The term मङ्गलप्रतिसरः is a Sanskrit word through which मङ्गलसूत्र word is derived & it is a combination of two words मङ्गल & प्रतिसरः। The word मङ्गल means auspicious & प्रतिसरः means an ornament thread, together मङ्गलप्रतिसरः means an auspicious ornament thread. An auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) carries immense importance in Hindu weddings as well as in the lives of Hindu married women. It is tied around the neck of the bride by the groom during the wedding rituals as significance that their relationship would be as auspicious as the thread. It is a symbol of marriage & is worn by the bride until her husband's death. A typical auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) has two strings of black & golden beads & a pendant. An auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) is not just a piece of jewellery or a fashion accessory; it is a symbol of eternal love, respect & trust that husband & wife share.
Though in appearance it looks like a jewellery item, it is definitely much more than that. It is worn as a symbol of marital dignity & chastity. It is a promise from a husband to his wife that they will always stay together. It depicts the union of the husband & the wife & protects them from evil. The auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) occupies a significant position in Hindu marriages & rituals. In modern times, auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) has also become a fashion statement. Women now go for exclusive designs & are ready to experiment. The shape & size of an auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) may vary from state to state & region to region. In north India, it is a necklace with black & gold beads with either a gold or diamond pendant. In the west, it consists of two gold rounds as a pendant with black & gold beads.
Traditionally speaking, the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) has special significance from the perspective of a marriage; it signifies lasting loyalty to the husband, symbolizes commitment to the husband’s family & denotes devotion to the God praying to him for protection of this precious bond. An auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) is generally long that reaches a woman’s chest, but in this fashionable era some variations are done & sometimes it may be just like a necklace & worn around the neck. It generally ends in a pendent either made of gold, or gold along with diamonds. The woman is never supposed to part with her auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) as long as her husband is alive.
The Significance of the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) -
The groom ties the auspicious thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) around the bride’s neck on the day of their holy wedding as significance that their relationship would be as auspicious as the thread. It symbolises that they will be companions for life until death separates them. An auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) is a symbol of marriage & the wife is meant to wear it all her life indicating the love & commitment the husband & wife have towards each other. It is believed that the black beads of an auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) are blessed with divine powers to protect the married couple. It is also believed that the wife wears it to protect her husband from bad luck or danger.
Each component of the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) has special significance in Hinduism. The two strands of the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) symbolize the energies of Shiva & Shakti. The ornament imparts the woman with the Divine Aura (तेजस्/प्रकाशः). The left side of the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) carries इच्छा शक्तिः i.e. the power of one’s intentions, the right part carries ज्ञान शक्तिः i.e. the power of one’s knowledge & the connection where the two strings meet the pendant at the middle produce the क्रिया शक्तिः i.e. the power of one’s actions. Thus, by combining all three powers, the wearer of the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) embodies the Divine Energy (शक्तिः:) that becomes the driving force of her & to those around her.
The traditional auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) designs include stringing of nine black beads combined with nine gold beads. These nine black beads represent the nine forms of the Primal Energy or आदि शक्तिः. They are supposed to absorbs all the negative energies directed at the newly-wed couple. It absorbs these negative vibrations & helps dispel them away from the woman’s body. In that way, the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) ensures protection from evil. The black beads include the energies of the Earth Element (पृथ्वी तत्त्वम्) & the Water Element (जलं तत्त्वम्), while the gold beads include energies of the Fire Element (अग्निः तत्त्वम्) & Air Element (वायुः तत्त्वम्). With the combination of all the four elemental energies & their absolute powers shining in waves, they drive out the negative dominant energy (रजस्-तमस्) vibrations. Hence, the woman wearing the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) has the power to drive out all the negative vibrations directed at her marital life by the power of four elements.
While most people associate the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) with a religious custom, there is also a scientific justification behind it. Hindu culture emphasizes on wearing the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) made of pure gold & it is often advised that the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) should be hidden behind the inners. According to Ayurveda (the ancient Indian science) pure gold has a number of healing properties & the most important of them is, it improves the heart health. Ayurveda reveals that wearing the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) close to the heart (touching the skin) attracts cosmic waves from the surroundings & benefits heart functioning. It is also considered that these waves help in maintaining a happy & healthy relationship between the husband & wife.
Length of the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) -
The auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) usually comprises of two parallel threads with black & gold beads ending in a pendant that may traditionally comprise of a pendant or sometimes one or two gold cups, depends on the region & caste. The golden cups or the pendant that the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) holds in the centre is placed directly over the woman’s अनाहत चक्रम् or heart centre i.e. the fourth centre flow of spiritual energy in a human body. This also increases the balance, calmness & serenity of the women. The void in the golden pendant represents draining of a woman’s emotion, sentiment & negative disposition of her body & mind. This ultimately takes the woman beyond karma or her worldly duties, rendering the ornament into something more powerful than a mere piece of jewellery to reduce the woman’s ego. This means ideal chain length should be at least 24-30 inches long.
Scientific reasons of wearing the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) -
1. Wearing an auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) helps in the development of the immune system.
2. It regularizes blood flow & keeps her fresh & energetic.
3. It regularizes blood pressure.
4. It activates the Solar vein (सूर्य नाडी) in the woman body & awakens the vital energy in it.
5. It activates positive energies around the woman wearing auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः).
6. An auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) having black beads in it wards off the evil while upholding the sanctity of the marriage.
7. A protective covering is generated around the woman’s body.
8. The auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) is usually a black beaded chain in the thin wire of gold. The gold wire & black beads are supposed to destroy the distressing vibrations. The black beads absorb the negative energy before they can reach the bride & her family. Basically, the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) acts as a protective covering around a woman’s body & protects the marriage from any evil.
9. It reduces the negative emotions like ego, hatred, fear, anger, etc.
10. It imparts calmness of the mind & increases the mood.
Thus, being married & although having a happy marital life is a huge achievement for a woman & safeguards needs to be placed in order to protect it from evil intentions & negative energies intended to end the bliss. The protection extends to the life of the husbands & the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) is supposed to safeguard husband’s well-being. It is supposed to protect him from any accidents or other misfortunes. A lot of faith is put on the power of the black beads of the auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) when it comes to well-being of the marriage & its longevity. The auspicious ornament thread (मङ्गलप्रतिसरः) is supposed to remind the woman about her duties, commitments & ethics of righteousness that she has to observe in the marriage, distracting her from disloyalty & other immoral behaviour.
श्रावणः कृष्णपक्षे ७, २०७६