Simplest method to do NAVRATRI VRATAM (Level 2)

Last year, during Sharad Navratri, many of you followed my videos and blog and performed a simple Navratri. This year, we will take the whole procedure a notch up.

So, every Navratri, we will step things up one level. Gradually, you will learn to do it in full swing.

Important Links:

1. How to take Navratri Sankalpam (click here)
2. How to correctly pronounce the Mantra (click here)
3. How to install the Mantra on your palms - Kara Nyasa (click here)
4. How to place the Yantra during Kalasha Sthapana (click here)
5. To understand Devi in-depth and to improve your Sadhanas (click here)
6. To download the Yantra (click here)

 

What is the essence of Navratri Vratam?

I have told multiple times before as well. Navratri is not a festival or celebration, unlike Diwali. Navratri is a Vrat; it is a strict observance you undertake with the sole purpose of getting closer to Devi, attaining that purified state to receive the grace of Devi. It is time to connect with Devi one-on-one. 

There are five main Navratris every year, two of which have already passed. This is the third one, called Chaitra Navratri. It differs significantly from the Sharad Navratri, which we celebrate around September to October. It is also very different from the three other Gupt Navratris, during which Dasa Mahavidyas are worshipped. 

But during Chaitra Navratri, the cosmological and astrological elements present an excellent opportunity to connect with the Mula Prakriti. It is the season of new beginnings, which is why even Ugadi is celebrated on the first day of Chaitra Navratri. The energy in the atmosphere is entirely different. It is an excellent time to connect with Devi and submerge in Her essence. 

______________________START OF SANKALPA PROCESS___________________

How to take Sankalpa for Navratri?

Sankalpa means an oath or a vow signifying that no matter how difficult, you will do it to the best of your abilities. The Sankalpa for Navratri simply means, 'To accomplish all your desires, to destroy all your sins, to the best of your abilities you will undertake the Navratri Vrata'.

For Video and Pronunciation (click here)

I will give the meaning for 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 the 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 navrātri vrataṃ kariṣye - I am doing this Navratri 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 of the water and rice to a nearby tree or plant on the tenth day and donate the coin to someone needy. 

Timing for taking Sankalpa:

The best time to take Sankalpa depends on your location. So, it's best to check any online Panchang and enter your location accordingly. The one I generally refer to online is here (click here). 

_______________________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. It 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. There is no need to bother about them as of now. I 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 Navarna mantra. Now, understand that there are many different Navarna mantras. Navarna Mantra simply means a Mantra with nine syllables, and there are multiple such mantras. I will give a 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. You can also use any existing beads or mala (Rudraksha, Spatika, etc.) or count on your fingers.

How to do Kara Nyasa?

As you chant each of the Mantra below, touch parts of both your 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 front of your 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 Navarna Mantra. It can be either

Argala Stotra, Siddha Kunjika Stotra, or Tantrokta Devi Suktam. You can chant just one of them, or if you know all three,  you can chant all. 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. 

If you are new here and are doing Navratri for the first time, then chant only the Argala Stotra. Others who have already practised Argala for a while can chant Tantrokta Devi Suktam and Siddha Kunjika, too.

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 provide 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 are not required for Navratri 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, set aside time to read Devi's scriptures. You can read the 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. Remember, celibacy should never be forced, it should come naturally as your practise progresses. Brahmacharya does not mean just celibacy - it means moderation in everything that you do and devotion to the path of knowing the truth.

So, during Navaratri, one must 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 less 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 you can't fast for nine days, then just have one or two meals daily. Please don't overindulge in food. Don't use solid spices and pungent herbs—no onion, garlic, or heavy seasoning. Eat 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 daily after chanting Mantra and Stotras above. 

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 can one do Kalasha Sthapana 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 scroll to page 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 consecrated along with Devi Yantra. Otherwise, just think where and how the energy or power of the Mantra and Deity will be held or contained for nine days. To know about how it works (click here)

Drawing this can be difficult and confusing for beginners, 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 syllables of the Navarna Mantra along with the other lines and petals. You can either draw it on paper, print it, or draw it next to the Kalasha with rice powder. You will see that all nine syllables of the Devi Navarna Mantra are written in a specific order. Just follow that order; that is the simplest Yantra you can have for Navaratri. You can draw from any direction or any point. After Navratri you can keep the Yantra safe in storage. 

Please note that drawing/invoking or learning the actual Yantra will take more than two years. This blog is about 'How to perform Navratri in the simplest way', not detailed or advanced. So, let's not get confused and do our best with what we have. It's more important to chant and pray to Devi than search for the perfect Yantra, Kalasha, or procedure. Because frankly, none exist.

_______________________END OF NAVARTARI YANTRA______________________


What to offer Devi during Navratri?

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

But two other things that are very important and considered auspicious to offer to Devi are - Red Sandalwood paste and Bilva Patra. These can be offered on all nine days to Devi during Puja. If you are doing Shodasha Upachara then it is an excellent way to integrate these two in your Upacharas. 

If not, then offer it to Devi, atleast during the Sandhya Kaal of Ashtami Tithi. The Sandhya Kaal changes based on your location. (click here)

You should keep certain points in mind before selecting Bilva Patra and while making the paste of red sandalwood.

Regarding Bilva Patra:

1. The leaves should be Komal, which is fresh and newly bloomed.
2. Each Bilva Patra you offer should have three leaves.
3. None of the Bilva Patra should any holes or tears.
4. If you are picking the leaves yourself from the tree. Then, first, bow down to the Bilva Tree and state that you are seeking the leaves to offer to Devi.
5. If you are buying from the market, then make sure you wash it well and check clearly.

Regarding Rakta Chandan:

1. There are stone plates with coarse textures that actually grind sandalwood. It is best if you use that stone to make paste.
2. If not, then use red sandalwood powder and mix adequate water to make the paste.
3. The paste should be not be very thick or very watery. It should have the consistency of something like a thick curd.
4. It should not solidify soon, nor should it be run down by water.
5. This paste can be applied to an image of Devi or anoint the Murti of Devi. Or simply keep it at Devi's feet.
   
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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)