Karwa Chauth - Why does moon rise so late?

I have often wondered as to why the moon rises late on the Karwa Chauth night. It’s probably because our hungry stomachs rebel and start cursing the moon instead of praying, that slows it down!

Actually on a full moon day, the moon rises exactly at the time of sunset. The moon takes 27.3 days to travel once around the earth. This is also the next full moon day. To travel 360 degrees in 27.3 days, the moon moves approx. 13 degrees towards the east every day. Thus the moon rise increases by approx. 48 min per day in relation to the sunset. On the Karva Chauth day – 4 days after the full moon day, the moon rises 48*4 = 192 min (3 hrs and 12 min) after the sunset.

Now please do notice the moon rise timings everyday and see the pattern!

Karwa Chauth - a festival of love for couples

We celebrated the coveted festival of Karwa Chauth a few days ago. My wife has always been very enthusiastic for this one day and does everything to make the day special for both of us. Over the years we have got connected with the world through the social media and many other means. Interestingly, the social media has opened us to a wider horizon and scads of ideas and opinions. One such opinion (and quite popular one0 piqued our interest – “Karwa Chauth has become regressive, and is still being used to bind women in a golden cage!”

Both of us brainstormed, discussed and debated at many a points to understand the meaning of the opinion and the festival itself. And then we realized that we need to understand a bit more prior to passing our own opinion on the subject. Per my understanding, opinions cloud your ability to see clearly. We must try to stay away from them. It is on my wife's insistence that I chose to write on this topic. Please allow me to present my not so contiguous thoughts, that may make sense by the end.

While growing up we all listen to stories and think about those as well. However, when we feel we are grown up – we want to listen only to philosophies and leave the stories to our children. What we forget is that every story is laced with the important lessons from philosophy and teaches one to understand the meaning in their own context! Stories are powerful messengers. To understand the festival, let’s listen to a couple of stories.

In the great epic Mahabharata, there is a time when Arjun has to leave his brothers and wife – Draupadi in the forest and go to a hill performing penance. As per the rules of the penance, he is supposed to spend a year away. At the same time, this happened to be the year when he was to be the husband for Draupadi. Draupadi starts missing Arjun. The rest of the four pandavas and Draupadi suffer troublesome circumstances and misfortunes. Draupadi calls for Sri Krishna and expresses her grief. Sri Krishna suggests her of a ritual suggested by Lord Shiva to Parvati. This ritual was to be observed on an auspicious day known as Karwa Chauth to keep the issues away from the martial life. Sri Krishna recommends Draupadi to follow the same ritual to rejuvenate her marriage and pray for victory for Pandavas in the upcoming war.

In another story, the Karwa Chauth was mostly celebrated in the regions that have been prone to wars or attacks from outsiders. In many scenarios, the men would leave the old, children and women back in the security of the fort, while they go out into the battlefield to face the enemy. Due to the resources being scarce, the women in the fort started the tradition to observe fast to save the food for the men fighting for the security and independence. This action became a tradition over the period of time and became the festival as we know today.

In yet other retellings, Karwa Chauth became a festival in the middle ages, for the married women to bond with other married girls by celebrating it together in masses. This helped them to recreate their marriage scenes for their amusement. While enjoying so, they wish to meet again and hence wish to remain married further and praying for a long life for their spouses. This developed a romance between them and their spouses.

Perhaps, the most prominent story that helps understand the meaning of long life of the husband is that of Satyavan and Savitri. Savitri followed Lord Yama who came to take the life of Satyavan away. Yama could neither take Savitri with himself, and could neither leave her behind. Through her devotion for her husband and sharp wittedness, Savitri made Yama to agree to giver herself a boon to bear children. Yama agreed to her demand. And then realized the wit of Savitri, since she could not bear children as Yama was taking away Satyavan. Yama finally had to return Satyavan back to life.

In many parts of India – particularly north, the Kartik month of the Hindu lunar calendar is celebrated with the sowing of the Rabi crop or the winter crop. This crop is sown after the monsoon season is over. During this time, the fields are often filled with insects and reptiles of all sorts. While the farmers are out in the field working, their wives back home celebrate this festival with earthen pot known as “Karva” on the fourth day of the dark fortnight. Thus giving the name – Karwa Chauth.

All the stories hint towards the purpose of the festival which hasn’t changed – happiness and wellness in one’s life. In none of the stories, the women were forced to observe the ritual or the fast. They did what the felt right at the moment. The stories do make a point of wishing for a long life of a husband through the deeds of the woman. Yet, the undelying tone is for the general good for the community and the social fabric. At the same time, the stories emphasize on the role of women in the society. They are seen as the preservers, protectors and guardians of resources and most importantly taking the onus of the family when the male is not around. The women are not subservient to the male, but have a parity.

People today argue the relevance of the stories and how could a simple ritual extend their spouses life? We do agree that fasting or praying on this particular day would not help increase the spouse’s life. Had this been the case, the insurance companies would have lobbied around to exercise a ban on the celebration! But this is a festival that brings them together for a happy life. A life that they can enjoy and cherish for longer time. This makes them remember the facets of their married life even longer.

Over the years, the observation reveals both the partners – bride and bridegroom – observing the fast for each other. While growing up, we have seen numerous couples getting ready on this day and enjoying each other’s company as if their married life starts now. This is a great feeling for them as it rekindles the feeling of joy and romance in their hearts, which is usually lost in the mundane tasks of the life all year long. This is a day for them to remind of themselves as being together and working as a couple for every situation, rather than being an individual that they always are in their profession. This has given an altogether a new meaning to a festival that has been around for ages.

The meanings, motives and the methods may have changed over the period of time. But the festival even today serves the purpose of bliss in martial life. It is up to oneself to see the rituals as regressive or oppressive, but for me it has become a symbol of love and devotion to my spouse without whom the journey of life is incomplete.

Horizon

क्षितिज की ओर 

चल पड़ा था मैं ,

छोड़ कर सब कुछ,

जो मेरा था 

और जो पाना था - वह सब 

जो मेरा होता। 

राह पर निकला मैं,

अपनी मंजिल पाने ,

चला जा रहा था,

क्षितिज की ओर। 

मेरे गांव और शहर,

नदी - नाले, जंगल - जानवर,

सब छूटे जा रहे थे। 

सूरज और मेघ ही 

संग संग चल रहे थे। 

तारे भी चाँद को ,

कभी छुपा लेते थे। 

और मैं 

चला जा रहा था 

क्षितिज की ओर। 

नंगे पैर, फटे वस्त्र,

हाथ में डंडे पर पोटली लिए,

चंचलता का उपदेश देता मैं,

चला जा रहा था। 

राह में लोग और भी थे,

मेरे जैसे,

वैसी ही आँखें, हाथ और पैर लिए। 

पर,

नहीं जा रहे थे वे,

क्षितिज की ओर। 

एक चौराहा,

और मैं अनजाना,

घबराया सहमा सा,

सोचता था जाऊं कहाँ?

पूछता था तो उत्तर नहीं,

चलता था तो साथ नहीं,

राही मुझे छोड़ चल दिए कहीं,

और मेरी मंजिल दूर वहीँ,

जाना था मुझे जिस ओर,

क्षितिज की ओर। 

साहस था, हौसला था,

मन में एक जोश था,

की चलते रहना हैं,

और क्षितिज को पाना है। 

पर डर गया  हूँ मैं,

अपने अकेलेपन से,

एकाकी जीवन से,

और अंतहीन राहों से,

अब तो सिर्फ देखता ही हूँ मैं,

क्षितिज की ओर। 

Buddha and his eight fold path

Lately my wife and myself have started to observe the Buddha statues in houses and how people have been using those. While this piqued my interest, it also gave way too many questions – some of which we had read in the history books and possibly forgotten by now.

Buddhism as we know today is mainly a religion followed in the Eastern Asia, though originated in India. Today there are approx. 500+ Million Buddhist followers across the globe – thus making it one of the major religions of the day.

As most of us know, Buddhism is following the teachings of Gautam Buddha, who was born as Prince Siddhartha of Kaushambi. When Siddhartha was born to his parents Mahamaya and King Shudhodhana, Mahamaya had a dream of a white elephant. The elephant gave her a flower and circumambulated her three times before entering her womb. The learned scholars of the time explained the dream as the mark of the birth of a great prince who shall be very wise and very powerful. However, the prince shall be highly emotional and in such a case, he may even renounce everything in search of higher wisdom. Mahamaya passed away just after the birth of the great prince. King Shudhodhana made every effort in his capacity to keep the prince engulfed in the fun and frolic and kept him away from the sorrows and suffering faced by the humans. Yet, one day, Siddhartha went out of the palace to see the people living out there and saw the three scenes – a sick person crying in pain, a dead person being carried for the final rites and an ascetic who had given up all the worldly relations. Siddhartha then realized that the life is more than what he has led in the palace. And he must make amends to understand the true meaning or purpose of life and escape the suffering of the three scenes he saw. Siddhartha gave up his family – wife Yashodhara, son Rahul, father Shudhodhana and the kingdom of Kaushambi to meditate and find the truth.

At one point in his search for the truth, he was fatally ill and hungry. At that time a girl offered him food. With this he realized that most of the suffering we face is a result of our own desires. Desires give rise to expectations and they cause grief when they are not met.

Prince Siddhartha meditated and looked for the answers within. Having been born at a time when the Hinduism and Jainism were already prevalent, Siddhartha looked for a path that is acceptable to both yet was different. And with this he gained nirvana and became Gautama Buddha ~ one who destroys darkness with the bright light of his mind.

Buddha’s teachings were later adopted as the middle path (Neither rigid as Jainism and nor fluid as Hinduism) and were widely known as the eight-fold path –

1.     Right view – The first of the eight-fold path, relates to the view about karma and rebirth and a belief in the importance of the four noble truths (Dukkha – the pain from the incapability of satisfaction, Samudaya – arising of Dukkha, Niroda – cessation of dukkha and Magga – the path leading to the cessation of dukkha) and the true realities.

2.     Right resolve – Also considered as “right thought”, “right intention” or “right aspiration”, this path tells the practitioner to have a resolve to dedicate himself to the spiritual pursuit.

3.     Right speech – Abstaining from lying, divisive or abusive speeches and idle chatter have been suggested to be the way of right speech. In a Pali canonical scripture, Buddha says that never speaking something that is not beneficial, and only speaking what is true and beneficial – when the circumstances are right and whether they are welcome or not – are all the signs of right speech.

4.     Right action – Abstaining from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct were stated as parts of right action.

5.     Right livelihood – Earning of livelihood by following the noble path and not by any wrong doings to anyone. Also, the Buddhist monks always preached not to earn more than necessary to lead the life.

6.     Right effort – The right effort is by putting forth your effort to generate energy and strive to maintain wholesome mental states that have already arisen and to keep them free of delusion.

7.     Right mindfulness – This path leads the practitioner to cultivate complete and constant awareness of the nature of reality as impermanent, suffering. The most important learning in this path is to be able to separate self from the surroundings – be an observer.

8.     Right concentration – Right Samadhi – state in which the practitioner is detached from all senses or desires and enters the state of dhyana in which there is applied and sustained thinking.

The eight-fold path have a lot more to explain and lay wonderful guidelines for a practitioner. My knowledge is too limited to be able to comment and decipher them all. Yet, I found a pattern –

·      The first two paths relate to Wisdom. (Prana)

·      The next three paths relate to Moral Virtues. (Sheel)

·      And finally the last three paths relate to Meditation. (Samadhi)

If one is able to follow the paths or even resolve to follow the paths to an extent, I am sure there is a great difference one can make to their life and all those around them.