MEERA S. SASHITAL tells us about the importance of Shravan Purnima.
The Full Moon Day of Shravan or Shravan Purnima boasts of three festivals which simultaneously fall on this day. It is celebrated in three different ways viz., on this day of Shravan Full Moon Day are Narali Purnima, Raksha Bandhan and Shravani Purnima or Upakarmam.
On this Full Moon day of Shravan the ocean is worshipped with chanting of mantras and coconuts are thrown into it as offerings. Hence the name Narali from ‘naral’ meaning coconut, the coconut day. From this day the south-west monsoon is supposed to abate, and fisher-folks resume their trade. According to some, throwing of coconuts into the sea is an offering to the “Food giving Goddess” of the water whereas others say the offering is for Varun (Neptune) the Vedic God of the Ocean. Great fairs are held on the sea-shores observing gaiety.
On this auspicious day of Shravan Purnima also falls the most sentimental of festivals viz. Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan. A Rakhi or amulet, made of silk thread, silver wire, gold wire or of any or more costly make, according to one’s means, is tied round the wrist of brothers by their sisters as a charm protecting them from evil or harm through their lives. The sister seeks in return her brother’s help when in trouble. The Rakhi name derives from the word ‘Raksha’ that is ‘to protect’. It symbolizes the abiding and chaste bond of love between the brothers and sisters. This delicate cord tied by the sister to the brother on this day pulsates with this sublime sentiment.
There are touching abounding episodes of women seeking protection from even far-off, unacquainted rival heroes through Rakhi to save their husbands’ lives. A story is told of Alexander’s wife approaching his mighty Hindu adversary Pururavas and tying Rakhi on his wrist, seeking assurance from him for saving the life of her husband on the battlefield. And the great Hindu King as a true Kshatriya kept his word. The legend goes, just as he raised his hand to deliver a mortal blow to Alexander, he saw the Rakhi on his own hand and restrained from striking his enemy.
This little precious cord has no barriers. Rakhi had cast spell on those of alien faiths even. There is the poignant story of the princess of a small Rajput principality. It seems the princess sent a Rakhi to the Moghul Emperor Humayun to save her honour from the onslaught of the Gujrat Sultan. The Emperor was engaged in an expedition against Bengal but he immediately turned back and hastened to the rescue of his Rakhi sister. But alas, to his utmost sorrow, the kingdom was already overrun and the princess had committed ‘Jauhaar’, i.e. leaped into the flames to save her honour.
The Raksha has several similar associations. The following couplet is recited, especially in the northern parts, while tying Rakhi. It denotes how the King Bali had become so powerful with the Rakhi on: “I am tying a Rakshaa to you, similar to the one tied to Bali the powerful king of demons. Oh, Rakshaa, Be firm, do not waver.”
Rakhi means a symbol of ‘protection’ ( Raksha) or an amulet or the thread. As such on this Shravan Purnima day Sachi the consort of Indra, tied a holy thread or the amulet around the wrist of Indra when he was defeated by the demons. Then Indra, the king of Gods gained a victory over the demons by the power of this ‘protection’ or Raksha and recovered the lost city of Amaravati. Many a times we see black or red cords on the wrists of children or people too implying ‘protection’.
Raksha Bandhan is called Avani Avittam in South India which falls on this day of Shravan Purnima or Full Moon day of the month of Shravan. It is an important Hindu festival when they wear a new holy thread and offer libations of water to the ancient Rishis on this day. This festival is also known as Upakarmam and is specially sacred to the Brahmins who have been invested with this holy thread. This is the day of Shravani Purnima too when all Brahmins renew their sacred thread which they wear. It is the purificatory ceremony, with the object of absolving themselves from the sins of omission and commission they may have been guilty of during the past year. It is known as ‘rik’shravani and yajuh shravani, from the two distinct divisions of the Brahmans known as Rigvedi and Yajurvedi. All Brahmins who have been initiated and wear the thread renew it. There is an elaborate ceremony where the family priest begins the function by worshipping Lord Ganesha and lights a sacrificial fire reciting mantras and prayers. Eight suparis or betel nuts or eight Darbha (sacrificial grass) rings are placed on a tray representing the seven Rishis and Arundhati which are worshipped with flowers etc. Again tarpan or libations of water in the name of the departed spirits is offered. Then the old thread is cast off in the sacrificial fire and a new thread with a three-fold twist is worn after reciting the Gayatri Mantra. Lastly follows the the worship of Brahma by offering of rice and flowers in the fire and distributing gifts to priests and Brahmins.
Almost similar to the above, on this Shravan Purnima day is observed the ‘Pavitraropana’. Pavitras or Ponvates which are rings, wristlets or necklets are made from strands of cotton threads of varying length, number of twists and knots. These strands or Ponvates are then washed, consecrated with mantras and offered to different Gods and the family priest. The best Ponvate is, it seems, of nine-stranded with one hundred and eight twists and twenty-four knots. Some change the sacred threads or offer the Ponvates on Purnima or on the previous day according to the position of the moon at the constellation in Shravan.
Thus these festivals, viz.,Narali Purnima, Raksha Bandhan and Upakarmam or changing of the sacred invested thread of the Brahmins combining together make the Full Moon Day of the month of Shravan literally a great day. Especially the custom of Raksha Bandhan stirs up one of the deepest and noblest emotions in the human breast – the abiding and chaste bond of love between the brother and
sister and fosters brotherhood.
