Nagpanchami

Importance of religious festivals in the month of Shravan !

Nagpanchami is one of the three important festivals that is celebrated during the month of Shravan.

Friends, in Hindu culture, we celebrate numerous festivals. However, we are never told the reason or the science behind celebrating these festivals; neither are we told the ideal way of celebrating them. That is why, many a malpractice has crept in the celebration of these festivals, because of which we have lost respect and love for them. Friends, is this right? Festivals are not just empty celebrations, celebrated just because someone felt like celebrating them. Our ancient Rushis (Sages) have started these festivals with the desireof imprinting good sanskars on the society and increasing our faith in God.

Friends, let us all resolve to celebrate every festival with bhav (spiritual emotion).Let us resolve to develop respect and devotion towards these festivals in the minds of all Hindus. If we learn the intention behind the celebration of every festival, we shall be able to live an ideal and blissful life.

Nagpanchami

1. Saint Dnyaneshwar’s teaching to treat all alike realising that, ‘God is in all living beings’ : When the people of Paithan asked Dnyaneshwar, ‘You say that God is there in every living being. Then will the buffalo there, recite Vedas?’ Dnyaneshwar Maharaj said, ‘Why not? The God-Principle I have in myself, the same God-Principle is in that buffalo too’. Saying this he kept his hand on the buffalo’s head and to everyone’s surprise, it started reciting the Vedas. At that time all the people realised that God exists in every living being. In this way Dnyaneshwar Maharaj taught all the people that, ‘do not disregard any living being. Treat it with the bhav (Spiritual emotion) that it also has God in it’.

2. Learning from Nagpanchami : Friends, we worship the cobra on Nagpanchami day. From this we have to learn, ‘In our great Hindu culture, we worship the God Principle even in the cobra, justas we worship God in any other form’.

Friends, nowadays we read about how some animal species are getting extinct. People hunt illegally and indiscriminately. Hence, let us resolve on the occasion of Nagpanchami that we will not kill animals but we will protect and nurture them.

Shri. Rajendra Pavaskar (Guruji), Panvel.​