Kali Yuga started in the year Pramadi, in the month named Shravana, and in the fortnight named Bahula and on the day called Ashtami. According to the English Calendar, this will be described as February 20, 3102 years before the advent of Christ. In order to bring out this aspect of the commencement of the new Yuga on February 20, 3102 B.C., our ancestors have been calling that day Ugadi, or the day of the beginning of a new era. As this was the commencing day of a new Yuga, it was called the Ugadi. When looked at from this angle, we should also learn a different aspect, although it is not very pleasant. This particular day called Ugadi is also the day on which Krishna gave up his mortal body in a sacred place of pilgrimage called Prabhas Patan, near Dwaraka (SSB 1976, pp. 188-189)
Today is the beginning of the New Year (ugadi). What is the first Ritu (season) of this year? It is Vasanta Ritu (the season of Spring). What is the most important month in the year? It is Chaitra masa (the first month of the new year). The Shukla paksha (bright fortnight) is the better part of the month. Among the days, the first day of the lunar month is important. As all these important elements are present today, it has special significance as marking the commencement of a new year (described as Ugadi).
Ugadi means the commencement of a new era. This is the beginning of Nutana Samvatsara (New Year). Vatsara is another name of God. That is why God is extolled as Vatsaraswarupaya Namah (salutations to the one who is the embodiment of Vatsara). Time is God. Vatsara is its cosmic form. So, time and Vatsara connote the same Divinity. SSS Vol. 32 part I
Embodiments of the Divine! Do not forget God, who is the embodiment of the Yuga. He is the Lord of Time. Kaala means one who is the giver of all happiness. If you take refuge in the Lord of Time, no one can cause you any harm. Make the best use of time chanting the name of the Lord or engaging yourselves in sacred activities. (Discourse on Yugadi day, 7-4-1989.)
Yugadi is related purely to the phenomenal world
Bharatiyas have been observing the birthdays of Avatars as festival days. The birthdays of the founders of various faiths have also been observed as festivals. The death anniversaries of wicked persons as well as of holy men have been observed as festivals. But the Yugadi celebration is not related to the birth of any Avatar or the birth or death of any saint or prophet. It is related purely to Prakriti (the phenomenal world). It is important for one and all. It is an occasion for comprehending the nature of the universe. When we want to know who is God, the answer is found in Prakriti. It is the visible manifestation of God.
This earth revolves round itself hundreds of miles in an hour. What is it that happens because of these revolutions? You have night and day. Because of this succession of night and day, man is able to take rest. Moreover, the earth is moving round the sun at the speed of thousands of miles an hour. Because of this motion, the seasons occur and we have rains, crops and harvests. Thus, without expecting any return, Nature is nourishing man. There are sixty years in the Hindu almanac s cycle of years, starting with Prabhava and ending with Akshaya.
How do Bharatiyas celebrate the advent of the New Year? People get up early, have a sacred bath, put on new clothes and partake of sweets and various delicious items. These celebrations have gone on for many years. But how far have the people imbibed the truths underlying these celebrations? The garments are new, but the natures are unchanged. They are interested only in external cleanliness and are not concerned about purifying their hearts which are tainted with evil thoughts and evil feelings. It is rather easy to have external cleanliness and to wear new clothes but that is not the purpose of celebrating festivals. The significance of a festival does not lie in wearing new clothes but in cultivating new and noble thoughts. The house should be decorated not merely with the buntings of green leaves, but with buntings of love. Share your love with everyone who visits your house. Only then would we be celebrating the festival in its true spirit.
True celebration of Ugadi lies in giving up evil qualities and purifying one’s heart. Human heart in its pristine state is highly sacred and human birth is difficult to attain. Jantunam Nara Janma Durlabham (out of all the living beings, the human birth is the rarest). Having attained such a precious life, man is not making any effort to live like a true human being. Today he has become a bundle of desires. He is spending all his time and effort in fulfilling his desires. He is under the mistaken notion that fulfilment of desires will confer happiness on him. He should realise that only annihilation of desires will lead him to ultimate bliss. True happiness lies in the state of desirelessness.
Treat all experiences with equanimity
Faith and Love are the two primary requisites for leading a godly life. These two are as important for man as the two wings for a bird or the two wheels for a chariot. Traditionally, on ugadi day, it is the practice to eat what is called Ugadi pachchadi (New Year savoury). This chutney is made from neem flowers, mango juice, honey, sugar and other ingredients with different tastes. The inner significance of this preparation is to indicate that life is a mixture of good and bad, joy and sorrow and all of them have to be treated alike. Whether happiness or sorrow, praise or blame, gain or loss--whatever comes along--you must resolve to face it with serenity and faith. All experiences have to be treated with equanimity. Everyone should make a resolve that he will face calmly whatever happens in this year, accepting it with good grace. Welcome everything. Do not bemoan over anything untoward. Consider everything as for your own good. Men should rise above sorrow and happiness, success and failure. (SSS Vol.25) Our ancients placed this ideal before the nation out of their experience and realisation. Today no heed is being given to their teachings. The traditions and teachings that have come down to us are full of significance and have perennial validity. It is only when we practise these truths that we will realise their inner purpose and enduring value. (SSS Vol.19) This is the primary message of the Ugadi festival. Everything that occurs should be treated as a gift from God. This world is a mixture of pleasure and pain, which are inseparable. Pleasure is the outcome of pain. By developing equal-mindedness, you must cherish faith in God. (SSS Vol.25)
Be grateful to the society
Man should strive to use every talent and skill given to him not only for his own benefit but also for the good of the world. Man owes everything to society and should be grateful to society for all that he receives from it. Expressing this gratitude is man s foremost duty. This gratitude has been described as Bhakti (devotion). Chanting the names of the Lord is one of the ways of expressing this gratitude. The Ugadi celebration is an annual reminder of man s obligation to express his gratitude to the Divine for all the benefits received from God.
Embodiments of the Divine Atma! On this day of Ugadi, take a firm resolve to purify your heart. Right from this moment, embark on a new life giving up bad thoughts and bad qualities. Purify your heart. Only then will your life be blissful. There is no point in reading sacred texts or visiting noble souls unless you purify your heart in the first instance. Let your thoughts, words and deeds be sacred. Give up selfishness and dedicate your lives for the welfare of society. Fill your lives with love. Stop criticising others. Respect even those who hate you. Hatred is a bad quality. It will ruin you. Hence, get rid of this evil. Love everyone. Help the poor and needy to the extent possible. Help ever, Hurt never. Sage Vyasa has given the essence of eighteen Puranas in two sentences, Paropakaraya punyaya papaya parapidanam (one attains merit by serving others and commits sin by hurting them). This is the main principle of Bharatiya culture. When you help others, you will receive help tenfold. If you harm others, you will be put to harm ten times more. Keep this in mind. On this sacred day, fill your hearts with love and undertake sacred activities. (SSS Vol. 35)
Today is Ugadi, the beginning of the New Year. Since ancient times, people have celebrated many Ugadis. True Ugadi is the day when man gives up bad qualities, fills his heart with love and takes to the path of sacrifice. Do not limit the celebration of Ugadi to merely putting on new clothes and partaking of delicious items. Today you may wear a new shirt, but how long will it remain new? Tomorrow it becomes old. Today’s newspaper becomes a waste paper tomorrow. Our life is like a newspaper. Once you have finished reading a newspaper, you do not like to read it again and again. You have been given this birth, and you have gone through varied experiences of pleasure and pain. Enough is enough .Do not ask for another birth as you would not like to read yesterday’s newspaper. You should pray, ‘Oh God! You have given me this life and I have gone through the experiences of pleasure and pain. I do not want to have another birth.
Adi Sankara in his famous song ‘Bhaja Govindam’ sang thus:
Punrapi Jananam Punarapi Maranam
Punarapi Janani Jatare Sayanam
Iha Samsare Bahu Dustare
Krupaya pare Pahi Murare.
(Oh Lord! I am caught up in this cycle of birth and death, time and again; I am experiencing the agony of staying in the mother’s womb. It is very difficult to cross this ocean of worldly life. Please take me across this ocean and grant me liberation.) (SSS Vol.35, pp. 85-86)
On this day of Ugadi, take a firm resolve to purify your heart. Past is Past. It cannot be retrieved. When you are walking on the road, you should look at the path ahead of you. What is the point in looking behind? Likewise, there is no point in brooding over the past. Future is not certain. What is the guarantee that you will be alive until tomorrow? So, do not worry about your future. Live in the present. It is not ordinary present. It is omnipresent, meaning the results of past and seeds of future are contained in it. So, when you make proper use of the present, you can be rest assured that your future is safe and secure.
Today is Ugadi, the New Year day for the people of Andhra Pradesh. Tomorrow happens to be the Tamil New Year day and also Vishu, the New Year for the people of Kerala. There are many festivals in a year. You should celebrate them understanding and experiencing their true significance. Right from this moment, embark on a new life giving up bad thoughts and bad qualities. Purify your heart. Only then will your life be blissful. There is no point in reading sacred texts or visiting noble souls unless you purify your heart in the first instance. Let your thoughts, words and deeds be sacred. This is the true significance of celebrating Ugadi.(S S S Vol 35 p.88)
To day is Ugadi day. It is commonly believed that this marks the beginning of a new year. No. It is really the beginning of an aeon (Yuga). The Lord is the beginning and the end of every aeon. Hence He is called Yugadikrit (the creator of the Yuga). God is not only the creator of each aeon, but He is also described as the sustainer of the Yuga. In sustaining the Yuga, the Lord is all-powerful. He is Omni competent. Hence, He has the appellation ‘Yugandhara’ (the supporter of the Yuga). He is also known as ‘Yugandhara’. Divinity is the power behind the creation, sustenance and dissolution of every aeon.
Yugadi is also celebrated as the festival of the new year (Samvatsaradi). What is the meaning of ‘Samvatsara’. Samvatsara means God, the One who dwells in everything. For Samvatsara (the year), the underlying spirit to Atma. Another name for ‘Samvatsara’ is ‘Kaala’ (Time). Because the Spirit subsumes Time, God is known as ‘Kaala Atma’ – the Time-Spirit. Yugadi, therefore, represents the form of the Divine. The Cosmos itself is the form of the Divine (Vishnu). Sarvam khalu idam Brahman, declares the Upanishad. The four yugas (aeons) - Krita, Treta, Dwapra and Kali - are permeated with divinity. Hence, God has also the name ‘Chaturaatmaka’, the fourfold Spirit (SSS Vol.22)