How To Worship Mā Durgā

Earlier this week, we celebrated the Spring Goddess Festival, Chaitra Navarātri or the 9 nights of the Mā Durgā! Naturally, we had a conversation about the very profound and very elaborate Durgā Pūjā which is performed on the last five days of the festival. We discussed how the Durgā Pūjā is the modern equivalent of the Vedic sacrifice par excellence, the Aśvamedha Yajña (horse sacrifice) and how performing Durgā pūjā can create the same amount of spiritual and secular merit! We discussed the communal aspects of Durgā Pūjā, mainly to explain why it is only open to householders. After our inquiry into why householders tend to be favored in the Vedic and Tantrik ritual traditions, we then offer a Durgā Pūjā substitute as per the teaching in the Kulārnava Tantra chapter on mantra-japa. We close with offering a simple durgā pūjā, a five-item offering that anyone can do to connect to the energy that is Durgā, who is none other than Kālī, who is your very own essence nature!

To worship, Durgā, first chant this mantra while visualizing her form in your heart: 

oṁ hrīṁ kālābhrābhāṁ kaṭākṣair arikulabhayadāṁ maulibaddhendurekhām 
śaṅkhaṁ cakraṁ kṛpāṇaṁ triśikham api karair udvahantīṁ trinetrām। siṁhaskandhādhirūḍhāṁ tribhuvanam akhilaṁ tejasā pūrayantīṁ 
dhyāyed durgāṁ jayākhyāṁ tridaśaparivṛtāṁ sevitāṁ siddhikāmaiḥ॥

"one should meditation on Durgā who is called the Victorious One who is radiant like a dark storm cloud, who casts a sidelong glance at the group of foes, thus terrifying them, with a crescent moon tucked into her crown while holding a conch, discus, sword and trident in her hands, three eyed, riding on the shoulders on a lion, filling the three worlds with her radiance, surrounded by the 30 (33) gods* and who is worshipped by those desiring perfection and pleasure!"

Then, imagine she is present in the candle/lamp/picture or statue and offer the following items with the following mantras:

Offer flower with perfume or fragrant oil:
oṁ hrīṁ durge durge rakṣiṇi svāhā eṣa gandhaḥ jayadurgāyai namaḥ

Offer flower with sandalwood paste or just any fragrant flower:
oṁ hrīṁ durge durge rakṣiṇi svāhā idaṁ sacandanapuṣpaṁ jayadurgāyai namaḥ

Offer a vilva leaf (or alternatively, any other three-petalled leaf) w/ sandalwood paste:
oṁ hrīṁ durge durge rakṣiṇi svāhā idaṁ sacandanavilvapatraṁ / vilvapatrārthatripatraṁ jayadurgāyai namaḥ 

Offer incense:
oṁ hrīṁ durge durge rakṣiṇi svāhā eṣa dhūpaḥ jayadurgāyai namaḥ 

Offer a light / candle:
oṁ hrīṁ durge durge rakṣiṇi svāhā eṣa dīpaḥ jayadurgāyai namaḥ

PS: while you wave the incense and light clockwise around your deity (thrice around the feet, thrice around the heart, four times around the face and thrice around the whole statue/picture), you can chant the Durgā Gayatrī Mantra or the following:

oṁ jayantī maṅgalā kālī bhadrakālī kapālinī
durgā śivā kṣamā dhātrī svāhā svadhā namo’stute

Then, 

Offer some sweets or fruits:
oṁ hrīṁ durge durge rakṣiṇi svāhā idaṁ naivedyaṁ jayadurgāyai namaḥ

Offer wine and/or water:
oṁ hrīṁ durge durge rakṣiṇi svāhā idaṁ karanodakaṁ jayadurgāyai namaḥ (for wine)
oṁ hrīṁ durge durge rakṣiṇi svāhā idaṁ pāniyōdakaṁ jayadurgāyai namaḥ (for water)

(you can consume the fruits, sweets, water and wine afterwards if you like or distribute them to friends/family)

I ran out of words! See the rest of the ritual here.