Sharad Poornima

First of all, Sorry for late. I am late for uploading this article due to personal reasons. But anyway, this is for all of you.

Sharad Poornima is that Divine night when Radha Krishn revealed the supreme Bliss of maharas to uncountable Gopis in Vrindaban about 5,000 years ago. It is the full moon night which falls in October. This day is very precious in our lives for an additional reason as well: our beloved Shree Maharajji appeared on that night in 1922 in Mangarh, India. Whereas the devotees in Mangarh participate in a procession (yatra) with Shree Maharajji seated on an elegantly decorated chariot (rath), here at Barsana Dham we have a procession with Shree Radha Rani seated on a flower adorned chariot.

By the time the autumn full moon is ready to rise on the dark horizon, Dussera festivals are over and the eyes of merrymakers are turned towards shops full of fireworks and sweets for Diwali. Sharad Purnima occurs exactly a fortnight before Diwali. This is a harvest festival where Laxmi, the goddess of prosperity, visits all homes to bring fortune and good luck to all people, young and old.

Kojagiri, as this special night is called, is celebrated with ice-cold, saffron-flavoured sweet milk, shared in the cool moonlight. The full moon night is called Navanna Purnima or the moonlit night of new food. The newly harvested rice is offered to the gods and lamp; are lit before the full moon.

Maharishi Ved Vyasji in ‘Shrimad Bhagwat ‘ in the 10th episode has described the night of ‘Sharad poornima’ as the night of the Raasotsav(raas celebrations)of the incarnation of Lord Krishna on the earth, because unlike the moon showering the cool nectar Lord Krishna too, showered ‘Bhakti ras ‘ on the earth.thousands of fortunate Gopis enthrilled themselves by enjoying the bhakti ras in the accompaniment of the Yogehwar Lord Krishna ,the memory alone of this event fills the hearts of the devotees with love for the lord.

About Sharad Purnima

On this night, Lord Krishna invited his faithful devotees, the Gopis of Vrundavan, to play the Maha Raas (traditional folk-dance) with him. They had earned his grace by overlooking society’s disdain on them (`loklaaj’), to offer him unalloyed devotion. When they left their homes in Vraj and arrived in Vrundavan, Shri Krishna welcomed them. Yet to further test their love for him, he averred: ‘Women of character such as you, should not leave home to meet another man in the middle of the night!’ These words seared the Gopis’ hearts. In extreme grief, they uttered: ‘Our feet will not budge the slightest from your lotus-feet. So how can we return to Vraj?’ Pleased with such immutable love for him, Shri Krishna initiated the Maha Raas, by assuming as many forms as there were Gopis. At this point, they beamed with pride that, ‘Nobody’s devotion can excel ours, by which the Lord favored us.’ Instead of accepting the Maha Raas as the Lord’s grace, ego marred their devotion. Therefore he instantly vanished from the Raas mandal! Now filled with remorse, the Gopis repented.

Recalling Shri Krishna’s divine episodes - ‘lila’, they lamented their pangs of separation, and sang kirtans known as ‘viraha geet’: ‘Jayati te-dhikam janmanaa vrajaha. (Shrimad Bhagvat 10/31/1) Describing the ‘lila’ in the Bhagvat (10/30/25), Shukdevji narrates to king Parikshit: ‘O Parikshit! Of all nights, that night of Sharad Punam became the most resplendent. With the Gopis, Shri Krishna roamed the banks of the Yamuna, as if imprisoning everyone in his lila!’

On this auspicious day Kshir or Khir (milk thickened with rice and mixed with sugar, candy, etc.) is especially prepared in the temples and homes, and offered to Hari amidst ringing of the balls and chanting of the hymns, then it is given in the morning as prasad to the devotees. The recipe is kept in the moonshine all the night so that it may absorb the amrit falling from the moon. Such khir is considered to possess many qualities. At night Moon-god is also worshipped and offered naivedya.

The moon is very close to the earth on this day and its bright rays has its own curative properties,the rays fall on the food or drinks that are consumed,and help in curing the disorder of Pitt avoids many other trivial diseases and makes the body healthy.