Navratri means nine nights. It is the Hindu festival that honours the feminine divine that takes place over nine nights. In 2023 it starts on 15 October and ends on 24 October.
The feminine divine is a much-neglected focus of spirituality. Fortunately, in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, Shakti (Divine energy) has been revered for many thousands of years. In these traditions, to relate to the Goddess, you have to understand yourself. Concepts such as Shakti (Divine energy), Prakriti (material universe) and Devi (Goddess) are all important aspects of Hindu philosophy and associated with the feminine principle. In this blog post, we will delve into the essence of feminine divinity and explore Purusha and in particular, Prakriti, who represents all that changes in the Universe, including our body, mind and intellect. If we understand Prakriti, we understand the importance of Navratri, the Hindu Goddess festival.
In Hindu philosophy, understanding Purusha and Prakriti plays a pivotal role in grasping the fundamental aspects of creation, consciousness and existence. These two terms, known as the cosmic duo (unmanifest and manifest) represent our own selves as well as the entire universe – the microcosm and macrocosm.
Purusha: The Cosmic Consciousness
First we start with Purusha, a Sanskrit word that means “consciousness” or “spirit.” It represents the pure, unchanging, and eternal aspect of reality. Think of Purusha as the observer, the witness, or the soul. It is the awareness of existence that we all have. Whilst consciousness has no attributes and therefore no gender, it is often associated with the masculine principle and is:
Unchanging: Purusha is beyond time and change. It remains constant and immutable. It existed before ‘Creation’ and will continue to exist after dissolution. Just as our Soul or consciousness will continue to exist after the body drops.
Self-aware: Purusha is aware of its own existence and is the source of individual consciousness. This is an important concept to understand as this self-awareness continues during waking, dream and deep sleep states in a self-aware yogi. Most of us experience what is known as ‘ignorant sleep’ and whilst we can account for having had a sleep, we did not sleep in self-awareness and connected to the transcendental reality.
Passive: It does not participate in the process of creation but merely observes and experiences. Just like our state of witnesshood is also passive and merely observes all that is happening.
Prakriti: The Material Universe
Prakriti, on the other hand, represents the material world, including all physical matter, energy, and the forces of nature. Prakriti uses space and time and has qualities and attributes. It is dynamic, ever-changing, and is often associated with the feminine principle much like the idea of ‘Mother nature’ in many cultures. Prakriti expresses the laws of nature and embodies:
Triguna: Prakriti consists of three Gunas – Sattva (purity), Rajas (activity), and Tamas (inertia) – which influence the qualities and behaviors of all things including our food, environment, body, colours etc.
Creative: Prakriti is responsible for the manifestation and transformation of the material universe.
Active: It is in a constant state of motion, giving rise to the diversity of the physical world. She finds expression via the five elements (ether, air, fire, water, earth) which are the building blocks of Creation.
Navratri - a celebration of feminine Devine
In the Hindu tradition, nine consecutive nights are dedicated to Shakti or Devi (Goddess) and the tenth day represents the victory of overcoming the inner battles to achieving self-realisation. It is simplistically represented as the battle of ‘good versus evil’ but it is so much more than that. Navratri allows us to tap into the strength or Shakti that can overcome the inner qualities that are holding us back on the spiritual path. Many of these inner obstacles are deeply linked to our nature – the three gunas. Navratri is even structured to help us with this:
Durga: The first three days are devoted to Goddess Durga, symbolizing her power to destroy negativity and protect her devotees from harm. She is often depicted riding a lion, signifying her valor over animalistic qualities. Durga also represents the ‘tamas’ guna which creates inertia, ignorance and darkness. Tamas is characterized by qualities such as ignorance, delusion, laziness, and stagnation. When Tamas predominates in an individual, they tend to exhibit laziness, confusion, apathy, and a lack of motivation. They may resist change and be prone to self-destructive behaviors. They will not have a lot of self-awareness and they may resist personal growth and transformation. These first three days are dedicated to breaking this tamasic energy inside us and activate us to break out of our self-limiting and ignorant qualities.
Lakshmi: The following three days are dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, the bringer of wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, and well-being. We seek her blessings for material and spiritual abundance. Lakshmi is the rajasic qualities we all have which include desires, passion, activity and restlessness. Most probably the majority of the world reflects these rajasic qualities – always striving for more, being highly ambitious and yearning for physical beauty and abundance. A rajasic mind is active and dynamic and can also be restless. People who are imbalanced by Rajas can be highly competitive and materialistic. They seek external stimulation and achievements. These three nights of Navratri allow us to manifest spiritual abundance and spiritual desires within us, after having broken free from ignorance and inertia during the first three days.
Saraswati: The final three days are dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the embodiment of knowledge, wisdom, and art. The qualities of this guna are purity, harmony and balance. When Sattva predominates in us, we are characterized by qualities such as wisdom, truth, harmony and we have a calm state of mind. We will experience a sense of clarity, serenity and inner peace and we yearn for spiritual union, seek spiritual knowledge and self-awareness. These three nights are dedicated to Saraswati so that these ideal qualities may manifest in us, giving us peace, harmony and balance in our lives and in our minds. It is not a passive quality – much dedication, discipline and effort is required to achieve a sattvic lifestyle and life.
People with a high Sattva Guna are often seekers of truth and are drawn to spiritual practices like meditation, yoga, and self-reflection. They strive for self-realization and seek to transcend the material world.
The tenth day, known as Vijayadashami or Dussehra, marks the victory of this transformative process. At a simplistic level it is known as the ‘good over evil’ victory but it’s so much more than that.
At its core, Dussehra symbolizes the victory of righteousness (Dharma) over unrighteousness (Adharma). Lord Rama’s defeat of Ravana, a symbol of evil and arrogance, serves as a powerful metaphor for the eternal struggle between good and evil in both the individual and societal realms. It teaches us that ultimately, truth, virtue, and morality will prevail over darkness and wickedness. This is a good lesson at the societal level.
There is a deeper more spiritual meaning. It is that Ravana symbolises the innate qualities within us, in yoga these are known as the shad-ripus, which when uncontrolled, can overpower your body and mind, represented by the abducted Sita, the Mother Earth. However, in the inner battle, it is the Soul (Rama) who is victorious and reunited with the body and mind as a powerful consort. Rama is often called Atma Rama in the Hindu tradition – our Soul.
Navratri serves as a beautiful reminder of the profound connection between us and the divine Universe – Prakriti and Purusha. We are ultimately natural beings, created out of the same 5 elements as the entire manifest Universe, and powered by the same eternal consciousness, the super Soul or Purusha.
As we dance and worship during Navratri, we pay homage to the meaning of Navratri – to the divine feminine energy that gives life to the world around us and to ourselves. It’s a time to acknowledge the power of creation, transformation, and renewal that Prakriti represents and to cultivate a deeper appreciation for the beauty and diversity of the natural world. As we celebrate Navratri, we not only honor the universal goddesses but also the divine feminine energy that resides in all of us. It is a reminder of the strength, grace, and wisdom that feminine divinity brings to our lives, and an invitation to embrace these qualities for a more balanced and harmonious existence.
