Alochana-The origin of Christmas, Surya Dev and Makar Sankranti

Dear readers,

The Origin of Christmas

From here and here

Origin of Christmas - The Traditions and ControversiesFor today's Christian, the origin of Christmas is, and should be, the birth of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible. Nothing more and nothing less. However, most of what we witness on December 25th each year has absolutely nothing to do with that blessed day, which probably occurred in late summer or early fall about 2,000 years ago. In fact, most of the customs and traditions of Christmas actually pre-date the birth of Jesus, and many of them are downright deceptive in their meaning and origin. Here are a few examples: The date of December 25th probably originated with the ancient "birthday" of the son-god, Mithra, a pagan deity whose religious influence became widespread in the Roman Empire during the first few centuries A.D. Mithra was related to the Semitic sun-god, Shamash, and his worship spread throughout Asia to Europe where he was called Deus Sol Invictus Mithras. Rome was well-known for absorbing the pagan religions and rituals of its widespread empire. As such, Rome converted this pagan legacy to a celebration of the god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god during the winter solstice period. The winter holiday became known as Saturnalia and began the week prior to December 25th. The festival was characterized by gift-giving, feasting, singing and downright debauchery, as the priests of Saturn carried wreaths of evergreen boughs in procession throughout the Roman temples. Variations of this pagan holiday flourished throughout the first few centuries after Jesus Christ, but it probably wasn't until 336 AD that Emperor Constantine officially converted this pagan tradition into the "Christian" holiday of Christmas.

The Sun god (Surya Dev)
25 December was also associated with Mithras, as he was Sun god.
The Catholic liturgist Mario Righetti (in addition to Duchesne and also Cullman) held that:
After the peace of the Church of Rome, to facilitate the acceptance of the faith by the pagan masses, found it convenient (sic) to institute the 25th of December as the feast of the temporal birth of Christ, to divert them from the pagan feast, celebrated on the same day in honour of the "Invincible Sun" Mithras, the conqueror of darkness (fn 74, II, p. 67 quote also in Bacchiocchi, From Sabbath to Sunday, Pontifical Gregorian University Press, Rome, 1977, p. 260).
Thus, Mithras was the god of the festival of the solstice on 25th December, which followed immediately on from the Saturnalia. With this deity, we see Sunday worship emerge in Rome.
The dedications to Mithra was as Soli invicto Mithrae or the Invincible Sun – the Unconquered Sun as Frazer terms it (p. 304). It was also related to him as Sol Invictus Elagabal in the public form of the religion.
The term Father was a rank held by the priests of Mithra. The term is forbidden to Christians (Mat. 23:9). It entered Christianity with the Mystery cults.
What actually occurred was that the original calendars of the Roman system began the week on Saturday and were in use in the first years of the Augustan era (27 BCE to 14 CE) following the discovery of the calendar of Nola (cf. A Degrassi, fn. 26, p. 104; cf. Bacchiocchi, ibid., p. 244). This structure appears to be related to the system of Mithras (as we know from the Epicurean Celcus (c. 140-180 CE) where the Sun occupied the highest place on the ladder of ascent through the seven gates of the Mithraic ladder from Saturn to the Sun. This is classic Shamanism and is practiced by animistic religion throughout the world. In Origen Contra Celsum, 6,21-22 we see that Celsus lists the planets in the reverse order enabling the Sun to occupy the significant seventh position.
We later see this system emerge as the eight-day symbolism in the Roman system for the week beginning on Saturn’s day or Saturday and ending with the day of the Sun or Sunday, which was always a holiday. The planetary week was also not in the accepted order of the planets and people could not account for the difference (cf. Plutarch Complete Works, III, p. 230; cf. Bacchiocchi, ibid., p. 246).
The differences can be seen also by comparison with the Ziggurat of the Babylonian system and the seven levels of ascent to the Moon god there (cf. the paper The Golden Calf (No. 222)).
The statement of Tertullian (Ad Nationes, 1, 13, ANF, III, p. 123), attempts to refute the charge of Sun-worship. Tertullian admits that, by then, Christians had commenced praying towards the east and made Sunday a day of festivity. He directly places the responsibility for Sunday worship over the Sabbath on the Sun-worshipping cults where he says they selected its day in preference to the previous day of the week (i.e. the Sabbath or Saturday) (cf. Bacchiocchi, pp. 248-249). However, by then, they were both worshipping on that day as well as the Christian Sabbath.
Prayer to the Sun in the east
Apparently, prayer to the east originated by prayer towards Jerusalem as Irenaeus mentions being the custom of the Ebionites (Adv. Her., 1,26, ANF, I, p. 352). By the time of Clement of Alexandria and Origen, we see the orientation to be towards the source of light that dispels the darkness of the night although Clement still mentions the ancient temples (Stromateis, 7,7,43, GCS, 3, 32; cf. Bacchiocchi, p. 255).
Bacchiocchi makes it clear that the association between the Christian Sunday and the pagan veneration of the day of the Sun is not explicit before the time of Eusebius (c. 260-340 CE). Although previous writers associated him as true light and sun of justice, no deliberate attempt prior to Eusebius was made to justify Sunday observance by means of the symbology of the day of the Sun (ibid., p. 261).
The process thus entered Christianity by means of the earlier December festival, which was originally derived from the worship of Saturn and Opis in the Saturnalia, and its association with the Heavenly Virgin or Mother goddess and her infant child.
The gospels say nothing as to the day of Christ’s birth and the early Church did not celebrate it.
The custom of celebrating Christ’s birth began in Egypt, being derived from the Mother goddess cult there, and the Christians there celebrated it on 6 January. By the fourth century it had become generally established in the East (Frazer, v, p. 304). The western church had never recognised 6 January as the true date and, in time, its decision was accepted by the eastern church. At Antioch this change was not introduced until about 375 CE (Frazer, ibid.).
The origin of the practice is plainly recorded by the Syrian Christians as we see from Frazer quoting also Credner and Momsen and also Usener (v, pp. 304-305).
The reason why the fathers transferred the celebration of the sixth of January to the twenty fifth of December was this. It was a custom of the heathen to celebrate on the same twenty-fifth of December the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. In these solemnities and festivities the Christians also took part. Accordingly when the doctors of the Church perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnized on that day and the festival of the Epiphany on the sixth of January. Accordingly, along with this custom, the practice has prevailed of kindling fires till the sixth.
Thus, the Saturnalia led up to the solstice when presents were given to children from 23 December or now Christmas Eve on 24 December in the Gregorian calendar. The rites of the solstice then took over from the original Saturnalia but the period then became lengthened from three to seven days to which was added the twelve days.
When we count five days from 25 December we come to 31 December from which some of the Celts and Germans begin the count. The addition of St Stephen’s Day (or Boxing Day) brings the five-day period from 27 December in line to 1 January.
The pagan origin of Christmas is also evident in Augustine when he exhorts his brethren not to celebrate this solemn day like the heathen on account of the Sun but on account of him who made the Sun (Augustine Serm., cxc, 1; in Migne Patriologia Latina, xxxviii, 1007). Leo called the Great likewise rebuked the pestilent belief that Christmas was solemnised because of the birth of the new Sun, and not because of the nativity of Christ (Frazer, ibid.; cf. Leo the Great Serm., xxii (al xxi) 6 and Migne, liv, 198).
However, by then, it was a hopeless cause. The entire system was endemic to Christianity and the Mother goddess cult was entrenched.
Frazer says:
Thus it appears that the Christian Church chose to celebrate the birthday of its Founder on the twenty-fifth of December in order to transfer the devotion of the heathen from the Sun to him who was called the Sun of Righteousness (p. 305).
There was a theory put forward by one Mgr Duchesne that 25 December arose from the conformity with the equinox on 25 March and this was the day on which Christ was killed and also on which his mother conceived. This digs an even deeper pit because 25 March was indeed initially adopted in Africa and elsewhere as the date of the crucifixion. However, it was on a Sunday in the only year that 14 Nisan could have fallen on 25 March. It is thus destructive to the theory. Moreover, 25 March is associated with the festival of the god Attis as Frazer notes in his footnote to page 305. We will examine this in the sections below.

Makar Sanktranti and Uttarayan

From here and here

Makar Sankranti coincides with the beginning of the Sun's northward journey or the movement of the Sun to the Northern hemisphere(Uttarayan); it is the most auspicious day in the Hindu calendar. Falling on the 15th January. This day has a very special implication because the day and night on Makar Sankrant are of precisely of equal hours. This day is celebrated as a festival right from the times of the Aryans. Makar accurately means "Capricorn" and Sankranti is the day when the Sun changes it's position from one sign of the Zodiac to the other. Even though Sankranti comes every month, but in the month of "Magha" (January) auspicious it coincides with the crop season and marks the end of the winter season and then celebrated largely.

Meaning of Uttarayana (Makar Sankranti) :Uttar-Ayan (Northern-Arrival of the Sun)----Uttrayana marks the end of a long winter with the return of the sun tothe Northern Hemisphere and hence the name Uttarayan.Makara Sankranti: In terms of Zodaic sign, on this day, the sun makes atransition to Capricorn from Sagittarius----Agriculturual Importance:Around this time winter (Kharif) crops are ready and are reaped.Celebrated on:14th January, every year.How is it celebrated in Gujarat:Kite flying:One of the most celebrated festivals of Gujarat. People in large numbersgather on terraces, grounds to fly kites of various colors, sizes and shapes tocelebrate Uttrayana, the welcome to the sun after the cold winter months. Theatmosphere at the festival is electrifying-glass strengthened threads of theIndian fighter kites are matched against each other in the air (act called "paich ladava-no"or dual), and the kite fighter who cuts the other thread is thevictor.It is celebrated all over Gujarat but the excitement runs highest atAhmedabad, Surat (known particularly for the strong string which is made byapplying glass powder on the row thread to provide it a cutting edge) Nadiadand Vadodara. To be in any one of these places during this festival is to feelthe heart and pulse of Gujarat and its people.The excitement continues with the onset of night. As the sun sets and darknesshovers over, youngsters continue competing each other in supremacy in thesky, now with the paper lanterns tied to their kite-strings. These lanterns
known as tukkal swaying at the mild stroke of wind presents a lovely imagewhile some try to cut off these tukkals and enjoy the fun.The fun continues on the next day too. 15th January is called "VaasiUttrayana". During this day, people still continue kite flying fun. Most of thepeople try to use up all their kites and threads, but, many kids would savethem for next year’s pre-Uttrayana kite-flying. (Pre-Uttrayana - most of thepeople start the warm-up by 1st week of January and are geared up for 14thJan)The festival draws expert kite-makers and flyers not only from cities of Indiabut also from around the world. Designer's Kites of infinite variety aredisplayed at the venue. Gujarat Tourism also hosts the International KiteFestival drawing crowds to witness the show of eminent kitists from manystates and countries. This International Kite Festival is always held atAhmedabad on January 14, to coincide with the festival of Uttarayan or MakarSankranti.Harvest:In an economy which is purely agricultural, domestic animals are not forgottenand grass is freely distributed to the village cattle. Uttarayan, thus, becomes aharvest festival in the true sense of the term.In Gujarat grain from the new harvest is used to cook 'khichdo'. Typical foodlike Undiya, sugar cane juice and local sweets are served to celebrate the day.Cows and trees are also offered pujan since man's existence depends on them.And of course, there are sweets too: Tal-Sankdi (made from sesame seeds),Chiki (made from peanuts) and mamra-n-ladvaa.Celebrations in other parts of India:North India:Lohri - the popular bonfire festival of North India is celebrated on 13th Januaryevery year. As the date of Lohri is decided according to the position of the sunits date remains fixed. Lohri marks the coldest day of winter.East India:Gangasagar Mela is the largest fair celebrated in West Bengal. This fair is heldwhere the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal form a nexus. Hence the nameGangasagar Mela.
South India:It is celebrated as a three-day festival and the fourth day is a day for outdoorsand excursions.Bhogi Pongal (Day-1):It is usually meant for domestic activities and of being together with the familymembers. On this day before sunrise a huge bonfire is lit in front of the housesSurya Pongal (Day-2):The "Puja" of the Sun God starts after the auspicious moment of the birth ofthe new month Thai. Prayers are rendered to the Sun God to seek hisbenedictions.Mattu Pongal (Day-3):Festival of cattle. To the village people cow, the giver of milk and the bullwhich draws the plough in the fields are very valuable and therefore thefarmers honor their dumb friends by celebrating it as a day of thanks-giving tothem.This day is also known by the name of Kanu Pongal when colored balls ofcooked rice are placed in the open air by girls for the birds and crows to eat.With each ball of rice that the sister makes she prays for her brother'shappiness and the brothers and sisters wherever they may be remember eachother.Tamil Nadu:Thai Pongal is a harvest festival - the Tamil equivalent of Thanksgiving. It isheld to honor the Sun, for a bountiful harvest. Families gather to rejoice andshare their joy and their harvests with others. Thai Pusam occurs on January 31a fortnight before the Mahasivarathri which is on February 14th, 2002.Celebrating in BayArea:Since celebrating this festival mainly involves kite-flying and having energybars(tal-sankdi, chiki, mamra-na-ladvaa), it can be celebrated as half daypicnic in park or at bay (weather permitting).You can buy kites from walmart, target, kmart or frys (!!!) or amazon rangingfrom $8 to $20. Try making an Indian-kite (use plastic instead of paper). It isvery simple to make and needs less wind to fly as compared to Chinese orAmerican kites. You can use any nylon thread. Many stores (try Albertson) carrykite-flying spool (it is exactly a firki --- nylon string-spool).

Is there any connection between these festivals?

~ Souvik

Alochana-Buddha as the 9th. Avataar of Vishnu

From here

Buddhism is a dharmic religion. The systems of Buddhism and Hinduism must not be considered to be either contradictory to one another or completely self contained. Coomaraswamy wrote:
"The more supreficially one studies Buddhism, the more it seems to differ from Brahmanism in which it originated; the more profound our study, the more difficult it becomes to distinguish Buddhism from Brahmanism, or to say in what respects, if any, Buddhism is really unorthodox." [2]
Buddhist scholar Rahula Vipola wrote that the Buddha was trying to shed the true meaning of the Vedas. Buddha is said to be a knower of the Veda (vedajña) or of the Vedanta (vedântajña) (Sa.myutta, i. 168) and (Sutta Nipâta, 463).

Hinduism and Buddhism share many common features including Sanskrit, yoga, karma and dharma. Indians such as Ashoka the great and B.R. Ambedkar took to Buddism. India also is home to the government of Tibet in exile under Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama.

In addition, Siddhartha Gautama is seen in Hinduism as the ninth avatar of Vishnu.

Buddha (meaning 'the enlightened one') appeared in the Kali Yuga (specifically as Siddhartha Gautama).

From here

The Buddha in Puranic scripture

Amongst the MahaPuranas he is mentioned as one of the ten Avataras:

The description of Buddha incorporated in ten incarnations in Puranas comes with slight difference here and there in various Puranas like,
Harivamsha (1.41),
Vishnu Purana (3.18),
Bhagavata Purana (1.3.24, 2.7,37, 11,4.23) [7],
Garuda Purana (1.1),
Agni Purana (16),
Narada Purana (2.72),
Linga Purana (2.71),
Padma Purana (3.252) etc. (Dhere Ramchandra Chintaman) [8]
Other important scriptures which mention him is an Avatar are Rishi Parashara's Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra(2:1-5/7)

During the Guptas, one of the nine gems of the court of the king, Amarasimha refers to the Buddha in the following commentary: Amarakosha-grantha (Sanskrit dictionary) list many of the names and epithets by which the Buddha is traditionally known:

sarvajnah sugato buddho dharmarajastathagatah
samastabhadro bhagavan marajillokajijjinah
shadabhijno dasabalo ’dvayavadi vinayakah
munindrah srighanah sasta munih sakyamunistu yah

All-knowing, transcendental, awakened, king of righteousness, he who has come, beneficent, all-encompassing, lord, conqueror of the god of love-mara, victorious of three worlds, he who controls his senses, protector from the six enemies, possessor of the ten powers, speaker of non-dualism, teacher, lord of the sages, embodiment of splendor and eminent saint.

sa sakyasimhah sarvarthasiddhah sauddhodanisca sah
gautamascarkabandhusca mayadevisutasca sah
teacher of the sakyas, lion of the sakyas, accomplisher of all goals, son of suddhodana, of Gautama’s line, friend of scholars, son of mayadevi.

In some of the Puranas, in one he is described as having taken birth to "mislead the demons":
mohanartham danavanam balarupi pathisthitah
putram tam kalpayamasa mudhabudhirjinah svayam
tatah sammohayamasa jinadyana suramsakan
bhagavan vagbhirugrabhirahimsa vacibhirharih
(Brahmanda Purana)

In order to delude the demons, he (Lord Buddha) was present in the form of a child on the way while the fool, jina (a demon), imagined him to be his son. Later on, Lord Sri Hari (as avatara-buddha) expertly deluded jina and other demons by his strong words of non-violence.

A similar episode is found in the Linga Purana, which says Sakyamuni was sent to preach in the demon realms, which resulted in Shiva being able to destroy Tripura.

The name of the Buddha appears in the verse that describes the ten avataras in Srimad Bhagavatam:

matsya kurmo varahasca nrisimha vamanastatha
ramo ramasca ramasca buddha kalki ca te dasah
Here the Buddha is said to have taken birth to restore the 'Devas'.
tatah kalau sampravritte sammohaya sura-dvisham
buddho namnanjana-sutah kikateshu bhavishyati
(srimad-bhagavatam 1.3.24)

Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Anjana, in the province of Gaya (Bihar) just for the purpose of infatuating those who are envious of the devas.

This topic as been much of debate.

Some have even claimed Balarama to be the 9th. incarnation of Vishnu and not Buddha.

However, the concept of God incarnating to lull people into darkness is indeed an interesting concept. It does bring a a parallel between Mohini and Buddha on these grounds. However, it would be extremely unfair to draw such a parallel here because the perfection of spiritualism taught by Buddha seems to be an extremely unlikely a work of deceit.

Views are most welcome on this subject.

~Souvik

Anadamoyee Maa

Dear readers,

Happy Diwali to all!

Along with Diwali, Anandamoyee Maa Maha Kali is also worshipped during this time.

I miss my ancestral home and my 200 years tradition of Kali pujo like anything this time of the year.

Here's a video of my mother doing "boron" of the Eternal Mother.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SmIUX51VCQ

Jay Maa Kali!

~ Souvik

Ai Kavi

Dear readers,

Today is Valmiki Jayanti (October 7th., 2006).

From here

The birthday of the Ai Kavi (the first poet), Valmiki is celebrated on the full moon day of Ashvina (September - October). Valmiki is the author of the so-celebrated Ramayana in Sanskrit. He was contemporary of Rama, the hero of the Ramayana. Valmiki himself represented as taking part in some of these scenes he relates. He received the banished Sita into his hermitage and educated her twin sons Kusha and lava. The invention of the "Shioka" (epic meter) is attributed to Valmiki.Originally, Valmiki belonged to a depressed class and was a sort of robber. He robbed and even killed the people passing through the forest, but because of the influence of some sages, he repented and betook himself to a hermitage on a hill in the district of Bonda in Bundelkhanda. There, he is said to have eventually received Sita, when banished by Rama.He got his name "Valmiki" because when immersed in meditation, he allowed himself to be overrun with ants like an anthill. His original name was "Ratnakar". Many depressed classes in the country trace their lineage to Valmiki. On his birthday he is worshipped and prayed and his portraits are taken out in processions through the and streets. Kirtans are also held in Valmiki temples.

From here

The story of Valmiki is steeped in legend. One version has it that Valmiki was originally a dalit dacoit called Ratna who haunted the forests and preyed upon the unwary travellers. One day a sage called Narada passed through the forest. Ratna saw him and immediately attacked him. Narada asked him why he did his foul deeds to which Ratna replied that it was to take care of his family, which consisted of his aged parents, wife and children. The sage then wanted to know if they would be willing to share in the punishment for his misdeeds. Ratna was sure they would but the sage advised him to go and ask them. Ratna tied the sage to a tree and ran home to ask his family if they would share in his punishments. His family replied in the negative, saying that it was Ratna's duty to take care of them and they were not responsible for the path he chose to do so. Disappointed, Ratna returned to the forest and confessed to the sage. The sage told him to repent for his sins and to stop his evil ways and to chant the name of Lord Rama. Legend has it that Valmiki meditated in one place till an ant-hill formed on top of him without him realising it. Hence the name Valmiki (from 'Valmik' which means ant-hill in Sanskrit). Valmiki became a maharishi (great sage).
There is another legend behind his writing the Ramayana. According to this legend, Valmiki was in the forest one day, when a hunter shot a bird. Valmiki was so touched by the pain of the bird that he composed and sang a sad song. Brahma was greatly moved by the touching song. He appeared before Valmiki and asked him to compose the life of Sri Rama in a similar verse. This is how maharishi valmiki started to write Ramayana
Brahma gave the gift of insight of Sri Rama's life to Valmiki. Valmiki began to compose the great eternal song and poem of the life of Sri Rama—The Ramayana. Valmiki's Ramayana is the very first poem in Sanskrit. Therefore, it is called the Adikavya or "The first poem" and Valmiki is also known as the Adikavi, which means "The first poet".
Legend has it that it was Maharshi Valmiki who offered refuge to Sita the wife of Lord Rama, and the queen of Ayodhya when she was banished from the kingdom. It was in his hermitage in the forest that Rama and Sita's twin sons Lava and Kusha were born and brought up.
Maharishi Valmik is accepted by many Indian communities as the author of the Yoga Vasistha, this particular piece of work was taught to Rama when he was disillusioned with the world in large . The Yoga Vasistha is an incredible piece of text which discusses a wide array of philosophical issues. Moreover, it appears to have been written over 5000 years ago

Abhinandan-Shubho Bijoya

Dear readers,

Shubho Bijoya to all!

Here's a small write up on Bijoya.

From here

"

The tenth day or Dashami is also known as Bijoya Dashami, as this was the day on which Devi Durga attained victory over buffalo demon Mahishasura. This day also coincides with Dussehra, the tenth day of Navaratri celebration. Durga Puja is not just a religious celebration. It is a social and cultural celebration. This is the occasion to send invitations and spend some quality time with your friends, family and acquaintances, to let them know your appreciation and wish each other Shubho Bijoya, the common phrase used to wish someone, a blessed bijoya.

This is also the last day of worshipping Maa Durga, this is the day when idol of Goddess Durga will be immersed in the near by river. With colorful and majestic parade accompanied by Dhunuchi dance, a kind of ritualistic dance and beating of the dhaak, the idol is taken to the near by river. With the believers yelling loudly, proclaiming, next year it’ll happen once again, the idol is immersed in the river water. A sense of sadness suddenly overshadows the festive mood as one has to wait for another year to feel the elation associated with Durga Puja celebration.

Several emotional and ritualistic customs take place on Bijoya Dashami before the idol of Maa Durga is taken for immersion. One such colorful and emotional custom is “Sindoor Khela” - “The Game of Vermillion”. This custom is practiced exclusively by the married women. Before the idol of Durga leaves for immersion they put sweet on the lips of the clay idol and wipe the corner of the eyes as someone wipes off the tears before bidding goodbye for a long time. Vermilion which is a symbol of marital bliss is applied on the forehead of the Goddess and among each other. The vermilion powder is applied at the parting of women’s hair which symbolizes to strengthen the marital bond. The sindoor is also applied on the red and white traditional bangles and on the ‘loha’ which is an iron bangle interlaced with gold or silver, presented to the bride by her mother in law as an acknowledgement of marriage. All these rituals are performed along with the friends and family, though every one can not take part in it but it is a wonderful experience to witness this living theatre of color, life and emotion.

This is also the time to meet up with friends and relatives living far off places, as they try to come back to their loved ones at this time of the year. In the evening they enjoy a hearty conversation or light hearted chit chats with their friends and family members, whom they missed all year long.

On Shubho Bijoya people invite others to come to their place and spend joyous time in the spirit of the celebration.They also visit the homes of their friends and acquaintances to thank them for there care and wish them shubho bijoya. Adults embrace each other with warm wishes, exchange gifts and greet Shubho Bijoya to each other, which is known as KolaKuli in Bengali. The children in an expression to show respect toward the elders touch the feet and seek their blessings.

The sumptuous dishes and mouth watering sweetmeats prepared for this special occasion are an integral part of Shubho Bijoya. Such yummy treats like ‘malpoa’ and probably the most popular snack, ‘Nimki’ are among the regular items in the Shubho Bijoya menu. Nowadays people buy the sweets and snacks straight from the market and don’t go in to all the trouble of making it at home. Friends and family devour these special treats, enjoy the festivity, catch up with friends and soak up the spirit of celebration.

"

~ Souvik

Ashtami Puja

Dear readers,

Houston Durga Bari is famous for its Durga Puja all over the United States.

I was fortunate to attend and be a part of it this year. Thanks to Tampi and Ani!

Here are some photographs of Maa's Ashtami Puja.






Ashtami sandhya aarati



















Maa's mandap














Chandi paath

Ashtami Dhunuchi Nach

Dear readers,

Yesterday at Houston Durga Bari I participated in a dhunichi dance competetion and won a trophy.

Winning was not at all important but the feeling of performing infront of Jagadambey Maa Durga was very fulfilling experience.

I humbly present the video recording for your viewing.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9TT40bEBXow

Shubho Navami to all!

Dhunuchi nach-some facts:

Dhunuchi Naach - the dance with effervescent smokeIndia is known for her diverse traditions and this diverse tradition is the origin of the folk art. Folk Dances are based on religious and festive occasions. They reflect the basics of life. Folk dances are aimed at providing entertainment and which involves group participation. The dances are very rhythmic and the lyrics and music have the typical overtone of the specific locality or festival.'Dhunuchi nritya' or ‘the dance with effervescent smoke' is a traditional dance form from Bengal,which is performed in front of the idol to the sound of dhak, the traditional drums.In the evenings, an elaborate aaarti is performed. After the aaarti, young men perform Dhunuchi Naach (Dhunuchi Dance) before the Goddess Durga.

In Houston Durga bari due to unavailability of Dhunuchi, dhoop sticks were used to subsitute dhunichi in the dance.

Jay Durga!

Souvik

Ananda Utsav

Dear readers,

Jay Durga!

Some bengali durga pujo mandaps!

http://www.geocities.com/durgotshob/

Shubho Saptami!

Thanks

Souvik

Anuprerna-Pitr-Paksha

Dear readers,

Pitr-Paksha begins Friday 08-09-2006 & Pitr-Paksha ends Friday 22-09-2006.

~Souvik

Pitr-Paksha

Introduction
The dark fortnight which falls in the Hindu calendar month of Bhadrapad (September) is known as Pitr-Paksha or Mahalay Paksha all over the Hindu World. This period is regarded to be an ideal occasion to perform rites for the deceased ancestors to keep their spirit gratified for years.

Significance
It is a traditional religious belief that deceased ancestors from Lord Yamaraja's region visit their homes on earth during this time. So, if the rite of shraddha is performed on one of the days in the fortnight, then the subtle bodies of ancestors is considered to remain gratified for years. Pitru Paksha reminds us of our subtle existence and requirement of our subtle or spiritual needs in the form of rites like shraddha to ensure a smooth passage from physical existence to the subtle planes.By focusing solely on gross sciences, many of these subtle measures are not practiced, even forgotten in western countries. Funeral rites and Shraddha are differentiable funeral rites are considered inauspicious, Shraddha is auspicious and gratifying.

Observance
Pitrapaksha gives a chance to repay debt to our deceased ancestors by gratifying their spirits. As such, Shraddha is a "debt of the dead"or "ceremonies of the dead" which should be performed, assuming that the dead ones are alive amongst us. The Lord of death, Yamaraja enables the dead ones to come to earth and receive offers from the descendants.This practice is made to the dead petras and pitras. It is believed that one owes three main debts, first to Devarina(Debt to the gods ), Rishirina (Debt to the Guru) and Petranina (Debt to the forefathers).While most people prefer to perform Shraddhas' at their homes, the most devout perform Shraddha at the designated holy place. Only after the Shraddha, he/she attains a position among the Petris or Divine Fathers in their blissful abode called Pitri-loka. Generally, considered most desirable and efficacious when Shraddha is performed by a son. Ritual of Shraddha should be performed for one's grandfather, father on the paternal side and the mother etc on the maternal side. Names of all livings persons should not be associated with the rituals.

Anushthan-Ganesh Chaturthi

Dear readers,

Aug 27th. is Ganesh Chaturthi.

Wish all readers a peaceful and joyful Ganesh Chaturthi.

May Vighneshwer remove the obstacles in your life.

Regards,

Souvik

From here.

Festivals and Worship of Ganesha

In India, there is an important festival honouring Lord Ganesha. While it is most popular in the state of Maharashtra, it is performed all over India. It is celebrated for ten days starting from Ganesh Chaturthi. This was introduced by Balgangadhar Tilak as a means of promoting nationalist sentiment when India was ruled by the British. This festival is celebrated and it culminates on the day of Ananta Chaturdashi when the murti of Lord Ganesha is immersed into the most convenient body of water. In Mumbai (earlier known as Bombay), the murti is immersed in the Arabian Sea and in Pune the Mula-Mutha river. In various North and East Indian cities, like Kolkata, they are immersed in the holy Ganga river. One who really wants to taste the festival needs to come down to the city of Mumbai; particularly at Lalbaug where the divine idol of Lalbaugcha raja (The Lord Of Lalbaug, as Ganesha is fondly called) is set.

The Ganesha festival starts on Ganesh Chaturthi (fourth day of Hindu calendar month Bhadrapada) and ends on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of Bhadrapada). It is widely believed that every wish one expresses to Lord Ganesha must come true. All devotees from every corner of the globe gather at Lalbaug for the festival.

Representations of Shri Ganesh are based on thousands of years of religious symbolism that resulted in the figure of an elephant-head god. In India, the statues are impressions of symbolic significance and thus have never been claimed to be exact replications of a living figure. Ganesh is seen not as a physical entity but a higher spiritual being, and murtis, or statue-representations, act as signifiers of him as an ideal. Thus, to refer to the murtis as idols betrays Western Judeo-Christian understandings of insubstantial object worship whereas in India, Hindu deities are seen to be accessed through points of symbolic focus known as murtis. For this reason, the immersion of the murtis of Ganesh in nearby holy rivers is undertaken since the murtis are acknowledged to be only temporal understandings of a higher being as opposed to being 'idols,' which have traditionally been seen as objects worshipped for their own sake as divine.

The worship of Ganesha in Japan has been traced back to 806.

Resurgence of Popularity

Recently, there has been a resurgence of Ganesha worship and an increased interest in the "Western world" due to a spate of alleged miracles in September 1995. On September 21 1995, according to Hinduism Today magazine (www.hinduismtoday.com), Ganesh statues (as well as other statues) in India began spontaneously drinking milk when a spoonful was placed near the mouth of statues honoring the elephant god. The phenomena spread from New Delhi to New York, Canada, Mauritius, Kenya, Australia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Hong Kong, Trinidad, Grenada and Italy among other reported places. This was seen as a miracle by many although skeptics contend that this was another example of collective hysteria. Some scientific experiments conducted in that time frame suggested capillary action as an explanation for this phenomenon. It had remained a mystery why such capillary action did not repeated itself [2] until the same thing happened again on 21 August 2006 [3]. Of course, now the question is why it happened again.
The book Ganesha, Remover of Obstacles by Manuela Dunn Mascetti is another of many resources that testify to the Hindu milk miracle.

Ganesha has two Siddhis (symbolically represented as wives or consorts): Siddhi (success) and Riddhi (prosperity). It is widely believed that "Wherever there is Ganesh, there is Success and Prosperity" and "Wherever there is Success and Prosperity there is Ganesh". This is why Ganesh is believed to be the harbinger of good fortune, and why he is invoked first at any ritual or ceremony. Whether it is diwali puja, a new house, a new vehicle, students praying before the exams, or people praying before job interviews, it is Ganesha they pray to, because it is believed that he will come to their aid and grant them success in their endeavor.
Ganesha is worshipped as Vinayak (knowledgeable) and Vighneshwer (remover of obstacles). It is believed that he blesses those who meditate upon him. Ganesha, in astrology, is believed to help people know what can be achieved and what cannot be.

Anushthan-Janmashtami

Dear readers,

Today is Janmashtami, the birthday of Krishna, the saviour in the dark ages of Kali Yuga.

Women have played a very important role in Krishna's life, be it his two mothers or his sixteen thousand wives.

This article is a tribute to Krishna and the women in his life.

The Primary Women in Krishna’s Life

1) Devaki (Image here)
2) Yashoda (Image here)
3) Radha (Image here)
4) Draupadi (Image here)
5) Subhadra (Image here)
6) Rukmini (Image here)
7) Satyabhama (Image here)
8) Mira (Image here)

Devaki:
The mother who gave birth to Krishna, who felt the grief of her children being killed one after another infront of her eyes is indeed the chosen one from whose womb Krishna took birth. She and her husband (Vasudeva) gave the reason to Krishna to kill evil Kamsa.

Devaki is the wife of Vasudeva and mother of Krishna and Balarama. She was the daughter of Devaka, the younger brother of King Ugrasena of Mathura. Devaki and Vasudeva were imprisoned by her cousin, Kamsa, due to a prophecy that one of their sons would kill him. Kamsa then killed six of their sons. The seventh, Balarama, escaped death by being transferred to the womb of another woman, while a female child (an incarnation of the goddess Yoga-Nidra or Maya) was placed in Devaki's womb. The eighth son, Krishna (who was actually an avatar of Vishnu), was born at midnight and taken by Vasudeva to be raised by Nanda and Yasoda in the neighboring village of Gokul. It was believed that Krishna was born not from a sexual connection between Devaki and Vasudeva, but was transferred to Devaki's womb. After he realised that Krishna had escaped alive, Kamsa released Devaki and Vasudeva, and they lived in Mathura. Vasudeva and his second wife Rohini had a daughter Subhadra, who married Arjuna and was the mother of Abhimanyu. Afterwards, they moved to Dwaraka with the rest of Mathura's population.

Yashoda:
Being a biological mother is one thing but to bring up a child, nourish him/her with caring and affection and then letting that child go later in life for his/her duty needs a very strong heart. She too has seen a lot of pain in her life but is more associated with Krishna as a child than Devaki.

Yasoda was wife of Nanda and foster-mother of, Krishna, who, according to the story was given to them by Vasudeva.
Yasoda also played an important role in the upbrinding of Krishna, Balarama (the son of Rohini) and their sister Subhadra.

Radha:
Pages will fall short to write about this lady. Her self-less love and passion is an example for humanity. Radha has seen tremendous pain in her Earthly-life.

Radha the Gopi in Vaishnava traditions
In the Vaishnava devotional or bhakti traditions of Hinduism that focus on Krishna, Radha is Krishna's consort. For some of the adherents of these traditions, Her importance approaches or even exceeds that of Krishna. She is considered His adi (original) shakti, the Supreme Goddess (feminine aspect or power of God). Other gopis are usually considered to be her maidservants, with Radharani having the prominent position of Krishna's favour.
Her connection to Krishna is of two types: svakiya-rasa (married relationship) and parakiya-rasa (a relationship signified with eternal love). However, according to tradition Radha is never officially married to Krishna, because the Vedas do not inform us about whether Krishna marries in Vrndavana (although some stories do hint at a hidden ceremony), but He does so later in life in Dwaraka with Rukmini and His other Queens.
Rukmini is known to be in the svakiya rasa and Radha in vraja-bhava-dasya rasa, which means that Radha's love for Krishna is in separation. The love the gopis feel for Krishna is primarily in separation (as oppossed to in union) and not within marriage. The love of the Gopis for Krishna is described to be of an esoteric nature on the platform of spontaneous love of God (not of a mundane sexual nature).

Birth & Religious significance
Radharani was born in Rawal, a village about 8 kilometeres from Vrindavan, near present day New Delhi in India. There are a number of accounts of her parentage. According to one of the common ones, her father is the leader (sometimes regarded as king) of cowherds called Vrishabhanu, and her mother is called Kamalavati, or Kirtida.
One of her names, Hara (mentioned in Narada-pancaratra 5.5.59), in vocative Hare, forms a part of the Hare Krishna 'Maha-Mantra', one of the most popular Vedic mantras, especially amongst Gaudiya Vaishnavas. Radharani's names hold a place of prime importance within Gaudiya Vaishnava religious practices, thus Her name is mentioned first in the maha-mantra before that of Krishna's. Her worship is especially prominent in Vrindavan, the place where Krishna is said to have lived over 5000 years ago. Wherin Her importance surpasses even the importance of Krishna. Radha's love for Krishna is held within Gaudiya Vaishnavism as the most perfect primarily because of its endless and unconditional nature. Thus she is the most important consort of Krishna, 'His heart and soul', and His 'hladini-shakti' (spiritual pleasure potency).
In the Brihad-Gautamiya Tantra, Radharani is described as follows: "The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord."

Caitanya Mahaprabhu
The famous Bengali saint Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486 - 1534) is believed by many (see especially the modern-day ISKCON movement) to be an incarnation of both Srimati Radharani and Krishna in one simultaneous form. Throughout his life, Caitanya lived as a devout devotee of Vaishnava tradition, but is said to have revealed His inner form to some of his closer associates.

Draupadi:
The daughter of the fierce maharaja Drupad, sister to the formidable Dhristadyumna, wife to the unparralleled Pandavas, mother to valourous children, the princess of Panchal and the putra-badhu (daughter-in-law) to the Chandra vamsi raj parivar (dynasty) of Hastinapur and yet when her modesty was put at stake, her self-respect challenged in the open court-room of warriors- not a single soul came to her rescue and she shouted out to Krishna, the only friend she could trust on and it was only Krishna who with his maya protected Draupadi's modesty. Draupadi has seen tremendous pain too in her life.

In the epic Mahabharata, Draupadi is the daughter of King Drupada, and becomes the wife of the five Pandavas. When Yudhisthira becomes the king of Hastinapura, Indraprastha and the Emperor of India at the end of the war, Draupadi again becomes Queen.

Birth
Draupadi and her brother Dhristadyumna emerged together from a sacrificial fire that the king had lit to gain a means of revenge on Drona, to whom he had lost half his kingdom.
Drupad had prayed for a son, but Draupadi emerged as well. When she did, a divine voice said she would be the reason for the destruction of the Kauravas. When Draupadi grew to be a young woman she was considered very beautiful, mainly for her glowing dark skin, large dark eyes and graceful figure.
It is believed that Goddess Kali had given a part of her powers to her, for the destruction of the Kauravas. As Drupada was the ruler of the kingdom of Panchala, Draupadi was also known as Paanchali. She was named by Brahmanas as "Krsnā" due to her radiant dusky skin {the Lord Krishna was also dark-skinned) and is very often referred to and addressed by this name in the Mahabharata.


Marriage to the Pandavas
While in exile, Kunti, mother of the Pandavas often advised her sons that they share everything they have (or obtain) equally amongst themselves. During that time, Arjuna attended Draupadi's swayamvara and won her hand in marriage. When he returned, he triumphantly declared "Look mother, what I have brought!". Kunti, unmindful of what Arjuna was referring to, unassumingly asked her son to share whatever it is with his brothers. Thus, in order to obey their mother's order all five accepted Draupadi as their wife.
According to another source, when Sage Vyasa visits the family, he explains to Draupadi that her unique position as the wife of five brothers results from a certain incident in her previous birth. She had in that lifetime prayed to Lord Shiva to grant her a husband with five desired qualities. Lord Shiva, pleased with her devotion, tells her that it is very difficult to get a husband with all five qualities that she desired. But she sticks to her ground and asks for the same. Then Lord Shiva grants her wish saying that she would get the same in her next birth. Hence she gets married to five brothers each who represents a given quality.

Draupadi's Cheer-Haran
Draupadi’s Cheer-Haran, literally meaning stripping of one’s clothes, marks a definitive moment in the story of Mahabharata. It is the central reason of the Mahabharata war, the rivalry between Pandavas and Kauravas being the more general cause.
Yudhishthira and his four brothers were the rulers of Indraprastha under the sovereignty of Emperor Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra’s son Duryodhana who resided in the capital of the empire Hastinapur was always jealous of his cousins. Together with his brothers, his friend Karna and maternal uncle Shakuni, he conspired to call Pandavas at Hastinapur and win their kingdoms in a game of gambling. Shakuni was an inveterate gambler and very skilled at winning by unfair means. The idea was that Shakuni will play against Yudhishthira and win at the gambling table what was impossible to win at the battlefield.
As the game proceeded, Yudhishthira lost all his wealth and kingdom one by one. Having lost all material wealth, he went on to put his brothers at stake one by one and lost them too. Ultimately he put himself at stake, and lost again. All the Pandavas were now the slaves of Kauravas. But for the villain Shakuni, the humiliation of Pandavas was not complete. He plods Yudhishthira that he has not lost everything yet. Yudhishthira still has Draupadi with him and if he wishes he can win everything back by putting Draupadi at stake. Yudhishthira walks into the trap and to the horror of everybody present, puts Draupadi as a bet for the next round. Shakuni rolls the dice and gleefully shouts “Look, I have won”.
Duryodhana commands his younger brother Dushasana to forcefully bring her into the forum. Dushasana barges into the living quarters of Draupadi who had just finished her bath and was drying her loose hair. Dushasan grabs her by the hair and brings her into the court dragging her by the hair. Unable to withstand the distress of his wife, an emotional Bhima even threatens to burn up Yudhishthira’s hands with which he placed Draupadi on stake. Arjuna pacifies him.
Now in an emotional appeal to the elders present in the forum, Draupadi repeatedly questions the legality of the right of Yudhishthira to place her at stake when he himself had lost his freedom and as a consequence did not possess any property in the first place. Everybody remain dumbfounded. Bhishma, the patriarch of the Kaurava family and a formidable warrior has only this lame explanation to offer to Draupadi - “The course of morality is subtle and even the illustrious wise in this world fail to always understand it”.
Kauravas now command Pandavas to strip themselves in the manner of slaves. Pandavas obey by stripping off their upper garments. Then Kauravas demand the same from Draupadi, who remains crying in her hour of test. Then to the horror of everybody present, Dushasana proceeds to strip Draupadi off her sari. Seeing her husbands unable or unwilling to help her, Draupadi prays to Lord Krishna to protect her modesty. Lord Krishna now works a miracle so that as Dushasana unwraps layers and layers of her sari, her sari keeps getting extended. Seeing Draupadi being violated so brazenly, Bhima in a roaring rage, vows to tear open Dushasana’s breast one day and drink his blood. Finally a tired Dushasana backs off without being able to strip Draupadi.

Duryodhana repeatedly challenges Yudhishthira’s four brothers to disassociate themselves from Yudhishthira’s authority and take their wife back. No one dares to denounce their loyalty to their eldest brother. In order to provoke the Pandavas further, Duryodhana bares and pats his thigh looking into Draupadi’s eyes, implying her to sit on his thigh. In impotent rage Bhima vows in front of the entire assembly that one day he will break that very thigh of Duryodhan in a battle.
Finally, the blind monarch Dhritarashtra's conscience is stirred, in part fearing the wrath of Pandavas against his sons. He intervenes and asks Draupadi to wish for whatever she desires. Draupadi asks her husbands the Pandavas to be freed from slavery. Dhritarashtra grants her wish and also restores to Pandavas all they lost in the game of dice. Free from the bondage Bhima, hotheaded as ever, immediately proposes to his brothers to slay all Kauravas present then and there itself. Yudhishthira and Arjuna prevent him from taking any rash action. After many words of reconciliation between Pandavas and Dhritarashtra, Pandavas withdraw to their kingdom along with Draupadi and their entourage.
Shakuni, Karna and Duryodhan later convince Dhritarashtra to invite Pandavas for a new game of dice, with modified rules. It was following the defeat in this new game that Pandavas were sent into exile.
Draupadi’s Cheer-Haran remains one of the most hotly debated passages from the Mahabharata. What was originally meant to show the virtuousness of Pandavas (who remained firm in their observance of pledge of servitude to Kauravas by not resorting to violence even in the face of gravest insult possible), has in the modern India come to showcase an example of Pandavas’ male chauvinistic attitudes (because they treated Draupadi as their property by putting her at gambling stake) and their strange prioritizing of virtues (Do pledges really matter more than the honor and safety of one’s family?). That the elders like Bhishma, Drona, Vidura and Dhritarashtra remained silent spectators of the entire episode adds valuable insight to their personalities too. In any case the passage must be seen in the light of the mores of the times of its writing which lay a few millennia ago.

Devotion to Krishna
When Draupadi's father, the King of Panchala began to look for a suitable match for Draupadi the first man to come to his mind was Krishna. Upon his arrival, Krishna meets Draupadi and is very pleased with her but as soon as he finds out that she is also referred to as "Krishna" he says "how can we be married if we have the same name?" Since Krishna is believed to have thousands of wives he asks Draupadi "do you really just want to be another wife?" Since they shared the same name Krishna explains that they must have some type of divine connection. At that time he pledges his friendship to Draupadi and vows to show the world the greatest example of friendship. This is quite possibly why Krishna helps Draupadi when the Pandavas lose her in a gamble.
Krishna calls Draupadi his sakhi, or friend. She is a total devotee, and another story says the reason he helps Draupadi is that she prayed with utmost devotion. Plus, when Krishna had cut his finger on the Sudarshan Chakra she had bound it with her Sari.
Also, Krishna is the one who opposes her marriage to Karna and promotes her marriage to Arjuna (when people oppose it because he is disguised as a Brahmin.
Draupadi is an the exemplification of bhakti to God. She showed utmost faith to Lord Krishna

Subhadra:
Half-sister to Krishna, many consider her to be a part of shakti incarnate. The greatest sorrow she has seen in life is perhaps the unjust murder of her son Abhimanyu in Kurukshetra.

Subhadra is an important character in the Mahabharata, a Hindu epic. She is the half-sister of Krishna, wife of Arjuna, third of the Pandava brothers, and mother of Abhimanyu.

Biography
Subhadra is the only daughter of Vasudeva, born to him by his wife Rohini Devi. She is born after the release of her father from prison by Krishna, and is thus much younger than both her brothers. Subhadra therefore grows up in comfort as the princess, and escapes the travails that haunted her family before her birth.

Arjuna, the Pandava, once spends 12 years in exile for breaking a vow. He spends the last portion of this exile in Dwaraka, at the residence of his cousins Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra. They are his cousins because their father, Vasudeva, was the brother of Arjuna's mother Kunti. During his sojourn at Dwaraka, a romance ensues between Arjuna and Subhadra. This matter was abetted by Krishna, who had always been particularly attached to Arjuna, and wished nothing but the best for his sister Subhadra.
As the period of Arjuna's exile draws to a close, and his departure homeward becomes imminent, Arjuna proposes marriage to his cousin, and she acquiesces. Knowing that the entire family would view with disfavour the prospect of Subhadra becoming the fourth wife of her much-married cousin Arjuna, Krishna facilitates the elopement of the couple and their departure for Indraprastha. He gives the couple a crucial piece of advise related to their elopement: it was Subhadra, and not Arjuna, who drove the chariot away from Dwaraka and towards Indraprastha. Krishna later uses this fact to persuade his family that Subhadra had not been abducted; on the contrary, it was she who had kidnapped Arjuna!!
Subhadra and Arjuna soon have a son, the valiant Abhimanyu. Not long afterwards, the celebrated game of dice ensues between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The Pandavas leave Indraprastha to spend 13 years in exile. It is decided that Subhadra and her infant son must spend the period of exile in Dwaraka, so that Abhimanyu may profit from receiving Krishna's tutelage and gain a suitable education, that would prepare him for the struggles and responsibilities that he, Abhimanyu, is expected to bear in later life.
At the end of the period of exile, Arjuna sends for his wife and son. Abhimanyu is wed to Uttara, daughter of king Virata. To Subhadra's great grief, the young Abhimanyu is killed during the Kurukshetra war which ensues soon afterwards. Uttara is pregnant at that time and is later delivered of a son, who is named Parikshita.
Parikshita is destined to become the sole surviving dynast of the entire Kuru dynasty, Pandavas and Kauravas combined. When he comes of age, the Pandavas (being his grandfather Arjuna and four grand-uncles) anoint him king of their realm and retire to the Himalayas. Subhadra remains behind to guide and mentor her grandson.

Devotions
Subhadra is one of the three deities worshipped at the Jagannath temple at Puri, along with her brothers Krishna (as Jagannatha) and Balarama (or Balabhadra). One of the chariots in the annual Ratha Yatra is dedicated to her. According to some interpretations, Subhadra is considered an incarnation of Maya.

Rukmini:
The main and chief wife of Krishna and considered an avataar of Lakshmi.

Birth
Princess Rukmini is believed to have been born on Vaisakha 12. Although born of an earthly king, her position as an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi is described throughout Vedic literature:
O hero among the Kurus, the Supreme Lord Himself, Govinda, married King Bhismaka's daughter, Vaidarbhi, who was a direct expansion of the goddess of fortune [Sriyo maatraam]. (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.52.16)
Dvaraka's citizens were overjoyed to see Krishna, the Lord of all opulence, united with Rukmini, the goddess of fortune [Ramaa]. (SB 10.54.60)
Sri Devi by Her portion took birth in the earth as Rukmini in the family of Bhismaka. (Mahabharata Adi 67.156)
Rukminidevi, the Queen Consort of Sri Krishna is the Swarupa-shakti (mulaprakriti), the essential potency of Krishna (krsnatmika) and She is the Queen of the Divine World (jagatkatri), Dwaraka/Vaikuntha. The Srutis which are closely associated with the narrations of the pastimes of the Vraja-gopis with svayam-rupa Bhagavan Sri Krishna, the Parabrahma, have declared this truth. (Gopala-tapani Upanisad 57)

Marriage
Rukmini was the daughter of Bhishmaka, the king of Vidarbha. She fell in love with and longed for Krishna, whose virtue, character, charm and greatness she had heard much of. Krishna, likewise fell in love with Rukmini as she was the most sought after, virtuous and beautiful princess on Earth. Rukmini's eldest brother Rukmi though was a friend of evil King Kamsa, who was killed by Krishna, and was set against the marriage.
Rukmini's parents were going to marry Rukmini to Krishna but Rukmi, her brother strongly opposed and changed Bheeshmaka, their father's mind. Instead, he proposed that she be married to his friend Shishupala, the crown prince of Chedi.
Bheeshmaka gave in but Rukmini, who had overheard the conversation was horrified and immediately sent for a brahman, Sunanda, whom she trusted and asked him to deliver a letter to Krishna. She asked Krishna to come to Vidarbha and kidnap her to avoid a battle where her relatives may be killed. She suggested that he do this when she was on her way to the temple or back. She asked that he claim her to marry her. She also added that if Krishna refused to comply she would commit suicide. Krishna, having received the message in Dwarka, immediately set out for Vidarbha with Balarama, his brother.
Meanwhile, Shishupala was overjoyed at the news from Rukmi that he could simply go to Kundina and claim Rukmini. Jarasandha, not so trusting sent all his vassals and allies along because he felt that Krishna would certainly come to snatch Rukmini away.
Bheeshmaka and Rukmini received the news that Krishna was coming by their respective spies. Bheeshmaka, who secretly approved of Krishna and wished he would take Rukmini away had a furnished mansion set up for him.
He welcomed them joyfully and made them comfortable. Meanwhile, at the palace, Rukmini got ready for her upcoming marriage. She went to the shrine to pray but was severely disappointed when she did not see Krishna there. Inside the shrine, she prayed to Goddess Parvati that Krishna would arrive and wed her. As she stepped out, she saw Krishna and he soon swept her into his chariot with him. They both started to ride off when Shishupala noticed them. All of Jarasandha's forces quickly started chasing them. While Balarama occupied most of them and held them back Rukmi had almost caught up with Krishna and Rukmini.
Krishna and Rukmi duelled with the inevitable result of Krishna's victory. When Krishna was about to kill him, Rukmini fell at the feet of Krishna and begged that her brother's life be spared. Krishna, generous as always agreed but as punishment, shaved Rukmi's head and let him go free. There was no greater shame for a warrior than a visible sign of defeat.
A few days later at Dwaraka, Krishna was married to Rukmini with great pomp and ceremony.

Children
The first son of Queen Rukmini was Pradyumna, and also born of her were Carudesna, Sudesna and the powerful Carudeha, along with Sucaru, Carugupta, Bhadracaru, Carucandra, Vicaru and Caru, the tenth (SB 10.61.8-9). Of them, Pradyumna was the crown prince of Dwaraka.

Satyabhama:
Satyabhama is the beloved third wife of Hinduism's Lord Krishna, known for her strong will and tantrums.

Marriage
Satyabhama was the daughter of Satrajit who owned the Syamantaka jewel. Satrajit, who secured the jewel from Surya, and would not part with it even when Krishna the Lord of Dvaraka, asked for it saying it would be safe with him. Shortly thereafter, Prasena, the brother of Satrajit went out hunting wearing the jewel but was killed by a lion. Jambavan. Known for his role in the Ramayana, killed the lion and gave the jewel to his son to play with. When Prasena did not return, Satrajit falsely accused Krishna of killing Prasena for the sake of the jewel.
Krishna, in order to remove the stain on his reputation, set out in search of the jewel and found it in Jambavan's cave, with his child. Jambavan attacked Krishna thinking him to be an intruder who had come to take away the jewel. They fought each other for 28 days, when Jambavan, his whole body terribly weakened from the hammering of Krishna's fists, finally recognised Him as Rama and surrendered.
I now know You. You are the life in all creatures, virility, grit and strength. You are Vishnu, the Primeval Lord, All-prevailing, the Supreme Lord (of the worlds). (Bhagavata 10.56.26)
As repentance for his having fought Krishna, Jambavan gave Krishna the jewel and also his daughter Jambavati in marriage. Krishna returned the jewel to Satrajit, who in turn repented for his false accusation. He promptly offered to give Krishna the jewel and his daughter Satyabhama in marriage. Krishna accepted Satyabhama as His wife but did not accept the jewel.

Narakasura's Killing
Narakasura was a demon king, ruling Pragjothishyapur, a southern province in the present day Nepal. He gained a boon from Brahma that he would die only in the hands of a woman. Armed with the boon, he ruled like a despot. Narakasura was infamous for his wicked ruling and high disregard for demigods and women.
Addicted to power, he defeated Lord Indra, king of demigods, and abducted 16000 women and imprisoned them in his palace. He stole the earrings of Aditi, the heavenly mother goddess, and usurped some of her territory. Aditi was a relative of Satyabhama. When she heard of the Narakasuara's ill treatment of women and his behaviour with Aditi, she was enraged. Satyabhama approached Lord Krishna for permission to wage a war against Narakasura. Krishna not only agreed, but also offered to drive her chariot in the battlefield.
On the day of the war, Satyabhama fought Narakasura bravely, but she was no match to his trained skills. After a few days days, when Narakasura got a chance, he took aim at Krishna, hurting him lightly. Krishna fainted in a preordained divinely plan adopted to empower Satyabhama. Seeing this Satyabhama was furious. She doubled her attack on the demon king and killed him finally. Her victory on Narakasura translated into freedom for all his prisoners and honoring of Aditi. Having rescued the 16000 women, Krishna was compelled to marry them per the customs of the day.
The killing of Narakasura was a victory of good over evil and is celebrated as Narakachaturdasi by Hindus every year with lot of fun, frolic, and fire works.


Tulabharam (weighing by scale)
The Sri Krishna tulabharam is an incident in the life of Satyabhama, that reveals the extent to which devotion is worth more than material wealth.
Satyabhama prides herself about the love Krishna has for her and her grasp over his heart. Rukmini, Krishna's first queen, on the other hand is a devoted wife, humble in her service of her Lord. Her devotion is her real inner beauty. On one contrived occasion, Rishi Narada arrives in Dwaraka and in the course of conversation hints to Satyabhama that the love that Krishna exhibits towards her is not all that real and in fact it is Rukmini has the real control over his heart. Unable to bear this, Satyabhama challenges Narada to prove it. Narada, with his way with words, tricks her into accepting a Vrata (ritual) where she has to give Krishna away in charity to Narada and reclaim him by giving the weight of Krishna in wealth. Narada lures her into accepting this vrata by telling her that Krishna’s love to her will increase many folds if she succeeds in performing this Tulabharam. He also instigates her ego by hinting that her wealth may not be sufficient to equal the weight of Krishna. With Satyabhama's ego duly raised, she tells Narada that she can mobilize so much wealth that it is a child’s play for her to outweigh Krishna. Narada warns her that if she is not able to do this, Krishna will become his slave to be done with as he pleases.
The scene is soon set for the vrata. Satyabhama gives Krishna away in charity (dana) in spite of the other wives’ pleadings. Krishna, always the mischievous cowherd, meekly submits to this drama. After donating Krishna to Narada, Satyabhama arranges for a big scale to be put up and sends with all assurance for her huge treasure of gold and jewellery. All that she has is soon put on the scale, but it doesn’t budge. Narada starts taunting her and threatening her that if she can’t put enough gold or diamonds, he will be forced to auction Krishna as a slave to someone else. Satyabhama swallows her pride and begs all the other wives to give their jewels. They agree out of love for Krishna, it is of no use.
Krishna remains a mute witness to all this drama and rubs salt into the open wounds of Satyabhama’s ego that he has now to become a slave to some cowherd and will have to suffer the separation from his dear wife. Narada suggests to Satyabhama that Rukmini may be able to get her out of the predicament. She finally swallows her pride and appeals to the devoted first wife of Krishna. Rukmini comes and with a prayer to her husband puts a single leaf of the sacred Tulasi on the scale (tula). Lo and behold, the scales become all at once so heavy that even after removing all the jewels, the scales are weighed down on the side of the Tulasi leaf.
While there are different versions in different texts as to why the weighing was arranged, the story of the Tulsi leaf placed by Rukmini being worth more in weight than that of Satyabhama's wealth is a common ending. This story is oft repeated to enunciate the significance of Tulsi and how a humble offering to God is greater than any material wealth.

Mira:
All of the other women mentioned above have lived during the age Krishna was alive. They all have seen Krishna, touched him, talked to him and ofcourse loved him so dearly. However, what fascinates me about Mirabai is that her devotion was much more than that of a bhakt, it was that of a lover blindly in love with her beloved-Krishna.

Life story
Many of the details of Mira's life are pieced together from her poetry and the stories later recounted by members of her community.Mira was born in Merta in Rajasthan to Ratan Singh, the second son of Rao Dudaji, a descendant of Rao Jodhaji Rather, the founder of Jodhpur. Meera's mother died when she was ten years old.During her childhood she given a figurine of Krishna by a wandering saint that she played, sang and always talked with. Her father's elder brother Viram Deo who succeeded to the throne arranged her marriage e at the age of 18 with Prince Bhoj Raj, the eldest son of Rana Sanga of Chittor. This marriage raised Mirabai to a very high social status, as the ruler of Chittor was considered to be the leader of the Hindu princes of Rajputana. However, her great devotion to Lord Krishna did not always endear her to her husband and family. Her love of Krishna was so absorbing she neglected her social and regal responsibilities. She refused to offer worship to the family deity, Durga. She sang and danced in public temples and mingled with members of all castes. Because of this Mirabai suffered great hardship throughout her life. Her husband died a few years after her marriage and she refused to commit sati, a practice of widow self-immolation held in high regard in royal rajput families of the time. In 1527, the Rajputs opposed a Muslim invasion from Afghanistan.Mirabai's father was killed in battle; her father-in-law was wounded in the same battle and died the next year. Mewar got a new child-ruler, who with his mother, made life at the court difficult for Mirabai. In Mira's poems she mentions that her family attempted to kill her twice but that she was miraculously saved both times. These physical hardships became intolerable and after praying to Krishna, she left the palace for good (possibly at the age of 30) and went to the pilgrimage of Mathura, Vrindavana, and finally to Dwarka. Mirabai spent most of her time in prayer and worship of Krishna. She left behind a legacy of many soulful and prayerful songs, which are still sung in India today. Mirabai is widely regarded as a saint in the tradition of the Bhakti Movement. The 16th century Bhakti Movement showed the path to salvation by devotion. Other saints belonging to this culture were Tukaram, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Ramananda.Her love for Krishna is epitomized by the popular belief about her final disappearance in the temple of Krishna in Dwarka. She is believed to have entered the sanctum of the temple in a state of singing ecstacy.The sanctum doors are believed to have closed on their own and when later opened, the sari of Mirabai was seen enwrapped around the idol of lord Krishna, symbolizing the culmination of her union with her lord.

On this auspicious ocasion of Janmashtami, please do remember once in whole day to chant the Maha-mantra, the only mantra that can effectively cleanse anybody in these dark ages of Kali Yuga by just mere chanting of it.


Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Also please find some krishna bhajans from the following link:
Hari tum Haro Jan Ki Peer
Deenan Dukh Haran Deva

This same article with all images can be downloaded from here.

Jai Shree Krishna!

Souvik