Re: Jyotish Gemstones & Metalls
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
In my opinion it is best to stick with the program... Usually when one metal is not available , gold becomes the defacto standard.
Some posts on gems and or gem subject matter:
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2578&highlight=gems
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...95&postcount=2
If you have interest, here is my position on gems - from another post that no longer exists.
I would like to offer the following regarding ratna¹ (gems).
I am quite fond of gems and have been studying and purchasing them for a while. Being a śiṣya of jyotiṣ for some time¹, one must ( sooner or later) gain an appreciation and understanding for ratna-s and their application.
My studies + my teachers + Harish Johari's (his preferred spelling) knowledge has been my baseline for much of what I intellectually know. Experientially, I have purchased many a gem for its use and application.
The reader here on HDF would be well served to understand a gem is not a gem for jyotiṣ unless many considerations are taken in place before the purchase i.e. time of purchase, gem quality and size, the merchant i.e. who has touched this gem prior to you? Then the purification process of the gem, its setting ( the metal, its quality), how the gem is set i.e. the stone touching the skin, when it is set, etc. These are just a few considerations.
I have followed these considerations for placing and wearing a ring for one or more of the nava-graha ( 9 ~planets¹~ ). I mention this because if one wishes to use a gem (ratna) as a upāya ( a skillful means, an approach, path) to gain favor of a specific grāha, it is not a casual purchase, the same way one would buy clothing or a car, etc. wise choices must be made.
Because I enjoy this science and the general beauty of gems I have enrolled in a lapidary group; this will allow me to control more of the process from top-to-bottom i.e. the actual cutting of stones and gems so I can control the manufacturing process myself. That allows me to pick the stone in raw form, choose the size, quality, cut and all the timings ( muhūrta ) for any one of the processes to occur. I am even looking at field trips to go and mine that actual stone. Today I get my materials from friends, on-line, gem shows, etc. etc.
Now that said, over the years, and I must be honest to my dear friends on HDF, my results have been meager at best ( until just recently) . That is, I cannot say with a high degree of confidence that any one stone has alleviated a particular affliction I may have tried to mitigate. Or that a stone/gem advanced a notion or intention I held that I wished to accomplish. Yet the gem has given great enjoyment to create and craft the ring itself.
But note I said, until just recently, let me explain. For some reason I have been attracted to lapis lazui. Lapis = stone + lazuli = lāzaward = lāzhvard or the place where the stone was mined ( some think this word means ~azure~ the color of the stone, yet this is not the case). I have been buying large stones ( 30 + carats or ~ 6 grams) and then keeping them or having them cut to my specifications. With my most recent project I did this and had it mounted accordingly with a few extra things added to the ring ( more on this if there is interest). I now wear it on my right hand, ring finger.
Lapis lazuli is known for bringing peace, calming the mind, clarity and creativity. I wear the ring to complement my sādhana , it is not in place of it. I find there is a positive influence that it brings that is worthy of merit.
I plan on purchasing more ( this is not an ad for me selling anything - I do not sell ) and craft some additional stones for the joy of doing it. Note that lapis is reasonable to purchase ( cost wise). Hence I plan on purchasing and practicing the art of lapidary and see what I can learn - I will share my results as they occur if there is interest.
In closing, my point is simple - if one wishes to pursue a gem or stone, etc. it ( IMHO) needs to be accompanied by one's actions, intent, sādhana, etc.
Yet it will be wise to one that wishes to purchase a stone that one does not skimp on quality, size, or all the rules of application. If this occurs, then you are left wondering if your approach was at fault and leaves you guessing.
If for no other reason, one can enjoy the beauty of the stone and that in and of itself is a boon. Yet a quality stone is not a casual financial purchase and could be expensive ,no?
Those are my thoughts on this matter that I wished to share with you.
praṇām
words
- ratna रत्न rooted in rā , a gift; this word means jewel , gem , treasure , precious stone ; also a noun for '9' as there are 9 stones for the grāhaka
- I began my jyotiṣ studies in 1980.
- ~planets~ is a good approximation for general conversations, yet the proper name is grāhaka ग्राहक- one who seizes or takes captive ; from grāha ग्रह- seizing , laying hold of , holding i.e. a grāhaka ~seizes~ or influences the circumstances of the native. This is done via the tattva they manage and control
Last edited by yajvan; 01 May 2011 at 10:53 PM.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
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