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Gayatri Tapasya - Gayatri Mantra Mudra Siddha Secrets Gayatri and Gayatri Linga Avani Avittam, Yajnopavita (Poonool, Poonal), Upakarma Gayatri Yagnopavita Resolve - an article that is as relevant today as it was when it was first written. August 10, 2006 Viya Varusham Greeshma Rithu Aadi Maasam 25-th day Thursday A Gayatri Yajnopavita Resolve Om. It is Avittam (Dhanishta) nakshatra today (Aug 10, 2006). On this day, our thoughts go to next month's Avittam nakshtra day - the Avani Avittam day when we change our yajnopavita sacred thread (poonal, poonool thread). On this day, without caste or creed considerations, everyone should wear the sacred yajnopavita thread. Just like the vibhuti sacred ash and the kumkumam vermilion offer spiritual protection for those who wear them, the yajnopavita sacred thread also is a sign of mature spirituality and protection. It should not be confused with caste or creed. It has become a practice to change the sacred thread only once a year on Avani Avittam day. But this is not enough, say the Siddhas. There are those who change their sacred thread every day. Those who do daily tharpan do this as a matter of course. But one should change their sacred thread at least on every Avittam nakshatra day. The yagnopavita sacred thread is the concrete, external symbol of our resolve to chant the Gayatri mantra without fail. The sacred thread is a constant reminder of Mother Gayatri. Every Avittam nakshtara day is a day for renewing our commitment to the Gayatri mantra. So on this Avittam day today, change your sacred thread, renew your Gayatri vow and make a resolve to do so on every Avittam day of every month. Of course, the yearly Aavani Avittam ceremony should be conducted on a much grander scale as a massive, group pooja. There is a lot of significance behind the three strings that make up the yajnopavita sacred thread. (1) The three threads signify our sthoola (concrete), sookshma (subtle) and karana (causal) bodies. (2) They also signify mantra, yantra and tantra and our practice of the same. (3) The trimurti trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra) is in each of the three threads. (4) There is one knot in the poonool sacred thread that is known as the knot of Brahma (Brahma Mudichu). This knot signifies the spiritual ordeals that one must go through before one can gain knowledge of the Divine. One should meditate on these significances of the poonal sacred thread everyday. Thus the sacred thread is itself an object of meditation. This is why it is very important in the spiritual lives of all, without caste or creed consideration. Since the sacred thread signifies Gayatri, the Mother of Wisdom, it also signifies vidya shakti. In temples, the sacred thread should be changed for all deities in every pooja. But temples don't have the resources to do this. So the Siddhas advise us to offer hundreds of yagnopavita sacred threads to temples. This will bless one's children with vidya shakti. Gifting sacred thread to temples and to poor people who would like to wear them can ensure spiritual protection for one's children so that they may not fall into evil ways. Even those who don't wear the poonal sacred thread may adopt this practice of gifting the sacred thread. They will be blessed by gotradhipati rishis. Their progeny will be blessed with good habits and good character. Keep lots of yajnopavita sacred threads with you. Whenever you pass a roadside shrine (Ganesh, Aiyanar, Karupanna Swami, Muneeswara), change the sacred thread for that deity. Experience the mental peace and tranquility that results. Change your sacred thread on this Avittam nakshtara day and renew your vows to Mother Gayatri today and on all subsequent Avittam days. Meditate on the yajnopavita everyday and chant the Gayatri mantra a minimum of 108 times at dawn, mid-day and dusk everyday. This will be a stepping stone to spiritual advancement. Om.

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Gayatri Tapasya - Gayatri Mantra Mudra Siddha Secrets
Gayatri Tapasya BOOK	Gayatri Shiva Linga	Gayatri, Savitri, Saraswati
Gayatri TRANSMITTER	Gayatri River	Temple on the banks of the Gayatri River

Gayatri, Gayatri Linga, Avani Avittam, Yajnopavita (Poonool, Poonal), Upakarma, Upanayana Over the years, Sri Agasthia Vijayam, Sathguru Venkataraman's monthly magazine has featured numerous articles on the Gayatri Mantra, Gayatri Linga, Yajnopavita (Poonool, Poonal), Upakarma, Aavani Avittam and related spiritual activities. Here, we want to give you a few nuggets of information culled from these articles and from what the Sathguru taught us over decades. We may provide page scans of the original articles as and when time permits. Every male should wear the sacred thread For decades, Sathguru Venkataraman taught that all males should wear the sacred thread without any caste or creed considerations. This is a revolutionary idea but the Sathguru was known for such revolutionary ideas. The Sathguru said that the sacred thread is a spiritual aid just like the vibhuti sacred ash, for example. So every male is eligible to wear the sacred thread and benefit from it spiritually, said the Sathguru. (How about women? Spiritual aids for women include the mangalya (mangal sutra), kumkuma vermilion, manjal (turmeric), etc.) It is good to change your yajnopavita sacred thread every day. The yearly highlight of this daily ceremony is the Avittam nakshatra day in the month of Aavani. When to change the Sacred Thread It is best to change it during Brahma Muhurtha. If the sun rises in your place at 6 a.m., change your sacred thread between 3:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. Yagnopaviteswara Shiva - The Lord of the Sacred Thread It is ideal to wear those sacred threads that have been placed at the Lotus Feet of Lord Yajnopaviteswara in Kumbakonam. Have lots of sacred threads placed at the Lotus Feet of Lord Yajnopaviteswara and receive them as prasad. Take a vow that you will only wear sacred threads offered to Lord Yagnopaveeteswara. Sacred threads that are received as prasad from Yagnopaviteswara become ideal instruments to be used in harnessing the power of the Gayatri Mantra. It is in front of Lord Yajnopaviteswara Shiva that Lord Maha Vishnu conducted the upanayanam (sacred thread ceremony) of Narada Maharishi. So conduct the upanayana ceremony in Yagnopaviteswara's shrine in a simple way and feed at least 108 poor people (annadhanam). If you do this, the Maharishis of Pitru Loka will present themselves there with Narada at their head and give their blessings. This is a very special blessing that is hard to get. Sacred Thread Guidelines Bachelors should wear sacred threads with 3 strands. Married men should wear sacred threads with 6 strands. Men whose parents have passed on should wear sacred threads with 9 strands. The sacred thread should never be removed from one's body. If for some reason, the sacred thread is lost or slips off, it should not be reused. A new sacred thread (that has been got as prasad from Yagnopaveeteswara) should be worn. It is a good idea to have handy a bunch of sacred threads that have been got as prasad from Yagnopaveeteswara. Gayatri Chant Guidelines The Gayatri Mantra should be chanted in the morning, noon and evening. The Gayatri Mantra can be chanted anytime in the day or night. Chant it 24 hours a day as a background process. Everyone in the world can chant the Gayatri Mantra. There are NO restrictions, said Sathguru Venkataraman. Chant in the mind. Aim for a minimum of 1008 Gayatri chants. (32 or 64 or 108 is kid stuff.) For decades, Sathguru Venkataraman maintained his original suggestion that 10,008 chants of the Gayatri Mantra per day is the way to deal with karma neutralization in the Kali Yuga. Those who do this will be able to center themselves in God irrespective of the problems they are faced with. It is the way to immerse oneself in God. It is because of this suggestion of the Sathguru that you see us using the number 10,000 or 10,008 in the context of mantra chants. The Gayatri Chant and the Brahma Knot The knot in the sacred thread is known as the knot of Brahma. Hold this knot in the palm of your right hand close to your heart and chant the Gayatri Mantra. This can increase memory power, remove mental confusion and make love blossom in one's family. Gayatri Linga Gayatri Linga Pic 1. Gayatri Linga Pic 2. The Gayatri Linga is in the temple of Mother Vedavalli and Lord Sangameswara in Bhavani near the city of Erode in Tamil Nadu. The great Parasara Maharishi once chanted the Gayatri mantra 330 million times without even moving an inch from where he was seated. As a result of this tapasya, he was blessed with the darshan of the Gayatri Linga made of amruta (the nectar of immortality). The Lord then manifested what the rishi saw as the Gayatri Lingam we see today invested with all the amruta shaktis that Parasara Maharishi was blessed with. This is a great place to do Gayatri Argyam, Gayatri chanting, Gayatri Homam Fire Ceremony and Gayatri Dhyana. This is important for families that have not chanted the Gayatri properly. Those who do this will be blessed with the proper expiatory procedures for the error of omission of not chanting the Gayatri. Getting the darshan of the Gayatri Linga on the Avani Avittam day, changing the sacred thread in front of the Gayatri Lingam and chanting the Gayatri Mantra in the immediate presence of the Gayatri Lingam are very great blessings that each one of us must try to get. Chant the Gayatri in front of the Gayatri Lingam and dedicate the resulting shakti to society, said Sathguru Venkataraman. This is the junction point of three rivers. It is a pitru shakti temple. On Amavasya days, millions of exalted pitru ancestral beings visit this shrine in their subtle forms. Gayatri Linga and breaking free from addictions The worship of the Gayatri Linga can help remove evil and negative tendencies (asura gunas) in man, taught Sathguru Venkataraman. Those who chant 1008 Gayatris in front of the Gayatri Lingam regularly will be able to easily kick addictions such as smoking, alcoholism and misconduct due to lust. The Gayatri Linga can bless kids with good character and protect families from the fire of enmity. Parents who want their kids to be reformed should do 108 adi pradakshinas of the Gayatri Linga along with their kids on Navami thithi, Amavasya New Moon day, Avittam nakshatra day and on Wednesdays and feed the poor with dishes made with the snake gourd vegetable (pudalangai in Tamil). Those who do this regularly will be blessed by Jayaksheeras pitrus, exalted ancestral beings who bless kids and young ones. More info to be added... Selfless Giving and Gayatri Perform the sacred thread ceremony for poor kids on the Avani Avittam Day. This is one of the best dhaanams (charitable giving/selfless service practices), said Sathguru Venkataraman. Those wishing to make spiritual progress must acquire the beejakshara shakti of the Gayatri Mantra through assiduous spiritual practice of the Gayatri. On Avani Avittam Day, gift sacred threads to people who chant the Gayatri and also to those who don't know the Gayatri. Explain to them the significance of the Gayatri and the Gayatri Japa chant. This is one of the best vidya dhaanams (giving the gift of knowledge) that one can do, said Sathguru Venkataraman. Giving Gayatri and Food - Sathguru Venkataraman's Advice Make some food. Sit in front of it and chant a minimum of 108 Gayatris. Then give away the food to the poor. This is one of the best things you can do. Giving Gayatri Shakti to Students - Sathguru Venkataraman's Advice From wherever you are, walk or drive towards a school or college. Chant the Gayatri all the way. When you reach the school or college, mentally dedicate the shakti of all the Gayatris you chanted to the students in that school or college. This is selfless service of a very high order. Munjikesa Maharishi - The Siddha who got us the sacred thread To be added... Important Arunachala Darshans connected with the sacred thread To be added... Page Scans To be added... Gayatri Tapasya - Gayatri Mantra Mudra Siddha Secrets Gayatri Tapasya BOOK Gayatri Shiva Linga Gayatri, Savitri, Saraswati Gayatri TRANSMITTER Gayatri River Temple on the banks of the Gayatri River

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