Srī Durgā Saptaśatī śāstra, popularly known as Dēvī Māhātmyam, describes Parāmbā with the following epithets:
kālarātrirmahārātrirmōharātriśca dāruṇā || (1, 78)
– Kālarātri indicates the end of a cycle of creation where the measure called Kāla or Time ceases to exist.
– Mahārātri indicates the night of īśvara which is also indicative of the state where Brahmā the creator, ceases to exist.
– Mōharātri is where sleep takes over and the buddhi is masked, which is indicative of the normal night experienced by all humans.
– Dāruṇarātri refers to the state of masking of the Self due to ignorance which is compared to a night that seems unending and is characterized by limitless darkness.
These epithets, in addition to the metaphysical aspects, also hint at auspicious periods of time during which worship of Paramēśvarī yields ananta-phala.
Though the set of nine nights in āśvayuja māsa are popularly known as Navarātra, each of the above is also called Navarātra by the Tantras.
– Nine nights starting from Māgha kr̥śṇa ṣaṣṭhī till kr̥ṣṇa caturdaśī, are termed as the Navarātra known as Kālarātri.
– The vyāpti of the Navarātri named Mahārātri is from Chaitra śukla pratipat to navamī tithi.
– Mōharātri stretches from āṣāḍha śukla ṣaṣṭī to paurṇamī.
– The Navarātri named Dāruṇarātri starts from Bhādrapada kr̥ṣṇa aṣṭamī.
– Rātri refers to the śarannavarātri which extends from āśvina pratipat to navamī tithi.
Thus, the Navarātras are five in number. Of these, it is Mahārātri which is called Vārṣikī or Lalitā navarātri. This, along with śarannavarātri, is of greater importance among the five Navarātris. The word vārśikī is explained as: varṣādau bhavā vārṣikī or the beginning of the year which clearly means Chaitra pratipat. Saptaśatī, according to some commentators, stresses on the importance of observance of this Navarātri, which is also called Vasanta Navarātri, along with śarannavarātri:
śaratkālē mahāpūjā kriyatē yā ca vārṣikī ||
The Dēvatās worshipped by upāsakas of Caṇḍikā during these five Navarātras are:
– Kālarātri, Raktadantikā, Bhrāmarī, śākambharī, and Durgā.
– Some others worship Chāmuṇḍā, Vanadurgā, śūlinī durgā, śabaradurgā and Kālarātryambā (not necessarily in this order) during the five Navarātras.
– Some śrīvidyōpāsakas worship Lalitā, Mātaṅgī, Vārāhī, Parā and Durgā during these Navarātras, which is a later adoption of these originally Daurgakula festivals.
– Those belonging to Divyaugha śrīkula Krama with entry from the Paścimāmnāya worship Lalitā, Chaṇḍikā, Kubjikā, Kāmakalākālī and Bhuvanēśānī during the five Navarātras.
– Some lineages, especially from Rajasthan, Gujrat, and Uttar Pradesh worship the Pañcapancikās (one group per Navarātri) with elaborate maṇḍalas and Suvāsinī pūjā where the Gurupatnī generally assumes the role of śrīvidyā Lakṣmyambā.
The ūrdhvāmnāya Tantra discusses these rātris briefly while dealing with catuḥṣṣaṣṭhi Yōginī Bhairava balidāna.
parāmr̥tapravāhē matparakr̥tyavimardini |
varadē śūlinī durgē mahābhairavi pāhi mām ||