Beware! You are Celebrating Raksha Bandhan the wrong way:-Real meaning

Raksha Bandhan is one of the most important festivals for Hindus, celebrated around the world. Sisters from different parts of India come to their brothers' homes to tie them the thread of Raksha (protection) known as rakhi, which signifies the true bond of love between brothers and sisters. But you may be surprised to learn many facts about Raksha Bandhan that most Indians do not know. While researching Raksha Bandhan, I found many interesting facts that very few people are aware of, and I want to share those with you. So let us begin with this blog on Raksha Bandhan.

 

First, we will start by busting some popular myths about Raksha Bandhan, and then I will share my views on the festival. I have previously written about how we have deteriorated the quality of our festivals in my other blogs. We have contaminated their spiritual meaning and made them mere cultural festivals.

 

Diwali Blog

Holi Blog

So let’s begin.

 

Let's start with the history of this festival. When I checked online resources or asked people in my family, they told me a number of stories, but they failed to tell me in which scripture these stories are mentioned and in which chapter. For an average person, it's very easy to believe in such stories because, for the common man, religion is just a toy to play with. He doesn't understand the real concept of religion and doesn't really want to know who he is. He follows religion because his parents told him to, and because everyone around him follows it. He doesn't care about self-realization. Calling himself religious is the biggest joke.

 

One of the stories I was told is the Draupadi and Krishna story. During the fight with Shishupal, Lord Krishna got hurt, so Devi Draupadi tied him a piece of her clothes. There is a modified version of this story too, where Krishna was flying a kite and got hurt, so Draupadi applied a piece of her cloth. These are the two versions, but I did not find any scriptural reference to these stories. I researched a lot and asked various friends who are well-versed in scriptures, but they too could not tell me about the authority of this story.

 

There’s another story relating to Yamraj and the Yamuna, but again no reference is provided. So what's the real story? I found one reference regarding Raksha Bandhan in the Bhavishya Purana, chapter 137, where Lord Krishna tells Yudhishthir about Raksha Bandhan. Here, the basic concept is different. Most of us believe it is a festival between brothers and sisters, but Krishna explains that during a particular day in the month of Sawan, all the Brahmins of an area should tie a thread known as rakhi to the emperor, reminding him of his duty to protect dharma.

 

Now, dharma does not mean what we usually think of as religion. In this blog, I am not talking about dharma. If you want to know about it, I am listing some of my blogs where you can read about it in brief:

 

Is SanatanDharma a Virus?

Diwali Blog

ReligionDivides, Spirituality Unites

ExploringVedanta

Dharma means devotion to duty. If you are a student, then studying regularly, faithfully, and with full determination is your dharma. Protecting this dharma and not breaking it under any circumstances is dharma. Protecting the truth is what Krishna refers to as dharma. Krishna cites a verse, which I am listing here, to be spoken by the Brahmins while tying the thread to the king:

 

येन बद्धो बली राजा दानवेन्द्रो महाबलाः। तेना त्वामभिध्नामि रक्षे मा चल मा चल॥

 

"I secure on you the Raksha which was tied on Bali, the King of demons. Therefore, O Raksha! Do not ever fail to protect this follower, do not ever fail."

 

In the mantra, there is a reference to King Bali. Another story involves when Mother Lakshmi tied rakhi to King Bali. King Bali, also known as Mahabali, was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu and a powerful demon king known for his generosity and devotion. Bali performed a great sacrifice that granted him immense power, and he was on the verge of taking control of the three worlds (Heaven, Earth, and the Netherworld).

 

To curb Bali's growing power and pride, Lord Vishnu incarnated as Vamana, a dwarf Brahmin. Vamana approached Bali during a grand yajna (sacrifice) and requested three paces of land. Bali, known for his charitable nature, agreed to the seemingly small request. However, Vamana expanded to a gigantic size and covered the entire Earth and Heaven in two steps. For the third step, Bali offered his own head, accepting Vamana's foot on it, thereby pushing him to the Netherworld.

 

Impressed by Bali's devotion and generosity, Lord Vishnu granted him a boon. Bali requested that Vishnu stay with him in the Netherworld. Vishnu agreed, thus residing with Bali.

 

With Vishnu residing in the Netherworld, Goddess Lakshmi, His consort, became anxious and wanted Him to return to Vaikuntha (their celestial abode). To bring Him back, she devised a plan. Disguised as a poor Brahmin woman, Lakshmi went to King Bali and sought refuge, saying her husband had gone away and she needed protection. She tied a rakhi to Bali and asked for Vishnu as a gift.

 

So these are two references. Another reference is that after completing their education, the guru ties a thread to the student, and the student ties a thread to the guru for the protection of dharma and divine knowledge. This tradition was found in the Vedic era. Therefore, the myths about the stories and the idea that only sisters can tie rakhi to their brothers are debunked. According to Vedic scriptures, rakhi is tied to remind the other person to protect the truth and follow their duties. That is the whole concept of Raksha Bandhan.

 

But now the question arises: where did the tradition of sisters tying rakhi to their brothers start? This began some 100 or 200 years ago during the Orthodox era. Once the daughter was married, her parents could not visit her in her in-laws' house, and their homes were often far away. During that time, the mode of transportation was not well-developed. So women could not meet their families for a long time. Parents, knowing they might not live long, introduced this concept so that every year during the month of Sawan, the woman could visit her parents' house and tie rakhi to her brother. This kept them in communication and ensured that the brother would protect the sister if needed. This practice was most common in northern India. However, with the influence of movies and various political reasons, this festival became popular even in southern India.

 

But today, I think there is no need for it. Why do we think women require protection from males? In today’s highly advanced age, where females can do everything on their own, asking for protection fuels patriarchy. Women are well-educated and have rights. They can protect themselves. And if they still ask for protection, it becomes a selfish need, straying from the original concept given by the rishis, which was to protect dharma, not for personal protection.

 

Moreover, sometimes the brother is just one year old and the sister is ten years old. How can a one-year-old boy protect his elder sister? This is a joke. However, we can still use this festival positively. We can take a vow to protect the weak. Today, the climate is deteriorating, and the Earth, trees, and various animal species need protection.

 

The sister should say, "I am tying rakhi not for your protection to me, but so that we both work together to protect dharma, the truth, and the Earth." That is the real meaning of Raksha Bandhan.

 

Unfortunately, most of our festivals today are just for fun. In my blogs on Diwali and Holi, I showed how they are deteriorating. Without understanding their real meaning, we are simply celebrating them, turning them into cultural rather than spiritual festivals. Culture is just for enjoyment, but the rishis were smart enough to give us knowledge in the form of enjoyment. We are not utilizing that knowledge.

 

I have seen women saying, "Oh, I need a costly rakhi for my brother, I want a fancy one." When talking about the style of rakhi, remember that the Vedic scriptures mentioned a simple piece of thread. Fancy rakhis are a personal choice and not necessary. Remember its meaning; otherwise, there is no need to celebrate it as I previously mentioned.

 

So, Happy Raksha Bandhan!