Dhvaja Navamī Vrata
Dhvaja Navamī Vrata · dhvaja navamī vrata, “the banner vow of the ninth day”
The Dhvaja Navamī Vrata is the vrata of the banner, kept on the navamī (ninth tithi) of the bright fortnight of Pausha for Bhagavatī, the Kumārī who rides the lion. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa tells its account and rite to the king in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, Chapter 61.
Raktāsura, son of Mahishāsura, gained the rule of the three worlds by a vara (boon) of Brahmā and drove the devas from Amarāvatī. They fled to Karachatrāpurī and praised the nine Durgās. Bhagavatī appeared as a Kumārī on a lion, with twenty arms, took the banners of the daityas and handed them to the devas, and slew Raktāsura with her triśūla. The devas held a great festival for her, with the city adorned with toraṇas and banners. So on this navamī the keeper fasts or eats one meal, worships her, and sets banners before her. Such a one has no fear of thieves, fire, water, the king or enemies, is surely victorious, enjoys every happiness, and at the end attains Vīraloka.
Raktāsura takes Amarāvatī
After Bhagavatī Durgā slew Mahishāsura, the daityas remembered the old enmity and fought many battles with the devas. Bhagavatī, for the protection of dharma, took many forms and destroyed them.
Raktāsura, son of Mahishāsura, performed fierce tapas for a very long time and pleased Brahmā, who gave him the rule of the three worlds. Having received the vara, he gathered the daityas and attacked Amarāvatī to fight Indra. The devas saw the daitya army coming, assembled under Devarāja Indra, and stood ready. A terrible battle began. The dānavas fought so fearfully that the devas left the field and fled. Raktāsura brought Amarāvatī under his power and ruled there.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 61
The devas at Karachatrāpurī
The devas fled to Karachatrāpurī, where Bhagavatī Durgā, the beloved of Bhava, dwells, and where Devī Cāmuṇḍā too is enthroned with the nine Durgās. There they praised the nine Durgās with bhakti. In the printed order they are:
The devas prayed: “Bhagavati, protect us from this terrible calamity. We have no other support now.”
Hearing this cry of the devas, Bhagavatī appeared in the form of a Kumārī, with the nine Durgās, mounted on a lion, holding various divine weapons in her twenty arms.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 61
The battle
The daityas came there, of great valour, proud through the vara of Brahmā, base, hostile to brāhmaṇas, and fierce. The chief of them are named: Indramārī, Gurukeśī, Pralamba, Naraka, Kushṭha, Pulomā, Śarabha, Śambara, Dundubhi, Ilvala, Namuci, Bhauma, Vātāpi, Dhenuka, Kali, Māyāvṛta, Balabanyu, Kaiṭabha, Kālajit, Rāhu, Pauṇḍra and others.
They shone like blazing fire, rode various vāhanas, and carried many kinds of śastras, astras and banners. Before them sounded the paṇava, bherī, gomukha, śaṅkha, ḍamaru, ḍiṇḍima and other instruments.
The daityas began the battle and rained on Bhagavatī many weapons: arrows, the śūla, parigha, paṭṭiśa, śakti, tomara, kunta, śataghnī, gadā, mudgara and others. Bhagavatī blazed forth and began to destroy them. She took their banners and other emblems by force and handed them to the devas. In a moment she destroyed countless daityas. She seized Raktāsura by the throat, dashed him to the earth, and split his heart with her divine triśūla. The daityas who were left fled to save their lives.
By the grace of the Devī the devas won. They came to Karachatrāpurī and held a special festival of Bhagavatī, and the city was adorned with toraṇas and banners.
Śrī Kṛshṇa says: “Rājan, one who fasts on the navamī, holds Bhagavatī’s festival and offers her a banner surely becomes victorious.”
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 61
The vidhi
The vrata is kept on the navamī of the śukla paksha (bright fortnight) of Pausha. Bhagavatī won her victory on this navamī, so it is very dear to her.
- Bathe, and gather the flowers for the pūjā with one’s own hands.
- Worship Bhagavatī, the Kumārī who rides the lion.
- Set various banners before her.
- Offer mālatī flowers, dhūpa (incense), dīpa (lamp), naivedya (food offering), gandha (fragrant paste), candana (sandal), various fruits, garlands, cloth, curd, and various foods prepared without fire, and recite the mantra below.
- Feed kumārīs (young girls) and brāhmaṇas devoted to the Devī, and ask forgiveness.
- Fast, or with bhakti eat one meal.
रुद्रां भगवतीं कृष्णां ग्रहनक्षत्रमालिनीम्।
प्रपन्नोऽहं शिवां रात्रिं सर्वशत्रुक्षयंकरीम्॥rudrāṃ bhagavatīṃ kṛshṇāṃ grahanakshatramālinīm |
prapanno’haṃ śivāṃ rātriṃ sarvaśatrukshayaṃkarīm ||I take refuge in Rudrā, Bhagavatī, the dark one, garlanded with grahas and nakshatras, auspicious Night, who destroys all enemies.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 61
The phala
- The man who fasts on the navamī, adorns Bhagavatī with banners and worships her has no fear of thieves, fire, water, the king, enemies and the like.
- One who worships Bhagavatī with bhakti on the navamī and raises a banner to her enjoys every happiness and at the end attains Vīraloka.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 61
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 61, 208