The approaching Lok Sabha elections and Uttarayana

As per Vedic knowledge, there are two seasons in the country: Uttarayana and Dakshinayana.

Uttarayana is from mid-January (starts from Makar Sakranti, which falls on the 14^th of January every year) to mid-July. Dakshinayana starts when Uttarayana ends i.e. from mid-July to mid-January.

Dakshinayana is characterized by longer nights and shorter days. In Uttarayana, the sun moves towards the north and days are longer. As per the “Puranas”, Dakshinayana is the night of the deities whereas Uttarayana is their day. 

Medically, Uttarayana is a period of positive thinking and Dakshinayana is a period of negative thinking. In Uttarayana, the blood levels of serotonin are high and in Dakshinayana, blood levels of melatonin are high.

General elections for the Lok Sabha are due to be held this year.

Fortunately, the elections will be taking place in Uttarayana, where the collective consciousness of the people will be in a positive state of mind.

If elections are held in Dakshinayana period with a negative state of mind of the collective consciousness of the people, the tone of campaigning too is negative and is rife with mudslinging, especially in the electronic media. Such negative campaigning serves no purpose and the country gains nothing by it.

Hopefully, we will see a lot of spirituality in these elections and that more and more number of people will participate and vote with a positive state of mind and thinking.

These Uttarayana elections will be fought on a positive note favoring a group who can deliver.

I personally feel that negative campaigning in the period of Uttarayana will not succeed and similar trends will also be observed in the electronic media.

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

President Elect Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania   (CMAAO)

Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications

President Heart Care Foundation of India

Past National President IMA

Spiritual Blog:How to convert Dakshinayana into Uttarayana at the time of death?

As per Bhagavad Gita whatever your thoughts are through life will be your thoughts at the time of your death and whatever thoughts are there at the time of your death will be your thoughts in your future birth.

Bhagavad Gita says that the best time to die is Uttarayana, before full moon, in day time or in the presence of Yagna. Does that mean the people who die in Dakshinayana or 15 days before Amavasya or during night will suffer and will not get liberation or they will go to the hell?

No. If this would have the intention, Bhagavad Gita would not have mentioned it at all as this would have created unrest in 50% of the society.

What they probably meant was that everybody at the time of death should be in a positive frame of mind. If they are not, efforts should be made to create positive frame of mind for them which means that if a person is dying in night or 15 days before Amavasya, one can create an atmosphere of Uttarayana or full moon by creating enough artificial light as if it is day time, doing Yagna in the vicinity of the dying person and or enchanting of any religious Mantra, for example, Gayatri Mantra in the ear of the dying person.

Efforts should also be made to talk positive in his or her presence. Ayurvedic or Homeopathic consultants can be contacted if they have any medicine which can convert negative state of mind into positive state of mind.

In the process of death a dying person can hear till his last karma indriyas and gnana indriyas are functioning.

In Hindu mythology, chanting of Rama or Aum at the time of death does the same thing.

Spiritual Blog:Dakshinayana is the start of negative state of mind

The uttarayana and dakshinayana are not only time periods mentioned in the Vedic literature but also the state of minds. Uttarayana means a period for a positive state of mind and Dakshinayana a period for relatively negative state of mind.

Dakshinayana is the southern transit of the Sun. The Uttarayana and Dakshinayana period is calculated differently in South and North India

Bhagwad Geeta talks about Moksha and liberation. Those who believe in the philosophy of rebirth know that once a soul is liberated at death, a person is not reborn. Those who believe that hell and heaven are in this birth only for them liberation means dying peacefully and without sufferings.

The theory of rebirth is well described in Bhagwad Geeta in Chapter 8.

The gist of Lord Krishna’s teaching is:
1. Whatever you think throughout your life will be your thought at the time of death.
2. Whatever is the state of mind at the time of death will be the atmosphere you will get in the rebirth. For example if your state of mind is in cruelty at the time of death, you will be born in a cruel family. If you are relaxed, thinking of God or Chanting AUM at the time of death, there are chances your soul will be liberated.
3. Fire, illumination, daytime, fortnight before the full moon and uttarayana are the paths for liberation. It means these are the periods / ways for spontaneous positive thinking. And the reverse is for dakshinayana 

From mental health point of view, this knowledge can be converted into medical prescription. Uttarayana means satwa, healthy state of mind and dakshinayana means a depressed negative state of mind. Performing and attending to Yagna, sitting in well illuminated lights or exposing oneself to the day sunlight can be an adjunct to depression treatment. During the first fortnight of full moon and during uttarayana, the psychotherapy and counseling invariable will work better and the requirement of drugs may get reduced. The reverse will happen in dakshinayana.

In chakra language , from mooladhara chakra to anahata chakra is the dakshinayana path and from anahata chakra to ajna chakra is the uttarayana path. Those who travel on the uttarayana path travel from anahata chakra. Those who travel on the dakshinayana path start from mooladhara.

The Chatur Mas or Four holy months in Hinduism falls during the period of Dakshinayana. Chaturmas begins on July 11 and ends on November 6. It begins on the Ekadasi day in Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashada and ends on the Ekadasi in the Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik. It occurs during monsoon season and most important festivals take place during this period. It’s a four month period for observing fast, rituals, pujas and festivals.

Chaturmas has folowwing months 

1st Shravan month is dedicated to Lord Shiva, especially the Mondays. Is a month or Vata or air imbalance. The classical song " Savan ka mahina Pavan kare shor" explains the air imbalance in this month. The vata function in the mind is related to emmotional imbalance.

2nd Bhadrapad is the month of festivals including the Ganesh Chaturthi and Janmaasthmi. The month is again related to Vata or air imbalance. The classical Bollywood song "tere naina savan bhado phir bhi mera man payasa" explains the state of the mind in savan and bhado months. The state of the mind is negative with chances of more non fulfillment of desires.

3rd Ashwin month include, Durga Puja, Navratri, Diwali etc.
4th Kartik and Diwali celebrations end in this month.

It’s a saying to avoid green leafy vegetables in Shravan month, Curd in Bhadrapad, milk in Ashwin and pulses, the split variety in Kartik month.

No marriages or important functions take place in chaturmas for many reasons

1. Firstly it is a period of negative state of mind and hence more chances of divorce
2. For the same reason more chances of infertility
3. Due to rainy seasons more chances of worms on the surface and infesting the leafy vegetables
4. Due to Vata (movement) predominance, leafy vegetables will not be health friendly
5. Due to pitaa (metabolism) suppression the digestive fire will be weak
6. Many people avoid garlic and onion as it can stimulate unnecessary excitements, cause indigestion and distract devotee from pujas and prayers.

Will I be allowed to marry in Chaturmas?

Dakshinayana is the start of negative state of mind

The uttarayana and dakshinayana are not only time periods mentioned in the Vedic literature but also the state of minds. Uttarayana means a period for a positive state of mind and Dakshinayana a period for relatively negative state of mind.

Dakshinayana is the southern transit of the Sun. The Uttarayana and Dakshinayana period is calculated differently in South and North India. In North Indian calendars, Dakshinayana in 2011 begins on June 21. In South Indian calendars, it begins on July 17, 2011. In South India, Uttarayana period starts with Makar Sankranti on January 14 or 15 and ends on July 14 or 15. Dakshinayana is from July 14 or 15 to Makar Sankranti. In North India, Uttarayana period starts on December 21 and ends on June 21. Dakshinayana is from June 21 to December 21.

Bhagwad Geeta talks about Moksha and liberation. Those who believe in the philosophy of rebirth know that once a soul is liberated at death, a person is not reborn. Those who believe that hell and heaven are in this birth only for them liberation means dying peacefully and without sufferings.

The theory of rebirth is well described in Bhagwad Geeta in Chapter 8.

The gist of Lord Krishna’s teaching is:

1.       Whatever you think throughout your life will be your thought at the time of death.

2.       Whatever is the state of mind at the time of death will be the atmosphere you will get in the rebirth. For example if your state of mind is in cruelty at the time of death, you will be born in a cruel family. If you are relaxed, thinking of God or Chanting AUM at the time of death, there are chances your soul will be liberated.

4.       Fire, illumination, daytime, fortnight before the full moon and uttarayana are the paths for liberation. It means these are the periods / ways for spontaneous positive thinking. And the reverse is for dakshinayana

From mental health point of view, this knowledge can be converted into medical prescription. Uttarayana means satwa, healthy state of mind and dakshinayana means a depressed negative state of mind. Performing and attending to Yagna, sitting in well illuminated lights or exposing oneself to the day sunlight can be an adjunct to depression treatment. During the first fortnight of full moon and during uttarayana, the psychotherapy and counseling invariable will work better and the requirement of drugs may get reduced. The reverse will happen in dakshinayana.

In chakra language , from mooladhara chakra to anahata chakra is the dakshinayana path and from anahata chakra to ajna chakra is the uttarayana path. Those who travel on the uttarayana path travel from anahata chakra. Those who travel on the dakshinayana path start from mooladhara.

The Chatur Mas or Four holy months in Hinduism falls during the period of Dakshinayana. Chaturmas begins on July 11 and ends on November 6. It begins on the Ekadasi day in Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashada and ends on the Ekadasi in the Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik. It occurs during monsoon season and most important festivals take place during this period. It’s a four month period for observing fast, rituals, pujas and festivals.

 Chaturmas has folowwing months 

1st Shravan month is dedicated to Lord Shiva, especially the Mondays. Is a month or Vata or air imbalance. The classical song " Savan ka mahina Pavan kare shor" explains the air imbalance in this month. The vata function in the mind is related to emmotional imbalance.

2nd Bhadrapad is the month of festivals including the Ganesh Chaturthi and Janmaasthmi. The month is again related to Vata or air imbalance. The classical Bollywoodsong " tete naina savan bhado phir bhi mera man payasa" explains the state of the mind in savan and bhado months. The state of the mind is negative with chances of more non fulfillment of desires.

3rd Ashwin month include, Durga Puja, Navratri, Diwali etc.

4th Kartik and Diwali celebrations end in this month.

It’s a saying to avoid green leafy vegetables in Shravan month, Curd in Bhadrapad, milk in Ashwin and pulses, the split variety in Kartik month.

No marriages or important functions take place in chaturmas for many reasons

1.         Firstly it is a period of negative state of mind and hence more chances of divorce

2.         For the same reason more chances of infertility

3.         Due to rainy seasons more chances of worms on the surface and infesting the leafy vegetables

4.         Due to Vata ( movement) predominance, leafy vegetables will not be health friendly

5.         Due to pitaa ( metabolism) suppression the digestive fire will be weak

6.         Many people avoid garlic and onion as it can stimulate unnecessary excitements, cause indigestion and distract devotee from pujas and prayers.