HINDU FASTS & FESTIVALS : -26-2-1-3.1.2.

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26. Sivaratri-2.1

    1.The Story Of King Chitrabhanu-3.

    1. Spiritual Significance of the Ritual-2


    Atmanathan: Yes, his birthplace is Varanasi.

    Sastri: Now, the Yogis call the Ajna Chakra by the name Varanasi. This is the point midway between the eyebrows. It is regarded as the meeting place of the three nerve currents (Nadis), namely, the Ida, Pingala and the Sushumna. An aspirant is instructed to concentrate on that point. That helps him to conquer his desires and evil qualities like anger and so on. It is there that he gets a vision of the Divine Light within.


    Atmanathan: Very interesting! But how do you explain his climbing up the bael tree and all the other details of the worship?

    Sastri: Have you ever seen a bael leaf?


    Atmanathan: It has three leaves on one stalk.

    Sastri: True. The tree represents the spinal column. The leaves are threefold. They represent the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna Nadis, which are the regions for the activity of the moon, the sun and fire respectively, or which may be thought of as the three eyes of Shiva. The climbing of the tree is meant to represent the ascension of the Kundalini Shakti, the serpentine power, from the lowest nerve centre called the Muladhara to the Ajna Chakra. That is the work of the Yogi.

Swami Sivananda
 To be continued  .....


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