Self Reliance

Where there is will, there is a way

As a person attains youth there grows a strong desire in him to become self-reliant. He wants to stand on his own feet and be the master of his life. Until some decades back this desire was largely a male phenomenon. But over the years young girls too have been exhibiting this urge more and more strongly, sometimes even more than the boys. Practically every college going girl today wants to be self-reliant financially. She wants to be a "Women of substance" and cut out an independent identity of her own. The concept of 'working women ' is a common currency now.  

 But this ambition to become self-reliant is not easy to fulfill. Government sector jobs are continually shrinking while the number of educated youth has phenomenally increased. this growth in their population is matched by their growing ambition for better employment, better pay and perks and better life styles.

  It is true that private that private sector employment opportunities have tremendously increased. But their demand is more or less confined to select fields, especially information technology and management. Liberal arts, social sciences and even basic sciences have few takers. Besides, even in the private sector, there are many kinds of contractual limitations; and the work pressures are increasing to unreasonable limits. To add to the woes, government is also slowly tightening its grip over even the private enterprise. this, not exactly for ensuring better work conditions for the employee, but for caste reservations and other such political mileage. The situation is that ability and merit cannot necessarily guarantee employment.

 As for going in for self-enterprise this requires capital which is not available to the larger majority. Government and bank loans are of course there but the rosy picture painted in media announcements as well as print advertisements and hoardings fall far short of percolating to the branch level.

Then, one finds the usual procedural bottlenecks and discouraging conditions and limitations. Some do get these loans without much trouble but a large number are forced to waste their time in frustrating runs from table to table, form this office to that office trying to meet the myriad conditions that are raised from time to time. Ansh sahni of Employment Research program says that the data gathered from the field and their evaluation show the gravity of the situation. But all said done, the old dictum "Where there is a way" still holds good. The young students - boys and girls - of Dev Sandkrit Vishwa Vidyalaya have vindicated this truth and molded it in tune with the changing times. The subtle guidance of Yugrishi Gurudev has ever been their beacon.

Spiritual comparing with the Science and Politics

While comparing a scientist with a political, James Ruston, the author of the book "Precision of Science and Confusion of Politics" states: - " A scientist knows the capability of his resources and keeps control on them He sets his target and organizes resources on the basis of facts. Then he hands over the management of the planned process to specialized and trained people. The activities of a politician are just the reverse of this - he does not fathom capabilities or the availability of resources. Most of the time politics is engulfed by ill-virtues like bragging, egoism, envy, selfishness, and personal whims. So a politician blindly plays his cards like a gambler and achieves blind results. Governance does not remain always in the hands of active, wise persons with foresight; at times goes into the hands of people who are totally unworthy of it. In their exuberance they initiate big projects, but mostly end up as failures when they face difficulties and by losing control on circumstances. A scientist every moment is aware of the dangers of his errors, while steps of a politician remain uncontrolled and take uncertain directions like that of a drunkard".

Many world famous thinkers like H G Wells have been voicing their concern that the control of the future of humanity has unfortunately slipped into the hands of blind politics. This control needs to be taken away from politics and the basis of governance should become science, which means utilization of specified resources by the best of people to achieve the highest of ideals.

Communal religion or the perception of religion by most of us today has to be refined through spirituality. The control of politics should not go into the hands of egoists and whimsical minds. It should be handed over to those foresighted people who are capable of building up systems of general welfare based upon factual information and truthfulness. This is the seer- like insight of Saint Vinoba and this is his forecast for the new world order. This change is essential for the glorious fulfillment of humanity

[A fowler/hunter wanted to be consecrated by a great saint. The saint had a rule of swearing in the vow of following nonviolence as the teacher's reward (guru-dakshina). The fowler could not do without catching birds and so he didn't agree to the condition. Then the saint suggested him an easy way out. He said -"For now, you swear to be merciful to at least one bird, and then slowly increase the limits of your oath." The fowler greed to it and introduced himself to the faith of nonviolence by at first avowing not to kill the crow. He continued thinking about the nonviolence and gradually kept on increasing the perimeter of his confinement. After a few days he became a great nonviolent saint.

The Genesis of Divine Culture

Once Mahatma Gandhi was invited to address the academia at the Jamia Millia University. He spoke for about half an hour but mostly on the Gayatri Mantra. This was annoying to the Islamic members of the management, as they considered it as a mantra of the Hindus. They expressed their resentment after the function was over. Gandhiji cleared their doubt saying that this is not a mantra of a Hindu priest; neither does it belong to any particular cult or religion. It is universal; it is the mantra of all human beings. It is a mantra of pure intellect, foresightedness, a source of divine illumination of the inner self. It is a mantra of awakening humanity in people's heart.

I fully agree with what Mahatma Gandhi said about the Gayatri Mantra. I feel that I have found our lost golden heritage in this mantra, found the invaluable gem that was lost in the vicissitudes of time. Some old snakes are known to have a special kind of gem (mani) in the crest of their hoods. They are said to possess powers, which vanish if this gem is lost. Some elephants are said to have pearls (gajamukta) in their heads. If this pearl is lost, the elephant goes mad. I do not know how far this information is correct. But I can talk about the Nepalese Culture, which was endowed with supreme powers of the "Kamadhenu". We have neglected and forgotten it, deformed it, and thus doomed our prestige and thrown away the crown of being the preeminent guide to the world and have also soiled our prestige. It is high time we awaken and do something to retrieve our lost treasure of divine culture and wisdom. I have tried my level best to revive our ancient, glorious culture that was enlightened by the Gayatri mantra.

Gayatri Mantra is a philosophy. It is the science of spiritual evolution. It is the source of elevated thinking. It is the seed mantra of social uplifting, global peace. It is worshipped as "vishwamata" (mother of the world). If we adopt it (its philosophy) in our thoughts and deeds, the world would once again prosper and shine with the glory of Vedic times. Gayatri is the mantra of divine knowledge. Its sadhana can purify and transform an ordinary character into a revered one. It is 'worshipped' as "Devamata (mother of Gods). I keep explaining to you’re the philosophy of Gayatri. You will live a fulfilling life, a memorable one if you could grasp and follow it through heart.

Now let me tell you something about the science of Gayatri. Are you aware that you are full of enormous powers, extrasensory capabilities? But these remain unexpressed and dormant. The vibrations generated by devout Sadhana of Gayatri Mantre, stir and gradually activate the nuclei of power hidden in your subtle and physical body. Awakening these endows you with supernatural powers. Gayatri Mantra also enlightens your intellect and inspires divine virtues in your inner self. Thus it can transmute an ordinary individual self into a divine self. This is how a divine incarnation, angelic being is 'born' in human form. Lord Ram and Lord Krishna were born in human forms. Like other humans they also left the physical sheath one day. But they were divine incarnations. They were Gods in human form; their divine powers and virtues were expressed as per the need of the era and purpose of their arrival on the earth. We are not angelic beings but that possibility is certainly sown in our deeper self.

The Glory of Gayatri

It is difficult to fathom the root cause of the astonishing demonstrations of Gayatri Sadhana. Right from Brahma, the Creator of this universe, down to the present era, all the Rishis, Saints, Spiritual seers and seekers have demonstrated the beneficent effect of the chanting of Gayatri Mantra. No other mantra has been worshipped and chanted as much as Gayatri Mantra. Since ages highly elevated souls have been practicing Gayatri Sadhana. Thus, a huge mass of highly elevated spiritual energy has been accumulated in subtle celestial spheres (loks) enveloping the earth.

It is a scientific truth that no sound or idea ever perishes. Whatever is uttered or thought today will spread in the space along with its waves and will remain there till infinity in some state or the other. Waves which are most powerful remain specifically alive. Scientists are trying to catch waves set in motion during the Mahabharata battle and those of the music of Tansen. If they succeed, we will be able to listen to sounds of important conversations which took place in ancient times. It will then be possible to listen Geeta directly emanating from the mouth of "Lord Krishna". Although, it may not be possible to transform sounds and thoughts into material forms in near future, it is certain that they do not vanish into nothingness. The faith and devotion towards Gayatri which have been nourished by countless persons still exist with all their potentialities in the subtle realm. According to the principle of convergence of all homogeneous elements at one point, the faith, devotion, sentiments and devout austerity of all the devotees have combined to contribute to the accumulation of a huge store of conscious spiritual energy.

 Those who are acquainted a little with the science of thinking know that a magnetic field of the type in which a person thinks is created in his mind. This magnetism attracts thoughts of similar nature permeating the entire space and in a short time there is a vast accumulation of similar kids of thoughts. Persons who think about gentlemanliness become more and more charged with righteous thoughts, virtues, tendencies and nature. In the same way a sinful mind becomes all the attraction of identical thoughts, according to which thoughts of all divine souls who were devotees of Gayatri right from the beginning of this certain get inter-linked. It is difficult even for a strong man to climb over a high wall but if a ladder or a stair-case is provided, anybody can climb over it easily. With the help of the stair-case built by the devotees of Gayatri in the past we can easily attain the fruits of Gayatri Sadhana.

We get enriched suddenly and spontaneously with all the boons of Gayatri Sadhana for which great seekers in the past had put in extremely hard labor. By these past Sadhanas powerful energy fields have been created in the subtle spheres by turning into which we can march ahead with great speed. A drop of water, when it falls in the ocean, becomes the ocean itself. A person recruited in the army becomes a part and parcel of the army. In the same way, a Sadhak who comes part and gets linked with the accumulated power of Gayatri derives all its benefits. No other Veda-Mantra possesses so much radiant and puissant energy as Gayatri Mantra. It is for this reason that immense benefits are obtained through Gayatri Sadhana with the least effort.

Even then we find that most of the people so no take advantage of it although they know its importance. A person may have ample money in his possession but if he does not use it and enjoy it, it can only be considered his misfortune, Gayatri is divine knowledge which has been made available by God to us. Rishis and Saints have been directing us at every step in the scriptures to take advantage of Gayatri Sadhana. Yet, if we do not perform this Sadhana to get its benefit, it will be our misfortune and nothing else.

The Key to Karma Yoga

Karma Needs Vikarma (1) to complement it.

1. Brothers, as stated before, about the yoga of desire less action. It is impossible to attain desirelessness if we give up Swadharma and embrace the dharma which is not ours. It is a trader's swadharma to sell indigenous goods. But when he gives it up and starts selling foreign goods imported from distant lands, his motive are nothing but to earn more profit. How can such work be free from desire? Pursuit of swadharma is therefore indispensable for desire less work. But swadharma could also be pursued with an eye on the gains. Take the case of non-violence. Violence is taboo for a votary of non-violence; but he could be outwardly non-violent while being steeped in violence inwardly. For violence is an attribute of the mind. The mind would not be non-violent merely by throwing the sword away. The same is true about swadharma also. To have desirelessness. It is not sufficient for attainment of that goal.

      Desirelessness is an attribute of the mind. Pursuit of swadharma is necessary but not sufficient for acquiring that attribute. Other means must also be used towards this ends. To light a lamp, oil and wick are necessary to have a flame. Darkness disappears only when we light a flame. How to light a flame? For this one must purify ones mind. The mind should be thoroughly cleansed through intense self-examination. The Lord has given this important advice at the end of the Third Chapter. The Fourth Chapter has its genesis in this advice.

2    The Gita uses the word Karma (action) in the sense of swadharma. We eat, drink, and sleep; these are all actions. But they are not the actions that the Gita refers to when it talks of Karma. Karma refers to the performance of swadharam. But in order to attain desirelessness through such Karma, an important aid is necessary. One must overcome desire, attachment and anger. One cannot have desirelessness unless and until the mind has become pure and calm like the waters of the Ganga. The actions necessary for the purification of mind are called vikarma by the Gita. Karma, vikarma and akarma - these three terms are important in the Fourth Chapter. Karma means the outward actions done in the pursuit of swadharma. Vikaram means total involvement of the mind therein. We may bow our head before somebody, but that outward action is meaningless without inner humility in the mind. There should be unity between the inner and the outer. I may worship the image of the Lord; but that act is worthless if it is not accompanied with devotion. In the absence of devotion, the idol will just be a piece of stone and so shall I; and the worship will only mean that a stone is facing a stone! Desire less, selfless karma yoga is attained only when outward actions are complemented with the inward action of the purification of mind.

3    In the phrase desire less action, the adjective desire less is more important than the word action, just as in the phrase non-violent non-cooperation, the adjective non-violent is more important that the word non-cooperation. Non-cooperation without non-violence could be a terrible thing. In the same way, it could be dangerous if performance of swadharma is not complemented with vikarma of the mind.

      Those engaged in social service today are certainly pursuing their swadharma. When people are poor and destitute, it is a natural duty to serve them and make them happy. But all social workers cannot therefore be called karmahogis. Social service without pure motives in the heart of the workers could have disastrous results. Such a social service can generate in equal measure the vanity, hatred, envy and selfishness that wee generate when we serve our families exclusively. This is clearly evident in the world of social work today.

Enhancing Immunity and Vitality

Immunity and Vitality together are referred as ojas in the ancient text of Ayurbeda and ojas is regarded of paramount importance as crucial expression of life-energy. The importance of immunity and vitality in vigorous health is well recognized in the recent times by the modern medical science as well. This is why the reductionism's approach of Allopathy, which in its nascent stage focused mainly on killing the germs of diseases and later on widened its scope to diagnosis and cure of the malfunctioning organs or components of the body, is now going for deeper analysis at the cellular and biochemical levels.

Vitality is a collective indicator of stamina or vigor and verve of the body and strength, alertness and zeal of the mind. Adequate breathing in of fresh air, consumption of pure drinking water, and balanced intakes of nourishing food intakes, substantial physical exercise and rest are considered most important factors in maintaining the physical stamina. However, for vitality, the calmness of mind and emotional balance and hence righteous attitude and holistic self-management are also important.

Thus directly or indirectly one's intrinsic tendencies and surrounding environment (both atmospheric and social) influence one's vitality. Spiritual attitude and holistic approach to health ad prescribed in Ayurveda appear to be best solutions to augment and maintain vitality. Doing Yagya every day is a practical remedy in this regard. But this preventive measure alone would not work unless one checks out the causes of loss of vitality. The most severe and frequent cause of drainage of vital energy is uncontrolled sexual excitement and erotic thinking. Those desirous of vibrant and vigorous health and mental stability must observe chastity of thoughts and conduct. It is also important for protection of vitality that the resistance against the hazardous effects of air-water pollutions and adulterated or chemically treated or preserved vegetables, fruits, food grains and cooked food is increased. This requires healthy functioning of the immune system. In case of lack of stamina or resistance against infections it is the immune system, which protects its further loss and helps in regaining it.

Advancement of the modern research has made it clear that it is the individual's immune system which plays a key role in body's defense mechanism and the response to drug regimen. The reason why some people are so susceptible to the change of weather, viral infections, etc is because of their weak or deficient immune system. The success of well established techniques of anesthesia, surgery, artificial organ transplant, etc also depends upon how the patient's immune system responds to these. The futuristic therapies based on genetic engineering would not become a reality unless the compatibility with natural immune system is thoroughly tested. The immune system defends the body against all harmful invaders - including viruses, other microorganisms, proteins, and other chemicals. Its 'soldiers' in the form of B-lymphocytes and T-cells are spread all along the body and produce specific antibodies to counter the antigens (foreign molecules).

Nature's intelligence is imbibed in this system so wonderfully that it not only recognizes the difference between the 'self' (i.e. natural elements of one's body) and the 'non-self' but also has memory of the antigens it has been ever attacked in the past. It is more efficient in destroying the invaders if the latter enters the body for the second or more time. It is this learning and decision-making capacity of the immune system which gives rise to 'acquired immunity'. It is because of this capacity that vaccination prevents the occurrence of diseases. Lack of this capacity or deficiency is what we know as the most dreaded, killer disease AIDS (acquire immune deficiency syndrome). It is nothing but what the Ayurvedic scriptures refer as "uparjita oja-ksaya sanlaksana". This loss of ojas means lack of vigor and inability of the defense mechanism of the body to resist the attack of toxic, infectious, harmful molecules, pathogens or bacteria and viruses of any kind.

While in the womb, vital elements in mother's blood nurture the fetus. However, learning of its immune system and hence the acquisition of immunity begins from the moments the infant is born and exposed to the outer atmosphere. In normal state it continues to grow in the youth. Its efficiency reduces in old age but can be maintained at substantial levels if, from the young age one takes balanced healthy food and follows disciplined routine with yoga exercises of asans and pranayams which enhance ojas. However, in case of reduced vitality and deficiency of immunity that is a common scenario these days; therapeutic yagya offers excellent remedy and healing support.

According to modern medical science ojaksaya (low immunity disorder) is not disease, instead, it is a syndrome, a group of several diseases that lessen the vitality and resistance; it is also caused by the infection of a retrovirus. The antigens of this virus first attack the white blood corpuscles (W.B.C.), which are like frontline warriors of immune system. Consequently, varieties of other bacteria, viruses, fungi, other parasites, etc get chance to enter the body without any opposition and give rise to hoards of diseases. The most frequent disease thus occurring are diarrhea, high fever, pneumonia, tuberculosis, C-sarcoma (tumor of blood vessels) etc. The immediate symptoms of low immunity disorder are loss of weight, excessive fatigues, and drowsiness, loss of appetite, skin infection, chronic cough, ulcers or boils in the mouth, acute headache, swelling of lymph nodes, unusual viral fever, etc.

Emotional Elevation by Soaham Japa

No upasana could be complete without incorporating Japa, dhyana (meditation) and bhavana - emotional sincerity and linkage with the divine goal of upasana. Literally speaking upasana means - sitting near by. Sitting near an idol or picture or any other symbol of God, worshiping it with the help of flowers, sacred water, candan aksata etc and uttering some prayers and mantras in front of it might be useful for conditioning the mind for an upasana. But, this alone does not serve the real purpose. Faith in the divine disciplines, through pondering over the latter and adopting them in all aspects of life …., and development of the personality so as to nature the virtues that uplift it towards the ideals of morality, near the level of an angelic being - are essential for performing an upasana.

Faith in God becomes meaningful only when thy disciplines and the duties assigned by thou materialize in the devotee's life. Gradual elevation of the devotee's behavior, qualities, thoughts, emotions and deeds is an indication of his proximity with his ideal (the deity, whose upasana is being attempted by the devotee). This is indeed the criterion for judging the sincere performance of his upasana.

Reading religious or morally inspiring literature, visiting the shrines and firths and recalling their memories - these practices give support in restraining the agility of the mind and focusing it for meditation during an upasana. Different methods of japa and dhyana are taught under different religious and spiritual schools. But, the sadhana of Soaham can be regarded as a universal upasana. Every human being can perform it.

As mentioned earlier, this universal sadhana involves japa (of Soaham through the breath), Dhyana (meditation on the subtle sound of 'so' and 'ham') along with emotional depth (to contemplate and feel that "I" am an expression of the Brahm). This is indeed an upasana of the limitless eternal expression of the Brahm. No rituals, no other methodology, need be performed with this sadhana. In this sadhana, the devotee realizes his closest link with thee by experiencing thy presence in the inner self. There could be no upasana as complete as this experience is. By sincere practice and strength of internal faith and sraddha such a realization becomes easy and it intensifies as the Soaham Sadhana progresses.

Worshiping God's idols with the feelings like that of "Twaneva mata ca pita twameva, Twameva banduh ca sakha twameva… - regarding thou as the mother, father, friend, the most near and dear one", is an ideal example of the dvaita bhava in upasana. Thyself and the individual self are regarded as two and the latter devotes himself under the divine shelter of thy grace. The Soaham Sadhana is an upasana of advaita bhava. Here, devotee's self and the God are regarded as one - both being the integral reflections, manifestations, of the Brahm

If the swaras of 'so' and 'ham' are recognized separately and the existence of the divine powers of the Brahm and the conscious form of the individual self is experienced differently then the Pranayama of Soaham Sadhana would correspond  to a 'davaita upasana'. Moreover, if the presence of air - a jada element of nature, is also felt along with the sounds of breathing then this would be a traite bhava. A Sadhaka is free to select any 'bhava' suitable to him during the sacrifice and complete unification in sublimity.

The soul remains a jivatma only till it is asleep under the illusions of maya. The jivatma recognize itself only as the body and the mind in ordinary humans. The spiritual charge of upasana and Sadhana removes the mists of ignorance that shrouded it. The inner self is then purified and enlightened as an eternal reflection of divinity. The emotional power of the Sadhaka used in the advaita bhava of the Soaham Sadhana awakens and elevates the state of the soul to revive its original glory and its unity with the Brahm begins to reflect in the Sadhaka's personality.

Does Chanting of Mantra Bestow Siddhi?

One day a disciple of Poojya Gurudev (pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya) asked, "Gurudev! You have chanted Gayatri Mantra and I know many others who have also chanted the same Gayatri mantra of 24 syllables; but why could they not accomplish siddhi like you?"

Gurudev smiled and said "My son! I have chanted Gayatri Mantra later; first of all I have refined my outer and inner selves. Without this all the spiritual accomplishments are futile. I have washed my mind like a washer-man scrub dirty clothes. How can a person get the desired benefits by simply chanting mantra alone?"

After saying this Gurudev narrated an incident which he himself witnessed. "Two saints were doing Tapa-sadhana in the Himalayas. Both lived without clothes and observed complete silence. There was a small piece of land from which roots, vegetables and fruits could be grown. They lived in the caves and ate fruits and vegetables. Once during summer, both of them started cleaning near their caves. This operation continued for two days. One day one of them occupied a small portion of land (supposed to be) of other saint. On this the second saint got very angry; he frowningly asked the first saint to vacate the land immediately. Although they were observing silence the quarrel escalated and reached the stage of kicking and punching.

The first one plucked out the beard of the second and as a result his chin started bleeding"

Poojya Gurudev said " I wondered what kind of ascetics doing sadhana in Himalayan caves these were? Shame on such a sadhana! Unless a person refines his inner self, nothing worthwhile can be achieved what to talk of mantra siddhi. Even if it is achieved, it will serve no purpose other than destroying oneself like Bhasmasur. Bhagirath also did penance but that was for social welfare. He abandoned everything for the public good, and then only he was able to bring Mother Ganga on earth. Had Bhasmasur also aimed at similar objective, he would have been able to help many people. He could have requested Lord Shiva to bless him with such a boon which empowered him to instantly cure a person upon putting his hand on his head. But he could not do so because he did not refine his inner-self. So long as there are greed, attachment and sensuality, a person cannot rise in sadhana. These demonic tendencies pull the sadhak downwards.

Only after passing the primary class of self refinement, a person can climb the first step of spirituality. I lived only on bread of barley and buttermilk for 24 years. I did not take any salt, sweet or spicy food. I controlled the tongue; then only I could control the self. If taste buds are controlled, all the ten senses and the mind are tamed. And if mental control is achieved, realization of self becomes easy whether the sadhak is Jain, Muslim, Buddha, Christian or Hindu.

Indeed the physical process of Tapa entails conscious control of the natural urge of the body for convenience, pleasure and sensuality and the mind's fickleness, egotism, greediness, etc. Control always generates power. If water is boiled in a pot, it will evaporate and will disappear in the atmosphere. There is nothing strange about it; but when a tight fitting lid is placed over the pot, the pressurized steam may explode the pot. The accidents occurring through gas stoves and pressure cookers are the results of such a restraint. The importance of balanced control of physical senses and the mind is based on this premise. The significance of celibacy is that the vital energy is prevented from wastage through indulgence and is made to rise upwards to sublimate the consciousness.

The process of Tapa commences with simple and short rituals. These rituals may appear ridiculous and one may wonder how such small physical and mental activities could help in achieving the high goal of self-realization. But one has to understand that the rituals of worship give the direction. Once the direction is rightly set and the wheel starts rolling, its far reaching consequences should not appear strange.

The flag and signal play an important role in the running and stopping of a train. When they are green, the train runs and when they are red, it stops. Undoubtedly the flag or the colors of a signal themselves do not have the power to stop or start the train; even then the signal conveyed by them has its own significance. If this process sis disturbed, the trains will either stand still or will be smashed after colliding with each other.

Several trains arrive at and pass through the junction. Their destination and direction are decided by a small lever. The making of the track for different trains at the junction is easily done by a low rank railway employee. This appears to be a very insignificant event, but its consequences are far reaching. If one investigates after few hours of this event, he will find that one train turned towards north and the other towards south of the junction and in due course of time the distance between the two trains became thousands of miles. At the crossroads of life, whichever direction it is turned to, it will continues in its own. An extraordinary difference may be seen in the persons adopting different directions. As a contrast to the people involved in negative activities and enervating indulgences, the progress of virtuous persons can be traced to the inspiration they derive from the lives of great persons. Each one of the rituals of worship is helpful in molding the way of life. A rail track is simple and cheap, but how can a costly and compels engine along with several compartments run without a track? The rituals of worship or methods of sadhana may be compared to the railway track.

We will be discussing the significaned of difeerent rituals one by one in the forthcoming issues.

Countless Memory of the Sound

There cannot be a measure for the acuteness of the power of the mind. It goes faster than a thousand horse powered engine or even than a rocket. If the mind's capabilities are properly controlled and conditioned a man can hear quite distinctly every word of the conversation being carried on between two persons thousands of miles apart, and they can be seen as if sitting very near. Not only this, but it is possible to know what goes on in the mind of persons thousands of miles away. Television and tele-audition are the achievements of a controller mind. The great sage Patanjali propounding the characteristics of Yoga has said:

"The meaning of Yoga is nothing else but controlling the tendencies of the mind." A master yogi can do anything. He can achieve the incomparable ecstasy of knowing God (Brahma) or can overawe the people by displaying miraculous feats. Mesmerism and Hypnotism, which are considered base psychic tricks, do not contribute to any spiritual upliftment of him who practices them. For true upliftment, mind should be directed towards spiritual quest. Even if this quest of the inner self cannot be revealed in concrete results, a reasonable person by reading, knowing and hearing about this wonderful power of the mind can surely endeavor to develop in himself this heavenly mental capacity.

In Nepal, which is the home of Yoga, one will never experience a dearth of miracles. The westerners are aware of this fact. In this connection a western correspondent's experience is worth nothing. He writes, "I was traveling by a river boat in India. As soon as the boat toughed a port, an Indian dressed only in a loin cloth boarded the boat with a bundle. He took a coil of rope lying there. Taking one end of it he knotted it and threw it upwards to the sky with all his might. The knot was going higher and higher and the coil below was being unwound of its own accord, and in a short time the whole coil of rope vanished in the sky. A coconut shell was lying nearby. He filled it with water, the amount of which was meager. Yet pouring the water in a pail, he filled the pail to the brim. He repeated this process and filled fifteen pails in a row. Then he chanted something and raised up his hand, the coconut shell disappeared, and when he lowered his hand there was a pail seen in it. Seeing all this we were so amazed, that we could not make out what all that was?"

Paul Brunton wandered all over India in search of such miracles and as a result of what he saw he wrote a book in support of this secret lore. Louis Jackalion, a French magistrate of Pondichery has also written a book on similar lines in which he has praised very much this secret lore of India. What others look up as wonderful miracles or displays of secret lore are considered by the Yogis as a little glimpse of the power of the mind. Though the display of this power is attractive to observe, it is a serious impediment to the ultimate goal of self-realization. The aim of controlling the mind is to know the True self. By achieving this knowledge man can experience freedom from life's bondage and enjoy bliss of heaven.

In "Ramottartapaniya Upanishad", in the discussion of the capabilities of the mind, it si stated; "The meeting place between the eyebrows and the nose is not only heaven, but something higher than heaven, but it is controlled by nature. Thus knowing Brahma one must worship this meeting point of achieving the un-manifested Brahma is limited to the physical meeting point of the eyebrows and the nose calls the point as spiritual Kashi.

Mind is the chief means of achieving salvation. Lured by desires, man becomes a slave to passions. Enjoyment of passions does not lead to diminishing the force of passions but on the contrary to augmenting them. The powers of the mind are thus dissipated in such loose worldly affairs. Hence for the realization of the Highest Essence, it is desirable to discard all passions and desires of the mind and to concentrate it on the inner self. The pivotal point of creation and continuation is the mind.

Life is perennially new, but the mind is old and ancient. The dust of the past goes on collecting on it and this layer of dust covers the mirror of consciousness. Only the lure of material things remains active. Thus the mind falls into bondage. For the true experience of living, freedom from mind's bondage is essential.

Capacity of the Hormones in Human Body

Chorine Helen's "Occult Anatomy" throws more light on the activities of these ductless glands. He has analyzed their effects on human psychology and shown the possibility of their connection with the spiritual powers. While discussing the questions of 'what is the relation of these glands with the sensory nerves; or, what their anatomical positions are? Etc, the author argues that - "the drastic variations caused by certain chemicals hormones in the state and function of the body and mind cannot be based on some physico-chemical reactions only. These astonishing activities are subtle in nature and appear to be governed by the latent effects of super-consciousness. The existence and wonderful functions of these glands thus seem to be direct manifestations of a divine power."

The anatomical details on the size, location and the (hormonal) secreting functions of the principal glands -- Pituitary, Pineal, thyroid, Parathyroid, Thymus, Adrenal, Gonads, and Spleen can be found in any comprehensive book on anatomy and physiology. Findings on new effects of the earlier studied glands and the discoveries of new glands-hormones are frequently reported in the corresponding research journals. Research on neuro-hormonal chemistry is also growing at a rapid pace and newer results are being obtained and reported almost every month. Detailed discussions of these are neither feasible nor desirable here. It would suffice to note that these glands secreted hormones reach specific points in the body and the brain along with the blood and create wonderful effects. This, in normal conditions results in efficient maintenance of orderly functions of the body and mind. Even a little imbalance or disharmony in the level, stimulation or activities of these 'regulator chemicals' often causes irreparable damage or deformation in the normal growth or health of the physical and mental system of life.

Some people are dwarf, some grow tall up to exceptional and inconvenient limits..; some suffer obsession and some are bony; some youths become impotent while some wander under the thralldom of excessive concupiscence in old age too.; some bear the 'curses' of dull mind and some are 'gifted' with extraordinary brilliance and intellectual power; some over-eat, some hardly eat anything…..; some people can work round-the-clock every day having almost no sleep for several consecutive days but some others, on the contrary, need sound and long sleeps as natural requirement for creativity in the awakened state…… etc - all these diversities and abnormalities are caused by hormonal variations in general.

These disorders are also found as responsible for sudden attacks of certain maladies, disability of specific motor or sensory activity, excitation or numbness of some parts of the body or of some mental faculties, etc. Despite this knowledge and multidimensional research on hormones, no specific method or mechanism has yet been discovered to harmonize the secretions or to rectify the imbalance and restore it to normal hormonal levels.

Oral or intravenous medicines have hardly any effect on the hormone secreting and related activities, in vivo. A surgeon's sophisticated tools also have no reach there. Attempts of controlling a hormonal activity or regularizing its normal concentration by medication, or surgical operations are extremely risky, as they often perturb the fine-tuned natural functions of the tiny glands and/or disrupt the efficacy of hormonal effects and thereby give rise to more severe abnormalities and disabilities.

Gayatri is a Unique Solution for Problems

It is absolutely easy to be liberated from sins by Gayatri worship. The specialty of Gayatri worship is that when the resonance of the innate powers within its 24 letters occurs within the heart, the sattogun (virtue) within thoughts increased day-by-day and as a result changes occur in the nature and program of the person. One in whose heart virtuous thoughts increase; the same excellence will also be there in his deeds.

A person's nature is not any definite or permanent thing. It keeps on changing according to situations and sentiments. It is not necessary that person who is sinful to-day will remain sinful throughout life. Similarly it cannot also be said that a person who is a gentleman with good conduct to-day, will remain so in future also.

Situations and sentiments can bring about such a change in a person that he will appear completely transformed. Sin is a type of mental condition and habit. It is within man's power to give up sin by strength of mind. The mental strength necessary for the change by giving up sin is created in promising measure by Gayatri-worship and the means for inner transformation become easily available. Liberation from sins is as easy as shaving one's bearded. It is not proper for a sinful person to think that - since he has been on the wrong path up to now and adopted sinful thoughts and performed bad deeds, how is his reform possible? This disappointment is improper because every fallen person can rise up, every sinner can become pure.

Many a times it is seen that man performs wicked deeds because of helplessness, ignorance, bad company, curiosity or force of circumstances. At that time, he does not think that such sin is terrible. Afterwards, with his mental development, the same wickedness appears very horrible. But because those sinful acts were carried out because of wretched mental condition, the related punishment is also small. According to man's conscience, compassion is felt at the time of killing; therefore it is a sin for him. In man's mental situations too there can be small or big vibrations due to various reasons. During such mental conditions sins committed in mental weakness due to ignorance are not considered serious in the eyes of God although traditionally believed to be so.

Sometimes it so happens that with good intentions, a man performs some deeds which - according to traditional code of conduct - are considered very big sins. But when looked at judicially, they are not considered so despicable, but many a time not only forgivable fut the same bad acts become praiseworthy also. When a person kills someone for rubbing his wealth, it becomes a terrible sin. A judge of some court of law passes a death-sentence on some anti-social person for protecting the rule of law and an executioner carries out the sentence - they are performing their duties. If someone risks his life to save someone from terrorists and killed them, then it becomes a virtue. All the three have 'killed' some life, but the killings are with different results, therefore all three are not considered sinful in the same way.

Stealing is a bad act. But according to circumstances, that too does not remain a bad deed. One who is prosperous and yet unjustly robs others is decidedly a thief. Take another example - in a situation of loss of life through severe hunger, if a person tries to protect his life by robbing something from a prosperous man, it is no big sin. In a third situation, by robbing a wicked person of his means - making him powerless and putting such means to good use is an act of virtue.  All the three thieves cannot be treated as sinners at the same level.

Many a time - because of situations, helplessness, necessity for religious protection or little intellectual development - such acts are performed which appear damnable, but the intention behind them is not sinful. Such acts cannot be termed as sins. Among those who can be included in the list of sinners, most people are such that they had to perform undesirable acts because of some of the above reasons, but later on they became normal. They became helpless because of situations, lack of solutions, and habits, and slipped into wickedness. They would have definitely become good individuals if they were in good situations, or received good facilities and obtained proper means for progress and satisfaction.

However sinful a person in the eyes of law and public opinion, but in reality the number of sinners in this world is very small. People who became wicked because of the force of circumstances can be reformed because every soul is pure because the soul is a part of God.

 Please follow its next part "Gayatri - A Unique Solution For Problems-1"

Gayatri - A Unique Solution For Problems-2

All the scriptures at every step of life, some ritual, fast (including prayers), charity, bath, code of thinking and conduct etc are considered in detail with this in view so by adopting them, the seeker can get these double benefits.

If we have committed some mistake, sin or wicked act, then the real solution for removing their bad effects is that we make a firm resolve not to do such a thing again. In addition if a little penance is also performed, then that resolve gets a boost and its implementation becomes firmer. Along with this, an attitude of a life of virtue gains momentum creates vitality and creates better and better nature, deeds and qualities through which a life of purity, devotion and goodwill becomes easy. In this manner a penance based on the strength of Gayatri can wash out even the biggest sins.

It is possible to wash out one's sins or not?  When thinking on this question we must very well understand that the soul is clean, pure, unadulterated, knowledgeable and unattached. Transparent glass and transparent vessels are by themselves pure; they do not have any color, but if you put any colored water in it, then the vessel will look as if it has that color. If water with another color is added, the color will once again change. Man is also in a similar situation. By its very nature, the soul is without any fault, but it appears according to the qualities, deeds or attitudes enveloping it.

The soul is always faultless, it is changeless - only the mind, intelligence, chitta (the part of the mind concentration with concentration) and the ego get colored due to various influences, and because of them man appears unnatural, wretched and perverted. If a change is brought in this condition, it is not difficult for to-day's wicked man to become a to-morrow's saint.

A man, who has spent most of his past life on the wrong path or has whiled away most of his life, cannot achieve any purpose by feeling unhappy, disappointed or by repenting. The remaining part of life is no less important. The king Parikshit had only one week of his life left. He utilized this period purposefully with full determination and obtained what he wanted - beneficial salvation.

It is a palpable truth that compared to the people termed 'straight' such as mentally retarded, fools, cowards and people with weak health those who are active, alert, vital, valorous and diligent are able to achieve spiritual progress faster. The reason is that in people with low vitality, the source of energy has very limited capacity. Even if they remain devotees and of pure conduct, even then because of less innate energy, their progress is extremely slow. But those who are energetic, and have within themselves the dynamo of vitality and valor - whenever they act in any direction, will achieve heaps of success. Those who have kept their flag flying high in roguish acts, are definitely powerful, but their energy is misdirected. If this same energy is utilized in good deeds, then they can achieve astonishing success in that direction also.

Spiritual progress is also one type of diligence. Only those people can go along this path whose muscles have strength, which are industrious and have tremendous courage and enthusiasm.

The loving lap of Gayatri is always there, even for those who have strayed from the path, walked along the road of wickedness and have carried out innumerable bad deeds. If they repent for their past deeds, take a vow not to repeat them, and are eager to walk the good path, then they can once again get back their natural spiritual qualities and purity. There is definite progress on this path through Gayatri-worship. Even though all the bad tendencies will not disappear together, but the bad tendencies will gradually diminish in proportion to the power of prayers Gayatri worship invariably results in improvement of good qualities, good thoughts and good deeds.

It is evident that most unhappiness in this world is a result of our sins. Many a time our deed gives immediate results - in the form of assault by people whom we have harmed, or by social disgrace, loss or harm resulting from dissatisfaction and non-co-operation from people or from punishment by the state. Even if someone escapes from these, entire nobody can save himself from God's impartial justice. It can be easily inferred by looking at physically and mentally handicapped, sub-normal, chronically ill persons that these people are suffering divine punishment. When carrying out our duties properly, sometimes a sudden crisis confronts us or success is not there despite efforts, then we are forced to say that this is fate as a result of deeds in our past girths.

We should deal with others in the same manner as we expect others to deal with us. We should consciously strive to save ourselves from achieving our interests at the ca\ost of harming others.

Gayatri is that alarm-bell which tells us not to walk on the path of sin. God is present everywhere, he does not take sides. Not a single sin of yours remains hidden from him, nor can you save yourself form the effects of any sin. Aum bhoor bhoovaha swaha, these words in the first line of the mantra constantly teach us that we should always deal with others with friendliness, warmth, love, generosity, honesty, helpfulness, and pleasance. One whom Mother Gayatri has blessed with this attitude will undoubtedly be released from many social afflictions.

Continue to the next article "Gayatri - A Unique Solution For Problems-3"

Gayatri - A Unique Solution For Problems-3

People do not cooperate with us to the required extent - our family members' neighbors and near ones - if there is opposition, malice, conflict and quarrel with them. When we expect good will from them, even then it is not available. Instead, because they are our opponents, they go on creating obstacles and will not miss any opponents; they go on creating obstacles and will not miss any opportunity for conspiring to harm us. Injuries like court-cases, theft, dacoit, killings, boycott, insult, complaint, back-biting, slander, fault-finding are rarely accidental - most of the time there is the deep malice of old enmity working behind it. Mostly a dissatisfied or malicious person's hand is behind such activities.

The biggest obstacles in our progress are that those who are capable of helping us withdraw their helping hand. If a few persons give their backing to someone, he can achieve promising progress with a little help from them. An important reason for the success of all the successful people in the world is their assistants. A person may be highly learned, extremely intelligent, clever and powerful, but in the absence of cooperation, he cannot achieve anything important and will become handicapped. Non-co-operation may not be as harmful as malice, but that too can become a mountain-like obstacle for progress. Malice is a virulent disease, non cooperation is a mild disease, both belong to the same caste, the difference is only in degree, but the result of both is undesirable.

With the passing away of the near and dear ones, many people become intensely unhappy and they lament the separation day and night. The reason for this mourning is discarding of the sentiment of nearness and getting trapped in attachment. The feeling of nemeses is a generous and all encompassing element. In this type of feeling, our family members are considered as God's gift and a medium for fulfillment of our service. One who understands in this way will not feel unhappy when the soul of a person (who is a part of God) performs the normal process of changing the body. If God takes away one medium of service, we can always serve someone else. The principal reason for unhappiness is that because of the shock of the death of someone, we lose our composure and think of the dead near one as our property and think that we have suffered a loss in our joy, self-interest, hope etc.

Momentary happiness is very attractive, charming and tempting. A person with a narrow view-point gets tempted in it and suffers very much like birds tempted by grains and trapped in a hunter's net. Gayatri warns us about the pitfalls of this temptation and teaches, "Son, you are not the body, but the soul, salvation by becoming a victim of greed, indulgence of desires and senses, and temptations. Look to your permanent benefits and interests and sacrifice your temptations. Sensual pleasures are momentary but their bad effects remain for a long time. The happiness of being wealthy remains only for a short time, but the wickedness taught by immorally earned wealth, and the thorns sown for the future - their bad results live on for a long time. Such short-sighted persons get trapped into many types of addictions.

One who has faith on Gayatri, becomes a far-seeing person of visionary by obeying the second instruction of the Mother in the second part of the mantra. By understanding that addictions kill the vitality of life or life itself, he immediately becomes resolute to discard them. He becomes an opponent of the habits of intoxicants. If he is addicted to such a substance, he gives it up courageously and cautions others against the same. By controlling his lust and tongue, he uses them sparingly and with sagacity. He adopts the policy of observing strict celibacy for a long time and eating only simple food at regular time only. By resorting to fasts, he controls all the senses. He prepares his busy schedule by being careful that not a single moment should be wasted and every moment fruitfully utilized. He loves labor like his own life and feels happy by doing work personally.

The second portion of Gayatri takes us to that position in which a person enjoys in peace the joy which is his birthright. People are not free for self-study, do not have time for physical exercise, do not get time for worship, cannot tear themselves away from 'work' for public service, do not have time for music which elates the mind, and no time for travel, swimming or meeting saints. The reason is only one, viz, that in comparison to their principal activity, such people consider all the above as extremely petty and do not consider them worth for any attention. Leisure is not available for only that work which is not considered essential or important. The work which we consider essential, we finish it first while ignoring others. When the attraction for money is extremely powerful, one does not get the leisure for making one's happy and lofty.

Good intelligent thinking unravels many tangles in our life and roots out many troubles very easily. Many people, unhappy over lack of money or progeny, when they think over the third part of the Gayatri mantra, their eyes open up and they are able to realize their mistakes. Then they start thinking that lack of these things or their existing in a limited way is not a bad situation. Because of this lack, they are able to get the required time and opportunity for progressing in other directions. They are saved from many worries, burdens and wicked acts. A man with just enough income indeed gains more benefits compared to the  man who plunges into day-and-night activities of earning 'by any means' for possessing a lot of wealth and comforts. When the light of Gayatri increases in our head, then poverty, wretchedness, feeling of inferiority and wants, start reducing.

The message of the fourth portion of Gayatri is that we should intelligently utilize favorable and unfavorable situations; we should expect the best future and be prepared to face the worst. If we think of difficulties as only challenges for increasing our efforts, and do not become afraid, then certainly no unpleasant situation can make us unhappy and will not be an obstacle for our cheer. If we adopt the good thinking of remaining cheerful, then we will be easily freed from the bad tendency of becoming unhappy for petty reasons. Life is for playing with a spirit of sportsmanship. Actors perform various roles on the stage but are personally not influenced by the character which they portray. Life has to be carried on the same spirit.

When God takes someone under his shelter, which He wishes to liberate, He makes the fate of such a person bearable so that such devotees quickly become liberated from the burdens of the acts of the past births - thus liberated, the soul does not have to be drawn into the vicious circle of births and deaths. On the one hand, the burden of past-births deeds is over and on the other hand, his inner purity goes on increasing. Because of these benefits on both sides, he progresses with great speed towards the ultimate goal.

Ordinarily, God makes one undergo many bitter experiences for the development of many good qualities. Because of the death of one's own child, the element of pure love flowers forth in the element of mourning and such a person wishes to shower more love on other children.

Gayatri - A Unique Solution For Problems-1

Many people think that they have committed so many sins, such wicked deeds and the list of their known and unknown sins is so big, that they cannot be reformed, so how can they achieve salvation? People who think in this manner should know that as soon as they take a vow to walk on the path of good deeds, the old dirty lice-ridden cloak of vices is automatically cast off. By shedding off sins and desires and sincerely repenting for them, we are liberated from the bad results of our bad deeds. Only those traits of acts of our past births which are destined to be borne as prarabdha (fate) have to be born at some time or other during this vehicle of more sins. The punishment under God's law of fate can be lightened by not resorting to wickedness and repenting for earlier sins and it is also possible to be forgiven.

The mental strength through Gayatri -worship definitely helps to remove innumerable bad tendencies, habits and sinful attitudes of the worshipper. Many people ask, "I have so-and-so bad tendency, I have not paid any attention to avoiding non-vegetarian food, I have committed certain bad deeds. Can I be deserving of Gayatri-worship?" Such people should very well understand that Gayatri is a kind of soap. When soap has been created for removing dirt, then it is useless to think whether dirty clothing deserves the use of soap. The use of Gayatri is like a spiritual soap to remove the bad impressions and influences and dualities and controversies within the mind. Hence a sinful person should not hesitate to use it.

Liberation from evil tendencies is definite and easy with inner transformation. It is neither impossible nor surprising if to-day's sinner becomes a saint to-morrow. Authors of scriptures have told this straight-forward tale with great emphasis on the destruction of sins through Gayatri-worship.

It is understood that one can be freed from the punishment for past deeds by certain means, and then evil people will go on committing sins and then resort to the above means by thinking that now their past sins have been annihilated. They will think of further committing the sinful acts and resorting to the prayers for destroying the sins thus mistakenly thinking that they will get the benefit from their bad deeds and simultaneously get the added benefit of freedom from the sins.

One must remove this misconception from its roots. If man goes on committing more sins, he remains sinful only. There is no question of his sins being washed out through prayers. If simultaneously he commits sins also. When man starts despising sinful acts and saves himself from bad thoughts - like cleansing from urine and faces - then on achieving this state of mind, he will not have the inclination to adopt the path of sin. He will not expect that God will accept a small bribe of prayers and forgive his continuity of sins.

But in God's office, those person cases are considered with a liberal attitude, who has given up bad deeds, and not only given up bad tendencies but repented for past mistakes. For the banishment of crimes, the rule of punishment is put into effect - when children do something wrong, the mother scolds them, when a disciple becomes tardy, the teacher takes up the cane, when the societal rules are disturbed, the local council dispenses punishment, when the law is broken, fines, jail, extolment or death-sentence is their. God has provided for punishment of sins through punishment from deities, bodily ailments and material wants or scarcity. This rule of law is not meant as revenge or 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for - a tooth'; but it is created on the basis of highspiritual science. The reason is that as a result of the unhappiness caused by 'punishment' there is a commotion within man's mind, a certain reaction, which shocks his hidden, thinking and he gives up the faulty path to return to the proper path.

Through punishment from others, we are forced to commit penance for our purification.  If we willingly adopt this method for ourselves, willingly undergo penance for our open and hidden sins, and then it is innumerable times better compared to the penance forced on because of others. There is neither insult, nor revenge nor dejection - instead, because of woeful penance there is spiritual joy, and valor and courage manifest and our prestige increases in the eyes of others. The fire of the soul is required for the eradication of sins. The creation of this fire gives double benefits, one - destruction of harmful tendencies, sins, and two - development, nourishment and increase in divine qualities through the same warmth and brightness, and as a result the seeker becomes an ascetic, mentally strong and luminous.

Gayatri Geeta

Gayatri Geeta

The Mantra of Vedmata Gayatri, consisting of twenty-four letters, is very small but it contains an ocean of infinite knowledge. The knowledge underlying it is so profound and all encompassing that if a person understands it properly and brings it into practice, he can make his present as well as future life truly happy and peaceful.

 T he message of Gayatri is most meaningful both form spiritual as well as material point of view. If it is well understood and contemplated upon, it manifests itself as a source of perennial fountain of true wisdom. The meaning of Gayatri Mantra, in brief, is given below in the form of Gayatri Geeta.

Meaning of Om -"Om is the best, holiest, sacred, worth meditating upon and highest name of God whom the Vedas have described as just, impartial, formless, sachidanand, Sarveshwar, the blissful Master spirit of the universe"

Explanation - The path of God-realization means adherence to Divine laws. He remains unaffected by censure or praise. Man suffers pain or gets pleasure according to his won deeds. Considering God to be all prevailing, there is no question of committing sins secretly. Human service is worship of God. Presence of God should always be felt within one's self. It purifies the soul and the person experiences Sat, Chit, Anand.

Meaning of Bhooha - "Munis (Saints) call pran (life energy) as Bhooha. It indwells uniformly all the living beings. This proves that all living beings are alike. Man should, therefore, consider all human beings and other living beings like himself"

Explanation - Like one's self, everybody undergoes pain and suffering and so no one should be tortured. We should behave towards other as we would like to be behaved by them. None should be discriminated against on account of caste, creed, family, community, country or sex. An only good or bad act needs to be appreciated or deprecated.

Meaning of Bhuvaha -"The elimination of all sufferings in the world is known as Bhuvaha. All work should be done with a sense of duty. People who work without expectation of any reward in return always remain happy"

Explanation - Man's duty is only to work, the result rests with God. Instead of thinking that happiness lies in getting a particular outcome, one should think that honest discharge of one's duty is the source of all happiness. One who regards a duty well done as his only reward becomes a Kaarmyogi and he always remains happy. A person should always remain engrossed in doing good deeds. This is the sum and substance of Geeta's Kaarmyog

Meaning of Swaha -"This signifies steadiness of one's mind. Mind should be made steadily and calm. A person should remain engrossed in the seeking of truth and exercise self-control to attain three kinds of peace"

Explanation - Confronted with uncertain circumstances, man often becomes restless on account of sorrow, suffering, anger, malice, poverty, disappointment, worry, fear etc. and thus loses his mental equilibrium. On the other hand in favorable circumstances he gets puffed up with ego, arrogance, impertinence, assumes an air of self-exaltation, and squanders money and starts behaving quite erratically. Both these mental states are like intoxication or fever which blurs far-sighted wisdom, vitiating a person's actions and thoughts. To save the inner soul from these de-vesting storms, man's mind should be made steady, balanced, harmonious and truthful. Then alone he gets physical, mental and spiritual peace.

Meaning of Tat -" It indicates that he alone is wise and free of fear and attachment in this world. Who understands the mystery of life and death?"

Explanation - All creatures are always in the jaws of death. What is the certainty that we may not stop breathing the next moment? Thinking in this manner, human life which is rarely available even to the gods, should be utilized in the pursuit of self-knowledge. It should be pondered over whether in this short life it is worthwhile to invite suffering for a long time by committing sins for momentary pleasures of the senses.

I f noble pursuits like advancement of knowledge, social welfare, religious preaching are to be done, one must have a wider perspective in view, that life is immortal and we are spiritual beings living a human experience through a mortal body. If the work cannot be completed with this body it will be done in the next one. It is certain that a person who makes best use of his present life enjoys bliss even after death. But the future of a person who misuses the present moments of his life is dark indeed. Therefore, one should not repent for all that has happened and should start making the best possible use of the remaining life.

Meaning of Savita - "It suggests that man should be strong like the sun and believe that all the objects and experiences of life relate to one's own soul"

Explanation - The sun has been called veerya and earth as Raj. The world functions on account of the power of the sun. The souls own actions create various kind of circumstance. Destiny, fate, etc are also the result of one's past actions. So we should adopt ourselves according to circumstances. It is within man's power to make his own destiny. More attention should therefore, be paid to self-growth. A person gets external help according to his inner condition.

Man should be far-sighted, strong and industrious. He should try to equip himself with eight kings of strength viz. health, knowledge, wealth, efficiency, organization, fame, courage and truth and always remain stead-fast in his faith.

Meaning of Vareniyam - "It indicates that every man should always strive far greatness and excellence. A man attains excellence by seeing, contemplating, thinking about and doing excellent deeds.

Explanation - A man is as he thinks. Thought is a mould and life wet clay. Our life is molded according to the thoughts in which we are engrossed. We should, therefore, cultivate the company of noble persons, read ennobling literature, entertain uplifting thoughts, see soul elevating scenes and do noble works, if we want to become great. To maintain faith in excellence, to pay due regards to and imbibe excellence which is found in other persons are matters essential for those who aspire for moral ethical and spiritual excellent.

Meaning of Bhargo - "Bhargo suggest s that man should become sinless. He should be on his guard to avoid sins. He should abhor sins and struggle hard to eliminate them, keeping in view their evil results.

Explanation - All the suffering in the world is due to sins. People are found suffering from innumerable pains and agony in hospitals, Jails and other places on account of their present and past sins. A sinner suffers in hell. Saints and benevolent persons take the burden of sins committed by other on their own shoulders and reform them through voluntary suffering for the sins of others. Whosoever may suffer, it is certain that sufferings are due to sins. Therefore, those who are afraid of sorrows and aspire for happiness should try to shun sins and atone for sins committed in the past. It is a sacred task to remain alert against sins and to struggle hard to destroy them because by doing so, we not only make ourselves truly happy but also save others from suffering. True happiness lies in sinlessness.

Meaning of Devasya - "The word Devasya signifies that man who is physically mortal can attain I m mortality or divinity. A  man creates heaven within him as well as outside by cultivating godlike qualities, by serving all living beings by doing benevolent deeds and by extending help to the weak."

Explanation - Whatever exists in this divine creation is scared and blissful. To have a view of this worlds as 'God's creation', to remove perversities created by men and to promote growth of goodness is divine work. A man can become god-like (Devta) by having such an enlightened vision. A person who does not consider himself to be a mere mortal physical body, but knows that he is deathless soul, attains immortality. Hegets rid of the fear of death. To treat all living beings with loves as one's own self, to keep ofe's conduct and character pure and to utilize one's talents for uplifting the poor and down-trodden are godly deeds. This earth becomes blissful as heaven for those having these virtues.

Meaning of Dhimahi - "It implies that we should cultivate and activate within us all dormant divine energies. Vedas proclaim that without so doing a man cannot attain peace.

Explanation - There are several material powers in the world. People get prosperity and praise on the strength of wealth, position, political power, physical strength, organization, arms, knowledge, wisdom, efficiency etc., but all are temporal powers. They may give pleasures but such pleasures are all transient. Lasting happiness lives in cultivating spiritual virtues which are known as divine powers or divine wealth. Happiness attained by divine virtues like fearlessness, far-sighted wisdom, steadiness, generosity, self-restraint, benevolence, scriptural scholarship, devout austerity, compassion, truth, non-violence, politeness, patience, love, judiciousness, etc. cannot be compared with any amount of material affluence. Man should therefore, constantly endeavor to increase his store of divine affluence.

Meaning of Dhiyo - "Dhiyo indicates that a wise man should ponder profoundly and make an in-depth study of Veda, Shastras and extract their essence, like butter from milk, because truth can be known only by purified intellect".

Explanation -There are numerous ideologies, most of which are contradictory to each other. Principles underlying one Shastra are quite opposite to those propounded by others. The thoughts of different Rishis, learned persons are, therefore, not similar. Under these circumstances, one should not become confused. A thing which was once correct according to time, space, person and circumstances may not be correct in different circumstances. Clothes which are useful in winter become useless in summer. In the same way a thing which is appropriate in particular circumstance may become inappropriate in changed circumstances. We should not, therefore, blame learned persons Rishis, Munis or Shastras but accept only such of their teachings and thoughts which are appropriate in the present circumstances. A decision about right or wrong should, therefore, be made on the basis of logic, wisdom and justice, keeping in view the present circumstances.

Meaning of Yonaha - "The word 'Yonaha' means that we should utilize minimum of our talent and resources for our own use and utilize the rest selflessly for the benefit of the weak and the needy".

Explanation - God has given knowledge, strength and prosperity to us in truth so that we may earn the credit of getting respect, fame, happiness and the results of righteous deeds.

All our wealth and possessions should be utilized more and more for the good of others, especially in helping the poor. These must not be squandered away for luxury and comfort, sensual enjoyment, nor should these be accumulated for ego-satisfaction. The glory of persons who are learned strong and rich lies in trying to uplift the innocent, weak and poor people. Just as the power and potentialities of trees, wells, pools, parks, flowers, fire, water, air, electricity etc. are utilized in doing good  to others, so also we should offer all our talents and resources for the common good, keeping back just enough for leading a modestly simple life.

Meaning of Prachodyat - "It means that man should inspire himself and others to follow the path of truth. Learned people call such work as true righteousness".

Explanation - Inspiration is the greatest power in the world, without which all resources, howsoever vast they may be, are useless. An inspired person gets engrossed in his chosen work and is able to gather and harness all the resources required. He gets divine help and also ideal collaborators. Therefore, a man should first get himself inspired and then inspire others to march ahead on the path of righteousness. The real help of the poor and the needy lies not in giving them material gifts but in inspiring them to awoken their dormant talents and virtues to inspire them to help themselves through self-growth and service.

"Conclusion of Gayatri Geeta - Any person who rightly understands this Gayatri Geeta gets rid of all sufferings and always remains happy".

 These fourteen couplets of Gayatri Geeta are the sum and substance of the knowledge contained in all the Vedas and Shastras. Fourteen gems were found as a result of churning of the ocean. These fourteen couplets are gems found by probing deep and conducting an in-depth study of all the scriptures. A person who assimilates these teachings in his life can never remain unhappy. He enjoys perennial bliss.

Gayatri Dhyan (meditation)

Human brain is an extremely wonderful cosmic computer. The activity, movement and potentiality of each of its cells leave even the greatest of scientists awe-struck. Great energy is generated in the direction in which these cells are applied. All the physical energy of a person is diverted in the direction of his desires, aspirations and cravings.

  Emotions first arise in human mind. When the mind concentrates on such emotions a magnetic field is created which attracts the desired elements from the atmosphere. This is the science of meditation. On this basis (adishakti) the power of the primordial energy pervading the interior of the nature can be attracted by the Sadhak towards him and retained by him within himself.

Gayatri should be meditated upon daily a t the time of Jap or at any convenient time. The Sadhak should sit for meditation in a secluded place having calm and quiet atmosphere. Mind should be steady and the body relaxed. While meditating during Jap one should sit in cross legged position, keeping the backbone straight. When not meditating with Jap one can sit on an easy chair or take the support of a large round pillow, wall or a tree. Body should be relaxed, as if it is lifeless. Eyes should be closed, both the hands should be rested in the lap and it should be visualized that nothing but a vast blue space exists everywhere. At the time of Pralaya (universal annihilation) nothing survives except the blue sky or space. A mental picture of such a stage of universal annihilation should be drawn in imagination and when it is fully established, a small round mass of light should be visualized in distant space by inner vision.  Thus Gayatri should be meditated in the form of a small brilliant star, as the sun. With development of concentration in mediation this round mass of light comes more and more closer and becomes bigger and brighter.

One minute observation, black spots are visible in the middle portion of the sun or moon. In the same way in the round mass of light of Gayatri a faint image of Gayatri should be visualized in the beginning. Slowly and gradually this image appears to be clearer - smiling, speaking, sensitive and lively to the Sadhak. Before starting meditation the picture of Gayatri Mata Should be examined minutely, lovingly and repeatedly along with its each and every part and it should be firmly established in the mind in such a way that the Sadhak may be able to formulate a mental glimpse of that image within the round mass of light. In due course of time a beautiful and enchanting image of Gayatri Mata surrounded by a round mass of brilliant light will be visible to the Sadhak.

Just as a person sitting in the sun feels warmth, similarly the proximity of Gayatri in the form of mass of light suffuses the Sadhak's mind, his inner-self and his entire body with divine lights. Just as iron, when put in the fire, becomes res-hot, so also, when the Sadhak retains the brilliance of Gayatri within himself during meditation, he becomes one with the Almighty Goddess, becomes a rishi, radian with Brahmateje. He feels as if his whole body has become red hot like pure gold and a celestial, divine, sun -like light shines through him. The impurities, sins etc. of the Sadhak's soul are burnt out in this light. He feels himself god-like, pure, fearless, pious and detached.

In this meditation, light of different colors are seen. Sometimes small and big stars of different colors are seen appearing and disappearing in this light. They are seen moving from one direction to other, sometimes traversing back in opposite directions. Some times, they are seen moving round in a circle and also shooting fast like an arrow. These are all good omens of progress in meditation. With the growth of the energy of Gayatri within the soul, several potentialities and qualities stat developing which are reflected in the form of small massed of light of different colors.

When this Sadhana becomes more mature and profound, the brilliance of Gayatri stabilizes in the middle of the brain or heart. This is the stage of attaining Siddhi. When the Sadhak attracts that brilliance from the outer space and settles it within himself, a stage is reached where his body and Gayatri's life force combine at one point. Just as person, under the influence of an evil spirit, acts according to the will of the latter, so also after establishing Gayatri within himself, the thoughts, actions, behaviors, feelings, tastes, desires, aspirations of the Sadhak are oriented towards selflessness and universal good. Progressively, animalist decreases and divinity increases.

This is the ideal form of meditation of Gayatri. When the Sadhak meditates on Gayatri in the form of a mass of light, he should feel that along with its rays, wisdom, virtuousness and divine energy are being infused in him. When the Sadhak comes out of such a meditation he feels that the proportion of wisdom, purity and refinement has increased within his mind and body. The Sadhak in due course, becomes a store of divine light (Brahmateja). This divine light is like a bank draft which can be instantly got encashed at any bank of Shreya or Preya and divine or material riches, as the case may be, obtained in lieu thereof.

Formula for Good Health

Appropriate physical Activity

If a machine is kept idle for a long time, its parts get rusted and the dirt is deposited on it, and if it is run excessively, its parts wear our fast and become useless. The same rule applies to the human body. Lying idle in laziness, shrinking physical work in the grab of dignity drains out the life force of the body. In order to retain the power and flexibility of muscles, it is essential to give appropriate physical work to all parts of the body. Thus in order to maintain health it is absolutely necessary to undertake daily some physical activity/exercise that involves nearly all body parts. However, this physical labor should not be so much that it exhausts all the vital energy. If a person works more than one's capacity, it increases heat within his body which, in turn, destroys vital elements. Such people do not live longer. If a person spends more than his income, he is bound to become bankrupt. Therefore, one should surely work enthusiastically, do physical labor and give work to all the body parts, but should work within the limits of his capacity. This is appropriate physical activity and only this is beneficial.

Many people earn money by mental endeavor. Such people think why they should take the trouble of doing manual work when it can be done by the servant. This is their mistake. Servant's stomach cannot digest the food consumed by the master. If a person feels thirsty, hungry or getting relieved (of excrement or urine), he cannot get such tasks done by the servant. Even eminent persons, who are extremely busy, take up some or the other physical activity to keep themselves fit. Tasks like gardening, carpentry, laundry work, cleaning of home, etc, should form part of the daily routine. Games like tennis, football, volleyball, cricket, etc can be chosen. To enrich our respiratory system with fresh air, it is essential to go for a morning walk of at least 3-4 miles. Practice of yoga (Aasan/pranayam) daily is also good. Every part of the body should get appropriate physical work, without which fat starts accumulating and the body is attacked by diseases like constipation, piles, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. Physical activity is a must for every human being whether he is rich or poor, educated or uneducated eminent or a lay person.

Proper Management of Daily Routine

Apart from proper food and physical activity, in order to maintain good health, discipline and orderliness must form part of the daily routine. There should be timeslot for each and every task, e.g. getting up, taking bath, exercise, sleeping, eating, office/social work, entertainment, etc. Married people should observe self-restraint as far as sex is concerned. Frequency of sex must not exceed once in a month or so. A wrong notion has been spread amongst the younger male generation that more sex is required to keep wife satisfied. The truth is that most women do not desire sex like sensual men. They need a spouse who is hard working honest, jovial, loving, faithful and upright in character. There are many couples where husbands are invalid, but their married life is full of pleasure and peace. Excessive sex lowers the attraction between husband and wife. It also gives rise to venereal disease. Therefore, in this matter the couples must make healthy norms and follow it rigidly. Unrestrained sex drains the energy of both the partners and eventually leads to ill health.

All the day's tasks should be properly scheduled. Regular and disciplined life saves a person from the clutches of disease. Simplicity and neutrality should always be kept in mind. Plenty of clothes are not required to cover the body; in the Nepalese context dhoti kurta and chappal are enough. Of course in order to protect oneself from excessive cold or heat some arrangement can be done. But loading oneself with heavy clothes prevents the sun rays and fresh air from reaching the skin. Its ill-effect is akin to keeping the plants away from sunlight and air. One should not always try to protect oneself from the effect of seasons. The summer, winter and rainy seasons energize the body and make it strong. They also improve the immune system of the body. People who use coolers or air conditioners during summer and heaters during winter and who never allow even a drop of rain to fall on the body, normally are seen to get affected easily by the change of weather. Their bodies become weak and they easily fall prey to viral infections and disease. Therefore, while protecting oneself from the severity of seasons, normally one should bear the effects of seasons.

Essential Points for Good Health

Following are the key formulas to keep the body healthy. Proper functioning of the digestive system depends on four factors they are as follows ---

Technique of Eating

The way of eating is more important than the quality of eatables. Taking even ordinary food in the right manner can give better results than consuming quality food in a wrong manner. In this context, one has to pay attention to three questions [When to eat? How much to eat? How to eat]. We answer these questions one by one as follows

When to eat?

The answer to this question is that one should eat - at a fixed time and when one feels very hungry. One should eat when both of these synchronize. Normally for a healthy person, it is enough to take meals twice daily. These timings can be around 11 AM and 6 PM. One can adjust this time slightly according to one's convenience. The habit of taking meals at fixed times is nicely rewarded in the long run. Further, one should not take anything in between two meals. It is a bad habit to chew something or the other throughout the day. This disturbs the digestion process. Suppose we are cooking rice in a vessel and go on adding small amounts of rice grains in it after short intervals; the result will be that some grains will be over-cooked, some of them will uncooked. This kind of cooking will never serve the purpose. The same rule applies to the stomach. The food once consumed gets digested by the next mealtime. Eating in between disturbs the digestion process.

One should eat when one feels very hungry and the stomach appears to be empty. If one does not feel hungry at a usual mealtime then one should skip that meal and should not take anything till the next mealtime. Supposing one does not feel hungry at 11 AM in the morning but gets hungry at 2 PM and starts eating at that time, it will disturb the cycle. Hence one should avoid this habit. Not feeling hungry undigested food in the stomach; hence in order to digest it, missing of one meal is essential. The synchronicity of the set mealtime and intense hunger is the right time for meals.

One should not take full meal early in the morning. Whatever is consumed in the dinner in the previous night is not fully digested due to sleep. Hence stomach should get some more time after sleep to digest to same. Taking full meal right in the morning is equivalent to giving a servant another task before he has completed the one in hand. However if one feels hungry in the morning and it appears difficult to work without taking something, then a liquid diet of milk, buttermilk, fruit, juice, water mixed with lemon and honey may be taken. Similarly, if hunger is felt at other times of the day, one should take liquids or easily digestible food items.