Raksha Bandhan

\

RAKSHA BANDHAN

Utsava and Upavaasa are two chief factors in Hindu life. Feasting on Utsava and fasting or restricted feeding on Upavasa are the two extreme positions between which swings a Hindu’s routine life.  There are a few Utsavas celebrated all over Bharat, by every sect, caste and community.  There are others which are local.  Strengthening of bonds, at family level, village level and community level, by coming together and playing, singing, dancing and dining together;  Strengthening economy at grass root level by ensuring purchase of essentials for the celebration from peasants, craftsmen and traders;  Generating enthusiasm, joy and positive attitude in all;  Tuning minds of the masses by subtle introduction of philosophy through gross programmes of stories, songs, games etc. during the Utsava;  such are the intentions of any Utsava.  Scholars opine that the higher level of wisdom, more positive outlook towards life and lower levels in suicides and psychic disorders among common Hindus may be attributed to Utsavas.

Raksha Bandhan is one such Utsava.  It falls on ‘Shravana Poornima’.  (Shravana is usually the fifth month on lunar calendar.  Thus Raksha Bandhan is on the fifth Poornima or full moon day on lunar calendar.  On exceptional occasion when ‘Adhik Maas’ or the extra month is for one of the first four months, it may be the sixth.)

Thread has a significant role in Hindu life.  A man ties a thread around a woman’s neck and accepts her as his wife.  The Guru ties a thread around disciple’s wrist and assures his protection and best education to him.  A Brahmin performing Homa ties a thread around the wrist of Yajamana or the sponsor of the Homa.  A father ties a thread (Mounja or Upanayanam) on his son and initiates him to spiritual life.  In all these, the thread signifies a Sankalpa (resolution) and a duty.  Similar is the Raksha or Rakhee, a silk thread tied by a woman on her brother’s wrist.

A Sankalpa is definitely an ‘once in a life time’ affair.  A man taking a woman as his wife or a Guru taking a disciple or a father initiating his son on spiritual path or a brother-sister relationship are all once in a life-time affairs.  Why should these be repeated every year?  Annual reaffirmation of the ‘Once in a life-time’ Sankalpa!  The mundane routine life with all its ups and downs, is powerful enough to sway us away from where we started.  Separation is both at physical and emotional levels.  Hence, every Sankalpa needs regular reaffirmation.  Chaat, Mangala Gowri, Vata Savithri Vratha, Kaaradaiyaan Nonbu, Kadwaa Chouth etc. are occasions for reaffirmation of Vivaha Sankalpa.  Upa-karma on Shravana Poornima or Shri Ganesh Chaturthi (for Saama Vedis) is occasion for reaffirmation of Mounja-Vrata or Upanayana Sankalpa (resolution to take up spiritual studies and Dharmik living).  Raksha Bandhan, Bhai Dooj, Kanuppongal etc. are reaffirmation of brother-sister relationship.  There is a difference.  This is natural relationship, a relationship affirmed since birth.  There is no initiation.  There is no first day.  Raksha Bandhan is an effort to strengthen the relationship that is already there.

Raksha Bandhan is an Utsava within a family.  It is a personal Utsava.  But, there have been efforts time and again to expand the domain, to extend the horizons of Raksha Bandhan.  “Ayam Nijah Paro Vethi Ganaanaam Laghu Chetasaam, Udaara Charitaanaamtu Vasudhaiva Kutumbhakam,” says an old saying.  {This is mine and that is not.  These are words of the petty minded.  For the large hearted, the whole world is but a family.}  Shri Rama and Kevat (Kevat is a boatman) Guha, Shri Rama and the Vanaras (Vanara is a form of life higher than an animal and lower than a man on the ladder of evolution) Sugreeva and Hanuman, Shri Rama and the eagle (a huge sized bird) Jataayu, Shri Krishna and Kuchela (Kuchela is one with torn cloth, i.e. extremely poor) Sudaamaa, are examples of brotherly relationship that has transcended barriers erected to separate man from man.  Swami Vivekananda addressing the white American audience as ‘Brothers and Sisters’ in Chicago Parliament of Religions, 1983, was a spontaneous expression of such an expanded brotherhood.

There have been many instances in our history whence the ‘Raksha Bandhan’ spirit has been applied with social and National fervour.  The most glaring one was in Kolkotta in 1905.  Vande Mataram, a song in a novel became the Soul Song during National Liberation struggle among the passionate patriots.  Vande Mataram means ‘Mother, I worship thee’.  If Bharat is the Mother, we, the children of Bharat-Mata, are brothers and sisters.  The Mother was cut by the British in 1905.  The partition of Bengal was not for administrative convenience.  It was a conspiracy to divide the children on religious lines as Hindus and Muslims and thus weaken the Liberation struggle.  Leaders in Bengal gave a call for a grand celebration of Raksha Bandhan on the banks of the Ganga.  People assembled in thousands and tied Rakhis to all, known, unknown, related, unrelated, crossing barriers like caste and religion.  Roaring cries of Vande Mataram reverberated in the skies and an intense emotion of brotherhood was generated.  The movement gained momentum and the powerful British Government had to relent.  It cancelled partition of Bengal.  Not merely that, a simple thread proved to be so powerful, the brotherhood emotion  and the resultant patriotism generated in Bengal was so intense that the British Government had to shift its Administrative Headquarters from Kolkotta to Dilli.

Unfortunately, generation of similar fervour was not attempted and the Congress leadership meekly surrendered to the British in 1947 when the whole Nation was ruthlessly partitioned on Religious lines and a new Islamic country was created.  In fact, I would say this partition was a creation of Congress.  The meek and compromising Congress had systematically killed the Vande Mataram emotion after Shri Gandhi took over in 1920.  The powerfully emotional National song was rejected on threatening demand by Muslim leaders in Congress and was replaced by bland ‘Jana Gana Mana’, a welcome song sung in praise of King George when he visited Kolkotta in 1911.  The Saffron flag as National flag, as suggested by Sister Nivedita and the flag committee appointed by the Congress was rejected and was replaced by the tricolour with green for the Muslims, white for the Christians and the blue Chakra for the Buddhists.  Instead of transmitting message of Brotherhood, Unity and Duty, the leadership emitted signals of division, fear, impotent surrender to bullish threats and selfishness.  Obvious result was the meek acceptance of Muslim League’s demand for partition.  Tearful moaning was the only reaction of our leaders to brutal massacre and massive uprooting of Hindus in newly formed state of Pakistan.

Upakarma or reaffirmation of the resolve for Vedik study and Dharmik life also falls on Shravana Poornima.  Independence Day also falls around the same period.  An Utsava is reduced to a dry ritual as and when the emotional quotient gets evaporated.  May we refuse to get trapped in mere rituals.  Emotion enlivens an Utsava.  Let us try to know the significance of an Utsava.  Let us allow the ‘Emotion’ behind these celebrations to seep into our hearts.