Shanks

The conch shell with its spiral shape evolving from one point symbolises the origin of the universe from a single source, God. Another link with creation is the fact that when it is blown it produces a sound which represents AUM. According to the Hindu tradition Aum was the sound associated with the beginning of the universe. 

The conch shell is a major Hindu article of prayer, used as a trumpeting announcement of all sorts. The God of Preservation, Vishnu, is said to hold a special conch, Panchajanya, that represents life as it has come out of life-giving waters. In the story of Dhruva the divine conch plays a special part. The warriors of ancient India would blow conch shells to announce battle, such as is famously represented in the beginning of the war of Kurukshetra in the Mahabharata, a famous Hindu epic. The conch shell is also a deep part of Hindu symbolic and religious tradition. Today most Hindus use the conch as a part of their religious practices, blowing it during worship at specific points, accompanied by ceremonial bells. Shankha also symbolizes the sound that created the universe and stands for knowledge.

Based on its direction of coiling, the shankha has two varieties:

Significance of the Dakshinavarta shankha

- A Dakshinavarti Shankh: This is the very rare sinistral form of the species, where the shell coils or whorls expand in a counterclockwise spiral if viewed from the apex of the shell.

- The Vamavarta ("left-turned" as viewed with the aperture uppermost): This is the very commonly occurring dextral form of the species, where the shell coils or whorls expand in a clockwise spiral when viewed from the apex of the shell. In Hinduism, a dakshinavarta shankha symbolizes infinite space and is associated with Vishnu. The Vamavarta shankha represents the reversal of the laws of nature and is linked with Shiva.

The Dakshinavarta shankha is believed to be the abode of the wealth goddess Lakshmi - the consort of Vishnu, and hence this type of shankha is considered ideal for medicinal use. It is a very rare variety from the Indian Ocean. This type of shankha has three to seven ridges visible on the edge of the aperture and on the columella and has a special internal structure. The right spiral of this type reflects the motion of the planets. It is also compared with the hair whorls on the Buddha's head that spiral to the right. The long white curl between Buddha's eyebrows and the conch-like swirl of his navel are also akin to this shankha.

The Varaha Purana tells that bathing with the Dakshinavarta shankha frees one from sin. Skanda Purana narrates that bathing Vishnu with this shankha grants freedom from sins of seven previous lives. A Dakshinavarta shankha is considered to be a rare "jewel" or ratna and is adorned with great virtues. It is also believed to grant longevity, fame and wealth proportional to its shine, whiteness and largeness. Even if such a shankha has a defect, mounting it in gold is believed to restore the virtues of the shankha.

The Universe is the only thing that is truly one of a kind. It is the only true individual. Like us it is composed of a number of smaller pieces but on an infinitely larger scale. The largest individuals we know that the Universe is composed of are super clusters, which are composed of galaxies, which in turn are composed of solar systems, planets, molecules, atoms and so on all the way down to its most basic pieces. It would seem logical that the shape, motion and interaction of the base units “the smallest particles of the Universe” would be directly responsible for the shape, motion and interaction of all larger cooperative structures which are composed of those smallest units. Perhaps the smallest individuals of our Universe are responsible for creating the Golden Ratio that we find so prevalent in all that we see.

Attached diagram is a hypothesis on the shape, motion and interaction of the base units of the Universe. This theory offers convincing evidence that the smallest particles or “building blocks” of the Universe are circular in shape and all the same size. There is a circular gear type process which results in symmetrical cooperative structures that create Fibonacci numbers, and subsequently exhibit the Golden Ratio. In this theory 1+1 only equals 2 when motion is not part of the equation. Motion is what enables interaction to occur between individuals. Without motion everything would remain as it originally was, stagnant and without growth or evolution. 

With each revolution completing a cycle of Evolution, the Golden Mean Spiral is Symbolic of Lifes unfolding Mysteries. The continuous curves of the Spirals, which are Feminine in Nature, and the Ratios between each of the chambers reveal the intimate relationship between the Harmonics of Nature and Sacred Geometry.