VAISAKHI
By Dr. Gurdial Singh Phul
Definition:
Vaisakhi is the first day of the month of Vaisakh. The Punjabi word for the first day of the month sangrand is derived from the Sanskrit word sankranti. It means the day on which the Sun enters a new constellation of the zodiac.
In astrology, the movement of the sun has been divided into twelve parts. They are the twelve constellations of the zodiac. These constellations are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. The twelve solar months are formed when the sun enters the various constellations.
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On the first day of Vaisakh, the sun which is known as the ruler of the twelve constellations, enters the Aries. The sun rejoices on entering this constellation. The rays of the sun exude excitement just as the young betray exuberance on attaining youth. Every spot where these rays fa11 starts blossoming. Nowadays, in India the sun usually enters Aries on the 12 of April, signifying the start of a new year.
Background:
According to Greek astrology when the sun is in the high constellation or Aries it spreads happiness all around. That day is known as the World day which usually falls on the twentieth of March there.
Religious aspect:
This day is considered to be very auspicious. The oldest scripture of the traditional Hindu religion the Nirnaya Sindhu says that this is the most auspicious occasion for taking a bath and for charity. It is also said in this book that during the preceding four hours or within four hours of the sun entering the Aries constellation, taking a bath and performing charitable actions purifies a person physically and spiritually and the person qualifies for liberation. According to ancient astronomy, the entry of the sun into this orbit is the most auspicious occasion in the Universe. It has even been named the period of youth of the Universe. Every ancient scholar and leader has accepted this. Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha has written that followers all over must congregate on the first day of Vaisakh because it is a most auspicious occasion. The physical and astronomical analysis of taking bath on the first day of Vaisakh highlights its significance from a scientific viewpoint too.
The Vedic aspect:
The sunlight has a unique glow to it on the first day of Vaisakh. It leads to a greater supply of oxygen to the red blood corpuscles, which leads to increased body heat. As a result, it becomes necessary to take a bath. In those times, rivers and ponds were the only places where a bath could be taken. They used to have clean water at that time of the year because the rainy season would start only later. Thus started the tradition of taking bath in river and pond waters and it continues till today.
Vaisakhi and Punjab:
In India, the sun causes ripening of crops starting from the East. Crops ripen in February itself in many places. But when the sun ripens the Punjab crops, it enters Aries. Therefore, it is only in Punjab that the ripening of the crops and the entry of sun into Aries coincide.
As per Punjabi concept, the season changes from Vaisakhi onwards. The vegetation starts blossoming.
On this day, the spring reaches its zenith. Roses spread their fragrance all around. Mango trees blossom. The loquat fruit ripens, so does the wheat crop. Golden ears of wheat sway about in the wind. Vegetation exudes fragrance all around. The Punjabi poet Chatrik describes it thus:
Pak payian kankan, lukath rasiya,
Boor piya amban nun gulab hasiya,
Baghan ute rang pheriya bahar ne.
Beriyan liphaian tehnian de bhar ne.
Pungrian va11an, velan rukhi charhian,
Phullan hethon phallan ne paroyian larian.
(Crops are ripe, loquats are fu11 of juice, roses and mango trees blossom. Spring has painted the gardens. Vines are climbing up the tree trunks, Fruits are growing from beneath the flowers).
Harvest of the wheat crop begins a day following Vaisakhi. The grain is ready to be brought home. The granaries and courtyards are prepared for the purpose. Thus in Punjab, Vaisakhi is also the great day when the hard labour of the farmers is rewarded.
It was mentioned above that on the Vaisakhi day, the rays of the sun have the divine capability of spreading happiness and enthusiasm all around. The whole being of the person on whom they fall starts dancing.
With its ripening, the crop also does not need to be guarded any more. The farmer rejoices on seeing the ripe wheat crop. The women rejoice when the harvested crop is brought home. Delicacies are prepared to celebrate the occasion.
Kankan di muk gayi rakhi,
Jatta aayi visakhi.
Kankan dian faslan pakiyan ne
Jat khet vich gajda e
Pakvaan pakaundian jattian ne.
(Guarding of crops is over, Vaisakhi has come. The wheat crop is ripe, the farmer is hoarse with joy. Jat women are preparing delicacies).
The first Vaisakhi of the Sikhs:
Due to its auspiciousness and significance all the sages, prophets and religious leaders have stressed the importance of congregating on this day and taking bath. This day has been chosen for all good deeds. Amongst Sikhs, it was Bhai Dharo Param Hans who started the tradition of celebrating the Vaisakhi festival in 1563 on orders of the third Guru Amar Das ji.
The Khalsa movement and Vaisakhi:
Sri Guru Gobind Singh was not only a great warrior saint, but also a great psychologist. He had a deep understanding of the seasons and of their spiritual and physical interaction with the human mind. He knew astrology well and was aware that human blood boils on the day of Vaisakhi. It leads to an awakening of one’s dignity and a spirit of sacrifice appears in the people. Vaisakhi, which is the youth of the Universe, is the physical manifestation of youth of the dimensionless eterna1 form. It imparts a strange, exciting energy to the human blood which awakens the inner feeling of unity in diversity and the human being becomes ready to fight in order to ensure the victory of the eternal truth by destroying forces of darkness and lies. The Guru had a powerfu1 social conscience and he was aware that up to Vaisakhi the farmers have to guard their crops and have to become busy with the harvest on the following day.
So, from a psychological, geographical, social and vedic point of view, the Guru selected the auspicious Vaisakhi day of 1699 for creating the Khalsa. It fell on 30th March. He challenged the young who were enthused by the season with his sword decorated with blood. If you care for life, first welcome this blade of power with your own neck, he seemed to be saying. You have to quench the thirst of this great pious force, which is the destroyer of the evil and darkness. It thirsts for the blood of the pure and unspoiled. Come and quench it. Let it know that Punjabis have pure blood running in them. The Punjabis are charitable and they always give more than asked for, so bathe it in blood. Let it not go away disappointed. And, in return, it will quench the thirst of all the beings on the earth. Come, the nature, the whole country is watching you. The rays of the sun are warming your blood from the constellation of Aries. The weak, who were not at one with nature, those who were not touched by the might of this positive energy, those that did not become aware of the truth, those who had only a physical existence like animals and were thus scared to die, ran away, just as dry leaves fall down from the tree.
And then, five aware young men came out all by themselves. They came forward to offer their heads under the blade of Guru Gobind Singh’s sword. The Guru took each one of them into the tent and returned each time asking for another head, his sword dripping with blood. Thus Bhai Daya Ram, Bhai Mohkam, Bhai Dharam Chand, Bhai Himmat Rai and Bhai Sahib Dayal offered their heads to the Guru. Thereafter, the Guru brought them out after dressing them up. They were attired in saffron robes. Their whole being had been transformed. They had been purified from inside and outside. They became the fortunate chosen ones. The Guru gave them amrit, the holy nectar and named them Daya Singh, Dharam Singh, Mohkam Singh, Himmat Singh and Sahib Singh. The Guru did another unique thing on that day. He himself then took amrit from them and turned into Guru Gobind Singh from Guru Gobind Rai. Thus Vaisakhi became the birthday of the Khalsa. It is a great day for Sikhs. A great carniva1 is held at Anandpur Sahib on Vaisakhi every year. Religious gatherings and singing of hymns take place. Musical evenings are organized and various martial competitions such as lancing, horse riding etc. are held.
This auspicious day is of such immense importance for the Sikhs that since then, this day has always been chosen for all-important events.
On Vaisakhi day 1747, Kapur Singh founded the Dal Khalsa. In 1765, the Sikhs held victory over Lahore and founded the Sikh empire. On Vaisakhi day 1801, Maharaja Ranjit Singh became the Sikh emperor.
Vaisakhi and New year:
Vaisakhi brings a new spring and a new feeling, therefore in severa1 calendars, the New Year starts on the Vaisakhi day. The Indian new year starts on 12 of April, the Saka sammat from 21” of April and the Khalsa era starts from the Vaisakhi of 1699.
The social significance of Vaisakhi: As mentioned earlier, taking a bath in flowing waters on the day of Vaisakhi has been considered essential from the Vedic and physiologica1 point of view. That is why a Vaisakhi festival is held in every such city of Punjab which is situated on the banks of a river or has a pond in it, as for example, Kartarpur, Sri Panja Sahib, Anandpur, Ludhiana etc.
The political significance of Vaisakhi:
On Vaisakhi day Guru Gobind Singh had tested the youth by showing them his naked sword and had created a self-awakening amongst them. He exhorted them to fight for humanity and truth and showed them the path of struggle against forces of darkness and oppression. He taught them to live with dignity and to lay their life for their freedom. That’s why on the Vaisakhi of 1919, Punjabis faced the barrage of General Dyer’s bullets on their chests and tore the ego of the oppressive ruler to bits. They shook the very roots of the empire where the sun never used to set. And like a tree with rotten roots it fell by itself after 28 years. Thus, Vaisakhi is also an important day in the freedom struggle of the country.
Vaisakhi and farmers:
It’s only in the Punjab that the wheat crop ripens on the day of Vaisakhi. The wheat fields of Punjab are full of golden crop swaying in the wind. Farmers dance with joy on seeing the ripe golden crops because it is the fruit of his own labour. It is the income from the wheat crop which makes the farmer secure economically and socially for the whole year. Wheat and farmers have been linked to each other since olden times. The farmer takes care of the wheat crop and the crop takes care of the farmer. Vaisakhi is also the day of the eternal spiritual, psychological, social and economic bond between humans and the wheat crop.
Vaisakhi and enthusiasm for life:
This is the day of zenith of the youth of the physically manifested Universe, so the nature is resplendent with joy, delight and love. The breeze on this day spreads the scent of roses, sweetness of loquats, and the fragrance of ripe crops, it excites the heart of one and all and makes them dance with joy. The maidens unwittingly tap their feet, the young men are anxious to dance the bhangra, the old start looking brighter and younger. There is enthusiasm everywhere. Love and romance turn plain words into poetry. Footsteps unknowingly start turning into dance steps. Voices break into songs and everything turns lyrical. Every being looks more attractive than ever.
Carnivals are held on Vaisakhi. The young rub shoulders with each other. Songs are sung and every part of the body bursts with joy. All this has been described by Chatrik in his poem:
Katha ho ke aya holan saare jag da.
Bheer vich modhe nal modha vajda.
Hatti hatti shokian di bheer khali e.
Aa premie, visakhi chaliye.
(Crowds have assembled from all over, shoulders rub with each other. There is an eager crowd before every stall, Come dear, let’s go visit Vaisakhi carnival).
So, the courtyard of every house fills up with the harvest gold. This day spreads happiness all around. By reminding of the birth of the Khalsa it encourages one to live with dignity. This day makes the body and the mind healthier. It creates a moment of enjoying perfect pleasure by becoming at one with the rhythm of the nature. This day is a symphony of dignity, enthusiasm, pleasure, fruit of hard labour, natural beauty, which makes every aspect of the human being perfect. This auspicious day is a sign of benevolence of God.
Saeen di nigah jag te sawalli e,
Chal ni premie visakhi chalie.
(God is looking down benevolently upon the world, Come dear, let’s go to the Vaisakhi carnival).
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[This message has been edited by Admin (edited April 12, 2002).]