Holy Grass known as Dharbham

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Hereby sending a mail that came along with a mail..... I felt it was worth reading, too..... Though not sure of the authenticity of the story, as the writer has mentioned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let me add to this....

When I was a kid, my grandpa used to narrate mythological tales in great splendour. One of them, that I clearly remember even today was that from the Ramayana. Therein, the origin of the "durba" (as we call it in bengali) is captured. When Janaki (Seetha) is asked to go for 'agnipareeksha' by Rama, she does it with great self-dignity without being touched by agni. After proving herself righteous, she calls upon Bhoodevi (her real mother) to accept her return, so that she does not have to go through any more humiliation. Then, Mother Earth parts to accept Seetha in her womb. As she departs, Lava and Kusha wail aloud to stop her from going. In their last bid to hold her back, they pull Seetha's hairlocks receding into the earth. In the small tug of war and to the twins' wondrous surprise, the hairlocks turn into "durba" grass. In the

background, Mother Seetha's voice consoles them blessignfully. then, Mother Earth says:

 

Dear children, what you are holding now (meaning the grass) is the symbol of purity and chastity of your dear mother. From now on, she will be remembered in every little ritual that anybody performs by using this "durba" to cleanse and purify the place of worship

 

Rintu

 

P.S: I have never cared to check the accuracy of this tale, as I felt no need for it. Neither did the doubt arise in my mind that my grandpa might not be accurate, nor was I bothered by its origin. All that mattered to me was the value and symbology that the story conveyed. Since then, I have accepted the ritual with true respect + emotion in my heart.

 

 

The Holy Grass known as Dharbham or Dharbaiby TRS Iyengar

 

This article is on one of the practices widely used by Indian Brahmins all over using a Holy Grass named Dharbham or Dharbai. In all functions, auspicious or inauspicious, a performing person needs to wear a ring made of this Dharbham. But many have lost the reason of why it is to be used in the first place.What I learnt from my father was proved to be accurately correct by a Medicine Practitioner. A Doctor named Sadhashiv Rao, once visited my home. When the topic turned to many subjects, I needed to tell him about the Holy Grass named Dharbham. When I told him about the usage and the values, he could not just believe my words.So, he took out a bunch of the Dharbham from me, went straight to the clinic to take an x-ray of his

palm, by covering his hand with the Dharbham. To his utter surprise, he found that the grass absorbed about 60% of the radiation!When the so powerful X-ray radiation can be absorbed by the Holy Grass, why can it not absorb the ill radiations spread over the atmosphere?

While chanting and reciting some Vedic phrases and verses, one needs to wear a ring made of Dharbham on his right hand ring finger.The count of leaves depends upon the function that is held viz.: for some functions related to death only Single leafed Dharbham is used;For Auspicious and daily routine a ring made of two leaves is used; for inauspicious but not death related functions, (i.e. Amavasya Tharppanam, Pithru Pooja, etc) a three leaf Dharbham ring is used.

And for the Temple Prayer and Pooja, a Four-leaf Dharbham ring is used.Also, when a fire ritual known as Agni Santana is performed, these Dharbham are spread all the four sides of the Agni Kundam.

Also, during the Eclipse time, these Dharbham are used to cover all food items to protect them from the harmful ultra violet radiation.Whenever any function is held, firstly they perform a site-cleansing act known as “Suddhi Punyaahavachanamâ€.While reciting the selective versus, they hold the Dharbham bunch in their hand and placing the tip point of it over the vessel containing water.Thus the recited vibration values are absorbed by water in the vessel through the Dharbham.They found that the Holy Grass known as Dharbham has the highest value in conducting the phonetic vibrations through its tip. Later, they sprinkle the Holy water at every nook and corner of the place, where the function is held.A Dharbham without the tip is

considered of no value, as the conductor-type value through its sharp tips, is otherwise lost in it.My father, Late Shri Ramabathrachariar of Mukkur, fondly called by everyone as Sriraman, has recorded and recounted about the immense values of Dharbham and its usage.Sanskrit phonetic sound and vibration, when transmitted using the Dharbham, increases its intrinsic spiritual strength value associayed with it.

The usage varies according to the functions. It is really a marvel, that in those days of Vedic Era, the Sages & Saints of Hindu land used to control the Magnetic path disturbances, just by simply using this Dharbham!

Sometimes they used Dharbha Padukkai (bed).It only grows naturally at selective places and available almost in every state in India. Apart from the above, Dharbham cannot be planted and grown everywhere. It’s deliberate or a mystery yet to be comprehensively dissected. Some learned scholars name it after Saint Vishwaamitra. Hence Dharbham is known and called as Vishwaamitra in ancient texts and scriptures.If it is kept for a longer time, say for more than six months, then it loses its value and the power of absorbing the radiation or magnetic path control values.Dharbham cannot just be plucked straight or cut on any day;

There is a specific Slokha that is to be recited before cutting it;That too it can be cut only on the day next to Full Moon - known as Krishna Paksha Pradamai.A Dharbham without its tip portion is not to be used for making a Ring like item known as

"Pavithram". Pavithram indeed.