Raksha Bandhan, or Rakhi Festival, celebrates the sacred
bond between siblings and extends to relationships beyond. It's rich with
innumerable meaningful stories and episodes from scriptures, and history.
I have chosen select ones which are not only popular but also help us understand the deep significance attached to this sacred Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi)
festival.
MATA LAKSHMI TIED THE 1ST RAKHI to
DEMON KING BALI
King Bali was a generous and devout king
who had conquered all three worlds: heaven, earth, and hell.
On Indra's request for help, Vishnu
disguised himself as a dwarf Vamana. He approached Bali and asked for three
steps of land as a gift. Bali agreed, but Vamana revealed his true form and
covered heaven and earth with his first two steps. He then asked Bali where
he should place his 3rd step. Bali realized his mistake and offered his head as
the 3rd step. Vishnu was impressed by Bali’s generosity and spared his life. He
also promised to stay with him as his guard in his kingdom of Paatala.
However, this meant that Vishnu had to
leave his abode of Vaikuntha and his consort Lakshmi. Lakshmi missed Vishnu and
decided to visit him in Paatala. She disguised herself as a poor woman and
sought refuge in Bali’s palace.
With both Lord Vishnu and Mata Lakshmi,
Paatala flourished like never before. King Bali too became highly reliant on
his newfound sister Devi Mahalakshmi for her amazing skills in Wealth.
On the day of Shravana Poornima (Raksha
Bandhan day), Mata Lakshmi tied a Rakhi on Bali’s wrist and revealed her
identity. She asked him to free Vishnu from his service and let him return to
Vaikuntha. Bali agreed and requested Vishnu to visit him once a year.
Thus, Lakshmi saved Vishnu from being
bound to Bali’s kingdom by making Bali her brother and tying a Rakhi on his
wrist.
RANI KARNAVATI SEEKING HUMAYAN’S HELP
Rani Karnavati was the queen of the Rajput
kingdom of Mewar. In 1534, the Mewar kingdom was attacked by the Sultan of
Gujarat, Bahadur Shah. the queen Rani Karnavati defended valiantly but it was
getting increasingly difficult for her to save Mewar.
The Queen immediately sent a Rakhi to
Humayun, the Mughal emperor, asking for his help.
Upon receiving the Rakhi and reading Rani
Karnavati's letter, Emperor Humayun was deeply moved. He recognized the
significance of the Rakhi and the trust Rani Karnavati placed in him. Without
hesitation, he gathered his forces and marched to Mewar's aid.
However, Humayun who was in Bengal at that
time left immediately but was unable to reach Chittorgarh in time to save the
kingdom.
The Sultan of Gujarat had, by then,
reached the queen's fortress. All the women, in the fortress including Rani
Karnavati had performed Jauhar (mass suicide) by then.
Humayun was deeply saddened by the tragic
fate of his sister and vowed to avenge her death. He fought against Bahadur
Shah and drove him out of Chittor. He restored the kingdom to Vikramaditya and
his younger brother Udai Singh, who later became the founder of Udaipur. Since
then, the act of a sister tying a Rakhi on the wrist of her brother indicates
lifelong protection from him.
The episode of Rani Karnavati and Humayun
shows how a rakhi can create a strong bond between two people who are not
related by blood or religion.
DEVI SACHI TIES
RAKHI TO HER HUSBAND LORD INDRA HELPING HIM WIN THE WAR
It is not sister alone, in some communities, the wife ties Rakhi to her husband. Like this story of Lord Indra which is mentioned in BHAVISHYA
PURAN
In the Bhavishya Purana is the story of Indra being
defeated by a demon named Vritra. Indra is the king of the gods, and Vritra is
a powerful demon who has blocked the flow of the rivers. He swallowed Indra’s
weapon, the thunderbolt, and made him powerless.
Shocked Indra seeks help from Dev
Guru Brihaspati. Brihaspati told him that he needed a special weapon
that was not made of metal or wood but of something sacred and pure. He said
that he needed a Rakhi, a holy thread that symbolized the bond of protection, courage,
and love.
Guru Brihaspati asks Devi
Sachi, Lord India's wife to tie a special holy thread.
Over the chanting of mantras, Devi Sachi ties a Beautiful
Rakhi full of silk threads and gold beads. Indra felt a surge of energy and
confidence and faced Demon Vritra with courage. He uses his skills and strategy
to make Vritra vomit his thunderbolt. He then used his thunderbolt to strike
Vritra's weak spot and killed him.
Just as Devi Sachi's Rakhi infused Lord Indra with
renewed strength and determination, Raksha Bandhan signifies the unbreakable
bond of love and the promise of safeguarding one another.
The tradition of tying Rakhi has originated from this
legend.
This story depicts not only the power of a holy thread
but also that it is not restricted to a brother-sister bond.
LORD KRISHNA
PROMISING TO PROTECT DRAUPADI
During a kite-flying activity, Lord Krishna accidentally
cut his finger. Witnessing the mishap, Devi Satyabhama promptly called for a
bandage.
Devi Rukmini herself ran to get some clothes.
Draupadi who was also there, didn’t waste a single
moment. She immediately tore a piece of cloth from her saree and tied it to the
bleeding finger.
Touched by Draupadi's immediate aid, he vowed eternal
protection. This pledge was fulfilled
when Draupadi's honor was threatened during Yudhishthira's gambling match in
King Dhritarashtra's court.
Santoshi Maa’s
Birth
On seeing Lord Ganesha celebrate Rakhi with his sister
Manasa (the goddess of snakes), his sons Shubh and Labh started insisting upon
a sister.
Lord Ganesha then along with his consorts, Riddhi and
Siddhi created a divine flame that took the form of a beautiful girl.
Lord Ganesha named the girl SANTOSHI MAA, meaning Mother
of Happiness.
And promptly Santoshi Maa tied the rakhi to her brother Shubh and Labh
Raksha Bandhan day (Shravana Poornima) is the birthday of
Santoshi Mata
Alexander's wife
Roxana and King Porus
During Alexander the Great's invasion of India in 326
BCE, his wife Roxana gets worried about her husband's safety in battle against
the mighty powerful Porus.
She sends Porus a Rakhi, requesting him not to harm her
husband in battle.
When the Rakhi reached Porus, he accepted it with honor
and understood the unspoken pledge it carried.
During the battle, Alexander does fall under Porus and
Porus has a chance to kill him but acknowledging the importance of Rakhi, Porus
refrained from killing and kept his promise to Roxana.
He spared Alexander's life, demonstrating his commitment
to the bond that transcended the lines of conflict.
This anecdote highlights the essence of Raksha Bandhan –
a bond that unites individuals despite differences. Roxana's rakhi and Porus'
noble response showcase the timeless message of protection, unity, and mutual
respect that Raksha Bandhan embodies.
LORD YAMA SAVED FROM DYING BY RAKHI
TIED BY SISTER YAMUNA
Chaya Devi was the 2nd wife of Lord Surya and mother to
Lord Shani.
Due to the constant over-affection of Lord Surya (Sun
God) to Yama...Chaya Devi curses Lord Yama to die before dawn.
Now. During Vedic times almost everyone was considered
immortal so the curse of death terrified Yama.
Sister Yamuna immediately tied a RAKSHA SUTRA around her
brother Yama's wrist.
The Rakhi, infused with her love and prayers, carried an
unparalleled power.
As Yama wore the Rakhi tied by Yamuna, a miraculous
transformation occurred. The power of her love and devotion nullified the curse
cast by Chaya Devi. The Rakhi became a shield, protecting Yama from the curse's
fatal consequences.
Lord Yama Raja was later declared as the God of Death
and became immortal.
Devi Parvati’s marriage to Lord
Shiva
Parvati grew up with the hope of marrying Shiva, but
Shiva refused to accept her as his consort due to the loss of his love Sati.
Parvati took to severe austerities to purify her senses and activate her chakras so that she could become eligible to marry the Lord.
Sage Narada to test her love for Lord Shiva, started
praising Lord Vishnu and asked Devi Parvati to marry Lord Vishnu instead.
Devi Parvati refused saying she loved only Lord Shiva and
would treat Lord Vishnu as her brother.
Lord Vishnu asked her to tie a Rakhi on his wrist, so
that as her brother he could remove all obstacles coming her way.
Lord Vishnu then created an illusion in Shiva's mind of seeing
Parvati as Sati and made them get married.
Lord Vishnu then performed all the ceremonies for Shiva
and Parvati’s celestial marriage and stood as Devi Parvati's brother
Lord Vishnu thus played a vital role in the story of
Raksha Bandhan and how it can create a bond of brotherhood and sisterhood
between two people who are not related by blood or religion.
Raksha Bandhan Mantra
Following is the mantra
in Sanskrit that is chanted while tying Rakhi on the brother's wrist.
येन à¤ादो बली राजा दानवेन्द्रो महाबलः |
तेन त्वानामिà¤ाद्नामी त्वामाà¤िबध्नामी रक्षे माचल माचल ||
Meaning – "I am
tying this Raksha Bandhan to you that was tied to the Demon King Bali. Oh
Rakshaa please do not move and waver."
Sibling rivalry is always
much-loved and much-talked-about. It’s only fair that you invest in the secure
future of your lovable sister and safeguard her financial position in her best
interest today.
Wishing you all a very
Happy Raksha Bandhan
Dedicated to dear sister
Lakshmi Vanjre
Regards,
Srikanth
Matrubai
Please note: All the details are collected from various sources including texts, discourses, the internet, and stories heard. If there are any mistakes/deviations.....please pardon them and email us...we will be glad to correct the same.
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