The Shastras consider utensils with two outlets as auspicious. Perhaps that is why we consciously use the Jhari, Achaman Jhari and Karwa (utensils with spouts) in our temples.
Jharis, Karwas and Achaman Jharis may be moulded out of earthenware, copper, silver or even gold depending on the scale on which we perform our Seva. But let’s always keep one thing in mind – if we perform our Seva with the right Bhaav, the material out of which the Jhari or Karwa is made does not matter at all.
Jhariji
In Pushti Marg, we offer water to our Nidhi Swaroops with a utensil called the Jhariji. The water that we offer to our Nidhi Swaroops becomes sacred after Krishna accepts it. So, we either drink the Jhariji’s water, add it to our buttermilk or water the Tulsi after the Raj Bhog darshan.
The Bhaav behind offering the Jhariji
Usually, we perform the seva of our Nidhi Swaroops with the Bal Bhaav. So, we primarily use a Jhariji for our Lord’s convenience. But we always offer the Jhariji to our Nidhi Swaroops with the Bhakti Bhaav of Yamunaji during the Mangala, Shringar, Rajbhog, Uthapan and Shayan darshans. So, we chant the Yamunashtakam while filling and offering the Jhariji to our Nidhi Swaroops.
The Red Nevdo
We call the red wet cloth that we wrap around the Jhariji the Nevdo or Nevro.
Some people believe that the Nevdo symbolises Yamunaji’s saree. But others believe that the water in the Jhariji symbolises Yamunaji – for Yamunaji (like any other woman) cannot wear a wet saree for 5 or 6 hours.
Most people agree that the prime use of the Nevdo is to keep the water cool and keep insects away. But rituals do vary slightly in every temple probably due to the weather of that particular region.
So, some people use only a dry Nevdo to cover the Jhariji during winters and a wet Nevdo during summers. The Bhaav behind this ritual is obvious. We offer water at room temperature to our lord in winters and cool water in summers.
Symbolism Of A White Nevdo
Some shrines use a wet white Nevdo to cover the Jhariji all through the summer. But in almost all shrines, we cover the Jhariji with a white Nevdo during the Shayan darshan on Sharad Poornima and the Rajbhog darshan during the Holi Khel Leela which goes on for around 40 days. On these days, we cover the Buntaji and Krishna’s Charan too with a white cloth for a very specific reason.
Krishna and the gopis succumb to Moha when they engage in the Raas Leela and Holi Khel Leela. But the Jhariji symbolises Yamunaji’s bhakti and the Buntaji symbolises Yashodaji’s motherly affection for Krishna. Krishna’s Charan evokes the Bhaav of a Sevak within us. To ensure that these Bhaavs remain untouched we cover Krishna’s Charan and the Jhariji and Buntaji with a white Nevdo during the Holi Khel Leela and Raas Leela.
*Yashodaji packs a few snacks for Krishna and places it by his bedside in a box so that He can eat something whenever He feels hungry between meals. We call this box the Buntaji.
Jhariji with a Gomukha spout
In Pushti Marg, we refrain from using Jharijis which have a Gokumukha spout. Deities like Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikeya dwell in the head of a cow. Lord Shiva symbolises detachment, Lord Ganesha is the remover of obstacles and Lord Kartikeya symbolises strength and warfare. Since we, Pushti Margiya Vaishnavs, focus only on forging a bond of Bhakti, the purest form of attachment for our Lord, we refrain from using a Jhariji with a Gomukha spout in our shrines.
Jhariji and our Anamika finger
Some people believe that since our index (Anamika finger) finger symbolises leadership and ambition, we should always keep our index finger away from the Jhariji while offering it to our Nidhi Swaroops.
Karwa
We call the spouted utensil that we use to wash our hands (Khaasa) while performing our Seva as the Karwa. It has a slightly different shape from that of a Jhariji. The Karwa is usually made out of a different material too.
In some homes, water from the Karwa alone is used to clean the sanctum sanctorum and the vessels used to make the Samagri for our Nidhi Swaroops.
Achaman Jhariji and Trashti
We call the small Jhariji that our Nidhi Swaroops symbolically use to rinse Their hands and lips after They accept our Bhog as an Achaman Jhariji. And we also use a small cup (usually with flat edges) called a Trashti to collect the water. We also place a small soft cloth at a slight distance from the Jhariji so that our Lord can wipe his hands and lips after eating his meals.
Jhari – Charansparsh in PushtiMarg
We offer water to Vallabhacharya, Gusainji and Hariraiji too in Jharijis but use a lid to cover it instead of a cloth to distinguish them from the divinity of Purna Purushotham Krishna.
Vallabhacharya gave discourses on Shrimad Bhagawad at 84 places in India. These places are known as Bhetakjis today. And to express our gratitude for his effort to improve our spiritual awareness, we, Pushti Margiya Vaishnavs offer water in a Jhariji to quench Vallabhacharya’s thirst whenever we visit any Bhetakji and touch his lotus feet. That is how the phrase Jhari Charansparsh was formed.
Note: Only a Vaishnav who has Brahmasambandh can do Jhari Charansparsh at a Bhetakji.
A folk tale on the essence of Jhariji
One day, Vallabhacharya’s 2nd son, Gusainji was on his way from Gokul to Girirajji with his sevaks. They came across an old woman who was selling vegetables on a hot summer afternoon. And she had swooned due to the heat.
Gusainji and his sevak noticed a few passers-by discussing her predicament amongst themselves. Some had noble intentions and wanted to revive her with the water they carried with them. But they hesitated to do so because they knew the old vegetable vendor belonged to a low caste. They did not want to incur any sin by trying to revive her. So, they just gave her some pitying glances and continued with their journey.
Gusainji astutely summed up the situation. And requested his sevak to revive the old woman by quenching her thirst with the water of his Jhariji. Gusainji’s sevak looked at him with shock and said, “O lord, your golden Jhariji will become impure if we revive this woman with your Jhariji’s water.”
Gusainji calmly said, “This old woman’s life is as holy as the water of our Jhariji. Kindly quench her thirst immediately.” A few minutes after the woman sipped on the Prasadi Jal of Gusainji’s Jhariji, she regained her consciousness. She knew that Gusainji’s divine insight alone had saved her life.
And from that day on, she offered her best vegetables to Giriraji first and only then went to the street side to sell the rest of her vegetables. Needless to say, she continued to lead a blessed life till her dying day.
Let’s learn…
We perform all rituals to reaffirm our faith in a higher force that pervades through the cosmos. Every ritual enables us to focus on a particular aspect of that divine higher force. But sometimes, like in the above folk tale, we find these details so interesting, get so engrossed in Krishna’s myriad leelas and become so focussed on performing the rituals meticulously, that we lose out on the essence – the bhaav behind the ritual itself. Let’s amend this…
Natvarlalji Photos given by: Hardevji and Amma.
Input given by : Giridhari, Amma and Pappaji.
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