" Your Biggest Competition, Biggest Fear and Biggest Enemy is YOU, and no one else. Be a Better Version of Your OWNSELF"
And similar to the quote above, Navratri is that SPIRITUAL festival which actual celebrates the victory of your OWN Positive energies over your negative mindset and habits. The spirit inside us can destroy all negative qualities ( pride, obsession, lust , greed etc) by focusing inward during Navratri, and getting in touch with the divine spirit within. And hence, Fasting during this period is a form of focusing inwards and sacrificing things like hunger, greed etc to transform and be renewed.
Navratri is celebrated in a universal time when everything in nature starts undergoing a transformation. These 9 nights are said to be important as there are subtle energies in the universe that are powerful at this time of the year. These energies enhance and help a person experience the powers of sacrifice, prayer, mantra chanting and other spiritual practices. Clearly, it is all related to Shakti and the fasting is Navratri is a process of SHAKTI KRIYA.
So let's get a deep understanding of this fasting. The 9 days festival is actually broken down to 3 parts:
a. First 3 Days Fasting - Day 1, 2, 3
Religious Significance - Dedicated to Goddess Mahalakshmi
Spiritual Significance - Emphasis on strengthening ' Iccha-Shakti '
Physical Significance - This 3 days fasting first tests your Will Power and Mind power. Completion of this fasting, enhances your Will Power to a great extent.
b. Second 3 days Fasting - Day 4, 5, 6
Religious Significance - Dedicated to Goddess Mahakali
Spiritual Significance - Emphasis on strengthening ' Kriya-Shakti '
Physical Significance - This 3 days fasting tests your 'Energy in Action' and Power to Tasks and Goals . Completion of this fasting, enhances your Action and decision making prowess.
c. Third 3 days Fasting - Day 7, 8, 9
Religious Significance - Dedicated to Goddess Mahasaraswati
Spiritual Significance - Emphasis on strengthening ' Gnyana-Shakti '
Physical Significance - This 3 days fasting tests your Mind Power or energy of Knowledge. Completing the fasting by the 9th Day enhances your knowledge grasping prowess.
credit: highpath.blogspot.com
Hence, Navratri fasting is not just shedding of Kilos, but a deep spiritual practice that needs to be undertaken wisely and by knowing what is the importance of each day.
credit: religionworld.in
Navratri ends with Dussehra, which denotes the victory of good over evil. But the spirit of victory over evil has a lot of Legends to its name, like the Homecoming of Lord Rama after defeating Ravan or the destruction of Mahishasura by Goddess Durga. However at the spiritual or scientific level, it is simply the fight between your negative and positive self. So destroy the Mahishasura of anger, lust and greed within you with Goddess Durga's weapons like kindness, love and sacrifice, which also lie deep within YOU!
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