Hindu Fasts and Festivals by Swami Sivananda

7/29/2019 Hindu Fasts and Festivals by Swami Sivananda

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HINDU EASTSAND FESTIVALS


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HINDU FASTSAND

FESTIVALSSoc Scaatacc Sacnzazd.a.

,""",;K::::::OCIETYP.O. SSTvaNANDANAGA R-249 1,92Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttarakhand, Himalayas, Indiawww. sivanandaonline. org, www. dlshq. org


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First Edition: 1947Twelfth Edition: 2012

(1000 Copies)

@The Divine Life Trust Society

rsBN 81-7052-039-8ES59

PRIGE:


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SRI SI.ITAhII STYANANDA


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_ _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _fu iffi iffi ffi _ ____ _-_"_"Bom on the 8th September, 1887, in the illustrious fam_ily of Sage Appayya Dikshitar and several other renownedsaints and savants, Sri Swami Sivananda had a natural flairfor a life devoted to the study and practice of Vedanta. Addedto this was an inbom eagemess to serve all and an innate feel-ing of unity ivith all mankind.

_ His passion for service drew hirn to the medical career;and soon he gravitated to where he thought that his servicewas most needed. Malaya claimed him. He had earlier beenediting a healthjoumal and wrote extensively on health prob-lems. He discovered that people needed iight knowiedgemost of all; dissernination of that knowledge he espoused ishis orvn mission.It was divine dispensation and the blessing of God uponmankind that the docior of body and mind renounced his ca-reer and took to a life of renunciation to qualify for minister-ing to the soul of man. He settled down af Rishikesh in 1924,practised intense austerities and shone as a great yogi, saint,sage and Jivanmukta.In 1932 Swami Sivananda started the Sivanandashram.In 1936 was bom The Divine Life Society. In l94g theYoga-Vedanta Forest Academy was organised. Dissemina-tion of spiritual knowledge and training of people in yogaand Vedanta were their aim and object. In 1950 Swamiji u-n-dertook a lightning tour of India and Ceylon. In 1953Swamiji convened a 'World Parliament of Religions'.

Swamiji is the author of over 300 volurnes and has diiciplesall over the rvorld, belonging to all nationalities, religions andcreeds. To read Swamiji's works is to drink at the Fountain ofWisdom Supreme. On l4th July, 1963 Swarniji enteredMahasamadhi.(7)


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OM::t::::::t:::rl:::::1:::::::::::::::::1r:::::r1:::1:::::1:::::::1r::l:lt::::l:::::1:::::1"CONTENTS

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Prayers for A11 Occasions 10FESTIVALSChitra Purnima l7Deepavali 201.2.

3.4.5.6.7.8.9.

10.11.12.13.

14.

Durga Puja or NavaratriGayatri Japa DayGuru Purnima.Holi.Kartigai DeepamMakara ShankrantiRaksha Bandhan

244l4655616369

Ratha Saptami 7lTelugu New Year's DaY 72Vasanta Navaratri 73Vasanta Panchami 76JAYANTHIS (BIRTIID AY S)Sri Appayya Jayanthi 78

(8)


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15. Dattatreya JaYanthi 8216. Ganesh Chaturthi 9211. Gita Jayanthi . . 10018. Hanuman JaYanthi 108lg. KrishnaJanmashtami.... 11320. Shankaralayanthi 12221. Skanda Sashti 12822. Ramnavami.... 138

VRATAS (VOWS)pradosha Vrata 150Satya Narayana Vrata.Shivaratri .Vaikunta Ekadashi ll9Vara Lakshmi Vrata. 185Special Observances (Eclipse, Mahalaya) ' 189Philosophy of Idol WorshiP 193

160168

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Devotees and followers of Sri Gurudev Sivanandain South Africa and elsewhere, follow Gurudev's invari-able custom of commencing all functions with the fol-lowing invocatory Kirtans, and concluding them withthe peace chants that follow.

INVOCATORY KIRTANSJaya Ganesha Jaya Ganesha Jaya Ganesha paahimaamSri Ganesha Sri Ganesha Sri Ganesha ral


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Jctya Hcmtntan Jaya Jaya Haruuttan (2)Hare Rama Hcrre Ramct Rama Ranra Hare Hare'Hare K'ishna Hare Krishna K'ishna Krishnct Hare

Hare (j)Sivananda Sivananda Sadgttru Natha Sivananda:

MAHA MRITYUNJAYA MANTRAOm tryamb akarn Y ai a amahe

s tt g an dh im P u s ht iv ar dh an am(Jrv a arukamiv a b an dh an a anmritYor muksheeYa maamritaat'CONCLUDING PEACE CIIAI\TS

Sarveshaam swas ti bhavatu's arv e shaam shaantir bh av atu'S arv eshaam P o ornam bh avatu's arv esh aam mangal am bhav atu ;

Sarve bhavantu sukhinah,s ar-ve s antrt niraamaYah'

Sarv e bhadraani P ashY antu'm a a kas hi d duhkh ab h a agb h av e t ;

Asato mau sad gamaYaTamaso maa jYotir gamaYaMritYor maa amritam gamaYa;Om Poornamadah Poornumidam - -

P o o rn at-P o orn amu dachY a t e'P oornasYa PoornamaadaaYaP o o rn am ev aav a shishY at e'Om shaantih shaantih shaantih!

(l l)


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MEDITATION ON LORD SHIVAShaant am p adm aas an as t h aru s h as hadh a rama ktt t am

p anc havaktram trine tram,Shoolam vajram cha khadgam parashumabhayadamdalcshinaange v ahantam ;Naagam paasham cha ghantaam damaruka sahitam

chaankus ham vaamabhaage,Naanaalankaara de eptam sphatika maninibhampaarvatees ham namaami.

MEANING: I prostrate myself before the five-facedLord of Parvati, who is adorned with various ornaments,who shines like the crystal jewel, who is seated peace-fully in the lotus pose, with moon-crested crown, withthree eyes, wearing trident, thunderbolt, sword and axeon the right side, who holds the serpent, noose, bell,damaru and spear on the left side, and who gives protec-tion from all fear to His devotees.

MEDITATION ON SRI SHANKARACHARYAP ad m aas e enam pr as h an t ant y am anirat am aan an gaaritulya prahhaavam,P haale bhasmaankitaam bhas mita ntj ira mttkhaant

b h oj an ind e ey a r a a ks h ant,.Kam bu greev am kar a a b hy aam av i d t amunt I as a t

pus ta kam j n aa n am u draam,Vandyam geervaqna mukhyair natajana varadam

bhaavaye s hankaraaryam.(12)


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MEANING: I meditate on Sri Shankaracharya whois seated in the lotus posture with Jnanamudra, who iscalm, endowed with virtues like Yama, Niyama, etc.,whose glory is as great as that of Lord Shiva, who wearsthe sacred ashes on the forehead, whose face resemblesthe blossomed lotus, with lotus-like eyes, possessing sa-cred books in hand, who is ever adored by people ofhigh learning and wisdom, and who fulfils the desires ofhis devotees (who prostrate themselves before him).MEDITATION ON LORD DATTATREYA

Maalaakamandalu dharah karapadmayugmeMadhyastha paaniyugale damarutrishoolam ;A d hy as th a ur dhv a kar ay o h s hub h a s h an kh a c h a kr eVande tamatrivaradam bhuj ashatkayuktam -

MEANING: I meditate on Lord Dattatreya, the sonof Atri, who has six hands, who holds the rosary and wa-ter-vessel in two hands, with damaru and spear in theother two hands, and with conch and discus in the uppertwo hands.

MEDITA|ION ON LORD GANESHAG aj aananam bho o taganaadis ev it amKapittha i amboophala saara bhal


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essence of the kapittha-jambufruit(fruit resembling thebilwa f.uiQ.MEDITATION ON LORD SUBRAMANYA

Shadaananam kum latmaraktav arnamMahaa matim divya mayoora vaahanam;Rudrasya soonum sura sainyanaathamGuham sadaaham sharanam prapadye.

MEANING: I always take refuge in Lord Guha(Lord Subramanya) of six faces, who is of deep red col-our and infinite knowledge, who has the divine peacockto ride on, the son of Lord Shiva and the leader of theanny of the Devas.MEDITATION ON SRI KRISHNA

Vamsh ee vibhooshita karaan navaneeradaabhaatP e e taamb araadarun a bimb apha I a a dh aro sh thaat ;P oornendusundara makhaad aravinda netraatKrishnaat parant kimapi tath.vam aham na jacute.

MEANING: I knorv not any other Reality than the lo-tus-eyed Krishna with hands adomed with flute, lookinglike a heavy-laden cloud in lustre, wearing a yellow silkgarment, with His lower lip like a ruddy bimbafruit, andwith face shining like the full moon.

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MEDITATION ON SRI RAMAD hy aay e daaj aanu b a ahant dhri tasha r adhanus hant

b add h ap a dm a as a, nas th am,Peetam vaaso vasaanam navakamala dala

spardhinetram pras annam ;Vaama ankaaro o dhas eetaa mukhakamala mi I a I

lochanam neeradaabham,Naanaalankaara deeptam dadhatamuru j ataa

m and a I am r a am a c h a n dr amMEANING: One should meditate on Sri

Ramachandra, with hands reaching the knees, holdingthe bow and arrows, seated in the locked-up lotus pos-ture, wearing a yellow garb, with eyes vying with thenewly-blossomed lotus petals, with a pleasant gait, whohas Sita seated on His left thigh, who is blue like theclouds, who is adorned with all kinds of ornaments andhaving a big circle of Jata on the head.

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LORD VISHNUHis Mantra is: Ont Namo Narayanayt

S ukl aru b lt ct r ad ha r am v is h num s h as h i y ernatn c h anr b huj am,P ras arut a v adanam dhy ay et s arvav ig fut op as an t ay e.


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-1-:: l: l:::::1: :::::t 1::::r :::: ::1: :::: :::::::::::::::I:::::t ::::1r:: 1::::: :::::::: 1::: :: :::''i:i::;i.:i;i;,;:.:i.:,',","","9*.Y,.-l-LIl-Iq!ryIy.l:.:i;i;i::;:.::-:i.:air;:-:i.:';:.'THE TWELVE months of the Hindu year, based on thelunar calendar, are named after that star during whoseascendency the full moon of that month occurs. The fullmoon day of Chaitra month, that is, the Purnima duringthe ascendency of the Chitra star is particularly sacred tothe Chitra Guptas, the recording angels of the Hindupantheon. A special worship is offered to these celestialrepresentatives of the god of death, and an offering ofspiced rice is prepared and later distributed as prasad orholy sacrament. Afire worship is done at the close of theritualistic worship. By the performance of this religiousobservance annually, these angels of the other world aregreatly pleased and judge man's actions with moresympaJhy.

The psychological effect of this worship, done onthe very first full moon day of every year (Chaitra is thefirst of the twelve months), is to vividly remind us of thehigher power that maintains a constant watch over everyact ofours on this earth-plane. This memory serves as aninvisible check on one's conduct. The conception of theChitra Guptas as located within each shoulder is a pow-erful inducement to keep oneself engaged in constantlydoing good actions only.

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I8 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSThe term Chitra Gupta means "hidden picture". A

true picture of all our good and evil actions is preservedin the ethereal records. The Hindu personifies it for thesake of worship. The real significance of the worship ofthe Chitra Guptas is beautifully brought out in the fol-lowing story connected with it.

Brihaspati is the Guru or preceptor of Indra, theking of the gods. Indra disobeyed Brihaspati on one oc-casion and the Guru relinquished his task of instructingIndra in what he should and should not do. During theperiod of the Guru's absence, Indra did many evil deeds.When the compassionate Guru resumed his duty again,Indra wanted to know what he should do to expiate thewrongs he had done in his Guru's absence. Brihaspatiasked Indra to undertake a pilgrimage.

While Indra was on pilgrimage, he suddenly feltthe load of sins taken offhis shoulders at a certain place(near Madurai in South India), and he discowred aShiva Lingam there. He attributed the miracle to thisLingam and wanted to build a temple for it. He had thisconstructed immediately. Now he wished to perform theworship of the Lingam; the Lord Himself caused goldenlotuses to appear in a nearby pond. Indra was greatlypleased and blessed. The day on which he thus wor-shipped the Lord was Chitra Purnima.

When you perform worship on the Chitra Purnimaday, remember this story. If you have intense faith, ifyou feel with a contrite heart that you have committed


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CHITRA PURNIIVIAsins on account of ignorance, if you pray tvith faith anddevotion to the Lord to forgive your sins, if you resolvenever to commit them in the future, and if you resolve tobe obedient to your Guru and never to flout his counsel,then your sins will be forgiven. There is no doubt aboutthis. This is the significance of the above story of Indra.Meditate on this story on Chitra Purnima day.

The Hindu scriptures prescribe elaborate worshipof the Chitra Guptas on this day. The Deity is invoked inan image or akalasa (vessel filled with water) and thenworshipped with all the rituals and formalities of theworship offered to God's image. Meditate on ChitraGupta, reciting the following verse:Chitra guptam mahaa praajnam lekltaneepqtra dhaarinam;Chitra-ratnaambara-dhaaram madhyastham s aruadelti nqant

Then offer ritualistic worship with incense, cam-phor; flowers, etc. Feed some Brahmins, the poor andthe needy. Give bountifully in charity and receive theLord's blessings.

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-2-:: :r r::.::::::::: r: r: :::::::r:::::::::::::::: :::::::a:: r::::r:::::::r 1r:::::::::-:::::::::..!;i:a:i::;iia:i:i:,',"*=.=,","*=,'.?.-ljP"lJ.,lI1"=,"i;i;i;i:i:;;:;a:i:i:i;i;,;a:trDEEPAVALI or Diwali means "a row of lights". It fallson the last two days of the dark half of Kartik(October-November). For some it is a three-day festival.It commences with the Dhan-Teras, on the l3th day ofthe dark half of Kartik, followed the next day by theNarak Chaudas, the 14th day, and by Deepavali properon the 15th day.

There are various alleged origins attributed to thisfestival. Some hold that they celebrate the marriage ofLakshmi with Lord Vishnu. In Bengal the festival isdedicated to the worship of Kali. It also commemoratesthat blessed day on which the triumphant Lord Rama re-turned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana. On this dayalso Sri Krishna killed the demon Narakasura.In South India people take an oil bath in the morn-ing and wear new clothes. They partake of sweetmeats.They light fireworks which are regarded as the effigiesof Narakasura who was killed on this day. They greetone another, asking, "Have you had your Ganges bath?,,which actually refers to the oil bath that morning as it isregarded as purifying as a bath in the holy Ganges.

Everyone forgets and forgives the wrongs done by(20)


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DEEPAVALIothers. There is an air of freedom, festivity and friendli-ness everywhere. This festival brings about unity. It in-stils charity in the hearts of people. Everyone buys newclothes for the family. Employers, too, purchase newclothes for their employees.

Waking up during the Brahmamuhurta (at 4 a.m.)is a great blessing from the standpoint of health, ethicaldiscipline, efficiency in work and spiritual advance-ment. It is on Deepavali that everyone wakes up early inthe morning. The sages who instituted this custom musthave cherished the hope that their descendents wouldrealise its benefits and make it a regular habit in theirlives.In a happy mood of great rejoicing village folkmove about freely, mixingwith one anotherwithout anyreserve, all enmity being forgotten. People embrace oneanother with love. Deepavali is a great uniffing force.Those with keen inner spiritual ears will clearly hear thevoice of the sages, "O Children of God! unite, and loveall". The vibrations produced by the greetings of lovewhich fill the atmosphere are powerful enough to bringabout a change of heart in every man and woman in theworld. Alas! That heart has considerably hardened, andonly a continuous celebration of Deepavali in ourhomes can rekindle in us the urgent need of tumingaway from the ruinous path of hatred.

On this day Hindu merchants in North India opentheir new account books and pray for success and pros-

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HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSperity during the coming year. The homes are cleanedand decorated by day and illuminated by night withearthern oil-lamps. The best and finest illuminations areto be seen in Bombay and Amritsar. The famous GoldenTemple at Amritsar is lit in the evening with thousandsof lamps placed all over the steps of the big tank.Vaishnavites celebrate the Govardhan Puja and feed thepoor on a large scale.

O Ram! The light of lights, the self-luminous innerlight of the Self is ever shining steadily in the chamberof your heart. Sit quietly. Close your eyes. Withdraw thesenses. Fix the mind on this supreme light and enjoy thereal Deepavali, by attaining illumination of the soul.He who Himself sees all but whom no one beholds,who illumines the intellect, the sun, the moon and thestars and the whole universe but whom they cannot illu-mine, He indeed is Brahman, He is the inner Self. Cele-brate the real Deepavali by living in Brahman, and enjoythe eternal bliss of the soul.

The sun does not shine there, nor do the moon andthe stars, nor do lightnings shine and much less fire. A11the lights of the world cannot be compared even to a rayof the inner light of the Self. Merge yourself in this lightof lights and enjoy the supreme Deepavali.Many Deepavali festivals have come and gone. Yetthe hearts of the vast majority are as dark as the night ofthe new moon. The house is lit with lamps, but the heartis full of the darkness of ignorance. O man! wake up


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DEEPAVALIfrorn the slumber of ignorance. Realise the constant andeternal light of the Soul which neither rises nor sets,through meditation and deep enquiry.

May you all attain full inner illumination! May thesupreme light of lights enlighten your understanding!May you all attain the inexhaustible spiritual wealth ofthe Self'! May you all prosper gloriously on the materialas well as spiritual planes!

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DURGA PUIA OR NAVARATRISALUTATIONS to the Divine Mother, Durga, whoexists in all beings in the form of intelligence, mercy,beauty, who is the consort of Lord Shiva, who creates,sustains and destroys the universe.

This festival is observed rwice a year, once in themonth of Chaitra and then in Aswayuja. It lasts for ninedays in honour of the nine manifestations of Durga.During Navaratri (the word literally means "ninenights") devotees of Durga observe a fast. Brahmins arefed and prayers are offered for the protection ofhealthand property.

The beginning of summer and the beginning ofwinter are two very important junctions of climatic andsolar influence. These two periods are taken as sacredopportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother.They are indicated respectively by the Rama-Navaratriin Chaitra (April-May) and the Durga Navaratri inAswayuja (September-October). The bodies and mindsofpeople undergo a considerable change on account ofthe changes in Nature. Sri Rama is worshipped duringRamnavmi, and Mother Durga during Navaratri.

The Durga Puja is celebrated in various parts of In-(24)


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DURGAPUJAORNAVARATRI 25dia in different styles. But the one basic aim of this cele-bration is to propitiate Shakti, the Goddess in Her aspectas Power, to bestow upon man all wealth, auspicious-ness, prosperity, knowledge (both sacred and secular),andallotherpotentpowers.Whateverbetheparticularor special request that everyone may put before theGoddess, whatever boon may be asked of Her, the onething behind all these is propitiation, worship and link-ing oneself with Her. There is no other aim' This is beinge$ected consciously or unconsciously' Everyone isblessed with Her loving mercy and is protected by Her'

Durga Puja or Navaratri commences on the firstand ends on the tenth day of the bright half of Aswayuja(September-October)' It is held in commemoration ofthe victory of Durga over Mahishasura, the buf-falo-headed demon. In Bengal Her image is worshippedfor nine days and then cast into water' The tenth day iscalled Vrjaya Dasami or Dussera (the "tenth day")' Pro-cessions with Her image are taken out along the streetsof villages and cities.

The mother of Durga (that is, the wife of the Kingofthe Himalayas) longedto see her daughter' Durgawaspermitted by Lord Shiva to visit her beloved motheronty for nine days in the year. The festival of Durga Pujamarks this brief visit and ends with the Vijaya Dasamiday, when Goddess Durga leaves for Her retum toMount Kailas. This is the view of some devotees'

In Bengal, Durga Puja is a gteat festival' All who


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26 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSlive away from home return during the puja days. Moth_ers reunite with their sons and daughters, and wiveswith their husbands.

The potter shows his skill in making images, thepainter in drawing pictures, the songster in playing onhis instrument, and the priest in riciting ihe- sal.edbooks. The Bengalis save money throughout the yearonly to spend everything during the puja days. Cloih isfreely distributed to the Brahmins.

The woman of Bengal welcomes the Goddess witha mother's love and sends away the image on the lastday, with every ceremony associated with a daughter,sdeparture to her husband,s home and with mJtherlytears in her eyes. This signifies the parting of Durga -,from Her beloved mother.Durga Puja is the greatest Hindu festival in whichGod is adored as Mother. Hinduism is the only religion

in the world which has emphasised to such an Lxtent themotherhood of God. One,s relationship with one,smother is the dearest and the sweetest of all human rela_tions. Hence, it is proper to look upon God as mother.Durga represents the Divine Mother. She is the en_ergy aspect of the Lord. Without Durga, Shiva has noexpression and without Shiva, Durga has no existence.Shiva is the soul of Durga; Durga is identical withShiva. Lord Shiva is only the silent witness. He is mo_tionless, absolutely changeless. He is not affected by thecosmic play. It is Durga who does everything.


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DURGA PUJA OR NAVARATRI

MOTHER DURGAThe Saviour frorn all Sorrows and Dangers

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HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSShakti is the omnipotent power of the Lord, or theCosmic Energy. The Divine Mother is represented ashaving ten different weapons in Her hands. She sits on alion. She keeps up the play of the Lord through the threeattributes of Nature, namely, Sattua, Rajas and Tamas.Knowle_dge, peace, lust, anger, greed, .goir. and pride,are all Her forms.You will find in the Devi Sukta of the Rig VedaSamhita that Vak, symbolising speech, the daug-hter ofthe sage Anbhirna, realised her identity with the DivineMother, the Power of the Supreme Lord, which mani_fests throughout the universe among the gods, among

men and beasts and among the creatures-of the deefocean.In the Kena Upanishad, you will find that the Di_vine Mother shed wisdom on Indra and the gods andsaid that the gods were able to defeat the dem-ons onlywith the help of the power of the Supreme Lord.The worship of Devi, the universal Mother, leadsto the attainment of knowledge of the Self. The siory inthe Kena Upanishad known as the ..yaksha prasia,,,supports this view. It tells how Uma, the Divine Mother,taught the Truth to the gods. Goddess Shakti thus shedswisdom on Her devotees.Devi worship is, therefore, worship of God,s gloryof God's greatness and supremacy.It is adoration of tn.Almighty. It is unfortunate that Devi is ignorantly un_derstood by many as a mere blood-thirsty Hindu God_


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DURGAPUJAORNAVARATRI 29dess. No! Devi is not a vicious demoness nor is She theproperty of the Hindus alone. Devi does not belong toany religion. Devi is that conscious power of God. Thewords Devi, Shakti, etc., and the ideas of different formsconnected with these names are concessions granted bythe sages due to the limitations of the human intellect;they are by no means the ultimate definitions of Shakti.

The original or Adi Shakti is beyond human com-prehension. Bhagavan Krishna says in the Gita: "This isonly My lower nature. Beyond this is My higher nature,the life-principle which sustains the universe".

The upanishad also says: "The supreme power ofGod is manifested in various ways. This power is of thenature of God, manifesting as knowledge, strength andactivity".

Truly speaking, all beings in the universe areShakti-worshippers, whetherthey are aware of it ornot,for there is no one who does not love and long for powerin some form or other. Physicists and scientists havenow proved that everything is pure, imperishable en-ergy. This energy is only a form of divine Shakti whichexists in every form.

A child is more familiar with the mother than withthe father, because the mother is very kind, loving, ten-der and affectionate and looks after the needs of thechild. In the spiritual field also, the aspirant or the devo-tee-the spiritual child-has an intimate relationshipwith the Mother Durga, more than with the Father


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30 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSShiva. Therefore, it behoves the aspirant to approach theMother first, who then introduces Her spiritual child tothe Father for his illumination.

The Mother's Grace is boundless. Her mercy is il-limitable; Her knowledge infinite; Her power immeas-urable; Her glory ineffable; and Her splendourindescribable. She gives you material prosperity as wellas spiritual freedom.Approach Her with an open heart. Lay bare yourheart to Her with frankness and humility. Be as simpleas a child. Kill ruthlessly the enemies of egoism, cun-ningness, selfishness and crookedness. Make a total, un-

reserved, and ungrudging self-surrender to Her. SingHer praise. Repeat Her Name. Worship Her with faithand unflinching devotion. Perform special worship onthe Navaratri days. Navaratri is the most suitable occa-sion for doing intense spiritual practices. These ninedays are very sacred to the Divine Mother. plunge your-self in Her worship. Practise intense repetition of the Di-vine Name, having a regular "quota" of repetitions perday, and the number of hours spent on it.Devi fought with Bhandasura and his forces fornine days and nine nights. This Bhandasura had a won-

derful birth and life. When Lord Shiva bumt Cupid withthe fire of His "third eye", Sri Ganesha playfullymoulded a figure out of the ashes, and the Lord breathedlife into it! This was the terrible demon Bhandasura. Heengaged himself in great penance and on account of it,


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DURGA PUJA ORNAVARATRI

MOTHER KALIThe Destroyer of Dernoniac Attributes

3l


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32 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSobtained a boon from Lord Shiva. With the help of thatboon, he beggn harassing the worlds. The DivineMother fought with him for nine nights (the demonshave extraordinary strength during the night), and killedhim on the evening of the tenth day, known as the VijayaDasami. The learning of any science is begun on thishighly auspicious day. It was on this day that Arjunaworshipped Devi, before starting the battle against theKauravas on the field of Kurukshetra.

Sri Rama worshipped Durga at the time of the fightwith Ravana, to invoke Her aid in the war. This was onthe days preceding the Vrjaya Dasami day. He foughtand won through Her Grace.In days of yore, kings used to undertake ambitiousexpeditions on the day of the Vijaya Dasami. Thosekings who did not go on such expeditions used to go outhunting in the deep forests. In Rajputana, India, even upto this date, people arrange mock attacks on some forton Vijaya Dasami.

This day, however, has much to do with the life ofSri Rama. Nowhere in the history of the world can wefind a parallel to the character of Sri Rama as a man, son,brother, husband, father or king. Maharishi Valmiki hasexhausted the entire language in describing the glory ofSri Rama. And, we shall be rightly celebrating theDussera if we make honest efforts to destroy the demonof our ego, and radiate peace and love wherever we go.Let us all resolve to become men of sterling character.


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DURGA PUJA ORNAVARATRI 33Let us resolve and act. The story of Sri Rama is knownin almost all parts of the globe, and if we but succeed infollowing even a hundredth part of His teachings, weshall make our lives more fragrant than the rose andmore lustrous than gold!

Dussera can also be interpreted as "Dasa-Hara",which means the cutting of the ten heads of Ravana. So,let us resolve today to cut the ten heads-passion, pride,anger, greed, infatuation, lust, hatred, jealousy, selfish-ness and crookedness-of the demon, Ego, andthus jus-tify the celebration of Dussera.

Religious observances, traditional worship and ob-servances at times have more than one significance.Apart from being the adoration of the Divine, they com-memorate stirring events in history they are allegoricwhen interpreted from the occult standpoint and, lastly,they are deeply significant pointers and revealingguides to the individual on his path to God-realisation.Outwardly, the nine-day worship of Devi is a cele-bration of triumph. This nine days'celebration is offeredto the Mother for Her successful struggle with the for-midable demons led by Mahishasura. But, to the sincerespiritual aspirant, the particular division of theNavaratri into sets of three days to adore different as-pects of the Supreme Goddess has a very sublime, yetthoroughly practical truth to reveal. In its cosmic aspect,it epitomises the stages of the evolution of man intoGod, from Jivahood (the state of individualisation) to


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34 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSShivahood (the state of Self-realisation). In its individ-ual import, it shows the course that his spiritual practiceshould take.

Let us, therefore, examine in detail the spiritualsignificance of Navaratri.The central purpose of existence is to recognise

your etemal identity with the supreme Spirit. It is togrow into the image of the Divine. The supreme Oneembodies the highest perfection. It is spotless purity. Torecognise your identity with That, to attain union withThat, is verily to grow into the very likeness of the Di-vine. The aspirant, therefore, as his initial step, has toget rid of all the countless impurities, and the demonia-cal elements that have come to cling to him in his em-bodied state. Then he has to acquire lofty virtues andauspicious, divine qualities. Thus purified, knowledgeflashes upon him like the brilliant rays of the sun uponthe crystal waters of a perfectly calm lake.

This process demands a resolute will, determinedeffort, and arduous struggle. In other words, strengthand infinite power are the prime necessity. Thus it is theDivine Mother who has to operate through the aspirant.

Let us now consider how, on the first three days,the Mother is adored as supreme power and force, asDurga the Terrible. You pray to Mother Durga to destroyall your impurities, your vices, yow defects. She is tofight with and annihilate the baser animal qualities inthe spiritual aspirant, the lower, diabolical nature in


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DURGAPUJAORNAVARATRI 35him. Also, She is the power that protects your spiritualpractice from its many dangers and pitfalls. Thus thefirst three days, which mark the first stage or the de-struction of impurity and determined effort and struggleto root out the evil tendencies in your mind, are set apartfor the worship of the destructive aspect of the Mother.

Once you have accomplished your task on the neg-ative side, that of breaking down the impure propensi-ties and old vicious habits, the next step is to build up asublime spiritual personality, to acquire positive quali-ties in place of the eliminated demoniacal qualities. Thedivine qualities that Lord Krishna enumerates in theGita, have to be acquired. The aspirant must cultivateand develop all the auspicious qualities. He has to earnimmense spiritual wealth to enable him to pay the pricefor the rare gem of divine wisdom. If this developmentof the opposite qualities is not undertaken in right ear-nest, the old demoniacal nature will raise its head againand again. Hence, this stage is as important in an aspi-rant's career as the previous one. The essential differ-ence is: the former is a ruthless, determined annihilationof the filthy egoistic lower self; the latter is an orderly,steady, calm and serene effort to develop purity. Thispleasanter side of the aspirant's Sadhana is depicted bythe worship of Mother Lakshmi. She bestows on Herdevotees the inexhaustible divine wealth or DeiviSampath. Lakshmi is the wealth-giving aspect of God.She is purity itself. Thus the worship of Goddess


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36 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSLakshmi is performed during the second set of threedays.

Once the aspirant succeeds in routing out the evilpropensities, and develops Sattvic or pure, divine quali-ties, he becomes competent to attain wisdom. He is nowready to receive the light of supreme wisdom. He is fit torrceive divine knowledge. At this stage comes the de-vout worship of Mother Saraswati, who is divine knowl-edge personified, the embodiment of knowledge of theAbsolute. The sound of Her celestial veena awakens thenotes of the sublime utterances of the Upanishadswhich reveal the Truth, and the sacred monosyllable,Om. She bestows the knowledge of the supreme, mysticsound and then gives full knowledge of the Self as rep-resented by Her pure, dazzling snow-white apparel.Therefore, to propitiate Saraswati, the giver of knowl-edge, is the third stage.

The tenth day, Vrjaya Dasami, marks the trium-phant ovation of the soul at having attained liberationwhile living in this world, through the descent ofknowl-edge by the Grace of Goddess Saraswathi. The soul restsin his own Supreme Self or Satchidananda Brahman.This day celebrates the victory, the achievement of thegoal. The banner of victory flies aloft. Lo! I am He! I amHe!

This arrangement also has a special significance inthe aspirant's spiritual evolution. It marks the indispens-able stages of evolution through which everyone has to


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DURGA PUJA OR NAVARATRI

MOTHER SARASWATHIThe Presiding Deity over Creation and Dissolution

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38 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSpass. One naturally leads to the other; to short-circuitthis would inevitably result in a miserable failure. Now-adays many ignorant seekers aim straight at the cultiva-tion of knowledge without the preliminaries ofpurification and acquisition of the divine qualities' Theythen complain that they are not progressing on the path.How can they? Knowledge will not descend until theimpurities have been washed out, and purity is devel-oped. How can the pure plant grow in impure soil?

Therefore adhere to this alrangement; your effortswill be crowned with sure success. This is your path. Asyou destroy one evil quality, develop the virhre oppositeto it. By this process you will soon bring yourself up tothat perfection which will culminate in identity with theSelf which is your goal. Then all knowledge will beyours: you will be omniscient, omnipotent and you willfeel your omnipresence. You will see your Self in all.You will have achieved eternal victory over the wheel ofbirths and deaths, over the demon of worldliness. Nomore pain, no more misery no more birth, no moredeath! Victory victory be yours!

Glory to the Divine Mother! Let Hertake you, stepby step to the top of the spiritual ladder and unite youwith the Lord!At the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, the follow-ing are the regular features during the Durga Puja cele-brations:

1. A special ritualistic worship of the Mother is


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DURGAPUJAORNAVARATRI 39conducted daily, which includes the recitation of theDurga Saptashati.

2. Laksharchana for the Mother in the temple, withrecitation of the Sri Lalita Sahasranama, is also con-ducted.3. All are exhorted to do the maximum number ofJapa of the Navarna Mantra, Aim hreem kleemchaamundaayai vichci:he, or the Mantra of their own fu-telary Deity.4. An elaborately decorated altar is set up for theevening Satsangs, with the picture of Mother Durga for

the first three days, Mother Lakshmi for the next threedays, and Nlother Saraswathi for the last three days.Many sacred verses from the scriptures are recited andmany Kirtans are sung. The Durga Saptashati or theDevi Mahatmya is recited and explained in discourses.The function concludes with the formal floral worshipand Arati. Sometimes scenes from the Devi Mahatmyaare also enacted.5. Earnest spiritual aspirants fast with milk andfruits only on all the nine days, or at least once in each ofthe three three-day periods.6. Besides the books representing Saraswati, all in-struments and implements like typewriters, printing ma-chinery etc., are also worshipped on the ninth day.7. On the Vijaya Dasami day, all aspirants en masseare given initiation into various Mantras according to


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40 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALStheir tutelary Deities. Deserving aspirants are initiatedinto the holy order of Sannyas. Initiation in the studyof-the alphabets is given to young children, and to theold children also! New students commence their lessonsin music, etc. During the morning Satsang the bookswhich were worshipped on the ninth day are again wor-shipped and a chapter from each of the principal scrip-tures tike the Gita, Upanishads, Brahma Sutras,Ramayana, and Srimad Bhagavatam is recited.

8. On the Vijaya Dasami day, there is Kanya Pujaalso. Nine girls below the age of ten are worshipped asthe embodiment of the Divine Mother. They are fedsumptuously and, amongst other things, presented withnew clothes.

9. On this last day a grand havan is conducted inthe temple, with recitation of the Durga Saptashati andother verses in praise of the Divine Mother.


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-4-GAYATRI IAPA DAYTO BRING to one's mind repeatedly the inspiring livesof great personalities, the wise men of all the ancientreligions had set apart particular days in the year, asspecially sacred and auspicious on their account. Onthese days, nations and races glorify these loftypersonalities; they re-live the spirit of the great events toperpetuate the memory of these great men. Thus we findthat the calendar ofthe Hindus is markedby birthdays ofdivine incarnations, saints and sages, the Gita Jayanthi,Guru Purnima, Shivaratri, Vaikunta Ekadashi, andmany more auspicious occasions. The Gayatri Japa Dayis one such very holy and glorious day intended toremind all of the greatest and most glorious of allMantras, the sacred Gayatri Mantra.

The Gayatri is the life and support of every trueHindu.It is the impregnable spiritual armour, the verita-ble fortress, that guards and protects its votary. In fact,that is the very meaning of the word Gayatri-"thatwhich protects one who sings it".The Gayatri is the divine power that transforms thehuman into the Divine and blesses man with the brilliantlight of the highest spiritual illumination. Whoevermaybe one's favourite Deity, the regular repetition of a few

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42 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSmalas (rosary of a hundred and eight beads) of GayatriJapa every day will shower upon one incalculable bene-fits and blessings. It is universally applicable, beingpurely an earnest prayer for light addressed to the Al-mighty Supreme Spirit. The Para Brahma Gayatri Man-tra is the most important of all Mantras. For everyBrahmin of any creed or order of life, this has been pre-scribed as being the sole transcendental guiding light.The Brahmachari or celibate, the Grihastha or house-holder, and the Vanaprastha or one who is retired, mustrepeat this Mantra every duy; the Sannyasin orrenunciate is asked to repeat Om instead ofthis Mantra.

The nature of the Gayatri Mantra is such that youcan repeat it while meditating on any form you like. It isgenerally conceived of as a female Deity by the majorityof devotees. One who worships God as Mother adheresto this belief. But, in its true light, the Gayatri neverspeaks of a female at all. You cannot find a single wordin the entire Gayatri Mantra, which speaks of a female.The feminine form of the word "Gayatri" cannot makeits Deity a female. It is only the name of its metre andnot the Deity.

Some people think that the Gayatri Mantra is pre-sided over by the sun. In fact, even this idea is to bemodified a little. The sun that it speaks of is not thatwhich shines over this earth before our physical eyes,btt tat savituh or "that Sun", the great Sun which this


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GAYATRI JAPA DAYsun or moon does not illumine, and which is the imper-sonal, absolute Brahman.Therefore, this is the greatest of all - Mantras as itspresiding Deity is none other than Para Brahman Him-self. Hence, why hanker after other Mantras? TheGayatri itself is the crest-jewel or the king of allMantras. It is the most powerful of all Mantras. Nagayatryah paro mantraft-('There is no Mantra greaterthan the Gayatri".

Each word, each letter of the GayatrHears on itshead the highest Vedantic concept of the absolute, su-preme Truth. Do Japa of the Gayatri-it will give youthe most excellent fruit, the fruit of immortality!The Mantra is as follows:

Om bhur bhuvah SvahTat savitur varenyamBhargo devasya dheemahiDhiyo yo nah prachodayaat.

Om: symbolrof Para Brahman.Bhuh: Bhu Loka or the physical plane.Bhuvah: the astral plane. Svah: the celestial plane.Tat: That; the transcendental Paramatma; God.Savituh: the Creator.Varenyam: fit to be worshipped.Bhargah: remover of sins and ignorance; glory ef-

fulgence.

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44 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSDevasya : resplendent, shining.Dheemahi: we meditate.Dhiyah: the intellect, understanding. Yo: who.Nah: our.Prachodayaat : enlighten, guide, impel.MeeNINc: "We meditate on the glory of the Cre-ator who has created the universe, who is fit to be wor-shipped, who is the embodiment of knowledge andlight, who is the remover of all sins and ignorance. May

He enlighten our intellect!"Herein there are five parts: Om is the first part;Bhur bhuvah svah is the second; Tat savitur varenyam isthe third; Bhargo devasya dheemahi is the fourth; andDhiyo yo nah prachodayaat is the last. While chantingthe Mantra you should pause after every part.This rare and most precious divine treasure of theGayatri Mantra is neglected by the youth of the present

day. This is a very serious lapse indeed. Open your eyesnow on this sacred day and start in right earnest the Japaof the Gayatri. Repeat it at least 108 times (1,008 isbetter!) on the Gayaki Japa day. Then continue it (atleast 108 times daily) without missing even a single day.

May the whole world be made Gayatri-consciousthrough the inspiration of the auspicious Gayatri JapaDay! May you all be thrice blessed by taking the vow of


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GAYATRI JAPA DAYdaily Gayatri Japa right from this very moment! Mayyou realise the inner Truth of the Gayatri Mantra!Gayatri Japa is observed on the day after theRaksha Bandhan or Avani Avittam (July-August).


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-5-:::r:::::::::::::t::::1:::3:::::::l::::::t::1:::::::::::::3t:::::::Il:::l:::::::t:::lt:::.,i:i:tr:::,;i;i:i:::,",,,".=,".__g-.L!.-II_3--lt-BIJlL=t!;:;iii:;;i:,;:;i;i:::::a:,;:.,THE FULL moon day in the month of Ashad(July-August) is an exkemely auspicious and holy dayof Guru Purnima. On this day, sacred to the memory ofthe great sage, Bhagavan Sri Vyasa, Sannyasins settle atsome place to study and discourse on the thrice-blessedBrahma Sutras composed by Maharishi Vyasa, andengage themselves in Vedantic, philosophicalinvestigation.

Sri Vyasahas doneunforgettable service to human-ity for all times by editing the four Yedas, writing theeighteen Puranas, the Mahabharata and the SrimadBhagavata. We can only repay the deep debt of grati-tude we owe him, by constant study of his works andpractice of his teachings imparted for the regenerationof humanity in this Iron Age. In honour of this divinepersonage, all spiritual aspirants and devotees performVyasa Puja on this day, and disciples worship their spiri-fual preceptor. Saints, monks and men of God are hon-oured and entertained with acts of charity by all thehouseholders with deep faith and sincerity. The periodChaturmas (the "four months") begins from this day;Sannyasins stay at one place during the ensuing four

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GURU PURNIMArainy months, engaging in the study of the BrahmaSutras and the practice of meditation.

Mark fully the deep significance of this great day.It heralds the setting in of the eagerly awaited rains. Thewater drawn up and stored as clouds in the hot summernow manifests in plentiful showers that usher in the ad-vent of fresh life everywhere. Even so, all begin seri-ously to put into actual practice all the theory andphilosophy that have been stored up in them through pa-tient study. Aspirants cofllmence or resolve to intensifrwith all earnestness, their practical spiritual Sadhanaright from this day.

Generate fresh waves of spirituality. Let all thatyou have read, heard, seen and learnt become trans-formed, through Sadhana, into a continuous outpouringofuniversal love, ceaseless loving service, and continu-ous prayer and worship ofthe Lord seated in all beings.

Live on milk and fruit on this day and practise rig-orous Japa and meditation. Study the Brahma Sutrasand do Japa of your Guru Mantra, during the fourmonths following the Guru Purnima. You will be highlybenefited.

The day of worship of one's preceptor, is a day ofpure joy to the sincere spiritual aspirant. Thrilled by theexpectation of offering his reverent homage to the be-loved Guru, aspirants await this occasion with eager-ness and devotion. It is the Guru alone that breaks the

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48 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSbinding cords of attachment and releases the aspirantfrom the trammels of earthly existence.The Srutis say: "To that high-souled aspirant,whose devotion to the Lord is great and whose devotionto his Guru is as great as that to the Lord, the secrets ex-plained herein become illuminated". Guru is Brahman,the Absolute, or God Himself. He guides and inspiresyou from the innermost core of your being. He is every-where.

Have a new angle of vision. Behold the entire uni-verse as the form of the Guru. See the guiding hand, theawakening voice, the illuminating touch of the Guru inevery object in this creation. The whole world will nowstand transformed before your changed vision. The

. world as Guru will reveal all the precious secrets of lifeto you, and bestow wisdom upon you. The supremeGuru, as manifested in visible nature, will teach you themost valuable lessons of life.Worship daily this Guru of Gurus, the Guru whotaught even the Avadhuta Dattatreya. Dattatreya, re-garded as God and the Guru of Gurus, considered Na-ture Herself as His Guru, and learnt a number of lessonsfrom Her twenty-four creatures, and hence he is said to

have had twenty-four Gurus. The silent, all-enduringearth with its lofty forbearance, the shady fruit-bearingtree with its willing self-sacrifice, the mighty banyantree reposing with patience in the tiny seed, the drops ofrain whose persistence wears away even the rocks, the


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GURU PURNIMAplanets and the seasons with their orderly punctualityand regularity were all divine Gurus to him. They whowill look and listen, will learn.

Become a personification of receptivity. Emptyyourself of your petty ego. All the treasures locked up inthe bosom of Nature will become yours. You will prog-ress and attain perfection in an amazingly short time.Become pure and unattached as the mountainbreeze. Asthe river flows continuously, steadily and constantly to-wards its goal, the ocean, so also let your life flow cease-lessly towards the supreme state of absoluteExistence-Knowledge-Bliss, by letting all yourthoughts, all your words and all your actions be directedonly towards the goal.

The moon shines by reflectingthe dazzling light ofthe sun. It is the fuIl moon on the Purnima day that re-flects in full splendour the glorious light of the sun. Itglorifies the sun. Purify yourself through the fire of self-less service and Sadhana, and like the fulImoon, reflectthe glorious light of the Self. Become the full reflectorsof Brahmic splendour, the light of lights. Make this yourgoal: "I will be a living witness to divinity, the brilliantSun of suns!"The Supreme Self alone is real. He is the Soul ofall. He is all-in-all. He is the essence of this universe. Heis the unity that never admits of a duality under all thevarieties and diversities of nature. Thou art this immor-

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HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALStal, all-pervading, all-blissful Self. Thou art That! Real-ise this and be free.Remember these four important lines of theBrahma Sutras:

I. Athatho Brahma Jijnasaa-Now, therefore, theenquiry of Brahman.2. Janmasyayathah-From which proceed the ori-gin, etc.3. Sastra yonitwat-Ihe scriptures are the meansof right knowledge.4. Tat to samanvayat-For, That is the main sup-port (of the universe).Jaya Guru Shiva Guru Hari Guru Ram;Jagad Guru Param Guru Sat Guru Shyam.It is through the medium of the preceptor that the

individual can raise himself to Cosmic Consciousness.It is through that medium that the imperfect can becomeperfect, the finite can become infinite and the mortal canpass into the eternal life ofblessedness. The Guru is ver-ily a link between the individual and the Immortal. He isa being who has raised himself from this to That andthus has a free and unhampered access to both realms.He stands, as it were, upon the threshold of immortality,and, bending down, he raises the struggling individualswith his one hand, and with the other, lifts them up into


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GURU PURNIMA

the kingdom of everlasting joy and infinite Truth-Con-sciousness.

Do you realise now the sacred significance and thesupreme importance of the Guru's role in the evolutionof man? It was not without reason that the India of thepast carefully tended and kept alive the lamp of Guru-Tattva. It is therefore not without reason that India, yearafter year, age after age,. commemorates anew this an-cient concept of the Guru, adores it and pays homage toit again and again, and thereby re-affirms its belief andallegiance to it. For, the true Indian knows that the Guruis the only guarantee for the individual to transcend thebondage ofsorrow and death, and experience the Con-sciousness of the Reality.

Give up the delusive notion that to submit to thepreceptor, to obey him and to carry out his instructions,is slavish mentality. Only the ignorant man thinks that itis beneath his dignity and against his freedom to submitto another man's command. This is a grave blunder. Ifyou reflect carefully, you will see that your individualfreedom is in reality an absolute abject slavery to yourown ego and vanity. It is the yagary of the sensual mind.He who attains victory over the mind and the ego is thetruly free man. He is the hero. It is to attain this victorythat a man submits to the higher, spiritualised personal-ity of the Guru. By this submission he vanquishes hislower ego and realises the bliss and freedom of the infi-nite Consciousness.

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52 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSTo strengthen and affrrm the faith of the wavering

man and to guarantee the attitude that is necessary forthe fruition of all worship, the ancients have deified thepersonality of the Guru. To adore the Guru is indeed toadore the Supreme. In this world of mortality, the Guruis verily like an ambassador in an alien court. Just as anambassador represents fully the nation to which he be-longs, even so, the Guru is one who is the representativeof the sublime transcendental state which he has at-tained. Just as to honour the ambassador is to honour thenation thathe hails from, even so to worship and to offeradoration to the visible Guru is verily the direct worshipand adoration of the Supreme Reality. Even as a distanttree though it cannot be seen is nevertheless known bythe fragrance its fully-bloomed flowers waft far andwide, so also, the Guru is the divine flowerwho dissem-inates the Atmic aroma of divinity in this world, andthus proclaims the immortal Lord who is invisible to thephysical eye. He is the standing witness to the SupremeSelf the counterpart of the Lord on earth, and throughworship of him one attains the Self.

Remember and adore Sri Vyasa and the Gurus whoare fully established in knowledge of the Self. May theirblessings be upon you! May you cut asunder the knot ofignorance and shine as blessed sages shedding peace,joy and light everywhere!At the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, the GuruPurnima is celebrated every year on a grand scale. Many


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GURU PURNIMAdevotees and aspirants come from all parts of the coun-try. l. All aspirants awake at Brahmamuhurta, at4 o'clock. They meditate on the Guru and chant hisprayers.

2.Later in the day, the sacred worship of the Guru'sFeet is performed. Of this worship it is said in the GuruGita:

Dhyaana moolam guror murtih;Pooja moolam guror padam;Mantra moolam guror valtyam;Moksha moolam guror kripa.

"The Guru's form should be meditated upon; thefeet of the Guru should be worshipped; his words are tobe treated as a sacred Mantra; his Grace ensures finalliberation".3. Sadhus and Sannyasins are then worshipped andfed at noon.

4. There is continuous Satsang during which dis-courses are held on the glory of devotion to the Guru inparticular, and on spiritual topics in general.5. Deserving aspirants are initiated into the HolyOrder of Sannyas, as this is a highly auspicious occa-sion.

6. Devout disciples fast and spend the whole day in

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54 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSprayer. They also take fresh resolves for spiritual prog-rESS.

Wake up at Brahmamuhurta (at 4 a.m.) on this mostholy day. Meditate on the lotus feet of your Guru. Men-tally pray to him for his Grace, through which alone youcan attain Self-realisation. Do vigorous Japa and medi-tate in the early moming hours.After bath, worship the lotus feet of your Guru, orhis image or picfure with flowers, fruits, incense andcamphor.Fast or take only milk and fruits the whole day.In the afternoon, sit with other devotees of yourGuru and discuss with them the glories and teachings ofyour Guru.Alternatively, you may observe the vow of silenceand study the books or writings of your Guru, or men-tally reflect upon his teachings.Take fresh resolves on this holy day, to tread thespiritual path in accordance with the precepts of yourGuru.At night, assemble again with other devotees, andsing the Names of the Lord and the glories of your Guru.The best form of worship of the Guru is to followhis teachings, to shine as the very embodiment of histeachings, and to propagate his glory and his message.


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-6-HOLIIN DAYS of yore, there were communities of cannibalsin India. They did much havoc. They threatened thelives of many innocent people. One of them was Holikaor Putana. She took immense delight in devouringchildren. Lord Krishna destroyed her and thus saved thelittle children. The effigy or figure of Holika is bumt inthe fire up to this day. In South India, the figure of Cupidmade of clay is burnt. This is the origin of the greatfestival of Holi.It commences about ten days before the full moonof the month, Phalgun (February-March), but is usuallyonly observed for the last three or four days, terminatingwith the full moon. This is a spring festival of the Hin-dus. In the spring season all the trees are filled withsweet smelling flowers. They all proclaim the glory andeverlasting beauty of God and inspire you with hope,joy and a new life and stir you on to find out the Creatorand the Indweller, who is hiding Himself in these forms.

Holi is known by the name of Kamadahana inSouth India, the day on which Cupid was burnt by LordShiva.

Another legend has it that once upon a time an old(55)


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56 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSwoman's grandchild was to be sacrificed to a femaledemon named Holika. A Sadhu advised her that abuseand foul language would subdue Holika. The oldwoman collected many children and made them abuseHolika with foul language. The demon fell dead on theground. The children made a bonfire of her remains.

Connected to this Holika-legend is BhaktaPrahlad's devotion to Lord Narayana and his subse-quent escape from death at the hands of Holika.Prahlad's father, Hiranyakashipu, punished him in a va-riety of ways to change his devotional mind and makehim worldly-minded. He failed in all his attempts. Atlast he ordered his sister, Holika, who had a boon to re-main unburnt even inside fire, to take Prahlad on her lapand enter into the blazing flames of the fire. Holika didso. She vanished, but Prahlad remained, laughing. Hewas not affected by the fire on account of the Grace ofLord Narayana.

This same scene is enacted every year to remindpeople that those who love God shall be saved and theythat torture the devotee of God shall be reduced to ashes.When Holika was burnt, people abused her and sangpraises of the Lord and His great devotee, Prahlad. Inimitation of that, people even today use abusive lan-guage, but unfortunately forget to sing the praise of theLord and His devotee!

In North India, people play joyfully with colouredwater. The uncle pumps coloured water on the face and


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HOLIthe body of his nephew. The niece applies colouredpowder on the face of her aunt. Brothers play with sis-ters and cousins.

Huge bundles of wood are gathered and bumt atnight, and everywhere one hears the shouts of "Holi-ho!Holi-ho!" People stand in the streets and pump colouredwater over the body and clothes of any man who passesby, be he a rich man or an officer' There is no restrictionon this day. It is like the April Foo[ day of the Europe-ans. People compose and sing special Holi songs.

During the festival, people clean their houses, re-move all dirty articles around the house and burn them.The disease-breeding bacteria are thereby destroyed.The sanitary condition of the locality is improved. Dur-ing the festival boys dance about in the streets. Peopleplay practical jokes with the passers-by. A bonfire is littowards the close of the festival. Games representing thefrolics of the young Krishna take place around the fire.

On the last day of Holi, people take a little fire fromthis bonfire, to their houses. They believe that theirhouses are rendered pure and free from disease.

Nowadays, people are found to indulge in all sortsof vices in the name of the Holi festival. Some drink in-toxicating liquors like toddy and fall unconscious on theroads. They indulge in obscene speech as a result ofdrinking. They lose respect for their elders and masters.They waste their money in drink and dice-play. Theseevils should be totally eradicated.

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58 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSFestivals like the Holi have their own spiritualvalue. Apart from the various amusements, they createfaith in God when properly observed. Hindu festivals al-ways have a spiritual significance. They wean the manaway from sensual pleasures and take him gradually tothe spiritual path and divine communion. people per-form havan and offer the new grains that are harvestedto the gods before using them.There should be worship of God, religious gather-ings and Kinan of the Lord's Names on such occasions,not mere pumping of coloured water and lighting bon_fires. These functions are to be considered sacred and

spent in devotional prayers, visiting holy places, bath-ing in sacred waters, Satsang with great evolved souls,doing charity to the poor, etc. Then only can Holi be saidto have been properly celebrated. The devotees of theLord remember the delightful pastimes of the Lord onsuch happy occasions.All great Hindu festivals have religious, social andhygienic elements in them. Holi is no exception. Everyseason has a festival of its own. Holi is the great springfestival of India. Being an agricultural country India,stwo big festivals are at harvest time when the barns and

granaries of our farmers are full and they have reason toenjoy the fruits of their hard labour. The harvest seasonis a festive season all over the world.Man wants relaxation and change after hard work.He should be cheered up when he is depressed on ac-


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HOLIcount of work and anxieties. Festivals like these supplyhim with the real food and tonic to restore his cheer andpeace of mind.

The religious element in the Holi festival is theworship of Krishna. In some places it is also called theDol Yatra. The word dol literally means "a swing". Animage of Krishna as a babe is placed in a littleswing-cradle, and decorated with flowers and paintedwith coloured powders. The innocent frolics of littleKrishna with the merry milkmaids (Gopis) of Brindavanare commemorated. Religious people chant the Name ofKrishna and sing Holi-songs relating to the frolics of lit-tle Krishna with the Gopis.The social element in Holi is the uniting or "em-bracing" of the great and the small, of the rich and thepoor, and also amongst the equals. The festival teachesus to "let the dead bury the dead"' Forget the outgoingyear's ill-feelings and begin the New Year with love,sympathy, co-operation and equality with all.-Try to feelthis oneness or unity with the Self also.

Holi also means "sacrifice". Burn all the impuritiesof the mind such as egoism, vanity, lust, etc., through thefire of devotion and knowledge. Ignite cosmic love,mercy, generosity, selflessness, truthfulness and puritythrough the fire of Yogic practice. This is the real spiritof Holi. Get up from the mire of stupidity and absurdityand dive deep into the ocean of divinity.

The call of Holi is to keep always the blaze of

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60 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSGod-love shining in your heart. Inner spiritual illumina-tion is real Holi. The spring season is the manifestationof the Lord according to the Bhagavad Gita. Holi isthere said to be His heart.


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-7-iii::;,;i;iii;:;a:,.,,",,.=.5,l,Lll-.gli-Dll,l--lll:;:;i;;;;;:;i::;i;i.:i;i;:..ON THE full moon day of the month of Kartigai(November-December) which falls on the ascension ofthe Kritigai star, the Hindus celebrate the KartigaiDeepam. It is on this day that the huge beacon is lit onthe holy hill Arunachala, in South India.

Once Lord Shiva assumed the form of a hill atTiruvannamalai in South India. Here He quelled thepride of Brahma and Vishnu who were quarelling as totheir relative greatness. One day, when Lord Shiva wasin meditation, Parvati left Him and went to the hill ofArunachala. There She performed penance. She was theguest of the sage Gautama. It was during Her penancehere that Mahishasura was killed by Durga hidden byParvati. Parvati saw Shiva as Arunachalesvara. She wastaken back by the Lord to His side, and made HisArdhangini once more, that is, She occupied half of thebody of the Lord.

Arunachalesvara is Tejo Lingam. Arunachala orthe Tiruvannamalai Hill is the place that represents thefire element. (The five elements are represented by fiveholy places in India.)

When the light on the top of the Tiruvannamalai(61)


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HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSHill is unveiled on the Kartigai Deepam day, people seethe big light and worship it. They recite again and againin a loud voice "Harohara". The esoteric meaning is thathe who sees the light of lights that is buming eternally inthe chambers of his heart through constant meditationattains immortality. The light on the Arunachala bringsthe message to you that the Self or Lord Shiva is self-ef-fulgent, He is the light of lights.

On the Kartigai Deepam day in South India, peoplemake bonfires in front of temples in the evening. It issaid that Lord Shiva burnt the chariots of several de-mons who were torturing sages and celestials. This bon-fire symbolises this legend.People place rows of earthen lamps in front of theirhouses on the evening of Kartigai Deepam and worshipthe Lord. They also light a variety of fireworks.Annihilate the three impurities, namely, egoism,

selfish action and delusion. Burn the mind, senses andthe desires in the fire of knowledge of the Self or Shiva-Jnanam. Attain full illumination and behold the light oflights, which illumines the mind, intellect, sun, moon,stars, lightning and the fire. This is real KartigaiDeepam.May the light of lights illumine you all! May LordShiva bless you with more light! May you merge in thissupreme light and attain the eternal abode of bliss andimmortality!


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-8-IITAKARA SHANKRANTISALUTAIIONS to the Supreme Lord, the primordialPower that divided the year into the four seasons.Salutations to Surya the Sun-God who on this great dayembarks on His northward journey.

The Sanskrit word "Shankramana" means "to be-gin to move". The day on which the sun begins to movenorthwards is called Makara Shankranti. It usually fallsin the middle of January.Among the Tamilians in South India this festival is

called the Pongal.To many people, especially the Tamilians, theMakara Shankranti ushers in the New Year. The

newly-harvested corn is cooked for the first time on thatday. Joyous festivities mark the celebration in everyhome. Servants, farmers and the poor are fed andclothed, and given presents of money. On the next daythe cow, which is regarded as the symbol of the HolyMother, is worshipped. Then there is feeding of birdsand animals.

In this manner the devotee's heart gradually ex-pands during the course of the celebrations, first em-bracing with its long arms of love the entire household

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64 HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSand neighbours, then the servants and the poor, then thecow and then all other living creatures. Without evenbeing conscious of it, one develops the heart, and ex-pands it to such proportions that the entire universefinds a place in it.

As Shankranti is also the beginning of the month,Brahmins offer oblations to departed ancestors. Thus allthe great sacrifices enjoined upon man, find their dueplace in this grand celebration. The worship of the cos-mic form of the Lord is so well introduced into this thatevery man and woman in India is delightfully led to par-take of it without even being aware of it.

To aspirants all over the world this day has a spe-cial significance. The six-month period during whichthe sun travels northwards is highly favourable to aspi-rants for their march towards the goal of life. It is asthough the aspirant were flowing easily with the currenttowards the Supreme. Paramahamsa Sannyasins roamabout freely during this period, dispelling gloom fromthe hearts of all. Devas and Rishis rejoice at the adventof the new season and readily come to the aid of the as-pirant.The great Bhishma, the grandfather of thePandavas, who was fatally wounded during theMahabharata war, waited on his death-bed of nails forthe onset of this season before finally departing from theearth plane. Let us on this great day pay our homage tohim and strive to become men of firmresolve ourselves!


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MAKARA SHANKRANTIAs already mentioned, this is the Pongal festival in

South India. It is closely connected with agriculture. Tothe agriculturalist, it is a day of triumph. He would haveby then brought home the fruit of his toils. Symboli-cally, the first harvest is offered to the Almighty-andthat is Pongal. To toil was his task, his duty, but the fruitis now offered to Him-that is the spirit of Karma Yoga.The master is not allowed to grab all the harvest forhimself either. Pongal is the festival during which thelandlord distributes food, clothes and money among thelabourers who work under him. What a noble act!-anideal you should constantly keep before you, not onlyceremoniously on the Pongal day but at all times.

Be charitable. Be generous. Treat your servants asyour bosom-friends and brother workers. This is thekeynote of the Pongal festival. Thus would you earntheir loyalty and enduring love.The day prior to the Makara Shankranti, is calledthe Bhogi festival. On this day, old, worn-out and dirtythings are discarded and burnt. Houses are cleaned andwhite-washed. Even the roads are swept clean andlovely designs are drawn with rice-flour. These prac-

tices have their own significance from the point of viewof health. But, here I remind you that it will not do to at-tend to these external things alone. Cleaning the mind ofits old dirty habits of thinking and feeling is more ur-gently needed. Burn them up with a wise and firm re-solve to tread the path of truth, love and purity from this


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HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSholy day onwards. That is the significance of Pongal inthe life of the spiritual aspirant.If you do this, then the.Makara Shankranti has aspecial significance for you. For the sun, symbolisingknowledge, wisdom and spiritual light, which recededfrom you when you revelled in the darkness of igno-rance, delusion and sensuality, now joyously turns on itsnorthward course and rushes towards you, to shed itslight and warmth in greater abundance upon you and toinfuse into you more life and energy.

In fact the sun itself symbolises all that the Pongalfestival stands for. The message of the sun is the mes-sage of light, the message of unity, of impartiality, oftrue selflessness, of the perfection of the elements ofKarma Yoga. The sun shines on all equally; it is the truebenefactor of all beings. Without the sun life wouldper-ish on earth. It is extremely regular and punctual in itsduties and never claims a reward or crave for recogni-tion. Ifyou imbibe these virtues ofthe sun, what doubt isthere that you will shine with equal divine lustre!

He who dwells in the sun, whom the sun does notknow, whose body the sun is and by whose power thesun shines, He is the Supreme Self, the Indweller, theimmortal Essence. Tat Twam Asi-"That thou art".Realise this and be free, here and now, on this holyPongal or Makara Shankranti day. This is my humblePongal prayer to you all.

On the Shankranti day, sweets, puddings and sweet


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MAKARA SHANKRANTI 67rice are prepared in every home, especially in South In-dia. The pot in which the rice is cooked is beautifullyadorned with turmeric leaves and roots, the symbols ofauspiciousness. This cooking itself is done by the ladiesof the household with great faith and devotion, feelingfrom the bottom of their hearts that it is an offering untothe Lord. When the milk in the pot in which the rice iscooked boils over, the ladies and the children get roundthe pot and shout "Pongalo Pongal!" with great joy anddevotion. Special prayers are offered in the temples andhouses. Then the people of the household gather to-gether and eat in an air of lovsand festivity.

There is family re-union in all homes. Brothers re-new their contact with married sisters who have goneaway to live with the husband, by giving the sisterssome presents.The farmer is lovingly greeted by the landlord andis given presents of grains, clothes and money.On the next day, the herds of cows are adornedbeautifully, fed and worshipped. In some villages theyouths demonstrate their valour by taking "the bull bythe hom" (and often win their bride!). It is a great dayfor the cattle.On the same day, young girls prepare various spe-cial dishes-sweet rice, sour rice, rice with coco-nut-and take them to the bank of a river or tank. Theylay some leaves on the ground and place on them ballsof the various preparations for the fish, birds and other


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HINDI IFASTS AND FESTIVALScreatures. It is an extremely colourful ceremony. Thecrows come down in large numbers and partake of thefood. All the time the valuable lesson is driven into ourminds: "Share what you have with all". The crow willcall others before beginning to eat!

Both these days, which are family re-union days,are regarded as being inauspicious for travel. This is toprevent us from going away from home on those days.

When you celebrate the Shankranti or Pongal inthis manner, your sense of values changes. You begin tounderstand that your real wealth is the goodwill andfriendship of your relatives, friends, neighbours, andservants; that your real wealth is the land on which yourfood grows, and the cattle which help you in agricultureand the cow which gives you milk. You begin to havegreater love and respect for them and for all living be-ings-the crows, the fish and all other creatures.

In Maharashtra and in North India, spiritual aspi-rants attach much importance to Makara Shanlranti. Itis the season chosen by the Guru for bestowing hisGrace on the disciple. In the South, too, it should benoted that it was about this time that Mahadeva fa-voured several of the Rishis by blessing them with Hisbeatific vision.


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-9-:: t::I:: 1I:I:::::: l: :::::::: ::::li::::1I::1::-::::::1::::::.i::11:::::A:::::.::::::t:::::.i t,:;i:i:::::,;i:i:,:,".=*,,.,!,1=f.-IAp..l,l!]-.1!ll!_i:i:i::;i:,;a::;:;i:a:::,.,RAKSHABANDHAN is called Avani Avittam in SouthIndia. This falls on the full moon day of the month ofSravan (August-September). It is an important Hindufestival. Hindus wear a new holy thread and offerlibations of water to the ancient Rishis on this day.

Recitation of the Vedas on this great day is highlybeneficial. This festival is also known as Upakarmam,and is specially sacred to the Brahmins who have beeninvested with the sacred thread. When the Brahmin boyis invested with this holy thread, symbolically his thirdeye or th-e eye of wisdom is opened. This festival ofUpakarmam reminds the wearer of the sacred thread ofits glorious spiritual significance. Brahmins also offerlibations with water to their ancestors to whom they owetheir birth and to the Rishis to whom they are indebtedfor their spirinral knowledge and the Vedas themselves.The true Hindu never forgets his benefactors!

The followers of the four differentVedas have theirUpakarmam on different days.On this day, Sachi, the consort of Indra, tied a holythread or amulet around the wrist of Indra when he wasdefeated by the demons. Then Indra, the king of gods,

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HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSgained a victory over the demons, by the power of thisprotection (Raksha means "protection") and recoveredthe lost city of Amaravati.

In North India, on this day, an amulet known as aRakshi or Rakhi, is tied round the wrist of brothers bythe sisters as a protection from evil during the ensuingyear. Brahmins and Purohits similarly tie amulets roundthe wrists of their patrons and receive gifts. A Mantra isrecited when the Rakhi or the silken thread is tied. Thesilken thread is charged with the power of the Mantrawhich is as follows:

Yena baddho balee raajaa daanavendro mahaabalah;Tena twaam anubadhnaami rakshey maa chala maa chala.The power of this Mantra protects the wearer fromevil influences.


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-I0-:::::::I1:t::::::::::::::::::::1::::T::1.::3::::.::.:.::::::::A:i:::3::::::.:::::::::.::::::::..:'.:i:i:i::::r,::..:i:i:nr".rrr.=-T-$IT.*r"-!rl*?*H!;::i;:;i::;r::.::..::..:a::;:s:,.:?THIS FALLS on the 7th day of the bright fortnight ofthe month of Margaseersha (December-January).People worship the sun in the early morning and recitethe Surya Sahasranama. Goodactions done on this daygive manifold results. Brahmins become celestials ifthey fast on this day and worship God; Kshatriyas, thatis, people of the warrior caste, become Brahmins;Vaishyas, the merchants, become Kshatriyas: andSudras or men of the servant caste, become Vaishyas. Ifwomen fast on this day, they attain knowledge andderive virtues. If widows fast on this day, they get rid ofwidowhood from the next birth onwards. Even the sin ofslaying a Brahmin is expiated by the power of fasting onthis day. He who takes a bath at the time of sunrise ispurified like Mother Ganges. He can never become apoor man.

Fast on this day. Observe the vow of silence. Re-main in a solitary place. Do Japa. Practise intense medi-tation with faith and devotion. You are sure to attainGod-realisation on this very day!

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-11-::::::::::iiffi :irffi ffi - ":"::::::THIS FALLS on the first day of the month of Chaitra(March-April) according to Chandramana. This is a dayof rejoicing. This is New Year's Day for the people ofAndhra Pradesh and also the Telugu people all over theworld.

Those who live north of the Vindhya hills observeBarhaspatyamana. Those living south of the Vindhyahills observe Sauramana or Chandramana.There is a peculiarity about the practices of the var-ious sects of Brahmins; one who is not conversant withthem finds it diffrcult to understand their meaning. Eventhough they are all Brahmins, certain differences in theirlineage may be traced among them. These become man-ifest in their distinctive calendars where the dates andmonths vary. Some have calculations according to thesolar system, and others according to the lunar system,with the result that despite all being Brahmins, the NewYear differs among different sects. Thus there is a Tel-ugu New Year's Day, a Tamil New Year's Day, and aNew Year's Day distinct from these in the almanac ofNorth India.

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-t2-i::::r::::::r:1::rr:::::::::::::::::1-::::l::::a:::a:::.:::::::::::::::::::::::a::l::::'::'.VASANTA NAVARATRITHE DIVINE MOTHER or Devi is worshipped duringthe Vasanta Navaratri. This occurs during the spring.She is worshipped by Her own command. You will findthis in the following episode in the Devi Bhagavata.

In days long gone by, King Dhruvasindu was killedby a lion when he went out hunting. Preparations weremade to crown the prince Sudarsana. But, King Yudhajitof Ujjain, the father of Queen Lilavati, and KingVirasena of Kalinga, the father of Queen Manorama,were each desirous of securing the Kosala throne fortheir respective grandsons. They fought with each other.King Virasena was killed in the battle. Manorama fled tothe forest with Prince Sudarsana and a eunuch. Theytook refuge in the hermitage of Rishi Bharadwaja.The victor, King Yudhajit, thereupon crowned hisgrandson, Satrujit, atAyodhya, the capital of Kosala. Hethen went out in search of Manorama and her son. TheRishi said that he would not give up those who hadsought protection under him. Yudhajit became furious.He wanted to attack the Rishi. But, his minister told himabout the truth of the Rishi's statement. Yudhajit re-turned to his capital.

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VASANTANAVARATRI 75them and crowned Sudarsana as the king of Kosala.Sudarsana and Sashikala and the king of Benares im-plicitly carried out the commands of the Divine Motherand performed worship in a splendid manner during theVasanta Navaratri.

Sudarsana's descendants, namely, Sri Rama andLakshmana, also performed worship of Devi during theVasanta Navaratri and were blessed with Her assistancein the recovery of Sita.

It is the devout Hindu's duty to perform the wor-ship of Devi for both material and spiritual welfare dur-ing the Vasanta Navaratri and follow the noble exampleset by Sudarsana and Sri Rama. He cannot achieve any-thing without the Divine Mother's blessings. So, singHer praise and repeat Her Mantra and Name. Meditateon Her form. Do worship. Pray and obtain Her eternalGrace and blessings. May the Divine Mother bless youwith all divine wealth!


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-13-::::r::a:?r::-:::::::::::t::t:::::1:1:::::::::::::tAlt:::.:.:I::1:::1:::::::::::::1:l::::..i:i:i:i::::::;,;i:.=,".,."y*L.-s..f.,Ilf.,l_l.l!._g,I-.+u*1.=,,,,,,.,"=.=.=i::ii:,;,..THIS IS an important bathing day. All Hindus observeit. It is also known as Magh Sukla Panchami as it falls inthe month of Magh (January-February). This is thefestival that marks the first day of spring.

Vasanta means the spring season, which is verycongenial for doing vigorous Yoga Sadhana.Men, women and girls wear yellow cloth. The yel-

low colour is a sign of auspiciousness and spirituality. Itrepresents the ripening of the spring crops. Even thefood is coloured yellow by using safflron. All the folk gettogether and sing songs connected with spring.All get up in the early morning, take bath and wor-

ship the sun, Mother Ganga, the Deity of the sacred riverGanges, and the earth.On this memorable day, Lord Shiva burnt the godof love, Cupid. The gods had sent Cupid to tempt theLord while he was absorbed in Samadhi, in order to be-get a powerful son who would be able to destroy thewicked demon Tarakasura. Cupid discharged an arrowat Lord Shiva from behind a tree. Shiva became verygreatly enraged. He opened His third eye and reduced

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VASANTA PANCHAMICupid to ashes. More details of this story are given inthe chapter on Skanda Sashti.

The Bengalis call this festival Saraswathi Puja.They worship the Goddess Saraswathi on this day. Theimage of the Goddess is taken in procession and im-mersed in the holy Ganges.


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-14-::::::::::i l:::t:::::::::::::: l::::::::1 lt t::::::::a:::-:::a:- l?i:::a::::1. l:1.:.:::::::::::::..,:,;i;;:i::;:;i:i:.,,"._:_._Il,.li3"lIpl_l_$-$l!*a::::::i::;:;::i:i:a::..

SRI APPAYYA Dikshita was bom in the KrishnaPaksha of the Kanya month of Pramateecha Varsha(1544 A.D.) on the auspicious hour and day under theUttaraproshtapada constellation. His Jayanthi is cele-brated every year on 2nd October.

Sri Appayya, the greatest name in the l6th centuryannals of South India, is the reputed author of more than104 books, representative of all branches of knowledgein Sanskrit literature. He attained greatness mainly byhis works on Vedanta. All the schools of Vedanta havedrawn unique and unrivalled authority and support fromhis pen.Of his Vedantic works, the Chaturmata SaraSangrah is justly famous for the impartial justice withwhich he has expounded the tenets of the four greatschools, namely, the Dwaita, Visishtadwaita,Shivadwaita and the Adwaita. This exposition is givenin his Nyaya Muktavali, Nyaya Mukhamalika, NyayaManimala, and Nyaya Manjari (all these together formthe Chaturmata Sara Sangrah).

In almost all branches of Sanskrit learning and lit-erature-poetry, rhetoric, philosophy-his name was(78)


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SRI APPAYYA JAYANTHIpeerless among his contemporaries, or for that matter,for decades after him and till today. His Kuvalayanandais generally the first work of rhetoric that is taken up forstudy. As is usual, Pundit Jagannatha, his contemporaryand rival, levelled some criticism on it in hisRasagangadhara.

His poems inpraise of Lord Shiva are great favour-ites among the worshippers of Shiva. He has also writ-ten a learned commentary entitled Parimalam onVedanta; this is an outstanding monument of his philo-sophic erudition.

He had a gigantic intellect. Great was the reverencepaid to him in his own lifetime; even today he is greatlyrevered. Once he went to the village which was thebirthplace of his wife. A grand reception was accordedto him by the villagers who were proud of calling himone of themselves. There was great excitement. Allhailed him with the words, "The great Dikshita is com-ing amongst us!". There was no other talk among thevillagers for days before the event. The day came, andthe distinguished guest, Appayya Dikshita, was greetedby crowds of people who flocked to have a sight of thegrand lion of learning.An old lady, curious to a degree, came out, staff inhand, to see the phenomenon; with the freedom that isconceded to one of her age, she made her way easilythrough the crowd and looked at him steadily for some


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HINDU FASTS AND FESTIVALSminutes. Dim recollections of a face, floated in hermind.Definitely recalling the face, she exclaimed, ..Ihave seen this face somewhere. Wait. Oh yes! are younot the husband of A

Hindu Fasts and Festivals by Swami Sivananda

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