Akshay tritiya – The Day When Yudhishtir Got The Akshay Patra

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Akshay Tritiya is one of the most celebrated festivals for the Hindus. Falling on the third day of the Vaishakh month during the Shukla Paksh, it is celebrated with huge religious fervor.

Hindu religion is known for the number of festivals that are celebrated in it.
Every auspicious day has a story behind it. Well, Akshay Tritiya has not one but many stories that make the day so important.

The days auspiciousness is marked by the occurrence of not one but many incidents in the religious history of Hinduism and one in Jainism. Here, we are going to discuss one among them. The story of how Yidhishtir got the Akshay Patra from Sun God.

The Pandavas In Exile

The Pandavas were in exile after being defeated by the Kauravas in the game of chess. They had many friends and relatives who wanted to see them. After all, every good human being has friends and well wishers. Now, the well wishers of the Pandavas used to visit them for giving them compassion and emotional strength. Whenever they would visit them, it would become a problem for Droupadi to offer them anything to eat, since they were in exile and lived in very poor conditions.

Lord Krishna Visits The Pandavas

Once Lord Krishna, himself, decided to visit them. Lord Krishna, as we very well know, has always come to help his devotees for he cares for them the most. The religious legends that we have heard from grandparents or read in the religious scriptures and watched movies as well describe how Krishna came and rescued his devotees from problems. Droupadi was an undeterred devotee of Lord Krishna. Now Krishna, the omniscient, had decided to visit the Pandavas. The Pandavas had nothing to offer to the guests.

Krishna Feels Hungry

Krishna then, with an intention to meet Droupadi, said he was hungry and went into the kitchen to see if there is anything to eat. He rushed to the kitchen and saw Droupadi worried. When he asked her the reason why she was worried, Droupadi's eyes were filled with tears. Lord Krishna wiped her tears and told her that he was hungry. He asked her to give him whatever was there at home.

One Grain For Krishna

With uncontrollable tears yet there in her eyes, she turned the empty vessel towards him. There was a grain of rice in it. Lord Krishna smiled and thanked her. He said that a grain of rice is enough if it is offered with deep devotion. It is the inner intention that matters and not the outer sources, in case of God. He accepted that grain of rice and ate it. He said that his appetite was satisfied.

World Sleeps Satisfied

And it should not be a surprise that on that day the world slept satisfied. There was no hunger to see. The saints that had come to see the Pandavas too were satisfied and denied to eat anything. The problem of the Pandavas was solved but it was a temporary solution.

It needed was a permanent solution, since the the well-wishers of Pandavas would keep coming and visiting them.

Krishna Advises To Worship The Sun God

To give them a perfect solution, Lord Krishna advised Yudhishtir, the eldest among the Pandava brothers, to worship the Sun God and chant his 108 names.

Yudhishtir Gets The Akshay Patra

Yudhishtir started worshiping the Sun God. It is believed that he fulfills all the desires of his devotees.

One day Sun God, appeased by Yudhishtir's worship, came and asked him for his wishes. Yudhishtir told his problem, hearing which, God gave him the Akshay Patra.

What Is Akshay Patra

"Akshay" means unending, and "Patra" means vessel. This was a vessel in which food would never end. Now, whoever came to their house, they did not have to worry what should they offer to them.

The day when Yudhishtir got the Akshay Patra was none other than the Akshay Tritiya day, and we celebrate it till today with religious fervor, remembering the story.

Also, this is the reason buying gold and other items on this day is considered to be highly auspicious. The things bought on this day will never end. As gold is one of the best forms of wealth, we prefer buying gold on this day, so that prosperity in our lives continues.