Veda is the book of all truths. Vedas are beyond human powers. Vedas are the words of God. Vedas are the root of all true knowledge. Therefore one should believe only in Veda Vidya. The only way to attain God is Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pratyahara, Dhyana, Dharana and Samadhi recommended by Maharishi Patanjali. In the first chapter of Satyarth Prakash written by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, it has been said that Dev or Devi are secondary names of God. God can be called in masculine or feminine gender or neuter gender. The divine power of God itself is divine which is corrupted and called Devi. Regarding God, it is written in the Vedas that there cannot be any image or statue of that God – Na Tasya Pratima Asti. To worship idols is to worship roots. This dulls the intellect. Ignorance and darkness are promoted. Due to which one commits sin. Therefore, neither any idol of that divine power, God, should be made nor the idol should be worshipped.
But denying this Vedic truth, people make idols of Gods and Goddesses and place them in temples etc. and worship those idols on many occasions including Navratri.
In India, there has been a historical, rich and wide tradition of celebrating Navratri festival with joy and pomp since ancient times. According to the belief, all the wishes are fulfilled by worshiping Goddess Durga wholeheartedly. Nine forms of Shakti are worshiped during these days. Therefore this festival is celebrated for nine days, which is called Navratri.
Navratri has two words – Nav and Ratra. The word nine denotes number, and night means the group of nights, i.e., the particular time. This Navratri word has a wonderful blend of number and time. Sound Navratri- Navratri is the combination of new nights. Night and day in the male. (Panini 2/4/9) and the night before the number. (Clevam Ltd. Sukta 131). Similarly, Dviratra, Triratra, Pancharatra (the terms Vishnuratra, Indraratra, Rishiratra etc. are also used in Pancharatra etc. with enlightening meanings), Ganaratra etc. are diphthong compound words. Thus this word confirms the Agnisomatmak duality (Gemini) as the creator-keeper of the world. Adyashakti Bhagavati herself says:
The sixth annual Mahapooja is performed in the autumn.
Hearing this greatness of Mine in her he was filled with devotion.
He was freed from all obstacles and was endowed with wealth, grain and children.
By My grace man will undoubtedly prosper
-Devi Mahatmya, Phalashruti, Twelfth Chapter 12-1
That is, my annual great worship i.e. Navratri worship is done in the autumn season, (the great worship of me is done in the annual Vasanti Navratri in the beginning of the year i.e. Navratri of Chaitra and in the autumn – Ashwin Navratri, this is also expressed in this way.), This Devi Mahatmya (Saptashati) of mine should be recited or heard with devotion and devotion. By doing this, undoubtedly, by my grace, man becomes free from all kinds of obstacles and becomes prosperous with money, grains, animals, children etc.
Although there are basically six vital seasons of human life, there are mainly only two – winter (winter) and summer (summer). Ashwin means autumn to winter and Chaitra means spring to summer. These two seasons also become a boon for the world, Gemini (couple). She gives a respectful gift of a couple of wheat (Agni) from one and rice (Soma) from the other. This is the reason why these two Navratri Navgauri or Navratri of Parabrahma Shri Ram and Navdurga or Navratri of everyone’s Aadya Mahalakshmi became universally accepted.
Navratri always marks the transition period of two main seasons – the first from Chaitra Shukla Pratipada to Chaitra Shukla Navami in the month of Chaitra when summer starts after winter and the second from Ashwin Shukla Pratham to Ashwin Shukla in the month of Ashwin when winter starts after the rains. Comes till Navami. The chances of falling ill are high only during winter and after rain. This period of two months of seasonal change, the last seven days of the passing month and the first seven days of the coming month, a total of fourteen days, is called Ritu Sandhi. After these two Navratri i.e. winter and rainy season, at the time of change of seasons i.e. during the seasonal transition period, all our Agni (gastric fire) and Bhutagni (bhutagni) decrease and the immunity of the body also decreases. There is a greater possibility of food items being contaminated at this time.
Due to this, the possibility of contracting various diseases increases immensely during this seasonal period and its surrounding periods. In this season fever, diarrhea, enteric fever, stomach burning, sour belching, dengue, fever, malaria. How many diseases arise like viral fever, allergy etc. Navratri is an Ayurvedic festival to prevent such diseases. There is a spiritual, natural, Ayurvedic, scientific and health related mystery behind this Indian festival tradition called Navratri.
Ashvani Nakshatra i.e. Sharadiya Navratri and Chaitra i.e. Vasantiya Navratri, which fall during the transition period of two main seasons, both have their own significance. On natural basis Navratri occurs before the beginning of summer and winter. This is a celebration of the change in nature. During both these periods of Navratri, the length of day and night is equal. The festival of Navratri is celebrated at this time. Ayurveda works on the principles of protecting human health and treating the disease of the patient. Navratri fast, fasting, vigil etc. are observed for nine days during Navratri. And the nine gates of the body are made aware. The word ‘Nav Dwar’ has appeared in Vedic literature – Navdwara Puradehi.
That is, our body is the city of nine doors.
There are nine gates in the body – two ears, two eyes, two nostrils, one mouth and two sensory organs, i.e. the stool gate and the urine gate. The darkness prevailing in these nine doors should be gained through rituals by meditating and pondering over each of the senses doors one night at a time, thinking about what kind of characteristics and auras they have. And what kind of science is theirs? How can they be used for better functioning of the body? The name of the time for such contemplation, contemplation and thoughts is Navratri. In this way, the night covering the new door means darkness. The process of bringing from darkness to light is called awakening. Jagran means to be aware. There is no such thing as night for an alert person. Night is for those who are not aware.
Therefore, those who become aware of the soul go to the country of God and they do not come during Navratri. The nine months of living in the mother’s womb are also a form of night, because there too there is darkness, Rudra rejoices there and there is impurity of urine. The soul resides in it for nine months and creates the body. There is terrible darkness there. Therefore, a person who remains aware of the nine gates and does not allow impurities to enter them, does not go into this darkness of the new month, where human life becomes very painful. There is so much darkness there that humans can neither exchange ideas there, nor do any research nor go into science.
To destroy this darkness, in the Indian tradition, it has been prescribed for husband and wife to perform the ritual of ‘Daiva Yagya’ in their lives. The meaning of Daiva Yagya is to make the light aware, to awaken it. The meaning of divine light is to try to inculcate divine knowledge and science in oneself. The same blissful light, which is described in the Vedas, and which the sages tried to know. In this, Mother Nature is worshipped, so that the atmosphere becomes pure and the food does not get contaminated. At this time, various types of plants mature in the womb of Mother Earth. That is why scholars and intellectual beings pray to Goddess Durga, that is, while worshiping nature, they pray to Mother Goddess to fill their house with these loving plants.
However, the Vedic form of Navratri has changed, and currently, Goddess Shailputri is worshiped as Goddess Parvati on the first day of Navratri by making an idol. On the second day, Brahmacharini Devi, who represents the youthful form of Goddess Parvati, is worshipped. On the third day, Goddess Chandraghanta, who assumes the form of Prashant, is worshipped. On the fourth day, Goddess Kushmanda, who is fierce and furious, is worshipped. On the fifth day, Kartikeya’s mother Goddess Skandamata is worshipped. On the sixth day, Goddess Katyayani, who attained Lord Vishnu through her penance, is worshipped. On the seventh day, Goddess Kalratri is worshiped in the form of Kali Mata. On the day of Ashtami, Goddess Mahagauri, a symbol of religion and devotion, is worshipped. On the day of Navami, Goddess Siddhidatri, the giver of all siddhis, is worshipped. The last day of Navratri is Vijayadashami (Dussehra), which is considered a symbol of the victory of Goddess Durga.