The Glory of the Jagar Yatra and the Ketaki Flower
On the sacred Maha Shivaratri of Lord of Lords, Mahadev, during the Jagar Yatra, four watches of worship are performed. Just as offerings of milk, curd, honey, sugarcane juice, and Bilva leaves are made, the adornment of the Shiva Linga with Ketaki flowers delights Lord Ashutosh in a divinely enchanting way. On this one special day, the Ketaki flower becomes blessed by adorning the Lord’s head.
The Ketaki plant looks similar to the Kewda plant but is taller. Its leaves are larger than those of the Kewda plant. While Kewda leaves have many thorns along both edges and the central vein, Ketaki leaves have very few thorns in those places. The Ketaki flower is yellow in color and fragrant. In contrast, the Kewda flower is white and less fragrant than the Ketaki flower.
Even today, our religious culture is alive. Like the Ketaki flower, let us remain immersed in devotion and steadfast faith to receive the grace of Lord Bholenath.
🍁 The Shiva Purana narrates the story of the Ketaki flower 🍁
One day, Brahma and Vishnu were sitting together, wondering where Shiva had gone. They decided to search for Him. Brahma mounted his swan and flew upward, while Vishnu took the form of a boar and went down to the netherworld. They searched everywhere but could not find Him. Vishnu returned and sat down, but Brahma continued searching. Ten thousand years passed.
Brahma then saw a Ketaki leaf drifting down from above, glowing with a golden hue. On seeing Brahma, it bowed respectfully. Brahma asked, “Where have you come from?”
The leaf replied, “From near the Lord. There is the fragrance of Shiva, the fragrance of Bilva leaves.”
Brahma asked, “Where are you going?”
“To Lord Shiva.”
Brahma said, “Why go further? You have already come here.”
The Ketaki leaf said, “Come, let us go together.”
Brahma asked, “If I go, how long will it take?”
“It will take a hundred thousand years.”
Brahma replied, “I cannot go any farther,” and persuaded the Ketaki leaf to come back down with him.
Vishnu was sitting there with all the other gods when Brahma returned. The gods asked Brahma what he had seen. Brahma said, “Yes, I have brought proof,” and showed the Ketaki flower. However, earlier Brahma had said one thing to the flower and then reversed his words before the gods.
Vishnu understood that Brahma was lying. Vishnu closed his eyes and asked the Ketaki flower, “Do you recognize me?”
“Yes, Lord, who does not know you? Brahma brought me here. I received your divine sight.”
Vishnu said, “Speak the truth before us. What really happened there?”
“Speak the truth; follow righteousness.”
Vishnu asked, “Did Brahma really go to Shiva?”
“No.”
“Then why did he bring you?”
“I was descending from above. He saw me and brought me here. Until now, he had not told me anything. Here he is saying that he saw Shiva.”
The Ketaki flower said, “I believed Brahma always spoke the truth, but here he is dealing in falsehood.”
At this, Brahma became angry. “You have humiliated me before everyone! Do you not know how to speak?”
The Ketaki flower replied, “I will not remain silent. Why did you lie?”
Brahma cursed the Ketaki flower: “You are very beautiful—now become full of thorns.”
Before this curse, the Ketaki plant had no thorns; afterward, thorns appeared.
The Ketaki flower cried, and at that moment Lord Shiva appeared. The thorns disappeared on seeing the Lord. But once the Lord left, the thorns returned. Vishnu consoled the flower and said, “Do not worry, you will survive.”
Vishnu continued, “Even though you have thorns, because you appeared on Shiva Chaturdashi—the day of Shiva’s manifestation—you will adorn Lord Shiva’s head on the night of Shivaratri.”
At that moment, Shiva arrived. Seeing the Ketaki flower with thorns, He said, “This came from my own being; it cannot be thorny.” Then Lord Shankar seated Brahma and Vishnu within His divine form. The three gods united in the Harihara form. From that day onward, on every Shivaratri, the Ketaki flower adorns Lord Shiva’s head.