Effect with doing japa with Rudraksh Mala*

Rudraksha mala is said to have many healing properties. Rudraksha is said to be rich with shakti and calms the kundalini, thus making it easier to rise. Rudraksha is said to open the heart chakra. They are good for meditation and protection. Legend says that Siva awoke after a thousand years of meditation and began to shed tears of worldly compassion. These tears crystallized into seeds and there grew the first Rudraksha tree.

NOTE :-Rudraksha have been worn since times immemorial due to properties of the specific beads of different facets. They have no negative effects of any kind and are not dependent on planets the way gems are. Modern astrologers consider that rudraksha pacify planets .There is NO wrong combination, and No side effect of any kind, so one needs to go ahead and select his own rudraksha. These facts can be verified by reading our ancients texts that state that all rudraksha may be wor

n by all irrespective of caste, sex and religion.
How To Use and Care For The Rudraksha Mala

1. It is best to wear the rudraksha mala (i.e necklace) for the first time on a Monday. If at all possible it should be first brought to a Shiva temple for sanctification early on a Monday morning and then worn immediately after worship. If a Shiva temple is not available then simply wear it initially on a Monday.
2. At bedtime remove the mala and place it on the alter in your home. When traveling you should sleep with it on.
3. After bathing in the morning, hold the mala in the right hand and repeat the appropriate mantra aloud (see below) for 108 times.
4. Do not wear the rudraksha mala during periods of menstrual bleeding or while attending funerals.
5.The rudraksha mala has a very long lifespan. A properly cared for mala can be passed along to eight generations as a family heirloom.
6.The rudraksha mala cn be washed occasionally with warm soapy water and allowed to dry naturally. Do not soak for extended periods of time.
7.Rudraksha beads vary in size from 3-40 mm. The size of the bead has no bearing on its effects. However a given mala must contain beads all with the same number of mukhis.

Symbolism Goddess Parvati*

Goddess Parvati symbolizes noble virtues admired by the Hindu religion. Parvati is the better half of Lord Shiva, the most innocent and the fiercest god in Hindu tradition. The couple together symbolizes both power of renunciation and asceticism and the blessings of marital felicity. There are legends behind the marriage of Lord Shiva and Parvati, being a devotee of Shiv-Shambhu. Parvati did a lot of tap in order to get Shiva as her soul mate. Parvati's dedication was really true which made Lord Shiva to marry her.

Fertility, marital felicity, devotion to the spouse, asceticism and power are different virtues symbolized by Parvati. These virtues are highly valued by the Hindu tradition. As per a famous literary work on the goddess, Saundarya Lahiri, Parvati is the source of all the power in this universe and Lord Shiva gets all his powers from her.

Symbolism of the Vedas

Symbolism of the Vedas: The four parts of the Vedas have significance and relevance to the four stages (ashramas) of human life, namely brahmacharya, grihastashrama, vanaprastha and sanyasashrama respectively. How this is so is explained below.

1. Brahmacharya : Brahmacharya is the phase of studentship. During this phase a student of the Vedas is expected to memorize the mantras completely and recite them with utmost accuracy. At this stage in life for a man, the mantra part of the Vedas are important.

2. Grihasthashrama: This is the stage of the householder. During this phase each adult is expected to lead a righteous life and live like Lord Vishnu on earth working for the preservation of his family and society through righteous deeds. For him at this stage, knowledge of Brahmanas carry importance, because they deal with the techniques of karmakanda.

3. Vanaprastha: This is the stage of forest dwelling. During this phase a person leaves his house and properties to the care of his children and retires into the solitude of the forest with his wife, to lead a spiritual life. The knowledge contained in the Aranyakas is useful to him during this phase.. (Interested readers may visit our sacred scriptures section and read the Aitareya Aranyaka available there under the heading the Upanishads.)

4. Sanyasashrama: This is final stage of renunciation in the life of an individual during which he renounces the worldly life completely and spends the rest of his life in the contemplation of God and Self. During this stage the knowledge of the Upanishads is very useful to him.

According to another classification the contents of the Vedas are divided into three parts instead of four. These are the first part known as karmakanda or the procedural part comprising of the Mantras and the Brahmanas, the second part known as upsanakanda or the contemplative part consisting of the Aranyakas and the third part known as Jnanakanda or the knowledge part comprising of the Upanishads.