Svasthani And Sakhu

Svasthani And Sakhu

Siddhi B Ranjitkar

The Svasthani story is told at every Nepalese house in Nepal usually at night after the evening meal. The story telling starts off on the full moon day (Mila Puhni) in Poush and ends on the full moon day in Magha. The story is about the horrendous religious conflict between Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, in which nobody knows how many had perished and shed the blood for their respective religious sect. Then, another main important story is about mundane folks such as Gomaiju and her son Navaraj, and her daughter-in-law Chandravati, who later on became the royals with the favor of the Svasthani deity. In between the two stories, many stories have been inserted in as the story copiers often liked to. So, different Svasthani stories have varieties of stories. Telling the story for a month will keep every house prosperous and the family happy, and evil spirits cannot enter into the home where this storybook is kept and perform worship every day.

The Svasthani story and the religious activities during the month-long-story-telling period are the examples of the highest level of the development of the Nevah religion and culture.

Everybody might be eager to know when this story was crafted and when the Nevah had started off telling this story at every house. This story was put in black and white in the Nevah language about five hundred years ago; then it was written in Sanskrit, and about 150 years ago in Nepali of that time. Up until then the Nevah folks had told the story for a month at every home every year, and it was passed on from one generation to another orally. Currently, this story has been translated into English, too. Thus, its translation into various languages globalizes the Svasthani story; and every household in Nepal, and some abroad tell the story for a month.

When the events described in the story had happened might be another question the devotees might like to ask. The answer is at the time when the Southern deity called Lord Vishnu accompanied by his devotees, climbed up to the mountain and reached the current day Sakhu where Lord Mahadeva also called Shiva had been residing with his followers. Naturally, when they met with each other then they did not agree with each other on many things, and the result was the great conflict, which ended with a compromise.

Lord Mahadeva was the local deity residing in the Nepal Himalaya, and he crafted yoga and performed yoga himself, and meditated almost all the time, and then developed Tantra. So, Mahadeva had different devotees, and different messages to his followers. Thus, Lord Mahadeva had been quietly residing in the Himalaya.

Lord Vishnu was originated probably in the Indian Ocean of today. A fish was his first incarnation, and an amphibian: tortoise was the second, a wild boar the third, Narasimha: a half lion and a half human the fourth, then a dwarf called Baman was the fifth, Parsurama the sixth, Rama the seventh, Krishna the eighth and so on. Thus, Lord Vishnu had demonstrated the evolution of the life on earth more than two millenniums before Darwin was born.

Lord Vishnu wears only yellow silk dhoti, as he was from the warmer part of the world. He had four hands, each one of them held one or another items. His upper right hand held a conch shell, and his upper left hand a spinning disc, his lower right hand held a club, and his left lower hand a lotus. A conch shell is surely for blowing up, the spinning disc is for cutting off anything including the heads of enemies, a club is for hitting, and finally a lotus to show a good will.

Lord Mahadeva wears the elephant skin to keep warm in the cold climate of Himalaya, and uses the tiger skin as a carpet for sitting on. He wears a crescent moon on the head. He wears serpents around limbs and neck. He also smears ash on his body to keep his body warm. These are visible elements to the external eyes but the real meanings of what Lord Mahadeva has are quite different. Smearing with ash on the body means everybody is bound to be ash. Wearing a crescent moon on the head means keeping the head always cool, and wearing serpents means keeping anger under control. Sitting on a tiger skin and wrapping in the elephant skin mean even such mighty wild animals are under his direct control.

Lord Mahadeva was also believed to be the Kirati origin. Kiratis were believed to be the Nevah. So, the tradition of the Svasthani story telling must have been at least as old as the history of Kiratis.

When Lord Vishnu coming from the Indian Ocean met with Lord Mahadeva of the Himalaya in Laovon-ney-desh, which became Shankharpur later on, and currently Sakhu, they had different views of life that had certainly led them to confrontation with each other.

Lord Vishnu was a tactful and did not directly or could not confront with Lord Mahadeva. So, Lord Vishnu had his proxy called Daksa Prajapati, who became absolutely against Lord Mahadeva. He even did not tolerate the presence of Lord Mahadeva and hated Mahadeva extremely.

Lord Mahadeva had his army or followers were all mundane creatures but Lord Mahadeva was a great Tantrik so he was so powerful and he also could create with his tantric power many powerful deities to confront with the army of Daksa Prajapati, and the three hundred thirty million (tetis-koti devata) deities.

The army of Lord Mahadeva under the leadership of Billbhadra and Mahakali fought with the army Daksa Prajapati led. When Lord Vishnu saw that Daksa Prajapati and his army were loosing the battle, Lord Vishnu and Indra came out to assist Daksa Prajapati but they had to accept the defeat and come to a compromise with Lord Mahadeva.

Billbhadra cut off the head of Daksa Prajapati, and tossed it on the altar of the fire worship. After so much of pleading the spouse of Daksa Prajapati had made to give Daksa Prajapati a life again, Lord Mahadeva fixed the head of the lamb sacrificed to the fire, on the shoulder of Daksa Prajapati turning it to back sending the message that Daksa Prajapati was not only an animal like but also facing the opposite direction.

So, the Svasthani story must be as old as the event of Lord Mahadeva and Lord Vishnu confront with each other and then came to the understanding with each other.

The religious activities held at the river called Salinadi and on its bank in Sakhu demonstrate how the deities of two different sects reconcile with each other.

Devotees take a month long religious semi-fasting eating only a single meal everyday after making offering to Lord Madhav Narayan: another name of Lord Vishnu, and then listening to the Svasthani story.

On the first day of the Svasthani festival in Sakhu, male devotees wearing only white linen, and women red linen lined up along the bank of the sacred Salinadi River. A man submerging in the water of the Salinadi River up to the knees, and holding Lord Madhav Narayan in silver image donned with silver ornaments first give the holy bath to the lord dipping the image in the water of Salinadi River three times. Thereafter, all male and female devotees taking a dip in the holy water of the Salinadi River clean up their bodies.

After the cleaning up ceremony, the devotees go up to a flat area uphill where all of them assemble together to perform worship to Lord Madhav Narayan. Then, they sit together to listen to the Svasthani story, which is mainly dedicated to Lord Mahadeva.  Every day a chapter of the story is read out to the devotees. So, these religious activities clearly indicate that Lord Mahadeva and Lord Vishnu or Madhav Narayan agreed to reconcile with each other ensuring the religious harmony and the tolerance.

The Svasthani story is directly linked with the daily life of the Nevah community.

When Lord Ganesh and Lord Kumar came of age, Lord Mahadeva and his divine spouse Parvati wanted to bestow a boon on one of their sons on the condition that whoever could make a circle around the mythical mountain called Sumeru and come back first would receive a boon.

Lord Kumar has a peacock as a steed to ride and fly on it. So, Lord Kumar immediately took off and flew to the mountain but poor Ganesh has a little mouse as a steed for a ride. Lord Ganesh has a large belly so he could not walk properly, too and he could not ride on a mouse to travel to Mount Sumeru. So, Lord Ganesh was upset.

Seeing its master so upset, the tiny mouse asked, “My lord, why are you so upset today?” Lord Ganesh did not respond to the concern of the mouse. Then, the mouse repeatedly asked the same question several times, irritated Ganesh said, “ Because of you, I had to be so miserable.” “Why, what I did wrong to my lord?” asked the mouse.

Then, Lord Ganesh told the mouse what his parents had told him to do to receive a boon from them. Then, the mouse said, “That was not a great deal. My lord could go back to Kailash and asked to the parents to stand together, and the lord needed to make three circles around the parents and tell them that they are the parents and also the Mountain Sumeru, so please bestow on me the boon.”

That was the perfect idea the tiny mouse had suggested Lord Ganesh. Lord Ganesh took the idea of the mouse and immediately set off for Kailash. Lord Ganesh requested Lord Mahadeva and Parvati to stand together, and then Lord Ganesh did what the mouse suggested.

Lord Mahadeva and Parvati bestowed a boon of receiving the first offerings on Lord Ganesh before any deity could receive offerings. So, the mundane folks have to make the first offering to Lord Ganesh before making any offering to any deity. Any offering without making a first offering to Lord Ganesh will not be meritorious, and it goes astray.

After making a circle around Mount Sumeru, Lord Kumar came back home only to find that Lord Ganesh had already received the boon. Lord Kumar vigorously protested against it but the parents could not do much. So, Lord Mahadeva and Parvati said to Lord Kumar, “We could not revoke the boon we have already bestowed on Ganesh but we could give you another boon but of a lower level. That is you will receive an offering even before Ganesh but not to the full size but of only a half.”

Since then, the Nevah community had set up at least one Lord Ganesh at each neighborhood, and Lord Kumar in front of the main entrance to every Nevah house, and developed a Sukunda, which has an embossed image of Lord Ganesh facing to the oil lamp. Each Nevah house has an eight-petal carved in a flagstone and set at the main entrance. It is called Pikha-lakhu means Lord Kumar.

If any Nevah family has to make offerings to any deity then the family prepares one bronze plate full of offerings to Lord Ganesh, then another to the deity the family is going to make offerings, and a fresh green leaf full of offering to Lord Kumar. Anybody going to make the first offering to Lord Ganesh at the neighborhood holds the bronze plate full of offerings on the left hand, and a leaf full of offering on the right hand. S/he coming out of a house with the offerings first drops off the leaf full of offering to Lord Kumar on Pikha-lakhu, and then s/he goes to the temple or shrine to Lord Ganesh and makes the offerings to Lord Ganesh.

For any celebrations such as birthday, or offering sagun, when the Nevah community does not need to go out of home then the family lights an oil lamp on a Sukunda, and at it lays a fresh green leaf. Then the family first makes offering to Lord Kumar on the leaf laid at Sukunda, and then Lord Ganesh built-in Sukunda before performing any religious event at home.

Thus, the religious life of the Nevah community is directly linked with the Svasthani story in which the story of Lord Ganesh and Lord Kumar receiving a boon is told every year.

Another important story told in the Svasthani book is about Gomaiju and her life. Lord Mahadeva and Parvati had been watching how Gomaiju had suffered from the poverty after her husband went for earning something to meet the needs of Gomaiju after she would given birth to a baby, and he did not return home even after her son Navaraj became an adult. So, son Navaraj also went to find his father but he also did not return home.

So, Lord Mahadeva and Parvati sent a bunch of ascetics called Rishis to Gomaiju to suggest her to take up the making of offerings to the Svasthani deity and listen to the Svasthani story for a month, and to show Gomaiju how to perform the reverence. The ascetics taught her the process for the month-long Svasthani rituals and then the story telling.

Gomaiju did take up the month-long offerings to the Svasthani deity, and she listened to the story. As a result, Navaraj came back home, and brought the news about whereabouts of and what happened to his father. Then, Navaraj was chosen to be the king of Lavaon-ney-desh, Chandravati became the queen.

Chandravati was at her parents’ home when Navaraj was crowned. Navaraj sent porters to pick up Chandravati and bring her to the palace. Chandravati rode on a palanquin porters carried. She had been impatient to reach the palace. When they reached on the bank of the Salinadi River, the porters obviously very tired of the daylong journey wanted to have a break for drinking water.

On the way back from the river after drinking water, the porters noticed a group of folks holding a Svasthani puja, and the priest was telling the Svasthani story. The porters sat for a short time to listen to the story, and then they received the blessed flowers and foods after the story.

When the porters came back the queen was furious at the porters taking so much of time, and lashed them out, and she did not accept the deity-blessed flowers and food rather she threw them out and even stamped on them. So, the porters hurriedly carried Chandravati, and then a freak storm and rains brought a flash flood on the river. The porters were reluctant to cross the Salinadi River but Chandravati forced them.

The flood swept away the porters, who immediately went to Kailash and reside in the domain of Lord Mahadeva and Parvati. Chandravati became shapeless and unrecognizable, and remained on the bank of the Salinadi River. She suffered a lot physically and mentally; Navaraj even lost the memory of Chandravati because of the insult she inflicted on the Svasthani deity; and nobody recognized her.

Then. Navaraj held a state feast for the ascetics. Many ascetics from different world came to Laovon-ney-desh. Chandravati approached the two ascetics on the way to palace, and asked them where they were going. They told Chandravati that they were going to the palace to have the royal feast. Chandravati requested them to bring something for her to eat.

After having the feast and the guru daksina means the teacher’s fee, the two ascetics asked the queen mother Gomaiju for some foods for the poor unlucky woman beggar on the bank of the Salinadi River. The palace chef could not find any food as all the leftovers were gone or dried up. He noticed only a dish specially kept for the queen mother remained. The chef reported so, and Gomaiju ordered the chef to give the dish to the ascetics for the beggar they would meet on the way back home.

The ascetics were embarrassed very much because they had caused so much trouble to the chef and the queen mother too asking some food for the unfortunate beggar woman. However, they took the food and turned it over to Chandravati on the way back home, and told Chandravati to make the month-long offerings to the Svasthani and listen to the story to get relief from her sufferings.

Chandravati recalled what she did to the foods the Svasthani deity had blessed the porters had given her. She lamented for the insult she had done to the deity very much and then she followed the month-long process for revering the Svasthani. At the end of revering the Svasthani, she got back her original beauty; and the memory of Chandravati came back to the mind of Navaraj. He immediately sent porters to Chandravati. Thus, Chandravati and Navaraj were reunited by virtue of the blessing of the Svasthani deity.

Svasthani is an abstract word. It could be roughly translated into English as the local. So, the Svasthani deity means the local deity, which is really an abstract deity. The Nevahs had the deities such as Taleju, Kumari, Degudyo or Kuladevta, Agamdyo, and so on in the abstract names. The Nevahs did not want to disclose even the names of their deities to others. Most of the deities are presented in round stones or in the shape of a triangle in the open public areas for everybody to see and make offerings but their names are either in codes or in abstract names. Even the religious stories are coded. The real meanings of the story might be different from what the story tells.

Now, let us talk about Lavaon-ney-desh: currently Sakhu.

Sakhu is the holiest place and the religious arena where Lord Mahadeva met with Lord Vishnu and confronted with each other ultimately leading to a battle in which millions of deities must have met the untimely death. Ultimately and fortunately, the religious showdown ended in a compromise making the mundane folks to revere both Lord Mahadeva and Lord Vishnu equally.

Sakhu is the place where the religiously sacred and holy Salinadi River has been flowing. Folks believe that even taking a single dip in the Salinadi River during the month-long religious festival held on its bank would keep them healthy. So, tens of thousands of devotees believing in the Svasthani deity rushed to Salinadi every day making hundreds of thousands a month.

Sakhu is the place where Lord Mahadeva and Lord Vishnu reside with the 330 million (tetis-koti) other deities. So, it is so holy, as every piece of its ground had one deity or another. Then in 1349 A.D., came the Muslim invaders and burned down all the religious shrines leaving only the temple to Vajrayogini at the mid hill.

The outing of the most powerful deity Vajrayogini is held in April every year. The deity travels from the residence to the Sakhu town on the portable shrines several devotees carry on the shoulder poles. The deity has been safeguarding Sakhu and the entire country from the evil spirits and outsiders. The outings of the deity was actually for the deity to see how the folks have been doing.

Anybody believing in the Svasthani story and the deity and the events told in the story need to travel to Sakhu, and take a dip in the water of the sacred Salinadi River once a year to keep him or her healthy, and free from the evil spirits that might cause troubles, and even from sufferings physically and mentally.

The author had discussed some of the contents in this article at the Lahana talk program held from 10:15 AM to 11:55 AM at the Ujyaalo FM radio on January 2, 2020.