|
|
SALUTATIONS to the Supreme Lord, the primordial
power that divided the year into the four seasons. Salutations to Surya
the Sun-God who on this great day embarks on His northward journey.
The Sanskrit word "Shankramana" means "to begin to move".
The day on which the sun begins to move northwards is called Makara
Shankranti. It usually falls in the middle of January.
Among the Tamilians in South India this festival is called the Pongal.
To many people, especially the Tamilians, the Makara Shankranti ushers in
the New Year. The newly-harvested corn is cooked for the first time on
that day. Joyous festivities mark the celebration in every home. Servants,
farmers and the poor are fed and clothed, and given presents of money. On
the next day the cow, which is regarded as the symbol of the Holy Mother,
is worshipped. Then there is feeding of birds and animals.
In this manner the devotee's heart gradually expands during the course of
the celebrations, first embracing with its long arms of love the entire
household and neighbours, then the servants and the poor, then the cow and
then all other living creatures. Without even being conscious of it one
develops the heart, and expands it to such proportions that the entire
universe finds a place in it.
As Shankranti is also the beginning of the month, Brahmins offer
oblations to departed ancestors. Thus all the great sacrifices enjoined
upon man, find their due place in this grand celebration. The worship of
the cosmic form of the Lord is so well introduced into this that every man
and woman in India is delightfully led to partake of n without even being
aware of it.
To aspirants all over the world this day has a special significance. The
six-month period during which the sun travels northwards is highly
favourable to aspirants for their march towards the goal of life. It is as
though the aspirant were flowing easily with the current towards the
Supreme. Paramahamsa Sannyasins roam about freely during this period,
dispelling gloom from the hearts of all, Devas and Rishis rejoice at the
advent of the new season and readily come to the aid of the aspirant.
The great Bhishma, the grandfather of the Pandavas who was fatally
wounded during the Mahabharata war, waited on his death-bed of nails for
the onset of this season before finally departing from the earth plane.
Let us on this great day pay our homage to him and strive to become men of
firm resolve ourselves!
As already mentioned, this is the Pongal festival in South India. It is
closely connected with agriculture. To the agriculturalist it is a day of
triumph. He would have by then brought home the fruit of his tons.
Symbolically, the first harvest is offered to the Almighty-and that is
Pongal. To toil was his task, his duty, but the fruit is now offered to
Him-that is the spirit of Karma Yoga.
The master is not allowed to grab all the harvest for himself either.
Pongal is the festival during which the landlord distributes food, clothes
and money among the labourers who work under him. What a noble act! an
ideal you should constantly keep before you, not only ceremoniously on the
Pongal day but at all times.
Be charitable. Be generous. Treat your servants as your bosom-friends and
brother workers, This is the keynote of the Pongal festival. Thus would
you earn their loyalty and enduring love.
The day prior to the Makara Shankranti, is called the Bhogi festival. On
this day, old, worn-out and dirty things are discarded and burnt. Houses
are cleaned and white-washed. Even the roads are swept clean and lovely
designs are drawn with rice-hour. These practices have their own
significance from the point of view of health. But, here I remind you that
it will not do to attend to these external things alone. Cleaning the mind
of its old dirty habits of thinking and feeling is more urgently needed.
Burn them up with a wise and firm resolve to tread the path of truth, low
and purity from this holy day onwards. That is the significance of Pongal
in the life of the spiritual aspirant.
If you do this, then the Makara Shankranti has a special significance for
you. For the sun, symbolising knowledge, wisdom and spiritual light, which
receded from you when you reveled in the darkness of ignorance, delusion
and sensuality, now joyously turns on its northward course and rushes
towards you, to shed its light and warmth in greater abundance upon you
and to infuse into you more life and energy.
In fact the sun itself symbolising all that the Pongal festival stands
for. The message of the sun is the message of light, the message of unity,
of impartiality, of true selflessness, of the perfection of the elements
of Karma Yoga. The sun shines on all equally, it is the true benefactor of
all beings. Without the sun life would perish on earth. It is extremely
regular and punctual in its duties and never claims a reward or crave for
recognition. If you imbibe these virtues of the sun, what doubt is there
that you will shine with equal divine lustre!
He who dwells in the sun, whom the sun does not know, whose body the sun
is and by whose power the sun shines, He is the Supreme Self the
Indweller, the immortal Essence. Tat Twam Asi - "That thou art".
Realise this and be free, here and now, on this holy Pongal or Makara
Shankranti day. This is my humble Pongal prayer to you all.
On the Shankranti day, sweets, puddings and sweet rice are prepared in
every home, especially in South India. The pot in which the rice is cooked
is beautifully adorned with tumeric leaves and roots, the symbols of
auspiciousness. This cooking itself is done by the ladies of the household
with great faith and devotion, feeling from the bottom of their hearts mat
it is an offering unto the Lord. When the milk in the Pot in which the
rice is cooked boils over, the ladies and the children get round the pot
and shout "Pongalo Pongal' with great joy and devotion. Special
prayers are offered in the temples and houses. Then me people of the
household gather together and eat in an air of love and festivity.
There is family re-union in all homes. Brothers renew their contact with
married sisters who have gone away to live with the husband, by giving the
sisters some presents.
The farmer is lovingly greeted by the landlord and is given presents of
grains, clothes and money.
On the next day, the herds of cows are adorned beautifully, fed and
worshipped. In some villages the youths demonstrate their valour by taking
"the bull by the horn" (and often win their bride!). It is a
great day for the cattle.
On the same day, young girls prepare various special dishes-sweet rice,
sour rice, rice with coconut-and take them to me bank of a river or tank.
They lay some leaves on the ground and pace on them balls of the various
preparations for the fish, birds and other creatures. It is an extremely
colourful ceremony. The crows come down in large numbers and partake of
the food. All the time the valuable lesson is driven into our minds: "Share
what you have with all': The crow will call others before beginning to
eat!
Both these days, which am family re-union days are regarded as being
inauspicious for travel. This is to prevent us from going away from home
on those days.
When you celebrate the Shankranti or Pongal in this manner, your sense of
values changes. You begin to understand that your real wealth is the
goodwill and friendship of your relatives, friends, neighbours, and
servants; that your real wealth is the land on which your food grows, and
the cattle which help you in agriculture and the cow which gives you milk.
You begin to have greater love and respect for them and for all living
beings-the crows, the fish and all other creatures.
In Maharashtra and in North India, spiritual aspirants attach much
importance to Makara Shankranti. It is the season chosen by the Guru for
bestowing his Grace on the disciple. In the South, too, it should he noted
that it was about this time that mahadeva favoured several of the Rishis
by Messing them with His beatific vision.