Hindu
Reflections on Mating Season Festival that inspired St. Valentine’s
Religious Day
(Compilation for a discourse by N.
R. Srinivasan, Nashville TN, February 2014)
Introduction
Valentine’s Day is the most commercialized
socio-religious festival, next only to Christmas Season, 150 million greeting
cards being exchanged, with the blessings of more than one Valentine raised to martyrdom, round the globe. Casanova
and Kamadeva missed the chance. Valentine’s Day is all about love which many
Christians and non–Christians celebrate by special festivals and worships, love
being a universal emotional feeling which has no boundaries. There are more reasons for Hindus to make
February 14th a Special Event Worshipful Day than Christians to
justify it as St. Valentine’s worshipful Day! Kama occupies the third position
in human philosophic goals (Purusharthas) in Hinduism—Dharma, Artha, Kama and
Moksha, a stage behind Moksha (reaching
heaven). Driven by their culture Hindus always combine Bhakti (devotion) with Love
(satya-prema) which Christians have learnt later. In Social view it is all about love notes which even school
children exchange, heart, candy and even red roses. Originally it was about
celebrating bird’s mating season. Mid February is the time when the bird mating
season happens in European countries. This romantic season captivated human
minds and so they decided lovers should celebrate love along with birds. If you
go through the Holy Bible You can find very many great quotes on love that one
can meditate upon. God’s love is steadfast, unselfish and enduring. You come
across several stories of characters who loved in the Bible.
Here are few quotes from the Bible: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy;
love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely,
does not seek its own, is not provoked, think no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the
truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things—1 Corinthians 13:4—7”; “A friend loves at all times, and brother is born
for adversity”; “So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the
greatest is love”; “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear;
for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in
Love”. This has inspired the Churches to make this social day a religious day
dedicated to St. Valentine which do not fail to focus their sermon on the great
quotes from the Holy Bible and also meditate on them.
Saint Valentine’s
Day
Saint Valentine's Day is also known as Valentine's Day or
the Feast of Saint Valentine. Though it remains a working day in most of the
countries, this day is celebrated in many countries around the world as
Valentine’s Day on February 14th each year with enthusiasm and
exchange of greetings. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one
or more early Christian saints named Valentinus.
Several martyrdom stories were created for the various Valentines that belonged
to February 14, and added to later martyrdoms. One popular story says that Saint
Valentine was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering
to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire.
According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his
jailer, Asterius. An embellishment to this story states that before his
execution he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a
farewell.
Today,
Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican
Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church. The Eastern Orthodox
Church also
celebrates Saint Valentine's Day on July 6th in honor of Roman Presbyterian Saint Valentine and July 30th in honor of Hierolatry
Valentine, the Bishop of Interregna (modern Terni). In Brazil, the Diaz de São
Valentin is
recognized on June 12. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in
which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers,
offering confectionery, and
sending greeting cards. Valentine's Day
symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given
way to mass-produced greeting cards.
I
would not like to speculate on the stories of different Saints known as
Valentines about which mystery surrounds on which Christians do. To me its
origin from the mating
season and the Valentin’s story of the Romans appeals, as presently there is
enthusiasm among Public as to the day being significant for love and among
church followers a day to meditate upon love of God picking up so many quotes
from the Holy Bible. It fits into the philosophy of Hindu Americans that Love
and devotion go together in this Eon called Kaliyuga.
Hindu Love Theme Festivals
during Mating Season
Love Theme Festivals of
Hinduism
We have many festivals in Hinduism and also many scriptures
where love and devotion are brought together. Towards this concept great
contributions are made by saints like Aandal, Meera Bai and Jayadeva in their
devotional compositions of Tiruppavai, Mira Bhajans and Geeta Govinda which
often appear to be esoteric compositions but powerfully employed in today’s
Hindu worship and festivities. Valentine’s Day is celebrated at
different times in different cultures as social cum religious festival.
Hinduism has several such festivals motivated by love and devotion. To mention
a few are: Karwa Chauth, Teej festival, Vata Savitri Vrat, Gowri
Habba, Varalakshmi Vratam, Karadiyan Nonbu, and Koodaari Vellum of
Aandal.
Two Hindu Events of Mating
Season
To me
two stories come uppermost in my mind when I see the enthusiasm of Hindu
Americans going round greeting each other on Valentine’s Day even in Hindu
temples, leave alone in their social life and exchange of greeting cards, and
their eagerness to honor women by serving them lunch and offering even red
roses if they happen to come to temple on that day and if it happens to be week
end. You all know Holi festival comes
soon after the Valentine’s Day in March
which is associated with Kama Dahana which brings our thoughts as to how the
wild mendicant Rudra was turned into auspicious and pleasant domesticated Siva
to bless us coming out of his seclusion. Their happy union was for world peace and
happiness. It also reminds of the Ramayana that got restored in the human computer mind
of Valmiki during the mating
season long before Rama was born, only to be verified later when Lava Kusa sang
the whole episode revealing to the world, the Adi Kavya in sloka meter—first
literary composition of the world long before the Iliad’s and others. This is
the most sacred text read by vast majority of people in the world.
In India until around
middle-ages there was a tradition of adoring Kamadeva (cupid of Hindus), the
lord of love. Even now it is done in the derogatory sense to kill passion as
Kamadahana. This veneration of Kamadeva
is glorified in Kamasastra and in the sexual exhibits on the walls of Khajuraho
Temple in Madhya Pradesh which stands as proof reminding the past history. This
tradition of worship was lost around the Middle Ages, when Kamadeva was no
longer celebrated, and public displays of sexual affection became a thing to be
frowned upon by the orthodoxy. In
modern times, Hindu and Islamic traditionalists have considered this holiday to
be cultural contamination from the West, as a result of the globalization in
India. Despite these obstacles, Valentine's Day is becoming increasingly
popular in India. They often exclaim: "We are not against love, but we
criticize vulgar exhibition of love at public places” and exchange greetings.
References to Hindu god Kamadeva can
be traced in the verses of Rig Veda and Atharva Veda although he is
better known through major Puranas. The story of the birth of Kamadeva has
several variants in different Puranas. In some Kamadeva arises from the mind of the
creator god, Brahma; sometimes he is portrayed as being at the attendant of
Indra. Kamadeva's consort Rati, whose very essence is desire, carries a discus
and a lotus; her arms are compared with lotus-stalks. Rati
is a character in many traditional dramas involving Kamadeva and in some ways
represents an attribute. The goddess
Vasanta (spring), who also accompanies Kamadeva, emerges from a sigh of
frustration. Kama often takes part in Puranic
battles with his troops of soldiers.
The
incineration of Kama, Kama Dahana in
the Mating Season
One of the popular myths of Kama is
that of his incineration by Siva told in several Puranas. Indra and the gods suffering at the hands of
the demon Tarakasura feel he could not be defeated except by a son of Siva.
Brahma then advised Parvati to woo Shiva so that their offspring would be able
to kill Taraka. Indra assigned his attendant Kamadeva to break Siva's meditation. To create
a congenial atmosphere, Kamadeva (Madana) creates an untimely spring (akaala
vasanta). He evades Siva's guard, Nandi, by taking the form of the fragrant
southern breeze, and enters Siva's abode. After he awakens Siva with a flower
arrow, Siva got furious, opened his third eye, which incinerates Madana
instantaneously and he is turned into ash. However Siva later pleases Parvati, resuscitates
Kamadeva also called Madana and Siva agrees to let Madana live but in a disembodied
form without gross body to the vision of the world. But to Rati he was the
usual Madana. Hence Kamadeva is also called 'Ananga', the bodiless. That was the birth of Kama turned into Ananga.
Spirit of love embodied by Kama is now
disseminated across the cosmos and influences lover’s life and he often comes
to their rescue when prayed upon. Kama was effective on mendicant Siva whose
union with Parvati consummated. Their son Kartikeya subdued Taraka.
Kamadeva is always ready to induce love in the minds of otherwise barren minded
people by shooting with arrow of flowers. He is known as Pushpa-bana-pani Like
Rama who is Kodandapani ever vigilant to terminate the evil minded.
As you all know Krishna had 16008 Valentine’s
to deal with besides being sold to Radha all the time whom she never married. It
is said that later Kama is reincarnated in the womb of Krishna's wife Rukmini
as Pradyumna. There is a belief that Kamadeva was burnt to ashes by the anger
of Siva later merged into the body of Vasudeva. And it is explained that in
order to get his body again he was placed in the womb of Rukmini. Particularly
in the Gaudiya tradition, Krishna is identified as Kamadeva, and in Gaudiya
Vaishnavism, Kamadeva is directly a part of Vasudeva. But
the love of Mira and Radha is always
viewed by orthodoxy as Bhakti turning to extreme love with the sole desire of
merging with the Supreme like that of Aandal to Krishna. Once Narada was curious to know how Krishna
managed with so many wives and equally disposed towards them in family life. He
was surprised to find Krishna was well settled with his equal partners and led
a normal life of a dutiful husband at the same time. But Krishna’s love episode is not attached to
any particular season and so do not have any significance to the mating season
we are talking about.
The attributes of demigod Kamadeva
are as such: his companions are a cuckoo, a parrot, humming bees, the season of
spring, and the gentle breeze. All of these are symbols of spring season, when
his festival is celebrated as Holi, Holika or Vasanta.
The deity of Kamadeva along with
his consort Rati is included in the pantheon of Hindu deities such as Siva and
Parvati. In Hindu traditions for the marriage ceremony itself, the bride's feet
are often painted with pictures of Suka the parrot, mount of Kamadeva. The religious rituals addressed to him offer a
means of purification and reentry into the community. Devotion to Kamadeva
keeps desire within the framework of the religious tradition. Kamadeva also appears in other stories and
becomes the object of certain devotional rituals for those seeking health,
physical beauty, husbands, wives, and sons. Kama with Rati can be seen in the
famous temple walls of Chennkesava (Krishna) Temple in Belur Karnataka
Mating Season Festivals and Rituals
of Madana or Kama
Kama Dhahan is a Spring New Year
Festival in Southern India and many parts of Western regions while in the North
it is attributed to Narasimha avatar. It is sometimes called Madana-Mahotsava
in Sanskrit, or Kama-Mahotsava. Initially this spring festival was
held in reverence to celestial Vedic figure of Kamadeva. Kamadeva is believed to be a demigod of the
heavenly planets especially capable of inducing lusty desires. The Ashoka tree is often planted near temples.
The tree is said to be a symbol of love and is dedicated to Kamadeva.
Kama Gayatri Mantra || Om kaama devaaya vidmahe
pushpabaanaaya dheemahi tanno anangah prachodayat || It is
customary to chant this 108 Times in Pradosha Kaala (Evening Time twilight zone), preferably from Vasanta
Panchami to Holi in March.
Upanishads and our sastras are not
against Kama or Love. This is clear from the vow the bride makes during
Marriage ceremony “Kamena nati
charitavya” not to exceed in passion of one’s life partner, as wife is
considered to be Sahadharmini or equal partner. Only it means use constraint. Upanishads
discuss at length on the role and importance of Dharma, Artha, Kama and
Moksha. Brihadarnyaka Upanishad in its 6th
Anuvaka is not shy to discuss about our ideal sex-life and the constraints
needed. It discusses about ideal marital relationship, ritualistic copulation,
how to beget healthy children meditating on Supreme and how to bring them up as
intelligent and healthy children useful to the society. Kamokarsheet mantra prescribed in Maha Naarayana
Upanishad is for paying obeisance to Deity of Desire (Kamadevata) (kamokarsheet namo namah). Namo namah
in this mantra clearly indicates how it treats the subject of Kama with reverence.
In Taitareeya Braahmana it is stated that Kaama (God’s prompting) is the base
of all economic activities. It is
responsible for the giving and acceptance of gifts. The Pure self is not
affected by that. God is that gives and
God it is who receives. Therefore Dakshina is given and taken with sacred
intentions and not lust. It should not be considered as the under the table
money or serve charge.
It is unfortunate Kamadahana
ritual is misinterpreted today and joked in an ugly fashion. People in Karnataka use abusive language while
making the bonfire on Kamadahana festival. Their focus is on lust and not on
sacred love for which Kamadeva had to lose his physical body forever. But for
his intervention lord Siva would have never come together with Parvati changing
wild ascetic Rudra to a domesticated husband of auspiciousness for the welfare
of the world to become “Jagatah pitarah” or Universal parents. Kamadevata was
the initiator for the Kumarasambhava which Kalidasa has beautifully described
in his master peace. We should all be
grateful to Rati and Kamadeva and pay our obeisance. What better time it could
be to celebrate Ananga (the Spirit of Love) other than the
mating season when Vasantarutu is just about to turn around to bring us happiness
bringing comfort to us from the severe winter. Bonfire is a way of worship in Hindu
way of life as witnessed in many festivals during spring season coming out of
severe winter like Bhogi, Holi etc. Even angered Siva later realized the noble
mission of Kamadeva. That is why Kama
was restored to life so that love could pervade the cosmos forever in his
reincarnation as Ananga.
Ramayana comes out of Valmiki’s emotion during the Mating Season
Perhaps you are aware the circumstances under which Ramayana
got restored in the mind of Valmiki by divine telepathy and got released to the
world by the singing of the 24000 slokas in the court of Rama by Lava and Kusa.
It is said that Ramayana got recorded in the minds of Valmiki even before the
dissension of Rama on earth and it remained only to be verified later as to its
accuracy! I would like to bring following slokas from Ramayana for your kind attention:
Tasmaat tu mithunaadekam
pumaasam paapanischayah | dadarsa bhagavanstatra kraunchayos-chaarunisvanam || [A
hunter of sinful resolve and full
of animosity stuck with an arrow one of said pair, the male bird even while the
sage looked on]
Ma nishaad pratishthaam tam
agamah saaswateeh samaah | yat krauncha-mithunaadekam avdheeh kaamamohitah || [Oh fowler! May you not have peace of mind for endless years,
since you have killed one of the pair of cranes, infatuated with love.]
It was the mating season. The greedy hunter having no
consideration to these love birds killed the male companion. The female crane
burst into cry in the wilderness mourning the death of her companion. Overcome by grief from this separation and
wailing female companion, Valmiki
started composing the Ramayana in his mind all at once by divine inspiration,
the story of Rama who had to endure pangs of separation from his beloved for long years due to abduction of his beloved Sita cunningly
by Ravana and after having rejoined with her for a short time was separated
from her for ever leaving her twin sons orphaned. The whole Ramayana is in
sloka meter (poetic composition of grief) which was the result of his deep
grief —Shokah slokatvamaagatah --his grief converted into sloka].
An undercurrent of many love stories runs through whole
Ramayana. First it was the love of Dasaratha to his youngest wife Kaikeyi in
leaving a blank check which she cashed later to her advantage. It was the love
for her son Bharata that brought the whole misery on the love life of Sri Rama.
Rama’s misery after a short wedded life, separation from Sita, long suffering
and pangs of love which brought the end of Ravana is again a long story of love
struggle narrated through and through in Ramayana. It is due to the grief of
Sugriva for the abduction of his wife Ruma by his own brother Vali that he
bought the friendship of Rama. Sugreeva not only got his love back but also
bought the love of Tara his brother’s wife after Vali’s death mutually
attracted. It was the duty of brother-in-law to take care of the widowed
sister-in-law in those days. Rama continued to suffer and led a loveless life
after a short reunion due to his caring too much for the heresy of a washer-woman
for the rest of his life. It was the
dangerous attraction to Rama that brought misery to Soorpanaka that
caused her body mutilation and death to her brother by the events that
followed. It is the fatal attraction of
of Ravana to Sita’s beauty which he could not physically enforce due to the
curse that at last brought his own destruction. It is the sexual misbehavior
infatuated with love towards Vedavati that brought this curse on Ravana. Thus
Ramayana sounds like Kamayana “The Song of Love” which is reflected through the
entire life of Lord Rama which is revealed in Ramayana, the story of Rama. Kamadeva is seen quite active all through
Ramayana. Rama was ever vigilant with
his bows and arrows as Kodanda-pani and Kama as Pushpa-bana-pani to help the
lovers. Valmiki is a Pauranik, religious story teller. He narrates human love
stories and through them leads us to divine love which is called Bhaktimarga. If you read Ramayana Valmiki has spent one
full chapter on the full episode on Siva-Parvati union brought about through
the good offices of Kama who got incinerated in the process and thus Kama was
responsible for the arrival of Kumara, Lord Subhramanya. Is it strange that not
a single mention of Ganesha is made in Ramayana though he is elder to Kumara as
Puranas say later. Ramayana is all on love stories, pangs of
love and sufferings of love Valmiki concentrated upon to forcibly bring the
theme of divine love for salvation. That
is why Ramayan Path Pooja, Holy reading of Ramayana for salvation is so much
glorified in Ramayana! Is it not worth dedicating this day to Ramayana Jayanti?
Birth of Kumara (arising from Siva Parvati union),
celebrated in Kumarasambhava of Kalidasa as well as birth of Ramayana arising out of tragic
separation of love birds are events fitting and proper to be celebrated dedicating February 14th to
Lord Siva and Ramayana Jayanti. This will be both pleasing to Siva and Rama.
You all know Rama was a devotee of Siva and the Linga he consecrated is called
Rameswara Linga which has now turned into a holy pilgrimage place Rameswara. Teertha
yatras start with the worship of Viswanatha in Varanasi and end in the
culmination of Linga worship with Rudram in Rameswaram to derive the full
benefits of the pilgrimage. Rama missed Ganesha somehow. May be he did not
exist then and was elevated to the position of a senior to please Parvati!
Hindus do celebrate Geetaa Jayanti or Birthday of Gita but
not Ramayana Jayanti. It is clear from the above that Ramayana was a composition
of the mating season, same as that of Valentine’s
Day which owes its origin to the mating season, a festival later turned
religious. As we all know Ramayana is the most read holyscripture with
reverence (Ramayan Parth), generally during Rama Navami and Navaratri
festivals. This act of sacred reading is
said to get rid of all sins. So also Bhagavadgeeta reading during Krishna
Janmashtami, but its birthday is separately celebrated. What other day will be better for celebrating
birthday of Ramayana than February 14 which is the Valentine’s Day?
You all know Vasanta Panchami comes in February also just before
the mating season. There is one whole chapter in Ramayana describing the grief
of Rama afflicted with the pangs of love. He was impatient to wait for the
coming of spring though not far off and wanted to start the war on Ravana immediately
with the blessings of Goddess Durga on Vasanta Panchami Day. That was again the
time just few days before the start of mating season. I
often think the idea of celebrating Valentine’s Day dedicated to love should
have come from ancient Hindu traditions
Where West and East
share the same cultural thinking on St Valentine’s Day
It is customary for Hindu Temples to keep open temples for long
hours during the long holiday weekends of American Holidays like Independence,
Thanksgiving, Labor Day and Christmas, marking them as special Religious Events in
their Temple calendar. Somehow they feel shy to club Valentine’s Day with other
American Holidays. There is every justification to dedicate this day in the
mating season to Ramayana as well as Ratidevi and Kamadeva seeing the brisk
activity and exchange of greetings that goes on in the temple premises on that
day to which authorities have not found any objection unlike the orthodoxy in
India which frowns on Kamadeva as sex symbol. If Kamdeva is not acceptable at
least Ramayana Jayanti deserves a day of recognition like Geeta Jayanti. I consider sacrifice of Kamadeva is as
important as the sacrifice of Purusha in Purushasookta because of the fact he
gave us the benefit of the Siva the auspicious who is responsible for all
goodness in life and liberation to enjoy eternal bliss.
While Western culture celebrate Valentine’s day and invoke
the blessings of the Lord for their valentines meditating on Biblical quotes
and exchange greetings, Hindu Americans can celebrate Siva-Parvati Union and
Ramayana Jayanti on the same day to invoke the blessings of Ratidevi and
Kamadeva, Siva and Parvati, as well as
Rama and Sita for their valentines and enjoy the social events as joint culture
with all others.
CONCLUSION
Valentine’s
Day observed as a festival to honor St. Valentine could be traced back
to a Roman holiday to honor Goddess Juno (Mahishee). Juno was the
queen of Roman gods and goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the
Goddess of Women and Marriage. February 15th was
celebrated as Feast of Lupercalia, even earlier predating the above honoring
Juno. In those days, the lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate
as in Hindu culture. However, on the eve of the festival of Lupercalia, the
names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed in jars. Each
young man would draw a girl’s name from the jar and would then be partner for
the duration of the festival with the girl whom he picked. Sometimes the
pairing of the youngsters lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in
love and would later marry. I have described above the story behind this
mysterious saint who is celebrated on this day. In 496 A.D. Pope d Gelasius set
aside February 14th to honor St. Valentine. In USA, Miss Esther
Howland is given credit for sending first Valentine’s cards. Commercial
Valentines were introduced in the 1800. Western World has not only highly
commercialized it but also convincingly converted to a religious day of worship
in churches praying for the better-halves and for the harmony of married
life of their dear ones directed to fair sex with special prayers and religious Masses.
Hindu
Americans make most of the American Holidays their Special Religious Events Day
most popular one being New Year’s day celebrated with Shiva Abhishekam etc. in
order to make New Year Resolutions. How are they justified? If we refer to
Vedas we can find more than necessary justification. Samvatsara is glorified as
Brahman in Vedas. We have umpteen numbers of Samvatsaras in India. Even Vedas
describe five kinds of Samvatsaras of which I talked about. Hence there is all
justification to make January 1 a worshipful Day in American Hindu way of
thinking. Vedas preach Universal Oneness and so all Samvatsaras could be
Vyahritis of Brahman.
Hindu
Temples celebrate many divine wed-locks arising out of love affairs like
that of Siva Parvati, Radha and Krishana, Venkatesa and Padmavati, Andal
and Ranganatha (Panguni Uttiram) etc., and also of Rama and Sita, who were long separated
and united, and also of couples Savitri and Satyavan
(Karadiyan Nonbu); such celebrations are done with religious devotion
seeking divine intervention and blessing for choosing a boy for the
girl as well as long happy married life
or longevity of husbands.
When
I came to USA I had a cultural shock when I saw males walking with roses in
their hands offering to ladies and greeting them with Happy Valentine's Day and
arranging festival lunch tables and serving them food in temples after
worship. Hindu Temple in Albany also conducted special Puja to Lakshmi on that chosen day. Things were not much different when I came to Nashville. I slowly
realized how Hindu Americans were also struggling hard to keep their married
life happy and so needed divine help. I got used to the changing pattern of
Hindu culture and even started feeling there is nothing wrong in celebrating
Valentine’s day in Hindu temples and only it needed change of name and proper
way of worship to suit our culture looking at the practice of
church worship on Valentine’s Day.
Are we violating Hindu religious
codes by our worship to a deity on Valentine’s Day? Looking at our Vedic ritual
of Kamokarsheet Homa and celebration of Karadiyan
Nombu and Vata Savitri Vrat in temples I felt the
need for celebrating it is more than not, and felt it is not against our
culture. Vedas have deified Kaama (infatuation) and make fire offerings (Homa)
to avoid evil influence of Kaama. Puranas have deified Obstacle and call the deity
as Vighnaraja, the Lord of Obstacles. Here the focus is on fear of negative
influence of these characteristics but our focus could well be diverted to
positive thinking for promotig peace and harmony in that process of deifying and worshiping. Tamils have
long tradition of celebrating Karadiyan Nombu in Temples as Special
Religious Day, while in the North same is celebrated as Vata Savitri
Vrat to commemorate the dedication and love of Savitri to her husband
Satyavan pleading to Yama for long life and seeking divine intervention to
fulfill Pativrata Dharma. Here Satyavan and Savitri are not
any Hindu deities of worship. If Hindu ladies are thus celebrating love, Hindu males
also need to fulfill their obligation as she is Sahadharmini. What better day
is well suited to American Hindus to celebrate this day with Radha Kalyanam?
You are also aware how Geet Govind and
Tiruppavai the two lovelorn esoteric compositions are almost equated with holy scriptures
and liberally employed in our daily worship. My discourse Hindu Reflections on Mating
Season Festival that inspired St. Valentines Religious Festival above would
make lot of sense in the above context. Of late
Valentine’s Day is observed with great enthusiasm in India though it has not
reached Hindu Temples as in America. This day can be made a worshipful day
called Prema-Jeevan Anugraha Divas as Christianity made this
day a religious Valentine's Day, which we all need, more so living in USA.
1.
Pamela
Rose Williams, Valentine’s Day, Health and Wellness, Middle Tennessee, February
2014.
2.
Ananta
Rangacharya N.S., Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Bangalore.
3.
Gita
Press, Srimad Valmiki Ramayana, Gorakhpur, India.
4.
Wikepedia
and other Internet Sources.
5.
Swami
Sivananda, Festivals and Rituals, Sivanand Ashram, Hrishikesh, India.
6.
Swami
Vimalananda, Mahanarayana Upanishad, Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India.
7.
Devdutt
Pattanaik, Devi, Vakils, Feffer and Simons Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, India
[This is
a prepared lecture compiled from above references and others for a discourse at
Sri Ganesha Temple, Nashville and to benefit those who are not able to attend
the same in person. You are free to download and use it for your reading and
reference as well as circulate to others to spread the wisdom of Vedas and
Hindu values which good act will be appreciated.]
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