Shakti and the Dance of Discernment

O Mother, as Aruna, the crimson-coloured Goddess,
Thou art like the light of morning’s rising sun to the lotus flowers symbolising the minds of gifted poets (helping their poesy to blossom forth).
Therefore, those devoted ones who adore Thee become capable of delighting the minds of assemblies of literary connoisseurs with the majestic flow of their words surging like waves of erotic sentiments emanating from youthful Saraswati; the Goddess of Learning.

– Soundarya Lahiri (verse 16)

Navratri is Shakti’s time. 

In a way, Shakti or the movement of life and energy is a dance moving by a fine discernment. Or we may say, life is a dance of discernment. 

Shakti is the power aiding growth of wisdom through discernment. The Navratri period of 9 days is considered as three days of Kali followed by three days of Lakshmi followed by three days of Saraswati, representing a movement from gross to subtle energies and refinement of discernment and wisdom.

As Kali, the discernment is gross- separating out good and evil in coarse ways. As Lakshmi, finding the harmony is a dance through those aspects of life that are moving towards material expansiveness and growth, a prospering.

As Saraswati, the discernment takes the form of a still subtler refining of intellect and expression. Right mentalising (‘sumati’ that Devi Saraswati represents) is a kind of artistry – both (wisdom and artistic expression) Saraswati represents! Jnana (wisdom and higher knowledge) and art both need the channels of the Being to flow in certain finely tuned ways- Saraswati (‘of flow’) guides these. It is also interesting how so many of the great spiritual Masters and sages were also artists in some way (painting, music, poetry, etc).

A fine-tuning and discernment to align with true nature and to bring forth its essence through creativity.

How finely tuned are we to tell emotion from heart-felt, pleasure from happiness, ‘good’ from pure-hearted, true from false? Let the Mother teach.

You might also like:

108 Names of Devi

NavDurga: the 9 Forms of Durga

Shakti: Bringing Light to the Darkness

Exploring Shakti as Parvati, Sita and Radha