Jyeṣṭha Pūrṇimā is celebrated through ritual bathing practices, and, there is also another major celebration that occurs on this day: Vaṭa Sāvitrī Pūrṇimā. The date varies throughout the regions of India depending on which calendar system people are using (and there are several!) but throughout South Asia you see some version or variation of this celebration.
Vaṭa Sāvitrī is a very sweet holiday named after a remarkable young woman in our ancient lore – Sāvitrī, who the celebration is named for. On this day, we perform a special pūjā ceremony at a banyan tree, and we listen to her story. We will tell you more about the ceremony later on – first, here’s the story:
Once, in a small kingdom in India, a king and his queen prayed for years for the blessing of a child. They performed devout austerities and held a fervent prayer in their hearts. Lord Savitṛ (the power of cosmic light) heard their prayers and blessed them with a beautiful, radiant daughter, who was named Sāvitrī out of gratitude to him.
Like her parents, she too was a noble-hearted, kind, and devout child. In those days, princesses chose their own husbands entirely of their own will. So when she came of age, her parents gave their blessing for her to find her match.
Many young men presented themselves, but none of them captured her heart. Disappointed, she went for a walk in the forest, and saw a luminous, strong, handsome young man resting under a tree. Her heart stopped. There was such a glow of truth and goodness about him that she was overcome with love and longing. She recognized the one she had been searching for.
So she returned home to her parents and told them she had made her choice. They sent out scouts, and it turned out that the young man, Satyavān, was the son of a blind neighboring king who had tragically lost his kingdom and all his wealth, and both he and his elderly parents were forced to live like hermits in the forest. And, the most horrific part of all was that Satyavān had been destined to only live for one more year.
When presented with this information, Sāvitrī remained firm. She had made her choice, and she was determined that even if it was only for a year, she wanted to marry him and only him.
Seeing her mind and heart unshakeable, her elders acquiesced and she was married to him. This princess who had grown up in luxury and comfort was now living in a tiny hut, fighting against the elements for survival each day.
Still, she embraced her new life with deep joy and devotion. She adored her husband, and he too, cherished and loved her deeply. They spent each minute of each day together, loving each other without limits, tending to the other’s every need with sweetness and warmth. Throughout this time, she only focused on loving him, not allowing her fears or impending sadness to separate them from love for even a moment.
Finally, the day arrived. Sāvitrī accompanied Satyavān as usual to the forest, where he began to chop wood. As he lifted his axe, he suddenly clutched his heart. She screamed and ran towards him. He collapsed in her lap, and died.
Overcome with grief, she gently carried his body to a nearby banyan tree and held him tightly to her chest. Her love and her agony pierced the entire forest.
In a few moments, Lord Yama, the power of death, arrived to take Satyavān. He too was so struck by her beauty and the depths of her love, that he offered a blessing – he would grant her any blessing she wanted, except for the life of Satyavān.
Sāvitrī closed her eyes, and listened to her heart. She prayed for grace. Slowly, she said, “I want to live to see my father-in-law and mother-in-law joyfully having a feast with their great-grandchildren in the grand hall of their royal palace”.
Lord Yama was baffled! Her father-in-law only had one child, Satyavān, There was no way to grant her request without returning to her father-in-law his kingdom and his palace, but most importantly, he would have to bring Satyavān back to life!
Impressed by her courage and the scope of her vision, he granted her wish, and Satyavān took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Sāvitrī gazed into them, her own eyes weeping with love and gratitude, and the two beloveds returned back to their home, hand-in-hand, heart-in-heart.
On this day, we listen to this incredible story and honor the sacred power of ordinary human love. Sāvitrī is an inspiration to woman all over South Asia as an embodiment of what pure unconditional love and profound courage looks like. Even when facing death directly, in the midst of the deepest pain she had ever known, she was able to use her intellect and compassion. Her grace and goodness brought blessings and upliftment to everyone in her life. And she also demonstrated that what we think of as “ordinary” love is not ordinary at all. The bond that ties us together in relationship is powerful, sacred, and, if pure, can transform even the most unyielding karma into an experience of blessing.
On this day, women go to banyan trees and perform a special pūjā where they make offerings of water, seasonal fruit (including cucumber and coconuts), flowers, incense, and other auspicious offerings. Most significantly, they tie a thread seven times around the tree with the heartfelt prayer that their beloveds are protected and granted a long, happy, and healthy life. The entire practice is an opportunity to experience and honor the depth of love.
While traditionally this particular ritual is performed by married women, we can all reflect on wishing for protection and blessing for the ones we love. And, we can express our gratitude for the devotion and sweetness that we receive from our loved ones. It is easy to look down on our human bonds as “ordinary” or somehow less spiritual. But this story invites us to see divine power and beauty in all of our relationships, no matter how worldly.
Finally, as you will learn in the next two lessons, there is also tremendous seasonal and spiritual wisdom to both the offerings that are made during this season of mid-summer, and also to the practice of sitting with the banyan tree itself.
By listening to this story and engaging with this practice, may you be inspired to allow your deep love and heartfelt prayers for your loved ones to emerge within your being. May you experience the sanctity and profound value of your everyday, simple, ordinary human love.
Teacher: Shivani Hawkins
Maitreya Larios is a scholar and practitioner of the ancient and living traditions of India. He has been a practitioner of Indian spirituality since he was 9 years old.
In 2013, he obtained a doctorate in classical Indology from the University of Heidelberg in Germany, where he is currently employed as a research fellow. He wrote his dissertation on the living Vedic traditions of Maharashtra, which will appear as a book in late 2015.
He is most excited about being a student of Sanskrit and philosophy and about igniting that enthusiasm in his students. His personal journey over the 26 years of studentship in this tradition has been a humbling experience, but it is a path that he assures brings the most amazing transformations.
Besides his area of expertise as a scholar of Indian culture and religion, Maitreya is passionate about photography, visual arts, traveling and vegan/vegetarian cooking.
He is happily married and a father to a beautiful boy named Kabīr.
Few artists have the power to create an indelible impact on the minds of their audiences through their art form and one such name in the world of Kathak is Shambhavi Dandekar. Shambhavi Dandekar as an accomplished Indian Kathak master performer, has carved a niche for herself through her sheer talent, unique performances and unparelled choreography, that has brought her recognition on the national as well as the international platforms.
As a young dancer, Shambhavi started her training under the able guidance of her own mother and renowned Guru Pandita Maneesha Sathe, a celebrated dancer and a teacher in her own right. Shambhavi then went on to complete her intense training in ‘laya and tala’ or rhythm and beats from Table virtuoso “Taalyogi” Pandit Suresh Talwalkar. Along with her top-notch traditional dance training, Shambhavi also has a strong academic educational background with a Bachelors in Commerce and two Masters degrees in Dance. Furthermore, she also holds Diplomas both in French and Sanskrit.
Shambhavi has more than 20 years of teaching experience at an undergraduate and a graduate level at various dance education institutions in India. She has also started her own international school of dance in 2008, called ‘Shambhavi’s International School of Kathak’ or SISK. SISK is a prominent and a thriving international institution with five branches in India and the United States of America with over 400 students and a staff of 15 teachers who are trained by Shambhavi herself.
SISK has produced many a talented student over the years. Shambhavi’s years of experience, intellectual understanding and analysis of the nuances of the art form, has helped her create stellar performers out of her dedicated students. Many of her students are emerging as budding Kathak professionals. Shambhavi guides performers and students all over the world through workshops and master classes.
Shivani is a meditation teacher and multi-disciplinary artist, and the founder of Living Sanskrit. Born both American and into the yogic tradition, she is devoted to preserving and accurately practicing ancient indigenous wisdom in modern times and non-native contexts.
Shivani first heard Sanskrit in the womb, and not a day has gone by without it. She grew up immersed in dharma culture, yogic teachings, and sacred practices under the guidance of her spiritual teacher and also her grandmother.
Living Sanskrit is the culmination of a long-held dream to keep this tradition alive and share its magnificent gifts with the world.
Shivani started teaching meditation in 2001, and professionally a few years later at the suggestion of her spiritual teacher. Since then, Shivani has shared meditation with thousands of people at venues that range from corporate offices to hospitals to schools. From 2008-2014, Shivani was a Fellow with the Berkeley Initiative for Mindfulness and Law, leading retreats and weekly meditation sessions at Berkeley Law School.
Alongside teaching, Shivani is a prolific artist, photographer, and writer. She is a graduate of the Waterfront Conservatory and Playhouse, a member of the California Bar, and has a J.D. from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in Rhetoric with minors in Theater, Business Administration, and South Asian Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.
She lives with her beloved husband Nick in Redwood City, California, where she can often be found dancing, gardening, listening to birdsong, and hiking in nature.
Ekabhumi is an award-winning poet, author, illustrator, yoga instructor and arts educator with 18 years of international teaching experience. Through a ritualized and meditative creative method, he makes artworks for ceremonial and educational use that help people deepen their spiritual practice, recognize the divinity of common experiences, and find meaning in the beauty of our world. His artworks may be found in yoga studios, private homes, and on altars around the world. He is currently part of the core faculty of livingsanskrit.com.
His name was given by his first guru during a formal initiation ceremony into a tantric yoga lineage in 2005. Since that time, he has studied with many spiritual teachers and traditional artists both in India and the States. His art teachers include eminent western figurative painters like Domenic Cretara, as well as Newar artist Dinesh Charan Shrestha, Bikaner-style miniature painter Mahaveer Swami, Thangka painter Andy Weber, and yantra painter Mavis Gewant.
Ekabhumi’s writing and artwork has been published widely, appearing in anthologies and journals like The Poetry of Yoga, Berkeley Fiction Review, and Pearl, as well as books like Tantra Illuminated by Christopher Hareesh Wallis and Awakening Shakti by Sally Kempton. His instructional Shakti Coloring Book and the uplifting Bhakti Coloring Book are now available world-wide from Sounds True Press.
Though his first love is the arts, he has a wide range of interests that are reflected in his many past occupations: event producer, stock options broker, handyman, journalist, ski boot fitter, competitive surfer and champion sailor. He toured internationally as a performance poet, and the poets he coached won numerous regional and national titles. He facilitated writer’s groups, hosted poetry readings, and organized spoken-word festivals for nearly 20 years, culminating in the acclaimed 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam.
Ekabhumi is an inspiring, playful yet methodical teacher who helps students cultivate deeper intuitive states. For nearly two decades, he variously taught yoga, painting, public speaking, and creative writing to students ranging from kindergarten to post-graduate level. Much of his time is now spent creating educational material about interpreting, making, and utilizing sacred art of the dharma traditions. On weekends, he can be found in his garden practicing silence and learning directly from Nature.
Hema Patankar has spent her life immersed in study, practice and service to the Vedic tradition. It began when she was a teenager irresistibly attracted to the sound of Sanskrit and images of yogis who had become profoundly wise and blissful through meditation.
An alumni of a gurukula in Western India, Hema spent over 30 years intimately engaged with the traditions that have emerged from the Vedas. She worked on research, translation, and editorial projects in the company of learned pandits and scholars. She assisted with yajnas – ancient fire ceremonies – and rituals, which allowed her to get extraordinarily close to the living practice of Vedic traditions. She immersed herself in the sādhana of singing Sanskrit hymns and the songs of the poet saints, which she studied intensively with her Gurus and traditional devotional singers. She became known for devotional singing, and taught students from around the world.
Hema has a passion for the preservation of sacred Vedic heritage. For several years she was the Executive Director of the Muktabodha Indological Research Institute. There she spearheaded the development of an extensive online collection of rare Sanskrit texts. She nurtured the establishment of a traditional Vedic school where an endangered branch of the Vedas is preserved. She also directed the video documentation of remarkable Vedic rituals and brought rare texts on Śaiva philosophy and Vedic ritual to publication.
She later studied traditional Āyūrveda and earned a Vaidya Bhusana (vaidyabhūṣaṇa) Ayurvedic Practitioner degree. She is President of the Board of Trustees of Vedika Global, a school for the study and practice of traditional Āyūrveda and Vedic sciences. She has published articles on Āyūrveda, the Bhakti tradition, and the preservation of Vedic manuscripts. Most recently she edited a text on Vedic full and new moon rituals. Her current writing focuses on the intersection of living Ayurveda with the rituals and philosophy of the Vedic tradition.