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What Is The Importance of Conch (Shankh) In Hinduism?

By October 14, 2023No Comments
Conch (Shankh)

What would you do if you came across a conch shell or Shankh out of nowhere? We bet you would place it in your drawing room as home decor. But what if we say that this simple-looking thing holds a lot of importance in Hindu mythology? Right from the period of Samudra Manthan to Mahabharata, Shankh has been an integral part of Hindu culture and traditions.

You would be shocked to discover the health, spiritual and financial benefits of Shankh sound. Well, it is no less than a magical instrument that attracts wealth, good luck and fortune. So, what are you waiting for? Let us look at the benefits and importance of Shankh, a magical instrument as per Hindu mythology. 

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Significance of Shankha in Hindu Mythology 

As we have said, you would hardly find an Indian household that does not worship this magical conch shell. But what’s so special about this Shankh that even the gods could not help but admire its beauty? The word ‘Shankha’ has been derived from the Sanskrit language, which means the purification of the negative and inauspicious things. Just because of this magical instrument’s positive energies and atmosphere, people blow conch shells before beginning a good work. Now you know the reason why every Indian household places and worships a conch shell. 

It will not be wrong to say that a shankh is your direct access to the divine or Almighty. Yes, you read that right. The below-mentioned shloka from Devi Bhaagvata Purana mentions that where there is no sound of a conch shell, even the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Goddess Lakshmi, does not want to stay there. 

Yathra Sankha Dhvanir Naasthi 

Na Padhmaa Thathra Thishtathi 

And if you are still unsure about the significance of a shankh in Hindu mythology, let this shloka from Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1 (1:15) fade all your doubts. This shloka mentions when Lord Krishna’s shankh name, ‘Panchajanaya,” blew his conch shell, Arjun Shankh name, and Bhima blew theirs, ‘Devadatta’ and ‘Poundram’, the sound was enough to shake the Kauravas in fear. 

Panchajanayam Hrisikeso Devadattam Dhananjayah

Poundram Dadhmau Maha-Sankham Bhima-Karma Vrukodharaha 

But let us share another interesting fact related to the importance of Shankh in Hindu mythology. Do you know that Lord Krishna’s conch name ‘Panchjanaya’, used to blow a shankh to announce the start and the end of the battle of Mahabharata? 

Also Read: What are Various Important Threads in Hinduism?

Types of Shankh in Hindu Mythology 

According to Hindu mythology, there are basically two types of Shankh: one is the right-handed Shankh of Lord Vishnu, and the other one is the left-handed Shankh of Lord Shiva. However, there is another different category of Shankh named after Hindu Gods. So, let us look at the different types of Shankh and their magical benefits. 

Types of Shankh

Used in the Worship of Which Hindu God

Known for 

Ganesha Shankh

Lord Ganesha 

Remove Obstacles and Challenges 

Moti Shankh

Goddess Lakshmi 

Peace and Harmony 

Heera Shankh

Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu 

Good Fortune 

Kauri Shankh 

Lord Shiva 

Attracts Wealth and Prosperity 

Gaumukhi Shankh 

Gau Mata 

Open Doors to Financial Abundance 

Vamavarti Shankh

Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi 

Removes Negative and Evil Energies 

Dakshnivarta Shankh

Lord Kuber 

Good Luck and Prosperity 

Gomati Shankh  Goddess Lakshmi 

Removes Vastu Dosha 

Exploring the Surprising Shankh Benefits 

  • Imagine there is no spark or romance in your married life or relationships. All you do is fight and argue with each other. This is where the solution to this problem takes centre stage: conch shell. As per popular belief, keeping a small conch shell in your bedroom would not only open doors to positivity and peace but also strengthen your relationship with your partner or spouse. 
  • Are you the one facing financial difficulties one by one? No matter how hard you work, these financial problems do not seem to end. If this is the case, then try bringing the best Shankh for home. It is believed that keeping a conch shell gets you the blessings of Lord Kuber and Goddess Lakshmi. 
  • Not only this, but the left hand shankh benefits would balance all the energies as well as remove the Vastu Dosha from your home. 
  • Here comes the most surprising Shankh blowing benefits. If a person blows a shankh regularly, his lung muscles are believed to expand, eventually enhancing his aerial capacity. Along with this, it works on the vocal cords, removing the stammering issues of a person, if any. 

Essential Vastu Tips for Keeping the Shankh At Home 

After reading about the benefits and importance of Shankh, you couldn’t help but bright a Shankh at home. Right? But are you aware of the important factors such as right positioning or placement? Don’t worry; we have penned some essential but easy Vastu tips to enhance its positive energy at your home. 

  • The first tip is to never place two conch shells together in your temple or home. Vastu Shastra believes a temple must not contain two conch shells as their combined energies attract bad luck and negative energies into the house. 
  • If you have recently purchased a beautiful decorative conch shell for home decor, despite having a conch shell at your temple, you need to pay special attention. This Vastu tip asks you not to bring any decorative items made of conch shells. Doing this would simply imbalance the energies the conch shell brings into your house. 
  • One more thing you should take care of is never to place a conch shell on the floor or ground. Placing a conch shell on the floor is considered disrespectful in Hindu mythology since it is given equal respect as a deity. This is why you should always place a conch shell at a high place in your home or temple. 
  • If you don’t want to make your home a source of all the negative and evil energies, avoid keeping broken or damaged conch shells. If it gets damaged or broken, replace it with a new one to avoid uninvited problems.
  • Last but not least is the most important Vastu tip for keeping a conch shell at home. It says that the face of a shankh should always be towards the inside of the house. This specific positioning would bring a positive and peaceful atmosphere to your home. 

Also Read: What are the 18 Puranas in Hinduism?

Conclusion

And that’s a wrap on our blog on ‘Importance of Shankh in Hinduism’. Now you know how important a conch shell is in Hindu mythology. Right from giving you direct access to success and happiness to protecting you from negative energies around you, the conch shell seems more powerful and magical than it appears. So, bring a conch shell home and prepare to make some space for joy, peace and harmony in your lives. 

Hey! I’m Kasak Shirotriya, and as a content writer at InstaAstro, your appreciation encourages me to keep my words flowing! If you found this blog helpful, then don’t hesitate to reach out to InstaAstro’s in-house astrology experts by clicking here and staying one step ahead of all your problems.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. What do you call Shankh in English?

A Shankh in English is known as a ‘conch shell’. Along with the scientific and spiritual significance, a conch shell or Shakh is famous for its religious significance. There are several types of Shankha, such as Ganesh Shankh, Dakshinavarti Shankha, Vamavarti Shankh, Gaumukhi Shankh, Lakshmi Shankha, Heera Shankh and so on.

2. What is the meaning of Shank in Hinduism?

The word ‘Shankh’ has been derived from the Sanskrit language, which means ‘Shankh holding sacred water’. Moreover, in Hindu mythology, a conch shell or Shankh signifies sound.

3. Is keeping Shankh at home good or bad?

Yes, keeping Shankh at home is extremely good, as per Hindu mythology. Keeping the conch shell or Shankh at home opens doors to fortune and good luck. Moreover, conch shells protect you from all sorts of negative and evil energies present around you.

4. What are the benefits of Shankh sound?

Along with the spiritual benefits, there are scientific benefits of Shankh sound. It is believed that using shankh or conch shells not only improves someone’s aerial capacity but also expands lung muscles. Other than that, using conch shells is said to be beneficial for the urinary bladder.

5. Which Shankh is good for home?

Of all the other Shankh types, Ganesha Shankh is said to be the best for home. This is because keeping Ganesh Shakh in your home attracts fame, success and respect. Along with this, Lord Ganesha, being the god of wisdom and knowledge, blesses an individual with intelligence and encourages them to make wise financial decisions.

6. According to hindu mythology which was lord Vishnu's conch?

In Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu shankh name, aka Shankh, is known as ‘Panchajanya’. Moreover, Lord Vishnu’s conch shell, Pachajanya, symbolises ‘knowledge and wisdom’. Interestingly, there is also a female version of this conch shell of Lord Vishnu known as ‘Shankini’.

Also Read: The Three Pillars Of Hinduism: Brahma, Vishnu And Mahesh

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Kasak Shirotriya

About Kasak Shirotriya

A content writer passionate about creating informative, entertaining and engaging content that captivates the readers from the first sentence to the last. When not tapping away at laptop, you can find me binging sitcoms on Netflix.