When Adi Sankara tidied up Hinduism in the 10th century, he identified six popular aspects of Divinity in the ‘shanmata’, or six cults. Of these, the cult of Devi/Shakti seems especially dear to the Indian soul, given our ambivalent attitude to the feminine principle (superb theory, disgusting praxis). But if we ignore that aspect for the moment, and check out the concept of Devi, there’s much to inspire and uplift. Devi’s three gifts to us are knowledge, wealth and strength. These are often narrowly interpreted to mean brains, money and brawn. But if we think how these aspects are personified as Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Durga, we realise the concept has much more to it.Sarasvati, as the patron of the arts, tells us to respond to the hidden harmonies of life, to discover the secrets of joyful existence by keeping our minds and hearts open. She is not merely the patron deity of exams. Nor is Lakshmi just a celestial mint of gold coins, to be prayed to only for ‘shubh labh’. She’s the deity of love (Kamdev is merely the functionary). The gift of human love is Lakshmi’s to give or withhold and as Vishnu’s consort in avatar after avatar, she knows all about separation, heartbreak, betrayal and — our best wealth — loving-kindness. Similarly, Mother Durga is not just about muscles and valor in battle. Her peculiar gift, perhaps the one we need the most, is courage. The courage to make the best of everything, to endure our misfortunes with good grace and to keep showing up for our lives. The strength, after a body-blow, to get back into the maidan with head up, hair combed neatly, shirt ironed and a smile for the maid, durwan and subziwala, who need Her grace badly too.Three nights per deity culminate in the Navaratri with the great festival of Vijaydashmi (the Victorious Tenth). This day marks Lord Ram’s triumphant return to Ayodhya. It is also our special day for starting to learn something new (vidyaarambh). Little children usually start dance and music lessons on this day while those already learning pay a ceremonial call on their teacher with fruit, sweets and perhaps new clothes. The teacher blesses them, and gifts them a new song or step (one of my nicest Vijayadashmi memories is of learning the song ‘Janaki-ramana Dasaratha-nandana’ in Raga Kafi). However, while ceremony is pleasant for an Oktoberfest, how do we invoke Devi all year round to help us? One way could be this ‘practical prayer’ that’s centuries old and nudges us to take responsibility for our own deeds: ‘Karaagre vasatey Lakshmi/kara madhye Saraswati/karamooley sthithye Gauri/prabhaatey kara darshanam’. Luck at my fingertips, wisdom in the middle and valor in my palm, I look at my hands each morning and get charged up to face my day!
