Navratras are the nine nights of devi. What is devi, is beyond the scope of this article. It is a subject of lifelong sadhna under a Guru…I will attempt here to throw light on just a small aspect of it.
That devi, which resides in every being as Shakti. Everything manifests as a union of Shiv and Shakti. Shiv without Shakti is shav (corpse). Just like a car cannot run without fuel, no aspect of creation can run without Shakti. Shakti is the propelling force, pure energy.
Even gods cannot function without Shakti. For Shiv, it is Parvati. For Vishnu, it is Lakshmi. For Brahma, it is Saraswati. First the Shakti is invoked, then Shiv manifests. No event or anushthan is complete without invoking the Shakti. In the battle between Lord Ram and Ravan, Ram invoked the Shakti of Durga, Ravan invoked Kali. When Guru Gobind Singh created Khalsa, he performed a Chandi yagya. On the path of yog, the evolution of sadhak is impossible without the transference of Shakti from the Guru, in the form of Shakti-pat.
To get a first-hand experience of what the Shakti is, light a diya with desi cow ghee and place it at eye-level at a distance of 2ft from the eyes. Fixing your gaze on the flame, repeatedly chant the mantra “Ya devi sarvbhuteshu Shakti rupensansthitaa, Namastasyainamastasyainamastasyainamonamah”. First out loud, then internally, for as long as comfortable. Next close your eyes and internalise on the flame. Mail me your experiences.
Navratras are a powerful time to manifest the swaroop of Devi in its myriad forms. It is Devi which holds the universe together as the force of attraction (Vishnu Maya). The protection provided to Duryodhan by Gandhari in the war of Mahabharat was Devi in the form of mother’s force (Matri). The protection provided to Prahlad when he was thrown off the cliff by his father was Devi in the form of devotion (Bhakti).
Our shastras detail various shakti sadhnas and dashmahavidyas towards specific ends. These are taught in a Guru’s ashram as per the Guru-shishya parampara. I have personally initiated many into devi sadhnas,with amazing results. Shakti mantras are tools to awaken shakti inside us but they have to be given by a siddha Guru, not by a business man guru. They are given and the Guru awakens them, you have visions of shakti and experience its myriad forms. Navratras are the perfect time to awaken them. So find a siddha and earn them, you can never buy them. They are not tied to maya, they untie you. Om asato maa sadgamayo, om tamaso maa jyotirgamayo, om mrityurmaaamritamgamayo.
Yogi Ashwini of Dhyan Ashram is a rare phenomenon in present times. He is the energy and inspiration behind the various initiatives of Dhyan Foundation.