Nilakshi Sharma
Āshwina māsa marks the start of Sharad rtu, which is the season of beauty; of lotuses blooming and of women bedecked in jewels and silks as they celebrate the fertility of the earth and honour the divine feminine in the festivals of Sharad rtu.
This season has long been celebrated for its beauty and as a time for honouring the divine feminine, the great goddess for her gifts of fertility and abundance which manifest as a rich harvest of grains and fruits and flowers.
While the onset of Dakshināyana, the second half of the solar year in the traditional luni-solar calendar, marks the shift from the masculine energy of the Sun to inward-focused, water energy of the Moon, it is in Sharad rtu that the manifestation of that feminine energy is felt, seen, acknowledged and honoured.
Sharad rtu is also the season of beauty and balance. The autumnal beauty of this season offers clarity and serenity, which is a balm after the chaotic, overwhelming, storm-tossed beauty of the monsoon.
The clear cerulean skies bathe the earth in soft golden light. The earth glistens and glimmers in rich shades of green after the cleansing and energising effect of the rainy season. The waters in the ponds and lakes are still, the rivers run fast and clear. Lotuses bloom everywhere, dawn is fragrant with the scent of Parijat, the delicate fragrance of Saptaparni begins to beguile the senses. But it is the deeply sensuous and fragrant Champaka (Michelia champaca) that is traditionally representative of this month and was in fact the flower that was meant to be offered to the gods during Āshwina māsa.
Seasonal Rituals
The balance of the season is also reflected in the energy of the season that has an impact on our body and mind and mood. Sharad rtu is the one season when the energies of the three body doshas – Pitta, Vata and Kapha are thought to be in balance. Varsha rtu brings with it the dominance of water in the environment, which, even as it deeply welcomed after the scorching heat of Grishma rtu, brings about an imbalance in the body. It is reflected in the weakening of our digestive fire or Agni during the rainy season. As Sharad rtu begins our bodies find it easier to achieve balance but nudges and conscious practices that help our body to reach the preferred state of Tridoshic balance are always good.
The traditional rituals are simple and are pathways to feeling more grounded and balanced in our mood and mind. For many of our regular readers these practices are perhaps already familiar, in which case this serves as a gentle reminder, while for others this may be the first introduction to these rituals. In either case, we hope that they offer you balance and delight.
Hamsodaka: In Sharad rtu the energies of the Sun and the Moon come together in equal beauty. They are very nearly in a state of perfect balance – the Sun in this season is gently warming while the Moon offers its cooling equally gently. One of the oldest Ayurvedic texts, the Charaka Samhita, recommends the practice of Hamsodaka. That is, consuming water which has been first heated by the rays of the Sun during the day and then cooled overnight under the energy of the Moon. This water, called Haṃsodaka, is considered nectar for the body and the senses. Take a glass bottle or a Silver vessel and fill with drinking water. Keep the bottle or vessel outside (with the mouth covered) for a 24-hour period before drinking the water.
Fragrant Ritual: A recommended ritual practice for this month is the wearing of a garland of fresh flowers every day. This practice displays a very sophisticated understanding of the impact that the fragrance of flowers can have on our physiological and psychological body. Amongst the three beautiful flowers available in this season are Jasmine, Desi Gulab and Champaka. Deeply fragrant, all three offer their own calming and grounding benefit to the mind and senses. They are also an expression of the feminine beauty which this season celebrates and exemplifies par excellence.
Jiva Nirlekhana: In Ayurveda the arrival of Sharad rtu is seen as the time that is ideal for the body to return to a tridoshic balance. Varsha rtu does both – aggravate our doshas and lead to a slowing down of our metabolism, i.e., a weakening of our digestive fire. A gentle and simple practice that can encourage the body to return to balance in this season is Jiva Nirlekhana or tongue cleaning. Ideally this is recommended as a daily hygiene practice in Ayurveda. But it is thought to be particularly beneficial during this season. Using a pure Copper or Silver tongue scraper, clean your tongue every morning to rid it of the coating of toxins or Ama. Jiva Nirlekhana also improves our sense of taste and can aid better digestion.
The Sacred Feminine
In the subcontinent Sharad rtu is also celebrated as the season of harvest. It is often represented in iconography through the depiction of Sarus cranes, always as a pair. Their name comes from the Sanskrit term ‘Sarasa’, meaning ‘bird of the lake’. Seen as an eternal symbol of love and fidelity, Sarus cranes mate and give birth to their young around this time. With their distinctive red and grey colour, these birds signify the fecundity and abundance of Sharad rtu.
In the mythology and rituals of the subcontinent, the celebration of harvest is the celebration of the fecundity of the earth and this is Prakriti, at once nature but also the Divine Feminine principle, the manifestation of Shakti, she who is the womb of the world.
Thus, Sharad rtu is the season of the Goddess, dominated by and dedicated to her energy.
Āshwina māsa, begins with a ritual of remembrance and gratitude – Pitru Paksha – the fortnight of the ancestors. Typically, this is a time of prayers and simplicity, when we honour our ancestors with rituals of prayer and invoke their blessing. This is a time for going inwards, for reflection and for acknowledging the past. In this practice there is a very beautiful, philosophical principle – we are but a continuation of our past and the efforts of our ancestors. Acknowledging and honouring them is a moment of pause that also allows us to look towards the future with greater nuance and understanding. For many of us this fortnight is also a ritual time to grieve, for those we have lost but whose memories we will forever carry within us.
Pitru Paksha gives way to a potent period – the nine nights of the goddess, the Navratri. These nine days and especially nights are imbued with the mystery and power of the Goddess, of the Divine Feminine. Each day and night is dedicated to a different facet of Shakti; from a warrior that protects us to the mother that nurtures us; from the frightful, fierce goddess who is merciless to the beauty of goddess who is as beauteous as the Moon. Each goddess is a singularly focused energy and yet they are all one – nine aspects of Shakti.
This is a month that embraces the potent power and beauty of the feminine principle. The fecundity and fertility of the earth graces our hearth with a bountiful harvest; the nine nights of the Goddess are scented with fragrance and adorned with the beauty and delight of Shringar.
Āshwina māsa comes to a close on a radiant night – Sharad Purnimā. This Full Moon has long been celebrated in our mythology, art, songs and stories as the most perfect and potent of all the Full Moons. Radha and Krishna are said to indulge in Ras Leela, the divine dance of love, on the verdant banks of the Yamuna River on this night, inviting all of us to come out into the moonlight, which on this night is said to be imbued with a healing grace.
While the lovers dance with each other, Goddess Lakshmi is said to venture forth on this moonlit night too; searching for those who seek the gift of deeper knowledge. Thus, this radiant Sharad Purnimā is also Kojagri Purnimā, when the goddess asks – who is awake? (kojagri?). And then bestows upon them the gift of knowledge. Because that too is one of the gifts of Lakshmi, she who rides an Owl, who is the symbol of wisdom in our culture.
May this month bring you balance and bless us all with the grace of the Goddess.