Karna, the great warrior was supreme human being, yet people wonder why he did not get his due. Following story will help in understanding this.

Death of Karna

As Arjuna was in possession of Gandiva, Karna was also in possession of an equally strong bow called Vijaya. It was said that the person having this weapon could not be defeated in battle field. Then how did Karna die?

Parshurama blessed Karna with the Vijaya along with other celestial weapons. Karna used the Vijaya bow only once in his life, on the 17th day Kurukshetra war, when he was fighting against Arjuna (who was using the Gandiva).

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Karna was also known by the name Vijaydhari meaning ‘wielder of the Vijaya bow‘.

Knowing Karna’s might, Krishna on the 17th day warned Arjuna, called Karna that he can even defeat him if Arjuna did not fight with full vigour.

With this bow Karna macthed Arjuna on the 17th day of the Kurukshetra war. Karna cut the strings of Arjuna bow many times but Arjuna could not do any harm to Karna. Realizing that Karna with the Vijaya bow is superior to Arjuna, Lord Krishna advised him to kill unarmed Karna against the rules of engagement of the war, who had relinquished his bow and was busy trying to lift his sunken chariot wheel.

Arjuna killing Karna

The story of Vijaya bow

Vijaya or Vijaya Dhanush was said to give sure victory to the possessor. Parshuram gave Vijaya to his student Karna, who was a great archer, making him virtually invincible. Lord Krishna advised Arjuna to kill Karna knowing that Karna was impossible to defeat with this weapon in his possession.

Karna – the Vijayadhari

The bow Vijaya was specially made by Vishwakarma for Lord Shiva to destroy the city of Tripura built by sons of Tarakasura. Lord Shiva destroyed Tripura by firing Pashupatastra from Vijaya.

Later, Lord Siva gave this bow for safekeeping to Lord Indra, who frequently wielded the bow in his fights with the Asuras. The Asuras feared the bow due to its destructive abilities.

Lord Shiva instructed Indra to give the bow to Parshuram for the task of killing all the kshatriyas in the world. With this bow, Parshuram killed all kshatriyas in the world 21 times.

From Parshuram, it came to Karna.

More stories on Karna:

https://ritsin.com/seven-unknown-facts-karna.html/

Karna’s family – Vrushali and Vrishketu

Pongal is celebrated for four days

The Bhogi festival, celebrated in honor of Lord Indra, the god of rain, is the first day of Pongal. Lord Indra is responsible for the abundance of harvest, thereby bringing plenty and prosperity to the land. Also referred to as  Bhogi Mantalu, on this day, it has been a tradition to clean the household. Useless items are disposed of by way of creating a bonfire  into which they are thrown. This implies getting rid of all the negative  elements that create negative energy and making room for positive energy in the house.

Pongal featival

 Thai Pongal is the second day of the festival, being the most important one. In addition to rice, jaggery and milk, the ingredients of Pongal dish include cardamom, raisins, Green gram (split), and cashew nuts. Cooking is done in sunlight, usually in a porch or courtyard, as the dish is dedicated to the Sun god, Surya. Pongal is  cooked during the auspicious  time in a decorated pot, preferably earthen pot with turmeric plants tied around it. In some places,  pongal is cooked in the open part of the house under sunlight, usually in a porch or courtyard, as the dish is dedicated to the Sun god, Surya. In some places in the villages, mass cooking is done  at the appointed time with devotion in the open near the  temple by the women.

The cooked pongal is offered first to the Sun and other deities, then only family members an d others partake of it along with side dishes.

Makar Sankranti – first major festival of the year

Urvashi and Pururva lived sixty thousand years together. Before coming with him, she put forth three conditions, violating which she would leave him. These three conditions were:

Urvashi leaving Pururva after staying 60 thousand years with him

1. Two sheep would always remain close to her bed. If by any chance , the sheep is not there, she would return to heaven.

2. She would never see the king naked.

3. She would be served ghee as her food.

Gandharvas planned to have her go back to heaven. The whole story is here:

https://ritsin.com/the-love-story-of-urvashi-and-pururva-or-puroorva-indian-mythology.html/

BHISHMA PITAMAH

The death anniversary of Bhishma Pitamah is observed during Magha Shukla Ashtami. The day is known as Bhishma Ashtami and indisputably the death anniversary of Bhishma Pitamah. According to the legend associated with the day, Bhishma waited for 58 days before leaving his body. Bhishma Pitamah left his body on the auspicious day of Uttarayana, i.e. on the day when the Lord Surya started moving towards Northward after completing six month period of Dakshinayana.

Great Books on Mahabharata to read

Grandsire Bhishma’s body was pierced all over by arrows which served as his bed. He noticed that the sun was in Dakshinayana and hence it was not the best time to embrace death. Hence he waited 58 days for Uttarayana while lying on the bed of arrows. Bhishma Pitamah had attained a boon from his father Shantanu that death would befall him only when he desired it.

We all know that Uttarayana is Makar Sankranti which falls near to January 15 while Bhishma Ashtami falls during February i.e. Bhishma Ashtami always falls after Makar Sankranti.

Bhishma had this boon from his father to chose his date of death.

Read more on Bhishma Pitamah here

लोहड़ी के पर्व से जुड़ी एक प्राचीन मान्यता के अनुसार मुगल काल में  राजा अकबर के शासन काल के दौरान उस समय पंजाब में एक दुल्ला भट्टी नामक एक व्यक्ति रहता था जिसे कुछ लोगों द्वारा डाकू भी कहा जाता था। उस समय पंजाब में व्यापार के मुनाफे के लिए न सिर्फ वस्तु का क्रय-विक्रय किया जाता था। बल्कि कुंवारी लड़कियों को भी अपने स्वार्थ के लिए कुछ व्यापारी मोटे दाम पर बेच देते थे। पर दुल्ला भट्टी इस कालाबाजारी से सख्त नफरत करते थे।

ऐसी स्थिति में दुल्ला भट्टी ने उन लोगों की मदद की जिसमें गरीब और असहाय भी शामिल थे। जिनके घर की बेटियों को मुगलों या अमीरों को बेच दिया गया था। ऐसे ही संकट में दुल्ला भट्टी ने अकेले कई लड़कियों को गुलामी से आजाद कराकर उनका विवाह कराया था और उस समय चूंकि दहेज प्रथा भी चरम पर थी तो दुल्ला भट्टी ने उन लड़कियों की शादी करवाने के लिए दहेज का इंतेजाम किया।

इस तरह दुल्ला भट्टी जनता के लिए एक फरिश्ता बनकर आए और आगे चलकर जनता ने फैसला किया कि हर साल दुल्ला पट्टी की याद में लोहड़ी का पर्व मनाया जाएगा। तभी से अब तक अनेक पीढ़ियों के बीच लोहड़ी के पर्व के मौके पर दुल्ला भट्टी की कहानी सुनने का प्रचलन शुरू हुआ और इस पर्व के मौके पर यह लोकप्रिय गीत गाया जाता है। अगर आपने अब तक दुल्ला भट्टी का नाम नहीं सुना था तो अब आप जान चुके होंगे क्यों पंजाबियों द्वारा लोहड़ी के मौके पर दुल्ला भट्टी गीत गाया जाता है।

मान्यता है संत कबीर दास की पत्नी लोई की याद में लोहड़ी का पर्व सिख समुदाय द्वारा मनाया जाता है। संत कबीर 15वीं शताब्दी के महान कवि और संत के रूप में जाने जाते हैं।

बैसाखी पर्व के समान ही पंजाबियों के लिए लोहड़ी का पर्व फसल, ऋतुओं से जुड़ा हुआ है। जनवरी के इस मौसम में खेतों में सरसों के फूल खिल खिलाते दिखाई देते है। और रवि की फसल काटकर घर में लाई जाती है, तथा लोहड़ी के पर्व के बाद से खेतों में मक्का और मूली उगाई जाती है।

लोहड़ी पर्व से जुड़ी एक पौराणिक मान्यता यह है कि जब सती के पिता प्रजापति दक्ष ने भगवान शिव का अपमान किया। तो इस दुख में उन्होंने यज्ञ में अपने प्राणों की आहुति दे दी थी इसलिए सती की याद में लोहड़ी का पर्व मनाया जाता है। किसानों द्वारा लोहड़ी का पर्व एक नए वित्तीय वर्ष (Financial Year) के तौर पर मनाया जाता है। माना जाता है लोहड़ी की आग (अलाव) जलाने के बाद रात्रि के समय घर को प्रस्थान करते समय दो चार कोयले अपने साथ घर लाना एक प्राचीन मान्यता है जिसका आज भी पालन किया जाता है।

इसके अलावा बता दें नए साल की शुरुआत में भारत के साथ साथ इसी तरह का त्यौहार ईरान में भी देखने को मिलता है। वहां ईरानी पारसियों द्वारा अपने प्राचीन त्यौहार चरान शंबे सूरी मनाया जाता है। जिसमें लोहड़ी की तरह आग जलाकर घेरा बनाकर उसमें मेवे अर्पित किए जाते हैं।