Thursday, January 24, 2013

Kumbh Melaa-2

We read in our previous post that how Kumbh Melaa has a very old background and is related to it. In this post we will see how it is celebrated, when it is celebrated, where it is celebrated, and how many types of Kumbh are there.

How Kumbh Melaa is celebrated
The major event of this festival is taking bath in those rivers wherever it is being held, for example in Gangaa River in Haridwaar, in Sangam in Allaahaabaad, in Kshipraa River in Ujjain and in Godaavaree River in Naaasik. Naasik has recorded the maximum number of pilgrims till now - 75 million people. By the way this year, in 2013, 100 million people are expected to attend Kumbh Melaa at Allaahaabaad. Yahoo reports that on the opening day, on January 14, 2013, on Monday, 10 million people took bath in the Sangam.

Besides taking bath in the river, its other activities include religious discourses, discussions and devotional singing. It should be noted that sage Yaagyavalkya Jee told Raam's Kathaa to sage Bharadwaaj Jee and other Rishi at Sangam, Allaahaabaad, on an annual Kumbh Melaa time in Maagh month.

Where Kumbh Melaa is Celebrated?
It is held at four places where Garud Jee took rest while carrying Amrit - Prayaag at the confluence of the Rivers Gangaa, Yamunaa and mythical Saraswatee; Ujjain at the River Kshipra, Naasik at the River Godaavaree and Haridwaar at the River Gangaa. That is why Kumbh Melaa is always celebrated at these places only.

When Kumbh Melaa is Celebrated?
Its timings as when it will be celebrated  and where, depend upon the positioning of Brihaspati (Jupiter) and Soorya (Sun) planets on the Zodiac belt.
--When the Sun is in Aries (Mesh Raashi) and Brihaspati (Jupiter) is in Aquarius (Kumbh Raashi) it is celebrated in Haridwaar
--When the Sun is in Capricorn (Makar Raashi) and Jupiter is in Taurus (Vrishabh Raashi) and  it is celebrated in Ujjain
--When both the Sun and the Jupiter are in Leo Sign (Sinh Raashi), it is held in Tryambakeshwar, Naasik.
--When both the Sun and the Jupiter are in Scorpio (Vrishchik Raashi), it is celebrated in Ujjain.

Types of Kumbh Melaa
There are five types of Kumbh --
(1) Annual Maagh Melaa - It is annual. Every year people go for the above said rivers to take Snaan. That is called Annual Kumbh Snaan.

(2) Kumbh Melaa - It is held every 3 years.

(3) Ardh Kumbh Melaa (Half Kumbh Melaa) - This is called Ardh Kumbh Melaa. It is held every 6 years in Haridwaar and Allaahaabaad only.

(4) Poorn Kumbh Melaa - Poorn (Full Kumbh Melaa) is celebrated once in 12 years at four places - Allaahaabaad, Haridwaar, Naasik and Ujjain. It begins on Makar Sankraanti, the day when the Sun enters Capricorn and the Jupiter enters Aries.

(5) Mahaa Kumbh Melaa - Mahaa Kumbh Melaa is held at the completion of 12 Poorn Kumbh Melaa, means every 144 years. This is only a lifetime event. The last Mahaa Kumbh Melaa was held in 2001 at Allaahaabaad. About 60 million people attended it.

Kumbh festival is regarded in Hindu Dharm a very big and important event and is attended by millions of people.

Sushma Gupta

Kumbh Melaa-1

This year Kumbh Melaa celebrations have started on 14th January at Allaahaabaad and people have started coming there to take bath in Sangam. This is Mahaa Kumbh Melaa this year. Some 100 million people are expected there.

Kumbh Melaa, held in India, is the largest gathering of the world for any religious occasion. It is the most sacred of all pilgrimages. Kumbh Melaa contains two words - Kumbh and Melaa. Kumbh means a pitcher or pot without handle, and Melaa means fair, thus Kumbh Melaa means a fair of a pot. This is indeed a fair of a pot. Pot of what for which so many, in millions, people come to attend it? It is the pot of Amrit (Divine elixir). Normally it is held every 3 years and at four places - at Haridwaar at the River Ganges, at Naasik at the River Godaavaree, at Ujjain at the River Kshipraa and at Prayaag (Allaahaabaad) at Sanagam - the confluence of the River Gangaa, Yamunaa and the mythical River Saraswatee, where bathing for purification from sin is considered especially efficacious.

History of Kumbh
History of Kumbh may be found from the very olden times. It is recorded in our several religious books, such as Bhaagvat Puraan, Bhaagvat Puraan, 8/3-4, Padm Puraan (here this story comes two times, once in Padm Puraan, 1-Srishti-5, and second in  Padm Puraan, 5-Uttar-37, in Vishnu Puraan  Vishnu Puraan, 1-Pratham-3, in Vaalmeeki Raamaaayan V-Raamaayan, 1/14/45, in Mahaabhaarat Mahaabhaarat, G-0-Prolog-6. It is linked with the Saagar Manthan story.

Once Durvaasaa Rishi was coming from Bhagavaan's court carrying a flower garland in his hands. He met Indra coming from opposite side riding on his Airaavat elephant. He considered Indra worthy of that sacred garland, so he threw that garland towards Indra. Indra caught it in his hands but in his pride he threw that garland on his elephant. Elephant had thrown it on the ground by his trunk and crushed it under his feet. Seeing this bad treatment to his Divine garland, Durvaasaa Jee got very furious. He immediately cursed Indra - "You have insulted the Divine garland like this, you will lose your wealth, grace. kingdom and prosperity very soon." So according to the curse of Durvaasaa Muni Indra's all prosperity and kingdom.

Indra got very sad seeing his condition, so he went to Vishnu and told Him his saga. Vishnu suggested him that he should extend friendship with Daitya Raaj Bali and inspire him to churn the Milky Ocean (Ksheer Saagar) to get Amrit and other things which will be distributed between both of them." Vishnu further explained to him that he should not run after small small things coming out from the Sea. Indra agreed and got Bali also agreed on those conditions. Bali also got agreed and both Devtaa and Asur came to Ksheer Saagar. As Vishnu had directed Indra, they put the Mandaraachal Parvat as the churning rod, and took Vaasuki Naag as the churning rope. They could not move Mandaraachal Parvat themselves so Vishnu helped them. He kept it on His Garud and established it in the Sea. Now they started churning the sea, but the Sea was very turbulent so the Mandaraachal Parvat was shaking all the time. Vishnu again came to rescue. He incarnated as a Kashchap (Tortoise) and kept the Parvat over His back, buut still the Parvat was not stable, so again Vishnu helped them and kept His hand over it to make it stable. Then only the churning got started. It is said that 14 various gems came out of the Sea. Although their list varies in all the sources where Saagar Manthan story has been described - see the list HERE, still some of the things are the same in all sources.

As soon as the Amrit came out of the Sea, both Devtaa and Daitya ran to snatch the Kumbh (pitcher or pot) of Amrit from Dhanvantari's hands. Since Daitya were more powerful, they snatched the pot from Dhanvantari's hands and ran away. Seeing this Devtaa remained helpless. Vishnu again came to rescue to Devtaa. Daitya saw a very beautiful woman coming to their side. She was Vishnu's Mohinee incarnation. She mesmerized Daitya, took the Amrit Kumbh from them and started distributing Amrit to both of them. But how could Bhagvaan give Amrit to Daitya? Mohinee set them in two lines - Devtaa and daitya, and started distributing Amrit to Devtaa and liquor to Daitya.

Killing of Raahu
Raahu named Daitya had known Mohinee's trick that She was giving Amrit to Devtaa and liquor to Daitya, so he quietly got up from his own line, assumed Devtaa's form and sat among Devtaa, between Soorya Dev and Chandramaa. When Mohinee came to give Amrit to Devtaa, She gave some to Raahu also, not knowing that he was Daitya. In the meantime Soorya and Chandramaa recognized him as a Daitya and told this to Mohinee. Mohinee took out Her Chakra and cut the neck of Raahu immediately. But by that Raahu had gulped some Amrit, that is why he had become immortal. Now Raahu's body was divided in two parts, and because of drinking Amrit, he did not die, rather both parts of his body remained alive. His head was known as Raahu and his trunk was called Ketu. Brahmaa Jee gave his both the parts the status of Graha (planets). Thus they are not any visible Graha, but they are only the shadow planets. Since that day Raahu has the enmity with Soorya and Chandramaa. Now he is after them and whenever he gets chance he tries to afflict them by swallowing them - on Amaavasyaa (New Moon day) and Poornimaa (Full Moon day) respectively, which we call Soorya Grahan (Solar Eclipse) and Chandra Grahan (Lunar Eclipse) day.

What Happened to Amrit Kumbh?
 Seeing all this, Daitya had started fight with Devtaa. Meanwhile Amrit Kumbh was lying unattended. Lest Daitya take it again, Vishnu's ride Garud Jee took it and flew away. Devtaa and Daitya fight continued for 12 Divine days (12 human or solar years), and all this time Garud Jee continued to fly carrying the Amrit Kumbh. When he got tired he used to keep the Kumbh and took some rest. Thus during these 12 days he kept the Amrit Kumbh at four places - Haridwaar, Allahaabaad, Naasik, and Ujjain, near Gangaa River, Sangam, Godaavaree River and Kshipraa River respectively. Since he kept that Kumbh at these four places at a certain time, these places are famous as Kumbh places and at those times a Kumbh Melaa takes place to have a share of that Amrit. After the Devtaa and Daitya fight was lover Garud Jee brought the Amrit Kumbh to Vishnu.

So this was the beginning of Kumbh, and this is how the Kumbh Melaa is related to Saagar Manthan story.

The major event of the festival is the ritual bathing at the banks of the river in whichever town it is being held that is, Gangaa in Haridwaar, Godaavaree in Naasik, Kshipraa in Ujjain and Sangam (confluence of Gangaa, Yamunaa and mythical Saraswatee) in Prayaag (Allaahaabaad). Naasik has registered maximum visitor to 75 million. Other activities include religious discussions, devotional singing, mass feeding of holy men, women and the poor. In 2013 it is going to take place at Allahabad, at Sangam, Uttar Pradesh, India, from 14th January to 10th March.

Foreigners in India For Kumbh Melaa
The first written evidence of the Kumbh Melaa can be found in the accounts of Chinese traveler, Huan Tsang or Xuanzang (602-664 AD) who visited India in 629-645 BC, during the reign of King Harsh Vardhan. Several other foreigners have also gone to India on this occasion.

The first modern account of this fair is found by Mark Twain. He  wrote after attending a Kumbh Melaa in 1895 - "It is wonderful, the power of faith like  that, that can make multitudes upon multitudes of the old weak and the young and frail enter without hesitation or complaint upon such incredible journeys and endure the resultant miseries without repining. It is done in love, or it is done in fear, I do not know which it is. No matter what the impulse is, the act born of it is beyond imagination marvelous to our kind of people, the cold whites."

Some singers and actresses from the USA have also witnessed it - Madonna, Julie, and . This year Catherine Zeta-Jones is also going to India on this occasion. Shilpa Shetty, a former Indian actress, also came to Allaahaabaad to take bath on this occasion.

Sushma Gupta

Monday, January 14, 2013

Arth the Most Important Purushaarth

In one of my previous posts, "Four Purushaarth", I wrote that Arth (wealth) is the most important thing in one's life. Without it nothing is possible, neither to satisfy desires, nor to do Dharm Karm and thus not to get Moksh which are the four important Purushaarth of a human being's life. In Kali Yug the wealth is considered second to Bhagavaan, even if not equal to Bhagavaan

Today I am citing two great incidents from our two most important scriptures - Vaalmeeki Raamaayan and Mahaabhaarat, which prove that even Bhagavaan and Devtaa-like men also considered wealth the most important in a human life.

From Vaalmeeki Raamaayan
In Vaalmeeki Raaamaayan, 6/33, when Raam and Raavan war was going on, once Meghnaad plays Maayaa trick with Raam. He creates a Maayaa (illusionary) Seetaa, and attempts to kill Her in front of Vaanar army. Hanumaan was in the front of the army so he got very angry seeing this. He abused Meghnaad very much but there was no effect of his abuses on him. At last pulling Her hair, Meghnaad killed Her. Seeing Seetaa killed Hanumaan got extremely sad, lost control and thought - "What we had come for here, to take Seetaa back, and the same Seetaa is killed. What is the use of our fighting with Raavan now? Let us go to Raam and report this to Him." So he went to Raam and reported it to Him. As was expected from Bhagavaan in human form, Raam immediately got unconscious hearing this news.

Seeing this Lakshman  also got very sad. He lifted Raam in his arms and started consoling Him with his philosophical ideas. At that time along with other reasons, Dharm etc, he says to Raam - "I told you about the demerits of leaving wealth even before. What intelligence did you use when you were coming to forest? Whoever has the wealth, his all aims, Kaam, Dharm, and Moksh are fulfilled, while a poor man cannot fulfill his aims in spite of doing his best. Happiness, desire, pride, Dharm, anger, peace, Daan (charity) all qualities remain only with rich people. Even for Tapaswee, this Lok becomes sorrowful without wealth. The same sorrows have destroyed your life also - without wealth which you don't have. As in bad days even auspicious planets do not stay along with a human being in the same way no happiness stay with a poor person.

There will be friends only for a person who has wealth, there will be relatives only for a person who has wealth. Only a wealthy person will be praised as embodiment of manliness and storehouse of all knowledge. Only a wealthy person is called valorous, source of fortune, and repository of all virtues. Only a wealthy person remains a person whose duties, desires and earthly needs are all effectively looked after and all the needy go around him in supplication. A poor person could not achieve any favorable results even he is ready to strive hard."

Thus Lakshman spoke to Raam about wealth.

From Mahaabhaarat
After Mahaabhaarat war, Ashwamedh Parv, 7/4, had ended and Yudhishthir was very sad after killing his relatives, friends, Guru etc people, Muni Vyaas Jee suggested him to do Ashwamedh Yagya. But Yudhishthir did not have so  much money so that he could do any kind of Yagya - Ashwamedh Yagya or Sarvmedh Yagya etc. Yudhishthir said to Vyaas Jee - "I know that all kinds of sins can be purified by sacrifice, austerity and donations, but I don't have money even for a small sacrifice. Duyodhan has emptied the royal treasury. Tell me what to do." Then Vyaas Jee suggests him to bring the gold left by Braahman in Raajaa Marutt's Yagya. Thus Vyaas Jee had to make wealth available to Yudhishthir to get rid of his sadness and sins.

Sushma Gupta 

Sunday, January 13, 2013

How Many Krishn in Mahaabhaarat

If asked somebody who is Krishn, he would surely say - Bhagavaan Krishn. Krishn means Bhagavaan Krishn, and nobody else. It is true, but in Mahaabhaarat Bhagavaan Krishn is not the only Krishn. There are some other Krishn also. It is interesting to know that how many Krishn are in Mahaabhaarat --

(1) Krishn (God)
Naturally He is the Supreme God Krishn who was also named as Krishn by Garg Muni when he was invited to perform His naming ceremony. He is the first and main Krishn in Mahaabhaarat.  Now let us proceed forward --

(2) Ved Vyaas - Krishn Dwaipaayan
Ved Vyaas Jee is the second Krish in Mahaabhaarat. Because Ved Vyaas is not his name, that is his position - Ved Vyaas means who divides the Ved. His real name is Krishn Dwaipaayan. His given name was Krishn and since he was born on an island, he was named Dwaipaayan, that is how his name is Krishn Dwaipaayan. So he is the second Krishn.

(3) Arjun - Krishn
Yet another Krishn. He is the third Krishn. Arjun's one name, out of his 10 names, was Krishn too, because his complexion was dark. Krishn means dark.

(4) Draupadee - Krishnaa
Yet another Krishnaa is Draupadee. She is also Krishn, but because she is a female her name is not Krishn but Krishnaa, still she is Krishnaa. When she was born she was also named Krishnaa, because she was also of dark complexioned.

(5) King Paundrak - Fake Krishn
All of the above were real Krishn, but this King Paundrak was also Krishn. He was neither real Krishn, nor he was named Krishn, but still he is known as Krishn - fake Krishn. He considered himself the real Krishn. He used to dress like Krishn, tried to look like Krishn and behave like Krishn. He challenged the real Bhagavaan Krishn to consider him as the real Krishn. Real Krishn accepted his challenge and killed him by His Chakra. According to Krishn Himself, He had gone to kill that Paundrak when Draupadee was facing the insult in Kaurav's Dice court. For the same reason Krishn could not reach there.

Thus in Mahaabhaarat there are 5 Krishn.

Sushma Gupta

Killing Animals and Its Results

Animal killing is not good. You never know when this brings what kind of calamity on the killer. There are a few examples in our scriptures where people had to suffer a lot for just hunting animals. These people had to suffer really a lot.

(1) Dasharath
The first name comes to our mind is of Dasharath. Dasharath? Yes the same Dasharath who was the father of Raam. When he was young he learnt the art of Shabd Vedhee Baan (shooting the arrow at the sound). He used to go to forests and used to practice for it. Once he went to a  forest,  and was practicing his Shabd Vedhee Baan art. He heard a sound. He felt that it was a sound of an animal drinking water at a nearby river. So he shot his arrow to kill him. After shooting the arrow when he went to see his prey, he found that his prey was not an animal, it was a man who was filling water in his pot and that sound was not of the animal drinking water, but was of a man filling water in his pot.

When Dasharath reached there to see his prey he found the man at the point of dying. Raajaa got very sad seeing this. He asked the man - "Who are you and what are you doing here?" The man told him that he was Shravan Kumaar, His parents were blind, old and could not move themselves, so he was carrying them to Teerth (pilgrimage). They were feeling thirsty, so he came to this river to take water for them. They must be waiting for him. But since he was shot, he was at the point of death, he himself could not carry the water for them. Then he requested Raajaa to take water to them so that they could quench their thirst. He instructed him not to speak anything to them as they were very sensitive. They will recognize him soon." After having said this Shravan Kumaar died.

Raajaa took the water pot to Shravan's parents with a heavy heart. He gave that water to them. They said - "Son you got very late, we are waiting for you for quite a long time." When Dasharath did not speak for some time, they asked him - "You don't seem our son. Who are you who has brought water to us? Where is our dear son?" Dasharath had to tell them the whole story. Hearing the killing of their son, they got extremely sad and in spite of all kinds of assurance given by the King to them they could not be consoled. They cursed Dasharath - "We had nobody to take care of us, how we will live without him? We curse you that you will also die in the sorrow of the separation of your son as we are dying in the separation of our son." And they died.

For the same reason Raajaa Dasharath had to die when Raam went to forest for 14 years.

(2) Raam
The second name is of his son Raam, who also had to suffer for the killing an animal. When Raam, Lakshman and Seetaa were spending their exile period in Panchvatee, once Seetaa saw a golden deer roaming around their Aashram. She liked the animal very much and could not resist Herself to get him dead or alive. She asked Raam to get him for Her. Raam knew everything - that there was  no such kind of golden deer in the world, still He took up His bow and arrow and set off to catch him for Seetaa. Seeing Raam coming to himself, the deer started running from there. He took Raam very far deep inside in the forest. He was Maareech Raaakshas and came there to take Raam away from His Aashram according to Raavan's plan to abduct Seetaa. Raam was unable to catch him or kill him. But at one point He was able to shoot His arrow at him. The deer was about to die, so he showed his real form (of Maareech Raakshas) and cried in a loud voice - "Haa Lakshman, Haa Seetey".

Hearing these words Seetaa got restless and forced Lakshman to go help his brother. In spite of assuring Seetaa that nobody could harm Raam, Seetaa did not listen and asked Lakshman to go to Raam to help Him as soon as possible. Lakshman had to go and behind his back Raaavan abducted Seetaa. Everybody knows what had happened then. So even Raam had to suffer for just killing an animal.

(3) Paandu
The third example comes to our mind is of Raajaa Paandu in Dwaapar Yug. Paandu was also good at shooting Shabd Vedhee Baan. Once Paandu was living in a forest for enjoyment purpose with his two wives - Kuntee and Maadree. One day Maadree insisted him to kill a deer for her. Paandu took his bow and arrow and set off to kill a deer. After a while he heard some noise and he detected that that nose should be of a deer, so deciding this, he shot the arrow and the arrow hit the dear. When Paandu came to see his prey, he found that it was not a deer, it was a Rishi Kindam and Rishi and his wife were engaged in making love in the form of a deer.

Paandu also got very sad seeing this. He never thought of that he would kill a Rishi like that. Rishi and his wife were also very sad. The arrow was shot at the Rishi. He cursed Paandu to die in the same way when he would be engaged in making love. Thus he could not have any child of his own. After being cursed Paandu came back from there. Now he could not have any child of his own. He died, according to Rishi's curse, in the arms of his younger wife Maadree. Everybody knows that Kuntee helped him to have 5 grand sons from Dharm Raaj, Pavan Dev, Indra and Ashwinee Kumaar and brought them up alone. Maadree had become Satee with Paandu.

(4) Karn
The fourth name is of Karn, also in Dwaapar Yug. Karn was also good in using Shabd Vedhee Baan. When he had learnt his archery, he also used to practice it in forests. Once he was practicing it, that his arrow hit a cow grazing in a field. Karn went to see his prey and found a cow killed from his arrow. The owner saw his cow dead and then saw Karn standing nearby with a bow. He got angry at this and said to him - "You princes think yourselves a very good archer and you don't know how to shoot an arrow. As you have killed my innocent cow, you will also be killed in a helpless situation." Karn asked him for his forgiveness but the owner was very sad at his cow's death, he could  not be consoled. For the same reason Karn was also killed in a helpless situation.

These people had to suffer so much just for killing innocent animals. It is so sad.

Sushma Gupta

Why Naarad Wanders Around

Everybody knows that Naarad Jee does not have a house or place to live. He always wanders around. he cannot sit at one place. Have you ever thought why is it so? It is said that all beings enjoy and suffer the fruits of their Karm. So what is that Karm which has resulted in this situation of Naarad Jee that he has to wander all over the Universe without having his own house or Lok? We get this story in Bhaagvat Puraan, Skandh 6, Chapter 5.

In the beginning of the world, there was a Raajaa Praacheenbarhi who had 10 sons - they all were called Prachetaa Gan because they were all alike in form and qualities. Their father asked them to produce children so they all went to do Tap to get children. They did Tap and got married. They had a son named Daksh from their wife.

Daksh, first produced Devtaa, Asur, human beings etc, but found that his creation was not growing in the way he wanted, so he did very hard Tap and Bhagavaan gave him Asiknee named woman to grow population. Daksh produced 10,000 sons from her. Daksh asked his 10,000 sons to produce more children, so they all also went to do Tap. Seeing this Naarad Jee came there and asked them - "Have you seen the end of the Prithvi?" They replied "No". Naarad Jee aid - "You are fools. When you have not seen the end of the Prithvi, how can you create the world?" They got convinced. Thus Naarad Jee convinced them not to go for creation but on Moksh path. They all went away from there only to from where nobody comes on Earth.

When Daksh Jee heard this he got very sad. Brahmaa Jee came to him and calmed him down. Then Daksh Jee produced 1,000 sons more from Asiknee. He ordered them too to produce children, so they also followed the path of their elder brothers. When they were doing Tap, Naarad Jee again went to them and preached the same as he preached their elder brothers. They also understood Naarad's guidance and went on Moksh path.

Hearing this Daksh got very angry, he said to Naarad Jee - "You have done very bad to us. They had not paid their Rishi Rin yet through Brahmcharya, Dev Rin through Yagya, and Pitri Rin through producing sons and you have destroyed their pleasure of both Lok - this Lok and Par Lok. I have tolerated it once, but this time I will not tolerate it. I curse you that you will also not be able to live at one place and you will be wandering all around."

Since then Naarad Jee has not been able to make home,  live at one place, and has been wandering all around. This is the secret of Naarad's wandering around all over. This was his Karm for which he has to suffer so much for his whole life.

Sushma Gupta