LORD RISHABHDEV ANOINTED WITH SUGARCANE JUICE

LORD RISHABHDEV ANOINTED WITH SUGARCANE JUICE

20-APRIL-ENG 5

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------When Lord Rishabhanatha renounced his kingdom and took initiation, he adopted a strict vow: he would accept only such food that was pure and offered in strict accordance with prescribed norms. For approximately 13 months and 13 days, he consumed nothing at all; lacking the proper procedure for receiving alms, he remained silently immersed in ascetic penance. Eventually, King Shreyans Kumar of Hastinapur observed the correct protocol; the Lord accepted his offering and thus concluded his long period of fasting.

In sacred commemoration of this event, the tradition of offering and distributing sugarcane juice on Akshaya Tritiya has endured—serving as a reminder of the virtues of renunciation, self-restraint, and adherence to proper norms.

However, the picture has changed somewhat in modern times. The sugarcane juice is indeed extracted, but not before the camera has been set up. Angles are adjusted; lighting is checked. Then, an "Akshaya Tritiya Special" reel is created. Donations are accompanied by photos; acts of service come with captions; and spiritual merit is tagged with hashtags.

Lord Rishabhanatha performed penance for 13 months and 13 days—without any fanfare, without any ostentation, driven solely by pure intent and unwavering resolve. And what of us? We cannot go even 13 seconds without putting ourselves on display.

Serving sugarcane juice is not inherently wrong. What *is* wrong is when the very purpose of this sacred tradition becomes distorted—when the focus shifts away from the act of giving itself and centers instead on "how good a deed *I* have performed"; when the publicity surrounding the service overshadows the service itself; and when these images are circulated across numerous groups—featuring one's own photograph, glass in hand. If the intent is truly sincere, there is no need for self-promotion.

Are we truly celebrating and honoring that sacred episode in the life of Lord Rishabhanatha, or are we merely curating a favorable public image for ourselves? Sugarcane juice is, of course, sweet... but the true sweetness lies in the underlying sentiment—a sentiment felt not before the lens of a camera, but deep within the sanctuary of the heart.