| Another great saga pertaining to the legend of Rakhi is the evergreen story of Lord Krishna and Draupadi. Both these Gods hold a very special position in the Hindu household owing to Mahabharata. It is generally assumed that the original ritual of Rakhi began with Draupadi and Krishna during the epic war. According to the legend,Krishna loved Draupadi so much, that he called her 'sakhi'. Draupadi too had a lot of faith on Krishna. She prayed to him with utmost devotion. During the great battle of Mahabharata, Lord Krishna threw a celestial weapon at Shishupala, in order to punish him for numerous sins. During the act of hurling the Sudharshan Charka from his index finger, Krishna hurt himself. On seeing blood drops, Draupadi immediately rushed to protect her Lord. She tore off a piece from her sari and wrapped it around his finger, stopping the bleeding. Krishna was touched by her gesture of devotion and pure love. | |
| He asked her what would she like in return of this favor. Draupadi, like a true sister, just asked for the Lord's holy presence in her life forever. From that moment onwards, Lord Krishna has been with Draupadi like a shadow protecting her from every small and big trouble. When the Kauravas tried to dishonor Draupadi through "Cheer Haran" (removing her sari) in a hall of people, she Prayed to Krishna continuously. The lord took care of her honor and punished the sinners during the battle of Mahabharata. This story is a reflection of the pure bond between a brother and sister. The thread of Rakhi and the story of Krishna and Draupadi tells us about the element of faith and emotional security amongst siblings . It teaches us a valuable lesson about our own relationship with God. Draupadi gave to Lord Krishna one small strand from her sari. In return, Lord Krishna gave Draupadi an endless, infinite sari, one which could never be removed. Every brother is like Lord Krishna when it comes to their sisters. They want to take care of their sister's honor and protect her from all the perils of the world. | |
In a few days, men all over India will take a vow. A vow to protect their sisters. Raksha Bandhan, the bond of protection, is an Indian festival that celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. The central ceremony involves the tying of a Rakhi (sacred thread) by a sister around her brother's wrist. This symbolizes the sister's love for her brother and reaffirms the brother's lifelong vow to protect her. Hindu mythology has several stories related to Raksha Bandhan. One of them involves the god Krishna and the princess of Panchala, Draupadi. Draupadi had once torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's wrist to staunch the bleeding from a battlefield wound. Krishna was touched by her action and declared her to be his sister, even though they were unrelated. He promised to repay the debt at the right time. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
Image source: Rediff.com
Years later, Draupadi married the five Pandava brothers, sons of the Pandu, king of Hastinapura. The Pandavas lost themselves and their queen Draupadi in gambling to their cousins, the Kauravas, 100 brothers who were sons of Dhritarashtra, the king of Hastinapur and Pandu's successor. The eldest of the Kauravas, Duryodhana ordered his younger brother Dusshasana to disrobe Draupadi in the assembly hall. The entire royal assembly of Hastinapura including King Dhritarashtra and other elders watched helplessly as Dusshasana tried to disrobe Draupadi. Draupadi pleaded to Krishna for help and Lord Krishna indefinitely extended Draupadi's saree and protected her honor. Thus the small string of silk she tied to stop Krishna's bleeding protected her honor at the most desperate time. From that day, Hindus started celebrating Raksha Bandhan, a day when brothers take vows to protect their sisters. Indian women have made significant progress since the time of the mythical Draupadi, but the more things change, the more they stay the same. There are thousands of modern day Dusshasanas all over India. Violence against women, both within the home and in public, is on the rise. Women are groped, molested and sexually and physically assaulted in public places, including buses, trains, sidewalks, bars, clubs and pubs. Countless incidents of rape and molestation have been reported in the past few years. Take a look at the staggering statistics tracked by Map4aid here.
One incident that shook the entire country happened recently in Guwahati. On July 12 2012, a young girl was molested, stripped and physically attacked by an unruly mob of twenty men outside a pub. Onlookers not only watched the horrific incident like the king of Hastinapur, Dhritarashtra, but eventually joined the mob. All of this was recorded on video by a local TV news reporter. Some of the molesters proudly posed for the camera, which speaks volumes about the ineffective and inefficient law enforcement system in India. The Assam government came under extreme criticism for failing to arrest the molesters and the incident caused national outrage. A few days after that incident, on July 25th, a 19-year-old girl was pushed out of a moving train in Karnataka by four men who tried to molest her [Another horrific incident happened in Mangalore between the time I started writing this and now]. And these are the incidents that get reported. Violence against Dalit women; lesbian, bisexual and transgender women; and violence in the name of community honour are grim realities in many of our lives; all acutely under-reported. Looking at the state of the country, isn't it hypocritical of Indian men to celebrate Raksha Bandhan on one hand and perpetuate violence against women on the other? What happened to the vows they made all these years? I guess they never really meant it. I bet the Rakhi-tying ceremony, taking a vow to protect their sisters and all, are just attempts to make them feel macho and superior, nothing more. Festivals like this are another sexist attempt by the patriarchal Indian society to condition its men and women to believe that women are weaker elements of the society that need protection from men. Have you ever heard of a ceremony where a sister vows to protect her brother? If you think about it, the whole concept is fundamentally flawed. In a fair and equal society, why would women need men's protection or vice-versa? Men love to think that women are beneath them; that they are vulnerable commodities that need protection. This also leads to the notion that any woman who is "unprotected" is everyone's game. Single women in India (unmarried, divorced and widowed women) are constantly criticized, condemned, disrespected and harassed, even in the 21st century. Remember the Akeli ladki Khuli tijori scene from the movie, Jab We Met? We need more women like Geet to stand up to such attitude and behavior. There is no need for Raksha (Protection). All we need from men is respect. Respect for women, whether straight or queer, cis or trans, regardless of community, class, caste or religion. Respect for women's rights and freedom. Respect for women's choices and decisions. Respect for women's spaces and right to exist with dignity and as equals in life's journey. No "Raksha" Bandhan this year. Let's start a bond of mutual respect - A respect bandhan!
| Raksha Bandhan: The Bond of Love |
Celebrated on the full moon day in the Hindu calendar month of Sharavan, Raksha Bandhan is one of the most widely celebrated festivals of India. It is a day that symbolises the sacred relationship between a brother and sister. Literally translated, raksha means protection while bandhanmeans bond. Raksha Bandhan, therefore, signifies the bond of love out which comes a sense of security and protection.
On Raksha Bandhan, the sister ties a rakhi, comprising sacred threads, on her brother's wrist and performs an aarati . In return, the brother gives her a gift. The ritual is meant to signify their love and that both are looking out for each other. Today, the festival goes much beyond real brothers and sisters to any two individuals who enjoy a deep relationship. So you are likely to see a woman tie a rakhi to her cousins, neighbours and close friends. Raksha Bandhan also has a great history. Various stories have been passed on indicating the origin of Raksha Bandhan. One of them draws its origin from the Mahabharata epic. Once, Lord Krishna hurt his hand while fighting Shishupala, a man who had committed several heinous acts. When this happened, Draupadi, the wife of the Pandava brothers, rushed to cover the wound by tearing a piece of her sari and tying it around Lord Krishna's hand. In return for her kind gesture, the Lord asked what she would like. Draupadi replied by saying she only desired His Divine presence at every moment of her life. From that moment on, Lord Krishna told Draupadi that He would be with her whenever she called out for Him. Much later, when the Kauravas tried to disrobe her in their court, helpless, she called out to Lord Krishna to save her. And in return, the Lord gave her a sari that was infinitely long. As a result, the Kauravas were unable to disrobe her and Draupadi was saved from being dishonoured. While the festival typically celebrates the relationship between brother and sister, it has a much deeper spiritual significance. When we take one step on the spiritual path, the Lord takes ninety-nine steps, as it were. This is the symbolism of Lord Krishna giving Draupadi an infinitely long sari in return for a protecting his wound with a small piece of cloth. At the absolute level, it is only when we give up our pathetic, finite egos that we are able to experience the joy of the Infinite.
Those who have embarked on the magical journey towards the Spirit experience not just and happiness and success but also an unmistakable sense of peace that the world cannot disturb. Thus Raksha Bandhan, like all other Indian festivals, is a call to the Divine Self within. So let us pledge, on this day, to commit ourselves to dedicating our actions to our goal of self-betterment, harbouring finer emotions and developing the clarity to see the permanence in and through the transience of the world.
http://vedantavision.org/library/articles-by-guests/raksha-bandhan-the-bond-of-love.html |
This Indian event about brother and sister loving affection and commitment to care for each other - materially and spiritually.
On this day, sisters tie a rakhi, a colorful bracelet made of silk thread, on the wrist of their brothers to protect them against evil influences. Sisters pray for long life of their brothers and ask God to bless them with His blessings.
Brothers in turn, give them best gifts and promise to care and help them life long.
The Rakhi event importance reflects in Mahabharata pastimes of Lord Krishna and Draupadi. It is generally assumed that the original ritual of Rakhi began with Draupadi and Krishna. This story is a reflection of the pure bond between a brother and sister.
Lord Krishna had deep affection for Draupadi as Draupadi had pure & complete faith on Krishna. She prayed to him with utmost devotion for unconditional love.
The transcendental story goes like this. Once Lord Krishna threw Sudarshan Charka at Shishupala, in order to punish him for his sinful activities. During the act of hurling the Sudarshan Charka from his index finger, Krishna transcendentally hurt himself. On seeing blood drops, Draupadi immediately rushed to protect her Lord. She tore off a piece from her sari and wrapped it around his finger, stopping the bleeding. Krishna was touched by her gesture of devotion and pure love. He asked her what she would like in return of this favor. Draupadi, like a true sister, just asked for the Lord's holy presence in her life forever. Since than Lord Krishna has been with Draupadi like a shadow protecting her from every trouble. When the Kauravas tried to dishonor Draupadi through "Cheer Haran" in a gathering, she prayed to Krishna continuously. The lord took care of her honor and punished the sinners during the battle of Mahabharata.
This story holds a very special position in the Hindu household owing to Mahabharata.
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/profiles/blogs/raksha-bandhan
While many of the writers in their books have said that they both had feelings for each other, the truth is, each considered the other "sakha" and "sakhi". So, the love they had was nothing more than the love for friends. Actually it was more like a devotee and God relationship since Draupadi was truly devoted to Krishna.
Once, when Krishna had hurt his finger while beheading Shishupal, Draupadi was seen immediately rushing towards him. She at once tore off her sari and bandaged Krishna's finger. Krishna for this loving act had vowed to help Draupadi. For every thread which she had used to cover his wound, Lord Krishna promised to repay the cost of each thread.
He had promised to help Draupadi by saying, "whenever you need me I'll always be there." Many of the people believe, the concept of Raksha Bandhan came from Draupadi and Krishna.
Krishna not only helped Draupadi in her cheer haran but also at the time when Durvasa rishi had come at the Pandavas place during their exile. Although, Draupadi's five husbaNd may or may not have helped her, Krishna was always with her, helping her to overcome almost all the difficulties...
http://indiaopines.com/relationship-draupadi-krishna/
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