Guest guest Posted January 14, 2001 Report Share Posted January 14, 2001 sri: Dear Bhaktas, Could anyone explain what the phiolosophical/mythological reason behind Sankranthi? All I am aware that is signifies the end of Maargazhi maasam. Moreover, during this day Mantapadi Seva from krishnar koil nearby, takes place at out residence in Bangalore. I was told Sankranthi was to commemorate the prathisthapana of Lord Krishnar in Udupi by Sri Madvacharyar. Thanks and Regards, Daasan Malolan Get email at your own domain with Mail. http://personal.mail./ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2001 Report Share Posted January 16, 2001 Dear Sri Cadambi: SankarAnthi festival is the celebration of UtharAyaNa PuNya Kaalam marking the travel of the Sun to the North .In temples like Thirukkudanathai AarAvamudhan , where the Lord rests under Bhaaskara VimAnam , the DakshiNAyanam door is closed and the UttharAyaNam door is opened for the next six months. Surya Namaskara Prasnam and AruNam are source references for the tribute to the Gathi of the Lord residing inside the Sun as ChAyaa SuvarchalA SamEtha Soorya NaarayaNa Parabrahmam in this Vedic tradition. >From a folksy point of view , SanakrAnthi is the celebration of the just completed Winter Harvest and celebration of that Subhiksham. V.SatakOpan At 11:48 PM 1/14/01 -0800, you wrote: >sri: > >Dear Bhaktas, > >Could anyone explain what the >phiolosophical/mythological reason behind Sankranthi? > >All I am aware that is signifies the end of Maargazhi >maasam. Moreover, during this day Mantapadi Seva from >krishnar koil nearby, takes place at out residence in >Bangalore. > >I was told Sankranthi was to commemorate the >prathisthapana of Lord Krishnar in Udupi by Sri >Madvacharyar. > >Thanks and Regards, > >Daasan Malolan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2001 Report Share Posted January 16, 2001 Sri: Makara Sankranti is celebrated when the Sun begins the northward journey, marking the beginning of the "uttaraayaNa puNyakaalam". Sun enters the sign of "Makara", (Capricorn) from Cancer at this time. (This is also called equinox, when the day and nights are exactly the same). Starting this day, the duration of day starts to increase till "dakshiNaayanam" comes. Lord Surya on His dazzling chariot that has thousands of spokes and magnificent wheels, and driven by seven horses (seven colors of the spectrum) begins His journey northward into the Makara Rasi, filling ourlives with light and getting rid of the darkness that has loomed for the past few months. This light not only fills our material life and helps our plants grow at seeding time, but also gets rid of our "internal" darkness, showing the path of moksha. Another reason why the month of Margazhi precedes the Holy event of Sankranti. On this day, the devotee prepares a dish made of green grams, rice and jaggery - representing Lord Narayana, Laxmi and the Divine love. The festival reminds us that we need to establish that Divine Love within ourselves and give a direction to this "chanchala buddhi" and fix it our Lord Narayana, who brings light in our lives. In Mahabharata, Sri Bhishma Pitamaha waited on the bed of arrows till the "uttaraayaNa punyakaalam" has arrived, and then breathed once more, for the last time. It is believed that one escapes the cycle of life and death, if dies on this day. I also believe that "sesame oil" is used in making sweets and dishes, particularly on this day but do not have too much idea as to why. In chaturtha prasna (MahaNarayanopanishad), it is mentioned that sesame seeds are used for purificatory purposed (or as being auspicious - "tila juhomi sarasaagum sapishhThaam gandhaara mama chitteramanutu swaaha", "tila krishnaa tila shevataa tila saumyaa vashaanugaa"...). I am requesting the learned members of this group to enlighten us in this regard. -- Rajeev _______________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2001 Report Share Posted January 16, 2001 A couple of followup points to Sri Rajeev's and Sri Sadagopan's replies on sankrAnti: o The word 'sankrAnti' or 'sankramaNa' literally means 'crossing', and refers to the sun's crossing of the Tropic of Cancer (makara), as mentioned by Rajeev. A sankramaNa marks the beginning of every solar month in the Vedic calendrical system. This date falls on or around January 14th of every year. o Many years ago (I am not sure of exactly when, but at least over two thousand years back), the winter *solstice* coincided with makara sankrAnti. The winter solstice refers to the day with the fewest hours of sunlight in the year, and marks the time when the sun moves from its southern course to its northern. Back when our rishis were setting up the puNya-kAlas, etc., this solstice also occurred on or around January 14th, which is why we reckon sankrAnti as the 'uttarAyaNa-puNya-kAla', or the holy day on which the sun starts progressing northward once again. However, due to the fact that the earth precesses (spins like a top), the date of the solstice and the makara sankramaNa have been slowly drifting apart. During the early days of Christianity, the winter solstice occured on December 25, which is why Christmas began being celebrated on that day. These days, the solstice occurs on December 21, meaning that astronomically speaking, the uttarAyaNa-puNya-kAla actually occurs on December 21. The early Indian astronomers were not unaware of this drift. My friend Martin Gansten informs me, The sun in fact begins its northern course (uttara-ayana) at the winter solstice, and its southern course (dakshina-ayana) at the summer solstice. Balabhadra in his Horaratna acknowledges this, but states that these definitions are only used for 'special purposes'; in general, the ayanas are equated with Makara and Karka sankrantis. This is obviously a simplification dating from the time (200-400 CE) when the two phenomena nearly coincided. Nowadays it is off by nearly a month! o The other term that has come up in this discussion is 'equinox', which are those days in the year when the day is equal in length to the night. This obviously is very different from the solstice. o As Rajeev wrote, the uttarAyaNa was traditionally considered more auspicious than the dakshiNAyana. Bhishma is famed for having postponed his time of death until the uttarAyaNa. Over the years, this led some to believe that dying during dakshiNAyana, the southern path of the sun, was inauspicious and did not lead to moksha. This belief is cast aside in the Brahma-Sutras by the sage Badarayana, and all the acharyas of Vedanta, Sri Ramanuja included, write that the time of death is immaterial in the case of the jnAni. In Sutras 4.2.19-20, Sri Badarayana establishes that one who has knowledge of Brahman can die during any time; the exaltations of uttarAyaNa are merely to praise meditation on the path to Sri Vaikuntha known as 'archirAdi-mArga', which the jnAni's jIva takes upon death. The 'archirAdi-mArga', or the divine path beginning with light, is presided upon by deities of greater and greater brilliance, with uttarAyaNa being one of them. This marga culminates in Sri Vaikuntha, the state of moksha, and should be meditated upon daily by the yogi. o Sri K. Balaji has pointed out that it is important that we follow these astronomical events based on when they happen in *one's local time*. I have been arguing this for years now. Without doing the appropriate calculations, they are mere ritual observances with no relation to reality. Ekadasi, tirunakshatram, srAddham, upAkarma, etc., must all be observed with respect to local events, *not* as calculated in Madras. Our acharyas in India, for the most part, are aware of this, which is why there are different panchangams for Delhi, Bangalore, and Madras. aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan, Mani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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