why do we do namaste

Indians greet each other with namaste. The two palms are placed together in front of the chest and the head bows whilst saying the word namaste. This greeting is for all - people younger than us, of our own age, those older than friends, even strangers and us.

There are five forms of formal traditional greeting enjoined in the shaastras of which namaskaram is one. This is understood as prostration but it actually refers to paying homage as we do today when we greet each other with a namaste.

Namaste could be just a casual or formal greeting, a cultural convention or an act of worship. However there is much more to it than meets the eye. In Sanskrit namah + te = namaste. It means - I bow to you - my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. Namaha can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one’s ego in the presence of another.

The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. When we greet another, we do so with namaste, which means, "may our minds meet," indicated by the folded palms placed before the chest. The bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship in love and humility

The spiritual meaning is even deeper. The life force, the divinity, the Self or the Lord in me is the same in all. Recognizing this oneness with the meeting of the palms, we salute with head bowed the Divinity in the person we meet. That is why sometimes, we close our eyes as we do namaste to a revered person or the Lord – as if to look within. The gesture is often accompanied by words like "Ram Ram,” "Jai Shri Krishna", "Namo Narayana", "Jai Siya Ram", "Om Shanti" etc - indicating the recognition of this divinity.

When we know this significance, our greeting does not remain just a superficial gesture or word but paves the way for a deeper communion with another in an atmosphere of love and respect.

Relaxation

There are a number of simple things you can begin doing to take the rush, hurry and stress out of your life and restore (regain) a more natural and relaxed rhythm: 1. Press the Pause Button Plan 3-4 moments in your day in which you rest your body and mind for a couple of minutes. Try repeating a short and gentle affirmation (positive thought) like "I am very peaceful and relaxed". 2. Priorities Check your to do list every day and make sure there is atleast one activity that is active, creative and you genuinely love doing. 3. Gratitude Thank at least one person each day. This helps you reverse the habit of always wanting and taking into giving, which is much more relaxing, enjoyable and healthy. 4. Spiritual Knowledge Read one paragraph of spiritual knowledge every morning. Then reflect on what you have read for one minute.. 5. Exercise Plan atleast one physical exercise or posture everyday.

Why do we have a prayer room

Most Indian homes have a prayer room or altar. A lamp is lit and the Lord worshipped each day. Other spiritual practices like japa - repetition of the Lord’s name, meditation, paaraayana - reading of the scriptures, prayers, and devotional singing etc are also done here. Special worship is done on auspicious occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, festivals and the like. Each member of the family - young or old - communes with and worships the Divine here.

The Lord is the entire creation. He is therefore the true owner of the house we live in too. The prayer room is the Master room of the house. We are the earthly occupants of His property. This notion rids us of false pride and possessiveness.

The ideal attitude to take is to regard the Lord as the true owner of our homes and us as caretakers of His home. But if that is rather difficult, we could at least think of Him as a very welcome guest. Just as we would house an important guest in the best comfort, so too we felicitate the Lord’s presence in our homes by having a prayer room or altar, which is, at all times, kept clean and well-decorated.

Also the Lord is all pervading. To remind us that He resides in our homes with us, we have prayer rooms. Without the grace of the Lord, no task can be successfully or easily accomplished. We invoke His grace by communing with Him in the prayer room each day and on special occasion.

Each room in a house is dedicated to a specific function like the bedroom for resting, the drawing room to receive guests, the kitchen for cooking etc. The furniture, decor and the atmosphere of each room are made conducive to the purpose it serves. So too for the purpose of meditation, worship and prayer, we should have a conducive atmosphere - hence the need for a prayer room.

Sacred thoughts and sound vibrations pervade the place and influence the minds of those who spend time there. Spiritual thoughts and vibrations accumulated through regular meditation, worship and chanting done there pervade the prayer room. Even when we are tired or agitated, by just sitting in the prayer room for a while, we feel calm, rejuvenated and spiritually uplifted.

Why do we light a lamp

In almost every Indian home a lamp is lit daily before the altar of the Lord. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day – at dawn and dusk – and in a few it is maintained continuously - Akhanda Deepa. All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the occasion.

Light symbolizes knowledge, and darkness - ignorance. The Lord is the "Knowledge Principle" (Chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshiped as the Lord himself.

Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Also knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievement can be accomplished. Hence we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth.

Why not light a bulb or tube light? That too would remove darkness. But the traditional oil lamp has a further spiritual significance. The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolizes our vaasanas or negative tendencies and the wick, the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the vaasanas get slowly exhausted and the ego too finally perishes. The flame of a lamp always burns upwards. Similarly we should acquire such knowledge as to take us towards higher ideals.

Whilst lighting the lamp we thus pray:

Deepajyothi parabrahma

Deepa sarva tamopahaha

Deepena saadhyate saram

Sandhyaa deepo namostute

I prostrate to the dawn/dusk lamp; whose light is the Knowledge Principle (the Supreme Lord), which removes the darkness of ignorance and by which all can be achieved in life.

Hinduism

Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life. Unlike other religions, Hindu dharma has many specialties. This is not known as a religion, it is known as the dharma; Sanaathana Dharma. Sanaathana means, according to Bhagavath Geetha, which cannot be destroyed by fire, weapons, water, air, and which is present in all living and non living being. Dharma means, the way of life which is the ‘total of all aachaaraas or customs and rituals’.

Sanaathana Dharma has its foundation on scientific spirituality. In the entire ancient Hindu literature we can see that science and spirituality are integrated. It is mentioned in the 40th chapter of the Yajurveda known as Eesaavaasya Upanishad that use scientific knowledge for solving problems in our life and use the spiritual knowledge for attaining immortality through philosophical outlook.

Remember that in each and every aachaaraa there will be a component of spirituality in it. Without spirituality, nothing exists in Sanaathana dharma. Generally everyone bear a wrong impression that this spirituality is religion. Spirituality is different in Hindu dharma. Here the question of religion does not exist at all, because Hindu dharma was not created by an individual, prophet or an incarnation. Spirituality is a part of every Hindu custom in the normal life of a Hindu.

Aachaaraas are to be followed based on their merits available from the self experience; you need not blindly follow a teacher or someone who gives advice without reasoning. All these aachaaraas are mentioned for the prosperity of the human beings and it should be the prime focus for practicing the Hindu aachaaraas.

Achaaryaath paadam aadatthe

paadam sishya swamedhayaa

paadam sa brahmachaaribhya

sesham kaala kramena cha

This is an important advice given in smruthies. It means a person can get only one quarter of knowledge from Achaarya - the teacher, another quarter by analyzing self, one quarter by discussing with others and the last quarter during the process of living by method addition, deletion, correction, and modification of already known aachaaraas or new aachaaraas.

Aachaaraath labhathe hi ayu:

aachaaraath dhanamakshayam

aachaaraath labhathe suprajaa:

aachaaro ahanthya lakshanam

Aachaaraas are followed for the psychological and physiological health and long life; Aachaaraas are followed for prosperity and wealth; Aachaaraas are followed for strong family and social bondage and following the Aachaaraas give a fine personality, dharmic outlook and vision, says our dharmasaastra.

In India everyone followed Aachaaraas for the above mentioned psychological, physiological, family relation, social benefits and national integration based benefits. It is your right and duty to understand scientifically, rationally and logically the meaning of each and every Aachaaraas and follow the same in your life systematically.

predictions relating to 10h

The Tenth House represents mid-heaven and plays an important role in the chart, second in importance only to the ascendant. This house is known as 'Karma Bhava' (house of action). The main signification of this house is status, Profession and Career. This is most power full angular and also Upachaya house.

In actual practice the longitudes of only two Houses, the ascendant and the 10th House can be accurately calculated. The cusps/mid-points of the other houses are derived from these two points. All the savants of astrology are well aware of the various theories and controversies with regard to the determination of the cusps/mid-points of all other houses derived from these two co-ordinates. This in itself shows the importance of the Ascendant and the 10th house. House division is not the subject matter of this article; I propose to deal with this aspect in detail in separate article at some other occasion.

The tenth house deals with prosperity and growth (significator - Jupiter), Karma (action) including all works and actions (significator - Saturn), profession and career (significator - Mercury) and status and fame (significator - Sun).

All planets in the 10th house give good results, because it is one of the Upachaya house besides being the most powerful Kendra. Even Rahu in the 10th house gives pilgrimage, or political status and the native gets an opportunity to serve others. This also happens when Rahu is in the 10th house from the Narayan (Padakrama) Dasa sign (See Jaimini Sutra 2.4.7, 2.4.8, 2.4.9 and 2.4.10). The Sun and Mars, who get directional strength in the 10th house, can be a great blessing by providing dynamism and success. The Sun indicates pride, respect, position, status, responsibility, independent views and help from political and senior officers. The Moon shows fluctuations of fortune and success in public dealings, emotional views and a changeable work situation. Saturn indicates rapid rise and fall and hard work. If Rahu or Saturn is placed in Cancer in the ascendant or in the 10th house ; or if Jupiter is placed in Pisces in a similar situation, Chhatra-Yoga is formed. Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee are all natives with this Yoga in their charts. Ketu in the 10th indicates a routine job.

In case the ascendant and 10th house are weak and also have low Ashtakavarga strength, the whole chart gets considerably weakened.

Truth about 2h-7h in astrology

Their are some vital aspects about Marka houses and their Lords as well as

Badhaka houses and their lords. Most of savants try to see them only in bad light,

and much more strong and benific aspects are ignored.

A. Marka Houses- 2H and 7H

Marka characteristics are acquired and not natural significations of these houses.

2H- It represents education , speech , finance , mathematics , eyes etc. Much more than

it provides sustenance to firsts house.

The planets assume Marka potential when associated 2H under certain conditions only.

7H- It is like to pivot to whole nativity and complementary to 1st H.7H becomes Marka in some specific conditions.

Lghuparasari says if Rajyoga commences in dasa of Lords of Marka planets(lords of 2H and

7H), it even flourishes in subsequent sub-periods of dasa of papi planets.

B. Badhaka houses: Every savants knows that Houses 7 ,9 and 11 are very important

and its lords or planets placed their in will play vital and significant role in natives life.

If it becomes Badhaka also then the native feel some hindrances. As an example:-

1. Saturn is not able to give yoga results and even dood effects will even be delayed or

hindered until unless Saturn is not conjunct with Mercury or Sun.

2. Badhaka lord is also the lord of Mandi

3. It is associated with 8th lord.