19th August 2024
Raksha Bandhan has been celebrated by Gods and men alike since ages.
Rakhi fables abound around Gods like Lord Yama, the Goddess Lakshmi, and Indirani (wife of the God-king Indra).
One of the most popular stories is that of Queen Draupadi and Lord Krishna.
Queen Draupadi is often credited with having tied the first rakhi. According to legend, Draupadi tore a strip of her sari and bandaged a wound for Lord Krishna. Krishna promised her his protection in return. When the Kauravas tried to strip her after Yudhishthira lost a gambling bet, Lord Krishna ensured that the fabric of her sari kept multiplying so that she could not be disrobed.
This festival has also played a very important part in the lives of some of our most famous mortal legends.
Raksha Bandhan has been known to transcend religion and has shaped the political fates and boundaries of some of the erstwhile princely states.
Karnavati, the widowed Empress of Chittor, is said to have sent a rakhi to Emperor Humayun, beseeching his protection and aid. He responded by sending his army to protect Chittor from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat.
Raksha Bandhan has been celebrated across generations over centuries.
The ties that bind brothers and sisters also connect us to our past.
Holy Chant of a sister while tying a Rakhi,
“Yena Baddho, Bali Raja, Dana Vendro Maha Balah, Tena Twam Anubhadanaami,
Rakshe Ma Chalaa Ma Chalaa”
which means,
‘Oh Rakhi, Just as Goddess Lakshmi tied a Rakhi to King Bali, I’m doing so on my brother’s wrist,
I Pray that you protect my brother, from all evils.’
And the brother reciprocates,
by promising to forever being there for her in her time of need!
The relationship between siblings is so venerated that it rouses the noblest of emotions,
a relationship so celebrated that it assumes the proportion of a Festival,
Such is the chaste bond between a brother and a sister and a delicate silken thread strengthens the bond.
Happy Rakshabandhan!
May this bond between brothers and sisters always grow.
Stay blessed forever.