spring2015

Ashok NiyogiNotes for Mother of Dyaus-Bhishma 1 (Son of Ganga)1Bhishma - In the Mahabharata, Bhishma, grand uncle of both Pandavas and Kauravas, was the eighth son ofKuru King Shantanu -- blessed with wish-long life and sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. Son of the riverGanga, a great example of devotion and sacrifice, an unparalleled archer and warrior, he once fought his ownguru the mighty Parasurama and defeated him. He also handed down the Vishnu Sahasranama (the thousandnames of the supreme lord) to Yudhisthira (the Pandava king) when he was on his death bed (of arrows) inthe battlefield of Kurukshetra.2kumkuma – vermilion mark. Haldi-kumkuma (curcuma-vermilion) is a marriage ritual handed downthrough the ages. Vermilion is first applied to a woman by her husband on the day of her wedding and theceremony is called Sindoor Dana.After this, she must apply this vermilion every day in the parting of her hairline. The parting of hair withvermilion colouring it red, becomes symbolic of the ‘river of red blood’ -- life. When the sindoor is removed,the river becomes barren, dry, empty. The wiping off, of sindoor is very significant for a widow. She breaks herbangles too and is shorn of all ornamentation. Many women will remove their nose ring and toe rings as well.56