Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is an important Hindu festival. It is celebrated in many different ways by the diverse cultures in India. Traditionally, this has been one of many harvest days in India. Makar Sankranti marks the transition of sun from Dakshinayan (Tropic of Capricorn) to Uttarayan (Tropic of Cancer), where the sun begins to move more towards the Northern hemisphere marking the beginning of summer. This therefore indicates the beginning of an auspicious phase. In Gujarat, this festival is also known as Uttarayan.

Lord Surya (Sun God) is worshipped on this day. In Gujarat, Makar Sankranti is celebrated by flying colourful kites. This act signifies people offering their oblations to the Sun God.

In addition, there are several religious legends that signify Uttarayan. One of these is the time when Shri Bhishmaji of the Kuru dynasty (in the Mahabharat), who was lying on a bed of arrows in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, declared his intent to leave the mortal body.

A Yogi normally leaves his mortal body during Uttarayan. One who leaves their mortal body during Uttarayan acquires salvation and becomes free from rebirth. However, it is seen that many great saints have left this earth during Dakshinayan. In this case, should we believe that these saints will not attain salvation? No, our scriptures are written with great depth and meaning.

The months of Dakhshinayan are those of rain where the sky is covered with clouds. Our soul (aatmaa) is the sky.

‘Ayam aatmaa bhrahma, aakaasham bhrahma‘, meaning, the sky is Bhrahma (God). Therefore, the soul and the sky are one as they mean the same. One will remain in the stage of Dakshinayan until the attachment to worldly desires exist in the sky of one’s soul. If the soul leaves during this time, it leads to rebirth and one has to be born again.

On the contrary, there are no clouds in the sky during Uttarayan. The sky of the soul is clear and clean; there are no clouds of attachment to worldly pleasures. When a Yogi’s soul leaves the body at this stage, the Yogi does not have to be born again. Consequently, the attachment to worldly desires and pleasures is the cause of rebirth.

Shri Bhishmaji had only desire: to see the kingdom of Hastinapur safe, which had now been achieved. The sky of his soul was now clear. Shri Bhishma Yogi now stepped into the stage of Uttarayan. He was ready to leave his mortal body. He concentrated his mind into Lord Shri Krishna who stood in front of him. Shri Bhishmaji then sang Shri Krishna Bhagavan’s stuti. This stuti, also known as Bhishma stuti, is as follows. Click here to listen this stuti sung by Pujya Bhaishri with which we can all join Shri Bhishmaji and sing this stuti:

iti matirupakalpita vitrishna bhagavati satvata pungave vibhumni |
svasukhamupagate kvachidvihartum prakritimupeyushi yadbhavapravahah ||

tribhuvanakamanam tamalavarnam ravikaragauravarambaram dadhane |
vapuralakakulavritananabjam vijayasakhe ratirastu me anavadya ||

yudhi turagarajovidhumravishvak kachalulitashramavaryalamkritasye |
mama nishitasharairvibhidyamana tvachi vilasatkavache astu krishna atma ||

sapadi sakhivacho nishamya madhye nijaparayorbalayo ratham niveshya |
sthitavati parasainikayurakshna hritavati partha sakhe ratirmamastu ||

vyavahita prithanamukham nirikshya svajanavadhadvimukhasya doshabuddhya |
kumatimaharadatmavidyaya yashcharanaratih paramasya tasya me astu ||

svanigamamapahaya matpratigna mritamadhikartumavapluto rathasthah |
dhritarathacharano abhyayachchalatguh haririva hantumibham gatottariyah ||

shitavishikhahatovishirnadamshah kshatajaparipluta atatayino me |
prasabhamabhisasara madvadhartham sa bhavatu me bhagavan gatirmukundah ||

vijayarathakutumba attatotre dhritahayarashmini tachchriyekshaniye |
bhagavati ratirastu me mumurshoh yamiha nirikshya hatah gatah sarupam ||

lalita gati vilasa valguhasa pranaya nirikshana kalpitorumanah |
kritamanukritavatya unmadandhah prakritimagan kila yasya gopavadhvah ||

munigananrupavaryasamkule antah sadasi yudhishthirarajasuya esham |
arhanamupapeda ikshaniyo mama drishi gochara esha aviratma ||

tamimamahamajam sharirabhajam hridihridi dhishtitamatmakalpitanam |
pratidrishamiva naikadharkamekam samadhigato asmi vidhutabhedamohah ||

Let us all, on this auspicious day of Makar Sankranti devotedly sing this stuti to Lord Shri Krishna and celebrate this festival with great joy.