Pranava and Valampuri sangha

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Valampuri Sangu or the Right side folded conch

&;

The Pranava

 

Sangha, the Conch, is a sort of shell found in the seacoasts of Tamil Nadu in

India. Many of the conches are having the opening on the left side and a few

are having the openings on the right side. In Tamil language the right side is

called Valam, and the twist known as Puri. So they are known as Valampuri

Sanghas. The rare ones are always in great demand, and are priced very high.

Bombay Srinivasan was kind enough to tell me some important points on the

aspects of the Conch. 

 

Lord Narayana is generally described as Sangha, Chakra, Gadha dhaari. The one

who is holding the Sangha (Conch) and chakra (The sacred wheel)  and Ghadha

(the Mace) on his hands.  Let us see about the Sangha, the conch.

 

It is mentioned in the Maha Bharatha, that Lord Krishna, used blew into the

Panchajanyam (The Sanskrit word for Sangha) to indicate commencement of the war

every day morning in the war-field of Kurukshetra. 

 

But the real sound emanating automatically from the right-sided Sangha is the

sound of “Pranavam”.  I had the chance to keep the Large Sangha near my ears

and lo and behold,  what a wonderful sound, which was coming out of it, on a

continuous stream.  It is very difficult to describe that wonderful sound. It

is just a continuous melody of a humming sound.  A sound similar to this, is

called “Pranavam”.  Such a continuous Pranava sound was the first Divine

manifestation before the commencement of creation. There is no beginning or no

ending. Just a continuous emanation of sound. Pranavam means the one from which

the life force or Pran manifested in the creation.

 

Pranavam prevails everywhere in the universe.  As per the modern scientists,

there is nothing above a certain level and they call it as Space or sunya or

null. It is under the conditions of that Sunya that the  Pranavam started

pouring out. Swami says that this Pranava sound can be easily heard anywhere,

where there is nothing in store. This sound is emanating even from inside the

four walls of a room, provided there is not a single item is stored there.

Small and subtle sounds created by the nature or human being distort the

pranava sound and we are unable to hear it. But we can easily hear it when it

is coming out of Sangha. 

 

>From pravanam, the pancha bhoothas (five elements) came into existence. Since

the Sangha was the source of the five elements i.e. Pancha Bhoothas, it is also

known as “Pancha Janya” (pancha – five and Janya – Jananam or born out of). From

the five elements the ultimate creation of all the planets and living beings,

and plants were created.

 

All the sound related manifestations had originated from Pranava. The Potent

Manthras, the Vedas, Upanishads, the Sruthis, and the swaras of the music had

all originated from Pranavam. The recitation of Pranava in the short version as

we chant now, as OM is itself a potent manthra. This potent manthra is prefixed

with all Manthras which we use to meditate upon or worshiping

 

Lot of people today gets confused between Pranavam and OM.  People call OM as

pranavam.  Pranavam does not have any beginning or end.  The sound of pranavam

cannot be explained but only experienced.  The sound OM is similar to the sound

of Pranavam but it is not the pranavam.  We are chanting within the limitation

of breath conserving capacity. The right example for the sound of pranavam is

the sound that can be heard in the valampuri sangha or the conch. 

 

The sound of pranavam that is automatically emanating from any place brings the

spiritual vibrations. That is why Swami is advising us to speak less and to

practise silence in the place of worship. When we make lot of noises with our

loud voices, the vibrations may loose its significance we may miss the best

results out of such vibrations. It is absolutely necessary not to speak in the

room or at least speak in low voices. The sounds with tunes well with this OM,

such as music, chanting of manthras will only improve the vibrations in tune

with the OM

 

When we are well practiced and advanced in Dhyana, when the sounds from within

us in the form of various thoughts are stilled, we can hear the continuous

Pranava sound emanating from within us, very clearly.   

 

Once we come to that mindset of thinking SWAMI always then our mind will get

purified and our compassionate SWAMI will help us to reach the next level

Dhyanam and finally reach the ultimate goal of merging with the Supreme Lord.

 

At HIS LOTUS FEET

Bharadhwaaj Ramaswamy

 

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