Rushi Panchmi

S.K.S.
SWAMINARAYAN TEMPLE (LONDON) – BAL YUVAK MANDAL
Westfield Lane, Kenton, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 9EA Est. 1966 Charity Reg. No. 271034
Tel: 020 8909 9899 Fax: 020 8909 9897 Email: [email protected]
Rushi Panchmi
Rushi Panchami is an auspicious day and falls under the month of Bhadarvo. This day is an
opportunity from Maharaj to wash our sins gained from touching women during their menstrual
cycle. On this day we should observe a Fast, both men and women. Some think that this day
should only be observed by women because they gain all the sins from touching others as it is
their fault. However this is not true, men should also observe Fast on this day because they
too touch females in their menses unknowingly. Shikshapatri Bhashya shlok 173 and 174
mentions in detail the rules of rajaswala dharma but sometimes there are situations where this
rules are not applicable or the rules are accidentally broken e.g. when commuting, at
workplace, at school/college/university or even at home. In these cases, the sins can be
repented by observing Rushi Panchami; if the sins are not repented, then the person will take
a rebirth as an animal. To highlight this, there has been an incident narrated in the Puranas.
Rushi Panchami came about in satyayug; there lived a Brahmin family in the country of
Virdarbha – Sumitra, his wife Jayshree, their son Sumati and his wife Chandravati. Sumitra
were very pious and a hardworking farmer; although he was very religious, his wife did not
observe her menstrual cycles and she continued doing the household chores: cleaning the
house and cooking food that was then offered to her husband.
When both husband and wife passed away, they were reborn in their son’s house as animals
due to the non-observance of the menses. Sumitra was born as a bullock and Jayshree was
born as a dog. As the bullock grew older, it was put through the hardship of working in the
fields all day.
One day Sumati said to Chandravati that it is the anniversary of the death of his father,
therefore as an offering prepare sumptuous foods and dine five Brahmins, saying this he
returned to his daily routine of tending to the fields. The wife prepared luxurious foods such as
puri, dudhpak, ladoo and many others. She then returned to her household duties leaving the
food unattended.
The dog observed a snake squirt in the dudhpak and poison it; the dog thought to herself that
the food has been prepared for the shraadh of her husband and will be offered to the
Brahmins hence it will kill them; this will endure more sins upon the family in addition to the
previous sins. She therefore decided that she would spoil the dudhpak by putting her paws
and tail in it. As she did this, Chandravati saw the dog and began to utter harsh words to it.
She threw the foods and prepared fresh dishes. Meanwhile in the fields, the bullock was
pushed very hard; Sumati did not even have time to feed him, they both returned home from
the fields very tired. Sumati gave some grass and water to feed the bullock but as Sumati was
very tired he forgot to remove the mouth-guard of the bullock. The dog made his way to the
bullock and started complaining that she had also not received food all day. The bullock was
very angry because it was due to the dog that they were in this position. Chandravat
overheard the bullock and the dog conversing and understood who they were, from then on
both the dog and the bullock were cared for lovingly.
S.K.S. SWAMINARAYAN TEMPLE (LONDON) – BAL YUVAK MANDAL
Westfield Lane, Kenton, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 9EA Est. 1966 Charity Reg. No. 271034
Tel: 020 8909 9899 Fax: 020 8909 9897 Email: [email protected]
Sumati now realising that the bullock and the dog were his parents decided to find our what
could be done to help release them from their fate. He went to the forests and met Maharishi
Sarvatapa and asked him why his parents had been reborn as animals. Maharishi narrated
everything to him and told him that on Bhadarva Sud Panchmi (Rushi Panchami), invite the
seven enlightened saints: Vashisht, Kashyap, Atri, Bhardwaj, Gautama, Vishwamitra and
Jamdagni to dine and worship them. On that day, both you and your wife should observe a
fast or falahar, after that perform udhyapan ceremony and offer the fruits to your parents, they
will achieve moksha.
From this narrative, one should learn to observe the rules of menses. If things have been
touched accidentally or the female is touched accidentally during her menses, then one should
observe a fast on the day of Rushi Panchami to avoid being reborn as an animal. It is a
common mis-conception that this is a fast for only the females, both males and females to
observe the vrat to atone for any sins that may have been committed during a females
rajaswala.
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S.K.S.

SWAMINARAYAN TEMPLE (LONDON) – BAL YUVAK MANDAL

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