The Secret of the Chalisa

by Subhanand, Dr. Runjhun Saxena

  “Why didn’t you go to the police?” said Ravi.

  “I tried, but on the way nearly escaped an accident. Then I got a threatening call again asking not to contact police. I’m scared Pawan Sir. Please help me. Please drop me to Mussoorie, once I reach home I can meet my lawyer and be safe there. I’m hiding in hotel these days here,” begged Vikram.

  They all looked at each other with suspicious eyes, but everyone knew then that Vikram needed help and protection and only Pawan could provide that then.

  “What information you wanted to give me?” asked Sanjeev.

  “I wanted to tell you that in the conference, when I went to take coffee for Madam I had noticed some empty packs of Celact in the dustbin. However, I didn’t know its significance then. When the post mortem report came for overdose, I thought I should tell this to someone close. I went to tell this to Suresh, but he's so angry that he’s not ready to listen. So I wanted to tell this to you and Pawan Sir,” Vikram said.

  “Did you notice any suspicious person there,” asked Sanjeev.

  “No. But there’s one more thing I want to inform you. I was working on the analgesic properties of various compounds. In fact one of my original papers is accepted for publication. Madam told me the analgesic and antidepressant effect of jasmine. I did some work on it. But couldn’t show it to madam,” said Vikram.

  “Yes, I know I’ve been working on concentrated extracts of jasmine as my thesis. By the way what is your paper titled?” Sanjeev asked out of curiosity.

  “Role of jasmine as an analgesic and antidepressant-a novel approach,” answered Vikram.

  The statement took Sanjeev by a shock. It seemed that the earth just slipped from beneath his feet. For a moment he was numb and stared at Vikram with his eyes aghast. The very next moment his anger took better of him and he reached for Vikram’s collar.

  “You cheat, you incorrigible miscreant, poisonous serpent! I’ll kill you,” shouted Sanjeev and gave a strong blow to Vikram. In a flash Vikram was on the floor grasping his jaw. Pawan and Ravi ran towards them. Ravi held Sanjeev tightly. “Calm down. What happened to you, Sanju?”

  Pawan was helping Vikram to get up.

  “This ugly fellow, he stole my thesis and published it as his work. Now he’s telling me stories about it. I’ll kill you, you second-hander,” Sanjeev was bursting with anger. “Take him away from me, or else….”

  Pawan took Vikram out of his house. “Wait here, I’ll get my car and drop you to Mussoorie. And for God sake don’t ask for any other help. You’ve already caused a lot of trouble,” Pawan said and left to get car keys.

  Sanjeev was on the floor with his hand buried in his palms. He was weeping. Only he could understand that all his efforts have gone waste. His thesis would be rejected as it was no more an original work. Vikram’s publication turned all his efforts in to a waste.

  Just then he felt a warm touch on his shoulders. “I can understand your thesis is no more applicable now. But have faith in your guide. She had bigger plans for you. You still have time for submission I guess. We all will work it out for you,” said Bhumija empathetically.

  “You are a strong man, doctor!” exclaimed Ravi. “Now get up and let’s try to solve this puzzle as soon as possible. It’s the only way to save your thesis.”

  Sanjeev was still struck with distrust, which made Bhumija's tender heart fill with compassion. She got a glass of water for Sanjeev and said, “I’ll look into the folder again. There must be some answer in it.”

  “Let’s also eat something, empty stomach won’t help the brain to work,” said Ravi as he opened the burgers and the pizza.

  “Yes, bhaiya has gone to drop that fool I guess. So while he returns we’ll do our analysis,” added Bhumija.

  Sanjeev was captivated by the solace his friends provided. He was especially attracted to the kindness of Bhumija. In such a short time she grew so considerate and amicable for Sanjeev. They all sat down with the papers. There were many papers with reactions. Some of them had some reference study articles, some review articles while others were evidence based medicine journals.

  “I’ve seen some of the articles, as I myself kept them in the folder. But some are new. However, most of the articles are concentrated around cancer, anti-tumor activity and the like. Sanjeev, were you doing research on anticancer drugs also?” she asked.

  “Me? No,” he said clearing his throat. “My work was on analgesic and antidepressant role of molecules.”

  “Well, actually if you see, pain and depression are very common in cancer patients. There was a very beautiful article by Dr Crispian Scully which talked about the quality of life in cancer patients. He has described the importance of maintaining a good pain free life for patients. Anticancer drugs would merely prolong the five-year-survival rate, but patients mostly suffer from the side effects of the chemotherapy rather than the underlying disease.”

  “Yes, that’s true. During the thesis I realised Madam had kept my thesis as a sub project. She was definitely working on something big,” Sanjeev remarked.

  “Sorry to interrupt you people, but I have in hand this verse from Hanuman Chalisa which was there in the folder. It has some 8 Siddhis and 9 Nidhis which are some chemical ingredients. Would you like to throw some light on it?” said Ravi.

  Sanjeev took the paper in his hand and sat gazing at it. Bhumija came to his side to have a peep into it, which passed a shiver in Sanjeev’s veins.

  “Hmm… I think there are some related articles too in the folder. Let’s go one by one. Sanjeev will you list the 9 Nidhis in order to me?” cried Bhumija.

  “Oh yes, sure. The first and second seem related. They are, Mahapadma and Padma which means the great lotus and a Himalayan lake with treasures.”

  “OK, I have an article here which highlights the medicinal property of lotus.”

  “Yes, I know that too. Neferine, a major alkaloid extracted from the seeds of lotus, Nelumbo nucifera. It has anti cancer potential. It has shown to cause activation of the tumor suppressor gene p53.”

  “Right, I’ve read about it too. It causes G1 cell cycle arrest and induces apoptosis. But if you speak with Pawan bhaiya he will give you a metaphysical aspect of lotus,” said Bhumija.

  “Really, there is a metaphysical analysis for a lotus flower? I just know that it is the national flower of our country,” added Ravi.

  “I’ll tell you what I’ve heard from Bua and Pawan bhaiya. Lotus is considered as a divine flower not only by the Hindus but also by the Buddhists. In fact it was considered sacred by the Egyptians and the Africans as well. Lotus flower grows in a mud pond but blooms as an uncontaminated flower and hence it’s a symbol of purity and resurrection. So though we may live in a deluded world, the spirit inside us is clean and when one attains enlightenment, this pure spirit blooms happily. It is a flower which flowers and seeds at the same time signifying that cause and effect are generated at the same moment. The moment a cause is created, a simultaneous effect arises, though it may manifest itself later.

  There’s also a story about Mansarovar and the blooming lotus in it. Mansarovar and Mount Kailash are places of pilgrimage. But they have an equally beautiful scenic beauty as is the mythological importance of the place. When I went there two years back with my family I was taken aghast by the breathtaking view of the place. I still get goose bumps when I think of that.

  The mythical story says that the term Mansarovar is a combination of the words “Manas” “sarovara” manas meaning mind and sarovara meaning lake. According to the Hindu religion, the lake was first created in the mind of the Lord Brahma after which it manifested on Earth.

  It is regarded as the residence of Lord Shiva who resides on Mount Kailash with his wife Parvati. Mansarovar is the highest fresh water lake and it’s in the shape of sun. In fact there’s another lake, Rakhast Tal, which is the highest salt water lake and is in the shape of a moon. So they both signify the presence of sun and moon and confluence of their respective energies,” said
Bhumija.

  “Yes, I’ve heard these stories from my mother too,” said Sanjeev. “She told me some more peculiar facts. It is said that Maharaja Mandhata has discovered the Lake. The legend goes: Mandhata had done penance on the shores of Mansarovar at the foot of the magnificent mountains named after him. According to the legend, there was a big mansion down below on its bottom. It is said to be the abode of the king of Nags - the serpent gods - and in the middle of the arc like surface of the lake once there stood a huge tree. Its fruits fell into the lake with the sound 'Jam'; thus, the surrounding region came to be known as "Jambu-ling" or "Jambu-Dvipa" in the Hindu Puranas.

  In some Pali and Sanskrit Buddhist works, Mansarovar is described as Anotatta or Anavatapta - the lake without heat and trouble. Buddhists believe that in its centre there is a tree, which bears fruits of celestial medicinal properties that may cure all known physical as well as mental ailments.

  Actually, it’s this folklore which rang a bell in my mind. Is there actually a tree with those properties?” Sanjeev stated.

  “What I’ve learned from Bua, is that if myth is an idea, mythology is the vehicle of that idea. The mythological stories are designed to invoke curiosity in us so that we think out of the box. The truth is out there, we need to search it. And, if she has given us a hint in some way through this verse, I completely trust in the latent truth it holds,” asserted Bhumija.

  “You mean to say that there’s some medicinal fact behind this entire Chalisa composition which she wants us to explore?” asked Ravi.

  “Yes, definitely,” replied Bhumija.

  “What is the next ingredient then in the list?” asked Sanjeev.

  “Shankh- the conch shell is the next. Let me see if there’s related text to it,” Bhumija said searching for papers from the folder. She laid down all the papers from the folder on to the table.

  “Ok, here I got one. It says about the significance of conch in Hindu religion. The sound of conch is ‘aum’ which is considered as the first sound of creation. The term ‘shankh' means pacifier of impurity and inauspicious. So a conch is blown before commencement of any ceremony to replace negative energy by a positive one. Of great significance is the Vishnu Shankh, which is called ‘Panchjanya' and signifies confluence of the five elements earth, water, air, fire and sky. The right handed conch’s are more valuable than the left handed ones.”

  “Ayurveda point of view has a different approach. The Shankh Bhasm is used for relieving gastritis, nausea, vomiting, and malabsorption syndrome. And since its calcium carbonate, it’s a very good calcium supplement,” added Sanjeev.

  “Ok, so let’s take notes,” Bhumija took a note pad and scribbled over it the ingredient and its medicinal use.

  “The conch shell has an interesting biomechanical property as well,” added Ravi. “Despite a high mineral content it’s not fragile. It has fracture toughness of two to three fold than its pure mineral counterpart due to its cross lamellar structure. In fact it’s referred to as ‘ceramic plywood’. That’s what the internet says. ” Ravi said.

  “That’s an interesting theory. I’ll note it too. The next one is Makara, crocodile / antimony. Let me see if there’s some article on it. Oh look, there’s one here. Antimony and bismuth compounds in oncology,” Bhumija said handing the article to Sanjeev.

  “It says antimony is used for treatment of Leishmaniasis. But antimony III compounds have anti-tumor activity,” Sanjeev read.

  “Yes, I have read articles where antimony had been used for treatment of leukemia. Next is kachchappa- tortoise or turtle shell,” said Bhumija making notes. “Tortoise and turtle are very interchangeable term. The order testudine has genera turtle which have aquatic and semi-aquatic reptiles. Turtles have flatter shells while tortoise has dome shaped shells. Tortoise dwells on land while turtles are mostly aquatic. If you talk about the bio-chemical composition, its major part is calcium and collagen with small portion of keratin, vitamin D, magnesium and zinc.”

  “Truly said, actually, it is a patented Chinese traditional medicine. It is has plethora of medicinal application. From convulsions to headache to back pain, it’s used to treat a multitude of diseases. Amazingly, it also has anticancer potential and is also implicated for AIDS,” added Sanjeev.

  Bhumija made notes as Sanjeev contemplated over the topic.

  “Interestingly though, the second avatar of Vishnu was a turtle, Kurma. The mythological story says that when the ocean had to be churned for amrit, the elixir of immortality, Vishnu took the form of turtle and balanced the mountain on his shell. The great serpent Vasuki, was used as a rope and the two sects, Devas and Asuras, churned the ocean. A lot of valuable things came out during the churning, precious stones, animals, gold and the like. Even poison came out which Lord Shiva drank. Due to the grace of goddess Parvati, the poison accumulated in his throat, neither did it descend down or ascended up. Henceforth, Shiva was also known as Neelkanth. Then finally a demigod appeared with pitcher of amrit. Inevitability a fight broke out between the Devas and the Asuras for the elixir. Finally Lord Vishnu had to intervene dressed as a female dancer, Mohini and save the Devas,” said Bhumija.

  “Yes, I’ve heard that story from my mother many a times. I’m sure there must be a metaphysical meaning to it which Pawan Sir would have highlighted,” answered Sanjeev.

  “Oh yes, you bet!” replied Bhumija. “He says that our body is a microcosm consisting of both good and bad. However, when one undergoes self-transformation, there is a churning occurring within him. The entire good and bad are equally surfaced and finally what emerges from within is pure uncontaminated intellect. Our mind is also like an ocean, full of thoughts. But when it becomes one pointed, it’s free from delusion and achieves enlightenment. If you ponder over the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu, you will discover that they followed the pattern of evolution as highlighted by Darwinian evolution. The first is Matsya, the fish, second Kurma, the turtle, third Varaha, the boar, fourth Narasimha, the half lion and half man, fifth Vamana, the dwarf, sixth Parashurama, the Brahmin warrior, seventh Rama, the devoted king, eighth Krishna, the deceitful cowherd, ninth Buddha, the sage prince and tenth Kalki, the saviour who is yet to come ridding on a horse.”

  “What’s next in the list?” asked Sanjeev.

  “Mukunda-Cinnabar or quick silver, and there’s an article for it too,” said Bhumija finding the journal article. Oh my God, even cinnabar has anti-tumor effect,” said Bhumija and scribbled in her notebook. “The next one is kunda-jasmine or arsenic. Wasn’t jasmine your topic of investigation? Analgesic and antidepressant effects?” asked Bhumija.

  “Yes, it was. But it’s no more valid as a thesis, as the exact study is published elsewhere,” said Sanjeev with a heavy heart.

  “Hmmm… Did you also test for arsenic? There’s an interesting article here on the paradox of arsenic. We know that arsenic is a carcinogen, however in low doses it acts on tumor cells and exhibits anti-tumor potential. I know the forensic implications of arsenic. Once it gets into to your body, the traces remain lifelong and are used for forensic assessment,” Bhumija said.

  “I didn’t test for arsenic,” replied Sanjeev. “What’s next?”

  “Nila- sapphire or antimony. We’ve already discussed about antimony. What’s with Sapphire?” asked Bhumija.

  “This seems more like astrology to me. Maybe it’s a form of colour therapy,” Sanjeev was puzzled.

  “Let’s check on the internet,” said Ravi as he took out his smartphone.

  “Well, I don’t believe in astrology much, but there’s something which I surely know,” Bhumija said. “The entire human body is composed of 50-65% of water. So like any water body on earth, it too is placed under gravitational pull of the earth as well as the moon. So wearing gems helps one to balance the effect of moon on one’s body. The color of the gems is implicated in the color therapy for the body, their primary premise being that the sun light is composed of seven colors and each color has a specific therapeutic effect.�
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  “So, that means in order to absorb a particular wavelength of color, I need to wear a certain gemstone, “asked Ravi.

  “That’s what I feel. However, astrology has a completely different approach. In fact the study of gems is called as Gemology as it deals with extraction, evaluation, purification of gemstones,” answered Bhumija. “Astrology believes in strengthening astral planets with gemstones. The mythological legend says that once the king of the demons Bali came to the Indralok-the Heaven. He wanted to win over the Heaven and all the Gods. In Heaven, he was escorted by Indra himself under the guise of a Brahmin seeking to find an animal for propitiation. Indra pleaded with Bali to become animal for the sacrifice as he was not getting anyone. It was getting late and his yagna would be rendered fruitless. Bali accepted it knowing that his body was invincible. This was known to Indra as well and he did not hurt the body of demon king but hit his head with Vajra. The demon king was shattered in to pieces of gems simply because he was a unique creature himself.”

  “Interesting theories!” exclaimed Ravi. “Going on the lines of Pawan Sir, I believe he would interpret king Bali as the mind and the gems as its innovative capacities. I’ve got some related material on internet. It says that Sapphire is a wisdom stone. It releases mental tension, depression, unwanted thoughts and spiritual confusion. Sapphire restores balance within the body, aligning the physical, mental and spiritual planes, bringing serenity and peace of mind. It stimulates concentration, brings lightness, joy and peace of mind. It is suitable for treating blood disorders and cellular abnormalities.”

  “Ok, I’ll make a note,” said Bhumija. “Next on list is Kharva- earthen cup or vessel.”

  “In olden times food was cooked and stored in earthen pots, until they were taken over by metal and plastics. Storing and cooking in clay makes the food alkaline which helps in neutralizing acidity of the body. It would thus relieve gastric pain and discomfort,” suggested Sanjeev.

  “Other than these nine ingredients, there are eight virtues as well. They are: