Friday, April 20, 2012

Greatness of Sree Gayathri Mantra........................

Sage Vishwamitra performed intense austerities to become a great sage. Indra, the king of Devas, wanted to test the qualities of the Vishwamitra, who before becoming a saint was a king. The story explains the importance and greatness of Gayatri Mantra.

Vishwamitra was born in the Kushik Dynasty. King Vishwamitra once visited the Ashram of Sage Vasishta and came to know about the holy cow Nandini in the Ashram, which had wish fulfilling power. 

King Vishwamitra felt that the cow would be more use to a king. So he asked for the cow. But Sage Vasishta said that Nandini would only leave the ashram only if she likes.

Nandini was not ready to leave. Vishwamitra and soldiers tried to take the cow away forcibly but were defeated by the powers of Nandini. An insulted Vishwamitra soon realized that spiritual powers were more powerful than a king’s commands and arrows.

Vishwamitra then abdicated his throne and took to the life of a Sanyasi. He performed intense meditations and became a powerful Rishi.

Indra was not convinced that a king can become a great saint.

So to test Vishwamitra, Indra came in disguise and asked the Sage to serve him food.

Vishwamitra happily agreed to serve food.

Indra said he wanted the food kept hot, while he was out having his bath. But Indra had no intention of coming back.

Indra stayed away thinking that it would be impossible for Vishwamitra to keep the food hot. But Vishwamitra was able to keep the food hot. Indra stayed away for years but the food was still hot as if freshly prepared.

Sage Vishwamitra knew the power of the Gayatri mantra. So he put the pot of food on is head and recited the mantra repeatedly.

That was enough to keep it hot. Indra then came to the sage and acknowledged that Vishwamitra was indeed a great sage...............................................And here goes the great Mantra and its meaning.................................................
 
 

Gayatri Mantra:

Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah

Tat

Savitur Varenyam

Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi

Dhiyo Yonah:

Prachodayat


English  meaning translation:

 

Throughout all realms of experience

‘That’

essential nature illuminating existence

is the adorable

One.

May all beings perceive through

subtle and meditative intellect

the magnificent brilliance

of enlightened awareness.

Goddess Lakshmi............................

Goddess Lakshmi is also known as Chanchala or the fickle one – liable to sudden and unpredictable change. Goddess Lakshmi as Sridevi blesses devotees with fortune, power, pleasure and prosperity. When society was formed and when Asura King Bali was with the side of Dharma, Sridevi blessed him with prosperity. With Sridevi on his side, Asuras had everything in abundance including food and wealth.

But King Bali once ignored the blessing of Sridevi and declared that he has the power over the earth and he can give anything and as much he desires. Bali forgot that all his prosperity was the blessing of Sridevi. Arrogance led to the downfall of King Bali.

Later, Vishnu in the form of Vamana usurped all his wealth.

The Devas under Indra had become poor and powerless when Sridevi was with King Bali.

Sridevi fed up with the arrogance of King Bali left him and sided with Indra.

For this act, Asuras chided that Sridevi is faithless – yesterday she blessed Bali , today she is with Indra, no one knows who she will bless tomorrow. They called her Chanchala.

Goddess smiled and replied that she is not fickle but constant – She is only present where there is Dharma.

Good health, happiness, prosperity, abundance, beauty and fortune are always present where there is Dharma......................................
 
Where there is Dharam(Righteousness) there is Goddess Lakshmi and where there is Goddess Lakshmi thers is Plentiful prosperity & Peace.

Sri Ramanavami............Facts about Lord Sri Rama.......

The facts about Sri Rama..............
 
Sri Rama Navamiis being celebrated all over India on 01 April, 2012..............Hence this mail message.
The story of Shri Ramas' life was first narrated by Maharishi Valmiki in the Ramayana, which was written after Shri Rama was crowned as the king of Ayodhya. Maharishi Valmiki was a great astronomer as he has made sequential astronomical references on important dates related to the life of Shri Rama indicating the location of planets vis-a-vis zodiac constellations and the other stars (nakshatras).
 
Needless to add that similar position of planets and nakshatras is not repeated in thousands of years.
 
By entering the precise details of the planetary configuration of the important events in the life of Shri Rama as given in the Valmiki Ramayana in the software named "Planetarium" corresponding exact dates of these events according to the English calendar can be known.
 
Mr Pushkar Bhatnagar, of the Indian Revenue Service, had acquired this software from the US. It is used to predict the solar/lunar eclipses and distance and location of other planets from earth. He entered the relevant details about the planetary positions narrated by Maharishi Valmiki and obtained very interesting and convincing results, which almost determine the important dates starting from the birth of Shri Rama to the date of his coming back to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. Maharishi Valmiki has recorded in Bal Kaand, sarga 19 and shloka eight and nine (1/18/8,9), that Shri Rama was born on ninth tithi of Chaitra month when the position of different planets vis-a-vis zodiac constellations and nakshatras (visible stars) were:
 
i) Sun in Aries; ii) Saturn in Libra; iii) Jupiter in Cancer; iv) Venus in Pisces; v) Mars in Capricorn; vi) Lunar month of Chaitra; vii) Ninth day after no moon; viii) Lagna as Cancer (cancer was rising in the east); ix) Moon on the Punarvasu (Gemini constellation & Pllux star); x) Day time (around noon).
 
This data was fed into the software. The results indicated that this was exactly the location of planets/stars in the noon of January 10, 5114 BC. Thus, Shri Ram was born on January 10, 5114 BC (7121 years back). As per the Indian calendar, it was the ninth day of Shukla Paksha in Chaitra month and the time was around 12 to 1 noontime. This is exactly the time and date when Sri Ram Navmi is celebrated all over India.
 Shri Rama was born in Ayodhya. This fact can be ascertained from several books written by Indian and foreign authors before and after the birth of Christ - Valmiki Ramayana, Tulsi Ramayana, Kalidasas' Raghuvansam, Baudh and Jain literature, etc.
 
These books have narrated in great detail the location, rich architecture and beauty of Ayodhya which had many palaces and temples built all over the kingdom. Ayodhya was located on the banks of the Saryu river with Ganga and Panchal Pradesh on one side and Mithila on the other side.
 
Normally 7,000 years is a very long period during which earthquakes, storms, floods and foreign invasions change the course of rivers, destroy the towns/buildings and alter the territories. Therefore, the task of unearthing the facts is monumental.
 
The present Ayodhya has shrunk in size and the rivers have changed their course about 40 km north/south. Shri Rama went out of Ayodhya in his childhood (13th year as per Valmiki Ramayan) with Rishi Vishwamitra who lived in Tapovan (Sidhhashram). From there he went to Mithila, King Janaks' kingdom. Here, he married Sita after breaking Shiv Dhanusha.
 
Researchers have gone along the route adopted by Shri Rama as narrated in the Valmiki Ramayan and found 23 places which have memorials that commemorate the events related to the life of Shri Rama. These include :
 
Shringi Ashram,
Ramghat,
Tadka Van,
Sidhhashram,
Gautamashram,
Janakpur (now in Nepal),
Sita Kund, etc.
 
Memorials are built for great men and not for fictitious characters. Date of exile of Shri Rama: It is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayanas' Ayodhya Kand (2/4/18) that Dashratha wanted to make Shri Rama the king because Sun, Mars and Rahu had surrounded his nakshatra and normally under such planetary configuration the king dies or becomes a victim of conspiracies.
 
Dashrathas' zodiac sign was Pisces and his nakshatra was Rewati.
 
This planetary configuration was prevailing on the January 5, 5089 BC, and it was on this day that Shri Rama left Ayodhya for 14 years of exile.
Thus, he was 25 years old at that time (5114-5089).
 
There are several shlokas in Valmiki Ramayan which indicate that Shri Rama
was 25-years-old when he left Ayodhya for exile. Valmiki Ramayana refers to the solar eclipse at the time of war with Khardushan in later half of 13th year of Shri Ramsa' exile. It is also mentioned it was amavasya day and Mars was in the middle. When this data was entered, the software indicated that there was a solar eclipse on October 7, 5077 BC, (amavasya day) which could be seen from Panchvati.
 
The planetary configuration was also the same - Mars was in the middle, on one side were Venus and Mercury and on the other side were Sun and Saturn.
 
On the basis of planetary configurations described in various other chapters, the date on which Ravana was killed works out to be December 4, 5076 BC, and Shri Rama completed 14 years of exile on January 2, 5075 BC, and that day was also Navami of Shukla Paksha in Chaitra month. Thus Shri Rama had come back to Ayodhya at the age of 39 (5114-5075).
 
A colleague, Dr Ram Avtar, researched on places visited by Shri Rama during his exile, and sequentially moved to the places stated as visited by Shri Rama in the Valmiki Ramayana, starting from Ayodhya he went right upto Rameshwaram.
 
He found 195 places which still have the memorials connected to the events narrated in the Ramayana relating to the life of Shri Rama and Sita These include Tamsa Tal (Mandah), Shringverpur (Singraur), Bhardwaj Ashram (situated near Allahabad), Atri Ashram, Markandaya Ashram (Markundi), Chitrakoot, Pamakuti (on banks of Godavari), Panchvati, Sita Sarovar, Ram Kund in Triambakeshwar near Nasik, Shabari Ashram, Kishkindha (village Annagorai), Dhanushkoti and Rameshwar temple. In Valmiki Ramayan it is mentioned that Shri Rams' army constructed a bridge over the sea between Rameshwaram and Lanka.
After crossing this bridge, Shri Ramas' army had defeated Ravana. Recently,
NASA put pictures on the Internet of a man-made bridge, the ruins of which are lying submerged in Palk Strait between Rameshwaram and Sri Lanka.
 
Recently the Sri Lankan Government had expressed the desire to develop Sita Vatika as a tourist spot. Sri Lankans believe this was Ashok Vatika where Ravana had kept Sita as a prisoner (in 5076 BC). Indian history has recorded that Shri Rama belonged to the Suryavansh and he was the 64th ruler of this dynasty. The names and other relevant particulars of previous 63 kings are listed in Ayodhya ka Etihaas written about 80 years ago by Rai Bahadur Sita Ram. Professor Subhash Kak of Lousiana University, in his book, The Astronomical Code of the Rig Veda, has also listed 63 ancestors of Shri Rama who ruled over Ayodhya.
 
Sri Ramas' ancestors have been traced out as: Shri Rama, King Dashratha, King Aja, King Raghu, King Dilip and so on. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Bengal to Gujarat, everywhere people believe in the reality of Shri Ramas' existence, particularly in the tribal areas of Himachal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the North-East.
 
Most of the festivals celebrated in these areas revolve around the events in the life of Shri Ram and Shri Krishna.  The events and places related to the life of Shri Rama and Sita are true cultural and social heritage of every Indian irrespective of caste and creed. Therefore, it is common heritage.
 
After all, Shri Rama belonged to the period when Prophet Mohammed or Jesus Christ were not born and Muslim or Christian faiths were unknown to the world.
 
The words Hindu (resident of Hindustan) and Indian (resident of India) were synonymous. India was also known as Bharat (land of knowledge) and Aryavarta (where Aryans live) and Hindustan (land of "Hindus" - derived from word Indus). During Rama Rajya, the evils of caste system based on birth were non-existent. In fact, Maharishi Valmiki is stated to be of Shudra class (scheduled caste), still Sita lived with him as his adopted daughter after she was banished from Ayodhya.
 
Lavav and Kusha grew in his ashram as his disciples. We need to be proud of the fact that Valmiki was perhaps the first great astronomer and that his study of planetary configurations has stood the test of times. Even the latest computer softwares have corroborated his astronomical calculations, which proves that he did not commit any error.
 
Shabri is stated to be belonging to the Bheel tribe. Shri Ramas' army, which succeeded in defeating Ravana, was formed by various tribals from Central and South India.
The facts, events and all other details relating to the life of Shri Rama are the common heritage of all the Indians including scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, Muslims, Christians, etc.
 
Prophet Mohammad was born 1,400 years ago.
Jesus Christ was born 2,000 years back.
Gautam Buddha was born 2,600 years back,
whereas Rama was born 7,000 years back.
Hence, discovering the details relating to Shri Ramas' life would be lot more difficult as destruction caused by floods, earthquakes and invasions etc., would be far greater. But, should that stop our quest for learning more about our cultural heritage?
 
As Indians, let us all take pride in the fact that the Indian civilisation is the most ancient civilisation today. It is certainly more than 10,000 years old. Therefore, let us reject the story of Aryan invasion in India in 1,500 BC as motivated implantation.
 
In fact Max Mueller, who was the creator of this theory had himself rejected it.
Let us admit that during the British Rule, we were educated in the schools based on Macaulay school of thinking which believed that everything Indian was inferior and that entire "Indian literature was not worth even one book rack in England." If there were similarities in certain features of Indian people and people from Central Europe, then automatic inference drawn was that the Aryans coming from Europe invaded India and settled here.
 
No one dared of thinking in any other way. Therefore, there is urgency for the historians and all other intellectuals to stop reducing Indian history to myth.
 
There is need to gather, dig out, search, unearth and analyse all the evidences,
which would throw more light on ancient Indian civilisation and culture. There is need for the print and the electronic media to take note of these facts and create atmosphere which would motivate our young and educated youth to carry out research and unearth true facts about the ancient Indian civilisation and wisdom and would also encourage them to put across the results of their research before the people fearlessly and with a sense of pride!

Earlob piercing of a Male Child...........Its importance & significance........

Ear lobe piercing, known as Karnvedh Sanskar, is considered an important ceremony for male child in many Hindu traditions. But today most boys do not perform this ceremony. Earlier the ritual was strictly performed on the male child in many Hindu communities. Many communities even now continue this tradition. For male child the first ear pierced is the right ear. Some Hindu men are now taking up this tradition.
 
It is believed that ear piercing helps in getting rid of hysteria and other diseases. The earrings are believed to help in maintaining the flow of electric current in a human body. It is also believed that ear piercing helps in increase of brainpower. It has also been proved that ear piercing improves immunity.
The ritual is performed on odd years after the birth of the child – 3rd or 5th year.
 
Ear piercing in some regions is performed by the Goldsmith and he uses gold needle to pierce the earlobe. Gold never rusts and this is the reason for using gold needles.

Nose piercing &16 Solah Shringar of a Hindu Bride..........

Nose Piercing &.....................................
 
Nose stud or ring is worn by both married and unmarried Hindu women. The significance of the nose stud varies from region to region. As in several other rituals, there is no written code in Hinduism regarding the wearing of nose ring or nose piercing. In certain Hindu sects, a nose ring is referred as ‘Nath’ is worn during marriage and is a symbol of married woman. There are several communities in Hindu religion which does not perform nose piercing.

Several ancient classical texts are silent on the nose stud and therefore there are several theories regarding the use of nose stud in Hindu religion. Some observe that nose stud was not used during ancient times and it was introduced by invaders during the 11th century.

Another school of thought quotes ancient Ayurvedic text Sushruta Samhita (Chikitsa Sthana Chapter 19) to suggest that nose piercing was prevalent from ancient period. It is believed that the piercing of the nose near a particular node on the nostril lessens the pain during monthly menstrual cycle. Some also believe that it protects women from nasal infection. (If the piercing is related to health, then why don’t men too do it?)

Nose stud is widely worn in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu and in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, by both married and unmarried young women. It is known as ‘mookkutthi.’ In some instances, women wear nose stud on both the wings of their nose. Nose studs of Konkani brides from Goa are famous especially for its design, which are adorned with small fish or bird. Nose ring is not the preferred choice in South India.

Nose ring and nose stud are a preferred choice in North India and in several communities it is a must during marriage ceremonies. A nose ring or pin or stud can be made of gold, pearl and diamond. In some Hindu communities, the nose stud is not removed and it is a symbol of married women like sindoor and mangal sutra and is an essential part of Shodash Shringar or Solah sringar - the sixteen beautification processes of a bride.

There is no consistency in the wearing of nose stud or ring. In some region, it is worn on the left wing of the nose and in some region it is on the right. For example, a bride from Maharashtra wears it on left. In Gujarat, it is worn on the right. The size and style of nose stud also varies from region to region. The big nose ring is only worn on the marriage day. Some communities opt for small nose rings. Nose stud or ring is used in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

There is also a kind of septum (the dividing part between two cavities) piercing, which is equally popular as nose piercing, in Nepal and in northern parts of India including Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. This nose ring is known as ‘Bulak.’ Such piercing is also practiced by in eastern India by some communities.

Nowadays, some Hindu women see nose stud as part of modern day trendy fashion jewelry. Some are also fighting against wearing of nose rings which act as an impediment in their daily activities. .................................................................And let's move on to
 
16 Solah Shringar of Indian Bride as nothing harm in knowing ritual/relegious facts/info
 
JK 
 
 
Every Bride wants to look like a princess on her Wedding Day. Solah shringar refers to the sixteen adornments of a Bride (Woman) for beautification. Solah Shringar is especially important for an Indian bride on the most significant day of her life. Different kinds of beauty rituals are associated with the wedding day. In India, the beautification of the bride consists of sixteen parts and covers almost every part of the body right from the head to the toe. The Solah Shringar ritual is said to correspond to the sixteen phases of the moon which has a negative effect on the woman’s menstrual cycle. Solah Shringar is said to nullify this effect. The term shringar is also associated with Goddess Lakshmi, who is a model wife and the representation of female beauty, good luck, prosperity and fertility.
Solah Shringar is representation feminity and our culture. The bride’s solah shringar starts from the top with her hair and ends at her toe. Solah shringar (literally meaning sixteen decorations) is traditionally marked by the sixteen items of cosmetics and jewelry. Female relatives and friends of the bride participate in the process of adorning her.
  • The Shringar of the bride normally starts with the Bride wearing the wedding dress. Red colored wedding sari richly embroidered with gold threads is considered the most auspicious for Hindu weddings. However the choice can also be other bright bridal colors like maroon, gold, magenta or green and comprises of saree, lehenga and salwar kurta.
  • The Brides hair is then styled and adorned with flowers and jewelry. After that makeup is done on her face. Her face is powdered, the cheeks are rouged and lipstick is applied.
  • The eyes are highlighted with Kajal or kohl to make it more attractive and appealing.
  • After that the Bindi which has a strong religious implication and is a sacred symbol of a married woman is put on the bride’s forehead and decorated with red and white dots around it and along the eyebrows.
  • A hair accessory called Maangtika is worn on the central parting of the hair of the bride mostly made out of gold and embellished with semi precious stones, pearls or diamonds.
  • The Bride is made to wear the Nose Ring making her look traditional and ethnic. This ring is made of gold with pearls or other precious gems and is worn on the left nostril and is supported by a gold chain, which extends just behind left ear.
  • Ear rings adorn the ears of the bride. Since the ear rings worn by bride are quite heavy they are normally supported by a gold chain passing over the crown of the head.
  • Necklaces and chains of different lengths which is usually made of gold and embellished with diamonds, pearls or other precious stones are also worn by the bride. Mangalsutra which is worn around the neck is tied by the groom during the wedding rituals.
  • Baajuband or armlets are worn on the upper arms of the bride over the sari blouse.
  • Mehendi is another significant shringar of the bride which is applied on the bride's hands and feet in a special pre-wedding ritual in India.
  • The Bride wears bangles or bracelets made of gold, glass or other metals depending upon the custom.
  • A bride wears eight rings in both her hands, which are attached with a central flower or medallion that covers the upper part of the hand called hathphulor.
  • Kamarband is a beautifully designed gold or silver belt is worn around the waist of the bride studded mostly with beautiful gems. The belt not just enhances the waist area but also helps in holding the Sari or Dress in place.
  • Silver anklets are worn on the ankles of the bride and toes are adorned with toe rings made of silver. The feet are also decorated. In some regions a thick red line is drawn along the outer border of the foot. In other areas, mehandi designs are applied to the feet.
  • And finally itar or fragrance is applied on to the bride to keep her fresh and smelling good.
  • Sindoor is applied on the central parting of the hair during the wedding ceremony.
However a lot of changes have happened to the ritual of Solah Shringar over the years as many brides prefer a minimalist look or can’t afford such jewelry. But some of these adornments make a fashion statement even now.