P.J.
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NAVARATRI POOJA
द्वाव्रृत्तयमदंष्ट्राख्यौ नूनं सर्वजनेषु वै।
शरदः सन्तानमनौ दुर्गमौ प्राणिनामिह॥
तस्मात् यत्नतः इदम् कार्यं सर्वत्र शुभमिच्छुना॥(देवीभागवतम्, तृतीयस्कन्धम्, २६ अध्यायः)
Yama is son of Surya. He is called as Dharmaraja. He will not go astray from the righteous path. He condemned the folly done by Chaya Devi, second wife of his father. He is an embodiment of peace for the good. He is a tyrant for the sinners. He has two long and sharp teeth on both sides of his mouth. They are the VASANT and SHARAD RITUS . (Duration of every two months is called a RITU. They are six Ritus: VASANTA, GREESHMA, VARSHA, SHARAD, HEMANTA & SHISHIRA). All the diseases under the sun are YAMA’s servants to fetch the lives of those dead in this world. He is by himself very ferocious in appearance. He is also known as BHAYANKARA. Those who see his long teeth protruding on the sides of the mouth are sure to shudder. In the VASANTH and SHARAD RITUS, the world suffers various diseases. When one undergoes difficulty the word AMMA comes out spontaneous by nature. AMMA is not only the one who has given us the body. She is the mother of all the worlds. The scriptures denote DEVI as AMBIKA. She is in the form of moon. Without her there is no existence. There is a saying in Tamil that SHAKTI ILLAYEL SHIVAM ILLAI which means if there is no Amba there is no Shiva. Amba resides in the lotus heart. She is the place where the entire world resides. She cannot be seen through the naked eyes. There is a proverb in Tamil as “KAANATHATHAI KENATHIL THEDU”.
The feeling of ego that I do everything has not spared even the Devas like in the story where INDIRA DEVI UMA, HIMAVATY alone could clear their illusion.She woke up Vishnu to do good to Suras by winning the Asuras. Even Vishnu could not win MAHISHASURA and BHANDASURA. The trinity of Brahma, Vishnu Shiva along with devas took refuge under AMBA and prayed for the destruction of these two great demons. Will moon ever be hot like summer? Amba, the embodiment of compassion did not want to wage a cruel war. Danger was progressing. Devas lost their position and started serving ASURAS. Sorrow grew beyond limit.
आपदि किं करणीयं स्मरणीयं चरणयुगलमम्बायाः।
तत् स्मरणं किं कुरुते ब्रह्मादीनपि किङ्करीकुरुते॥
When one is in danger what one should do? One should remember the lotus feet of DEVI. How will such remembrance help when one has to suffer due to fate? Such remembrance would make even BRAHMA to render service to the person who remembers. Only for such situations AMBA takes different forms accordingly. She took different names and destructed so many evil doers.
“घोरान्या शिवान्या तनूः”॥
She takes ferocious form like CHANDI, CHAMUNDI, MAHISHASURAMARDINI and also peaceful forms like BALA, LALITHA, RAJESHWARI, TRIPURASUNDARI.
NAVARATRI:
To get the blessings of Devas one has to do penance for thousands of years. But Amba being the mother is not like that. She is easily approachable. She is very happy when her children think about her ,uttering her names. Devas did penance undergoing physical pain to get her grace. To relieve their suffering Ambal appeared on the night of the eight day. On the ninth day she sent a messenger to the Asuras so as to reconcile with them averting a war. She had given them an opportunity to rectify their folly. This attempt is just like administering medicine to the ailing person. When this attempt becomes futile naturally the next remedy is only surgery.
When Devi saw MAHISHASURA, with compassion is her words, she asked him why his intellect is like that of a buffalo’s. She warned him of the consequences of the fight and then having given already an opportunity, she cut his head and placed her lotus feet, which are always in the hearts of great saints, on his head. This form can be seen even today in the temples.
अज्ञानध्वान्तदीपिका is one of the names of Amba which means then she is the one beacon light that removes the darkness of AGNANA and brightens with GNANAM. The colour of a buffalo is black like darkness. The quality is THAMASAM (ie) it is always in the muddy water and when it comes out of it, sprinkles on others too the muddy water. To remove this THAMASAM, one does not have any other way other than surrendering unto DEVI.
During NAVARATHRI in every house, dolls of different varieties and forms are placed in steps and worshipped as KOLU. This is to remind the people that when devas were doing penance without any movement, the whole world came to a standstill. DEVI is in three forms.1.ICHCHA SAKTHI 2.KRIYA SAKTHI 3.GNANA SAKTHI (ie) the power of desire,power of action and power of knowledge.Devi is worshipped as BRAHMADEVI,MAHALAKSHMI,GNANADEVI SARASWATHI.
चेलाजिनकुशोत्तरम् “CHELLA JINA KUSOTH THARAM”,is a saying to describe the procedure to be followed at the time of doing JAPA. When doing japam the seating should be arranged in the following way: First place the dharba grass. Place on it the AJINAM. The skin of the deer or tiger and not cloth. The present form of worship is also as follows first to get rid of the enemy to worship the form of DURGA, to get wealth, MAHALAKSHMI and in the last to obtain the real knowledge SARASWATHI. The VIJAYADASAMI day is the day DEVI won over the demon. It is not an ordinary victory. But a special victory. Usually the days of Saturday and Tuesday are not selected for doing auspicious things. For this day of VIJAYADASAMI, these days are not a bar for celebration. On this day any new work as admitting to the school, to start new business, open a factory, etc. are undertaken which ensures success. During NAVARATHRI days, arts like music, dance, etc find a special place.
During the NAVARATHRI days for the benefit of the world VEDA VIDYA HOMAM, PARAYANAM, ARCHANA, SUVASINI POOJA, KANYA POOJA are celebrated in the kanchi kamakoti peetam and they are really feast to the eyes and ears. Only those people who are gifted have an opportunity to attend these functions.
The details of the kanya pooja performed are given detail below.
Only good looking kanyas without any diseases should be engaged in kanya pooja and they should be given cloth, money, auspicious materials like turmeric, bangles, etc… they should also be fed sumptuously.
Translated by Ramayanam
: kamakoti.org
द्वाव्रृत्तयमदंष्ट्राख्यौ नूनं सर्वजनेषु वै।
शरदः सन्तानमनौ दुर्गमौ प्राणिनामिह॥
तस्मात् यत्नतः इदम् कार्यं सर्वत्र शुभमिच्छुना॥(देवीभागवतम्, तृतीयस्कन्धम्, २६ अध्यायः)
Yama is son of Surya. He is called as Dharmaraja. He will not go astray from the righteous path. He condemned the folly done by Chaya Devi, second wife of his father. He is an embodiment of peace for the good. He is a tyrant for the sinners. He has two long and sharp teeth on both sides of his mouth. They are the VASANT and SHARAD RITUS . (Duration of every two months is called a RITU. They are six Ritus: VASANTA, GREESHMA, VARSHA, SHARAD, HEMANTA & SHISHIRA). All the diseases under the sun are YAMA’s servants to fetch the lives of those dead in this world. He is by himself very ferocious in appearance. He is also known as BHAYANKARA. Those who see his long teeth protruding on the sides of the mouth are sure to shudder. In the VASANTH and SHARAD RITUS, the world suffers various diseases. When one undergoes difficulty the word AMMA comes out spontaneous by nature. AMMA is not only the one who has given us the body. She is the mother of all the worlds. The scriptures denote DEVI as AMBIKA. She is in the form of moon. Without her there is no existence. There is a saying in Tamil that SHAKTI ILLAYEL SHIVAM ILLAI which means if there is no Amba there is no Shiva. Amba resides in the lotus heart. She is the place where the entire world resides. She cannot be seen through the naked eyes. There is a proverb in Tamil as “KAANATHATHAI KENATHIL THEDU”.
The feeling of ego that I do everything has not spared even the Devas like in the story where INDIRA DEVI UMA, HIMAVATY alone could clear their illusion.She woke up Vishnu to do good to Suras by winning the Asuras. Even Vishnu could not win MAHISHASURA and BHANDASURA. The trinity of Brahma, Vishnu Shiva along with devas took refuge under AMBA and prayed for the destruction of these two great demons. Will moon ever be hot like summer? Amba, the embodiment of compassion did not want to wage a cruel war. Danger was progressing. Devas lost their position and started serving ASURAS. Sorrow grew beyond limit.
आपदि किं करणीयं स्मरणीयं चरणयुगलमम्बायाः।
तत् स्मरणं किं कुरुते ब्रह्मादीनपि किङ्करीकुरुते॥
When one is in danger what one should do? One should remember the lotus feet of DEVI. How will such remembrance help when one has to suffer due to fate? Such remembrance would make even BRAHMA to render service to the person who remembers. Only for such situations AMBA takes different forms accordingly. She took different names and destructed so many evil doers.
“घोरान्या शिवान्या तनूः”॥
She takes ferocious form like CHANDI, CHAMUNDI, MAHISHASURAMARDINI and also peaceful forms like BALA, LALITHA, RAJESHWARI, TRIPURASUNDARI.
NAVARATRI:
To get the blessings of Devas one has to do penance for thousands of years. But Amba being the mother is not like that. She is easily approachable. She is very happy when her children think about her ,uttering her names. Devas did penance undergoing physical pain to get her grace. To relieve their suffering Ambal appeared on the night of the eight day. On the ninth day she sent a messenger to the Asuras so as to reconcile with them averting a war. She had given them an opportunity to rectify their folly. This attempt is just like administering medicine to the ailing person. When this attempt becomes futile naturally the next remedy is only surgery.
When Devi saw MAHISHASURA, with compassion is her words, she asked him why his intellect is like that of a buffalo’s. She warned him of the consequences of the fight and then having given already an opportunity, she cut his head and placed her lotus feet, which are always in the hearts of great saints, on his head. This form can be seen even today in the temples.
अज्ञानध्वान्तदीपिका is one of the names of Amba which means then she is the one beacon light that removes the darkness of AGNANA and brightens with GNANAM. The colour of a buffalo is black like darkness. The quality is THAMASAM (ie) it is always in the muddy water and when it comes out of it, sprinkles on others too the muddy water. To remove this THAMASAM, one does not have any other way other than surrendering unto DEVI.
During NAVARATHRI in every house, dolls of different varieties and forms are placed in steps and worshipped as KOLU. This is to remind the people that when devas were doing penance without any movement, the whole world came to a standstill. DEVI is in three forms.1.ICHCHA SAKTHI 2.KRIYA SAKTHI 3.GNANA SAKTHI (ie) the power of desire,power of action and power of knowledge.Devi is worshipped as BRAHMADEVI,MAHALAKSHMI,GNANADEVI SARASWATHI.
चेलाजिनकुशोत्तरम् “CHELLA JINA KUSOTH THARAM”,is a saying to describe the procedure to be followed at the time of doing JAPA. When doing japam the seating should be arranged in the following way: First place the dharba grass. Place on it the AJINAM. The skin of the deer or tiger and not cloth. The present form of worship is also as follows first to get rid of the enemy to worship the form of DURGA, to get wealth, MAHALAKSHMI and in the last to obtain the real knowledge SARASWATHI. The VIJAYADASAMI day is the day DEVI won over the demon. It is not an ordinary victory. But a special victory. Usually the days of Saturday and Tuesday are not selected for doing auspicious things. For this day of VIJAYADASAMI, these days are not a bar for celebration. On this day any new work as admitting to the school, to start new business, open a factory, etc. are undertaken which ensures success. During NAVARATHRI days, arts like music, dance, etc find a special place.
During the NAVARATHRI days for the benefit of the world VEDA VIDYA HOMAM, PARAYANAM, ARCHANA, SUVASINI POOJA, KANYA POOJA are celebrated in the kanchi kamakoti peetam and they are really feast to the eyes and ears. Only those people who are gifted have an opportunity to attend these functions.
The details of the kanya pooja performed are given detail below.
| Day | Age of the Kanya | No. of Kanya | Name | Benefit |
| 1 | 2 | 1 | Kumarika | Enemy Destruction |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | Thrimoorthy | Getting the fruits of Dharma & Artha |
| 3 | 4 | 3 | Kalyani | Proficiency in Education |
| 4 | 5 | 4 | Rohini | Get rid of disease |
| 5 | 6 | 5 | Kalika | Papanasanam |
| 6 | 7 | 6 | Chandika | Improvement of wealth |
| 7 | 8 | 7 | Sambavi | Victory with appeals |
| 8 | 9 | 8 | Durga | Rid of sorrow |
| 9 | 10 | 9 | Subadhra | obtain whatever desired |
Only good looking kanyas without any diseases should be engaged in kanya pooja and they should be given cloth, money, auspicious materials like turmeric, bangles, etc… they should also be fed sumptuously.
Translated by Ramayanam
: kamakoti.org
