Chandraghanta is the Goddess Wearing the Crescent Moon on her forehead. She represents supreme knowledge and bliss. She is worshiped for blessings of peace, tranquility and prosperity in life. One worshiping her is said to be relieved from the stress and pain caused by society. She is an apostle of bravery and possesses great strength to wage war against evil. Despite her appearance , she nonetheless exemplifies calm and material well being. Her pacifying form clears all the sorrows and sadness of her devotees.
One that worships her attains spiritual bliss. Mother is pleased with devotees that worship with full devotion and dedication. It helps him or her achieve respect, fame and glory. The energy level is always there in the devotee and the home where Mother is worshipped becomes holy and pure.
DEPICTION: She is is very charming and bright golden complexioned. Mother adorns a prominent jeweled crown. It is said that Mother’s face appears like an image of the solar system. Notwithstanding she is also intense with anger and violence. She has a ‘chandra’ or half moon in her forehead in the shape of a ‘ghanta’ or bell. The sound of the bell always protects her devotee from evil spirits.
In meditation, as soon as the sadhak invokes her, her bell immediately become active and starts ringing to protect the devotee under her shelter. The crescent moon is symbolic of feminine energy. It is also associated with clairvoyance and knowing without thinking. The crescent also represents illumination,new beginnings and making dreams a reality. It is connected to rebirths and how our true essence really is immortal. That is why she is called ‘Chandraghanta’. Her ornaments are rich and signify material comfort.
She has ten hands, three eyes. Eight of her hands display weapons. She holds bow, arrow, Trishul, sword and mace. She also holds a rosary, lotus and kamandal. The lotus is symbolic of knowledge and wisdom. The remaining two are respectively in the Varada and Abhaya mudras of boon and stopping harm. She is the apostle of bravery and possesses great strength to fight in the battle against demons. She is always in a prepared position for war.
Her vahana is the lion or tiger both symbolizing courage and dharma. This is symbolic of bhaktas becoming valorous and fearless like a lion. Her roaring voice while riding on her lion is said to make demons tremble. This is symbolic of the fear she instills in one’s enemies.
PUJA: The ritual on the third day is similar to that of the second day. All the gods and goddesses, are worshiped together with the planets and the Lords in the Kailash. Ganesha, Lakshmi, Vijaya, Kartikeya, and Sarswathi are worshipped first and the last worship is to Mother Chandraghanta. This is followed by a prayer to Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma. The devotees should worship the goddess chanting, “Ya devi sarvabhuteshu chandraghanta rupen sansthita, namastaseya namastaseya namastaseya namo namah”. It means that I join hands in front of the supreme Goddess and adore the goddess with a bell shaped mark of moon on her forehead. One can please goddess Chandraghanta by worshipping her with utmost devotion.
CHAKRA: She is the holder of potent energy that is yet to be unleashed. She claims Manipura Chakra as her own. This Chakra is influenced by the planet Mars. This is symbolized by a lotus with ten petals, this chakra is also known as the ‘nabhi’ or navel chakra. On this day, while worshipping Mother Chandraganta, yogis and practitioner of Tantra, meditate while concentrating their energy on Manipura Chakra. Their mind enters Manipura Chakra. With grace of Mother Chandraganta mysteries and divine things can be seen and heard. The sadhak smells the divine fragrance and many types of sounds become audible. She is said to relive the sadhaks of negative energies. In this stage of discipline, the sadhak is required to be most careful. The Manipur Chakra emboldies the change or conversion from simplicity to complexity.
PRAYER: The Chandra Ghanta Sthuti: ’Kalikaam thu kalatheethaam kalyana hurdayaam shivaam,Kalyana jananim, nithyam kalyanim pranamamyaham’.
I salute the Goddess who is forever auspicious,
Who is mother Kali, who is beyond measurement of time,
Who is consort of Shiva in the hearts of auspicious people,
Who is the mother who is auspicious and divine.
By her blessings all the hindrances coming in the way of a bhakta is said to be removed. She clears one of sorrows or sadness. Bhakatas are solaced by her ever-willingness and readiness for against evil and demons. In other words, she is the Goddess who rids our life of obstructions and evil energy.
MALE AND FEMALE PERSPECTIVES: There is a difference between masculine and femine interpretation of the Nava Durgas. The masculine interpretation demonstrates the process of creation from nothingness to ego. The female interpretation follows the path of a woman’s life. Separately, each shows a reverence for the path of creation and development of life. As a result of these interpretation, the Nava Durgas should be listed in the correct order to signify the individual phases of each interpretation. The male perspective of Chandraghanta represents fire while the female perspective represents a girl who has begun menstruating, a formative period of cycles of the season or phases of the moon.
Hari Om
Yogi Ananda Saraswathi