Krishna Pushkaram & It’s Significance
To all living beings water is the source of life. The perennial rivers that provide water show evidence related to the beginnings of human culture and their development. It has been the tradition in our country to worship rivers, as images of divinity and worship.
Nadi & Pushkaram
From the place of its origin to a stream flowing beyond a distance of Dhanusses (a Dhanus is an arc of a circle), it is called ‘Nadi’ and also because it produces a musical sound it is called ‘Nadi’. The science of Pushkara (a festival held once every 12 years by turns at certain sacred rivers) which nourishes water is called PUSHKARAM (Poshayatitipushkaram).
During this occasion, crores of Gods, Rishis, and Manes come in human form with Brihaspati, the mentor of Gods, when Guru travels in the zodiac signs such as Mesha at one year in each sign, the zodiac sign into which Brihaspati enters the river related to that sign will get the Pushkaram.
Origin and History of Pushkaram
There are many stories in circulation about the origin and history of Pushkaram. According to one story, in the past, when one Thundila did penance on Parameswara for the gift of a permanent abode with Parameswara, He gave a place to him in the form of water and blessed him with the supremacy of an emperor over three and a half crore sacred rivers.
Since water is essential for his creation, Brahma did penance to Parameswara and got a boon from him for the water to remain in his Kamandalam. Thereafter, when Brihaspati did penance to Brahma and requested him to keep Pushkara in his control, Pushkara who disliked leaving Brahma requested Brahma also to go along with him.
When Brihaspati, the image of grahas enters Mesha and other grahas and leave, for twelve days Pushkara should stay with Brihaspati, during that period Brahma settles with Brihaspati and he would keep coming and stays in the sacred river which presides over the zodiac sign (raasi) into which Brihaspati enters with all the Gods. Since then pushkaras came into being.
Pushkaras will be performed for various rivers when Brihaspati along with Pushkara enters into different raasis.
Zodiac Signs and Rivers associated
- In Mesharaasi to Ganga river,
- in Vrishabaraasi to Narmada,
- in Midhunaraasi to Saraswati,
- in Karkatakaraasi to Yamuna,
- in Simharaasi to Godavari,
- in Kanyaraasi to Krishna,
- in Thularaasi to Cauvery,
- in Vrischikaraasi to Bhimarathi,
- in dhanusraasi to Pushkaravahini,
- in Makara raasi to Tungabhadra,
- in Kumbharaasi to Sindhu,
- in Meenaraasi to Pranahita river.
Kanyaka Bhagirathi
In the year 2016, Brihaspati in his roving around the raasis, since he entered the Kanyalagna of the sixth raasi, Pushkaras are being held to Krishna river, the sixth one among the rivers. This pushkara is also known as Kanyaka Bhagirathi. The first twelve days of Brihaspati’s stay in Kanyalagna alone are significant days of Krishna Pushkara.
There are many stories in circulation about the Krishna River whose Pushkara festival is being celebrated in 2016. According to one version Brahma was ready with all the requirements to perform the Yaga on Sahyadri. Even as the auspicious time was advancing, Saraswati did not turn up.
As time passed, at the instance of Vishnu and other Gods, Brahma started the yaga with his second wife Gayatri. After a while Saraswati arrived and got angry and cursed the gods rover there to take the birth as rivers because the yaga was started before her arrival. Due to her curse, it is said that Vishnu was born as river Krishna, Siva as Veni, and Brahma as Kakudmathi.
As all three together flowed down from the range of Sahyadri mountains and then took the form of river ‘krishna’.
Krishna – Image of Vishnu
It is believed firmly that lord Krishna took the form of the Aswatha tree on Sahyadri and that river Krishna descended from the roots of that tree. That is why the river Krishna is mentioned as the image of Vishnu. River Veni descended from the gooseberry tree (usirika), merged with river Krishna and came to be known as Krishnaveni.
According to another version, in Dwaparayuga, Radha and Krishna cursed the gopikas with the names of the sacred rivers, Ganga etc to be born on earth; and when the gopikas prayed for their redemption, Radha and Krishna took pity on them and told them to be born in Bharatakhanda, with their respective names, as the great rivers of Pushkara, flow and deliver the souls.
Thereafter, Krishna created Ganga from his foot, Krishna who was in the form of Ashwatha on Sahyadri created river Krishna from the left side of his body (image of Radha), hence the praise “Krushna Krushnanga sambothe Janthunam Papaharini”.
According to another version, responding to the prayers of various Maharishis, river Krishna in Varunaloka appeared in various forms and those forms themselves took shape as Agamasastras.
A pot in one hand, and the rope of Varuna (Varunapasa) in the other and mounting the vehicle of Makra (Capricorn, the tenth zodiacal sign) — in this manner as enunciated in Sritatwanidhi, Silpasastra (The science of sculpture), as decided by scholars river Krishna is the integrated form of
- Ganga,
- Yamuna,
- Godavari,
- Krishna,
- Rewa,
- Taapi,
- Veni, and
- Saraswati.
The statue of ‘Krishnaveni’ installed in front of the Prakasham barrage in Vijayawada is sculpted according to this philosophy/ principle only.
Still in various other forms mentioned:
- Carrying in four hands, in two of them vessels of Amruta, the boon-giving (varda) seal, carrying lotus and seated on the lotus – this is one form.
- Carrying kamandalam and japamala (rosary) — which is another form.
- Discus (chakra), trident (trishulam), Parasu (axe), and Akshamala, with three eyes on the vehicle of swan, with the king of the holy water, Pushkara – is another form.
These forms are praiseworthy.
River Krishna – 2nd Longest River
River Krishna is the second longest river in Andhra Pradesh. Originating near Mahabaleswaram in Maharashtra, entering Andhra Pradesh near Targidigi (Mahboobnagar district), flowing 720 km in Kurnool, Nalgonda, and Guntur districts. Near Hamsaladeevi in Krishna district, Krishna splits into two parts as it gets merged with the ocean.
It flows 1440 km from Mahabaleswaram up to its confluence in the ocean.
It is stated in Brahmandapurana that during the Pushkara period bathing in river Krishna is equal to bathing in Ganga, Godavari, etc. One is redeemed of the sins of the previous birth. According to one popular story, a woman of loose morals living on the banks of Ganga indulging in unworthy activities used to bathe in Ganga in the mornings for her redemption.
Mired (Pankilam) in sin in this manner, Ganga used to take bath in the form of a crow in river Krishna, get rid of her sins and becoming pure would fly back in the form of a swan. This is a part of the story.
In the year of Pushkara the first twelve days are considered to be important/primary Pushkara, in the middle of the year as middle Pushkara, and the concluding period as the end of Pushkara. It is said that in all these three periods bathing, charitable acts and ceremonies can be performed.
Krishna Pushkara
On the occasion of Krishna Pushkara to take the ceremonious vow (Sankalpam) one must purify oneself, then approach the river Krishna, meditate upon it, sip water thrice, then take the resolve as follows: “for pleasing Parameswara, for the fulfilment of the principle objects of human life and pursuit (the purushardhas : Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha), in Kanyaraasi, in the great event of three crore theertas Mahapushkara, I am bathing in Krishna” after that going opposite to the prahava one must take bath three times, opposite to the Surya three times, offer water to Surya and then take bath once again.
Thereafter, one should turn to the south and again offer water to the manes (departed spirits) and then again take a bath facing the flow (pravaha), propitiate the Krishna waters, take the sacred water, come to the bank and wear new clothes. Thereafter, one should visit the favourite God and perform charitable acts.
During Pushkara times, the waters of the river possess divine brilliance. Therefore, in those times the following acts are prescribed: bathing, charity, praying, dedication, meditation, homam (an oblation to the gods consisting in the casting of clarified butter etc into the fire), offering of water and ceremonies to the manes. In the days of krishnapushkara to counteract untimely death pushkaravrata is indicated.
During Pushkara times, the religious vow performed for twelve days is equal to that of twelve important kalpas (one kalpa is a day of Brahma or one thousand Mahayugas). Chitranadha, a prince, who was left with a life of three months only, taught by the sage Katschana performed Krishna pushkaravrata and achieved a long life.
This is mentioned in Krishna pushkaravrata Mahatmaya.
