Simplest method to do NAVARATRI VRATAM

What is the essence of Navaratri Vratam?

In its simplest form, Navaratri is an auspicious occasion consisting of nine nights during which we immerse ourselves in the grand essence of Devi. 

Why? 

Why only these days? 

Because on these nine nights, she fought the powerful Asura Mahishasura, who was not defeated even by all the Devas and Trimurti together and was born in the lineage of Brahma through Rishi Kashyapa and Danu (daughter of Prajapati and sister of Devi Sati).

So, during these nine nights, a lot of Her essence was released into this Universe before She finally killed him on the tenth day of Vijaya Dashami. The Vrata of Navaratri reminds us to surrender ourselves to the Great Devi and dwell in Her supreme motherhood. 

______________________START OF SANKALPA PROCESS___________________

How to take Sankalpa for Navaratri?: 

Sankalpa means a oath or a vow signifying that no matter what difficulty, you will do with it. The Sankalpa for Navaratri simply means that ‘To accomplish all your desires, to destroy all your sins, to the best of your abilities you will do the Navaratri Vrata’. For Video and Pronunciation (click here)

I will give the meaning fo each word here:

अथ atha - Hereby, now upon

शुभ दिने śubha dine - This auspicious day

शुभ मुहुर्ते śubha muhurte - This auspicious time

मम सर्वाभीष्ट सिद्ध्यर्थे mama sarvābhīṣṭa siddhyarthe - For accomplishment of all my desires ( mama - mine, sarva - all, abhīṣṭa - desires, siddhyarthe - for accomplishment or fulfilment)

मम समस्तपापक्षयार्थे mama samastapāpakṣayārthe - For destroying all my sins (mama - mine, samasta - all, pāpa - sins, kṣayārthe - for reducing or destroying)

यथाशक्ति yathāśakti - To the best of my abilities

अहं नवरात्रि व्रतं करिष्ये ahaṃ navarātri vrataṃ kariṣye - I am doing this Navaratri Vrata

इतिः मम दृढ सन्कल्पम् itiḥ mama dṛḍha sankalpam - This is my absolute vow or oath

Keep the water with all the ingredients in your Puja room or home for nine days, then finally dispose the water and rice to nearby tree or plant on the tenth day and donate the coin to someone needy. 

Timing for taking Sankalpa:

Best time to take Sankalpa is from 06:00 AM to 12:20 PM. This is applicable only for Indian residents. For outside India, please check the Panchang or DM us for details. 
_______________________END OF SANKALPA PROCESS____________________

Four mandatory things to do during Navaratri:

1. FIRST POINT: Chant one Mantra with Kara Nyasa. 

Kara Nyasa is the method of installing the Deity or Mantra on both palms. This is the best way to activate our body to receive the energies of the Devi and the Mantra. There are more than 16 Nyasa procedures. No need to bother about them as of now, will teach them in days to come. As of now, please do only Kara Nyasa. (click here)

The Mantra you will be chanting is called the Navarna mantra. Now, understand that there are many different Navarna mantras. Navarna Mantra simply means a Mantra with nine syllables. There are multiple such mantras with nine syllables. I will give clear pronunciation and method for chanting the Navarna mantra that gives the best results (click here). 

ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे
aing hrīng klīng cāmuṇḍāyai vicce

You can chant it for one round (108 times) or up to three rounds. Also you can use any existing beads or mala (Rudraksha, Spatika, etc.), or can count on your fingers.

How to do Kara Nyasa?
As you chant each of the Mantra below, touch parts of your both palms

ॐ ऐं अंगुष्ठाभ्यां नमः ।
ॐ aing aṃguṣṭhābhyāṃ namaḥ |
(Touch the origin of the thumb with the index fingers of both hands)

ॐ ह्रीं तर्जनीभ्यां नमः ।
ॐ hrīng tarjanībhyāṃ namaḥ | 
(Touch the index fingers with both thumbs)

ॐ क्लीं मध्यमाभ्यां नमः ।
ॐ klīng madhyamābhyāṃ namaḥ |
(Touch the middle fingers with both thumbs)

ॐ चामुण्डायै अनामिकाभ्यां नमः ।
ॐ cāmuṇḍāyai anāmikābhyāṃ namaḥ |
(Touch the ring fingers with both thumbs)

ॐ विच्चे कनिष्ठिकाभ्यां नमः ।
ॐ vicce kaniṣṭhikābhyāṃ namaḥ |
(Touch the little fingers with both thumbs)

ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे करतलकरपृष्ठाभ्यां नमः ।
ॐ aing hrīng klīng cāmuṇḍāyai vicce karatalakarapṛṣṭhābhyāṃ namaḥ | 
(Touch of palms and their back side)

Check the Kara Nyasa video above for correct movements.

 In Addition,

You have to chant one Stotra of Devi along with this one Mantra. It can be either
Argala Stotra, Siddha Kunjika Stotra, Tantroktam Devi Suktam, or Mahishasura Mardini Stotra. You can chant just one of them, or if you know all four, then you can chant all of them. Note, you have to understand their meaning thoroughly before you chant them. 

There are two critical points while chanting Stotras: pronunciation and meaning must be understood clearly. One must also emotionally chant it with feeling. Never chant mechanically. 

Do you need Diksha and Initiation to chant these?

You don't need Diksha or initiation to chant these Mantras or Stotras. Diksha is given for a different reason. It is to initiate one, to a tradition by transfer of consciousness, which a Guru does after thoroughly testing a student.

Mantras and Stotras given to us by the scriptures are for us to chant and benefit from. Why else would they be provided in the scriptures otherwise? 

Back in the day, thousands of years ago, there were no books, the Internet, or social media. One had to learn the Mantra from a person. There was no other means to transfer that knowledge. That is why, in Devi Saptasathi, too, Rishi Sumedha gave the Mantra to Suratha and Samadhi to practise. He didn't do anything else there. He didn't give his powers and energy to them. He simply told them the greatness of Devi and told them to chant this Mantra. That's all. 

Guru and Diksha are needed for different reasons and not required for Navaratri vratam. I have included a complete chapter on this in the Devi Rahasyam book, explaining different types of Diksha and when you receive them. Do refer to it. I will also include the link to the Instagram post for reference on Diksha (click here). 

 2. SECOND POINT: Read the scriptures of Devi. 

Every day, keep aside some time to read the scriptures of Devi. One can read Devi Bhagavad Purana (click here), Devi Mahatmyam (click here), or any other scripture of Devi. 

For whatever reason, if you can't read any of these, then you can read Devi Rahasyam book, too. The point is to immerse ourselves in the glory and grandeur of Devi. So, any Devi book is fine. 

3. THIRD POINT: Very Important, that is Brahmacharya 

You are observing a Vratam of the Great Devi. So, you have to maintain Brahmacharya. Now, Brahmacharya does not mean just celibacy. Celibacy is just one of the points of Brahmacharya. Multiple other things come along with Brahmacharya. 

So, during Navaratri, one will have to follow a few points, such as being mindful of one's thoughts and actions, celibacy, and fasting (if complete fasting is not possible then eating lesser than regular).

Haviṣyānna is considered the best. It is prepared by boiling rice and moong dal in ghee, milk, and jaggery.

Fasting is the best, but if one can't fast for nine days, then juist have one or two meals daily. Please don't overindulge in food. Please don't use solid spices and pungent herbs. No onion, garlic, or heavy seasoning. Light food only. 

The point is to focus on Devi and not on making delicious recipes without onion, garlic, etc. 

Haviṣyānna can be offered as Naivedya also and later be consumed. 

4. FOURTH POINT: Kalasha Sthapana is not Mandatory.

One must perform the Aarti of Devi every day after chanting the above Mantra and Stotras. 

The Devi Bhagavad Purana clearly instructs us to worship the four-handed or eighteen-handed Murti or image of Devi as first preference. 

Only in the absence of such an image or murti, one can do Kalasha Sthapana along with the Navarna Yantra, etc. Kalasha Sthapana or Ghatha Sthapana is not mandatory for Navaratri. 

You can read more about Navaratri Vratam (click here and refer to page number 271 of the pdf. Book 3, Chapter 26 of Devi Bhagavad Purana, particularly verse 21).

______________________END OF 4 MANDATORY POINTS____________________

How to draw the Yantra for Navartari?:

Please note that Devi Bhagavad Purana, clearly states that Kalasha has to be installed along with Devi Yantra. Otherwise just think where and how will the energy or power of the Mantra and Deity be held or contained for nine days?  

This is the original Navarna Yantra which the Purana mentions of.

Now drawing this difficult and very confusing, so a simple diagram is presented here. You can even print this. Link to download Yantra here to print (click here)


Now this is the simplified version of the Yantra. You simply have to write the nine sylllables of Navarna Mantra along with the other lines and petals. You can either draw it on paper or print it or drwa it on next to the Kalasha with rice powder. You will see that all nine syllables of the Devi Navarna Mantra are written in the specific order. Just follow that order and that is the simplest Yantra you can have for Navaratri. You can draw from any direction or any point. 

Please note that if you want to draw/invoke or learn the actual Yantra it will take more than two years. This blog is about ‘How to perform Navartari in simplest way’, not detailed or advanced way. So let's not get confused and do the best with, what we have at hand. It’s more important that you chant and pray to Devi than searching for the perfect Yantra and perfect Kalasha or perfect procedure. Because frankly none exist. I will talk about this in the next blog or post.  

_______________________END OF NAVARTARI YANTRA______________________

Argala Stotra Audio link (click here)

Other noteworthy posts to read:

1. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate Navaratri (click here)
2. Immense benefits of Argala Stotra (click here)
3. The actual reality of Diksha that no one tells (click here)
4. Four changes you will observe after Devi Sadhanas (click here)
5. Divine mother Devi’s intervention in the Mahabharata (click here)
6. If you don’t feel like praying force it. Because something else is also forcing you not to pray (click here)