Navratri Day1 : Goddess Shailputri Devi -02

Maa Shailputri – First Among Nava Durgas

Navratri, the festival of nine nights is dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine forms. According to the Hindu calendar, Navratri begins from the first day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin which usually coincides with the end of the rainy season.

The nine days have great religious significance as Goddess Durga, the divine mother, had destroyed the evil force (in the form of the demon Mahisashura)
During this period. The festival is celebrated with true devotion and purity all over the country. People from various sections of the society irrespective of caste and creed celebrate this festival by visiting temples and offering pujas at the Mother’s feet.
In some places special puja samarohas are also held by setting the images of Mother Durga on beautifully decorated pandals. Temples dedicated to Shakti also make arrangement for pujas and bratas to mark these nine days as true symbols of devotion and adoration towards the divine mother.




Maa Durga manifests herself in nine form called Navdurga. One of these nine forms of Maa Durga is worshiped every day in Navratri. The fisrt form of Maa Durga known as “Shailputri”. Goddess Durga was born in the house of King of Mountains “Parvat Raj Himalaya”, so she is called “Shailputri” maens the daughter of mountain.
Maa Shailputri - First Among Nava Durgas

Maa Shailputri - First Among Nava Durgas

Maa Shailputri is the absolute from of Mother Nature. She is also known as Goddess Parvati the consort of Lord Shiva & mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya. In the Navratra festival the worshiping Mother Goddess has a half moon in her forehead & she is holding a trident in her right hand & lotus flower in her left hand. she rides on mount Nandi a bull.

In some scriptures like Shivapurana & Devi Bhagvatam the story of Mother Goddess is written as follow: Maa Bhagwati in her earlier birth was born as a daughter of Daksh Prajapati. Then her name was ‘Sati’ and she was married to Lord Shiva. But in a sacrificial ceremony organized by her father Prajapati Daksh, she got her body burnt in the yogic fire, because she could not bear the insult of her husband Lord Shiva by her father Prajapati Daksha in the sacrificial ceremony.

In her next birth she incarnated her as Goddess Parvati, the daughter of Parvatraj Himalaya and among Nava Durgas she has been referred to as Sailaputri who was again known as Himavati. In her Haimavati aspect she defeated all prominent gods. Like her previous birth in this life also Maa Shailaputri (Parvati) got married with Lord Shiva. The first and the most prominent among Nava Durgas, Shailaputri is of immense importance and her glories are endless. On the first day of Navratra worship it is she who is worshiped.
Maa Sailputri Story in Hindi

Maa Sailputri Story in Hindi

She is the Devi of the root chakra, who, upon awakening, begins Her journey upwards. Sitting on Nandi, and making her first journey from the Muladarachakra. As from her father to her husband – the awakening Shakti, beginning Her search for Lord Shiva or making a move towards her Shiva. So that, In navrati pooja the first day Yogi’s keep their mind concentrated on Muladhara. This is the starting point of their spiritual discipline. They started their Yogasadha from here. Shaila Putri is the Mooladhara Shakti to be realized within Self and sought for higher depths, in the yogic meditation

वंदे वाद्द्रिछतलाभाय चंद्रार्धकृतशेखराम |
वृषारूढां शूलधरां शैलपुत्री यशस्विनीम्‌ ||

दुर्गा पूजा के प्रथम दिन माता शैलपुत्री की पूजा-वंदना इस मंत्र द्वारा की जाती है.
मां दुर्गा की पहली स्वरूपा और शैलराज हिमालय की पुत्री शैलपुत्री के पूजा के साथ ही दुर्गा पूजा आरम्भ हो जाता है. नवरात्र पूजन के प्रथम दिन कलश स्थापना के साथ इनकी ही पूजा और उपासना की जाती है. माता शैलपुत्री का वाहन वृषभ है, उनके दाहिने हाथ में त्रिशूल और बाएं हाथ में कमल का पुष्प रहता है. नवरात्र के इस प्रथम दिन की उपासना में योगी अपने मन को 'मूलाधार' चक्र में स्थित करते हैं और यहीं से उनकी योग साधना प्रारंभ होता है. पौराणिक कथानुसार मां शैलपुत्री अपने पूर्व जन्म में प्रजापति दक्ष के घर कन्या रूप में उत्पन्न हुई थी. उस समय माता का नाम सती था और इनका विवाह भगवान् शंकर से हुआ था. एक बार प्रजापति दक्ष ने यज्ञ आरम्भ किया और सभी देवताओं को आमंत्रित किया परन्तु भगवान शिव को आमंत्रण नहीं दिया. अपने मां और बहनों से मिलने को आतुर मां सती बिना निमंत्रण के ही जब पिता के घर पहुंची तो उन्हें वहां अपने और भोलेनाथ के प्रति तिरस्कार से भरा भाव मिला. मां सती इस अपमान को सहन नहीं कर सकी और वहीं योगाग्नि द्वारा खुद को जलाकर भस्म कर दिया और अगले जन्म में शैलराज हिमालय के घर पुत्री रूप में जन्म लिया. शैलराज हिमालय के घर जन्म लेने के कारण मां दुर्गा के इस प्रथम स्वरुप को शैल पुत्री कहा जाता है

Vande Vaadidra Chhatalaabhaaya Chandrardh Kritshekhraam
Vrisharudhaam Shooldharaam Shaiputri Yashsvineem.
Durga Pooja ke pratham din Mata Shailputri ki pooja-vandana is mantra dwara ki jati hai.
Maa Durga ki pahli swaroopa aur Shailraaj Himalaya ki putri Shailputri ke pooja ke sath hi Durga Pooja aarambh ho jata hai. Navratra poojan ke pratham din kalash sthapna ke sath inki hi pooja aur aradhna ki jati hai. Mata Shailputri ka vahan Vrishabh hai, unke dahine hath me Trishul aur bayen hath me Kamal ka pushp hai. Navratra ke is pratham din ki upasna me Yogi apne man ko ‘Mooladhar’ chakra me sthit karte hain aur yahi se unki yog sadhna prarambh hota hai. Pauranik kathanusar Maa Shailputri apne purv janm me Prajapati Daksh ke ghar kanya roop me utpann huyi thi. Us samay mata ka naam Sati tha aur inka vivaah Bhagvan Shankar se hua tha. Ek bar Prajapati Daksh ne yagya aarambh kiya aur sabhi devtaao ko aamantrit kiya parantu Bhagvan Shiv ko aamantran nahi diya. Apne maa aur bahno se milne ko aatur Maa Sati bina nimantran ke hi jab pita ke ghar pahunchi to unhe waha apne aur Bholenath ke prati tiraskar se bhara bhav mila. Maa Sati is apmaan ko sahan nahi kar saki aur wahi yogaagni dwara khud ko jalakar bhasm kar diya aur agle janm me Shailraj Himalaya ke ghar putri roop me janm liya. Shailraaj Himalaya ke ghar janm lene ke karan Maa Durga ke is pratham swaroop ko Shailputri kaha jata hai.

Durga came to Earth on the invitation and prayers of the people who were being harassed . She came down in Her form of Mahisha Mardini or the slayer of the Buffalo which has ten hands holding ten different weapons given to Her by the various Gods. She came riding her mount the Lion on the invitiation of Her devotees. On the eighth day of the Sukla Paksha in the month of Ashwin She arrived on Earth. On the ninth day the battle ensued with Mahishasur and the battle continued through the night. The demon hid easily among Buffaloes by taking their form . But Durga cut off its head to reveal the Demon and eventually on the tenth day or on Vijaya dashami She slayed Mahishasur with the help of Her mount the Lion.

This event is celebrated every year as Navaratra. The worship basically begins with the singing of Mahalaya or the invitation from her devotees on the Amabashya or the new Moon of Ashwina which usually comes around September-October. After which the worship of nine nights and ten days begin. The actual installation and worship of theidols of Durga along with the idols of Her children Ganesha and Kartik and Her other forms Saraswati and Lakshmi are worshipped begins on Panchami of Sukla Pakcha. First Saraswati is worshipped on Panchami, then Lakshmi is worshipped on Shasthi who are also considered different forms of Parvati and then Durga is worshipped on Saptami. On the eighth day the puja of Mahasthami is held when She actually arrives from Kailash and enters the clay image. Much fanfare is held to announce Her arrival on this day including the playing of drums, cymbals and conch sehlss and a great worhsip is conducted. During the puja cermonies Mantras are recited by priests and devotees asking the Goddess to give knowledge, wealth and courage to all. On the ninth day the great battle with Mahishasur ensues and is celebrated as Mahanavami. On the tenth day victory over the demon is celebrated by the puja of Vijaya Dashami. After the ceremonies the clay images are floated into nearby rivers and the ceremony is called Visarjan.

Navaratri is celebrated four times a year. They are Ashada Navaratri, the Sharada Navaratri, the Maha Navaratri and the Vasantha Navaratri. Of these, the Sharada Navaratri of the month of Ashwin and the Vasantha Navaratri of the Chaitra are very important. If you refer to the Agni Purana, then it is said that the Asvin and Chaitra are like the two jaws of Lord Yama. If one wants to escape the mouth of Yama, then one should celebrate Navaratri on these two occassions. A similar analogy is presented in the Devi Bhagavatam.

Devi Bhagavatam also talks in detail on how one should observe fasts, and how one should meditate/work on these days. It is a long tradition that one reads the Devi Bhagavatam or the Devi Mahatmyam (Durga Saptasati, 700 verses on Durga) during this period. Devi Bhagavatam notes that Rama meditated and fasted for nine days after Sita was kidnapped by Ravana. There are numerous such incidents on how people’s wishes were granted.

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Posted in: Navratri