Shankha (The Conch-shell)

What is Shankh (Conch)?

A Shankh (conch) is a natural cover/wrapper of an oceanic worm/creature that protects him from the out side attacks/dangers, and when the worm grows up he comes out from it and he throws it away forever.

Types of Shankh (Conch) ......

1. Dakshinavarti Shankha (दक्षिणावर्ती शंख): The Shankha that is open from right side is known as “Dakshinavarti Shankha” Shankha …..!! It is rare, white in color and contains a brownish line on it.

2. Vamavarti Shankha (वामावर्ती शंख): It opens from left side that’s why it is called Vamavarti; it is used in all the religious activities. Astrologers recommend this SHANKHA to remove the negative energy.

There are a lot of more types of SHANKHA but these two are the main types of SHANKHA.

SPIRITUAL IMPORTANCE :-

SHANKHA is one of the 14 gems (RATNA) received from churning sea (SAMUNDRA MANTHAN.)

SHANKHA’s sound is a symbol of victory in VEDAS

SHANKHA produces the sound of OM.

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श्रीमद् भगवद् गीता अध्याय-1 (15)

पाञ्चजन्यं हृषीकेशो देवदत्तं धनञ्जयः |

पौण्ड्रं दध्मौ महाशङ्खं भीमकर्मा वृकोदरः ||

श्रीकृष्ण महाराजने पाज्चजन्य नामक, अर्जुनने देवदत्त नामक और भीमसेनने पौण्ड्र नामक महाशंख बजाया ।

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SHANKHA is produced from SAMUNDRA-MANTHAN and Bhagwan Vishnu accepted SHANKA for his special adornment. So SHANKHA belongs to Bhagwan Vishnu

SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS:

1. According to Vedic science ….. As far as the SHANKHA’s sound goes, it destroys the harmful micro bacteria from the atmosphere or at least makes them unconscious. (Modern science and scientists also accepted the fact)

2. According to ASTROLOGY science, SHANKHA’s sound destroys the negative energy from the atmosphere.

3. Playing SHANKHA regularly is beneficial in respiratory diseases like

asthma and liver problems.

4. Playing SHANKHA is equal to doing PRANAYAM (yoga) that saves us from the most deadly diseases like heart attack, high blood pressure, respiratory diseases, lever related problems etc.

5. Offering water to sun by the Dakshinavarti Shankha protects one from the eye disorders.

6. Regular use of a SHANKHA removes deafness and impediments.

7. A SHANKHA contains plenty of calcium, brimstone and phosphorous in it, and when we put water in a SHANKHA for a while, water becomes fragrant and sterile. That’s why this water is used in religious rituals, prayers and also sprinkled over the people.

8. SHANKHA water is sprinkled over the people that protects them from the skin diseases.

9. Put GANGA WATER in SHANKHA for the whole night and next day in the morning give it to the heart patients and the patients of diabetes to rinse with it. It will surely help.

10. According to VASTU SHASTRA, having a SHANKHA at home removes all the VASTU DOSH (Architectural Defects) of building.

Famous Indian Scientist JAGDISH CHANDRA BOSE did a lot of experiments on SHANKHA and SHANKHA's sound and finally he reached the conclusion that SHANKHA's sound is special, through his experiments he proved many scientific and medical importance of SHANKHA.

Ref: FB Aryavarta Post ...

Science to some extend have been able to observe the vibrations in a shell of a large predatory sea snail only found in Indian Ocean. The species has the scientific name now Turbinella pyrum and is classified within the family Turbinellidae. The Aum like vibrations are powerful and their frequency can alter thin sand to form many sacred geometries which are being studied now.

Shankha bhasma is the conch shell ash prepared mostly as ayurvedic remedy to cure many diseases Shankha bhasma is prepared by soaking the shell in lime juice and calcinating in covered crucibles, ten to twelve times, and finally reducing it to powder ash. This holy Ash(Bhasma)containing calcium, iron and magnesium is used to possess antacid and digestive properties. Shankavati is also prepared for use in dyspepsia. To prepare Shankavati Shankha bhasma is mixed  with tamarind seed ash, five salts (panchlavana), asafoetida, ammonium chloride, pepper, carui, caraway, ginger, long pepper, purified mercury and aconite in specified proportions. It is then triturated in juices of lemon and made into a pills.

If science can just define our Ancient medicines and rituals in different languages then arean’t we re-defining our ancient tribal rituals for the World of Today? We are still to understand and explain many practices and rituals followed since thousands of years in various parts of the word, in the language of Science but that won’t change the belief and effects of these practices.

Dr. Jenny called this new area of research Cymatics, which comes from the Greek kyma, wave. Cymatics could be translated as: the study of how vibrations, in the broad sense, generate and influence patterns, shapes and moving processes. In Hans Jenny’s tonoscope experiments the sounding of ‘OM’ produces the circle O which is then filled in with concentric squares and triangles, finally producing (when last traces of sound have died away) the geometric expression of sacred vibration found in many religions around the globe. In his research with the tonoscope, Jenny noticed that when the vowels of the ancient languages of Hebrew and Sanskrit were pronounced, the sand took the shape of the written symbols for these vowels. Experimentation with modern languages general produced chaos. Is it possible that the ancient Hebrews and Indians knew this? Could there be something to the concept of “sacred language?” Would other sacred languages produce similar results i.e. Tibetan, Egyptian or Chinese. These languages have always proposed that they have the capacity to influence and transform physical reality through the recitation or chanting of sacred syllables and mantras.

There will always be some aspects that science cannot prove but spirituality can.

Our Ancestors knew that when a Shankh is blown its cosmic vibrations can cure diseases. Shankh or Shankham in sanskrit means “a conch holding the sacred water”. Earliest written documentation of Shankh can be traced back to Vedas and other Holy Hindu texts like Bhagwad Gita and Vishnu Purana. They are widely used in many Hindu rituals from bathing of a deity to the starting and ending of a holy ritual.

Each conch shell has a specific name from the Vishnu Sahasranamam(thousand names of Hindu deity Vishnu). Krishna’s conch shell was known as Paanchajanya, Arjuna’s Devdutta, Bhima’s Paundra, Yudhisthira’s Anantavijaya, Nakula’s Sughosa and Sahadeva’s was known as Manipushpaka. Even in the great epic Mahabharata, these were given a lot of importance. According to Hindu mythology, Paanchajanya, the first Dakshinavrutha Sankham, emerged during the churning of the ocean of milk or Ksheerasagara by the gods and demons. As it rose out of the ocean, its tremendous decibel frightened the asuras(demons) who prayed to Lord Vishnu as their savior. Lord Vishnu obliged, taking charge of the conch shell.” The primordial sound of creation, that is the Omkar or Pranavanadham, was then controlled. Hence forth, it became a part of Vishnu’s five weapons.

Conch shells have a significant place in Indian mythology. If we  hold a conch shell near our ear, the sound of the ocean humming gently can be heard. It is actually the natural vibration or cosmic energy of the earth that gets magnified on entering the conch shell and keeps vibrating forever. These unique whorls are directed clockwise in perfect synchronization with universal harmony. That is why a conch shell is blown during sacred rites to get rid of negative energy.  By blowing the conch 3 times before beginning any ritualistic worship, movement of negative energies in the enviroment is reduced

Dr. Hans Jenny, a pioneer in the field of cymatics, the study of the interrelation-ship between energy and matter, conducted a series of experiments on the Hindu mantra “OM”, utilizing a tonoscope which is a device that transforms sounds into their visual representations on a screen. Dr Jenny found that when “OM” was correctly intoned into a tonoscope, a circle appeared which is then filled in with concentric squares and triangles, finally producing, as the last traces of the ‘M’ disappear from the screen, the core structure of the Sri Chakra. These experiments are a scientific confirmation of what the Rishis had cognized.  Dr. Hans Jenny made use of crystal oscillators and an invention of his own by the name of the tonoscope to set these plates and membranes vibrating. The tonoscope was constructed to make the human voice visible without any electronic apparatus as an intermediate link. This yielded the amazing possibility of being able to see the physical image of the vowel, tone or song a human being directly produced. Making it possible for us not only to hear the melody but infact to see it.

ref: http://bhagwadgeeta.co.uk/shankh-aumom-sound-effects-universal-vibrations-science-behind-it/