By Shivansh Gupta
I recently recovered from 11 days of an encounter with chicken pox. 11 days of being bed ridden, detached and resisting the temptation to scratch the itches which is impossible to do. In fact, I would succeed if someone told me to try not to think about sex for a week but resisting the urge to scratch is surely a mammoth task. It feels *so* darn good when you scratch that awful itch. Until it starts itching more and drives you crazy.
Let alone the itching, chicken pox gives you a 10 to 15-day seclusion that your mind will use thinking over some of the useless things that are mostly reserved for your bathing sessions.
But being a Hindu I had something to get amused for, during those days of solitary confinement.
The name is Sheetla, Sheetla Mata. Legend has it that Goddess Sheetla carries a silver broomstick in right hand, a water pot in left hand, wears a red saree and a garland of neem leaves and rides around the villages in North India on a donkey (ass), inflicting people with the pox – small pox, chicken pox etc.
Before I go further I would like to write a disclaimer that in no way I am against Hinduism or have something to do with ISIS. Disclaimers are pretty much common in India, it performs the same task for the so-called patriots as the oblations for God, both ensuring not to inflict their anger.
Now, this Mata has a furious personality and shows her anger to you by inflicting you with chicken pox. She isn’t that famous as compared to other Gods, therefore, for some publicity she ensures to visit everybody, maybe that’s why there is a high probability of you getting a pox once in a lifetime and given the number of people on Earth, there is a very low chance that she would visit you twice.
Whenever I wonder what she would say just before entering your body, it reminds me of Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction who went something like this ” …and I will strike upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger…” which he thought is a cold-blooded shit to say which bolsters his ruffian-ness before he points a gun to someone.
The Remedy
Medicines. No, don’t you ever dare to take those antipyretic paracetamol tablets as this is a blasphemy one could ever commit. Taking medications will only contribute to increasing her annoyance, but worshipping her may make her happy enough to leave your body and reside in some other person, maybe your family member.
Moreover, all important decisions taken by your family during this period have to be taken only after consulting you as you have a Devi inside. Now, this is the only privilege that you get.
Read More: This Illness Got Me Suicidal & Hallucinating. Many Don’t Survive It. I DID!
A Tinge Of Rationality
It is difficult to actually believe that Chicken Pox has anything to do with Sheetla Mata’s anger, but a delve into the symbolism of this Goddess is somewhat rational. The internet says:
- The silver broomstick in right hand symbolizes spreading cleanliness.
- Water pot in left hand symbolizes recovering victims with cool water from river Ganges.
- The red saree resembles fear and protection.
- The garland of neem leaves considered as a remedy for infection and the donkey is the symbol of determination or stubbornness of the disease.
The first and last points seem logical.
I think ancient Hindu doctors were expert and badass, they knew that people have a tendency to do exactly those things that they have been prescribed not to do so they came up with an idea of Sheetla Mata. They thought that fear of God will make them do those things and indeed thousands of years after, in this country, the fear of God is the driving force behind most of the beliefs and actions.
Image Source: Google Images.
Hope you liked this article. Here’s some criticism of practices related to Hinduism, read at your own risk:
http://edtimes.in/2016/05/nuisance-that-indians-create-in-the-name-of-hinduism/
whatever it is .. may be a superstitious or may be science.. but my religion teaches love , respect, for everyone from Sun to river, mountain, mouse to cow .. everywhere there is a god or godly precious item.. in most of cases.. u will some science some health benefit..so we love and thanks every living and non living creation .. every nature element ..by fear or by devotion this is taught and practiced in Hinduism.. and we really love it..
Speak for yourself. Don’t use “we”. You don’t represent the entire Hindu community neither you represent me.
Bro. Chill out.
Exactly, my daughter has chicken pox and today is day 5… it started from feet… I saw it coming in my dream a week priorly.
Thankfully I told this to my mother over call that I had such dream, she asked me to visit temple and offer Prasad and do Kshama prarthna. Though I visit temple everyday due to savan maas… but I didn’t actually offered Prasad and did kashma prarthna… to my surprise after a week my daughter showed me her feet and said mom this is so itchy…
I called up my mother and she confirmed it’s chicken pox… next day I visited temple and prayed to not spread in her entire body and not to make my daughter uneasy… though I had dilemma should go for medicine or not what would I be doing if she cries etc…. But it just stopped right there and didn’t spread…❤️
This is my first time experiencing something like this.. I don’t if it is good or bad… but goddess is there… some supernatural power who cares… who responds and reciprocate….
Jai mata di..!!!!
ofcourse he is not representing you, you must not be there in hindu communism…… but science also says that the virus doesn’t go before 7 days , and that is the spirituality….you believe or not keep it upto you..
Hay… I just loved the way the whole article was written. Sarcastic and witty. Helped me forget about the itching for some time.
Good at least something kept you away from hurting yourself for some time.
My simple question to a few here is if you think you are a great person who does not believe in all these, why are you so curious in spending your time and reading this through, just to leave such comments ? Are you that jobless ? Has your practical and scientific world kept you so idle or away that may have left your capabilities below the standards that makes you waste your time on these ? The way you represent yourself is like you are the smartest in the world, when you aren’t and you know that. So smarty pants, tell me despite of millions of years now, how you smarty pants have been so unsuccessful to abolish these beliefs ? Pull up your socks, some things are beyond our understanding and will stay that way.
God save you…. There will be a time, where you will start believing that there is something above all of us, and by the time you realise it’s too late – period
Loved the way the article was written. As I have Chicken Pox right now, the experience also brought out my witty side. It’s surprising how funny we can be when we get frustrated.
Whatever you say, me and my mom actually saw her at night. And the next day, I had chicken poxes. If i would have been alone to see her then I would feel it is a dream but my mom too saw her, back when I was 5 years old. Now I am 17, we didn’t talk about it for 10 years and both thought it was a dream and both remembered that small moment. And after 10 years when I spoke about seeing someone in that room at 3 am. My mom to agreed. I read more in Jainism, they say there are four types of incarnation: human, animal and plants, demigods (like mataji), and hellish being. It is true. Once you experience you will change your opinion
Jai shri mataji