Karma Theroy - The Law Of Action And Reaction

"Karma"!!! This word has gained a lot of popularity in recent days. Of course, many of Sanatan Dharma theories have influenced people throughout the world, especially the west. Can we say that the karma theory also just among the one?? If we take a moment and think, No!! is the answer, While the other theories talk about a certain path or a certain way of practice or a certain measure of control to keep your life in peace, "karma" is part and parcel of life. Breathing is a karma. Whether you wish or not, you breathe!! Every living thing in the universe is bound to do karma, whether they wish or not!! You cry, you laugh, you love, you hate, you think, you sit idle, you talk, you read, you walk, you stand, you sleep!! everything is karma!! every single thing!! In simple terms, "karma" is nothing but action. 

But what makes karma really special is, there is a result for every single karma!! Remember the third law of Newton, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction"! Newton restricted his law only to this material universe. The law of karma is not like that. For an action, you do here, you might get the result at some other world, some other place, some other birth and so on. This is the underlying beauty of karma.

This might seem funny to some people, especially atheists. They don't believe in God, reincarnation or afterlife. They believe only what they see with their mortal eyes and supported by scientific proofs. This article is not intended to make those people believe in karma!! But even such atheists can't stop doing karma (action). Hence, let us proceed with a theist point of view!!

"What goes around, comes around" is a famous saying. Be it a word you uttered, a deed you did or even your simple silence towards someone. It will return with the same intensity!! Every karma (action) you perform creates imprints on your soul. These imprints are carried forward to many many lives (rebirths) until you finally reap the results of that karma.

Once a foreigner asked the following question to the great sage of Kanchi. "Dear Sage!! Can you show me one convincing proof that rebirth exists?" He smiled and told the foreigner to take a visit to the nearest maternity hospital. After he returned, the following conversation took place between the two :

Sage : What did you see in the hospital?

Foreigner : I saw a poor baby and a rich baby ; I saw a normal baby and a physically challenged baby ; I saw a beautiful baby and a deformed baby".

Sage : Do you agree that God is full of love?

Foreigner : Yes!

Sage : If God is full of love, then why should he be so biased and cruel towards these babies! Why should he give one baby wealth and the other one poverty? Why should he give beautiful face to one baby and not to the other one? Why should one baby be healthy and not the other one?

(The foreigner was stunned!! He could not give any convincing answer for the above question)

Swami replied "It is certain that God is full of love. Beings create their own fate by their actions. These actions decide the future births of beings and what you saw in hospital is a perfect example of that. Do you need more convincing answer for rebirth?"

The foreigner got fully convinced and left happily.

The above story is a clear example that we live over and over again and our karma decides who we are going to be, in the future!!

Just close your eyes for a minute and think. You would find many examples from your own life for karma!! Have you ignored someone in your life? You would have noted that you were ignored by another person. Cheated someone?? Ill treated anyone?? Spoken harsh words towards a person?? you would have experienced the same pain by someone else at some other time. It holds good for noble deeds as well. There is a famous saying in tamil "தர்மம் தலை காக்கும்", which means you will always be protected by the good deeds you did!! But the secret is, no one can clearly say, when will you reap the effects. That is the underlying mystery of karma. It could be immediate or somewhere far in the future, even in the next lifetimes.

People might ask ; "If karma is so powerful which decides your destiny, then what is the use in praying?" Yes, karma is powerful but at the same time, bad effects of karma can be minimized through prayer. Remember, it cannot be completely eradicated, but only minimized. If you really repent for your mistakes and feel sorry for what you have done and pray your heart out, such prayer will never go unanswered. It doesn't mean that you can do sins continuously and repent for it to minimize the effects. That is not the point. When you repent it from your inner heart, you should never commit that sin again and make every effort to consciously avoid doing that.

It goes without saying that, until you have balance in your karma account, either positive or negative, you will be taking births again and again to reap the results. So when will you exit from this cycle completely?

This is where Bhagavad Gita comes into picture. It outlines a very simple fact to nullify karma completely. Though it sounds simple. it is one of the most hardest practice to incorporate in our everyday life. Here is the famous quote from Gita!!

Doing work for the sake of work itself and not attached to results, is the only way to get out of the cycle of karma and it is not so simple to practice.

Here is a classic example given by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa :

"Once a king ordered one of his servants to go to a distant place and bring a scholar to the king's court. The servant traveled for several days but heard that the scholar was no more in that city and no one had clues of his whereabouts. He traveled back and told the king about it and then performed his regular works as usual. He was never bothered about his efforts which went in vain. The reason was because, he undertook the task for his master and not for himself. If this had been his own task, he would have been really disappointed. As long as you live in this world, you should also do your works as assigned to you by your master (God). This is the only way to keep disappointments away!!"


This clearly shows that we get happy/sad just because of the fact that we are attached to the results of our work. Even before we start doing something, we have some expectations within ourselves and that is the cause of all our problems.

But how do we get rid of this???

Only by attempting to follow the above quote. Little by little, in our everyday activities, we need to consciously think that whatever we do, is an offering to God. This comes slowly when you sacrifice the "I" - "Ego" that you are doing the deeds. When you replace this thought by thinking that "You are only a medium" and the ultimate power is the one which is performing everything, then all your miseries/sorrows will come to an end. Let us take the little step today towards this humongous task and let "Shri Krishna" guide us through this process. AUM Shanthi!!!

Time : What It Is?? - Excerpts From The Bhagavadha!!

The "Tidbits" section of my blog is specifically for sharing good and thought provoking information from various Sanathan Dharma scriptures and lectures by scholars/gurus. These are not my works. I am presenting the information as it is by mentioning from which source it is taken. The information which I thought of sharing today is taken from "Bhagavadha Purana" (Skandha III - Chapter 29 - Verses 36-45) and it is all about "Time". Let us read :

"He who is called Bhagavan, Brahman and Paramatman has an aspect called providence (Daiva) which, though connected with his aspects as Purusha and Prakriti, is distinct from them. It is what sets in motion the cycle of the Jiva's involvement in repeated births and deaths".

"It is the unique power of the Lord, causing the transformation of Kala (Time). It gives rise to the fear of death in beings who identify themselves with the evolutes of Prakriti and see a clear-cut difference between themselves and others".

"Supporting all and permeating all, it causes the destruction of one combination of elements by another combination. It is none other than Vishnu, the all-pervading being, the master of all worship and the one who draws everything into himself".

"He is impartial to all, there being none dear, inimical or related to him. The unceasing movement of Time consumes all beings who are heedless of the process and are engrossed in their enjoyments and activities".

"Out of fear of him, the wind blows ; the sun emits heat and light ; the stars shine ; clouds rain ; trees, plants and creepers yield flowers and fruits in proper season ; rivers flow downstream ; the oceans maintain their level ; fire burns ; the earth with its mountains remains firm ; the sky provides space for life-giving breath to breath".

"Prakrithi evolves the worlds with seven layers constituting the universal body, and the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in charge of creation, preservation and destruction), performs its cosmic function".

"Thus "Time" is limitless. Though itself without beginning or end, it provides a beginning and an end for all entities. It gives origin to all creatures through their parents and determines also their end, including the end of Antaka (King of Death) himself".

Why Crows Are Given Importance During Pitru-Paksha?

The credit for today's topic goes to one of my friends, Sangeetha who insisted me to gather more information behind the Sanatan Dharma ritual, offering food to the crow, especially during the Shraadha time. In many households, food is offered to crows on everyday basis, but Shraadha day has its own unique importance. Most Hindus believe that their ancestors for whom they are performing the Shraadha, visit them to enjoy the food in the form of crows. As such, they feel very happy when the crow immediately comes and pounces on the food. This might seem very silly to some people, but those who believe such traditions take it as a blessing of their ancestors. Again, belief or non-belief is one's own individual perspective and no one else can do anything about that.

But even for believers, some questions might come in mind. Why crows particularly? Why not any other animals or birds? Could there be any specific reason for this? This is a very general article which tries to explore the answers for such questions. 

Before proceeding further, let me provide some information about Ravens. They are species which are similar to crows (though they have many differences). Interestingly, many ancient mythologies (Greek, Roman, Norse, Celtic etc.) have given some spiritual importance to ravens. Take a look...

In Indian mythology, crows and pitras are connected for varied reasons. We will see two of them here. 

The "KHA" Sound :

The sound produced by a crow is "kha". This is considered a very significant word in sanskrit. Basically, "kha" is the first consonant of Sanskrit. It has different meanings like sun, empty space, sky,ether,air, heaven, happiness, celestial sphere, Brahma etc. Refer the following link for the full list of meanings :

http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?tinput=kha&direction=SE&script=HK&link=yes

"Kha" is also a question word which literally means "why". Every human being has a duty to find out the purpose of his/her life. The very basic intention of a human birth is to find out the answer for three questions ; "Who am I" ? ; "Where did I come from" ? ; and "Where am I going to go after death" ? But we spend the whole life in external pleasures and attractions  and fail to adhere to the basic idea of life. On the other hand, our ancestors, wants us to constantly stick to our own soul doing self enquiry. Hence, on "pitru-paksha", we remember our ancestors through crows. While offering food to crows, we hear the sound "kha" which reminds us to do some self-enquiry. When crows are not present, we also shout "kha" "kha" and invite crows. But again, we forget the inner meaning, but give importance to the external ritual. That is why, certain strange things happen as mentioned in the following article :

http://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/why-is-this-9-yr-old-ragpicker-in-demand-during-pitru-paksha/story-64c3Dt7AUcGTVe5AByxMlM.html

"Ka" in Egyptian Mythology :

According to ancient Egyptian mythology, the soul was considered to be having three parts, the "ka" ; the "ba" and the "akh". The "ka" was essentially a person's double. It was the life force, and a person is said to be dead once "ka" departs the body. The Egyptians also buried things such as bread, beer, oxen etc... to feed the "ka" in afterlife. They also performed extensive preparation for the body (like we have death rituals in sanatan dharma) since they believed that those rituals will find a peaceful home for the "ka" in afterlife.

Refer the following links for an extensive reading on Egyptian "Ka"

http://myweb.usf.edu/~liottan/theegyptiansoul.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_concept_of_the_soul
http://www.britannica.com/topic/ka-Egyptian-religion

The Story From Ramayana :

There is a story from the Uttara Kanda, Ramayana which reads as follows :

Once a king named Marutta performed Maheshwara Yagna. All the Devas including Indra attended the yagna. Ravana, who was an enemy to the Devas also came to that yagna. On seeing him, the Devas got frightened and took the forms of different animals to escape from Ravana. Indra took the form of a peacock, Kuber took the form of a chameleon, Varuna became the swan and Yama took the form of a crow and so on. Thus all of them escaped from the mighty Ravana. Once he left, all the Devas returned back to their original form. They also gave boons to the respective animals for saving their lives. Since yama took the form of the crow, he gave the following boon to the crows....

ये च मद्विषयस्थास तु मानवाः कषुधयार्दिताः
तवयि भुक्ते तु तृप्तास ते भविष्यन्ति सबान्धवाः

ye ca madvisayasthas tu manavaḥ kṣudhayarditah
tvayi bhukte tu trptas te bhavisyanti sabandhavah

'When human beings suffering from hunger, if you are fed / eating, those people become happy as if they have (met and fed) all his relatives (past and present).

Hence, by offering food to the crows, we are satisfying the needs of pitras who are invisible to our eyes.

http://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/614/why-are-crows-considered-to-be-a-link-to-our-pitris-spirits-of-ancestors
https://www.scribd.com/doc/28062501/Uttar-kand-valmiki

How does breath function in the body? Questions & Answers from Prashna Upanishad

The "Tidbits" section of my blog is specifically for sharing good and thought provoking information from various Sanathan Dharma scriptures and lectures by scholars/gurus. These are not my works. I am presenting the information as it is by mentioning from which source it is taken. The information which I thought of sharing today is taken from "Prashna Upanishad". It contains six chapters, each one containing a question and answers to that question. What we are going to see today is the third chapter of this Upanishad, which involves questions and answers about "Life and Life Breath"

PRASHNA UPANISHAD

The Third Question

Kousalya : "O Sage" How is life born? How does it enter the body? How does this breath of life divide itself and reside in the body? How does it control external objects and how does it control the senses of the body?

Pippalada : "It is because you know about the Brahman that you are asking these questions. I will therefore tell you the answers".

"The breath of life is created from the Brahman. Just as the body has a shadow, the breath of life is the shadow of the Brahman. It is like a shadow that the breath of life resides in the body in order to perform acts that are desired".

"An emperor appoints officials to rule over villages. Like that, the breath of life appoints the other senses to rule over various parts of the body. Within the body, the breath of life divides itself into various parts. In the lower regions, it is known as Apana. In the upper regions of the nose, the eyes and the ears, it is known as Prana. It is there in the stomach and the digestive system as Samana. Samana is like a seven-tongued flame that digests the food".

"The soul resides in the heart. From the heart, there lead out one hundred and one main veins (mula nadi), Each of these is divided into one hundred branches (shakha nadi). Each of the branches is divided into seventy-two thousand sub branches (prashaka nadi). Vyana moves along these.".

(Vyana is that part of the breath of life which flows in the heart and the surrounding regions. There are 101 main veins. 101*100 = 10100 branches and 10100 * 72000 = 727200000 sub branches. This adds up to a total of 727210201  veins. (101+10100+727200000)

"There is a vein known as Sushumna. This leads up to the crown of the head and along this flows that part of the breath of life known as Udana. It is along this vein that the performers of righteous deeds go to righteous lands and the performers of evil deeds go to evil lands. Those who perform both good and evil are born in the land of men" (Death comes when udana penetrates the crown of the head).

"Living beings have different types of desires. It is these desires that pervade the breath of life at the time of death. The udana and the atman take the being to the abode beyond death".

"He who worships the breath of life, is never separated from his sons and grandsons. He unites with the breath of life and becomes immortal. The following shloka is about the breath of life".

"Know of the origin, arrival and existence of the breath of life. Know of its lordship over the five elements. these are the spiritual and natural manifestations of the breath of life. Worship the breath of life and become immortal".

Chakras - The Energy Centers

Let us enter the marvelous world of mysterious "Chakras" today. The sanskrit word "chakra" literally means "wheel". It can also be taken as "circle".  We all have seven Chakras in our subtle body, which are widely known as "Energy Centers" these days. To tell the long story short, the main Shakthi (energy), called "Kundalini" is activated in the "Muladhara Chakra" (Root) and arises little by little, passing all the chakras. When it ultimately rises to the top "Sahasrara Chakra" (Crown), the "Sakthi" (energy) reunites with "Shiva" (consciousness) and the ultimate state called "Samadhi" is attained. 

Tantra, Mantra and Yantra :

These are considered as the three basic techniques of worship in "Sanatan dharma".  "Tantra" uses body as a medium. Yoga postures and techniques basically come under this category. The "Chakras" which we are going to explore today also come under this "Tantra" section. "Mantra" uses mind power. The sounds and vibrations caused by them are the key factor here. All our Vedic Mantras and Shlokas come under this section. "Yantra" uses objects as medium. Objects which are considered to possess and attract unique mystical powers are worshiped. "SriYantra" is considered as one of the most powerful yantras. This "Sriyantra" is itself an excellent topic of research and needs to be explored in detail. 

"SRI YANTRA"
By SharkD (Michael Horvath) (self-made (can also be found here at my
homepage))  [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses
/by-sa/3.0)],  via Wikimedia Commons

Kundalini - The Serpent Power :

Please read the following passage, (source - wikipedia).  Kundalini is excellently described by none other than "Swami Vivekananda" in his "Raja Yoga" lectures given in London.

"According to the Yogis, there are two nerve currents in the spinal column, called Pingalâ and Idâ, and a hollow canal called Sushumnâ running through the spinal cord. At the lower end of the hollow canal is what the Yogis call the "Lotus of the Kundalini". They describe it as triangular in form in which, in the symbolical language of the Yogis, there is a power called the Kundalini, coiled up. When that Kundalini awakes, it tries to force a passage through this hollow canal, and as it rises step by step, as it were, layer after layer of the mind becomes open and all the different visions and wonderful powers come to the Yogi. When it reaches the brain, the Yogi is perfectly detached from the body and mind; the soul finds itself free. We know that the spinal cord is composed in a peculiar manner. If we take the figure eight horizontally (∞) there are two parts which are connected in the middle. Suppose you add eight after eight, piled one on top of the other, that will represent the spinal cord. The left is the Ida, the right Pingala, and that hollow canal which runs through the centre of the spinal cord is the Sushumna. Where the spinal cord ends in some of the lumbar vertebrae, a fine fibre issues downwards, and the canal runs up even within that fibre, only much finer. The canal is closed at the lower end, which is situated near what is called the sacral plexus, which, according to modern physiology, is triangular in form. The different plexuses that have their centres in the spinal canal can very well stand for the different "lotuses" of the Yogi.[20]"

Ida, Pingala and Sushumna - The Three Subtle Nadis :

There are three important "Nadis" called "Ida", "Pingala" and "Sushumna", within the spine. "Ida" is lunar channel and associated with "feminine" properties. "Pingala" is solar channel and associated with "masculine" properties. Both these Nadis represent the "duality" in existence which we call as "Shakthi" and "Shiva". The "Sushumna" nadi is in the center, between Ida and Pingala. At the lower end of this "Sushumna" Nadi, lies the "Root" chakra. This is where the dormant "Kundalini" energy rests, like a coiled serpent, waiting to be awakened. Through systematic "Pranayama" and deep "Meditation", this energy is awakened. Once awakened, this energy has to be carefully taken step by step to the upper chakras. A yogi can such attain ultimate bliss or samadhi, when he takes "kundalini" to the top "Crown"chakra.

By Silvanasono (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Shiva's Snake - A Symbolic Representation :

We all know that Lord Shiva has a snake around his neck. There are many symbolic interpretations for snake. One such interpretation in this context is that, the snake stands for the fully awakened "Kundalini" energy. Shiva is often pictured in yogic posture. As an all accomplished yogi, the fully awakened "serpent power" is typically represented by the snake around his neck.

Read the following for better understanding :

http://www.ishafoundation.org/blog/yoga-meditation/demystifying-yoga/the-three-fundamental-nadis/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadi_(yoga)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundalini

http://www.icrcanada.org/learn/historicalbasis/kundaliniindia

http://www.kundaliniresearchproject.net/resources/kundalini/history

Before proceeding further, I encourage you to watch the following three video clips about these energy centers :

Chakras In Detail :

"Muladhara" - The Root Chakra :

By Léah 30 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

This is the Root chakra. If the root is strong, it can hold anything. Since this is the base chakra from which the energy arises to the top, it got the name "Muladhara". It is located in the base of spine, below the coccyx. It is red in color and has 4 petals. Dormant "kundalini" energy rests here. This chakra is responsible for basic survival instinct. As such, it governs stability, sensuality, security and spirituality. The three Nadis which we saw before lie near this chakra and it is from here, they begin their upward journey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muladhara
http://www.ishafoundation.org/blog/yoga-meditation/demystifying-yoga/muladhara-chakra/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/362922-muladhara-chakra-exercises/
http://www.allgoodthings.com/yoga/chakra/chakra1_3.html

"Svadhishthana"  - The Sacral Chakra :

By Mirzolot2 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

This chakra is located two finger-widths above the "Muladhara" chakra. The color of this chakra is orange and it has six petals. The element associated with this chakra is "water" and the seed syllable is "VAM". This chakra governs emotions, pleasure and reproduction. It is believed that it is very hard to take the "kundalini" past this chakra because "sexual desire" is the hardest to control. Since this chakra governs that, extreme determination is required to battle that desire and fix one's mind in the end goal. A person who concentrates and meditates on the "Svadhishthana" chakra is believed to attain the following powers :

• Freedom from enemies
• Loss of fear of water
• Psychic capacities
• Perfect control of negative emotions like anger, jealousy etc
• Creative imagination and eloquence 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svadhishthana
http://www.cit-sakti.com/kundalini/experiences-of-meditation.htm
http://www.allgoodthings.com/yoga/chakra/chakra2.html

"Manipura" - The Solar Plexus Chakra :

By Mirzolot2 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons
.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/
fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

This is the chakra which is located slightly above the the navel. It has ten petals and the seed syllable is "RAM". It is yellow in color. The element associated with this chakra is fire. In physical terms, this chakra governs digestion and emotionally,it is associated with power. Imbalance in this chakra causes negative emotions like fear, confusion, lack of confidence, depression and unwanted worries. A yogi who activates this chakra by bringing the "kundalini" energy up to this point overcomes all the above negative feelings.

http://projectyourself.com/blog/modern-science-finally-validates-one-of-the-worlds-greatest-cure-alls/
http://mercedeskirkel.com/seven-chakra-tantra/
http://www.yogaindailylife.org/esystem/yoga/en/180300/chakras/manipura-chakra/
http://www.suprapowers.com/chakras.htm

Anahata - The Heart Chakra :

By Mirzolot2 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)],
via Wikimedia Commons

The sanskrit term "Anahata" literally means "Unstruck". This chakra is located in the chest. It is green in color, has twelve petals and has "YAM" as the seed syllable and "Rakini" as sakthi. This chakra is responsible for love, compassion and soft emotions involved in human relations. In physical terms, this chakra govers circulation. When this chakra is activated, one can express unconditional love, compassion to all creatures, and accept people as they are without judging,

http://www.tantra-kundalini.com/anahata.htm
http://www.allgoodthings.com/yoga/chakra/chakra4.html
http://www.yogaindailylife.org/esystem/yoga/en/180400/chakras/anahata-chakra/
http://www.yogabound.com/anahata-anahatha-4th-chakra-unbeaten-or-heart-chakra/

Vishuddhi - The Throat Chakra :

By Mirzolot2 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/
fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

The literal meaning of the term "Vishuddhi" is "extremely pure". The location of this chakra is the throat. The seed syllable is "ham"and it has 16 petals. In physical terms, this chakra is responsible for communicaiton. In spiritual terms, this chakra takes care of "sense of security". Since this chakra governs communication, it is extremely important to a person who wish to activate this chakra to not speak harsh, not talk too much, pronounce mantras accurately and so on. All these things help in opening up this chakra bit by bit. It can only come through regular practice. When this chakra is activated, one can get a very compassionate voice and excellent communication skills. If you get complete control over this chakra (which can only happen with extreme meditation practices), you can attain "Vaaksidhi" which means, what ever you say will come true/happen. 

http://www.adishakti.org/subtle_system/vishuddhi_chakra.htm
http://www.chopra.com/ccl/speak-your-inner-truth-with-the-fifth-chakra
http://www.yogaindailylife.org/esystem/yoga/en/180500/chakras/vishuddhi-chakra/
http://www.curativesoul.com/chakras#.Vo8P-fkrI2w

Ajna - The Third Eye Chakra :

By Atarax42 (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Before proceeding further about this chakra, let us quickly think about "Lord Shiva". He is also known as "Mukkannan" which means one who possesses three eyes. The third eye is nothing but the fully activated "Ajna" chakra. The literal meaning of "Ajna" is to command. The location of this chakra is behind the forehead, which is the seat of consciousness. We can say that this chakra possesses extreme importance. The reason being, this chakra is the point where the two Nadis, Ida and Pingala (which were separate all along), merges with the central "sushumna". Spiritually, it can be taken that this chakra is where the duality ends and pure consciousness with the supreme being is established. It is rightly represented with two petals, symbolizing the duality, viz.. darkness and light, male and female, subject and object, etc.

Another important point to emphasize here, is Hindus always mark their foreheads with holy ash, kumkum, chandhan etc. It is actually a way to protect this place (forehead where ajna chakra is located) from negative aspects from external factors, and to activate this chakra by gently pressing this area when applying those forehead marks. For a detailed information about this, please click the following link.

http://connectsciencetodivinity.blogspot.com/2015/04/forehead-marks-why-do-we-apply-them.html


The seed syllable of this chakra is the "Pranava", the "AUM". The Sakthi is Hakini and the presiding deity is "Ardhanaareeshwara" (again, a symbol of merging duality). Ajna covers basic intuition in physical terms, and spiritually, it governs visual consciousness.

http://www.tantra-kundalini.com/ajna.htm
http://fractalenlightenment.com/18337/spirituality/kundalini-rising-part-6-ajna-the-third-eye-chakra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra

Sahasrara - The Crown Chakra :

By Atarax42 (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

The literal meaning of "Sahasrara" is "Thousand petaled". As the name signifies, this is a thousand petaled chakra. It is the state of pure consciousness, where there is no duality. If the kundalini energy rises up to this point, Samadhi/liberation is attained. Moksha is attained by many paths viz. Karma, Bakthi, Gyana, Yoga etc. By uniting the Kundalini energy with the male "Shiva" energy, one attains Moksha by Yogic path.

It is a state of pure bliss, where one becomes immortal and eternal. The illusion of individual self is totally dissolved at this point. A person who attains this stage is never born again. He is said to have conquered the infinite cycle of births and deaths. In all the previous chakras, "form" was still present. Even in Ajna chakra, "form" was present along (though mild) with consciousness. It is at Sahasrara chakra, where the mind establishes itself in the supreme Bindu/Pure Void. At this stage, there is no knowledge, no knower and nothing has to be known. The ultimate goal of taking a human birth is attained. A yogi becomes unified into the one supreme being.

http://www.tantra-kundalini.com/sahasrara.htm
http://www.yogaindailylife.org/esystem/yoga/en/180800/chakras/sahasrara-chakra/
http://www.chakra-anatomy.com/crown-chakra.html
http://www.allgoodthings.com/yoga/chakra/chakra7.html

 Chakras in Shlokas :

Two important shlokas, the Lalitha Sahasranama and the Soundara Lahari, talk about these chakras and the kundalini shakthi. Lalitha Sahasranama describes how Devi resides in each chakra in different forms, her characteristics in each chakra etc. For instance, if you take the following shloka,

"Vishuddhi chakra nilayarakthavarna thrilochana
Kathvangadhi praharana vathanaika samanvitha
Paayasaanna priya tvakstha pasuloka bayankari
Amruthadi mahasakthi samvrta dakineeswari"   - Names 475-484

This verse talks about the Vishuddhi Chakra. It is said that the yogini (shakthi) for this chakra is Dakini. Her complexion is mild red. She has three eyes. She is fond of the sweet "payasam". She presides over skin and sensation of touch. She is frightful for those who are ignorant of self. She is surrounded by 16 shakthies (resembled by the 16 petals).

For detailed reading, click the following links.....

http://spiritualmindpower.com/files/Sri_Lalitha_Sahasra_Nama.pdf
http://www.advaita-vedanta.co.uk/index.php/content/204-saundarya-lahari-verse-36
http://enfolding.org/reading-the-saundarya-lahari-iv/

Some effects of aroused kundalini :

If you want to attain something in life, you should always make compromises. Happiness does not come without suffering. These are general statements of life.Same principles apply to Kundalini Shakthi too. Before one can feel the ultimate ecstasy, one has to undergo many side effects, which are even painful at times. Please take a look....

Side Effects :

• Involuntary jerks, tremors and shaking
• Itching and crawling sensations
• Feeling of energy rush
• Extreme heat or cold felt in the body
• Headaches and pressures inside the skull
• Nausea, diarrhea or constipation
• Unusual breathing patterns

Feelings of Ecstasy :

• Visions of sounds. You can actually hear the mystic Pranava sound "AUM"
• Feelings of infinite love and bliss
• Extrasensory experiences
• Out of body experiences
• Altered states of consciousness 
• Past life memories and astral travel
• Sense of unity with one supreme being

http://www.kktanhp.com/kundalini.htm
http://www.spiritualcompetency.com/blackboard/lessons/types/kundalinitype.htm
http://www.mudrashram.com/kundaliniarousalscale.html

Not to be practiced without a Guru :

It is always said that spiritual realization can happen only with a Guru. This reveals the importance of Guru and almost all our scriptures have mentioned and praised Gurus. Until British invasion, our education system was also called "Gurukula" where students stay at the place of Guru and learn under his guidance.  Though we lost this tradition in modern days, it is emphasized even now that yoga, meditation and such other spiritual practices should always be practiced under the guidance of a Guru. There is a famous saying, Maatha, Pithaa, Guru and Deivam. Mom is the first person a child knows and understands. To that child, mom shows the Dad. Dad takes the child to a specific Guru to enrich him with wisdom and knowledge. Guru is a person who reveals God to that child. Hence, our elders have given this nice order. It is strongly advised that kundalini should not be practiced without the guidance of a Guru. It is considered as a very risky and extreme yogic practice, due to the many side effects associated with this. Due diligence and care has to be taken when a person practices kundalini yoga. Even a single mistake can lead to many complications. Hence, please take the guidance of a Guru if you wish to practice this yoga, which activates the subtle powers and helps in reaching the ultimate goal of self realization.

I wish you all readers a very Happy New Year. Let this year bring health, wealth, peace and prosperity to all.