Tying of rakhi-string on the occasion of Rakshabandhan.

A few years back I was posted in Darbhanga where my elder sister lives.She is a permanent resident of that district. 

So long I remained during my posting there she would come to me to tie Rakhi on every Raksha Bandhan.

The photograph below reminds me of those moments.

While tying Rakhi on my wrist she would utter the famous shloka that reads as follows:

येन बद्धो बलि राजा दानवेन्द्रो महाबल:।

तेनत्वाम प्रतिबद्धनामि रक्षे माचल माचल:।।

 (यह बहुत ही सुन्दर एवं प्रसिद्ध श्लोक है. रक्षाबंधन के दिन राखी बांधे जाते समय इसे लोग उत्साहपूर्वक पढ़ते हैं. पूजादि समापन के पश्चात भी अपने यजमान को रक्षासूत्र बांधते समय पंडित जी इस श्लोक को पढ़ते हैं.)

अर्थ इस प्रकार है-

   हरिप्रिया लक्ष्मी ने अपने भाई महाबली दानवेन्द्र राजा बलि की कलाई को जिस सूत्र से बांधा था उसी सूत्र(रक्षा सूत्र) से आज मैं तुम्हें बांधती/बांधता हूॅं; संकटापन्न मार्गों, व्याधि तथा दुष्टादि खलमंडली से यह रक्षासूत्र तुम्हारी रक्षा करे.)

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         येन बद्ध:= जिससे बांधे गए

         दानवेन्द्र महाबल:= दानवराज महाबली राजा बलि 

          तेन= उसी से

          त्वाम्= तुम्हें/तुमको(अर्थात् तुम्हारी कलाई को)

         प्रतिबद्धनामि-बांधती हूॅं 

           रक्षे:= रक्षा करे

           माचल=मार्ग, रास्ता जो संकटापन्न हो

           माचल:= डाकू,लुटेरा,बीमारी,खल, दुष्ट 

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[O my brother! The string that goddess Laxmi tied on the wrist of demon king Bali the same string I am tying on your wrist.

 Let that string which I tie on your wrist ward off the distress,distractions and crisis coming in the way you are required by providence or choice to move on. Let this raksha-sutra(राखी) protect you against all evils whatsoever in the form of devils & diseases.]

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My place of posting changed.She remained at Darbhanga while I,on account of my transfer,moved from there. 

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I believe that everything in life is preordained. I,by choice, tread that path whose farther ends are generally not known, much less visible,for an average person like me. Leaving everything on providence,such types of people like me keep on treading the track whose other end is in god's hands. 

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Today is Raksha Bandhan. A few days ago I got rakhi sent through a post by my sister.

This morning,upon finding no one around me to tie Rakhi on her behalf,I tied the same on my wrist with the help of my own hands.Though this endeavour of mine in respect of tying rakhi string on my wrist with the help of none but my own hands was rather not so easy for me,I felt.

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            Happy Rakshabandhan.

                                       R.R.Prabhakar.

                                         31.08.2023.