Herath Mubarak
T N Dhar ‘Kundan’
On the auspicious occasion of Herath Mahashivaratri our hearts go out to those displaced Kashmiri Pandits who are languishing in tattered tents, dilapidated camps and rented tenements and are, therefore, obliged to celebrate this festival in make-shift arrangements. We pray to Lord Shiva to rid them of this misery so that they return to their hearth and home and celebrate this festival day with pomp and gaiety and traditional fervour.
This month of February is important in more ways than one. The all important festival of Shivaratri falls in this month. This is Lord Shiva's day who, according to Pushpadant's Mahimnastotra is the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer, all in one; Who is like a great ocean unto Whom all the rivers are flowing to be one with Him. He is worshipped in various forms-The cosmic oval symbol, the Lingam, Five faced Devata; The naked Deity smeared with Vibhuti, from whose hair lock the sacred Ganges flows, who is eternally accompanied by his consort Paravati, the Principal Devata Ganesha and the six-faced Kumara, whose birth is described by the great Kalidasa in his Kumarasambhava. This religious function is so sacred, so dear and so important for us that it has got dove-tailed into our social set up. All our daughters are Paravatis wedded to Shivas who are sent, on the eve of this day, by their parents to the house of their husbands in all glory. These daughters deserve to be given the same reverence as is given to Paravati and they should not be discriminated against. We should propitiate Shiva so that our lost glory of rich culture and Sanatan Dharma returns to us.
This month we also remember two great Saints of modern times, Rishi Dayanand and Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa. The former gave the clarion call of 'Back to the Vedas". He emphasised the importance of 'Vedartha', the real meaning of Veda Mantras. We should not forget that all our rituals, samskaras and Havans etc. are based on Vedas. The Vedas are the store-house of knowledge. We should resolve to read Vedas, follow the dictates: of the Veda Mantras and make our lives like a Yajna so that sacrifice and renunciation make us: ever happy and we become 'Men of action' (Karmayogis) in true sense. Today when we know. about every other region of our country which Veda and which Veda Shakha was prevalent there, we are ignorant of this vital cultural identity of our home-land.
Swami Ramakrishna was the 'Knower of the Self and 'Knower of the Ultimate". He perceived the Truth in all forms and through different means, thus establishing the futility of worldly diversities and differences. He was a symbol of harmony and unity and practised what he preached. Whereas we can, on the one hand, benefit from his teachings spiritually, on the other hand, we can draw inspiration from him in our mundane aspect also and derive strength to do what is right and just. May these two great Yogis serve as a beacon light for the boat of our community so that it is steered safely out of the doldrums that it is in and guide us to an honourable bright future.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."
Courtesy: T N Dhar ‘Kundan’ and February 1996 Koshur Samachar