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Vastu Purusha Mandala with 9×9 grid

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Honoring Vastu Purusha is a part of Puja rituals. A grid design of 3×3 or 9×9 cells is normally used as the Vastu Purusha Mandala in these rituals. Vastu Purusha is the Deva who rules dwellings or residences. What is the logic behind the idea of a ruler of dwellings? How is the Mandala used for design harmony? The story of the birth of Vastu Purusha gives us some insight. We can analyze the story in the context of a new human settlement. Human beings claim a piece of land from nature and convert it into a settlement. Firstly, that piece of land comes under the purview of human consciousness. Secondly, it transitions out of chaotic or unintelligent control by nature. Thirdly, the settlers shape the land through their efforts and per objectives. However, human involvement can lead to either a positive or a negative change. Maintenace of design harmony leads to positive progress. A story in the Purana reflects this idea. A drop of

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A Yagna performed by Parasara against Rakshasas

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In this post, we try to understand the significance of the Yajna performed by Parasara against Rakshasas. Rishi Parasara (Parashar) is the father of the famous Vyasa. Parashar’s grandfather is none other than Vasishta, one among the seven Sapta Rishis. Vasishta brought up Parasara. Parasara, as a young man, came to know the cause of his father’s death. His father had died before Parasara’s birth because of a Rakshasa, a class of being. Firstly, young Parasara was well versed in the art of Yagna. Secondly, he wanted to annihilate the Rakshasas, in revenge. Therefore, he began a Yajna. Using the power of Mantras, he drew Rakshasas, one by one. They fell helplessly into the Yajna fire. Vasishta realized the intention of Parasara and hurried to stop the Yagna against Rakshasas. In addition, Pulastya, another of the seven Sapta Rishis also arrived there. They both explained to Parasara that an entire clan should not bear the punishment for the bad deed of one among

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Zoroastrian link to Bharani Nakshatra

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Bharani is one of the twenty-seven Nakshatras, the equal division segments of the sky. Secondly, Hindu astronomers used the arc portion of Nakshatras along the ecliptic to track planetary movements. Thirdly, every Nakshatra arc has a fixed anchor point. These points are prominent stars. Astronomers used these to monitor the relative location of a planet within a Nakshatra arc. The anchor star of Bharani is Arietis 41. Its name in Avestan is “Upa-Paoiri”. Surprisingly, the Vedic people called Bharani “Apa Bharani.” The strange coincidence does not stop here. Let us understand the Zoroastrian link to the Bharani Nakshatra and its ruler Yama. Upa-Paoiri is associated with a Yazata. The Avestan word Yazata has several meanings. Indeed, one of them refers to a departed spirit. Coincidentally, the ruler of Apa Bharani Nakshatra is Yama. Secondly, Yama is the ruler of ancestral beings. Certainly, Nakshatras have a religious meaning in the Vedic tradition. However, they were equally crucial to Vedic astronomy for over

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Nakshatra means Star?

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The biophysical systems on the Earth subtly connect to the larger cosmos. Vedic Jyotish, the science of influences from space, explains this idea with the help of a few corollaries. Per the first corollary, any influence from the cosmos is directional. Secondly, any cosmic force needs a localized channel. Without a medium, no cosmic vibration can impact our planet. Thirdly, objects in our solar system are efficient channels. They are Grahas because of their ability to draw and direct influences. The moon is the most efficient among these Grahas because of its rapid transit in the sky through different directions. The Bhagavad Gita refers to the dynamism of the moon in verse with the phrase “ṇakṣhatrānnāṁ shashī” ( Nakshatranam Shashi ). But first, let us see a few examples. Gold under the Earth remains worthless until someone discovers it. Gold is a currency after coming out of a gold mine. Similarly, we become aware of our hidden talents once someone points them

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Indra’s Penance for Enlightenment

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Do Devas need to engage in Tapas or Penance to gain Enlightenment? How did Indra, the ruler of the Devas perform Penance? Did Indra’s Penance last 101 years? Let us explore the episode related to Indra and his archrival Vairochani. The Chandogya Upanishad, one of the major texts in the Veda tradition presents the narration of how Brahma tricked Indra and Vairochani to seek self-knowledge. Long ago, the domain of the Devas or the celestials and the domain of the Asuras rivalled each other. Certainly, the rulers of these two domains were in severe competition to outdo each other. They sought unique objects, creatures, animals, birds and architecture to prove their superiority. Brahma, the creator, felt sad for these two rulers. He saw how these two were missing the point! He sent out a Dindora message (like the viral messages which propagate on social media today). Indra and his rival came to know that a person who knows about Atman,

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The Chakras and 21600 breaths

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Is there a connection between the breath and Chakras? Firstly, a human being takes 21600 breaths (Prana) a day, per Yoga literature. However, Scientists count the number of breaths to be between 20,000 to 24,000. Secondly, scientists now affirm what Yogis have said all along. Only one of the nostrils dominates at any time of the day and after a gap of 2 hours the other nostril takes over. This means that 10,800 breaths flow easier through each dominant nostril in a day. 10800 is a revered number in eastern traditions. So, is there a truth also to the fact that these 10800 breaths are connected to the Chakras? Chakras are energy centers in the subtle body. Their locations roughly correspond to the endocrine system in the human body. Most people who practice Yoga are aware of seven major chakras. In what way do the daily 21,600 breaths map to these chakras? For example. 50% of the breath daily breath

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The secret of Kinnaras

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Chiron is the famous Centaur in Greek mythology. In addition, paintings show centaurs as half horse and half human. The word for Centaurus in Mycenean language is Gantarus. This Mycenean word is the same as Gandharva in Indian literature. Therefore, Centaur and Gandharva must refer to the same entity. However, we do not find any reference to Gandharva as a horse-human being in Sanskrit literature. certainly, the horse-human form represents a Kinnara who is a helper of Gandharva. So, what happened during the sharing of ideas between the Indians and Greeks? What is the secret of Kinnaras? Nara refers to a human being. Therefore, the word Kim-Nara or Kinnara refers to a human being but somewhat different. Besides the prefix “Kim” indicates a puzzle, a question (Kim?). Paintings and carvings illustrate Kinnaras as instrument players who accompany Gandharvas, the celestial singers. In addition, artisans in the past used their freedom of expression to illustrate Kinnaras as semi-human beings. Certainly, we

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The Secret of Yakshini

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Every individual desires for comfort and joy. Besides, the pursuit of wealth is an aspect of this. Certainly, a majority of individuals in a society engage in this pursuit with faith, trust and cooperation. The collective psyche, with respect to wealth, is like a uniform field, because of this majority! However, it has some bumps and kinks. The cause of these is the fact that the wealthy seek grandeur and more fame. From this, let us understand the secret of Yakshini beings. Yaksha is an abstract being, an aspect of the collective psyche. They are related to power the structures in society. Yakshni is a female counterpart of Yaksha. They grant special favors. Mostly, the rich avail of these favors. Certainly, the worship of Yakshini was popular in earlier times. Buddhist, Jain and Hindu texts classify Yakshinis. For example, Bhandara Poorna Yakshni brings satisfaction in matters of the treasury. Therefore Kings and rulers in the past sought her favor. Similarly,

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One Mantra 3 Purposes

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Vyasa’s compilation of Vedas Vyasa collected a subset of Mantras at the end of the last Yuga or Era. Certainly, a larger set of Mantras was in vogue earlier. Vyasa created four compilations from the subset. These compilations are today known as the four Vedas, namely, the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. Several mantras are common between the Rig, Yajur and Sama Veda compilations. Almost every Sama Veda mantra is also in the Rig Veda compilation. However, not all mantras of the Rig Veda are in the Yajur Veda compilation. In fact, Yajur Veda contains mantras which are not in the Rig Veda. What is the reason for the overlap of Mantras? Let us first review how a Yajna is performed. How is a Yajna performed? The tradition of Yajnas has continued through the ages. We must review some basic facts about how a Yajna is performed before understanding the nature of Mantras in the four Vedas. Overlap among Mantras

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