Navratri 2023 Day 8 Worshipping of Goddess Mahagauri During Navratri
Navratri 2023 Day 8:
Maha Ashtami (Ashtami or Durgashtami) falls on October 22 this year. It is one of the most important days of Durga Puja and Navratri. Maa Mahagauri is worshipped on this day.
Devanagari Name:
महागौरी
Navratri Day 8 Colour:
Purple colour
Mahashtami Puja Time:
Durgashtami on Sunday, October 22, 2023
Ashtami Tithi Begins – 09:53 PM on Oct 21, 2023
Ashtami Tithi Ends – 07:58 PM on Oct 22, 2023.
Navratri Day 8 Maa Mahagauri Bhog:
On the eighth day, worshippers offer a special bhog of coconut to Goddess Mahagauri. It is widely believed that donating coconuts to the Brahmins on Ashtami brings prosperity and happiness.
Who is Maa Mahagauri?
Hindu mythology says that Goddess Shailputri, at the age of sixteen, was extremely beautiful and blessed with a fair complexion. Therefore, she came to be known as Goddess Mahagauri because of her fair skin. Like Maa Shailputri, she mounts a bull, and because of that, she is called Vrisharudha. She has four hands – while one hand on the right side carries a Trishul and the other stays in Abhaya Mudra, she holds a Damaru in one left hand and keeps the other in Varada Mudra. The Goddess is often compared with a conch, the moon and the white flower of Kunda because she has a fair complexion. She is also known as Shwetambardhara, as she always wears white clothes. She symbolizes purity, serenity and tranquillity.
Origin:
According to Hindu mythologies, the Goddess Shailputri at the age of sixteen was extremely beautiful and was blessed with fair complexion. Due to her extreme fair complexion she was known as Goddess Mahagauri.
Navratri Worship:
Goddess Mahagauri is worshipped on the eighth day of Navratri.
Governing Planet:
It is believed that the planet Rahu is governed by Goddess Mahagauri.
Iconography:
The mount of Goddess Mahagauri as well as Goddess Shailputri is bull and because of that she is also known as Vrisharudha (वृषारूढ़ा). Goddess Mahagauri is depicted with four hands. She carries Trishul in one right hand and keeps the second right hand in Abhaya Mudra. She adorns Damaru in the one left hand and keeps the second left hand in Varada Mudra.
Details:
As name suggests, Goddess Mahagauri is extremely fair. Due to her fair complexion Goddess Mahagauri is compared with the conch, the moon and the white flower of Kunda (कुंद). She adorns white clothes only and due to that She is also known as Shwetambardhara (श्वेताम्बरधरा).
Favourite Flower:
Night blooming jasmine (रात की रानी)
2023 Mahashtami Puja Vidhi:
Mahashtami, also known as Maha Durgashtami, is second day of Durga Puja. Maha Ashtami is one of the most important days of Durga Puja. Durga Puja on Maha Ashtami begins with Mahasnan and Shodashopachar Puja (षोडशोपचार पूजा) which is very much similar to Maha Saptami Puja except Prana Pratishtha (प्राण प्रतिष्ठा) which is done only once on Maha Saptami.
On Maha Ashtami nine small pots are installed and nine Shaktis of Durga are invoked in them. All nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshipped during Maha Ashtami Puja.
Young unmarried girls, being treated as Goddess Durga itself, are also worshipped on Maha Ashtami. Worshipping of young girls during Durga Puja is known as Kumari Puja. In many regions Kumari Puja is done during all nine days of Durga Navratri. Kumari Puja on a single day during Durga Puja is preferred on Maha Ashtami.
The legendary Sandhi Puja is also falls on Maha Ashtami. The time window of the last 24 minutes of Ashtami Tithi and the first 24 minutes of Navami Tithi is known as Sandhi Time or the holy juncture during Durga Puja. Sandhi time is considered the most auspicious time during whole Durga Puja. Sandhi Puja is the culmination point and the most important ritual of Durga Puja. It is customary to perform Balidan or animal sacrifice at this sacred juncture. Devotees who abstain from animal sacrifice perform symbolic Bali with vegetables like banana, cucumber or pumpkin. For Brahmins any type of animal sacrifice is prohibited by scriptures and Brahmin community does only symbolic Bali. Even the famous Belur Math in West Bengal does symbolic Bali with banana during Sandhi Puja. It is customary to light 108 earthen lamps during Sandhi Kaal.
Mantra:
ॐ देवी महागौर्यै नमः॥
Om Devi Mahagauryai Namah॥
Prarthana:
श्वेते वृषेसमारूढा श्वेताम्बरधरा शुचिः।
महागौरी शुभं दद्यान्महादेव प्रमोददा॥
Shwete Vrishesamarudha Shwetambaradhara Shuchih।
Mahagauri Shubham Dadyanmahadeva Pramodada॥
Stuti:
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु माँ महागौरी रूपेण संस्थिता। नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Maa Mahagauri Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Stotra:
सर्वसङ्कट हन्त्री त्वंहि धन ऐश्वर्य प्रदायनीम्।
ज्ञानदा चतुर्वेदमयी महागौरी प्रणमाम्यहम्॥
सुख शान्तिदात्री धन धान्य प्रदायनीम्।
डमरूवाद्य प्रिया अद्या महागौरी प्रणमाम्यहम्॥
त्रैलोक्यमङ्गल त्वंहि तापत्रय हारिणीम्।
वददम् चैतन्यमयी महागौरी प्रणमाम्यहम्॥
Sarvasankata Hantri Tvamhi Dhana Aishwarya Pradayanim।
Jnanada Chaturvedamayi Mahagauri Pranamamyaham॥
Sukha Shantidatri Dhana Dhanya Pradayanim।
Damaruvadya Priya Adya Mahagauri Pranamamyaham॥
Trailokyamangala Tvamhi Tapatraya Harinim।
Vadadam Chaitanyamayi Mahagauri Pranamamyaham॥
Aarti:
जय महागौरी जगत की माया। जय उमा भवानी जय महामाया॥
हरिद्वार कनखल के पासा। महागौरी तेरा वहा निवास॥
चन्द्रकली और ममता अम्बे। जय शक्ति जय जय माँ जगदम्बे॥
भीमा देवी विमला माता। कौशिक देवी जग विख्यता॥
हिमाचल के घर गौरी रूप तेरा। महाकाली दुर्गा है स्वरूप तेरा॥
सती (सत) हवन कुंड में था जलाया। उसी धुएं ने रूप काली बनाया॥
बना धर्म सिंह जो सवारी में आया। तो शंकर ने त्रिशूल अपना दिखाया॥
तभी माँ ने महागौरी नाम पाया। शरण आनेवाले का संकट मिटाया॥
शनिवार को तेरी पूजा जो करता। माँ बिगड़ा हुआ काम उसका सुधरता॥
भक्त बोलो तो सोच तुम क्या रहे हो। महागौरी माँ तेरी हरदम ही जय हो॥
Source: Drik Panchang
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