Navarātri, letteralmente nove notti. Durante nove notti e dieci giorni sono venerate le nove forme della dea Śakti, simboleggiante l’energia vitale dell’universo.
Navarātri , o Navarātripūjā (il culto delle nove notti) è rivolto alla dea Durgā.
Le nove forme o forze di Śakti Devi sono: Kumari, Trimurti, Kalyani, Rohini, Kalika, Chandika, Sambavi, Durga e Subhadra. Il nono e ultimo giorno di questo periodo viene adorata la dea Sarasvati (Sarasvati Pūjā), in onore all’elemento Vayu (aria).
Si dice che l’oggetto o lo scopo con cui viene osservato sia propiziare la Dea che simboleggia ogni possibile tipo di energia nell’universo, al fine di ottenere felicità e prosperità perpetua.
Come prescritto nei Veda, il culto delle Nove notti deve essere effettuato nelle stagioni della primavera e dell’autunno. Queste due stagioni sono chiamate Kāladaṃṣtrās (le zanne delle stagioni). Malattie e morti si verificano in queste stagioni in eccesso, quindi è ordinato che questo digiuno e questo culto siano condotti nei mesi di Meḍam (Meṣa) e Tulām.
Come descritto nella Devi Bhāgavata Purana (Capitolo 27 – Sulle vergini degne di essere adorate e la Gloria di Devī), Vyāsa ha ordinato che il culto Navarātri sia condotto come segue. Le cose necessarie per il culto e le oblazioni dovrebbero essere raccolte il giorno della luna nuova. Quel giorno si poteva mangiare solo burro chiarificato. Un tempio aperto dovrebbe essere eretto con colonne e stendardi in un luogo aperto e piatto che sia puro. Sarà bene se il capannone ha una circonferenza di sedici cubiti. Dovrebbero esserci sedici pilastri. Il capannone dovrebbe essere pavimentato con la miscela di sterco di vacca e argilla bianca. Al centro del capannone deve esserci una pedana avente un’altezza di un cubito e una circonferenza di quattro cubiti. Questo è il posto per il sedile. Il capannone e la pedana dovrebbero essere decorati. Il trono posto sulla pedana deve essere ricoperto da una seta bianca e su di esso deve essere consacrata Devī (dea). Un bramino dovrebbe leggere i Veda e in quel momento dovrebbe iniziare il culto della dea. Questo culto continuerà per nove giorni. Un altro rituale di questo ‘Navarātripūjā‘ è il culto delle vergini. Nelle sacre Scritture, in particolare nei Purana e nei Dharma-śastra, sono menzionate due Navarātri: la Vasantanavāratri e la Śaranganavāratri rispettivamente una Navarātri di primavera e una Navarātri d’autunno. Di fatto però la prima non è molto praticata e ha lasciato il posto a quella autunnale che ha invece largo seguito. I festeggiamenti iniziano con l’arrivo della luna nuova del mese lunare di Aśvina (settembre-ottobre) e si protraggono per nove giorni.
Durante il Navarātri si svolgono rituali, si danza, si canta, si osservano usi e costumi che possono variare molto tra loro, a seconda dell’area geografica, delle distinte tradizioni e delle usanze delle singole famiglie.
Molto diffusa è la pratica di modellare effigi della Devi in terracotta che il decimo giorno vengono poi immerse nell’acqua.
Navarātri è conosciuta, soprattutto nel nord dell’India, anche come Durgotsava, la festa di Durga, in cui si venerano le nove forme di Durgā, Colei che è difficile da vincere.
In molte tradizioni dell’India meridionale, i primi tre giorni sono dedicati a Durga, espressione divina di forza, di potente energia capace di distruggere i demoni dell’egoismo e dell’adharma; i tre giorni seguenti si adora Lakṣmi, espressione della generosità, della luce che disperde l’ignoranza, della prosperità fisica e spirituale; gli ultimi tre giorni sono incentrati invece sul culto di Sarasvati, espressione della conoscenza pura e dell’arte.
Navarātri è una festività particolarmente cara alle donne di tutto il mondo e di tutte le età; in questi nove giorni, infatti, le donne sono venerate e rispettate in quanto espressione più pura della Devi, della Madre cosmica.
In molte tradizioni le donne della famiglia sono invitate a sedere nella casa e simbolicamente vengono adorate come la Devi, viene offerto loro, cibo, semi di cereale, abiti nuovi, danze, ecc.
Navarātri segna per molti anche un nuovo inizio, un momento in cui ci si purifica delle proprie colpe e si ricomincia con energie spirituali vivificate e più forti.
Navarātri è una festività che porta benefici in moltissimi aspetti della vita di un induista, da quelli pratici, quotidiani a quelli più sottili ed esoterici.
Al termine delle nove notti, il decimo giorno, si celebra la festività nota come dasahara, ciò che dissolve le dieci colpe o errori. Questo decimo giorno è anche noto come vijayadaśami, “il decimo giorno della vittoria”. Quest’ultimo nome fa riferimento a un mito presente nei purana in cui è narrata la nascita di Durga e l’origine della Navarātri. Il mito di Mahiśa asura e della sua sconfitta Il mito racconta che un tempo il demone (asura) Mahiśa si sottopose a una dura ascesi (tapas) protrattasi a lungo. Come premio per essa ricevette dal Dio Śiva la possibilità di non poter essere ucciso da nessun uomo o Deva (dio). Soddisfatto di tale conquista e confidando nella sua invincibilità, il demone Mahiśa iniziò a praticare ogni sorta di angheria, provocando il terrore e il disordine nei tre mondi. Gli Dei iniziarono ad allarmarsi per l’operato del demone così si riunirono per cercare una soluzione. Dal momento che Mahiśasura non poteva essere sconfitto da nessun uomo e da nessun Dio, gli Dei si rivolsero alla Śakti suprema e le chiesero aiuto. Solo una Devi infatti sarebbe stata capace di annientare il demone malvagio. Fu così che le tre supreme Devi, Lakṣmi, Sarasvati e Parvati, unirono le loro energie insieme e diedero vita a una Śakti dall’aspetto fiero e terribile: Durgā. Durgā ricevette a sua volta il potere e le armi di tutti gli Dei uniti insieme così da diventare una potenza indistruttibile.
Mossa da una profonda compassione verso tutti i suoi figli dell’Universo, Durgā si confrontò con il demone Mahiśa con il quale lottò per nove notti. Spossato dalla forza della Devi, il decimo giorno, il demone fu trafitto dal triśula di Durgā che da quel momento fu nota anche con il nome di Mahiśasuramardhini, “Colei che sconfisse il demone Mahiśa”.
In molte parti dell’India settentrionale la Navarātri è celebrata come Ramalila, per celebrare a vittoria di Rama, che invocò l’aiuto della Devi, sul demone Ravana. Durante questa celebrazione si recitano alcuni episodi tratti dal Rāmāyaṇa. Il decimo giorno si bruciano le effigi dei demoni Ravana, Kumbhakarna e Meghanada.
La celebrazione del Vijayadaśami è particolarmente sentita in Karnataka, in particolare nel Mysore dove i fratelli Pāṇḍava, racconta il Mahabharata, nel loro 14° anno di esilio, decisero di nascondere le loro armi divine e speciali sotto un albero śami (Mimosa suma), per tutta la durata dei dieci giorni di Navarātri. I fratelli pregarono Durga Devi di proteggere le loro armi fino al loro ritorno che avvenne dopo un anno. Trovate le armi intatte, quello stesso giorno, si diressero verso i loro nemici e sconfissero loro con l’aiuto della Devi. Ancora oggi vi è l’usanza di scambiarsi un ramoscello dell’albero śami come augurio di vincere sul male.
Appendice
Devi Bhāgavata Purana, Capitolo 27 – Sulle vergini degne di essere adorate e la Gloria di Devī. (tratto da: Svami Vijñanananda,1921).
1. Vyāsa said :– O king! Those Kumārīs, who are defective in limbs, who are lepers, who are filled with sores and ulcers over their bodies, whose bodies emit offensive smell or whose bodies are polluted, or those who are of a bad family are never to be accepted for worship in the Navarātra ceremony festival.
2-3. Those who are born blind, who are squint-eyed, who are blind of one eye of disgraceful appearance, whose bodies are overgrown with hairs, or who are diseased or who are in their menstruation or in any other signs, indicating thus their passionate youthful tendencies, or those who are very lean and thin, or born of widows, or of women unmarried are always to be avoided in this Pūjā.
4. O king! It is only the healthy, graceful, beautiful, without any ulcers, and who are not bastards, those virgins are to be selected for the Kumārī Pūjā.
5. In all the cases, the Kumārīs, born of the Brāhmin families, can be taken; when victory is desired, the Kumārīs of the Kṣattriya families are preferred; when profit is wanted, the Vaiśya Kumārīs and, when general welfare is wanted, the Śūdra Kumārīs are to be taken.
6-7. O king! In the Navarātri Pūjā, the Brāhmins should select for worship the Brāhmin Kumārīs; Kṣattriyas, Brāhmin or Kṣattriya; the Vaiśya worshippers can select for worship Brāhmin, Kṣattriya, or Vaiśya Kumārīs. And the Śūdra worshippers can select, for worship, any of the four classes. But artists and artisans should select for worship the Kumārīs from their own families and tribes respectively.
8. If persons become unable to worship on all the days, then it is advised that they should perform the special worship on the eighth day (Astamī tithi).
9-10. In ancient times, on the eighth day, Bhadra Kāli Goddess, the destroyer of the sacrifice, started by Dakṣa, appeared on that day in hideous forms, surrounded by hundreds and lakhs of Yoginīs (one of a class of sixty goddesses or female attendants on Kāli). Therefore, one should worship in particular on the eighth day with scents, garlands, and pastes and various offerings.
11. On this day, Pāyasa (a food prepared of rice, milk and sugar), and fresh fish are to be specially offered to the Deity. The Homa ceremonies, feasting of the Brāhmaṇs, and the worship of the Mother Goddess are done with various offerings, the fruits and flowers, and in good quantities.
12. O king! Those who are unable to observe the fasting in this Navarātra Pūjā, will reap the same fruits, if they observe fasting for the three days only the Saptamī, the Aṣṭamī, and the Navamī tithis.
13. On the seventh, eighth, and ninth days, in these three tithis (lunar days) if one worships with devotion, one will acquire all the merits.
14. When the Devī’s worship, Homa, Kumārī worship and the feasting of the Brāhmaṇas, all these are done, know that the Navarātri Pūjā is completed.
15. O Janamejaya! No worship or vow or charitable gifts extant in this world, can be compared, as regards their meritorious effects, with this Navarātra Pūjā.
16. On observing this Navarātram Vrata, one gets riches, crops, sons and grandsons, prosperity and happiness, longevity, health and heaven and even the final beatitude.
17. Those who are desirous of learning, riches, or sons will get them all if they perform this most auspicious Navarātra ceremony, able to confer fortunes on the devotees.
18. On the performance of this sacrifice, those who want learning get all the learning; and he, who is deprived of his kingdom will get back all his kingdoms.
19. Those who did not, in their previous births, perform this meritorious vow, they become diseased, poor and devoid of sons in their present births.
20. Those women that are barren, or widows or devoid of sons, infer that they never, in their previous births, performed this sacrifice.
21. Those who have not performed the Navarātra ceremony, how can they acquire riches in this world and acquire happiness and peace in the next?
22. He who has worshipped the Goddess Bhagavatī Bhavānī Devī with young leaves of the Bel tree, besmeared with red sandal paste, it is he that will undoubtedly become the king in this world.
23. That man who has failed to worship the Goddess of the whole universe, Who fructifies all the pursuits of human life, Who destroys all the troubles, pains and miseries, Who is all suspicious Bhagavatī Bhavānī, that fellow is sure to pass his days in this world, wretched, impoverished, and surrounded by his enemies on all sides.
24. When Hari, Hara, Brahmā, Indra, Fire, Vāruṇa, Kuvera, and the Sun when all these possessing all the wealth and powers and filled with the highest felicities, when they meditate constantly the Goddess of the universe, Who is All Existence Intelligence, and Bliss, then what to speak of the human beings! How is it that persons do not worship that Candikā Devī, the One that leads all human pursuits to success!
25-26. Why should not the people worship the Goddess Bhavānī, the bestower of all happiness, whose other names are Svahā and Svadhā, the mantrams under whose intrinsic energies the Devas and the Pitris always get satisfied, and which are recited by all the Munis when they chant in every sacrifice the Vedic mantrams? Under Whose Will power Brahmā the Creator, creates all this Universe? Under Whose energy, the
Viṣṇu Janāradan, the Deva of the Devas, incarnates in this earth in various forms and preserves this world, and under Whose power, Śaṅkara destroys this whole Universe?
27. No body, in this whole universe, can have his existence without having recourse to that Prakriti Devī, the Śakti incarnate; be he a Devī, a human being or a bird, or a serpent, Gandharva, Rākhsasa, Piśāca, a mountain or a tree, he cannot move even of his own accord, without the help of this Force.
28. Therefore, why should not anybody worship that Candikā Devī, the Awarder of all desires and wealth? And how is it, that a man desiring one of the 4 objects of human pursuits, Dharma, wealth, desires, and the final beatitude, observes not the vow regarding that Deity.
29. So much so, that even a man who has committed a heinous offence, five such are enumerated, viz. (1) killing a Brāhmaṇ, (2) drinking liquor, (3) stealing gold, (4) adultery with the wife of a spiritual guide (5) associating with any such person, if he performs the Navarātra vow, he will be absolved entirely from all such sins; there is no doubt in this.
30. O king! Once on a time there lived in the country of Kosala, a trader, poor and miserable, having under him many relations and dependents in his family, whose provisions he had to provide.
31. He had many sons and daughters; when they were very hungry and distressed, then they used to get a little food and that in the evening, only once in twenty-four hours.
32. That trader, too, worked under another, the whole day; and when it was evening, he used also to take his meals. Thus, being very much anxious and distressed, he maintained somehow or other his family members (that are to be maintained).
33-34. This trader was of a quiet temper, of a good conduct, truthful, always ready to act religiously, devoid of anger, steady and contented, void of vanity and jealousy; daily he used to worship the Devas, Pitris, and the guests and used to take his meals after all his family members had taken their meals.
35-36. Thus, many days passed away when that good trader, named Suśīla, being very much perplexed with poverty and hunger, asked a quiet tempered Brāhmin “O Bhūdeva! (devas incarnate on the earth) kindly tell me positively how this state of poverty can be got rid off!
37. O holy minded! Kindly advise me such as preserves my honour; I do not want wealth, nor do I like to be a rich man; O Brāhmin! I want just enough to meet with the expenses, incurred in maintaining my family; please advise so that I may be able to earn this much only.
38. I have many sons; I have not got any food, sufficient enough to give them even a handful of rice.
39. Alas! My youngest son was crying today for food; I have driven him out of the house by chastising him. O Brāhmin! What am I do? I have got no wealth; my heart is burning with grief and sorrow; my baby has gone out of the house, weeping and hungry.
40. My daughter has come to a marriageable age; I have no money. Her age has exceeded ten years; the marriageable age limit has been exceeded. Alas! What am I to do?
41-42. O Brāhmin! I am expressing my sorrow for all that. You are merciful, and all-knowing; tell me any means, be it asceticism, gifts, vow, or the reciting of any mantrams by which I can maintain my family; I want wealth just sufficient for that purpose and nothing more.
43. O high minded one! Kindly devise and tell me some means by which my family members become happy in this world.”
44-46. Vyāsa said :– The Brāhmin that used to practice vows when thus asked by the trader told him gladly “O trader! Do now the Navarātri vow, the most auspicious, and worship the Bhagavatī, perform Homa, and feast the Brāhmins. Have the Vedas and Purāṇas recited and recite then slowly the Śakti mantram and try, as much as you can, to do other concomitant ceremonies; and your desires will thus be undoubtedly fulfilled.
47. There is no other vow superior to this in this world; this vow is very holy and will bring unto you happiness.
48. This vow leads to wisdom and liberation; destroys enemies and increases posterity and prosperity.
49. In former days, Śrī Rāma Candra suffered owing very much to his being deprived of his kingdom; and, then on account of his wife being stolen away. Subsequently he performed this Navarātra vow in Kiskindhyā, his heart being heavily laden with grief.
50. Though troubled very much, on account of the bereavement of Sītā, still Rāma Candra observed the Vow of Navarātra and worshipped the Goddess according to the prescribed rules and rites.
51-52. As a fruit of this worship, he was able to bridge the great ocean and kill the giant Kumbha Karṇa, Meghanāda, the Rāvaṇa’s son, and Rāvaṇa, the king of Lanka; and subsequently he was able to recover his Sītā. He installed Vibhīṣaṇa on the throne of Lanka (Ceylon) and at last returned to Ayodhyā and reigned there without any enemies.
53. O best of the Vaiśyas! Rāma Candra, of incomparable prowess, was able to obtain happiness in this world on account of the influence of this Navarātra ceremony.
54-55. Vyāsa said :– O king! That Vaiśya, hearing thus the Brāhmin’s words, made him his Guru, was initiated by him in the seed mantra of Māyā and ceaselessly, without any laziness, recited slowly the mantram for nine nights and worshipped the Devī, with great caution and with various offerings. Thus for nine consecutive years he devoted himself to the Japam (reciting slowly) of the seed mantra of Māyā till, at last, when the ninth year was completed, the Great Goddess appeared distinctly before his eyes on the night of the great Astamī tithi (the eighth day of the bright half) and gave him various boons and delivered the Vaiśya from poverty and bestowed on him wealth and his other desired things.
Here ends the 27th Chapter on the virgins fit to be worshipped and the Glory of the Devī in the Mahā Purāṇam Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavatam by Mahaṛṣi Veda Vyāsa in the Third Adhyāya.