SCIENCE BEHIND  GANESH CHATURTHI, ANANT CHATURTHI AND SHRAAD THROUGH AYURVEDA AND ASTROLOGY

All the festivals in India are based on planetary transits in different zodiacs especially transit of Sun and Moon. This is because different planetary transits in different zodiacs generate different energies in the world thereby creating different weather conditions which accordingly affect our body and mind as well as the collective conscience. This blog will explain the science of why Ganesh Chaturthi and Anant Chaturdashi are celebrated and why Shraad are observed in specific time of the year in very simple language. Let’s begin…

*** For those who are interested in understanding the deeper science (through Ayuveda and Astrology) this blog will be using the most basic terms of Ayurveda and Astrology (others may skip this para). Hence here is a brief in simple and layman language for those who are not aware about the three fundamental forces of Ayurveda called as VATA, PITTA AND KAPHA which in Ayurvedic language are collectively termed as DOSHAS. Kapha represents the nutrition consumed through food, water, sunlight etc. which moves throughout our body and then gets stored in it in different forms inside various tissues and organs. PITTA represents various chemicals that move this nutrition into different parts of the body by generating electricity/heat. It also represents those chemicals that convert, the consumed or stored nutrition into energy for our routine works. Vata represents hollowness in the body which creates channels through which Kapha moves from one place to another pushed by Pitta’s power. Together these forces will be referred as VPK (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) in this blog and are essential for our existence because it is them which give rise to intelligence. It is easy to infer that all of us are made from different combinations of these forces. For example, some have more Kapha (dense tissues) but less Pitta and Vata due to which their body is too dense making them sluggish/slow on metabolism. On the other hand, some may be having too much of hollowness (excess Vata) in their body resulting in very less density thereby pushing limited kapha in a haywire manner.

From brain’s perspective, which is the central processing unit of our body (or say compute), Pitta works like a processor, Vata is like RAM (which creates new channels/circuit for new insights) and Kapha is like ROM (Hard disc which stores all the information). 

GANESH CHATURTHI

Lord Ganesha represents Buddhi- the intellect which bestows the quality of analytical approach in us thereby imparting virtues like patience, intelligence and thus ever evolving wisdom due to balanced thinking imparted by intellect. When Sun is about to enter Virgo zodiac (Kanya rashi) which happens in the month of September, it creates weather conditions where VPK are present in a very balanced state and equal quantity. This creates a state where the movement of life force/Prana/energy in our body is neither too outwards nor too inwards thereby helping us to receive, analyze and transmit information/knowledge very swiftly (in the language of Ayurveda, our Vyana Vata becomes very balanced). In simple words, during this time of the year our inter-communication skills become very strong. Thus, when Sun enters Virgo which is the main zodiac sign of Mercury (Budh), then it (Sun) fuels Buddhi in all of us thereby evoking Ganesha inside us.

Now, we also know that due to its gravitational pull, the Moon governs all the fluids in the world including our own body (that is how it creates tides). That is why on no moon day (i.e. Amavasya), the fluid inside us (termed as Rasa in Ayurveda) goes totally inwards. However after no moon, as the moon starts waxing (i.e. with expanding illumination), this rasa starts expanding in our body too (this period is called as Shukla paksh in Astrological term).

On the fourth day of illumination after no moon, the rasa in our body has considerably expanded. That is why Ganesh chaturthi begins from the fourth day of Shukla paksh (waxing moon), when Sun has entered the Virgo/Kanya (Chatur means fourth). From this day onwards, till eleven days (until the full moon arrives), this rasa keeps expanding in our body thereby expanding our intellect too. That is why this festival continues for 11 days. Doing pious and righteous activities during this period including singing prayers and helping the needy ensures that our intellect gets filled with positive, pious and right virtues. This is also the time when whatever has been stored in our body also starts surfacing out due to increased communication skills which is another reason that we should remain engaged more in pious activities to ensure that all negativity (stored one) gets released from the body.

*** At a very quantum level, information is also mass. Hence due to the effect of gravity, information goes and settles down in our lower chakra which is called as Mooladhara Chakra. During this month our gathered information starts rising which is nothing but awakening of Kundalini.

ANANT CHATURDASHI

Anant means endless/infinite. Chaturdashi means 14th (which could be a day prior to full moon or no moon, however in this case it refers to the day prior to full moon)^. So Ganesh Chaturthi festival ends with Anant Chaturdashi when the rasa in our body has almost fully expanded due to waxing moon which is why it is called as Anant as it refers to infinitely expanded Buddhi (remember its infinite with respect to the specific person). Even this is said that our Mooladhara chakra stores information of the entire cosmos right from the time since it was created hence this day has the capability to expand our Buddhi to that level. This is the day when Lord Vishnu is worshipped because he is the administrator/nurturer who does so with the help of forces of Vata Pitta Kapha only.

SHRAAD

While till the full moon our rising rasa creates more of outward communication which is why we pray to Gods and convey our love and wishes, starting full moon, when the rasa in our body starts constricting inwards till the no moon day, the communication becomes stronger from outer to inner. In simple words, the rasa starts moving inwards through the channels created by VPK in this weather. Remember that this better communication is not only created within our body but also in the environment of the earth. This is the time to get involved in quieter and more inward activities so that we can listen to the ethereal energies of the higher world which are nothing but our ancestors so that their guidance can be absorbed by us for long lasting bliss by settling them in our Mooladhara.

Of course it could be the other way around too when they need help from us. The ethereal energies find material ways to communicate to us (since we cannot hear them due to disturbed medium created by activities of Kalyuga like EM waves, light pollution, sound pollution etc.). Crow is one such medium who is a highly intelligent bird and has strong sense of direction which is why it is said that crow carries the message from our ancestors and is therefore fed food especially during shraad. The other animals that are considered to be vehicles of ethereal energies of our ancestors are cow, dog and ants. This is why we should offer food to them especially during these days apart from offering to the ethereal beings.

*** The easiest way to visualize ethereal beings is by thinking of electromagnetic signals that reach our TVs/radios through satellites because of which we are able to watch movies/news/sports etc. We cannot see them but they carry so much of data which doesn’t lose its relevance during its movement from one place to another even if separated by thousands of kms. The only difference is that these pockets of data are not self-conscious whereas ethereal beings are self-conscious energy beings and are present all around us. They just don’t have gross body like us humans.

*** Souls are nothing but ethereal beings who are born in the material world to settle their karmas and/or to fulfil their desires (selfish or selfless). Post death of the physical body, not all souls may incarnate into the physical body and some may decide to rest in energy realms (not physical realms like earth). Some souls may be highly evolved and some may be lesser depending upon the experience they have gathered from different lifetimes. So God is nothing but a much more evolved soul which is why God incarnates for selfless reasons to restore bliss in a chaotic world. Remember the theory of relativity applies everywhere. That is why there is hierarchy within Gods too not with the aim to show supremacy but to listen to the more evolved for guidance. When we offer food to the ethereal beings we offer them to all the souls who are more evolved than us by virtue of being born before us. More evolved our ancestors, more Godly they become and by offering food to them, we literally thank them for progressing the world (and us) to this level (*** those going through sufferings must understand that even suffering is essential for the soul to progress so that it can differentiate between Good and bad.

*** Another viewpoint of increased communication is that on a no moon day, the proximity of Sun and Moon, heats up our rasa in the entire body and macrocosm too thereby spreading it to the farther areas of the Universe/body and touching all its parts (even though now rasa is diluated and thin as same amount is now spread apart). This enhances communication in the all body parts and in between different entities at Universal level. This is why some people observe Pitra Puja on all no moon days of the year (and not just Shraad when Sun is in virgo).

*** If a soul is unable to leave the material universe due to its unfinished desires (Rahu/stimulation/Vata Pitta), then it wanders in the ethereal form in this world. Since sesame is bitter, warm, astringent and sweet, it weakens Rahu and increases Saturn and Ketu thereby killing desires. Milk with it, makes it a complete food to feed the Ketu and kill Rahu. This is why Milk and Sesame are offered on Pitra puja especially on no moon day of Shraad’s last day. By doing so we settle Rahu in the entire Universe especially that which is in tune with our own frequency set by our DNAs.

*** A general conception is that only those can offer prayers and donation during Shraad, whose parents have left for journey to heavenly abode. However, it is not so because we inherit the genes/traits from our ancestors only even if they come through our parents. Offerings to Pitras (ancestors) in these days should be done while facing south as south direction represents the direction of death and the lord of death i.e. Yama. Secondly offering should ideally be done during the noon till afternoon time as Sun increases the strength of mercury thereby improving communication. Thirdly, while all days of shraad are considered good for offerings/donations to the needy, one must do it on the last day of this 15 days cycle i.e. on no moon day. This is because on this day, the Sun’s strength becomes strongest thereby improving flow of heated Rasa and thus further improving the communication.