‘Sharad’ is one of our six annual ‘ritus’ (seasons) and corresponds to autumn. Drying heat and sweeping floods mark the earlier two rutus, the Grishma and Varsha respectively. After the scorching heat and heavy rains come the Sharad rutu which is warmly welcomed. Sharad is pleasant, easy to bear, and brings many festivals with it – ‘Sharad Navaratri’ is the most prominent among these. The next two rutus that follow Sharad are Hemanta and Shishir, colder times that restrict human activities. The wait for aspirational Vasant ritu, the spring season is much longer. Hence, is the importance of Sharad.
Sharad ritu stands for pleasantness and festivities. Mother Goddess arrives during Sharad season, and the festival is celebrated as ‘Navaratri’. Closely following is the month of Kartika, another auspicious month. Naturally, the blessing and the wish is for living a hundred such ‘Sharads’. Thus, we have ‘Jeevema Sharadah Shatam’, blessing and longing to live for a hundred (Shatam) such Sharads.
The active human lifespan is expected to be hundred years. It is said that during ‘Kalyug’ the lifespan is the shortest. Traditional astrology (Jyotishya) gives it a hundred and twenty. The total of any person’s ‘Nakshatra Dashas’ adds up to a hundred and twenty. Shukra/Venus mahadasha is the longest at twenty years, and the shortest one is of six years, of Surya/Sun. The ‘Rashi Dasha’ system given by Jaimini Rishi though is more uniform and gives ten years for each of the twelve rashis, again adding up to a hundred and twenty.
Thus, by discounting the early and the last few years, the active phase of human life can be hundred years. ‘Shatamanam bhavati shatayu’ is the customary blessing at the end of traditional ceremonies. Thus, the wish/blessing is that we may – see a hundred Sharads (Pashyema Sharadah Shatam), live (Jeevema Sharadah Shatam), hear (Shravanema Sharadah Shatam), and enjoy (Mudema Sharadah Shatam) is heartful and cheering. For this to happen one’s body needs to be healthy, manas and buddhi have to be active, the person should be able to hear clearly and see sharply even at a hundred plus, and needs to be surrounded by pleasant times. With this, our lives can become a fulfillment, a celebration, and a long one too, of hundred years!
(Dr. S. Ainavolu is a professor at VPSM, Navi Mumbai. Views are personal. Read more articles at: https://www.ainavolu.in/)
