The Navaratri festival is observed by contemplating on God for ten days and cleansing one's self of all impurities, to experience the Divinity within. The penultimate day of the festival is dedicated to what is termed as Ayuda Puja (worship of weapons). The weapons to be worshipped are the divine powers within. When the Divine is worshipped in this way, one is bound to progress spiritually. On the contrary, the usual practice now is to treat the Divine and the devotee as separate from each other. This is wrong. The Divine is omnipresent and is in everyone and in every object. Realising this oneness, all actions should be done as an act of dedication to the Divine. Imagine the bliss that can be experienced in such a state of mind! It is essential to celebrate the festival in this sacred spirit. It is not enough to do this for only ten days during the Navaratri festival. It should become the rule all through one's life, till the time one draws one's life-breath.

- Divine Discourse, Oct 14, 1994.