THE DIVINE MOTHER or Devi is worshipped during the
Vasanta Navaratri. This occurs during the spring. She is worshipped by
Her own command. You will find this in the following episode in the
Devi Bhagavata.
In days long gone by, King Dhruvasindu was killed
by a lion when he went out hunting. Preparations were made to crown the
prince Sudarsana. But, King Yudhajit of Ujjain, the father of Queen
Lilavati, and King Virasena of Kalinga, the father of Queen Manorama,
were each desirous of securing the Kosala throne for their respective
grandsons. They fought with each other. King Virasena was killed in the
battle. Manorama fled to the forest with Prince Sudarsana and a eunuch.
They took refuge in the hermitage of Rishi Bharadwaja.
The victor, King Yudhajit, thereupon crowned his
grandson, Satrujit, at Ayodhya, the capital of Kosala. He then went out
in search of Manorama and her son. The Rishi said that he would not give
up those who had sought protection under him. Yudhajit became furious.
He wanted to attack the Rishi. But, his minister told him about the
truth of the Rishi’s statement. Yudhajit returned to his capital.
Fortune smiled on Prince Sudarsana. A hermit’s son
came one day and called the eunuch by his Sanskrit name Kleeba. The
prince caught the first syllable Kli and began to pronounce it as
Kleem. This syllable happened to be a powerful, sacred Mantra. It
is the Bija Akshara (root syllable) of the Divine Mother. The Prince
obtained peace of mind and the Grace of the Divine Mother by the
repeated utterance of this syllable. Devi appeared to him, blessed him
and granted him divine weapons and an inexhaustible quiver.
The emissaries of the king of Benares passed
through the Ashram of the Rishi and, when they saw the noble prince
Sudarsana, they recommended him to Princess Sashikala, the daughter of
the king of Benares.
The ceremony at which the princess was to choose
her spouse was arranged. Sashikala at once chose Sudarsana. They were
duly wedded. King Yudhajit, who had been present at the function, began
to fight with the king of Benares. Devi helped Sudarsana and his
father-in-law. Yudhajit mocked Her, upon which Devi promptly reduced
Yudhajit and his army to ashes.
Thus Sudarsana, with his wife and his
father-in-law, praised Devi. She was highly pleased and ordered them to
perform Her worship with havan and other means during the Vasanta
Navaratri. Then She disappeared.
Prince Sudarsana and Sashikala returned to the
Ashram of Rishi Bharadwaja. The great Rishi blessed them and crowned
Sudarsana as the king of Kosala. Sudarsana and Sashikala and the king of
Benares implicitly carried out the commands of the Divine Mother and
performed worship in a splendid manner during the Vasanta Navaratri.
Sudarsana’s descendants, namely, Sri Rama and
Lakshmana, also performed worship of Devi during the Vasanta Navaratri
and were blessed with Her assistance in the recovery of Sita.
It is the devout Hindu’s duty to perform the
worship of Devi for both material and spiritual welfare during the
Vasanta Navaratri and follow the noble example set by Sudarsana and Sri
Rama. He cannot achieve anything without the Divine Mother’s blessings.
So, sing Her praise and repeat Her Mantra and Name. Meditate on Her
form. Do worship. Pray and obtain Her eternal Grace and blessings. May
the Divine Mother bless you with all divine wealth!