“நாள் என்ன செய்யும் , கோள் என்ன செய்யும் ? … கோளறு திருப்பதிகம் படியுங்க…”

Kolaru thirupathigam
English and Tamil Lyrics
(The ten verses that remove all ills)
By Thirujnana Sambandar

 

 

Here is a remarkable prayer addressed to Shiva composed by Sambandar , one of great saivite saints who were called as Nayanmar. Once the Pandya country of Tamil Nadu was under the influence of Jains , with the king himself converting himself to jain religion. At that time the queen who was a saivite requested Sambandar and Thirunavukkarasar to visit their country and bring it back to saivism. At that time it seems both saints were in the holy place of Thirumaraikkadu(Vedaranyam). . Thirunavukkarasar was little worried to go because , it was at that time thought that the Jains were experts in evil magic. Then Sambandar sang this prayer, which essentially tells that neither the planets, nor the evil mantras nor the wild animals nor any other thing that can cause harm, can cause harm to the devotee of Lord Shiva. If this prayer is sung with devotion, it would definitely save us from anything that causes evil.
Kolaru Pathigam Benefits
Kolaru Pathigam (10 Tamil verses on Lord Siva to disarm the planets) composed by saint Thirugnaana Sambandar, can be recited mentally before proceeding to the exam hall. The above verses were composed when he was told that the time was inauspicious to proceed to challenge his adversaries in an intellectual-spiritual debate.
The blessed young saint said the planets would never affect the devotees of the Lord and sang the ten verses, for the benefit of his followers.
Here is the lyrics of Kolaru pathigam,

1.Veyurur tholi pangan, Vidam unda kandan, Miga nalla veenai thadavi,
Masaru thingal, gangai mudi mel aninthen, ulame pugundhu adhanal,
Jnayiru , thingal, chevvai , budhan , vyazhan Velli, sani , pambu irandum udane,
Aasaru nalla, nalla avai nalla , nalla adiyar avarkku migave.

Friend of the lady with Bamboo like shoulders , God having a neck affected by swallowing poison,
One who plays Veena faultlessly , One who wears the spotless moon and Ganga on his head,
Entered inside my mind and immediately made Sun, moon, mars , mercury , Jupiter , Venus Saturn and the two snakes,
Cut away desires and are good , they are good , and are very good to devotees of Shiva.

2.Enbodu kombaodamai ivai marbilanga, erutheri ezhai udane,
Pon pothi matha maalai punal choodi vanthen ulame pugundhu adanal,
Onbathodu ondrodu ezhu pathinettodu aarum udaya natkal avai tham,
Anbodu nalla nalla Avai nalla nalla adiyaar avarkku migave.

With his chest adorned with garland of bones, boar’s tusk and tortoise shell,
And also wearing garland of datura flowers with their golden pollen,
And decorating his head with the ganges river, he along with Parvathi comes riding on a bull
And he has entered my mind and stays there and so the inauspicious stars that are
Ninth, seventeenth, eighteenth and twenty fourth among the twenty seven,
Do only good and good with love , for they are good , good for the devotees of Shiva.

3.Uru valar pavala meni oli neeru aninthu, umayodum vellai vidai mel,
Murugalar kondrai thingal mudi mel aninthu yen, ulame pugundhu ,athanaal,
THirumagal kalaya thoorthi cheyya mathu bhoomi disai deivamana palavum,
Aruneri nalla nalla Avai nalla nalla adiyaar avarkku migave.

With his growing radiant coral like body wearing the shining holy ash.
Along with Goddess Parvathi on the white bull, wearing the golden kondrai * flowers
As well as the crescent on his head , he came and entered in to my mind and so ,
The Goddess Lakshmi , Kali , mother earth and the various Gods that god the directions,
Does only good and good with love , for they are good , good for the devotees of Shiva.
* Indian Laburnum

4.Mathi nuthal mangayodu vada aali runthu marai othum engal paraman,
Nathiyodu kondrai malai mudi mel anithu yen ulame pugundhu athanal,
Kothiyuru kalan angi namanodu doothar kodu noygal aana palavum,
Athiguna nalla nalla Avai nalla nalla adiyaar avarkku migave

With the lady with the crescent like forehead sitting below a banyan tree and teaching Vedas,
Our God wears on his head kondrai flowers along with the river and has entered in to my mind and so,
The very angry god of death along with his messengers and various great diseases,
Does only good and good with love , for they are good , good for the devotees of Shiva.

5.Nanju ani kandan yendhai madavaal thanodum , vidayeru thangal paraman,
THunji yarul vanni kondrai mudi mel aninthu , yen ulame pugandha adhanal,
Venchina avunarodum , urumudiyum minnum migayana bhootham avayum
Anjidum nalla nalla Avai nalla nalla adiyaar avarkku migave

With my father who decorates his neck with poison along with Parvathi riding on a bull,
Showing his grace and Wearing vanni* leaves and kondrai **flowers has entered in to my mind and so,
The angry asuras , roaring thunder, lightning and those ghosts that we are afraid,
Do only good and good with love , for they are good , good for the devotees of Shiva.
*Indian Mesquite **Indian Laburnum

6.Valari thala thadai vari kovanathar madavaal thanodum udanay,
Naanmalar vanni kondrai nadhi choodi vandhu en ulame pugundhu athanal,
Kolari uzhuvayodu kolai yanai kezhal kodu nagamodu karadi,
Alari nalla nalla Avai nalla nalla adiyaar avarkku migave

With Siva wearing a striped tigers skin and loin cloth, and along with Parvathi,
And wearing vanni leaves and kondari flowers has entered in to my mind and so,
Powerful deadly tigers , murderous elephants , boars, cobras , bears and lions,
Do only good and good with love , for they are good , good for the devotees of Shiva.

7.Cheppila mulai nan mangai oru bhagamaga vidai yeru chelvan adaivaar,
Oppilamathiyum appum mudi mel aninthen ulame pugantha athanaal,
Veppodu kulirum vadam migayana pithum , vinayana vandhu naliyaa,
Appadi nalla nalla Avai nalla nalla adiyaar avarkku migave

With the famous good young damsel occupying one side , he is the source of all wealth,
And keeping on his head , the incomparable moon as well as the river , he entered in to my mind,
And so fevers with chills , rheumatism, excess of bile which come and trouble ,
Do only good and good with love , for they are good , good for the devotees of Shiva.

8.Vel pada vizhi cheythanru vidai melirunthu madaval thanodum udanay,
Van mathi vanni konrai malar choodi vandhen ulame pugundhu adhanaal,
Ezhkadal choozh ilangai arayan thanodum idarana vandhu naliyaa,
Aazhkadal nalla nalla Avai nalla nalla adiyaar avarkku migave

With his angry eye he burnt Manmatha when he shot an arrow and along with Parvathi he rides the bull,
And wearing the crescent of the sky , Vanni leaves and Kondrai flowers , he entered in to my heart,
And so the king of Lanka which is surrounded by ebbing sea and other afflictions surrounding the sea,
Do only good and good with love , for they are good , good for the devotees of Shiva.

9.Pala pala vedamagum paranaari bhagan, vasuverum yengal paraman,
Chala magalodu erukku mudi mel aninthu yen ulame pugundhu adhannal,
Malar misayonum malum maraiyodu devar varukalamana palavum,
Alaikadal meru nalla nalla Avai nalla nalla adiyaar avarkku migave

With his ability to assume many forms, the consort of Parvathi who is our lord rides on a bull,
And wearing the erukku *flower on his head , he entered my heart,
And Lord Brahma, Vishnu , Vedas, devas and several things that are yet to come,
Do only good and good with love , for they are good , good for the devotees of Shiva.
*Calotropis gigantean

10.Kothaalar kuzhaviyodu visayar nalgu gunamaai veda vigithan,
Mathamum madhiya nagam mudi mel aninthen ulame pugundhu adhanal,
Putharodu amanavathil azhivirkkum annan thiruneeru chemmai thidame ,
Athagu nalla nalla Avai nalla nalla adiyaar avarkku migave

Along with the pretty lady wearing flowers , that varied God of Vedas went to give a boon to Arjuna,
And wearing datura flowers , moon and the serpent , he entered my heart,
And the sacred of ash of his will defeat the budhists and jains without any doubt and,
Do only good and good with love , for they are good , good for the devotees of Shiva.

11.Thenavar pozhi kola alai vilai chen nel , thunni valar chembon engum thigaza,
Naan mugan aadhiyaya biramapurathu marai Jnana Jnana munivan,
Thanuru kolu naalum adiyarai vandhu naliyatha vannam urai chei,
Aana chol maalai oodhum adiyargal vaanil arasalvr aanai namathe.

The saint Thirujnana Sambandar of Brahma puram , where Brahma is worshipped,
And which has honey bees, sugar cane , paddy in an abundant measure,
Is ordering that those devotes who read this garland of words ,
Would not suffer the ill effects caused by planets , stars and others and would rule the heavens

கோளறு திருப்பதிகம்

திருஞானசம்பந்தர், தமிழ்நாட்டில், சைவ சமயத்தவர்களால் நாயன்மார்கள் என அழைக்கப்படும் அறுபத்து மூவருள் முதலாக வைத்து எண்ணப்படும் நால்வருள் ஒருவராவார். இவர் கி.பி. ஏழாம் நூற்றாண்டில், சீர்காழி என்னும் ஊரில், பிராமணக் குடும்பத்திற் பிறந்தார். இவரது தந்தையார் சிவபாதவிருதயர், தாயார் இசைஞானியார்.
திருஞான சம்பந்தரும், திருநாவுக்கரசரும் பல சிவத்தலங்களுக்கும் ஒன்றாகவே சென்று பாடல்களால் இறைவனை அர்ச்சித்துள்ளனர். திருஞான சம்பந்தரும், திருநாவுக்கரசரும் திருமறைக்காடு (வேதாரண்யம்) என்கிற திருத்தலத்தில் இருந்தபோது மதுரையில் அரசாண்ட பாண்டிய மன்னன் சமணமதத்தில் பற்றுக் கொண்டிருந்தான். அவனுடைய மனைவி மங்கையர்க்கரசியோ சைவ மதத்தில் பற்றுக் கொண்டிருந்தார். பாண்டிய நாட்டில் சமண மதம் ஓங்குவதைத் தடுக்கும் பொருட்டு திருஞான சம்பந்தர் மதுரைக்கு எழுந்தருளி அங்கே சைவம் தழைக்க உதவ வேண்டும் என்கிற வேண்டுகோளுடன் அவருக்கு அழைப்பு விடுத்தார். அரசியாரின் அழைப்பினை மதுரை ஏவலர்கள் திருமறைக்காடு வந்து திருஞான சம்பந்தரிடம் தெரிவித்தனர். திருஞான சம்பந்தர் மதுரை செல்ல உடன்பட்டு திருநாவுக்கரசரிடம் விடைபெறச் சென்றார். திருநாவுக்கரசர், அந்தக் கணத்தில் கோள்களின் அமைப்பும் அன்றைய நாளும் தீமை பயக்கும் அறிகுறிகள் காட்டுவதாகக் கூறி சம்பந்தரின் பயணத்தை ஒத்திப்போடச் சொன்னார்.

“சிவனடியையே சிந்திக்கும் சிவனடியார்களை நாளும் கோளும் என்ன செய்து விடும்? அவை நன்மையே பயக்கும்” என்று கூறி பத்து பாடல்கள் பாடினார் திருஞான சம்பந்தர். அந்தப் பாடல்களின் தொகுப்பான பதிகமே (பத்து பாடல்களின் தொகுப்புக்குப் பதிகம் என்று பெயர்) கோளறு பதிகம் எனப் பெயர் பெற்றது. (பதிகப்பயனுடன் சேர்த்து மொத்தம் பதினொரு பாடல்கள்)

கிரகங்கள் அவற்றின் பெயர்ச்சிகள் என்கிற பெயரால் பல்வேறு நம்பிக்கைகளில் தம்மை இழக்கும் மக்கள், இந்தப் பதிகத்தைப் படித்தால் கோள்கள் எந்த நேரத்திலும் நன்மையே பயக்கும் என்பது சைவ சமயத்தாருக்கு ஞான சம்பந்தரால் சொல்லப்பட்டிருக்கும் செய்தி. இன்றும் ஏதாவது முக்கிய காரியமாகக் கிளம்பும் போதும், சகுனம் சரியில்லாத போதும், நல்லபடியாக முடிய வேண்டும் என்கிற வேண்டுகோளுடன் இந்தப் பதிகத்தை முழுதாகவோ முதல் பாடலை மட்டுமோ அவசரமாக முணுமுணுத்து விட்டுச் செல்லும் வழக்கம் பலரிடம் உண்டு. ஒவ்வொரு செவ்வாய் மற்றும் வெள்ளி கிழமைகளில் கோளறு பதிகத்தினை பாராயணம் செய்து வரவும்। (விக்கிப்பீடியாவில் இருந்து)
A 10-stanza poem from Thevaram by Thirugnanasambar to ward of
all planetary afflictions. Recite on all Tuesdays and Fridays.

“வேய் உறு தோளிபங்கன் விடமுண்ட கண்டன்
மிக நல்ல வீணை தடவி
மாசறு திங்கள் கங்கை முடிமேல் அணிந்து என்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
ஞாயிறு திங்கள் செவ்வாய் புதன் வியாழம் வெள்ளி
சனி பாம்பிரண்டு முடனே
ஆசறு நல்லநல்ல அவை நல்ல நல்ல
அடியாரவர்க்கு மிகவே.”

“என்பொடு கொம்பொடாமை இவை மார்பிலங்க
எருதேறி யேழை யுடனே
பொன்பொதி மத்தமாலை புனல்சூடி வந்தென்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
ஒன்பதொ டொன்றொடேழு பதினெட்டொ டாறும்
உடனாய நாள்க ளவைதாம்
அன்பொடு நல்லநல்ல அவைநல்ல நல்ல
அடியாரவர்க்கு மிகவே. ”

“உருவளர் பவளமேனி ஒளிநீ ற*ணிந்து
உமையோடும் வெள்ளை விடைமேல்
முருக*லர் கொன்றைதிங்கள் முடிமேல*ணிந்தென்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
திருமகள் கலையதூர்தி செயமாது பூமி
திசை தெய்வமான பலவும்
அருநெதி நல்லநல்ல அவை நல்லநல்ல
அடியாரவர்க்கு மிகவே. ”

“மதிநுதன் மங்கையோடு வடவா லிருந்து
மறையோது மெங்கள் பரமன்
நதியொடு கொன்றைமாலை முடிமேல் அணிந்தென்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
கொதியுறு காலன் அங்கி நமனோடு தூதர்
கொடுநோய்களான பலவும்
அதிகுணம் நல்லநல்ல அவை நல்லநல்ல
அடியாரவர்க்கு மிகவே.”

“நஞ்ச*ணி கண்டனெந்தை மடவாள் தனோடும்
விடையேறு நங்கள் பரமன்
துஞ்சிருள் வன்னி கொன்றை முடிமேல் அணிந்தென்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
வெஞ்சின அவுணரோடும் உருமிடியும் மின்னும்
மிகையான பூதமவையும்
அஞ்சிடும் நல்லநல்ல அவை நல்லநல்ல
அடியாரவர்க்கு மிகவே.”

“வாள்வரி அதளதாடை வரி கோவணத்தர்
மடவாள் தனோடும் உடனாய்
நாள்மலர் வன்னி கொன்றை நதிசூடி வந்தென்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
கோளரி உழுவையோடு கொலையானை கேழல்
கொடு நாகமோடு கரடி
ஆளரி நல்லநல்ல அவை நல்லநல்ல
அடியாரவர்க்கு மிகவே.”

“செப்பிள முலைநன்மங்கை ஒருபாகமாக
விடையேறு செல்வ னடைவார்
ஒப்பிள மதியும் அப்பும் முடிமேல் அணிந்தென்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
வெப்பொடு குளிரும் வாத மிகையான* பித்தும்
வினையான வந்து நலியா
அப்படி நல்லநல்ல அவை நல்லநல்ல
அடியாரவர்க்கு மிகவே.”

“வேள்பட விழிசெய்தென்று விடைமேலிருந்து
மடவாள் தனோடும் உடனாய்
வாள்மதி வன்னி கொன்றை மலர்சூடி வந்தென்
உளமே புகுந்த வதனால்
ஏழ்கடல் சூழிலங்கை அரையன் ற*னோடும்
இடரான வந்து நலியா
ஆழ்கடல் நல்லநல்ல அவை நல்லநல்ல
அடியாரவர்க்கு மிகவே.”

“பலபல வேடமாகும் பரனாரி பாகன்
பசுவேறும் எங்கள் பரமன்
சலமக ளோடெருக்கு முடிமேல் அணிந்தென்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
மலர்மிசை யோனுமாலும் மறையோடு தேவர்
வருகால மான பலவும்
அலைகடல் மேருநல்ல அவை நல்லநல்ல
அடியாரவர்க்கு மிகவே.”

“கொத்தலர் குழலியோடு விசையற்கு நல்கு
குணமாய வேட விகிர்தன்
மத்தமும் மதியும்நாக முடிமேல் அணிந்தென்
உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
புத்தரொ டமணைவாதில் அழிவிக்கும் அண்ணல்
திருநீறு செம்மை திடமே
அத்தகு நல்லநல்ல அவை நல்லநல்ல
அடியார*வர்க்கு மிகவே.”

“தேனமர் பொழில்கொள் ஆலை விளைசெந்நெல் துன்னி
வளர் செம்பொன் எங்கும் திகழ
நான்முகன் ஆதியாய பிரமா புரத்து
மறைஞான ஞான முனிவன்
தானுறு கோளும் நாளும் அடியாரை வந்து
நலியாத வண்ணம் உரைசெய்
ஆன சொல்மாலை யோதும் அடியார்கள் வானில்
அரசாள்வர் ஆணை நமதே.”

 

SOURCE:::: http://www.periva.proboards.com

Natarajan

Message For the Day…” Our Attitude to Life is akin to that of a Tamarind…”

Every being passes through the stages of birth, youth, old age and death. Childhood is spent in playing, youth in family life and old age in discharging responsibilities. One way or the other, there is mental suffering associated with each of these stages. Our attitude to life is akin to that of a tamarind. The tamarind is made up of three parts – the seed, the skin and the fruit. Similarly a human being has the gross body, the subtle body and the causal body. Suppose a raw, young tamarind is hit with a stone, the outer layer as well as the inner layer will be hurt. On the other hand, when a ripe tamarind is hit with a stone, only the outer skin breaks and the juice is available for consumption. The one with worldly associations is similar to a raw tamarind. Gradually, give up all desires, as the nature of desires is to multiply.

Sathya Sai Baba

” வாழ்வில் ஒருமுறை காசி யாத்திரை அவசியம் …”

காஞ்சிப்பெரியவர் 1932ல் ராமேஸ்வரம் வந்தார். கடலில் ஸ்நானம் செய்த அவர் சிறிதளவு மணலைச் சேகரித்துக் கொண்டார். அதை அலகாபாத்திலுள்ள பிரயாகை திரிவேணி சங்கமத்தில் சேர்ப்பிக்க வேண்டும் என்பது அவரது எண்ணம். அது மட்டுமல்ல! தீபாவளி கொண்டாடப்படும் அக்டோபர் மாதத்தில் காசிக்கு சென்று கங்கா ஸ்நானம் செய்யவும் அவர் முடிவெடுத்திருந்தார். இதற்காக, அவர் வாகனங்கள் எதுவும் ஏற்பாடு செய்யவில்லை. நடந்தே செல்ல திட்டமிட்டார். அப்போது பெரியவருக்கு வயது 39 தான்.

இந்த திட்டத்தை செயல்படுத்தும் பொறுப்பு, தென்காசியைச் சேர்ந்த அனந்த கிருஷ்ண சர்மாவிடம் ஒப்படைக்கப்பட்டது. அவர் முன்னதாகவே காசிக்கு நடந்தே புறப்பட்டார். எந்தெந்த ஊர்களில் பெரியவர் தங்கிச் செல்ல வேண்டும் என்பதை செல்லும் வழியில் குறித்துக் கொண்டார். அவ்வாறு அவர் நடந்து செல்ல ஆறு மாதங்கள் பிடித்தன.

அவர் திரும்பி வந்து பயணத்திட்டத்தை பெரியவரிடம் அளித்தார். பெரியவரும் சிஷ்யர்களும் 1933 செப்டம்பர் இரண்டாவது வாரத்தில் தஞ்சாவூரிலிருந்து பயணத்தைத் துவக்கினர். செல்லும் வழியில் இந்தியாவின் முக்கிய நகரங்களில் பெரியவர் தங்கினார். அங்கெல்லாம் ஏராளமான பக்தர்கள் வந்து ஆசி பெற்றனர். அனந்தசர்மா வேகமாகச் சென்று திரும்பியதால் ஆறுமாதங்கள் தான் பிடித்தன. ஆனால், மகாபெரியவர் பல ஊர்களில் தங்கியதால், பிரயாகையை அடைய 1934 ஜூலை 23ம் தேதி ஆகி விட்டது. அங்கு தான் கொண்டு சென்ற ராமேஸ்வரம் மணலை, திரிவேணி சங்கமத்தில் சேர்ப்பித்தார். அங்கேயே செப்டம்பர் மாதம் வரை தங்கி விட்டார். செப்டம்பர் இறுதியில் காசி கிளம்பினார்.

அவரிடம் பக்தர்கள்,””இப்போதே நீங்கள் வெகு தூரம் நடந்து வந்து விட்டீர்கள். இனியும் நடக்க வேண்டாம். சாலை வசதி நன்றாக இருக்கிறது. வாகனத்தில் வாருங்கள்,” என கோரிக்கை வைத்தனர். மகாபெரியவர் அதை ஏற்கவில்லை. தொடர்ந்து நடந்தே காசியாத்திரையைத் தொடர்ந்தார். பிரயாகையில் இருந்த பக்தர்கள் பலரும் அவருடன் சென்றனர். அக்டோபர் 3ம் தேதி காசி எல்லையை அடைந்த சுவாமிகளை காசி மகாராஜா உள்ளிட்டோர் பூர்ண கும்ப மரியாதையுடன் வரவேற்றனர்.

வரவேற்பு விழாவில் 25 ஆயிரத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்டோர் பங்கேற்றனர். அக்டோபர் 7ல் மகாபெரியவர் கங்கையிலுள்ள மணிகர்ணிகை உள்ளிட்ட தீர்த்தக்கட்டங்களில் தீர்த்தமாடினார். பண்டித மதன்மோகன் மாளவியாவின் அழைப்பை ஏற்று காசி இந்து சர்வகலாசாலையில் (பல்கலைக்கழகம்) உரையாற்றினார்.

ஒவ்வொரு இந்துவும் வாழ்வில் ஒரு முறையேனும் காசி யாத்திரை செய்ய வேண்டும் என வலியுறுத்தினார்.

நாமும் மகாபெரியவர் ஆசியுடன், அடுத்த தீபாவளிக்குள் ஒருமுறை காசி யாத்திரை சென்று திரும்புவோம்.

Rea d more: http://periva.proboards.com/thread/8187/#ixzz3H3oLJzUS

 

Source::::www.periva.proboards.com

Natarajan

” அவ்வையாரின் விநாயகர் அகவல் …”

 

Avaiyar (meaning a very Old mother) was one of the very great women poets of ancient Tamil Nadu.(In telugu even today mother is called Avva) Apart from being a great poet, she played a very great role in the politics of those days, by making the great kings obey her.There are many references to her being a great Devotee of Lord Subrahmanya. Her well known work is AthiChoodi, which was written foer easy learning by Tamil Children. It is interesting to note that even today, Athichoodi shows the simple path to live well, for all children. Vinayagar Agaval is another one of her great works. Agaval means blank poetry and it is a song addressed to Lord Ganapathy . He is addressed as Vinayagar (he who removes obstacles) or Pillayar in Tamil. This prayer is an extremely popular one in Tamil Nadu. It clearly brings out the mastery of Avvaiyar in the Yoga, thathric practices and Saivism, possibly derived from the contribution of Sidhas in Tamil Nadu and the Tamil Nadu Saivism

SOURCE::::www.periva.proboards.com and You Tube

Natarajan

 

Top 10 Healing Herbs….

10 Best Healing Herbs

Science shows these herbal power-healers can help ease pain, prevent Alzheimer’s, and ward off cancer and heart disease

10 Best Healing Herbs

Your arsenal of home remedies is about to get a lot spicier with these best healing herbs. Though herbs have been used for hundreds of years to heal, scientists are finally starting to substantiate these plants’ abilities to alleviate arthritis pain, reduce high blood sugar and cholesterol, and help with many other conditions. They’re even discovering amazing new powers in the best healing herbs, such as the ability to kill cancer cells and help problem drinkers curb their alcohol intake.

“Herbs and other natural remedies can be as effective as traditional treatments, often without the same negative side effects,” says Roberta Lee, MD, medical director of the Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.

Here are 10 superhealers you’ll want to add to the all-natural section of your medicine cabinet—and even to your favorite recipes. Folding one or two of them into your cooking every day can yield big benefits.

Turmeric: Ease arthritis
A heaping helping of curry could relieve your pain. That’s because turmeric, a spice used in curry, contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory that works similarly to Cox-2 inhibitors, drugs that reduce the Cox-2 enzyme that causes the pain and swelling of arthritis, says Lee.

It might also: Prevent colon cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. According to a small  clinical trial conducted by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, curcumin can help shrink precancerous lesions known as colon polyps, when taken with a small amount of quercetin, a powerful antioxidant found in onions, apples, and cabbage. The average number of polyps dropped more than 60% and those that remained shrank by more than 50%. In a 2006 study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers at UCLA also found that curcumin helps clear the brain of the plaques that are characteristic of the disease.

Maximize the benefits: For general health, Lee recommends adding the spice to your cooking whenever possible. For a therapeutic dose, James A. Duke, PhD, author of The Green Pharmacy, suggests 400 mg of curcumin extract three times daily, right in line with what subjects in the colon polyp study took (480 mg of curcumin and 20 mg of quercetin, three times a day).

 

Cinnamon: Lower blood sugar
In a recent German study of type 2 diabetics, taking cinnamon extract daily successfully reduced blood sugar by about 10%.

It might also: Lower cholesterol. Cinnamon packs a one-two punch for people with type 2 diabetes by reducing related heart risks. In another study of diabetics, it slashed cholesterol by 13% and triglycerides by 23%.

Maximize the benefits: To tame blood sugar, study subjects took 1 g capsules of standardized cinnamon extract daily, while those in the cholesterol study took 1 to 6 g. But keep in mind that a large amount of the actual spice can be dangerous, so stick with a water-soluble extract. Terry Graedon, PhD, coauthor with her husband, Joe, of Best Choices from the People’s Pharmacy, recommends the brandCinnulin PF.

 

Rosemary: Avoid carcinogens
Frying, broiling, or grilling meats at high temperatures creates HCAs (heterocyclic amines), potent carcinogens implicated in several cancers. But HCA levels are significantly reduced when rosemary extract (a common powder) is mixed into beef before cooking, say Kansas State University researchers. “Rosemary contains carnosol and rosemarinic acid, two powerful antioxidants that destroy the HCAs,” explains lead researcher J. Scott Smith, PhD.

It might also: Stop tumors. Rosemary extract helps prevent carcinogens that enter the body from binding with DNA, the first step in tumor formation, according to several animal studies. When researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign fed rosemary extract to rats exposed to dimethylbenzanthracene, a carcinogen that causes breast cancer, both DNA damage and tumors decreased. “Human research needs to be done,” says study author Keith W. Singletary, PhD. “But rosemary has shown a lot of cancer-protective potential.”

Maximize the benefits: To reduce HCAs, Smith recommends marinating foods in any supermarket spice mix that contains rosemary as well as one or more of the spices thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, or parsley.

 

Ginger: Avert nausea
Ginger can prevent stomach upset from many sources, including pregnancy, motion sickness, andchemotherapy. “This is one of Mom’s remedies that really works,” says Suzanna M. Zick, ND, MPH, a research investigator at the University of Michigan. A powerful antioxidant, ginger works by blocking the effects of serotonin, a chemical produced by both the brain and stomach when you’re nauseated, and by stopping the production of free radicals, another cause of upset in your stomach. In one study of cruise ship passengers traveling on rough seas, 500 mg of ginger every 4 hours was as effective as Dramamine, the commonly used OTC motion-sickness medication. In another study, where subjects took 940 mg, it was even more effective than the drug.

MORE: The Smoothie Cure For Gas And Bloating

It might also: Decrease your blood pressure, arthritis pain, and cancer risk. Ginger helps regulate blood flow, which may lower blood pressure, says Zick, and its anti-inflammatory properties might help ease arthritis. Ginger extract had a significant effect on reducing pain in all 124 patients withosteoarthritis of the knee, in a study conducted at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Miami. Those same anti-inflammatory powers help powdered ginger kill ovarian cancer cells as well as—or better than—traditional chemotherapy, at least in the test tube, found a study by the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Although further testing is needed, Zick and the study’s authors are excited about its prospects: “Our preliminary results indicate that ginger may have significant therapeutic benefit for ovarian cancer patients.”

Maximize the benefits: For nausea, ginger is best taken before symptoms start, at least 30 minutes before departure, say the Graedons. They recommend capsules containing 500 to 1,000 mg of dried ginger every four hours, up to a maximum of 4g daily.

 

Holy Basil: Combat stress
Several animal studies back holy basil, a special variety of the plant you use in your pesto sauce, as effective at reducing stress by increasing adrenaline and noradrenaline and decreasing serotonin. This is no surprise to Pratima Nangia-Makker, PhD, a researcher at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, whose mother and grandmother relied on a tea made from the leaves of holy basil to relieve indigestion and headaches.

It might also: Inhibit breast cancerFirst in test tubes and then in mice, a tea made of holy basil shrunk tumors, reduced their blood supply, and stopped their spread, found Nangia-Makker, who plans to study the effects in humans.

Maximize the benefits: For stress relief, try holy basil extract from New Chapter or Om Organics, widely available in health food stores. To aid in breast cancer treatment, Nangia-Makker advises drinking this tea daily: Pour 2 cups boiling water over 10 to 15 fresh holy basil leaves (other varieties of basil won’t work) and steep 5 minutes. Remove the leaves before consuming. If you are being treated for breast cancer, be sure to check with your doctor. You’re unlikely to find the plants at your local nursery, but you can order them and organic holy basil seeds from Horizon Herbs.

 

St. John’s Wort: Soothe your worries
You probably know that research has confirmed this herb’s power to relieve mild to moderate depression and anxiety as effectively as many drugs—without a lot of the side effects.

It might also: Help you snooze more soundly. St. John’s wort not only contains melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep-wake cycles, but it also increases the body’s own melatonin, improving sleep, says a report from the Surgeon General. (These 20 ways to sleep better every nightcan also help.)

Maximize the benefits: For both mood and sleep problems, author Duke recommends a supplement containing at least 0.3% hypericin (the active phytochemical) per capsule or 300 mg of the extract to be taken three times daily. Warning: St. John’s wort has been shown to interact with several prescription medications, so be sure to check with your doctor before taking it.

 

Garlic: Lower cancer risk
High consumption of garlic lowered rates of ovarian, colorectal, and other cancers, says a research review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A Japanese clinical trial also found that after a year of taking aged garlic extract supplements, people with a history of colon polyps saw a reduction in the size and number of the precancerous growths detected by their doctors.

It might also: Provide cardiovascular benefits. Garlic contains more than 70 active phytochemicals, including allicin, which many studies have shown decreases high blood pressure by as much as 30 points. Garlic may help prevent strokes as well by slowing arterial blockages, according to a yearlong clinical study at UCLA. In addition, patients’ levels of homocysteine, a chemical that leads to plaque buildup, dropped by 12%.

Maximize the benefits: Crushed fresh garlic offers the best cardiovascular and cancer-fighting benefits, says Duke. But you’ll need to down up to five cloves each day. Try Kyolic aged garlic extract capsules (1,000 mg), the product used in many of the studies.

SOURCE::::http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/natural-remedies/best-healing-herbs

Natarajan

Why an Apple a Day Keeps You Away From Your Doctor !!!

Why Are Apples So Healthy?

We all know that old saying: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
But have you ever wondered why that is? How one apple a day can bring about significant health benefits? If you have, then you’ll be glad to read this article. From strengthening the immune system, through preventing cancerous growths and to losing weight, say hello to your one apple a day!
 
How do apples do what they do?
An important research published in 2008 by the German cancer research center, showed that apples offer a significant health advantage. When comparing between a group that had less than one apple per day and a group that had one or more apples a day, the latter was found to have less risk of mouth cancer, larynx cancer, breast cancer, intestinal cancer, kidney cancer and ovarian cancer.
These findings support a new research performed at Cornell university, showing that the peel of the apple has strong anti-oxidant properties, a powerful block against the influences of breast cancer cells. Researchers found that the higher the concentraion of apples, the lower the concentration of cancerous cells.
Cancerous growths are uncontrollable growths of cells independently spreading through the body. The growths are based on three principal levels: The first stage causes mutations in cell DNA. The second, when the growth becomes malignant and grows faster, and finally when it metastases and spreads throughout the body.
In the case of a cancerous growth, apples aren’t only used as anti-oxidants, but also improve the function of the immune system, which helps clean out the growths at the early stages.
In addition to boosting the immune system and fighting cancerous growths, apples also help control the levels of cholesterol and sugars in the blood, prevent heart disease and improve mouth hygiene. The fact that they contain more than 80% water and a long line of essential vitamins, makes them one of the healthiest foods available.
The secret is in the nutritional fibers
 
Apples are considered a vital source of nutritional fibers. Eating one apple a day (with peel) can award us about 4.4 grams of nutritional fibers, which is 1/5 of our entire day’s recommended amount.
Nutritional fibers are materials found in foods that come from plants, and have a very important role in stimulating the digestive system and encouraging its function. Since they are not digested and taken apart in the body, they sate our hunger for a longer period of time. Extensive research has shown that those that do not get their daily recommended amount (at least 25 grams a day), deny themselves a host of health benefits. In addition, the researchers found that consuming these fibers is quite the effective method of losing weight.
The secret is in the chewing. Drinking apple juice will not bring about the same health benefits. We’d be happy to receive the essential sugars and vitamins, but we would not get the fibers.
A research conducted in China found that chewing can help the body regulate the amount of calories it absorbs from food.
What does this have to do with apples?
Everything. Apples are a terrific source of nutritional fibers, especially a group of fibers called Pectin. This is a group of complex carbohydrates that regulate our bowels, improve good cholesterol rates and is a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial.
Researchers from UCLA have shown that consuming pectin instead of regular fibers, doubles the time it takes the stomach to empty from one hour to two. Meaning that we don’t feel hungry for a longer time. In fact, a recent research paper entitled: “Weight Loss Associated with a Daily Intake of Three Apples or Three Pears among Overweight Women”, shows that women suffering from overweight and were instructed to eat an apple or pear before each meal, lost significant weight, just for doing so. The women in the experiment were asked to eat regularly and just add the apple before the meal. What happened was that the apples and fibers crowded the stomach, increased the feeling of being full, and made the body absorb less calories.
Other sources of nutritional fibers are: Pears, Peaches, peas, carrots, seeds, nuts, peel of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, oats and whole wheat. But apples offer many more advantages.
So if you want to:
Lose weight, eat one apple a day.
Strengthen your immune system, eat one apple a day.
Control the level of cholesterol, eat one apple a day.
Prevent the spread of cancerous cells, eat one apple a day.
And if you want to keep the doctor away – EAT ONE APPLE A DAY!  
SOURCE::::: ba-ba mail site
Natarajan

” A Blessing is Something Money can Never Buy …”

 

Diwali is round the corner. While most people, staying away from their parents, have already planned a trip back home, there are a few who can’t. Maybe it’s work, maybe it’s studies or maybe it’s the distance.

This video beautifully captures the emotional journey of an abrupt decision to spend the festive days with your close ones. Because having a place to go is home, having someone to love is family & having both is a blessing.

And that blessing is something money can never buy.

SOURCE::::  Storypick and youtube

Natarajan

Message For the Day…” GOD Resides in your Heart and Listens to All Your Prayers…”

You may undertake any number of spiritual practices, but never forget God’s name even for a moment. Never do anything that will take you away from God. You can achieve anything through prayer. You need not pray loudly; it is enough if you pray mentally. God resides in your heart and listens to all your prayers. If you aspire to attain His grace, contemplate on Him incessantly. Worldly difficulties come and go. Do not attach much importance to them. Through prayer one can overcome any difficulty. Only God’s grace is true and everlasting, strive to attain it. Chant the name of God day in and day out. That alone will protect you at all times. Just as air is all pervasive, God is present in you, with you, around you, below you, above you. Hence be in constant communion with Him. When you develop faith in Divinity, you will naturally have unity. Consequently, there will be no scope for enmity.  

Sathya Sai Baba

This Artist Sees 10 Times More Colors Than a Normal Person …

san diego artist concetta anticoConcetta AnticoTo tetrachromatic artist Concetta Antico, the world is “like a mosaic of color.”

When Concetta Antico looks at a leaf, she sees much more than just green. “Around the edge I’ll see orange or red or purple in the shadow you might see dark green but I’ll see violet, turquoise, blue,” she said. “It’s like a mosaic of color.”

Antico doesn’t just perceive these colors because she’s an artist who paints in the impressionist style. She’s also a tetrachromat, which means that she has more receptors in her eyes to absorb color. The difference lies in Antico’s cones, structures in the eyes that are calibrated to absorb particular wavelengths of light and transmit them to the brain. The average person has three cones, which enables him to see about one million colors. But Antico has four cones, so her eyes are capable of picking up dimensions and nuances of color — an estimated 100 million of them — that the average person cannot.”It’s shocking to me how little color people are seeing,” she said.

“You might see dark green but I’ll see violet, turquoise, blue. It’s like a mosaic of color.”

Although tetrachromats have more receptors in their eyes, their brains are wired the same way as a person with normal vision. So how can a brain like Antico’s change to see more colors? Like anything else, practice makes perfect, even when it comes to neural pathways.

For years, researchers weren’t sure tetrachromacy existed. If it did, they stipulated, it could only be found in women. This is because of the genes behind color vision. People who have regular color vision have three cones, tuned to the wavelengths of red, green, and blue. These are connected to the X chromosome — men have one, but women have two. Mutations in the X chromosome cause a person to perceive more or less color, which is why men more commonly have congenital colorblindness than women (if their one X chromosome has a mutation). But the theory stood that if a woman received two mutated X chromosomes, she could have four cones instead of the usual three.

This is the case with Antico; researchers confirmed that she is a tetrachromat in 2012. One percent of the world’s population is thought to be tetrachromatic, but it’s not easy to demonstrate empirically. “The difference between [the color dimensions perceived by] a tetrachromat and someone with normal vision is not as dramatic as the difference between someone who is colorblind and someone with normal vision,” according to Kimberly Jameson, a cognitive scientist at the Institute for Mathematical Behavioral Sciences at the University of California in Irvine. She and her colleague Alissa Winkler at the University of Nevada in Reno have been studying Antico for about a year to better understand tetrachromacy. The differences in color perception are hard to detect because they’re small, Jameson said, but the tests that are currently used are not designed for more than three pigments–red, green and blue.

Based on Antico’s genes, Jameson has determined that Antico’s fourth cone absorbs wavelengths that are “reddish-orangey-yellow, but what it appears to Concetta is uncertain at the moment,” she added. Since the tests aren’t calibrated for this wavelength, empirically demonstrating tetrachromacy is still really difficult.

rainbow gully mission hills sdConcetta Antico“Rainbow Gully, Mission Hills, SD”

Jameson and Winkler are on the hunt for more tetrachromats in order to better understand how their brains work. Jameson became fascinated with how people are able to form and communicate concepts, especially when the way they perceive the world can vary so widely. “If you have an extra cone class in the retina, that greatly complicates how that signal might be taking shape as it leaves the retina. We want to understand how that’s happening,” she said. This likely has to do with how the brain wires itself when it receives certain signals frequently over time — a concept called neuroplasticity. Lots of studies about neuroplasticity in animals and some in humans have shown that two individuals with the same capacity for visual perception can have drastically different vision later in life just based on what they were exposed to early on. Researchers still aren’t totally sure why this is the case. “One possibility is that the system learns how to use these signals — the wiring creates the proper code so they can be used in the cortex,” Jameson said.

So even though many more tetrachromats may exist in the world, they may not have exceptional color perception, because they haven’t trained their brains to pay attention. Antico, in this case, presents a rare exception. “I was different than a regular 5-year-old — I was painting at age 7, I was so fascinated with color,” she said. For years, she was exposed to exceptional color, so her brain became wired to take advantage of her tetrachromacy.

the cats meowConcetta Antico“The Cat’s Meow”

Antico has a personal stake in the continued research of tetrachromacy. Five years ago, when Antico’s daughter was 7 years old, the family learned that she was colorblind. “I didn’t think it had anything to do with me, but she’s colorblind because of me. I have a mutation,” Antico said. The more she helps scientists understand tetrachromacy, she figures, the better they will be able to help people like her daughter. “If we understand genetic potential for tetrachromacy and how their perception differs, we can understand quite a lot about visual processing of color that we currently don’t understand,” Jameson agreed.

But Antico may have stumbled upon a different way to help those who are color deficient. She is a professional artist who has been teaching painting for over 20 years, and she has a number of students who are colorblind. “One of the things that has been made apparent by looking at their artwork is that they have a good appreciation for color, unlike any other individual who I’ve ever seen that is color deficient,” Jameson said. “It’s very possible that by being tuned in from a very early age to color differences, [Antico] may have acquired some understanding and articulation for how to help them do that.” This hypothesis still needs to be proven empirically, of course, but Jameson is intrigued by the prospect of improving people’s perception of color through the training that neuroplasticity allows.

In addition to spending her time helping researchers better understand tetrachromacy, Antico hopes to open an art school for the colorblind and create an online platform for people around the world to discover if they are tetrachromatic. “I want to be sure before I die that I’m able to define tetrochromatism,” she said. “There have to be more tetrachromats out there. Maybe I can lead the way for that.”

This article originally appeared on Popular Science

SOURCE:::: http://www.popsci..com

Natarajan

Read more: http://www.popsci.com/article/science/woman-sees-100-times-more-colors-average-person#ixzz3GTmS4g5a