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NAVAMĪVARATA (Fast on the ninth lunar day). This is a special fast taken in the month of Tulām [October- November] with a view to obtain ‘Bhukti’ (enjoyment or possession) and ‘Mukti’ (Beatitude). The important rite of this worship is to take fast on the ninth night of the bright lunar fortnight in the month of Tulām and worship goddess Gaurī. This navamī is also called Gaurīnavamī. Another name of this navamī is Piṣṭāka navamī. This name is given because on that day Piṣṭam (ground rice) is eaten and the goddess is worshipped. In the bright lunar fortnight of the month of Tulām (Āśvina), on the eighth night when the star is Mūlam and the Sun is in the zodiac of Kanyā if there is the touch of Navamī, it is called Aghārdananavamī or Mahānavamī. Worship could be conducted on the days mentioned, by consecrating the goddess Durgā in nine temples or in one temple only. When the goddess is consecrated in nine temples they are meditated upon as nine separate beings. In such cases Goddess Durgā should be consecrated with eighteen hands and the rest of the goddesses with sixteen hands. Of the eighteen two should be holding Antimony and ḍamaru (a small drum shaped like an hourglass), and the remaining sixteen hands should hold weapons that the other goddesses hold. The nine goddesses to be worshipped are Rudrā, Caṇḍā, Pracaṇḍā, Caṇḍogrā, Caṇḍanāyikā, Caṇḍavatī and Caṇḍarūpā and in the middle of these eight beings the great goddess Durgā who is Ugracaṇḍā and the slayer of Mahiṣāsura. Durgā is addressed with the spell of ten letters “Om, Durge Durgekṣiṇi Svāhā.” Adoration, offering to ancestors and exclamation in sacrifice (Namaskāra, Svadhākāra and Vaṣaṭkāra) should be denoted by six words and the Aṅgas (organs) beginning with heart also should be imagined. This rootspell should be repeated resting the organs such as heart etc. on the fingers. He who repeats this secret spell of goddess, will never be troubled by enemies. The goddess should be worshipped by meditating upon her as carrying the weapons such as Kapāla (skull), Kheṭaka (shield) Ghaṇṭā (bell), Mirror, Tarjanī, bow, dhvaja (flag), ḍamaru (drum) and pāśa (rope) in the left hands and Śakti (dart) Mudgara, trident, vajra, sword, spear, conch, wheel and Śalāka (antimony) in the right hands. These weapons also should specially be worshipped. In the worship of the goddess, a cow (sacrificial animal) should be beheaded with a sword repeating the spell Kālī Kālī and the blood and flesh of that cow should be offered as oblation to the goddess Pūtanā uttering the spell, Kālī Kālī Vajreśvarī, lauhadaṇḍāyai namaḥ.” Offering to Pūtanā should be made in the south west corner of the shrine of the Devī. In the same way offerings of blood and flesh should be made to the goddesses Pāparākṣasī in the North West corner, Carakī in the North East corner and Vidārikā in the South East corner. The same form of offerings should be made to the god Mahākauśika in the south East corner. The King should bathe in front of this god Mahākauśika and making an image of his enemy with rice flour, should break it. Then give that rice flour as oblation to the gods Skanda and Viśākha and worship the female ancestors such as Brāhmī and such others in the night. As ordained in the Vedas, the Devī should be bathed in Pañcāmṛta (milk, curds, butter, honey and water) and then worship before her, uttering the spell “Jayantīmaṅgala Kālī, Bhadrakālī Kapālinī, Durgā Śivā Kṣamā Dhātrī Svadhā Svāhā Namostu te”. [Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 185] .
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