June 17, 2010

Missed your bus...blame it on the Rudrakash

I should not have bought that diamond pendant. It's bringing me ill-luck.
This stone isn't working for me. Things have been going wrong ever since I started wearing this.
Please check with your astrologer before you buy precious stones, especially diamonds.

Have you been through this phase? Or have you heard people blame their ill health, accident, theft, failed exam, heartbreak, etc on the pretty shiny gem on their hand or neck or ears? Jewellery never brought sparkles in my eyes and so I've never found myself visiting jewellers frequently. The only jewellery shopping I did was during my wedding time, which again was considered a 'cheap buy' by many of my relatives. It didn't match up to their expectations in weight or cost. I can't say I barely where jewels, considering I have six pierces on my ear and one on my nose. Three tiny pairs of ear-rings and a dot-like nose-pin/ring are the only decorations on me.
Well, I am not here to praise my abilities at shunning the sparkles and the gems. I enjoy checking out new designs and trends in jewellery, and if I had a ever-brimming bank account I might have even picked up some pretty ones. This is about a 'Rudraksh'. The Hindu families, typically insist that women wear a chain always. A bare neck is considered inauspicious, especially for young/married women. Chains were never my favourite piece of jewellery (I prefer anklets). I was often caught bare-necked, and while my mother had grown wise and stopped arguing with me over it, other relatives weren't so understanding of my personal choice. To escape the constant and repeated arguments and debates, I got myself an almost thread-like chain which barely showed. Even that invited unhappy comments but I couldn't care less. Ok I am deviating from the topic yet again.
The matter here is that I have always wanted to wear a Rudraksha bead. I finally bought one (actually got my father to buy it for me) two months ago. The jewellery shop I went to showed me a small packet full of Rudraksha beads--all the same size, shape and weight. The salesman said they were all the same variety and size. Not knowing much about the origin, history and power of the Rudraksha, I picked one (which looked the neatest to my eyes), put it onto my chain and wore it with joy. A few days later, a curious friend asked me where I had got the bead from, which "mukhi" it was, did I feel ok wearing it..etc..etc. I answered the parts I knew and smirked at the others. I had more people quizzing me about this, with some asking me if I was wearing it for any particular reason. Of course yes, I like it and I find it kinda cool.
Now, two months later, I find myself repeating some of these questions. Is it really Ok to wear a Rudraksha without consulting an astrologer? Do women, other than the sanyasins, wear it? Do I need to check the 'mukhi' factor? Can it bring bad luck? It hasn't been a tragic summer (except for the soaring heat), and I haven't suffered any serious setbacks or worries. But suddenly I find myself staring at the Rudrakasha every time I have a bad day or I catch a cold or when I am unable to meet deadlines or when my son gets cranky or if he falls of his cycle or if someone calls me fat or when someone doesn't reply to my call/sms or even if my recipe doesn't turn out quite right. I give a long, hard stare at the Rudrakasha, chained around my neck, half expecting it to speak up and yell at me for freedom. Somehow I know that I will have it removed within a week. Superstition or Stupidity!

7 comments:

PNA said...

Good one, I'm in splits :)

Jewellery for me are my earrings, the one piercing only. the pain stops me from getting another done.

And a chain, I've got that too, get it still and in Bby, the people who ring the bell, from the postman to the watchman to the maid (she has got used to the idea that we are not living-in) think I'm a visiting relative.

This is a debate I have with my Dad always whenever he tells me about wearing a navaratnamothiram! And my argument for not wearing it
is consult an astrologer about all the gems and its effects on me first, I don't want to die because I wear that ring!!

Fact is I'm not too comfortable wearing rings all the time; even this marriage ring, a sign of my marriage, but ppl hardly notice it, in Kerala yes, here no!!

Ash

PNA said...

Thumb rule, if u believe in this funda, it happens that way :):)

And poor poor Rudrakash ;)

The Coffee Cup said...

@PNA: Oh yes the 'married must-haves'...mangalsutra, wedding band, sindoor. I have no problems with those who do follow these practises, but it should be out of choice and genuine love to flaunt it. Not simply because it's the 'Done thing'. Let me clear myself here that I don't see a person as "cool" or "modern" or "independent" simply because she doesn't adorn these blessed pieces. Similarly wearing a sindur and a pretty mangalsutra doesn't make you un-cool or whatever.
I do wear them when I am in the mood for it. I too get those looks and can often see relatives who are itching to pass snide remarks. I couldn't be bothered. But with this rudrakash, I have a funny feeling and have sworn to take it off tomorrow. :)

Journomuse said...

You have the question and the answer right there, coffee cup..:) the poor rudraksh is just there...make a whole chain of it so that you can blame one bead or the other for everything that doesn't happen the way you want..;)

The Coffee Cup said...

Ya Journo..mayb I shud get a whole chain of them and then I can blame it all on the rough-edged brown beads.
Well..my latest fancy is a tulsi-bead chain. Let's see how that works.

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