Through the ages Rakhi has been a bond of honor, duty and protection, between men and womenn who were friends, enemies, or even strangers.
The festival of Rakshabhandan has fascinating legends, myths, and stories attached to it. The most popular is the one of Krishna and Draupadi. It narrates how Draupadi dressed Krishna’s bleeding hand with a strip torn from her sari, when he cut himself beheading Shishupal. Krishna claimed himself indebted to his friend and promised to repay her every thread. At the sorry incident of the ‘cheerharan’ when Draupadi needed protection, Krishna repayed his debt by giving his friend endless cloth to preserve her modesty. A strip of sari had made theirs a bond of protection, literally ‘Raksha bandhan.’
Later stories tell us of a secularisation of the concept. In the story of Alexander and Puru, the great conquerer’s wife sent Puru a rakhi and a request that he spare Alexander on the battle-field. Puru honored the request, wearing the rakhi to battle as a reminder of his unspoken promise to his enemy’s wife. History and literature are replete with stories of Rajput ladies sending rakhis to neighboring rulers ensuring their protection and preventing conflicts.
The story of Karnavati and Humayun is the most poignant rakhi story of all times. When Bahadur Shah of Gujarat waged war on Mewar, Rana Sanga’s widow requested Humayun’s aid by sending him a rakhi and claiming him her brother. Humayun (who had never even met Karnavati) abandoned his expedition to Bengal midway, and rushed to her help, but arrived too late. In the face of imminent defeat, Karnavati along with the other noble ladies had immolated herself in ‘jauhar’. Humayun, devastated at being unable to save Karnavati, defeated Bahadur Shah anyway and reinstated her son Vikramaditya.
These are narratives of bonds that transcended blood. They speak of the tradition’s multi cultural socio – political history, a uniquely Indian one. Through the ages Rakhi has been a bond of honor, duty and protection, between men and womenn who were friends, enemies or even strangers. Today we continue to celebrate the festival with brothers and sisters promising love and protection to each other. But the ages have diluted its meaning and shrunk its grandeur. In our emotionally sterile times, no woman may presume to claim a man her brother without giving offence or inviting ridicule. It is unfashionable and gauche. And most certainly no woman may presume the right to a man’s protection and help.
Perhaps this Rakshabandhan our men should reconnect with history, rediscover honor, and let the women around them know that it is ok to love and to expect respect.
