Whenever there is a puja, at the end the Pandit often ties Mauli or Kalava on your wrist, but do you know why it is tied? It is also called Raksha Sutra but the question is how does it protect you?
Meaning of Mauli
The literal meaning of ‘Mauli’ is root or base. Another meaning of this is ‘at the top’. Due to tying the Mauli on the wrist, it is called ‘Kalava’ and in the Vedas, it is also called Upa Manibandh. Moon is present on the head of Lord Shiva, hence Lord Shiva is called Chandramaulishwar.
Why is Mauli called Raksha Sutra?
The tradition of tying Mauli has been going on since the time of King Bali. It is believed that Vaman Dev was very pleased with the generosity of King Bali and he tied Raksha Sutra on the wrist of King Bali to give him the boon of immortality. According to another story, when Indra was going to fight with Vritrasura, Indrani Sachi tied Kalava on Indra’s right arm as a protective shield and Indra was victorious in this war. After that, this protective thread is tied. It is believed that by tying Mauli one gets the blessings of Trinity and Goddesses.
When and how to wear Mauli ?
People think that Mauli is tied only on the wrist but it is not so. It is also tied around the neck and waist. For making vows, it is tied to the place of any deity and if a new Vaastu comes to the house, it is also tied to it. Mauli brings stability and peace in life and wearing it helps in removing negative energy from a person’s life.
There is a religious belief that the worship done by tying Mauli on the wrist brings quick success and the problems going on in daily life go away. Mauli is made from raw thread and has 3 colored threads – red, yellow, and green, but sometimes it also has 5 threads. According to the scriptures, Raksha Sutra is tied in the right hand of men and unmarried girls and the left hand of married women. This mantra is chanted while tying Kalava-
‘येन बद्धो बलीराजा दावेंद्रो महाबलः ।
तेन त्वामनुबध्नामि रक्षे माचल माचल ।।’
That is, I bind you with the same to which the philanthropist Mahabali King Bali was tied.
Physical benefits of tying Kalava
Tying Mauli on the wrist provides religious benefits as well as health benefits. By tying kalava on the wrist, pressure is maintained on the veins of the wrist, due to which the balance of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha is maintained in our body. Vata, pitta, and kapha are the roots of most diseases. Kapha means cold, fever, etc., Vata means gas, acidity-related diseases, and Pitta means boils, skin-related diseases. Mauli thread works like an acupressure and benefits humans with serious diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and paralysis.