Your Eyes and Rudrashtami
Oct/1/99 - Oct/2/99
Rudrashtami = Rudra + Ashtami.
It's a spiritually significant time period that starts at
1703 hours GMT on Oct/1/99 (2232 hours IST)
and lasts until 1507 hours GMT on Oct/2/99 (2037 hours IST).
Rudrashtami is a time period during which we honor the heat and light potencies of God.
Rudrashtami Vratham is a worship procedure that's particularly important for
those who suffer from eye problems, for e.g., those suffer from glaucoma, night blindness, cataracts and so on.
Even those who wear glasses or contacts must perform this worship procedure.
It's very important that we serve the blind on this day.
This worship procedure is also important for those whose work involves staring at light emitting
devices (e.g., computer monitors, oscilloscopes, etc.) and those who work in heat intensive
areas like furnaces, boilers, etc.
Rudrashtami is particularly important for
those spiritually minded souls who concentrate on Soorya worship (e.g., Soorya havan or homam,
Baskara pooja, Soorya namaskar, Gayatri mantra).
One of our most important spiritual responsibilities is offering selfless service to the blind.
While we should do this every day through out our lives, the Rudrashtami day is particularly ideal for discharging
this responsibility. Feed and clothe poor blind people on this day. Do what you can to improve the
quality of their lives. Offer them Braille watches, Braille boards and other devices which would be of
help to them. If you can afford it, offer them guide dogs (seeing eye dogs).
Help the blind perform spiritual activities on Rudrashtami day.
Think about it... how can a blind man walk the 9 mile route of the Arunachala giri valam?
He can't. That's where you come in. You guide them on this 9 mile spiritual journey and
explain to them the many many Arunachala darisanams (visions) and make them "see" and enjoy
Arunachala through your running commentary! Help blind people perform giri valam around
Arunachala and other sacred hills on this day. If they want to perform tharpanam or
havan (fire ceremony), help them do that. If they want to visit any temple of their choosing,
help them achieve that spiritual desire. If they want to do ritual bathing in sacred rivers and in the ocean,
help them do that.
In short, Rudrashtami is the ideal day for helping the blind perform spiritual activities
and complete their spiritual obligations.
Who is the Lord of Honor for the coming Rudrashtami (Oct/1/99, Oct/2/99)?
Which temples have been suggested by the Siddhas for Rudrashtami worship?
How exactly should the Rudrashtami Vratham be observed?
What are the special procedures for observing Rudrashtami in Sri Narayana temples?
Why should we recite the Chaksusha Upanishad on Rudrashtami day?
For answers to these and other questions concerning Rudrashtami,
please refer to pages 27 to 33 in the
Oct/99 issue of Sri Agasthia Vijayam, the Ashram Tamil monthly.
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| Om Salutations to Sri Soorya |
| Om Salutations to Sri Rudra |
| Om Salutations to Sri Rama |
| Om Salutations to Sri Arunachala |
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