real estate consultancy..
... an advisor; a site location consultant; a site selection consultant. Real estate consultants usually work for buyers. It's a conflict of interest, if not illegal, for anyone to act as a paid representative of a buyer and seller at the same time.
Monday, November 20, 2006
What is real estate ?
Real estate or immovable property is a legal term (in some jurisdictions) that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. Real estate (immovable property) is often considered synonymous with real property (also sometimes called realty), in contrast with personal property (also sometimes called chattel or personalty). However, for technical purposes, some people prefer to distinguish real estate, referring to the land and fixtures themselves, from real property, referring to ownership rights over real estate. The terms real estate and real property are used primarily in common law, while civil law jurisdictions refer instead to immovable property.
In recent years, many economists have recognized that the lack of effective real estate laws can be a significant barrier to investment in many developing countries. In most societies, rich or poor, a significant fraction of the total wealth is in the form of land and buildings. In most advanced economies, the main source of capital used by individuals and small companies to purchase and improve land and buildings is mortgages -- bank loans for which the real property itself constitutes collateral.
In recent years, many economists have recognized that the lack of effective real estate laws can be a significant barrier to investment in many developing countries. In most societies, rich or poor, a significant fraction of the total wealth is in the form of land and buildings. In most advanced economies, the main source of capital used by individuals and small companies to purchase and improve land and buildings is mortgages -- bank loans for which the real property itself constitutes collateral.
What is MNC ?
A multinational corporation (MNC) or multinational enterprise (MNE) or transnational corporation (TNC) is one that spans multiple nations; these corporations are often very large. Such companies have offices, factories or branch plants in different countries. They usually have a centralised head office where they coordinate global management.
what is curriculum vitae ?
A special type of resume traditionally used within the academic community. Earned degrees, teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, and related activities are featured. Unlike a resume, a CV tends to be longer and more informational than promotional in tone.
What is biotechnology?
What is biotechnology?
Using living things to create products or to do tasks for human beings is a general description of biotechnology.
'Biotechnology' is the practice of using plants, animals and micro-organisms such as bacteria, as well as biological processes - such as the ripening of fruit or the bacteria that break down compost - to some benefit.
For example, in industry, medicine and agriculture, biotechnology is used to produce foods, medicines, test for diseases and remove waste.
It can also be used to solve problems and conduct research. Over time biotechnology has formed the basis of learning about people and diseases. Biotechnology has also underpinned the development of treatments.
Using living things to create products or to do tasks for human beings is a general description of biotechnology.
'Biotechnology' is the practice of using plants, animals and micro-organisms such as bacteria, as well as biological processes - such as the ripening of fruit or the bacteria that break down compost - to some benefit.
For example, in industry, medicine and agriculture, biotechnology is used to produce foods, medicines, test for diseases and remove waste.
It can also be used to solve problems and conduct research. Over time biotechnology has formed the basis of learning about people and diseases. Biotechnology has also underpinned the development of treatments.
What is BPO ?
BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (BPO) / IT ENABLED SERVICES (ITES)
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is the delegation of one or more IT-intensive business processes to an external provider that in turn owns, administers and manages the selected process based on defined and measurable performance criteria. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is one of the fastest growing segments of the Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) industry.
Few of the motivation factors as to why BPO is gaining ground are:
# Factor Cost Advantage
# Economy of Scale
# Business Risk Mitigation
# Superior Competency
# Utilization Improvement
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is the delegation of one or more IT-intensive business processes to an external provider that in turn owns, administers and manages the selected process based on defined and measurable performance criteria. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is one of the fastest growing segments of the Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) industry.
Few of the motivation factors as to why BPO is gaining ground are:
# Factor Cost Advantage
# Economy of Scale
# Business Risk Mitigation
# Superior Competency
# Utilization Improvement
What is call center ?
A functional area within an organization or an outsourced, separate facility that exists solely to answer inbound or place outbound telephone calls; usually a sophisticated voice operations center that provides a full range of high-volume, inbound or outbound call-handling services, including customer support, operator services, directory assistance, multilingual customer support, credit services, card services, inbound and outbound telemarketing, interactive voice response and web-based ...
What is a Career?
What is a Career?
A career is the sum total of paid and unpaid work, learning and life roles you undertake throughout your life.
The term 'career' was traditionally associated with paid employment and referred to a single occupation. In today's world of work the term 'career' is seen as a continuous process of learning and development. Contributions to a career can include:
* Work experience
* Community involvement
* Employment
* Life roles
* Enterprise activities
* Cultural activities
* Training
* Education
* Interests
* Sport
* Volunteer work.
A career is the sum total of paid and unpaid work, learning and life roles you undertake throughout your life.
The term 'career' was traditionally associated with paid employment and referred to a single occupation. In today's world of work the term 'career' is seen as a continuous process of learning and development. Contributions to a career can include:
* Work experience
* Community involvement
* Employment
* Life roles
* Enterprise activities
* Cultural activities
* Training
* Education
* Interests
* Sport
* Volunteer work.
What is career planning?
What is career planning?
Career planning is an exciting process of finding your ideal career, based upon your intrinsic interests, motivational traits, personal work style, personality, values, skills, and aptitudes.
You can easily have years go by without exploring your potential for success. Surveys typically indicate that a large percentage of people do not enjoy their work. Students often decide upon a major without fully exploring the most rewarding options. Studies show people who are working in a career that supports their intrinsic interests are happier, and more successful and fulfilled.
Whether a first career or a career change, millions of people are using career planning to find their ideal career.
Assessment and Testing:
The first step in an optimal career planning solution involves using different types of Career Assessment Inventories, also known as Tests, to help you gain a better understanding of your career interests, motivational traits, personal work style, personality, values, skills, and aptitudes. Each Inventory is designed to provide you with appropriate information and feedback to help ensure that you will land in your ideal career:
* Discover your career-related interests and abilities
* Identify occupations that match your interests, competencies, and personality
* Identify matching fields of study
* Identify your communications and leadership style
* Determine how you work best to draw out your creativity and productivity
* Understand how you adjust to circumstances, people, and demands in your work environment, and whether these adjustments result in stress or satisfaction
* Clarify and prioritize your career-related values
* Determine transferable skills and accomplishments
Occupational Investigation:
The next step is gathering information about the new occupational options suggested by the results of your Assessment Inventories/Tests, including:
* Job Descriptions
* Working Environment and Conditions
* Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement Opportunities
* Employment Trends
* Future Job Outlook
* Compensation
* Related Occupations
Decision Making:
Decision making is the next step to "fine tune" your list of options based upon the results of your Assessment Inventories/Tests:
* Applying essential decision-making steps and tools
* Asking yourself key decision-making questions
* Developing a plan
* Conducting Informational Interviews or Job Shadowing
Career planning is an exciting process of finding your ideal career, based upon your intrinsic interests, motivational traits, personal work style, personality, values, skills, and aptitudes.
You can easily have years go by without exploring your potential for success. Surveys typically indicate that a large percentage of people do not enjoy their work. Students often decide upon a major without fully exploring the most rewarding options. Studies show people who are working in a career that supports their intrinsic interests are happier, and more successful and fulfilled.
Whether a first career or a career change, millions of people are using career planning to find their ideal career.
Assessment and Testing:
The first step in an optimal career planning solution involves using different types of Career Assessment Inventories, also known as Tests, to help you gain a better understanding of your career interests, motivational traits, personal work style, personality, values, skills, and aptitudes. Each Inventory is designed to provide you with appropriate information and feedback to help ensure that you will land in your ideal career:
* Discover your career-related interests and abilities
* Identify occupations that match your interests, competencies, and personality
* Identify matching fields of study
* Identify your communications and leadership style
* Determine how you work best to draw out your creativity and productivity
* Understand how you adjust to circumstances, people, and demands in your work environment, and whether these adjustments result in stress or satisfaction
* Clarify and prioritize your career-related values
* Determine transferable skills and accomplishments
Occupational Investigation:
The next step is gathering information about the new occupational options suggested by the results of your Assessment Inventories/Tests, including:
* Job Descriptions
* Working Environment and Conditions
* Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement Opportunities
* Employment Trends
* Future Job Outlook
* Compensation
* Related Occupations
Decision Making:
Decision making is the next step to "fine tune" your list of options based upon the results of your Assessment Inventories/Tests:
* Applying essential decision-making steps and tools
* Asking yourself key decision-making questions
* Developing a plan
* Conducting Informational Interviews or Job Shadowing
What's Career and Technical Education?
Career and technical education is about helping students, workers and lifelong learners of all ages fulfill their working potential. First and foremost it's about high school and college education that provides students with:
* Academic subject matter taught with relevance to the real world, often called contextual learning.
* Employability skills, from job-related skills to workplace ethics.
* Education pathways that help students explore interests and careers in the process of progressing through school.
But career and technical education is also about:
* Second-chance education and training for the unemployed and those seeking to upgrade their employability skills.
* Education to earn additional degrees, especially when related to career advancement.
* Corporate training, continuing education, skills upgrades and refresher courses for those already in the workplace.
* Academic subject matter taught with relevance to the real world, often called contextual learning.
* Employability skills, from job-related skills to workplace ethics.
* Education pathways that help students explore interests and careers in the process of progressing through school.
But career and technical education is also about:
* Second-chance education and training for the unemployed and those seeking to upgrade their employability skills.
* Education to earn additional degrees, especially when related to career advancement.
* Corporate training, continuing education, skills upgrades and refresher courses for those already in the workplace.
What is Career Guidance?
What is Career Guidance?
The below definition has been accepted by the ICG after it was used in international reviews conducted by the OECD, the European Commission and the World Bank
'Career guidance refers to services and activities intended to assist individuals of any age and at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers. Such services may be found in schools, universities and colleges, in training institutions, in public employment services, in the workplace, in the voluntary or community sector and in the private sector. The activities may take place on an individual or group basis and may be face-face or at a distance (including help lines and web based services). They include career information provision (in print, ICT-based and other forms), assessment and self-assessment tools, counselling interviews, career education programmes (to help individuals develop their self awareness, opportunity awareness, and career management skills), taster programmes (to sample options before choosing them), work search programmes, and transition services.'
The below definition has been accepted by the ICG after it was used in international reviews conducted by the OECD, the European Commission and the World Bank
'Career guidance refers to services and activities intended to assist individuals of any age and at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers. Such services may be found in schools, universities and colleges, in training institutions, in public employment services, in the workplace, in the voluntary or community sector and in the private sector. The activities may take place on an individual or group basis and may be face-face or at a distance (including help lines and web based services). They include career information provision (in print, ICT-based and other forms), assessment and self-assessment tools, counselling interviews, career education programmes (to help individuals develop their self awareness, opportunity awareness, and career management skills), taster programmes (to sample options before choosing them), work search programmes, and transition services.'
What is Career development ?
Career development is an organized approach used to match employee goals with the business needs of the agency in support of workforce development initiatives. In this process:
The purpose of career development is to:
*
Enhance each employee's current job performance.
*
Enable individuals to take advantage of future job opportunities.
*
Fulfill agencies' goals for a dynamic and effective workforce.
Who's Responsible For It?
*
Managers are responsible for linking the organization's needs to employee career goals, and can assist employees in the career planning process.
*
Human Resources is responsible for designing career paths and employee development programs that help employees reach their goals.
*
Each employee is responsible for planning and managing his/her career.
The purpose of career development is to:
*
Enhance each employee's current job performance.
*
Enable individuals to take advantage of future job opportunities.
*
Fulfill agencies' goals for a dynamic and effective workforce.
Who's Responsible For It?
*
Managers are responsible for linking the organization's needs to employee career goals, and can assist employees in the career planning process.
*
Human Resources is responsible for designing career paths and employee development programs that help employees reach their goals.
*
Each employee is responsible for planning and managing his/her career.
What is Career Counseling?
What is Career Counseling?If you're in a rut and are not sure of what to do for a living, perhaps career counseling may be in order. By investing in a career counseling session, you'll be able to learn which professions might be suitable and hopefully more interesting to you. There's nothing worse than working at a job you don't enjoy. Visiting a career counselor is a positive step towards job satisfaction.
Those who partake in career counseling sessions will first have to take an aptitude test to see which profession is right for them. They may be surprised to learn that their original career plan doesn't suit them at all. In fact, many who choose career counseling end up employed in a field that is the exact opposite of what they originally had in mind.
There's more to career counseling than placement tests, however. Career counselors critique resumes, suggest the best and most efficient methods of searching for employment, help strengthen negotiation skills, assist in getting better salary and promotion packages and generally steer you in the right direction. Since they have a reputation to protect, it's in their best interest to have a high customer satisfaction rate.
Teenagers who participate in career counseling classes and workshops benefit the most. Not only will they learn which careers they are most suited for, but they will also learn which jobs pay the most and even which companies to avoid. Through career counseling they will learn about trends in different industries as well as projected future trends. Students who are happy with their suggested career choices, and the required courses for that career, tend to do better in high school and college.
Society as a whole benefits when people are happy in their careers. Stress due to unhappiness in the workplace dissipates as do incidents of domestic violence. Happy workers are also productive workers. Many business leaders now send promising employees to receive career counseling to determine where they would be the happiest, and subsequently do the most good, within their companies.
Career Counseling can benefit the economy as well. Those who are happy with their jobs are less likely to become unemployed. This means there's a lower turnover rate among businesses that encourage career counseling for their employees.
If you're not happy at your present place of employment, but aren't sure of what it is you'd like to do, you might consider career counseling. Chances are, you'll leave the session with a new, positive outlook.
Those who partake in career counseling sessions will first have to take an aptitude test to see which profession is right for them. They may be surprised to learn that their original career plan doesn't suit them at all. In fact, many who choose career counseling end up employed in a field that is the exact opposite of what they originally had in mind.
There's more to career counseling than placement tests, however. Career counselors critique resumes, suggest the best and most efficient methods of searching for employment, help strengthen negotiation skills, assist in getting better salary and promotion packages and generally steer you in the right direction. Since they have a reputation to protect, it's in their best interest to have a high customer satisfaction rate.
Teenagers who participate in career counseling classes and workshops benefit the most. Not only will they learn which careers they are most suited for, but they will also learn which jobs pay the most and even which companies to avoid. Through career counseling they will learn about trends in different industries as well as projected future trends. Students who are happy with their suggested career choices, and the required courses for that career, tend to do better in high school and college.
Society as a whole benefits when people are happy in their careers. Stress due to unhappiness in the workplace dissipates as do incidents of domestic violence. Happy workers are also productive workers. Many business leaders now send promising employees to receive career counseling to determine where they would be the happiest, and subsequently do the most good, within their companies.
Career Counseling can benefit the economy as well. Those who are happy with their jobs are less likely to become unemployed. This means there's a lower turnover rate among businesses that encourage career counseling for their employees.
If you're not happy at your present place of employment, but aren't sure of what it is you'd like to do, you might consider career counseling. Chances are, you'll leave the session with a new, positive outlook.
What is naukri.com & its success stories ...?
Luck. It's a thought that keeps coming back while hearing the story of how Sanjeev Bikhchandani built Naukri.com into the country's largest web-based employment site, ahead of even Monster.com's India offering which got stronger when it took over JobsAhead.com or print-giant Times of India's employment site. Or is it that entrepreneurs like Bikhchandani recognise opportunity while the rest of think it's just happenstance.
We're at the recently-opened Piccadelhi in Connaught Place's Plaza cinema complex, styled to resemble the London locale right down to the park-style benches and bus in the middle of the restaurant and doormen with the red coats and bearskin hats made famous by the Buckingham Palace guards, but it's too noisy to hear a long story which Bikhchandani is primed to tell.
So we walk down to DV8, which is what that the 1970s hangout disco, the Cellar (which later became El Arab) has now morphed into. Lunch is quickly ordered. No booze since neither of us can down two in the afternoon without feeling groggy; it's a very hot chicken goulash soup with some crispy veggies for starters and grilled fish for both of us.
Bikhchandani's story, or the salient parts of it, are, of course, pretty well-known by now since parts have appeared in various newspapers including this one as well as in a case study prepared by a professor at the IIM Ahmedabad. For the record, Bikhchandani quit a lucrative management job at Glaxo Smithkline (where he earned "Rs 8,000 a month with prospects") to start off his own jobs venture since he saw colleagues queuing up all the time to look at the appointments section of Business India magazine - �"you're always looking at a job, even when you're not looking for one".
He started off his company doing the odd market surveys and feasibility report, but the company was too broke to pay him, so the house was looked after by his wife who worked with Nestle. He taught management over weekends at various places like the Times School of Marketing, management school IMT and at the IMS coaching classes - to earn around Rs 2,000 a month, "enough for booze and cigarettes since I didn't want to be a fully-kept man", he says with the practiced air of a well-told story.
In between, for four years, he got a job as a consulting editor of The Pioneer and ran their careers supplements, something made possible through chance meetings with the editor Chandan Mitra - later, as Chandan bought the paper, Bikhchandani helped him restructure operations to cut costs.
In 1990, or thereabouts, the department of telecom came out with ads launching a video text service and wanted content providers. Bikhchandani got staffers to reword job ads from various newspapers to create a jobs database - a lawyer told him there were no IPR issues as long as the words were different! - and had a readymade database.
However, the DoT project never took off. In 1996, at a visit to IT Asia at Pragati Maidan, Bikhchandani saw a stall with a "www" sign and got his first exposure to the net and what it could do. The forgotten database suddenly looked useful, so staffers began combing 29 newspapers to build it up - the recession of the mid-1990s, in any case, resulted in staffers having nothing to do. His brother was given a 5 per cent stake in Naukri for offering to pay $25 a month to a web-hosting firm, the "best programmer in the world".
Anil Lall was given 8-9 per cent for learning net-programming and doing it, and another friend V N Saroja was given 9 per cent for running the company. 'By now I'd given away around a fourth of the company, but a fourth of zero is still zero!'
The model worked, and while VCs began calling, Bikhchandani turned them down, till in 2000, JobsAhead launched and advertised in the Sharjah cricket tournament with an ad budget greater than Naukri's turnover. Naukri gave ICICI Ventures 15 per cent for Rs 7.3 crore (rs 73 million), just before the dotcom bust. Last year's turnover at Naukri, all from fresh ads (not from rewording of print ads!), was Rs 45 crore (Rs 450 million) with a profit of Rs 8.4 crore (Rs 84 million).
What's the way forward? Sure, running a company of 775 people across 30 offices is a nightmare, but how is Google's Googlebase or Yahoo! Hotjobs affecting Naukri?
Bikhchandani's now thinking smart, and you realise his success has a lot less to do with luck. He will, he says, put out all his 80,000 job ads on aggregators such as Google and Yahoo! (this will give his clients a larger response level). Isn't Naukri dead then? Not really, he argues, since his search algorithm will be a lot more robust than the "single box searches of the US".
Once you aggregate various databases, like Google will do, you can't do searches with very detailed criterion - like a job in Delhi in a FMCG firm as a general manager for someone with over nine years of experience, for instance. In the last year itself, Naukri's changed its search algorithm 20 times to take into account changing needs of the client base.
Bikhchandani's on a roll now, with strategic advice coming forth faster than I can handle. Business Standard, he says, should have a separate desk for its web edition, reword the news got from various agencies like PTI and Reuters (basically, once you put out 50-100 stories an hour, you get huge traffic) and run Google ads along the side to get revenue.
He says the media war in Mumbai needs to be re-targetted and newcomers like Hindustan Times and DNA (along with others like Mid-Day and The Indian Express) need to offer combined ads to clients since this will equal the Times of India's reach (his Lintas days recall that clients pay for reach first, and worry about costs later) and will force the Times to lower ad tariffs and so hit its ability to take on the market so aggressively - better to target the Times' market he says than to compete for just the non-Times segment!
We wind up with Bikhchandani saying he admires the Google Consumer Surplus model. Groping into the past, I vaguely recall Consumer Surplus is the extra you'd have been willing to pay for something, but how's Google getting this? By getting advertisers to bid for keyword searches - if a florist pays for a keyword, everytime someone searches for flowers, this florists' name comes up first. I leave a bit groggy, not quite sure how this fits into Naukri's business model. It does though, I'm sure.
We're at the recently-opened Piccadelhi in Connaught Place's Plaza cinema complex, styled to resemble the London locale right down to the park-style benches and bus in the middle of the restaurant and doormen with the red coats and bearskin hats made famous by the Buckingham Palace guards, but it's too noisy to hear a long story which Bikhchandani is primed to tell.
So we walk down to DV8, which is what that the 1970s hangout disco, the Cellar (which later became El Arab) has now morphed into. Lunch is quickly ordered. No booze since neither of us can down two in the afternoon without feeling groggy; it's a very hot chicken goulash soup with some crispy veggies for starters and grilled fish for both of us.
Bikhchandani's story, or the salient parts of it, are, of course, pretty well-known by now since parts have appeared in various newspapers including this one as well as in a case study prepared by a professor at the IIM Ahmedabad. For the record, Bikhchandani quit a lucrative management job at Glaxo Smithkline (where he earned "Rs 8,000 a month with prospects") to start off his own jobs venture since he saw colleagues queuing up all the time to look at the appointments section of Business India magazine - �"you're always looking at a job, even when you're not looking for one".
He started off his company doing the odd market surveys and feasibility report, but the company was too broke to pay him, so the house was looked after by his wife who worked with Nestle. He taught management over weekends at various places like the Times School of Marketing, management school IMT and at the IMS coaching classes - to earn around Rs 2,000 a month, "enough for booze and cigarettes since I didn't want to be a fully-kept man", he says with the practiced air of a well-told story.
In between, for four years, he got a job as a consulting editor of The Pioneer and ran their careers supplements, something made possible through chance meetings with the editor Chandan Mitra - later, as Chandan bought the paper, Bikhchandani helped him restructure operations to cut costs.
In 1990, or thereabouts, the department of telecom came out with ads launching a video text service and wanted content providers. Bikhchandani got staffers to reword job ads from various newspapers to create a jobs database - a lawyer told him there were no IPR issues as long as the words were different! - and had a readymade database.
However, the DoT project never took off. In 1996, at a visit to IT Asia at Pragati Maidan, Bikhchandani saw a stall with a "www" sign and got his first exposure to the net and what it could do. The forgotten database suddenly looked useful, so staffers began combing 29 newspapers to build it up - the recession of the mid-1990s, in any case, resulted in staffers having nothing to do. His brother was given a 5 per cent stake in Naukri for offering to pay $25 a month to a web-hosting firm, the "best programmer in the world".
Anil Lall was given 8-9 per cent for learning net-programming and doing it, and another friend V N Saroja was given 9 per cent for running the company. 'By now I'd given away around a fourth of the company, but a fourth of zero is still zero!'
The model worked, and while VCs began calling, Bikhchandani turned them down, till in 2000, JobsAhead launched and advertised in the Sharjah cricket tournament with an ad budget greater than Naukri's turnover. Naukri gave ICICI Ventures 15 per cent for Rs 7.3 crore (rs 73 million), just before the dotcom bust. Last year's turnover at Naukri, all from fresh ads (not from rewording of print ads!), was Rs 45 crore (Rs 450 million) with a profit of Rs 8.4 crore (Rs 84 million).
What's the way forward? Sure, running a company of 775 people across 30 offices is a nightmare, but how is Google's Googlebase or Yahoo! Hotjobs affecting Naukri?
Bikhchandani's now thinking smart, and you realise his success has a lot less to do with luck. He will, he says, put out all his 80,000 job ads on aggregators such as Google and Yahoo! (this will give his clients a larger response level). Isn't Naukri dead then? Not really, he argues, since his search algorithm will be a lot more robust than the "single box searches of the US".
Once you aggregate various databases, like Google will do, you can't do searches with very detailed criterion - like a job in Delhi in a FMCG firm as a general manager for someone with over nine years of experience, for instance. In the last year itself, Naukri's changed its search algorithm 20 times to take into account changing needs of the client base.
Bikhchandani's on a roll now, with strategic advice coming forth faster than I can handle. Business Standard, he says, should have a separate desk for its web edition, reword the news got from various agencies like PTI and Reuters (basically, once you put out 50-100 stories an hour, you get huge traffic) and run Google ads along the side to get revenue.
He says the media war in Mumbai needs to be re-targetted and newcomers like Hindustan Times and DNA (along with others like Mid-Day and The Indian Express) need to offer combined ads to clients since this will equal the Times of India's reach (his Lintas days recall that clients pay for reach first, and worry about costs later) and will force the Times to lower ad tariffs and so hit its ability to take on the market so aggressively - better to target the Times' market he says than to compete for just the non-Times segment!
We wind up with Bikhchandani saying he admires the Google Consumer Surplus model. Groping into the past, I vaguely recall Consumer Surplus is the extra you'd have been willing to pay for something, but how's Google getting this? By getting advertisers to bid for keyword searches - if a florist pays for a keyword, everytime someone searches for flowers, this florists' name comes up first. I leave a bit groggy, not quite sure how this fits into Naukri's business model. It does though, I'm sure.
What is project plan & purchase order ?
Project Plan Document identifying key matters of a project.
Purchase Order A document generated by a Department's financial management system which shows that purchase details have been recorded and payment will be made.
Purchase Order A document generated by a Department's financial management system which shows that purchase details have been recorded and payment will be made.
What is memorandum of understanding ?
Memorandum of Understanding or MOU A document which records matters that have been agreed but which is not usually intended to be enforceable in the courts.
What is Intellectual Property?
Intellectual Property Legally protected property such as copyright, patents, and registered designs, as well as ideas and information of commercial value which an organisation has developed.
What is Business Case ?
Business Case A business case sets out the information needed to enable a manager to decide whether to support a proposed project, before significant resources are committed to its development. The core of the business case is an assessment of the costs and benefits of proceeding with a project.
What is consultancy ?
A contract to provide services which meet all the following criteria:
* expert analysis and advice which facilitates decision making
* a specific, one-off task or set of tasks
* a task involving skills or perspectives which would not normally be expected to reside within the Department
* expert analysis and advice which facilitates decision making
* a specific, one-off task or set of tasks
* a task involving skills or perspectives which would not normally be expected to reside within the Department
What is Good Writing?
What is Good Writing?
Good writing expresses a clear point, is tightly structured, grammatically and syntactically correct, substantive, and interesting.
To express a clear pointmeans to convey the writer's main idea or--in the case of descriptive writing--the significance of the object, place or person described; in other words, an attentive reader should be able to grasp the writer's purpose.
To be tightly structured,writing should contain logical or associative connections and transitions which clearly express the relationship of the ideas described.
To be grammatically and syntactically correct,writing should adhere to the rules of Standard American English, including proper punctuation and spelling. If writers choose to use unconventional syntax, they should be able to justify their choices.
To be substantive,writing should convey the impression that the writer is informed about the subject. The writer need not be an authority on the subject but should demonstrate awareness of its significance and its implications within a specified context. Informed writing might include any or all of the following: citations of authorities, experiential evidence, discussion of debatable issues related to it, and relevant questions it raises.
To be interesting,writing should engage its readers through original insights and precise, uncliched language expressed in a "human" voice. It should demonstrate the writer's awareness of the specific audience for whom she or he is writing (the audience's degree of knowledge of the subject as well as its age, ethnic background, gender, and assumptions).
Good writing expresses a clear point, is tightly structured, grammatically and syntactically correct, substantive, and interesting.
To express a clear pointmeans to convey the writer's main idea or--in the case of descriptive writing--the significance of the object, place or person described; in other words, an attentive reader should be able to grasp the writer's purpose.
To be tightly structured,writing should contain logical or associative connections and transitions which clearly express the relationship of the ideas described.
To be grammatically and syntactically correct,writing should adhere to the rules of Standard American English, including proper punctuation and spelling. If writers choose to use unconventional syntax, they should be able to justify their choices.
To be substantive,writing should convey the impression that the writer is informed about the subject. The writer need not be an authority on the subject but should demonstrate awareness of its significance and its implications within a specified context. Informed writing might include any or all of the following: citations of authorities, experiential evidence, discussion of debatable issues related to it, and relevant questions it raises.
To be interesting,writing should engage its readers through original insights and precise, uncliched language expressed in a "human" voice. It should demonstrate the writer's awareness of the specific audience for whom she or he is writing (the audience's degree of knowledge of the subject as well as its age, ethnic background, gender, and assumptions).
What is bee venom therapy?
What is bee venom therapy?
If you've ever been stung by a bee, you already have firsthand experience of the basics of bee-venom therapy (also called apitherapy). The only technical difference between the sting you got and the therapeutic kind is that yours was probably accidental.
People who use bee venom for medicinal purposes don't wait around for random insect attacks. Using long tweezers, they pick up live honey bees (which they've usually raised themselves), put the insects next to their skin, and let them do what comes naturally. You might have thought that your single encounter with a bee was enough, but people undergoing apitherapy may get stung 80 times a day or more.
Why would anyone subject himself to such pain? Because bee stings are thought to help ease the symptoms of a wide variety of diseases, including arthritis, multiple sclerosis, tendonitis, and fibromyalgia; they're also thought to promote desensitization to bee stings. These claims don't come from beekeepers looking for a profit; they're made by patients whose experience with bee venom has turned them into believers. One woman says that 80 stings every other day helped reverse her rheumatoid arthritis. A woman with multiple sclerosis found that her the leg spasms she'd been having calmed down after she started using bees to sting herself a few times each day.
Some doctors, particularly in Eastern Europe, have reported using injections of bee venom to successfully treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Does bee-venom therapy really work?
Personal testimonials are one thing, but careful scientific studies are the real test. And so far, a small number of studies conducted on animals and in test tubes suggest that bee venom may have some ability to lessen the pain and inflammation of arthritis. In 1988, researchers at the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki in Greece reported that bee stings greatly slowed the progress of an arthritis-like disease in rats. The Greek scientists, along with researchers at Montreal General Hospital, have also reported that venom slows the production of interleukin-1, a compound that helps fuel arthritic pain and inflammation.
But although some research suggests that bee venom given by injection may be effective in treating tendonitis, fibromyositis, and rheumatoid arthritis, among other conditions, the results are not conclusive. Human trials on bee venom and arthritis, for example, have been few and far between, and the results haven't been encouraging. Back in 1941 (did we mention the investigations were few and far between?), a study published in the American Journal of Medical Sciences found that arthritis patients who got infections of bee venom didn't improve any faster than other patients. The lead researcher called the results "very discouraging," and no human trial since has led to a different conclusion. With the recent arrival of several effective drugs for both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, research on bee venom as an arthritis remedy has slowed to a trickle, and we may never be sure whether many stings are better than no stings at all.
When it comes to multiple sclerosis, the picture is still hazier. Nobody knows how bee venom affects the disease in humans, and studies on laboratory animals have only just begun. One very small human study was published in 2005 in the journal Neurology, but scientists concluded that bee sting therapy “did not reduce disease activity, disability, or fatigue and did not improve quality of life.” Researchers at M.C.P. Hahnemann University in Philadelphia recently started giving bee venom to mice with a disease similar to MS. The preliminary results suggest that the venom doesn't diminish any MS symptoms in mice; in fact, some of the mice treated with bee venom displayed symptoms more severe than those of mice that got no treatment at all.
Claims that bee venom can ameliorate other diseases, including fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and depression, are based entirely on personal observation and not on science.
Is bee-venom therapy dangerous?
The benefits of this therapy are still uncertain, but the dangers are clear. Approximately 2 percent of people have allergic reactions to stings from bees and wasps. A severe reaction after just only three or four bee stings is extremely rare, but the danger grows with the number of stings. (Beekeepers and their families in particular are likely to be highly sensitive to bee venom). A person who's having a severe reaction to a bee sting may develop hives on the skin and swelling around the eyes, lips, throat, and tongue. He or she may vomit, slur spoken words, show signs of mental confusion, and even struggle to breathe. Soon the person may lose consciousness. These are signs of anaphylactic shock, a condition that can be fatal if not treated quickly. If you notice these signs, call 911 right away.
Anyone undergoing bee-venom therapy should have a bee sting kit handy. The kit includes a syringe and a dose of epinephrine (also known as adrenaline), a drug that can save your life if you go into anaphylactic shock. It's also a good idea for a beginner get a single "test sting" on the knee or forearm before undergoing a full bee barrage. But remember, the fact that your body tolerated the first 49 stings doesn't automatically mean it can handle the 50th.
If you've ever been stung by a bee, you already have firsthand experience of the basics of bee-venom therapy (also called apitherapy). The only technical difference between the sting you got and the therapeutic kind is that yours was probably accidental.
People who use bee venom for medicinal purposes don't wait around for random insect attacks. Using long tweezers, they pick up live honey bees (which they've usually raised themselves), put the insects next to their skin, and let them do what comes naturally. You might have thought that your single encounter with a bee was enough, but people undergoing apitherapy may get stung 80 times a day or more.
Why would anyone subject himself to such pain? Because bee stings are thought to help ease the symptoms of a wide variety of diseases, including arthritis, multiple sclerosis, tendonitis, and fibromyalgia; they're also thought to promote desensitization to bee stings. These claims don't come from beekeepers looking for a profit; they're made by patients whose experience with bee venom has turned them into believers. One woman says that 80 stings every other day helped reverse her rheumatoid arthritis. A woman with multiple sclerosis found that her the leg spasms she'd been having calmed down after she started using bees to sting herself a few times each day.
Some doctors, particularly in Eastern Europe, have reported using injections of bee venom to successfully treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Does bee-venom therapy really work?
Personal testimonials are one thing, but careful scientific studies are the real test. And so far, a small number of studies conducted on animals and in test tubes suggest that bee venom may have some ability to lessen the pain and inflammation of arthritis. In 1988, researchers at the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki in Greece reported that bee stings greatly slowed the progress of an arthritis-like disease in rats. The Greek scientists, along with researchers at Montreal General Hospital, have also reported that venom slows the production of interleukin-1, a compound that helps fuel arthritic pain and inflammation.
But although some research suggests that bee venom given by injection may be effective in treating tendonitis, fibromyositis, and rheumatoid arthritis, among other conditions, the results are not conclusive. Human trials on bee venom and arthritis, for example, have been few and far between, and the results haven't been encouraging. Back in 1941 (did we mention the investigations were few and far between?), a study published in the American Journal of Medical Sciences found that arthritis patients who got infections of bee venom didn't improve any faster than other patients. The lead researcher called the results "very discouraging," and no human trial since has led to a different conclusion. With the recent arrival of several effective drugs for both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, research on bee venom as an arthritis remedy has slowed to a trickle, and we may never be sure whether many stings are better than no stings at all.
When it comes to multiple sclerosis, the picture is still hazier. Nobody knows how bee venom affects the disease in humans, and studies on laboratory animals have only just begun. One very small human study was published in 2005 in the journal Neurology, but scientists concluded that bee sting therapy “did not reduce disease activity, disability, or fatigue and did not improve quality of life.” Researchers at M.C.P. Hahnemann University in Philadelphia recently started giving bee venom to mice with a disease similar to MS. The preliminary results suggest that the venom doesn't diminish any MS symptoms in mice; in fact, some of the mice treated with bee venom displayed symptoms more severe than those of mice that got no treatment at all.
Claims that bee venom can ameliorate other diseases, including fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and depression, are based entirely on personal observation and not on science.
Is bee-venom therapy dangerous?
The benefits of this therapy are still uncertain, but the dangers are clear. Approximately 2 percent of people have allergic reactions to stings from bees and wasps. A severe reaction after just only three or four bee stings is extremely rare, but the danger grows with the number of stings. (Beekeepers and their families in particular are likely to be highly sensitive to bee venom). A person who's having a severe reaction to a bee sting may develop hives on the skin and swelling around the eyes, lips, throat, and tongue. He or she may vomit, slur spoken words, show signs of mental confusion, and even struggle to breathe. Soon the person may lose consciousness. These are signs of anaphylactic shock, a condition that can be fatal if not treated quickly. If you notice these signs, call 911 right away.
Anyone undergoing bee-venom therapy should have a bee sting kit handy. The kit includes a syringe and a dose of epinephrine (also known as adrenaline), a drug that can save your life if you go into anaphylactic shock. It's also a good idea for a beginner get a single "test sting" on the knee or forearm before undergoing a full bee barrage. But remember, the fact that your body tolerated the first 49 stings doesn't automatically mean it can handle the 50th.
What is Integrated Energy Therapy ?
Integrated Energy Therapy (I.E.T.)
What is I.E.T.?
Simply put, Integrated Energy Therapy is the art of healing with pure energy. It has been described as one of the "next generation, hands-on, power energy therapy systems that gets the issues out of your tissues for good!"
In order to live life to the fullest, we need to ensure our life energy receives as many healthy and resourceful inputs as we can provide. When our lives are affected by emotional or physical stresses, the flow of our life energy becomes restricted or blocked. Depending on where in the energy system that blockage lies and for how long, our organs and tissues can be affected, leading to physical illness.
The principal objective of I.E.T. is to provide safe, gentle, yet powerful, support to release suppressed feelings, and the energy blockages they cause, from our cellular memory. Releasing the blocks allows for self-healing on all levels (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual). IET uses a divine angelic energy ray to work directly with one's 12-strand spiritual DNA to re-align and re-balance the body. Once the energy field is clear and the body has become re-balanced, we find ourselves free of limitations to our good health, life purpose, prosperity and creativity. IET can, therefore, be a tremendously empowering experience.
IET is a complimentary therapy that can be used with other energy techniques. However, IET is meant to compliment, not replace, the care of registered medical and health care professionals. Clients and students are encouraged to continue consulting with their medical professionals when learning IET or receiving IET treatments.
What is I.E.T.?
Simply put, Integrated Energy Therapy is the art of healing with pure energy. It has been described as one of the "next generation, hands-on, power energy therapy systems that gets the issues out of your tissues for good!"
In order to live life to the fullest, we need to ensure our life energy receives as many healthy and resourceful inputs as we can provide. When our lives are affected by emotional or physical stresses, the flow of our life energy becomes restricted or blocked. Depending on where in the energy system that blockage lies and for how long, our organs and tissues can be affected, leading to physical illness.
The principal objective of I.E.T. is to provide safe, gentle, yet powerful, support to release suppressed feelings, and the energy blockages they cause, from our cellular memory. Releasing the blocks allows for self-healing on all levels (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual). IET uses a divine angelic energy ray to work directly with one's 12-strand spiritual DNA to re-align and re-balance the body. Once the energy field is clear and the body has become re-balanced, we find ourselves free of limitations to our good health, life purpose, prosperity and creativity. IET can, therefore, be a tremendously empowering experience.
IET is a complimentary therapy that can be used with other energy techniques. However, IET is meant to compliment, not replace, the care of registered medical and health care professionals. Clients and students are encouraged to continue consulting with their medical professionals when learning IET or receiving IET treatments.
What is environmental medicine ?
that which considers the effects of the environment on human beings, including such factors as rapid population growth, changes and extremes in temperature, alterations in atmospheric pressure, water pollution, air pollution, radiation, and travel.
What is organic food ?
Organic
Organically grown products (food, cotton, hemp) are grown without artificial fertilizers or pesticides. Instead, organic growers use composted fertilizer and natural pest management to produce healthy crops. Since there are no chemicals involved in the production, these products cause fewer allergic reactions in the consumer. Because composted or natural fertilizer contains more minerals, the food produced organically has more nutrients.
Organically grown products (food, cotton, hemp) are grown without artificial fertilizers or pesticides. Instead, organic growers use composted fertilizer and natural pest management to produce healthy crops. Since there are no chemicals involved in the production, these products cause fewer allergic reactions in the consumer. Because composted or natural fertilizer contains more minerals, the food produced organically has more nutrients.
What is natural foods ?
Natural Foods
This term generally refers to food or food products which are minimally processed and remain as close as possible to their whole, original state. Because they are less tampered with, natural foods are generally more nutritious than their refined counterparts.
This term generally refers to food or food products which are minimally processed and remain as close as possible to their whole, original state. Because they are less tampered with, natural foods are generally more nutritious than their refined counterparts.
What is jin shin jyutsu ?
Jin Shin Jyutsu
Jin Shin Jyutsu� physio-philosophy is an ancient art of harmonizing the life energy in the body. Jin Shin Jyutsu brings balance to the body's energies, which promotes optimal health and well-being, and facilitates our own profound healing capacity. It is a valuable complement to conventional healing methods, inducing relaxation, and reducing the effects of stress. Jin Shin Jyutsu can be applied as self-help and also by a trained practitioner. It is a gentle art, practiced by placing the fingertips on designated safety energy locks, to harmonize and restore the energy flow. This facilitates the reduction of tension and stress, which accumulate through normal daily living. For those of us addressing existing stress or health disharmonies, or for those simply wishing to participate actively in maintaining health, harmony and well-being, the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu is a simple and powerful tool, available to all.
Jin Shin Jyutsu� physio-philosophy is an ancient art of harmonizing the life energy in the body. Jin Shin Jyutsu brings balance to the body's energies, which promotes optimal health and well-being, and facilitates our own profound healing capacity. It is a valuable complement to conventional healing methods, inducing relaxation, and reducing the effects of stress. Jin Shin Jyutsu can be applied as self-help and also by a trained practitioner. It is a gentle art, practiced by placing the fingertips on designated safety energy locks, to harmonize and restore the energy flow. This facilitates the reduction of tension and stress, which accumulate through normal daily living. For those of us addressing existing stress or health disharmonies, or for those simply wishing to participate actively in maintaining health, harmony and well-being, the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu is a simple and powerful tool, available to all.
What is holistic health ?
Holistic Health (Holistic Medicine)
A personal and comprehensive approach to natural health and the manifestation of human potential through healing and evolving spirit, mind, emotion and body. The practitioner may use any variety of natural healing suggestions to work in partnership with an individual toward greater health, wholeness, balance and integration. This approach to health recognizes the patient as a whole person, not just a disease or a collection of symptoms. In the course of treatment, holistic medical practitioners address a client's emotional and spiritual dimensions as well as the nutritional, environmental and lifestyle factors that may contribute to an illness.
A personal and comprehensive approach to natural health and the manifestation of human potential through healing and evolving spirit, mind, emotion and body. The practitioner may use any variety of natural healing suggestions to work in partnership with an individual toward greater health, wholeness, balance and integration. This approach to health recognizes the patient as a whole person, not just a disease or a collection of symptoms. In the course of treatment, holistic medical practitioners address a client's emotional and spiritual dimensions as well as the nutritional, environmental and lifestyle factors that may contribute to an illness.
What is herbology ?
Herbology
Herbal Medicine is the therapeutic use of plants, and is the most ancient form of health care known to humankind. An herb is a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory or aromatic qualities. Herb plants produce and contain a variety of chemical substances that act upon the body. Herbs have been used to treat virtually every disease and condition. The use of herbology ranges from pain relievers, hormone balancers, energizers, sleep aids, stomach soothers, skin soothers, and treatment of everything from allergies to cancer, from depression to hysteria. Herbs are used for both prevention and treatment.
Herbal Medicine is the therapeutic use of plants, and is the most ancient form of health care known to humankind. An herb is a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory or aromatic qualities. Herb plants produce and contain a variety of chemical substances that act upon the body. Herbs have been used to treat virtually every disease and condition. The use of herbology ranges from pain relievers, hormone balancers, energizers, sleep aids, stomach soothers, skin soothers, and treatment of everything from allergies to cancer, from depression to hysteria. Herbs are used for both prevention and treatment.
What is breathwork ?
Breathwork
This method is marked by its focus on the breath. The practitioner guides the client through a breathing process. Breathwork rejuvenates the body and mind and can release emotional memories that are stored in the body. It is also used to reach deep inner peace, clarity, relaxation and healing on many levels.
This method is marked by its focus on the breath. The practitioner guides the client through a breathing process. Breathwork rejuvenates the body and mind and can release emotional memories that are stored in the body. It is also used to reach deep inner peace, clarity, relaxation and healing on many levels.
What is Biological Dentistry ?
Biological Dentistry
In use for the past 25 years in Germany, Biological Dentistry stresses the use of nontoxic restoration materials for dental work and focuses on the impact that dental toxins and hidden dental infections have on overall health. It has been estimated by European researchers that as much as half of all chronic degenerative illness can be traced to dental problems and modern dentistry's reliance on traditional techniques to treat them. Unlike the traditional approach, biological dentistry treats the teeth, jaw and related structures with the assumption that treatment affects the entire body.
In use for the past 25 years in Germany, Biological Dentistry stresses the use of nontoxic restoration materials for dental work and focuses on the impact that dental toxins and hidden dental infections have on overall health. It has been estimated by European researchers that as much as half of all chronic degenerative illness can be traced to dental problems and modern dentistry's reliance on traditional techniques to treat them. Unlike the traditional approach, biological dentistry treats the teeth, jaw and related structures with the assumption that treatment affects the entire body.
What is nutritional medicine ?
Nutrition (Nutritional Medicine)
When a body becomes ill, nutritional medicine calls for higher, therapeutic doses of basic nutrients to address illnesses and disorders. It is effective in addressing diseases of deficiency that may be caused by poor diet or extreme environmental factors. Because this method uses substances vital to a body's well being, nutritional medicine is well received by the body.
When a body becomes ill, nutritional medicine calls for higher, therapeutic doses of basic nutrients to address illnesses and disorders. It is effective in addressing diseases of deficiency that may be caused by poor diet or extreme environmental factors. Because this method uses substances vital to a body's well being, nutritional medicine is well received by the body.
What is naturopathy ?
Naturopathy (Naturopathic Medicine)
Naturopathic Medicine, a primary health-care system, treats health conditions by utilizing the body's inherent ability to heal. Naturopathic physicians aid the healing process by incorporating a variety of alternative methods based on the patient's individual needs - nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathic medicine and oriental medicine. Diet, lifestyle, work and personal history are all considered when determining regimen.
Naturopathic Medicine, a primary health-care system, treats health conditions by utilizing the body's inherent ability to heal. Naturopathic physicians aid the healing process by incorporating a variety of alternative methods based on the patient's individual needs - nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathic medicine and oriental medicine. Diet, lifestyle, work and personal history are all considered when determining regimen.
What is shamanic ?
Shamanic Healing
Shamanic Healers are conductors of healing energy or energy from the spiritual realm. Calling upon spiritual "helpers" such as power animals, angels, inner teachers, the client's higher self or other spiritual forces. Shamanic Healing is used as treatment for a range of emotional and physical illnesses.
Shamanic Healers are conductors of healing energy or energy from the spiritual realm. Calling upon spiritual "helpers" such as power animals, angels, inner teachers, the client's higher self or other spiritual forces. Shamanic Healing is used as treatment for a range of emotional and physical illnesses.
What is shiatsu ?
Shiatsu
The most widely known form of acupressure, shiatsu has been used in Japan for many years to treat pain and illness and to maintain health. Using a series of techniques, practitioners apply rhythmic finger pressure at specific points on the body to stimulate chi, or vital energy.
The most widely known form of acupressure, shiatsu has been used in Japan for many years to treat pain and illness and to maintain health. Using a series of techniques, practitioners apply rhythmic finger pressure at specific points on the body to stimulate chi, or vital energy.
what is vibrational healing ?
Vibrational Healing
Practitioners of Vibrational Healing use a variety of modalities to promote healing by balancing the client's energy field. Such modalities may include homeopathy, flower essences, acupuncture and energywork such as Reiki and Polarity Therapy.
Practitioners of Vibrational Healing use a variety of modalities to promote healing by balancing the client's energy field. Such modalities may include homeopathy, flower essences, acupuncture and energywork such as Reiki and Polarity Therapy.
What is tai chi ?
Tai Chi
A series of meditative and self-healing movements based on Chinese teachings over 6,000 years old, Tai Chi literally translates to "The Grand Ultimate Way of Life" as taught through movement. Also a Martial Art, Tai Chi is generally practiced as a non-contact, non-competitive sport for focus, self-awareness, health and relaxation. The slow, rhythmic movements are very effective in returning the skeletal structure, muscles and organs to their natural alignment.
A series of meditative and self-healing movements based on Chinese teachings over 6,000 years old, Tai Chi literally translates to "The Grand Ultimate Way of Life" as taught through movement. Also a Martial Art, Tai Chi is generally practiced as a non-contact, non-competitive sport for focus, self-awareness, health and relaxation. The slow, rhythmic movements are very effective in returning the skeletal structure, muscles and organs to their natural alignment.
What is hallucinations ?
Hallucinations. A state produced sometimes by physiological disorders, sometimes by mediumship, and at others by drunkenness. But the cause that produces the visions has to be sought deeper than physiology. All such, particularly when produced through mediumship, are preceded by a relaxation of the nervous system, generating invariably an abnormal magnetic condition which attracts to the sufferer waves of astral light. It is these latter that furnish the various hallucinations, which, however, are not always, as physicians would explain them, mere empty and unreal dreams. No one can see that which does not exist -- i. e., which is not impressed -- in or on the astral waves. But a seer may perceive objects and scenes (whether past, present or future) which have no relation whatever to himself; and perceive, moreover, several things entirely disconnected with each other at one and the same time, so as to produce the most grotesque and absurd combinations. But drunkard and seer, medium and adept see their respective visions in the astral light; only while the drunkard, the madman, and the untrained medium, or one in a brain fever, see, because they cannot help it, and evoke jumbled visions unconsciously to themselves without being able to control them, the adept and the trained Seer have the choice and the control of such visions. They know where to fix their gaze, how to steady the scenes they wish to observe, and how to see beyond the upper outward layers of the astral light. With the former such glimpses into the waves are hallucinations; with the latter they become the faithful reproduction of what actually has been, is, or will be taking place. The glimpses at random, caught by the medium, and his flickering visions in the deceptive light, are transformed under the guiding will of the adept and seer into steady pictures, the truthful representation of that which he wills to come within the focus of his perception.
What is hell ?
# any place of pain and turmoil; "the hell of battle"; "the inferno of the engine room"; "when you're alone Christmas is the pits";
# a cause of difficulty and suffering; "war is hell"; "go to blazes"
# (Christianity) the abode of Satan and the forces of evil; where sinners suffer eternal punishment; "Hurl'd headlong...To bottomless perdition, there to dwell"- John Milton; "a demon from the depths of the pit"
# Hel: (religion) the world of the dead; "he didn't want to go to hell when he died"
# sin: violent and excited activity; "they began to fight like sin"
# noisy and unrestrained mischief; "raising blazes"
# a cause of difficulty and suffering; "war is hell"; "go to blazes"
# (Christianity) the abode of Satan and the forces of evil; where sinners suffer eternal punishment; "Hurl'd headlong...To bottomless perdition, there to dwell"- John Milton; "a demon from the depths of the pit"
# Hel: (religion) the world of the dead; "he didn't want to go to hell when he died"
# sin: violent and excited activity; "they began to fight like sin"
# noisy and unrestrained mischief; "raising blazes"
What is ghost ?
Ghosts are the supposed apparitions of the dead. A ghost is often thought to be the spirit or soul of a person who has remained on Earth after death. According to some sources, a ghost may be the personality of a person after their death, and not tied directly to the soul or spirit. Every culture in the world carries stories about ghosts, but they vary across time and place, with disagreements both as to what ghosts are and whether they exist in reality.
What is Christian Scientist ?
Christian Scientist. A newly-coined term for denoting the practitioners of a healing art by will. The name is a misnomer, since Buddhist or Jew, Hindu or Materialist can practise this new form of Western Yoga with like success if he can only guide and control his will with sufficient firmness. "Mental Scientists" is another rival school. These work by a universal denial of every disease and evil imaginable, and claim, syllogistically, that since Universal Spirit cannot be subject to the ailings of flesh, and since every atom is Spirit and in Spirit, and since, finally, they -- the healers and the healed -- are all absorbed in this Spirit or Deity, there is not, nor can there be, such a thing as disease. This prevents in nowise both Christian and Mental Scientists from succumbing to disease and nursing chronic diseases for years in their own bodies just like other ordinary mortals.
What is voodoo ?
Voodoo is a derivative of the world�s oldest known religions which have been around in Africa since the beginning of human civilization. Some conservative estimates these civilizations and religions to be over 10 000 years old. This then identify Voodoo as probably the best example of African syncretism in the Americas. Although its essential wisdom originated in different parts of Africa long before the Europeans started the slave trade, the structure of Voodoo, as we know it today, was born in Haiti during the European colonization of Hispaniola. Ironically, it was the enforced immigration of enslaved African from different ethnic groups that provided the circumstances for the development of Voodoo. European colonists thought that by desolating the ethnic groups, these could not come together as a community. However, in the misery of slavery, the transplanted Africans found in their faith a common thread.
They began to invoke not only their own Gods, but to practice rites other than their own. In this process, they comingled and modified rituals of various ethnic groups. The result of such fusion was that the different religious groups integrated their beliefs, thereby creating a new religion: Voodoo. The word "voodoo" comes from the West African word "vodun," meaning spirit. This Afro-Caribbean religion mixed practices from many African ethnics groups such as the Fon, the Nago, the Ibos, Dahomeans, Congos, Senegalese, Haussars, Caplaous, Mondungues, Mandinge, Angolese, Libyans, Ethiopians, and the Malgaches.
They began to invoke not only their own Gods, but to practice rites other than their own. In this process, they comingled and modified rituals of various ethnic groups. The result of such fusion was that the different religious groups integrated their beliefs, thereby creating a new religion: Voodoo. The word "voodoo" comes from the West African word "vodun," meaning spirit. This Afro-Caribbean religion mixed practices from many African ethnics groups such as the Fon, the Nago, the Ibos, Dahomeans, Congos, Senegalese, Haussars, Caplaous, Mondungues, Mandinge, Angolese, Libyans, Ethiopians, and the Malgaches.
What is lucky charm ?
Lucky Charms
A charm can be almost any object, as shown by the countless examples of charms or amulets that have been said to ward off evil and bring good luck. Anything from a lucky shirt to a beautiful gemstone can be labeled a charm if its owner credits it with a special significance - usually in the form of some unnatural power that protects and provides good fortune to the owner.
A charm can be almost any object, as shown by the countless examples of charms or amulets that have been said to ward off evil and bring good luck. Anything from a lucky shirt to a beautiful gemstone can be labeled a charm if its owner credits it with a special significance - usually in the form of some unnatural power that protects and provides good fortune to the owner.
What is Rudraksh?
What is Rudraksh?
Rudraksh is the divine power blessed with auspicious energies of Lord Shiva. We get the details about Rudraksha in number of “Granthas” and “Shastras” (the holy books of Indian Mythology). There are various stories about the origin of Rudraksha. One can find the greatness and detailed literature about the properties of Rudraksha in ancient Vedic scriptures like, Maha Shiva Purana, AkshaMaalikaoapnashida, Srimad Bhagwata, Mantra Maharnava, Padam Purana and Jabbalaoapanishada etc. Rudraksha is believed to have the direct blessings of Lord Shiva, which contains the properties to remove the affects of sins of the wearer. It is even said that if one wears the Rudraksha (in any form) on his body, even without worshiping or energizing it, does not get near any sinful act or thought.Rudraksh is procured from the trees called ELAEOCARPUS GRANITRUS (it is the botanical name of the tree). The sacred and holy people of India (“Sadhus”, “Munis” and “Yogies”) are using the Rudraksh from ancient time. They use to wear it on their head, around their arms or neck in the form of rosary or pendant. In the society of religion, Rudraksha is not a new or surprising matter. The Vedic people know and understand the importance of Rudraksha. As per their belief, Rudraksha gets them closer to their God and plays an important role to provide them “MOKSHA”.
The word Rudraksh is formed with the combination of two different Sanskrit words, “Rudra” and “Aksha”. The word “Rudra” stands for Great Lord Shiva and the word “Aksha” stands for the tears of Rudra (Lord Shiva).
One ancient story explains the origin of Rudraksha. Once upon a time, Lord Shiva was very upset and depressed due to the death of “Gauri”, his wife. He started crying and roaming here and there in search of “Gauri”. And while searching too he was crying and his tears were falling on the earth. This is said that his tears were converted in Rudraksha. Rudrakshas are found in round in India, Nepal and Indonesia. Rudraksha is said to contain the secrets of entire evolution of the Cosmos within it.
Most of the Rudrakshas are found in round shape with different number of faces (“mukhi”) on it. But few Rudrakshas are also found with the shape of cashew nuts. Sometime they are found as a pair of two Rudrakshas, naturally joined with each other, known as “Gauri Shankar Rudraksha”. It is believed to have the blessings of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. And sometime, though very rare, a pair of three Rudrakshas is also found, again naturally joined with each other, known as “TRIJUTI Rudraksha”. It is believed to have the blessings of Great Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva all together. Rudrakshas are found with different faces (mukhi), 1 to 21 faced. 2 to 8 faced Rudrakshas are normally found Rudrakshas, 1 faced, 9 to 21 faced Rudrakshas are rare found Rudrakshas. Each Rudraksha has its own benefits and properties. Each Rudraksha is blessed with auspicious energies of Lord Shiva, but still is believed to under the Lordship different Gods and Goddesses, thus having the blessings of those Gods and Goddesses too.
In astrology, Rudraksha is used as remedy of malefic planets. Unlike gems and stones, Rudrakshas are said to be always beneficial for the wearer. As the direct blessings of Lord Shiva is involved, no question of illness or negative results arises.
The Rudraksha is used for their benefic nature. The Rudraksha is very powerful and they help to achieve wonders, of energized (Praanpratishthit) properly and empowered by adopting the right Vedic procedure, It is important to purify the Rudraksha by milk, ghee etc and also to energized it (Praanpratishthit) before wearing it. AstroMuni.Com provides its users with the Rudrakshas energized with proper Vedic procedure.
It is believed that wherever a Rudraksha (of any form, in any shape) is kept and worshiped, that place is free of sins. That place cannot be affected with devil effect (Bhoot-Pret Badha). That place is believed to be protected from theft, robbery and fire. The people living in that place are safe and protected from diseases, untimely accidents and death. They are protected from Super-Natural powers. The residents are blessed with never-ending wealth. The love, faith, brotherhood, affection and sympathy is always there among the relationships. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi takes the permanent residence in that place. Lord Shiva himself along with Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesha are present there to protect the family.
Who is the legend behind Rudraksha?
Lord Shiva is the legend behind the Rudraksha. Rudraksha is believed to be the direct blessings of Lord Shiva. The word Rudraksha is formed with the combination of two different Sanskrit words, “Rudra” and “Aksha”. The word “Rudra” stands for Lord Shiva and the word “Aksha” stands for the tears of Rudra (Lord Shiva). We get the details about Rudraksha in number of “Granthas” and “Shastras” (the holy books of Indian Mythology). There are various stories about the origin of Rudraksha. One can find the greatness and detailed literature about the properties of Rudraksha in ancient Vedic scriptures like, Maha Shiva Purana, AkshaMaalikaoapnashida, Srimad Bhagwata, Mantra Maharnava, Padam Purana and Jabbalaoapanishada etc. Rudraksha is believed to have the direct blessings of Lord Shiva, which contains the properties to remove the affects of sins of the wearer. It is even said that if one wears the Rudraksha (in any form) on his body, even without worshiping or energizing it, does not get near any sinful act or thought. And this happens only due to the direct blessings of Lord Shiva.
Who can wear a Rudraksha?
Any human being in the world, related to any religion, society or community could wear Rudraksha. But as some precautions are to be taken while wearing a Rudraksha, it is suggested to wear Rudraksha only by the people over 14 years of age, as children are careless and may cause disrespect to the Rudraksha.
What are the precautions to wear a Rudraksha?
As told earlier, Rudraksha is the direct blessings of Lord Shiva; one should not act (in his belief and knowledge) that gives disrespect to the Rudraksha. One should not wear a Rudraksha while attending a funeral. One should remove Rudraksha before going to sleep (especially in case of new married couples). They can wear it next morning. One should not wear a Rudraksha while eating non-vegetarian food or while having alcoholic products. One should always wear an energized (Praanpratishthit) Rudraksha.
Is Rudraksha useful for Meditation or Chanting Mantras only?
By wearing a Rudraksha one gets the peace of mind, good feelings and activeness. Also his thoughts are centralized to the mission. And in today’s modern and fast moving life, the centralization of the thoughts is necessary. It helps you to overcome the state of depression and tension, which is increasing day by day due to competition. Rudraksha is believed to be self-energized tool to get success in every field of the life.
Rudraksha has a specific benefit – it overcomes the fear. In today’s time, take any country, take any society or community or religion, the whole mankind is scared and full of fear. The man is scared of himself. Rudraksha is an excellent source of energy to kill fear. That’s the reason that our “Sadhu”, “Munis” and “ Gurus” use to roam in jungles, different states and countries without any fear. They use to wear Rudrakshas, as they knew the importance and properties of the Rudrakshas.
Now, Rudrakshas are not only used for meditation or chanting mantras. Now Rudraksha is not in the limit of a particular religion or country. Today Rudraksha is used as a source of completeness. There is no purpose in that can’t be fulfilled by using Rudraksha.
Can different faced Rudrakshas be worn at one time?
Yes, it is a very effective experiment. To get the blessings of Different Planets and to get the benefits of different Rudrakshas one can wear Rudrakshas of different faces at one time. The importance of procuring and wearing 1 to 14 faced Rudrakshas all together is clearly defined in Indian “Shastras” and “Granthas” (the holy books on Indian Mythology). One can make the group of Rudrakshas as per his own choice according to his need and priority. There are some gems that can’t be worn together due to enmity and antagonism between the planets. But as Rudrakshas are the direct blessings of Lord Shiva, they are free from any illness or bad effects of any kind, so can be worn in any combination. The Group of 1 to 14 Mukhi Rudraksha is known as “Sidha Rudraksha Yoga” and when Gauri Shankar Rudraksha is involved in the group of “Sidha Yoga” it becomes “Param Sidha Rudraksha Yoga”. The group of 1 to 21 Mukhi Rudraksha is known as “Indra Sidha Rudraksha Yoga”. The Group of “Tri Juti Rudraksha with Gauri Shankar Rudraksha is known as “Maha Param Sidha Rudraksha Yoga”.
Do a wearer has to perform any Pooja (prayer)?
As AstroMuni.Com provides its users with energized (Praanpratishthit) Rudrakshas, the wearer doesn’t have to perform any Pooja (prayer) before wearing it. But still it is recommended to chant the “Panchakshari Mantra” of Lord Shiva for 11 times before wearing it. The Mantra is: “OM NAMAH SHIVAYE”. In case of rosary of Rudraksha, it is always suggested to use it for the purpose of chanting mantras related to any God. The more the mantras will be chanted on Rudraksha Rosary, the more it will be energized, thus giving its wearer more better results.
What is the difference between Gems and Rudraksha?
As told earlier, Rudraksha is the direct blessings of Lord Shiva. It has to ill or negative effects on its wearer, whereas the gems are associated with specific planets. If wrongly prescribed by an astrologer or if the quality of the gem is not good as required, it may cause enhancement in the tribulations caused by the malefic planet. On the other hand, Rudrakshas are used for both the purposes, to reduce the tribulations caused by malefic planets and to enhance the positive results of benefic planets.
What are the diseases cured by Rudraksha?
First of all one must understand that as per astrology, each planet has its effects on the human body. Each planet covers different organs of the human body. The malefic situation of the planet may cause the diseases related to the organs that comes under the specific planet. Rudraksha plays an important role in reducing the tribulations (including diseases) caused by the malefic planets. 1 to 9 faced (mukhi) Rudrakshas are related to the planets. An astrologer suggests the native to wear the specific Rudraksha for specific planet, thus preventing the native from the diseases related to that planet.
Important Tips about One(Single) Mukhi Rudraksha
- Rudraksha can be used to reduce the tribulations caused by malefic planets.
- Rudraksha can be used to enhance the positive results given by the benefic planets.
- Rudraksha can be used as a remedy to “Vaastu Doshas”.
- Rudraksha can be worn or can be kept in the temple at home or work place.
- Properly maintained Rudraksha can go up to next generation.
- Rudraksha should be kept clean and oiled.
- Rudraksha is a great medicine for Hypertension (Blood Pressure).
- Rudraksha can be worn in any form, may it be rosary, single bead or with combination of any Rudraksha.
- Rudrakshas can be hanged on the front doors of the temple, home and workplace (in shape of bunch).
..Also hanging it in the corners of your Office, Board Room, Meeting room will help you in a great deal.
- One should remove Rudraksha from his body while attending a funeral ceremony.
- Rudraksha never gives negative energies; therefore they don’t have ill effects of any kind on anyone.
- Rudraksha is an excellent tool to get protected from Devil effects (Bhoot-Pret Badha).
- Rudraksha is an excellent tool to get protected from diseases, untimely accidents and death.
- Rudraksha is a great energy one should wear to get fame, name, good fortune, never-ending wealth,
- property and respect in the society.
- Everyone in the world should wear Rudraksha on his body to enhance love, affection, faith, brotherhood and sympathy among each other.
What are the astrological purposes of Rudraksha?
In a horoscope of a native, there are 9 main planets. Each planet has its own nature and character. There are 12 houses in the horoscope. The snapshot of the situation of these 9 planets in 12 houses (at the time of birth of the native) is called a Horoscope. 12 houses of the horoscope represent different aspects of the life of the native. These houses contain different numbers from 1 to 12. These numbers represents different Signs (e.g. 1 represent Aries, 5 represents Leo and 12 represent Pisces). Each sign has the lordship of particular planet (e.g. Aries, Leo and Pisces are under the Lordship of planet Mars, Sun and Jupiter respectively). Now, in astrology some planets are friends to each other, some planets are enemies to each other and some planets are average to each other. When a planet is situated in the sign of his friend planet, he use to give good results related to that house and if a planet is situated in the sign of his enemy planet, he use to cause tribulations related to that house.
What is the Vedic Procedure to Energize (Praanpratishtha) a Rudraksha?
One can adopt either of the procedures to energize a Rudraksha.
General Vedic Procedure to energize a Rudraksha:
Pore the Bead(s) of Rudraksha in water of Ganga. Apply the sandal wood paste on it. Lit insane and the lamp of Ghee. Offer some white flowers to the Rudraksha. Chant Panchakshari Mantra for 11 times and wear the Rudraksha.
Perform this procedure in the temple. Touch the Rudraksha Beads with the ShivLingha or with the feats of Lord Shiva and then wear it. If you want to adopt this procedure at your home, it will be better to have one Parad made Shiv Lingha in your temple.
Detailed Vedic Procedure to energize a Rudraksha:
It will be better if the wearer perform this Pooja by himself, or else one can take the services of a the Guru or the priest of a temple for this procedure.
Following items are required for this procedure:
PanchGavya Gomeya (Dung of the cow), GoMootra, Milk, Curd, and Ghee. If these items are not available you can also make the Panchaamrit by mixing these products: Milk, Curd, Ghee, Honey and Sugar. Make at least 100 ml. mixture (say about one cup).
+ Ganga Water
+ Bunch of Kusha or Grass or a clean Spoon
+ 9 Leaves of Peepal in one a vessel
+ One empty vessel or a plate to keep the items of Pooja.
+ Insane (Dhoop and Agarbati)
+ Camphor and a lamp of Ghee
+ sandal wood paste
+ Rice with the coating of AsthGandha
+ New White or Red cloth (about 1.25 Meters long)
+ Fresh fruits, Supaari, Paan, Clove, Coconut and Flowers of white color.
+ Put Supaari in the Paan leaves And close it using the clove as a stich.
+ Aasan (The seat made of Kusha or Grass or blanket)
Procedure:
+ Have bath in morning and sit on the Aasan facing East Direction.
+ Better to keep a Parad or Crystal made Shiv Lingha in front of you.
+ Keep all the pooja items near you.
+ Keep the container of Ganga water near you.
+ Wash the Rudraksha with PanchGaveya or Panchaamrit.
- Keep the Rudraksha bead(s) in the vessel containing 9 Leaves of Peepal in front of you.
+ Keep on empty vessel or plate near it to pore the Pooja items in it.
+ Lit the ghee lamp and insane.
+ Chant the Pachaakshari Mantra for three times. “OM NAMAH SHIVAYE”.
+ Put some Ganga water drops on your body and the pooja items while chanting these mantras:
- OM APAVITRAH PAVITRO VAA SARVAAVASTAAN GATOPIVA, YAH SMRET PUNDIRKAKSHAM SA BAAHAYAABHYAANTARAH SHUCHIAH
- OM GURU BHAYU NAMAH
- OM GANESHAYE NAMAH
- OM KULDEVTAABHAYO NAMAH
- OM ISHTDEVTAABHAYO NAMAH
- OM MATAPITRABHAYAAM NAMAH
+ Pore some Ganga Water using the bunch of Kusha or grass in your right palm and wash both your hands. Now again pore some ganga-water in your right palm and drink it while chanting these mantras:
- OM KESHAVAAYE NAMAH
- OM NAARAAYANAAYE NAMAH
- OM MAADHAVAAYE NAMAH
+ Now again pore some ganga-water in your right palm and pore it on the earth near you while chanting these mantras:
- OM GOVINDAAYE NAMAH
+ Now keep the index finger on your nose and perform the Praanaayaama and chant these mantras
- OM PRAANAAVAASYA PARBRAHMHA RISHIH PARMAATAMA DEVTA DEVI GAAYATRI CHHANDAH PRAANAAYAMI VINIYOGAH
+ Put some Ganga water drops on the Rudraksha Bead(s) using the bunch of Kusha or grass and chant these mantras:
- OM SADYOJAATAM PRAPADYAAMI SADYOJAATAAYA VEI NAMO NAMAH BHAVE BHAVE NAATIBHAVE BHAVASVA MAAM BHAVODDABHAVAAYE NAMAH
+ Take some white flowers in your right hand and apply the sandal wood paste on it and touch them with the Rudraksha bead(s) and chant these mantras:
- OM VAAM DEVAAYE NAMAH, JESHTTHAAYE NAMAH, SHARESHTTHAAYE NAMAH, RUDRAAYE NAMAH, KAALAAYE NAMAH, KAL-VIKARANAAYE NAMAH, BAL-VIKARANAAYE NAMAH, BALAAYE NAMAH, BAL-PRAMATHNAAYE NAMAH, SARVA BHOOTADAMAPASYE NAMAH, MANONMANAAYE NAMAH
+ Now offer the holy perfume of insane to the Rudraksha by directing the smoke of insane towards it, while chanting these mantras:
- AGHORBHAYO ATHGHOREBHAYO GHOR GHOR TAREBHYAH
- SARVEBHYAH SARVASHARVEBHAYO NAMASTEASTU RUDRARUPBHAYAH
+ Again take some flowers in your hand and apply some sandal wood paste to them and touch them to the Rudraksha bead(s) while chanting these mantra:
- OM TATPURUSHAYE VIDDMAHE MAHAADEVAYE DHIMAHI TANORUDRAH PRACHODAYAAT
+ Now chant these ISHAAN Mantras to CHARGE the Rudraksha bead(s)
OM ISHAANAH SARV VIDDYAANAAMISHVARAH SARVBHOOTAANAAM BRAHMADHIPATI BRAAHMANODHIPATI BRAHAMA SHIVOMEINASTU SADAASHIVOM
+ Now take some rice in your left palm. Chant these mantras of energizing (Praanpratishtha) and offer some rice with right hand to Rudraksha bead(s):
- OM AAM HALEEM KROM YAM RAM LAM VAM SHAM SHAM SAM HAUM HAM SAH ASYA MAALAAYAH PRAANAAH EEH PRAANAAH
- OM AAM HALEEM KROM YAM RAM LAM VAM SHAM SHAM SAM HAUM HAM SAH ASYA MAALAAYAH JEEV EEH STHITHAH
- OM AAM HALEEM KROM YAM RAM LAM VAM SHAM SHAM SAM HAUM HAM SAH ASYA MAALAAYAH SARENDRIYAANI VAANGMANSHCHAKSHU SHROTRAGHRAANAPADAANI EEHEAIVAAGATYE SUKHAM CHIRAM TISHATHAANTU SAWAAHA
+ Now again take some rice in your left palm. Chant these mantras of devotion and offer some rice with right hand to Rudraksha bead(s) with every mantra. All these mantras have a different purpose of welcoming the god, offering clothes, rice, flowers, divine perfume of insane, light of the lamp, ganga water, fruits, paan and coconut etc. Perform as directed:
- Welcome Mantra (keep you hands together in the form of namaskaar and pray to Lord Shiva)
- AASANAM SAMARAPAYAAMI SHRI SHIV MAHADEVYA CHARNA KAMLEBHAYO NAMAH
- Offering Cloths (Take White or Red Cloth in your right hand and offer it to the Rudraksha Bead(s) while chanting this mantra)
- VASTRA SAMARAPAYAAMI SHRI SHIV MAHADEVYA CHARNA KAMLEBHAYO NAMAH
- Offering Rice (Now take rice in your right hand offer it to the Rudraksha Bead(s) while chanting this mantra)
- AKSHATAM SAMARAPAYAAMI SHRI SHIV MAHADEVYA CHARNA KAMLEBHAYO NAMAH
- Offering Flowers (Take white flowers in your right hand offer it to the Rudraksha Bead(s) while chanting this mantra)
- PUSHPAM SAMARAPAYAAMI SHRI SHIV MAHADEVYA CHARNA KAMLEBHAYO NAMAH
- Offering the divine perfume of insane (Direct the smoke of insane towards Rudraksha Bead(s) with your right hand while chanting this mantra)
- DHUP SAMARAPAYAAMI SHRI SHIV MAHADEVYA CHARNA KAMLEBHAYO NAMAH
- Offering the light of lamp of ghee (Direct the light of lamp towards Rudraksha Bead(s) with your right hand while chanting this mantra)
- DEEP SAMARAPAYAAMI SHRI SHIV MAHADEVYA CHARNA KAMLEBHAYO NAMAH
- Offering the Ganga Water (Take the ganga water from the container using the bunch of Kusha or grass with your right hand and put some drops of the Rudraksha Bead(s) while chanting this mantra)
- AACHMANIYAM SAMARAPAYAAMI SHRI SHIV MAHADEVYA CHARNA KAMLEBHAYO NAMAH
- Offering the Fruits (Take the fruits in your right hand and offer them to the Rudraksha Bead(s) while chanting this mantra)
- NAIVEDEYAM SAMARAPAYAAMI SHRI SHIV MAHADEVYA CHARNA KAMLEBHAYO NAMAH
- Offering the Ganga Water once again (Once again take the ganga water from the container using the bunch of Kusha or grass with your right hand and put some drops of the Rudraksha Bead(s) while chanting this mantra)
- AACHMANIYAM SAMARAPAYAAMI SHRI SHIV MAHADEVYA CHARNA KAMLEBHAYO NAMAH
- Offering the Paan (Take the paan in your right hand and offer them to Rudraksha Bead(s) while chanting this mantra)
- TAAMBOOLAM SAMARAPAYAAMI SHRI SHIV MAHADEVYA CHARNA KAMLEBHAYO NAMAH
- Offering Coconut (Take the coconut in your right hand and offer it to Rudraksha Bead(s) while chanting this mantra)
- SHRI FAL SAMARAPAYAAMI SHRI SHIV MAHADEVYA CHARNA KAMLEBHAYO NAMAH
+ Now lit the Camphor and say Aarati for three times:
- KARPOOR GAUR KARUNAAVATAARAM SANSAARAM SAARAM BHUJAGENDRAHAAR, SADA VASANTAM HRIDAYAARVANDE BHAVAM BHAVAANI SAHITAM NAMAAMI
+ Now chant the Gayatri Mantra for three times:
- OM BHURBHUVAH SWAH
TATSVITURVARENIYAM BHARGODEVASAYADHIMAHI
DHIYOYONAH PRACHODAYAAT
+ Now chant the Surya Mantra for three times:
- OM BHU OM BHUVAH OM SAWAH OM MAHA OM JANNAH OM TAPAH OM SATAYAM
+ Now touch your Right Eye with the fingers of your right hand and chant the mantra:
- OM AAPO JYOTI RASO AMRITAM BRAHMA BHU BHUVAH SWAROM
+ Now touch your Left Eye with the fingers of your right hand and chant the same mantra:
- OM AAPO JYOTI RASO AMRITAM BRAHMA BHU BHUVAH SWAROM
+ Now touch your Forehead with the fingers of your right hand and chant the same mantra:
- OM AAPO JYOTI RASO AMRITAM BRAHMA BHU BHUVAH SWAROM
+ Now chant the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra for 5 times.
OM HOM JOOM SAH
OM BHURBHUVAH SWAH
TRIYAMBAKAM YAJAAMAHE SUGANDHIM PUSHTIVARDHANAM
URVAARUKMIVBANDHANAAN MRITYOUMOKSHIYE MAMRTAAT
BHURBHUVAH SWAROM JOOM SAH HOM OM
+ Now Chant the Beeja mantras of Rudraksha for 1 time each:
- OM NAMAH SHIVAYE, OM HREEM NAMAH, OM NAMAH, OM KLEEM NAMAH, OM HREEM HUM NAMAH, OM HUM NAMAH, OM KROM KSHROM ROM NAMAH
+ Now pray to Lord Shiva with full faith in him:
OM PURNAMADAH PURNAMIDAM PURNAART PURMUDCHAYATE
PURNASAYE PURNMAADAAYE PURNMEVAAYE SHISHAYATE
OM SHANTIH SHANTIH SHANTIH
Now you can wear the energized (praanpratishthit) Rudraksha Bead(s) or can place them in the temple of your home, office or workplace. Donate some money along with all the Pooja items in the temple. Take the blessings of your elders for your higher self.
Shiva Purana describe Rudraksha's origin as Lord Shiva's tears. He had been meditating for many years for the welfare of all creatures. On opening the eyes, hot drops of tears rolled down and the mother earth gave birth to Rudraksha trees. Lord Siva has many aspects indicated by His 1,008 names Lord Siva is responsible for creation, evolution and dissolution. Lord Siva dances creation out of existence at the end of time and then after an appropriate time He destroys the silence itself by dancing and the activity of His dance gives rise to the appearance of Narayana and causes creation again.
Through the grace of Lord Siva we are able to come to a state where we stop identifying with the Relative aspect of ourselves and come to know our true identity as one with the Absolute. This is the death of death itself. This is immortality. It is the total destruction of all limitation and all sorrow in our lives and this miracle can only be brought about by the power of Lord Siva. That is why He is called Lord Siva the Auspicious One. He destroys our limitations and our fears. He is the very embodiment of total kindness. He is the Lord of Yogis presiding over Transcendental Knowledge.Om Nama Sivaya.
Lord Siva is also known as Rudra and the Lord of Tears. The meaning of the name Rudra is traceable to the Vedas and said to be derived from rud (dravayita) he who drives away sin or suffering.
Eight different aspects of nature are the direct manifestations of Rudra and they are Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space, The Sun, The Moon and the Life Force. Anything good and auspicious, anything that keeps us healthy and happy and anything that helps us attain freedom from pain and misery is Rudra.
Sri Rudram is one of the five scriptural texts chosen by the ancients for constant repetition and meditation. The five are the Upanishads of one's own Sakha, The Bhagavad Gita, The Vishnu Sahasranama, Sri Rudram and Purusha Suktam.
Vedic Literature states
As by pouring water at the root of a tree, all its branches are nourished, by pleasing Sri Rudra through Rudrajapa, all the Devas are pleased. One attains Bhukti and Mukti, enjoyment of life as well as freedom from the ills of the world by the chanting of Sri Rudram with devotion
To the Rudra who is in fire, who is in water, who is in trees and plants, who has entered into the entire universe, to that Rudra let our salutations go
Vedic Literature shows that the Rudraksa Bead was created from the tears of Rudra, the fierce form of Lord Siva thus endowing it with medicinal and Spiritual Powers. Each of the many types of Rudraksa Beads have a governing Diety and specific powers and properties.
Two of the most important rules to be observed in the Asta avarana that are the eight aids or protections are the uttering of the five syllabled formula or Mantra that is Namah Sivaya and the wearing of the Sacred Rudraksha.
What is tantra ?
Tantra has been one of the most neglected branches of Indian spiritual studies despite the considerable number of texts devoted to this practice, which dates back to the 5th-9th century AD.
Many people still consider tantra to be full of obscenities and unfit for people of good taste. It is also often accused of being a kind of black magic. However, in reality, tantra is one of the most important Indian traditions, representing the practical aspect of the Vedic tradition.
The religious attitude of the tantriks is fundamentally the same as that of the Vedic followers. It is believed that the tantra tradition is a part of the main Vedic tree. The more vigorous aspects of Vedic religion were continued and developed in the tantras. Generally tantriks worship either Goddess Shakti or Lord Shiva.
The Meaning of "Tantra"
The word "tantra" is derived from the combination of two words "tattva" and "mantra". "Tattva" means the science of cosmic principles, while "mantra" refers to the science of mystic sound and vibrations. Tantra therefore is the application of cosmic sciences with a view to attain spiritual ascendancy. In another sense, tantra also means the scripture by which the light of knowledge is spread: Tanyate vistaryate jnanam anemna iti tantram.
There are essentially two schools of Indian scriptures — "Agama" and "Nigama". Agamas are those which are revelations while Nigama are the traditions. Tantra is an Agama and hence it is called "srutishakhavisesah", which means it is a branch of the Vedas.
Tantric Scriptures
The main deities worshipped are Shiva and Shakti. In tantra there is a great significance of "bali" or animal sacrifices. The most vigorous aspects of Vedic traditions evolved as an esoteric system of knowledge in the Tantras. The Atharva Veda is considered to be one of the prime tantrik scriptures.
Types & Terminology
There are 18 "Agamas", which are also referred to as Shiva tantras, and they are ritualistic in character. There are three distinct tantrik traditions — Dakshina, Vama and Madhyama. They represent the three "shaktis" or powers of Shiva and are characterised by the three "gunas" or qualities - "sattva", "rajas" and "tamas". The Dakshina tradition, characterised by the "sattva" branch of tantra is essentially for good purpose. The Madhyama, characterised by "rajas" is of mixed nature, while the Vama, characterised by "tamas" is the most impure form of tantra.
Rustic Tantriks
In Indian villages, tantriks are still not quite hard to find. Many of them help the villagers solve their problems. Every person who has lived in the villages or has spent his childhood there, has a story to tell. What is so easily believed in the villages might appear illogical and unscientific to the rational urban mind, but these phenomena are realities of life.
Desire for Worldly Pleasures
Tantra is different from other traditions because it takes the whole person, and his/her worldly desires into account. Other spiritual traditions ordinarily teach that desire for material pleasures and spiritual aspirations are mutually exclusive, setting the stage for an endless internal struggle. Although most people are drawn into spiritual beliefs and practices, they have a natural urge to fulfill their desires. With no way to reconcile these two impulses, they fall prey to guilt and self-condemnation or become hypocritical. Tantra offers an alternative path.
The Tantrik Approach To Life
The tantrik approach to life avoids this pitfall. Tantra itself means "to weave, to expand, and to spread", and according to tantrik masters, the fabric of life can provide true and ever-lasting fulfillment only when all the threads are woven according to the pattern designated by nature. When we are born, life naturally forms itself around that pattern. But as we grow, our ignorance, desire, attachment, fear, and false images of others and ourselves tangle and tear the threads, disfiguring the fabric. Tantra "sadhana" or practice reweaves the fabric, and restores the original pattern. This path is systematic and comprehensive. The profound science and practices pertaining to hatha yoga, pranayama, mudras, rituals, kundalini yoga, nada yoga, mantra, mandala, visualization of dieties, alchemy, ayurveda, astrology, and hundreds of esoteric practices for generating worldly and spiritual prosperity blend perfectly in the tantrik disciplines.
Many people still consider tantra to be full of obscenities and unfit for people of good taste. It is also often accused of being a kind of black magic. However, in reality, tantra is one of the most important Indian traditions, representing the practical aspect of the Vedic tradition.
The religious attitude of the tantriks is fundamentally the same as that of the Vedic followers. It is believed that the tantra tradition is a part of the main Vedic tree. The more vigorous aspects of Vedic religion were continued and developed in the tantras. Generally tantriks worship either Goddess Shakti or Lord Shiva.
The Meaning of "Tantra"
The word "tantra" is derived from the combination of two words "tattva" and "mantra". "Tattva" means the science of cosmic principles, while "mantra" refers to the science of mystic sound and vibrations. Tantra therefore is the application of cosmic sciences with a view to attain spiritual ascendancy. In another sense, tantra also means the scripture by which the light of knowledge is spread: Tanyate vistaryate jnanam anemna iti tantram.
There are essentially two schools of Indian scriptures — "Agama" and "Nigama". Agamas are those which are revelations while Nigama are the traditions. Tantra is an Agama and hence it is called "srutishakhavisesah", which means it is a branch of the Vedas.
Tantric Scriptures
The main deities worshipped are Shiva and Shakti. In tantra there is a great significance of "bali" or animal sacrifices. The most vigorous aspects of Vedic traditions evolved as an esoteric system of knowledge in the Tantras. The Atharva Veda is considered to be one of the prime tantrik scriptures.
Types & Terminology
There are 18 "Agamas", which are also referred to as Shiva tantras, and they are ritualistic in character. There are three distinct tantrik traditions — Dakshina, Vama and Madhyama. They represent the three "shaktis" or powers of Shiva and are characterised by the three "gunas" or qualities - "sattva", "rajas" and "tamas". The Dakshina tradition, characterised by the "sattva" branch of tantra is essentially for good purpose. The Madhyama, characterised by "rajas" is of mixed nature, while the Vama, characterised by "tamas" is the most impure form of tantra.
Rustic Tantriks
In Indian villages, tantriks are still not quite hard to find. Many of them help the villagers solve their problems. Every person who has lived in the villages or has spent his childhood there, has a story to tell. What is so easily believed in the villages might appear illogical and unscientific to the rational urban mind, but these phenomena are realities of life.
Desire for Worldly Pleasures
Tantra is different from other traditions because it takes the whole person, and his/her worldly desires into account. Other spiritual traditions ordinarily teach that desire for material pleasures and spiritual aspirations are mutually exclusive, setting the stage for an endless internal struggle. Although most people are drawn into spiritual beliefs and practices, they have a natural urge to fulfill their desires. With no way to reconcile these two impulses, they fall prey to guilt and self-condemnation or become hypocritical. Tantra offers an alternative path.
The Tantrik Approach To Life
The tantrik approach to life avoids this pitfall. Tantra itself means "to weave, to expand, and to spread", and according to tantrik masters, the fabric of life can provide true and ever-lasting fulfillment only when all the threads are woven according to the pattern designated by nature. When we are born, life naturally forms itself around that pattern. But as we grow, our ignorance, desire, attachment, fear, and false images of others and ourselves tangle and tear the threads, disfiguring the fabric. Tantra "sadhana" or practice reweaves the fabric, and restores the original pattern. This path is systematic and comprehensive. The profound science and practices pertaining to hatha yoga, pranayama, mudras, rituals, kundalini yoga, nada yoga, mantra, mandala, visualization of dieties, alchemy, ayurveda, astrology, and hundreds of esoteric practices for generating worldly and spiritual prosperity blend perfectly in the tantrik disciplines.
what is yantra ?
Yantra literally means "instrument". A Yantra is a geometric design acting as a highly efficient tool for contemplation, concentration and meditation. Yantras carry spiritual significance, and point the user to higher levels of consciousness.
The Yantra provides a focal point that is a window into the absolute. When the mind is concentrated on a single, simple object (in this case a Yantra), the mental chatter ceases. Eventually, the object is dropped when the mind can remain empty and silent without help. In the most advanced phases, it is possible to attain union with God by the geometric visualization of a Yantra.
The Yantra is like a microcosmic picture of the macrocosm. It is a focusing point and an outer and inner doorway. The Yantras are often focused on a specific deity and so by tuning into the different Yantras you can tap into certain deities or creative force centers in the universe.
Yantras are usually designed so that the eye is carried into the center, and very often they are symmetrical. They can be drawn on paper, wood, metal, or earth, or they can be three-dimensional.
The Sri Yantra
The Tara Yantra
The Kali Yantra
The Chhinnamasta Yantra
The most celebrated Yantra in India is the Sri Yantra, the Yantra of Tripura Sundari. It is a symbol of the entire cosmos that serves to remind the practitioner of the non-difference between subject and object.
The Yantra provides a focal point that is a window into the absolute. When the mind is concentrated on a single, simple object (in this case a Yantra), the mental chatter ceases. Eventually, the object is dropped when the mind can remain empty and silent without help. In the most advanced phases, it is possible to attain union with God by the geometric visualization of a Yantra.
The Yantra is like a microcosmic picture of the macrocosm. It is a focusing point and an outer and inner doorway. The Yantras are often focused on a specific deity and so by tuning into the different Yantras you can tap into certain deities or creative force centers in the universe.
Yantras are usually designed so that the eye is carried into the center, and very often they are symmetrical. They can be drawn on paper, wood, metal, or earth, or they can be three-dimensional.
The Sri Yantra
The Tara Yantra
The Kali Yantra
The Chhinnamasta Yantra
The most celebrated Yantra in India is the Sri Yantra, the Yantra of Tripura Sundari. It is a symbol of the entire cosmos that serves to remind the practitioner of the non-difference between subject and object.
What is occult ?
The word occult is derived from the Latin word occultus which means "hidden". Occult blood is a medical term which refers to blood which cannot be seen, except perhaps under a microscope. The Occult has been defined as any activity which
1. is esoteric (employs knowledge that is not known to the general public, but which is only revealed gradually to a selected few in training), and
2. depends upon those talents which lie beyond the five senses, and
3. engages with the supernatural.
Unfortunately, such a definition has serious flaws:
bullet The beliefs, rituals, and practices of many activities which have traditionally been considered to be occultic have now been thoroughly documented and published. The public can go to a bookstore and purchase written material on just about any "occultic: activity. Little remains secret. 1 For example, most lists of occultic activity includes Wicca (often referred to by the public as "White" Witchcraft), and various methods of foretelling the future (e.g. astrology, casting runes, reading Tarot Cards, 5 I Ching, etc.). Literally hundreds of books have been published on these topics. Anyone can learn as much as they wish by simply buying or borrowing books. Since knowledge is not hidden, these beliefs and activities do not meet the first criteria above.
bullet Consider a person who joins an adult religion class at their local church and is taught special techniques of effective prayer -- methods that are unique to that church and not generally available to outsiders. This activity would meet all of the three criteria for the Occult: it has to be taught; it can be a silent prayer - a means of communicating without spoken words; it is directed at God.
bullet Consider a ceremonial magician performing a healing spell. She/he might believe that the spell taps into perfectly natural forces - parts of the universe that science has not yet been able to explain. They might feel that they are not part of the Occult, since they are not dealing with the supernatural.
bullet During mass, a Roman Catholic priest will perform a ritual which involves certain words and actions. The end result is that the wafer and wine is believed to literally become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This act of magic would meet these three criteria, and thus be occultic.
bullet The Wiccan faith is a reconstructed religion of the ancient Celts. Wiccans develop an intimate connection with their Goddess and God, perform religious rituals, and observe seasonal days of celebration. In doing so, they differ little from followers of other religions. Although many Wiccans also engage in divination and/or healing spells, some do not. Among those who do not, their faith is devoid of occultic components.
The rather simple definition:
OCCULT: A set of mostly unrelated divination and/or spiritual practices or activities which appear to tap into forces that have not been explained by science, and which are not conventional practices seen in traditional religions.
1. is esoteric (employs knowledge that is not known to the general public, but which is only revealed gradually to a selected few in training), and
2. depends upon those talents which lie beyond the five senses, and
3. engages with the supernatural.
Unfortunately, such a definition has serious flaws:
bullet The beliefs, rituals, and practices of many activities which have traditionally been considered to be occultic have now been thoroughly documented and published. The public can go to a bookstore and purchase written material on just about any "occultic: activity. Little remains secret. 1 For example, most lists of occultic activity includes Wicca (often referred to by the public as "White" Witchcraft), and various methods of foretelling the future (e.g. astrology, casting runes, reading Tarot Cards, 5 I Ching, etc.). Literally hundreds of books have been published on these topics. Anyone can learn as much as they wish by simply buying or borrowing books. Since knowledge is not hidden, these beliefs and activities do not meet the first criteria above.
bullet Consider a person who joins an adult religion class at their local church and is taught special techniques of effective prayer -- methods that are unique to that church and not generally available to outsiders. This activity would meet all of the three criteria for the Occult: it has to be taught; it can be a silent prayer - a means of communicating without spoken words; it is directed at God.
bullet Consider a ceremonial magician performing a healing spell. She/he might believe that the spell taps into perfectly natural forces - parts of the universe that science has not yet been able to explain. They might feel that they are not part of the Occult, since they are not dealing with the supernatural.
bullet During mass, a Roman Catholic priest will perform a ritual which involves certain words and actions. The end result is that the wafer and wine is believed to literally become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This act of magic would meet these three criteria, and thus be occultic.
bullet The Wiccan faith is a reconstructed religion of the ancient Celts. Wiccans develop an intimate connection with their Goddess and God, perform religious rituals, and observe seasonal days of celebration. In doing so, they differ little from followers of other religions. Although many Wiccans also engage in divination and/or healing spells, some do not. Among those who do not, their faith is devoid of occultic components.
The rather simple definition:
OCCULT: A set of mostly unrelated divination and/or spiritual practices or activities which appear to tap into forces that have not been explained by science, and which are not conventional practices seen in traditional religions.
What is magic ?
Magic is anything that happens which is inexplicable by present knowledge and attributable to a sapent cause. Thus, a meteorite is only magical if we assume that it is chucked down by some god or demon (and only questionably so then, since supernatural beings are fairly explicable, if unpredictable). The slow mutation of alchemy into chemistry is an example of the dissolution of magic into solid working scientific principles. Thus, as repeatable experiments advance, magic retreats, but can never entirely disappear, because we can never know everything, and the sterile plateau of pure knowledge is not attractive to the great mass of humanity. Sufficiently advanced technology is not merely indistinguishable from magic, it is magic - capabilities unknown, fear the worst until you discover its limits (early practical experiment " how far can that dragon spit fire? Ah, yes, about that far. So about twice that at all times would seem a reasonable margin. And we won't have to pay the preist for Ugga's funeral)
The world we live in (those of us who haven't already moved to fantasy worlds) still contains a lot of magic, particularly early in the morning. Spiderwebs loaded with dewdrops create thousands of micorainbows, as I walk home after working all night. I'm convinced that, if I brought a teaspoon and dug beneath their ends, they'd be teeny pots of fairy gold, probably guarded by leprecohens.
Fantasy worlds have a smaller percentage of their population interested in understanding phenomena (and a larger one dedicated to surviving them), so more is magic, the pixies and elves haven't disappeared under the dreaming mounds, various more or less magic bogie men wander around, harvesting children who ignore the traditions, and wizards, black, white and varieties of other hues, work mighty spells by laws of similarity and contiguity, unworried by conservation of matter and momentum. It'll never catch on in Slough.
Magic is the word to contain the indescribable, to explain away the inexplicable.
The world we live in (those of us who haven't already moved to fantasy worlds) still contains a lot of magic, particularly early in the morning. Spiderwebs loaded with dewdrops create thousands of micorainbows, as I walk home after working all night. I'm convinced that, if I brought a teaspoon and dug beneath their ends, they'd be teeny pots of fairy gold, probably guarded by leprecohens.
Fantasy worlds have a smaller percentage of their population interested in understanding phenomena (and a larger one dedicated to surviving them), so more is magic, the pixies and elves haven't disappeared under the dreaming mounds, various more or less magic bogie men wander around, harvesting children who ignore the traditions, and wizards, black, white and varieties of other hues, work mighty spells by laws of similarity and contiguity, unworried by conservation of matter and momentum. It'll never catch on in Slough.
Magic is the word to contain the indescribable, to explain away the inexplicable.
What is black magic ?
Sorcery; necromancy, or the raising of the dead and other selfish abuses of abnormal powers. This abuse may be unintentional; still it has to remain "black" magic whenever anything is produced phenomenally simply for one's own gratification.
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