[Advaita-l] What is Gupta Navaratri?

Venkata sriram P venkatasriramp at yahoo.in
Mon Feb 18 05:18:07 CST 2013


Namaste,
 
For srividya upAsakAs, there are chiefly 4 navarAtrIs.  They are:
 
1) syAmala navarAtri - falls on mAgha mAsa (the current one)
2) vArAhi navarAtri - falls on AshADa mAsa
3) vasantha navarAtri - falls on chaitra mAsa
4) sharad navarAtri - falls on ashvija mAsa
 
While the chief navarAtrIs among the 4 is only 2 (as per dEvi bhAgavata) which are vasantha & sharad. However, some of the sampradAyAs do observe the rest of the 2 also.
 
So, mAgha navarAtri, being dedicated to shyAmala dEvi, the japa of rAja-shyAmala / mAtangi can be taken (if initiated).  One should perform this upAsana with "veeNa vAdana" which pleases the shyAmala most.  One should perform the sangeeta sEva (especially organize the veeNa vAdana concert and should offer dakSiNa and tAmbula to vaiNikAs). 
A vaiNika stee (woman having specialisation in playing veena) should be felicitated (irrespective of varNa) with new clothes and dakSiNa. 
 
The mantra japa should be performed with tAmbUla charvaNa for siddhi.
 
regs,
sriram
 


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