Rishi Panchami is a vrat (fast) observed on the fifth day of the waxing moon fortnight of the Bhadrapada month (usually, from August to September). Rishi panchami falls on 12th September in 2010 and falls on the day after Ganesh Chaturthi.
Menstruation Taboos in Hinduism
In Hinduism there are strict rules related to purity, and menstruating women usually avoid worship, holy places and scriptures, cooking, and contact with members of their family.
The taboo is explained in the Bhagavata Purana, which described menstruation as a part of Indra’s sin of killing a brahmana. Indra negotiated a quarter of the sin in exchange for a blessing. Women were allowed to have sex during pregnancy without putting the embryo at risk in exchange for accepting the menstrual cycle.
Legend of Rishi Panchami
There was a king called Sitasale who asked Brahma to advise about a fast that can destroy all sins of past lives. Brahma narrated a story of brahmana called Uttank whose daughter was widowed a few months after her marriage, badly bitten by worms and experienced other great suffering.
Brahmanas meditated in order to discover the cause of the daughter’s sufferings. It was revealed that the daughter had made offences in her previous life by entering the kitchen on the day of menstruation (called rajasvala dosha). After discovering this, the daughter observed the Rishi Panchami vrat and purified herself.
Importance and Rituals of Rishi Panchami Vrat
Rishi Panchami is observed by married and unmarried women to pay respect to ancient sages (Rishis). This vrat (fast) is carried out those who believe that they must rid themselves of the burden associated with offenses committed since their last their menstrual period. Women also believe they won’t suffer from worms and will be happy in future lives due to this fast. On this day the women worship sapta rishis (seven sages) called Gautam, Atri, Bharadwaj, Kashyap, Vishwamitra, Janadagni and Vashishtha.
The fast is observed strictly on this day, and many only eat fruit or root vegetables and avoid all grains. Women in India bathe in holy rivers with cow dung and clean their teeth with Aghada herbal sticks. The full moon and stars are worshiped on this day because it is believed that the spirits of the departed sages inhabit the Ursa Major constellation (The Great Bear).
Rishi Panchami vrat tends to be observed by stricter devotees and is a fast that is less known among contemporary Hindus. Many women don’t take the menstruation taboos seriously today and this may also explain why this fast is becoming less popular with time.
Sources:
HinduPad.com Rishi Panchami Vrat Katha (Accessed August 13, 2010).
Ygoy.com Rishi Panchami 2010 (Accessed August 13, 2010).
Priya Chauhan - A designer, topic editor and feature writer (for Hinduism) and all round experimenter of healthy living; Priya enjoys being creative, and ...
Join the Conversation