Everything You Must Know About Shankha

The sound of the Conch Shell or Shankha plays an important role when something significant begins in Sanatana Dharma (Hindu Dharma) and Buddhism. It represents luster, brilliance, purity, and auspicious start. It is viewed as a devout article and is utilized in all religious ceremonies.

The Origin of Shankha

It is widely believed that the first use of the Shankha took place during the Samudra Manthan or churning of the ocean. Legends have it that it was used and remained an object of benefaction during Samudra Manthan. Shankha is closely associated with Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. Lord Vishnu is usually portrayed holding a conch shell. It is believed that during the Samudra Manthan, the first conch shell appeared and it was followed by Goddess Lakshmi, as per an article on VedicFeed.

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Lord Kubera is the God of Wealth. He is the one who is believed to possess eight auspicious jewels and one of them happened to be Sankhanidhi.

In the epic time, the sankha stayed a vital part of warfare. And wars were confined to daytime. Accordingly the blowing of sankha during dawn implied that war was on and again it used to be blown at nightfall meaning retreat to the camps of night rest. It used to mean the victory signal also.

Want to read more in Hindi? Checkout: 'बॉलीवुड में ड्रग के गढ़ को उखाड़ने' में मदद कर सकता है शोविक'

Importance of Shankh

Hindu socio-religious ethos deeply embeds its importance of Shank. Shankh symbolizes the cosmic space of which the attribute is sabda or sound. The reverberating melodic notes of sacred sankha rent the air when it is blown during the religious occasions. And hence the devotee is able to communicate his/her feelings. In religious ceremonies, Shankh is utilized to declare the start of a prayer or arrival of deity and in certain places, holy water is gathered and distributed in it.

While performing Lakshmi Puja, the conch shell is filled with milk and then it is poured over the idol. Water collected in Shankha is offered while worshipping the sun. Sankha is basically an integral part of Vaishnavite symbology. The most famous Shankha is the Panchajanya of Lord Vishnu. In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna and the five Pandavas had a separate Shankha, and it is referred at the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita.

Types of Shankha

There are two kinds of Shankha – left handed conch shell and right-handed conch shell. Valampiri Shankha or Lakshmi Shankha is the right-handed conch shell and is viewed as favorable and auspicious.

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Numerous individuals keep the right-handed sankha as it is believed to bring riches and prosperity to the house. It is additionally connected with Kubera, who is the god of wealth. Various establishments and associations use the conch shell as their symbol.

Musical Importance

Shankha is additionally important for classical Indian musical instruments, and there is likewise a mudra based on it in classical dance. There are also various legends related with the Shankha in the huge Sanskrit literature.