When I Give Rest to My Pens…

Change starts from an idea that is crystallised with the help of a pen. The pen is, therefore, said to be the tongue of the mind. Strokes of pen may be as lethal as the edge of sword. That’s why it is said that pen is mightier than sword.

And there are solid reasons behind these sayings. You may choose to be silent, but a PEN (Power Enriched Nib) will speak for you. If you want to make something real or immortal, you have to use a pen or ink.

If you want to change the world, you have to pick up your pen. And when you take your pen in hand, thoughts start coming to mind. But on a particular day of the year, people like me give rest to pens, and that day is today, the day of Kalam-Dawat Puja (worship of pen and inkpot), which is celebrated on the second day of the Shukla Paksha of Kartik month of Hindu calendar.

This Puja is also known as Chitragupta Puja, which is observed by the Kayastha community in northern India that I belong to. As per the legends, Kayasthas are believed to have been descended from God Chitragupta, who is believed to uphold the rule of law and to be keeper of complete records of all good and bad deeds of human beings according to their karma during their stay on earth. 

As God Chitragupta’s job is to maintain records, his main tools are pen and ink, which are worshipped on this day. As we worship pen and inkpot on this day, we don’t use these tools as a mark of respect. Incidentally, there is no restriction on using keyboards of laptop or mobile.

There is a long story about Chitragupta and Kayasthas. That’s not important here. What is important is that irrespective of caste or community or profession, pen is important for all of us.

On this day, one more festival, Bhai Dooj is also celebrated to cherish the pious bond between brothers and sisters. On this day, a sister affectionately applies tilaka on her brother’s forehead and prays for his long life.

It is a bit different from Rakshabandhan, when a sister ties a rakhi on the brother’s right-hand wrist seeking his promise to protect and safeguard her from all evil forces.

Coming back to pen and ink, let’s use our pens to write about life and love, peace and brotherhood. Let’s ensure that our ink never runs out for this purpose. May our writings be as pure as fragrance of flowers and as holy as the water of the Ganges.

–Kaushal Kishore

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