Today, April 3, is the second day of Chaitra Navratri. Each of the nine days is imbued with significance and today, the day is set aside for Maa Brahmacharini, one of the nine forms of the Mother Goddess.
In this incarnate of Brahma, the deity is worshipped as “the giver of eternal results.” She is the dispenser of happiness and peace in the life of all devotees. Maa Brahmacharini appears as a glorious and radiant deity, dressed in white with a rudraksh mala in her right hand. She is also revered as Tapashcharini, Aparna and Uma in this avatar. Worship of the goddess on this day leads to fulfilment of all desires, and increases the effectiveness of chanting and penance. On this day, white and fragrant flowers or lotus is offered while the aarti is prepared by mixing ghee and camphor.
Yes, lest we forget! Maa Brahmacharini loves sugar and the offering of sugar increases life expectancy of the family. On this day, a few people also donate sugar to any Brahmin and chant this mantra 108 times:
Om hrim klim brahmacharinya namah
Of the nine planets, Mars is ruled by Maa Brahmacharini. Astrologers advise to worship the deity in this avatar, today in particular, to rid the curse of problems associated with Mars.
On the first day of Chaitra Navratri, the goddess should be offered sandalwood and triphala to wash her hair. On the second day, the goddess must be adorned with a silk cloth to set her hair. In case you missed the rituals of the first day, both offerings can be done on the second day. And just in case your marital prospects are dampened due to a manglik dosha in your horoscope, wear a full mangal yantra on the second day of Navratri. This will annul the fault in your stars. Added, if happiness, good fortune and marital compatibility is your finding, worship Lord Shiva and Mother Gauri today. This mantra mentioned must be chanted 21 times:
Om shun shankaraya bhavodbhavaya shum om namah
