This post is part of my 10 Days of Devotion: Spring Navarātri Sādhanā, Connecting to the Nine Forms of Goddess Durgā. Learn more about the full practice & course here.
Devī Mahāgaurī (महागौरी)
The Radiant Goddess
Pronounced: Mahaa-Gowree
Mantra
Oṃ Devī Mahāgauryai Namaḥ
Qualities
Radiant, Peaceful, Vulnerable, Purity, Rebirth
Contemplation
What does it feel like to rest in the spaciousness that follows the process of transformation and to fully digest every experience?
How can you create space for stillness and self-compassion as you continue to work with your thought pattern?
Commentary
After the “dark night”, after our surrender, and after the grip on our mental constructs and unhelful thought patterns begins to loosen, we wake up to the calmness that follows every storm. We allow ourselves to rest. We “offer the experience into the fire of consciousness.” We give to those asking to receive. And we cherish the budding contentment we feel growing in our hearts.
Today, on the eighth day of Navarātri, we celebrate Devī Mahāgaurī as the form of Goddess Durgā. Devī Mahāgaurī represents our rebirth and the feeling of serenity that comes after facing our demons and winning. She is the rawness we feel when we let go of what no longer serves us.
Recently, a friend opened up to me about a very challenging situation she was going through. As she talked, I heard the voice of Mā Mahāgaurī. My friend had been battling an inner demon and had recently gone through the “dark night”, hitting rock bottom without consciously choosing. Her whole life was shaken. Everything changed. But when she spoke, though she still has to put together all the pieces, with her new outlook and tenderness to herself, she was the Goddess - Devī Mahāgaurī.
Devī Mahāgaurī is shown dressed in white, representing peacefulness. She appears radiant, illuminated by the moon. One hand holds the mudrā of fearlessness while another the mudrā of charity. She holds a triśūla (trident), representing her mastery of the manifest world. She, through our sādhanā, is who we aspire to be.
I want to offer three practices from the Tantric niyamas (observances) for you today:
Huta (“offerings into fire”). Each morning, you’ve had an opportunity to make an offering to the Goddess. They may have been tangible representations, visualizations, or from the heart in some way. I offer all of those to the Goddess every day. But one of my teachers, Christopher Wallis, says that the most important offering is the offer of digesting every experience into the fire of consciousness. Savor every experience until its completion. Taste the chocolate until it dissolves. Feel the pain until it fades. Stay with the warmth in your heart that follows a loving encounter. Fully digest the entirety of the experience.
Dāna (giving, generosity). It’s customary to be generous today. To give without the expectation of anything in return.
Saṃtoṣa (contentment). Hold space for contentment as you reflect on how working with your thought pattern has been going. Remember that we are always doing the best we can, given our life circumstances.
And one bonus practice: REST. Take time to rest today.
🌺 Jai Ma!