The festival of Raksha Bandhan holds a great importance in Indian culture. History stands witness to the fact that innumerable virtuous people have been benefited by it like Abhimanyu –the warrior and Indra, the King of heaven. This festival has made a unique history.
The Vedic Protective Thread
The protective thread is no ordinary thread, but a veritable bundle of good wishes and good resolves.And when this protective thread is prepared in the Vedic way and is tied round the right wrist of a person with chanting of the divine name with divine Bhava and good resolve it becomes infinitely more powerful.
How to Prepare the Vedic Amulet?
Take a small piece of yellow woollen, cotton or silk cloth. Put (1) Durva grass (2) a few grains of unbroken rice (3) saffron or turmeric powder (4) pure sandal wood (5) unbroken grains of mustard into it and seal it by stitching. Then attach a suitable thread to make it into an amulet. Gold can be added to the five things if one can afford.
Importance of the Vedic Amulet
The things used in preparing the Vedic amulet strengthen our resolves made for elevation in life.
(1) Durva grass: Just as a single seedling of Durva grass transplanted in a field multiplies into thousands –likewise, may the virtues multiply in the life of my brother or some well wisher as the case may be. Durva grass symbolizes this Bhava. Lord Ganesha likes the Durva grass. May He remove all the hurdles from the life of the person round whose wrist I am tying this amulet.
(2) Unbroken Rice: May our devotion and faith in God and Guru remain unbroken and undivided. May it never be destroyed. Unbroken rice symbolizes unswerving faith and wholeness. So make all offerings with the spirit of absolute sincerity.
(3) Saffron or turmeric: Saffron is radiant in nature. It symbolizes: ‘May the life of the person round whose wrist I am tying this amulet become brilliant. May his spiritual radiance, Bhakti and Jnana increase.’ One may even use powdered turmeric in place of saffron. Turmeric symbolizes purity and goodness. It destroys the malefic effects of evil eye and also neutralizes the negative energy, besides making for excellent health and prosperity.
(4) Sandalwood: Sandalwood imparts coolness and fragrance to others. It symbolizes coolness and relaxation. ‘May the person round whose wrist I am tying the amulet, enjoy relaxed and stress-free life. May he emit the fragrance of purity, nobility and self-restraint to others. May his services make distant places better.’
(5) Mustards: Mustards are sharp in taste. Likewise, we too become sharp to cut off all our vices and punish the anti-social elements.
Thus the Vedic amulet charged with the power of the Vedic resolves is all-benevolent. The following Mantra is recited when the amulet is tied.
येन बद्धो बली राजा दानवेन्द्रो महाबलः ।
तेन त्वां अभिबध्नामि१ रक्षे मा चल मा चल ।।
“I am tying on your hand this Raksha (amulet), with which the most powerful and generous King
Bali himself was bound. O Raksha don’t go away; don’t go away.”
Thus while reciting this Mantra with good resolve a sister can tie Rakhi round her brother’s wrist, a mother can tie a Rakhi round her son’s wrist, a grandmother can tie a Rakhi round her grandson’s wrist. And that is not all. If even a disciple offers such a Vedic Rakhi to his Sadguru with affection and faith, he is protected from all evil influences and his devotion to Guru becomes intense.
1(The disciple should recite ‘Rakshabadhnaami’ in place of ‘Abhibadhnaami’ while tying the Rakhi around his Guru’s wrist).
[ Issue259 - July2014]
