Om Sri Durgayai Namah!
Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya!
Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya!
Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!

Namaste!

Navaratri Durga Puja, Its Significance -- 1946
by Sri Swami Sivananda

Religious observances, traditional worship and Vratas at times have more than one significance. Apart from being the adoration of the Divine, they are commemorative of stirring bygone events, allegoric when interpreted from the Occult standpoint, and lastly deeply significant pointers and revealing guides to the Jiva on his path to Realisation.

Outwardly, the nine days’ worship of Devi or the Mother is in the nature of a Vijaya-Utsava. These nine days’ triumph are offered to the Mother for Her successful struggle with the formidable demons led by Sumbha and Nisumbha. But to the spiritual aspirant in his life of Sadhana, the particular division of the Navaratri into sets of three days to adore different aspects of the Supreme Goddess has got a very sublime yet thoroughly practical truth to reveal. In its cosmic aspect it epitomises the stages of the evolution of Man into God, from Jivahood to Sivahood. In its individual import it shows the course that his spiritual Sadhana should take.

Now, the central purpose of existence is to recognise your eternal identity with the Supreme Spirit. It is to grow into the image of the Divine. The Supreme One embodies the highest perfection. It is spotless purity, Niranjana. To recognise your identity with That, to attain union with That, is verily to grow into the very likeness of the Divine. The Sadhaka has, therefore, as the initial step, to get rid first of all the countless impurities, and the undivine elements that have come to cling to him in his embodied state. Then he has to acquire lofty virtues, auspicious Divine qualities. Thus purified and rendered full of Sattva, Knowledge flashes upon him like the brilliant rays of the Sun upon the crystal waters of a perfectly calm lake.

This process of Sadhana implies resolute will, determined effort and arduous struggle. In other words, strength, infinite Sakti, is the prime necessity. It is the Divine Mother, Supreme Sakti of Brahman, that has to operate through the aspirant. Then consider how on the first three days Mother is adored as Power, Force—Durga the Terrible. You pray to Mother Durga to destroy all your impurities, your vices, your defects. She is to fight with and annihilate the baser animal qualities in the Sadhaka, the lower Asura in his nature. Also, She is the Power that protects your Sadhana from its many dangers and pitfalls. Thus the first three days, marking the first stage of destruction of Mala (impurities) and determined effort and struggle to rout out the evil Vasanas in your mind, are set apart for the worship of the Destructive aspect of the Mother.

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October 19th is the holy Vijaya Dasami. It marks the conclusion of the nine-day worship of the Divine Mother known as Navaratri.

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We are beginning to make available our ebooks in the epub and mobi file formats. This will enable you to read the books comfortably on your mobile device. For this week, we have posted Sri Swami Sivanandaji's Mind--Its Mysteries and Control. You may click on the .epub or .mobi links to download the same.

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The following article has been posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:

• Swamiji Answers Questions about Hinduism from American Christians

 

Yours in the service of Gurudev,

Pannirselvam

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BOOK SYNOPSIS

God As Mother
by Sri Swami Chidananda

During the Navaratra Durga Puja at the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, in 1953 (8th to 17th October), Revered Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj delivered a series of most illuminating lectures on “God as Mother” which have been brought together in a book form.

These lectures contain in them an inspiring message to all sections and strata of mankind. That it has already gone through three editions before this, gives ample credence that it was well received by readers. Besides being out of print for quite some time, we felt it most fitting to bring out this fourth edition under the auspices of the Amrita Mahotsava of Pujya Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj.

For more information, please see: God As Mother

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20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/-
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40% Special Discount on the following Pictorial Volumes of Worshipful Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji and Worshipful Sri Swami Chidanandaji:

1. ES8 Glorious Vision                Rs. 650
2. ES4 Gurudev Sivananda        Rs. 250 
3. EC70 Ultimate Journey           Rs. 500
4. EC71 Divine Vision                 Rs. 300

Please visit our online bookstore for further details:
http://www.dlsbooks.org/

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PAST BIRTH: A man wanted to know about his past birth. Obsessed by this strange desire, he approached the Master, pleading to him pathetically to let him know about his past. The Master closed his eyes for a few seconds, but when he opened them, he did not answer the visitor’s plea but started to attend to other work. When the poor visitor persisted, the Master told him, rather grimly, “Maharaj, you will be terrified if I told you what you were in your previous birth.”

The visitor did not pursue the matter.

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“Nowadays many ignorant Sadhakas aim straight at the acquisition of Knowledge without the preliminaries of purification and acquisition of Daivi Sampath and complain that they are not progressing in the Path. How can they? Knowledge will not descend till the impurities are washed out, and purity is developed. Nor can the Sattvic plant grow on impure soil.” – Swami Sivananda

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