The Science underlying the holiest Hindu month - Shraavan: SOSD article #4

I have a lot of Hindu as well as non-Hindu acquaintances who have asked me the origin of the Shraavan month, why the rules that are set as per Indian scriptures are followed so strictly, etc, which is what has inspired me to write this article today. Before I begin, I would like to mention that I am grateful to all the people who have supported my Science of Sanatan Dharma series and I also am grateful to the critics, the presumptuous and inerudite people out there nullifying the Science behind Sanatan Dharma, as you guys have helped me motivate and to come up with more interesting ideas for my series, since I take criticism constructively, and not egoistically.

What is ‘Shraavan’?:

Shraavan is the holiest month of the year in the Hindu calendar. Technically speaking, it is the 5th month of a year as per Hindu calendar timeline. Due to the limited religious knowledge, we have received from our ancestors, some people often consider this month as ‘superstitious and unimportant’, but in this article, I elaborate upon the science underlying the importance of this month.

Origin of ‘Shraavan’:

The name of this month was derived from the ‘Shraavan nakshatra’ which is the star that rules the sky throughout this month. Altair, Alshain, and Tarazed are the 3 stars under this nakshatra that together form an eagle, the Aquila. In Sanskrit, shraavan means the ear; thus, Shraavan month is the month of listening and learning. As per astronomy, on a full moon day of this month, the Shraavan nakshatra rules the sky.

(Wait for the end to read an interesting additional fact on Shraavan which mentions advanced knowledge of medicine in ancient India.)

Know the rules behind Shraavan before getting to know the science underlying it:

Believers of Hinduism and Sanatan dharma worship Lord Shiva, perform Abhishek using milk and water, which is collected and donated to the needy, and offer Bael leaves and Dhatura flower to Lord Shiva this month, as he is the ruling deity of Shraavan. As per Vedas, ‘Amrut Manthan’, happened during this time when Lord Shiva drank the 14th ruby ‘Halahal’, a poison that could destroy the entire universe, which had emerged from the churning of the ocean. To pacify the burning and harsh effects of the poison that was stored in Lord Shiva’s throat, which makes his throat turn blue due to oxygen deficiency, resulting in him also being known as ‘Neelkantha’, all the gods started offering him water from the river Ganga.

Believers of Shraavan follow 5 main rules, which are usually considered as a part of mythology, owing to the lack of knowledge in our generation; however, there is science underlying these rules, as mentioned below.

1. Avoiding meat: Shraavan as mentioned is the 5th month of the Hindu calendar, which observes monsoon. During monsoons as we all know, waterborne diseases are at an all-time high, which thereby affects animals by the spread of a number of infections if the meat is consumed by humans; thus, meat is avoided in the month of Shraavan.

2. Avoiding dairy products: As per Ayurveda, ancient Indian medicine, in the month of Shraavan, ‘Vata Dosha’ aggravates, which results in damaged bone health, joint pain, etc. Apart from this, as cows feed on grass, which has increased pests and insects due to breeding in monsoon, it eventually affects the milk, thus making milk and other dairy products harmful to the body.

3. Avoiding spicy foods: Due to the monsoon and the brooding number of viruses, bacteria, and parasites in this month, the human immune system becomes low, which in turn allows the spices (tamasik food) to aggravate the human digestive system, eventually leading to ‘Pitta Dosha’ and disrupting the gut microbiome. Thus, in the month of shraavan, avoiding spicy foods help keep the digestive system and the human body unaffected, with a healthy immune system and maintained gut microbiome.

4. Why do most people believe in fasting in Shraavan? : In this month, due to decreased sunlight owing to the rains, the digestive system does not work as efficiently, as it does in the presence of appropriate sunlight. Scientifically elaborating, in an appropriate amount of sunlight, Vitamin D is absorbed well by the human body, as well as a number of vitamins and minerals that aid in digestion. Thus, fasting or eating less in Shraavan is considered important.

5. Why do men avoid shaving in Shraavan? : In monsoon, due to high humidity and moisture in the atmosphere, the healing of the skin is delayed, thus if men shave and get a skin wound, the skin heals comparatively slower, and thus it is said to avoid shaving in this month.

Additional mythological fact: Let me tell you a story where advanced medical knowledge is revealed in Hindu ancient scriptures. As per this story, it becomes evident that Hindu scriptures had evidence of the side effects of poisoning, which was discovered later by modern scientists. In this story, it is well depicted that poisoning causes oxygen deprivation and causes the tissues to turn blue. Not only this but also the medicinal benefits of water from river Ganga have also been depicted, which is a fact that was recently known to be self-purifying, due to the presence of a number of bacteriophages with healing properties.

To conclude with this article, I hope that now the month of Shraavan is not only considered important due to mythology but also from the perception of science which has a major role in this month.

Hoping that my article has appeased all my inquisitive readers, including the presumptuous and inerudite people I addressed at the beginning of this article. Have an amazing month. May Lord Shiva bless you with good health, power, and an abundance of happiness.

Thank you.

- Rachna Jadhav

@theresilientresearcher