Akshay Tritya

Akshaya Tritiya is a day of utmost importance in vedic calendar. The word tritiya means third. This day falls on the third day of the bright half of Vaishakh month (April-May),i.e. Vaishakh shukla tritiya. At this moment of time during the year, the sun and moon are very near to their maximum strength. The word, "Akshaya" means one that never diminishes. Hence, starting a new activity or buying valuables on this day is considered to certainly bring luck and success. All the charity and donations done on this day yield the punyas which never exhausts. If this date coincides with Rohini nakshatra then it is considered more auspicious. As per hindu mythology it is believe that on this day the “The satya yuga” began.Akshaya Tritiya is traditionally observed as the birthday of Lord Parusurama who was the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Lord Kubera, considered to be the lord of wealth, is one amongst the eight directional lord. Some classics says that Lord Kubera himself pray to Goddess Lakshmi on this day. According to the Vedas, it was on the day of Akshay Tritiiya that Veda Vyasa along with Lord Ganesha started writing the epic, Mahabharata. Vedas say that knowledge gained or charity done on this day is very fruitful.It was today when Lord Krishna proved his true friendship with Sudaama at Dwarka.As per another legend, Pandavas received the AkshayPaatra from Lord Krishna on this day. In eastern parts of india, on the day of the Akshay Tritiiya, "HalKhata" or ceremony to start the new audit book is performed - with the worship of Lord Ganesha & Godess Lakshmi. In another intresting legend this day is also most auspicious day for the farming community. It is known as "Akha Teej". Early morning, a male member of family goes to field. All the animals and birds encountered on the way to the field indicates omen. Then predictions are made for rains and crops on the basis of omen. For the believers in astrology this day is considered as “unboojha muhurat” which means that no need to check the auspiciousness of the day by performing complex astrological calculations.

The previous birth of Draupadi

 In her previous birth,Draupadi  was born as the daughter of King Nala and Damayanti. Her name was Nalayani. She was a true devotee of Lord Shiva since childhood. Once Lord Shiva granted a wish. She said that she wanted to marry a man who possessed the desired 14 qualities. Though Lord Shiva asked to change her wish , but she was adamant. Lord Shiva blessed her that in the next birth she would married to 5 men with all the desired 14 qualities. In the next birth she was born from the fire as a daughter of King Drupad. Her father arranged swayamvar for her marriage in which Arjuna won her hand. After the marriage when Arjuna went to home along with his four brothers and Draupadi, they knocked the door and said to the  mother,kunti, that there was a  surprise for her. But mother Kunti without looking at Draupadi, thought that her sons must have brought some eatables from the forest for her, so she asked her sons to divide whatever they got among themselves. Finally, in order to obey mother’s order, all the five Pandavas accepted Draupadi as their wife. It is believe that she was a composite avatar of ‘Shakti’.

Arjun and Hanuman

Once Arjun was on pilgrimage and reached Rameshwaram. When he saw the setu(bridge), he wondered that why Lord Rama needed the help of  vanar sena(troops of monkeys) though he himself was a great archer. This was the time when Arjun’s thought was governed by his ego and boast of him to be great archer. He found that one monkey was following him. The monkey tried to answer his doubt and said that it was not practical to built the bridge of arrows by Lord Rama  because it would not able to bear the weight of huge monkey army. On hearing this Arjun laughed and challenged monkey that the bridge made by him could have bear the weight easily and if it failed to do so then he would jumped into the fire. The monkey agreed the challenge and asked Arjun to build a bridge from his arrows.Arjun with his great skills built a very strong bridge. But the moment the monkey stepped on to the bridge , it collapsed.Arjuna accepted the defeat and made a fire ready jumped into.at the very moment one Brahman who was none other than Lord Krishna visited and enquired the matter. The Brahman offered his shoulder at the foundation of bridge and asked Arjun to repeat the task. Again the bridge was built by Arjun with his arrows and when monkey set his foot , the bridge did not collapsed. Arjun was stunned. The monkey appeared in his original form of Hanuman and greet the Brahman who was Lord Krishna(an incarnation of Lord Rama).

Lord Krishna said “ Dear Hanuman!! In previous yuga you have done so much for me and carried me on your shoulder.In this yuga I came to carry you on my shoulder. Also I wanted to teach Arjun a lesson who was living with a false ego”

Arjuna went into tears and asked for forgiveness as the Lord has to came to rescue him. Lord Krishna also honoured his disciple claim of building the bridge second time.God never let HIS children down.

Curse of Yudhishtir

In Mahabharat's war, it was on 17th day when the battle between Karna and Arjun broke. The intensity and importance of the fight could be judged from the fact that even Gods witnessed it from the heaven. Eventually, Karna was killed by the Arjun and a wave of grief spread in Kauravas camp after this shocking news. After this important victory Pandavas found that their mother, Kunti was very upset despite her son Arjun scored victory over Karna. She expressed her desire to her sons to perform the last rites of Karna. But their sons,Pandavas declined. Then Kunti revealed the secret that actually Karna was her son which was born before her marriage.Surya blessed her a son when she was unmarried. On hearing this, Yudhishtir, perhaps lost his patience for the first time in his life. He cursed the women race that they would never able to keep a secret.

The 3 sins of Ashwathama

Ashwathama, the son of Dronacharya was a great warrior. During the Mahabharata war he joined the Kaurava's camp. On the 13^th day of war he committed the first crime by involving in a killing of Abhimanyu by unfair means. Later,he lost all his senses when his friend Duryodhan was killed . He decided to took revenge and attacked at the Pandavas camp at night which was against the rules of war and killed the sons of Draupadi.It was his second sin. This created havoc in the Pandavas camp and they chased Ashwathama. A fierce battle broke between Ashwathama and Arjun. Despite restrictions Ashwathama invoke the “Brahmastra”, a divine weapon to kill Arjun. But sage Vyas intervened and advised Ashwathama to stop the use of the weapon to save earth. But Ashwatham didn’t knew the trick of withdrawing the weapon. To take revenge he directed the weapon towards the womb of the daughter in law of Arjun,Uttra who was carrying Abhimanyu’s son,Parikshit. He wanted to destroy the lineage of Arjun. Later Uttra delivered stillborn child. Here Lord Krishna cursed Ashwathama that he will roam like a ghost till the end of Kaliyuga and his body will suffer from the uncurable wounds. Lord Krishna also took away the divine jewel from Ashwathama which he used to wear on his forehead as this jewel had all the powers. Still it is belive that the Ashwathama is roaming with a wound on his forehead and many people has witnessed a strange man with wounds and blood oozing from his forehead.Surly, the current age of Ashwathama would be 5000 years+ today!