We, PushtiMargiya Vaishnavs celebrate Ganga Dashmi and Yamuna Jayanti on consecutive days. The rituals we follow on Ganga Dashmi and Yamuna Jayanti may seem similar. But if we look at them closely, they reveal several lesser-known details that are worth reflecting upon. Let’s begin from what we know…
In several temples, we find Ganga and Yamuna with their vahans holding lotuses in their hands and standing as Dwarpals on the thresholds leading towards the garba graha. In Pushti Margiya temples, on Ganga Dashmi and Yamuna Jayanti, the pichwais are full of lotus buds, leaves and flowers in water beds. What does all this symbolise?
The significance of a Lotus plant
Scholars say that the waters in which the lotus grows symbolises Kshirasagara, the ocean of milk. The lotus rhizome symbolises Vishnu’s navel and the nodes of the lotus plant represent Vishnu’s umbilical cord. And the lotus leaf represents the earth. The entire lotus flower closes its petals and submerges itself in water every night and reblooms every morning symbolising the eternal cycle of cosmic creation and dissolution. A lotus bud, therefore, signifies the start of a new cosmic cycle and a fully bloomed lotus flower symbolises life.
Now let’s understand the significance of Ganga’s vahan – the Makara and Yamuna’s vahan – the Kurma. Scholars say that both the Makara and Kurma are closely connected to water-related myths.
Ganga’s Makara and Matsya
The Makara, an ancient mythological sea creature has the head of a crocodile and the tail of a dolphin. Ganga’s Makara symbolises the essence (rasa) of water which is a principal life-giving entity.
Scholars believe that the Makara has evolved from the one-horned Matsya. Vishnu in His Matsya avatar saves Manu from the waters of cosmic dissolution. Manu then repopulates the world with Ila as his wife.
Like Matsya, Ganga and her Makara too come to our rescue when we shed our bodies. When Ganga rides on her Makara she says, “O Manavas, discard your fears. All that is born will die someday. And all that dies will be born again. Have complete faith in me. I will be with you the instant you are born. I will cleanse your sins and help you evolve spiritually when you are alive. And I will be with you when you shed your bodies too. Ah. Yes. I will do so each time you are born for as long as I flow on Bhuloka. That is all I know. So that is all I can promise you.”
Yamuna and Kurma
The Kurma too is an ancient mythological sea creature. In His Kurma avatar Vishnu gives the Suras and Asuras the much-needed stability during the Samudra Manthan. Yamuna’s vahan the Kurma, therefore, symbolises stability.
Scholars say that the Suras symbolise our positive tendencies and the Asuras our negative traits. And therefore, the Samudra Manthan symbolises the turmoil of our thoughts and emotions during crises. Yamuna’s Kurma symbolically calms our emotions, steadies our minds and gives us the clarity we are looking for to deal with our crises.
And when Yamuna stands on her Kurma she says, “O Manavas, you have lived through your past lives. The future is unknown and will remain so. Focus on improving the quality of your life. Now.
Like my Kurma, withdraw from the external world during a conflict. Delve inwards. Frequently. Operate from a space of awareness to enhance the quality of your life. Maintain your equanimity. At all times. Especially during a crisis.
And use your free will to create your destiny. That’s all you can do anyway. Then leave the rest to me. I will join forces with my sister Ganga and lead you to Krishna.”
We, Pushti Margiya Vaishnavs recreate these concepts symbolically through our rituals.
Ganga Dashmi rituals in Pushti Marg
On Ganga Dashmi, we create a river like ambience in our shrines to symbolise the waters of Ganga. We put perishables like mangoes, vegetables, flowers, leaves and toy sea creatures like the Makara in this river. We then set afloat several diyas which are lit on lotus leaves. And we place three-tiered open temple-like structures near the river and Krishna’s Simhasan. And finally, we place small sturdy ladders that touch the top tier of these structures.
The fruits, vegetables and leaves depict the transient nature of our lives. The various lamps signify the several births we take before we attain the exalted state of Moksha and represent the eternal nature of our Atma. The tiered structures symbolise Swarga, Vaikunta and Goloka. And the ladders symbolise our spiritual progress and ultimate goal – Krishna’s Goloka.
Like Ganga, we too will have to live through all our lives and focus on finding a permanent place in Goloka someday.
Yamuna Jayanti rituals in Pushti Marg
The rituals we perform on Yamuna Jayanti have a few unique details. On Yamuna Jayanti, we fill a big hexagonal tub with water and set up a fountain and ensure its water showers into this water tub. On Yamuna Jayanti too we put a few perishables like fruits and flowers and set afloat a few tortoises into the water tub.
The waters of the fountain symbolise the turbulence of our lives. Like the fruits and flowers, we too will bloom, wither and shed our mortal bodies. Like the different seasons, we will all go through several good and bad phases during our current lifetimes. But like Yamuna’s Kurma, we need to maintain our equanimity amidst our worldly turbulence.
On Yamuna Jayanti, we focus on remaining equipoised during crises in THIS life.
The essence of Yamuna Jayanti and Ganga Dashmi
On Yamuna Jayanti, Yamuna and Kurma join forces with Ganga and Makara. Yamuna is as sensitive as ever. She knows what Ganga wants. She also knows what we want. Very well. And she does what she has to. Quietly. As usual.
She blesses Ganga and all of us too with her Bhakti and connects us to Krishna. For Yamuna knows, that heart of hearts, like Ganga, we too have been yearning to return to Krishna’s Goloka for aeons now. We belong there. And feel at home in that eternal abode of ours.
But Yamuna knows something else too. She knows that Krishna too loves his devotees as much as they love Him. And He does not disappoint anyone. Yes. Anyone. Including Ganga. So, He does what He has to. He blesses Ganga with Ananda on Yamuna Jayanti. And knows that through the waters of Ganga and Yamuna we too will experience Ananda.
Ganga’s Naav Yatra on the Yamuna
On Yamuna Jayanti, Yamuna watches quietly when Ganga and Krishna take a leisurely boat ride on her dark calm soothing waters. Ganga realizes the worth of Yamuna’s Bhakti only when she experiences it. She savours every precious moment with Krishna.
Yamuna smiles serenely. As usual. She knows something that eludes Ganga and all of us even today. That Moksha was not a goal to aspire for. So, Yamuna flows slowly in her waters with her Kurma, content in the knowledge that as long as Krishna continues to dwell within her and all of us, someday, if not in this lifetime, in the next one or the one after that – Ganga and all of us too will realize that Krishna was Moksha. And Moksha was Krishna. On that blessed day, like Ganga, we too will sigh with sheer bliss when we know that Krishna had always been and will always be a part of her. And all of us too.
Photos given by Shri. Hardevji and Amma.
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