October, Thursday 22nd., 2020
Today's Thought for the Day
22 Oct 2020
What are the real offerings we should make during sacred festivals such as Navaratri? Bhagawan lovingly guides us to introspect.
During Navaratri there is a form of worship called Anga-arpana Puja (dedicating various limbs and organs to God). In the performance of this Puja, there is a form of self-deception. When a devotee says, "Netram Samarpayami"
(I offer my eyes to the Lord) and offers only a flower to the Lord, one
is indulging in deception. The proper thing would be to say that one is
offering a flower. Mantras like "Netram Samarpayami" are
intended to indicate that one is using one’s eyes only to see God. The
real significance of the Mantra is that you think of the Divine in
whatever you see or do. Therefore, true Anga-arpana Puja is to
declare that you offer all your limbs in the service of the Lord. This
means that whatever work you do should be done as an offering to God.
Navaratri festival should be used as an occasion to examine one's own
nature whether it is human, animal or demonic, and strive to transform
animal nature to human, and finally divinise human nature.