New Year/ Nava Varsh
Jnana Ranjan Senapati
Difference between 31 st Dec and Chaitra Shukla Pratipada
(Bhartiya Nava Varsh) for celebrating New Year
|
31 st December |
Chaitra Shukla Pratipada |
|
|
|
|
Day changes at midnight |
Day changes with sunrise |
|
|
|
|
No change in environment |
Positive changes in environment |
|
|
|
|
No Spiritual and Scientific |
Spiritual and Scientific |
The first Holy festival which marks the beginning of the New Year, new month and new day for the Hindus falls on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. It is known as Gudhi Padwa (in Maharashtra), Ugadi (in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh). [In other parts of country it is celebrated during Nau Roz (Kashmir), Baisakhi (Punjab), Cheti Chand (Sindhi), Naba Barsha (Bengal), Goru Bihu (Assam), Puthandu (Tamil Nadu), Vishu (Kerala)] On this very day Lord Brahma created the Universe. Therefore for Hindus, this day carries special importance. The day is celebrated with an auspicious bath, followed by decorating the doorway with a 'toran', performing ritualistic worship and hoisting the Gudhi.
Celebrate New Year only on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada !
Presently in Bharat, New Year is being celebrated on 1st January as per the Western calendar. Celebration on the eve of the Western New Year involves one indulging oneself in various malpractices like indulging in eve teasing after drinking, etc. So, instead of beginning the New Year on an auspicious note, it begins unpleasantly. To ensure that the beginning of the New Year begins on an auspicious note, celebrate it according to the Hindu scriptures, on Chaitra Shuddha Pratipada as per the Hindu lunar calendar. This date is glorious in all ways - as per the cycle of Nature and it also has historical and spiritual significance. All this contributes to endowing the one celebrating it, as per the Hindu scriptures, with several benefits. It is the duty of each individual to arrest the loss being caused to society due to blindly emulating Westerners.
Significance of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada
There
are several ways of commencing a New Year. According to the Christian
calendar, 1st January marks the beginning of the year. The financial
year begins from 1st April, the Hindu New Year from the first day (Pratipada)
of the month of Chaitra from the Hindu lunar calendar, the commercial
year from the first day of the Hindu lunar month of ‘Kartik’, the solar
(soura) year, the lunar (chandra) year, the
luni-solar year and so on. In all these, the year comprises of twelve
months. Who first proclaimed that a year should consist of twelve
months and how did the world come to accept it ? The foremost exponent
of this concept is undoubtedly the Vedas, the most ancient literary
texts. The Vedas say, ‘A year consists of twelve months’. It is because
they say so that the world has accepted it. Out of all these days of
beginning a year the most ideal one is the first day of the month of
Chaitra according to the Hindu lunar calendar. There is no explanation
as to why the 1st of January is the beginning of the New Year. Someone
conceived that it should be so and thus it began. Contrary to this,
there are natural, historical and spiritual reasons to mark the
commencement of the year on the first day of the month of Chaitra.
1. Natural: Towards the first day of the month of Chaitra (Padva),
the sun assumes a position above the Vasant intersection (the point of
intersection of the equator and the meridians) and the spring season
commences. In Shrimadbhagvadgita (10.35), The Lord says, ‘Among the
seasons, the exhilarating Vasant season (spring) is my manifestation’.
In this season, the weather is pleasant and exhilarating. In the
Shishir season (autumn) the trees shed their leaves. Towards Padva,
trees bear new foliage and appear fresh.
2. Historical: Rama slayed Vali on this day. Lord Ramachandra returned to Ayodhya after slaying the evil demons and Ravan on this very day. The Shakas too defeated the Huns on this day. This day also commemorates the commencement of the Shalivahan calendar after Shalivahan vanquished his enemies.
3. Spiritual
3 A. Creation of the universe: Since on this day Lord Brahma created the universe and the Satyayug began, it marks the commencement of the New Year.
3 B. One among the three and a half auspicious days (‘Muhurts’): Gudhipadva, Akshay trutiya and Dasra (Vijayadashmi) each make up one, and the first day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik comprises
half of the total three and a half auspicious days. The special feature
of these three and a half auspicious days is that unlike other days
when one has to choose an auspicious moment to perform a ritual, in
contrast, on these auspicious days one does not need to, as every
moment of these days is auspicious.
3 C. The higher incidence of prajapati sanyukta (conjoint) frequencies on the earth: The tantra text Ganeshyamal states that in all 108 frequencies, one each from the four parts (charans) of the twenty-seven lunar asterisms from the region of lunar asterisms (nakshtralok / karmadevlok) 27×4=108 reach the earth. They disintegrate further into four types of frequencies - yama, surya, prajapati and sanyukta (conjoint).
On this day, the Tej and Prajapati frequencies are effective in large
measures. During sunrise on this day, the Chaitanya (Divine
Consciousness) emitted from these frequencies can be retained for a
longer period. It is accumulated in the cells of the embodied soul and
is used by the embodied soul as and when required. Therefore within
5-10 minutes of sunrise one should perform ritualistic worship of the
Gudi.
Reference:
http://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/festivals/gudhipadwa/#2
--