By Smt.Meera Tadipatri
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| Gudi Padwa |
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| Bevu Bella |
No matter what, it signifies the the start of a "new era" or "new samvatsara". Shaastra explains how to welcome and understand its significance.
Upanishad calls Bhagavan as the controller of kaala, and creator of all kaala-visheshas like the fractions of time, days, months, seasons, years, yugas, manvantaraas etc., are created. Thus, Vishnu Sahasra Naama calls Him as "yugaadikrut", "yugaavarta".
"yug" also means "union". Bhagavan along with Raamaadevi, gives "birth" to Chaturmukha. The process of evolving Chaturmukha's deha takes one "chaturmukha year" [31,104 ten thousand crore human years]. Thus he gets the name Samvatsara. Through this "adhika purusha" called samvatsara and Saraswati, He does creation for the upliftment of all jivas in samsaara.
"yugam" also mean dvandva -- like the pairs of sorrow-joy, labha-alaabha, jaya-ajaya, vidya-avidya, janma-mrutyu --- this is indeed samsaara. Thus, He gives [karoti] samsaara filled with dvandvas and also removes [kruntati] not only the samsaara, but while being in the samsaara, removes the "bhaya"/fear through proper knowledge.
Thus the right knowledge of His shrushti through His kaala-niyaamaka rupa removes "bhaya" in samsaara. With this in mind, at the beginning of every year, the creation of Chaturmukha Brahma called Samvatsara and the division of time is told.
Kaalamurti Bhagavan present in Chaturmukha is also known as "Samvatsara" as He takes good care of His bhaktas [who constantly call out to Him just like how a calf calls its mother], and gives them joy both here and in mukti [Sam+vatsa+ra]
1. Chaturmukha lives for 100 chaturmukha years.
2. Each year of Chaturmukha is of 360 chaturmukha days.
3. Each day of Chaturmukha is made of 1000 turns of mahayugas and same is the night time. This period of 1000 turns of maahaa-yuga is ruled by 14 manus.
4. Each mahaa-yuga is made up of Kruta, treta, dvaapara and Kaliyuga. In human years, one maahaa-yuga is about 4,320,000 human years -- where kaliyuga is 432K years and twice that is dvaapara; thrice of kaliyuga is treta and 4 times is kruta.
5. In the kaliyuga, it is further divided into 6 shaka/eras ruled by shaka-kartas:
a. yudhishtira shaka for 3044 years
b. Vikrama Shaka for 135 years
c. Shaalivaahana Shaka for 18000 years
d. Vijayabhinandana Shaka for 10,000 years
e. Nagaarjuna Shaka for 400,000 years
f. Kali Bhupa Shaka for 821 years.
6. There are 60 samvatsaras and they keep repeating. Each samvatsara is again divided into 2 ayanas.,
That again is divided into Rutus, maasas, paxa, vaara, tithi etc.
Currently, Chaturmukha has completed 50 years and is in his 51st Chaturmukha year. Here, 6 manvantaras have passed by and now, it is 7th manvantara called Vaivasvata Manvantara. In that 27 maha-yugas have been completed and we are in the 28th kaliyuga. In the Kali-yuga, we are in the Shaalivaahana Shaka which is still in the first quarter portion only. In this era, 1937 years have elapsed and now it is the beginning of 1938th year out of 18000 years of this shaka.
Our new year is called Sri Manmatha-naama Samvatsara. Each samvatsara is governed by the "nava-graha" devatas who in turn are controlled by Bharati-Vaayu antargata Laxmi-Narasimha, who is non-different from our Antaryaami Sri Hari.
**The ruler of this year is Shanaishchara.
Minister -- Mangala
senaadhipati -- Mangala
Purva-sasya- adhipati --Shukra
Para-sasya-adhipati --Mangala
Rasa-adhipati --Ravi
Dhanya-adhipati -- Budha
Nirasa-adhipati --Shukra
Ardhra-adhipati -- Mangala
Megha-adhipati --Mangala
Pashva-adhipati --Shukra
[** these info can be found in any panchanga for this year along with their general prediction. This will vary from the local panchanga so pls check]]
Seeking the help of these "navagraha devatas" and their in-dwelling kaala rupi Bhagavan present in Vayu-Bharati helps us to handle both the good and bad that comes our way in this year. Along with this, we invoke and seek the guidance of the samvatsara-purusha, rutu, maasa, paxa, tithi, vaara, naxatra, yoga, karana niyamakas as they are the ones present in each of us giving icha, jnana, and also execute karma through us. This chintana is called "sankalpa" as it is well conceived "maanasa kriya". It is not about the jada entities of kaala.
In this manvantara, Bhagavan called "Manmatha" stays in us and helps us churn our mind in the right direction away from many distractions and helps us focus our mind in His feet. This is depicted by his pose as "Udupi Krishna" -- Sri Vadiraajaru says that Sri Krishna with his "hastha mudras" is conveying to His devotees that with the "churning rod" in his right hand He will churn away the hardships in this troubled ocean of samsaara and give us what this jiva desires when they contemplate Him in their mind with the strength of yukti bala [ thr' shastra alochana]
He stays in the rutu to give right knowledge. He is indeed Vasanta as He exists in every jiva giving the inner joy in moxa and also in this samsaara.
Maasa gets its name when the naxatra is in or in the vicinity of full moon. Soma when he is with His full phase along with his spouse Chitra, He gives joy to the intellect. Bhagavan as both Soma and Chitra as antaryaami gives this anubhava for those who think of Him during this month as Chaitra.
Bhagavan is present in the tithi as "tithi" to give us both daivi sampat [veda vidya] and laukika sampat [needed for sadhana in this samsaara]. This He does thr' the abhimaani devatas of each tithi -- Agni is the abhimani for paadya and He burns away the paapa that is obstructing us to obtain the sampat we are eligible for.
Bhagavan is present in vaara with the same name and form to live us longivity -- even though the passage of each day takes us close to death of this deha, the sadhana keeps growing when we think of Him atleast while making the "sankalpa" everyday. Not only that, He makes sure our journey to the various stations on the way to yamaloka is less tedious and bring us back to the right yoni to continue the sadhana where we left! Thus the sadhana longevity grows indeed. Dasaru assures in sarvapratika sandhi 10.1-2, that when we keep His thought in our mind and do any kaarya, the navagraha rulers of each day will automatically help us due to the orders of Sri Hari.
Indeed, He is the one who is Naxatra as the very word indicates that He doesn't have any protectors [na+xatra] as he is sarvottama. As Sarvottama He is present in naxatra-abhimani-s who look upon Him as "Naxatra" and remove the many sins in us -- the paapa that we have done in all our lives is the reason for all our sufferings. When paapa, the road blocks are removed, its effect in the form of roga automatically gets destroyed.
He is Yoga -- He has to give and make us keep our mind in Him [yug means sambandha, in union, connected]. Through the abhimani devatas who constantly keep their minds in Him, do bless us and protect us from diseases that haunt our body, mind and nature's fury.
He is karana -- Through the right knowledge, He gives success / kaarya siddhi thr' Shiva who is the abhimani for all karanas.
This apart, every month is ruled by an Aditya along with 6 groups of devatas. In the prachina system,
this month is called as "Madhu" maasa. The group of devatas are as follows:
1. Adityas [children of Aditi and Kashyapa]
2. Apsaras
3. Gandharvas
4. Naga
5. Rishi
6. Yaxa
7. Rakshasa.
For this month, the 7 devatas from these group are:
1. Dhata is the aditya,
2. Krithasthali is the Apsara.
3. Tumburu
4. Vasuki
5. Pulastya
6. Rathakrit
7. Heti
With this background, the Samvatsara is celebrated by getting up early in the morning, take oil bath with the thought of Laxmi present in oil [in her Bhagavan is present with His stri rupa called "Laxmi" and in the water as "Ganga" to remove our sins and keep "a-laxmi" away from us, and bless us with sampat/Shri.
In maraTi families, a "guDi" -- a banner like structure is made with an inverted silver pot resembling a head is placed on a bamboo stick that is decorated with silk, flowers etc., to symbolize success. Puja is done to this pratika.
Among other things, to symbolize the ups and downs in life, a dish made of neem flower + tender neem leaves+gud is crushed and little water is added and offered to God praying Him that even though the life is mixture of sweetness and sorrow, give us the mental strength to digest the sufferings in the right way and give humbleness when we succeed -- more than that being in us remind us that just like sorrow is unwanted same way material sukha devoid of the thought of His kaarunya is also unwanted as it binds us in samsaara that gives great suffering.
Shri KrishNArpaNamastu !!
Hevilambi/Hemalambi 2017
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