Thursday, April 9, 2015

Mantra Pushpam - Chants From The Yajurveda With Meanings


Almost all of us would have heard the famous Vedic verse "Ayathanavan Bhavati".  This verse comes in "Mantra Pushpam" - A Vedic chanting, which is considered as the flower of vedic chants. To give a quick intro, this Mantra is found in "Taithreeya Aranyakam" of Yajurveda. Like all other Vedic Mantras, "Mantra Pushpam" also gives a simple meaning at the outset, but more deeper meanings when you ponder over and over. It talks about the source of water, but it has deeper meanings like creation concept, evolution, inter connectivity of elements and cosmos. "He who knows the truth, becomes established in himself" is the basic ideology of this Mantra. Let us know the simple meaning of this Mantra today, by understanding which, we can hopefully go to the next level of deep perception. I pray to the Almighty to grant us his blessings.





You can hear this mantra in this you tube video :




The Mantra and its meaning :



Yo pam pushpam veda

Pushpavan prajavan pasuvan bhavati

Chandramava apam pushpam

Pushpavan prajavan pasuvan bhavati

Ya evam veda

yopam ayathanam veda

Ayathanavan bhavati



Understand (this is) the truth of flowers
To become the possessor (lord) of flowers, children and cattle
Moon is the flower of the water
Understand this to become the possessor of flowers, children and cattle
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become an in-dweller (get established in your self)







Agnirva apam ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Yo agner ayatanam veda
Ayatanavan bhavati
Apova agner ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Ya evam veda
Yopam ayatanam veda
Ayatanavan bhavati



Fire is the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about fire
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of fire
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)







Vayurva apam ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Yovayur ayatanam veda
Ayatanavan bhavati
Apovai vayur ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Ya evam veda
Yopam ayatanam veda
Ayatanavan bhavati



Air is the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about air
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of air
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)


Asowvai tapannapam ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Yo musyatapata ayatanam veda
Ayatanavan bhavati
Apova amusyatapata ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Ya evam veda
Yopam ayatanam veda
Ayatanavan bhavati



Flaming sun is the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about sun
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of flaming sun
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)





Chandramavam apam ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Yaschandra masa ayatanam veda
Ayatanavan bhavati
Apovai chandramasa ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Ya evam veda
Yopam ayatanam veda
Ayatanavan bhavati



Moon is the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about moon
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of moon
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)



Nakshathraniva apam ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Yo nakshatranam ayatanam veda
Ayatanavan bhavati
Apovai nakshatranam ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Ya evam veda
Yopam ayatanam veda
Ayatanavan bhavati



Stars are the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about stars
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of stars
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)






Parjanyova apam ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Yah parjanyasya ayatanam 
Ayatanavan bhavati
Apovai parjanyas ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Ya evam veda
Yopam ayatanam veda
Ayatanavan bhavati



Clouds are the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about clouds
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of clouds
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)





Samvatsarova apam ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Yassavatsa rasya ayatanam veda
Ayatanavan bhavati
Apovai samvatsara ayatanam
Ayatanavan bhavati
Ya evam veda
Yopsu navam pratistitam veda
Pratyeva tistati




Rainy season (of the year) is the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about rainy season (of the year)
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of rainy season (of the year)
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the boat established (in the water)
Stay (dwell) in that.


The above paragraph has a hidden meaning (the last three lines). God is symbolized as "boat" here which helps us to cross the ocean of "samsara". One can get established in the boat (God) by understanding the real truth of the above verses. Refer to this "Thirukkural" where "valluvar" has compared life and death to ocean and how to cross that....


"பிறவிப் பெருங்கடல் நீந்துவர் நீந்தார்
இறைவன் அடிசேரா தார்"


Rajathi rajaya prasahya sahine
Namo vayam vai sravanaya kurmahe
Samekamam kama kamaya mahyam
Kameshvaro vai sravano dadatu
Kuberaya vai shravanaya
Maharajaya namaha


King of kings, We worship you by all means
We worship you, Kubera,
Who fulfills all desires and grants all victories
Bless me and fulfill all my desires
Oh kubera, the king of kings.


As you can see, this last paragraph praises Lord Kubera, who is considered as the regent of north direction and the Lord of wealth. This verse is generally recited by the priests during/after Deeparathana in temples, to get our desires fulfilled. 


What ever we need in life, we can only ask God. As such, asking material wealth is also justified (in sanatan dharma) but at the same time, we should seek his blessings for attaining higher spiritual progress, which is the ultimate goal of life. This mantra serves that purpose very well.







Posted by at 3 comments:
Labels:

Monday, April 6, 2015

Why Do We See Arundhati Star (Alcor) In Wedding?


Today, I went in search for answers to the question "Why do we see "Arundati" star after marriage and why this ritual is mandatory in traditional Hindu weddings?". After referring to many resources, I got some interesting answers which I thought of sharing with you. This is a small post and as such, no quick view is added.


By Shri Tulsi Peeth Seva Nyas [CC BY-SA 3.0
 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons


Arundhati :


Arundhati is the wife of sage Vasishta, and considered as an extraordinary women. Due to her remarkable loyalty and devotion to her husband, she is invoked by the "bridegroom" in wedding ceremonies by asking the "bride" to  "see Arundhati star".  There are many stories behind "Arundhati" becoming a star and one such story is this. Once Svaha, wife of Agni, tried to take the forms (physical appearance) of the wives of "saptharishis". She was able to take the forms of all other six Rishipathnis but not that of Arundhati and this revealed her superiority. 


http://www.indianscriptures.com/gurus/rushi-women/arundhati


In Modern Astronomy :


Alcor, is the astronomical name of the star "Arundathi" and it is found in "Ursa Major Constellation", famously known as "Big Dipper". This constellation is what we mention as "Saptharishi Mandala". Vasishta, one among the Saptharishi, is referred as Mizar in modern astronomy. Take a look at the telescopic image of these stars given below. Alcor is just the tiny dot near Mizar as seen in telescope.


By Dipper.jpg: Transferred from en.wikipedia derivative work: Devon1980 
 (Dipper.jpg)  [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons



This is the Big Dipper Constellation properly marked with corresponding Saptharishis :







Mizar and Alcor are sometimes called as Horse and Rider. Mizar was observed to be a double star by Giovnni Battista Riccioli in 1650, but even before that Galileo spotted it in 1617. The proper motions of these stars show that they move together and this video demonstrates that perfectly.....





http://earthsky.org/tonight/ancient-eye-test-relied-on-two-stars-in-big-dipper
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizar_and_Alcor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_star






What do we think about this part of wedding these days?


Like always, we have two kinds of approach to this "Seeing Arundhati in wedding" too.. The first one is to blindly follow this as told without asking any questions and without wanting to know the real reason behind it. The second approach is to oppose it upfront and  call it weird. The second group of people who call it weird have the following as their arguments..

  • Why only women are always told such (chastity, devotion) things in the society ?
  • This is another trick to suppress women.
  • How can we see a star in the day time? This is a silly ritual.
  • Whether or not we see the star, we are always forced to say yes... What a lie?






We need to look at the Astronomical truth :


Even those who deny the mythological story of Arundhati, cannot deny the astronomical truth of the Binary stars Mizar and Alcor and their proper motions. Just imagine of saying this concept of "movement of binary stars" to a layman. What understanding will he/she get?  For such people, stories come as a rescue. But remember, for believers, the stories are also true. I have a valid reason to say so. They were able to spot such tiny objects in sky and were able to give them names as "saptharishi mandala", "Arundhati" "Dhruva nakshathra" etc, in an age (many many yugas ago) where no modern inventions like telescopes were present and even knew to mark their movements. Their observations are exactly precise and accurate as per today's astronomy, Hence, such stories would also have some in depth meaning which we are not able to interpret properly. This is my sincere view. 

For those non believers (in mythological stories), please understand that we see this star after marriage to understand that the married couple should have mutual understanding in their lifelong journey, like these two binary stars Mizar and Alcor. Just grab a telescope and see these stars in the big dipper constellation in the night sky. You yourself will get the answer. 





The above presentation gives quick answer to another question, "How can we see stars in day time?". Please refer to point number 1. And for those who think that "women were suppressed" by such statements like "chastity" "purity" "devotion" "loyalty" etc, please understand that during Vedic times both women and men were equally tested on different grounds to bring out their great qualities. We can understand this when we read the scriptural stories fully. But as far as I know, I will give few information, how even men faced tough tests....






This list can go extensive. Even for the small list given above, big explanations are needed to understand them fully. I don't want to include them here considering the length of this post, but you can always research and find out.  

I hope this article will change your views about "seeing Arundhati in wedding". Thank you all for reading.


Posted by at 19 comments:
Labels:

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

"Homa" Therapy - Agnihothra Redefined


"Agnihothra"!!!! I really wonder how many people, especially Indians have an idea about what it is.... Some of us would have heard the name and even figured out that it is associated with some Homa but I am sure that most of us do not know the amazing benefits of this almost forgotten fire ritual. We know one fact very well. We will not follow any of our rituals and often call them as blind belief. But once when the results are proved by way of scientific researches, that's when we will start to realize and be amazed by the vision of our ancestors. This happens over and over again for "Sanathan Dharma" rituals and traditions and yes, it has happened once again with our "Agnihothra" too. "Homa Therapy" - is the redefined name for this ancient Vedic ritual now and it is widely practiced in Australia, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama, Poland, Germany, Philippines, Spain and USA. Let us explore more about this today......




QUICK VIEW :


Key conceptAgnihothra - The ancient fire ritual 
Spiritual versionWhat is Agnihothra and how to perform it, Various types of Homas, Agnihothra as an obligatory ritual to be performed twice each day.
Scientific versionAgnihothra widely practiced in many countries, Homa therapy as a cure for environmental pollution, Health benefits of Agnihothra, Energy generated around the copper pyramid when Agnihothra is performed, Medicinal qualities of Agnihothra ash, Homa farming and effects of Agnihothra in agriculture.
General notesLinks for several case studies, experiments and researches have been provided all over this post and I encourage readers to go through all of them to get the real amazing picture of this ancient fire ritual. 



What is Agnihothra?


It is an ancient ritual given in the Vedas. Atharvaveda gives a mention of it (11.7.9) while Yajurveda samhitha describes this ritual in detail. Agnihothra is a daily fire ritual to be done twice everyday. The main part of this ritual consists of making two offerings of organic brown rice/ghee into the fire which is prepared with specific organic substances. The offering is done exactly at the time when nature is greatly charged, during the time of sunrise and sunset. There are two different mantras to be recited for Agnihothra at sunrise and Agnihothra at sunset respectively. 





Agnihothra Mantras to be recited when performed during sunrise and sunset :






Please watch this video for the method to perform Agnihothra....





And go through this link for a step by step demonstration...


A pleasant surprise is that this demonstration is given by a western lady and it is too good... It really made me feel guilty that they know much more information about our rituals and traditions and value them a lot which we do not even care to know ...


http://www.soul-guidance.com/health/agnihotra.htm

Homa Therapy :


This is the modern version for the ancient Agnihothra. Homa therapy is a process of clearing toxic substances in the atmosphere by means of Vedic fire techniques. "Heal the atmosphere; the atmosphere will heal you" is the main idea behind Homa therapy. Various researches have been done and it is now proven that Agnihothra ritual is very effective in purification of atmosphere. The timing of this yajna, the copper pyramid used to prepare the fire and the specific materials added in this fire like ghee, cowdung etc create tremendous energy. The mantras chanted in a specific rhythm create subtle energies. A type of magnetic field is created which neutralizes negative energies and enhances positive energies. The smoke created by Agnihothra fire gathers particles of harmful radiation in the atmosphere and neutralizes their radioactive effect. In addition, it provides extensive health benefits. All the details given above are the results of the varied researches. Please go through the following links. You can also google "Agnihothra homa therapy" to get the amazing details.








The different types of Homa :






Homa or havan refers to a ritual in which offerings are made to the sacred fire. There are many types of Homas. The homas which we do for getting a particular benefit are called "Kamya karma" and the ones which we do for general welfare of everyone are called "Nithya karma". Agnihothra comes under the second category "Nithya karma" and it is also obligatory to do this twice everyday. One who performs this ritual is called as "Agnihothri". See what "Maha Periyava" has told about Agnihothra.
"ஒரு இஷ்டத்தை உத்தேசித்துப் பண்ணுவது காம்ய கர்மா எனப்படும். இஷ்டமிருந்தாலும் இல்லாவிட்டாலும் ஆத்ம சுத்திக்காகவும், லோக க்ஷேமத்துக்காகவும் செய்தே தீர வேண்டிய obligatory கர்மாக்களும் உண்டு. அவற்றுக்கு நித்யகர்மா என்று பெயர். க்ருஹ்யத்தில் ஒளபாஸனம் போல, ச்ரௌத கர்மாக்களில் அன்றாடம் இரண்டு வேளையும் செய்ய வேண்டியது அக்னி ஹோத்ரம். முன்பு சொன்ன அக்னி ஆதானமும் அக்னி ஹோத்ரமும் ஏழு ஹவிர்யக்ஞங்களில் முதலிரண்டாகும். அக்னி ஹோத்ரம் செய்பவர்களையே அக்னி ஹோத்ரிகள் என்கிறோம்.அக்னிஹோத்ர அக்னி எக்காரணத்திலாவது அணைந்து விட்டால் புணராதானம் என்பதாக மறுபடி ஆதானம் பண்ணி மீண்டும் ஆரம்பிக்கலாம்.ஒளபாஸனத்தில் அக்ஷதையையும், அக்னி ஹோத்ரத்தில் பால், அக்ஷதை, நெய் இவற்றில் ஒன்றையும் ஹோமம் செய்யவேண்டும்."




This list briefs out few common homas. We would have seen at least one of these homas as these are the most common ones.... 





For a mort extensive list, please click the following links :



Back to Agnihothra :


Environmental pollution :


We know how much pollution we face in our present World. Air, water and everything around us is polluted. Pure water, which was once available for free is not found anywhere now. We spend money to get artificially purified water. Such is the impact of environmental pollution. Our health is also adversely affected by this contaminated environment.






Agnihothra and Environment :




Please go through the above links to get  the full information about case studies and researches done on Agnihothra. These researches include analysis of metals and supplies used in the homa, the gaseous emissions during the homa and even the ash residue collected after the homa. Such deep study has revealed many amazing benefits of doing Agnihothra regularly....



How it works :


The copper pyramid in which the fire is developed for perfoming Agnihothra is the key. This vessel has mathematically significant  properties which are decisive for the effects of Agnihothra. Studies have revealed that this copper material has bacteriostatic properties and conducts electrical energy. Tremendous amount of energy is gathered around the copper pyramid during sunrise/sunset. Sun is the source of energy, the pyramid is the generator and the fire is the turbine. 





The cow dung which is used in the burning procedure has medicinal values too. It is widely used in ayurveda and is a great disinfectant. Remember in olden days people used to mix cowdung with water and use this to wash the house???? Ghee and organic brown rice have their own medicinal properties which are well known to all. When all these are combined together in Agnihothra, a type of energy field is created which drastically reduces the pathogenic bacteria in the air up to 91.4% and purifies the environment. Due to the controlled cumbustion which takes place while performing this Agnihothra, carbon-dioxide in small quantities gets mixed with aromatic vapors and act as ceribral stimulant. Performing Agnihothra which is tuned to the biorhythm of sunrise and sunset creates a turbulence of electricity and ether produced by the combination of Mantras and fire that extends all the way to the solar range.

https://trueayurveda.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/cow-dung-uses-and-used-for-centuries/







Few case studies :


Bhopal gas leak tragedy -  Agnihothris survived :



"Bhopal-Union Carbide 2" by Original uploader was Simone.lippi at it.wikipedia - Transferred from it.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Fale using CommonsHelper.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bhopal-Union_Carbide_2.jpg#/media/File:Bhopal-Union_Carbide_2.jpg


The worst industrial accident occurred in Bhopal on December 1984. The deadly Methyl Isocyanate gas leaked from the Union carbide factory which was fatal for thousands of people and severely affected many thousands. Two families survived though... M.L.Rathore and family, who started performing Agnihothra five years ago, immediately started doing it when this incident happened. The other family, that of S.L.Kushwala, who have never done Agnihothra before, but just started immediately after this leak accident and found that the symptoms of gas poisoning (chest pain, suffocation, coughing and vomiting) reduced drastically within 20 minutes.

For those who do not want to believe in the above incident, please go through the following article which has the Hindu newspaper clipping dated 19.5.1985 attached.



Agnihothra Ash as Medicine :


In an attempt to study the medicinal effects of Agnihothra Ash, the same was applied on rabbits affected with scabies. Agnihothra Ash blended with equal amount of cow ghee was applied over the infected area just once. It had worked effectively and the crust started detaching on the third day. The normal way to cure them otherwise was to apply benzyl benzoate and salicylic acid everyday for a period of 6-8 days and the crust would detach on the 5th day. Just read the "Therapeutic effect of Agnihothra Ash" paragraph in this link...


Agnihothra analysis about the the heavy metals in the suspended particulate matter cleared showed high concentrations of Zinc. It is due to the escape of Zinc from homa materials in the form of Zinc oxide. Zinc oxide is very useful in curing skin diseases. The bottom ash analysis also revealed presence of Lead and Manganese. Manganese ensures healthy bone structure, metabolism and building essential enzymes for building bones. It is also very important for normal functioning of the brain and nerve areas of our body.

http://www.ipcbee.com/vol30/017--ICEST2012_N20012.pdf

Watch this video to know how this Ash is used as medicine...






And these links too...




Agnihothra and Agriculture :


This ritual is found to be beneficial for farming too... The method adapted here is performing Agnihotra in the land (where farming is done) twice everyday and by sprinkling the Ash in the soil. This Ash is also added in layers to the compost. Studies have revealed that when Agnihothra is performed under a tree, the effect of the smoke goes to the leaves and it acts as a catalyst for the generation of chlorophyll in terms of a chemical reaction. 

http://www.agnihotra.org/content/why-homa-farming


These videos give an idea about Homa farming :











Click these links to get precise details about Homa farming :


http://www.homafarming.com/




The main idea of my blog is to connect Sanathan dharma rituals/traditions to science in order to find out why our ancestors would have asked us to perform such things. We never knew the scientific reasons behind the rituals. Thanks to technology, we can find almost anything with a click of finger these days. I tried my best to bring out the scientific reason behind the "Agnihothra" homa, which was once an obligatory ritual to be performed twice each day. It is almost forgotten by most of us in India (very few people do this everyday even now) but I am amazed to see how it is celebrated in other countries. Better late than never, let us try to understand the scientific reasons behind such practices and try to implement them, at least, from now on. Thank you all for reading


Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)