Chaturmas (Starting on 17th July) and its importance

Chaturmas is the period of four months from Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi to Kartik Shukla Ekadashi. It is a reserved period of the year for penance, austerities, fasting, bathing in Holy rivers and religious observances for all. Devotees resolve to observe some form of vow, be it of silence or abstaining from a favourite food item, or having only a single meal in a day. This year 17^th July is Ekadashi Tithi of Ashadha Shukla Paksha when Chaturmas will also begin and it will last till 13^th November.

Importance of Chaturmas

During this period of the sleep of the Deities, the demons become active and begin harassing humans. The Scriptures say that to protect oneself from these demons everyone should undertake some vrat (Vowed religious observance).

Special features of Chaturmas

A. Travelling is difficult because of the rainy season. Hence, the custom of undertaking Chaturmas vrats while staying in one place became prevalent.

B. During this period, our mental state also undergoes a change. Various systems in the body, such as the digestive system, operate in a different manner. With due consideration to this fact, it has been advised that consumption of food such as tubers, brinjals, tamarind, etc. be forbidden during this period.

C. The characteristic of the Chaturmas is performing acts that are conducive for Spirituality and avoiding those that are harmful to life.

Reason for celebrating many festivals and vrats during Chaturmas

The days of Holy festivals are relatively more, especially in the monsoons. Due to the rains, the incidence of diseases is high; hence, more attention needs to be paid to health. In Holy festivals, occasional fasts and consumption of sattvik (Spiritually pure) food is undertaken, in addition to some restrictions to eating outside food.

According to Spirituality, lesser availability of sunlight in the monsoons increases the strength of negative energies, thus increasing the Tama component. This increase in the Tama component is harmful, and to counter it, we need to increase our Sattva component. Celebrating festivals helps in increasing the Sattva component.

During Chaturmas, a greater proportion of the Tama predominant Yama waves reach the Earth. To be able to tolerate the effect of these, it is essential to increase the Sattva component in ourselves. Since festivals and vrats help increase the Sattva component, they are celebrated in larger numbers during the Chaturmas period.

Do’s and Don’ts during Chaturmas

A. Prohibited :

1. People are prohibited from consuming lime prepared from animal ash, water from a leather vessel, lime, citron fruit, food not offered to God as oblation through fire (Vaishvadev) and food not offered to Shri Vishnu includes red lentils, meat, white beans, beans, kidney beans, pickles, brinjals, watermelons, multi-seeded or seedless fruits, radish, ash gourd, berries, gooseberries, tamarind, onion and garlic.

2. Sleeping on a bed.

3. Intercourse with a woman, in the period excluding the sixteen nights following the first menses after marriage.

4. Eating food cooked by others.

5. Getting married or other related tasks.

6. Ascetics are forbidden from shaving in Chaturmas. It has been recommended by Dharmasindhu and other Scriptures, that they should stay in one place during these 4 months and if this is not possible, at least for 2 months.

B. Not prohibited : It is advised that during Chaturmas, food such as rice, moong (Green gram), barley, sesame seeds, grams, wheat, sea salt, cow’s milk, curd, ghee, jackfruit, mango, coconut, banana be eaten.

All vrats undertaken in the 4 months of Chaturmas culminate with the Tulsi Vivaha. All food items that are forbidden during the Chaturmas are offered first to a Brahman and then partaken.

(Ref. : Sanatan’s Text – ‘Spiritual benefits of Religious festivals and Vowed observances’.)

Chaturmas is a reserved period of the year for penance, austerities, fasting, bathing in Holy rivers and religious observances !