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Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Chaturmas
In the Varaha Purana, it describes the significance and origin of the Caturmasya period. Once Mother Earth approached Lord Varaha, the boar incarnation of the Lord, and expressed her concerns about the people who take birth in Kali Yuga. She pointed out how these people are ignorant, short-lived and always afflicted with weakness and disease, and she begged the Lord to reveal a method which would allow the people of Kali Yuga to get great benefits with very little effort.
Seeing her concern, Lord Varaha smiled and explained that the auspicious four month period of Caturmasya gives many benefits to a person who performs any sort of austerity. Whether it is doing a fire sacrifice, offering charity, or simply chanting the holy names of the Lord, the benefits of performing such an endeavour during Caturmasya are countless. Performing such activities during Caturmasya results in even greater benefit than observing the same austerities during other months of the year.
Lord Varaha continued to explain that these four months are the resting and rising times of the demigods and of the Supreme Creator. He recalled that once He was sitting on the top of Mount Meru when the celestials approached Him and pardoned themselves for the night. Just as they were about to retire for the night, a dark complexioned lady, adorned with sparkling white cloth and holding a battle axe in her hand, approached the Lord and prostrated herself before Him.
After offering suitable prayers to the Lord she identified herself as Ratri, the overseer of this part of the year. She expressed her anguish at being termed as an inauspicious time of the year. Since the Supreme Lord and the demigods take rest during her four months, auspicious activities such as marriages aren’t performed. Having lost her will to live because of this, she begged the Lord to show some mercy towards her. Hearing her plea, the assembled demigods prayed to the Lord, asking Him to kindly bestow mercy upon Ratri.
Being pleased with the prayers of the demigods, Lord Varaha granted a boon to Ratri Devi. He said, “Oh Ratri, you have three yamas (1 yama is 2 months). Out of these three yamas the first two yamas will henceforth become dear to me. Any pious deed performed during these two yamas brings forth immense merits. Among these four months of Sravana, Bhadrapada, Asvina, and Kartika the merits accrued will increase day by day. That is the reason why the last month, Kartika, is most beneficial in all respects.” Upon receiving this boon, Ratri Devi became pacified and happily returned to her abode.
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Lord Varaha concluded by explaining to Bhumi Devi that from that time onward, He benevolently grants great merits to one who performs pious activities and austerities. Hearing this, Mother Earth felt peaceful.
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