Monday, December 24, 2012

Significance of 108 beads in a japamala

Sun's diameter = 13,80,000 km

Distance between Sun and earth = 14,96,00,000 km

14,96,00,000 divided by 13,80,000 equals 108.4058 rounded off to 108.

सूर्य आत्मा जगतः -  Sun is the atma of the universe.

The mystical number 108 used in spiritual practice is a clear indication of how our sages knew this unique relationship between Sun and earth - the worldly existence and the highest spiritual enlightenment.

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Sunday, December 23, 2012

When does one become the husband in a vedic marriage

नोदकेन न वाचा वा कन्यायाः पतिरुच्यते |
पाणिग्रहणसंस्कारात् पतित्वं सप्तमे पदे ||

नोदकेन - न उदकेन - not on kanyaadaanam
न वाचा - not on giving the word (engagement)

The second line means, it is only at the end of the seventh step ( of saptapadi ) owing to the panigrahanam that he becomes the husband.

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Friday, December 21, 2012

"There is no enemy bigger than yajna" ????

Electricity is very useful - if not used safely, it can kill.

Cooking gas is very useful - if not handled carefully, it can destroy.

The shloka says नास्ति यज्ञसमो रिपुः  -  there is no enemy bigger than yajna.

How ?

When not done properly.

Yajna ( havans and homas are also miniature yajnas) when not done properly not adhering to the prescribed rules can cause more harm than good.

अग्निहीनमनावृष्टिः मन्त्रहीनं तु ऋत्विजः |
आज्यहीनं कुलं हन्ति स्वरहीनं तु पत्नयः ||
यजमानं दक्षिणाहीनं  तन्त्रहीनं तु राष्ट्रकम् |
सर्वहीनं सदस्यानां नास्ति यज्ञसमो रिपुः ||

Improper Agni, with lot of smoke and not burning brilliantly and even offering ahutis at the wrong place ( as I had posted earlier) can cause drought. Deficiency in mantra will destroy the priests such as doing less repetitions than required, shortcuts . Shortfall in materials such as ghee used ( using less quantity than specified or low quality materials) will destroy the clan of the yajmana. Priests chanting the mantra with wrong svara will destroy the ladies of the family. Shortfall in dakshina will destroy the yajamana himself. Defective performance of the rituals will destroy the entire nation. All kinds of deficiencies and shortfalls are harmful to the onlookers.

Next time you venture to perform any kind of homa make sure that

1. Your priests are qualified and knowledgeable.

2. They are sincere and do the ritual systematically as prescribed.

3. Good quality and sufficient quantity of materials are used.

4. Proper dakshina is paid to the priests.

Else, you will be inviting trouble than grace of Gods.

You can't wash off your hands by saying " we don't know anything. we trust the acharya blindly"

If you don't know LEARN.

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Sunday, December 16, 2012

Meaning of Mrutyunjaya mantra - from veda bhashya

त्र्यम्बकमिति त्रीणि अम्बकानि लोचनानि यस्य
Tryambaka means one who has got three eyes

यद्वा - अम्बका वेदाः  त्र्यम्बकः वेदत्रयीप्रतिपाद्यः
or one who is mentioned in the  three vedas

सुगन्धिः - शोभनः शरीरगन्धः पुण्यगन्धो  वा यस्य असौ सुगन्धिः
one who possesses auspicious fragrance of the body or of punya..

यथा  वृक्षस्य संपुष्पितस्य दूराद्गन्धो वाति एवं पुण्यस्य कर्मणो दूराद्गन्धो  वाति इति श्रुतेः 
just as the fragrance from a tree in blossom can be felt even from distance, so is the fragrance of punya karma.

सुगन्धिं सर्वशोभनं  यशोगन्धिं सर्वसुकृतमयत्वात् 
one who possesses the fragrance of fame owing to his good deeds (Tryambaka)

पुष्टिवर्धनं - गोभूमि वित्त विद्यादि  पुष्टि हेतुं देवम्
one who increases cattle folk, land wealth and knowledge.

पुष्टिवर्धनः - शरीर धनादि विषयं वर्धयतीति पुष्टिवर्धनः
one who nourishes the body (health) and increases wealth.

तादृशं त्र्यम्बकं  यजामहे पूजयामः
we worship Tryambaka (Rudra) who is of the above nature.

लोके यथा उर्वारुकफलानि बन्धनात् स्वयमेव मुच्यन्ते
just as ripe pumpkins  release from the creeper on their own

तद्वदहं त्र्यम्बक प्रसादेन मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मोचनयुक्तो भूयासम्
in the same way with the blessings of Tryambaka may I be released from the grip of death.

मा अमृतात् - चिरजीवितात् स्वर्गादेर्वा मा मुक्षीय
not to be separated from long life or svarga etc.

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Saturday, December 15, 2012

The Agni rituals of our forefathers

In the vedic religion, Agni used to occupy the center stage  of all religious practices. The Agni is called grihapati - the lord of the house.The Agni in a family used to be eternal handed down from generation to generation.

One becomes eligible to perform the agni rituals on entering the ashrama of the householder at the time of marriage. The brahmachari and the sanyasi do not have the right to perform the agni rituals. From upnayanam to marriage the brahmachari performs a ritual called samidadhanam in the morning and evening. This is simply keeping the samith in agni chanting mantras.

At the time of marriage the agni generated for performing the vivaha homa is preserved for lifetime. This is called the aupasana agni or smarta agni.

There are two groups of rituals perfromed - the shrauta rituals as ordained in the vedas and smarta rituals as ordained in the later smritis. The smarta rituals are performed in the aupasana agni or smartagni. This agni is preserved in a circular kundam or a vessel. The smarta agni is also called ekagni because it is never divided. Everyday the husband and wife together make offerings to this agni in the morning and evening. This is called aupasanam.

The rituals to be performed in smartagni are elaborated in the grihya sutras such as Apastamba grihya sutra (Yajurveda) and Ashvalayana grihya sutra (Rigveda) . A particular lineage follows a particular grihya sutra.

The rituals performed in smarta agni are called paka yajnas and they are seven in number as given below.

1. Sthalipaka - Performed for the first time as part of the marriage ritual and continued twice a month.

2. Parvana - once a month

3.Ashtaka - once a year

4.Chaitri - once a year

5.Asvayaji - once a year

6.Shravani - four months every year, Shravana to Karthika

7.Agrahayani  - once a year in Margashirsha

In addition to the above, rituals such as shradha  are also performed in smarta agni.

The Agni for performing the shrauta rituals is called Shrautagni generated in a ritual called shrautadhana. This Agni is also preserved and is called garhapatyagni. At the time of elaborate rituals two more agnis are generated from the garhaptyagni, they are ahvavneeyagni and dakshinagni.

Ahavaneeyagni in general is used for offering ahutis to devas and dakshinagni for pitrus. The shrautagni comprising  the above three - garhapatyagni, ahavaneeyagni and dakshinagni is also called tretagni.


Both the smartagni and shrautagni(only garhapatyagni) are preserved in the household without allowing them to extinguish.

The rituals in the shrautagni are

1.Agni adhanam - the first time generation of three agnis.

2. Agni hotra - morning and evening  offerings daily.

3.Darsha purnamasa - performed on amavasya and purnima every month. These rituals are performed lifelong or for 30 years.

4. Chaturmasya - performed every four months. On the purnima of phalguna this is done as vaishvadeva, on the purnima of ashadha as varunapraghasa, on the purnima of karthika as sakamedha and on the purnima of phalguna as shunaseeriya.

5. Agrayana - Performed twice a year with freshly harvested grains.

6. Niroodha pashubandha - Performed once a year and involves animal sacrifice.

7. Sautramani - Once a year for Indra and involves  sacrifice 3 or 5 animals.

The above are called havir yajnas out of which Chaturmasya, Niroodha pasubandha and Sautramani are performed in yagasahala outside the household.

There are seven soma yagas in which soma juice is offered. They are

1.Jyotishtoma or Agnishtoma

2.Atyagnishtoma

3. Ukthyam

4. Shodashi

5.Vajapeya

6.Atiratram

7.Aptoryama

There are more yajnas which are very elaborate and intricate in nature.

Dvadashaha - spread over 36 days

Gavamayana -  385 days

Vajapeya - 40 days

Rajasuya - 33 months

Ashhvamedha - more than two years

Purushamedha - 40 days

Sarvamedha - 34 days




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Sunday, December 2, 2012

How do factors at birth influence the future

Aithareya Aaranykam 2.4.2 says

At birth , Agni enters the mouth as speech, Vayu enters through the nostrils as prana, Surya enters the eyes as vision, the directions (space) enters the ears as hearing, the plants and herbs enter the skin as hair, Moon enters the hridaya as mind, death enters the navel as apana, waters enter the genitals as retas.

Likewise, at the time of death "Suryam chakshurgamayat" - the eyes / vision goes to Surya.

This shows a clear co relation between these entities / forces of nature and the being. In astrology, at the time of birth, if the Moon is weak, that indicates affliction to mind etc. When a person is born at a time when the moon is weak, it is a weak moon that will enter him as his mind which will govern his future development. This is the elementary process with respect to human birth, then comes the interaction and interplay of all these forces against a time scale.

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