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

Namaste!

Durga Puja (1948)
by Sri Swami Sivananda

Glory to the Benign Mother by whose Grace all that is here, exists! My salutations to Her!

As with the individual, so with the cosmos; nothing is possible without the Mother. Man’s progress—material and spiritual—is bound up inextricably with his mother—human and Divine. The human part of man is moulded almost entirely by his human mother; his character, mental make-up, intellectual faculties—his very being is shaped by mother; that is why Sruti enjoins man to treat his mother as God. This is even more so in the spiritual field. Without the help of Divine Mother no spiritual progress is possible for man. When Indra stands bewildered at the sudden disappearance of the Omnipotent Yaksha, who put to shame the junior deities of Agni and Vayu, Uma comes to his rescue and enlightens him as to the true identity of the Yaksha—the Brahman (Kenopanishad).

The Devi assumes many aspects, according to the tasks to be performed by Her, sometimes sweet and tender, and at others terrible and devouring. But, She is always kind and gracious to Her devotees. Read the Devi Mahatmya. Devi is the deluding power, which binds man to the relentlessly moving wheel of Samsara; She deludes even the wisest of men. Yet She is the one who bestows Moksha on the devotee, who pleases Her. If you pray to Her earnestly like Raja Suratha and Vaisya Samadhi, She will soon appear before you and grant you all boons, including Moksha. There is no doubt about this.

During the Navaratri or the Nine Nights, the whole of India adores the Mother and worships Her with great devotion. On the first three nights, Durga or the Destructive Aspect of the Mother is worshipped. On the succeeding three nights, it is the Creative Aspect or Lakshmi that is adored. And, on the last three nights, the knowledge aspect, or Sarasvati is invoked. The tenth is the Vijaya Dasami Day or the Day of Victory. There is a special significance in this arrangement. When the Devi is worshipped by a devotee, She first destroys the evil propensities that lurk in his mind; then She implants therein, the Daivi Sampat or the divine qualities conducive to spiritual unfoldment; then She bestows true knowledge on him; lastly the aspirant attains liberation or victory over Samsara.

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22nd September to 29th September is the holy nine-day worship of the Divine Mother known as Navaratri. The tenth day, Vijayadasami, concludes the nine-day worship.

The following articles were recently posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:

• Nothing Is an Other
• Fear of Entering the Cosmic Being

Yours in the service of Gurudev,

Pannirselvam

BOOK SYNOPSIS

The Devi Mahatmya
By Swami Sivananda

The Devi Mahatmya or the Durga Saptasati is a unique book in this world. It is the base and the root of the religion of the Saktas. It is a Kamadhenu for one and all; it gives whatever man wants. It gives Bhakti in this world and Mukti afterwards. It is a powerful reservoir of Mantras from the beginning to the end. Every verse of this text is a dynamic force which acts powerfully in overhauling the nature of man.

The conception of the Infinite as Mother is not an altogether meaningless one. The Rigveda bears testimony to the fact that even in such ancient times, there was the persistent belief that the Ruler is the All-compassionate Mother. Further, Mother is the personality that appeals most to the human heart, not so much the Father who is considered a hard task- master. Moreover the conception of the Divinity as Devi, Durga or Sri, is not merely a theory but a practical way of life. It is a particular view which cannot be set aside. It is as important as any school of religious belief, and is one of the most important reigning branches of Hindu religion--Vaishnavism, Saivism and Saktaism. Even a subtle philosopher cannot dispense with the conception of Sakti, for he is essentially an embodiment of Power, and he has love for power. The highest Intelligence and the most speculative metaphysics is only a manifestation of Jnana-Sakti and is not outside the range of Saktaism. Let us therefore adore and worship the Glorious Mother for the purpose of attaining Wisdom or Self- realisations.

For more information, please see: The Devi Mahatmya

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NON-BONA FIDE PERSONS PREFERRED: A man who had come to join the Ashram for good showed the Master various certificates, which revealed that he had been working as an electrical superintendent.

After going through the certificates, the Master said, “You are an electrical superintendent. We do not want such big people here.”

The man said, “I showed these certificates only to prove my bona fides, so that you may take me in the Ashram as an ordinary inmate.”

“I take bona fide as well as non-bona fide persons. I make no distinction. On the other hand, I prefer to take non-bona fide persons, because bona fide persons will be taken by all institutions.”

“Navaratri is the most suitable occasion in the year to perform intense Sadhana. These nine days are most sacred. Just imagine the tremendous wave of spiritual vibration, which should sweep the land when millions of people, all over the world repeat the names of the Mother and sing Her glories! All the Devas are ever present in their subtle forms, where the names of Mother are uttered. They would bless you and help you on. You will receive valuable assistance from unknown sources, from the Rishis and Siddhas, if you do intense Sadhana during these nine days.” – Swami Sivananda

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