2019 Celebrating Navarātri (Day 1): Worshipping Śhrī Mātājī in the form of Śhrī Śhailaputrī and keeping our attention on Śhrī Gaṇeśha
"So why do we do Navarātri? In the heart, to do Navarātri is to accept the Powers of the Śhakti, to realize the power that all these chakras have got in themselves, and that when they are enlightened how you can express all these powers of these Nine Chakras within ourselves; the seven chakras plus the heart and the Moon makes it nine. But I would say that seven of these and on top of that, we should say two more centers, which Blake has described surprisingly as nine centers, clearly. Just now I cannot talk of the higher two centers, but let us at least talk of the seven centers. The power of these centers, have we been able to develop within ourselves?"
1984-0923 Navarātri Pūjā (1st Day), The Discipline, Hampstead Town Hall Centre, 213 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 4QP, UK
We should devote ourselves to that Devī
Who resides at the center of our lotus hearts,
Whose glory is like that of the rising sun,
Whose face is pleasing,
Who grants all boons and protection,
Who is three-eyed, Who wears red clothes, and
Who fulfills the desires of Her devotees.
(Śhrī Devī Atharva Sheersha)
"Today is the first day of Navarātri. Today your attention should be on Śhrī Gaṇeśha. His devotion is infinite. He has never worshiped anybody else except Mother. Hence He is so great. All other Gods appear very strong. Everyone has some specialty. What is Mother's specialty? Her ego (aham) is nowhere felt by others. Hence Śhrī Gaṇeśha who has surrendered to such Mother, is so wise and venerable, Mother has nothing with Her. Her very name begins with 'Ni', e.g., 'Niṣhakāñchan[ā]' having no wealth, 'Nirlepā' unaffected; 'Nirvichārā' thoughtless; 'Niṣhprayojanā' having no motives, 'Nigarvitā' egoless, 'Niricchā' desireless, etc. Therefore, surrendering to such Mother, who has nothing with Her, needs some kind of subtle thought, in that, Mother has nothing with Her and therefore, nothing can be asked from Her."
1978-1002 Letter to All Sahaja Yogis (Marathi) (1st Day of Navarātri), London, UK from Nirmala Yoga, Issue 11 (September-October 1982), Pages 25 and 26
Kumara-gan.a-nath'amba, Tushtih. Pushtir-matir-dhritih.,
Shantih'. Swasti-matı Kantir, Nandinı Vighna-na'shinı.
Mother of Śhrī Kārttikeya and Gaṇeśha,
You are Enjoyment, Nourishment, Intelligence and Steadfastness;
You are Peace, Good Fortune, Love,
O joy-giving Destroyer of obstacles
('Śhrī Lalitā Sahasrānama, verse 94)
"Now let us see the first chakra, belongs to the Power of Gaurī, the Power of the Mother of Śhrī Gaṇeśh. Gaurī’s Power. Tremendous they are, aren’t they? Because of Her Power, you have got your Realization. Now what have we done to enshrine that power within ourselves? Today, if it is the first day of Navarātri, let us see what have we done? Have we been able to develop our innocence within ourselves? When people talk, they are so sharp. How can you be sharp if you are innocent? They are so bumptious. How can you be that if you are innocent? People play games. How can you do that if you are innocent? Harm each other. How can it be, if you are innocent? So, first of all, you have to see yourself, that the power of innocence, if it has to live, all the rest of the nonsense has to go away. If you want to have the innocence, all that is anti-innocence has to be dropped out."
1984-0923 Navarātri Pūjā (1st Day), The Discipline, Hampstead Town Hall Centre, 213 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 4QP, UK
O Daughter of the King of the mountains!
The sages say that the world has its dissolutions and Genesis
With the closing and opening of Thine Eyes,
Thine Eyes are bereft of winking,
With a view to save from dissolution this entire universe,
Which has its origin in the opening of Thine Eyes.
('Saundaryalaharī' by Śhrī Ādi Śhaṅkarāchārya)
"On this day Devī is worshiped as Śhailaputrī, means the daughter of Himalaya. Devī has many other names also but first of all She incarnated as Śhailaputrī in the cold of Himalayas. She incarnated and whatever She was to do. She started there. Further story is known to you. [King] Dakṣha did not invite Lord Śhiva in the Havana that he performed and Śhailaputrī was the consort of Lord Śhiva. She is called Satī because She entered the Holy fire of Havana and ablated Herself. But by then Lord Śhiva reached there. He lifted her burnt up body from the fire. Burnt pieces of the body of Śhailaputrī fell at many places. All these places are considered to be Śhakti Pīṭhas, the places of worship, as there is in Vindhyāchala and many other places. Her power moves there and it is said that it Sanctifies everything. Her seventh power is considered to be the Power of Destruction. Śhakti manifested Itself on the right side as Sāvitrī and Gāyatrī but the destroying force was manifested in the center. In the form of Durgā and Her other forms manifested in Heart chakra. She is present there. If someone hurts you, confuses or disturbs you then this power will protect you and destroy your enemy.
2000-0405 Guḍhī Pāḍavā Pūjā (Hindi), Noida Bhavan, New Delhi, India
O Parameśhwarī, Who is ever praised with devotion by Lord Śhiva,
the Husband of the Daughter of Himalaya,
please bestow upon us the spiritual personality, victory, and glory, and destroy our enemies.
"Today we worship the Himalayas and the seven Goddesses whose blessings are here, and pray to them to bless us with Devī Śhakti. We have received the blessings of the Devī Śhakti from a Mother. That is why, in the form of Mother, let us come to the feet (śharaṇāgat) of the Himalayas.
Keep your attention on yourself."
1985-0329 Śhrī Śhailaputrī Devī Pūjā (English+Hindi) (7th Day of Chaitra Navarātri), Exhibition Hall, Basement of the Puruṣhottam Hotel, Talnoo, Naddi (11 kms NNE of Dharmaśhālā), Himachal Pradesh, India
"So when you soothe My Feet, wash Them, clean Them, you know what They mean:
you recognize.
That recognition, how are you to show? You see, these ceremonies, little ceremonies are
important because they express your recognition.
It could be absolutely dull, dead and finished, and it could be absolutely
living, if you know why you are doing it.
Then you apply some oil and things [to] again soothe My Feet.
Just say, ‘Mother, You have worked very hard,
Your Feet have worked very hard.’ Just saying that itself, I mean makes no difference otherwise,
if you say in a very rational manner, but to that Love that are these Feet it makes a very big difference."
1980-0719 Talk to Sahaja Yogis, The Meaning of Pūjā, House of Pamela Bromley, 22 College Gardens, Brighton, East Sussex, UK
Gaṇeśha Atharva Sheersha
video
Śhrī Mātājī teaching the bhajan Jay Jagadambe
video
Jay Jagadambe bhajan sung at the Pūjā
video
Ghane Ghane Jangala mein
video
"Gaṇas are the workers on the left-hand side. They are like, we can say Saint Michael is their leader, but their king is Gaṇapati, Gaṇeśha.
So first She has done is the ghaṭasthāpanā.
‘Ghaṭasthāpanā’ means – you have done here now, this is the ghaṭasthāpanā. This is the Kumbha. Now this Kumbha She has established first: that is the triangular bone.
Now, this is Her first work, that to establish this, your Mūlādhāra. So She established within you is innocence.
She established innocence within you to begin with. So She has put this ghaṭa in which She is staying as Kuṇḍalinī now.
So the first is that to establish the Kuṇḍalinī in the triangular bone, and then to establish Śhrī Gaṇeśha.
This is the first work, by which whatever She is going to create now – all the universes, the Earth, everything – whatever She is going to create has to be filled with innocence."
1992-0927 Navarātri Pūjā (1st Day), Tent, Cabella Ligure, Italy
Let us sing Namostute as an aarti to Her today on this auspicious first Day of Navarātri
Namostute: video
Jai Śhrī Mātājī!
On behalf of the festivity team!