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Akshamalika Upanishad ((サンスクリット:अक्षमालिका उपनिषद्), ) also known as Malika Upanishad ((サンスクリット:मालिका उपनिषद्), ) is one of 108 Upanishadic Hindu scriptures, written in Sanskrit language. It belongs to the Shaiva sect, which worships the god Shiva, and is associated with the ''Rigveda''. It is one of 14 Shaiva Upanishads. The Upanishad is dedicated to the greatness of the akshamala (rosary), conveying the importance of ''japa'', the meditative repetition of a mantra or a divine name using the rosary.〔 The akshamala denotes a string made up of letters from ''a'' to ''ksha'', hence it is known as ''Akshamalika Upanishad''. The different types of akshamala are described. The procedure to consecrate an akshamala, along with the relevant mantras, and the symbolism of the akshamala is told. Klaus Klostermaier classifies the ''Akshamalika Upanishad'' along with the ''Bhasmajabala Upanishad'', the ''Rudrakshajabala Upanishad'', the ''Kalagni Rudra Upanishad'' and the ''Brihajjabala Upanishad'' which glorify Shaiva sectarian practices. ==Contents== The ''Akshamalika Upanishad'' is presented as a conversation between the deities Prajapati (who is identified with the Creator-god Brahma) and Guha (Kartikeya, the god of war). Prajapati asks Guha about the ''akshamala'' (rosary): its rules, types, colours, materials used for making it, threads, and so forth. Guha replies that the rosary can be made of 10 things: coral or rubies (varies in translations), pearls, crystal, shankha (conch), silver or Tulsi (varies in translations), gold, sandalwood, ''Putrajiva'' - fruits of the fiscus tree, lotuses and rudrakshas. Gold thread should be used along with silver and copper threads on either side. It should have fifty beads, corresponding to the characters of Sanskrit alphabet. The beads should be worn in a circle, the "face" of the bead should touch the face of another and bases of the beads should be aligned.〔〔〔 The internal thread of gold represents the Supreme Brahman. The silver thread of the right and copper thread on the left symbolize the gods Shiva and Vishnu respectively. The face and base of the beads denote goddesses Sarasvati and Gayatri. The holes are Knowledge and the knot of the thread is Prakriti (Nature). The beads representing vowels, mute consonants and other consonants should be white, yellowish and red and denote sattva, tamas and rajas gunas respectively.〔〔 While the white beads denote sound, the yellow ones pertain to sense of touch.〔 The rituals of consecration of the akshamala is then told. It should be bathed in milk of five cows (of special characteristics such as the Nanda cow), followed by ''Panchagavya'' (five products of a cow: dung, urine, milk, curd and ghee) and then water sprinkled with Darbha grass. Then, it is sprinkled with individual components of ''Panchagavya'' and then sandalwood water reciting Om. Then, it is smeared with eight fragrant pastes like sandalwood, deer musk and so forth. It is placed on a bed of flowers and each bead is consecrated with a mantra related to the corresponding character of the alphabet (''a'' to ''ksha''), invoking the characters to be resident in the beads. The 50 mantras – each of which narrates the powers of the specific character (16 vowels followed by 34 consonants) – are listed. The gods residing in earth, space and heaven as well as the ancestors are invited to dwell in the beads. The 7 crore mantras, 64 Kalas (arts), the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and the 36 tattvas are invoked to bestow their powers in the akshamala. Practitioners of the chief three Hindu sects - Shaivas, Vaishnavas and Shaktas as well as Mrityu (Death) are requested to give their powers to the rosary. The devotee should meditate on the rosary, touching each bead 108 times and considering it a form of God. Ultimately, one should place the akshamala back on the flowers and circumbulate it, reciting a mantra in its honour. The mantra regards the akshamala a goddess and extols her as mother of the mantras, the protector of all, life-giver, the luminary and creator of various things. She is said to reside in four types of speech. Her nature is said to be the tattvas, knowledge and powers.〔〔〔 Lastly, the merits of the text are told in the tradition of the Upanishads. By reading the scripture in morning and evening daily, all sins are destroyed. The power of the mantras recited with the akshamala are enhanced.〔〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Akshamalika Upanishad」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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