Rakhi 2024: The holy festival of tying Raksha Sutra on the wrist of brother on the full moon day of Shukla Paksha of Shravan month is centuries old. The festival of Raksha Bandhan is not just a part of folk tradition, but many mythological stories, spiritual experiences and scientific facts are also associated with it. Often people are curious about what divine power is contained in a simple Raksha Sutra that it has been a part of Indian culture for ages. This can be understood through a mythological story.
In Kaliyug, we are directly witnessing the festival of Raksha Bandhan. But a very deep and touching mythological story related to this festival can be seen in Satyug as well. It is believed that in Satyug, the king of demons Bali had organized a huge yagya. King Bali was a very generous person. So, to test him, at the end of the yagya, Narayan himself reached Bali in the guise of a dwarf Brahmin and requested Bali to donate three steps of land.
King Bali, who was proud of his generosity, readily agreed to this. Then Narayan measured the entire sky in one step and the entire earth in the second step. King Bali realized that Narayan himself had come in the form of Vaman to test him. So he offered his head for the third step. Lord Vishnu was very pleased with this generosity of King Bali and gave him the kingdom of Patala Lok and also asked him to ask for a boon.
Then King Bali asked Lord Vishnu to stay with him as a gatekeeper in the netherworld. The devotee-loving Lord was not going to go back on his word. So he started living with Bali as a gatekeeper in the netherworld. On the other hand, when Lord Vishnu did not return to Vaikunth for a long time, Mother Lakshmi reached the netherworld in search of him. Where Lord Vishnu was living as a gatekeeper.li
After understanding the whole story, Maa Lakshmi took the form of a poor Brahmin woman and went to King Bali and tied a protective thread on his hand. Pleased, King Bali asked Maa Lakshmi, who was disguised as a Brahmin woman, to ask for some gift in return. Maa Lakshmi requested him to send Lord Narayan back to Vaikunth. Daanveer Bali was bound by his word, so by accepting this condition of Maa Lakshmi, he freed Lord Vishnu from the bondage of the boon.
Now you can imagine how important this Raksha Sutra is that King Bali did not delay for a moment in giving it back to Lord Vishnu, the lord of the three worlds. Coincidentally, this day was the full moon day of the Shukla Paksha of the month of Shravan. It is said that the tradition of celebrating Raksha Bandhan on Shravan Purnima has been going on since that day.
That is why there is a tradition of reciting a mantra while tying the Raksha Sutra on the day of Rakshabandhan. This mantra is- ‘The one who bound the mighty king, the lord of demons, the powerful one. I bind you with this I will protect you do not move do not move. That is, just like Goddess Lakshmi tied a protective thread on the wrist of the generous and mighty King Bali, in the same way I am tying a protective thread on your wrist, which will protect you unshakably.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)