varahi navarathiri

[guruvayurappan]

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kindly give details about varahi navarathri ,why it is conducted and benefit obtained

 

[sangom]

vārāhi is one of the mātṛkā devis , a group of goddesses who are either seven or eight according to the text concerned. The usually accepted lot is Brahmani, Maheshvari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani, Chamunda. There are different stories about these heptapad as well as of each of these.

vārāhi, to put it simply, is the female form of the boar (varaaha) avataara. devi māhātmyam, mārkaṇḍeya purāṇam, vāmana purāṇam, varāha purāṇa, matsyapurāṇa, are some of the scriptures which refer to vārāhi. The origin, exploits and miscellaneous details about vārāhi differ from one text to another. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varahi)It will, therefore, be clear to any ordinary reader even, that vārāhi is like a stop-gap goddess, brought in according to the convenience and imaginative faculties of the person who wrote each of these texts.

Now, coming to navarātris : the seasons according to our tradition are six and there are five navarātris - vasanta, grīṣma (āṣāḍha), śarad, hemanta(pauṣa), śiśira (māgha). The only ṛtu in which navarātri is not prescribed is the varṣaṛtu or rainy season, and the reason is obvious-people would have found it very difficult to assemble and celebrate plus, the rainy season comes in the cāturmāsya period when austerities are supposed to be observed even otherwise. Roughly this cāturmāsya denotes sun's transit of the southern part of the celestial equator (dakṣiṇāyana) when the old vedic people living in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab would have felt the change of weather from hot to cold, and might have resorted to the austerities in order to brace themselves up to face the coming winter.

The navarātri starts with the first day after new moon and extends upto the ninth day during the bright half. Hindu lunar months ommenced on the first day after new moon or full moon according to the custom followed in different regions/ different groups. Thus for those who reckoned their month from the first day after new moon, navarātris fall at the commencement of the month. In the National Calendar the months are reckoned in a different way; it is a solar calendar though it borrows the ancient month names.

Despite whatever the scriptures may say about vārāhi navarātri or any navarātri for that matter, and its results etc., I think only the vasanta navarātri had been observed from the ancient past; the rest are later fabrications. vārāhi navarātri is important to the Tantriks who worship her at night through vāma mārga practices scuh as what the coḷī mārgis observe.

Since you seem to be very keen on observing the festival, given below are the gems of advice which I found in this webpage (Yahoo! Groups - Join or create groups, clubs, forums & communities

Varahi Sadhana

During these ashadha navaratri , varahi has to be worshipped at each night with potatoes, pomegranate fruits, lotus, nut varieties, milk pudding, honey and madhubarka.

Iniciates can offer buffalo milk mixed with brown sugar,saffron, elaichi,lavangka,

For wealth one has to do archana with red lotus or red orleander flower.

For vaak siddhi, citta suddhi , archana has to be done with white lotus or white orleander.

For peace of mind, varahi must be worshipped with jasmine flowers.

The tantra sastra says that sree varahi will bless the sadhaka with mountains of emerald (maragata ratna) if the sadhaka does archana with pomegranate fillings. This simply means the sadhaka will be blessed with everlasting sowbagya and aiswarya.

Worshipping varahi with pomegranate flowers blesses one with love and affection among family and friends. Even separated couples will get reunited.

For shatru nashan varahi devi must be worshipped with blue lotus, or nilotphala flower.

By worshipping varahi with red flowers at night, all kinds of graham doshas and fears are removed.
…………………………………………………………………….

The fifth day of ashadha navaratri is the most important day . Its known as ashadha panchami. This is the most important night of varahi. On this day all devi sadhakas should worship amba varahi at midnight. Its believed that amba varahi appears on this night and blesses the person who worships her with her grace. All kinds of difficulties are removed by varahi's grace. Ashadha panchami is the crowning glory of this navaratri. The tantras says that Maha Varahi manifested on this day at midnight as siddha panchami devi.

Chanting varahi kavaca, varahi anugrahashtaka, varahi nigrahaashtaka, varahi sahasranama, varahi trishati , varahi ashtotra satha namavali, or the aadhi varahi stotra attracts varahi's grace.

FOR INICIATES (sic)

Iniciates can perform varahi avarana puja / homa.

This is the most auspicious time to do purascarana of of laghu vartali, swapna varahi , ashwaruudha , and maha varahi mantras.

Tarpana for varahi mantras should be done with tender coconut water only . Coconut water should never be used!

Suvashini puja and suvashini bojana are very important in varahi purascarana.

 

[guruvayurappan]

i am not interested to perform the pooja. i wanted to know about the pooja 7 the benefits derived . you have give me very nice narration .namaskaram

 

[DURGADASAN]

Dear Sangom Uncle
Superb Explanations. Some more additions.

Devi Varahi is considered as one of the Senapathi of shri matha Lalitha Thripurasundari. She is famely known as "Thandini". She has her own chakra for invokation and is called "giri Chakra". The colour to please varahi is yellow. Sadhaka should wear yellow colour dress and apply turmeric to devi varahi to please her. Its is not simple to get the grace of devi varahi, but one who gets her grace has nothing to get in this 14 lokas.

Devi Akilandeswari is believed to be the amsa devatha of Shri Varahi matha.

Pranams

 

[sangom]

Dear Sangom Uncle
Superb Explanations. Some more additions.

Devi Varahi is considered as one of the Senapathi of shri matha Lalitha Thripurasundari. She is famely known as "Thandini". She has her own chakra for invokation and is called "giri Chakra". The colour to please varahi is yellow. Sadhaka should wear yellow colour dress and apply turmeric to devi varahi to please her. Its is not simple to get the grace of devi varahi, but one who gets her grace has nothing to get in this 14 lokas.

Devi Akilandeswari is believed to be the amsa devatha of Shri Varahi matha.

Pranams

Thank you Shri Durgadasan. I am aware that you are a staunch Devi devotee and are probably also enamoured of the tantrik devis, their worship, the siddhis which are believed to fall under the control of devotees who successfully complete the upasana of such deities, etc. But Adi Sankara (I have read this somewhere but am not able to locate the source) says categorically that anyone worshipping (upaasate) vinayaka or the saptamatrikas will go to the realm of bhootaganas and will repeatedly come back here; i.e., such upaasana will not give mukti but will condemn one to rebirth.

Since I do not have much belief in either of the above, I will like to avoid further discussion. But you may like to consult some authority on Sankara and his works and verify if what I have written is true. If it is wrong, please feel free to post the advice you get.

 

[DURGADASAN]

Dear Uncle

This is the first time am hearing like this. But it might be true. Because, these sapthamathas are just upanga devathas only and are not prime deities. They are actually worshipped for getting some siddhis only and they actually provide them to their devotees. Also the worshipping procedure for them comes under the VAmachara. Might be regarding these things, shankaracharya may come to this conclusion.

But wherever devi varahi is worshipped, we should also think that there is one more superior devatha (Devi lailthamba) ahead her. Worshipping her is also very simple and she is filled with compassion. She is the head one among the 6 religions established by shankara guru.

Pranams

 

[nannilam_balasubramanian]

There is a big Temple in Thirumeeyachur, where Goddess Lalithambika
is the main deity. Adhi Shankara has scripted few stotras over Goddess
Lalithambika in praise of her.


Varaahi Navaratri is otherwise said as Aashada Navaratri, Shakambari Navaratri,
Gayatri Navaratri etc. just like Vasantha Navaratri. I had once an opportunity the
see the festival at Varahi Temple at Mylapore and also at Sholinganallur. Since
I am hailing from Tanjore side, I know celebration used to take place there.

Balasubramanian
Ambattur

 

[guruvayurappan]

very nice to note that sri Akilandeswari (my ishta deavatahi)is amsha devathai of sri varahi.thanks for the information.

 

[DURGADASAN]

Respected Guruvayurappan sir

Devi Akilandeswari is the amsa devatha of shri Thandini sakthi. Similarly Devi Meenakshi is the amsa devatha of shri Manthrini shakti. Thandini uses her body power to control the enemies, whereas the manthrini uses her mind power. Both are essential energies.

Since you quoted that your ishta devatha is devi akilandeswari, you might be knowing this. But for some readers' sake, am posting this. Most of the devotees who comes to Thiruvanaikoil temple thinks this also as a normal temple considering Devi Akilandeswari as wife and Jambukeswara as her consort. But is not true here actually. Devi Akila is a student in this temple, where she is still learning vedas and agamas from her guru Jambukeswara. For that guruvandhanam only, she is performing daily poojas to jambukeswara.

For the sake of Palliyarai pooja (Artha jama pooja), separate idols of meenakshi and sundareswara is there and they are only taken into the palliyarai everyday.
This shows the clear sambandham of devi akilandeswari and meenakshi.

For devi akilandeswari, her "thadangam" is of special importance. (It is made of shiva chakra and sakthi chakra); For devi Meenakshi, her nose stud is of importance. Why is it so??? For the person, who strongly believes in his own power has to lend his ears always, it should be open always to hear the problems of other poor people and to help them with his power. So, devi akilandeswari is well-known always with her earrings. Whereas, for the person who can solve all other's remedies simply by his speech and using his mental power, his crystal clear mind is necessary. This can be achieved by "pranayama" and other breathing exercises. Without breathing we cannot even live. The nose stud clears all the dust from the air and purifies it and send it into the nasal cavity, which in turn sends purified oxygen into blood, which circulates into brain and keeps it healthy. So, here "nasabharanam" is important.

Also in devi akilandeswari temple, the special function of "Pancha prakara Ula" is very peculiar and you cannot see it in anyother temples. In this function, swami will be disguised as ambal and devi will be decorated as swami. To teach a lesson to brahmadeva, they act like this actually.

Salutations to devi akilandeswari...
Pranams

 

[nannilam_balasubramanian]

A piece of information to have it at a glance.
In order to seek the Lord's Blessings, Parvathi undertook a Vratham for 21 days and
that is known as Kethareeswarar Vratham (Fasting). As a result of that, she was able to get
half of Lord Parameswara's body and thereafter Lord Shiva Known is Ardhanareeswarar.
A specific pooja is performed on the Deepavali Day and vratham is observed. A thread
is kept on the Kalasam after aavahanam with 21 knots and pooja is performed.
Girls who are not able to get their marriages finalised early, are advised to do
Sri Suyamvara Gouri Pooja, of the Sixteen Gouries.

The Sixteen Gowries are : Sri Gnana Gowri, Sri Amirtha Gowri, Sri Sumitra
Gowri, Sri Sampath Gowri, Sri Yoga Gowri, Sri Vajra Srungala Gowri, Sri Trilokya
Mohana Gowri, Sri Suyamvara Gowri, Sri Gaja Gowri, Keerthi Gowri alias Vijaya Gowri
Sri Sathya Veera Gowri, Sri Varadana Gowri, Sri Swarna Gowri, Samrajya Maha Gowri
Meenakshi, Sri Ashoka Gowri, Sri Visvapujaa Maha Gowri.

Balasubramanian
Ambattur

 

[guruvayurappan]

Respected Guruvayurappan sir

Devi Akilandeswari is the amsa devatha of shri Thandini sakthi. Similarly Devi Meenakshi is the amsa devatha of shri Manthrini shakti. Thandini uses her body power to control the enemies, whereas the manthrini uses her mind power. Both are essential energies.

Since you quoted that your ishta devatha is devi akilandeswari, you might be knowing this. But for some readers' sake, am posting this. Most of the devotees who comes to Thiruvanaikoil temple thinks this also as a normal temple considering Devi Akilandeswari as wife and Jambukeswara as her consort. But is not true here actually. Devi Akila is a student in this temple, where she is still learning vedas and agamas from her guru Jambukeswara. For that guruvandhanam only, she is performing daily poojas to jambukeswara.

For the sake of Palliyarai pooja (Artha jama pooja), separate idols of meenakshi and sundareswara is there and they are only taken into the palliyarai everyday.
This shows the clear sambandham of devi akilandeswari and meenakshi.

For devi akilandeswari, her "thadangam" is of special importance. (It is made of shiva chakra and sakthi chakra); For devi Meenakshi, her nose stud is of importance. Why is it so??? For the person, who strongly believes in his own power has to lend his ears always, it should be open always to hear the problems of other poor people and to help them with his power. So, devi akilandeswari is well-known always with her earrings. Whereas, for the person who can solve all other's remedies simply by his speech and using his mental power, his crystal clear mind is necessary. This can be achieved by "pranayama" and other breathing exercises. Without breathing we cannot even live. The nose stud clears all the dust from the air and purifies it and send it into the nasal cavity, which in turn sends purified oxygen into blood, which circulates into brain and keeps it healthy. So, here "nasabharanam" is important.

Also in devi akilandeswari temple, the special function of "Pancha prakara Ula" is very peculiar and you cannot see it in anyother temples. In this function, swami will be disguised as ambal and devi will be decorated as swami. To teach a lesson to brahmadeva, they act like this actually.

Salutations to devi akilandeswari...
Pranams

dear Durgadasan!
i am very glad to read in detail about Sri Akilandeswari .Even though the information given is known to me as you said it gives immense pleasure to know the pravabam along with sri meenakshi amman.
i will like to read more such articles from you
with namaskarams,
narayanan