When a child at home cannot speak clearly, lisps, or struggles to get words out, it is natural for parents to worry. Families often go looking for all sorts of remedies for such children. Our scriptures too mention a special measure for this, and the religious belief behind it is very old. It is said that water kept inside a conch shell and given to children helps improve their speech, so that their ability to speak gradually gets better.
Why the conch is called the brother of Goddess Lakshmi
Mahant Kameshwaranand Vedantacharya explains that the conch is directly connected to the churning of the ocean, the Samudra Manthan. The same churning from which Goddess Lakshmi appeared also produced the conch. This is why the conch is called the brother of Goddess Lakshmi. According to him, the conch holds several medicinal properties. The scriptures note that if a child's voice is not clear, if the child lisps or speaks very little, giving water kept in a conch can prove beneficial.
The method to ease a lisp
Mahant Kameshwaranand Vedantacharya also describes how the remedy is done. The conch should be stood upright and clean water poured into its opening. This water should be left inside the conch for about 12 hours, kept covered from the top. The next morning, the same water should be poured into a glass and given to the child to drink.
He says that doing this every day gradually reduces the child's lisp and makes the voice clearer than before. The scriptures, he adds, attach special significance to this measure.
The conch matters deeply in religious terms too
According to Mahant Kameshwaranand Vedantacharya, the conch is not limited to health-related beliefs alone; it carries great importance from a religious point of view as well. The conch holds a special place in the worship of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. Blowing the conch during the aarti is believed to drive away the negative energy in the surroundings and spread positivity all around. The dakshinavarti (right-spiralled) conch in particular is considered highly auspicious, and it is prescribed for the worship of Lord Shaligram.
Another striking belief is also linked to the conch. The conch is regarded as conscious, or alive. According to religious belief, if a conch is buried under a large quantity of rice, after some time it rises up on its own. This is seen as the special power of the conch. Mahant Kameshwaranand Vedantacharya says that whether it is 50 kilograms of rice or even more, the conch has the ability to surface by itself.
Do not use the conch in the worship of Lord Shiva
One important point is that while the conch should certainly be used in the worship of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, it should not be blown during the worship and aarti of Lord Shiva. According to religious tales, beliefs connected to a demon named Shankhasura are the reason the conch is forbidden in Shiva worship. This is why, in the Sanatan tradition, separate rules have been laid down for the use of the conch in the worship of Shiva and of Vishnu.
Note: This article is based on religious beliefs and on what Mahant Kameshwaranand Vedantacharya has stated. It is not confirmed here. It should not be taken as medical advice, and a doctor should always be consulted for any problem.
