The significance of the annual worship of the Mother Goddess is best reflected in the Lalitā-Sahasranāma, wherein She is referred to as ‘Śāradārādhyā’. The name is explained by Bhāskararāya as the one who is worshiped in the Śarad-ṛtu – the autumn, quoting verses from a few well-known Purāṇas. Several Purāṇas such as Bhaviṣya-Purāṇa and Devī-Bhāgavata clearly refer to the popularity and the universality of the autumnal worship of the Mother Goddess that transcending geographical and social boundaries. For example:
एवं च विन्ध्यवासिन्या नवरात्रोपवासतः । एकभक्तेन नक्तेन तथैवायाचितेन च॥
पूजनीया जनैर्देवी स्थाने स्थाने पुरे पुरे । गृहे गृहे शक्तिपरैर्ग्रामेग्रामे नवे नवे॥
स्नातैः प्रमुदितैर्हृष्टैर्ब्राह्मणैःक्षत्रियैर्नृपैः । वैश्यैः शूद्रैर्भक्तियुक्तैर्म्लेच्छैरन्यैश्च मानवैः॥ (Bhaviṣya-Purāṇa)
[The Navarātra-vrata of Vindhyavāsinī must be observed with exclusive devotion all over, in every village and every house by Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, Śudras, Mlecchas and others devoted unto Her.]
तस्माच्छाक्तोऽथ वा शैवः सौरो वा वैष्णवोऽथवा।
अवश्यं पूजयेद्देवीं शारदीये महोत्सवे॥ (Mahā-Bhāgavata-Purāṇa)
[Therefore, be at a Śākta or a Śaiva or a Saura or a Vaiṣṇava, one must worship the Mother Goddess during the Śāradīya mahotsava.]
सर्वत्र भारते लोके सर्ववर्णेषु सर्वथा। भजनीया भवानी तु सर्वेषामभवत्तदा॥ (Devī-Bhāgavatam)
[Bhavānī became reverential by all abiding Bhāratavarṣa across varṇas.]
What is more interesting is the fact that these Purāṇas do not fail to record the diverse ways adopted by different regions and traditions with regard to the observance of the Śāradīya-mahāpūja. Yet another difference is with regard to the time and duration of the observances. Although the period of Navarātrī, i.e. nine days beginning with the first day (pratipadā) of the bright fortnight of the Āśvina month remains most popular, the autumnal worship of the Mother Goddess is also performed for a duration of fifteen days from the Navamī of the dark fortnight of Āśvina (pūrṇimānta) till the Navamī of the bright fortnight of the month of Āśvina or for a period of three days from the Saptamī to Navamī of the bright fortnight of the month of Āśvina, according to different traditions. The Purāṇas also present the precedents of the diverse observances and enjoin the procedure of formal-worship in their usual lucid and unambiguous style.
The Devī-Purāṇa traces the origin of the Śāradīya-mahāpūjā to the worship of the Mother Goddess by the Devas such as Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, Indra, Candra, Yama and the other demigods to commemorate the killing of the demon Ghora (Mahiṣa) by Devī and mentions of the continuity of this worship as long as the five elements and the planets exist and that the Navamī of Āśvina would be celebrated as Mahā-Navamī[1]. The events connected with the killing of Mahiṣāsura are elaborated sequentially in the Kālikā-Purāṇa as Brahmā and the other Devas invoke the Mother Goddess on the Caturdaśī of the dark fortnight of Āśvinā, She manifests on the Saptamī of the following fortnight from the potencies of the Devas, She is adorned with several ornaments by the Devas on Aṣṭamī and kills Mahiṣāsura on the day of Navamī after being worshiped by the Devas[2].
The Mahā-Bhāgavata-Purāṇa elaborately establishes the innate connection between the Rāmāyaṇa and the Śāradīya-Mahāpūjā as it is observed in many parts of Bhārata, the Eastern part in particular. According to the Rāmopākhyāna of the Mahā-Bhāgavata, the Devas exhort Śrī Viṣṇu to incarnate in a human form to kill Rāvaṇa who had conquered the three worlds by the grace of the Mother Goddess[3]. Śrī Viṣṇu reveals the impossibility of defeating Rāvaṇa unless the Mother Goddess who was residing at Laṅkā along with the Yoginīs as the guardian deity would abandon him. Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva together approach Pārvatī and enquire about the means to kill Rāvaṇa, Her devotee. Even while acknowledging Her inability to kill the wicked Rāvaṇa herself, She orders Viṣṇu to incarnate among mortals and reassures that she would abandon Laṅkā when Rāvaṇa would lustfully abduct Sītā, the incarnation of Lakṣmī, who is her own self, at the insistence of Śiva, eventually leading to the destruction of Rāvaṇa. She declares that Rāma would kill Rāvaṇa after duly worshiping her earthen image in the autumn as advised by Brahmā[4]. Viṣṇu further questions as to will She not come to the aid of Her devotee Rāvaṇa, if he would think of Her during the battle. To this, the Mother Goddess replies that a person who is devoted unto Her inflicts pain upon the universe, will be duly rewarded only in his after-life and not during his lifetime and assures that Rāvaṇa would not think of Her during the battle[5]. Thereafter Viṣṇu incarnates as Śrī Rāma who is aided by Lakṣmī as Sītā, Śiva as Hanumān, Brahmā as Ṛkṣarajas and Dharma as Vibhīṣaṇa. Following the abduction of Sītā by Rāvaṇa, Hanumān reaches Laṅkā to find the whereabouts of Sītā and requests the Mother Goddess abiding therein to leave Laṅkā who immediately abandons Laṅkā as She is already infuriated with Rāvaṇa over the abduction of Sītā.
Śrī Rāma reaches Laṅkā on the thirteenth day (trayodaśī) of the dark fortnight of the month of Bhādrapada[6]. Rāma chooses to worship the Mother Goddess for victory in his conquest of Laṅkā by the worship of the Pitṛs, for, She was Pitṛ-rūpiṇī during the Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa by performing Pārvaṇa-Śrāddha everyday from the commencement of the dark fortnight till the new moon day[7].
The battle commences on the Amāvāsya of Bhādrapada, after sun-set. As Kumbhakarṇa enters the battle-field, the terror-stricken Devas along with Śrī Rāma seek the guidance of Brahmā. Brahmā advises Śrī Rāma to commence the worship of the Mother Goddess in the Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa itself by awakening Her, since Rāvaṇa would become invincible if he should worship Her in the Śukla-pakṣa[8]. Brahmā, on behalf of Śrī Rāma commences the worship of the Mother Goddess from the Navamī of the dark fortnight of Āśvina conjoined with the Ārdrā nakṣatra for the latter’s victory by invoking her in a bilva tree in the presence of Śrī Rāma. Eulogized by Śrī Rāma, the Mother Goddess comforts him through an aerial voice that, ‘Propitiated by Brahmā, She would grant the desired boon’. Appearing before Brahmā, The Mother Goddess prophecies that Meghanāda would die on the night of the Amāvāsya of Āśvina, following which will take place the fierce battle between Śrī Rāma and Rāvaṇa, of which the days between Saptamī to Navamī of the bright fortnight would be the most crucial days and that Rāvaṇa would be killed on the Navamī. She also describes the various modes of Her worship and ordains Brahmā to worship Her image made up of clay from Saptamī to Navamī by rituals, sacrifices and recitation of hymns[9]. She further ordains the invocation of Herself in the patrikā[10] and worship of the bow and the arrows of Śrī Rāma on the day of Saptamī conjoined with the Mūla asterism. She enjoins the offering of sacrifices at the cusp of Aṣṭamī and Navamī when She would forsake the head of Rāvaṇa and the immersion of her clay image on the Daśamī day after duly worshiping Her in the morning. During her sermon to Brahmā on Her worship, She enjoins the Sāttvika mode of worship consisting of recitation of mantras and stotras, performance of yajñas, offering of naivedya devoid of meat and feeding Brāhmaṇas for her pure devotees possessed of a composed mind and a non-violent temperament. While denouncing the Tāmasika mode of worship for wise-men, She enjoins offering sacrifices unto Her, along with recitation of hymns, yajñas and feeding Brāhmaṇas for those of a rājasic disposition seeking material results such as destruction of enemies, prosperity, progeny etc.
On the day of Daśamī of the dark fortnight of Āśvina, Śrī Rāma worships the Mother Goddess in the bilva tree. On the Ṣaṣṭhī of the bright fortnight of Āśvina, Brahmā prepares a clay image of Devī and consecrates Her in the evening hours. Brahmā worships Her after invoking her in the patrikā on Saptamī, whereafter She enters the bow of Śrī Rāma. On the day of Mahāṣṭamī Brahmā worships Her with manifold oblations. Śrī Rāma’s arrow pervaded by the Mother Goddess shatters the heads of Rāvaṇa into hundreds of pieces, yet fails to kill him, for he had contemplated upon Her. On Mahā-Navamī when Brahmā worships Her with numerous sacrifices and offerings, She deludes Rāvaṇa as Avidyā, preventing him from remembering Her. Śrī Rāma too prays to Her seeking the destruction of Rāvaṇa after fiercely fighting till the noon. Brahmā hands over to Śrī Rāma the invincible weapon given to him by the Mother Goddess to kill Rāvaṇa, employing which Śrī Rāma kills Rāvaṇa. On the following day, as instructed by Devī, Brahmā immerses Her clay image in the ocean after duly worshiping Her and on the same day Śrī Rāma coronates Vibhīṣaṇa as the king of Laṅkā.
The Devī-Bhāgavata-Purāṇa too narrates the account of Śrī Rāma observing the Navarātrī-vrata and worshiping Devī by consecrating Her image. Here, it is Nārada who advises Śrī Rāma to undertake the sacred vow and propitiate the Mother Goddess. While exhorting Śrī Rāma to undertake the vrata[11], Nārada refers to a few precedents in connection with the vrata. Nārada refers to the performance of the Navarātra-vrata by Viṣṇu to kill Madhu, Śiva to kill Tripura, Indra to kill Vṛtra and Bṛhaspati when Tārā was abducted by Candra. He also refers to the performance of the vrata by sages such as Viśvāmitra, VaŚiṣṭha, Bhṛgu and Kaśyapa[12]. Nārada himself serves as the officiating priest and guides Śrī Rāma with regard to the fasting, sacrifices and oblations connected with this vrata. Pleased with Śrī Rāma, Devī assures him of his victory and the death of Rāvaṇa and instructs him to worship Her once again during the spring.
The slight variations in both these accounts are reconciled by the account given in the Kālikā-Purāṇa, wherein it is stated that in every kalpa is born Rāvaṇa and so is Śrī Rāma and that their battle takes place in every kalpa. The varied accounts can therefore be attributed to kalpa-bheda.
The Devī-Bhāgavata elaborately describes the rituals connected with Navarātra-vrata. According to the Purāṇa, the seasons of spring and autumn are maleficent, for they are characterized by diseases and loss. The worship of Caṇḍika is therefore prescribed to ward off the malefic effects of these seasons in the months of Caitra and Āśvina[13]. Of these the worship in the autumn is regarded to be of a greater significance. On the new moon day one is expected to gather the materials of worship and consume food that is offered in homa (haviṣya), only once on that day. Erecting a maṇṭapa on an even surface, one must anoint the same with white soil and cow dung and place an altar at the centre of the maṇṭapa and decorate the maṇṭapa with festoons (toraṇa) and canopy (vitāna). On the following day (pratipadā), one must bathe in the early hours in a river, well or at one’s house and designate the officiating priest whereafter he must generously offer him due honours and presents. One must invite either nine, five, three or one brāhmaṇa for reading sacred texts on Devī. Spreading a silken cloth on the altar one must install an image of Devī with four arms holding the śaṅkha, cakra, gadā and padma, seated on a lion, bedecked with ornaments and clad in excellent robes or an image of Devī with eighteen arms. In the absence of a sacred image, one must install a yantra with the navākṣarī mantra engraved on it for worship[14]. It is best to commence the worship on the pratipadā day conjoined with the hasta nakṣatra. Following the saṅkalpa, one must commence the worship and pray to the Mother Goddess for the successful completion of the vrata. One is expected to observe a complete fast or consume food only at night during the vrata and sleep on the floor. The rituals include worship of maidens (kanyā) everyday, with the number of kanyas worshiped increasing every successive day by one or twice or thrice the number. One may otherwise worship nine maidens everyday[15]. The kanyas are expected to be between the ages of two to ten years. The kanyās of the ages of two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten are known as Kumārikā, Trimūrti, Kalyāṇī, Rohiṇī, Kālikā, Caṇḍikā, Śāmbhavī, Durgā and Subhadrā respectively. The worship of each of these is said to confer different results. The worship of kanyās involves offering clothes, ornaments and delicious food according to one’s resources. If one is unable to perform pūjā during the entire course of Navarātra, he must perform the same at least on the Aṣṭamī, since it was on this day that Bhadrakālī manifested herself along with the Yoginīs. On the Aṣṭamī day one must worship Devī by offering pāyasa and food, performing homas and feeding brāhmaṇas. The worship of Devī on the nights of Saptamī, Aṣṭamī and Navamī and fasting on these days, by one unable to observe the entire vrata bestows the result of the observance of the complete vrata[16].
The Kālikā-Purāṇa elaborates the procedure of the autumnal worship of the different forms of the Mother Goddess culminating with the auspicious days of Mahāṣṭamī and Mahā-navamī. According to the text, the worship of Daśabhujā-Durgā (the ten-armed form of Durgā) involves the commencement of the vrata on the nandikā (pratipadā) of the bright-fortnight of the solar month of kanyā, which corresponds to the lunar month of Āśvina. The vrata involves consuming food only once during the day or at night or consuming only on water. One is expected to abstain from seeking food (bhikṣā) from others. During the course of the vrata one must bathe in the early hours of the day, stay equipoised, worship Śiva during the three sacred hours viz. dawn, noon and dusk, engage oneself in japa and homa and feed kanyās. The Mother Goddess must be invoked on the bilva bough and a coconut on the Ṣaṣṭhī. The Mother Goddess must be worshiped on the bilva bough on Saptamī and Aṣṭamī. On the latter day, one must stay awake at night and offer oblations unto the Devī, followed by offering bounteous oblations on Navamī, meditating upon the ten-armed form of Devī and worshiping her with the mantras of the Durgā-tantra. One must consume food on the night of Daśamī after duly performing the visarjana[17].
The vrata connected with the worship of Ṣoḍaśabhujā (sixteen-armed Durgā) commences from the Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa Ekādaśī of the Kanyā month. One must observe a complete fast on Ekādaśī, followed by consuming food only once on Dvādaśī and nakta-vrata (consuming food only during the night) on Trayodaśī. Invoking Mahāmāyā ceremoniously on the Caturdaśī day as per scriptures, one must subsist only on the available food on the Amāvāsyā day. From the pratipadā till Navamī, one must observe a complete fast. The deity must be worshiped during the Mūla, Pūrvāṣāḍha and Uttarāṣāḍha and the visrajana must be performed on the Śravaṇa nakṣatra.[18]
The worship of Aṣṭādaśa-bhujā (eighteen- armed) Durgā commences on the Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa Navamī of Kanyā-māsa conjoined with the Ārdrā nakṣatra with the invocation of the Goddess. On the Caturthī of the following fortnight keśa-vimochana or the loosening of the braid is performed, followed by ceremonial bathing of the deity on Pañcamī. One must worship the patrikā on Saptamī, followed by fasting, performance of rituals and wakefulness on Aṣṭamī and offering oblations on Navamī. The valedictory rituals must be performed on Daśamī[19].
The worship of Vaiṣṇavī is performed on the śukla-pakṣa Aṣṭamī of the kanyā month with all grandeur, followed by offering oblations on Navamī along with japa and homa. The valedictory rites are performed on the Daśamī day. The Purāṇa mentions of an exclusive worship of the Mother Goddess performed by Brahmā upon the killing of Rāvaṇa on Mahā-navamī and concluded the rituals on Daśamī. It was on this day that Indra had performed the nīrājana – ritual waving of lamps for the invigoration of his army that was demoralized after witnessing the fierce battle between Śrī Rāma and Rāvaṇa. The practice of kings honouring their armed forces on Vijayā-Daśamī with the ceremonial nīrājana can be traced back to this event[20].
The Kālikā-Purāṇa further associates the appearance of Ugra-Caṇḍā[21] along with crores of Yoginīs on the Navamī of the dark fortnight of the Kanyā-month after Satī gave up Her body destroying the sacrifice of Dakṣa and describes Her worship. She is worshiped on the days of Aṣṭamī and Navamī with oblations and Her visarjana is performed on Daśamī in conjunction with the last quarter of Śravaṇa[22].
Notwithstanding the diversity in the rituals and observances, all the major Purāṇas unanimously assert the significance of the worship of the Mother Goddess in the autumn, especially on the Saptamī, Aṣṭamī and Navamī with japa, pārāyaṇa and kanyā-pūjana to the best of one’s abilities to venerate the Jaganmātā.
नवरात्रार्चनप्रीता नवनीरदकुन्तला।
नवधा पोषयेत्स्वस्यां भक्तिं नः सा नवाक्षरी॥
[1] हते घोरे महावीरे सुरासुरभयङ्करे । देवीमुपासका देवाः प्रभुता राक्षसास्तथा ॥
समेताः सर्व्वदेवास्ते देवीं भक्त्या तुतोषिरे । वलिञ्च दद्युर्भूतानां महिषाजामिषेण च ॥
एवं तस्मिन् दिने वत्स प्रेतभूतसमाकुलम् । कृतवान् सर्व्वदेवश्च पूजाश्च शाश्वतीर्महान् ॥
यावद्भूर्व्वायुराकाशं जलं वह्निशशिग्रहाः । तावच्च चण्डिकापूजा भविष्यति सदा भुवि ॥
प्रावृट्काले विशेषेण आश्विने ह्यष्टमीषु च । महाशब्दो नवम्याञ्च लोके ख्यातिं गमिष्यति ॥ (Devī-Purāṇa. Chapter 19)
[2] यदा स्तुतामहादेवी बोधिता चाश्विनस्य च। चतुर्दशी कृष्णपक्षे प्रादुर्भूता जगन्मयी॥
देवानां तेजसा मूर्तिः शुक्लपक्षे सुशोभने। सप्तम्यां साऽकरोद्देवी अष्टम्यां तैरलङ्कृता॥
नवम्यामुपहरैस्तु पूजिता महिषासुरं । निजघान दशम्यां तु विसृष्टान्तर्हिता शिवा॥ (Kālikā-Purāṇa – 60.78-80)
[3] देवीं त्रैलोक्यजननीं सम्प्रार्थ्य दशकन्धरः।
तस्याः प्रसादात्त्रैलोक्यविजयी समभूत्पुरा॥
[4] यतस्व तद्वधे चापि सहायं ते करिष्यति। मत्वयि मानुषतां जाते कमलापि मदंशजा॥
मानुषं देहमाश्रित्य सम्भविष्यति भूतले। तां दृष्ट्वा चातिलोभेन हरिष्यति सुदुर्मतिः॥
वीरः सुरतमोहेन मम मूर्त्यन्तरं बलात्। तस्यां लङ्कां प्रविष्टायां शिवस्यानुमते ध्रुवम्॥
तक्ष्यामि लङ्कानगरीं विनाशाय दुरात्मनः। मम मूर्त्यन्तरं लक्ष्मीमवमंस्यति तां यदा॥
तदैव ममकोपेन स नाशं समवाप्स्यति। त्यक्तायां तु मया तस्यां लङ्कायां मधुसूदन॥
वधार्थं तस्य दुष्टस्य रावणस्य दुरात्मनः। ब्रह्मोपदेशतस्तात शरत्काले विधानतः॥
[5] एतत्प्रपीडयन् भक्त्या यो मां स्मरति सङ्कटे। नैहिकं हि फलं तस्य किन्तु पारत्रिकं भवेत्॥
[6] त्रयोदश्यां तु कृष्णायां लङ्कां प्राप महामते।
[7] चकार बुद्धिं तां यष्टुं पितृरूपां सनातनीम्।सैव देवी महामाया पक्षेऽस्मिन् पितृरूपिणी॥
अद्यारभ्य महादेवीं पितृरूपां जयप्रदाम्। पार्वणेनैव विधिना यवद्दर्शदिने दिने॥
[8] प्रवृत्ते शुक्लपक्षे तु रावणस्तां सुरेश्वरीम्। पूजयेद्यदि नो मृत्युस्तदा तस्य भविष्यति॥
तस्मादस्मिन्नकालेऽपि तस्यास्तु परिपूजने। यतस्वैषां राक्षसानां नाशनाय रघूद्वहः॥
[9] तत्रापि शुक्लसप्तम्यारभ्य नवमीदिनम्।यावद्घोरतरं युद्धं भविष्यति तयोर्महत्॥
तस्यामारभ्य सप्तम्यां नवमी यावदेव हि। मृण्मय्यां प्रतिमायां तु पूज्याहं विधिवत्पुरा॥
स्तोत्रैः वेदपुराणोक्तैः स्तोतव्या भक्तिभावतः । सप्तम्यां पत्त्रिकायां तु वेशनं मूलयोगतः॥
कर्तव्यं विधिवद्देवास्ततो रामधनुस्सरम्। अष्टम्यां पूजिताहं तु प्रतिमायां सुशोभने।
अष्टमीनवमीसन्धौ वत्स्यामि शिरसो रणे।रावणस्य सुदुष्टस्य भूयो भूयो दुरात्मनः॥
[10] Patrikā-praveŚa is a ritual of invoking Devī in nine plants. The plants are enumerated in the Nirṇaya-Sindhu as:
रम्भा कवी हरिद्रा च जयन्ती बिल्वदाडिमौ। अशोको मानवृक्षश्च धान्यादि नवपत्रिका॥
[11] व्रतं कुरुष्व श्रद्धावानाश्विने मासि साम्प्रतम् ।नवरात्रोपवासञ्च भगवत्याः प्रपूजनम् ।
सर्वसिद्धिकरं राम जपहोमविधानतः ॥ (Devī-Bhāgavata. III.30.19)
[12] विष्णुना चरितं पूर्वं महादेवेन ब्रह्मणा ।तथा मघवता चीर्णं स्वर्गमध्यस्थितेन वै ॥
सुखिना राम कर्तव्यं नवरात्रव्रतं शुभम् ।विशेषेण च कर्तव्यं पुंसा कष्टगतेन वै ॥
विश्वामित्रेण काकुत्स्थ कृतमेतन्न संशयः ।भृगुणाऽथ वसिष्ठेन कश्यपेन तथैव च ॥
गुरुणा हृतदारेण कृतमेतन्महाव्रतम् ।तस्मात्त्वं कुरु राजेन्द्र रावणस्य वधाय च ॥
इन्द्रेण वृत्रनाशाय कृतं व्रतमनुत्तमम् ।त्रिपुरस्य विनाशाय शिवेनापि पुरा कृतम् ॥
हरिणा मधुनाशाय कृतं मेरौ महामते ।विधिवत्कुरु काकुत्स्थ व्रतमेतदतन्द्रितः ॥ (Devī-Bhāgavata. III.30. 21-26)
[13] द्वावेव सुमहाघोरावृतू रोगकरौ नृणाम् । वसन्तशरदावेव सर्वनाशकरावुभौ ॥
तस्मात्तत्र प्रकर्तव्यं चण्डिकापूजनं बुधैः । चैत्राश्विने शुभे मासे भक्तिपूर्वं नराधिप ॥ (Devī-Bhāgavata- III.26.6-7)
[14] शंखचक्रगदापद्मधरा सिंहे स्थिता शिवा ।अष्टादशभुजा वाऽपि प्रतिष्ठाप्या सनातनी ॥
अर्चाभावे तथा यन्त्रं नवार्णमन्त्रसंयुतम् ।स्थापयेत्पीठपूजार्थं कलशं तत्र पार्श्वतः ॥ (Devī-Bhāgavata- III.26.20-21)
[15] एकैकां पूजयेन्नित्यमेकवृद्ध्या तथा पुनः ।द्विगुणं त्रिगुणं वाऽपि प्रत्येकं नवकं च वा ॥ (Devī-Bhāgavata- III.26.38)
[16] सप्तम्यां च तथाऽष्टम्यां नवम्यां भक्तिभावतः । त्रिरात्रकरणात्सर्वं फलं भवति पूजनात् ॥
पूजाभिश्चैव होमैश्च कुमारिपूजनैस्तथा । सम्पूर्णं तद्व्रतं प्रोक्तं विप्राणां चैव भोजनैः ॥ (Devī-Bhāgavata- III.27.13-14)
[17] दुर्गातन्त्रेण मन्त्रण कुर्याद्दुर्गामहोत्सवम्।महानवम्यां शरदि बलिदानं नृपादयः॥
आश्विनस्य तु शुक्लस्य भवेद्या ह्यष्टमीतिथिः। महाष्टमीति सा प्रोक्ता देव्याः प्रीतिकरी परा॥
कन्यासंस्थे रवौ वत्स शुक्लारभ्य नन्दिकाम्।अयाचिताशी नक्ताशी एकाशी त्वथ चापदः॥
प्रातःस्नायी जितद्वन्द्वस्त्रिकालं शिवपूजकः।जपहोमसमायुक्तो भोजयेच्च कुमारिकाः॥
बोधयेद्बिल्वशाखासु षष्ट्यां देवीफलेषु च।सप्तम्यां बिल्वशाखां तामाहृत्य प्रतिपूजयेत्॥
पुनःपूजां तथाष्टम्यां विशेषेण समाचरेत्।जागरं च स्वयं कुर्याद्बलिदानं महानिशि॥
प्रभूतबलिदानं तु नवम्यां विधिवच्चरेत्।ध्यायेद्दशभुजां देवीं दुर्गातन्त्रेण पूजयेत्॥
विसर्जनं दशम्यां तु कुर्याद्वै साधकोत्तमः।कृत्वा विसर्जनं तस्यां तिथौ नक्तं समाचरेत्॥ (Kālikā-Purāṇa. 60.6-11)
[18] चतुर्दश्यां महामायां बोधयित्वा विधानतः।गीतविदित्रनिर्घोषैर्नानानैवेद्यवेदनैः॥
अयाचितं बुधः कुरादुपवासं परेऽहनि। एवमेव व्रतं कुर्याद्यावद्वै नवमी भवेत्॥
ज्येष्ठायां च समभ्यर्च्य मूलेन प्रतिपूजयेत्। उत्तरेणार्चनं कृत्वा श्रवणान्ते विसर्जयेत्॥ (Kālikā-Purāṇa. 60.12-16)
[19] यदा त्वष्टादशभुजां महामायां प्रपूजयेत्।दुर्गातन्त्रण मन्त्रेण तत्रापि श्रुणु भैरव॥
कन्यायां कृष्णपक्षस्य पूजयित्वार्द्रभे दिवा।नवम्यां बोधयेद्देवीं गीतवादित्रनिःस्वनैः॥
शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्थ्यां तु देवीकेशविमोचनम्।प्रातरेव तु पञ्चम्यां स्नापयेत्तु शुभैः जलैः॥
सप्तम्यां पत्त्रिकापूजा ह्यष्टम्यां चप्युपोषणम्।पूजाजागरणं चैव नवम्यां विधिवद्बलिः॥
सम्प्रेषणं दशम्यां तु क्रीडाकौतुकमङ्गलैः।नीराजनं दशम्यां तु बलवृद्धिकरं महत्॥ (Kālikā-Purāṇa. 60.17-21)
[20] कन्यासंस्थे रवौ पूजा या शुक्ला तिथिरष्टमी।तस्यां रात्रौ पूजितव्या महाविभवविस्तरैः॥
नवम्यां बलिदानं तु कर्तव्यं वै यथाविधिः। जपं होमं च विधिवत्कुर्यात्तत्र विभूतये॥ (Kālikā-Purāṇa. 60.22-24)
[21] उग्रचण्डा च या मुर्तिरष्टादशभुजाऽभवत्। सा नवम्यां पुरा कृष्णपक्षे कन्यां गते रवौ॥
प्रदुर्भूता महामाया योगिनीकोटिभिः सह॥ (Kālikā-Purāṇa. 61.2)
[22] यथा तथैव पूतात्मा व्रती देवीं प्रपूजयेत्। पूजयित्वा महाष्टम्यां नवम्यां बलिभिस्तथा॥
विसर्जयेद्दशम्यां तु श्रवणे शार्वरोत्सवैः। अन्त्यपादो दिवाभागे श्रवणस्य यथा भवेत्॥ (Kālikā-Purāṇa. 61.17-18)
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