Why Sharad Purnima Is Called the Night of Amrit — The Most Auspicious Moon Night in Sanatan Dharma

Sharad Purnima 2025: The night when the full moon radiates Amrit, blessings, and eternal love. Learn its Sanatan Dharma significance and Krishna’s Raas mystery.

On the cool autumn night of Sharad Purnima, the moon doesn’t just shine — it pours blessings. Across India, rooftops glow with bowls of kheer kept beneath its silver light, temples resonate with bhajans, and hearts overflow with devotion. It is believed that on this night, the moon shines with all sixteen kalā(s) — the complete manifestation of divine energies symbolising perfection and wholeness.

This night, often called the Night of Amrit, is the brightest full moon of the year, when nature, devotion, and cosmic grace meet in harmony. According to Sanatan Dharma, the moon’s rays are charged with amrit tattva — divine nectar that heals the body and purifies the mind. The rituals performed tonight are said to invite health, abundance, and spiritual completion.

Sharad Purnima 2025 Key Timings:

• Purnima Tithi Begins: 12:23 PM on October 6, 2025

• Purnima Tithi Ends: 09:16 AM on October 7, 2025

• Moonrise: 05:27 PM on October 6, 2025

 

The Meaning of “Night of Amrit”

The Sanskrit word Amrit means immortality or nectar of eternal life. On Sharad Purnima, it is believed that the moon drips this very amrit through its cooling rays. Ayurveda and ancient Hindu texts mention that the moon’s brilliance during Sharad Ritu (the season between monsoon and winter) has medicinal and rejuvenating powers.

The sixteen kalā(s) of the moon represent sixteen divine attributes or energies — from wisdom and compassion to joy and peace. When the moon manifests all sixteen, it becomes a reflection of Purna Tattva, the complete and divine essence.

According to scriptures, Lord Krishna was born with all sixteen kalā(s), symbolising divine completeness. Lord Rama, by contrast, had twelve. Thus, the full moon of Sharad Purnima is seen as Krishna’s cosmic mirror — radiating his completeness and boundless love.

This is why people sit under the moonlight, meditate, and prepare kheer — to symbolically absorb that celestial nectar and balance their inner energies.

 Mahatmya of Sharad Purnima — The Sanatan Significance

The Skanda Purana and Padma Purana describe Sharad Purnima as the most auspicious night for divine union — where bhakti (devotion) meets shakti (energy). It is believed that even Lord Chandra (Moon God) performs deep meditation on this night to please Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi.

In Sanatan thought, the moon symbolises Chitta (consciousness). When the moon is full, it represents the state of a perfected mind — calm, pure, and luminous. Thus, meditating under the moonlight on this day helps purify thoughts, cleanse the heart, and awaken higher awareness.

Scriptures say that those who remain awake in devotion during Sharad Purnima attain blessings of both Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Krishna — wealth outside, and peace within. It is also believed that Goddess Lakshmi roams the earth on this night calling, “Ko Jagarti?” meaning “Who is awake?” — hence, the name Kojagari Purnima in eastern India. Those awake in worship are showered with her divine grace.

The Divine Story of Krishna’s Maha-Raas — The Night of Eternal Love

The most enchanting part of Sharad Purnima’s mahatmya lies in Lord Krishna’s Maha-Raas Leela in Vrindavan. The Bhagavata Purana beautifully describes this divine event — a moment when human love and divine love merged under the moonlit sky.

On the night of Sharad Purnima, when the moon was full and fragrant flowers filled the air, Lord Krishna played his flute — the call of the Divine. Hearing that melodious sound, the Gopis of Vrindavan left everything — homes, families, duties — and ran toward the sound, hearts brimming with longing.

When they reached Krishna, He welcomed them with a divine smile but reminded them of dharma — their worldly responsibilities.

The Gopis replied, “O Krishna, you are our dharma, our soul’s purpose. We have come not as bodies, but as souls yearning for union.”

Seeing their pure devotion, Krishna granted them the eternal gift — the Maha-Raas, the celestial dance of divine love.

It is said that Lord Krishna multiplied Himself, appearing beside every Gopi, so that each felt she alone danced with Him. In that mystical circle, the moon itself slowed down to watch the dance of the Infinite with the finite. The night stretched — it is said one night of Sharad Purnima equaled a night of Lord Brahma, spanning billions of human years.

This Raas is not just a story of love; it is a cosmic truth — when the devotee dissolves completely in God, time and ego disappear. Sharad Purnima thus celebrates the union of Jeevatma (individual soul) with Paramatma (Supreme Soul) — a dance of surrender, devotion, and divine bliss.

यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धरः ।

तत्र श्रीर्विजयो भूतिर्ध्रुवा नीतिर्मतिर्मम ॥

(Where there is Krishna, there is victory, prosperity, and eternal truth.)

Rituals and How to Celebrate Sharad Purnima

Every Sanatani household celebrates Sharad Purnima with devotion, discipline, and joy. The rituals are simple yet filled with deep meaning:

1. Moon Worship (Chandra Puja)

After moonrise (around 5:27 PM in 2025), devotees offer milk, rice, flowers, and prayers to Lord Chandra. A simple mantra to chant:

ॐ चन्द्राय नमः — Om Chandrāya Namaḥ (Salutations to the Moon God).

It is believed that meditating on the moon at this hour cleanses the aura and brings mental peace.

 2. Preparation of Kheer (The Moonlit Nectar)

Devotees prepare rice kheer made with cow milk, rice, and sugar. The kheer is then kept under the open sky, allowing the moonlight to infuse it with amrit tattva. It is covered with a thin muslin cloth to avoid impurities.

In the morning, the moon-blessed kheer is distributed as Prasad, believed to enhance immunity and cool the body. In many families, elders feed it to children and bless them for health and wisdom.

 3. Fasting (Purnimasi Vrat)

Many devotees observe a fast throughout the day, breaking it after midnight or the next morning with the moonlit kheer. Newly married women often begin their annual Purnimasi Vrat on this day, praying for marital happiness and family well-being.

4. Kojagari Vigil (Lakshmi Puja)

In Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar, families stay awake the whole night performing Kojagari Vrat. Lamps are lit, Lakshmi Aarti is sung, and offerings of milk and rice are made to the Goddess. Those who stay awake are believed to be “awake in consciousness,” inviting Lakshmi’s prosperity.

Regional Colors of the Festival

• In Gujarat, it’s celebrated as Sharad Poonam, with night-long Garba and Dandiya Raas dances symbolising joy and abundance.

• In the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh, it’s known as Raas Purnima, celebrating Krishna’s Maha-Raas with devotional singing and temple rituals.

• In Bengal and Odisha, it’s Kojagari Purnima, dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, where families keep vigil and worship wealth and purity.

Despite regional variations, the essence remains one — devotion under the moonlight, gratitude for life, and alignment with divine rhythm.

The Divine Science Behind Sharad Purnima

Ayurveda beautifully aligns with this spiritual belief. The transition from monsoon to winter (Sharad Ritu) causes internal heat and imbalance in the body. The cool, calming moonlight of Sharad Purnima helps restore that balance.

When milk or kheer is kept under the moonlight, it is believed to absorb subtle cooling energies that pacify Pitta dosha and improve emotional harmony. While modern science sees this as symbolic, ancient seers understood that connecting with the rhythms of nature enhances health and spiritual awareness.

A Personal Reflection — The Light Within

Many devotees recall how elders would take children to rooftops, whispering, “Look at the moon, it’s pouring Amrit tonight.” A bowl of kheer would rest beside them, and bhajans would float softly through the air. It wasn’t just ritual — it was a moment of bonding, silence, and peace.

The beauty of Sharad Purnima lies not only in the cosmic event but in its inner message — when your heart is full of devotion, you too become a full moon.

As you stand beneath the moonlight tonight, close your eyes and whisper this simple prayer:

“Om Chandrāya Namaḥ, Om Shree Lakshmyai Namah,

Let your light cool my mind, purify my heart, and awaken my soul.”

Let this Night of Amrit remind you that divine nectar doesn’t always fall from the sky — sometimes it flows from within, when your heart turns toward God.

Sharad Purnima is not merely a festival; it is a reminder that the universe always mirrors the purity within us. On this most auspicious night of the Sanatan calendar, may the moon’s amrit light heal your body, calm your thoughts, and fill your soul with divine peace.

“Chandrama Manaso Jātaḥ” — From the mind of the Cosmic Being, the Moon was born.

May that cosmic mind awaken within you tonight.