I can’t elaborate. I got ‘awakening’ in March early this year. I have to thank my Gurujis and the Guru Parampara and the sages, saints, rishis and other Yogis of India for making this possible for me, a householder who is not a monk or serious religious practitioner. Only one clue I can give: Meditation or Mantra Japa combined with ritual prayers may have been the key apart from previous birth Karma. Yoga helps. Yoga means discipline.
Anyway, six months later for the first time the Mother Supreme today showed Her face to me in this auspicious second day of Navratri when I was chanting the Lalitha Sahasranama. Earlier She used to show me Her side view as in the temple, then Her lotus feet etc. This time Her beautiful ethereal face appeared. I want nothing more out of my life after this. Before Her I have had Varahi darshan and Ma Kali’s vishwaroop darshan. I was expecting Ma still I was at loss of words and started weeping right during my recitation. I am humbled is all I can say. I don’t count myself as a model bhaktha or anything. Her compassion is boundless. This morning I had sage Agastya in my vision. He appeared with a flowing beard and many tiers of hair knotted top on his crown. I keep praying to Him. Err… I offer filter coffee south Indian style to my Gods and Goddesses. Today sure enough, He appeared in my living, seemed to take a sip of coffee from a cup and then He replaced the cup on the teapoy! Stunned. Again I was at loss of words. It was later that I was thanking Him!
I am no expert or pro. Not the podcasting type or broadcasting type although I share things with family and closest of friends. TODAY IS THE DAY OF MY LIFE. THIS IS WHAT I WAS BORN FOR. I can tell anyone, respect people not money or status, cultivate love and live a clear, clean, straight life. Pray sincerely. Don’t sell your soul. You don’t have to be political correct – to maintain your position in the books. Practise soul honesty. Be generous and helpful to others in whatever way you can.
My early life showed no indication of what was coming my way. I did one thing though: keep up my faith. Believed in universal goodness. However I also think, timely dealing with Adharma is also our responsibility. I am still in the kg level. Awakening is NOT Enlightenment. Upto the level of graduation in the university of cosmos, its a long, long, long way ahead.
But i feel with my Lalitha Maha Tripura Sundari’s heart melting, my birth purpose is already achieved! She showed up as Sri Vidya Gurus (various gurus) in my puja during Lalitha Sahasranama chanting over last few months. Om Shri Matre Namaha! Happy Navratri, celebration of womanhood without exclusions.
I am saying this because today the second day of Navratri is that of Brahmacharini, the spinster form of Ma Durga. One of the Dasa Maha Vidyas is Ma Dhumavathi, the old widow. Hindu Dharma excludes nobody. Inclusivity is what defines humanity. But of course, where distinction has to be made for the benefit of humanity, practise logic unabashedly! That’s what Krishna says!
Om Shri Matre Namaha! Happy Navratri to all!
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I was watching this you tube video of Garba dance. It was sickening to learn that the young people of Gujarat were administering themselves with IV fluids to bolster energy for the Garba dance rituals during Navratri.I have once attended Garba dance for Navratri in Mumbai. Its simply electrifying atmosphere. Being a south Indian, I could not manage dancing at that tempo and with their zest and zeal for even 10-15 min. I gave up. But that was the one and only Navratri I shut my home and I swore never to do it again. I felt bad for taking a vacation during Navratri. This was over 20 years back. But the other state people were carrying on past midnight almost.
Now years later I think about the banality of it all. The purpose of Navratri is awakenign the Shakthi, the divine feminine power in you. It is literally Shakthi awakening period for us women. I like the Durga Pujas held in Bengal and in general in east INdia. Maharashtra and Gujarat seem more into empty celebrations than piety. Then again I should not underestimate their faith because I have also observed my north Indian neighbours in Doha being very pious and carrying out pujas very sincerely in the day. Nobody can fast like our north Indian behens. Most of the days of an year they are fasting for this or that. However, Evenings of Navratri/Diwali were another story! Total glam and glitz and no religious aspect at all! I am low key south Indian. I still don’t approve of this mehendi and sangeet wedding dance sequence. And they have even added a liquor bar to the reception halls. We too have haldi kumkum chandan ceremony as pre-nuptials in the south that we call ‘nalangu.’ But it is a homely affair mostly with family and closest friends. We too have mehendi and again it is a family affair. The perspective seems to be lost with louder celebrations, to me at least. The sacrosanct Vedic wedding is now cut short and westernized with comperes taking over the management of the event. Hindu marriages, I mean the north Indian weddings, seem so banal to me. The weddings seem to be only for showing off the designer lehengas and diamond jewelry!
Navratri Garba is fine but obscenity and vulgarity is not. The feminine energy, the She energy we have in the cosmos will be peaking at this point of time. To capitalize this energy, we must celebrate womanhood in all forms with no exceptions. Ma Lakshmi, Durga and Saraswathi are said to be stepping into every home. How should we stay tuned then. Increased commercialization of Hindu festivals is a worrying trend. Of late, the religious perspective is getting lost with showbiz coming to characterize the pujas which were once upon a time considered sacred and private homely affairs and/or quiet community celebrations.
Om Shri Matre Namaha. Happy Navratri. May common sense prevail. May the Feminine Energy, the She Energy peak and shine in each and everyone of us women.
Can’t find a better way to close this post.
