Makar Sankranti is festival filled with happiness and joy, kite flying, but it also carries a negative connotation. Why is 'Sankrant', a term associated with the sweet festival of Sankranti, used to describe misfortune, as in "His job is in sankrant" or "A calamity has befallen us today"? The answer lies in exploring its historical, astrological, and mythological roots.
The Meaning of the Word 'Sankrant': The word 'Sankrant' comes from the Sanskrit word 'Sankraman'. It means moving from one place to another or entering. When the sun enters from one zodiac sign to another, it is called 'Sankrant'. On Makar Sankranti, the sun enters the Capricorn zodiac sign from the Sagittarius sign.
Fear of Change and Instability
Any change, whether natural or social, initially brings fear and instability. Many upheavals occur during this transitional period of letting go of the old and accepting the new. Therefore, when significant and undesirable changes occur in someone's life, it came to be said that 'Sankrant has arrived'.
Mythology and the Form of Goddess 'Sankranti'
According to the Puranas, Sankranti is a goddess. She had slain a demon named 'Sankrasur'. This goddess is believed to arrive every year in different forms, riding on different vehicles. There is a popular belief that the things in the direction from which she comes and the direction in which she goes are destroyed or face calamity.
In the almanac, the description of Sankranti includes what she is eating, what clothes she is wearing, and in which direction she is looking. It is believed that whatever object she looks at, that object becomes expensive or its supply becomes scarce. This negative connotation gave the word 'Sankrant' a negative shade.
'Karka Sankranti' and 'Makar Sankranti'
When the sun enters the Cancer zodiac sign (the beginning of Dakshinayana), the nights become longer and darkness increases. This period was considered inauspicious. Conversely, Uttarayana begins from Makar Sankranti, which is considered auspicious. However, since the word 'Sankrant' was generally given to the act of changing zodiac signs, the meaning of 'change' or 'transition' became more prominent.
In the Marathi language, many words lose their original meaning and become established with a different meaning. Just as 'Bara Vajne' (twelve o'clock) is not just a reference to time but to trouble, similarly, the idiom 'Sankrant Yene' (Sankrant coming) has become permanently established with the meaning of 'moving from one state to another worse state'.
Positive Aspect
On Sankranti, we share sesame seeds and jaggery, speaking sweetly to symbolize the elimination of negativity and the embrace of sweetness during this transition. As we move from cold to increased sunlight, this festival encourages leaving behind the old and bad, and moving towards positivity. Let us celebrate with this optimistic spirit.