Karthik Poornima

: A scene of the Hari-ki-Pauri in Haridwar on the occasion of Karthik Poornima

Kartik Poornima , as the names implies , is celebrated on the full moon day of  Kartika month. It lies on the fifteenth lunar day of the  Kartika (November-December). It is known by multiple names, few of them are Tripuri poornima, Tripurari Poornima, Deva-Diwali, or the Deva-Deepawal. This day is marked by special Puja and Yajnas to Lord Vishnu and Harihara. It is believed that performing puja to Lord Vishnu brings a devotee closer to salvation, on this day. It is observed greatly by the Hindus and Jains.

This day is marked at several places by various festivals and rituals.  In the northern India, Punjab celebrates this day as Guru Purab(Guru Nanak Jayanti). In the state of Rajasthan , Pushkar mela(Asia’s largest camel fair)  in Pushkar ends on this day. In the state of Bihar, begins the Asia’s largest cattle fair, Sonepur Mela .  In  Odisha, this month has a special significance. People observe the special rituals very religiously. They avoid taking the non-vegetarian food for the entire month. Widows again perform a strict routine in their food. They take only arwa rice alongwith  moong daal, believed to be pure and doesn’t distract a person in devoting self towards a spiritual goal(Saadhna). Bali Yatra, a procession taken out on this day commemorates Orissa's ancient maritime. In Varanasi, the ghats come alive with thousands of earthen lamps(diyas). People gift lamps to priests. The lamps are kept throughout the night in houses and Shiva temples. This day is also known as "Kartik Diparatna" - the jewel of lamps in Kartik. Lights are also floated in miniature boats in rivers. Lights are placed under Tulsi, sacred fig and  amla tress. It is believed that it help fishes, insects and birds who saw the light to attain salvation(free from the cycle of life and death).

Mythological Aspect :

In Ancient times, Tripurari (an epithet of Shiva ) killed the demon Tripurasura. He was a mighty , mystical and a very magical demon, who had  conquered the entire universe , defeated Indra(King of Gods) and had taken the heaven. He also created three cities in space, together called "Tripura". This was the day when Shiva(the destroyer of evil) had killed the demon. It led to the end of the magical aroma that was build by the demon in the universe. His killing led to the enormous lightening all over. Gods were overjoyed and marked the day as their Diwali, better known as the Dev-Dipawali.



:Dev-Deepawaali , a beautifull view of the Varanasi Ghats.

Kartik poornima is  marked as  the day when god Vishnu incarnated as the Matsya(fish avatar). It is also the birthday of Vrinda, the personification of the goddess Tulsi(sister in law of god Vishnu). Kartikey, son of God Shiva and the god of war was also born on this auspicious day. This day also is considered dear to Radha Rani, the lover of Krishna - Vishnu's incarnation. It is believed that Krishna and Radha danced the famous rasa on this day into the forests of tulsi, Vrindawan. This day is also dedicated to the Pitrs, our forefathers.

The festival has more significance when the day falls in the lunar mansion Krittika and is then called Maha Kartik. On this day, it is believed that god Vishnu again goes off to sleep, into the deep sea (Chheer Sagar) on to the pyre of Shes-Naag, with goddess Laxmi sitting by the side.



: Lord Vishnu, Goddess Laxmi and Shes-Naag .

In India, there is a common tradition of taking bath at a holy river on this particular day. That is why on the day of Kartik Purnima, we find a huge crowd on the banks of holy rivers, especially Ganga as well as Yamuna. However, there are many other pious rivers like Saraswati, Narmada, Godavari, Kurukshetra, Ayodhya, Kashi and many more. Glory of taking bath on the day of Kartik Purnima has also been described by the holy Vedas as well as Puranas. If a river is not possible, then taking bath at any other water body is considered auspicious, especially while remembering the name Lord Vishnu. It is believed that people who do such deeds get blessings from the Almighty.

Another belief states that taking bath in a sacred river by following proper religious procedures helps the devotee attain salvation at the end. Other than spiritual beliefs, month of Kartik has some scientific boons too. Month of Kartik falls at the time of seasonal change. And, if a person takes shower early in the morning during this month, this helps him to adjust with the upcoming season easily and fills his body with immense energy throughout the whole day. This helps in adjusting our body’s immunity to adjust with change in season.

First thing that is quite famous for this day is that donating anything on Kartik Purnima is equivalent to 100 Ashvamedha Yagyas. As per the beliefs of Hindus, charity or donation on this day leads the individual toward the way of salvation.

Jains :

Kartik Poornima is an important religious day for Jains who celebrate it by visiting Palitana one of the most famous Jain pilgrimage centre. Thousands of Jain pilgrims flock to the foothills of Shatrunjay hills of Palitana taluka on the day of Kartik Poornima to undertake the auspicious yatra (journey). Also known as the Shri Shantrunjay Teerth Yatra, this walk is an important religious event in the life of a Jain devotee, who cover 216 km of rough mountainous terrain by foot to worship the Lord Adinath temple atop the hill.

Considered as a very auspicious day for Jains, the day also assumes significance for the walk as the hills, which are closed for public during the four months of monsoon, are thrown open for the devotees on Kartik Poornima. The day of Kartik Poornima holds significance in Jain religion and devotees are kept away from worshipping their lord for four months of monsoon and hence the first day attracts the maximum number of devotees.

May this day bring enormous joy to all of us and lead us to the path of attaining salvation..!!

Guru Purab

“There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none,

 He is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death,

He is self illuminated, He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru,

He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced and

 Has ever been True, He is also True now.”

- Guru Nanak

Guru Purab also well known as Guru Nanak Jayanti is the celebration of the birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak. It is one of the most important festivals in the Sikh calendar.

Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh Guru was born on this day of Karthik Purnima in 1469AD at Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi in the present district of Shekhupura (Pakistan), now Nanakana Sahib.

The celebration for the day begins with 'Prabhat pheri' - a procession that is carried out early in the morning. Gurdwaras in their local area takes this procession in their community and they fill the air with holy hymns and verses known as the Asa-di-Var. Akhand Paath, the nonstop reading of the holy Guru Granth Sahib starts two days before Guru Purab. There is a special procession on this day carried out by the respective gurudwara authorities holding Nishan Sahib(the Sikh flag),a special Palki where Guru Granth Sahib owns the beautifully decorated place of pride, accompanied by musicians and the Panj Pyaras (five armed men). The procession includes the Gatka  team, group of Sikh martial artists who display their sword skills and various forms of martial arts. They become the major attraction of the event. The procession concludes with the langar (community meals) well cooked and served by Sikh men and women.

In the evening, the Gurdwaras are beautifully decorated and illuminated with lights and are thronged by people to wish each other. People also illuminate their homes with candles and earthen lamps. The celebrations are especially colorful in Punjab and Haryana.

Guru Nanak Gurpurab is a festival giving the message of love, peace and social service to mankind.

Chhath Pooja

Surya Shashti popularly known as Chhath, which is also called as “Daala Chhath” is a popular Hindu festival of worshipping Sun God. Sun is considered to be the only visible god. He is considered to be the caretaker of the entire universe. In Upanishads, Surya have been compared to the Trimurti - Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. In Shashtras, it has been mentioned that that if a devotee performs the daily rituals to Sun God, the miseries of life vanishes and he/she attains good health, healthy mind and salvation.

Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival and the only Vedic Festival dedicated to the Hindu Sun God. The Chhath festival is performed as thanksgiving to Surya for sustaining life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes.

There are numerous mythologies related to this festival.

1) The ritual of Chhath puja may even predate the ancient Vedas texts, as the Rig Veda contains hymns worshiping the Sun god and describes similar rituals. The rituals also find reference in the Sanskrit epic poem Mahabharata in which Draupadi is depicted as observing similar rites.

2) It is also believed that Chhath was started by Karna, the son of Surya (Surya Putra Karna). Karna ruled over the Anga Desh (present day Bhagalpur district of Bihar) during the Mahabharat Age.

3) It is also said that the Goddess that is worshipped during the famous Chhath Puja is known as Chhathi Maiya. Chhathi Maiya is known as Usha in the Vedas, beleived to be consort of Surya while some suggest that she is Surya’s wife. This legend also beleives that the son of Lord Shiva, Kartikeya was raised by Chhathi maiyya.

The word Chhath denotes the number 6 in Hindi and the festival begins on the sixth day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik. Chatth celebrations carry on for four days as follows:

Day 1: Chhooti Chhath also known as Nahai Khai (Bath & Eat): The Vrati (devotees) take a bath preferably in sacred river Ganga and the devotees bring the holy water back home and cook the Puja Prasadam at their kitchen with the grains that are all pure, washed and cut from fields

Day2: Kharna: A whole day fast (without water) is observed by the vratis. The vratis end their fast in the evening after performing puja. Offerings (Prasad) comprisING of Rasiao-kheer (rice delicacy), puris (deep fried puffs of wheat flour) or chapatti and bananas are distributed among family, friends and visitors

Day3: Sandhya Arghya (Evening offering): Devotees observe fast without consuming water. The whole day is spent in preparing puja offerings. All the offerings are kept in tray made up of bamboo. Offerings comprises of Thekua, coconut, banana and other seasonal fruits.

Day4: Bihaniya Arghya (Morning offerings): This is the last and final event of the auspicious puja, the devotees again with their family, friends and relatives assemble on the bank of river or pond to offer arghyas (offerings) to the rising Sun. The devotees take special tea to break the fast, which contains ghee, so that it smoothens the dry throat and no harm is done while speaking and taking the food.

The Science and Yogic Philosophy behing Chhath
According to yogic philosophy, the physical bodies of all the living organisms are highly sophisticated energy conducting channels. The solar bio-electricity starts flowing in the human body when it is exposed to solar radiations of specific wavelengths. Under particular physical and mental conditions, the absorption and conduction of this solar-bio-electricity increases. The processes and the rituals of the Chhath puja aim at preparing the body and the mind of the Vratti (devotee) for the process of cosmic solar energy infusion.

In the fast lifestyle of the present times, it may not be possible to follow the Chhath process very often. The detoxification can be undertaken through pranayam, yoga, meditation and Conscious Photoenergization Process known as Chhath Dhyan Sadhana (CDS).

This holy and unique festival celebrated in India denotes and signifies the quest of joy of mankind towards the Mother Nature. Here, the children of Mother Nature show their love and gratefulness and offer whatever little they have as Prasad to the visitors. It is a great festival which unites several sects of society. It is a festival where people 'love to take and and love to give'. The hymns of this puja purify the environment and energises mankind to face the upcoming winters.

Wishing all of you a very happy and fulfilling Chhath Pooja. Jai Ho Chhathi Maiyya Ki :)

Bhai Dooj or Yama Dwitiya

On the last day of the five day long Diwali festival, the special bond between brother and sister is celebrated as Bhai Dooj or Yama Dwitiya.

As this festival falls on the  second day of Shukla Paksha of the Hindu month Kartika and on this day sisters pray for the long life of their brothers (bhai or bhaiyya) [and the brothers give gifts to their sisters :P] it is called Bhai Dooj.

There are two legends associated with this festival.

1) In continuation with the legend of Narakasur, it is believed that after killing Narakasur, Lord Krishna went to meet his sister Subhadra. Subhadra welcomed him and showered him with love. Some say this is the origin of Bhai Dooj.

2) In another version, on this day Yamaraj, the God of death, went to visit his sister's house after a long period of separation. His sister, Yami was very happy to see him and welcomed him warmly. He was so pleased with his sister's reception, he proclaimed that every year, on the dooj day, if a sister puts a tilak on her brother's forehead, then no one can harm her brother. Therefore this festival is also called by the name Yama Dwitiya.

Cheers to the bond of love between all the brothers and sisters in the world  :-)

 

The curious case of Onam and Diwali

According to Hindu mythology, Bali was the son of Devamba and Virochana and the grandson of Prahlada.
Under his grandfather’s tutelage, Bali was instilled with a strong sense of righteousness and devotion. Bali succeeded his grandfather as the king of the Asuras and conquered not only the entire world but also brought Patala and Heaven under his control.

The Devatas, as usual, approached Vishnu and requested him to restore their rule over Heaven.

On the advice of his guru and advisor, Sukracharya, Bali began the Ashwamedha Yagya so as to maintain his rule over the three worlds. Vishnu, meanwhile, adopted the avatar of Vamana, a small Brahmin boy. Vamana went to the place where the yagya was taking place and asked Bali to give him bhiksha. The benevolent Bali despite being stopped many times by Shukracharya agreed to grant Vamana his wish. Vamana requested Bali to grant him as much land as he could cover with three steps.

As soon as Bali granted him the wish Vamana grew to an immense size, and with his first pace traversed the all of the earth and the underworld (Patala). With his second pace he covered Heaven in its entirety. Admitting defeat, and seeing that Vamana has no more room for his last step, Bali offered his own head as a stepping-stone. As a result Bali was crushed deep into the Patala.

Lord Vishnu was so pleased by the generosity of Bali that he granted him a boon that he would be the next Indra after Purandara's reign was over.

The other boon given by him is the source of ‘curiosity’. Let’s look at both the curious cases.

1) It is believed that Vishnu granted Bali a boon that he could return to earth for one day in a year to be with his people and light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is this day that is celebrated as the Bali Padyami or Bali Pratipada, the annual return of Bali from Patala to earth on the fourth day of the Diwali festival

2) However, in Kerala the Onam festival (which is celebrated a good one-one and a half months before Diwali) also marks the homecoming of the demon-king Maveli (also known as Bali). The story goes that the beautiful state of Kerala was once ruled by an Asura king, Mahabali. The King was wise, judicious and extremely generous. It is said that Kerala witnessed its golden era in the reign of King Mahabali. Everybody was happy in the kingdom, there was no discrimination on the basis of caste or class. Rich and poor were equally treated. There was neither crime, nor corruption. People did not even lock their doors, as there were no thieves in that kingdom. There was no poverty, sorrow or disease in the reign of King Mahabali and everybody was happy and content. Mahabali was 'tested' by Lord Vishnu's Vamana avatar and he passed with 'flying colors' (this 'test' is the same as that mentioned in the above version). The King was so much attached with his Kingdom and people that he requested that he be allowed to visit Kerala once in a year. Lord Vishnu was moved by the Kings nobility and was pleased to grant the wish. This 'homecoming' is celebrated as Onam (which is the state festival of Kerala) by the people of Kerala during the month of Chingam.

Which of these two legends is the ‘true’ homecoming of Bali, cannot be told (another post with more references and research will be posted soon).
Let us take this opportunity to remember the King ‘who was able to grant a wish to the great Lord himself’.

Maveli nadu vaneedum kalam
manusharellarum onnupole
amodhathode vasikkum kalam
apathangarkkumottillathanum
kallavum illa chathiyumilla
ellolamilla polivachanam
kallapparayum cherunazhiyum

Meaning -
When Maveli ruled the land,
All the people were equal.
And people were joyful and merry;
They were all free from harm.
There was neither anxiety nor sickness,
Deaths of children were unheard of,
There were no lies,
There was neither theft nor deceit,
And no one was false in speech either.
Measures and weights were right;
No one cheated or wronged his neighbor.
When Maveli ruled the land,
All the people formed one casteless race.

A day featuring both 'current' Indra and 'future' Indra!

The fourth day of Diwali is celebrated as Govardhan Puja in Northern India.

This legend has its roots in Govardhan, a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura.
According to Vishnu Puran the people of Gokul used to celebrate a festival in honor of Lord Indra and worshiped him after the end of every monsoon season. Once Lord Krishna observed that his father Nanda Maharaj and cowherd men were preparing themselves for a sacrifice to 'pacify' Indra. The sacrifice was done in order to ‘please’ Indra so that there was no scarcity of water for the grains and fodder. However young Krishna had other ‘plans’ for this time. He explained to all the residents of the village that Indra had no role to play in the water cycle which brought about rain. Instead it was Govardhan Hill which was worth worshipping as all the cattle grazed on Govardhan Hill and the rains were due to Govardhan and not Indra.

Everyone was convinced and it was decided to call off the prayers to Lord Indra.

Indra was angered by this and sent a deluge to submerge Gokul. People were afraid that the downpour was a result of their neglect of Indra. But Krishna assured them that no harm would befall them. To protect the people from the torrential downpour Krishna lifted Mount Govardhan with his little finger and provided shelter from the rain to everyone. This incident gave the name 'Govardhandhari' to Shri Krishna.

This incident opened Indra’s eyes and he ‘surrendered’ to Lord Krishna.

Through this incident Lord Krishna taught people to worship nature and not idols for things such as rain and good harvest.  He wanted to convey to the people that if they took care of the nature, good care would be taken of them as well.

This festival is also called ‘Annakut’ (meaning a heap of grain) which refers to a ‘mountain of food’ symbolizing Govardhan mountain.

This day is also celebrated as Bali Pratipada in some parts of India (more about this festival in the next article). It is believed that King Bali would be the next 'Indra'.

Therefore the fourth day of Diwali is very special as it brings together both the 'current' and the 'future' Indra.

Lakshmi Pooja

The third day of the Diwali festival is the most important one. It marks the worship of Lakshmi during Lakshmi Pooja.

Despite the fact that this day falls on an Amavasya day it is regarded as the most auspicious.

On this day ‘Lakshmi Panchayatan’ enters the Universe. Its elements are as follows:
1) Vishnu - Happiness
2) Indra - Opulence
3) Kubera - Wealth
4) Gajendra - Carries the wealth
5) Lakshmi - Divine Energy (Shakti)

According to legend, on this day Lakshmi emerged from Kshira Sagar during Samudra manthan.

The story behind this is mentioned in the Vishnu Purana.
Once Rishi Durvasa was taking a stroll. Suddenly he saw a pretty woman with a beautiful garland. He asked for it and the lady gave it to him. As he walked further, he met Indra riding on his elephant Airavata. Durvasa gave the garland to Indra as a gift. Indra placed it on Airavata's head. The elephant wanted to experience the fragrance and curled his trunk to the head. In the process, the garland fell to the ground. Durvasa became furious and cursed Indra that Lakshmi would dessert Devaloka. As a result Devas were overpowered by the Asuras. The latter appealed to Vishnu for help. It was then that the plan for the churning of the ocean was hatched using Mount Mandara and the snake Vasuki.

Amongst all the other things and beings that came out of the Manthan , Laxmi was one.

There is another legend related to Lakshmi Pooja.
On this day the Vamana avatar of Vishnu came back to his abode, Vaikuntha. Therefore those who worship Lakshmi on this day receive the benefit of her benevolent mood, and are blessed with mental, physical and material well-being.

‘Ashta Lakshmi’ is a group of eight secondary manifestations of Lakshmi who preside over eight sources of wealth and thus represent the powers of Shri Lakshmi.

1) Adi Laxmi - The First manifestation of Lakshmi
2) Dhanya Laxmi - Granary wealth
3) Dhairya Laxmi - Wealth of courage
4) Gaja Laxmi - Elephants, symbols of wealth
5) Santana Laxmi - Wealth of continuity, progeny
6) Vijaya Laxmi - Wealth of victory
7) Vidya Laxmi - Wealth of knowledge and education
8) Dhana Laxmi - Monetary wealth

It is believed that Lakshmi (wealth) goes only to those houses which are clean and where the people are hardworking. She does not visit the places which are unclean/dirty or where the people are lazy.

So let us pledge this Diwali that we will get rid of our 'laziness' and welcome 'Lakshmi' into our homes and spirits. Happy Diwali :)

Who really killed Narakasura?

The second day of the festival of Diwali is Naraka Chaturdashi. It is celebrated because on this day the asura Naraka was killed.

But who actually killed Naraka has different versions attached to it. In this post we look at each of them.

1. Maha Kali
In this version it is believed that Narakasura was killed by Kali. Hence Naraka Chaturdashi is also called ‘Kali Chaudas’ in some parts of India.

This myth is mentioned in the Kalika Purana (10th century AD), which was composed in Assam. Motivated by his carnal desire, the Asura Naraka wanted to marry Devi Kamakhya. Naraka proposed to Kamakhya who playfully put a condition before him that she would marry him if he was able to build a staircase from the bottom of the Nilachal Hill to the temple within one night before the cock crows to indicate dawn.

Naraka took it as a challenge and tried all with his might to do this huge task. He was almost about to accomplish the job before it was dawn. When Kamakhya Devi got this news, panic-stricken she strangled a cock and made it crow untimely to give the impression of dawn to Naraka. Duped by the trick Naraka thought that it was a futile job and left it half way through. Later he chased the cock and killed it. Now the place is known as Kukurakata situated in the district of Darrang. The incomplete staircase is known as Mekhelauja Path.

2. Lord Krishna
According to this version Naraka was the son of the Earth Goddess Bhoodevi (Bhumi) and Lord Vishnu in his Varaha avatar. Therefore his another name is Bhaumasura. He established the kingdom of Pragjyotisha in Assam.

In association with another Asura named Banasura, Narakasura became very evil. Maddened with power, he brought all the kingdoms on earth under his control. His next target was Swargaloka. Even the mighty Indra could not withstand the assault of Narakasura and had to flee. Narakasura thus became the lord of both the heavens and the earth. Addicted to power, he stole the earrings of Aditi, the heavenly mother goddess and kidnapped 16,000 women.

Indra led all the Devtas to Vishnu and asked him to deliver them from Narakasura. Vishnu promised them that his incarnation of Krishna would solve their problem.

It was foretold that Narakasura would be destroyed by a later incarnation of Vishnu. Therefore his mother sought a boon from Vishnu asking that his son should have a long life and that he should be all powerful. Vishnu granted these boons. But when the evil activities of Narakasura became unbearabale, Vishnu took avatar as Krishna.

Aditi, who was a relative of Krishna's wife Satyabhama approached Satyabhama for help. When Satyabhama heard of the Narakasura's ill treatment of women and his behaviour with Aditi, she was enraged. Satyabhama approached Lord Krishna for permission to wage a war against Narakasura. As promised to the Devas and Aditi, Krishna attacked the great fortress of Narakasura, riding his mount Garuda with wife Satyabhama. The battle was furiously fought. Narakasura possessed 11 Akshauhini (a division of the army), that he unleashed on Krishna. However, the Lord slew them all with little effort.

Krishna also killed Mura, Narakasura's general. Thus Krishna is called 'Murāri' (the enemy of Mura). In desperation, Narakasura launched his great weapon, sataghini (a thunderbolt) on Krishna. However, it made no impact whatsoever on Krishna. At last, when Narakasura tried to kill the Lord with a trident, Krishna beheaded him with his Sudarshan Chakra.

Krishna subsequently married 16,100 maidens who were held captive by Narakasura to save their honour.

Before dying, the Asura requested a boon that his death anniversary should be celebrated by all people on earth. This day is celebrated as 'Naraka Chaturdashi' - the first day of Diwali.

3. Satyabhama

In another version of Naraksura’s killing, Satyabhama is said to be the one who put an end to Narakasura’s evilness.

In addition to asking Vishnu for his son’s long life, Bhoodevi also obtained a boon from Lord Vishnu that her son would die only when she wishes for it.

Satyabhama was an Avatar of Bhudevi - Narakasura' mother. During the battle between Sri Krishna and Narkasura, the Lord was ‘hurt’ by a Shakti used on him by Narakasura and he feigned unconsciousness. This enraged Sathyabhama who inturn fired arrows at Narakasura killed him finally.

The legend of Narakasura is important in the history of Assam since Narakasura is cited as the progenitor of many dynasties that ruled Kamarupa in historical times (A detailed post on this later).

Wishing all of you a Happy Choti Diwali (or Naraka Chaturdasi or Kali Chaudas) :)

Dhanvantari - Symbol of excellence of Indian medical system

Dhanvantari is referred to as ‘physician of the Devas’. The practitioners of Ayurveda celebrate Dhanvantari’s birthday on Dhanteras every year.  It is believed in Hinduism that praying to Dhanvantari and seeking his blessings results in sound health for the worshippers.

But right throughout our history we see references to a lot of ‘Dhanvantars’ belonging to different periods of time, which raises confusion about the ‘real’ Dhanvantari. Was Dhanvantari just a mythological figure? Was there a ‘Dhanvantari’ who taught Ayurveda to Sushruta? This post is an attempt to seek answers to all these questions.

Before we proceed, let us first know the meaning of the word Dhanvantari.

The word Dhanvantari has 2 different interpretations:

(a) The word dhanus denotes the science of surgeryis and is only indicative (upalakshna). The one who has seen the end (anta) of it is Dhanvantari

(b) The word dhanvan means a desert. (Rigveda - V.36.1) .
So dhanvachara means he who moves in a desert

According to the sources we have, we find reference to four ‘major’ Dhanvantars. We will look at each of them.

1.  Dhanvantari - the physician of the Gods
According to the popular legend, when the Gods and demons churned the ocean for Amrita or nectar, Dhanvantari emerged carrying a jar of the elixir on the day of Dhanteras.

SOURCE 1
There is a mantra in the Veda:

dhanvan iva prapaaasi

Meaning -
O Lord! You are like the place where water is distributed to travellers in a desert.

Thus, it is ‘believed’ that Dhanvantari is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu who came with a pot of nectar in His hand which is like prapaa (water spot) in the desert of worldly existence.

SOURCE 2
The Ramayana (Balakanda, Sarga 45) mentions Dhanvantari and describes him as a divine being who emerged from the milky ocean after a churning of 1000 years. He carried a kamandalu (water pitcher) in one hand and a danda (staff) in the other.

2. Sri Dhanvantari – the one who was taught Ayurveda by Sun

SOURCE 1
According to the tradition given in Brahmavaivartapurana, the creator of the universe, while studying the four Vedas, separated Ayurveda from them. He is then stated to have imparted the knowledge of this science to Bhaskara (Sun God). Surya, thereafter, wrote his own samhita on Ayurveda and taught the same to 16 disciples of whom Dhanvantari was the foremost. Each one of these 16 disciples, in his turn, wrote a separate treatise of his own.

3. Kasiraja Divodasa, surnamed Dhanvantari – believed to be an incarnation of the divine Dhanvantari and the one who taught Ayurveda to Sushruta

SOURCE 1
According to the Srimad Bhagavata Purana, it was Bhagavan Dhanvantari, who revealed Ayurveda to the world. He is worshipped even today as the presiding deity of medical science.
In the fourth shloka of Chapter 17 of Canto 9 of the Srimad Bhagavatam

kasyasya kasis tat-putro
rashtro dirghatamah-pita
dhanvantarir dirghatamasa
ayur-veda-pravartakah
yajna-bhug vasudevamsah
smrita-matrarti-nasanah

Meaning -
The son of Kasya was Kasi, and his son was Rashtra, the father of Dirghatama. Dirghatama had a son named Dhanvantari, who was the inaugurator of the medical science and an incarnation of Lord Vasudeva, the enjoyer of the results of sacrifices. One who remembers the name of Dhanvantari can be released from all disease.

SOURCE 2
The Susrutasmhita, the Agnivesasamhita, the Carakasamhita, the Visnupurana and the Harivamsa gives references to Kasiraja Divodasa Dhanvantari

The only available work which fully reflects the contribution made by Kasiraja Devodasa Dhanvantari is the Susrutasamhita. It is seen from the opening passages of this work that Susruta, who was foremost among the disciples of the Kasipati, compiled the teachings of his preceptor.

Acharya Susruta has quoted Kasiraja Divodasa Dhanvantari as telling his pupils that "Ayurveda originally formed one of the sub-sections of Atharvaveda".

SOURCE 3
The Visnupurana and the Harivamsa have, between them, furnished credible and consistent genealogical accounts of the dynasty to which Kasiraja Divodasa belonged.



The genealogical accounts, referred to above, show that Kasiraja Divodasa belonged to the royal line founded by Pururavas of the lunar dynasty.

According to the Harivamsa, Kasiraja Divodasa belonged to the line of Anena who was himself a descendant of Pururavas. Kasya, referred to in the Visnupurana genealogy, represents the fifteenth generation from Anena; Dhanvantari the third from Kasya and Divodasa the third form Dhanvantari.

Thus Dhanvantari, whom we may refer to as the Senior, was the great grandfather of Kasiraja Divodasa Dhanvantari.

Dhanvantari is stated to have divided the entire range of Ayurveda into eight divisions (the Astangas), each division representing a speciality. These specialities are:

(i) Kayacikitsa (Internal Medicine)
(ii) Kaumarabhrtya or Balacikitsa (Paediatrics)
(iii) Bhutavidya or Grahacikitsa (Psychiatry)
(iv) Salakyatantra (Otto-Rhino-Laryngology & Opthalmology)
(v) Salyatantra (Surgery)
(vi) Visatantra (Toxicology)
(vii) Rasayanatantra (Geriatrics)
(viii) Vajikaranatantra (The therapy for male sterility, impotency and the promotion of virility)

Several thousand years later, 'modern medicine' has been rediscovering many of the findings of the Kasipati and other early pioneers of Ayurveda.

4. Sri Dhanvantari - one of the 'nine jewels' that adorned the court of Samrat Vikramaditya.

There is mention of a Dhanvantari from the court of Samrat Vikramaditya where he was one of the Nine Jewels that adorned the court. This personality is said to be the author of ‘Dhanvantarinighantu’- a lexicon on drugs.

CONCLUSION
It is not appropriate to say whether Dhanvantari existed or not.
But it is very evident that all outstanding authorities on Ayurveda were honoured in ancient and medieval India with the honorific 'Dhanvantari'.

Thus Dhanvantari refers not only to the progenitor of Ayurveda but is also associated with a rich medical tradition and a hierarchy in the history of medicine in India.

Let us seek the blessings of Dhanvantari through this mantra which has been taught in Ayurvedic colleges throughout India for several millennia.

 

Om shankham chakram jalaukam
dadhad amruta ghatam charu dorbhi chaturbhih
Sukshma svacch ati hridyam sukha pari vilasanam
maulim ambhoja netram
Kalam bhodojo valangam kati tata vilasan
charu pitam baradhyam
Vande dhanvantarim tam nikhila gada vanam
praudha davagni leelam

Meaning -
We bow to Lord Dhanvantari holding in his graceful four hands a Conch shell, a Wheel, a Leech and a pot of heavenly nectar.
Within whose heart shines the most pure and gentle beautiful blaze of light, which surrounds his head and emanates from his lotus eyes.
On the dark water whose body is luminous and gleaming.
Waist and thighs are covered in yellow cloth and by whose mere play
All diseases are vanquished as if by a mighty forest fire.

Dhan Dhan Dhanteras

Dhanteras is the first day of the five day long Diwali Festival. It is also known as "Dhantrayodashi" or "Dhanvantari Triodasi".The word 'Dhan' means wealth and 'Teras' means 13th day as per Hindu calendar. It is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna paksha in the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin.

According to popular legend, when the Gods and demons churned the ocean for Amrita or nectar, Dhanvantari (the physician of the Gods and an incarnation of Vishnu) emerged carrying a jar of the elixir on the day of Dhanteras. His birthday is celebrated by the practitioners of Ayurveda every year on Dhanteras.

Dhanteras is also known as the day of "Yamadeepdaan". The story goes as follows:

Once upon a time there was a king by the name of Hima. It was predicted that his sixteen year old son was doomed to die of a snake-bite on the fourth day of his marriage as per his horoscope. All seemed lost for Hima’s son, but his wife had other plans. On the fourth day of his marriage, his young wife did not allow him to sleep. She laid out gold ornaments and lots of silver coins in a big heap at the entrance of her husband's bedroom and lighted innumerable lamps all over the place. Throughout the night she went on telling stories and singing songs.

So when Yama arrived there in the guise of a Serpent his eyes were blinded by the dazzle of those brilliant lights and he could not enter the Prince's chamber. He was so enamoured by the whole setup that he climbed on top of the heap of ornaments and coins and sat there the whole night listening to the melodious songs. When Yamaraj finally came back to normalcy, he realised that the night had passed. Not sure of what to do now he quietly went away. Thus the young wife saved her husband from the clutches of death.

Dhanteras holds special significance for the business community due to the customary purchases of precious metals on this day.
On Dhanteras Hindus consider it auspicious to purchase gold or silver articles or at least one or two new utensils. It is believed that new “Dhan” or some form of precious metal is a sign of good luck.
The "Owl" form of Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped to provide prosperity and well being.

The next post is about the physician of the Gods, Dhanvantari.

Shubh Deepavali :)

Deepavali or the "Festival of lights," is a five day festival which marks the victory of good over evil. The Sanskrit word “Deepavali” means “an array of lights” and signifies the victory of brightness over darkness. But with time, as the knowledge and usage of Sanskrit has diminished, the name has been shortened to Diwali.

The festival is celebrated for five continuous days. It starts on thirteenth lunar day of Krishna paksha (dark fortnight) of the Hindu calendar month Ashwin and ends on second lunar day of Shukla paksha (bright fortnight) of the Hindu calendar month Kartik.

For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes.

For Jains, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BCE.

Today marks the first day of this five day festival with the celebrations of Dhanteras also known as Dhantrayodashi or Dhanwantari Triodasi.

Starting from the next post we go behind the legends associated with each of the five days.

Myths about Mythology....

From being called the "disease of language" (Max Müller) to being referred to as “Myth=Mithya” (Devdutt Pattanaik), mythology has always been a very misunderstood term.

The word mythology is derived from Greek “mythos”, which has a range of meanings from “word,” through “saying” and “story,” to “fiction”. It is said that it originally meant "speech" or "discourse" but later its meaning became more synonymous with "fable" or "legend".

Today the definition of mythology which is accepted almost everywhere (Wikipedia, Oxford dictionary, Britannica) has 2 aspects which are as follows:

1) the study of myths

2) a body or collection of myths

Now let’s de-construct the meaning of the term ‘myth’.
The problem is the ambiguous definition and understanding of this term. Just like mythology, myth too has 2 ‘schools of thought’ attached to its meaning. These are:

1) a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature

2) any invented story, idea, or concept; an imaginary or fictitious thing or person; an unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution

Because of these misconceptions the general perception about myth and mythology is the second definition of both of these i.e. myths are ‘imaginary’, ‘have no reality associated with them’, mythologies are 'mere stories with no rationale and logic behind' so on and so forth.

Of course the stories and legends we hear or read today are very different from the ‘original’ texts. Still the way forward is not completely discarding such things, but to get the ‘facts’ as correct as possible and analyse them with no haste.

Another aspect associated with mythologies( which we will closely get entangled with in the future) is its close association with religion. This relation is beautifully put into words by one of the leading mythologists of his time, Joseph Campbell in his often repeated quote which is as follows:

“Mythology may, in a real sense, be defined as other people's religion. And religion may, in a sense, be understood as popular misunderstanding of mythology. ” 

The objective of this endeavour of ours is to first put together enough ‘existing’ content about mythology on one platform and as we grow and touch more and more aspects along the way become an eco-system where healthy discussions and analysis of various dimensions of mythologies takes place. We are progressing in this direction by first covering Hindu mythology (is this usage correct? More on this in our later posts).

To conclude this post let’s go through the philosophy on which our mission is based and which is beautifully captured in the Bhagavad Gita.

Karmany evadhikaras te
--you have the power to act only
ma phalesu kadachana
--you do not have the power to influence the result
ma karma-phala-hetur-bhur
--therefore you must act without the anticipation of the result
ma te sango 'stv akarmani
--without succumbing to inaction…

P.S – Next post onwards we unravel the legends behind the 'Festival of Light'

Swagatam Suswagatam!

A very significant ritual of an Indian wedding is the ‘Griha Pravesh’. This is the first time when the bride enters her husband’s home ‘officially’. This is an auspicious moment wherein a kalash or jar of rice is kept at the threshold of the home. The bride pushes and topples this jar with her right foot while entering the home.  In some parts of India, she dips her feet in water containing ‘red kumkum’ or vermillion powder. It is believed that her footprints as she walks across the home brings success and prosperity to the groom which in other words means that the Goddess Laxmi has entered the home.

What is the thinking behind this practice?

Here are a few ‘fundas’ .

• The Kalasha is considered a symbol of abundance and “source of life” in the Vedas.


• The Kalasha is believed to contain amrita, the elixir of life, and thus is viewed as a symbol of abundance, wisdom, and immortality.


• It is also a symbol of auspiciousness embodying either Ganesha or Lakshmi. Therefore the Kalasha is worshiped in all Hindu festivities related to marriage and childbirth.

The legends and stories that have been passed on from generations play a very important role in our daily lives. It is reflected in various aspects of our lives – our names, traditions, customs, beliefs and ideologies.

“I believe in everything until it’s disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it’s in your mind. Who’s to say that dreams and nightmares aren’t as real as the here and now?”

― John Lennon

This quote by Mr Lennon gives us very good perspective with respect to the understanding of the the concept of ‘mythology’. A lot of people like him believe in the ‘fairies, dragons, apsaras, asuras, devtas’ etc. etc. (let’s call this group ‘Believers’ for the time being). On the other hand quite a lot of people don’t believe in the ‘myths, dreams, nightmares’ (these can also be termed as ‘Believers’ as though they don’t ‘believe’ such things they have their own beliefs)

There is this third category which rejoices the tales of all the ‘fairies, dragons, apsaras, asuras, devtas’; have ‘dreams, nightmares’ but are still unsure about the existence of these ‘things’. On one hand they pray to all the deities, Gods and Goddesses, but on the other they are still not clear with all their doubts and confusions.

Let this group also be referred to as ‘Believers’ because somewhere at the bottom of their heart, brain and conscience all the stories and ‘kahaniyaans’ have made some impact and there is that latent desire to seek the ‘truth’.

Now this blog is for all the three groups we have covered above:

1)      Believers of Type 1 will enjoy this blog as we promise to provide lots and lots of unadulterated content to strengthen their beliefs

2)      Believers of Type 2 will also relish this blog as they will be quick to find out ‘faults’ in the characters, stories we will talk about here and this ‘healthy’ discussion will surely clear all our ‘bhrahms’(doubts)

3)      And for Believers of Type 3, this blog will provide them with an opportunity to clear their doubts, get rid of the ‘false impressions’ they have had all this while and replenish their ‘tank’ of ‘adbhut kahaniyaan’

Before we kick start this journey let’s bow down and seek the blessings of the ‘Vighnaharta’.

Vakrathunda Mahaakaaya Suryakoti Samaprabha
Nirvignam Gurumaydeva Sarvakaryeshu Sarvada

Meaning:
O Elephant headed large bodied Lord, radiant as a thousand Suns, I ask for your grace so that this task that I am starting may complete without any hindrances.

What exactly is meant by the term ‘mythology’? Find out in the next post.