“Spiritual summary: Purify the mind (white cloths) with continuous efforts (japa mala) by accepting the things and situations as they are (kamalandu) and building humility in the mind (egoless state)”. This can be assisted by chanting VAM focusing on 2nd gonadal chakra.
Navratri is the detoxification of body, mind and soul. The nine days purification process is observed twice in a year, at the start of summer and winter. Chaitra Navratri is observed at the start of the summer for preparing the body to tolerate summer.
Body detoxification involves special Navratri diet principles of eating less, once a day with no cereals. In Navratri diet flour is replaced with Kuttu (winter) or Singhara (summer) flour; pulses with amaranth or Rajgiri and Rice with Samak rice.
Mental and soul detoxification involves practicing Yoga Sadhna as described in nine forms of Durga, one worshipped each day.
Brahmacharini (Uma or Tapacharini) is worshipped on 2nd day of Navratri as the goddess who performed ‘Tapa’ (penance or continuous efforts) (Brahma – Tapa, Charini – Performer).
SHE personifies love and loyalty and provides knowledge and wisdom. Those who worship her, attain, Tap (Religious Austerity), Tyagi (Sacrifice), and Vairagya (Asceticism).
She is shown to hold Japa mala (rosary beads) in her right hand and Kamandal in left hand. This form of Shakti as per Yoga Shastras is present in second gonad chakra (in Allopathy gonad plexus) called Svadhisthana Chakra. The bija sound for the chakras is VAM which removes attachments. In Ayurveda the 2nd Chakra represents the water element.
In mythology ‘white’ represents purity of mind; beaded rosary or japa mala represents continuous efforts (meditation and concentration) and Kamandal represents acceptance and water in it represents pure thoughts.
Kamandalu also means living an egoless state of mind. Kamandalu is a water pot made from a dry pumpkin contains nectar and is shown on the ground next to Shiva. The process of making Kamandalu has deep spiritual significance.
A ripe pumpkin is plucked from a plant, its fruit is removed and the shell is cleaned for containing the nectar. In the same way, an individual must break away from attachment to the physical world and clean his inner self of egoistic desires in order to experience the bliss of the Self, symbolized by the nectar in the Kamandalu.
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