Importance of Darbhai (1)

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SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

 

My humble pranams to all bhagavathas.

 

After reading the mails on eclipses, darbhai and tarpanam, I thought

I can share with you some insights on all these and even related

ones, as I can see from different perspectives, including science.

Any additions, corrections and modifications are welcome as I am sure

many scientists and vedhiks of this forum will have something to say

or comment on. The mistakes, if any, in these mails are entirely due

to my lack of understanding and I may be pardoned and corrected for

the same.

 

The importance of darbhai.

 

By Bhagavan’s Thiru-uLLam, I have often been blessed with the bhagyam

of doing sankalpam and initiation along with my husband for different

types of Homas whose scope, depth and extant are far beyond any

individual’s cause and beyond the financial capacity of any

individual. Those occasions have been treasured by me as occasions

which Bhagavan authorized me as His ‘karuvi’ and also opportunities

to closely watch the homas, their import and most important of all,

getting to offer my namaskaarams many times to outstanding VaidihAs

and learn from them the relevance of many of the rituals followed in

the homas. The importance of darbhai is one which I learnt from them.

 

Doing sankalpa is an occasion when darbhai’s role is inevitable. When

the man is taking the sankalpa as to for what purpose, by whom and at

which point of time in the grand scale of creation, his wife, as

personification of His manas (please recollect my earlier mail on

maattu-p-peN in which I have given the purusha –sthree relevance as

two in one) will have to pass a command to the Purusha –the in-

dweller as a doer, to do the sankalpa. At that time she will have to

stand behind him at his right side (see the same mail for reasons for

right side), hold one end of a bunch of darbahi and touch his shoulder

with the other end of the bunch. This has to continue till he

completes the sankalpam, offer his namaskaram as ‘namah’ and declare

then ‘na mama’ (not mine – all these that are to offered to such and

such a deva for such and such a result in such and such a time are

for THEM only, they are not mine.)

 

This 4-fold part (3+1) of sankalpam is very important (to be discussed

in another mail) ( the time > the doer > the purpose + to whom ) and

is to be stated very clearly, without any hindrance and obstruction.

The protection from any obstruction is given by darbahai.

 

The darbahai possesses some supreme capacity to thwart any dosham -

be it with reference to (1) lack of austerity or ‘madi’, or (2)

pollution, in spite of the sthala-suddhi done at and around homa

–kundam, (3) negative vibrations and thoughts of any one present

there or (4) the invasion of such energies including harmful

radiation from any source.

 

In all japas, the doer is supposed to hold the darbhai in his hand

till the japa is over. The bunch of darbhai held during the sankalpa

is kept in front of the man in such a way that he, as doer is

protected from any debilitating energy. The darbhai spread on homa

kundam serves the purpose. The darbhai used in pavithram serves the

same purpose. (are the ends of pavithram shooting away from the body

, antennas to attract such harmful radiation and diffuse them?)

 

Darbhai is used in all actions that are done to communicate, transfer,

or invoke some results from beings of non-earthly nature. That is how

their relevance comes in tarpanam. If some one discards darbhai, it

means he is without protection and can not guarantee that his

offerings or prayers are being sent to or received by those to whom

they are intended, in their fullest intent or import. Since we can

not know or perceive the kind of obstructions taking place unseen and

in subtle forms around us, darbhai is used to thwart such

obstructions. I have not been told of any substitute for darbhai and

it never occurred to me that I must ask them about it. But the fact

is that darbhai is the best protection.

 

The same darbhai used during eclipses to protect food stuffs brings

this discussion to another level of what happens in an eclipse.

 

(continued)

 

Jayasree saranathan.

 

PS : The only time women folk like me get to handle darbhai is when

the husband does sankalpam. Invoking the Pranava, the woman offers

the Agni in the Homa-kundam. Invoking the Pranava, she holds the

darbhai on his shoulder and concentrates on the sankalpa done. From

then onwards, it is the man whose obligation in any karma done

becomes stupendous. By consciously invoking the blessings of Darbhai

as a protector, let the man proceed with the karma to be done without

any obstruction.