Shikha and Sootra, Symbol of Hindu Dharma

There are two symbols of Hindu Dharma, one is Shikha (distinctive lock of hair on the crown of the head) and the other is sootra. Sootra means Yogyopaveet or sacred thread. Just as in the context of devotion for one's own country there is a national flag, so also, Shikha is like a flag of divine culture on the fortress of human brain. Religious communities have their respective flags. The idol of Lord Shiva can be installed merely by placing a circular stone on a platform. Shikha is like a banner of Gayatri Mata installed on the top of the head, so that it may always be kept in mind that the entry of evil thoughts is panned in this area and only righteous thoughts are welcome.

In Hindu Dharma, Mundan, in which the hairs on the head of a child are shaved, is regarded as an important ceremony. In fact, this is a celebration of installation of Shikha which is formed by removing other hair on the head. Human body is regarded as a temple on which Shikha is established like a banner.

Yagyopaveet, an Image of Gayatri

Yagyopaveet is also called Brahma-sootra. Thread is also called sootra. The authors of Vyakran, darshan, religious scriptures and several other ancient treatises have tried to express their purport in very brief, concise sentences in Sanskrit. Detailed commentaries, annotations have been written on these sootras which explain the meaning underlying them. Although, there are no letters in Brahma-sootra, much has been indicated with the help of images, marks, signs, pictures etc. The Brahma-sootras of yagyopaveet also, even without speech and script incorporate within them meanings of deep import. Gayatri is known as Guru-Mantra. Yagyopaveet ceremony is performed with the chanting of Gayatri Mantra and other Veda-Mantras. It is as much necessary for a dwij to know Gayatri as it is to put on Yagyopaveet. Gayatri and Yagyopaveet constitute one pair as do the words Lakshyami-Narayan, Sita-Rama, Radhe-Shyam, Prakriti-Brahma, and Gauri-Shankar. Their union forms one single unit. Just as husband and wife living together constitute a family, dwijatva is a union of Gayatri and Yagyopaveet. Yagyopaveet is sootra and Gayatri its interpretation. They are inter-linked.

There are three threads in Yagyopaveet, so also Gayatri has three phases. The first phase is "tatsavitur varenyam", second is "bhargo devasasya dhee mahi", and third one is "dhiyo yon aha prachodayat". To understand the principle underlying three threads of Yagyopaveet, one should thoroughly understand the afore-said three phases of Gayatri. There are three Granthis (knots) and one Brahma Granthi in Yagyopaveet. In Gayatri there are three vyahritis, namely Bhooha, Bhuvaha, Swaha and one pranav (Om). Onkar (Om) and three vyahritis of Gayatri Mantra symbolize respectively the Brahma Granthi and three knots of Yagyopaveet. The first, second and third phases of Gayatri symbolize the first, second and third threads of Yagyopaveet respectively.

Let us now examine in detail what is the meaning and philosophy underlying this interpretation of Gayatri and Yagyopaveet. The message of pranav is that God pervades all living beings and so a Sadhak should devote himself selflessly and quietly in the service of humanity. Bhooba implies that the human body is just a transient instrument. A seeker of truth should not get attached to it but should enhance his inner spiritual awareness, pursue the righteous path and do selfless service. Buvaha means a person who struggles valiantly against evils attains self-realization. He alone is wise who follows high ideals with pure means. Swaha implies that truth should be pursued through discriminating wisdom and pure intellect and thus inspire others by example to lead a life of austerity, devotion, self-inquiry, self-restraint and sacrifice.

continue on Shikha and Sootra, Symbol of Hindu Dharma1…….

Shikha and Sootra, Symbol of Hindu Dharma1

Continue from the first article - This, in short is the four fold duty of a person who puts on Yagyopaveet. He has to develop his capabilities, has to be generous and utilize his talents in the service of others. Thus alone can he attain peace and happiness for himself and help others to attain these.

According to Gaya tri-Geeta, nine fibers of Yagyopaveet represent nine virtues which are as important and precious as gems. These virtues are:- the science of life, awakening of inner hidden energies, superiority, purity, divine insight, righteousness,  wisdom, self control, and service.

By achieving knowledge of the science of life man understands the mystery behind birth and death. He has no fear of death and is always fearless. He has no attachment to or craving for worldly objects. He, thus, escapes from the pendulum like swings of ups and downs of life created by the illusory play of dualities of success and failure, pleasure and pain, birth and death etc from which ignorant people are perpetually tormented.

A person who is able to awaken his dormant energies becomes more and more healthy, learned, wise, generous, cooperative and respectable, as the inner energies gain prominence in his soul. A weak person is often a victim of bad habits, destined and of wicked persons who are stronger than him, but a strong and noble person himself enjoys life and extends a helping hand to those weaker to him. Injustice flourishes when there are no checks and balances in the exercise of power. Acquisition of power by persons of nobility of character acts as an antidote to this unbridled and evil exercise of power by those who are evil-minded tyrants.

Superiority does not lie in power and pelf but in the richness of high ideals and aims and feelings of compassion, kindness, sharing and carrying. Persons who possess only power and pelf and lack inner refinement and balance are crude, fickle-minded, mean and disturbed. They live lives of utmost inferiority. On the other hand, persons of high thinking generosity of nature and noble actions lead lives of superior quality even if they are not materially affluent. It is this aristocracy of spiritual richness that gives unshakable peace and unalloyed happiness.

Purity is true beauty. Not only human beings but even animals and birds, insects and worms like beauty. Wherever there is impurity, ugliness is bound to be there and nobody would like to stay there. A person having impurities in his body is bound to be weak and sick. Then what to say of a person whose mind, intellect and inner-self are full of dross? He is no better than an animal or devil. The only way to rise above these infirmities is to cultivate all-round purity. One who is pure internally as well as externally, whose means of livelihood, ideology, body, speech, dress, residence and other materials of use are clean and pure, will be happy, cheerful, sweet-tempered and contented.

Divine insight means establishing relationship with divine qualities of the world. Like attracts like that. Persons having an outlook of seeing goodness in the world find good persons all around them. If we pay attention to philanthropic deeds, goodness, service-mindedness, cooperation and good deeds done by the people we will find that by and large there is far better in the world than evil. To a person with perverted mind, all objects and person will appear perverse. Likewise one who looks with eyes of love and understanding will find the same qualities reflected back from all around him. He will discover that the world is a multi-hued, beautiful and sweet-smelling garden of God.

The Wonder-World of Hormones

Dr. Ivo has emphasized the predominant role of hormonal glands on one's psychology development in his book entitled -"Glands of Distinctly". He cites the example of Napoleon Bonapart - stating that, Napoleon lost the battle of Waterloo because his pituitary gland and become defective; he was therefore unable to take any decision; in the mangled state of mind he lost the opportunity of turning the strategic planning into his favor. The inference of Dr. Ivies is based on the postmortem report of the little corporal in which the deformation of pituitary gland was a significant finding. In terms of occult anatomy, the visible or perceptible components of the body and their activities do not form the system of life. The conscious energy working in even the tiniest form of these elements is the real source of life. The subtle aspects of vital functioning in the living beings are still beyond the reach of the knowledge attained in the fields of physiology, anatomy and other and other biomedical sciences. In other words, our contemporary knowledge of our own body is yet incomplete.

Consider the endocrine glands for instance: Very minute, almost negligible as compared to the amount of blood in our body, large quantities of hormones are secreted by these glands. The secreted hormones get dissolved in the blood and produce tremendous effects that after the source of normal functioning of human body and mind in many respects. How these glands are developed - what is the source of their existence? Why and what types of transformations take place in their activities? Why do the bio-chemicals secreted by these glands vary so much in nature? What is the mechanism of their significant effects on body functions? These questions yet remain unanswered. So far, only the manifestations- in terms of normal and abnormal growth and functions of the body and behavioral aspects and chemistry of some of the hormones secreted by these glands have been elucidated. However, the research studies are silent on why, from where…., these effects?

Early research in neural chemistry had found the presence of some hormones which are secreted by the endocrine gland and which make temporary or permanent effects on specific organs or physicochemical functions of the body. Advanced results have found newer secrets in terms of the association of these hormones with the nature and inherent character of humans. In view of their tremendous effects on regulating the physical, mental and emotional states of a person, the hormone-secreting glands appear like the 'fingers' of a hidden juggler who makes the humans dance like puppets under the control of the hormonal 'threads'.

The internal hormonal and other neuro-chemical secreting system - the endocrine system - has long been a challenging puzzle for the anatomists and physiologists. Whatever hypotheses and inferences are drawn in one point of time, they are often required to be modified or changed after some time because of the newer or contradictory observations. The secrets of this system seem to be hidden behind such a curtain which gets more entangled into a mesh of unknown facets whenever opened up a bit.

As early as during the times of Luis XV in France, an anatomist named Dr. Thuffe had conjectured the presence of a somewhat supernormal (in terms of physical existence) system in the body which secrets special juices and chemicals that can significantly alter the functions of different components of the body. An Italian Anatomist, Dr. Eustachi had reported a well-structured hypothesis on hormonal glands in the upper poles of the kidney as early as 1563. Later on, some researchers of the Vodak Institute of Science had thrown light on the adrenal glands. Around 1850, Dr Karl Inge of Britain and Dr. Yeri of Paris had given experimental evidences to illustrate the remarkable effects of some hormonal secretions inside the body on the physiological and biochemical functions. Research in the fields of hormones/neurochemicals geared up gradually in the later years.

At present, the research on neurohormonal secretions and allied topics is one of the most active areas of advanced sciences. Dr. Luis Warman of Columbia university had recently published an article entitled "Glands Regulating Personality" to highlight the predominant role of hormonal glands in the psychological makeup of a person. The author states that there are some special glands in the body, which are tiny in size but colossal in effects…. Besides their apparent role in controlling the organ development, metabolism and other activities of the living body, they also have significant influence on the mental functions. Disharmony of some secretions may lead to the decline of one's personality in many respects; one can even go whimsical or insane because of such imbalances. An orderly controlled, refined state of such secretions, on the other hand, might endow one with a courageous, foresighted, cheerful, charming and talented personality.

Thought Inconvenient, 'Change' is Inevitable

The juncture of the end of night and the beginning of day is called dawn. This period is filled with unique opportunities for self-growth for the early-rises; but for those who are still half-asleep, it appears as an unwelcome guest and as a burden loaded with new responsibilities. Howsoever unpleasant, they have to rise up and attend to their daily chores. Night does not return and the day does not stop. There is no other alternative than to adjust with the change. The cosmos is in perpetual movement. All our resistance is of no avail to hold back the incessant process of change.

The fetus manages happily in the dark cell of mother's womb, but when it is fully developed, nature pushes it out of its cozy chamber, separates it from the mother's umbilical core and forces it to come out in free atmosphere. In the process of progress, this change is essential and unavoidable. The time of birth is painful and inconvenient to everyone. Mother, nurse, members of the family and friends - all have to abandon their normal routine and get ready to help in whatever way they can in the process of birth. Ultimately the result of this exercise is pleasant to all.

During the present momentous transition period of change of an era, the process of elimination of the Evil and establishment of the Good in human hearts is bound to appear painful for the rigidly orthodox. Other sections of the society may also feel it inconvenient to adopt new ways of life befitting a new era. But there is no other alternative than to adopt the discipline of ushering in of the new enlightened world order that has been ordained by Nature. Once we accept this Truth and are not resistant to change, we will find that change is seed of spiritual growth for all humanity. We will discover that the very change we were fleeing from had held the good we had prayed for.

Sitting in the Dakshineshwar garden, Swami Ramkrishna Paramhansa was contemplating on the Divine Mother. Just then Dr Mahendra Nath Sarkar, who had not met the Master till then, arrived there. He mistook the Swamiji for the gardener and told him to pluck flowers. Swamiji was in a state of consciousness, beyond honor and dishonor; he plucked flowers at once and gave them to the doctor, who went back with asking for Master's darshan. The next day he came again to see Swamiji, and then he realized his folly and was moved by his divine modesty.

Great sages and saints are innately and naturally humble, courteous and egoless.

Prayer The Nourishment Of Soul

In the view of Mahatma Gandhi, if I do not get food I am least worried but it makes me mad if I miss my prayer. Prayer is million times more beneficial than food. One may forego his food by not his prayer. Prayer is the very nourishment of soul. It world be too good, if we could contemplate on God whole day long but since it is not possible for us all, it is desirable that we should sit at least for a few hours every day in contemplation of God.

Eulogy, worship and prayer are not blind faiths, but they are real and true acts like eating, drinking, walking and sitting; nay, if we say that it is the only truth and all the rest are false and unreal, it would be no exaggeration. Offering of prayer does not mean begging, but in fact it is the natural voice of soul. When we fully come to realize our in capabilities and leaving all other worldly recourses aside, confide our faith in God, the very outburst of our emotions in such a state is called prayer. The offering of prayer and singing song, in praise of God are not mere utterances of one's tongue but are actually the outpourings of one's heart. This is the reason that even the dumb, the stammer, and the stupid persons can also offer prayer.

The main purpose of offering prayer is, to seek discourse with God and to gain light for the purification of the soul, so that we could win over our weaknesses. Prayer devoid of emotion is of no use.

What to talk of the other world, even in this world prayer is a source of peace and happiness. So if we rally wish to become human, we must make our lives interesting and fruitful through prayer. It is therefore advisable for everyone to remain engrossed in prayer with heart and soul. All complicated riddles arising out of national, social and political problems find their easy and quick solutions through prayer that through intellect.

immorality and gives importance to accumulation of money by fair means or foul. The root cause of all types of material troubles is this only. We cannot be indifferent to material progress but at the same time we cannot ever oppose spiritualism also. We will have to create a balanced viewpoint by harmonizing both. We will have to understand very clearly the difference of earning the money morally and immorally. We will also have to condemn as well as despise immorally earned money and gibe maximum praise to the money earned by just means.

Money earned by proper means and earned through labor gives happiness, peace and satisfaction, increase the strength of the soul, makes the soul clean, pure and free from blemish, and with it creates a divine atmosphere in the society.