.jpg "Chandra Deva on his antelope drawn chariot")
Initially, we feared darkness. So, we worshipped all forms of light. We revered the Sun and the moon’s soft light comforted us. Over time, the Sun symbolised permanence and immortality while the different phases of the moon symbolised change and mortality.
Today, we call Chandra as Soma Deva, the lord of plant and animal life. We believe that the Devas drink the nectar of immortality, Soma, using Chandra as their cup. Chandra holds a mace and a lotus in his hands. He rides a three-wheeled chariot drawn by ten white horses or an antelope to depict the swiftness with which he ranges the night sky every day. Chandra uses a rope as his weapon.
Some scriptures say that Chandra, Dattatreya and Durvasa are sons of rishi Atri and his wife Anusuya. But the Devi Bhagavatam states that Chandra is an avatar of Brahma.
Chandra and his many wives
According to the Mahabharata, Chandra marries 27 daughters (Nakshatras) of Daksha Prajapati, Brahma’s son. Daksha asks him to love all his daughters equally. Chandra agrees to do so.
When Chandra performs a Rajasuya yagna, he requests his guru, Brihaspati to perform the yagna. Chandra falls in love with Tara, Brihaspati’s wife when they are performing the yagna. Tara too prefers to live a love-filled life with Chandra instead of being stuck in a loveless marriage with rishi Brihaspati.
At Indra’s insistence, Tara reluctantly parts ways with Chandra and returns to Brihaspati. When Tara becomes pregnant soon after her return, Tara tells Brihaspati that Chandra has fathered the child. So, Brihaspati asks Tara to give the child to Chandra.
Chandra asks his wives to look after his child, Budha. Chandra’s 26 wives refuse to take care of Budha. But Rohini treats Budha like her own child. So, Chandra favours Rohini the most and spends all his time with her. He neglects his other 26 wives and they complain to Daksha about it.
Daksha curses Chandra saying, “May you rot and decay from an incurable disease for your sin.” Chandra recalls the instance when Lord Ganesha cursed him.
Chandra and Lord Ganesha
Lord Ganesha falls and uses a snake as a belt to hold his garments in place after eating a hearty meal at Kubera’s palace. Chandra laughs at this sight. So, lord Ganesha breaks one of his tusks, hurls it at the moon and curses him saying, “May you lose your powers. Let your light never fall on earth.”
Chandra and Lord Shiva
Chandra regrets succumbing to his impulses and passion so very often. He seeks Shiva’s help when he sees his body wasting away steadily. Lord Shiva gives him a place of honour on his matted locks and says, “You will have to bear the consequences of your mistakes and pride. I cannot revoke Daksha’s or Ganesha’s curse. But I can limit it to a certain extent.
No one will worship you or look at you on Ganesh Chaturthi. Yes, you will wane away slowly for a fortnight till Amavasya. But you will start waxing gradually for the next fortnight and gain your true stature on Poornima.”
Chandra’s children
Budha
Budha is Chandra’s son by Tara. Budha marries Ila and it is their son, Pururavas, who starts the Chandravamshi (Lunar dynasty). Budha is also one of the Navagrahas associated with Wednesday.
Varchas
When Krishna incarnates on Bhuloka to re-establish Dharma, He seeks the help of the devatas. Chandra could not bear to part with his son Varchas for long. So he agrees to Varchas being born as a mortal only for a fortnight. One year in Devaloka is equal to 16 years in Bhuloka.
So Varchas is reborn in the Dwapar Yuga as Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna and Subhadra. He sheds his body after fighting valiantly in the Kurukshetra war at the young age of 16 and regains his place in Chandraloka.
Bhadra
Chandra’s daughter Bhadra marries sage Utathya. But Varuna had always loved her. So, he abducts her from rishi Utathya’s ashram.
Rishi Utathya becomes furious. He drinks the waters of all the seas and oceans and requests Saraswati to reside in the deserts. Varuna realizes his folly and returns Bhadra to rishi Utathya. Rishi Utathya forgives Varuna and releases the waters.
Jyotsnakali
Chandra’s daughter, Jyotsnakali, a woman of great beauty marries Varuna’s son Pushkara.
Chandra’s many phases
Chandra’s many phases and his position in the sky create the tides in the seas and oceans. Generally, we consider the waxing moon as beneficial and the waning moon and lunar eclipse as inauspicious. According to Vedic astrology, Chandra has an impact on our physical, mental and emotional well-being too.
Amavasya
Some say Shiva enables us to embark on our spiritual journey by revealing the light of the truth that dwells within us on Amavasya.
We refer to the fortnight that begins with Amavasya (no moon day), when the moon waxes, as the Shukla Paksha and associate it with Moksha.
Poornima
Some say Poornima (full moon day), the brightest night of the lunar cycle is very auspicious because it marks the end of one phase of our lives and prepares us for new beginnings.
We refer to the second fortnight, which begins with Poornima, when the moon wanes as the Krishna Paksha.
Dooj ka Chand
Dooj ka Chand is the crescent moon that is visible only for a short while two days after Amavasya. We believe that catching a glimpse of this Dooj ka Chand enhances our prana, and blesses us with good thoughts, peace, prosperity and long life.
In Pushti Marg, we revere Dooj ka Chand in the month of Margashirsha. We adorn our Nidhi swaroops with moon-like ornaments, and white garments and hang a Pichwai of a crescent moon and stars.
Krishna and Dooj ka Chand
In one of his many leelas, Krishna asks Yashoda for the moon so that he can play with it. When Yashoda says that she cannot fetch the moon for Him, He insists that He wants to go to the moon, see what the moon looks like and play there.
So Yashoda bares her torso and shows Krishna the moon-like marks he has made with his milk teeth, asks him to play with her moon-like hairpin and shows him the moon on the Pichwai that hangs behind his crib. She cajoles Krishna and asks Him to play with these four moons instead of the moon that is high up in the night sky.
Radha and Dooj ka Chand
According to folklore, Radha always covers half her face with a veil when she goes to meet Krishna. It is difficult to catch a glimpse of her moon-like face behind the veil, just as it is difficult to sight the moon two days after Amavasya. So, we revere Radha’s beauty and her love for Krishna on this day. In all Pushti Marg mandirs, keertans are dedicated to Chandra Deva on this day.
Some beautiful insights to reflect upon
Like Chandra, our lives will always be a series of ups and downs. Sometimes, we will enjoy the pleasures of our material lives. At other times, we will have to take several inward journeys to unearth the bliss that lies within our souls.
Occasionally, like on Dooj ka Chand, we will feel blessed for the abundance that we have in our lives. But through all these phases, let’s hope that like Chandra, our loved ones will love and respect us despite all the mistakes we have made in our lives.
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