FESTIVE SPIRIT/TRADITIONS
Dhanteras
Along with goddess Laxmi’s birthday, this day
is also celebrated as Dhanvantari Trayodashi.
Lord Vishnu, incarnated as Lord Dhanvantari,
reestablished the tradition of Ayurveda in the
world. It is believed that the knowledge of
Ayurveda was created by Brahma, the creator,
who gave it to Prajapati, who passed it to the
Ashwini Kumars (the celestial twin physicians),
who in turn passed it down to Lord Indra, and so
on. But what many don’t know is that along with
Lord Dhanvantari, even the Ashwini Kumars
are worshipped on this day. Lighting lamps at
your doorstep on the first day of Diwali is said to
bless your family with good health.
Bhai Dooj (Yama Dwitiya or Bhai Phonta)
On this day, usually celebrated on the second day after Diwali,
Lord Yama, the Hindu god of death, visits his sister Yami and eats
at her home. It is auspicious to place a lit lamp near the south direction of the house.
Legend has it
Sumit Rajwade and Abhishek Mande
discover little-known Diwali stories
Vasu Baras
Maharashtrians typically begin their
Diwali a day before Dhanteras by worship-
ping the cow and calf. The story associated
with this practice is that of Prithu.
According to one version, Prithu was the
son of Vena, an evil king who ignored Vedic
rituals. Due to his excesses, a famine befell
upon his kingdom. The sages killed the
king and churned his body out of which
appeared a dwarf hunter (who symbolized
his sins) and then emerged Prithu. To end
the famine, Prithu chased earth, which
began to flee from him in the form of a cow.
On being cornered, she pointed out that
killing her would also mean the end of his
subjects. Prithu then reasoned with her
and the cow agreed to yield her milk.
Since he gave earth her life, she took his
name — Prithvi.
Another version of the story credits
Prithu with the invention of agriculture
and flattening the earth’s rocky surface. The
worshipping of the cow and the calf is symbolic of the prosperity that Prithu brought
to earth.
Illustrations:
Bali pratipada
It’s known that when Vishnu took the Vamana
avatar (his fifth incarnation in the form of
a dwarf ), he asked King Bali to give him
three steps of land. Unaware that it
was Vishnu and not a short Brahmin,
Bali agreed, and the lord covered the
heaven and earth in two steps.
When Vamana did not have any
place left to put the third step, the
king offered his head and Vamana
placed his foot over the king and sent
him into the netherworld. What is not
so well known is that water used to be
poured into the seeker’s hands to grant a
wish. Shukracharya, Bali’s guru, knew that
Vishnu had taken the Vamana avatar to
send Bali to the netherworld. He took a
form of an insect and jammed the spout, so
that the water could not be poured. Vishnu,
who knew this, gave Bali a wooden stick to
clean the spout. When Bali jammed the stick
into the spout, it damaged Shukracharya’s eye
and he flew out. Bali pratipada
(below the opponent’s foot)
is celebrated as the
victory of good
over evil on the
second day of
Diwali.
Uttam Ghosh
