Below Article – Courtsey: R Balasubramanian
An article by TRS Iyengar
This article is on one of the practices widely used by Indian Brahmins all over using a Holy Grass named Dharbham or Dharbai (Kusha Grass). In all functions, auspicious or inauspicious, a performing person needs to wear a ring made of this Dharbham. But many have lost the reason of why it is to be used in the first place.
What I learnt from my father is proved to be accurately correct by a Medicine Practitioner.
A Doctor named Sadhashiv Rao, once visited my home. When the topic turned to many subjects, I needed to tell him about the Holy Grass named Dharbham. When I told him about the usage and the values, he could not just believe my words. So, he took out a bunch of the Dharbham from me, went straight to the clinic to take an x-ray of his palm, by covering his hand with the Dharbham. To his utter surprise, he found that the grass absorbed about 60% of the radiation!
When the so powerful X-ray radiation can be absorbed by the Holy Grass, why can it not absorb the ill radiations spread over the atmosphere? While chanting and reciting some Vedic phrases and verses, one needs to wear a ring made of Dharbham on his right hand ring finger.
The count of leaves depends upon the ceremony that is held viz.: for some ceremonies related to death only Single leafed Dharbham is used; for Auspicious and daily routine a ring made of two leaves is used; for inauspicious but not death related functions, (i.e. Amavasya Tharppanam, Pithru Pooja etc) a three leaf Dharbham ring is used. And for the Temple Prayer and Pooja, a Four-leaf Dharbham ring is used.
Also, when a fire ritual known as Agni Santana is performed, these Dharbham are spread all the four sides of the Agni Kundam. Also, during the Eclipse time, these Dharbham are used to cover all food items to protect them from the harmful ultra violet radiation.
Whenever any function is held, firstly they perform a site-cleansing act known as “Sudhhi Punyaahavachanam”. While reciting the selective verses, they hold the Dharbham bunch in their hand and placing the tip point of it over the vessel containing water.
Thus the recited vibration values are absorbed by water in the vessel through the Dharbham.
They found that the Holy Grass known as Dharbham has the highest value in conducting the phonetic vibrations through its tip. Later, they sprinkle the Holy water at every nook and corner of the place, where the ceremony or function is held.
A Dharbham without the tip is considered of no value, as the conductor-type value is lost in it.
My father, Late Shri Ramabathrachariar of Mukkur, fondly called by everyone as Sriraman, has given me the immense values of Dharbham and its usage. With Sanskrit phonetic sound and vibration, using the Dharbham increases its value.
The usage varies according to the functions. It is really a marvel, that in those days of Vedic Era, the Sages & Saints of Hindu land used to control the Magnetic path disturbances, just by simply using this Dharbham!
Apart from the above, Dharbham cannot be planted and grown everywhere. It only grows naturally at selective places and available almost in every state in India. Some learned scholars name it after Saint Vishwaamitra – hence Dharbham is known and called as Vishwaamitra. If it is kept for a longer time, say for more than six months, then it loses it value and the power of absorbing the radiation or magnetic path control values.
Dharbham cannot just be plucked straight or cut on any day; There is a specific Slokha that is to be recited before cutting it; That too it can be cut only on the day next to Full Moon – known as Krishna Paksha Pradamai.
A Dharbham without its tip portion is not to be used for making a Ring like item known as “Pavithram”.
Source: Sri’s Collection
April 22, 2012 at 10:50 PM
you say for auspicious and daily routine use two leaves and for temple and pooja use four does the latter mean in temple use not home temple use
April 23, 2012 at 6:47 PM
ಗುರುಚರಣಗಳಿಗೆ ಅನಂತ ಪ್ರಣಾಮಗಳು…
ಅತಿ ಉಪಯುಕ್ತ ಮಾಹಿತಿಗಳನ್ನೊಳಗೊಂಡ ಲೇಖನ… ಈ ತರದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಆಚರಣೆಯ ಹಿಂದಿನ ಕಾರಣ,ಮಹತ್ವವನ್ನು ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ತಿಳಿಯುವಂತಾದರೆ ಅದೆಷ್ಟು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿತ್ತು… ಆಚರಣೆಗಳು,ನಂಬಿಕೆಗಳು ಎಲ್ಲ ‘ಮೂಢ ನಂಬಿಕೆ’ ಎನ್ನುವ ಮೂಢರಿಗೆ ಜ್ಹಾನೋದಯವಾಗಬಹುದು…
ಡಾ| ಸದಾಶಿವ ರಾವ್, TRS Iyengar, R Balasubramanian ಇವರಿಗೆ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು…
April 25, 2012 at 11:15 AM
ಇಂಥಾ ಲೇಖನಗಳು ಇನ್ನೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಬರಳಿ..
December 19, 2013 at 8:52 PM
Thanks for publishing the article posted in my website. Now added more contents to the same at https://www.trsiyengar.com/id65.shtml
Best wishes,
September 10, 2014 at 8:09 PM
I am collecting the literature for Religiously used plants and Darbham is one among them,I am planning to have many such important plants in my nursery and will give as a package from my Tissue culture lab so that awareness of these important plants will be spread.Thank you for the information
October 9, 2014 at 9:34 AM
hi!
I am a doctor and exposed to radiation most of the time it operation theatre. Kindly tell me how to use dharpa leaves in OT during the xray radiation.
Thank you
October 24, 2014 at 3:21 PM
Very useful information and very interesting too. I remember my parents used to place dharbe on all food items during ‘grahaNa’!
October 24, 2014 at 8:21 PM
Thanks. I need much more information like this.
October 26, 2014 at 1:04 PM
bahal sundaravagi moodi bandide.avishkaaranege ananta namangalu.
October 26, 2014 at 5:10 PM
dharbham must tip & also it should “pum.” dharbham specially in yanjna,yagas