Navaratri is celebrated four times a year. They are Ashada Navaratri, the Sharada Navaratri, the Maha Navaratri and the Vasantha Navaratri. Of these, the Sharada Navaratri of the month of Ashwin and the Vasantha Navaratri of the Chaitra are very important. If you refer to the Agni Purana, then it is said that the Asvin and Chaitra are like the two jaws of Lord Yama. If one wants to escape the mouth of Yama, then one should celebrate Navaratri on these two occassions. A similar analogy is presented in the Devi Bhagavatam.

ॐ जय त्वं देवि चामुण्डे जय भूतापहारिणि । जय सर्वगते देवि कालरात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ १॥ जयन्ती मङ्गला काली भद्रकाली कपालिनी । दुर्गा शिवा क्षमा धात्री स्वाहा स्वधा नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ २॥ मधुकैटभविध्वंसि विधातृवरदे नमः । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ ३॥…

ॐ सर्व मंगल मांगल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थ साधिके । शरण्ये त्र्यंबके गौरी नारायणी नमोस्तुते ॥नमो देव्यै महादेव्यै शिवायै सततं नमः । नमः प्रकृत्यै भद्रायै नियताः प्रणताः स्म ताम् ॥ ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे ।…

The Dus Mahavidyas are known as Wisdom Goddesses. The spectrum of these ten goddesses covers the whole range of feminine divinity, encompassing horrific goddess’s at one end, to the ravishingly beautiful at the other. Mahavidya means (Maha - great; vidya - knowledge) Goddesses of great knowledge…

Shri Bhagwati Stotram

(by Maharishi Vedavyasji)

Jai Mata Di