Navaratra is celebrated by Indians all over the world as the triumph of good over evil. The Divine Omnipresent Supreme Consciousness with the inseparable Supreme Energy present in It, withdraws the imagined evils of the mind and makes it absorb into the Real Self. This ego in the consciousness is recognised as the symbolic demon. Prayers are for the Divine Energy to manifest as the Mother concept, to protect the consciousness from the evil ego.
In the legend, the first nine days, the Divine Energy manifested as the Divine Mother and fought with the evil demon Mahishasura, the buffalo-headed one. Ego is compared to this demon Mahishaasura. He is known in several names. One among them is Rakta beeja – the seed of blood. As many times as this demon’s blood was spilled by the weapon of the Divine Mother, the demon multiplied itself into different forms from the spilled drops of blood and stood there roaring with laughter.
When you try to slay all the imaginations in the mind – which are nothing but the ego – ferociously with anger, the imaginations only increase, it multiplies into millions and billions. With all your energy application of thinking, anger etc. it will be of no use. Finally, Mother split Herself into another form to burn all the forms of ego. She is known as Jwalaamukhi. Fire came out of the mouth of the Divine Mother to burn all the ego. She spread her tongue and did not allow any droplet of blood to fall on the ground. She watched steadily, the demon fell, no more splitting of blood into any form, for they were all were burnt.
In meditation use all the energy to conserve and steadily watch. Ego disappears. Legend says, Mother gave liberation to the demon when he realized his faults and wanted to be slain by the Divine Mother. He was touched by the Divine Mother and hence got liberated Steadily watch with all the energy conserved, peacefully and patiently. Ego disappears. Consciousness, which had assumed the demonic proportions of egoistic mind realizes and by the virtue that it has been touched by meditation on the Divine Self gets liberated by regaining the consciousness awareness of Real Self.
The tenth day is celebrated as Vijayadashami – the victory day. Beginning with the worship of the form of Mother for anchor we then slowly see the Divine Mother within. Slowly in meditation mind progresses by giving up ego and goes beyond form and formlessness – the Real Self. That is liberation, victory day. After the festival, to take leave with due honor of the form of the all pervaded omnipotent Divinity, the idol is immersed in a holy river or ocean. Once the mind is liberated by regaining the consciousness awareness of the Self it is beyond all imaginations, form and formlessness. The greatest concept in creation is Mother concept. The kindest concept. May The Divine slay the ego, demon in our consciousness and liberate this mind to get absorbed into the Self once for all.
Jai Maa, Jai Maa, Jai Maa, Jai Jai Jagavandini Maa, Jai Jai Jagavandini Maa.
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