment by making people honor and worship Mother Earth, who represents the Divine Mother.
‘Ratri’ means ‘night,’ a time to rest. Navratri is celebrated twice a year, in spring and autumn. During these times, we go into a state of rest through meditation and other spiritual practices. This has the effect of rejuvenating us. Vasant Navratri occurs in Chaitra month (March-April), while Sharad Navratri occurs in Ashwin month (September-October).
During the solstice, the moon is at one extreme, but during Navratri, the moon becomes more centered. This enables us to embark on deep meditation and experience a state of deep rest (the moon exerts an influence on our mind). To experience this rest, arose the tradition of performing different Poojas, Yagnas (Homas), and other spiritual practices like meditation and chanting to honor the Supreme Goddess.
Yagnas or Homas are performed during Navratri to increase the benefits of devotees’ spiritual practices. The belief is that when groups of people do something, the benefits are more, and they also come sooner. So when a group does meditation, the group consciousness elevates you faster.
The Power of Yagnas
Yagnas are part of our ancient knowledge. They help purify the environment, the person, and the subtle level of consciousness. They can remove negativity and generate positivity.
The Goddess is essentially a pure and vibrant energy. The Yagna helps to bring this energy down from the subtle plane to the gross with the help of the five elements, Yantras (diagrams) and Mantras (chants). When this divine energy comes into contact with the Earth element, it purifies the physical atmosphere, the subtle atmosphere, and also those who take part in the Yagna.
The 3 aspects of a Yagna
A Yagna has 3 important aspects.
Deva Pooja: This ritual acknowledges and honors all the attributes of the Divine.
Sangatikarana (unification): This ritual quickens the process of evolution by uniting all the 5 elements (Air, Water, Fire, Earth, and Ether).
Dana (the act of giving): This aspect involves sharing what one has.
When these three aspects combine, they form a Yagna.
Different Yagnas have different purposes. There are Yagnas for wealth, happiness, health, progress, overcoming enemies, removing obstacles, etc. In each Yagna, several different things are done in a prescribed manner to produce a particular result.
It is also a Yagna when groups of people come together to meditate, sing Bhajans, or chant Mantras. This has the effect of creating a field of harmony or sattva, which is very much like the effect of a Yagna.
Benefits of Yagnas
Yagnas can neutralize negative energies like anger, greed, envy, jealousy, frustration, and hatred.
The many benefits of taking part in Yagnas include good health, strong faith, and intellect. Faith becomes deeper, and the mind becomes sharp. The other benefits are heightened consciousness, strength, valor, ability to discern, long life, wealth, etc.
