makar sankranti ke din purvajon ko tarpan aur tirth snan ka apna vishesh mahatva hai. isse dev aur pitri sabhi santusht rahte hain. surya puja se aur dan se surya dev ki rashmiyon ka shubh prabhav milta hai aur ashubh prabhav nasht hota hai. is din snan karte samay snan ke jal men til, anvla, ganga jal dalakar snan karne se shubh fal prapt hota hai. surya ko jagat ki atma mana gaya hai. isi karan surya ka ek rashi se dusri rashi men pravesh mahatvapurn mana jata hai. is ek rashi se dusri rashi men kisi grah ka pravesh sankranti kaha jata hai. surya ka dhanu rashi se makar rashi m pravesh ka nam hi makar sankranti hai. dhanu rashi brihaspati ki rashi hai. ismen surya ke rahne par malmas hota hai. is rashi se makar rashi men pravesh karte hi malmas samapt hota hai aur shubh manglik karya ham praranbh karte hain. makar sankranti ka dusra nam uttarayan bhi hai kyonki isi din se surya uttar ki taraf chalna praranbh karte hain. uttarayan ke in chah mahinon men surya ke makar se mithun rashi men bhraman karne par din bade hone lagte hain aur raten choti hone lagti hain. is din visheshtah til aur gud ka dan kiya jata hai.
iske alava khichdi, tel se bane bhojya padarth bhi kisi garib brahman ko khilana chahie. chata, kanbal, juta, chappal, vastra adi ka dan bhi kisi ashay ya jarurat mand vyakti ko karna chahie. raja sagar ke 60,000 putron ko kapil muni ne kisi bat par krodhit hokar bhasm kar diya tha. iske pashchat inhen mukti dilane ke lie ganga avataran ka prayas praranbh hua. isi kram men raja bhagirath ne apni tapasya se ganga ko prithvi par avtrit kiya. svarg se utrne men ganga ka veg ati tivra tha islie shivji ne inhen apni jataon men dharan kiya. fir shiv ne apni jata men se ek dhara ko mukt kiya. ab bhagirath unke age-age aur ganga unke piche -piche chalne lagi. is prakar ganga gangotri se praranbh hokar haridvar, prayag hote hue kapil muni ke ashram pahunchin, yahan akar sagar putron ka uddhar kiya. yahi ashram ab ganga sagar tirth ke nam se jana jata hai. makar sankranti ke din hi raja bhagirath ne apne purkhon ka tarpan kar tirth snan kiya tha. isi karan ganga sagar men makar sankranti ke din snan aur darshan ko mokshadayak mana hai.
bhishm pitamah ko ichcha mrityu ka vardan tha isilie unhonne shar shaiyya par lete hue dakshinayan ke bitne ka intjar kiya aur uttarayan men apni deh ka tyag kiya. uttarayan kal men hi sabhi devi-devtaon ki pran pratishtha shubh mani jati hai. dharma-sindhu ke anusar-makar sankranti ka punya kal sankranti samay se 16 ghati pahle aur 40 ghati bad tak mana gaya hai. muhurt chintamni ne purva aur pashchat ki 16 ghatiyon ko hi punya kal mana hai. yadi sankranti ardharatri ke purva ho to din ka uttararddh punya kal hota hai. ardh ratri ke pashchat sankranti ho to dusre din ka purvarddh punya kal hota hai. yadi sankranti arddh ratri ko ho to donon din punya kal hota hai. devi puran men sankranti ke sanbandh men kaha gaya hai ki manushya ki ek bar palak jhapkne men lagne vale samay ka tisvan bhag tatpar kahlata hai. tatpar ka sauvan bhag truti kahlata hai aur truti ke sauvan bhag men sankranti hoti hai. itne sukshm kal men sankranti karm ko sanpann karna sanbhav nahin hai isilie hi uske aspas ka kal shubh mana jata hai. inmen bhi 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 aur 12 ghati ka samay punya kal hetu shreshth mana hai.
makar sankranti par bhagvan shiv ki puja archana bhi shubh mani gayi hai. is din kale til milakar snan karna aur shiv mandir men til ke tel ka dipak jalakar bhagvan shiv ka gandh, pushp, fal, ak, dhatura, bilva patra chadhana shubhafal dayak hai. kaha bhi gaya hai ki is din ghi aur kanbal ka dan moksha-dayak hai. is din tambul ka dan karna bhi shreshth mana gaya hai. surya pratyek mah men ek rashi par bhraman kar ek varsh men barah rashiyon par apna bhraman pura kar leta hai. is prakar surya pratyek mah men ek rashi se dusri rashi men pravesh kar leta hai. is ek rashi se dusri rashi men pravesh ka nam hi sankranti hai. jab surya dhanu rashi se makar rashi men pravesh karta hai to ise makar sankranti kaha jata hai kyonki is din se surya uttar ki taraf chalna shuru kar deta hai jisse din bade aur raten choti hone lagti hain. is din se devtaon ke din praranbh hote hain jisse is din ka mahatva bahut adhik badh jata hai. uttarayan kal ko hi hamare rishi muniyon ne sadhna ka siddhikal mana hai. jyotish ke anusar makar sankranti ke din surya ki puja upasna karna param faldayak mana hai.
puranon k anusar ‘‘sarva rogat samuchyate’ arthat surya upasna se samast rogon ka nash ho jata hai. grahon men surya ko raja ka pad prapt hai islie bhi surya ki upasna karna hamare lie mahatvapurn hai. surya kripa prapt karne ke lie makar sankranti par kiye jane vale prayog .....
1. makar sankranti ke din pratahkal naha dhokar pavitra hokar lal vastra dharan kar lal asan par baithakar bhagvan surya ki puja karne hetu ek bajot par lal vastra bichakar us par surya dev ki tasvir rakhakar use panchamrit snan karakar dhup, dip jalakar lal rang ke pushp fal arpit kar lal rang ki mithai athva gud ka bhog lagayen. surya mantra ka 28000 jap karen. itna sanbhav nahin ho to 7000 jap avashya karen, isse apko surya dev ki kripa sal bhar tak prapt hoti rahegi. mantra ..... un hran hrin hraun sah suryay namah. un ghrini suryay namah ..
2.....makar sankranti ke din pratahkal jaldi uthakar naha dhokar pavitra hokar ek kalash men svachch jal bharakar usmen thoda sa gud, roli lal chandan, akshat, lal ful dalakar donon hathon ko uncha kar surya bhagvan ko pranam kar nimn mantra bolte hue adhrya pradan karen: ehi surya sahastransho tejorashe jagatpate. anukampayamam bhaktayam grihanadhrya divakar .. iske pashchat lal rang ki vastuon ka dan, til aur gud ka dan karen to apko surya dev ki kripa prapt hone lagti hai.
3. makar sankranti ke din surya bhagvan ko adhrya dekar aditya hriday stotra ke 108 path kiye jayen to varsh bhar shanti rahti hai.
4. makar sankranti ke din siddh surya yantra prapt kar use panchamrit snan karakar dhup dip dikhakr: un ghrini suryay namah, ka jap kar gale men dharan karen to surya kripa prapt hone lagti hai.
5. makar sankranti ke din svarn paelish yukt surya yantra ek bajot par lal kapda bichakar use panchamrit snan karakar sthapit karen, fir dhup, dip dikhakar lal ful, fal, gud arpit kar lal chandan ka tika lagakar un ghrini suryay namah, ke sat hajar jap karen. fir pratidin dhup, dip dikhane aur is mantra ka ek mala jap karne se rajkiya seva ka avasar banne lagta hai. ap bhi makar sankranti ke din suryopasna ka labh avashya uthayen.