Akshaya Tritiya is considered a very auspicious date in Hinduism, it is believed that the fruits of the virtuous deeds, donations, and worship done on this day never end. There are many religious events associated with this day and one of them is the Akshaya Patra which is associated with the Mahabharata period. Let us know in detail in this article what is the relationship between Akshya Tritiya and Akshaya Patra and why this story inspires people even today.
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Importance of Akshaya Tritiya (Akshya Tritiya Mahatva)
According to the Hindu calendar, Akshya Tritiya is celebrated on the Tritiya of Shukla Paksha of the month of Vaishakh. This day is considered very auspicious for the worship of Shri Hari Vishnu and Lakshmi Mata. It is believed that on this day auspicious works like marriage, housewarming, starting a business, buying property, etc. can be done without any Muhurta. In the year 2025, Akshaya Tritiya will be celebrated on 30 April which is Wednesday.
Cheating with Pandavas (Pandav went into Exile)
When Pandavas transformed Khandav forest into a beautiful city like Indraprastha and started ruling there, after that the eldest brother of Kauravas, Duryodhan, started thinking of capturing Indraprastha. Now since Pandavas were powerful, his uncle suggested to Duryodhan to defeat Pandavas in a game of dice by deceit. A game of dice was played between Pandavas and Kauravas in which Pandavas lost everything and they had to go on 13 years of exile.
When Pandavas were in exile, they had to face many difficulties. During that time, one day to increase their troubles, Kauravas asked Rishi Durvasa and many sages, munis, Brahmins and their disciples to have food with Pandavas in the forest. When Draupadi came to know about this, she became very worried because it was not possible to feed so many people amidst the limited resources in the forest.
Shree Krishna gave Akshaya Patra to Pandavas
Sage Durvasa was known for his very angry nature. Durvasa Rishi is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. It was believed that Durvasa Rishi used to be pleased with a little service but he used to get angry even on small matters and used to curse and that is why big kings and Maharajas were afraid of him.
Draupadi meditated on Shri Krishna in her mind for help and Shri Krishna immediately appeared there. She told Shri Krishna that she was very hungry and should be given something to eat. On this, Draupadi told him about her helplessness and worry and said that she had nothing to eat and Rishi Durvasa was also coming for food. Shri Krishna smilingly told Draupadi to give him whatever she had to eat. On this, Draupadi looked at the food container and found a grain of rice left in it. Draupadi served the same grain of rice to Shri Krishna with great love.
Shri Krishna also ate that grain with great love and said that his stomach was full with that grain and blessed her that this vessel of yours will never be empty and neither will there be any shortage of food in your house. After this, he named that vessel “Akshaya Patra” – a vessel that never becomes empty.
Akshaya Patra: A symbol of blessing
This vessel not only became a solution to the problem of food for the Pandavas, but it is also a symbol of Shri Krishna’s grace and true devotion. With the help of this vessel, the Pandavas served food respectfully to all the visitors during their exile and followed the religion.
There is also a story that the Pandavas received this vessel from Lord Surya Dev when the Sun God, pleased with the devotion and worship of Yudhishthira, the eldest brother of the Pandavas, gave him this vessel as a boon.
Relation between Akshya Tritiya and Akshaya Patra
It is believed that Shri Krishna gave this Akshaya Patra to the Pandavas on the day of Akshaya Tritiya. Therefore, this day became a symbol of ‘Akshaya Punya’, ‘Akshaya Daan’ and ‘Akshaya Bhandar’. This is the reason why donating food, clothes, money, grains, water etc. on this day is considered extremely auspicious because all these provide Akshaya fruits.
Meaning of Akshaya Patra in today’s time
Even today, ‘Akshaya Patra’ is not just a mythological vessel, but it is a symbol of compassion, service and shared culture. In modern India, organizations like ‘Akshaya Patra Foundation’ are inspired by this spirit and provide mid-day meals to poor children, thereby contributing towards hunger, education and equality.