" WE ALWAYS SAY WORD PEACE THREE TIMES" . WHY?

                                                                                 

A   “ HOMA   KUND ” FOR  A  HAWAN OR  HOMA OR YAJNA OR AGNIHOTRA   BEING PERFORMED BY A KASHMIRI PANDIT FAMILY . THIS IS PURELY A VEDIC PRACTICE.

( Photo Autar Mota )

 A consecrated fire is the central element of every Homa. At the end of every Homa , Kashmiri Pandits also  recite the word SHANTI  three times. Why ?

Those who have studied in DAV institutions shall never forget this Vedic Mantra

“ Om Dyauh Shaantir-Antarikssam Shaantih

Prthivii Shaantir-Aapah Shaantir-Ossadhayah Shaantih |

Vanaspatayah Shaantir-Vishve-Devaah Shaantir-Brahma Shaantih

Sarvam Shaantih Shaantireva Shaantih Saa Maa Shaantir-Edhi |

Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih || ”

Meaning:

1: Om, May there be Peace in Heaven, May there be Peace in the Sky,

2: May there be Peace on the Earth, May there be Peace in the Water, May there be Peace in the Plants,

3: May there be Peace in the Trees, May there be Peace in the Gods in the various Worlds, May there be Peace in the universe ,

4: May there be Peace in All, May there be Peace Indeed within Peace, Giving Me the Peace which Grows within Me,

5: Om, Peace, Peace, Peace.

We were made to recite it every day in our school. . I could partly understand its meaning but as I  grew  , I sought complete meaning of this Amazing Vedic  Mantra from various sources .

Peace is the basic cry of human  beings . Peace is the faith of a civilized society . Peace helps children smile, flowers open their petals  , Birds  sit on branches  and life move forward in cheerfulness . It does not create scars or wounds .  It is like the Dawn that  softly opens the world of grace and beauty before us. To invoke peace we keep  chanting  special  prayers or Mantras .

Peace is  also the innermost  philosophy of Bible and Quran. The great French writer  Albert Camus once said ..

“Peace is the only battle worth waging.”

 We always say   Shanti ( Peace ) Shanti ( Peace ) Shanti ( Peace ) Three times .  Why ?

 See  what Pandit Rugh Nath Kukiloo ( 1911-1997 ) ,popularly known as Baigaash , A Shaiva Scholar , Saint and  Astrologer  from Kashmir has to say on this issue.

“ During Vedic Civilization , man treated  plants , animals and human beings  as  three components  of a family of living creatures . Those who have studied VEDAS  know how much care and good wishes some Mantras contain for these  three kingdoms of life . So when we say Shanti  thrice, we wish peace to all the three kingdoms . At the end of every Homa or religious ceremony or Puja  , We must invoke peace for mankind , Plants and Animal kingdom and conclude it with reciting  Shanti, Shanti and Shanti …

There is another reason for reciting Shanti three times . Look !Our problems in this world originate from three sources ,

1 The Unseen Divine sources ..Like Tremors  , Floods and so many other   natural disasters  upon which we do not have any  control.

2 The Known sources .. . Like Crime, Contamination and Accidents etc.

3 Our own self..   These spring from our own self or  from our minds . Like Anger, Greed and Jealousy etc.

And when we say Shanti ,Shanti and Shanti, we actually wish peace and wish that   no  problems should arise for us  from these three sources  . Say Shanti   Louder in the first instance . This is for the unseen forces . Next time say it in a soft tone . This is for our known sources . And at last Shanti  should be said  in a feeble voice . This is for our own self. You hardly need to cry to communicate with your own self. ”

( Autar Mota 04.12.2013 )

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