More on Akshay Tritiya

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Dear Jyotishis,

 

Last Vaishakh I had posted a message on Varahamihira on the significance of the

month of Vaishakh and Akshay Tritiya (msg no. 9206). I am pasting it below here

once again.

 

Best regards,

 

Sarbani

 

 

"Sarbani Sarkar" <sarbani@s...> Wed Apr 16, 2003 6:17 pm

Vaisakha Mahatmya

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Dear Jyotishis,

Today, pournamasya of Vaisakha, is an auspicious day. So I thought it fitting to

post a brief note on the importance of Vaisakha as a month.

Vaiúâkha Mâhâtmya

Vaisakha (Sun’s transit of Aries), Vishnu’s favourite masa, is said to be the

greatest, the most sacred and shubha of all months. Maharshi Narada says that

Kartika, Magha and Vaisakha are the finest months, but of these three, Vaisakha

is the supreme. Vaisakha has the capacity to remove the sins of past births and

liberate the worshipper from worldly bondage. It is the best month for doing

dharma, yagna, rituals and tapasya, as it is the most suitable compared to

other seasons. Vasanta or Spring is most conducive for worship for the common

man and during this time, from Meena to Karkata, i.e. from Chaitra Sankranti to

Shravana Sankranti, Vishnu roams the celestial woods and gardens with Rama.

During Vaisakha, Vishnu tests his devotees, as those who sit idle during this

month, without any puja or daana, suffer a fall in dharma.

The four ayanas, namely, Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha are attainable with

Vaisakhadharma, i.e., worship and rituals during this month will yield nothing

less than the fruits of these highest goals. At a more mundane level, it grants

ayu (longevity), yash (fame) and pushti (sustenance) and the unending blessings

of Vishnu. Vaisakha is the month par excellence for doing daana (charity),

yagna (fire sacrifice), vrata (fasting ritual) and snan (bathing). Daana is an

important aspect of Vaisakhadharma. This can comprise the giving of any item in

charity, but the highest among these is the daana of water or jaladaana. Those

who do not give water to a thirsty passer-by or a guest or a visitor to one’s

home, shall be re-born as the bird chataka, who had spent its life pining for

water. Bathing in the Brahma muhurta i.e., before sunrise, during Vaisakha

followed by worship of Vishnu is considered to be equal to visiting all the

pilgrimages. The devata for the month is Madhusudana and worshipping the deity

after bathing with puja and arghya will absolve all sins and give endless

pleasure to Vishnu.

Prayer for Bathing

Madhusudana devesha vaisakhe meshage ravau

Pratah snanam karishyami nirvighnam kuru Madhava

Prayer for Arghya

Vaisakhe meshage bhanau pratahsnanparayanah

Arghyam tehham pradasyami grihana Madhusudana

Gangadyah saritah sarvastirthani cha hradaschaye

Pragrihita maya dattamarghyam samyakprasidatha.

Important tithis in Vaisakha

The auspicious tithis for the month of Vaisakha are Chaitra Sankranti (if

amavasya), shukla tritiya and shukla ekadashi. Chaitra Sankranti Amavasya is

especially favourable towards pitri shraddha. Shukla tritiya is better known as

Akshay Tritiya, as vratas and worship done on this day never get depleted in any

way. Akshay literally means, that which does not erode. Vishnu himself had told

King Kirtiman of Kashi (Varanasi), that Akshay Tritiya is the ultimate tithi of

the three worlds. No other tithi could compare to it. The worshipper could

easily escape the cycle of Kalachakra and attain liberation. “The way, merely

by remembering my lotus feet, sins are destroyed, similarly, Vaisakha destroys

millions and millions of accumulated paapa.” Benefits of worship of the pitris,

daana and achievement of moksha are easily attainable on this day. The next in

hierarchy for the month of Vaisakha are a triad of tithis known as the

Pushkarini tithis. These are shukla dwadashi, shukla trayodashi and shukla

chaturdashi. Together with pournamasya, they vibrate with an auspiciousness,

which is unsurpassable. Shukla dwadashi is so glorious that it is compared to

the brilliance of a billion suns and moons blazing together. On Pushkarini

tithis and pournamasya, the great Lord himself, in his address to King

Kirtiman, advises worshipping Madhusudana with tulasi and flowers and listening

to the Gita and the Vishnu Sahasranama. This will grant long life, remove

disease and eradicate the fear of death.

Vaisakha is the month for listening to and thinking about the greatness of

Vishnu. Even those who are irreligious and have sinful ways can achieve

salvation by praying during this month. Ultimately Vaisakha gives the

worshipper the “nearness” or company of Vishnu. Mahadeva had spent a hundred

years in trying to describe the greatness of Vaisakha to Parvati, but even such

a time period proved to be insufficient for expounding the supremacy of this

noble month.

Best regards,

Sarbani

 

Best regards,

 

Sarbani

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