Upanayana

Upanayana is the thread  ceremony done among Hindus. Being born from the mother’s womb is normal birth. During Upanayana, the updesa of Gyaatri Mantra is given. This is the second birth (dvija).

Gayatri is the mother of all vedas, protector of all living beings.

After initiation into Gayatri mantra, it has to be chanted 3times a day. Periods 4a.m to 8a.m& 4pm to 8pm are called Satvic time. The period between 8am to 4pm is called rajasic time. The period between 8pm to 4pm is called Tamasic time.

The best time to chant the Gayatri is around 6am, 12noon &6pm. The Goddess Gayatri manifests in 3 phases & confers the boon of intelligence as Goddess Gayatri, protection as Goddess Savitri & learning as Goddess Saraswati.

Gayatri is therefore called sarva  devta  swarupini

By chanting the Mantra, at least twice a day in the morning & evening. The sins committed unknowingly that day are destroyed & the leftover Karma is burnt. In time the person moves closer to Divinity an getting purified.

Now a days people say that they have no time for Gayatri Japa . But any body who has the will to do, can do it, at least twice a day

Chant the mantra while having a bath . This serves a dual purpose of chanting the mantra as well as performing  abhhisseka to the mantra.

Chant the mantra thrice before eating lunch. The food gets purified and also becomes naivedya to the mantra.

Repeat the same during the evening. If you do this every day, you need not chant any other mantra.

Gayatri is all powerful & protects you from calamities & confers upon you intelligence, learning & success.

It is observed that boys with dull brains, get transformed to intelligent energetic boys with good character after their upanayana. Just as the sun dispels the darkness, Gayatri Mantra drives out  ignorance, the indolence & sloth in you & develops all your faculties.

In  olden days, upanayana was performed for girls also . In Ramayana there  is mention of king Janak performing upanayana for his daughter, Sita. In the course of time the sacred thread given to the girl has become dorman, the thread tied to the right wrist on festive day.

SRI SATYA SAI BABA’S BIRTH ANNIVERSARY

Sri satya sai BABA’S BIRTH ANNIVERSARY

       

23^rd November is the Divine Lord Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s Birth Anniversary.

The following are a few of his words.

Baba says ., “While chanting a mantra one should contemplate on the form also. You should meditate on HIM selflessly with the feeling that HE belongs  , not only to you, but to everyone &as the lord of the Universe. You can meditate on any mantra. Just as all the rivers reach the ocean, all the mantras lead to God. Even if a number of sins have been committed   , they will be washed away in the continuous contemplation of God.

While chanting a mantra  , if the letters of the mantra appear before you, meditate on the mantra for some time  & then on the form for some time . Keep on alternating between mantra & form, and finally make your mind stick to the form. You might say that you have not changed and are the same. Without your knowledge, Your state of ‘being’ will have changed.

Performing rite, rituals, pilgrimages , bhajans with devotion, darshan of holy men and so on reduces karma. One can totally change one’s destiny by contemplating on God. I ordain you to contemplate on God with confidence & devotion while undergoing your karma .I will see to it that you do not feel the pain & you would not even know that you are undergoing the effects of your past karma.

Your past karma (sanchita) is like a rice bag. Karma you undergo now (prarabdha) due to past deeds is like taking a small quantity of rice from the bag for cooking  now and then end eating it . The waste created is the consequence for the future (agami). Using rice will empty the rice bag one day. But , the seeds of past deeds will sprout in the form of present karma. Before it grows, burn it with fire of namasmarana. Then it will become ash finally.

Thus Namasmarna is supreme.

As devotion becomes stronger, your behaviour becomes purer. You will not engage in wrong or bad activates  & will be endowed with good qualities’’. 

Vaastu Tips For Gas Stations And Service Stations

• Plot of Gas Station should be square and all corners shall be of 90-Degree.
• Plot slope should be towards North and East.
• Underground petrol tank should be on North-East side.
• Display board should be on North-West corner.
• Service station and store should be at South-West corner.
•  Office door should open towards East or North side.
• Cash box should open towards North side.
• Gas Station or underground petrol tank should not be made at central         portion of the plot.
• North and East side should be kept open.

Vaastu Tips For Educational Institutes

• Plot should be preferably be perfect square.     Roads should be on Eastern or Western side.
• Institutions offices shall be at South-East and its doors should open towards East side.
• Classrooms doors should open towards East, North-East or North side.
• Laboratory should be at Western side.
• Water storage tank should be towards North-East corner.
• Library should be at Western side.
• The entire plot corners should be at 90-degree angle.
• Closets containing stationery should be kept in the South or West.
• Main entry should be from the East or North-East. It should never be in the South or South-West corners.
• The construction of the building should be in the South-West or South portion of the plot.
•  Classrooms should be square or rectangle with 1:2 proportions.
•  If possible there should be no beams and cross beams in the classrooms. This will create unwanted magnetic fields due to which intelligence of the students will be affected. The entrance of the classrooms should be in the East, North or North-East but it should never be in the South-West corner.
• Staircases should be made in the North-West, West, South-West, South or South-East of the building.
• The laboratory should be located in the West with entry from the East.
• Storeroom should be in the North-West.
• Restrooms, bathrooms should be in the West or North-West.
• Underground water reservoir/swimming pool should be in the North-East or North.
• The flooring slope should be towards the East.
• The Principal’s cabin should be in the South-West, West or South-East. The door should be in the East or North-East to the cabin.
• Dead stock should be in the South-West or West.
• Conference Hall should be in the North with entrance towards the East side.
• Open playing ground should be in the North or East.
• The table for admissions and cash counter should be arranged in the office facing towards North. 

Vaastu Tips For Banks/Financial Institutions

• Bank’s main door should be in Northern or Eastern side/North-East side. 
• South-East, South-West or North-West corner entrance is not acceptable.
• Manager’s cabin should be at South-East side facing towards North.
• Enquiry counter should be at Eastern side.
• Cashier should sit at Northern or Eastern side. Cash drawer must be opened towards North side only.
• Central portion of a bank should be kept vacant.
• Cash to be disbursed should be from the West or North direction.
• The slope of the flooring should be towards North or East.
• The other staff in the bank should occupy the West.
• The main room of the cash, lockers, and safe room should be in the South and should open towards North or East sides.
• Drinking water should be in the East, North or North-East.
• The toilets/restrooms in the bank should be located in the West or North-West.
• The staircase should be on the West, South-West or South-East sides.
• Old records, unwanted letters/files etc., should be kept in the South-West.
• Parking should be done in the East or North.
• Loan distribution should be done in the East or North.
• The meeting hall should be on the West side. 

Vaastu Tips For Hospitals

• Main door should be at East of North side of North-East corner.
• Enquiry room should be at South-East corner.
• Doctor’s check-up rooms should be towards North. Doctor should sit facing towards North or East.
• Operation theatre should be on Western side.
• Drinking water can be at North-East side.
• Restrooms should be at South or Western side,
• ICU room should be placed at North-West corner.
• Operation-theatre should be in the West, while lying on the stretcher, patient’s head should be on the South side. The doctor should operate facing East or North or West side but never to South side.
• The slope of the flooring should be towards North, East or North-East sides.
• The middle portion of the hospital should be open to the sky. In case of any roof, the ventilated roof should be 2 ft. to 3 ft. higher than the top floor roof.
•  It should face the East possibly and the entry should be in the East or North-East.
• An emergency case or serious case should never be kept in the South-West corner room. Patient should be kept in North-West.
• The racks for medical books and medicines should be in the South or West.
• Parking should be done on the East or North sides.
• Cleaning, changing rooms should be on the South or West sides.
• Bathrooms should be on the East or North sides.
• X-Ray room, Electrical equipment etc. should be in the South-East room.
• Cash counter should be in the South or West and should open towards the North or East.
• Nurse’s quarters should be in the South-East or North-West place to the Hospital.
• The owner or head of hospital should occupy South-West side room.
• The staircase should be in the West, South-West, South-East or North-West.

Vaastu Tips For Restaurants

• Ground floor would be appropriate for the reception and restaurant purposes.
• Itis always better to have the main entrance of a restaurant in East, North or North-East directions. If it is to be planned in the west, it should be towards North-West, but not in the South-West corner on any condition.
• The storeroom for a restaurant should be built in the South-West.
• Installation of AC plant should be preferably in the South-East.
• Generator, transformer and other electrical installations should also be placed in the southeast corner.
• Washbasin area should be in the North-East. Washbasins should never be kept in the center of the restaurant, even for the sake of convenience.
• Landscaping and fountains or artificial waterfalls can be constructed in the North-East, North or East of the entire site.
• Kitchen is considered the most sensitive region for the restaurant business. If the placement of the kitchen cannot be done in the South-East direction (the best), it should be placed in the North-West.
• There must be adequate provision for light, ventilation and a large open space for the kitchen.
• Large open ground, lawn and space for organizing conferences etc. should be maintained in the open.
• The wall color should be mild and soothing to the eyes. Glossy or dark colors should not be used. Soothing colors will positively affect the temperament and behavior of the customer. The happy and satisfied customer is a potential advertiser for a restaurant. Nothing else works like the 'word of mouth'.
• The staff at reception counter should not face South or West direction. They should rather face North or East direction. This will help give them a positive attitude, which will lead to good rapport with customers.
• Restaurants should not have a round top, as it brings in losses. 

Vaastu Tips For Hotels / Motels

  

• In order to cash in a lot of profit, the building of a hotel should be constructed on a plot having rectangular, square, circular, quadrangular, octagonal or hexagonal shape.
• The location of the plot should be such that roads are there on all its four sides or at least on the North and East.
• Make sure the slope of the land chosen for the construction of your hotel is faced towards the North-East direction.
• The design of the building should be such that its North and East portions always remain open.
• Ground floor would be appropriate for reception and eatery area of the hotel.
• There must be adequate provision for light, ventilation and a large open space for the kitchen. Therefore, ground floor should be utilized for the kitchen.
• Main entrance shall be either on East or North side. South-East and South-West not acceptable.
• Owner should occupy South-West room of the property. However, the manager’s counter can be on North side or East side.
• Central part of dining hall or Hotel building shall be kept vacant.
• Make sure that the kitchen is located in the South-East portion of the building. For placing the grinders, ovens etc, choose corners that are in the South-East direction.
• Be sure to include space for conferences, in your hotel. First floor can be utilized for constructing a conference hall for your hotel.
• To ensure a pleasant stay for your customers, make sure that the rooms for them is positioned in the South-West direction. The beds for them should be placed in South or West portion of their rooms. Ensure that they sleep with their feet towards North or West direction.
• Choose the eastern and northern portions of the building for constructing balcony.
• If you wish to construct a storeroom as well, then opt for the southern, western or southwestern zone of the building.
• For the installation of AC, South-East location would be appropriate.
• For electric generator and transformer installations, South-East direction is fine.
• Washbasin should never be located in the center of the hall. It shall be fitted either in the North, East or North-East directions.
• If you want to construct swimming pool or water bodies, such as fountain, to attract tourists, then the right location for the construction is in the direction of North, East or North-East. The aforementioned directions are also appropriate for the main entrance of the hotel.
• Ensure that there is large, open ground in the premises of your hotel.

Vaastu Tips For Factories

• Machinery should be placed at the South-West corner of the main factory.
• Main entrance should be from North-East, either North or East side.
• The underground water body, if any, must be on North-East below the ground level.
• Boiler, transformers, factory chimney should be at South-East corner.
• The slope of factory roof should be toward East to North.
• Main office place should be at Central North or Central-East side.
• The godown or storeroom should be on South-Western part of the factory.
• Vehicles and car parking should be in Northern North-West or Eastern South-East.
• Security office should be towards North-East side.
• Restrooms should be at South-East or North-West.
• Factory premises should be square or rectangle (1:2) proportion is preferable the North-West and South-West corners should be at 90-degree angle.
• The South and West compound wall of the premises should be made of stone and other heavy items, making South-West corner exactly to 90-degree angle. The East and North boundaries can be of barbed wire also. The idea is that it should be light in weight.
• In the South-East corner, leaving 2 ft. to 3 ft. from the compound wall a transformer room can be placed. Helper, security guard’s room can be there without touching the walls.
• Scrap and other heavy items can be dumped in the South-West corner.
• Main office, Laboratory, Administrative office can be arranged in the West.
• Helper’s quarters may be in the North-West corner.
• The main plant should be in the South-West corner.
• Water source should be in the North-East. The level of the plot should be low in the North-East.
• Heavy Machinery should be in the South side and lighter machines can be installed in the North side.
• Boiler, fire and electrical items should be in the South-East corner. Raw materials, storeroom, waste material etc. should be in the South-West corner.
• Finished goods should be kept in the North-West corner. Delivery should be given from a door in the North side.

Vastu Tips For Shops

• Entrance of North and Eastern side is preferable.
• Jewelry, Ladies shopping, Women Wear shops South-East corner door is preferable.  South-West corner door is not acceptable.
• For all shops cash counter should be opened on North side.
• Eastern side entrance is preferred for paper, bookshops, cloth, departmental stores.
• Western side entrance are preferred for agriculture products, seeds, fertilizers, pipes  
• If there are roads in the East and North and if the entrance of the shop is in the North or East a lot of prosperity can be achieved.
• The shops with entrances in the South-East or North-West will give good business for 10 to 20 years. Then the business slowly decreases. (This is the observation only of 70% of such shops while 30% shops are exceptions).
• The racks of showcases should be in the South and West of the shop.
• The counters should be in the South, South-East, South-West, West or North-West. However, it should never be in the North or North-East.
• Maximum furniture should be made of wood.
• While sitting, the customer should face the West or South and the owner or salesperson should face the East or North.
• Drinking water should be in the North-East.
• The electric meter and the main switchboard should be in the South-East.
• The owner, the Salesman, or the accountant’s seat should not be under a beam.
• The cash counter in the Shop should be along the south wall and should open towards the      North or it should be along the West wall and should open towards the East.
• The goods to be sold immediately should be kept along the North in the North-West corner.
• The counters in a shop should be at right angles (900) and should not be rounded off.
• Stationery and Study books will be sold easily along the East in the Bookshop.
• Shops facing the North road will transact good business. 

Vaastu Tips For The Students

• Never sleep with the head to the West and North.
• Never sleep in the North-West sector of the home or North-West part of the room (if the child is a boy).
• Never sleep in the South-East sector of the home or South-East sector of the room (if the child is a girl).
• Avoid mirrors in the bedroom.
• Avoid mirrors on the South and West walls in the study area.
• Study facing East or North.
• Keep the study table and area extremely clean without dumping books and papers around.
• Have the study area in the North-East sector of the home or the North-East part of the room.
• Have a fish aquarium,water fountain or half a dozen bamboo plants in the North-East area of the living room (where the family gets together) but never in the corner.
• Make liberal use of green and yellow color (dark and light hues) in the bedroom and study areas.  These colors can be used on bed linen, study’s tablecloth, indoor plants (herbal), floor mats, curtains, pillow covers, clothes, etc.
• While dining, face East if the child is a girl and North if the child is a boy.
• Occupy the same place and orient to the same direction each day to build up the child’s good aura in the area.
• Never allow others to make use of the child’s study and bed area.
• Never play loud music that can contribute to distraction and stress.
• Have a soft lilting music at minimum volume in the bedroom during night. 
• Avoid sleeping or studying in a room that has the door at an angle to the attached walls.

Vaastu Tips For Love / Happy Married Life

• Keep bedroom in the South-West of the house.
• Avoid bedroom in South-East as this is a fire place.  It may lead to the clashes between the couple.
• Place bed in the South-West portion of the bedroom.
• Avoid placing bed in Northern and Eastern zone of the bedroom as it may cause mental stress and financial instability.
• Keep head-side of the bed in South direction.
• Use wooden bed instead of metal bed.
• Always build square or rectangular bedrooms to bring peace and love in life.
• Many-a-times there occurs friction between family members.  This is mainly because of the positioning of the gas stove/cooking range and sink.  While the gas stove represents ‘fire’, the sink stands for ‘water’.  If fire element and water element are wrongly placed, relations in a family are affected.
• Sharp objects such as knife and scissors should be covered.  Openly placed knife and scissors creates sourness in relations.
• Newly married and the couples aspiring for children should never sleep in a North-East room.  The strong magnetic energies act as a barrier.  Also, make sure that the room does not have any sharp colors or objects. A water reservoir/swimming pool in the South-West direction should be avoided.
• Mirrors are a strict no-no for bedroom.  In addition, computers and TV are not advisable to be in the room.  However, if you have TV and computer in bedroom, cover them with a cloth while sleeping in the night.
• The foot of the bed should not directly face the door.  Never place your bed between two doors.
• The door of the attached restroom must be kept shut and restroom seat cover should be kept down, when not in use.
• Paint your walls light green, light rose or blue color, to give your bedroom a soothing effect. Avoid red color in the bedroom.  Hang pictures depicting ocean in your room.
• Spread white or light colored sheets, with flowery designs on it.  For people looking forward to get married, pink or red colored sheets are favorable.
• Wearing red color brings back the lost love in your life and stimulates the sexual life as well.
• Increase the amount of light entering the house.  Keep your house well lit, until and unless you are ready to go off for sleep, for a thrilling love life.
• Decorate your house with beautiful crystals items.  Crystal helps attract light and illuminates your relationship as well.
• For maintaining a prosperous love life, make sure that there is no ‘single’ identity decoration piece in the room, such as a single duck or a single butterfly.  Keep them in two’s, symbolic of a couple.
• To add romance to your love life, do not clutter your surroundings with unnecessary items.  For a good healthy relationship, special attention should be paid to remove the clutter, as they restrict the flow of love.
• The idols of your deity should not be placed in the bedroom.  They are best kept in the prayer room.
• Positive energy flows when you keep such objects and furniture in your room, whichsymbolize love.  For instance, you can keep a heart-shaped clock or a red colored couch in your room.
• A dusty object means dust on the relationship as well.  Therefore, keep your bedroom clear of dust and dirt.
• Always keep fresh flowers in the room.  You can also keep fruits like pomegranates, which are a symbol of fertility, in the room.
• For couples facing marital disharmony, using a double bed, with a ‘single’ mattress, is a good option.  Too many mattresses increase the chances of conflicts and arguments.  You can even stitch up the seams of two mattresses, to make them appear as one.
• Always keep the most romantic area of your house attractive, say by using candles, flowers, etc.
• The door of the attached toilet/restroom must be kept shut and the toilet seat cover should be kept down, when not in use.
• Try and surround yourself with magnificent love colors, like orange, purple, red and pink.
• You can also keep fruits like pomegranates, which are a symbol of fertility, in the room. 

Vaastu Tips For Career

• Different professionals have different styles of offices.  If you are a writer, an artist or a research scholar, an ideal location for your office would be along the back wall of the office.  Such an office should not have a direct and immediate contact with the main entrance.
• A residential office should not be located next to a bedroom.
• The offices of government officials and heads of corporate houses should be located far from the main entrance.  An office that is protected from interrupting visitors flourishes. 
• Do not sit cross-legged at your workplace.
• Avoid pointed edgesof tables at business meetings.
• While you are in a conference room, negotiating with your business colleagues, try to be seated farthest from the main door of the chamber.
• At your work place, do not sit with your back exposed to the entrance.  Go for achair with a high back and an armrest that provides balance as well as support.
• Overhead beams are considered inauspicious and should be avoided.
• Oval-shaped, L-shaped or U-shaped desks are not favorable for growth in career.  Keep smooth rectangular desks in your office.
• Wooden desks are the most profitable of all.  Go for a glass-topped desk if your office is in the West direction.
• Keep a vase of fresh flowers on the East side of your desk.  Make sure to have a few buds in the flower arrangement, as they represent emergence of new life.  On the other hand, wilting petals signify gradual demise.  So, keep changing the flowers in your vase, replacing the stale flowers with fresh ones.
• Keep plants in the South-East corner of your office, as it promotes financial growth.
• Light, in the Southern corner of your table, ensures good business.  It is mandatory tokeep your office well-lit.
• Quartz crystals in your office are good for a smooth career and also bring in more opportunities.
• Keep the computers, the telephones and other electronic items in the South-East corner and make sure that the wires are not visible.
• Face the North when you work, for boosting concentration.

Divine Vaastu Tips For Health

  

• General health can be improved by sleeping with the head towards the South.
• Staircase in the exact centre of the house would lead to health problems.  So, take care of get the stairs built in a corner.
• Heavy furniture should not be kept in the middle of the house, as it is the ‘Brahmasthan’ and needs to be kept as empty as possible.
• Ensure that there are no overhead beams running through the centre of the house or it would lead to a disturbed mind.
• It is important to keep the central area or the ‘Brahmasthan’ clear of any heavy concrete structures.  The ‘Brahmasthan’ should be kept open and free from heavy objects, pillars and beams.
• One of the main causes behind sickness is an imbalance of the fire element in the house.  If your house faces South, with a slope towards that direction and any water reservoirs/source of water in South-East, the possibility of health problems will continue to      exist.  To cure the situation, make sure that the gate along the South wall always remains shut.  Secondly, the gate should be high and made of wood, so that the road outside is not visible.
• Lighting a red colored candle in the fire zone (South-East direction) daily is important for good health.
• If the kitchen is not located in the fire zone, the occupants will be vulnerable to health disorders.  So, always plan the kitchen in the South-East direction.
• The boundary wall of the house should be of same height as the gate. 
• If someone in your house is keeping unwell, keep a burning candle in his/her room, for a couple of weeks.
• Place an image of God in the house that faces South direction, for ensuring health.

Vaastu Tips For Wealth / Money

• If the entrance to your apartment/house lies at the end of a long corridor, the energy flowing towards it will be too fierce, increasing risk to your financial investments.  Its effect can be diluted by keeping a plant halfway down the corridor.
• Make yourfront door distinctive or attract wealth within.  Color it different from the neighboring walls.
• Keep the windows clean and sparkling, as dirty glass restricts the flow of money.
• Place decorative boulders or curved pathways or pebbles around your building.  This will increase the movement of financial energy in a business that is suffering from setbacks.
• If your expenses are spiraling beyond control, keep live plants or grains in the restroom.  It will prevent the money from going down the drain, because, symbolically, growing things reabsorb water energy and recycle it.
• Keep a mirror to reflect your cash box or locker. It, symbolically, doubles your wealth and opportunities.
• Keep a bird-bath/bird-house or feeder in the yard to attract wild life, as it augments the amount of energy around your home.  Bird-baths and bird-feeders can be of great help in cleaning up your finances and drawing prosperity from all directions.
• The closet in which jewelry, valuables and important papers are kept should be positioned very carefully.  The ideal location is at the West-side wall, facing the East, or a South-West corner facing the East or the North.  Locating the closet at the South wall facing the North also brings good fortune.  It should be preferably open to the North, which is the direction of ‘Kuber’, the God of wealth.
• Purple is the color which represents wealth.  Keeping a purple-colored plant in the South-East corner would be beneficial.  Else, a ‘money plant’ or ‘Jade plant’ could be grown in a purple colored pot and placed in the South-East corner of the office or drawing room of the house.