In plain words
No use in changing clothes; the qualities must change
Today is Ugādi. The beginning of the yugas. In this Ugādi, what is the very first season? Vasanta, the spring. Among the seasons, the first season is spring. Among the months, which is the important one? The month of Caitra. Among the fortnights, the bright fortnight is the first. Among the tithis, pāḍyami is the chief. Because the season, the month, the fortnight and the tithi are all chief ones, today has become Ugādi. They have all come together. This is the beginning of the yugas. The beginning of the tithis is pāḍyami. The beginning of the fortnight is the bright fortnight. The first of the months is Caitra. The first of the seasons is spring. This is the beginning only because all the first ones come together. This is the inner meaning of calling it ‘ādi’! In this way all the things that are first come together in this Kali age. It is called ādi only because spring, the month of Caitra, the bright fortnight and pāḍyami come together. This is the beginning of the Kali age: yugādi. Because the first things of this Kali are present, they called it Ugādi.
What is the main essence of this Ugādi? On this Ugādi day the people of Bhārata rise at dawn, bathe their heads, put on new clothes, make some sweet dishes for the festival and eat them. Many such Ugādis go by. People keep many Ugādis. But how far has a change come within the principle in Ugādi? They put on new clothes, but new ways of thinking do not come. They put on good clothes, but good qualities do not grow. No use in changing clothes; the qualities must change. No use in changing garments; the thinking must change. Without a change in thinking, however many kinds of holy days people keep, there is no use. The people of Bhārata regard the birthdays of the Avatāras as holy days and celebrate them. They keep the birthdays of the founders of religions too as holy days. They keep the days when the wicked died as holy days. They regard the days when good people died as holy days too, and keep them.