Celebrating Akshaya Tritiya

On the Siddha Yoga path, our Gurus have taught us to perceive each moment as the bearer of auspiciousness. In India, auspiciousness is respected, understood, and embraced as something highly significant and sacred. Therefore, celebrating Akshaya Tritiya is immensely powerful. Why is this so? The Indian scriptures extol this day and explain that every moment of Akshaya Tritiya is auspicious.

Akshaya in Sanskrit means “eternal” or “imperishable.” And on the Indian lunar calendar, tritiya is the third day after the new moon in the month of Vaishakh, which occurs in April or May in the Western calendar. Akshaya Tritiya is considered one of the three and a half most auspicious days of the year.

According to Indian astrology, the sun and moon are most beneficially aligned and radiant on Akshaya Tritiya. Many devout Hindus choose this day to hold significant functions, such as weddings, and to begin new projects and business ventures.

As always, on the Siddha Yoga path whenever it’s an auspicious day, all Siddha Yogis know that this is the best day to perform the Siddha Yoga practices. The reason is that the effects of one’s practice multiply exponentially on such a day. This is not merely a metaphorical statement. There is a heightened energy that permeates the atmosphere on an auspicious day.

The Indian scriptures abound with legends, stories, and auspicious events associated with Akshaya Tritiya. Depending on the scriptural text, one can read about various Indian deities, sages and seers, and sacred places. For example, the birthday of one of the greatest sages, Parashurama, the immortal warrior who was the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is celebrated on this day.

Akshaya Tritiya is also the day the revered sage Veda Vyasa began composing the Mahabharata. And according to the Puranas, this day marks the beginning of Treta Yuga, the second of the four yugas, or ages, of humankind. An extraordinarily beautiful story in the Mahabharata tells how the Pandava princes received the Akshaya Patra, the divine bowl, from Lord Krishna on this day. The Akshaya Patra provided unlimited food for the Pandavas during their time of exile.

For this reason, many believe that anything acquired on this auspicious day will multiply exponentially. Therefore, according to another story, on Akshaya Tritiya it is traditional for those devoted to Goddess Mahalakshmi to perform special puja for her. On this day many people invest in gold and silver coins and ornaments, replicating the light of the celestial bodies in their own lives, making the connection between heaven and earth, the Divine and the individual soul, and symbolizing oneness.