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Raksha Bandan 


Picture


​This festival is more than just a celebration of

the brother-sister bond.

​


The day when the siblings pray for each others'

well being and wish for each others' happiness

and goodwill.

As the name 'Raksha Bandhan'

suggests, 'a bond of protection', Raksha Bandhan

is a pledge from brothers to protect the sister from all harms and troubles and a

prayer from the sister to protect the brother from all evil.

It also signifies the importance of Guru of spiritual master in one's life. Hindu males

who have taken vows to their Guru exchange their holy threads (yajo-pavitra) on

this day and make special offerings to their Gurus or ancestors.

Of all castes, Brahmins consider this day most important as they exchange their

sacred thread and recite mantras as well as vedhs and purans.

Our rishis (saints) have often pointed out that those of us who go through gurmukh

or yajo-pavitra sanskar in our youths swear allegiance to our Guru, and on this

Raksha Bandhan day pay respect to our spiritual master.

The sacred thread symbolises the third eye or the eye of wisdom - one which

transforms the young boy into a new man.



The Origin of Raksha Bhandhan

The katha at the origin of Raksha Bhandhan is multifold:


Rajah Bali

The original katha from which the Raksha Bandhan ritual comes, is about Rajah Bali,

the former demon King who became the great devotee of Lord Vishnu (as Vaman

Avatar).

After changing his ways Rajah Bali received a vardhan ( boon) from Lord Vishnu to

have HIM always guard his kingdom.

Lord Vishnu had to leave his own adobe in Vaikunth dhaam and go to Rajah Bali's

kingdom in Sutal Lok.

During Lord Vishnu's absence from Vaikunth Dhaam, Mata Lakshmi felt very lonely

as though being widowed. So Sri Lakshmi-ji went to Sutal Lok disguised as a


Brahmin woman to find her husband and beg for his return.



Mata Lakshmi-ji arrived there during the Shravan Purnima celebrations. She tied a

Rakhi around Rajah Bali’s right wrist adopting him as her brother. She revealed who

she was and why she was there. The king was touched by her goodwill .

In return Rajah Bali gave her the boon of having her husband back for 8 months of

the year. While Lord Vishnu was not guarding Rajah Bali, Lord Shiva and Lord

Brahma each agreed to take turns to look after Rajah Bali in HIS absense.


The day that Mata Lakshmi-ji tied the raksha on Rajah Bali’s wrist is the day we

celebrate as Raksha Bandhan.


Sri Indra Dev

The second katha relating to Raksha Bandhan is of Lord Indra, the king of all

devtas, who had the holy thread tied around his wrist by Sachi (his consort or wife).


As a solution to defeat the advancing demons with whom Indra was battling, Guru

Brihaspati asked Sachi to tie the rakhi on her husband’s wrist, for his protection.

With the protection given by the power of scared mantras in that rakhi, lord Indra

achieved his goal by conquering Amravati, the demon king.


Sri Krishna Govind

In the Mahabarath there is a katha where Lord Krishna advised Yudhishthir to

perform the ritual of Raksha Bandhan to protect himself and his army from the

dangers of war.

Also Queen Kunti (of the Pandavas) tied a raksha on her grandson Abhimanyu to

protect him in battle.

Draupadi also became the sister of Lord Krishna when she bandaged his bleeding

finger.

Sri Yam Dev

It is also stated in some scriptures that Yamuna tied the rakhi on the wrist of her

brother Lord Yama giving him immortality. 

Lord Yama declared after this touching ceremony that whoever has a rakhi tied on

their wrist by their sister and pledges their protection will gain immortality.


On this Raksha Bandhan day
​

We pay respect for the spiritual knowledge we have achieved from our Gurus 

We make offerings to spiritual Gurus including parents to whom we owe our birth,

especially those of Brahmin background.

- Brothers and sisters exchange sweets and gifts to commemorate the past year

and give assurance for the coming year’s continuing bond and protection of their

siblings. Sisters visit the homes of their brothers and tie a rakhi or raksha bandan on

the hand of their brothers.

The following mantra is chanted whilst changing the holy thread:


Yena baddho balee raajaa daanavendro

mahaabalah;


Tena twaam anubadhnaami rakshey maa chala maa chala.



It is the same mantra used by purohits or priests when tying a thread around the

wrist of their devotees. And when it comes to tying the Rakhi or Raksha around their

brothers' hands, their sisters also recite this powerful mantra - from which we

pledge:

"I am tying on your hand this Raksha,

with which the most powerful and generous King Bali himself was 



bound; O

Raksha, don’t go away; don’t go away."

​

Raksha means protection, and bandhan means bond, hence Raksha Bandhan is a

​bond of protection.
 

​
Contact 
Pdt Davendra Sharma on 
 Email:
[email protected]  
Ph: 0414 560 424
or + 61 414 560 424 (from outside Australia)

 ​
​
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  • Home
  • About us
  • Events & Muharats
  • Bharatiye festivals
    • Sri Vasant Panchami & Saraswati Jayanti
    • Maha Shiv Ratri
    • Holi
    • Ram Vivah Panchmi
    • Sri Ram Naumi
    • Sri Sita Naumi
    • Nirjala Ekadasi
    • Vaman Jayanti
    • Shravan Maas
    • Guru Purnima
    • Nagh Panchami
    • Raksha Bandan
    • Shri Krishna Janam Astami
    • Ganesh Chaturthi
    • Radha Ashtami
    • Chandra Grahan
    • Nav Ratri
    • Vijaya Dussera
    • Karva Chauth
    • Kartik Maas
    • Deepavali
    • Tulsi Vivah
    • Dev Deepavali
    • Kal Bhairo Ashtami
    • Gita Jayanti
    • Sri Ram Vivah Panchmi
    • Makar Sankrati
    • Sri Hanuman Jayanti
    • Sri Narsingh Avtar
    • Surya Grahan
    • Sri Parshuram Jayanti
    • Budha Jayanti
    • Purshotam or Mal Maas
  • Hindu Dharma
    • Vegetarianism
    • Ahimsa
    • Cows are sacred
    • Tulsi leaves healing powers
    • Fasting
  • Pooja Vidhi-Mantras & Bhajans
    • Mere Apna Puja
    • Daily Home Poojan
    • Puja lists
    • General Mantras
    • Shanti Mantras
    • Bhajans
    • Sri Ganesh Chalisa & Aarati
    • Sri Shiva Chalisa & Aarati
    • Hanuman Chalisa and Aarati
    • Ma Durga Chalisa & Aarati
    • Ma Saraswati Chalisa & Aarati
    • Ma Lakshmi Aarati
    • Sri Shani Chalisa & Aarati
    • Ganesh Profile
    • Shiv Profile
    • Krishna Profile
    • Shree Ram profile
  • Panchang
    • Sri Shani Sankat Mochan Mandir- Ayodhya
  • Feedback
  • Contact Us
    • Community Noticeboard
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