Jump to content
IndiaDivine.org

Meaning of Purtassi

Rate this topic


Guest guest

Recommended Posts

***Sai Ram**

 

Greetings. I wish to enquire about the significance of Purtassi. why

do hindus fast during this month?? I know why we observe prayers on

the saturday but why fast for the month. Also, is there any hindu

mythology behind it, a reason????

 

Further, we make a mixture of milk, sour milk and banana, and sugar

mixed with water as part of the offering on saturday. WHY?

 

The reason i ask is that i am 17 and wonder why we do certain things

as i feel that the younger generation won't follow something if they

dont know why we do it. Also i am currently writing a book on hindu

customs and traditions and this is one of the issues that i discuss.

All material received will be acknowleged.

 

Thanking you very much

 

R.N.

 

***Sai Ram**

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Om Sai Ram to one and all..

Hope this explanation will help:

Puratassi/Purattassi fasting period...

 

Purattasi Festival is fasting to please Saturn or Sany bhagavan, one of the

nine planets. Jaffna Tamils also fast in this period and abstain from meat

and alcohol.The annual featival of many Vishnu Temples in Tamil Eelam are

celebrated in this month. Some go to the Jaffna Venkadesa Varatharaj

perumal Temple to light the sesame oil lamp with their family members on

Purattasi month or September.

 

To further elaborate on this occasion here is some more indepth explanation:

The month of Purtassi (mid September to mid October) is dedicated to the

worship of Maha Vishnu (the preserver) who is the absolute symbol of the

Transcendent state of Ananda.

In the Holy Trinity (Trimurthi) of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, the Preserver is

Vishnu. It is the period of the year in which we pay homage to Lord Vishnu.

Therefore our worship is thanksgiving to mother nature for preservation.

Preservation is a Divine Attribute which embraces many aspects of our life

to which we invoke Lord Vishnu as Emperumal, Govinda, Gopala, Venketeswara,

Hari Narayana, Balaji, Srinivasa, Runganatha, Ramchandra, etc. It was in the

month of Purtassi, Lord Vishnu in the form of Sri Venketa Chala Pahi

(Balaji) came to earth to guide people and left his form in the Thiruppathi

Hills in India. Therefore people from all parts of the world flock to India

to pay homage to Thiruppathi to get a glimpse of the Divine form by taking

vows to overcome their problems.

At many Temples, the Garudan Flag is hoisted on the first day of the month.

The Shree Emperumal Hindu Temple does not hoist the flag on the first day of

the month because the insignia of Garudan lies permanently at the entrance

of the Temple. This flag is renewed annually during the Thiruna Festival.

However, the first day of the month, Malayppa Swami and his two consorts and

Lord Ganesha are taken in procession around the temple to herald this sacred

month. Thereafter prayers are held on each Saturday of the month. Special

recitals pertaining to Lord Vishnu are conducted from religious books like

Garuda Parthu and Thirunaam Padhigam. Devotees say: "Govinda, Govinda,

Govinda", after each verse is recited. Devotees especially on Saturdays wear

the Naamam or the Vaishnavite symbol. Symbolically, the Naamam represents

Lord Vishnu's two feet in his reclined pose - which is represented in the

shape of a capital "U" (white). The central stroke represents the Thrishaum

(red stroke) - Mother Lutchmee.

Why prayers are observed on Saturdays?

Saturdays are observed for the worship of Hanuman and Shri Balaji because

Saturdays are free from the influences of Saturn and other planetary forces

(Grahas). In this month planets like Mercury and Ketha influence the earth.

Therefore, the worship of Lord Vishnu with devotion and love will help us to

have a peaceful and happy life with good and obdient children. "Bakthi" is

the main theme of all the rituals in the month.

Benefits from observing Purtassi.

1.The community becomes united during this period. We must strive at all

times to be united.

2. The restrictions to a vegetarian diet is not only an act of self

discipline but this abstinence has profound religious significance, which

helps in the purification of the body, mind and soul. It helps to discipline

the mind, removes waste and toxins from the body and helps to revitalise the

body in its capacity to function well. It further helps the mind to become

more alert and reflexes becomes sharper.

3. Devotion to God especially during this Kaliyug period is important. This

period which is characteristic of excessive greed for power, extreme hatred,

jealousy, anger and intolerance have polluted the life of man in general all

over the world. We must strive, seek and maintain the following virtues:

truth, peace, righteousness and non violence. This helps people in directing

their thoughts towards God Realisation.

 

Hopefully this will give you some clarity...

May Sai Bless all abundantly

 

Om Shri Sai Raam

Radhey of Canada

 

 

 

 

 

Reinald [elfangor_69]

Tuesday, October 12, 2004 10:53 AM

[saibabanews] Meaning of Purtassi

 

***Sai Ram**

 

Greetings. I wish to enquire about the significance of Purtassi...........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...