Navratri is an Indian festival celebrated over nine nights in reverence to the divine feminine. While the Navratri celebrated in the month of September-October (Sharad Navaratri) is the more popular Navratri, the one celebrated in the month of March-April (Vasant Navaratri) has its own special significance.
Devi Bhagvata Purana (Book 3: Chapters XIV – XXX) – a scripture chronicling the divine plays of the feminine archetype – illustrates the origins of this auspicious festival.
A certain king Dhruvasindhu of Kosala lay dead along with a ferocious lion while in a combat with the animal during his hunting expedition. His eldest son Sudarsana, from his wife Queen Manorama, was designated to be coronated to his father’s throne. King Dhruvasindhu’s second wife Queen Lilavati’s son Satrujit, being the younger claimant to the throne was denied the opportunity as per the law of the land. Jealousy drove Queen Lilavati’s father King Yudhajit to defeat and kill Queen Manorama’s father and protector – King Virasena – in battle and deprive Prince Sudarsana of his right to the throne.
Subsequently, the unjust King Yudhajit coronated his grandson Prince Satrujit to the Gosala throne. He also planned to kill Prince Sudarsana so as to avert in advance any future claim on his grandson’s kingdom. Smelling danger, Queen Manorama fled and sought refuge in Rishi Bhardwaj’s Ashram who turned away the King Yudhajit when he came to snatch custody of Prince Sudarsana.
While being at Rishi Bharadwaj’s monastery, Prince Sudarsana once overheard somebody call another out by the name ‘Kleeba’ and misunderstood it as ‘Klee’. As luck would have it, this word stuck in his consciousness and he kept repeating this syllable all the while, not knowing that it was the beej-mantra to invoke the Devi (‘Kleem’ being the full beej-mantra)
The Divine Mother gave him darshan and granted him with unassailable weapons. Some emissaries from the kingdom of Banaras once saw this prowess of Prince Sudarsana and suggested the king of Banaras to hold a Swayamvara (a ceremony where the princess chooses a groom for herself) for his daughter Princess Sashikala and invite Prince Sudarsana, amongst others, as a suitor. The Princess Sashikala chose upon Prince Sudarsana as his groom in this contest once he outwitted the other suitors. This didn’t go down well with the evil King Yudhajit who was also present there soliciting an alliance between the princess and his son Satrujit. King Yudhajit out of arrogance attacked the king of Banaras, at which point the Divine Mother appeared so as to do justice to his devotee Sudarsana and teach the evil and arrogant king a lesson. She reduced King Yudhajit and his army to ashes. At this occasion, Prince Sudarsana, his newly wed bride Sashikala and her father the King of Banaras spoke highly of the Divine Mother which pleased Her. As a gift, she then asked them to worship Her during a certain nine nights in the Hindu month of Chaitra which always falls within the Hindu season of Vasant (spring). This would bestow them with all they wanted.
The three of them returned to the Ashram after Divine Mother’s blessings. Prince Sudarsana was finally crowned as the King of Gosala by Rishi Bharadwaja himself. Later, they performed fire labs (Homas) in obeisance to the Divine Mother during the auspicious nine nights as guided by Her. As a result, they received many bounties.
Ever since, the Spring (Vasant/Chaitra) Navaratri is being observed by devotees of the Divine Feminine across the world. In 2018, the Vasant Navaratri will be celebrated from March 18 to March 26 of the Gregorian calendar. It is a most suitable window to do rituals with Astroved and energise one’s life with all that the sacred feminine has to offer in the form of beauty and abundance.
