Nilakshi Sharma
These kunda buds shine with a glistening sheen as if stars,
terrified of the cold, have taken refuge in the kunda creeper.
Śiśira
Subhāṣitaratnabhāṇḍāgāram
Māgha māsa begins with a snap of cold; the wintry winds are usually accompanied by sudden winter rain showers and fog shrouded mornings.
When Māgha māsa begins, the earth is still shrouded in the fallow quietness of winter. Traditionally Shishir rtu, and thus Māgha māsa is the time of a delicate beauty – that of the white Kunda flowers (Star Jasmine), one of the many varieties of Jasmine found in the subcontinent. Legend attributes the origin of the Kunda to the grace of goddess Lakshmi. Identified as Jasminum Multiflorum or Jasminum Pubescens, Kunda is a white flower that unfurls its snowy beauty in the season of winter. As befits a flower that is associated with Lakshmi, Kunda is beloved of Vishnu, Lakshmi’s consort. In classical literature Kunda, along with the Moon, was used as the descriptor of fairness and “one of the signs of the imminent change of season according to the Kāvyamimāṃsa.”
At the beginning of Māgha the cold is intense, and the Sun is a pale disc that resembles the Moon. But Māgha māsa, even as it continues the cold season, ushers in change because the start of this month also ushers in the start of Shishir rtu, the last of the seasons or rtus in the annual calendar comprising six seasons.
Shishir rtu is the season of endings and a time of transition. It begins in the depths of winter but ends on the colourful notes of spring. The two months of Shishir rtu – Māgha and Phālguna are months of change. And as Shishir rtu comes to a close, so does the traditional year in the lunisolar calendar of the subcontinent.
Both the rtus of winter – Hemanta and Shishir, and the four months that constitute these two seasons – Mārgashirsha, Pausha, Māgha and Phālguna, are seasons that focus on the interior world. Typically, these four months are seen as the time for turning inwards, for strengthening and nourishing the body and mind. In the stillness imposed by the inclemency of weather, we have the time to reflect, to rest and rejuvenate our bodies and minds.
Rituals of Transition
Māgha māsa is the first of the two-month-long season of transition. The bone deep cold of winters gives way to the gentle warmth and the first stirrings of spring as the month ends. Thus, our practices and rituals need to help our bodies adapt to the slow but sure changes of energy that this month brings.
- Abhyanga: The age-old Ayurvedic ritual of a daily self-massage with gently warmed oil remains particularly beneficial. One it nourishes and nurtures our skin, keeping it supple. It also encourages better blood circulation. In Ayurvedic terms, it can help pacify an excess of Vata dosha and stimulate the stagnation caused by Kapha dosha. It can also help nurture the Agni of Pitta dosha such that it encourages our metabolic movement. In Māgha māsa, when it is cold a warming oil like Mustard seed oil or Sesame oil is a good choice. Gently warm the oil and massage the body with long, slow strokes. After the self-massage bathe with warm water and instead of a soap use an ubtan or any other grain and clay cleanser for best results.
- Bedtime ritual: As a bedtime ritual a daily foot massage or Pada-Abhyanga with warm oil is one that is ideal for this month. Before going to bed rub the soles of your feet with warm Mustard oil. As a ritual it is an ideal way to unwind and transition from wakefulness to repose. Apart from soothing our nervous system, it is a gentle way to also encourage better blood circulation in our feet. Traditionally rubbing the soles of our feet with Mustard oil is also thought to benefit our eyesight.
- Warming Tisane: If you have welcomed Māgha with a flu or a cold or congestion you can try an Ayurvedic remedy recommended by Dr Vasant Lad. According to him this warming tisane “will increase heat and Pitta, improve circulation and eliminate mucus from the system. However, if you have an ulcer, please don’t drink this tea as it will be too heating.”
Dry Ginger powder ½ teaspoon + Cinnamon powder ½ teaspoon + Clove (either a pinch of the powder or half a Clove). Boil together with a cup of water for about 5 minutes. Strain and drink. Have a cup after breakfast daily for best results.
In the subcontinent’s traditions, the oldest recorded names for the two months of Shishir rtu are Tapas (for Māgha) and Tapasyā (for Phālguna). Some scholars suggest that the names refer “perhaps to the way the earth is scorched by the withering of vegetation and the barrenness”. The root ‘tap’, which is at the heart of both Tapas and Tapasyā, means "to heat, to give out warmth, to shine, to burn". The word ‘tap’ is also a verb, which translates to doing that which is arduous but ultimately rewarding. Especially in terms of spiritual and wellbeing practices.
Thus, the names of the months of Shishir are perhaps also a nudge towards the practices that we should adopt during these two winter months – practices that increase our inner fire, practices that involve ‘Tapasyā’ – which also means practices undertaken with discipline.
In this sense Tapas is the ‘Niyama’ or habit which is practiced daily, with regularity. Doing Yoga every day, practising silence or meditating every day, or even giving up sugar can all be forms of Tapasya. And each offers its own rewards. So perhaps, the months of Tapas (Māgha) and Tapasyā (Phālguna) are meant to guide us towards adopting practices or doing the Tapasyā that will benefit us.
- Meditation: At its simplest meditation is a way to connecting our outer and inner selves in a state of harmony. There are many different paths and practices, from the very old and traditional to newer ones, that can help us achieve this state of peace. Traditional Prānāyama is the source of all modern breath work practices and is ideal for keeping your body warm and your respiratory tract in optimal health. Some of the recommended Prānāyama practices are Surya Bhedna, Bahstrika and Ujjayi. But it is recommended that you learn each of these breathing techniques under the guidance of a qualified Yoga practitioner. Instead, you can try the gentler forms of breath meditation that are more easily learnt.
Another traditional practice is Mantra Meditation. One of the oldest and most traditional of Vedic practices, the chanting of Sanskrit mantras is also the root of most modern chanting practices. Mantra chanting is ideal for beginners. The emphasis on a repetitive chanting of a given mantra gently builds our capacity for a dedicated meditation practice. Sitting down daily, preferably at the same time every day and chanting our mantra for a predetermined number of times gradually allows our body and mind to ignore distractions and reach towards a place of stillness. Your mantra practice can be as simple or ritualistic and elaborate as you wish.
Traditionally a mantra is given by a Guru but it is equally possible to choose one that you are drawn to. There is a vast repository of Sanskrit mantras to choose from – each mantra is aligned with a deity or a certain kind of energy, see which one resonates with you and start with that. As your practice deepens, you will be the best judge of whether you need another mantra or to continue with the one you started with.
- Movement: This is a good time to also start a practice of physical movement. As winter reaches its peak and then begins to wind down, our bodies need movement. This is to ensure that the strength that the hibernation of winter has built does not convert into lethargy that dulls us and causes stagnation in our bodies. Whether it is the gentleness of a daily walk or the meditative practice of Yoga; whether it is the energy of a vigorous dance or the demands of a more athletic aerobic session, movement in the month of Māgha is a much-needed practice.
While Māgha māsa may begin as the coldest month of winter, it is also the time of optimism and changes. And nothing exemplifies this more than Basant Panchami. On this cold wintry day we experience the first glimpse of the beauty and warmth that will be our come the spring season. After the fallow hibernation of winter, on Basant Panchami nature offers us the first glimpse of tender green shoots that have begun to unfurl. The deity honoured on Basant Panchami is the goddess Saraswati, she who presides over learning and the arts. Perhaps in honouring her on Basant Panchami we also honour the optimism and delight that new learnings and creative arts offer to all of us.
May the delicate snowy beauty of Māgha māsa offer all of us the delight of Kunda blossoms and may the goddess of intellect bless us with knowledge.
