3.14.2011

Mysteries of a begging bowl

The ancient Tantriks are great followers of the cult of Bhairava, the form of Bhikshatana Shiva, the naked mendicant who walked from one forest to the other, ash clad and pure. Shiva carries a damaru in one hand and a skull cap shaped begging bowl in the other. The Tantriks are the only people today, who are found using a skull cap for a begging bowl, literally mimicking this picture of the Lord, but delivering it in not as much beauty.

Mythology holds that Lord Shiva once cut off the 5th head of Brahma. Thirumular's Thirumanthiram states that Lord Shiva holds the skull cap of Brahma as a begging bowl in order to save it from hitting the earth and perishing, for Brahma is the creator of the Universe and his head signifies all that lives and transitions to the next life after death. Lord Shiva is also known to wear a garland of skulls that belong to great celestials, as he protects them from falling to dust. Hence the idea of holding the skull cap and wearing a garland of skulls has a very profound meaning and is not as gory as perceived by many.

These are not just stories as they hold a great deal of truth and deeper significance and this brings us to the larger question of why is a skull cap a significant depiction of a begging bowl?

Lets take a few steps back and observe another ancient tradition, that of Buddhism. The idea of ahimsa as well as the idea of bhiksha started during the time of Buddha. There is great significance to the begging bowl in Buddhist tradition. When Sidhartha Gautama Buddha reached the end of his journey to enlightenment, he realized his emaciated state was of no help and that he would need food to gather the energy to go through to the other side. It was at this time that a young girl gave him grain in a golden bowl which he divided into 19 parts, one for each day till the day he reached his moment of enlightenment. One he crossed the threshold to the other side; he discarded the golden bowl into the river - a marked significance of detachment from any kind of materialism. The golden bowl marked the catalyst to Sidhartha's transition from one state to the next.

Ancient faith believes that the last segment to divine Nirvana is when the Kundalini energy reached the highest zone, that which is near the Kabala of the human skull. It is also believed that Jeeva enters the body through the Kabalam and if it exits the same way, one is blessed with superior transition at the time of death, it is the perfect death achieved.

Brahma, the creator symbolized the transition of life and death in the hands of the Lord of destruction. Hence the passage of the afterlife and the highest form of realization is depicted through his kabala which is held as a skull cap, a bowl that depicts the last state before one attains the highest form of spiritual bliss.

Both Buddhism and Hinduism tried to depict this great truth in their own ways. While Buddhist belief took a different turn and depicted this truth in a far less violent way, ancient Tantrik cults and Vajrayana Buddhism depicted the ferocity of Kala Bhairava, the Lord of time in their depictions by emphasizing on the skull cap which symbolizes the Bhramaranda zone of the skull, where the essence of Atman remains shrouded in this area and releases the soul upon death.

Such deep significance of life and transition to super death, such profound truth lies embedded in what we perceive as just a skull cap in the form of a begging bowl.

P.S. It would be interesting to note that the Tibetan Buddhist tradition has also devised a singing bowl which reverberates the sound of OM when one plays it while meditating. Could it possibly signify the highest state of bliss when the mind resonates the primordial sound of OM.

28 comments:

JC said...

The skull cap is known to be naturally designed to withstand heavy loads as is indicated in the historical use of skulls of slaves in the foundation of Siri Fort in New Delhi!

Also it's a known fact that it houses one of the most precious instruments, called the (mysterious) brain, which like a beggar receives alms (and 'we are all the time begging from God something or the other!), receives precious information recorded in 8 'chakras' in the lower body, of course thanks to the nervous system (related with Saturn, also metal iron that's instrumental for use in stringed instruments, say, Saraswati Veena, and also blue colour); and Mooladhar (associated with Mars also gemstons Coral, colour orange, and bone marrow! Other olours were also realised associated with different 'rasas' of the human form of which it is believed formed)...

google said...

I think it is 7, 6 inside body and 7th above your kapalm. All 7 chakras are related to 7 hormones in your body.
testicals, adrinal,pancreas, thymes, thyroid, penal and pitutory... these 7 are goverend by 7 vertual chakras

JC said...

Reading bertween lines, what 'I' could make out, 'Asht chakra' (essence of eight galaxies concentrated at eight different locations along the spine) together with 'navgrah' indicate essences of nine members of the solar system are used, housed in the two vessel-like body parts connected through the neck at Vihuddhi chakra (yes 7 numbers in the lower body essences from Sun, at solar plexus, to Saturn at Mooladhar, having essences of Earth-Moon in the head, Ajna - Sahasrara chakra). The essence of Mars is believed housed concentrated at the tip of the tail-bone,while that of Saturn is believed lying coiled up around it and holding the large chunk of information that's normally unavailable, unless activated)...

JC said...

Thanks Google!
'I' might also add that 'I' happened to read the 'rasas' mentioned as related with 'muscles' (planet Eath, colour green, gemstone emerald); 'fats' (Moon, colour yellow, gemstone Yellow sapphire); 'bones' (colour red, gemstone Ruby); 'bone marrow' (colour orange, gemstone Coral); 'sperm' (planet Venus, colour Indigo, gemstone diamond); 'nerves' (planet Saturn, colour blue, gemstone Blue sapphire); 'blood' (colour white, gemstone Perl); and besides the above, Ultraviolet and infrared energies ('Rahu' and 'Ketu' that 'I' believe are associated with planets Mercury and Jupiter,,,gemstones Gomed and Cat's eye respectively)...

JC said...

'I' might also add that the findings, such as bone marrow in bone, etc. might have led to the concept of 'yoga' or addition/ fusion of temporary physical form and indestructible energy (Shakti), Shiva & Sati,,, as the cause of apparent 'Dwaitwad', ie, maya or illusion, while in reality there existed only a formless being, source of infinite energy, who apparently reviews its own past in a super conscious state (Yoganidra),,,while utilising innumerable temporary animal forms, as instruments, to keep track of apparent passage of time and events related with each form... to take into account various consderations gone into during different stages of evoution,,, from zero to infinity or perfection, although giving 'us' humans a sensation of reviewing the secnario that started from perfect stage and has moved to the present imperfect stage, as it is related to the 'present', or the concerned duration, ie, Yuga...In which one apparently gets to see various role models of the various Truths, such as Brahma's fifth head co perhaps be seen as our Sun,,,and as its copy the apex of a pyramid, r a vimana...

JC said...

In the Hindu philosophy, much emphasis has been given on souls in various animal forms, after completion of their assigned task(s), should eventually reach the location from where they had orignally started their journey (centre of the apparent earth, ie, heaven?), the sooner the better.

It is indicated (on the basis of apparent realisation by Yogis who, in secluded loations, apparently managed to reach a thoughtless state and thus developed communicationwith the formless being who rsides within all) that each soul necessarily has to pass through 8.4 million forms before it attains the human form for the first time,,,and after that its further movement (upwards to reappear in next life as a superior human being, or down in status in the form of an inferior animal) depends on the actions performed by it,,, the basic purpose for each individual believably being to realise God, the all knowing one and only formless, as well as with physical forms, inferior forms that on the whole reflect the apparent hierarchy in Nature, non believers to believers!)

The function of priests, or gurus, is supposed to be to act as a link between the ignorant common man and the all knowing formless god in attaining the desired goal...

JC said...

Bowls used in the present by common beggars generally are seen to be made of some metal, viz. aluminium...However, in order to visualise the continued use of huan skull cap by tantriks (which indicates proper last rites not performed, and hence possibility of control of the hovering soul,,, for whatever 'good' or 'bad' purpose), one might note the ancient Hindu belief that after the death the soul remains attached to the mortal form till it is turned to ashes, after which it hovers around the close family member(s)/ property to which the concerned person was more attached,,, for 12 days or so,,,and, therefore, the relatives were supposed to help guide the soul to its goal (reaching where it is librated from death-rebirth cycle,,,the location of the source of Brahmnad, 'OM')

injamaven said...

After he cut it off, Lord Shiva can't get rid of the skull of Brahma's 5th head. There are several sacred Tirthas where the skull is finally supposed to have come loose and fallen from His hand: "Kapalamochana = Sabaramati R. GUJ; Ausanatha TIrtha, HARYANA; Kapileshwar, UA; & perhaps Gaya.

JC said...

Hi Injamaven, Thanks for the information!

'I' might also add that Hindu mythological stories appear mystical because 'we' generally take those on their face value. And do not attempt reading between lines with the background knowledge that ancient 'Hindus' were advanced astronomers. And the present day scientists also are engaged in studies related to the same heavenly bodies that are in existence for over 4 billion years, at least,,,although they are yet to reach the same high level the 'Hindus' apparently reached and are known today for having given zero to the world! That is they reached the formless creator, who is unborn and unending, and whose images 'we' all are!

The physical form of Shiva the formless creator, because of its triple function,
was understood as Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh, their respective functions being that of creation, sustenance of what is created for different durations; and destruction thereof at the appropriate times for transformation of each (for example a star after billions of years at the end of its life as a star bursts and gets transformed to a 'white dwarf', 'Neutron star', or a 'Black hole', depending on their relative mass compared to our Sun)...

It is perhaps obvious that Sun that is detached from our planet earth was called Brahma, while Vishnu & Mahesh, each 4-handed (reflected by 8 directions) God could be visualised represnted by two dots, South and North Poles of the planet Earth! And the Sun sets in the west (represented by Gujarat?)

JC said...

Also, 'we' now know that moon evolved from the bowels of our planet earth itself, which could be seen expressed (in images of Shiva having crescent of moon on His forehead and) in the story related to death of first consort of Ardhnarishwar Shiva, Sati (Shakti that is energy?), in 'sacred fire', and Shiva remarrying Parvati (another form of Sati itself!),,,and essence of moon (Somrus, that rendered immortality to devtas) is indicated at the topmost location, on the head of man as His model...Sun's white rays are indicated in Brahma's consort, Goddess of Knowledge Saraswati, ering a white garment, Sari,,, while Yellow colour clothes are also used on Saraswati Puja Day, thus relating both colours with Brahma/ Shiva...

Raju said...

KALA BHAIRAVA OR BHAIRAVA...the most fascinating name in tantra....
One of the few highest tantrik sadhanas to achive.
Bhairava is the tamasik swaroopa of maha deva.
Thera are many others also, krodha bhairava, marthanda bhairava…as per legends.
Rudra After cutting off brahma's head, because of the brahma hatya pathaka , rudra got bhairavathvam. after reaching kashi he get rid off skull of brahma at kapala mochana tertham.
kala bhairava is the protector of kashi.
in tantra there are two ways...vama and dakshina marga.
in one way one has to do japa , tapa etc as prescribed.
in other way one has to follow the panha makaras or five Ms.
It’s a common practice in tantra that tamsik gods are prayed in both ways.
its a know fact that in kamakhya and ujjain, offerings of blood to the gods are Common.
king narak is famous for his offerings to the ma kali in five M way. but the same kali has diappeared from his puja mandir when a sage asked her not to stay there since he was not allowed to make a darshan of the godess in the night time.
it lead to destruction of naraka by devi satyabhama.
in adi shankaras life also there are 2 incidents of it. one is very famous and known to every body, where bhairava stopped shankara on his way and when shankara asked to give the way , bhairava questioned shankara about athma...
second is little know when shankara is in kashi and debating with many pandits of kashi, a chandala ( who is bhairava sadhaka)want to debate with shankara. but he is unablke to withstand in front of shankara though he is a sadhak but not pandit.
Then that bhairav sadhak asked bhairava to kill shankara . But because of the prayings of shankara , bhairava killed that sahdhak for his mistake.
kala bhairava is also the one who can save us from mruthyu, the death.
it was also clearly indicated that in kashi who ever do thapa for kala bhairava, has a chance to see him.

JC said...

In the Hindu Mythological stories. 'Kal Bhairava' (Shiva also called Mahakal, and Bhairava is thus indicated as His early form in the process of evolution, in the Kal chakra, of our panet earth, say, as Ardhnarishwar with Kashi as His abode) is associated with the physical form of Parvati, 'Himalaya's daughter that rides a tiger',,, who appeared subsequent to the death of Shiva's consort Sati in 'sacred fire' arranged by her father Daksh Prajapati,,, as one of Her forms itself and whom Shiva remarried...(While Moon is seen as the provider of Amrit, Somrus or moonlight to the members of our solar system, and on earth life-giving water to the animal world, particularly Ganga water held in high esteem, on the other hand earth is known as the heavenly body where eventual death of all physical forms is inevitable, abd Shiva thus known as the Destroyer)...

The above needs to be read with the background that both, Himalayas the youngest mountain range and Moon are presently known to have evolved from our earth itself that has molten rocks in its bowels or core, to be read with te belief that Ma Kali resides in the heart of (Gangadhar & Chandrasekhara) Shiva...

The pilgrims who visit Vaishno Devi Temple in J&K (or elsewhere too) are thus advised to visit the temple dedicated to Kal Bhairava also thereafter (as the provider of material requirements of all animals at all times till one physically exists on earth)...

JC said...

The human form is however believed as a reflection of Mahashiva, formed of essences of nine selected members from Sun to Saturn, represented by nine colours/energies, all, together, supporting Earth as the neutral one (Green in the middle of the visible part of the spectrum, or 'G' in VIBGYOR, sandwiched between 'B' & 'Y', or say Neelamber & Peetamber Krishna, ie, the one who is a 'bahurupiya', ie, the one who is present in different forms at the same time, and also appears wearing blue as well as yellow garments,,,green at Ajna chakra and Yellow at Sahasrara, while Blue is housed at the Vishuddhi chakra at the throat,,,the three addressed as Shiva-Parvati & Kartikeya their physically strong son responsile for material wealth while Orange, as essence of Mars at the Mooladhar is responsible for the mysterious 'spiritual' world, trouble ooter Ganesha or Hanuman without whose assistance overall knowledge cannot be atained)...

JC said...

Today perhaps every intelligent personal (digital) computer using individual, te blogger for instance, knows that human brain is a super computer (natural, and analogical in existence since time immemorial),,,many more times efficient than the PC,,,and that even the 'most intelligent' person today is able to tap only a negligible fraction of the billions of cells available in the brain...and thus one could perhaps imagine how Yogis / Tantriks who, at any time, came to learn the proper use of the human form to its full potential could have easily achieved what to 'us' appears as mircles, viz. walking on water, flying in air or even disappearing from one place to reappear at another remote place within the universe, like Narada uttering only Narayan (OM)!

Raju said...

yes Jc sir, you are correct,
and also in normal conditions human brain or whole human body is probably the worst creation on earth. Its the sadhana through which we get the access to the infinite power. sadhana may not be the great tapa or etc. it may be simple thinking also. the more we think we become more creative,
the more sadhana we do we become close to the infinite power,

sadhana is the key to access the infinite supremo,god may be amman or shiva or vishnu.

JC said...

Hi Shri Charan, Yes, the brain is in a raw state, like a diamond that originally is just like hard coke, or carbon, that becomes priceless after it is properly treated... Perhaps in the ultimate analysis, one could simply say that it is just a matter of control of mind, ie, 'Sadhana', like only with perseverence one controls a wild animal, viz a horse, or an elephant, etc. say,,,and attains linkage with the unborn and unending energy that resides within all animals beings too...

JC said...

Although 'I' have narrated it elsewhere earlier also, 'I' would like to give the example of a gentleman 'I' met at Guwahati in the early eighties...

He was a person born in a Sikh family, but he was clean shaved (a 'mona sikh'), well built and apparently healty...He started by asking 'me' if 'I' could guess that he could once have been afflicted with serious arthritis?

My answer being in negative, he said years ago while he was posted at Calcutta (Kolkata), his ankles were affected and he started Allopathic treatment,,, was also advised hot water bath throughout the year...After some years, his knees also got afffected,,,but he panicked when his hip joints also got affected after a few more years, because he felt it was now the turn of his heart stopping one day!

So, although he was a sikh, his family had faith in 'Ma Vaishno Devi',,,so they decided to go to J&K...While there he dragged up to the temple and it was midnight by the time he reached there...

He was asked to take bath in the water in the pond before having 'darshan' of the idol...He was shocked at the idea of bath with cold water, as for many years he was accustomed to having hot water bath only! But then with the thought that anyway his end was near even if he died it would be at the feet of 'Ma'! So after bath and view of the idol thy rested that night...

To his amazement, he experienced no pain when he woke up the next morning! He pinched his skin to confirm he wasn't dreaming! After reaching the foot-hills, he walked up to the temple and down again to assure himself that it was real! And, since then he ha been keeping fit!

He said he couldn't say what was behind the apparent miracle,,,was it faith, location (fresh air and environment of the hill compared to the pollution in the city), or (proper) time?

Could it be a part of a Grand Design? To convince man of the existenc of a one and only Supreme Power?

Raju said...

yes Jc sir,,,you are correct. we are part of grand design ( I believe).

i dont know anything about nirguna .

if you watch the holly wood movie matrix revolutions (3rd part of it),,,,at the climax of movie agent smith says about it in a simple manner, after big fight with neo. please check once, if.

Frankly I'm saying much about thing which i know, little at this time. how ever i will take this for granted coz its god and she is mine and of course everyone/s.

small addition to my last comments:-

sadhana is the key to access the infinite supremo,god may be amman or shiva or vishnu.

added to that,

if one is / as great as ramakrishna paramahamsa or vivekananda, they can get god at any time,,,else one have to try depending on their purva janma samskara.(its said in one of the most authored books by an authored mastreo )

I take the god as amman, so i say in this way.

like you said god is everywhere but hER nationality is INDIAN, MAY BE ITS KASHI OR THEAN KASHI OR BRINDAVAN OR UJJAIN OR KAMAKHYA....

EKAM SATH, VIPRA BAHUDA VADANTHI...

i want to say much but i feel
its enough for me...

most of indians aka hindus aka followers of sanathana dharma forgotten their roots may be because the non sense education system...but i believe this will be corrected very soon with out fail for sure..

JC said...

Gods with forms, or 'sagun brahm', could be imagined to exist in the forms of members of the olar system, say from Sun to Saturn as those have been conveyed as inflencing our behaviours, Sun acting as the driving force and controller of the planetary system (each having a different form and different characteristic proprty), like a political administrator or king-like, indicated by word 'rajas',,,while the concentrated energy at the centre of our galaxy could be imagined to act on behalf of the nirgun brahm, the origial concentrated energy concentrated at the centre of our universe that remains ever immovable...

Raju said...

Regarding the order of gods, there is a post in this blog by kavitha.

i know almost nothing about it, so i stay calm.

(but i read that) there many brahmandas like ours which are floating in parabrahman , amman or the guru who is the parabrahman.
our universe is a small particle of water in the great ocean of parabrahman.

JC said...

When a common man evn looks at the 'sky', or space, in the dark night one can visualise that it's an extremely deep void filled with innumerable 'heavenly bodies' that are all generally termed as 'stars',,,while everyone is perhaps also conscious of innumerble varieties of species of life forms, the animal world, that appears headed by human beings as the king or ruler of the planet earth that one generally takes for granted as non-living...The 'wiser' ancients thought it otherwise, for they called sun as 'Surya devta' (or Aditi/ Aditya); earth as Vasudha, or dhara, ie, the one that holds the grand variety of life forms on it, as its family members(Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam)!...

In the present also, our galaxy of innumerable stars and planets etc, is called 'Milky Way Galaxy' as perhaps it is called that since time immemorial irrespective of the fact what is believed as the present day source, just as 'Arabic Numerals' originated n 'India'... The wiser 'ancient Hindus' also analogously understood our galaxy/ solar system as essence of the universe, or 'cream' that we are familiar to see rise up in milk when it is churned,,,and as a natural grand design, to explain 'evolution', gave example of 'churning of milky ocean' (in four stages, as reflections of the expanded zero in to four yugas or long spans of time on earth),,,

JC said...

Only 'present day' astronomers could perhaps have visualised that 'Hindus' simply indicated the phenomenon of sunrise and sunset (when it was believed to drown in the sea) related with Earth & Sun,,, when for the benefit of the common man at any time they called earth Shiva the naked mendicant (indicated thus by describing Him as having ash applied on the body and having locks of hairs on the head and also calling Him elsewhere also as Gangadhar that is holder of River Ganga/ Chandrashekhara that receives Moonlight) and skull-like white appearing Sun as the begging bowl that receives energy from the centre of our galaxy, and is responsible for housing our solar system in galaxy's outer periphery, just as cream moves outwards in a centrifuge!
But, Hindu Mythology is Latin & Greek to the west, and in India they are looking towards them as their leaders (becase of Maya?)!

Raju said...

Not maya.
but as told by you earlier "part of grand design".

JC said...

Maya, or Yogmaya, itself incorporates the grand design of fusion of an indestructible energy form,,, (called Shiva, ie, phonetically opposite of 'Visha' the poison responsible for mortality of physical forms after a certain time period range applicable to each given form, viz. human life span being observed as near 100 years (+/-)) with temporary material forms that are responsible for appearance of a grand variety of forms that appear to result in the existence the infinite physical universe,,, in reality a dark ('Krishna') void that continues to expand indefinitely, ie, it's apparently expanding like a balloon while the physical forms contained in it also continue to expand and move away from each other, reflected also in continental drift for example...

JC said...

With the background 'Hindu' belief of Man as model of the universe, 'I' should have perhaps also added increasing distances also being reflected among humans in joint families turning into nuclear families, the phenomenon apparently having started from the west, ie, North America, say the land of the setting sun (as opposite of Japan, the land of the rising sun) and now also seen in the east, in 'India'...

JC said...

To visualise any sphere-like heavenly body, such as our planet earth, the Hindus imagined it represented by eight directions in a horizontal plane passing through its centre (say, along the equatorial line or circle as it appears on the surface of the earth), while of the total 10 directions (reflected by say Dashratha as well as Ravana to account for the opposites in nature), the upwards and downward directions could be imagined under the control of the centre itself,,, thus one could perhaps understand the significance of 'navgrahas', and also 'ashtbhuja-dhari' Durga, indicated by the ancients...

They indicated one ruler of each of the eight directions, from Sun to Jupiter, a relatively inferior ring-planet, or sudershan-chakra dhari (Krishna), compared to Saturn (Vihnu), while the upwards and downward directions both are indicated under Saturn's control (in human form or body, as model of Shiva that is earth, the essences of eight 'grahas' Sun to Jupiter are indicated from tail-bone end to the head while the essence of Saturn is indiated esponsible for conveyance of energy from head to base, or vice versa, and in the process making available the desired requisite information to the individual concerned who is engaged in a certain field of activity, out of innumerable ones well known to anyone at any given time...

However, yogis being interested in the total knowledge, like God the all knowing, apparently needed performance of exercises to lift energy stored in all eight chakras to the head, or a devotee of 'Krishna the Yogiraj' is indicated to just surrender in Him, ie, zero, and receive the desired overall knowledge, maybe in instalments just as 'dashashvamedha yagya' reflects enlargement of Suryavanshi king's empire in instalments!...

JC said...

Talking of brain as an analogous computer, and evolution of 'life on earth' the most beautiful heavenly body in our galaxy/ universe (read with the Hindu saying "Satyam Shivam Sunderam", ie, Shiva is the truth and He alone is beautiful) one would also notice that the anient Hindus called hte beautiful ring-planet Shani as the son of our Sun, ie, the most evolved form of Sun the sole supplier of energy to its planetary system for their own sustenance and sustenance of the life forms upon them, if any, where the cold rig planet Saturn is believed to recirculate the surplus energy on any one planet for use where it is wanting,,,as in human form it is indicated, from Mooladhar (essence of Mars housed at the tail-bone end) to Sahasrar (essence of Moon housed in head) and down again to Mooladhar,,, could be imagined analogous to the water fountain, man made or natural, Yellow Stone- like geyser, say (that one enjoys from a distace, of course); or even like the natural water-cycle set up in the form of annual SW monsoon in India where, thanks to the panchtatva, water from the Arabian sea as clouds moves towards NE, to be stopped by the Himalayan Ranges and to drop down as rain, or potable water, over Indian land for around on avrage 100 days in a year and flow in streams and rivers, a large nervous system-like network, to provide life-giving water to all life forms, just as the Central (Sacred River Ganga-like) and Sympathetic nervous systems, like Yamuna and Brahmaputra rivers that together with Ganga, called Padma, (ie, Lotus flower as the seat of Brahma), in Bangla Desh, drain in to the Bay of Bangal)!

By analogy, the Saturnian rings are also seen naturally as 'annular rings' within the trunks of big sized trees, each ring indicating one year and thus the age of the tree determined by the numbers of rings,,,and one could perhaps observe this phenomenon adopted by ancient 'Hindus', who were advanced astronomers, in the form of the 'sacred thread' across the male torso (image of Vishnu), and also 'rakshabandhan' on the wrists of all, male or female,,, while also the married womenfolk on a particular day tie threads on the trunk of 'Bat Vriksha', or Banyan Tree (considered as the most evolved among trees, as it is also associated with Buddha/ Buddhism) for long-life to their respective spouses... and is remembered as in the related story of Satyavan-Savitri,,, where Savitri believably brought back to life her husband who had apparently died,,, (based purely on logical discussions with Yama the Agent of Death and by asking in boon from him life with many children, for which, of course, she being a Sati, like Draupadi, Sita and Parvati etc, Satyavan's presence was necessary!)...

JC said...

Talking of brain as an analogous computer, and evolution of 'life on earth' the most beautiful heavenly body in our galaxy/ universe (read with the Hindu saying "Satyam Shivam Sunderam", ie, Shiva is the truth and He alone is beautiful) one would also notice that the anient Hindus called hte beautiful ring-planet Shani as the son of our Sun, ie, the most evolved form of Sun the sole supplier of energy to its planetary system for their own sustenance and sustenance of the life forms upon them, if any, where the cold rig planet Saturn is believed to recirculate the surplus energy on any one planet for use where it is wanting,,,as in human form it is indicated, from Mooladhar (essence of Mars housed at the tail-bone end) to Sahasrar (essence of Moon housed in head) and down again to Mooladhar,,, could be imagined analogous to the water fountain, man made or natural, Yellow Stone- like geyser, say (that one enjoys from a distace, of course); or even like the natural water-cycle set up in the form of annual SW monsoon in India where, thanks to the panchtatva, water from the Arabian sea as clouds moves towards NE, to be stopped by the Himalayan Ranges and to drop down as rain, or potable water, over Indian land for around on avrage 100 days in a year and flow in streams and rivers, a large nervous system-like network, to provide life-giving water to all life forms, just as the Central (Sacred River Ganga-like) and Sympathetic nervous systems, like Yamuna and Brahmaputra rivers that together with Ganga, called Padma, (ie, Lotus flower as the seat of Brahma), in Bangla Desh, drain in to the Bay of Bangal)!

By analogy, the Saturnian rings are also seen naturally as 'annular rings' within the trunks of big sized trees, each ring indicating one year and thus the age of the tree determined by the numbers of rings,,,and one could perhaps observe this phenomenon adopted by ancient 'Hindus', who were advanced astronomers, in the form of the 'sacred thread' across the male torso (image of Vishnu), and also 'rakshabandhan' on the wrists of all, male or female,,, while also the married womenfolk on a particular day tie threads on the trunk of 'Bat Vriksha', or Banyan Tree (considered as the most evolved among trees, as it is also associated with Buddha/ Buddhism) for long-life to their respective spouses... and is remembered as in the related story of Satyavan-Savitri,,, where Savitri believably brought back to life her husband who had apparently died,,, (based purely on logical discussions with Yama the Agent of Death and by asking in boon from him life with many children, for which, of course, she being a Sati, like Draupadi, Sita and Parvati etc, Satyavan's presence was necessary!)...