Saharsa, 15 November (HS). Swami Kundanand, a disciple of Sarva Ashutosh Maharaj, founder and director of Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan, said that you must have always given examples of Raksha Bandhan and Bhaiya Dooj as festivals of brother and sister. One of the some of the most beautiful festivals of folk faith is Sama Chakeba. This folk festival, which gives a very innocent expression to the tender and intense relationship between brother and sister, is the identity of the rich Mithila culture. Shyama or Sama was the daughter of Krishna. Her husband was Chakravaka or Chakeba. Samb, known as Satbhaiya in Maithili, was the son of Krishna and brother of Sama. There was immense love between both of them since childhood. Sama was a nature lover who spent most of her time among birds, trees and flowers and leaves. She used to go to Vrindavan with her maid Dihuli and play among the sages. Churak, a minister of Krishna, later known as Chugla (a gossiper), started filling Krishna’s ears against Sama.
Skanda Purana describes the story of Sama Chakeva. She accused Sama of having an illicit relationship with an ascetic of Vrindavan. Krishna was impressed by his words and cursed his daughter to turn into a bird. Sama became a bird. Started living in the forest groves of Vrindavan. In her separation, her husband Chakeba also became a bird. Seeing him in this form, even the sages and saints there became birds. When Sama’s brother Samb came to know about all this, he tried his best to convince Krishna. When Krishna did not agree, he went on penance. With the help of his hard penance he finally succeeded in convincing Krishna. Pleased, Krishna promised that Sama would come to him every year in the month of Kartik for eight days and would return again on the full moon day of Kartik. Due to brother’s efforts, Sama and Chakeb were reunited in Karthik. The festival of Sama Chakeba is celebrated even today in memory of the same day.
This story is a matter of thought for today’s society, where if a brother comes to know that his sister is having sexual relations with another man, what will happen if a husband comes to know about this? How will society treat that woman? But the brother and husband of this story not only trust the woman, but also take every kind of trouble to prove her innocent. Therefore sisters started celebrating festivals for their such brother.
