Raksha Bandhan – Festival of Rakhi.

There are many myths behind Raksha Bandhan. It began as a bond to take care of or protect against evil forces or perils of any kind. One of the first myths has its origin in the Vedic times, has a very different connotation from its later myths.

As per the Vedic myth Indra on behalf of the gods was waging a war against Vritra a very powerful demon. (The Indra-Vritra conflict has a very deep significance and symbolism, which is a topic by itself, but will skip for the present occasion). To avoid a defeat, against a very powerful adversary, Indra approached Brihaspati for a solution, who suggested wearing a sacred thread, powered by spells, on Sharavan Poornima (Full moon day of the month of Shravan). On this day, Indra’s wife Sachi tied this special thread, powered by mantra’s, which led to the victory of Indra in the battle. Later, Mahabharat has a reference of this myth as a story narrated by Lord Krishna to Yudhistira, when he had a similar plight.

However, during later times, this became a bond between a brother and sister and the Indra myth was nearly forgotten. Some of the important myths are that of Yama and Yamuna. It is said that on this day, Yamuna had bestowed immortality on Yama by tying a sacred thread on Yama’s wrist. Yama, moved by this gesture, declared this day as sacred and since that day, it is said that brothers who get this sacred thread tied by their sisters, get the gift of immortality from them.

Another myth says, that once Draupadi had tied a strip of her garment to stop Krishna’s bleeding finger. So touched was Krishna by this gesture, that he announced that he was bound to her by a brother’s love and would be there for her whenever she needed him. Mahabharat relates a number of instances when Krishna came to the aid of Draupadi.

Another legend has it that on this day, Goddess Lakshmi got her consort, Lord Vishnu back with her, as a wish granted by the Mahabali, the demon king, on tying a rakhi on his wrist. Vishnu was guarding the kingdom of Mahabali, leaving his own home Vaikuntha. (Though this myth might sound slightly contradictory in terms of dates of Onam and Raksha Bandhan, it is advisable not to look for chronology in Roman calendar when it comes to Indian festivals!)

Besides mythology there are a number of historical references of Raksha Bandhan too. One of the most well known is the episode of Rani Karnawati sending a rakhi to King Humayun seeking his help and intervention during the invasion of Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. There is also a mention of Alexander’s wife having tied a rakhi to Porus, due to which Porus avoids killing Alexander many a times during the battle between the two.

Besides, the day is also celebrated as Nariyal Poornima, when people living in the coastal areas offer nariyal (coconut) to Varuna, the god of seas as an act of propitiation.

The significance of the day has not lost out on people till date. Even today, we find sisters tying colourful and now designer rakhis on their brother’s wrist, and renewing the bond of the relationship annually.

Onam.

Onam, a harvest festival of Kerala has its own mythology.

The main myth is that of King Mahabali. But before we get into the myth, let us know the king a little better. King Mahabali was the son of Veerochana and the grandson of Prahlad (Bhakt Prahlad is better known as the son of Hiranyakashyap who was killed by the Narasimha avatar of Lord Vishnu). Mahabali, though an asura was an ardent worshipper of Lord Vishnu.

His popularity amongst the masses made the gods feel insecure, and so Lord Vishnu took the Vamana (dwarf) avatar and landed at the venue where Mahabali was conducting the Ashwamedha Yagya, to proclaim himself as the most powerful king of the three worlds. As part of protocol when Mahabali asked Vishnu if he required anything, Vishnu asked for three paces of land as measured by his own foot. Mahabali accepted and soon the dwarf grew in a size, big enough to take the earth in one step and the heavens in the second step. To live up to his word, Mahabali gave his head as there was no other place for Vishnu’s third step, which sent him to patala, the nether world.

Mahabali’s love for his subjects was so strong that he requested that he be allowed to visit his subjects once every year and that day is celebrated as Onam.

According to another legend, once a boat laden with food got stuck in the bend of a river. It took a wise man to feed a poor and famished family living in the bank of the river to get the boat back on its course. Since then, many feed the poor on the day of Onam.

Food is a very important aspect of the celebrations. There is a saying in Malayalam that "Kandam Vittu Onam Unnanam" which means, "One should have the Onam lunch even if one has to sell all his property to arrange for it.” That is the significance of the food as part of the celebrations!

Many see the myth as a classic conflict between the Arayans and Dravidians. Many versions have tried to bestow negative qualities on Mahabali, but the people were just not interested in the myths, and thus they died a natural death. Today, irrespective of religious allegiance, all of Kerala celebrates Onam. With all due respect to a just ruler and the infamous insecurity of the gods, Vishnu’s vamana avatar is known more for the great King Mahabali and for the first time, an asura is the hero of a myth!

Navroze Mubarak!

Parsi mythology originated in Persia. The Persian myths bear a very strong resemblance to the Vedic myths.

The earliest deities represented the universal cosmic forces of nature, both beneficial as well as fearful. It was a nature worshipping cult and often was part of its myths. In due course it evolved into a cosmic conflict between the good and evil.

The earliest information about Persian mythology comes from Zoroastrianism's sacred book, the Zend-Avesta or Avesta. Much of the original Zend-Avesta was lost after Alexander the Great conquered Persia in 334 B.C. What survives is a set of writings gathered and arranged between A.D. 200 and 600.

The driving forces of Persian mythology were two powerful gods, sometimes presented as twin brothers. Ahura Mazda was the creator, a god of light, truth, and goodness. His enemy Ahriman, the spirit of darkness, lies, and evil, created only destructive things such as vermin, disease, and demons. The world was their battlefield. Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord, was the supreme deity of Persian mythology. The Zoroastrians identified him with purifying fire and tended fires on towers as part of their worship.

The ancient Persian pantheon also included gods and goddesses associated with war, the sun, law and order, water and fertility, etc. There were also gods who appeared in the form of animals. However, Zoroaster reduced the role of these and other traditional deities and emphasized Ahura Mazda as supreme god, leading toward monotheism.

Persian mythology was amongst the first to include eschatological myths. Death in Persian mythology involved a journey into the afterlife. The soul of the dead person had to cross a bridge called Chinvat. Good souls found the bridge to be a wide and comfortable beam leading to heaven. For the wicked, it was a razor-sharp blade from which they fell headlong into hell.

Their myths spoke about the end of the world. The detail imagery is quite exquisite, but then that we will leave it for another day. Today on the occasion of the Parsi New Year, we talk of good things and leave the end of the world for an unknown future!!

30 days on Blogosphere.

Today my blog completes 30 days of non-controversial existence.

On turning one month old, I am feeling like a parent, whose child has been in this world for one month, and hasn’t cried as yet and nor has it laughed out loud! It has not made any major impact on its surroundings, though some people have taken note of its existence. Not bad altogether, eh?

I guess, I have miles to go before my child yells out – “Yo Dad, you belong!”

Happy Independence Day!

Here’s wishing a very happy Independence Day to all my fellow Indians!

On this day of Independence, we bow our head in reverence to all who laid down their lives for us to enjoy this independence. But true to my blog, can we overlook the role that mythology has played in the Freedom movement? Before some of my readers think that I am taking this mythology-thing a bit too far, let me explain.

Indian myths have played a very important role in inspiring people during the freedom movement. It started way back in 1881, by Swami Dayanand Saraswati with his Cow Movement after he wrote his book Gokarunanidhi. This was done to impress upon the British to ban cow slaughter. During this movement, for the first time, printed images of a sacred cow, encompassing all gods and goddesses on its body, being about to be butchered by a demon, was released.

The movement soon gathered support and spread across the nation and in 1893; the country saw its first communal riots!

The success of this and with the printing industry making good usage of the religious iconography gave birth to the concept of Bharat Mata. Images of Ashtabhuja-devi (Mother goddess with eight hands) started to be used as Mother Nation. This gave rise to a number of mythical images getting interpolated with that of prominent freedom fighters of the day. Images of the goddess in chains and in tatters were used to invoke the patriotic sentiments with a religious zeal across the country.

The culmination of this came with Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s novel, Anand Math. In this, the protagonist, Mohendra sees the goddess Kali as Bharat Mata. In her dishevelled nakedness, he sees the state of India under the foreign rule. To quote from Sri Aurobindo’s translation of Anand Math in 1909, “….today the whole country is a burial ground, therefore is the Mother garlanded with skulls. Her own god, she tramples under her feet. Alas my Mother!”

Finally, the famous “Vande Mataram” (Hail Motherland), which became the anthem during the freedom movement. As Sri Aurobindo said, that through Bankim Chandra the nation got the religion of patriotism, which united the country across caste and community and despite ideological differences.

See the all pervasive nature of Mythology?