Report by Sri. H.V.Prasad
The traditional Devi Navaratri celebrations commenced at the Avadhoota Datta Peetham in all its splendour and gaiety. The Day commenced at 7 am with the morning prayers and Sri Swamiji started the various rituals and worships at 9 a.m.. Sri Swamiji wearing an orange silk sari appeared like the Goddess Gowri Herself. Sri Swamiji arrived at the Datta Temple and offered prayers there. From there the morning procession with Sri Swamiji and the palanquin carrying the idol of Raja Rajeswari made of Pancha Loha (an alloy of five metals) went around the Prayer hall. The procession was led by Nada Swara Band (traditional Mysore Pipers), torch bearers, flag bearers, Poorna Kumbha bearer, Rudraksha Kireeta bearer and the students of Ashrama Veda school chanting Vedic hymns. Hundreds of devotees lined along the procession route and reverentially watched Sri Swamiji leading the procession.
Later Sri Swamiji performed Kumari Puja which involves offering prayers to girls from one to sixteen years of age. Sri Swamiji then performed the Kalasha Sthapana or invoking the different deities to the 12 brass pots (Kalashas). Then the Nava - Avarana Puja commenced. Navavarana Puja is a unique and very rare method of worshipping the Mother Goddess. It involves going round the Mantapa around which the twelve pots have been kept (Three on each side). Sri Swamiji makes nine Pradakshina (circumambulations) around the Mantapa nine times (this is one Avarana). Nine such Avaranas constitute "Nava Avarana" Puja.
Around noon, Sri Swamiji performed Anna Archana, offering prayers and offering the heap of cooked milk rice to the Gowri Devi. Later Sri Swamiji performed Devi Homa.
In the afternoon Sri Swamiji completed the rest of the Avarana Pujas and Maha Mangala Arati was performed at 6 p.m. followed by the Chatur Veda Parayana (pundits chanting selected verses from the four Vedas). Dolotsava was the last of the Pujas where the Devi idol was placed on a swing and various offerings made.
At a brief Satsang, Sri Swamiji released a Telugu book "Devi Navakam" called , containing the popular Devi Bhajan - Namostute Manostute - composed by Sri Swamiji. This booklet contains a lucid commentary in Telugu by Sri Kuchibhotla Chandra Shekhara Sharma - explaining the grand composition. Then Sri Swamiji released an English book which contains the English translation of Sri Swamiji's Hindi Speeches delivered during a week's visit to Kashmir in 1982. The English translation was rendered by Late Sri P.N.Wanchoo, an ardent devotee of His Holiness. The book has been brought out by Smt.. Ratna Varma, Executive Trustee of Delhi Ashrama and daughter of Late Sri P.N.Wanchoo.
Sri Swamiji then sang a very special Bhajan . This Sanskrit composition of Sri Swamiji contains the 300 names of Devi enumerated in the famous Sanskrit text 'Lalitha Trishati'. In today's Bhajan Sri Swamiji sang 40 names. Each day Sri Swamiji will continue the Bhajan with more Devi names. By the last day, al the 300 names will be covered. Sri Swamiji in a brief speech explained that the Bhajan has many Beejaksharas which enhance the power of the composition.
Achieving concentration of mind is indeed an arduous task. Though it may seem that the mind gets easily fixed to materialistic pleasures, strangely, it gets bored there also and will start wandering from one place to another in pursuit of a different kind of pleasure. This can be likened to a cow grazing in a pasture. It is always attracted to the green patch of grass which is at a distance. It stops grazing here and tries to reach the 'greener pasture'. This goes on till the evening and many times it returns home, still hungry.
When one tries to fix one's mind on noble thoughts and on God, the mind tries to go in the opposite direction. This problem has been there in all countries and at all times.
In trying to find a solution to this problem, many religions came in to being. All religions preach that man's attitude and behaviour should be selfless and sublime. Why? According to psychological sciences ups and downs in life, desires and depressions will take a heavy toll of the mind and renders it weak and incapable of concentrating. Those who cheat and deceive will never be able to enjoy peace of mind. This is a well established theory and not a religious preaching. Keeping this fact in mind, all the religions have categorically reiterated the importance of leading a life pure in thought, actions and words. This is the central theme of all religions.