Fifth month of the hindu calendar is known as shravan and people get extremely religious, as its considered to be very auspicious month. With everybody trying to get into the Satvik vriti (pristine by doing godly acts) by observing fasts and visiting temples. Lord Shiva is worshipped to be pleased fullest in this month. But apart from our manly greed’s to have fulfil our needs by pleasing gods, people do not understand the theory behind the months customs and rituals followed.
The ayurveda aspect of Shravan – Monsoon is a time when nature is cleansed by the burst of clouds from sky in the form of rains. The air is washed away of pollutants and they get gushed through the water aroung, entering the soil. The atmosphere gets dominated by vata dosha,resulting in its aggravation in the human body. Vata deposition happens in the body during summer times and its aggravation is seen in monsoon period. This leads to “agnimandya” (digestive flame being less prominent), leading to slow metabolism and deposition of kapha in the body. In all the body gets weaker and strongly prone to diseases. Hence the scholars have advised to take precautions in diet and regime for better health in months ahead.
Fasting or intermittent eating or eating less helps in living more if done properly during this month. The main aim of fasting is to detoxify the body and learn self control. So the diet to be followed should be such that it is easy on metabolism and making the body more healthy and energetic. Fasting boosts the immune system to prevent any water borne disease spread rapidly in this month. Avoiding meat and fish is not just a religious act but it is to maintain one’s own health. Monsoon is the time for the fish to breed, so disturbing their cycle to fulfil taste buds can lead to shelling more money from pocket and getting less in months ahead. Also the surplus demand leads man to develop things artificially as man is more technology driven today. These techniques invite diseases in complex form in human body. Also meat is highly contaminated during this period due to rise in atmospheric germ and heavy for digestion. Its consumption increases the tamas guna of mind. Hence to detoxify the body and mind its avoidance is best in the month of shravan.
Why worship God? Our mind is said to get very unstable during this month. The vata not only gets aggravated in the body but also affects the mind. Spirituality is a means to control the unstable mind to achieve mental and physical balance. And hence the bringing of festivities came in to existence in this month, to get people to be social in celebration and religious in their acts of eating and living. To bring harmony in body and mind even with aggravated vata around. At least we can say that the fear of god gets one to act wise.
Why worship Shiva? Many mythological theories are believed and google does assists with stories. Importance as per Ayurveda and Yoga – The major achievement of nectar from the sagaramanthan (churning of the ocean) by demons and god happened during this month of shravan. All efforts to get the pot of nectar by good and bad sources together lead to success. In the hardship of achieving nectar came the poisonous venom – “Halahal visha”. Among all the gods lord Shiva who is believed to be part of generating the universe, preserving it along with destroying it when need be, consumed the venom. The venom is like disease harming the body and lord Shiva destroyed the same. In hope of the same, prayers are offered to the Lord in this month. Also mind is dominated by the moon and in the weekdays Monday represents moon, moon is placed on lord Shiva’s head. Hence Shiva is worshipped on Monday as he can discipline the mind.
How is lord Shiva worshipped? He is offered bilva, milk and water. Well how do we know that bilva is lord Shiva’s favourite tree and so he is offered, well our scriptures mention the same. But thinking practically that which is found in abundance during the required period is offered. Monsoon brings around greenery ,watch all trees and plants they have more of green leaves then flowers. In ayurveda bilva tree is highly valued for its medicinal properties in its root,leaves and fruit. Its is a healing tree and cures diseases caused by vata dosha. The same dosha who’s proportion vitiates the body and mind during monsoon.
Bilva fruit is said to cure water borne diseases – diarrhoea, dysentery, phlegm, with other ailments like high blood pressure, morning sickness in pregnancy and stress due to vitiation of vata in our mind, all common in the month of shravan. Bilva leaves are used in treatment of jaundice, asthma, skin problems all of which is more in monsoon season.
The other thing offered to lord is milk. Apart from offering it to lord shiva god of love Krishna whose birth is also a part of shravan month celebration –“Janmasthami and Gokulasthami. Dahi-handi (curd pot) is important part of Krishna birth in scriptures and also the games associated with curd and played even today without knowing the theory behind. When the production goes surplus ways are always made to keep the demand right from decades.
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As per ayurveda monsoon diet should be devoid of all vata increasing components. This includes green leafy vegetables, milk, curd and to know more refer previous blog monsoon diet and health. The microbe from air gets washed by rain in to the soil and has higher amounts of vata in them. The greens become food of the cattles gazing on them lavishly and hence the milk produced by them is dominated by vata dosha. Thus ayurveda advices to avoid milk are susceptible to viral infections. And when milk is in abundance it is poured on shivaling during this phase.
The yoga chakra’s explain the shiva linga and awakening/ cleansing of body chakra. One gets spiritual to attain the treasure of pleasure. In leading our lives our body attains more stress (physical and mental) then achieving pleasure which are momentary. Thus the body chakras need cleansing along with our body and spirituality helps do that. Do not mistaken spirituality with worship of God. Here we mean controlling the mind by putting focus on oneself rather than getting materialistic.
Sahasrar chakra in head is said to be the main seat where the treasure of pleasure is there. And aagya chakra is said to be its entrance which is the main seat of lord shiva. Though linga pooja is worshipping him inside at a subtle level. The flow of water/milk which is vitiated in this time falls on shiva seat of aagya chakra. The energy of the flow lifts the water/milk energy as a result of this upward energy movement our thinking gets purified. Once water/milk is poured on linga it comes down and goes to the earth element which is mooladhar chakra at a subtle level in our physical body. When the purified water/milk with uplift energy comes back and washes mooladhar chakra or earth element it cools it down and gives purified energy and light of consciousness to the chakra.
In ayurveda this principle is used in the treatment named “shirodhara” which is advised to reduce stress and stress related diseases. Applying oil and using long stroke massage technique is also important treatment in monsoon season. Long strokes help increase the blood circulation and oil applied pacifies the vata aggaravated in the body.
Lord Krishna is offered tulsi, milk and curd all found in abundance in monsoon, tulsi is said to be immune booster for monsoon. The healing properties of tulsi fron its phytonutrients and oils help treat – cold,cough,fever, skin problems and the best mosquito repellent for monsoon. And so the plant is kept in every house to purify and kill the germs in air, so as to keep diseases at bay.
Nagpanchami – worshipping the snakes. The lush greens of monsoon increase the insect ratio who thrive in this season. To keep a ratio of balance in nature the creator has made the food cycle. Man for his fear and greed harms and disrupts the cycle and only the fear of almighty can stop him from doing so. In early times this day was marked to worship the snake god to protect one from snake bites, when people would venture in the wild for food. Also to ask for penance for the killing of snake.
In worship of snake food offered is milk, rice preparations along with use of plants found in monsoon. Do snake drink milk? In fact the truth lies that reptiles can’t digest dairy products. If dehydrated snake will drink milk, because when you get thirsty you can drink just about anything. So thinking practically it’s the abundance of milk during this season which makes us offer it to snake. So the generations prior would actually avoid foods which are not beneficial to their health in monsoon and keep a balance of their production in festivities.
During the month of shravan another lovely mouth watering preparation among the Hindus and Catholics of Indian coastal belt is “patoleo”. Rain marks the harvest time and paddy is the major crop available in this region along with the coconut de-shelled and stocked in summer adds to combine a very tasty preparation. Turmeric leaf found widely during this period boosts digestion, reduces the problem of stomach bloats along with other anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and beauty benefits. The most important theory added up by them is the cooking mode which is steaming as it makes the food get the best flavours added and makes it easy for digestion. Likewise the preparations and offering varies in region to region.
In every region the festivals are celebrated with things available and grown locally during that part of the year. Because of its availability makes that product easy to source, cost effective, easy to prepare and mainly easy for the body to digest. Every fruit/vegetable is grown best when they have favourable environment. Be whatever season we have to learn and consume things as they are available in nature. There is more science for us to learn from age old traditions and customs than just following them blindly.