Godavari Pushkara – Sinhasth KumBha mEla- 2003 (Part-2)

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THE ORIGIN OF KUMBHA - MELA

 

 

 

 

 

In the KRtha yuga DurvAsa RShi saw Indra - the King of Gods - sitting on his

divine elephant vehicle – the airAwat. DurvAsa was pleased to see Indra and

presented him a chain. However Indra did not accept the present. It fell down

and was trodden by elephant AirAwat. DurvAsa RShi got upset due to this and

cursed Indra. As an effect of the curse, all Gods lost their powers and had to

often lose a

 

battle against DAnavAs (Demons). So all Gods including Brahmadeva surrendered

themselves to God Vishnu;to get back their power. Vishnu suggested them to

approach DAnavAs and persuade them to perform Samudra Manthana (churning of the

sea). He said Samudra Manthana will bring out;AmRta, which will bring back your

power and you will not be efeated by DAnavAs. So Samudra Manthana was carried

out.

 

 

 

One of the many precious things that arose from the depths of the A troubled

water was a pot of nectar (AmRt Kumbh). Lord Vishnu, disguising himself as an

enchantress ( Mohini), seized the nectar from the demons. While fleeing from

the evil ones, Lord Vishnu passed the nectar on to his winged mount, Garuda.

The demons finally caught up with Garuda and in the ensuing struggle, a few

drops of the precious nectar fell on PrayAg, Nashik, Hardwar and Ujjain. Since

then, the Kumbh Mela has been held in all these places, every 12 years.

 

 

 

Another story is that once all the Teerthas went to;Adinath Bhagwan Shankara.

Following Bhagwan Shankara’s order they;had been to MRtyaloka (earth) to save

sinners on earth. Teerthas absolved the sinners on the earth, but were

themselves got saturated with human’s sins. They requested Bhagwan Shankara to

free them from the accrued sins. Shankara asked them to go and live in solitude

for one year at the bank of river Godavari. Shankara promised the Teerthas that

he himself, with all other. Gods would also stay with them. After taking bath

in the sacred water of Godavari, they will be free from the sins. Hence during

the Kumbha Mela a dip in Godavari river has attained a great importance.

 

 

 

In Shiva Purana there is a story explaining the importance of Sinhastha Kumbha

Mela. Gautama RShi got salvation of his cow-killing sin from Lord Shankara

after a long penance. Then the river Ganges descended down on the earth. After

some time she wanted to go back to her home place. However the RShis and Gods

gathered there and requested her to stay back on the earth for the prosperity of

the earth. She agreed to stay back only after taking a promise from Lord

Shankara that all the RShis present there; and all Gods will stay with her.

Then only she will stay back. Gods and RShis promised her that during the

period, when Jupiter and Sun will be in the zodiac sign Leo (Simha Rashi), they

would all stay on the earth. In the later years, it is said that acknowledging

importance of Kumbha Mela Lord Rama with his Guru Kashyap stayed and lived for

one year in Trimbakeshwar. During this period he performed all the religious

rites like yatra, shraddha etc near; Kushavarta

 

 

 

 

 

Why every 12 years?

 

 

AmRt had to be saved from DAnavAs. So Gods had to hide it at different places -

SwargalOk, MRtyalOk and PatAllOk. Gods were on MRtyalOk (earth) for twelve

days. Gods twelve days are equal to 12 years for MRtyalOk . Thus Gods were on

earth for 12 years with AmRt. Hence every 12 years Kumbha Mela is celebrated at

the four places, where a few drops of AmRt had fallen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE IMPORTANCE / SIGNIFICANCE OF KUMBH - MELA

 

 

 

 

 

WATER is the basis of all life on earth. Of the Panchmahabhut or the five

natural elements, water is considered to be the key to life. Human beings feel a

close affinity to it, since three-fourths of the human body is constituted of

water. In this respect, our body is like a microcosm (pinDAnDA), as the surface

of the earth (the macrocosm-brahmAnDa) is constituted similarly, being

three-fourths, water.

 

 

 

 

The confluence of three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati at Prayag stands for

the meeting of Ida, Pingala and Sushumna Nadis at Muladhar Chakra known as Yukta

Triveni. Kumbha symbolises the arousing of six chakras to reach Ajna Chakra

where these three nadis meet again to form the Mukta (Liberation) Triveni for

yogis.

 

 

 

 

The Ganga always flows and rushes very fast to the sound of Gama-Gam (meaning

go-go) while the Yamuna moves slowly with a placid flow to the sound of Yam-Yam

(meaning control-control). Likewise whether one acts fast in life or acts after

deliberate thinking, it must be decided by his knowledge and temperament. And

both these aspects should be supported by the invisible Saraswati, the faculty

of Jnan (knowledge). The meeting of these three rivers in the spiritual realm

represents the three gunas or qualities of the native, i.e. Sattvic or subtle

represented by Saraswati; Rajasic or the vibrant Ganga; and Tamasic or the dark

Yamuna. These three rivers also signify the three saktis, Mahalakshmi, Mahakali

and Mahasaraswati; the three sacred fires of sacrifice; the three Gods Brahma,

Vishnu and Mahesh; and the three notes of music, Sa for Saraswati; Re for

Yamuna; and Ga for Ganga.

 

 

 

Further deep in the spiritual sphere, these three rivers represent the three

phases of time i.e. present, past and future; the triangle or minimum space

enclosed in time; Nad, Bindu and Kala; and the three humours, vata, pitta and

kapha. The Triveni also denotes the three basic philosophies of the Gita, i.e.

Jnan Yoga, Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga

 

 

 

The Kumbha occurs in a cycle of every 12 years - the most sacred or auspicious

time is calculated on the basis of a specific planetary configuration,

considering its cosmobiological effect on the human body and mind. Various

astronomical conjugations during Kumbha represent various stages of the solar

cycle which has a direct influence on human beings and the biosphere. The ritual

bath or snan on specific days i.e. full moon, newmoon and Basant (Vasanth)

Panchami have been specifically prescribed on the basis of the bio-effects of

lunar phases. The imposed electromagnetic fields on water are transmitted into

the human beings taking bath in the Holy Prayag giving them great health

benefits. The number12 here signifies time or Kal as there are 12 adityas, 12

zodiac signs, 12 months, and 12 Jyotirlingas (self-emergent sivalingas). The

entire world exists in time, moves in time and space, and is controlled by time.

According to the AtharvavEda, Kumbh is the representation of space

situated in KAl (time) supervising all of us. Spiritually the holding of Kumbha

at an interval of 12 years symbolises the need for purifying the body by

sublimating the inherent vices of the 12 sense organs, i.e. Panchkarmendriyas

(five organs of action), Panchjnanedriyas (five organs of perception, the mind

and the intellect - and thereby to arouse the six psychic centres or chakras

separated from each other at a distance of 12 angulas (inches) for attaining the

AmRt Kumbha or pitcher of nectar.

 

 

 

 

There is another mystical explanation of the Kumbha. The human head and neck

form an inverted pitcher or Kumbha from where AmRt or nectar flows downwards

into the body. The two eyes represent the sun and moon gods, the nostrils

represent Ganga and Yamuna, the tongue is Vani or Saraswati and it spans 12

angulas of space.

 

 

 

 

Astrologically during Kumbha the three grahas, Jupiter, Sun and Moon, play a

prominent role in the two Zodiac signs, Taurus and Capricorn respectively.

 

 

 

 

The presence of Sun in Capricorn or Makara signifies the Swadhishtan Chakra, the

centre of procreation representing the water element. Makara also signifies the

Kama as Kamdev, popularly knows as Makaradhwaj. Accordingly Madam Blavatsky in

her famous book Sacred Doctrine records that Capricorn is universal

intelligence, which is transformed into human intelligence through water. It is

therefore that one of the famous Shahi Snans occurs on Basant (Vasanth)

Panchami, the day of Kamdev. Likewise Jupiter's or Jiva's (life force) presence

in Taurus signifies the creative power of universe, Shiva - Shakti or the Male

and female forces.

 

 

 

 

 

NEXT: The legend of Godavari & PuShkara mahima

 

 

 

R.Srinath

 

srinath_atreya

 

 

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