Vijayadashami: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}

|holiday_name  = Vijayadashami

|image        = Navratri Navaratri festival preparations and performance arts collage.jpg

|caption      = Vijayadasami reveres Durga's and Rama's victory over evil depending on the region.<ref name="Fuller2004p108"/>

|nickname      = Dashahra, Dasara, Navaratri, Dashain  

|observedby    = [[Hindus]]

|date          = {{Hindu festival date}}

|observances  = [[Pandal]]s, plays, community gathering, recitation of scriptures, [[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]], fasting, immersion of idols or burning of Ravana.

|celebrations  = Marks the end of [[Durga Puja]] and [[Ramlila]]

|type          = Hindu

|longtype      = Religious, Cultural

|significance  = Celebrates the victory of good over evil

|date2020      = 25 October (Sunday)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dussehra 2020 Date, Time & Significance – Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/astrology/rituals-puja/dussehra-2020-date-time-significance/articleshow/78780952.cms|access-date=23 October 2020|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Vijayadashami 2020: Vijay Muhurat date, timings and Sindoor Khela |url=https://zeenews.india.com/culture/vijayadashami-2020-vijay-muhurat-date-timings-and-sindoor-khela-2319926.html |access-date=25 October 2020 |work=Zee News |date=25 October 2020 |language=en}}</ref><br/> [[Sri Lanka]] 24 October 2020

|date2021      = 15 October (Fri)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.india.gov.in/calendar?date=2021-10|title=National Portal of India|website=www.india.gov.in|access-date=3 August 2020}}</ref>

|scheduling=|startedby=|firsttime=|frequency=|duration=|alt=|month=|weekday=|ends=|begins=|litcolor=|official_name=|relatedto=}}

Vijayadashami celebrations include processions to a river or ocean front that involve carrying clay statues of Durga,<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 October 2020|title=Dussehra 2020: Date, Puja Timings, History, Significance and Importance|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/dussehra-2020-date-puja-timings-history-significance-and-importance-6840648/|access-date=25 October 2020|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya, accompanied by music and chants, after which the images are immersed in the water for dissolution and farewell. Elsewhere, on Dasara, towering effigies of Ravana, symbolising evil, are burnt with fireworks, marking evil's destruction. The festival also starts the preparations for [[Diwali]], the important festival of lights, which is celebrated twenty days after Vijayadashami.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Susan B.|last1=Gall|first2=Irene|last2=Natividad|title=The Asian-American Almanac |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sEYUAQAAIAAJ|year=1995|publisher=Gale Research|isbn=978-0-8103-9193-2|page=24}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Rina|last=Singh|title=Diwali|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iSGTDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA17|year=2016|publisher=Orca |isbn=978-1-4598-1008-2|pages=17–18}}</ref><ref name="Fuller2004p108">{{cite book|first=Christopher John|last=Fuller|title=The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India  |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=To6XSeBUW3oC&pg=PA108 |year=2004|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-69112-04-85|pages=108–109}}</ref>

{{transl|sa|IAST|Vijayadaśamī}} ({{lang|sa|विजयदशमी}}) is a compound of the two words {{transl|sa|IAST|vijaya}} ({{lang-sa|विजय|lit=victorious|label=none}})<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spokensanskrit.org/index.php?mode=3&script=ia&tran_input=vijay&direct=se|title=Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit|website=spokensanskrit.org|access-date=18 December 2019}}</ref> and {{transl|sa|IAST|daśamī}} ({{lang-sa|दशमी|lit=tenth|label=none}}),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spokensanskrit.org/index.php?mode=3&script=ia&tran_input=dashami&direct=se|title=Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit|website=spokensanskrit.org|access-date=18 December 2019}}</ref> connoting the festival on the tenth day celebrating the victory of good over evil.<ref name="Fuller2004p108"/>{{sfn|Lochtefeld|2002|p=751}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dussehra 2018: Why is it celebrated? – Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/events/when-is-dussehra-in-2018-why-is-it-celebrated/articleshow/66273338.cms|access-date=25 October 2020|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> The same Hindu festival-related term, however, takes different forms in different regions of India and Nepal, as well as among Hindu minorities found elsewhere.{{sfn|Jones|Ryan|2006|pp=308–309}}

The word ''dussehra'' is a variant of {{transl|sa|IAST|daśaharā}} ({{lang|sa|दशहरा}}), which is a Sanskrit compound word composed of {{transl|sa|IAST|daśama}} ({{lang-sa|दशम|lit=tenth|label=none}}) and {{transl|sa|IAST|ahar}} ({{lang-sa|अहर्|lit=day|label=none}}).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spokensanskrit.org/index.php?mode=3&script=ia&tran_input=%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%AE&direct=se|title=Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit|website=spokensanskrit.org|access-date=18 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spokensanskrit.org/index.php?tran_input=ahar&direct=se&script=ia&link=yes&mode=3|title=Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit|website=spokensanskrit.org|access-date=18 December 2019}}</ref>{{sfn|Lochtefeld|2002|pp=212–213}}

In the [[Mahabharata]], the [[Pandava]]s are known to have spent their thirteenth year of exile in disguise in the kingdom of Virata. Before going to Virata, they are known to have hung their celestial weapons in a Shami tree for safekeeping for a year.<ref name="SACRED PLANTS OF INDIA">{{cite book|last1=Krishna|first1=Nanditha|last2=M|first2=Amirthalingam|title=Sacred Plants of India|date=2014|publisher=Penguin books india 2014|isbn=9780143066262|pages=171–175|edition=first}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://talkinnow.com/dussehra-quotes/|title=Dussehra|date=31 August 2018}}</ref> [[Bhima]] kills [[Kichaka]].

Hearing about the death of Kichaka, [[Duryodhana]] surmises that the Pandavas were hiding in Matsya. A host of Kaurava warriors attacks Virata, presumably to steal their cattle, but in reality, desiring to pierce the Pandavas' veil of anonymity. Full of bravado, Virata's son Uttara attempts to take on the army by himself while the rest of the Matsya army has been lured away to fight Susharma and the Trigartas.<ref>{{Cite web|date=26 July 2020|title=Exile period of the Pandavas|url=https://www.templepurohit.com/exile-period-pandavas/|access-date=24 October 2020|website=TemplePurohit – Your Spiritual Destination {{!}} Bhakti, Shraddha Aur Ashirwad|language=en-US}}</ref> As suggested by [[Draupadi]], Uttar takes Brihannala with him, as his charioteer. When he sees the Kaurava army, Uttara loses his nerve and attempts to flee. Then Arjuna reveals his identity and those of his brothers'. Arjuna takes Uttar to the tree where the Pandavas hid their weapons. [[Arjuna]] picks up his [[Gandiva]] after worshipping the tree, as the Shami tree safeguarded the Pandavas’ weapons for that complete year. Arjuna reties the thread of Gandiva, simply drags and releases it – which produces a terrible twang. At the same point of time, Kaurava warriors were eagerly waiting to spot Pandavas. Dispute talks took place between [[Karna]] and [[Drona]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=22 July 2016|title=Do you know about 25 amazing facts of Mahabharata?|url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/do-you-know-about-25-amazing-facts-of-mahabharata-1469175509-1|access-date=24 October 2020|website=Jagranjosh.com}}</ref>

Karna told Duryodhana that he would easily defeat Arjuna and does not feel threatened by Drona's words since Drona was intentionally praising Arjuna, as Arjuna was the favourite student of Drona. [[Ashwathama]] supports his father by praising Arjuna. Then Arjuna arrives to the battlefield.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2E_w7WrCDY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/q2E_w7WrCDY| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=గాండీవం పట్టిన అర్జునుడు &#124; TELUGU MAHABHARATAM EPISODE 78 &#124; UNTOLD HISTORY TELUGU &#124; UHT|accessdate=18 December 2019|via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

 

Eager to defend the land that had given him refuge, Arjuna engaged the legion of Kaurava warriors. The battle starts between Arjuna and the entire Kuru army. All the warriors including [[Bhishma]], Drona, Karna, [[Kripa]] and Ashwathama together attacked Arjuna to kill him, but Arjuna defeated all of them multiple times simultaneously.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m04/m04061.htm|title=The Mahabharata, Book 4: Virata Parva: Go-harana Parva: Section LXI|website=www.sacred-texts.com|access-date=19 January 2018}}</ref> During the battle, Arjuna also killed Sangramjita, the foster brother of Karna, and instead of taking revenge for his brother, Karna fled in order to save his life from Arjuna. Karna tried to fly away from Arjuna but he could not since Arjuna invoked Sammohan Astra which made the entire army fall asleep.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m04/m04054.htm|title=The Mahabharata, Book 4: Virat Parva: Go-harana Parva: Section LIV|website=www.sacred-texts.com|access-date=19 January 2018}}</ref> This is the war in which Arjuna proved that he was the best warrior in the world at his times.  In this way, Arjuna alone defeated the entire Kuru army consisting of 1,000,000s of soldiers; Duryodhana, Dushyasana, Shakuni and Maharathis : Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Kripa and Ashwatthama. One of the names of Arjuna is Vijaya – ever victorious. This incident took place on the same day in which Lord [[Rama]] killed [[Ravana]]. As it was Arjuna's day, the day also became popular as "Vijaya Dashami".<ref>{{Cite web|title=When is Dussehra 2019? History, importance and rituals and facts on why we celebrate Vijayadashmi – Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/events/when-is-dussehra-2019-history-importance-and-rituals-and-facts-on-why-we-celebrate-vijayadashmi/articleshow/71479135.cms|access-date=24 October 2020|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

The festival has been historically important in Maharashtra. [[Shivaji]], who challenged the Mughal Empire in the 17th-century and created a Hindu kingdom in western and central India, would deploy his soldiers to assist farmers in cropping lands and providing adequate irrigation to guarantee food supplies. Post monsoons, on Vijayadashami, these soldiers would leave their villages and reassemble to serve in the military, re-arm and obtain their deployment orders, then proceed to the frontiers for active duty.<ref>{{cite book|first=Jaswant Lal |last=Mehta|title=Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707–1813|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC |year=2005|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|isbn=978-1-932705-54-6|pages=505–509}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Gopa|last=Sabharwal|title=Ethnicity and Class: Social Divisions in an Indian City|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gEhPAAAAMAAJ|year=2006|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-567830-7|pages=123–125}}</ref> In North Maharashtra this festival is known as ''Dasara'', and on this day people wear new clothes, and touch feet of elderly people and deities of the village temple.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Satpathy |first1=Kriti Saraswat |title=Dasara 2016: Dussehra celebration in Maharashtra |url=https://www.india.com/travel/articles/dasara-2016-dussehra-celebration-in-maharashtra-3231817/ |access-date=22 October 2020 |work=India News, Breaking News, Entertainment News {{!}} India.com |date=7 October 2016 |language=en}}</ref> The deities installed on the first day of Navaratri are immersed in water. Observers visit each other and exchange sweets.<ref>Shirgaonkar, Varsha. ""Madhyayugin Mahanavami aani Dasara"." Chaturang, Loksatta (1996).</ref>

In [[Mewar]] region of Rajasthan and Gujarat both Durga and Rama have been celebrated on Vijayadashami, and it has been a major festival for Rajput warriors.<ref name=fuller117/>

*[http://www.mysoredasara.gov.in Mysuru (Karnataka) Dasara Festival], Government of India

*[http://www.telanganatourism.gov.in/partials/about/festivals-of-telangana/dussehra.html Dussehra in Telangana], Government of India