Durga Puja or Navaratri - by Sri Swami Sivananda The Indian Concept of The Divine Mother - by Sri Swami Sivananda Prayer to The Divine Mother - by Sri Swami Chidananda The Esoteric Significance of The Devi-Mahatmya - by Sri Swami Krishnananda

General Rules for Reading Sri Sri Chandi - by Sri Swami Sivananda Sri Durga Saptasati or The Devi Mahatmya - by Sri Swami Sivananda

Navaratri Messages - by Sri Swami Sivananda A messages to Mothers - by Sri Swami Sivananda Navaratri - Durga Puja, Its Significance - by Sri Swami Sivananda The True Significance of Devi Puja - by Sri Swami Sivananda Durga Puja - by Sri Swami Sivananda Devi Worship - by Sri Swmi Sivananda Significance of Devi Worship - by Sri Swmi Sivananda Worship of Divine Power - by Sri Swmi Sivananda Enthrone Love in Your Heart - by Sri Swmi Sivananda Strive for the ideal - by Sri Swmi Sivananda Worship of Divine Mother - by Sri Swmi Sivananda The Ascent of Man - by Sri Swmi Sivananda

Devi Kirtan Hymn to The Divine Mother

By Sri Swami Sivananda

Road to Prosperity and Liberation

Salutations to Adi Para Sakti, the Supreme Divine power, Who is the origin of the universe, Who sustains all beings and whose benevolent look of Grace bestows all prosperity and ultima­tely, Moksha, too, on the Jiva!

Na Ayam Atma Balaheenena Labhyah:—this Atman is not attained by the weakling. Your body must be strong. Your mind must be healthy. Your intellect must be sharp and piercing. Your will must be powerful. Your soul must be resplendent. Your actions must be backed by strength of conviction. Your words must be endowed with the power of truthfulness, righte­ousness and love. Your thoughts must be powerful and must emanate from a heart filled with selflessness, purity, cosmic love and renun­ciation. Then will you really have a strong and powerful personality.

The Navaratri worship has been instituted by our ancient sages in order to remind you of this great truth. Mother will bestow Sakti on you, if you approach Her with the simpli­city and innocence of a child, if you surrender yourself to Her and pray: —Mother, Thou art all; pious or wicked, I am Thy child. Lift me up, for Thou art full of compassion and love.

As Durga, She bestows vigour upon you, upon all aspects of your personality. She removes all your obstacles, destroys the vicious Samskaras that hinder your spiritual progress. As Lakshmi, She fills you with divine virtues and blesses you with material prosperity, too, in order that, freed from mundane anxieties, you might pursue the spiritual ideal. As Sarasvati, She unlocks to you the gates of wisdom, the realm of spiritual knowledge. She opens your inner eye of intuition, and discrimination. You begin to perceive the Reality and you turn away from the unrealities, the deceptive appea­rances of this world.

For the sake of the continuance of Her Divine Play here, She Herself, as Avidya Maya, has veiled the Truth from you and bound you to this Samsara. When She is propitiated through the practice of sincere devotion and unconditional self-surrender, She, as Vidya-Maya, removes the veil and enables you to per­ceive the Truth.

vidyassamasthasthava devi bhedah
sthriyassamasthaa sakala jagatsu
tvayaikayaa purutamamba etat
kaa te stuti stavyapra paroktih

Mother! All arts and sciences, all branches of knowledge, are Your modifications; all women in the world are Your manifestations. Thou alone pervadest the entire creation.

Meditate upon this great formula. See the Divine Mother in all women. Worship the Mother in every object in the world. She will make you the Master of all arts and sciences. You will shine as a resplendent Yogi, Jnani and Jivanmukta.