Rakhi Legends
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Origin of Rakhi
Rakhi festival is celebrated in the Shravana month or the month of
monsoon. This month is considered to be a very pious month and the full
month or poornima of this month is a very holy day. This rakhi poornima is
celebrated in different ways throughout the country.For the brothers and
sisters, it is the day commemorating the eternal tie of love, Brahmins on
this day take the pledge of Brahmanik rites and for farmers it is the
beginning of the new season.There are many epics related to the
celebrations of rakhi. The festival is described in the epics and dates
back to the mythological Pouranik times.
The legend in the Bhavishya Puran
This legend describes a war between the Gods and the Demons. The demon
King Brutra was advancing and the Gods lead by lord Indra, were on the
defeating end. The king of Gods, Indra approached Guru Brihaspati to seek
a solution. Brihaspati asked Indra to tie a sacred thread on his wrist,
powered by the sacred mantras on the Shravan Purnima. Lord Indra's Queen
Sachi also called Indrani, empowered the thread and tied it on to his hand
on the rakhi poornima day. The power of the sacred thread called Raksha
helped the Gods to victory.
The legend of King Bali and Goddess Laxmi
Another legend associated to this day is of King Bali and Goddess Laxmi.
Demon King Bali was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu had
promised to guard his kingdom leaving his own abode in Vaikunth. Goddess
Laxmi wished to be with her lord back in her abode. She went to Bali
disguised as a Brahmin woman to seek refuge till her husband came back.
During the Shravan Purnima celebrations, Laxmiji tied the sacred thread
to the King. Upon being asked she revealed who she was and why she was
there. The king was touched by her goodwill for his family and her purpose
and requested the Lord to accompany her. He sacrificed all he had for the
Lord and his devoted wife.
Thus the rakhi festival is also called Baleva that is Bali Raja's
devotion to the Lord. It is said that since then it has been a tradition
to invite sisters in Shravan Purnima for the thread tying ceremony or the
Raksha Bandhan.
Yama and the Yamuna
It is said that the Raksha Bandhan was a ritual followed by Lord Yama
(the Lord of Death) and his sister Yamuna. Yamuna tied rakhi to Yama and
gave him immortality. Yama was so moved by the serenity of the occasion
that he declared that whoever gets a rakhi tied from his sister and
promised her protection will become immortal.
Raksha Bandhan In the Epics
Raksha Bandhan festival is mentioned in Mahabharata when Lord Krishna
advised Yudhishthir to perform the ceremony to protect himself and the
army from the dangers of the war. It is said that Kunti, the mother of the
Pandavas tied rakhi to her grandson Abhimanyu and Draupadi to lord
Krishna.
