Complied by Vedic Astrologer H.K.Sai Pitchumani,9094038800

Pushkaram is an Indian festival dedicated to worshipping of rivers.

Pushkara is a Sanskrit word derived from the element of Push (Pushti) meaning nourishment and Kara means one who does it. Pushkara is the energy that nourishes ,with reference to the sacred rivers,.

Pushkara means the one who energize the rivers and provide spiritual purification.

Pushkara also means Lotus, sanctified water, Swan, Sword, Sky, Lake Etc

In Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra sloka # 5 we find a reference to the word Pushkara .

where Lord Sri Maha Vishnu is referred to as Pushkaraakshah meaning the one who has lotus eyes,

The one who provides nourishment to the entire Universe and the one who is always present in sacred Theerthas.

In Tirumala Kshethra the water tank near Sri Varaha Swamy temple is known as Swamy Pushkarini.

In Astrology the word Pushkara referred to as Pushkara Navamsa that purifies and nourishes the quality of the planet placed within it.

In Electional Astrology especially for a marriage muhurtha we find preference being given for Pushkara Navamsa for a given Lagna that brings strength to the muhurtha chart.

Pushkar is the name of a famous pilgrim center known as Pushkara Kshetra located in Rajasthan about 17 km from Ajmer city.

Pushkara Lake was the creation of Lord Brahma on the banks of which He performed penance for several thousands of years ,where Lord Brahma is worshipped.

Pushkara also indicates the 12 years time factor in Vedic terms.

Pushkaram is a festival of a particular river celebrated once in 12 years based on the transit of Jupiter.

Pushkaram is performed to make the mankind realize the significance of water the life sustaining force. It is our ardent duty to respect and follow the traditions and culture pioneered by our elders with a great foresight and Pushkaram is one such sacred Hindu sampradaya that has descended from Sages which is highly auspicious and meritorious

Who is Pushkara?

Scripture says Pushkara is the son of Lord Varunaa the Presiding Deity of all the rivers.

Pushkara once prayed Lord Brahma and asked him for a boon to live in the sacred waters (emanated from the foot of Primordial Lord Sri Maha Vishnu) of His Kamandalu with the intention of providing purity to all the Theerthas.

Looking at the selfless desire expressed by Pushkara, Lord Brahma granted him the boon to live in the waters of his Kamandalu.

Later, Pushkara also performed penance and acquired Jala Tattva Siddhi from Lord Shiva .By virtue of the boons Pushkara became the King of all Theerthas and was regarded as the Theerthapalaka.

Pushkara & Brihaspathi (Jupiter)

Deva Guru also performed penance and pleased Lord Brahma to acquire Boon. Looking at the perpetual sacredness of Pushkara, Brihaspathi wanted Lord Brahma to spare Pushkara to be with him permanently. But Pushkara was not prepared to go along with Brihaspathi.

Lord Brahma resolved the situation by asking Pushkara to be associated with Brihaspathi (Jupiter) for 12 days in the beginning and 12 days at the end of his sojourn in a particular Rasi (house) in the zodiac,

The transit of Guru happens once in a year. Accordingly, twelve sacred rivers have been identified in which Pushkara enters each River once in twelve years coinciding with the transit period of Jupiter in twelve zodiac signs.

Astrologically Jupiter the is the most benevolent planet symbolizing for blessings. wealth, fortune, learning, knowledge, divinity, progeny, domestic peace, auspiciousness and above all the karaka for occurrence of Pushkaram.

Pushkara the Theertharaja always resides in the Kamandalu of Lord Brahma in the sanctified waters that has emerged out from the foot of Lord Sriman Narayana.

Entry of Pushkara into a particular river signifies the Pushkara festival when, all the Brahmaadi Devatha's, all the Sages, all the Pitru Devatha's, all the Theerthas in this Bhoomandala including Ganga (Ganges) enters into that particular river along with Brihaspathi and Pushkara.

This time of their entry into a particular river is considered as highly sacred and celestial that has the power to diminish the ghastly and dreadful sins committed.

Having darshan, taking bath, touching Pushkara waters, drinking the sacred waters of Pushkara is considered to be highly meritorious and soul cleansing.

This is considered as the most sacred time to perform rites to forefathers on the banks of Pushkara River that will help them to attain salvation.

The first twelve days of the pushkarams is called "AADI PUSHKARAM" (Which means thebeginningof the pushkarams) .

The last twelve days of thepushkarams is called "ANTYA PUSHKARAMS" (Which means end of Guru Transit in Simha Rasi).

During the period of these Twenty four days, "Pushkar" the god who is imbued with the power to make a river sacred and holy, will travel with Jupiter as Jupiter moves from one Zodiac house to another.

1First day1 Gold, 2. Silver, 3. Land, 4. Rice2Second Day1.Cow & Lamb, 2. Salt, 3. Stone (ratna )3Third Day1.Vegetables, 2.Fruits,3. Jaggery4Fourth day1. Oil, 2. Honey,3. Ghee, 4.Milk5Fifth Day1.Cart, 2. Oxes,3. Bull, 4. plough6Sixth Day1.Camphor 2. Kastoori 3. (Sandal 4. Ayurvedic Medicines

7Seventh Day1.House, 2.litter; palanquin, 3. Bed ( Sayya ) ,4. Peetham8Eight Day1. Rap ( Grandh), 2.Ginger, 3. Flower Garland

9Ninth Day1.Blanket, 2 Pinda Pradhan to Pitru devata10Tenth Day1.Silver, 2. Pearl, 3.Metal Chain, 4. Flowers

11Eleventh Day1. Cloth, 2. Granth ( Books)

12Twelfth day1. Shodasa Maha Dhaan withShaligram *. Shaligram is very important for Dhana.

1MeshaGanga2RishibhaNarmada3MithunaSarasvati4KatakaYamuna5SimhaGodavari6KanyaKrishna7Libra or ThulaKaveri8VrischikaTamiraparani9SagittariusBrahmaputra10MakaraTungapatra11KumbhaIndus12MeenaPranahita

Sri Gautama & AkalyaRiver Godavari

Rishi Gautama was strong devotee of Lord Shiva. He was the Purohit of King Janaka. Rishi Gautam along with his followers and family used to live on the south side of Brahmshail.

Due to a natural calamity there was no rainfall since last 100 years at that place (Brahmshail) and not a single tree was alive.

All the animals were desperate for water. Most of the trees, plants and creatures started to burn and turned into ashes due to the rise in temperature. In the jungles somehow the saints used to do penance and pass their time.

In order to save the world from the water problem Rishi Gautam started to do Penance of lord of rain Lord Varunaa to solve the problem of drought. It was the nature of Rishi Gautam to do well and give happiness to others and for this he used to be eager to take sufferings.

Rishi Gautam along with Ahilya did severe penance of Lord Varuna, requested Lord Varuna to remove the suffering of world by giving rainfall.

Lord Varuna replied that profit-loss, life-death, rainfall-drought, heaven-hell, etc. are the things that are in the hands of Lord Shiva.

Siva is the lord of this world and hence making rainfall or not is in his wish and so he cannot fulfill Rishi Gautama request.

Rishi Gautam told Lord Varuna at least give him an ever lasting water pond (Akshaya Jala kund) so that his request also gets fulfilled and his presence is also fruitful.

Lord Varuna became happy and by blessing Rishi Gautam, told him to dig a pond and put an ever lasting lotus in that pond so that it is always filled with water.

Rishi Gautam dug a pond with his hands, Lord Varuna filled it with water and by giving blessings said that this pond with the area of one arms length will be very sacred place famous by name of Rishi Gautam

This Pond will always remain filled with water. Any person who serves this place will get his wishes fulfilled.

Rishi Gautam and his family became happy by drinking the water from the pond. Rishi Gautam along with his students started to do farming near the pond.

This news started to spread everywhere and from all four directions other Rishis along with their families started to live near the pond.

Near the pond people suffering from hunger and thirst got satisfied. Because of the blessings of Lord Varuna, water of the pond never got dried and slowly a city got developed there.

Once, Rishi Gautam told his students to fetch water from the pond urgently. When the students arrived near the pond at the same time the wives of other Rishis had also reached there to fetch water.

The wives of other Rishis told Gautam Rishi's students to fetch water from the pond after they finish taking water from the pond.

The students felt insulted and without taking water and told Ahilya that the wives of other Rishis didn't let them take water.

On hearing this Ahilya along with students reached near pond and told the students to fetch water and they returned home.

On seeing this, other Rishis wives got angry and without taking water went back to their hut and started to cry near their husband and started to tell them false things. Hearing the words from their wives the Rishis started to get angry and decided to teach lesson to Rishi Gautam.

The Rishis could not teach Rishi Gautam a lesson on their own so they started to worship Lord Ganesh.

Looking at the worship of Rishis Lord Ganesh not happy and appeared in front of them and said to them "O Rishis your wish is not pious and you should not bring destruction to yourself with your own hands". At that time all the Rishis said that without any reason they were insulted by Rishi Gautam and hence Lord Ganesh should fulfill their wish.

Lord Ganesh said that because of the blessings of Lord Shiva on Rishi Gautam nothing bad will happen to him but the other Rishis because of their bad intentions will receive sorrow. After saying this Lord Ganesh disappeared.

One day Lord Ganesh took form of a sick cow and started to eat in Rishi Gautama's field. Coincidently Rishi Gautam was near the field.

When he saw the cow doing damage to the crops to get her out he took a piece of grass and tried to make her go out of the field with that but, on touching the piece of grass the cow died.

All this was planned and when the cow fell on ground all the Rishis came there and started to say bad things to Rishi Gautam. The same happened to Ahilya, the wives of other Rishis started to say bad things to Ahilya.

Every one got together and decided that no person will see face of Rishi Gautam and started to hit Rishi Gautam, Ahilya and their students with stones and moved them out of that place. After they got removed from their Ashram Rishi Gautam and Ahilya started to stay 1 km away from their Ashram.

Rishi Gautam felt guilty and decided that till he is not free from the sin of cow killing he won't touch any one and restraining himself from doing any spiritual ceremony regarding devtas and pitrus .

This time was very painful for Rishi Gautam. After 15 days Rishi Gautam went near the Rishis who had driven him out of his Ashram.

Rishi Gautam stood far from them and requested them to show him a way so that he can be free from sin of cow killing. On hearing the humble words of Rishi Gautam other Rishis felt pity for him in their heart but due to their ego they said "Rishi Gautam your students and Ahilya had disrespected their wives and so he would have to bear its consequence".

The Rishis said that only Lord Shiva would free him from his sins and first of all for 3 days he should move around the earth and loudly speak out his sins, after that for 1 month he should keep fast and move round (parikrama) 100 Brahmins. If he does this then he would be free from his sins. After this he should at this place make Goddess Ganga appear and take bath in it and make 1 Corer Shiva lingam out of mud then only he would be free from his sins.

Rishi Gautam moved around (parikrama) 100 Brahmins after that he made 1 Corer Shivalingam out of mud and started to meditate on Lord Shiva.

Lord Shiva was pleased with Rishi Gautama's penance. Lord Shiv along with Goddess Parvati and his Gana appeared before him and said that he was his most favorite and told him to ask for what he wanted.

Rishi Gautam said if he was happy with him then he should release him from his sins. Lord Shiva said to Rishi Gautam that he was cheated and he was given pain for the sin which he had not committed.

Lord Shiva said that those Brahmins who had given him pain will be bearers of fake knowledge because any person who harasses my devotee will never be happy.

Rishi Gautam humbly said that the other Rishis had not done any wrong to him because; the truth was that he was able to see him (Lord Shiva) because of the path that the Rishis had shown to him.

Lord Shiva was pleased again and told him to ask for a wish. Rishi Gautam requested Lord Shiva to grant him Goddess Ganga. On this Lord Shiva put down Goddess Ganga from his head and gave to Rishi Gautam and said to Goddess Ganga "O Goddess Ganga you consider Rishi Gautam as your server and remove all his sins".

Goddess Ganga said to Lord Shiva, "I will follow your order but I will purify Rishi Gautam along with his family and then go back to my place". On this Lord Shiv said that he wished Goddess Ganga to stay there till the starting of Vaivaswata Manvantar. Because of Lord Shiva's force and Rishi Gautam's prayer, Goddess Ganga agreed to stay their only if she was worshipped there and Lord Shiva along with Parvati and their servers (Ganas) stayed on her banks, then only she would stay till the beginning of Vaivaswata Manvantar.

All the Devas were pleased because of Goddess Ganga's staying and said that at the time when Brahaspati transiting in Simha Rasi her importance would spread in all 3 worlds (3 lokas). After 12 years when that time comes people would come and take holy bath and visit Shiv temple and be free from all sins.

On this Goddess Ganga in the form of water came out from Brahmshail through Udumber branch and started flowing in the form of river and became famous by the name of Gautami.

This starting point (udgam sthan) is known as Ganga Dwar. Rishi Gautam along with his wife Ahilya and his students took bath in river Gautami and worshipped Shivalingam but when the other Rishis who had driven out Rishi Gautam from his Ashram came there Goddess Ganga disappeared. At present this place is considered to be Panchavati in Nasik and the remains of this epical story can be seen at this place even today.

Pushkara Pitru Karma

Pitru Yagna like performing Pitru Shradha, Tarpana have been prescribed to get discharged from Pitru Runa. This has been in vogue since time immemorial and even Avatara Purushas like Sri Ramachandra (Lord Sri Rama), Lord Parashurama have performed Pitru karma. We, the human beings are no exception to this dictum. Performing Pitru Karma during Pushkara days also forms part of the Pitru Yagna which is considered as highly sacred and meritorious. Only those who have lost their parents are eligible to perform the sacred rites to their fore-fathers.

Pitru karma during Pushkara days has to be performed for all the deceased (Sarva Pitru). It has to be performed on the banks of the sacred Pushkara River like a Theertha Shradha.

This has to be performed preferably in the form of Anna Sraddtha with Pinda Pradhana and Brahmana Bhajana. Hiranya Sraddtha is also in vogue where instead of rice, wheat flour is used for making Pindas and instead of Brahmana Bhajana they will be offered Dakshina. Pushkara Sraddtha can be performed on any day during the 12 day period of Pushkaram, or on the 9thday or on the Pitru thithi day if it coincides except on the day of Ekadasi.

It is said and believed that Pitrus (fore-fathers) will descend on Earth during Pushkara days and will reside on the banks of Pushkara River longing for their off-spring to perform Pitru Sraddtha.

Performing Pushkara Sraddtha, one will be bestowed with blessings from fore-fathers, peace and prosperity to the family. It will also work as remedy for various mundane problems one is facing in life related to marriage, progeny, health, poverty etc.

Godavari Matha

Why dip at Rajahmundry in Godavari Pushkarams is important

The Godavari originates near Nasik in Maharashtra.

It flows for 1,465 kilometers, first eastwards across the Deccan Plateau then turns southeast, entering the West Godavari district and East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

It splits into two watercourses that widen into a large river delta and flow into the Bay of Bengal.

So many sub rivers merged to the Godavari till Papikondalu ( Papi Hills) near Rajahmundry. But after Papikondalu the River called as "Akhanda Godavari". So at Rajahmundry the river is more sacred and powerful.

Lakhs of devotees preferred to take holy dip in Akhanda Godavari at Rajahmundry during the pushkarams.

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