Hari Om
~~~~~
Namaste,
There is a Persian saying, qadre hira shah vadanad ya vadanad jauhari - the value of a diamond is known to a king, or the jauhari knows it.
That is, the King that deals in wealth knows the value of diamonds in a monetary sense, yet the jauhari ( one who knows about gems) also knows the hidden treasures of the ratnas ( gems).
People wear gems for fashion. Many wear them to help them strengthen, or add the energy of the grahas or weaken the influences of the grahas.
I thought with this post, and others if there is interest we can talk a bit about this. I myself wear coral with a particular ad-mixture of metals that make up the ring. I have been quite interested in gems for a while, yet it is an expensive 'hobby' to say the least.
I thought to offer what certain gems are worn on specific fingers and the alignment to ayurveda. I found the knowledge interesting, as it is applied by many jyotishas, perhaps you will too.
It is called out in the Jataka Parijata , a monumental work by Sri Vaidyanata Dikshita, that the 9 graha¹ have associated ratna² .
Ruby is the gem of the lord of the day Surya. Some call Aditya and some also recognize surya as bhutasya jata, the creator of all bhutas i.e. the elements.
Pearl is the gemstone of Chandra, some call Soma.
Red Coral is the gemstone of Mangal or Mars ( some call Kuja)
Emerald is the gemstone of Mercury or Budha
Yellow sapphire is the gemstone of Jupiter or Guru (many call Brihaspati).
Diamond is the gemstone of Venus or Sukra
Blue sapphire is the gemstone of Saturn or Sani.
Agate ( some say Hessonite) is the gemstone of Rahu
Lapis lazuli ( some say Cat's eye and even turquoise) is the gemstone of Ketu
Which Hand & Which Finger?
As one picks a gem to wear then there is the decision of which finger. First lets consider which hand. There is a choice. It is considered the Right hand brings energy in, and the left hand allows energy to flow out.
So the question is one of balance. Are we trying to strengthen a quality or energy or dissipate it? Some consider the right hand Solar, and left hand Lunar i.e. energy is gathered in the day with surya on the rise, and then dissipated in the evenings with the setting of the sun and rising moon.
So the rule is, add gems to the right hand fingers to strengthen and left hand fingers to dissipate.
So one needs to know a little about their birth chart to figure out which grahas are beneficial ( shubh graha) and which ones are malefic (kroor graha).
What Finger To Wear the Gem?
When wearing gems as a upayae³ ( upAya) all the fingers are recognized, not just the ring finger. From an Ayurvedic perspective lets look at the 5 fingers of the right hand. We are looking at the 5 mahabhutas or the 5 elements:
View 1 - An Ayurvedic view
- Thumb = akasha (space) therefore Jupiter
- Index finger = vayu (air or gas principle) therefore Saturn
- Middle finger = tejas ( fire or energy, conflaguration principle) therefore Mars
- Ring finger = jala ( water or fluid principle) therefore Moon
- Baby finger = prithvi ( earth or material principle) therefore Mercury
There are a few views here on where to wear a ring. One is to match the bhuta/element of the planet ( graha) with the finger's element.
Hence Thumb one would wear the Gem of Jupiter, index finger would that of Saturn, middle finger would be that of Mars, ring finger would be that of the Moon and the baby finger is that of Mercury.
View 2 - Harish Johari† View
But what about Rahu and Ketu ?
- Thumb = Venus
- Index finger = Jupiter
- Middle finger = Saturn
- Ring finger = Sun
- Baby finger = Mercury
From a jyotish perspective Rahu is associated with Saturn and Ketu associated with Mars... Hence the fingers of Saturn then for Rahu and the fingers for Mars can be used for Ketu.
Are there other views? Yep. Some say to wear Rahu gem and Ketu gem on the little finger of the left hand.
The Traditional Ring Finger - Right Hand
Many people wear gems on this finger. From an Ayurvedic perspective it makes sense. Why so? The right hand is 'energy in' to the system, and the ring finger is jala, or water. The body is ~ 80% water, so there is good conductivity and affinity between the gem and the bhuta of water principle throughout the body's system. It is also water and therefore Moon-chandra, and in the influence is created there too.
A few things to note
What else can we talk about?
- If you are using a gem as a upaye, it must touch your skin. Not doing so , you are not gaining the benefit.
- IMHO too many gems being worn is not the optimal use of the gems. It is my opinion only that there is 'cross talk' or interference - too many messages going on at one time. I have seen folks with 5 or 6 gems on at the same time.
- Quality is king. A good stone or alternative stone is best. Avoid ( that is do not use) a cracked stone, or blemished stone. Consider it like an electrical cord that has been frayed or cut and the full current is not going through the wire.
- When you buy the stone is important, and when you put the stone on is also important also , as you want the blessings of the grahas to accompany you all along the way
pranams,
- the weight of the gem in rattikas, then converted to carats and recommended weights for use
- pure gems vs. flawed gems
- replacement gems other the the nava-ratna ( or 9 gems) discussed
- your experiences - are the gems working for you?
- Which gems are best?
- Gem classifications - their dosas ( vata , pitta, kapha)
- Qualities of a good stone (ratna)
- What else can one strengthen? Intellect, Lagna, etc.
- When to buy a gem ? which day of the week.
1. graha (ग्रह) - seizing , laying hold of , holding; a planet. Yet is the notion of a graha as that which binds or holds. Holds what ? A seizing or influencing or ones actions, karma, influences, and the like.
2. ratna (रत्न) - a jewel , gem , treasure , precious stone; a gift , present , goods , wealth , riches
3. upAya ( उपाय ) - a means of success against an enemy ; that by which one reaches one's aim , a means or expedient (of any kind) , way , stratagem , craft , artifice;
† Harish Johari - a most wise Jauhari from a lineage of those knowledgeable in ratna use. His 1988 book, The Healing Power of Gems is excellent. Johariji ( 1934 to 1999) was also skilled in Jyotish; his Jyotish guru was Swamiji Narayan Risi... I wish I had the opportunity to meet Johariji, but know him by his writings.
4. FYI - Gem book I use is Gemstones Of The World by Walter Schumann - 1977 publication: ISBN 0-8069-3088-8
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