Sheetala also written as Shitala, means 'cooling' and it is the name of the goddess who offers us relief and solace from suffering caused by health epidemics. 
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In our current trying times, this becomes even more relevant. Ofcourse, we should take all the necessary medical precautions and follow all the required health-directives, but at the same time, it may be a wise idea to also obtain some blessings from this divine Goddess. It is believed that since ancient times, goddess Sheetala Devi has helped people during epidemic healing crises! In the past, she was particularly invoked and prayed to for protection from smallpox, chickenpox, and other such viral infections.

The goddess Sheetala devi is iconographically shown crowed with a winnowing-fan and carrying a broom, dustpan, neem leaves and a pot of holy water to symbolically indicate that she brushes away all the dis-ease causing factors and disinfects and purifies our living-space.

She is believed to have emerged from the sacrificial fire-ceremony (yagna), that was performed by the cosmic divine energies (Devas) for honoring and appeasing the prime Divine Mother Goddess Parvati.

Goddess Sheetala Devi is mainly worshipped by women. She should be prayed to on a regular basis for good health, and she is particularly revered and honored on the 7th and 8th day after Holi, which are marked as Sheetala Saptami and Sheetala Ashtami respectively. On these days, devotees offer prayers to the divine mother and seek her blessings to not only cure any existing illnesses, but also for prosperity and health for their entire household, village, or town.

Sheetala Devi is recognized and honored by various names across different regions of the Indian subcontinent. She is considered as another manifested form of Goddess Kathyayini (also written as Katyayani).

Goddess Sheetala Devi is associated with both Hindu as well as Buddhist beliefs and traditions.

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Pitamaha Bhishma (also written as Bheeshma), as he was lovingly called by both the Pandavas and the Kauravas, was one of the Ashta (eight) Vasus that had to be incarnated in a human form as a result of a curse. The divine beings- Ashta Vasus had tried to steal the celestial cow Kamadhenu from Rishi Vashita and as a result were cursed by him to incarnate as human-beings on earth and suffer the fate of a mortal life!

So, when Divine Goddess Ganga decided to incarnate on earth to marry King Shantanu (as per another key legend), the eight Vasus pleaded her to be their mother and release them from the sin of having stolen property from a brahmana (learned sage). To help out the Vasus, Goddess Ganga gave birth to a mortal human baby and then drowned them in her river-water to release them from their sin (mukti). 
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Finally, when it came to releasing the Vasu who was truly responsible for stealing the celestial cow, Goddess Ganga was stopped by the King and this eight-child had to inevitably continue to live on the human plane and pay for his sins. This Vasu in the human-form was known as Devaratha and later after his gigantic/colossal promise (known as the Bhishma Pratigya), he was known as "The Bhishma".

​As a result of the Bhishma Pratigya, which helped his father to marry the woman of his choice, his father- King Santanu blessed him with the ability to choose his time of death (called as iccha-maran). Subsequently, he made another pratigya, where he promised his mother (the Queen of Hastinapur) that he would remain alive and protect the kingdom, until the time that its safety and wellbeing was truly ensured.

Grandsire Bhishma’s life was full of pain and strife. He was caught in the web of his own promises, which even though he had made in good-faith, they resulted in terrible outcomes- where ultimately the situation deteriorated to the point of leading to the Maha Bharat war- the great epic war between the truth and un-truth!!

Shukla Paksha Ashtami in the Vedic lunar month of Magha is known as Bhishma Ashtami. This is the day that Bhishma is believed to have left for his heavenly abode.

There is a lot we can learn from The Maha Bharat as well as the life of Grandsire Bhishma. Even though we may want to ‘force’ a certain outcome, but we never know if it will ultimately lead to good or evil. So, instead of ‘forcing’ outcomes, it is important to do one’s very best in any given situation- towards reaching the goal that we aspire towards… but we need to let go of our attachment to the fruits of our action. It is important to do our actions as ‘a-karm’.
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If you are not familiar with the concept of a-karm, then please check out Karma Yoga- The Yoga of Non-action

​This is the message that was brought to us by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. These were the teachings he (Lord Krishna) gave to the Pandava brother and the great warrior Arjun, on the Maha Bharat battlefield.

As the war progressed, Bhishma was mortally wounded and laid on a bed of arrows, but he was not able to let go of his human-incarnation, as the war was still going on and he had promised his mother and queen of Hastinapur, that he would continue to live until the kingdom was secured and assured of just and able King.

Grandsire Bhishma, being the incarnation of the Divine Vasus (gods that rule the elements and directions and so are the first dwellers of any space) had immense abilities. But by trying to ‘control’ the unfolding of life, he not only filled his own life with pain and strife, but ultimately had to lie on a bed of arrows- indicative of the depth of his suffering.

As we read about this legend of Grandsire Bhishma, I hope that we all can learn from his life.
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It is important to not covet and grab something that is not ours!! The original reason that the divine Vasus had to be born on this earth… and along with that it is important to remember that only our actions, our efforts are in our hands. If we are striving for some goal or accomplishment, then we should obtain all the required talent, put in all the needed work and efforts… BUT the final outcome, i.e., the destiny is not in our hands. It is as a result of a complex-karmic algorithm. We can never control or determine the final result of our actions or the unfolding of any situation.

Continue reading...

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Categories: 
Gods And Deities     and     Festival Celebrations

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All Hindu deities are cosmic energies that form part of the Divine Universal Energy or Supreme God-head.

Ganesh, is one of the most well-known Hindu deities. This joyfully happy, benevolent, elephant-faced God is adored by Hindus and many other spiritual faiths.
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Ganesh is the energy that can remove obstacles and obstructions. He is revered and honored before beginning any important or auspicious work. To ensure a safe journey and successful completion, his blessings must be sought prior to embarking on any important or auspicious work.

Maghi Ganapati is celebrated as the Ganesh Jayanti i.e., birthday anniversary of Lord Ganesh.  It is celebrated on the Shukla Paksha (waxing moon) Chaturthi (4th day) in the Vedic calendar month of Magha. At the current time, this coincides with the months of late January/February as per the Gregorian Calendar. This is celebrated by folks in the western parts of India- particularly in Maharashtra and Konkan region. Ganesh Jayanti is also known by Tilkund Chaturthi, Varad Chaturthi, and Magha Shukla Chaturthi. This arrival of Lord Ganesh is also lovingly called as Maghi Ganapati.

Many other people in India, celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi which comes on the fourth day in the Vedic month of Bhadrapada (Bhadrapada Shukla Paksha Chaturthi) as the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesh. At the current time, this coincides with the Gregorian months of late August/September. It needs to be noted that the day before, i.e. the third day of the Bhadrapada Shukla Paksha is celebrated as Hartalika- which is a special celebration, where devotes pray to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati for marital bliss and nice progeny.
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You can read more at: Spiritual importance of celebrating Haritalika Teej

​Those who celebrate Maghi Ganapati, consider the auspicious time of Ganesh Chaturthi, as a special time, when Lord Ganesh, who is the lord of all the people (Gana-isha) visits earth and stays here for some time, to pay special attention to his devotees. He listens to the prayers of his devotees and also bestows special blessings to help them on their journey, at a  material as well as soul-spiritual level.

So, when is the actual birth anniversary of Lord Ganesh- is it in Magha or Bhadrapada?

Honestly, to think of such a divine energy presence in mere human terms of ‘birth’ is quite meaningless!! As we know, Vedic deities are representations of the Cosmic Energy manifestations and indicate various facets of the Supreme God-head.
When we consider the celebrations of Hartalika Teej which is the day before Ganesh Chaturthi (in Bhadrapada), it makes more sense to celebrate Ganesh Jayanti ‘some time’ after it. Also, as indicated in another article, the chronological sequence of Anant Chaturdashi, Pitru Paksha and Navaratri has special spiritual connotation.

You can read more at: The Significance of Anant Chaturdashi- our spiritual transformation can now begin…
 
And finally, we know that after Uttarayana begins with Makar Sankranti- i.e. the Sun ingress in the sign of Capricorn on Jan 14/15th (as per the Vedic sidereal calculations of Jyotish), the various auspicious activities start. 

This is marked as the early wee hours of the morning (dawn) in the Cosmic-Day timeline (which is followed by the Devas- Divine Energy Beings). In terms of Vedic Calendar month, it is still Pausha.

​As per the divine timeline, it is still the dawn phase and then with the start of the month of Magha, it indicates ‘Sunrise’. It is important to note that the nakshatra (star/ lunar-constellation) of Magha is the first nakshatra in the zodiac sign of Leo as per Jyotish (Vedic Astrology). And this is when the festive celebrations of Gupt Navaratri (Nine Nights of the Cosmic Mother Goddess- Shakti) begins, and then we have Maghi Ganapati on the fourth day of this celebration.

When we consider all the above points and keeping in mind the logical order in which the Vedic celebrations are held to indicate spiritual evolution and soul-journey, it makes more sense to celebrate Maghi Ganapati as Ganesh Jayanti!
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Spiritually we can think of this as, once we have the Cosmic sunrise with start of the month of Magha, the leader (isha) who governs  people (gana) is born...who we love and cherish as Lord Ganesh (Ganesha).

Now, there are some who also indicate that Maghi Ganapati is the time when Ma Parvati (a form of the Cosmic Divine Mother Goddess) created Lord Ganesh and that Ganesh Chaturthi is the instance when he was revived (re-birthed) with the elephant's head. This line of thinking does make sense. Given the spiritual symbolism behind Lord Ganesh getting an elephant's head and his key role on this earth plane (where gana-people dwell) along with the significance behind chronologically celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi, then Pitru Paksha and Navaratri (Fall or Sharadiya)... this theory that the two birth anniversaries, each indicate his original birth day (jayanti) as well as the day of re-birth/ revival does have immense merit.

Interestingly Lord Ganesh governs Buddhi (intellect) which in turn governs the 'vivek shakti' in a person. It is this shakti which gives one the ability to look at information, evaluate, conduct analysis and arrive at the best solution or decision. 

With Lord Ganesh's grace and blessings we can evaluate the many reasons behind various conceptions and mis-conceptions behind the two celebrations... but ultimately, the simple truth we need to realize is that- both the days of Maghi Ganesh as well as Ganesh Chaturthi are spiritually very powerful and they provide us opportunities to better tune ourselves with the energy-frequencies of Lord Ganesh and to obtain his blessings for our ultimate wellness.

Continue reading:

• ​Tantric form of Lord Ganesh- Uchchhishta Ganapati
• ​The two important bija (seed) mantras of Lord Ganesh
• ​Shri Ganesh Chalisa (in Devnagri- Hindi Script)
• ​Sankashti Chaturthi Vrat- Understanding the importance of Sankashti Chaturthi
• ​Vinayaka Chaturthi Vrat- Understanding the importance of Vinayaka Chaturthi (greatest being Ganesh Chaturthi)

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​There are very specific muhurta (auspicious time) considerations which must be abided while establishing the Kalash- i.e. to do the Ghatasthapana. Ghatasthapana cannot be performed during Amavasya (no moon phase) or nighttime. Ghatasthapana can only be done during Pratipada (first day of the Shukla paksha- waxing moon), which is considered to be the most auspicious time.

In the event that such an auspicious time does not happen during the pratipada tithi (first day) particularly considering that these celebrations are done across the world with a Global Vedic-follower presence, then in that situation, Ghatasthapana may be performed during the Abhijit muhurta. But in any event, it is imperative that Ghatasthapana be done before the Vedic midday, and when Pratipada tithi prevails.

Another consideration that is done while selecting an auspicious muhurta is to preferably choose a dual nature rashi (zodiac) as the lagna. For e.g. dual-nature lagna like Kanya (Virgo) usually prevails during sunrise and because of this, if other conditions for selecting the Ghatasthapana time are favorable, then such a Kanya muhurta phase is preferred.

In addition, it is important to remember that Ghatasthapana should not be done at night, or after the mid-day has passed or basically after the first sixteen Ghatis (specific Vedic time-span calculation) in the day have passed.

ALL of this muhurta information can be obtained from the Vedic panchang. And particularly in our current modern day and age, appropriate muhurta times, which is dependent on the location, is usually provided in the Vedic panchang (almanac calendar) for that region.

​Continue reading...

• ​​​What is a Panchang and how it can help us?
• ​Understanding the concept of Tithi in The Vedic Calendar (Panchang)
• What is Panchak Yoga and why is it inauspicious to start worldly activities during the Panchak kaal (period or phase)?
• ​Utilize the "Power of Light" to achieve your goals & ambitions

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Festival Celebrations

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​It was the day of Sakat Chauth i.e. Chaturthi and the old lady was an ardent devotee of Goddess Sakat. She prayed to the Goddess for the safety of her son. Finally, when her son was getting ready to offer himself into the furnace, she gave her son a betel nut as a protective talisman. She asked him to hold on to the betel nut and pray to the Goddess Sakat as the kiln was getting fired up. She assured him that because of the grace of the Divine Mother, he would stay safe even when the kiln reached super high temperatures!

Her son did as per his mother's guidance and by the grace of the divine mother, he was absolutely unscathed. The villagers were shocked when he walked out of the hot kiln after all the pots were fired. Not only was he safe, but the villagers noticed that the Divine Mother had blessed all the other children who had previously been sacrificed, as well. They all came out of the kiln- safe and sound.

Everyone realized the immense love and grace of the Divine Mother and since then mothers in particularly pray to Maa Sakat (Divine Mother Goddess Sakat) for continued good health and wellbeing of their children.

Sakat Chauth is called by different names, depending on the region. It is called as Mahi Chauth, Mai Chauth and also as Tilkuta Chauth.

In addition, this day of Sakat Chauth, which happens to be the fourth day of the Krishna Paksha (waning moon phase) of the Vedic lunar month of Magha, is traditionally considered an important day to pray to Lord Ganesh and is called as the Sankashti Chaturthi. Sakat Chauth is also called as Vakra-Tundi Chaturthi and Maghi Chauth in honor of Lord Ganesh. You can read more about   Sankashti Chaturthi Vrat- Understanding the importance of Sankashti Chaturthi

On Sakat Chauth, Lord Ganesha is also worshipped along with Goddess Sakat. Worshipping Lord Ganesh on this day brings happiness and prosperity.

​Categories: 
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