Thread by @jeysundhar_d

Happy #Ugadi2023 #gudipadwa2023 and #navrehposhte.

Happy #ChaitraNavratri2023
#Navratri

Starting a short thread dedicated to the 9 forms of Devi.

O Lord Ganesha, brilliant as a million suns!

From your broken tusk and twisted trunk came the lakh verses of the Mahabharata.
Bless us so our mind shall never tire, and our pen shall never dry.

Vasanta Navaratri - Day 1: Shailaputri
The Soundarya Lahari of Sankara describes Devi thus:

धनुः पौष्पं मौर्वी मधुकरमयी पञ्च विशिखाः
वसन्तः सामन्तो मलयमरुदायोधनरथः ।
तथाप्येकः सर्वं हिमगिरिसुते कामपि कृपाम्
अपाङ्गात्ते लब्ध्वा जगदिद-मनङ्गो विजयते ॥

Elaboration follows.

Since it is Vasanta/Spring, this verse describes Kama/ Manmatha with all the attributes of the season.

A bow of flowers, bowstring made of honeybees, and carrying 5 arrows, he comes on a chariot made of the breeze of the mountain (Malaya Maaruta), with Vasanta as his Minister.

The 5 arrows are the 5 Tanmatras from which emerge the 5 sensory perceptions.

Kama (the limbless one) wins the entire world not because of the attractive bow, arrows, and chariot, but because he has the mercy (Kripaam) of the daughter of the mountain, says Sankara.

And why so?
As the Lalita Sahasranama says, Devi holds the bow that personifies the mind.
Manorupeksu Kodandayai.

She is also the Pancha Tanmatra Sayaka - the one holding the five Tanmatras as arrows to go with the bow of the mind.

Thus, Shailaputri is the Himagiri Suta (the daughter of the snow mountain), whose kripa helps Kama win over the world.

Day 2: Brahmacharini

https://twitter.com/jeysundhar_d/status/1638809603629563904

Day3 : Chandraghanta
Soundarya Lahari hails Devi as the one with a face as bright and beautiful as the moon in autumn.

शरज्ज्योत्स्नाशुद्धां शशियुतजटाजूटमकुटां
वरत्रासत्राणस्फटिकघटिकापुस्तककराम् ।
सकृन्न त्वा नत्वा कथमिव सतां संन्निदधते
मधुक्षीरद्राक्षामधुरिमधुरीणाः भणितयः॥ +

With a face as beautiful as the autumn moon, adorned with a crown of Her braided hair, She comes forth with holding a Ghatika (water jar), a Sphatika mala and a book.
Her hand holds the Varada Mudra, to symbolise the Jnana She blesses us with. +

A devotee meditating upon Her, having received Her blessings, utters the sweetest of words in Her praise, rivalling honey, milk and grapes.

Day 4: Kushmanda
In the Soundarya Lahari, Sankara says,
Devi is the mind, She is the space,
She is the wind and the fire which rides the wind.
Devi is water, She is the earth.

Thus, Devi constitutes the elements of the six chakras.
What about the 7th?

For the 7th, Devi takes form as the Lady of Siva ("Siva Yuvati Bhaavena", says Sankara), and is the cause of Chidaananda.

If Siva is the Chidaananda Roopam, She is the Chidaananda Kaaram.

Devi is the cause, change and the form of the universe. There is nothing else but Her.

मनस्त्वं व्योम त्वं मरुदसि मरुत्सारथिरसि
त्वमापस्त्वं भूमिस्त्वयि परिणतायां न हि परम् ।
त्वमेव स्वात्मानं परिणमयितुं विश्ववपुषा
चिदानन्दाकारं शिवयुवति भावेन बिभृषे ॥

Day 4: Skanda Mata
Devi Skanda Mata is portrayed with a Kamala (lotus) in each of Her upper arms

So, today, let's depart from Soundarya Lahari to one of Muthuswami Dikshithar's Navaavarana Kritis,

Kamalaamba Samrakshathu Maam!

Devi is described as residing in the heart of the City of Lotuses.
She rules over 9 levels/aavaranas of the Sri Chakra, starting with Tripura, & commands the eight Siddhis starting with Anima,

But to us, She is also the gentle mother of Skanda, referred to as Guru Guha

The enchanter to Siva, the Tripura Bhanjani Ranjani, is also Guru Guha Janani, the dear mother to Skanda.

May Ma Skandamata who adorns the City of Lotuses as Kamalaamba, protect us all!

Day6: Katyayani
Soundarya Lahari has a wonderful sloka that says

If a devotee were to pray, "Bhavani, bless me with Your karunaa drishti (kind glance)"

even before he finishes uttering the word, "Bhavani", Devi rushes to bless him and grant Him the refuge at Her feet (Sayujya)

Perhaps this alacrity with which Devi rushes forth, is why Shuka Muni says that the Gopis of Vrajabhoomi observed a vrata dedicated to Katyayani, with the objective of marrying Krishna.

May She bless us all!

Day 7: Kaalaraatri
In Soundarya Lahari, Sankara offers prayers to Devi,
who is a dark rain cloud, lit by the bright lightning of Her Sakti, to dispel the darkness in the Manipuraka Chakra.

तटित्त्वन्तं शक्त्या तिमिरपरिपन्थिफुरणया
स्फुरन्नानारत्नाभरणपरिणद्धेन्द्रधनुषम् ।
तव श्यामं मेघं कमपि मणिपूरैकशरणं
निषेवे वर्षन्तं हरमिहिरतप्तं त्रिभुवनम् ॥
says Sankara.

This is to be seen along with the previous verse where Rudra, as Samavarta, pushes the universe into the darkness of destruction.

Devi Kaala Raatri's kind glance springs life through lightning and showers of rain, from the dark rain cloud.

Day 8: Maha Gauri
True to the name Gauri, Devi appears bright and fair of complexion, on a white bull.

One of the most beautiful verses in Sankara's Soundarya Lahari is when he talks about the Chakora birds.

In poetic metaphor, Chakora bird sustains itself by consuming only moonlight.

Sankara says Chakora birds have been feeding on the milk white light emanating from Devi's moon-like face.

But since the light from Her face is so sweet, their tongues have become numb.
What to do?

Sankara says, in order to trigger sensation in their sweetened tongues, the Chakora birds taste something sour (amala ruchaya, he says).

But how would Chakora birds taste something sour like Amla, when all they consume is light?

The light of the actual moon, Sankara says!

According to Sankara, the light of the moon is sour in taste, compared to the sweetness of the light from Devi's moon-like face.

Day 9: Siddhidaatri
Muthuswami Dikshithar in the 5th of his Kamalaamba Navaavaranas, sung in the Ragam Bhairavi, invokes Devi as the creator of Brahma, Srikanta and other deities.

She is the aatma of Siva and is the creator of the universe.

She sits on the outer chakra of the Sri Yantra (red in picture), which has 10 triangles

She is served on this level by 10 Saktis starting with Sarva Siddhiprada.

The number 10 symbolises the 5 Karmendriyas and the 5 Jnanendriyas.

Lording over the 10, Devi is the Siddhidaatri

With that we conclude the #ChaitraNavaratri thread.

Thank you for reading.

@threadreaderapp please compile.