09/10/2022
Some interesting facts, traditions and Vedic wisdom behind Kojagiri purnima celebration!
What is शरद पौर्णिमा / कोजागिरी पौर्णिमा॥ Sharada purnima / Kojaagiri pournimi
Sharat / Sharad Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day of the lunar month of Ashwin masa of Sharada Rtu. This event is celebrated as the harvest festival and signifies the end of Monsoon Season. It is also known as 'Kaumudi purnima' (कौमुदि पौर्णिमा), ‘Kumara Purnima’ (कुमार पौर्णिमा) or ‘Kojaagari Purnima’ (कोजागिरी पौर्णिमा) and is celebrated with immense zeal and cheerfulness all across India. According to the ancient Bharatiya shastras, moon rays on the night of Sharad Purnima possess several healing or curative properties. Its a full moon day and being the ruler of mind and emotions, the full moon’s brightness is believed to bring joy, pleasure, and calmness on this day. There are certain traditions and there are also set of theories and logics from shastras that support these particular methods of celebrations which will be discussed henceforth.
Customs and traditions
People observe fast throughout the day.
People gather on to the open spaces at night where moonlight will be abundant and direct.
Preparing rice kheer or thick sweetened milk mixed with nuts and leaving it in the moonlight for the entire night is the most important ritual of Sharad Purnima. After making an offering to God, the kheer is left preferably in a silver vessel under the moonlight for the entire night. The next day morning it is consumed and distributed as Prasad.
Ancient theories behind rituals
It is believed that moon has 16 phases known as kalas in ancient Indian shastras. According to the lexicon, the term kalaa connotes a small part of any single part or portion of the whole. It also signifies a 16th part or 16th digit of the moon’s diameter and thus turns to be a symbol of part of the whole. While, the term 16 kalaas (षोडशकला) or digits connote “the sense of fullness , completeness, as the moon with 16 kalaas is representative of full completion and at the same time its 16 digits ranging from the no form to the form of fullness represent the totality in fullness of the circumference which bears similarity with the cosmos”. [14][15] Sharad Purnima is the only day in the year when the moon is full of its 16 kalas (phases). Therefore it is the only day in the year which actually is a full moon day (with all 16 phases). So on this night, the moon is believed to throw its beams showering elixir (amrit) on Earth, giving health, love and prosperity to people. The moon’s rays on that night contain healing properties that are beneficial for the body and soul.
Hinduism believes that kala is a part of the human personality. More number of kalas in a human indicates that the person will have more qualities. If a person has 16 kalas (षोडशकला), that creates a perfect person. Only Lord Krishna — the Hindu God — is considered to have all the 16 kalas (षोडशकला).[16] Therefore Krishna, this incarnation of lord Vishnu having all 16 kalas denotes that “being nearer to the completeness in every aspect of human periphery, he represents the avatara of superlative degree, a complete avatara of the almighty possessing 16 kalaas in the form of absolute spirit endowed with which he could manifest varied forms of his virtuous excellences”. While the concept of Kalaavatara in its basic concept represents the degree of power he possesses and which in turn symbolises the powers of the moon who too is held as super power incarnate.
Sharada or the entire dakshinayana actually is the time of feminine marked by the growth of crops, blossoming of flowers indicating recreation or regeneration (thus also known as harvest season or festival), the power of feminine or devi. As per a legend, it is believed that on this full moon night, Goddess Lakshmi descends on Earth to watch the actions of human beings. She is believed to move around the orbit in the night sky asking Ko jaagarti? (को जागर्ति? Who is awake?), and to those who are awake, she gifts wealth and prosperity. That is why this night is also called ‘Kojagiri Purnima’. And to receive the grace of Devi or Devine goddess people stay awake.[17]
Ayurveda's wisdom
The moonlight of Sharada purnima
Ayurveda acharyas have praised the the properties of moon rays in the Sharada rtu. They state that, staying in the moonlight at night or specifically during pradosha period is beneficial for preserving and promoting health in this season.
शरत्काले प्रशस्यन्ते प्रदोषे चेन्दुरश्मयः||४८|| (Char. Sam. 6.41-48) [5] प्रदोषे कौमुदीभजनं विधत्ते-चन्दनोशीरकर्पूरमुक्तास्रग्वसनोज्ज्वलः||५३|| सौधेषु सौधधवलां चन्दिकां रजनीमुखे| -------------------------------------------|५४| (Asht. Hrud. 3.49-55) [7]
Thus one should get deliberately exposed to these healing moon rays on the night of Sharada purnima.
Significance of the Prasadam
Masala milk (sweetened milk mixed with dry nuts) or Rice kheer (a sweet dish made of milk, sugar, &/ rice) is prepared at homes and temples. All the contents of the delicacy are coolants, sweet in rasa (मधुर रसः taste), unctuous (स्निग्धम् hydrating and strengthening) in guna (गुणः). All the contents are known to be Pitta pacifying.[18] [19] Thus the entire preparation acts as a cooling tonic and an ideal pitta pacifier necessary to reduce the naturally aggravated body heat in this season.
Jagaranam
On the occasion of Sharda purnima as a part of tradition and celebration, people stay awake late night. The idea routine or Dinacharya described in Ayurveda does not allow one to stay awake late night which is called as Jagaranam. In Ayurveda treatises it is clearly mentioned that if jagaranam is done it causes aggravation of Vata and Pitta doshas in body. They specifically increase excessive dryness in the body.[20] These aggravated doshas can cause multiple ailments, degenerative and inflammatory changes in body. Thus to nullify this effect of vitiated vata and pitta due to jagaranam the sweetened milk preparation is very much beneficial. Thus the prasadam offered on the night of Sharada purnima is a remedy and a healing potion in itself.
For more interesting facts about current season, its regime and festivals wisdom do checl the following link,
https://dharmawiki.org/index.php/Sharada_Rutucharya_(%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A6_%E0%A4%8B%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE)
Devashree Siddesh Phatak
BAMS, MD
Ayurveda clinic,
8A/03, Vrindavan Society,Thane
