అక్షయ తృతీయ నాడు మహాలక్ష్మిని పూజించండి
శ్రీ నరసింహుడు ప్రహ్లాదునికి
అనుగ్రహించిన రోజునే "అక్షయ తృతీయ"గా పిలువబడుతోందని పురాణాలు
చెబుతున్నాయి. ఈ రోజున శ్రీ మహాలక్ష్మిదేవిని పూజించడం సంప్రదాయం. ఈ రోజున
బంగారం కొని ఇంటికి తెచ్చుకుంటే ఏడాదంతా సిరిసంపదలతో వర్ధిల్లుతారని
విశ్వాసం. బంగారం
కొనలేని పక్షంలో శ్రీ మహాలక్ష్మి ప్రతిమ లేదా ఫోటో ముందు.. ఉప్పు,
పచ్చిబియ్యం, పసుపును ఓ అరటి ఆకుపై పోసి నిష్ఠతో ప్రార్థించి, కర్పూర
నీరాజనాలు సమర్పించుకునే వారికి అష్టైశ్వర్యాలు సిద్ధిస్తాయని పండితులు
అంటున్నారు.అదేవిధంగా
ఇదే రోజున నరసింహస్వామిని పుష్ప, ఫలాలను అర్పించి దైవ నామస్మరణ చేసిన
వారికి సంపద, పుణ్యఫలం ప్రాప్తిస్తాయని ప్రతీతి. ఇంకా చెప్పాలంటే... ఈ
రోజున గోధుమలు, శెనగలు, పెరుగన్నం దానం చేసిన వారికి సకల పాపాలు హరించి,
శాశ్వతంగా శివసాయుజ్యం పొందుతారని పురాణాలు చెబుతున్నాయి. వీటితో పాటు
గొడుగు, పాదరక్షలు, భూమి, బంగారం, వస్త్రాలను దానం చేసే వారికి పుణ్యం
లభిస్తుందని విశ్వాసం.
What is the story behind the origins of Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej)?
Lord Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, the God who carries out the
work of sustaining the universe, figures prominently in most stories
about the origin of Akshaya Tritiya. Of these, the most famous one is,
perhaps, that of Kuchela, also known as Sudama, and Krishna.
Kuchela was a poor Brahmin and a childhood friend of Krishna. A time
came when he was in dire straits and could not earn enough for his
family. So he decided to go and meet his former school mate who was now
king of Dwaraka and ask for some financial help to tide him over. Before
setting out on his journey, he packed a handful of poha or aval (beaten
rice) as a humble gift for his friend, the king.
When he reached the palace, Kuchela was mesmerized by all the wondrous
things that he saw and felt ashamed to offer his gift that he felt was
definitely unfit for a king. Krishna was very happy to see his childhood
friend. He welcomed Kuchela with open arms and treated him like a god,
following the age-old Indian dictum that ‘The guest is god’. He happened
to see the packet of beaten rice that Kuchela was hiding and playfully
grabbed it, opened it and began to eat the poha with obvious enjoyment.
When he saw this, Kuchela was so overcome with emotion that he forgot
why he came to see Krishna.
After spending some joyous days with Krishna at the palace, Kuchela
began his long walk back home. During the journey, he suddenly
remembered that he had failed in his mission and walked home with a
heavy heart wondering how to console his waiting wife and children. On
reaching his village, Kuchela found a palace where his hut stood, and
inside the palace, his wife and children clothed in the finest of
clothes. Food fit for royalty was also laid out on the dining table.
Kuchela realized that this was a miracle performed by the divine
Krishna, who had many fantastic powers that he wielded to help each and
every person who approached him with a problem of any sort. From that
day on, the day that Kuchela met Sri Krishna was observed as Akshaya
Tritiya (Akha Teej) day.
Kuchela’s humble gift and the prosperity that came his way as a reward
for the gift of love that he offered from the midst of his poverty
stands as a true symbol of Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej)– the prosperity
that comes to one through sharing and giving.
Draupadi’s Akshaya Patram
Another legend associated with Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) is set in the epic of the Mahabharata. Mahabharata
is the story of the epic battle between the Pandava princes, who stand
for Good and their cousins, the Kauravas, who stand for Evil. The five
princes were robbed of their royal inheritance which they gambled and
lost in an unfair game of something very like the modern chess.
When the Pandava princes were exiled into the forest along with their
young bride and their aging mother, they could not find enough food to
feed themselves, as they were unaccustomed to living off the forest.
Lord Krishna, taking pity on their sorry plight, presented Draupadi, who
was wife to all the Pandavas, with a magical bowl that would always
stay full.
This magical bowl carrying an unlimited quantity of food was known as
the Akshaya Patram and it is believed that Krishna presented this gift
on a Tritiya day. Like the food in the Akshaya Patram, it is believed
that all investments made on this day will have an unlimited increase in
value.
It was also on an Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) day that the Pandava
princes unearthed weapons that would guarantee their victory in battle
with the Kauravas.
Parasuram Jayanti or the Birthday of Parasurama
Parasurama, known as the first warrior saint, is the sixth incarnation
of Vishnu, the sustainer of the universe. He received his famous weapon,
an axe, at the end of a long, hard penance to please Shiva. Shiva, the
god of destruction, also taught him various methods of warfare and other
skills.
Legend has it that Parasurama fought the advancing ocean back to save
the lands of Konkan (ie. costal Maharashtra and Karnataka), Malabar and
Goa. Parasurama threw his axe into the sea and it was the areas where
the axe fell that later became Kerala, Goa and the Konkan. Goa and the
Konkan are even today known as Parasurama Kshetra, meaning Parasurama’s
country.
After creating these regions, Parasurama is believed to have given the
area over to 96 Brahmin families he chose, known as the Shahanavkuli
Brahmins. These families are credited with creating the cultural
heritage of this part of the country.
Beginning of the Mahabharata
According to Hindu mythology, it was on the day of Akshaya Tritiya (Akha
Teej) that Veda Vyasa began the composition of the epic, the
Mahabharata. Vyasa is believed to have dictated the entire epic to
Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom and obstacle removal.
Descent of Ganges from heaven
The river Ganges or Ganga, the largest river in the Indian
sub-continent, is the national river of India and the lifeline of
northern and eastern India. However, to the Hindu, it is much more than
that. The Ganga is the holiest of rivers in Hinduism, believed to have
descended to earth from the heavens on an Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej)
day.
Ganga, the daughter of Brahma, the creator of the universe, is believed
to have been told by her father to flow down to earth. This was in
answer to the intense tapas done by King Bhagiratha of Kosala (located
in present-day Uttar Pradesh) in order to lift a curse that was brought
on his kingdom by his forefathers.
Before the descent of the mighty Ganga, Bhagiratha also prayed to Lord
Shiva to break the fall of the river who agreed to do so. As Ganga
cascaded across and down from Swarga or the heavens, the roar and volume
of the water was so prodigious that all the celestial beings and King
Bhagiratha looked on with terrified awe at the destruction that would be
wreaked on the earth. However, true to his word, Lord Shiva appeared
suddenly and captured the river in his jata or matted knot of hair, just
as the imperious river flung herself downwards. When Shiva finally let
her go free, her vanity was crushed and she flowed down to earth at a
mild pace.
King Bhageeratha is said to have led the way for Ganga on his chariot
across the north and east of Bharat (India) before reaching the ocean.
Henceforth, Ganga was also named Bhageerathi by her father, Brahma, and
any incredible effort on the part of any man was termed ‘Bhageeratha
prayatnam’ (prayatnam means effort).
Beginning of the Treta Yuga
According to Hinduism, there are four ages in the history of mankind
known as Yugas. Of these, the Treta Yuga is the second. According to the
Puranas, Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) marks the beginning of the Treta
Yuga.
The other yugas are Satya Yuga, Dvaparayuga and Kaliyuga. Treta Yuga
comes after Satya Yuga, the age of perfect morality, and precedes the
Dvaparayuga. Lord Vishnu's fifth, sixth and seventh incarnations
occurred in this yuga and were the highlights of the age.
Day of Mahishasura’s defeat by Durga
In Hinduism, the Asuras are a group of deities, who represent Evil. They
are engaged in eternal battle with the Devas, the gods who reside in
the heavens, who represent Good. Both groups, however, are children of
Kasyapa.
One of the Asuras named Mahishasur took on the form of a very powerful
buffalo who wreaked death and destruction wherever he went. Finally,
under his leadership, the Asuras defeated the Devas. The Devas joined
their powers and a great band of lighting emerged from the mouths of the
Supreme Trinity to create a goddess. This goddess, who was given
special weapons by all the Devas became the ultimate source of power.
This supreme power was Shakti, the divine feminine creative power,
sometimes referred to as 'The Great Divine Mother' in Hinduism. In order
to defeat Mahishasura, Shakti became Goddess Durga also known as Vijaya
Chamundeswari. Durga, who is Lord Shiva’s consort, represents two types
of female energy – one, nurturing and protective and the other, fierce,
destructive and unstoppable.
After a fierce battle with Mahishashura that lasted for ten days,
Goddess Durga killed him on an Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) day.
