Incense Thoughts

[Arjuni]

Namast�,

Glad to see the thread helping a bit.

It is a lovely rainy grey day here, so I pulled out the Fred Soll incense Ceremonial Rain, and now must add an unfortunate codicil to my last posting on Soll: This is not an ideal choice if you live in a small place, unless you live alone. The incense sticks are long, plump, and resinous, and they pack a powerful punch, with a strong waft. I can only burn half a stick at a time now, for fear of choking my roommate.

I'll be placing a new order soon, for some different brands in smaller, more slender sticks. Will review when they arrive.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

[Purana]

I've been using sandalwood incense sticks for my Lord Vinayagar. When I first using it, I love the smell which give me the calmness feeling. I can't recall the brand name offhand as I only remember the packaging which is orange and yellow in the background with Lord Vinayagar as the main cover picture. About 120 sticks which cost S$4.50.

[Mana]

हरिः ओम्


Namaste,

Thats one Buddha box ordered; I shall keep you posted.
Thank you for the tip.



praNAma

mana


ॐ नमः शिवाय
Aum Namaḥ Śivāya

[Arjuni]

Namasté, nicely scented ones,

I have a devotee friend who has little access to religious supplies of any kind - including incense - so I recently mailed her a package, which included some of my own incense supply. I then made an order to replace it. Besides the blends I've mentioned already, I added on:

Shanthimalai Red Nag Champa - Made by a village women's cooperative. This will be the closest to Arunachala I've yet gotten...
Essence of the Ages Maha Laxmi Dhoop - I think this is a pack of sixteen, so it will be saved for Mahālakṣmī Vrata in September/October. Mana, spikenard is an ingredient in this one, so I'll keep a nose out for it...
Happy Hari Oud Masala - Oude. Masala. I can't imagine this not being beautiful.
Mother's Lila Nag Champa - Tuberose is listed among the ingredients, a flower that embodies luxuriant, flourishing bhakti in my mind, and which unfortunately does not grow locally.
Meena Supreme - What is a meena? I've seen this word in various incenses and have no idea what it means. I feel like it would be admitting defeat to look it up.
Shroff Channabasappa Little Woods, Pearl, Moonlight, and Paneer - It turns out that paneer means "rose water" in Kannada. I was so hoping for a cheese incense, but I suppose rosewater will do.

Reviews when they arrive...

Today I kept incense burning during the eclipse, and noticed the strengthening and invigorating nature of fragrance. It seems as if the air itself is made spiritually nourishing, permeated with serenity and mystery. How amazing, that a little stick with some gums and plant stuff glued onto it, should be able to do all of that - just add devotion!

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

[Mana]

हरिः ओम्


Namaste Indraneela,


Sounds to be a veritable festival of fragrance! I am still awaiting delivery of mine, I have however a rather promising
message informing me of a parcel to collect at the post office, so fingers crossed that I can collect them after work
tomorrow!

Meena, I have heard that She was a Queen who found complete devotion to Kṛṣṇa, discarding all her possessions
She began dancing, sing praise to Kṛṣṇa. Her husband the King, and their people; all thought that she had gone
insane! A court was formed to decide what to do with her given the importance of her status, she was eventually
sentenced to Death. Agreeing to this sentence so long as it was her king that gave her the poison.She swallowed it
in front of her Husband; turning away as she died, the King saw to his surprise that on the back of her head, was
the face of Kṛṣṇa.

These people were attacked and defeated in battle not long after this happened, totally wiping them out!

Meena is also the 12th Rāśi or sign of the zodiac, also meaning fish in Sanskrit; thus Pisces. The House of
Venuses exaltation, representing Bhakti and Spirituality.


pranāma

mana


ॐ नमः शिवाय
Aum Namaḥ Śivāya

[Mana]

हरिः ओम्


Namaste,


Ah divine provenance! I have received my innocence in the same post as my cd's of swami Lakshman Ju.


Wonderful! to be infused with such fragrance as the sound of Sanskrit in Kashmiri accent arrives at my ears! truly a wondrous experience.


My senses will be celebrating for quite some time to come, as my nose learns of these new fragrances and my ears these new sounds, and such wisdom!


I love the scent of the mix including Spikanard as it is not to sweet, perchance there was an extra packet contained with in with another mix called Maha Dhoop, with it included!


Thank you for the pointer!



pranāma

mana


ॐ नमः शिवाय
Aum Namaḥ Śivāya

[Arjuni]

Namasté,

Mana, thank you for both the information and the update! A simultaneous treat for the ears and nose together, now that's an idea. Since it's a rainy day outside, perhaps I'll play my havan CD while burning a new stick.

I received my package the other day, with a sample package of a Nepali "saldhoop" incense, so yay!

Earlier today I offered the Oud Masala, and good grief. It is a heavy blend, with a strong, cologne-y note that reminds me of "Cool Water" fragrance for men. Less than five minutes after lighting the stick, I had to move the burner next to an open window because the scent was choking my roommate and me both. So, my experience says that this incense definitely will aggravate anyone in a small space, no matter how devoted to the Divine or to the scent of oude.

And then this exchange took place:
Roommate: :chuckling: I can't believe you're torturing your deity like that.
Me: And see, that's the thing, unfortunately - the scent is for him, not me, so it doesn't really matter whether I hate it. And gawd, do I really hate it. But maybe Indra's all, "Dude, this is awesome."
Roommate: ...wait, Indra's a dude?

To be fair, it's an easy mistake, since English names ending in -a are usually female, and I told her that. And it's further proof that Incense - even not-so-good incense - really does serve to clear the mind and let knowledge in.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

[Arjuni]

Namast�,

Not exactly deep thoughts, but just quick impressions of the ones burned so far.

Shroff Channabasappa:
Paneer: To my nose this is a very standard "Indian incense" pungent-sweet blend, but a lighter, cleaner version, without the bitter heaviness often found with such fragrances. The scent seems subtly different with every whiff, and is hard to pin down; I can't pick out any particular notes except sandalwood and rose.

Pearl: Just as jewels seem flashy next to a pearl's subtle radiance, this well-blended, soft masala makes other incenses seem invasive by comparison. This is a quiet, devotional sort of scent, equally apt for meditation or for worship, and burns with a clean smoke that suits small spaces.

Moonlight: This elixir-sweet blend might well suit anyone in the devotional mood of kanta bhava. The official review names a strong orange blossom note, but I don't detect this. What I sense instead is a rain-wet dark-red rose, and a slight balsamic tang that keeps the flower fragrance in check. Pervasive, strong, and intoxicating.

Mother's:
Lila Nag Champa: I thought that benzoin, tuberose, and oakmoss would be mismatched with a nag champa, but the notes blend delicately and create a serene, natural atmosphere. The oakmoss is prominent and conveys a mood of resting under a shady tree. This is a very unobtrusive incense and would be beneficial for meditation or sleep.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

[Jodhaa]

Namaste!

Nice thread =)

I just burned my first stick of incense this morning. It was Cedar. I really like it, but in the future I may have to cut the stick in half before burning. The scent is a little overpowering in a 12ft by 12 ft room.

I had put off burning incense because I worried about that and also we have very sensitive smoke detectors as well. But I found a "low smoke" incense and so far the detectors are behaving themselves. It really makes a difference in how the shrine area feels compared to the rest of my apartment. It redirects my thoughts to more positive things.

Peace!

[Arjuni]

Namast�,

Nice thread =)
Yes, I'm rather fond of it myself.

I just burned my first stick of incense this morning. It was Cedar.
Cedar is marvelous for the mind, a healing, clarifying fragrance. I like it far better than other incense with similar effects, like sage.

--I found a "low smoke" incense and so far the detectors are behaving themselves.
I am told the Japanese "smokeless" variety is best for this, but I can't speak from personal experience, as I've not tried it. There is also an electric burner on the market that you can use for loose incense and resin tears; the burner warms the plant material and releases the fragrance.

Unfortunately, the incenses with the lightest, most elegant scents are often the most expensive, and not something that most could afford for daily worship. I have a few blends that I keep for very special occasions!