Ashram Newsletter - October, 2021

October 6, 2021  |  by Ramloti

Dear Friends,

We have been very busy here getting ready for the Divine Mother Festival, which begins this Thursday. It is a delicious time of year when the leaves are changing, the sun is getting less intense, the grass is so green and inviting, and the sky is a very clear blue sometimes with billowy clouds adrift. It seems as if everywhere one looks, the Divine Mother and Her beauty are apparent, which makes it easy and natural to bow to Her in gratitude. And that is what we will be doing for the next nine days, Thursday, October 7 through Friday, October 15. So this short newsletter is primarily about Navratri so that each of you can immerse yourself in this precious time as much as you are able. It is a stern time in the world during this Kali Yuga and Kranti that Shri Babaji spoke about so often. I believe it is Mother’s love and compassion that is the highest resource to give us the wisdom, strength, and courage to walk through these days and serve all sentient and insentient beings to the highest of our ability. We will be praying for the whole world and for our beloved Mother Earth at each of our fire ceremonies.

Sending love to all,
Ramloti for the Ashram

The Divine Mother of Haidakhand, Haidakhandeshwari
(From the Sapta Sati by Vishnu Dutt Shastriji)

"Above all the Gods who come and go in the consciousness of man through the rise and fall of civilizations, in the abode of infinite space, in absolute peace where time is no more, there resides the Great Mother of all creation, one with Her Lord, the Supreme Spirit.

The Great Goddess, matrix and creatrix of all that is, takes as many forms or aspects of manifestation as the human mind can conceive. Within and without, it is always She who weaves the patterns of all life as the Divine Force behind everything perceived by the senses. She is Universal and has many names: we call Her Haidakhandeshwari, Vishveshwari, and Maha Lakshmi."

Shri Babaji said, ‘The Great Power that is the cosmic Maya, the Supreme Divine Energy, the Mother Goddess of Haidakhan embodies the totality of all that is to be known. She is the combined divine Grace-Energy of the Goddess Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi, and Maha Saraswati. To worship the Universal Goddess while we are in this mortal frame gives human life its highest realization.’

About Navratri

Navratri, the Divine Mother festival, was always celebrated in India with Shri Babaji and continues there and at this Ashram each Spring (Chaitra) and Fall (Ashvin). This year it begins this Thursday, October 7. It is a time of great importance and was celebrated in the Mahabharata and Ramayana era. It is a time when our prayers are multiplied because millions of people are celebrating at the same time around the world. The period of Navratri always falls at the time of season change and this is the time when our body has low immunity and is most susceptible to fall sick. The time during which Navratri prevails is said to be the period when Mother Nature undergoes a huge change climatically and is a good time for spiritual practices. This is a festival of nine days and nights. The number 9 indicates Shakti – the power and energy that creates the whole universe. Hence, this power of Nine Divine Nights can change the life, destiny and, future of an individual. Navratri comes in our life as a Divine Light and Power in the form of Hope.

The Navratri that we have been performing for many, many years at the Ashram here in Crestone was taught to us by Shri Vishnu Dutt Shastri. Here are two wonderful links to get to know Shastriji more. The first is a short video about him at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLsraZjof7A.

The second is the link to the most recent Zoom Satsang which was attended by many of his family and many long-time devotees sharing inspiring stories of Shastriji at:
https://youtu.be/UBsN3IpYhBU.

Each day of Navratri consists of Paduka puja, aarati, Devi Puja, recitation of the Haidakhandeswari Sapta Sati, Sacred Fire Ceremony, Chanting, and Discourse on the Divine Mother from the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam. These all occur in the morning until just after noon. The remainder of the day consists of a meal (if you are eating; many people do some kind of fast such as: no food, only fruits and vegetables, or one meal a day), karma yoga cleaning up after the day’s ceremonies and preparing for ceremonies the next day, and evening aarati.

We will live-stream the Devi puja on Haidakhandi Universal Ashram Facebook Page at 9am each day and the Fire Ceremony, chanting and Discourse beginning at 11am. We will upload them to YouTube each afternoon, so you can follow along if you miss the live-stream. The Mother Mantra that we have been taught to repeat at this time of Navrati is "Om Aim Hrim Klim Chamundayai Viche". (“Om salutations to the Goddess in all of Her forms. May You bless me with Your courage and strength and allow for the fulfillment of my aspirations and desires.”)

So that you will know more about the days, below is a description of the significance of each, what the color our beautiful Mother wears on that day, and the individual aspect of Mother. If you choose to sponsor a Devi Puja or a Fire Ceremony, this will give you information on what day or days would be most meaningful or helpful for you to sponsor.

Sponsorship of Navratri Fire Ceremony or Devi Puja

If you would like to participate by sponsoring a Fire Ceremony or a Devi Puja we will send you a blessed item from the Fire Ceremony or Devi Puja if you request. As you pay add to the comment the day you want to sponsor and if you would like a sacred item. You can either call the Ashram with a credit card at 719-256-4108 or make the donation on our Donate Page scrolling down to “Sponsor a Fire Ceremony or a Devi Puja”. $54 sponsorship - Rudraksha, Rosewood, or Tulsi Mala
$108 sponsorship - Copper, silver, brass Om Namah Shivaya Bracelet
$216 sponsorship – A lovely altar clothe from the sari of the Divine Mother and one of the above items

The Devi Puja

Each morning at 9am we do a sweet puja to the deity of the day. The first three days of Navratri we honor Mother Durga. She helps purify and destroy the aspects in us that keep us from our spiritual path. On the next three days, we honor Mother Lakshmi, asking Her to fill in the places we have just eliminated with more satvic or life-giving qualities. The final three days, we honor Mother Saraswati, asking Her to assist us in putting our new satvic qualities into action. She is also the one that bestows Divine Knowledge on us.

It is said that during Navratri, the Mother Goddess appears in 9 different Forms, and each one is worshipped for a day. These 9 Forms signify the various traits that are influenced by the Goddess. According to the Markendeya Puran the worship days for the various forms of Goddess Durga are as follows:

Day One - Thursday, October 7

It is a Maha Durga day for the Devi Puja. On Thursday Mother normally wears a gold or yellow color for the Guru.

The Aspect of the day is Goddess Shailputri, who Is The Daughter of the Himalayas. The word Shail in Sanskrit means Mountain, and Putri means daughter. Thus, Shailputri means Daughter of the Mountains. Goddess Durga is known by this name because she has incarnated from Himalayas – the Emperor of Mountains. Goddess Shailputri Embodies The Powers Of Lord Brahma, Vishnu And Shiva. Married to Lord Shiva, Ma Shailputri has many divine powers.

Day Two - Friday, October 8

It is a Maha Durga day for the Devi Puja at 9am. On Friday Mother normally wears pink or mixed colors for the Divine Mother.

The Aspect of the day is Goddess Brahmacharini, the Goddess of Penance and Good Conduct. This form of Mother Durga originated from the word Brahma, which means – one who observes penance or tapa, and good conduct. Thus, She is the one who practices tapasya. Mother Brahmacharini is very gorgeous. In one hand, She holds a Kamandal i.e. a water pot, and in the other hand, she holds a rosary. Maa Brahmacharini personifies love and loyalty. She is the storehouse of knowledge and wisdom.

Day Three - Saturday, October 9

It is a Maha Durga day for the Devi Puja. On Saturday Mother normally wears darker colors for Shani or Saturn.

The Aspect of the day is Goddess Chandraghanta, who bestows immense peace and goodness. The name Chandraghanta originated from the words Chandra (Moon) and Ghanta (Bell). This is because the Goddess has a crescent Moon on Her forehead, and a roaring voice like the tumultuous sound of a bell, which makes the demons tremble with fear. Mother Chandraghanta looks very bright and charming, has a golden skin color, and possesses ten hands and three eyes. Eight of the hands of this Goddess hold weapons, while the gestures of the remaining two hands indicate bestowing a boon and stopping harm. With the blessings of Mother Chandraghanta, sins of the worshipper get washed away, and obstacles also get cleared from his/her path.

Day Four – Sunday, October 10

It is a Maha Lakshmi day for the Devi Puja. On Sunday Mother normally wears shining colors for the sun.

The Aspect of the day is Maa Kushmanda. Her name, Kushmanda, means a little warm cosmic egg, which has originated from the following words. Ku means Little and Ushm means Warmth or Energy, and Anda means the Cosmic Egg or Universe. Mother Kushmanda resides in the inner portion of the universe or Surya Loka, and She radiates a solar aura. It is believed that when only darkness prevailed all around, Goddess Kushmanda created the universe with her Sankalp i.e. resolving power. As per the religious scriptures, during the ancient times, Maa Shakti created this universe as an Anda which means cosmic egg, just by flashing a splendid smile. The Goddess Kushmanda holds a kamandal, bow, arrow, lotus, a jar of nectar, discus, and mace in her seven hands, respectively. There is a rosary (japa mala) in the eighth hand, which is capable of bestowing the eight Siddhis of Divine Powers.

Day Five – Monday, October 11

It is a Maha Lakshmi day for the Devi Puja. On Monday Mother normally wears white color for Shiva and the Moon.

The Aspect of the day is Maa Skandamata because She is the mother of Skanda, the leader of the heavenly armies. She rides a lion and holds her son Skanda in her lap. Goddess Skandamata grants salvation to Her unfailing devotees and all their desires get fulfilled. She also opens the path of salvation for the devotee, and as She is the presiding deity of Sun God, Maa Skandamata bestows an extraordinary glow and radiance on Her devotees.

Day Six – Tuesday, October 12

It is a Maha Lakshmi day for the Devi Puja. On Tuesday Mother normally wears red or orange color for Hanuman.

The Aspect of the day is Goddess Katyayani. Once there was a sage Katyayana who practiced penance for many years to Maa Shakti and was given a boon. Sage Katyayana requested Mother Goddess Durga to take birth as his daughter. The goddess was very pleased and accepted his request. Later on, when the cruel acts of the demon Mahishasura crossed every limit, the trinity of Gods i.e. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva became very angry. And hence, they created a Goddess by distributing some part of their great power, in order to destroy the demon. As sage Katyayana was the first person to worship this Goddess, she was named Mother Katyayani. Then she killed the demon, Mahishasura. Maa Katyayani's form is highly divine and dazzling and bestows Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha to those who have full faith and devotion.

Day Seven – Wednesday, October 13

It is a Maha Saraswati day for the Devi Puja. On Wednesday, Mother normally wears green to honor Ganesh.

The Aspect of the day is the Goddess Kaalratri who is the Destroyer Of Darkness and Ignorance. The look of Mother Kaalratri is extremely frightening, but the effect of Her appearance is always auspicious.

Kaalratri has three round eyes that are in the form of cosmic eggs, which always emit rays. Fearful flames appear when she inhales or exhales air through her nostrils. Worshippers of this Goddess are not afraid of fire, water, wild animals, enemies, or darkness. Mother Kaalratri destroys evil spirits. On this day, all the sins of the worshipper are washed away and all the hurdles on the path of the worshipper are destroyed.

Day Eight – Thursday, October 14

It is a Maha Saraswati day for the Devi Puja. On Thursday Mother normally wears golden colors for the Guru.

The Aspect of the day is the Goddess Mahagauri who radiates peace and compassion. Her extremely fair complexion is similar to a white conch, the moon or a Jasmine flower. As per the traditional story, Goddess Parvati practiced the most severe penance with the desire to have Lord Shiva as her divine consort. As a result of the severe penance, the color of her body became black. Lord Shiva was highly pleased by her penance, and thus he washed Mata Parvati's body with the holy water of river Ganga. Hence, she regained her fair complexion. And thereafter, she was known as Mother Mahagauri. All the sins of the devotee are washed away by worshipping this Goddess on this auspicious 8th day of Navratri and become pure in all aspects.

Day Nine – Friday, October 15

It is a Maha Saraswati day for the Devi Puja. On Friday Mother normally wears pink or mixed colors for the Divine Mother.

The Aspect of the day is the Goddess Siddhidatri who is the Giver of Spiritual Powers (Siddhis). If a devotee worships Goddess Siddhidatri with full faith and devotion on the 9th day of Navratri it is said that Mother Siddhidatri, who is the grantor of 26 different wishes, bestows them on Her devotees. The blessed devotees spiritually move into the divine abode of the Goddess and they are always blessed by Her.

The Joyful Karma Yoga of Getting Ready for Navratri

There is a lot that goes into preparing for Navratri. The whole temple is cleaned and often all of the drapes and assans are changed. There is lots of gathering of wood for 10 large fire ceremonies. Fortunately we have plenty of dead wood on our 101 acres of land that should be burned to mitigate fire danger. Our Divine Mother got new saris sewn for Her, a new nightgown for Her and Baba, and Her toes and lotus base got repainted for the celebration. Lots of Prasad preparation, ceremonial preparation, like dupe balls, painting the havan kund, setting up altars, and making malas, baking, and other kitchen preparation also go on.

We are grateful for all the gracious help we have received from Rita, Dawn, all of our staff, all the folks that will be helping throughout the nine days, and a big thank you to the Bhardwaj family that came all the way from Texas to do Karma Yoga on the weekend, even though they still had to stay in a B&B since the dormitory is still closed to visitors. We would not be here without all the help of so many friends. Thank you. Bhole Baba Ki Jai!

Zoom Satsangs

There will be no Zoom Satsang this Saturday, October 9 due to the busy Navratri schedule. The following Saturday, October 16, we are happy to announce that Pujari will be leading it from the Holland Ashram. He is visiting there from his home in Russia for Fall Navratri and will have lots of sharing about their festivities. We will also hear from other Ashrams around the world about their Navratris as well. It will be a great time to tune into several Ashrams around the world. It will be at 7am MDT and the link will be the same as always.

Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84820406020?pwd=RXRKYnJYSDFKYmhxYVMrNXBOVGo4UT09
Meeting ID: 848 2040 6020
Passcode: 474473
One tap mobile: +16699006833,,84820406020#,,,,*474473# (US)

Calendar of Events

Oct 6, Nov 4, Dec 4	New Moon Fire Ceremony
Oct 20, Nov 19, Dec 18	Full Moon Fire Ceremony
Oct 7-15	Fall Navratri

Please go to our Calendar of Events page for all events.

Gratitude and Maha Lakshmi Shop

Once again, thank you to all who have been donating to the Ashram and purchasing from the Maha Lakshmi Shop. Both are a big help in keeping everything going at the Ashram. Please know that we always remember you in the Temple at Baba’s and Mother’s feet and at our Fire Ceremonies.

We continue to have folks reach out to us about sending a donation to keep the Ashram going during this time. Perhaps the easiest place to get information about donations and to make one is at the Ashram Donate Page. And to see our Maha Lakshmi Shop catalogue of devotional items and to purchase on line, go to Maha Lakshmi Online Shop. Call or email us anytime with questions, feedback, or requests at info@babajiashram.org or 719-256-4108. We love to hear from you.

Bhole Baba Ki Jai! Jai Ma!