Dhanteras

Dhanteras Pooja Katha

Dhanteras is an important festival of Hindus, it is celebrated two days before Diwali. As per Hindu calender this auspicious festival is falls on the thirteenth lunar day of krishna Paksha on Kartik month (October/November). Dhanteras is also known as Dhanwantri Trayodashi or Dhan Trayodashi. On the day of Dhanteras, it is a ritual to worship godess Laxmi in the moring as well as evening, buy Gold , silver and vessels and lamp diyas of clay. It is said that, these diyas of clay are capable to drive away evil spirits and protect the family members from short-dead or Akaal Mrityu.

Legend behind the Yamadeepdan on Dhanteras:

Once Yamraj the king of death asked a question from his envoy- are they feel sorrow or pity during their work. To hear this question from Yamraj all envoy became frightened and reply him that it is our work so we don’t feel pity on the human beings. But Yamraj comprehend the situations of their death envoy and said that don’t be scared and tell him what they feel. Then death envoy accepted that they really feel pity on one incident and narrate whole story. There was a famous king named Hima in the earth. His queen gave birth to a beautiful boy child but when astrologers make his kundali they forecast that this boy will be dead after four days of his marriage. To hear this, king Hema sent him in a lonely place where his male teachers teach him. At that place, girls are prohibited but one day a princess visits from that way and she met with the prince both was falling in love and they did love marriage. But according to the fate of a prince, a snake bite him on the fourth day of his marriage and he was dying. When death evils went there to collect the life of the prince they felt pity to hear the weeping and crying of his new married wife. That couple is more less than from Rati and Kamdev. Then death envoy asked to the Yamraj that there is a solution to protect from short dead or Akaal Mrityu. To hear this question, Yamraj narrate him the solution of Akaal Mrityu. If people will worship on the day of Dhanteras and light the Diya of clay or Deepdaan on the south direction they will be protected from short death.

Legend behind the Dhanteras:

According to the other Legend, when Gods and Devils churn the ocean (Samudramanthan), Lord Dhanvantari the god of Physician emeged out from the sea with a pot of elixir or Amrit on the day of Dhanteras. Therefor, people worship Lord Dhanvatari and purchase vessels, gold and silver on the day of Dhanteras.

Legend Behind Laxmi-poojan on Dhanteras:

It is a legend that once goddess Laxmi requested Lord Visnu to gave him accompany during his earth visit. Lord Vishnu accepted her request but gave her some instructions that she will not look on the south direction and not fall for earthly temptations. Goddess Laxmi accepted all terms and conditions of the Lord Vishnu but when she visit to the earth forget all the instructions and she looked in the south direction. At the southern direction she saw yellow mustard flowers and sugarcane, she enjoy sugarcane juice and decorate herself by mustard flowers and fall in earthly temptations. When Lord Vishnu found that Laxmi violated the rules he said her to stay on the earth as a labour of that person who has belong to the field of sugarcane and mustard flower for 12 years.

After finding the Laxmi as a labour the farmer became very wealthy and Laxmi completed her twelve years as a labour. Later she asked the farmer that she want to return her house but farmer want that she stay because she is a hard labour and she was very lucky for him. So farmer offered her more wages but Laxmi denies to take anything.

Atlast, Goddess Laxmi told the farmer to take a pilgrimage with his family to river Ganga. After his pilgrimage they will decide about her future and gave him four small shells to offer river Ganga. When farmer pryed to Goddess Ganga to accept four shells, four hands came up and accepted all the four shells.

After this incident, farmer realized that all four shells are not ordinary and the lady who gave it she was related to the some divine power. Then he prayed to the Goddess Ganga to reveal the truth then she asked that the lady who was in his home is Godess Laxmi.

To know the truth,farmer feel very happy and requested to Goddess Laxmi to stay on the earth but she refused the proposal and said that she visit on the earth on all Dhanteras day so keep his home clean and lighten the diyas of clay.

From that incident people started to perform Laxmi pooja on the Dhanteras day and light lamps in the night.