On the first day of Navratri, seekers gathered to hear Sirshree, spiritual master, author, and founder of Tej Gyan Foundation, offer a fresh, practical perspective on the festival. His message was simple: Navratri is not only a story from the past; it is a path to transform life from within.
The festival, in brief
Navratri, or “nine nights,” honors Devi, the Divine Mother, and culminates in Vijayadashami, the day of victory. It begins with Ghatasthapana, when people set up a clay pot of water or soil, sow grains in it, and light a lamp beside it. Sirshree explained that the pot symbolizes the festival’s essence. In Garba, people dance around a pot with small holes through which light shines. If the focus is only on the pot, it remains entertainment; if the focus is on the light, the dance springs from deeper bliss. Our body-mind mechanism is the pot, and the light is our divine essence.
Most people know how Devi defeated the demon Mahishasura after nine days of battle. Many hear it as a Puranic clash between good and evil, but Sirshree said the war is not outside. It is happening inside every person, right now.
What an Asura really is
Set aside the movie demons with horns and special effects, Sirshree said. Sur means balance and harmony, like a note sung in tune; an Asur appears when that harmony breaks. The Devas represent our good qualities, such as honesty, courage, patience, and generosity. When these qualities fade, Asuras move in. That is how Mahishasura is born in the body: the inner voice insisting, “I am separate from others; I am special; this is just how I am.”
The scriptures name hundreds of Asuras, each with a story, and the rishis did so on purpose: a bare idea is forgotten within a week, but a story with a face lasts thousands of years. Sirshree asked the seekers to contemplate: Which Asuras have you let stay within your mind on rent? Ego, laziness, guilt, anger, endless scrolling they pay no rent, and you cannot trust them.
Dhoomralochan, the demon of fog
Dhoomralochan, whose name means “smoky eyes,” creates a mental fog that obscures the truth. When a person fails an interview, the mind chatters, “I’m useless. What’s the point?” The voice sounds certain, yet it is only smoke that shrouds reality.
Devi did not even pick up a weapon for Dhoomralochan. She let out a roar proclaiming Her grandeur, and he vanished. Everyone can do the same: instead of getting lost in a problem’s details, remain still, centered in conscious presence, and ask: Who am I really a character in this story or the untouched witness outside it? We are not merely the body or the mind, Sirshree said; these are instruments of the divine presence we truly are, like a small mirror reflecting our living presence. When the Asura meets this grand version of us, it has nowhere to stand.
Sirshree also spoke with care about the very low moments. If a heavy thought lingers, instead of succumbing to it and sabotaging oneself, ask, “Can I stay with these thoughts for a month, a week, or even a day?” That pause lets the fog clear.
Raktbeej and overthinking
Every drop of Raktbeej’s blood became a new Raktbeej upon touching the ground. Sirshree likened this to overthinking: each thought breeds ten more. He called it OTT, “Over-Thinking Trouble,” and highlighted how even our phones feed our thoughts, one reel leading to another until the algorithm governs our scrolling. Sirshree’s advice: catch the very first drop. Treat the first painful encounter as a teacher, and don’t let one thought fuel the next.
Shumbh and Nishumbh
The brothers stand for “I” and “Mine” the refined ego that does not look like ego. Sirshree urged seekers to ask: Where do I want credit more than I want to take responsibility? Where am I guarding my self-image? The answer is not to grab more. Build your ability, and what you deserve will come on its own.
A nine-day practice
Days 1–3: Cultivate stillness like a mountain (Maa Shailputri). Meditate in the morning and evening, watching the breath. If you feel an itch or pain, don’t move until the alarm rings. This brings the mind’s games into view and loosens past mental programming.
Days 4–6: Practice mindful movement. Walk a few thousand steps, even indoors, with full awareness and without distractions.
Days 7–9: Be mindful of your words and food. Complain and blame less. Eat half your meal, then ask, “Do I really want more?” Most of the time, it is just habit.
The darkest night
On the seventh night comes Kaalratri, the night of darkness, when the Buddha faced Mara, Jesus faced Satan, and the Hindu scriptures speak of Maya. Then come Maa Mahagauri, the shining one, and Maa Siddhidatri on the ninth day, when one stands established in truth. The dark night is not the end; it is the doorway to Vijayadashami victory over the mind.
The final message
Arjun sat in his tent the night before the war, unaware which Asura would attack the next morning, until Lord Krishna’s wisdom came to his rescue. We are no different: we walk into tough situations feeling ready, and then the inner fog rolls in. Pause, step into inner clarity, and these inner demons lose their power. The Asuras do not die for good; they die for us only when we do our inner work. So don’t wait for the tenth day. Start winning the war within yourself today!
About the Foundation
Tej Gyan Foundation offers programs on self-awareness, emotional well-being, mindfulness, and inner transformation, including the Magic of Awakening Retreat, which explores life through observation, contemplation, meditation, and experience rather than belief. Its principle is that “Right understanding brings transformation,” and it requires no religious belief. Over two and a half decades, Sirshree has delivered more than four thousand discourses and authored more than 300 books, organized into a structured learning system to raise mass consciousness.