Source: TW
VaishAkha-shukla-tRtIyA a.k.a #AkshayaTritiya has morphed into a gold acquisition spree in recent years. This is a thread attempting to share some details on AT’s actual traditional practices.
Oldest ref to #AkshayaTritiya is in विष्णुधर्मसूत्र. Emphasis is on the worship of vAsudeva, fasting, oblations of whole grains & donating them. Whatever a man donates on that day becomes inexhaustible.
उपोषितोऽक्षतैर् वासुदेवम् अभ्यर्च्य, तान् एव हुत्वा, दत्त्वा च सर्वपापेभ्यः पूतो भवति।
The MatsyapurANa too praises donation or sacrifice on AkshayaTritiya. Fasting is recommended as well. The tithi becomes special with kRttikA-nakShatra.
The BhaviShyottara-purANa says that this day is yugAdi for kRta-yuga. Whatever is done on it such as bath, dAna, japa, homa, VedAdhyayana, tarpaNa etc., all become akShaya.
स्नानं दानं जपो होमः
स्वाध्यायः पितृतर्पणम् । यदस्यां क्रियते किञ्चित्
सर्वं स्यात् तद् इहाक्षयम् ।। (BhP).
shrAddha performed on days designated as yugAdi (AkshayaTritiya is one such) gives akShaya gratification to pitRs.
UdakumbhadAna (gift of a water pot) on this day in honour of devas or pitRs is highly recommended. Samudra-snAna on this day is recommended as well.
VaishAkha-shukla-tRtIyA is also celebrated as parashurAma-jayantI wherein the image of parashurAma is worshipped.
As one can see, AT is marked by pUjana, shrAddha, upavAsa, snAna, japa, dAna & such solemn practices. Nowhere has buying of gold for personal use been praised or recommended. I don’t understand how such a holy day could be perverted to serve consumerism. Consumerism isn’t bad. But everything has a time & space for it. akShaya-tRtIyA is not that day. So, if you see adverts of gold buying & how auspicious it is to hoard it on AT, they’re clearly misleading you.
|| iti sham ||
References
- History of DharmashAstra Vol V Part I by MM PV kANe.
- A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism by svAmI HarshAnanda.
- Dharmasindhu by shrI-kAshInAtha-upAdhyAya. Kannada translation by shrI-shambhu-sharmA.