Eclipse Effect for We Brahmins in South India.
Solar Eclipse.
Lunar Eclipse.
Hindu, South Indian Mysore Brahmins Myths & Beliefs.
Myths are many and some are unbelievable.All of us know we cannot see the sun during its eclipse and we are sure if we see we will get our Retina permanently damaged.There is lot of research and surveys done on so many topics but I do not know if any survey is made on people who have lost one or both of their eyes after seeing a Solar Eclipse.We all know the power of Sun and how this energy is converted to many uses in our daily needs.The Energy has the power to keep us alive as long as we live and there is Sun.Where can such a unlimited source of free power available just on your house top.This power we brahmins call it as a positive power from the Sun and when it gets eclipsed we have lost that positive power and our body guarded in the day by the Sun and in the night by the reflection of Sun's ray's to us by the moon is protecting us all our life.
When an eclipse of the Sun or Moon takes place this positive energy that falls on our water food and mind gets no positive protection and there is a chance of our water,food and mind getting affected by some negative energy or some ill effects of unnatural forces that are all around us all the time.In our community girls who are in their monthly perids are not allowed to go out on such days.Boys after the age 8 years are given a powerful mantra by performing a sacread function called as Upanayana when the world famous ' GAYATREI' mantra and a sacread thread across our chest from left to right protects us night and day as long as we do the mantra daily 3 times as prescribed and told to us during the Upanayana function.men and woman have to fast 6 hours before the eclipse and take bath after the eclipse and do prayers to their diety and eat satwic food which will be with out onion,garlic or other vegetables that are grown under the soil or ground in mud.Visiting temples of their diety in the mornings or evenings.Baby's are not exposed to the natural light of Sun or Moon on that day.Reciting few of the many great mantras like Aditya Hrudaya or Gayatri Mantra during this period will charge the home with power.
People who live near the rivers go and take bath in the rivers and taking a bath in a holy river like Ganga,Kaveri and Bramha Sarover in Kurukeshtra.will bring purification of body and mind.A big superstition is they will be free from further births and deaths which is now considered most unbelievable.Another popular belief is that this rare and unique solar phenomenon – the alignment of sun,moon and earth – generates curative properties in holy waters of the rivers and ponds.A Holy bath performed at the beginning of Solar Eclipse or Grahana gets the result that is equal to performing 1,00,000 holy dips in various holy rivers and ponds. The holy dip performed after the end of solar eclipse brings Moksha and also after a dip in the river one gets the result of performing uncountable bath in holy rivers and Tirthas.
which flow all over the country including Pakistan & Bangladesh and any river that flows fro any other country in to India.
Our Brahmin community do not perform Shraddha and Tarpan for dead forefathers during the Grahana or eclipse period – this is based on the belief that our ancestors will be fasting during the period.and we should not offer any food to them which is what we do during shardha.But Shradh is performed during this period by certain Hindu communities who believe that their ancestors descending from heaven on this day and they are Demigods who do not eat like we do and there is no question of them fasting all day on this day.
Few of the Great Mantras are as under:-
1 - Gayatri Mantra
“Om Bhur Bhuvah Swah, Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi, Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat”
2 - Ashtakshara Mantra
a ) "Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama" - Keep Repeating this.
b ) “Om Namo Narayanaya.Namaha”- Keep repeating this.
3 - Mahamrityunjay Maha Mantra
:”Om Tryamlakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pusti - vardhanam
Urva - rukamiva Bandhanan
Mrtyor - muksheeya Ma – amritat”
4 - “Surya Kavach Strotra” ( A Long Strotra )
5 - “Aditya Hridaya Strotra” ( A Long Strotra )
