Secrets of Deepawali – Celebrations of Female Power

Recently in a gathering, ladies of our society wanted me to express views and share insight on the female power behind all celebrations especially Deepawali. This topic is very challenging as most of us know that Lord Ram came back after his victory over the evil and RamRajya commenced with Deepawali so the expectations were very difficult to talk about. Accepting the Divine plan, I started sharing the waves from her…and asked, any ideas on why are we saying its celebration of female power? 

There was no responses….eyes of the participants were blank, so I continued…. female power is the driver of all celebrations in life, Deepawali is also no exception but to understand this and to be on the same page, we need to dwell deeper…. Let’s starts with the facts known to us…. 

In India celebrations continue throughout the year but if we start from Shravan month (Indian calendar month) it starts with worship of Lord Shiv (Mahakaal Jyotirlinga - mystery of time), followed with Ganpati (who transforms everything into good). Ganpati (Lord Ganesh – Secret of a joyful, happy life) sets in a dynamism like Swastik or he heats to transform. This follows hot days of Pitrapaksh and illuminated dynamic nights of Navratri. Navratri are the nights associated with the nine forms of Goddess Durga (Devi Durga - The life force). These celebrations are associated with different levels of our existence. There are billions, who celebrate these events every year. 

Ganpati and Durga celebrations are very critical for moving on to Deepawali as they support and strengthen two very critical body systems. We all know that circulatory system and Immune system are critical for good health. These celebration days supports to tone up these systems of our body that helps to fight all odds to remain healthy.

 

You will appreciate that once we are healthy, we could start getting deeper into the self and this self-discovery kick starts in Kartik month. This entire cycle is initiated by Goddess herself and the basis is the secret codes handed over by mother goddess in Navratri to each of the Sadhak. These secret seeds are sown into the grounds of our being. Where they germinate in Kartik month with the Love – bliss showered on to them by various other forms of female power. 

We will find with keen observation that our entire life journey is completely surrounded with female power. She gives us birth as a mother, grows with us as a sister. She is the beloved that makes us understand and ‘Be the Self’. She as a wife contributes to the formation of a family - the basic unit of the society which results into a civilization so we are there as she is there. 

 

She gives us birth or makes us realise our self in the Navratri days. This self then becomes clearer with her changing forms from first to ninth night. This newly discovered self grows very fast while She turns into a beautiful lady form, looking for a friend. So, she starts Kayakalp - transforming this Self into a youth on Sharad Poornima. The Full Moon night is play of the most beautiful lady – Tripur Sundari. Moon in this state showers nectar through its rays. She blesses with her grace.

As the time passes by she comes very clearly. On Chaturthi, Lady as a partner does penance by completely avoiding intake of food and water on Karvachouth (A festival before Deepawali) and the energy thus generated is offered by her to other half as creative force. So, you know that Karvachouth empowers husband due to sacrifices of lady of the house.

She continues her penance and blesses her child with life force on Ahoi-Ashtami, just four days later to Karvachouth. She continues this process till the ultimate or peak is achieved on No Moon night, where in a union state everything is merged into her on this Amavasya and she starts nourishing entire nature. Deepawali is celebrated on this Amavasya.

There is a hidden tradition behind this graceful act of goddess in our home and heart. 

Sharad Poornima is a great turning point in our inner evolution; it’s believed that the moon showers nectar during this night and this could be collected by some technique. Accordingly, Indians prepare Ksheer on that night. This Ksheer is made up of pressed rice, cow milk and sugar. After cooking Ksheer is kept directly under moon so that maximum number of rays could fall onto it. This way the nectar from these Rashmis (rays) gets absorbed into the Ksheer and then this enriched Ksheer is consumed on the subsequent day by all the family members. 

This nectar is also called Ras that empowers us, prepares us to be able to handle the energy flow expected in the subsequent days. It’s heartening to note that hardly people are aware of this process and hence they miss out on this opportunity of getting nectar. Even if some families do this, then they are not using this Ras or nectar that nourishes. This Ras is prerequisite for preparation for Raas Leela.

This is a simple yet powerful technique for nourishment, so that we are able to handle this abundance. 

Every day after Sharad Poornima, is a special occasion to produce a typical type of nectar – Ras that nourishes and prepares us to be able to handle the next day. This process continues for next fifteen days, till Amavasya (No Moon night) on Deepawali.

Now, we need to understand more on the secret codes handed over during Navratris for the Ras preparation to follow these in Kartik month for abundance. 

As we now know that the secret code to this process of Ras - nectar formation is realized in Navratris. There are 9 levels that are identified with 9 Goddesses and hence there are 9 Chakras identified for Ras Kriya. In the context of these Chakras, these Goddesses are called Chakreshwaris. The technical aspect that Tantra demystifies here is how these 9 chakras are connected to 15 Nityas. 

The 15 states of Moon are manifestation of Nitya Devis. Prathma, Dwitiya, Tritya, etc. These are Tithis or dates of Indian calendar.  Jwalamukhi, Bherunde, Nityakliney, Vahnivahini, etc. are the 15 Nityas. They always remain and hence are called Nityas. They keep cycling one after the other in this Krishna Paksh – fifteen days to no moon.

Krishna Paksh is the period where Moon diminishes in size from Full Moon to a No Moon night. So, this Krishna starts Raas with full moon of Sharad Poornima. Krishna Paksh starts with Krishna’s play. Each Nitya plays and keeps coming one after the other till Amavasya. 

These 15 Nityas have association with 8 Chakras of Shri Yantra. Each Chakra is formed with waves of love and bliss celebration. Each Chakra is organized by a Chakreshwari – the princess ruling that chakra with few Devis as part of her female power in that chakra. She is the one who controls and organizes this chakra to ensure a typical balance for creating a specific Ras.

Each Chakra has the name basis the type of desire manifested there or the Love- Bliss play it demonstrates. A specific Yogini or Devi drives the play in this Chakra depending on her style and unites in a specific mudra to produce a typical Ras that empowers us.

The question now is that how these 9 Chakras are connected with the 15 days in a Paksh (fortnight), so that the celebrations could be enjoyed. 

The first three days starting from Prathma are ruled by Devi Tripure, she creates Trailokyamohan Chakra to nourish the three levels of the physical body. Each day one of the chakra unfolds and the celebrations start. Finally, Ras is produced at different levels in these Chakras. The Ras in this chakra could be compared to hormones, enzymes and neurotransmitters. 

The fourth day then Devi Tripureshi – another female power starts the celebrations of all our inner qualities. She starts the play creating a sixteen petal Chakra, which is driven by Devi Guptayogini. The Ras thus produced nourishes us from inside and all inner qualities are expressed to the core. This Ras clears entire internal faculties and raises the virtues, which are a must to move ahead. 

The fifth day is ruled by Tripur Sundari, she starts a complex cycle of union of these virtues with her different forms, so that virtues combine to give 360 degrees of experience of that virtue. We are able to see it in us and allover around us. We are able to understand the play of opposites and their plan. This stage marks the start of Raas Leela. 

This way we continue going deeper and deeper into the next 10 levels of balance through the remaining 5 Chakras to finally reach Amavasya. 

Amavasya is a Sanskrit word and it suggests that Amavasya is the state where Ama or Nectar, Vasya means resides. So, Amavasya is the source of Nectar and nourishes entire set of these 8 Chakras.

Deepawali is the night of Amavasya and Tantra calls it Kaalratri. This night is like a door to infinite. The door opens and hence it could create any positive or negative energy on this night. This night has possibility of taking us beyond Kaal (time). This is arena of Radha Krishna. In this state we start living in a world which is one with the source and everything in this state is created out of the bliss due to her compassion. The play of self in self continues for ever. This play gets mirrored into this world, so one could create his world. This way it becomes very important period for us to create what we desire and hence is called a time of Abundance by worshipping Devi or Goddess of Shri. 

These 15 days are very important for everyone, as different nourishing nectars produced during these days enrich us, empowers us. 

It doesn’t matter if we are not aware of this process or these Ras as body continue producing these on its own as a natural process. These Ras nourishes us and hence everyone finds betterment of health during these days of the year. The happiness spreads naturally and we tend to celebrate. 

To create abundance, we need to create a difference that happens when we attempt to experience these processes and Ras that drenches us. This is possible only if we are aware and accept them fully so that these Ras could transform us. The only condition is to be just aware of the changes that we are finding in ourselves. There is another way to experience these hidden secrets and that is to go to Guru and learn the art of this science to ‘BE’.  

This is the female power and its influence; we have to just notice it.

Jai Shri!!! Wishing you all on this Deepawali.

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