Dahi Handi is a playful mischief associated with Sri Krishna Janmastami. As a little lad Sri Krishna along with His elder brother Balabadra and a group of notorious kids used to steal butter from the households in Gokula. The gang would form a human pyramid to reach the pots of butter hung from the ceiling.
This is enacted as Dahi Handi to commemorate the birthday of Sri Krishna, is there any profound philosophy behind it. Lets explore.
Here the pot is the ego that dangles in the grasp of Samsara. There is Dahi that is curd in the pot which is embodied as the conscious being. If we observe Sri Krishna and his gang were stealing the Navanitha, the butter while we in Dahi Handi have Curd filled in the pot.
Why is the pot filled with curd and instead of butter???
The butter is the essence of the Supreme got when the being which is the curd is churned with the mind as the churning staff and the thought as the rope.
Amazingly in the process of churning the curd to obtain butter there is a conscious pulling of the rope alternatively on the either side one at a time. When the rope end of one side is pulled the rope on the otger end side gets automatically wound to the churning staff. This is how our thoughts too work, when the positive thoughts in us are consciously flared up the negative gets behind. The positive thoughts in our being when contemplated upon leads us to the Supreme. This is churning of thoughts. Never should we misunderstand this as over thinking. Over thinking involves many thoughts at a same time whereas contemplation is getting different dimensions of a single thought.
The breaking of the pot in this Dahi Handi is the symbolism of subduing the ego in us to release the content that is binding us to samsara.
However to break the ego is not an easy task as one have to focus steadfastly on realising the essence or the ultimate with devotion.
Distractions from around distort the focus. The human pyramid trying to break the pot is discouraged by the onlookers who splash water on the participants from breaking the pot.
The necessity of one pointed focus and devotion playa an important role to reach the goal. The group in the pyramid is the satsangh.
Lets us celebrate Dahi Handi grasping the philosophy behind it and seek the blessings of Sri Krishna to realise our true self.
Happy Janmastami to you, your family and friends…..!
Sri Krishnarpanamastu!!!
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