Sri Devi (Divine Mother’s) Prasadam and Navaratri Diksha

 

Supremely Sacred Sri Devi Prasadam

 

Embodiments of Divine Soul, Amma’s Most Beloved Children,

 

Anything that is offered to Divine Mother becomes a holy and sacred prasadam. This prasadam has the power to purify our sins and give us tremendous spiritual elevation. It is very important to receive the prasadam in the proper way in order to gain the full benefits and avoid creating negative karma for ourselves. When someone gives us prasadam, we should graciously accept it with our right hand only. We can touch it to our eyes as a mark of reverence, and then partake of the given offering.

At any time, we should not under any circumstances receive any prasadam from a temple or other place with our left hand, whether it is flowers, fruits, kumkum, vibhuti, betel leaves, coconut or any other items. If accepted with the left hand, the sanctity of the prasadam will be totally lost and the blessed energy will be wasted. Receiving this divine prasadam with the left hand is like accepting poverty. Gradually one loses everything, including one’s wealth, peace and divine grace.

If you are given some prasadam that you cannot consume immediately, carefully put it away in a safe place, to be taken later. If you will be unable to consume it, you may offer it to others with humility. The sacred prasadam should not be wasted by not being consumed, as this is like throwing away Divine Mother's blessing.

Whether a japa mala, books, tulasi, bilva leaves, flowers or anything else, the prasadam is a divine blessing given by the Guru, and should be treated with the utmost respect. Do not place any prasadam or other holy items on the floor or allow them to be touched by your legs or feet. When such things are done, it is possible after a while that we may undergo difficulties and lose our glory, splendor and power. We may fall to very low levels of poverty.

Sri Devi Navaratri Diksha

The Navaratri diksha (vow) dedicated to the Divine Mother, Sri Lalita Bhavani, is very sacred and special. Every one of the 330 million deities eagerly awaits the auspicious days of the Navaratri festival to worship Devi and get Her blessings for securing spiritual strength.

• Concentrating the mind on the Mother of the Universe with the triad of thought, word, and deed and serving Mother during the nine nights is the diksha of Sri Lalita Bhavani.

• The diksha that is taken by training the mind as above and requesting Mother to move our lives forward on the path of dharma (virtue and righteousness) for this whole birth is the diksha of Sri Lalita Bhavani.

• Both men and women can adhere to Sri Devi diksha.* Sincere devotion towards Divine Mother is the foremost necessity.

• When we worship Sri Devi with turmeric, kumkum (crimson powder prepared with turmeric, alum, and lime juice), and flowers, we will receive untold divine blessings. If possible, it is very auspicious to worship Go Mata (Mother cow) during Navaratri. Go Mata should be fed with fresh fruits, greens and vegetables. It is important not to offer leftover or stale food to Go Mata, and not to harm or hurt Her. Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi resides in the cow, and worshipping cows will invoke Sri Maha Lakshmi’s grace.

• During the time of Navaratri, every moment is filled with abundant divine energy. Hence, time spent in puja (worship), japa (chanting), dhyana (meditation), and charitable activities will give us maximum benefits. It is extremely powerful to do meditation, worship, or any kind of sadhana during Navaratri.

• It is also very important to maintain silence as much as possible. When we maintain silence during this time, Divine Mother will grant us increased longevity. If we do not take this opportunity to maintain silence and worship Mother, who is the embodiment of Energy, our spiritual radiance will be reduced and our longevity may also be decreased. At the very least, idle and unnecessary conversations should be avoided completely.

• It is most desirable to consume a limited amount of sattvic (pure, vegetarian) food at fixed, regular times. We should make sure to offer the food to God before eating or tasting the food. Otherwise, one can fast during the daytime and take one cup of milk and a fruit at night.

• One should avoid wasting time by reading newspapers or worldly books. Instead, one should spend time in reading spiritual books, such as Sri Chandi Sapta Shati. Sri Chandi parayanam (recitation) eliminates the intense agony caused by the negative effects of the stars. Performing or sponsoring Sri Chandi parayanam bestows peace and destroys all difficulties. We can do the chanting ourselves or we can have a priest chant it on our behalf on any day during Navaratri. Any other sacred books can be read or chanted, such as Devi Bhagavatam, and any Sri Devi stotras. It is very good to read or chant Sri Lalita Sahasranama (the Thousand Names of Sri Lalita Devi) or Khadgamala Stotram, and perform pujas.

• One should practice strict celibacy until one completes the Navaratri diksha (the vow of the nine nights). Nonvegetarian food, intoxicating drinks, and even cold drinks, should not be consumed during Navaratri.

• Mantra japa (chanting) and sadhana (spiritual practices) may be pursued according to one’s devotion and intensity. One’s desires shall be fulfilled by the divine grace and devotion of the sadhaka or seeker.

Om Shantih Shantih Shantihi

*Editor's Note: Ladies who have their period during Navaratri should refrain from performing puja, visiting temples or attending homas for the first four days of the period. During this time, many changes take place in the body, mind, and spiritual energy, and the ancient rishis have given some important guidelines regarding this natural process. Rather than do external worship, ladies are advised to do silent meditation and mental recitation of their mantra at home during the first four days. After taking a shower and washing the hair on the fifth day, one's normal practices can be resumed.

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