| 
| The legends of Akshaya Tritiya
Last Updated: 2009-04-20 15:08:41
Akshaya Tritiya is one of the four most auspicious days of the vedic calendar, the other three being Ugadi, Vijayadashami and Balipaadyami. This year, the day falls on Monday, April 27. The day has many legends associated with it. The key ones are listed below.
The main legend is from Mahabharata. When Pandavas were in exile, Lord Krishna gave Draupadi a bowl called the Akshaya Pathram. The word Akshaya means that which never diminishes and this bowl is said to have given infinite food to the Pandavas. This is why this day is considered to be a good time to bring home Goddess Lakshmi, in any form, gold, silver or platinum. Valuables that are acquired on this day are said to be replenished endlessly.
There is also another legend associated with the day, also known as Akha Teej, in North India. This is celebrated as the birthday of Parshurama, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu marking the beginning of Golden Age. Parshuram is the son of Jamadagni and Renuka. One day, when Jamadagni got angry with his wife Renuka, he commanded Parshuram to kill her. In obedience to his father%u2019s command, he killed his mother. In return, when Jamadagni offered his son a boon, he got his mother back to life.
Associated with the Mahabarata, is another story for the day. It was on this day that the Pandavas unearthed weapons that decided their victory over the Kauravas. Also, it is also believed that Goddess Vijaya Chamundeshwari killed Asura on this day. It is on this day that Veda Vyasa, along with Lord Ganesha, started writing the Mahabharata.
And according to the puranas, this day marks the beginning of the Treta Yuga, which is the second out of four yugas, or ages of man, in Hindu religion, following the Satya Yuga of perfect morality and preceding the Dvapara Yuga. The most famous events in this yuga were Lord Vishnu's fifth, sixth and seventh incarnations as Vamana, Parasurama and Ramachandra respectively.
According to the Dharamashastras, this day is considered sacred for Vishnu Puja and for donating items, such as umbrellas, fans or sandals to the Brahmins. Some vedic scholars even say that on this day, weddings can be conducted without deep consultations of the almanacs.
| 
| © Copyright Sify Technologies Ltd, 1998-2009. All rights reserved. India News Portal, Sify.com hosted at SifyHosting India's first Level 3 Internet Data Centre. Site optimized for Internet Explorer 5.5 and above. See Disclaimer | Privacy Policy & Parental Guidance on pornography | careers@sify | About Us | Feedback | Advertise |