Vasanta Navaratri
THE DIVINE MOTHER or Devi is
worshipped during the Vasanta Navaratri. This occurs during the spring. She is
worshipped by Her own command. You will find this in the following episode in
the Devi Bhagavata.
In days long gone by, King
Dhruvasindu was killed by a lion when he went out hunting. Preparations were
made to crown the prince Sudarsana. But, King Yudhajit of Ujjain, the father of
Queen Lilavati, and King Virasena of Kalinga, the father of Queen Manorama,
were each desirous of securing the Kosala throne for their respective
grandsons. They fought with each other. King Virasena was killed in the battle.
Manorama fled to the forest with Prince Sudarsana. They took refuge in the
hermitage of Rishi Bharadwaja.
The victor, King Yudhajit,
thereupon crowned his grandson, Satrujit, at Ayodhya, the capital of Kosala. He
then went out in search of Manorama and her son. The Rishi said that he would
not give up those who had sought protection under him. Yudhajit became furious.
He wanted to attack the Rishi. But, his minister told him about the truth of
the Rishi’s statement. Yudhajit returned to his capital.
Fortune smiled on Prince
Sudarsana. A hermit’s son came one day and called the eunuch by his Sanskrit
name Kleeba. The prince caught the first syllable Kli and began to
pronounce it as Kleem. This syllable happened to be a powerful, sacred
Mantra. It is the Bija Akshara (root syllable) of the Divine Mother. The Prince
obtained peace of mind and the Grace of the Divine Mother by the repeated
utterance of this syllable. Devi appeared to him, blessed him and granted him
divine weapons and an inexhaustible quiver.
The emissaries of the king of
Benares passed through the Ashram of the Rishi and, when they saw the noble
prince Sudarsana, they recommended him to Princess Sashikala, the daughter of
the king of Benares.
The ceremony at which the
princess was to choose her spouse was arranged. Sashikala at once chose
Sudarsana. They were duly wedded. King Yudhajit, who had been present at the
function, began to fight with the king of Benares. Devi helped Sudarsana and
his father-in-law. Yudhajit mocked Her, upon which Devi promptly reduced
Yudhajit and his army to ashes.
Thus Sudarsana, with his wife
and his father-in-law, praised Devi. She was highly pleased and ordered them to
perform Her worship with havan and other means during the Vasanta
Navaratri. Then She disappeared.
Prince Sudarsana and Sashikala
returned to the Ashram of Rishi Bharadwaja. The great Rishi blessed them and
crowned Sudarsana as the king of Kosala. Sudarsana and Sashikala and the king
of Benares implicitly carried out the commands of the Divine Mother and
performed worship in a splendid manner during the Vasanta Navaratri.
Sudarsana’s descendants,
namely, Sri Rama and Lakshmana, also performed worship of Devi during the
Vasanta Navaratri and were blessed with Her assistance in the recovery of Sita.
It is the devout Hindu’s duty
to perform the worship of Devi for both material and spiritual welfare during
the Vasanta Navaratri and follow the noble example set by Sudarsana and Sri
Rama. He cannot achieve anything without the Divine Mother’s blessings. So,
sing Her praise and repeat Her Mantra and Name. Meditate on Her form. Do
worship. Pray and obtain Her eternal Grace and blessings. May the Divine Mother
bless you with all divine wealth!
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