Exploring the Science of Marma - An Ancient Healing Technique: Definition and Properties of Marma

In the vast sea of the knowledge of Ayurveda, Marma is one of the extremely important topics. Marma points have been unanimously accepted as the ‘seats of life’ (Prana - the vital life force). If these locations are injured, then it may lead to severe pain, disability, loss of function, loss of sensation, or death. Therefore, the ancient scriptures have strictly directed that these vital locations should not be injured, and due care should be taken in this regard even while doing surgeries. However, recent researches indicate that if there is inflammation or pain at any Marma point, then stimulating its nearby Marma points can help in alleviating this pain. This Marma Therapy has been used in treating various physical and mental disorders, with encouraging results. In view of the importance of Marma Science mentioned in scriptures and with regards to surgeries, as well as the encouraging outcomes of Marma Therapy in recent times, the present study was undertaken for an in-depth study of the Science of Marma. Part-1 of this study gave an account of various ancient / classical Indian scriptures that mention different aspects of the Science of Marma. The present article, which is Part-2 of this study, gives a detailed description of the number of marmas, their location, structures involved, correlation with Panchamahabhutas, classification, as well as a detailed explanation of marmaghata or viddha lakshanas (effect of trauma), as given in classical texts written during Samhita kala. The anatomical correlation with modern science is also presented.

आत्महीनता पर गायत्री साधना का प्रभाव

प्रस्तुत शोध कार्य आचार्य श्रीराम शर्मा के द्वारा निर्देशित गायत्री साधना का आत्महीनता पर प्रभाव का अध्ययन करने के लिए किया गया है । जिसमें नियंत्रित प्रयोगात्मक समूह अभिकल्प प्रयोग कर 60 दिनों तक 45 मिनट का अभ्यास कराया गया । शोध कार्य में 17-25 आयु वर्ग के 120 (80 प्रयोगिक, 40 नियंत्रण) प्रतिदर्श का चयन देव संस्कृति विश्वविद्यालय, महिला व्यवसायिक शिक्षण संस्थान, पंजाब सिंध क्षेत्र इंटर कॉलेज और भरत मंदिर संस्कृत महाविद्यालय ऋषिकेश से कोटा प्रतिचयन विधि द्वारा किया गया है । प्रस्तुत परिणाम 0.01 स्तर पर सार्थक है जो यह दर्शाता है कि गायत्री साधना का आत्महीनता पर सकारात्मक प्रभाव पड़ता है । The present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of Gayatri Sadhana described by Acharya ShriRam Sharma on Self Inferiority. Practice was 45 minutes daily for a total duration of 60 days. Experimental control design was used. In this research 120 subjects (80 experimental, 40 control) were taken from Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Mahila Vyavsaik Shikshan Sansthan, Punjab Sindh kshetra Inter College and Bharat Mandir Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya of Rishikesh of age group 17 to 25 by quota sampling. Results were significant on 0.01 level that show Gayatri Sadhana has positive effect on self Inferiority.

The Pyramid of Values: Value-based Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita (BG) is studied from spiritual, theological and religious perspective. It is a collection of 700 verses wherein beset by compassion and grief, Arjuna loses the will to fight and has a nervous breakdown. The supreme lord Srikrishna’s preachings by which he convincingly manages to motivate Arjuna to fight his enemies with determination constitutes the gist the BG. It is considered as ‘India’s book of Answers’ to all the problems of human civilization and has inspired generations over thousands of years. Srikrishna preaches three-fold path of: i) Action (Karma); ii) Devotion (Bhakti) and iii) Knowledge / Intellect (Jnana) emphasizing that the greatest battles are fought in one’s own mind. Wisdom from the BG is increasingly recognized in the field of leadership and management. It emphasizes that the core of leadership lies in one’s character and is influenced by ‘Value’ systems and combination of three key ‘Personality’ traits. A good leader should cultivate ‘Sattvic’ virtues and act selflessly for greater good of all with judicious use of power that comes with authority. The principle leadership lessons taught by BG are: i) To know thyself; ii) Practice renunciation by selfless service; iii) Fearless action with integrity; iv) Embrace formidable challenges with a prepared mind to face them and v) Moral righteousness. The BG recommends one to approach leadership role with an attitude as a custodian who protects and motivates his team by practising the art of ‘Active Listening’. Incorporating the teachings of BG would facilitate a leader to be free of bias, observe equanimity and make wise decisions leading to contentment and inner peace.

Quantum Entangled Frequencies and Coherence in Bioenergetic Systems

Holistic Health can be understood as the coherence of the human being as a whole including his organism, mind, and relationship to his environment. Quantum entanglement of subsystems on all levels of the human being is responsible for the wholeness of the living entity. The sum total of entanglements is defined here as an individual Information Field which corresponds to the ancient vedic concept of akasha. Entangled frequencies might be able to resonate with and influence human bioenergetic processes and systems with the aim of creating coherence of the bioenergetic system, both within the individual and between the individual and the surrounding fields. Here a bioenergetic process is proposed that uses entangled frequencies to increase the coherence of living systems selected through biofeedback of a Quantum Noise Generator, which seems to be correlated to the ancient vedic concept of prana. It has been tested in a controlled observation study for its effect on the sense of coherence of 3545 participants. The promising results of this study are additionally presented here.

Medicinal Potential of Laxmi Taru (Simarouba Glauca DC)

Cancer is becoming a high-profile disease throughout the world and for its treatment most prevalent technique is chemotherapy which has its limitations due to many toxic or side effects on healthy or non-cancerous body parts. Therefore, there is a demand for alternative and supportive anticancer agents for treatments which are naturally-derived with minimal side effects. This review paper highlights the therapeutic importance, safety, and efficacy of the Laxmi Taru along with their active constituents used either as single plant-decoctions, extracts, or in combinations especially in some traditional herbal medicines. World Health organization (WHO) is promoting this concept as ‘Save plants to save lives.’ Among the key health issues, WHO have also said that, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. The plethora of secondary metabolites (therapeutic agents) found in the plant are the rich source to find the alternative safe anti-cancer agents.

Similarities between festivals ‘Diwali’ in India and ‘Samhain’ in European civilizations

Diwali is an Indian festival which is still alive in European tradition in a different form. The ritual for celebrating the Diwali and its cultural significance has close similarities with Samhain in Europe to that of India. The present perspective looked into available evidences for similarities of ‘Diwali’ with Samhain in European civilization. The study has been analyzed by dividing this topic into four parts, 1) Name Similarities between Samhain and Diwali, 2) Dates similarities between Samhain and & Diwali, 3) the similarity in the way these both festivals are celebrated even today and, 4) lastly Similarities of ‘Samhain’ in European countries. It has also been the New Year of many sects of the world. These festivals are in the heart of all societies and sects in India and Europe and thus they can help re-emerge the mythological cultures of the world. Will India look its relation with European culture in the light of Diwali?

An Ayurvedic Perspective of Hrid Dhauti in Shatkarmas and its Impact upon Human Physiology

Yoga is an ancient psycho-physical discipline used for the spiritual elevation from centuries. It starts with the sustainability and health of the body as it is the medium of human existence. Hence Yogic science emphasizes cleansing processes for the purification before the practice of asana or pranayama. It is also essential to gain the benefits of further practices such as Asana and Dhyana. Among the cleansing processes, Dhauti is a jewel. It is classified into four categories, Anatar dhauti (Digestive Track), Danta (Mouth), Hrid (Chest), and Moola shodhana (Rectum). In which Hrid Dhauti is prominent one. Here Hrid means heart, while Dhauti refers to wash organs. It is closely associated with the heart and its nearby organs such as stomach. These Hrid Dhauti is further classified into three methods, Danda (stem), Vamana (water vomiting) and Vastra (cloth). It consists of cleaning the esophagus and stomach in three ways and helps in the management of respiratory system and upper digestive system aliments. It also cleans the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to the stomach. Now it is essential to study the yogic techniques from the ayurvedic perspective. This study has been conducted to explore the physiological effect of Hrid Dhauti from the Ayurveda`s perspective.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Impact of Migrant Workers during COVID19 in India

In a country like India with an exploding population of 1.3 billion people, COVID19 has been particularly brutal to the migrant workers. With a Google search of 13.60 crores, "COVID19 and Migrant Workers" has become one of the most important topics in the digital space which needs examination. Many studies showed a positive correlation between common mental disorders and adverse conditions like poverty, inequality, and financial debts and problems. The sudden declaration of the lockdown in March 2020 in a bizarre and episodic manner took a toll on the mind of these migrant workers. There was a significant deterioration of mental health among the migrant population which had even aggravated during the post lockdown period. Thus, the present exploratory research based on secondary data was done to explore the intricate details linked with the psychosocial impact of migrant workers during the COVID crisis suggesting a need of social support system for migrant workers during such events.

Emerging Sources of Renewable Energy: Technological Advancement of Traditional and Natural approaches

माता भूमि पुत्रोहं पृथिव्या (Mata Bhumi PutrohamPrithivyah) - The earth is my mother and I am her son. It is the well-cherished VedicSanskrit verse and is most appropriateguide for the world's struggle for energy demands. Traditionally in Vedic culture and in modern times in many countries cow-based energy sources were used to fulfill the energy demands. Since the past more than 3 centuries, human race has adopted energy sources based on fossil, which are on the edge of extinction, as well as producing consequences like global warming, irreversible damage to natural sources like sea etc. These consequences are challengingexistence of mankind. Biogas energy and biomass are the traditional and natural energy sources. The present article highlights such sustainable emerging sources. Technological advancement in biogas energy, hydrogen from biogas and other sources, geothermal energy, and biomass have made significant technological advancement and emerging as alternative energy sources to which present scientific and governmental bodies are looking into it to curb the energy challenges.

Effect of Prosody of Rhythmic Yoga-Based Recitation on Positive and Negative Affect among Adolescents: A Four-Armed Comparative Study

Background: Adolescence is a critical period of maturation and immense emotional and behavioral changes. Yoga-based rhythmic recitations have been established to improve emotional personality features. Aim: The current four-arm comparative study attempted to appreciate the rhythmic recitations/prosody on Emotional personality among adolescents. Method: 138 adolescents (age 12.11 ± 0.76 years) satisfying inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited and randomly allocated into four groups i.e., Humming the recitation following a Chanda (HR), Chanting a mantra (CM), Reading an English phrase, and Silent sitting, based on sections of their respective grades. Group intervention was done for 5 minutes, 3 times a day, for 30 days. According to their allocated group was provided. Subjects were assessed with positive and negative Affect Schedules (PANAS) at baseline and post-intervention. Result: There was no difference in both domains of PANAS in within group analysis. However, the positive affect was statistically significant when compared between the groups (p>0.01). A post-hoc analysis revealed the superiority of the CM and HM groups in positive affect alone when compared with other two groups. Conclusion: There was no statistical difference between CM and HM groups in both domains of PANAS. A humming prosody and mantra chanting demonstrated a similar effect on the amelioration of a positive Emotional personality among adolescents.