Oct 3
Navaratri 2008 – The first three days
Nav means nine, also means new. Ratri is night, the dark, sacred night. Night is when you rest and relax. Unwind from the hustle and bustle of the day. So during the nine days (and nights) of Navaratri, we give ourselves rest. We meditate longer than usual, eat much lesser than normal. Do Yoga, Satsang… Turn ourselves inwards. Read the scriptures… I would recommend either the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Vasishtha or the Devi Bhagvatam. We also partake in the rituals and Poojas.
Guruji maintains a very strict silence during the first 4-5 days. He even does an almost total fast on these days. If you have never seen Guruji in His Silence, then you have missed something ethereal. The Silence around Him is so thick it could be cut with a knife. You know that just His body is here. That He is in some other dimension. His eyes are always almost closed and a beatific smile adorns His face.
He doesn’t really even recognize anyone of us. No one is allowed near Him… He is Silence and Bliss personified.. And you can see the lightness in His steps as He almost floats into Satsang and back when its over.
The first 3 days are when the tamasic element is very high. All of you may have been feeling extra sleepy and lethargic during these 3 days. The tamas really hits you when you are in the Ashram… Yesterday, I had started doing Padmasadhana, and during the meditation time, I had no idea where I went… It could have been deep sleep or meditation. Got up after almost 2 hours and was feeling very refreshed 
The Rudra Pooja just before Satsang packs quite a punch these days… And the loud joyous singing is the perfect complement to it. Tomorrow dinesh and I will break our semi-fast of 2 days. Strangely don’t feel hungry or anything. We have been having lots of fruits and a hot vegetable soup in the night.
The days of Tamas have ended and the 3 days of Rajas (activity) start today. You may find that your mind is racing allover the place. That you cannot sit still… You could get a lot of work done in these 3 days !! Remember to give time to yourself for Sadhana, Seva and Satsang…
Will write more as and when I get the time…
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa
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Tags: Navaratri
loved Guruji’s pic Bau…. its like He is unveiled slowly by the Banana leaves…
Yesterday’s Rudra pooja was really deep…. did not know when i slipped in and out of things… Loved the Garba. its only the energy during these days that with just fruit diet we can do a lot many things and not get tired i guess…..
Jgd Bau,
yes very true like we do rudra puja on every monday and doing rudra puja on navratri is totally diff.
Yesterday while during KALASH puja(AVAHANAM) , he get into the meditation and literally Paditji has to stop VedaBoys to Speak further mantras , when he completed then again mantars started…!!
I am also doing fasting these days….Bau Why dont you come to GARBA at night, please come…;)
Love
Parth
this is pretty amazing to experience the same thing. i am performing pooja here in pittsburgh and the kind of meditation happen during the chants is having no clue where mind goes and yesterday it was so amazing all the negative emotions specially anger was dominating in morning and like my jaws were clutched tightly…. but today it was bit relaxing and i was dozzing off… but definitely i m missing ashram and all you
but i m happy at least i m able to keep myself with morning and evening poojazzzzzzzzzzzz 
jai gurudev love
o-oh !! the days have specific characteristics !! Sounds Interesting Bau !!
Oh Jesus….i was sleeping too much, not giving 100% to anything n hence was filled with remorse. Now i get it. Thanks for the reply.
Jai Gurudeva:)
Yeah bau that tamas thing happened with me too..
Leaving for ashram tomorrow.. Looking forward to meet Guruji and you and Dinesh dada
Thank You so much Bau, Love you for this.
Jai Gurudev
Sakshi
[...] Filed under: Art of Living Related — Tags: Navaratri — Raj @ 8:57 am Bawa writes about the first three days of Navaratri at the Ashram Guruji maintains a very strict silence [...]
Guruji is so lovely….
Thank you so much..
Love you for this..
and after reading this I observed it became even more as I was more aware of the thoughts coming,did nt commented in the morning just to observe the same. GOD….
Of Course doing seva helped
Love
Jai Gurudev
Minnie
Jai gurudev. i am a YES!+ student. and just like other youngsters i was constantly troubled by my emotions or rather putting it as, i was troubled by my mind. but guruji has been a rock since the first day i entered the YES!+ classroom. and this blog is the best place i have ever been on the whole of net. i really enjoy reading the bits on guruji’s travel. simple things make up such big packages.
thanks Guruji.
i would just say 1 word and that is WOW….and bau…..that tamas thing happened wid me 2….
jgd
It is a treat to watch guruji in silence.
Yes Bau, Felt more sleepy n lazy over the 1st 3 days n began my day of activity (restlessness) yesterday by tripping in Yagnashala n breaking my metatarsal. Bad, I missed pooja today coz of that. Am better now in a cast n will b back 4 all pooja from tomorrow 2 see the resplendent master in total bliss. Kavitha just wrote in her blog abt ethereal silence he maintains amidst all the noise n I feel too that it is so unreal (yet real) to feel n take in.
AMAZING!!!!i can’t believe theres still a good 48 hours before i can be in the ashram!!!!
am SOOOOOOOOOO waiting to experience all this!!!!
hmmm. I have noticed these effects… they are much stronger than on other times. jaigurudev.
Bawa , you have created a new dimension by getting all of us in blogging! its so much fun, and its really a great thing to do! Danke Schoon!
Just great! i thought i am missing Navratri at Banglore! But well we have one in chennai!!
every day is just amazing! And with you updating us with things happening there! Its just back home 
Jai Gurudev!
Thank you very much bau for updating about Asharam’s event during Navratri, I am really missing our Asharam’s Navratri in USA,but we r doing satsang,meditation,chanting everyday at different devotee’s home.
I am really greateful to u……
Jai Gurudev………
Hetal
Hi Bau,
thats gr8 knowledge , i was not knowing about those first 3 days of tamas, then 3 days of rajas like that.
Jai Gurudev.
thanx bau for this beautiful piece in written..
it was my first navratri in the Ashram n it gave me such peace to see GURUJI in deep silence… the bliss n joy that it brought in me was purely enjoyable!!!! when GURUJI broke HIS silence-i burst out with tears… n i dont know the reason y??!!! actually- not even interested in knowing… because everything was so so so beautiful… everything happening to u n happening around u…
i don’t know whether to call it the best part or not- because everything was great, but still to see GURUJI getting in bhav, and in BHAV on GANESH Homa was so divine!!! at start it scared me so so so much because i was witnessing the moment for the first time in my life!!! but then seeing the beautiful smile dawn on HIS face was truly the best that my eyes have ever seen….. such beautiful smile…. filled with contentment,grace, love n dont know what what…..
oh………. just beautiful… i cant imagine how lucky i am to have witnessed it myself… can only be grateful to HIM for all the grace that HE’s showering on us day in n day out….
JAI GURUDEV
love
aditi
thanks bau.. i have been quite ignorant of how to observe navratri days:)God bless you!!!