Among Hindus, during Durga Puja, Ratri Jagran (remain awakened in the night) or Shakti Jagran (Energy Awaking) is very prevalent. Durga is known as Shakti (Power or energy). She is the consort of Lord Shiva. Shiva is Shav (corpse) without Shakti. Shiva even does not move unless Shakti, in the form of Kali, comes and dances on his body. Shakti is Prakriti and Shiva is Purusha. With the combination of Shiva and Shakti or Prakriti and Purusha, the rhythm of the cosmos is maintained. There is neither without either.
We refer women as Prakriti and men as Purusha. This is a misconception. Prakriti and Purusha are not related to women or men. Purusha and Prakriti are in everyone irrespective of men or women. Without the combination of Purusha and Prakriti, the manifestation of human is not possible. We all are souls wrapped by the male or female body. The soul does not have any gender. Our souls get male and female body according to our past Karmas. A soul cannot do anything without a body, and the body has no meaning without a soul. For our physical manifestation, the combination of soul and body is required.
Shiva is referred as the soul, the Purusha, and Shakti is referred as the body and its vital energy, the Prakriti. That is why Shiva, the Purusha, is Shav (Corpse) without Shakti, the Prakriti. For performing anything, starting from tiny to monumental, we require energy (Shakti). Shiva is the cosmic soul and Shakti is cosmic energy.
We are the part of the same cosmic soul. And, the same cosmic energy is flowing within everyone. But in most of us, the cosmic energy remains dormant. It requires invocation in order take the monumental work. It needs to be awakened. It can be awakened by following-up some specific procedure, discipline, dedication, and faith. This is symbolized by Shakti Jagaran. It is not related to any outer decoration or not sleeping entire night or fasting. It is related to invoking and awaking your internal potency for the specific task you want to accomplish in your life by killing the negative forces. The way, goddesses Durga (energy) was invoked to kill Mahisha-Sura (negative forces) to make positive energy flow everywhere.
Durga comes from the word Durg (fort). Durg means fort, which provides us safety from our external enemies. Durga means, who kills and safeguards us from negative forces (Mahisha-Sura). Durga Puja and Shakti Jagran are symbols and reminders of invoking and awaking our dormant internal positive energy by dispelling negative forces from our life. It must be practiced every day of the year, not only two times in a year during Durga Puja. Durga Puja occurs two times in a year for the reminder purpose only.
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