Navratri — Nine nights of autumn (26/09)

Navaratri is considered one of the most important Vedic holidays. Navratri is also called the days of the Divine Mother. The holiday begins on the first day of the lunar month of Ashwin and lasts nine days — from here Nine nights of autumn, during which the Divine Mother, or Goddess (Davy), is revered.

The Divine Mother appears as One One, but she is revered in three forms — as Durga, as Lakshmi and as Saraswati. The Divine Mother is the Mother of the entire universe, and all people are recognized as her children.

During the first three days of Navratri, emphasis is placed on removing the rougher, superficial obstacles with the help of Goddess Durga. A person's heart is polluted by anger, greed, hatred, passion (lust), pride, jealousy and the like. These «heart invaders» must be eliminated and the heart purified. Durga appears as a warrior goddess who is in constant confrontation with evil.

Over the next three days, Navratri is revered by the same Davy in Her creative aspect — Goddess Lakshmi. Standing on a blossoming lotus and holding lotus flowers in her hands, Lakshmi symbolizes the opening. She is the embodiment of gentleness, harmony and perfection, and man knows Her favor in the form of material and spiritual success and prosperity. Lakshmi supports and nourishes the creative expression of the soul. Durga destroys the dilapidated remains of old vices — Lakshmi gives virtues. Durga performs surgery to remove the diseased part of the mind, — Lakshmi performs healing.

The last three nights of Navratri are dedicated to the veneration of Goddess Saraswati, who bestows wisdom. Saraswati comes to make us enlightened, showing us the hidden: unmanifested powers and the potential wealth of the soul. Saraswati — Goddess of Wisdom — allows us to go beyond the barriers of our ego and experience the transcendental dimension. Creative abilities begin to unfold. Saraswati destroys ignorance and shows the radiance and grandeur of consciousness.

The climax of honoring Davy — achieving the realization of «Y» — is symbolized by the celebration of Vijaya-Dashami, the celebration of Davy's final victory over all demons on the tenth day of Navratri.

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