Navratri

The boat of my life sails,
Celestial Ma, guide it.
Storms are strong,
Mighty Mum, save it.
The sea is vast and deep.
O Omnipresent Mama!
Put the guardian hand on it.
O the Daughter of Himalayas,
Take not thy light away!
I want to row to your chosen isle,
O the Lion Rider!
Cup me gently in thy hands!
Cup me gently in thy hands!
Cup me gently in thy hands!

                                    - Ramesh Tiwari

Happy Navratri, everyone!

माँ दुर्गा

माँ के आँचल में ही हम

माँ को खोजा करते हैं,

माँ के दर्शन उनको होते

माँ प्रेमी जो होते हैं |

सागर तेरे चरण धुलें माँ

चँवर डुलावे पुरवाई,

दिशा दिशाएं कीरति गावें

वन बागों की शहनाई |

धरती पर सब तेरे बच्चे

उछल-कूद माँ करते हैं,

माँ के दर्शन उनको होते

माँ प्रेमी जो होते हैं |

सारा नभ दरबार सज़ा माँ

सूर्य चंद्र से आलोकित,

निशा दिवस पहरे देते हैं

तारों से मण्डप शोभित |

मेघों के संगीत सुहाने

मन मोहित कर लेते हैं,

माँ के दर्शन उनको होते

माँ भक्ति जो करते हैं |

माँ के आँचल में ही हम

माँ को खोजा करते हैं,

माँ के दर्शन उनको होते

माँ प्रेमी जो होते हैं |

-    रमेश चन्द्र तिवारी



मैया मुझे तू हृदय लगा ले

मुझ में प्यार अपार जगा दे ।

तुझे कभी भी भूल न पाऊँ

तेरी सेवा में सुख पाऊँ ।

तू ही सच्ची मैया जग की

तू ही जग महारानी सच्ची ।

किसी को भूखा नहीं सुलाती

दुखी-दीन सबको सहलाती ।

सबकी इच्छा तृष्णा तू ही

पूर्ति और संतुष्टि भी तू ही ।

सबका केवल तुझसे नाता

सब बच्चे औ तू ही माता ।

रविवार, 7 अप्रैल 2019




यह संसार तुम्हारा मैया

हम सब तेरे तेरी धरती

तेरा आगन तेरे पक्षी ।

सूरज चंद्र तुम्हारे सेवक

सागर तेरा सरिता तेरी

नभ तारों की महिमा तेरी ।

कुछ ऐसा है नहीं कहीं पर

किसी और का हो सकता है

सब पर तेरी सतत कृपा है ।

गति तेरी स्थिरता तेरी

इच्छा तेरी परिवर्तन में

शक्ति तुम्हारी काल चक्र में ।

त्रैलोक्य स्वामिनी माता मेरी

हृदय भक्ति से भर दे मैया

पार लगा दे मेरी नैया !

शनिवार, 13 अप्रैल 2019

Twice a year, we have a period of nine days called Navratri, the pleasantest parts of the year, between winter and summer. ‘Nav’ means ‘new’ and ‘Ratri’ means ‘days’, that is to say, we are going to enter a new season, perhaps a change whose power makes us see the world because if things were alike, there would be no light of sense, nor any action even. In fact, the clash is the mother of change: the mother of both good and bad – or rather, the mother of all that cannot not be called bad because what you call bad is good if the purpose is changed! So change is the source of every power. Since change involves movement and power, this period is considered to be connected with Maa Durga, the Creator and the Protector.

There stands a mother behind everything. It is mother who gives life; it is mother who brings us up; it is mother who trains and educates us; it is mother who loves us unconditionally; it is mother who forgives us; furthermore, it is mother who accepts both our vice and virtue. So does God. This is why God is our father but more precisely He is our mother. He is both Shiva and Durga; He is both Brahma and Sarashwati; and He is both Narayan and Lxami.

All look alike? Yes, they do. No, no, not many but a big mother in nine different forms with this beautiful and fearsome universe on her lap. The planets, the stars or the galaxies are the software to a computer called the universe that has a great space in which to write something or to delete. Different gods or the laws of nature are the operating system to run the different programmes. But the makers and users are Maa Durga and her consort Shiva.

Maa Durga gave birth to universes each in nine days and left them for Ram to govern and to keep them. She, however, ignores not, but rather rushes to protect Her children provided that they call Her with utmost faith and absolute submission. If any place – the most pleasant, home of homes, heaven of heavens – is ever there to enjoy life after life, it is the lotus feet of Maa Baisnavi. Those who are submissive but discreet are devta; those who are greedy and selfish are man; and those who are aggressive and cruel are danav. These are the basic parts of humanity and each part, being the opposite force against the rest ones, does not let their rivals go unbridled. But still all the three reach to the extreme points of their attributes, disrupting all moral values and causing lots of problems for devotees of Maa. Here, Maa, riding on her lion, lands on the Himalayas.

Look at the picture. Nobody had seen Maa Duga, her carrier the Lion or the demon, but they must have seen people having no human feelings, killing innocents. The fiend in the picture represents such people. The picture also shows that such people are not the problem of present time only but they have always been a challenge to the civilized society. Now one must also have seen how brutes got killed in masses in turns and always by a sudden force emerged out of an unknown source. Maa Durga represents that force, rushing to rescue the weak and innocents. Now that this phenomenon is not new, nor is it something unnecessary, we should keep patience.

If all king Ramji has decided to punish you; if Mahaprabhu Hanumanji has grown angry with you; if Mahadev himself has raised his trisul against you; but if Maa is pleased with you, then, believe it, nothing is going to happen to you. Instead, all of them would be good to you.

There's no so beauty,

No so peace and freedom,
No so atmosphere of love and affection,
No so air pure and serene
As it is in the holy temple of the Mother of all.
I know not how I worship you, Ma,
But I know I find life;
I find beauty;
I find what I am for,
Just to think of you,
Just to be engrossed in you.
It would be horrible
If you would not let me adore you.
So, our loving Mother,
Do not withdraw your grace from me;
Do not deprive me of the shelter of your palace doorway.

When I visit a Madir and see villagers sitting here and there, boys playing and making noises, pundits worshipping Mataji and devotees bowing down before Her Greatself – all in full freedom – my heart brims over with love and with a sense of vast ownership. It looks as though the great mother seated on her gracious throne enjoys watching her children playing around.

Let us bow down to the lotus feet of the great Mother and start doing something new. May Maa nourish us, brings us life, change and beauty and shower us with Happiness. Happy Navratri, everyone!

Maa Katyayani is believed to be the daughter of sage Katyayan. According to Kalika Puran, it was rishi Katyayan who first worshiped her so she is known as Katyayani. She is one of the fiercest forms of Durga - in other words, a warrior Goddess as she was created out of the constant anger of Bhagwan Vishnu. She killed the demon king Mahishasur. She is worshiped on the sixth day of Navratri. The Bhagwat Puran describes the Katyayani Vrat. Gopies would go to the Kalindi early in the morning in the month of Margasirsa, take a bath, fast for the day and worship Goddess Katyayani with a view to obtaining Lord Krishna as their husband. She gets pleased with penance and gives rain and prosperity. Jai Ma Katyayani.......!

The seventh day of Navratri is the day of Maa Kalratri
Maa Kalratri cures you of poisonous infection, asthma and paralysis and resolves the problem affecting your joints and spines. She also keeps you away from depression, fear etc. Since She is very fond of white flowers, offer Her white lotus or similar ones and you are sure to get Her blessing. May maa Kalratri relieve you of your pain, stress, problems and make you happy! Jai Mata ki..................!

Whenever demons got too strong to be controlled by any power, Mata Parvati transformed herself into Mahakali i.e. extremely black and fierce. Maa Kali killed many demon kings and every time she assassinated one, she was given a different name. When she had killed all of them, she restored her previous form and became a child of eight with her complexion as fair as conch, moon or jasmine. She was known as the eight form of Ma durga and called Mahagauri, which means extremely fair. Those who fast and worship Mahagauri on the eight day of Navratri get the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition.

As the name implies, Mata Siddhidatri awards 26 siddhies to her devotees and does away with their ignorance. As She is the last among the nine forms of Durga, She is worshiped on the ninth day of Navratri. Lord Shiva worshiped Maan Siddhidatri for the siddhies and was transformed into Ardhnarishwar i.e. half of His body took the form of Maan Shakti. Since She can give anything one may desire, she is worshiped by all: man, god, demon and yaksh. Jai Mata ki ......! Happy Navratri, everyone!

                                                                                                   By Ramesh Chandra Tiwari