Description
The Navavarana Pooja of Devi (also called Srividya Sadhana) is considered the highest form of Pooja. It is said that in the beginning God, who was one, wanted to become many and enjoy himself. As the first step to creation he created Devi – the total cosmic Female force. For the male part, out of his left he created Shiva, out of his middle he created Brahma and out of his right he created Vishnu. She is more powerful than the Trinities and hence She is called Parashakti or Paradevi – Para meaning beyond. She is the Divine Mother of the universe.
We will be performing this Pooja on the night of Poornima (full moon) which is the best time to perform this Pooja.
The Srividya Navavarana Pooja is called Tantraraj or king of the tantras and Sriyantra is called Yantraraj or the king of the yantras. The fact that the four corners of Sriyantra are guarded by Ganesha, Surya, Vishnu and Shiva is a testimony of how great this Sriyantra is.
It is a detailed ritualistic Pooja which takes about three hours. It involves invoking with beeja mantras, the 64 vatikas, invoking over a hundred Kalas of Agni, Surya, Chandra, Vahni, Brahma, Vishnu, Eswara, Rudra, Sadasiva etc, then another 100+ invocations to the three Manava gurus and several divya gurus,Devi Lalita Tripurasundari’s four Astras (weapons) and her Parivara (retinue) Devis. Then Chatushathyupachara (64 services) pooja, then bathing the Sriyantra/Devi with Panchamrut (mixture of water, milk, curds, ghee and honey) reciting Durga Sooktam, Sri Sooktam, Purusha Sooktam and Rudra Sooktam. It ends with 108 times recital of her Maha Shodasi Mantra – called Mantraraj of king of the mantras.
