Sharad Purnima Story | Significance, Rituals, Legends and Importance

Every Purnima (Full moon day) is considered important in Hindu culture, but Sharad Purnima has its own importance, Sharad Purnima is also known as Kumara Purnima, Kojagiri Purnima, Navanna Purnima, or Kaumudi Purnima, it is a harvest festival celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin (September to October), marking the end of the monsoon season. 

On the same day, it is said that Lord Krishna did the Maha rash Leela, a kind of farewell being solemnized by the villagers of Vrindavan when lord Krishna was about to leave Vrindavan. It is also said that all Devi devatas visit Vrindavan for the live rash Leela on the same day every year.

On the same day, people preach the goddess of wealth Mata Lakshmi, as it is said that on the same day she walks around the earth. Those who keep awaken and keep fast on that day get the benediction of Goddess Laxmi.

Brahma Purana, Skanda Purana, and the Linga Purana also explain the huge importance of the day.

Purnima which falls in the shukla paksha or ashwin month is known as Sharad Purnima. It is also known by the name of Rass Purnima in Brij Bhoomi, Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh India. According to the Indian history lord Krishna along with the Gopis performed a dance of divine love or Maha Raas on Sharad Purnima.

A per the Vedic astrology:

Sharad Purnima is the only day in the whole year when the moon is full of its 16 virtues and the rays coming out from the moon are considered equivalent to Amrit, the elixier, Hindu devotees’ worship Mata Lakshmi and moon God on Sharad Purnima. They prepare sweetened rice pudding and keep it under the moonlight, on the night of Ashwin Purnima, it is believed that the rays of the moon on Sharad Purnima have special qualities of healing.

Worshiping mate Lakshmi with moon is considered auspicious on this day, devotees observe a fast from morning to evening on Sharad Purnima on this auspicious evening special worship rituals are performed in India. they are

1 on this day devotees wake up in the brahma muhurta and take a bath in a holy river, lake or pond. If you do not have the access of such river, then take the Holi water of Ganga and add in your bathing water or simply chant the purity mantra while bathing.

2 After taking water in hand with rice and flowers take the vow to observe the fast on the day, place the idol of goddess Lakshmi on a red Ashan and preach her offering rice pudding and fruits, take a kalash and place a coconut over it and do the holy ritual worship. Offer the lotus flowers, white flower, lamp sweets to the deity.

3 Chant mantras and prayers to praise the goddess as well as recite the katha during the puja, also worship lord Krisha and Sri Hari Vishnu, then during the evening hours, when the moon is located in the middle of the sky, worship lord Chandra with white flowers, Diya and offer special kheer prepared with cow’s ghee rice, milk sugar Dry fruits as Naivadya.

4 Offer prayers and aarti to moon God to complete the puja and to receive his divine blessings, keep kheer vessel in the moonlight at night then next morning distribute it as prasad to all the members of the family, also keep the vessel open just place a sieve in case you think it will get contaminated.

Significance of the sharad poornima:

Although every Purnima holds great significance, Sharad Purnima is considered the most special of all,

1 On this day moon comes very close to the earth with its 16 kala or all its virtues and bestows to all devotees with its divine rays.
2 It is believed that couples who are not yet blessed with progeny or facing troubles related to childbirth must observe the fast to attain desired results. and unmarried girls and boys observe fasting on this day to get the blessing of a suitable husband or wife.

3 As per Vedic astrology, moonlight falling on this day increases spiritual and physical strength which is essential for living a happy and disease-free life.

4 As per the teaching of sacred books like brahma purana the Skanda purana on this divine night of Sharad Purnima goddess Lakshmi descends on the earth therefore devotees worship goddess Lakshmi the goddess of wealth to receive her blessings.

On the day of Sharad Purnima, it is considered very important to worship God Chandra. Unmarried women fast in the hope of finding a suitable groom, and newlywed women take the pledge and begin their Purnima fasting on this day. As per Hindu culture, each human quality is connected with a different Kala. As per the beliefs, the combination of sixteen different Kala produces the ideal human personality. Lord Krishna was said to be born with all the sixteen Kalas.

Sharad Purnima is also referred to as Raas Purnima in the Brij region. On this day, Lord Krishna is believed to have performed Maha-Raas, or divine love dance. The angelic dance of Lord Krishna with the Gopis of Vrindavan is also said to have lasted one night of Lord Brahma, which was equal to billions of human years. Also, it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi visits the world on the night of Sharad Purnima. Hence, on the day of Sharad Purnima, worshippers also worship Goddess Lakshmi and receive her blessings. 

Important Sharad Purnima Rituals:

Women traditionally fast for the whole day and prepare bhog to offer to the Goddess. Some people fast (without drinking water), while others drink coconut water and eat fruits during the day. Rice kheer is a must as part of the bhog. Worshippers keep rice kheer out all night in the moonlight, believing that the rays of the moon on Sharad Purnima have unique healing properties. On the next day, the kheer is distributed among the friends and family as a Prasad. The entire night of Sharad Purnima, worshippers do Jagran. They also involve themselves in doing spiritual awakening or practice other religious activities for getting blessings from Lord Indra and maa Lakshmi.
It is beneficial to help the poor with food and daily necessities. It is said that those who support others would always be supported by the Gods. On the day of Sharad Purnima, devotees also take a holy dip in the river Ganga and other holy rivers. Then, they do meditation and worship Goddess Lakshmi. Performing special personalized rituals on Sharad Purnima helps you to strengthen Moon in your birth chart and protect you from its malefic effects. 

Kojagiri Lakshmi Puja :

Goddess Lakshmi or Maa Lokkhi is worshipped on Sharad Purnima or Kojagiri Purnima in several parts of eastern India, including Bengal, Assam, Odisha, and eastern Bihar. Lakshmi, or the goddess of wealth, is known in Bengali as Maa Lokkhi, and devotees worship her to gain her affection and blessings. The Goddess Lakshmi is said to visit people’s homes at night to bless them when they worship her. Kojagiri Purnima meaning can be explained in two terms. Kojagiri is derived from the Bengali words Ke Jago Re, which means ‘who is awake,’ and it is said that on that night, the goddess visits houses where people worship her.

Legends behind Sharad Purnima:

The full moon day in the Hindu month of ashwin celebrated as Sharad Purnima is also known as kojagiri purnima and kumar purnima the stories from hindu sacred book describe that kojagiri purnima is the day when the moon is seen with all the sixteen kalas, which are the different phases of the moon, this auspicious festival is also called kojagiri lakshmi purnima as the day is dedicated to the goddess lakshmi.
There are many legends and stories that explain the fruitful reason behind celebrating this full moon night. According to a legend there was a king called Dhananjay who used to live in a country called Magadha, due to lack of rain and various diseases, his country suffered a huge financial crisis. as per the suggestion of his chief priest the queen and the king observed fast on Sharad Purnima and worshipped goddess Lakshmi as well as moon god while staying awake the whole night, as a result God blessed their country with his divine rays for a disease-free life and goddess Lakshmi blessed them for a prosperous life, since that day people started observing fast on a day to worship God moon and goddess Lakshmi.

According to another popular legend, on this night of Sharad Purnima lord Krishna performed the divine Raas Leela, along with his consort Radha and the Gopi’s of Vrindavan, it is a popular story of Brij Bhoomi that the Gopis used to wake up by the magical music of Krishna’s flute, they sneaked out of their homes to the nearby forest to dance with Krishna on the night of Sharad Purnima, the merciful lord Krishna replicated himself to dance with each one of the gojis it is also believed that the devotional dance bhakti Raas of lord Krishna with Radha and Gopis of Vrindavan stretched the night of the extent of one divine night of Brahma lok which is equivalent to thousands of human years thus to remember his divinity devotees of lord Krishna celebrate the whole night of Sharad Purnima with their spouse and dear ones under the moon to grab the positive vibes as the same night every year all the gods and goddess descends on the earth at Vrindavan to participate in the Ras Leela and it is not advised to visit the Nidhi van of Brindavan as no one can resist the energy of powerful being.

As per Hindu ancient history, once upon a time, a villager had three daughters, and all three of them used to fast on full moon days. The youngest daughter, on the other hand, used to fast for only half a day. As a result of her sins, her son died. Then she turned to her elder sister for comfort and called her to relieve her pain. He began crying when her older sister saw the boy and touched her. The youngest girl was taken aback by the magic and exclaimed, “Your devotion has brought my son back.” People realized the importance of Kotagiri Purnima after that.

Reason to Keep Kheer in Moonlight:

The tradition of eating Kheer on the day of Sharad Purnima is well-known, as it is believed that the Moon’s light drips nectar or elixir with various healing properties. As a result, people prepare rice kheer and keep it under the moonlight all night, and the same energized kheer is distributed as prasad to all family members the next morning.

Importance of Sharad Purnima in Vedic Astrology:

The Moon is thought to be the controller of both mind and water, the two most important aspects of life, according to Vedic astrology. On this day, the Moon’s light shines brightly and has a natural influence on the tide. The fluctuation of tidal waves in the sea is caused by this special effect produced by the Moon. Not only the sea, but the Moon’s positive influences also fall on our aqueous part of the body, affecting everyone in an unusual way. According to Vedic astrology, performing specific remedies on this day, such as performing Vedic Chandra Puja and offering milk and water to the Shivling, will bring positive results in your life. 

In a nutshell:

Sharad Purnima is the most auspicious and opportune day to fulfil your desires by worshipping Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. With the divine blessings, you can remove negativities and obstacles from your life and gain health, wealth, and prosperity. Sharad Purnima is an auspicious day that begins on the full moon day of the hindu month ashwin, day of sharad purnima signifies the end of monsoon season, and india being an agricultural nation celebrated this day as one of its harvest festivals. As per the ancient history teachings hindu devotees observe fast on this day and worship goddess lakshmi and moon god to receive their blessings different regions of india celebrate this holy festival with different names such as sharad purnima, kojagiri purnima, kumar purnima navanna purnima, or kaumudi purnima etc whorhsiping lord moon with a special rice kheer or pudding it under moonlight has been a traditional practice on sharad purnima it is believed that the rays of the moon work as nectar and are beneficial for all living beings to increase their strength and stamina.

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