It is widely believed in India that if we pour milk in snake mould during festival times then one will get Punya (there is no English word for it) or will bestowed with good luck, riches etc.
This is a purely a blind faith.
We should never pour milk into a snake mould. Reason is that it will do no good to the snake living inside mould. This is because, when you pour milk, protein in it invites ants and once ants occupy the place then snake will be attacked by them and killed. This will result in a sarpa dosha or serpant's curse according to shastras.
So please remember, never pour milk into a snake mould.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Why Do We Do Milk Abhisheka To Idols?
There may be moments when you had pondered, why do we do milk abhisheka to idols. It's just a stone, why there is a need to waste so much milk on a piece of stone?
Firstly, if we refer to Shastras, when idol is made, prana pratishta is done. That means, inviting the divine/positive energy to reside in the stone, in other words inviting god in to it. So, its no more a stone. Secondly, to retain the physical property of that stone it needs to be protected.
Main problem with stones is that, they can easily develop fissures or cracks if left unattended.
Cracks in stones can be caused by many different problems. A stone may begin to crack due to the soil underneath and around it settling over time. Moisture will be able to gather in this crack, and when the moisture freezes, the crack will be forced open wider. As more and more settling occurs, and the freeze/thaw cycle continues, the crack will continue to grow and become worse.
Milk has a protein in it which forms a protective layer on the surface of any body it is applied to, that's the reason most of the cosmetics are made out of milk, it protects our skin from getting dry. Similar goes for stones, by performing milk abhisheka, we pour milk on the stone and it creates a layer of protein on stone which prevents the stone from developing crack and fissures on it.
This is the reason you see that stone idols in temples remain shining and appear new for hundreds of years together. Whereas if you see idols in abandoned temples, they are in bad condition with lots of fissures and cracks on it.
For more information, refer to Agama Shastra.
Firstly, if we refer to Shastras, when idol is made, prana pratishta is done. That means, inviting the divine/positive energy to reside in the stone, in other words inviting god in to it. So, its no more a stone. Secondly, to retain the physical property of that stone it needs to be protected.
Main problem with stones is that, they can easily develop fissures or cracks if left unattended.
Cracks in stones can be caused by many different problems. A stone may begin to crack due to the soil underneath and around it settling over time. Moisture will be able to gather in this crack, and when the moisture freezes, the crack will be forced open wider. As more and more settling occurs, and the freeze/thaw cycle continues, the crack will continue to grow and become worse.
Milk has a protein in it which forms a protective layer on the surface of any body it is applied to, that's the reason most of the cosmetics are made out of milk, it protects our skin from getting dry. Similar goes for stones, by performing milk abhisheka, we pour milk on the stone and it creates a layer of protein on stone which prevents the stone from developing crack and fissures on it.
This is the reason you see that stone idols in temples remain shining and appear new for hundreds of years together. Whereas if you see idols in abandoned temples, they are in bad condition with lots of fissures and cracks on it.
For more information, refer to Agama Shastra.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Urulu Seva, Kukke Subramanya (Faith or Blind Faith)
Recently there have been agitation by media channels that this ritual must be stopped. According to them it is just a blind faith and should not be followed.
Urulu Seve: This is a ritual involves people rolling on the plantain leaves left by other devotees after their meal.
Belief: Devotees believe that by taking up Urulu Seva, they will be freed from diseases and dosha (sorrows).
Media: Media agitation is about stopping this ritual, as media thinks it has no meaning and is a pure blind faith.
As far as I know, according to Shastras (when I say Shastras I am referring to scriptures like Yoga Vasishta and other Upanishads) egotism creates bondage and it creates false notions and conditioning of mind blocking all the ways to liberation. Egotism takes the form when mind creates false notions such as "I", "This is mine", "I am great", "I am something" etc. So thing to understand is mind and egotism created by mind is the whole and sole reason of sorrows (both physical and mental). If we are able to break this ego or "I-ness" then we will be liberated and no sorrow can touch us. One who has ego or "I-ness" will never take part in Urulu Seva or rolling on plantain leaves left by others after their meal. His ego will never allow him to do that. But one who determines to do it, have to leave his ego and take part. Hence, Urulu Seve is a very smart ritual or custom that provides a way of breaking once ego, hence freeing devotees from sorrow and pain they suffer because of terrible goblin called mind.
I hope you have understood the subtleties that are encoded in this ritual. Hence, it is not a blind faith.
Belief: Devotees believe that by taking up Urulu Seva, they will be freed from diseases and dosha (sorrows).
Media: Media agitation is about stopping this ritual, as media thinks it has no meaning and is a pure blind faith.
As far as I know, according to Shastras (when I say Shastras I am referring to scriptures like Yoga Vasishta and other Upanishads) egotism creates bondage and it creates false notions and conditioning of mind blocking all the ways to liberation. Egotism takes the form when mind creates false notions such as "I", "This is mine", "I am great", "I am something" etc. So thing to understand is mind and egotism created by mind is the whole and sole reason of sorrows (both physical and mental). If we are able to break this ego or "I-ness" then we will be liberated and no sorrow can touch us. One who has ego or "I-ness" will never take part in Urulu Seva or rolling on plantain leaves left by others after their meal. His ego will never allow him to do that. But one who determines to do it, have to leave his ego and take part. Hence, Urulu Seve is a very smart ritual or custom that provides a way of breaking once ego, hence freeing devotees from sorrow and pain they suffer because of terrible goblin called mind.
I hope you have understood the subtleties that are encoded in this ritual. Hence, it is not a blind faith.
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