Three teasers

[Guest guest]

For the attention of all members on the list.

I have not been able to get convincing answers to the following

questions pertaining to the Hindu religion and culture, except

that they are all prescribed by the sastras:

 

1.Why is the number 108 important? It is recommended in

japa, in offerings, in recitations, and so on. What is the

significance of 108? My own guess is: It must have something

to do with the number of times we breathe in and out in 24

hours. This number is 21600 as per the scriptures.

 

2. Why is 'pradakshina' (meaning, keeping the deity to your

right all the time) important? What is the significance of this

clockwise circumambulation vis-a-vis the anticlockwise

circumambulation? The latter is the style in all athletics. Is the

answer connected to the fact that the heart works in a certain

way?

 

3. Why is it prescribed to step first with your right foot when

you enter your new house, or your friend's house, or for an

auspicious ritual? Preference given to the right hand is perhaps

understandable because of the traditional substitution of the

left hand for the modern toilet paper. But you cannot even think

of any such thing for the 'right foot'.My own guess is there is

something intrinsically important with the 'right' rather than'left'.

.

 

praNAms to all advaitins.

profvk

You may access three on-line books of mine at the following site:

http://www.geocities.com/profvk

The books are:

Science and Spirituality - A Vedanta Perception

Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought, Vision & Practice

Overview of Hindu worship with spl. refce. to South India

 

_______

 

Get your free @ address at

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

Found this extra-ordinarily enlightening explanation of

pradakshina at URL:

 

 

pradakshina

 

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/oct99/0065.html

___________________

 

For the number 108, there are several explanations given from

different view-points:

 

http://www.omsakthi.org/worship/mantra.html

 

The number 108 has been considered sacred for thousands of years in

India. The origin of this number probably lies in astronomy. The

average distance from the sun and moon to the earth is 108 times each

of their respective diameters. This is true to an accuracy of 0.5% for

the Sun and 2% for the Moon.

 

[this mystic number apparently is common to many other traditions.]

 

Regards,

sunder

 

advaitin, profvk wrote:

> For the attention of all members on the list.

> I have not been able to get convincing answers to the following

> questions pertaining to the Hindu religion and culture, except

> that they are all prescribed by the sastras:

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

The most plausible and satisfying explanation [for me] is

related to the 'kuNDali' (horoscope) and the science of mantra-japa

(chanting of a divine name).

 

The horoscope has 12 'houses' [called 'raashi'] for the Sun's

transit, and there are nine planets which circle the sun, in various

alignments. [The product of 12 x 9 = 108]

 

Chanting a mantra 10 million times for each 'house', leads to

'purification' of each house [Many details are given in a Marathi book

by R.K.Kamat]. Purification means removal of obstructions and

promotion of benefits related to that 'house'.

 

After all the 'houses' are thus purified, one becomes fit to

receive the Divine grace, in the form of 'initiation' by a 'sadguru'

[who is none other than a 'representative' of the Divine].

 

This has been [and can be] confirmed by many a saint and

devotees [some of whom were sceptics too].

 

[There are many other details about about 'mantra-japa' which would

take us beyond the scope of this List].

 

May all seekers taste the sweetness of the Divine Name!

 

Regards,

 

sunder

 

 

 

 

 

 

advaitin, profvk wrote:

>

> 1.Why is the number 108 important? It is recommended in

> japa, in offerings, in recitations, and so on. What is the

> significance of 108? My own guess is: It must have something

> to do with the number of times we breathe in and out in 24

> hours. This number is 21600 as per the scriptures.

Get your free @ address at

[Guest guest]

On Sat, 18 Aug 2001 profvk wrote:

> For the attention of all members on the list.

> I have not been able to get convincing answers to the following

> questions pertaining to the Hindu religion and culture, except

> that they are all prescribed by the sastras:

>

> [...]

 

 

namaste.

 

I am not a scholar of karmakANDa of the vedA-s. The following

is a free translation of an excerpt from "VEDASARA RATNAVALI"

by shri Uppuluri ganapati Sastry garu.

 

Reason for using the right hand for eating food

 

As part of a procedure of performing the yagna mahAgnicainam,

the bricks are arranged in the shape of an eagle in five layers.

Each layer is called prastAra. While the fourth prastAra on the

dakshiNa side is created, the following mantra is chanted.

 

vyoma saptadasha iti dakshiNato'nnam vai vyomAnnam

saptadishonnameva dakshiNato dhatte tasmAddakshiNe

nAnnamadyate

 

KrishNa yajurveda samhita 5.3.3

 

In this the sounds vyoma and saptadashaH both mean annam

(according to very detailed logic given); as the dakshiNa

side is set up while chanting the mantra, the human eats

with the right hand.

 

Reason for using the right hand in daivapUja, blessings etc

 

Again from KrishNa yajurveda samhita 5.3.3

 

bradhnasya viShTapaM catustrigmsha iti dakshinatosau

vA Adityo bradhnasya viShTapaM brahmavarcasameva

dakshiNato dhatte dakshinortho brahmavarcasitaraH

 

Here, bradhnasya viShTapam refers to Aditya. In the

southerly direction, the mantra referring to Aditya

is used and this means the right hand has more

brahmavarchas than the left hand, i.e., the right hand

is to be used in homa, pUjA, blessings etc.

 

This book also contains interesting explanations taken

from karmakANDa for for e.g. (i) the bikshApAtra is to

be held by the left hand; (ii) gr^ihasthA's bhojana

procedures, etc.

 

Why is the pradakshiNa made towards the right, i.e.

in a clockwise position:

 

This is from the book ACARALU, SHASTRIYATA compiled by

Patil Mallareddy and again what follows is a free translation.

There are no references to vedA-s and I am unsure whether

this is the proper explanation.

 

When we do sAShTAnga namaskAram following pradakshiNa, the

bloodflow inside the body must be smooth and free. The body

has to be brought to the floor level and then lifted up.

During this process, there is every possibility that some

limb or other may be badly affected (if the blood-flow is

not smooth). There is a possibility of even malfunctioning

of the heart. In order to avoid this difficulty, one has

to do pradakshiNa. And in this pradakshiNa, we have to turn

towards the right. During pradkshiNa, the functioning of the

aorta blood vessel (that carries oxygen-rich blood from the

heart to other parts of the body), will be more efficient if

we turn towards the right rather than to the left.

 

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

--------------------------------

[Guest guest]

advaitin, Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy@m...> wrote:

>

> This is from the book ACARALU, SHASTRIYATA compiled by

> Patil Mallareddy and again what follows is a free translation.

> There are no references to vedA-s and I am unsure whether

> this is the proper explanation.

>

> When we do sAShTAnga namaskAram following pradakshiNa, the

> bloodflow inside the body must be smooth and free. The body

> has to be brought to the floor level and then lifted up.

> During this process, there is every possibility that some

> limb or other may be badly affected (if the blood-flow is

> not smooth). There is a possibility of even malfunctioning

> of the heart. In order to avoid this difficulty, one has

> to do pradakshiNa. And in this pradakshiNa, we have to turn

> towards the right. During pradkshiNa, the functioning of the

> aorta blood vessel (that carries oxygen-rich blood from the

> heart to other parts of the body), will be more efficient if

> we turn towards the right rather than to the left.

>

>

> Regards

> Gummuluru Murthy

 

 

Physiologically, what causes asymmetry in the human body significant

enough to make a difference between right and the left? Heart. This

might of naturally led in a way for us to prefer right over the left.

 

Besides, the way the left and right side of the brain controls the

body is another thing. If I am not mistaken, left is the center of

ego and it controls the right half of the body.

 

I have a feeling that human biology plays a significant role in this.

Other possibility is our understanding of motion of heavenly bodies,

such as moon and (apparent motion of) sun around earth.

 

Of the three questions, there are only two unique questions. In

indian tradition, daxiNa means right. This is because orientation is

determined facing the East.

 

As I am writing this, suddenly I have become too conscious of my

body, and even my heart, I think better not to waste time on these

matters and spend it on contemplating on God.

 

My 2c.

[Guest guest]

Murthygaru and Ravishankar

Thanks. I knew I would get the right clues from members of this

list. Thanks once again.

PraNAms to all advaitins.

profvk

You may access three on-line books of mine at the following site:

http://www.geocities.com/profvk

The books are:

Science and Spirituality - A Vedanta Perception

Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought, Vision & Practice

Overview of Hindu worship with spl. refce. to South India

 

_______

 

Get your free @ address at

[Guest guest]

For some reason - the mail I posted last Sunday from home in response

to Prof. VK post did not make it and I lost it. The gist of what I

wrote from memory is given below.

 

The answers are only my speculation and not based on scriptural support.

 

1. Why 108?

 

(a) One and eight are separated by zero and number of zero's that can

be added between 1 and 8 can be zero to many. Hence it can be 18,

108, 1008, 10008 etc. Zero's by them selves have no value other than

signifying as such - that is it has no intrinsic value but gains the

value depending how or where we position it in our value system.

Eight stands for the eight fold aspect of nature - Krishna says -

bhumi aapaH analaH vaayuH kham manaH buddhiH eva ca| ahankaaraH

itiiayam me bhinnaa prak^iti ashhTadhaa|| earth, water, fire, wind,

space, mind and intellect and ego - are my eight fold aspect of

prakR^iti. This is supported by the - one that is by Me - apareyam

itaH tu anyaam prakR^itim viddhi me paraam| (7-4 &5). The eight fold

prak^iti can diverge to multiple plurality by adding as many zeros as

one projects. But all stemming from one which is my supreme nature -

(me paraama). Essentially one manifests as many because of prakR^iti

which include both objective and subjective aspects by including

pancha bhuutas that include the grosser body and the antaH karaNa-s,

mind, intellect and ego. The one world or universe is divided into

eight corners -This aspect also signifies in terms of ones

pradakshanam or rotating around oneself - one is the center and eight

corners rotating around one. We chant 108 or 1008 names to indicate

that by them selves have zero value but their strength lies in the

fact they are indicative of the one truth that one sanding in front,

from which may diverge but have only zero value since one plus many

still remain as one - like one gold becoming many ornaments. Hence

all the 108 names are indicative of one who cannot be named and whose

name we are chanting.

 

(b) The sum of the numbers 18, 108 etc is all divisible by three or

one can say they are multiples of three. one essential three

manifesting as many - Three has special significance in Vedanta. -

It is stands for phenomenal manifestations - three kaala - past,

present and future; three avastha-s, waking, dream and deep sleep;

three shariira, gross, subtle and causal bodies, three guNa-s, satva,

rajas and tamas, etc. Hence Life is nothing but series of

experiences and each experience consists of three ford manifestation

involving experiencer, experienced and experiencing - called

tripuri - One who transcends that is the Lord. Hence we use three

lines on the fore-head - horizontal or vertical and three threads in

the yagnopaviitam but all three tied to one knot - brahma muDi.

 

© One and eight together have another significance - 18 is called

jayam, the victory. Hence Mahabhaarat is also called Jayam - it

contains 18 chapters and has Bhagavad giita with 18 chapters and the

war that run for 18 days, ultimately eliminating 18 akshouhiNii-s or

battalions.

 

2. Clock wise rotation. In Geometry the anti-clockwise rotation is

called positive, when X is rotated to Y, the Z- points outwards -

this is anti-clockwise rotation. This is turning out-ward. For

sadhana, we want to turn ourselves inward to our own center Hence

clockwise is that which points Z- inwards.

 

3. Why the right-food forward.

 

Left being where the heart is more emotional center. Right stands for

righteousness based on Dharma dictated by ones intellect and not by

ones emotions. Right foot forward in the new life is to indicated

that dharma one will be committing to follow ones dharma and not get

carried away by mere emotions. Dharma being the first and foremost

in the purushaartha. Hence it is right to keep right foot forward

otherwise we will be bringing the wrong foot forward.

 

-----------

Before one accepts these explanations -here is some thing to ponder.

A experimentalist called one who is a close friend and a top-notch

theoretician - seeking help to prove some theorem - Giving set of

data he said I need a theory that proves A is not equal to B but

equal to C where A, B and C represent a set of statements. His

theoretician friend struggled for a week and at last called his

friend and said I have solved your problem and it was not easy and I

have a developed the theory to support your results. But

experimentalist friend said - "I am sorry, I gave you wrong

information, the results actually are A is equal to B and not equal

to C" - But theoretician without any hesitation immediately jumped

and said -" hi! that is no problem, I can prove that in no time"

 

Well my friends the above speculations are as good as our

theoreticians theories.

 

 

Hari OM!

Sadananda

 

 

 

--

K. Sadananda

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Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

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