Navaratri has started in India. It is the celebration of the Goddess in the form of Durga Devi fighting the demon Mahisasura.

The Goddess represents our true divine / spiritual nature and the demon represents our inner demon of ego and its associates like anger, fear, greed, patterns, and conditionings. The many weapons Devi Durga carries in her hands stand for the many techniques and processes we need to use to kill the demon.

All that which we are not has to be eliminated. After all our true nature is that of eternal bliss, of that happiness which we are seeking everywhere and in all we are doing whether it is in relationships, running after more money, better health, you name it.

Then on the tenth day or Vijaya Dashami, the day of victory, the Goddess kills the demon. It is our inner victory of good over evil, victory over our ego nature, victory of consciousness over negative influences and negative thought currents. Our victory is then crowned by living our highest potential, living enlightenment, and experiencing inner peace and bliss.

The story of Durga Devi killing the demon Mahisasura is retold in the 700 verses of the Chandi, a part of the Devi Mahatmyam.

So the 10 day celebration reminds us again to work on our inner space to live a happier and more fulfilling life or else the ego demon will take us completely over. Nothing changes in our life or will ever make us truly happy unless we kill our inner ego demon.

MA UDAYSREE