Akshaya Trithya – What To Do On This Day

Auspicious month of Vaisakha

The month of Vaisakha is the most sacred month to worship Lord Vishnu. It is the second month of the lunar year according to the Hindu lunar calendar. It falls between the months of April – May. It is on this auspicious month on the third day of sukla paksha that Akshaya Trithya falls.

Meaning of Akshaya

Akshaya is a sanskrit word meaning, eternal or inexhaustible, that which never ends. It is an highly auspicious day to venture into any undertaking as it shall grow and bring abundance and prosperity into one`s life in a lasting and permanent manner. Every moment of this day is auspicious and sacred and doing a good deed this day can help one earn immense merit for this lifetime and for the next.

Significance of the day

The day is also called Akha Teej, Navanna parvam. The Sun, Moon and Venus are in an exalted position. And this makes it very auspicious.When the day falls on a Monday or with the star Rohini on a Wednesday or on star Karthik, it is cosidered to be divine and gains more importance. Lord Kubera worships Goddess Lakshmi on this day. This is the day of Balarama Jayanthi. Parashurama Jayanthi, ganges descended on the earth, Ved Vyasa dictated Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha, Adi Sankara recited the Kanakadhara stotra and wedding day of Goddess Meenakshi with Lord Sundareshwara.

Eternal benefits

The day when observed with prayer, fire ritual or yagna, charity, fasting then it will yield untold benefits and wash away sins of many lifetimes. It brings endless peace and prosperity. It is celebrated by people all over India. It is an ideal day for marriages, house warming ceremonies, new business ventures, business trips, buying of gold, silver assets, new audit books. There is no need to fix muhurtha on this day as, each moment is auspicious.

Akshaya trithya can be observed by:

• Take bath or snana during sunrise.
• One should worship Lord Vishnu with akshata or rice grains on this day alone of the year. Since Vishnu is worshipped with rice grains, the day is called Akshaya Trithya. It is said in Matsya purana that whoever observes these vows will be blessed abundantly and have the benefits of performing Raajasuya Yaga.
• Devotees should also do Lakshmi- Kubera Pooja along with Sudarshana yantra and Kubera yantra. This pooja is done on this day alone.
• Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped along with Vishnu for wealth , food grains and prosperity.
• Holy texts say that one should do charity of rice, salt, ghee, sugar, vegetables, tamarind , fruits, clothing, possessions, gold, land ,cows. It can be done as per one`s capacity and with selfless intention. Such meritorious deeds will attract eternal prosperity by the grace of Lord Vishnu.
• Fire ritual or homa with oblations should be done for good results.
• One should visit Vishnu temples, have darshan of the Lord and pray for spiritual upliftment apart from materislistic gains . Hearing of Lord`s stories and pastimes or recitations (japa) reduces the sins accumulated over lifetimes.
• One should offer tarpanam with til seeds and water to ancestors to appease them. Doing this helps one with growth in all spheres of life with obstacles being cleared.
• Planting of tress will help in propitiating Mother Earth, who will immensely shower her blessings of everlasting supply of food grains and well being.
• On this day deities like, Hayagriva, Parashurama, Narayana, Goddess Vaibhavlakshmi are invoked for eternal blessings of well being, material pleasures, riches, intelligence, good children, spiritual knowledge, peace and harmony at home and within oneself.