Importance of donations: Sunday is considered very auspicious for donations. If milk, molasses, rice and clothes are donated on a Sunday, Lord Surya is highly pleased.
After waking up, water should be offered to the Sun God. In addition to this, prayers should be uttered in the name of Lord Surya after taking a bath.
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The major prayers are- Om Suryaye Namaha, Om Adityaye Namaha and Om Basudevaye Namaha. Ghee lamps should be lit on both sides of the main door on Sundays. It is believed that this ritual pleases Goddess Lakshmi. It is considered very lucky to wear red clothes on Sundays and apply a tilak made of chandan (sandalwood paste).
On Sundays you should augment your good luck by feeding wheat products (like rotis) to black crows and animals like black dogs and black cows. Doing this also fetches good luck and success in work and professional life.
In addition to the Sunday rituals, you can always adhere to some basic (yet not very known) vaastu and astrological tips for your general wellbeing.
Vaastu tips for shoes and slippers
Quite often, children or even grown-ups leave their shoes and slippers in a haphazard manner owing to hurry or negligence. But it is actually extremely inauspicious to leave your shoes and slippers in a face down position (i.e. with the sole up).This brings negative energy and may result in a slew of major negative effects. So next time, whenever you see any shoe or slipper in the wrong position, get it back to the correct position.
It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi is displeased if shoes or slippers are kept in an upturned position. Though there is no scientific explanation for this, our ancestors and older people used to follow this custom for ages- shoes and slippers were consciously kept with the sole on the floor or ground.
It is also believed that keeping shoes and slippers in an upturned position can also attract diseases. As the upturned position attracts negative energy, the domestic environment invariably gets vitiated and there are misunderstandings and quarrels between family members.
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Jyotish (astrological) tips related to roti:
Roti (flatbread) is the staple food of most Indian states- barring the states of Eastern India, Northeastern India and South India. It is believed that a faulty kitchen (meaning one that has vaastu defects) can affect the food and the ones who consume it adversely. A kitchen with defective vaastu will result in unforeseen expenses and bad health of family members. Also it should be remembered that cooking should be done with love and a happy mindset. Food tends to taste bad if it is cooked with anger or tension.
In Hindu households, it is considered inauspicious to keep the stove or chulha inoperative during the entire day. At least something like a roti should be cooked. Also it is customary to offer the first roti to cows.
With families becoming nuclear and smaller, housewives/cooks usually do a headcount and make the exact number of rotis so that there is no wastage. However, the number of rotis should NOT be counted while preparing. There are uses for the left over rotis also. Counting your rotis amounts to counting your money all the time and this displeases the benevolent planets.
Always make at least 4 /5 extra rotis than what is necessary. This will not cost much and besides the left over rotis are good for acidity and several stomach problems. The last rotis should be fed to dogs.
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While making rotis, keep a provision for guests and make at least two extra ones. The guest is considered next to Lord Damodar (Vishnu) by Hindus. Unexpected guests should never go back hungry. Feeding guests pleases Goddess Annapurna (Goddesses of food). If there are no guests on a given day, feed the extra rotis to birds and animals like cows or dogs.
It has become a practice in modern households to make the required number of rotis and keep the extra kneaded dough in the fridge overnight. It is not good to have rotis made from stale dough as several kinds of bacteria are formed overnight. According to vaastu also, this practice causes a clash between family members (maybe due to bad taste of rotis).
Interestingly, the roti has a connection with the Sun and Mars (Mangal). Fresh rotis provide us with positive energy while stale rotis can make one lethargic due to the effect of Rahu. So stale rotis should be fed to dogs. As far as possible, roti should not be made from left over dough. It is believed that the one who consumes rotis made from stale dough becomes aggressive and speaks in a loud argumentative pitch.
Rahu has a tendency to creep in dark corners, clutter, dirty objects and utensils and stale food. This malefic planet creates hindrance in one's work and progress. Therefore, if there are no ways of disposing left over rotis, make small pieces and offer them to ants mixed with a little sugar. You can also leave them near ant holes. Ants will happily tow them away as their food and your obstacles will slowly go away!
Reader Query
I am planning to build a house in my plot which has several big trees in it. I have got permission from the Forest Department to chop the trees and use them for my own purpose. But my neighbor has told me that it is inauspicious to fell big trees. What should I do?
Sauvik Barua, Jorhat
Felling of trees is indeed a sad affair. But it is also necessary for you to build your house. Compensate by planting saplings elsewhere. Chopping down of trees becomes important at times for various reasons. But it should not be done haphazardly. The trees are also considered as living beings by the Hindus and it is believed that trees possess souls. There are some vaastu rules for felling trees.
Before cutting down any big tree, it should be worshipped and asked for forgiveness. The best time to fell a tree is on the fourteenth day of the descending moon and when planet Jupiter is at the Rohini or Revathi constellation. The prayer chanted for felling of trees is:-Yaneeh bhootani basanti tani, baling grihitwa vidhiwat prayuktam.
Anyotro vaasang parikalpanayantu, kshamantu te chaddya namastu tethaye.
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