Int J Ayu Pharm Chem

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Impact of Chanting on Manas Prakruti and Stress

Rashi Sharma1* and Kavita Indapurkar2

1,2 Dept. of Kriya Sharir, B.V. D. U. C. O. A. , Pune, Maharashtra, India

Abstract Ayurvedic treatment focusses on treating a diseased person and also maintaining the health of normal individuals. In ,diseases are defined as there which on conjunction cause pain. They are located in mind and body. Rajas and Tamas are considered as the two doshas of the manas (mind). The balance of tamas and rajas are disturbed by stress condition, desires and negative thoughts. To maintain a healthy body and mind, one should try to balance the three gunas. Stress is a state of tension that is created when a person responds to the demands and pressures that come from work, family and other external sources, as well as those that are internally generated from self-imposed demands, obligations and self-criticism. The Gayatri mantra chanting is a form of meditation to protect one from all human sins, physical dissipation and to bestow knowledge, health and longevity.

Keywords Manas, Trigunas, Stress, Gayatri Mantra

Greentree Group Received 02/04/16 Accepted 02/05/16 Published 10/05/16

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INTRODUCTION of rajas to work and of sattva to reveal. Ayurveda is the divine science of life being Tamas is full of destruction. Tamas is heavy, practiced since time immemorial and which covering and obstructing light. deals with Ayu (life).Therefore every Inspite of this different nature they help research done in the field of Ayurveda also mutually in creation. The quality of sattva gives- emphasis to health prophylaxis along leads towards the divine and tamas towards with treatment. the demonic while in between these two The aim of Ayurveda emphasizes on treating stands rajas. Thus, due to the predominance a diseased person and also maintaining the of any the above gunas determines the health of normal individuals1. Diseases are psychological constitution of mind. defined as there which on conjunction cause Imbalance in any kind of gunas, result in pain. They are located in mind and body. various mental disorders. The balance of Ayurveda divides persons according to tamas and rajas are disturbed by stress prakruti. They are of two types: condition, desires and negative thoughts. To  Sharir Prakruti maintain a healthy body and mind, one 3  Manas Prakruti. should try to balance the three gunas. Sharirprakruti belongs to vatta, pitta, kapha According to Ayurveda, stress is a state and manas prakruti belongs to Sattva, Rajas where the mind is imbalanced. The mind is and Tamas. considered to be balanced when it is not Rajas and Tamas are considered as the two agitated, and is firm and stable. When the doshas of the manas (mind)2. mind is in a stable state, the individual has Sattva: The illuminating, pure or good the maximum potential to act or behave in quality which leads to clarity and mental ways that continue to keep the mind in a serenity sattva is full of love. Sattva is light, balanced state. full of knowledge. Worries have always been a constant Rajas: The quality of mobility or activity companion of human life. In ancient texts, which makes a person active and energetic, Acharya Charak while explaning about tense and willful. sadatura(constantly ill person)says that Tamas: The dark and restraining quality worries are the main reason of a constantly 4 which obstruct and counteracts the tendency ill person . Acharaya Charak further

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Int J Ayu Pharm Chem explains that one who indulges in activities patient, and tolerant and demonstrates a high which are above ones performing capacity, positive attitude. On the other hand, high puts too much strain on oneself in excess level of “rajas” and “tamas” sleads to a state perishes like a lion trying to drag an of hopelessness, despair, impatience, fear, elephant. i.e., putting too much of stress on a and anxiety. In such a situation, a person system leads to disastrous effects on the becomes confused, lazy and weak in mental body5. State of mana is related to stress. power7. For years it has been “common Stress is a state of tension that is created knowledge” that people who are under a lot when a person responds to the demands and of stress have an increased risk of various pressures that come from work, family and disorders. How people respond to stress may other external sources, as well as those that be more important than the stress itself. are internally generated from self imposed People respond according to their Manas demands, obligations and self-criticism. gunas6. Stress is both additive and cumulative. It Mental disorders or imbalances are caused adds up over time until a state of crisis is when “sattva” decreases and “rajas” and reached and symptoms appear. These “tamas” increase. As “sattva” decreases, symptoms may manifest themselves mental strength, determination, and the psychologically as irritability, anxiety, power to distinguish right from wrong also impaired concentration, mental confusion, decrease. When such a state is prolonged, poor judgment, frustration and anger. They the mind becomes stressed. This may then may appear as physical symptoms. Common lead to other mental disorders like anxiety, physical symptoms of stress include: muscle depression, fear, and nervous debility. tension, headaches, low back pain, insomnia In this jet age, each one of us is exposed to and high blood pressure. Untreated, these some amount of stress. Some of us can symptoms may lead to physical illness and handle stress in a better way than others. In sometimes death8. our own lives we come across situations According to the Oxford medical when we can efficiently deal with high dictionary, stress is a state of affair amount of stress. When situated in a state of involving demand of physical and mental high “sattva” a person is calm, thoughtful, energy. It is a condition, which can disturb

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Int J Ayu Pharm Chem normal physical or mental health of an percentage of satva,rajas and tamas in his individual. manas prakruti9 .He can achieve more According to Wikipedia, Stress may also be powerful and superior quality of mind with defined as the sum of physical and mental the help of self-psycho analysis and by responses to an unacceptable disparity evolving oneself with philosophic thoughts between real or imagined personal by nurturing self mind with positive experience and personal expectations. Thus emotions. in short any stimulus that causes any Various means to overcome rajas and tamas imbalance in the internal environment of an are described in , allied literature organism is called stress. and even in charak . One of such Stress itself might be a risk factor, or it effective mean is to chant the Gayatri could be that high levels of stress make mantra.The Gayatri mantra chanting is a other risk factors (such as high cholestrol or form of meditation to protect one from all high blood pressure) worse. For example, if human sins, physical dissipation and to we are under stress, our blood pressure may bestow knowledge, health and longevity10. go up, we may overeat, we may Origin of Gayatri Mantra exercise less, and may be more likely to According to ancient scriptures, god gifted smoke. People respond in different ways to Sage vishwamitra this Gayatri mantra for his events and situations according to their eons of deep meditation and penance. This Manas gunas. One person may find an event was to be a gift for all humanity.The Gayatri joyful and gratifying, but another person Mantra was first written in in the may find the same event miserable and Rig Veda, 8000 B.C11. frustrating. Sometimes, Tamas and Rajas The Gayatri Mantra dominant people may handle stress in ways that make bad situations worse by reacting “Aum Bhoor Bhuvah Swah Tat Savitur with feelings of anger, guilt, fear, Vareniyam Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi Dhiyo hostility, anxiety, and moodiness. Others Yonah Prachodayat” . may face life's challenges with ease. Aum : The divine sound of Aum teaches us It is impossible to change sharir prakruti but that our individual consciousness is a subset a person can definitely change the of the Universal Consciousness, that

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Int J Ayu Pharm Chem pervades this Universe. Therefore we should righteous intellect, good health, righteously live life in a manner that upholds the flag of gained wealth, righteously gained name and Universal Consciousness. fame etc.

“Bhoor”: teaches us to identify and modify “Varenyam”: tells us to imbibe only those those traits that destroy us and replace them traits that are truly exalted. with those that uplift us in an all round manner. “Bhargo” : tells us to imbibe purity in our body, mind, wealth, health, home, dress and “Bhuvaha”: tells us to carry out our behavior . appointed duties very meticulously and after having done the same and accept the results “Devasya”: signifies developing a generous, as God’s grace. We should engage in actions divine and farsighted thought process. and that uphold the welfare of all. “Dhimahi” : signifies developing the ability “Svaha”: emphasizes the importance of to imbibe good qualities, great character, developing a balanced thought process divine glories and high thinking. where we can face both joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure, profit and loss, good and bad “Dhiyo” : refers to development of our with equanimity of character. intellect . It signifies to us that we should not blindly follow an individual, ritual, “Tat”: signifies that we should not look literature or sect just because a crowd of upon the pleasures attained via the body and people is doing so. Instead we should apply senses to be the be all and end all of our life. discriminating intellect to understand what Sensory pleasures and their benefits are is just and right and follow the same. transient in nature (short term feel good pleasures) and spiritual pleasures in contrast “Yonaha” : signifies to us that we should are lifelong and eternal. imbibe all good qualities for not just our well being but also for the benefit of those “Savitur”: emphasizes that we gain wisdom, around us.

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mantra. Gayatri mantra symbolizes the sun. “Prachodayaat” : signifies the quality of Anybody who habitually recites the gayatri Inspiration. It signifies to us that we live our mantra gets purified in his mind and body life in such a way that we are a source of because the radiant energy of the mantra inspiration to others, so that they too may burns all the blemishes in his personality. live life in the same righteous, wise way. Gayatri mantra has a dynamic force and enjoins the brahmachari (bachelor), the Meaning of the Gayatri Mantra in Summary: grahasthas (house holder) and the It is a form of meditation() to the (forest dweller), all to repeat Almighty Supreme God, the Creator of the this sanctified mantra at least 108 times a entire Cosmos, the essence of our Life day. Gayatri Mantra is the first mantra to be Existence,the remover of all our pains taught in schools in the olden days as it and sufferings and the One who grants us enabled the students attain righteous and far our happiness. We beseech his divine grace sighted wisdom and energized them to to imbue within us his divinity and brilliance absorb the studies ahead of them. The which may purify us and guide us on the Gayatri Mantra is a part of the Rig Veda path of righteous wisdom and intellect. Samhita, Mandala III, 62 – 10.The GLORY OF GAYATRI MANTRA Maithrayani Upanisad explains the meaning is the primordial spanda (vibration). All and importance of meditation of Gayatri have emerged out of it. OM is mantra.Mantra chanting is a scientific nature of pure light. All other mantras are process of inward orientation of mind. The also of the nature of light waves. vibrations induced by the repeated chanting “GAYATRI – MANTRA” is called as of mantra generate specific pulsation of supreme medicine (manaushadhi) because it prana12 . heals all diseases. Any sick person may be cured of his disease by just regularly reciting Gayatri mantra. SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF GAYATRI OM is the first syllable of gayatri mantra CHANTING which the ancient Vedic seers used to recite. The syllables of Gayatri mantra are uttered Pure consciousness is the source of gayatri by different parts of the mouth such as throat

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(larynx), tongue, teeth, lips and the root of the tongue. During speech, the nerve-fibres DISCUSSION of the particular parts of the mouth from Ayurveda is the science of life which which sound emits stretch up to various contains all the references pertaining to life parts of the body and exert pressure on the and meditation is a scientific process of corresponding glands. There are various inward orientation of mind.The Gayatri large, small, visible and invisible glands in mantra chanting is a form of meditation to the body. Uttering of different words has its protect one from all human sins, physical impact on different glands and by such dissipation and to bestow knowledge, health impact the energy of these glands gets and longevity.It enhances the, Atma stimulated. and protects them from the devastating The chanting of Gayatri Mantra activates the effects of stress14 .The performance of network of nerves in the mouth and Gayatri mantra chanting serves as a primary stimulates specific glands. The twenty-four route for self purification (increasing satva letters in Gayatri-Mantra are related to guna and decreasing rajas and tamas).This twenty-four such glands located in the body mantra is supercharged with power and has which, on getting stimulated, activate and been suggested to mankind under the . awaken the powers of mind for righteous wisdom (satva guna).This modifies the CONCLUSION individual’s personality out of the rajas and It can be concluded that chanting of Gayatri tamas pradhan prakruti towards satva mantra can modify individual’s manas pradhan prakruti (It removes ignorance from prakruti from rajas pradhan and tamas the subconscious and thus helps in the pradhan prakruti to satva pradhan emergence of light of spirit within the prakruti.Thus, it is significant that the individual soul)13. A Vedic symphony is chanting of the Gayatri mantra has a created which spreads in the ether, takes a cumulative effect on our body and our mind. round of the entire universe, coming back to Mind becomes sharper and immune system the source with its energy augmented is stronger. Our energy centers, including manifold, capable of fulfilling the desired our main Chakras, are activated by the purpose. vibrations of the Gayatri mantra and this has ______Rashi and Kavita 2016 Greentree Group © IJAPC 2015 Greentree Group © IJAPC Int J Ayu Pharm Chem 2016 Vol. 4 Issue 3 www.ijapc.com 247 [e ISSN 2350-0204]

Int J Ayu Pharm Chem a positive and healing effect on our mind and life ()15. Thus, it enables the individual to follow the path of satva guna and hence least affected by ill-effects of stress. Today, this mantra is chanted and sung not only in Indian subcontinent but all around the world with devotion and love. This mantra has soothing and beautiful flow of sounds with various rhythmic patterns making it the most powerful mantra for spiritual enlightenment and purification of mind. Gayatri mantra has a universal meaning and is applicable to whole mankind irrespective of their faith and religious beliefs.

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2010,Yug nirman yojna trust, Gayatri tapobhumi,Mathura-281003

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