ANGAARAK CHATURTHI

As explained earlier the Sankashtha Chaturthi becomes Angaarak Chaturthi when the Fourth Day of the moon falls, in the dark half, on the Tuesday. Then the Chaturthi Day has the added significance owing to its falling on the Tuesday. On this day strict vow should be observed. Glorifying the merit of the vow, the 'Ganesh Purana' gives an interesting story When the sage Bharadwaj got a son from the earth, as red as the flower of 'Jaaruband', he gave him the name 'Bhaum' which literally means (the son) of the earth. When Bhaum came of age, sage Bharadwaj gave him 'The Ganesh Mantra' and explained the procedure to chant it. Then he asked Bhaum to go to the bank of river Narmada and chant the 'Mantra' observing total .continence and piety of the character. That was the 'Ekakshari Mantra, 5 which Bhaum chanted with total devotion. Seeing that great devotion and concentration of the boy Bhaum, Lord Ganesh was delighted and appeared before his devotee on Magh Krishna Chaturthi (Fourth Day of the lunar month Magh, ie. between January and February of the English or Gregorian Calendar, in the dark fortnight) and declared that he who does so on Angaarak Chaturthi will have his all enemies destroyed and troubles removed. The Lord also gave the boy Bhaum the right to imbibe the nectar churned out from the ocean, thus providing him the godhood. The Lord also declared that thenceforth Bhaum would be known by the name 'Mangal'. "Since you are the son of the earth and have red complexion, your one name shall be Angaraka." Hence the name Angarak Chaturthi given to the Chaturthi falling on the Tuesdays. (v) Ganesh Parthiva pooja Vrata: ParthivaPoojan means physical worship or the ritualistic worship of the deity. This pooja or worship is done by those who take a vow for the fulfillment of their some specific want Normally this worship lasts for a month. Traditionally this is started on Shravan Shukla Chaturthi (fourth day of the bright half of the lunar month Shravan ie., mid-July to mid-August) and ends on the Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi (fourth day of the lunar month Bhadrapad i.e., mid-August to mid-Sept.). On the appointed day the devotee or aspirant should complete his morning ablutions and then should make a clay idol of Lord Ganesh having four arms and in which all his symbols like the snare, the goad etc. be dearly displayed. The clay selected for the making of the idol should be black smooth clay. After making it, the idol should be ritually installed on a pedestal and sitting before it on a Kushasan the aspirant should anoint the Lord's (idol's) head with vermilion and rice grains. Then concentrating his mind on the auspicious visage of Lord Ganesh, he should chant 'Ekakshari Mantra' for exact one lakh times, giving time for natural bodily functions. When the chant is over the aspirant should perform the 'Havan' ceremony on the Panchami (known as Rishi Panchimi) day after chanting the 'Mantra' ten thousand times during the havan. On the Shashti (next day after Panchami) day, the idol of the Lord should be carried in a palanquin amidst a procession and it should be immersed in a pond or river or sea whichever is nearer. Even the women of the household should accompany the procession. In this vow or Vrata, there is a scriptural provision for having more than one idol. One to two idols for getting an impossible work accomplished; three for money etc. But it is advisable to concentrate on one idol. It is declared in the Puranas that faith in one symbol ensures better concentration and hence better communication. There is a story in the Puranas that when Lord Shiv had slain Tripurasur, he found his eternal spouse Parvati ji missing. Only when she had heard about the good news of Tripurasur's death that she emerged from a cave in Himalaya. She had hidden there on account of the fear she felt when her espouse Lord Shiv had gone to fight with that deadly demon. When she had come out of the cave and told her Lord about her fear, he admonished her and ordained that she should do the Ganesh Parthiva Pooja to get rid of all fear. [The reader might be surprised that how the mother was asked by the father to worship their son which had not been born ! It is because of the perpetuity of the form's existence in different epochs. It is not that Lord Shiv and Parvati and Ganesh existed only in this Chaturyugi (the cycle of the four Yugs viz. Satya, Trem, Dwapar and Kaliyug) but they exist in every cycle. This is a common fallacious imagination occurring in the entire Hindu Mythology. So much so, Lord Shiv and Goddess Parvati have been described to have worshipped Ganesh before their marriage ! This is perhaps to show the eternity of these celestial existences. The same explanation is given by Goswami Tulsidas in his 'Ram Charita Manas' where he says: kou suni sansaya karaya jani sur anadi jiya jani (One should not nurse any doubt deeming gods to be the eternal existences) (vi) Twenty One Days' Ganesh Vrata: This should be started on Shravan Shukla Chaturthi and completed on Bhadrapada Krishna Dashmi [i.e., for eleven days in Shrawan and remaining 10 days in Bhadrapada], which makes exactly twenty one days. [It appears Lord Ganesh is specially fond of the figure of twenty one, for in his all worship rituals this figure occurs repeatedly]. On the completion of the Vrata the pious brahmans and unmarried girls should be fed on the 'Prasadam' of laddoos. This is also a special vow observed for some specific purpose. (vii) Tila Chaturthi Vrata: This vow is observed on Magh Shukla Chaturthi. 6 As the name suggests, on this day white til (sesame seeds) is only used for making eleven 'Modaks' -as the 'Prasadam'. The aspirant should eat only this laddoo in the night after day long fast This fast is normally kept to get rid of some dreadful disease i.e., for a specific purpose. (viii) Doorba Ganapati Vrata: In this vow_the grass twigs or Doorba have special significance. This vow or Vrata is observed when Vinayak Chaturthi falls on Sunday. In this ritualistic worship, after sixteen customary offerings, the aspirant should bow six times before the idol and circumambulate round the idol six times and then offer oblation of 6 twigs of grass (Doorba), and 6 laddoos. The observance of this vow ensures grace of Lord Ganapati-so declare the Puranas. (ix) Vat Ganesh Vrata: This vow is so named because all the rituals, worship etc., are performed beneath a banyan tree or a 'Vat'. This is normally observed right from Kartik Shukla Chaturthi 7 to Magh Shukla Chaturthi. 8 In this worship the rituals are performed before the whole family of Lord Shiv-his espouse Parvati, his two sons Ganesh and Kartikeya-and cermonial "Shodasaupchar" (sixteen offerings) are made in the same way as already mentioned in the worship of Lord Ganesh. The ultimate purpose, of this vow is to ensure good health of the devotee. (x) Kapardi Vinayak Vrata: Kapardi is the Sanskrit term for cowrie. The observer of this vow gives in alms cowrie and a handful of rice grain to beggars to please Lord Ganesh. It should be observed on Shravan Shukla Chaturthi. 9 After ritual Ganesh worship with sixteen customary offerings, the 'prasadam', made specially of milk and rice-Iaddoos or kheer should be distributed among the poor. The purpose is getting rich by the grace of Lord Ganesh. 1 . Emblic mynobalan (its fruit) 2 . 'Shashtang literally means with all the eight organs or members of one's body. These eight organs are : head, hands, feet, eyes, thighs, heart, speech and mind. It means salutation made with total or complete devotion in which mind and all other organs of the body are united in totality. 3 . The brief story is like this : There was a man in Dwarika called Satrajit He was an ardent worshipper of Lord Sun. Propitiated by his worship the Lord appeared before him and granted a wonder-gem called Syamantak to Satrajit The gem radiated such a dazzling light that the people of Dwarika thought as though Lord Surya (Sun) had givm him his own radiance. That gem used 10 give about 8 'bhar' (nearly 80 tolas) gold every day. Lord Krishna. asked to give that gem to the royal coffer of Dwirika but Satrajit refused. later, Satrajit's brother Prasen had gone for hunting wearing that gem where a lion devoured him and Satrajit blamed Loot Krishna that he had stolen the gem after slaying Prasen. To prove his innocence Loot Krishna went in search of that gem. The lion that had devoured the gem after killing Prasen happened to reach the cave of the fabled Bear Jambavant of the 'Ramayan' fame. Jambavant had slain the lion when the beast reached his cave and gave that gem to his daughter Jambavanti. Ultimately Loot Krishna fought a duel with Jambavant to get the gem back. Jambavant realised who he had fought with ~his chosen Lord Rim in a different form along with the gem also gave his daughter in marriage to Lord Krishna When the gem was brought back.. Lord Krishna was absolved of the entire blame and Satrajit apologised to Lord Krishna. and also married his daughter to him. The same story is referred to in the ShIoka.. 4 . Mentioned under the sub-heading 'Varad Chaturthi'. 5 . The Mantra is : "OM Ganapataye Namah" 6 . Fourth Day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month Magh i.e. between mid-Dec. to mid-January. 7 . Bright half, Fourth 'Day of !be Kartik month i.e., mid-October to mid November. , 8 . Bright half, Fourth day of Magh month i.e., mid-Dec to mid-Jan. 9 . Bright half, Fourth day of the month of Shravan (mid-July to mid-August).