Navratri Day 9: Siddhidatri and the Eight Powers You Already Use Every Day

By Richa Pathak, Astrologer & Vastu Expert, Jyotish Dham, Chandivali, Powai, Mumbai

Monday, 19 October 2026 · Shukla Navami, Ashwin · Maha Navami

On the last day of Navratri the Goddess does not ask for more effort. She gives away what effort earned. The ninth day belongs to Siddhidatri, the giver of accomplishment.

The one who gives siddhis

On Maha Navami, the ninth day, we worship Siddhidatri. The name combines siddhi (accomplishment, perfection, supernormal power) and datri (giver). She is seated on a lotus, sometimes on a lion, and holds a conch, a discus, a mace and a lotus in her four arms. She is the final form in the Navadurga sequence, and tradition says that she bestows all the siddhis.

A beautiful story is told about her. According to the Devi Purana, Lord Shiva himself obtained all the siddhis by worshipping Siddhidatri. In recognition, half of his body became the Goddess’s, and he took the form of Ardhanarishvara, half Shiva and half Shakti. This is why the ninth day is also a day that honours the unity of the masculine and feminine principles.

The eight classical siddhis

The Markandeya Purana lists eight siddhis (ashta siddhi). Here they are, with my own reading of what each one means in an ordinary modern life. This is an interpretation, offered for reflection and not as scripture.

Siddhi	Traditional meaning	A modern reading
Anima	The ability to become minute	Attention to the smallest detail
Mahima	The ability to become vast	The capacity to think big
Garima	The ability to become heavy	Gravitas: being taken seriously
Laghima	The ability to become light	Letting go; lightness of mind
Prapti	The ability to attain anything	Access, reach and resourcefulness
Prakamya	Irresistible will	Determination without self-doubt
Ishitva	Lordship, command	Genuine leadership
Vashitva	Control over the self and others	Mastery of one’s own senses and habits

Some Devi texts speak of eighteen siddhis, but these eight are the best known. Notice that none of them is mere magic. Each is a capacity that a skilled person already practises in some measure: the surgeon’s anima, the entrepreneur’s mahima, the elder’s garima, the meditator’s laghima.

A siddhi audit

Here is an exercise I offer my clients on Navami. Rate yourself honestly from one to five on each siddhi in your current life. Then circle the lowest two.

• If Anima is low, you are probably missing small details that cost you.
• If Mahima is low, you may be thinking too small about your own potential.
• If Garima is low, ask whether you speak with enough conviction.
• If Laghima is low, you are probably carrying too much.
• If Prapti is low, build your network and your resourcefulness.
• If Prakamya is low, look for where self-doubt is stopping you.
• If Ishitva is low, practise taking responsibility for others.
• If Vashitva is low, start with a single habit you want to master.

You now have your project for the coming year, and it came from the Goddess herself.

What the panchang says today

• Weekday. Monday belongs to the Moon, the planet of the mind.
• Tithi. Navami, the ninth tithi, is presided over by Durga (Ambika) and belongs to the Rikta group (4th, 9th and 14th), meaning empty. It is traditionally not recommended for starting something new, but it suits completion, release and gratitude.
• Planet. In Jyotish tradition, Siddhidatri is linked with Ketu.

Navratri 2026 has two Mondays, Day 2 and Day 9, and I find this a pleasing frame. On Day 2, Brahmacharini began her tapasya under the Moon. Today, on the Moon’s day again, Siddhidatri grants the fruit. The nine days begin and end under the mind’s own planet, and the journey between them is the transformation of that mind: from effort to accomplishment.

Ketu: the planet of mastery and release

Ketu is the planet of detachment, spirituality, deep skill and moksha, liberation. It is often called the planet of past-life merit, because it points to a field in which a person seems to have natural, almost unlearned ability. Where Rahu craves more, Ketu has had enough. This is why Ketu and Siddhidatri belong together. The final siddhi is not another acquisition. It is the ability to rest in what has been accomplished.

Ketu in 2026. Ketu is currently transiting Leo (Simha), the sign of the self, fame and ego, until around December 2026. This is an interesting placement. Ketu in Leo can show up as a quiet loosening of the hunger for recognition. Some people feel less interested in applause and more interested in genuine work. If you have felt this year that the old ambitions have lost their taste, you may be experiencing Ketu in Leo. It is not a loss. It may be a clearing.

In a Kundli I look at:

• The house Ketu occupies. It is where one is detached or has hidden skill.
• The 12th house (liberation, solitude, foreign lands) and the 8th house (research, transformation, the hidden).
• The Ketu dasha (7 years), often a period of inner turning.
• Ketu with other planets. For instance, Ketu with Jupiter can show spiritual depth, and with Mercury, analytical or research ability.

Navami, tools and the art of completion

In several parts of India, the ninth day of Navratri is when Ayudha Puja (the worship of tools) and Saraswati Puja (the worship of books) are performed. Craftspeople honour their instruments, students place their books before the Goddess, and offices decorate their equipment.

By the Rikta logic we saw earlier, this makes perfect sense. Navami is an empty tithi, not suited to starting. So instead of starting something, we honour what we already use. In a modern city this means a laptop, a phone, a car, a kitchen knife, a set of books or a sewing machine. Put them on a clean cloth, apply a small tilak, offer a flower and say thank you. Then, traditionally, do not use them for the day. Rest, with gratitude.

The havan and the Navagraha

Many families conclude Navratri with a havan, a fire ritual, on Navami. In traditional practice, woods associated with the nine planets are sometimes used in the offering. Since Navami closes the nine days, the havan is a way of offering the whole journey back to the fire.

Vastu for completion

• Fire direction. In Vastu, the South-East (Agneya) belongs to Agni, the fire. If you perform a havan, place the kund in the South-East of the puja space, and sit facing East.
• Ventilation in flats. Many Mumbai flats cannot hold a full havan. A ghee lamp and some camphor are a safe and perfectly valid substitute. Keep a window slightly open and keep curtains away from the flame.
• Tools and books. Place them on a clean cloth in the North-East or East of the puja space.
• Declutter the study area. A cleaned desk is a Navami offering in its own right.
• The kalash and barley. If you installed a kalash on Day 1, prepare to conclude. Pour the water at the base of a plant or tree, and handle the barley sprouts with respect. In some regions, a few sprouts are placed behind the ears or in the hair on Dashami as a blessing.
• Keep the North-East clear as you close the festival.

Vastu Tip: When you take down the Navratri altar, do it slowly and with thanks, not in a rush. Clean the space, leave the lamp for a few minutes more and keep the North-East of your home open and bright until Dussehra tomorrow.

How to worship Siddhidatri today

Siddhidatri is traditionally offered sesame seeds (til). She is worshipped for fulfilment, wisdom and completion.

1. Bathe, wear clean clothes and sit facing East or North.
2. Light a lamp and offer flowers.
3. Chant Om Devi Siddhidatryai Namah 108 times.
4. The traditional meditation verse is Siddhagandharvayakshadyairasurairamarairapi, sevyamana sada bhuyat siddhida siddhidayini.
5. Offer sesame seeds and share the prasad.
6. Perform Kanya Pujan today if that is your family’s custom.
7. Honour your tools and books, and rest for a while.
8. Write down three things you are grateful for from the nine days.

Questions I am asked on Day 9

Does Siddhidatri grant magical powers? Tradition speaks of supernormal siddhis. In everyday life I find it more useful to see them as the highest forms of skill and character. The best siddhi is mastery of oneself.

I did not manage to follow all nine days. Is my Navratri incomplete? No. The Goddess is not a score-keeper. What you did with sincerity is enough.

Should I start something new today? Navami is a Rikta tithi, so it is traditionally better for completion than for new beginnings. Begin new work tomorrow, on Vijayadashami, which is considered highly auspicious.

What do I do with the kalash and barley? Follow your family tradition. Many people immerse the water and sprouts at the base of a peepal or other tree, or in clean flowing water.

A closing thought

The nine days that began with a mountain end with a gift. On the first day, Shailputri asked us to find our ground. On the ninth day, Siddhidatri tells us that standing on firm ground, patiently and honestly, is how every siddhi was earned. Tomorrow is Vijayadashami, the day of victory. Tonight, simply say thank you.

If you would like to read Ketu, the Moon and your own set of strengths in your Kundli, or want to review how your home supports your goals for the coming year, you are welcome to consult me at Jyotish Dham.

Richa Pathak is a Mumbai-based astrologer and Vastu expert, founder of Jyotish Dham, Chandivali, Powai, with 25+ years of experience and 1,00,000+ clients worldwide. Consultations are available online and in person at astrologerrichapathak.com.