2022 Shraddha and Navaratra

The Yogi Gupta Society is pleased to announce that Shraddha and Navaratra will be performed this year in India on the bank of the Ganges River by Brahman priests under the auspices of the Yogi Gupta Society.1

Yogi Gupta performing the 1998 Shraddha Ceremony on the bank of the Ganges River in Laxmanjhula.

Shraddha

Shraddha – offering food, water, mantras and blessings to the departed relatives and ancestors – is an essential and necessary duty in life. Through Shraddha, a new body is provided for the ancestor’s spirit, who is thus aided in its progress from lower worlds to higher. The departed ones receive the benefit of Shraddha even though they have been born again.

Everyone has this obligation toward deceased relatives and the Manes (souls of the departed ancestors). Deceased spirits expect from their living relatives’ performance of Shraddha rites. The Manes get pleasure and satisfaction from it and, in return, they favorably influence the family fortune and happiness of the performer. Through Shraddha the performer gets peace, happiness, success, and affluence, and achieves fulfillment of his worldly obligations and responsibilities.

Shraddha this year will be performed from September 10th to September 25th on the bank of the Ganges River with Tarpan (libations), Pind Daan (offering of rice balls), clothes distribution, Bhandara (sattvic meal) and Brahman Dakshina (gifts to persons of spiritual merit).2 The gifts and feasts made on behalf of the departed souls of your ancestors are received by the said souls as the fruits of their own acts, and the sense which they thus acquire fills them with better hopes and desires for their future state, and “hence rises the hope of redemption by means of the redeeming Son of Man.”3

Navaratra

This worship of Divine Mother Durga Ma, who rides a lion and wields weapons to destroy the evils of mundane existence is conducted in India by the Brahman priests in the manner prescribed by Yogi Gupta in years past. The Autumn Navaratra has a high significance and brings great blessings occurring as it does at the end of the rainy season that has washed away all the dirt of the earth and has brought the bright, clear and charming autumn.

The Brahman priests during nine days of Navaratra live a life of austerity, i.e., sleeping on the floor, eating only sattvic food, and praying and chanting the mantra of the scripture, Durga Sapta Sattee. The priests perform yagna (sacrifice or worship) on the ninth day and beg for the Grace of Mother Durga on your behalf for the fulfillment of your specific desire that you have requested. Navaratra Path will be performed this year from September 26th to October 4th, with Paths (readings of scripture), Havan (fire offering) and Kanya Poojan (worship of the female Divinity during Navaratra), Bhandara and distribution of Dakshina.4 On such an occasion, the following benefits may be obtained by the worship of the Goddess Durga on the dates above.

No. Benefit
1. Victory over enemies.
2. Deliverance from poverty, adversity, fear and pains.
3. Prevent calamity and grief in your life.
4. Protection from all the afflictions and evil influences.
5. Protection from troubles caused by supernatural spirits.
6. Protection and freedom from physical, mental and emotional problems.
7. Protection from fire, weapons and burglaries.
8. Freedom from bad dreams and negative influences of bad stars.
9. Protection from fire accidents.
10. Deliverance from all kinds of sufferings
11. Bestowing upon one fame, glory, riches, wealth, prosperity, satisfaction of heart-felt desires (whether temporal or spiritual) and wisdom.
12. Attainment of long life.
13. Attainment of the desired goal.
14. Avoidance of accidents and unexpected death.
15. Prevention of physical, material and spiritual agonies.
16. Achievement of happy marriage and satisfying family life.
17. No separation from one’s dear ones, whom you love.
18. Achievement of self-respect and respect in society.
19. Achievement of good luck and victory over all obstacles.
20. Welfare, success and joy to the family.
21. Attainment of spiritual knowledge here and salvation hereafter.

May Durga Ma grant you the blessing you seek.

Making Your Request for Shraddha or Navaratra Path

To make your request, the donation for each Shraddha beneficiary in the request is $145.00 and the donation for each Navaratra Path benefit is $155.00. There is a $25.00 mailing and handling fee for the entire request together. The deadline for receiving requests is August 10, 2022. There is a late charge of $75.00 for any requests received after August 10, 2022.

Patrons should include instructions for their requests, which we will forward to the Brahman Priests in India along with the payment. For Shraddha requests, instructions should include for each beneficiary the name of the departed soul, your relationship, and, if known, the date of birth and date of death.

For Navaratra Path requests, instructions should include the name of each beneficiary, and number of the specific intended benefit from the above list of benefits that you desire to obtain from Divine Mother Durga Ma. More than one benefit can be requested for a beneficiary, however the donation for each benefit is $155.00.

Payments for Shraddha or Navaratra Path can be made via Paypal to payments@yogiguptasociety.org, please add 3% Paypal fee to the total if paying via Paypal. We will also accept cashier’s check, USPS money orders or personal checks made out to “Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.” and mailed to the address below. Early payment is advised if paying by check to allow sufficient time for the check to clear.

Requests can be sent by email to: info@yogiguptasociety.org, or by mail to:

Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.
629 W. 170th St., Apt. 2B
New York, NY 10032

  1. Except for dates, addresses or as otherwise noted, this article is paraphrased from the 2001 version of the annual Shradha and Navaratra bulletin sent by the Yogi Gupta New York Center to Yogi Gupta’s disciples and patrons.
  2. These details of the Shraddha ceremony are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Bhramin priests to YGS.
  3. Mitra, Vihari-Lala, translator (1891). The Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha of Vālmīki : Sanskrit text and English translation, Volume 3, Chapter LVI, Verse 3.56.38 and commentary by the translator.
  4. These details of the Navaratra ceremony are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Bhramin priests to YGS.
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