Acharya Samrat Dr. Shri Shivmuni Ji M.Sa. stated that the full moon day of the Shravan month (Shravan Shukla Purnima) marks the festival celebrating the sacred bond between a brother and a sister. Historically, this is the day a sister ties a Rakhi on her brother’s wrist. The day is so sacred that, transcending barriers of caste or tradition, any sister can tie a Rakhi on any brother and seek a pledge of protection.
Shedding light on the history of Raksha Bandhan, Acharya Bhagwan recounted the story of Queen Karmavati of Chittor. When she found no other means of protection against the advancing armies of Bahadur Shah, she sent a Rakhi—studded with 21 gems and placed in a velvet box—to the Mughal Emperor Humayun. Along with it, she wrote a letter on a Peepal leaf stating, “Your father, Babur, defeated my husband, Rana Sangram Singh, through the might of his sword. I am sending you this Rakhi, accepting you as my brother; please protect me.” Humayun, a religious man, accepted the Rakhi and acknowledged Karmavati as his sister. He remarked that the bond between a brother and sister is considered sacred in Islamic tradition as well, and he pledged to ensure Karmavati’s safety. Karmavati was overjoyed to receive this response.
He also narrated the story of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, who once went to the court of the King of Kashi (Varanasi) on the day of Raksha Bandhan to tie a Rakhi. The King was delighted to see him; he rose from his golden throne and allowed Pandit Malaviya to tie the Rakhi on his wrist. After the ceremony, the King touched the Pandit’s feet and asked him to name his Dakshina (offering). Pandit Malaviya replied, “I require land on the banks of the Ganges for a university.” The King granted him land equivalent to the size of 15 villages. To this day, a major university stands at that very location. Acharya Bhagwan recounted the story of the dacoit Sultana: Sultana had set out to commit a robbery and arrived at a village. A woman was standing outside a house holding a thali (platter) and a Raksha Sutra (sacred thread); upon seeing Sultana, she immediately applied a tilak to his forehead and tied the Rakhi on his wrist. Sultana gave her a gift, accepted her as his sister, and declared to his fellow dacoits that the village now belonged to his sister and would never be subjected to robbery.
Similarly, Acharya Bhagwan narrated instances where Rabindranath Tagore made Muslims his brothers by tying the Raksha Sutra, and where Chandrashekhar Azad protected an unknown woman as his sister without the formal ritual of tying the thread. The Raksha Sutra possesses the power to eradicate feelings of enmity and malice while fostering mutual love and harmony. Following the sermon, Acharya Bhagwan guided the congregation in the practice of Atma-Dhyan (meditation on the self).
Pramukh Mantri Shri Shirish Muni Ji M.Sa. stated in his address that Jain philosophy places great importance on Shodh (deep inquiry or contemplation). If an individual focuses on a single word—contemplating its meaning and striving to live by it—the mind will not wander. A spiritual seeker who dwells within the self, viewing others as distinct from the self and remaining detached from material matter (Pudgal), advances in the spiritual practice of the soul.
Sahamantri Shri Shubham Muni Ji M.Sa. presented the devotional song (bhajan) titled “Jahan le chaloge wahin main chalunga” (I will go wherever You lead me).
Shri Shantilal and Smt. Suman Ostwal from Bhilwara took the vow (Pratyakhyan) for a nine-day fast via an online platform; additionally, other aspirants—both online and in person—took vows to observe various penances such as fasting, Ekasan (eating a single meal a day), and Ayambil (consuming simple, unspiced food once a day).