| Varsha Pratipada- Its Historical Importance | | March 21st is the first day of Hindu year, Vikram samvat-2072 / Yugavadha-5117 | | ER. Rajesh Pathak
The new year of the Yugabadha, Shalivahan and Vikram samvat, the Indian calendars in vogue since the ancient time, begins from Pratipada[ the first day of Chaitra Shukla]. Where Yugabadha samvat marks the holy day when Brahmaji created the Universe, then commemorative of those glorious moments of history when the king Shalivahan accomplished the victory over Sakas and, then, Vikramaditya expelled them [Sakas] out of the Bharat bhoomi for ever are Shalivahan and Vikram samvats. It is because of this victory that saffron flags are hoisted on house to house on this day. Besides spirituality, Varsha Pratipada, thus, symbolizes the national victory either.
Initiated in 372 B.C. by Alexander, the Greek king, was the first ever invasion on India to be made by any foreigner. It was the time when entire Europe had already been overrun by Greek warriors led by Alexander. So formidable was the Greek force; and as much overwhelming was their ambition of overshadowing entire world with their empire. And in the country the region that first faced the fury of these warriors was of Sindha. In the war Alexander, of course, gained some success initially; and some of the pockets of Sindha fell to his empire. But he could not continue upon his winning streak for long, as the small Indian republics lying beyond it [Sindha] organized themselves and gave a tough fight to him. Consequently, Alexander, effete and dejected, gave up his expedition to India, retreating back to Babylon, his native place. In later course, Salukas Nicator, the brave king to succeed Alexander, yet again mounted an attack on India only to be defeated in the hands of Chandragupta Mourya. He was made to give away some parts of Afganistan in his possession, and as also his daughter as a bride to Chandragupta as a token of peace. Yet the peace with Greeks could last not long. And when Brahmadatta Mourya succeeded Ashoka to ascend the throne of Patliputra, another of Greek commanders Demetrius and, then, Menander[Milind] again made a bid to invade India, taking the advantage of internal weakness of Mourya kingdom wrought by the over emulating of the much paraded principles of non-violence under erstwhile king Ashoka. But, Kharwel, the King of Kalinga, defeated Demetrius; and, Pushyamitra, who became the king of Patliputra by dethroning imbecile Brahamdatta Mourya, routed Menander and pushed the Greeks beyond the river Sindhu for ever.
But as for the relief from the alien invaders, it was still elusive to India- as, after Greeks, another of barbaric nomadic race, Saka, living near China, rose to haunt it. And by the inception of Christian calendar they had extended their empire in and around Baluchistan, Sindha, Gujrat and, as far as, Ujjain. And beyond from there they also made a bid to make inroad into South India, but the brave king of Andhra Pradesh, Shalivahan, courageously fought them back; and in glory of the success he started a new samvat after his name called Shalivahan samvat. At the same time Chandragupta Vikramaditya was crowned as the king of Maghad. It was in his hands that Sakas' 100-150 years of dominance over India came to close finally. Vikramaditya freed and merged the territories captured from them [Sakas] to his Indian empire, bringing a great relief to the people from the torments of recurrent barbaric invasions of Sakas. And it was in the memory of this glorious national victory that Vikramaditya consecrated Malwa Samvatsar, calendar already in vogue then, as the Vikram Samvatsar.
From 300 B.C. to 300 A.D. India suffered the unabated fury of invasion after invasion unleashed by the alien-powers, all in their utter whims and fancies; Sakas had even founded a vast empire, as we saw above. But the blow dealt by Vikramaditya on Sakas was so lethal that for the next 700 years [barring the brief spell of Hunas' invasions] none of the alien invaders could dare to raise eyes yet again on our motherland. Thus, Varsha Pratipada reminds us of the valiant efforts made by our ancestors in the cause of restoring the national freedom, as also the self-respect. Notably, so also, coronation of Ramchandraji; from the day of birth of Rama the beginning of Navratra; the births of Bhagwan Jhulelal, Dayanand Saraswati and Dr.Hedgawar and such other events of national and religious importance are related with Varsha Pratipada. |
|
