It is said that the nine days of  Navaratri are very powerful (full of shakti). This prompts me to find out what is this Shakti, how do we develop Shakti in us and how can we utilize this Shakti once we receive it through God and the Guru’s grace.

I could feel the Shakti or power in the divine energy during meditation in these 9 days. It was as if the atmosphere was full of power, compared to the other days.  Ma Durga was filling us with Shakti so that we seekers can continue our sadhana in a better way. Om Namah Shivayah chanting instruction by our Pujya Gurumaa has been one blissful experience where one can experience the power within i.e. the Kundalini Shakti. The chanting starts with a crescendo and slowly becomes quieter and quieter, finally fading out and the mind enters into meditation.  It is  an excellent method of pratyahar.

What I understand of this Shakti is the developing of virtuous qualities such as forbearance, patience, love and kindness as well as compassion. The victory of good over evil i.e. Shakti over the opposing forces or rakshasas is the victory of the self over the rakshasas of the mind. The rakshasas tempt us to be angry, not to look upon all beings as the manifestations of the Lord, they take us away from satvic food, make us hate and be jealous.  But if we develop the power within us through meditation, selfless service or seva, by reading the lives of great men and the scriptures (not only reading but understanding their essence), living in the company of holy men and likeminded people and our discussions are spiritual, satvic and of social significance, if our mind and body are both clean through asans, pranayam and meditation, the battle of the senses is won.

The lesson to be learnt is that each one of us has to become a Durga. We have to make the world a better place for all to live in. As Durga vanquishes the demons, Yog Nidra vanquishes the demons of our past karmas. Urja Dhyan and pranayams make us healthy and remove all blockages. Asanas help in removing stiffness and make our bodies healthy. Prayers and chanting invoke divine blessings.

We have received a lot of Shakti from the divine as well as our Guruji who is a part of the divine. We are also a part of the divine but have not discovered ourselves like the enlightened souls. We are on the path and shall definitely reach our goal one day.

Now it is our duty to spread the mission and message of our Guru to every door and every soul, so that they may not waste their time in senseless pleasures and arise and awake to the ultimate reality that I am not the body but the soul. Meditate for tomorrow may not come.

May God give us Shakti so that we may forge ahead in our sadhana, at the same time bringing more troubled souls into our fold, so that we may all be led by our revered Gurumaa from darkness into light. Asato ma sadgamayah, tamaso ma jyotir gamayah, mrityur ma amritam gamya, Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi.

Gurumaa has aptly named her project for uplifting girls and young women from the darkness of illiteracy and poverty into a successful brigade of educated young women, who face life with confidence and help in making society a better place. They in turn will bring more girls a better life and teach them to dream big. This is what SHAKTI is all about. Like Durga Maa, Gurumaa is taking these girls out of the clutches of the rakshasas of poverty and illiteracy and leading them on to victory. Lend a hand here as well to build awareness by donating for the right of a girl child to live life on equal terms. Live Life Queen Size!

Jai Gurudev and Victory to the Brigade of our Durga Maa, Pujya Gurumaa on this Vijay Dashami day.

Seema