Fortune

Raksha Bandhan:

The Puranas refer to a tale in which once there was a fierce battle between the demons and gods. The war continued for a long time and finally Lord Indra, the king of the gods and his army was overpowered by the mighty group of demons lead by the demon king Brutra. Lord Indra was shattered as he had to reside in the heaven under the dominance of the demons. Tormented by the situation, he sought help from Lord Brihaspati who advised him to tie a sacred thread on his wrist to defeat the demons. Devi Indrani, the consort of Lord Indra, offered a puja to the highest divine powers and observed all the rituals a day before Shravan Shukla Purnima. The Brahmins chanted holy verses (Swasti vachan) to charge the sacred thread prepared for Lord Indra with powers. The next day that is on the auspicious day of Shravan Shukla Purnima, Indrani tied the thread or rakhi on the right-wrist of Indra. Lord Indra acquired prowess, attacked Daitya Raja Brutra and finally vanquished him out of his heavenly abode.

Another most popular rakhi story described in mythology is the incident that happened between Lord Krishna and Draupadi. As per one of the versions in Mahabharata, Lord Krishna cut his finger which started to bleed profusely. Seeing his condition, Draupadi wasted no time and immediately tore a part of her sari and tied it around the finger. Lord Krishna gave her a boon and uttered ‘Akshyam’ which meant- ‘may it never cease to end’ and promised to protect her always. The boon became true when Draupadi’s sari turned endless during cheeharan by Kaurava and saved her from disgrace.

One of the interesting tales of Raksha Bandhan is the story of Queen Karunavati and Emperor Humayun. Rani Karunavati ruled Mewar after the death of her husband, Rana Sanga. Bahadur Shah, the ruler of Gujarat, who had earlier defeated Karunavati’s son, attacked Mewar for the second time. It made Karunavati worried and she started to seek protection. She sent a letter to Humayun along with a rakhi and asked for help. Humayun received the rakhi amidst another military campaign but as he was touched by the queen’s gesture, he at once set off for Mewar. Unfortunately, by the time he reached the spot, Bahadur Shah had almost captured the kingdom and Karunavati had committed Jauhar to protect her chastity and honour. Grieved and angered by the events, Humayun attacked Bahadur Shah and killed him. Then he crowned Vikramjit, Karunavati’s son, as the king of Mewar.

In ancient times, Rakhi was celebrated as Shravani utsav in which people took a vow to protect their natural environment. As a ritualistic symbol, they tied a thread around a tree and promised to take care of it throughout life.

Raksha Bandhan has undergone many changes so far but its essence of the spirit of love and protection remains unchanged till today. 

Rituals

•  Shravan Shukla Purnima is the day when the upanayana and Yajnapavit or changing of the holy thread rituals are performed.

Shravan Shukla Purnima

By: Dr. Surendra Kapoor
Renowned Vedic Astrologer and Vastu Expert
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