Akshaya Tritiya



Overview 
Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akti or Akha Teej, is an annual Jain and Hindu spring festival. It falls on the third tithi (lunar day) of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the month of Vaisakha. It is regionally observed as an auspicious day by Hindus and Jains in India, it signifies the "third day of unending prosperity". Akshaya Tritiya is considered auspicious by Hindus and Jains in many regions of India and Nepal for new ventures, marriages, charity, and not in investments such as gold or other property. It is also a day of remembrance for the loved ones who have died. The day is regionally significant for women, married or unmarried, who pray for the well being of the men in their lives or the one they may in future get engaged to. After prayers, they distribute germinating gram (sprouts), fresh fruits and Indian sweets. If Akshaya Tritiya falls on a Monday (Rohini), the festival is believed to be even more auspicious. Fasting, charity and helping others on this day is another festive practice.

Meaning 
In Sanskrit, the word akṣaya (अक्षय) means "never decreasing" in the sense of "prosperity, hope, joy, success", while tr̥tīyā (तृतीया) means "third phase of the moon". It is so named since it falls on the third lunar day of the spring month of Vaisakha in the Hindu calendar, when it is observed.

Jain tradition

In Jainism, Akshaya Tritiya contains much importance as it commemorates the first Tirthankara, Rishabhanatha, ending his one-year asceticism by consuming sugarcane juice poured into his cupped hands. Some Jains refer to the festival as Varshi Tapa. Teerthankar Shri Aadinatha took diksha (initiation into digambar mudra/form) and left all his wealth and luxuries of his Kingdom of Ayodhya which used to be of Gold at his time. After his Deeksha , he fasted for 6 months and then started to look out for Ahaar he continued to Vihar as people in that age didn't know about the practice and method of Ahar Daan. But here comes the story of Raja Shreyansh. He was the younger brother of the King of Hastinapur Raja Sonprabha.

When Teerthankar Aadinath was approaching Hastinapur ,which was the capital city of Kurujangal (A country situated in the southern part of Bharatkshetra of Jambudweep and full of wealth) ; Raja Shreyansh had 7 dreams in a same night. He saw a Golden Sumeru Mountain , a Lion , an Ox, The Sun , The Moon , Ocean and Vyantar devs who were carrying Ashta Mangal Dravya or Eight (8) Auspiscious Elements in front of him. The next day , Raja Shreyansh told his brother King Sonprabha with modesty. King Somprabha told him that these dreams suggested that a God would definitely visit his house today. Both the brothers were sitting with the priest discussing the results of these dreams when Lord Rishabhdev alone entered Hastinapur.

The gatekeeper Siddharth soon informed the brothers that the Lord has finally entered the kingdom. Both of them came out to the courtyard where they bowed down to him humbly with devotion and performed his Pradakshina. Seeing the form of the Lord , Shreyansh immediately attained Jati Smaran Gyan (the knowledge of previous births ) which also led to him to know the rituals of Ahaar Daan which he knew in his previous births.

Shreyansh Kumar's Purva Bhav 
In his last eighth Bhav ( birth), Shreyansh Kumar was the Queen Shrimati of King Vajrajangha. King Vajrajangha was actually the form of Lord Rishabhdeva at that time. Once upon a time, both the King and the Queen were resting on the bank of a pond in a forest. At the same time Muniraj named Shriman Damdhar, who was walking in the skies came down towards the King and the Queen along with another Muniraj Sagarsen. Both of the Munirajas had pledged to accept Ahaar only in a forest. King Vajrajangha and Queen Shrimati performed padgahan of Both Munirajas and did Ahaar Daan through Navdhabhakti. As an effect, the Devs performed Panchashcharya. Raja Shreyans remembered all this and understanding the Vidhi, he started to do the Ahaar Daan.

Teerthankar's First Ahaar 
Firstly , both of the brothers along with their Queens started Padgahan of Lord Rishabhnatha. They chanted, "He Bhagwan ! Namostu, Namostu, Namostu, Atra Tistha Tistha" and again did 3 pradashinas of the Lord. Then they seated him at a high pedestal, washed his feet, performed his Pooja with 8 elements and greeted him. Then he took the purest form of the Sugarcane Juice and chanted, "He Bhagwan ! Mann Shudh hai, Vachan Shudh hai, Kaya Shudh hai, Ahaar Jal Shudh hai, Bhojan Grahan Keejiye." It means, "O Lord ! my mind is pure, my words are pure, my body and soul are pure, the food and the water is pure, please accept this food."

Worshiping Muniraj, making him sit on a high place, washing his feet, worshiping him, saluting him, keeping his mind, speech, body pure and diet pure, in this way these nine types of virtue or Navadhabhakti is done by the donor. After nine devotions, God stood up and made anjali of both his hands. Shreyans Kumar along with King Sonprabha and Queen Lakshmimati respectfully fed the Lord with Prasuk (pure) juice of sugarcane. At the same time, it started raining gems , released by the gods from the sky, it started raining flowers, the sound of Dev dundubhi (music by Devs ) started sounding, cool and fragrant air started blowing and while shouting loudly, the gods started saying, 'Blessed is this donation, blessed is this vessel and blessed is the donor. Heavy echos of these words started sailing in the sky (Akashvani). Ratnavrishti, Pushpavrishti, Dundubhi Vadya, Sheetal Vayu and Ahodanam etc. These five works naturally happen at the time of food donation, then they are called Panchashcharya.

Lord Rishabhdev was the first Tirthankar, the originator of Dharmatirtha, while King Shreyans was the first Datar, the originator of Dantirtha. There has been a trend of pilgrimage to charity from this Hastinapur city itself, so this city has become a holy land since that time. The practice of donating in Bharatkshetra became prevalent from that time and the method of donating was also revealed by Prince Shreyans. Kings like Bharat Chkravarty and the Devs were very surprised by this method of donation. The gods came and worshiped King Shreyans with great respect. Maharaj Bharat also received supreme joy after listening to everything from Shreyans and respected King Somprabh and Shreyans Kumar a lot.

Fasting and ascetic austerities are marked by Jains, particularly at pilgrimage sites such as Ayodhya , Shri Sammed Shikhar Ji , Banaras , Shri Mahaveer Ji , Palitana (Gujarat) and hundreds of places where Jainsim continues to be rediscovered which was stabbed to lifelessness due to foreign invaders. On this day, people who observe the year-long alternative day fasting known as varshi-tap finish their tapasya by doing parana (drinking sugarcane juice).

This day is dedicated donations and sacrifice

Hindu tradition 
In Shlok 23-24 of Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta Adhyay 16, the lord (Sri Krishna), while giving directions clearly says that the seekers who do any spiritual practice other than the activities of worship described in the scriptures, they neither get happiness, nor do they get siddhi, and neither do they attain salvation, that is, it is a vain worship. Seeker should give up all those activities which are not mentioned in Gita and Vedas i.e. God-given scriptures.The festival is related the presentation of the Akshaya Patra to Draupadi by the god Krishna during the visit of numerous sages, including the sage Durvasa. During their exile in the forest, the Pandava princes were famished due to the lack of food, and their wife Draupadi was pained by this because she could not extend the customary hospitality to their guests. Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava, prayed to the god Surya, who gave him this bowl, which would remain full till Draupadi served all of their guests. During the visit of the easily angered sage Durvasa, Krishna ate a small particle from the bowl, which deflected the wrath of the sage and saved the Pandavas from his curse.

Akshaya Tritiya is believed by Hindus to be the birthday of Parasurama, the sixth avatar of the god Vishnu. He is revered in Vaishnava temples. Those who observe it in honor of Parasurama sometimes refer to the festival as Parasurama Jayanti. Alternatively, some focus their reverence on Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.

According to one legend, the sage Vyasa began reciting the Hindu epic Mahabharata to the god Ganesha on Akshaya Tritiya. Another legend states that the river Ganges descended to earth on this day. The Yamunotri Temple and Gangotri Temple are opened on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya during the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage, after closing down during the heavy snowfall-laden winters of the Himalayan regions. The temples are opened on Abhijit Muhurat of Akshaya Tritya.

Another event linked to the day is Sudama's visit to his childhood friend, Krishna in Dwarka, when he received unlimited wealth as a boon. Kubera is believed to have appointed the god of wealth on this auspicious day.

Akshaya Tritiya is of great importance in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is one of the Sadetin Muhurtas (Three and a half auspicious and holiest festival days in the Marathi calendar). People in Maharashtra consider these days as the days to start anything new as it is believed that the work started on Akshaya Tritiya brings great success and lasts forever. People start new businesses, buy houses and women buy gold on this day. People celebrate this festival with family, and worship gods and goddesses by offering food as Naivedhyam consisting of the famous Maharashtrian Puran Poli (Roti/bread stuffed with jaggery and lentil mix) and Aamras (A thick mango puree).

In Odisha, Akshaya Tritiya is celebrated during the commencement of the sowing of rice paddy for the ensuing Kharif season. The day starts with ritual worship of mother Earth, the bullocks, other traditional farm equipment and seeds by the farmers for the blessings of a good harvest. After ploughing the fields, the farmers sow paddy seeds as the symbolic start for the most important Kharif crop of the state. This ritual is called Akhi Muthi Anukula (Akhi- Akshaya Tritiya; Muthi- fistful of paddy; Anukula- commencement or inauguration) and is celebrated with much fanfare throughout the state. In recent years, the event has received much publicity due to ceremonial Akhi Muthi Anukula programs organized by farmers' organizations and political parties. The construction of chariots for the Ratha Yatra festivities of Jagannath Temple also commences on this day at Puri.

In the Telugu-speaking states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the festival is associated with prosperity and charity. Simhachalam temple observes special festive rituals on this day. The main deity of the temple is covered in sandalwood paste for the rest of the year, and only on this day are the layers of sandalwood applied to the deity removed to show the underlying statue. Display of the actual form or Nija Roopa Darsanam happens on this day.

This day is highly auspicious for those who buy rice, deposit money in a bank account, buy any kind of new things or vessels visiting famous temples, donating foods or special offer for poor peoples, or helping poor children for there education fees, all are good signs for akshaya tritya.

See also 
 Panchangam
 Panjikad
 Visakha Puja, in Buddhism

References

Citations

Sources
  (AES reprint).

Hindu holy days
Jain festivals
April observances
May observances
Hindu festivals in India
Hindu festivals
Religious festivals in India