Tweet
SHANKHA or SANGHU
In Hinduism the Shankha is a sacred emblem of the Hindu preserver god Vishnu.
The Shankha is praised in Hindu scriptures as a giver of fame, longevity and prosperity, the cleanser of sin and the abode of Lakshmi - the goddess of wealth and consort of Vishnu.
Hindus to initiate religious ceremonies, a shankha is blown.
Whenever the shell is blown, it is said to purify the environment from
all evil effect. Even the scientists have agreed to the fact that the
blowing of a conch increases the positive qualities in the atmosphere
such as courage, hope, determination, will-power, optimism, etc. It is
also a call to awakened one from ignorance and announces the victory
of good over evil.
The sonorous sound of conch shell honors and
salutes the Lord of Creation. It was the primordial sound of creation
and the divine sound "Om" The sound of welcome and in relation to its
symbolic nature with music and water, the conch shell's spiral form
represent the beginning of existence.
The devotees blow the Shankh before the supreme God with sentiments
of welcoming Him in their hearts and as a symbol of His divine grace
especially at the beginning of worship of the deity. The blowing of
the shell during any auspicious occasion is said also to bring good
luck and prosperity.
A conch is a sea-dwelling mollusk. In Hindu religion, it is considered to be one of the most auspicious objects that emerged from the sea during Ksheera Sagara Manthan”
.
The Shankha is displayed in Hindu art in association with Vishnu. As a symbol of water, it is associated with female fertility and serpents (Nāgas). The Shankha is the state emblem of Indian state of Kerala and was national emblems of the erstwhile Indian Princely state of Travancore and Kingdom of Kochi
A Hindu legend in Brahma Vaivarta Purana recalls the creation of conchs: God Shiva took a trident from Shri Vishnu and flung it towards the demons, burning them instantaneously. Their ashes flew in the sea creating conchs. Shankha is believed to be a brother of Lakshmi as both of them were born from the sea. A legend describes a demon named Shankhasura (conch-demon), who was killed by Vishnu's fish Avatar – Matsya
Leaving aside the mythology part, the conch shell’s significance can also be corroborated by science. If you try holding a shankha near your ear, the sound of the gently humming ocean can be heard. This is said to be actually the natural vibration or cosmic energy of the Earth which gets magnified on entering the conch shell.
Why Shankha were blown during Mahabharata War?
The shankha is still used as a trumpet in Hindu ritual, and was used as a war trumpet in the past.
Sri Krishna (Vishnu) blew his Panchajanya conch while announcing the readiness of Pandavas to fight the Kauravas, their cousins in the Kurukshetra battle.
Each shankha has a specific name; all five Pandava brothers are described having their own shank has. Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva are described to possess shankhas named Ananta-Vijaya, Poundra-Khadga, Devadatta, Sughosha and Mani-pushpaka, respectively
In Hinduism the Shankha is a sacred emblem of the Hindu preserver god Vishnu.
The Shankha is praised in Hindu scriptures as a giver of fame, longevity and prosperity, the cleanser of sin and the abode of Lakshmi - the goddess of wealth and consort of Vishnu.
Hindus to initiate religious ceremonies, a shankha is blown.
Whenever the shell is blown, it is said to purify the environment from
all evil effect. Even the scientists have agreed to the fact that the
blowing of a conch increases the positive qualities in the atmosphere
such as courage, hope, determination, will-power, optimism, etc. It is
also a call to awakened one from ignorance and announces the victory
of good over evil.
The sonorous sound of conch shell honors and
salutes the Lord of Creation. It was the primordial sound of creation
and the divine sound "Om" The sound of welcome and in relation to its
symbolic nature with music and water, the conch shell's spiral form
represent the beginning of existence.
The devotees blow the Shankh before the supreme God with sentiments
of welcoming Him in their hearts and as a symbol of His divine grace
especially at the beginning of worship of the deity. The blowing of
the shell during any auspicious occasion is said also to bring good
luck and prosperity.
A conch is a sea-dwelling mollusk. In Hindu religion, it is considered to be one of the most auspicious objects that emerged from the sea during Ksheera Sagara Manthan”
.
The Shankha is displayed in Hindu art in association with Vishnu. As a symbol of water, it is associated with female fertility and serpents (Nāgas). The Shankha is the state emblem of Indian state of Kerala and was national emblems of the erstwhile Indian Princely state of Travancore and Kingdom of Kochi
A Hindu legend in Brahma Vaivarta Purana recalls the creation of conchs: God Shiva took a trident from Shri Vishnu and flung it towards the demons, burning them instantaneously. Their ashes flew in the sea creating conchs. Shankha is believed to be a brother of Lakshmi as both of them were born from the sea. A legend describes a demon named Shankhasura (conch-demon), who was killed by Vishnu's fish Avatar – Matsya
Leaving aside the mythology part, the conch shell’s significance can also be corroborated by science. If you try holding a shankha near your ear, the sound of the gently humming ocean can be heard. This is said to be actually the natural vibration or cosmic energy of the Earth which gets magnified on entering the conch shell.
Why Shankha were blown during Mahabharata War?
The shankha is still used as a trumpet in Hindu ritual, and was used as a war trumpet in the past.
Sri Krishna (Vishnu) blew his Panchajanya conch while announcing the readiness of Pandavas to fight the Kauravas, their cousins in the Kurukshetra battle.
Each shankha has a specific name; all five Pandava brothers are described having their own shank has. Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva are described to possess shankhas named Ananta-Vijaya, Poundra-Khadga, Devadatta, Sughosha and Mani-pushpaka, respectively