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Superstition 01-Drishti or The Evil Eye
Superstition 01-Drishti or The Evil Eye
Hindu men with tilak on their foreheads: left, a Saivite; right, a Vaishnavite I have scoured the internet and my research library seeking information, any information which says that the bindi or tilak is a purely Indian cultural phenomenon. While I didnt find a shred of evidence which says that, I found tons of evidence to the contrary. My findings are compiled in a separate article titled, "BINDI OR TILAK MARK ON THE FOREHEAD- INDIAN OR HINDU? " http://ephesians-511.net/docs/BINDI_OR_TILAK_MARK_ON_THE_FOREHEAD-INDIAN_OR_HINDU.doc ALL THE INFORMATION IN THAT ARTICLE CONFIRMS THAT THE BINDI AND THE TILAK ARE HINDU [SACRED, SUPERSTITIOUS OR OCCULT] MARKS, NOT SIMPLY "INDIAN".
During meditation, Brahma Kumari sisters give drishti , a spiritually-charged gaze which is beneficial to the recipient. Shiv Baba himself gives drishti when he appears through the medium. http://brahmakumaris.info/w/index.php?title=Drishti Drishti is a point of focus where the gaze rests during asana and meditation practice. Focusing on a drishti aids concentration, since it is easier to become distracted when the eyes are wandering all over the room. Each yoga pose has a specific drishti, which also aids in alignment. For instance, in Extended Side Angle Pose - Parsvakonasana the gaze is towards the raised hand, which also reminds us the turn our heads up towards the ceiling. Drishtis are particularly emphasized in Ashtanga yoga. In Downward Facing Dog, the drishti is your navel. http://yoga.about.com/od/howtospeakyoga/g/drishti.htm
Nazar Utarna
http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1049634 "The ridding of the effects of the evil eye" is a very popular practice. It is commonly believed that all kinds of illnesses, pains, epileptic fits and handicaps are caused by the "evil eye", or because one is possessed by an evil spirit. Unless this is nullified, the effects are said to stay. In such cases, no medication is believed to help the patient; therefore other "remedies" have developed. A person is said to possess the evil eye if whatever he or she looks upon is harmed. A person with an evil eye need not necessarily be wicked; usually the effect of the evil eye is unintentional. Such people do not have any distinguishing physical feature to set them apart from the rest. However, one or two "incriminating" incidents from everyday life may doom a person to the detested category of those with the "eye". All those believed to be witches, wizards, and beggars are so castigated. If these people look upon any desirable object, it is believed to get ruined. If a person falls under an evil spell, there are many ways through which it can be broken. Waving salt or salt water over the head of the affected person and throwing it in fire or water is one of the most common
ways of removing the effects of the evil eye or nazar utarna. Waving a whole chilli over the person and throwing it in fire is another way. If the smoke smells of the chilli, the illness is not attributed to the evil eye or nazar. However, if the smoke does not smell of chillies, it is believed that the person was afflicted by the evil eye, whose spell has now been broken. Nazar utarna of a more elaborate kind is performed by astrologers or professionals who do it with the help of secret and mystic rites. At times, a lemon with four or five chillies tied together, or a piece of stale unleavened bread (roti), are used for the purpose. With the help of mantras, the effects of the evil eye are transferred to these objects. They are then either thrown away or left at a crossroad. Therefore, most people are very particular about avoiding these objects when they spot them lying at a crossroad, for fear of catching the eye if they step over them. At times these chillies are also hung on the front door to shield the house from the evil eye. Good looking children, young boys and girls, brides and grooms, are considered most susceptible to the eye. Small children are generally made to wear special, protective charms and lockets. Eyeliner' is applied to their eyes and a small black dot (kala tika) to their foreheads. This is believed to mar their beauty and make them unappealing to the evil eye. Charms like bits of pottery from a burial ground, the dried foot of a tortoise, the tooth of a crocodile, a bristle from the tail of an elephant, a tiger's claw, or a talisman with magic mantras inscribed on it are all popular. Some people even give ugly names to their children as a pre-emptive measure against nazar. When a north Indian bridegroom leaves for his bride's house, his face is always covered with a screen of flowers, as a camouflage against the evil eye. When he arrives at the bride's house, the mother of the bride performs a ritual for the groom to nullify the effects of any nazar acquired on the way. So too, a bride's mother-in-law performs the same ritual for her when she first enters her in-laws' house. Nazar is also said to affect healthy domestic animals, trees in blossom, a good harvest or fine houses. Stone slabs inscribed and engraved with letters, characters and figures are often set up at the village boundary to safeguard the inhabitants and their cattle and crops against sickness, epidemic and disease caused by nazar. To protect their homes from the eye, women often draw mystical designs on the threshold. Black mud pots with fierce faces drawn on them are also hung on the door of a new house and scarecrows are stationed in fields. All these devices are believed to catch the effect of the evil eye before it affects the crops, the building, or the beings they protect. It is believed that only look is deadly, and once its effect neutralised, subsequent glances have no effect. Dhrishtamani (eye beads) are used as an indicator of the evil eye. These beads are strung together and worn by children. It believed that if the child falls
the is will
first
is under an evil spell, the necklace breaks or the beads change colour. Rudraksha* beads are also used as charms, either strung into a necklace or tied on a thread and worn on the body. *See separate article on Rudraksha beads
any other power over them that are washed by the most powerful blood of Jesus (Hebrews 9:14, Romans 5: 9, etc.) Those who have been redeemed have been washed by the blood of Jesus and do not need to have any mark on the forehead as a protection. There can be only one mark on our forehead, that is our faith. And that faith shall be in our Lord Jesus. Sundararajan G. Immanuel Ph. D. is a Church of South India pastor.