Question: Why is there is tortoise in front of Nandi?

I reader emailed me the following question:

We have the cow (Nandini) murti in the temple in front of the Shivaling. Then there is a tortoise in front of the cow. Why is that there?

Well reader, thank you for asking such a question, as it has not only enlightened me, but I am sure other readers of these pages will be delighted to learn about this symbolism too.

Let us first look at the symbolism of Nandi. Nandi is well known as the principal servant and vehicle of Lord Shiva. Nandi represents Bhakti and is always prostrate before the Lord. The tortoise represents vairagya. Just as a tortoise can entirely withdraw its limbs into its body, we should withdraw our senses away from worldly matters and into our souls. Together bhakti and vairagya are the pathway to God.

Nandi symbolizes the Aasan, which means to be firmly seated in ones place and posture. The aasan helps still the body. Nandi gazes up at the murti (face, idol) of Lord Shiva. We need to still our mind.

Once the mind is still, we have to withdraw our senses, which are forever craving for objects of pleasure in the external world and direct them inwards. The process of withdrawing senses from the temporal world is signified by the murti of the tortoise, placed ahead of the murti of Nandi. Just as a tortoise withdraws all its limbs within its shell, we should also withdraw our senses from objects of sensual pleasure.

The turtle could be the great Akupura on whose back rests the entire cosmos. Some believe that this turtle is Kurma, Vishnu's avatar who held aloft mount Mandara, which the Gods used as a churning staff when they churned the cosmic ocean. The turtle is also a symbol of Pratyahara or a yogic practice by which mystics dissociated themselves from all sensory stimulation and regressed into the world within, like the turtles could.

The Day of Karva Chauth...

Though Karva Chauth is a day marked with neither food nor water, this festival is quite popular among the newlyweds.

The Start Of The Day
On this day the women get up before sunrise. They worship Shiv-Parivaar (Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh and Kartikeya) and the moon. The blessings of the Gods are invoked for longevity and prosperity of their husbands and children. Mothers-in-law give their daughters-in-law sumptuous food called 'Sargi' to eat before sunrise, as the fast starts before sunrise and ends only after worshiping the moon at night. It is a tough fast, as the women do not take any food or water.

Dressing Up
In the evening, the women to cherish the joy of adorning bridal finery. Many times, the newly wed wear their wedding dress on this auspicious occasion, usually the ghagra-choli or Banarsi saris, embellished with the old-new shimmer of gold, diamonds and rubies. After dressing up, she receives gifts from the mother-in-law.

Evening Puja
Before evening, the married woman receives the baya or a basket full of goodies from her mother, which is meant for the mother-in-law. The basket contains sweets, mathadi, fruits and a sari. Before the sun sets, most of the women in a locality gather in one house and prepare a corner for the puja. This puja chowk is beautifully decorated and a small platform is prepared against a wall. On this, the image of Gauri Mata or Goddess Parvati is placed.

The Process Of Puja
The women sit around this image with their bayas. Each woman also places a karva or a pitcher full of water and seven pieces of pua in front of her. It is adorned with kharia, aipun and a little roli. A red thread is tied around the karva. At the beginning of the puja, women apply the roli teeka to Goddess Gauri and also to themselves. With the thumb and the third finger of the right hand, water is sprinkled on the image of the goddess. The same procedure is repeated with aipun and roli . Lastly, rice is showered on the image.

Narration of Vrata Katha
An elderly woman of the family narrates the legend of Karva Chauth. Even a widow can narrate this story. The women then pray for the long life and welfare of their husbands. While chanting the prayers, they pass their bayas from one to another. The wait for the moon rise begins after sunset, and as soon as the moon is sighted, prayers are offered to the moon. The fasting women first observe the moon through a sieve and then break their fast. The first sip of water and the first morsel of food is offered by the husband.

Finally, after a what seems like a long day, a sumptuous dinner follows.

Source: www.KarwaChauth.com

Other Karva Chauth Stories

The Story Of Satyavan and Savitri
There is the story of the Satyavan and Savitri. When Lord Yama, came to procure Satyavan's soul, Savitri begged him to grant him life. When he refused, she stopped eating and drinking and Yamraj finally relented. He granted her, her husband's life. To this day, Karva Chauth is celebrated with great faith and belief.

The Legend Of Karva
According to another legend, a woman named Karva was deeply devoted to her husband. One day while bathing, he was caught by a crocodile. Karva came running and bound the crocodile with a cotton yarn. She then went to Yama, the Lord of the death, and requested him to send the offending crocodile to hell. When Yama refused, she threatened to curse him. Afraid of the power of a devoted wife, Yama readily accepted and sent the crocodile to Yamalok or hell, and blessed Karva's husband with long life.

Source: The Legend of Karva Chauth

Karva Chauth and Draupadi

The Legend During Mahabharata
The belief in this fast and its associated rituals goes back to the pre-Mahabharata times. Draupadi, too, is said to have observed this fast.

Once Arjun went to the Nilgiris for penance and the rest of the Pandavas faced many problems in his absence. Draupadi, out of desperation, remembered Lord Krishna and asked for help.

Lord Krishna reminded her that on an earlier occasion, when Goddess Parvati had sought Lord Shivas guidance under similar circumstances, she had been advised to observe the fast of Karva Chauth.

Draupadi followed the instructions and observed the fast with all its rituals. Consequently, the Pandavas were able to overcome their problems. On this day, fasting women listen to Karva Chauth legends with rapt attention.

Source: The Legend of Karva Chauth

The Story Behind Karva Chauth

The Story Of Queen Veeravati
A long long time ago, there lived a beautiful girl by the name of Veeravati. She was the only sister of her seven loving brothers, who was married to a king. On the occasion of the first Karva Chauth after her marriage, she went to her parents' house. After sunrise, she observed a strict fast. However, the queen couldn't stand the rigors of fasting and was desperatly waiting for the moon to rise. The seven brothers who loved her dearly, were very disturbed watching the distress of their sister and decided to end her fast by deceiving her. Then the brothers reflected a mirror through Pipal tree leaves. The sister, taken it as moon rise, broke the fast and took food. However, the moment the queen ate her dinner, she received the news that her husband, the king, was seriously ill.

The queen rushed to her husband's palace and on the way, she met Lord Shiva and his consort, Goddess Parvati. Parvati informed her that the king had died because the queen had broken her fast by watching a false moon. However, when the queen asked her for forgiveness, the goddess granted her the boon that the king would be revived. But to achieve this, she would have to undertake the Karva Chauth fast under strict rituals, then only her husband would come top life. Thus, by strictly following all the rituals of Karva chauth, queen Veeravati relivened her husband.

Source: The Story Behind Karva Chauth

Karva Chauth - Thursday 20th October 2005

Karva Chauth falls on Thursday 20th October. Those who watch Hindi movies, will have seen this festival being celebrated - think of Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham...

The origin and significance of the fast is to ensure the well-being, prosperity and longevity of the husbands. Which means, that traditionally the fast is observed by married women only. However, traditions are changing, and many unmarried young women observe the fast for their future husbands or beloved, that wherever they may be, may they be happy and healthy.

The festival of Karva Chauth provides an opportunity for all married women to get close to their in-laws. Possessing a tremendous social and cultural significance, this festival is celebrated by keeping a strict fast, applying henna and exchange of gifts.

Celebrated mostly by North Indians, the festival is growing bigger due to its portrayal in the media, and commercial enterprise opportunities too. Along with traditional items such as mehandi, beauty products and fashionable clothes, the demand of special eateries are also gearing up. Nowadays, Karva Chauth is more of a fun festival than a serious and loving fast.

However, I strongly believe that any fast which is observed with shraddha, a pure mind and heart, will not only be beneficial for the person the male partner the fast is being held for, but the female too.