Wednesday, March 18, 2015
DASAVATARA STOTRA
DASAVATARA STOTRA
(from Gita govinda) by Jayadeva Goswami
pralaya-payodhijale dhrtavanasi vedam
vihitavahitra- caritra- makhedam
kesava dhrta minasarira
jaya jagadisa hare
O God, in the form of a fish! In the flood of dissolution you have held up the revealed knwoledge of the Vedas, like a boat, without effort.
Hail! Hari, God of the world, Victory to Thee!
ksitirati-vioulatare tava tishati prsthe
dharani-dharanakina-cakragarishte
kesava dhrta kacchaparupa
jaya jagadisa hare
O God, in the form of Tortoise! On the ample expanse of your back, calloused by the burden of the earth that it bears, securely stands the world.
Hail! Hari, God of the world, Victory to Thee!
vasati dasanasikhare dharani tava lagna
sasini kalankakaleva nimagna
kesava dhrta sukararupa
jaya jagadisa hare
O God, in the form of the Boar! The world restsin peace on the tip of your tusk, like the dark marking ont he disc of the moon.
Hail! Hari, God of the world, Victory to Thee!
tava kara kamalavare
nakhamadbhutasrngam
dalita hiranyakasipu varabrngam
kesava dhrta naraharirupa
jaya jagadisa hare
O God, in the form of Man-Lion! In your hand of lotus like beauty, are the finger nails with their wonderful tips which have torn as under the most powerful demon Hiranyakasipu, as if he was a huge insect.
Hail! Hari, God of the world, Victory to Thee!
Chalayasi vikramane balim adbhutavamana
padanakhantra-janita-janapavana
kesave dhrta vamanarupa
jaya jagadisa hare
O God, in the form of dwarf! By planting your feet you have cheated Bali, the mighty . Ganga, the river which sanctifies the world, has come out of you rtoe-nails.
Hail! Hari, God of the world, Victory to Thee!
ksatriyarudhiramaye jagadapagata papam
snapayasi payasi samitabhavatapam
kesave dhrta bhrgupatirupa
jaya jagadisa hare.
O God, in the form of the Lord of the Bhrigus, you have bathed the world in the blood of the tyrannous rulers, thus cleansing it of sin and destroying the misery of its relative existence.
Hail! Hari, God of the world, Victory to Thee!
vitarasi diksu rane dikpatikamantyam
dasamukha-mauli-balim ramaniyam
kesava dhrta ramasarira
Jaya jagadisa hare
O God in the body of Sri Rama! You have a made a beautiful offering of the ten heads of the demon Ravana in battle to the guardians of the cardinal directions.
Hail! Hari, God of the world, Victory to Thee!
Vahasi vapusi visade vasaanam jaladabhanam
hala-hati-bhiti-milita-yamunabham
keshava dharta-haladharrupa
jaya jagadisha hare.
O God , in the form of Balarama,the bearer of the plough! You wear on your immaculate body a garment of the colour of the clouds, blue like the Yamuna, darkened by the fear of being dragged by your plough.
Hail! Hari, God of the world, Victory to Thee!
Nindasi yajnavidhe-rahaha srutijatam
sadaya - hrdya darshitapasughatam
kesava dharta buddhasarira
jaya jagadisha hare.
O God, in the body of Buddha, the enlightened! Out of compssion of your heart you have condemned the ritualistic portion of the vedas ordaining the killing of the animals .
Hail! Hari, God of the world, Victory to Thee!
maleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavalam
dhumaketumiva kimapi karalam
kesava dharta kalsisarira
jaya jagadish hare.
O God, in the form of Kalki! For the destruction of wicked , you carry a meteor-like sword in your hand, trailing a train of disaster to them.
Hail! Hari, God of the world, Victory to Thee!
srijayadevakeverida-muditmudaram
srnu subhadam sukhadam bahvasaram
kesave dharta dasavidhiraupa
jaya jagadish hare.
O God, who took ten forms! Please listen to the song of Jayadeva.It bestows goodness, and joy; it is the essence of life.
Hail! Hari, God of the world, Victory to Thee!
Interesting Facts About the Human Body
Interesting Facts About Muscles
- Human muscle cells produce enough heat every day to boil almost 2 pints of water for an hour.
- The tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body.
- Muscles make around 40% of human body weight.
- We utilize more than 200 muscles just to make one step.
- The foot is responsible for one quarter of all the human body’s muscles
- Fingers do not have muscles in them, since they are moved by tendons and attached to muscles in the forearm.
- When we shiver, our muscles contract involuntarily and this releases energy that keeps the body warm.
- The heart beats more than 4500 times each hour since the cardiac muscle never gets tired. While sleeping, playing sport, resting even when going into the toilet, the hearth beats on average 80 beats per minute.
- While smiling, we are using about 30 muscles, which control the eyelids, nostrils and brow, working together to show emotions.
Interesting Facts About Bones
- Humans have about 300 bones when born. Some of these, fuse together creating a single bone. When maturity is reached, humans have 206 bones in the body.
- The teeth are not counted as bones.
- The greatest bone in the body, “the femur”, is around 1/4 of the persons height.
- The smallest bone in the body is the stapes (stirrup) located in the middle ear, with size around 1/10 of an inch (2.8 millimetres).
- The only bone which is full-grown at birth is the stapes bone, and is situated in the ear.
- Hand, fingers and wrist make the area of the body with most bones - 54.
- The bones of an adult person make approximately 14 % of the total body weight.
- The bones are made of approximately 75 % of water
- Human bones start to grow from birth, until mid 20s.
- Broken bones re-grow and repair themselves.
- The human skeletal system has six major functions: 1. production of blood cells, 2. support, 3. movement, 4. protection, 5. storage of ions and 6. endocrine regulation.
- The Bone marrow makes up 4% of a human body mass.
Greek ORACLES Oracle in Greek Mythology
The desire to penetrate the dark veil of futurity, and thereby to avert, if possible, threatened danger, has animated mankind in all ages of the world. Prophetic knowledge was sought by the Greeks at the mouth of oracles, whose predictions were interpreted to the people by priests, specially appointed for the purpose.
The most famous of these institutions was the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, which was held in general repute all over the world. People flocked from far and near to consult this wonderful mouth-piece of the gods, one month in the year being specially set apart for the purpose.
The priestess who delivered the oracles was called the Pythia, after the serpent Python, which was killed by Apollo. Having first bathed in the waters of the Castalian spring, she was conducted into the temple by the priests, and was seated on a sort of three-legged stool or table, called a tripod, which was placed over the mouth of a cave whence issued sulphurous vapours. Here she gradually became affected in a remarkable manner, and fell into an ecstatic condition, in which she uttered wild and extraordinary phrases, which were held to be the utterance of Apollo himself; these the priests interpreted to the people, but in most cases in so ambiguous a manner that the fulfilment of the prediction could not easily be disputed. During the ceremony, clouds of incense filled the temple, and hid the priestess from the view of the uninitiated, and at its conclusion she was reconducted, in a fainting condition, to her cell.
The following is a striking instance of the ambiguity of oracular predictions:—Crœsus, the rich king of Lydia, before going to war with Cyrus, king of Persia, consulted an oracle as to the probable success of the expedition. The reply he received was, that if he crossed a certain river he would destroy a great empire. Interpreting the response as being favourable to his design, Crœsus crossed the river, and encountered the Persian king, by whom he was entirely defeated; and his own empire being destroyed, the prediction of the oracle was said to have been fulfilled.
Text:
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
Author: E.M. Berens
Published: 1880
The Project Gutenberg E-Book
Produced by Alicia Williams, Keith Edkins and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Read more »
The most famous of these institutions was the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, which was held in general repute all over the world. People flocked from far and near to consult this wonderful mouth-piece of the gods, one month in the year being specially set apart for the purpose.
The priestess who delivered the oracles was called the Pythia, after the serpent Python, which was killed by Apollo. Having first bathed in the waters of the Castalian spring, she was conducted into the temple by the priests, and was seated on a sort of three-legged stool or table, called a tripod, which was placed over the mouth of a cave whence issued sulphurous vapours. Here she gradually became affected in a remarkable manner, and fell into an ecstatic condition, in which she uttered wild and extraordinary phrases, which were held to be the utterance of Apollo himself; these the priests interpreted to the people, but in most cases in so ambiguous a manner that the fulfilment of the prediction could not easily be disputed. During the ceremony, clouds of incense filled the temple, and hid the priestess from the view of the uninitiated, and at its conclusion she was reconducted, in a fainting condition, to her cell.
The following is a striking instance of the ambiguity of oracular predictions:—Crœsus, the rich king of Lydia, before going to war with Cyrus, king of Persia, consulted an oracle as to the probable success of the expedition. The reply he received was, that if he crossed a certain river he would destroy a great empire. Interpreting the response as being favourable to his design, Crœsus crossed the river, and encountered the Persian king, by whom he was entirely defeated; and his own empire being destroyed, the prediction of the oracle was said to have been fulfilled.
Text:
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
Author: E.M. Berens
Published: 1880
The Project Gutenberg E-Book
Produced by Alicia Williams, Keith Edkins and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Nemesis Greek Mythology Names
Nemesis, the daughter of Nyx, represents that power which adjusts the balance of human affairs, by awarding to each individual the fate which his actions deserve. She rewards, humble, unacknowledged merit, punishes crime, deprives the worthless of undeserved good fortune, humiliates the proud and overbearing, and visits all evil on the wrong-doer; thus maintaining that proper balance of things, which the Greeks recognized as a necessary condition of all civilized life. But though Nemesis, in her original character, was the distributor of rewards as well as punishments, the world was so full of sin, that she found but little occupation in her first capacity, and hence became finally regarded as the avenging goddess only.
We have seen a striking instance of the manner in which this divinity punishes the proud and arrogant in the history of Niobe. Apollo and Artemis were merely the instruments for avenging the insult offered to their mother; but it was Nemesis who prompted the deed, and presided over its execution.
Homer makes no mention of Nemesis; it is therefore evident that she was a conception of later times, when higher views of morality had obtained among the Greek nation.
Nemesis is represented as a beautiful woman of thoughtful and benign aspect and regal bearing; a diadem crowns her majestic brow, and she bears in her hand a rudder, balance, and cubit;—fitting emblems of the manner in which she guides, weighs, and measures all human events. She is also sometimes seen with a wheel, to symbolize the rapidity with which she executes justice. As the avenger of evil she appears winged, bearing in her hand either a scourge or a sword, and seated in a chariot drawn by griffins.
Nemesis is frequently called Adrastia, and also Rhamnusia, from Rhamnus in Attica, the chief seat of her worship, which contained a celebrated statue of the goddess.
Nemesis was worshipped by the Romans, (who invoked her on the Capitol), as a divinity who possessed the power of averting the pernicious consequences of envy.
Text:
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
Author: E.M. Berens
Published: 1880
The Project Gutenberg EBook
Produced by Alicia Williams, Keith Edkins and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Read more »
We have seen a striking instance of the manner in which this divinity punishes the proud and arrogant in the history of Niobe. Apollo and Artemis were merely the instruments for avenging the insult offered to their mother; but it was Nemesis who prompted the deed, and presided over its execution.
Homer makes no mention of Nemesis; it is therefore evident that she was a conception of later times, when higher views of morality had obtained among the Greek nation.
Nemesis is represented as a beautiful woman of thoughtful and benign aspect and regal bearing; a diadem crowns her majestic brow, and she bears in her hand a rudder, balance, and cubit;—fitting emblems of the manner in which she guides, weighs, and measures all human events. She is also sometimes seen with a wheel, to symbolize the rapidity with which she executes justice. As the avenger of evil she appears winged, bearing in her hand either a scourge or a sword, and seated in a chariot drawn by griffins.
Nemesis is frequently called Adrastia, and also Rhamnusia, from Rhamnus in Attica, the chief seat of her worship, which contained a celebrated statue of the goddess.
Nemesis was worshipped by the Romans, (who invoked her on the Capitol), as a divinity who possessed the power of averting the pernicious consequences of envy.
Text:
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
Author: E.M. Berens
Published: 1880
The Project Gutenberg EBook
Produced by Alicia Williams, Keith Edkins and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Foxtail’s Filters
Take a close look at meadow foxtail grass’s flower spikes in spring and you’ll find that the youngest have just begun to produce their feathery white stigmas (bottom photo), while more advanced flower spikes are releasing pollen from their dangling stamens (second up from the bottom). Under the microscope the stigmas are revealed at feathery combs of transparent cells whose job is to filter out the airborne pollen (third photo from bottom, x100). Once they’ve trapped a pollen grain it germinates, producing a pollen tube that grows down through the stigma cells (top photo x400), carrying the male cells down to the egg cells in the flower ovary, where they fuse together and begin the process of seed formation. In the top photo you can see the pollen tube emerging from the germinating spherical pollen grain and growing down through a branch of the feathery stigma. Theres more on meadow foxtail grass on my other blog at http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/
CARLOS JUAN FINLAYS 180th BIRTHDAY
I know there is no special mention of Biology in my blog but there is a label called SCIENCE! And so notable things must be mentioned.
TODAY IS CARLOS JUAN FINLAYS 180th BIRTHDAY.
While most of the science loving nerds would be aware of who he was, here is a brief description.
Finlay was born in Cuba on December 3rd 1833, by birth he had Scottish and French descents.In 1853,he attended Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.He graduated in 1855, and completed his studies in Havana and in Paris. Afterwards he settled in Havana and opened a medical practice.
Finlays work, carried out during the 1870s, finally came to prominence in 1900. He was the first to theorize, in 1881, that a mosquito was a carrier, now known as a disease vector, of the organism causing yellow fever, a mosquito that bites a victim of the disease could subsequently bite and thereby infect a healthy person.A year later Finlay identified a mosquito of the genus Aedes as the organism transmitting yellow fever. His theory was followed by the recommendation to control the mosquito population as a way to control the spread of the disease.
Dr. Finlay was a member of Havanas Royal Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences. He was fluent in French,German,Spanish and English, and could read Latin.His interests were widespread and he wrote articles on subjects as varied as leprosy,cholera,gravity and plant diseases. But his main interest was yellow fever, and he was the author of 40 articles on this disease. His theory that an intermediary host was responsible for the spread of the disease was treated with ridicule for years. A humane man, he often took on patients who could not afford medical care. As a result of his work, Dr. Finlay was nominated seven times for the Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine, but it was never awarded to him. (POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF DOING THE "CRIME" OF BEING BORN AS A CUBAN - A LATIN AMERICAN!)
He received the National Order of the Legion of Honour of France in 1908.
Finlay died on 20 August 1915 from a stroke caused by severe brain seizures in his home in Havana, Cuba.
VERDICTS UNCOVERED
NO NOBLE FOR NOBLE DISCOVERIES FOR BELONGING TO A COMMUNIST COUNTRY. THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOUR HAS BEEN PREVALENT TO THE THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES LIKE INDIA IN FIELDS OF LITERATURE. FEW PEOPLE THINK,EVEN FEWER THINK TO DO SOMETHING, AND THE LEAST DO. NO ONE
EVEN KNOWS ABOUT THESE FACTS - ITS LIKE THEY ARE HAPPENING BUT THE FACTS STAY HIDDEN AND PEOPLE DO NOT COME TO KNOW.
VERDICTS UNSEEN
BUT ITS PEOPLES MEMORY THAT MATTERS YOU KNOW - A LOT MORE THAN ANY AWARD IN THE WORLD. PEOPLE WHO WILL GO TO STUDY AND EARN EXPERTISE IN THE MEDICAL FIELD ARE ALWAYS GOING TO REMEMBER DR.FINLAY. AND I GUESS THATS WHAT A SCIENTIST WANTS IS A "HATS OFF".(Courtesy to Bengali Author and Science Scholar Narayan Sanyal) AND THAT PEOPLE IN THE BRANCH OF SCIENCE WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO DO IT FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION IN THIS FIELD.
Data Credit : Wikipedia
(Data Credit is that of Wikipedia. Verdicts and other written parts belong to The Perspectives.)
TODAY IS CARLOS JUAN FINLAYS 180th BIRTHDAY.
While most of the science loving nerds would be aware of who he was, here is a brief description.
Carlos Juan Finlay
Finlay was born in Cuba on December 3rd 1833, by birth he had Scottish and French descents.In 1853,he attended Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.He graduated in 1855, and completed his studies in Havana and in Paris. Afterwards he settled in Havana and opened a medical practice.
Finlays work, carried out during the 1870s, finally came to prominence in 1900. He was the first to theorize, in 1881, that a mosquito was a carrier, now known as a disease vector, of the organism causing yellow fever, a mosquito that bites a victim of the disease could subsequently bite and thereby infect a healthy person.A year later Finlay identified a mosquito of the genus Aedes as the organism transmitting yellow fever. His theory was followed by the recommendation to control the mosquito population as a way to control the spread of the disease.
Dr. Finlay was a member of Havanas Royal Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences. He was fluent in French,German,Spanish and English, and could read Latin.His interests were widespread and he wrote articles on subjects as varied as leprosy,cholera,gravity and plant diseases. But his main interest was yellow fever, and he was the author of 40 articles on this disease. His theory that an intermediary host was responsible for the spread of the disease was treated with ridicule for years. A humane man, he often took on patients who could not afford medical care. As a result of his work, Dr. Finlay was nominated seven times for the Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine, but it was never awarded to him. (POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF DOING THE "CRIME" OF BEING BORN AS A CUBAN - A LATIN AMERICAN!)
He received the National Order of the Legion of Honour of France in 1908.
Finlay died on 20 August 1915 from a stroke caused by severe brain seizures in his home in Havana, Cuba.
VERDICTS UNCOVERED
NO NOBLE FOR NOBLE DISCOVERIES FOR BELONGING TO A COMMUNIST COUNTRY. THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOUR HAS BEEN PREVALENT TO THE THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES LIKE INDIA IN FIELDS OF LITERATURE. FEW PEOPLE THINK,EVEN FEWER THINK TO DO SOMETHING, AND THE LEAST DO. NO ONE
EVEN KNOWS ABOUT THESE FACTS - ITS LIKE THEY ARE HAPPENING BUT THE FACTS STAY HIDDEN AND PEOPLE DO NOT COME TO KNOW.
VERDICTS UNSEEN
BUT ITS PEOPLES MEMORY THAT MATTERS YOU KNOW - A LOT MORE THAN ANY AWARD IN THE WORLD. PEOPLE WHO WILL GO TO STUDY AND EARN EXPERTISE IN THE MEDICAL FIELD ARE ALWAYS GOING TO REMEMBER DR.FINLAY. AND I GUESS THATS WHAT A SCIENTIST WANTS IS A "HATS OFF".(Courtesy to Bengali Author and Science Scholar Narayan Sanyal) AND THAT PEOPLE IN THE BRANCH OF SCIENCE WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO DO IT FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION IN THIS FIELD.
Data Credit : Wikipedia
(Data Credit is that of Wikipedia. Verdicts and other written parts belong to The Perspectives.)
Ekavimshati pathra pooja – Ganesha Chaturthi
Ekavimshati pathra pooja – Ganesha Chaturthi
by Mantra & shlokas on Saturday, September 4, 2010 at 1:15pm
On the day of Ganesha Chaturthi festival, there is a tradition of worshiping Lord Ganesha with 21 different varieties of leaves known as Ekavimshati Pathra Pooja. Ekavimshati is a Sanskrit word meaning 21. What is the significance of this number 21 and the specific variety of leaf (Pathra) used in the pooja? Since Vedic times, usage of sacred leaves and roots/stems/herbs of sacred trees is in vogue while performing any Homa/Yagna or any sacred ritual. Apart from spiritual significance there is also an element of health consciousness and environmental protection involved in its usage. Even today these leaves/herbs are used in preparing Ayurvedic medicines used for curing several diseases. Apart from this they act as a Divine way of controlling pollution, be it water or air.
For example Ganesha Chaturthi festival occurs during monsoon season when the climate is generally not suitable for health. People suffer from various viral infections and water born diseases during this period. There will be lot of water pollution also due to rains and floods during monsoon. After the Ganesha festival, the worshiped Ganesha idols along with the pooja leaves (Pathra) are immersed (Nimajjana) in water (rivers/canals/lakes/sea). These leaves when they are thrown in to water it helps in purifying the water with its medicinal properties. When these idols are made up of natural clay (mud/soil) they get dissolved very easily in water and also cleanse the water without causing any pollution.
Instead, what is happening today is, we find people using idols made up of Plaster of Paris coated with colours (enamel paints). These idols generally take lot of time to get dissolved and in the process water gets polluted with mixing of chemicals and paints used for the idols. Moreover, they are harmful even to the living beings inside the water. Hence, from the environmental angle as well as health point of view it is suggested to use only idols made up of natural clay which are eco friendly.
Significance of # 21 in Ganesha Pooja
The significance of # 21 stands for five organs of perception (Gnanendriyas) + five organs of action (Karmendriyas) + five Pancha Pranas (Vital airs) + five elements (Pancha Bhoothas) + the Mind, add up to 21.
Now, let us see what these 21 varieties of leaves (Pathra) used in Ganesha festival stands for and their medicinal value.
- Maachi Pathram (Artemisia vulgaris/Imperata Cylindrica) – They have the property of purifying the surrounding. They are used for curing skin diseases (leprosy, leucoderma), nervous diseases, and abdominal related.
- Brihathi Pathram (Solanum indicum/Carisssa Carandass) – Used for asthma, cough, constipation. Also used for women in post natal period
- Bilva Pathram (Aegle marmeolus) – Used for Dysentery. It also purifies water. Bilva leaf is very popular in the worship of Lord Shiva.
- Durva Pathram (Cyanodon dactylon/Cyanodon Dacry) – It is used for Skin diseases, arresting bleeding, anemia. Durva leaf is used in the worship of Lord Ganesha. It is also called as Garike.
- Dattura Pathram (Stramonium) – Used for joint pains, abdominal, skin diseases, hair fall. Also used in poisonous bites
- Badari Pathram (Zizipus Jujube) – Used for digestive disorders, wounds and injuries, blood impurities. Also used for maintaining the voice. Badari Kshetra is known after these trees as they are in abundance in Badari. Lord Veda Vyasa is also called as Badarayana named after the forest of Badari trees which is said to be the hermitage of Lord Veda Vyasa.
- Apamarga Pathram (Achyranthus Aspera) – Used for digestive disorders and also used for poisonous bites.
- Thulasi Pathram (Ocimum sanctum) – Used for respiratory diseases, skin diseases, purifies air, water and surroundings. This is a common house hold plant which is considered to be very sacred and celestial. The leaves are used in the worship of Lord Vishnu who is very much fond of Thulasi.
- Chootha Pathram (Azadarcata indica/ Mangifera indica) – Used in Diabetics, for cracked heals, diseases of throat.
- Karaveera Pathram (Thevetia Nerifolium/Nerium indicum) – Used for leprosy, wounds and injuries, hair fall, lice.
- Vishnu Krantha Pathram (Evolvulus Aisinoides/Convolvulus pluricaucis) – Used for Nervous related, memory power
- Daadimi Pathram (Punica granatum) – Used for Dysentery, Vata/Pitta/Kapha dosha
- Devdaru Pathram (Cedrus deodar) – Used for skin diseases, wounds/injuries
- Maruvaka Pathram (Origanum Valgara/Origanum majoram) – Used for Joint pains, skin diseases, heart diseases
- Sindhudara Pathram (Vitex nirgundo) – Used for Vaata related problems and also used in anti poisonous drugs.
- Jajee Pathram (Jasminum grandiflorum/Myristica Fragrams) – Used for skin diseases, Mouth related problems and also in indigestion.
- Gandaki Pathram (Sterculia Urens/Latha Durva) – Used for Heart related, Piles, Skin diseases.
- Shami Pathram (Prosopis specigera) – It is used for respiratory problems. This tree acquired lot of significance from Pancha Pandavas who had kept there weapons on this tree during their Agnathavasa. This tree is also worshipped as a remedy and we find people taking pradakshina around this tree on the day of Vijaya Dasami.
- Aswattha Pathram (Ficus religiosa) – Its bark is used in preparation of many medicines. It is also used for arresting bleeding. The significance and importance of this tree is so much that it is considered as Trimurthi (Trinity) swaroopa (Trinal Lords, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva). We find people performing Naga Devatha Pratishta under this tree.
- Arjuna Pathram (Morinda Tinctoria/Terminelia Arjuna) – Used for Joint pains, Vata/Pitta/Kapha related, heart diseases, wounds and septic conditions
- Arka Pathram (Calotropis Procera) – It is used in poisonous bites, wounds and injuries, curing skin diseases, leprosy, tumors, joint pains, etc… It is said that it has 64 varieties of medicinal usage. It is called as a healing herb. We find usage of this leaf on the day of Ratha Sapthami. It is associated with the worship of Sun God, Lord Hanuman and also Lord Ganesha.
Usage of Durva (Garike) in Ganesha Pooja:
It is said and believed that usage of Garike has attained lot of significance in the worship/pooja of Lord Ganesha who is very much fond of this item. The legend behind this relates to the curse given by Goddess Parvathi (Consort of Lord Shiva) to Nandeeswara (Mount of Lord Shiva). In order to get rid of the effect of curse, Goddess Parvathi had asked Nandeeswara to shed what is most pleasing to him and offer the same to her son Lord Vinayaka which will please him the most. Thus Durva became most pleasing item to Lord Ganesha. Generally Durva is offered in pooja in odd number (5/7/21)
Thus worshiping of Lord Ganesha with different varieties of leaves is associated with the belief that these medicinal values will reach the human beings either through air or water apart from providing the required sanctity and spirituality.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)