Japa finger rings

[Harry Spier]

Dear list members,

I was asked to find out if japa finger rings, (finger rings with little nodules on them, which you move with your thumb to do japa) are a modern invention, or if they were used in pre-modern times in India.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Harry Spier

[kamalesh pathak]

References for the fingers used for japa are mostly mentioned in sharda tilak tantram published by motilal banarasidas edited by arther avlon, book hae 25 chapters with sect wise upasana system, 900 odd pages, kindly refer, if time permits I will revert with reference, regards

Kamlesh Pathak

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[Rajaram Krishnamurthy]

there is a specific sequence to how the counting is done on one's hand during Mantra Jaap. The following sections of your fingers are used for counting.

Use the sequence in drawing 1 on your right palm to count every time you utter the mantra. After a set of 10 chants, count one in your left hand in the sequence shown in drawing 2.

Varahi Tantra (English Study) by Roberta Pamio | 2014

Chapter 4 - Preliminaries to the Puraścaraṇa (continuous repetition of the Mantra)

Summary of the Vārāhī Tantra

The chapter deals with some preliminaries to the Puraścaraṇa (lit. "continuous repetition" of the mantra).

It opens with the rules concerning the favourable time in which the Puraścaraṇa should be undertaken (vv.1-12'). In this way, having considered the auspiciousness of both the time as well as of the place, an initiate should propitiate the ground (bhūmiparigraha) and make offerings (bali) to the kṣetrapālas, dikpālas, gaṇas, yoginīs and all the beings (vv.12"-19). Then, the next day in the early morning, he should bathe and repeat one thousand times the gāyatrī, by means of which all sins are purified, both known and unknown (v. 20).

Then are given the gāyatrīs of the Aṣṭamātṛkās (the Eight Mothers) and a list of the Sixty-four Yoginīs (vv.21-29’). Thereafter are presented some exceptions for the auspicious time for dīkṣā (vv.29"-36'); for example, it is said that if the master by his own desire summons the disciple to bestow upon him initiation, the rules about time should not be taken into account (v. 31"-32’).

The second part of the chapter gives instructions about japa and āsana (seat). For counting the repetitions of the mantra three kinds of mālā (rosary) are described: karamālā, i.e. the hand rosary (vv.36"-50'), varṇamālā, the rosary of the letters of the alphabet from a to kṣa, with kṣa as Meru (vv.50"-51'), and maṇimālā, a regular rosary made of beads (51"-53').

Then are indicated the appropriate mālās for each deity and the fruits arising from making japa with the various mālās (vv.53"-72).

Then a description of various āsanas (seats), such as seats made of wool, in particular red for one’s own deity, of sacred grass (kuśa), of black antelope' skin and of tiger's skin. Instead one shouldn't make japa while sitting directly on the ground without any āsana, and one should avoid to use āsanas made of wood, bamboo, stone, grass, twigs or cloth (vv.73-76').

Verses 76"-77 say that in order to perfect the mantra (mantra siddhi) of Vārāhī one should sit on a human skin and repeat the mantra with a bone mālā, using a skull vessel for one's worship. It is added that Vajravārāhikā is the Protectress of all the gods.

The chapter concludes describing the ten saṃskāras ("consacrations") to purify a rosary made of bones (vv.78-96).

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K RAJARAM IRS 5725

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[Harry Spier]

Thank you everyone for the information about doing japa with the hand.  My enquiry was not about how to do japa with the hand, but whether metal japa rings with nodules on them were used in pre-modern India  (see this link for some examples of modern japa rings) https://www.etsy.com/ca/market/japa_ring .

Thanks,

Harry Spier

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[Rajaram Krishnamurthy]

Mr Harry, are you selling any of them and using these pages? 

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[Harry Spier]

Dear Rajaram

I am not selling japa rings. I just posted that link to show examples of modern japa rings.

Harry Spier

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[kamalesh pathak]

Aksha maalaa means beeds of rudraksha or tulasi or crystal etc and 2nd is kar maalaa where we count 1 to 10 10 times and lastly 8 times tocomplete 108 times one cycle of japam

Kamlesh Pathak

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