Rakhi:- In India, Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi is a festival which is celebrated to symbolize the strong bond between the brothers and sisters and the love and affection shared between them. The day symbolizes re-unification of brother and sister and the respect for all women in the society. It gives every man the noble outlook to respect every woman. It is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravana in India. The tradition of celebrating this festival started in the ancestral period and till date people consider it a must to express their affection in a traditional manner. Here are the tales from history and mythology related with Raksha bandhan . 1.Rani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun A popular narrative that is centered around Rakhi is that Rani(queen) of chittor “Karnavati” and Mughal Emperor ”Humayun”, ( dates about 1535 CE). When Rani Karnavati, the widowed queen of the king of Chittor, realised that she could not defend against the invasion by the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a Rakhi to Emperor Humayun. Touched, the Emperor immediately set off with his troops to defend Chittor.Humayun arrived too late, and Bahadur Shah managed to sack the Rani’s fortress. Karnavati, along with a reported about 13,000 other women in the fortress, carried out Jauhar(sucide) on March 8, 1535, killing themselves to avoid dishonor while the men threw the gates open and rode out on a suicidal charge against Bahadur Shah’s troops. When he reached Chittor, Humayun evicted Bahadur Shah from fort and restored the kingdom to Karnavati’s son, Vikramjit Singh. 2.Krishna and Draupadi The mythological story of Lord Krishna and Draupadi (the wife of the five Pandavas) is one of the most popular rakhi stories. The importance of the festival reflects in Mahabharata epic depicting the evergreen story of Lord Krishna and Draupadi. It is generally believed that the original ritual of Rakhi began with Draupadi and Krishna during the epic war. Once, on a Sankranti day, Krishna cut his finger while handling sugarcane. Draupadi came forward and tore off a part of her sari and bandaged his finger. In return for her kind deed, Krishna promised to protect her all throughout her life. That was how Draupadi was saved from embarrassment on the day she was disrobed in full public view in king Dritarashtra’s court. Thus, it is a reflection of the pure bond between a brother and sister. The thread of Rakhi and the story of Krishna and Draupadi tells us about the element of faith and emotional security amongst the siblings. 3.Yama and Yamuna One of the most fascinating stories on Raksha Bandhan is that of Yama and Yamuna. Their story stands for the chaste brother-sister love and sacrifice. This day stands for the re-unification of brother and sister. It also symbolizes the society’s respect for all women. The day gives every man the noble outlook to consider every woman as mother or sister. There are several versions of the legend of Yama and Yamuna. According to the Shiv Puranas Vivasana or the Sun was married to Samjna (Tvashta’s / Vishwakarma’s daughter). It states that Samjna is more beautiful than her husband (From Rig Veda and Harivamsa) and probably has more power than her husband. They have three children, Manu, Yama and Yamuna. But unable to bear Sun’s dark form, Samjna flees back to her father. She creates a shadow woman of her own, Chaaya, and asks her to stay with her husband. Chaaya and Sun have a son of their own. And like the stereotypical step mother, Chaaya paid more attention to her own son. Manu accepted the situation as it is, but Yama revolted. “In his anger and childishness, and through the force of future destiny, Yama threatened the shadow of Samjna with his foot.” [Splitting the Difference: Gender and Myth in Ancient Greece and India by Wendy Doniger]. As a result, Chaaya cursed Yama “Let that foot of yours fall”. Yama went and reported it to Sun and also asked him to revert the curse. Sun deduced that Chhaya could not be Yama’s mother. He grasped Chhaya by the hair and the truth came out. Sun then went to Tvashta in search of Samjna. It was discovered that Samjna had done all this because she could not bear the energy of her husband. Tvashta chiseled off some of Sun’s energy so that his radiance become muted. On this occasion, Sun saves Yama from Death , but not from mutilation (owning to the curse). As a result, Yama becomes the god of Death (Rig Veda). He also became an embodiment of the first step in the eigthfold path of yogic discipline. Yama and Tamuna, the first mortal twins of Sun, loved each other a lot. As Yama becomes the king of the Land of the Dead, Yamuna mourned for her brother whom she would never see again. She wept until the gods decided to turn her into Yamini, the goddess of the night, who bridges the despair of sunset with the hope of sunrise. From Yami’s tears flowed the river Yamuna. This occasion is celebrated all over the world with a lot of love. Brothers and sisters are blessed by Lord Yama and Goddess Yamuna on this auspicious day. This ritual is a sorrowful reminder of the parting faced by Yama and Yamuna. On this day the brother pays a visit to his married sister’s house, reminding that he has not forgotten her and that childhood memories are still fresh. 4.Ganesha and his sister Manasa Although this tale does not originate from the Hindu scriptures, the birth of Goddess Santoshi Maa has been related to the festival of Raksha Bandhan. It is believed that on the auspicious day of Rakhi, Lord Ganesha’s sister Manasa visits him to tie him the rakhi. On seeing this, Ganesha’s sons- Shubha and Labha become curious and insist for a sister. Finally, Ganesha gave in to their demands and creates goddess Santoshi (literally the Mother Goddess of Satisfaction) from the divine flames that are said to have emerged from his consorts- Riddhi and Siddhi. 5.Alexander the Great and King Porus (Puru) The bond of love between a brother and sister is well etched in the true historical story of Alexander and Puru (Porus/Poros). The story of Alexander’s wife and King Puru has been recorded as a true story in the pages of history. King Puru (Purushottama) is a personification of a true brother who would do anything to protect his sister and save her honor. According to the story, Alexander, the king of Greece invaded India in 326 B.C. He married an Indian lady, Roxana (Roshanak) to cement his relations with the new Central Asian regions. On the way to Takshshila, Alexander had a fierce battle with Ashwakas but managed to defeat them. On reaching Takshshila, he entered into an alliance with King Ambhi. The neighboring King Puru was Ambhi’s enemy. Ambhi had planned to destroy Puru using Alexander. Several other rulers also pitched in to help Alexander. On reaching Takshshila, he entered into an alliance with King Ambhi. The neighboring King Puru was Ambhi’s enemy. Ambhi had planned to destroy Puru using Alexander. Several other rulers also pitched in to help Alexander. Roxana was aware of King Puru’s fierce wrath and approached him. She tied a Rakhi to him, and Puru accepted her as his own sister and welcomed her with warmth. During the war between Puru and Alexander there was a moment when Alexander fell from his beloved horse and Puru was about to kill him. But he remembered the oath made to his sister, through the bond of Rakhi tied upon his wrist. Therefore he refrained from slaying him and thus ultimately lost the battle. This story is a living example of the sacrifices made by a brother to protect his sister. Roxana was not related to Puru by blood. Yet the thread of Rakhi was enough for him to protect his sister’s life and love – and by doing so, he lost the battle. This is the intensity of the festival of Raksha Bandhan. Life, love or property, a brother sacrifices all for his sister. The bravery, war skills and princely attitude of Puru much impressed Alexander, who allowed him to rule Hydaspes in Alexander’s name. Wounded in his shoulder, standing at over 1.8 m (6 feet) tall, he was asked by Alexander how he wished to be treated. “As a king should treat a king” Puru responded. Alexander would indeed treat him like a king, allowing him to retain his kingship. The Macedonian regent founded two cities, one at the spot of the battle called Nicaea (Greek for Victory) in commemoration of his success and one on the other side of the Hydaspes called Alexandria Bucephalus, to honor his faithful steed, which died soon after this battle. In 326 BC, the army of Alexander the Great approached the boundaries of the Magadha. His army, exhausted from the continuous campaigning and frightened at the prospect of facing yet another gigantic Indian army, demanded that they should return to the west. This happened at the Hyphasis (modern Beas), the exact spot being believed to be at ‘Kathgarh’ in Indora tehsil of Himachal Pardesh with nearest rail head at Pathankot, Punjab). Alexander finally gave in and turned south, along the Indus, securing the banks of the river as the borders of his empire. Regarding the outcome of the Clash Between Alexander and Puru we have this from the Mata Amritanandamayi Math website. “It is said that when Alexander was defeated at the hands of the great Hindu King Purushottam (Puru) of Punjab, Alexander’s wife tied a Rakhi to Purushottam to protect her husband from being slain.” 6.Goddess Laxmi and King Bali The tale of King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi epitomizes the pious bond of Raksha Bandhan. Their legend is a famous example of how dedicated siblings can be to each other. This mythological story reflects on the pure bond of Rakhi which is full of love, compassion, trust, faith and loyalty. As per the legend, Demon King Bali, the grandson of Prahlada was a true devotee of Lord Vishnu. With the Lord’s blessings,he had become invincible in the battle field and managed to defeat all Devas. The entire heaven, especially Lord Indra, became apprehensive about his increasing strength. At last, Lord Vishnu disguised as Vamana (dwarf), arrived on earth, to rescue Indra and other Devas from their plight. King Bali had the reputation of being a generous and good king. Using this quality, Vamana asked for space which could be covered in three sides. Surely a dwarf could not cover much ground, thought the King, and agreed to his request. At this point, the dwarf changed into Vishnu and his three strides covered the Earth, the Skies and the whole Universe. As a result, Bali was sent to nether lands. But we all know, Gods are ever generous and cannot see their true devotees suffer. So Lord Vishnu decided to protect Bali and brought him back from nether land. Bali was promised divine protection and immortality till the next aeon, when he will be crowned Indra. Lord Vishnu disguised himself, as Bali’s doorman, and protected him from all dangers. As a result, Vainkuntha was devoid of the Lord and Goddess Lakshmi became restless. She descended on earth as a Brahmin woman in an attempt to bring back her love. She told Bali, that her husband has gone away for a long errand and she needed a place to stay. King Bali welcomed her full heartedly and protected her as his own sister. Since the arrival of the Brahmin woman, i.e. , the Goddess herself the entire household of Bali was suddenly blooming with happiness, wealth, and harvest. Finally, on the day of Purnima in the month of Shravana, Goddess Lakshmi tied a thread of colored cotton on Bali’s wrist and prayed for protection and happiness. Touched by her sincerity, Bali granted her the wish to ask for anything. Immediately, Goddess Lakshmi pointed at the gatekeeper and requested Bali to return her husband. Confused, Bali asked how a mere guardian can be the husband of such a virtuous lady ! It was then, both Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi revealed their true identities. Bali, being a virtuous man and a protective brother, requested the Lord to go back to Vaikuntha with the Goddess. But to keep his promise, every year, the Lord came back for about four months during the monsoon season. In order to commemorate Bali’s devotion to the lord and his sister, the Goddess this festival is also known as Baleva. Since then, brothers all over the world follow the tradition of inviting their sisters for tying the thread of love and celebrating Raksha Bandhan.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 03:03:53 +0000
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