The Fast is Upon Us!
Some choose to do a week but all Tamils fast on the Saturday as it is dedicated to the deity in the form of Lord Venkateswara( Balaji). I am sure by now you have discovered that in Hinduism all the Gods and Goddesses like to Cosplay into different forms or people. They're cool like that.
Before I go any further, I want to tackle a very annoying comment I get when I tell people I am fasting. And it only happens in Cape Town. The comment goes, "But that's not fasting."I suspect people get confused because the Muslim community fasts for Eid and they dry fast between sunrise and sunset. Hindus can choose to dry fast if they wish but there is more than one type of fast. Fasting can mean abstaining from eating certain things like the ones I mentioned earlier, pretty much similar to what is done during Lent. Now you know.
Now back to the holy month of Purtassi, it is believed that Lord Vishnu came down to earth during this time. He offered guidance and left his form in the Thiruppathi Hills in India. There is a temple there dedicated to him where many devotees around the world pay homage. There is another story that Lord Vishnu brought the rains to save the crops and save the people from starvation so Tamils eat vegetables to offer thanks for their crops being saved.
I did some research and can tie the two together: A great prayer was being conducted on the bank of the river Saraswati but all the great sages and saints couldn't decide which of the Trinity of Gods( Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) is most powerful and would have the prayer dedicated to them. So the sage Bhrigu was sent to find out. He visited Brahma ( his father) first who was too busy meditating and spending time with his wife Saraswati so they argued and Bhrigu left. He went to Shiva who was spending time with his wife Parvati, another war of words erupted and things would have ended badly for Bhrigu if Parvati didn't intervene. Only Vishnu was left who was asleep on his Sheshanaga (a throne of sorts but actually the King of the Nagas - a giant King Cobra, a primal being that has all the planets of the universe on its hoods and where Vishnu likes to kick back and rest). Bhrigu by now was fuming and kicked Vishnu on his chest which woke him up. Vishnu then calmly apologised for not seeing him and offered to bathe Bhrigu's feet with milk fearing he had injured himself.
Now the thing is, Vishnu's wife, Luxmi was in Vishnu's chest, Gods can do that, and she was kicked out. It was then that Mother Luxmi had 'words' with Lord Vishnu and left, leaving the heavens in darkness. I am not well versed with all the stories but I do know that you NEVER upset a Goddess. In order to appease his wife, Vishnu had to do penance on earth by having a man from earth desecrate him. I told you that you don't mess with a Goddess.
That's how he came to Thiruppathi Hills, an anthill formed over him whilst he lay in darkness immovable. Brahma and Shiva were worried that Vishnu would get no sustenance this way and would perish so they too arrived on earth in the form of a cowherd girl (Brahma) and cow(Shiva). In this form, they went to the ruling King and Shiva the cow was sold to him. Every day the king's cows were taken near the anthill by his cowherd boy to graze and Shiva would feed Vishnu milk down the anthill until the King became suspicious of his new cow having no milk. He asked his cowherd to keep an eye on it and when he saw what was happening he told the King. The gig was up!
The King went to the anthill and upon witnessing this himself grew so angry that he beheaded the cow, spilling blood down the anthill. The world shook and Lord Vishnu emerged. He was dark-skinned from spending all that time in darkness with a white stain on his forehead from the milk and a red stripe down the middle from the blood. Boom. That's where the Namam comes from - the symbol of Lord Venkateshwara, the avatar he took to help preserve mankind.
This is probably when he was able to help with the drought as part of fulfilling what he needed to do to get Luxmi back. It was really difficult finding a lot of information around this.
Prayers are offered on Saturdays in the afternoon around 3pm. I will be doing mine tomorrow and adding a little something this year for Navaratri( more on that another time). It is a day of positive energy as it is the only day during the month of Purtassi that is free from negative influences. It is when thanks will be given to Lord Vishnu for this life and for earth's preservation. Imagine if everyone around the world thought about the Earth's preservation, we might not be in this climate change mess. Not just pray about it but really thought hard and did something.
Anyways, I quite like having the time to abstain from meat etc. and have my body cleansed. It is a good reset and part of why fasts are done in the first place. When it is over, the fast is broken with the eating of fish and then various Indian meals and delicacies.
To all those observing the fast, I pray that you are blessed. To those not observing the fast, I wish you the very same.
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