S: Namaste swamiji. I am suffering from prostate enlargement, diabetes and lack of job.
Swami Ram Swarup: Namaste. It is sad that you are passing sorrowful days at present but one should never be demoralized. Please, work hard and do your best to seek the job as well as to treat your disease. Obstacles come when a person forgets God. So, I would advise you to chant Gayatri mantra daily and even to do hawan with Gayatri mantra daily, both times to remove the obstacles as follows-
Shubh Karma
Hard working, devotion, dedication, honesty, services to the parents and elders to follow eternal religion mentioned in Vedas, practice of Ashtang Yoga, discharging moral duties to get progress in education, science simultaneously with spiritualism like, daily havan, to be in contact with the learned Acharya, to get his advice, are some of the pious deeds which make the future bright and obliterate the sorrows, problems, diseases, etc.
One must wake up early in the morning for early morning walk and exercises, must sit on meditation and chant holy name of God, must be away from any addiction and non-vegetarian. Such pious actions lead to long, happy life and bright future.
GAYATRI MANTRA
Please, start the day by chanting Gayatri mantra in the early morning sitting on suitable asan like Sukhasan, Siddhasan or Padmasan etc. concentrate on the point between two eyebrows which is called “Agyachakra”. The Gayatri mantra should be chanted along with its meaning both times. Also, please try to perform daily hawan even with Gayatri mantra. Then try to study any of my books daily and put up question if any.
After 15 days chant the Gayatri mantra only thrice thereafter do the name jaap of Almighty God-“Om”. The jaap must be done daily by heart and not orally.
The Gayatri mantra is as follows —
OM BHURBHUVAHA SWAHA TATA SAVITUR VARENYAM BHARGODEVASYA DHIMAHI DHIYO YO NHA PRACHODYAT
Meaning of Gayatri mantra stating each word is as follows. Its meaning is based on Vedas and Sanskrit grammar. Grammatical hints are in short please.
Om has three Hindi words. Aa, Uu AND Ma. Aa is meant for Aakaar from which three names of God are built,Viraat, Agni, and Vishwadi. From Uu = uukar from which Hiranyagarbha, Vaayu and Tejas names occur andMa = makaar from which Ishwar, Aditya and Praajyan aadi, holy names of God occur. Rigveda mantra 1/164/46 says God is one but His names are several. But here OM the holy name of God is only being explained.
VIRAAT= Viraat word is made from dhatu ‘Rajrideeptau’ i.e., manifest. Therefore Viraat means He who manifests the universe. As God manifests the universe, thus Viraat is the name of God. Rigveda mandal 10, sukta 129 states that like potter makes pot from clay, similarly God creates universe from non-alive matter prakriti. Prakriti is unseen matter. From unseen matter, the whole universe is created in the visible form. Science also says that matter is never destroyed but changes its form. Suppose a paper is burnt, paper changes its form into ashes. Then ashes are crushed and thrown in air. At this moment, the paper changed into ashes becomes invisible but was never destroyed. Similarly the whole universe at the time of finaldestruction is turned into prakriti i.e., into unseen form.
AGNI = From dhatu, ” ANCHU GATI POOJANAYOHO” the word “AGNI is made. Its meaning is — He who is a form of wisdom. “SARVAJAYEN” i.e., omniscient. I.e., knows even every atom of universe and even beyonduniverse too. He who is to be known, to be gained and worshippable. So agni is the name of God.
VISHWA = Vishwa word is made from dhatu, “VISHPRAVESHANE”. Its meaning is in whom the universe is entering or He is entering the universe. So being omnipresent, Vishwa is the name of God.
HIRANGARBHA = i.e., ” JYOTIRVAYIHIRANYAM”. Its meaning is, who is the base of all sun, etc., luminous lokas or He who is the living place of all luminous lokas.
VAAYU = from dhatu, “VA GATIGANDHANYOHO”, vaayu word is made. Its meaning is He who holds, gives life and destroys and the mightiest amongst all. So the name of God is Vaayu.
TEJ = from dhatu, “TIJA NISHANE”, the word Tej is made who is self made and self-enlighted and gives light to sun, moon, stars etc. God does not take light from anywhere else but gives light to sun, moon, stars, etc. so the unbroken, unobstructed/unproduced and eternal shape of light is Almighty God and not sun, moon etc. So the name of God is Tej.
ISHWAR = from dhatu, “ISH ASHWERIYE”, the word Ishwar is made. Its meaning is whose knowledge is thoughtful and true and has unlimited wealth, fortune and glory etc. Therefore the name of God is Ishwar. Here it is not out of place to mention that soul (man/woman) has limited qualities and are dependent whereas God is independent and has unlimited qualities that is why He is God.
ADITYA = from dhatu, “DO AVAKHANDANE”, Aditya word is made. Its meaning is the one who cannot be broken into pieces and thus cannot be destroyed. So God’s name is Aditya.
PRAJAYEN (PRAGYA) = from dhatu, “JYEN AVABODHANE”, Prajayen word is made whose wisdom is totally without any misunderstanding and thus he who knows every Manner and behavior of whole universe without misunderstanding. So God’s name is Prajayen. So here also it not out of place to mention that illusion can never attack on God and God is totally free from illusion.
BHUHU= “BHUHU ITI VAYEE PRANAHA” i.e., He who is the base of lives of universe, is most beloved, even more than Pran i.e., breath. So Bhuhu is the name of God.
BHUVAHA= “BHUVAHA ITI APANAHA” i.e., He who is totally free from any sorrow, and with whose contact, the soul removes his all sorrow. So the name of God is Bhuvaha.
SWAHA= i.e., “SWAHA ITI VYANAHE” who is omnipresent in the universe and is holding the same. So the name of God is Swaha.
SAVITUHU = He who creates the universe. So the name of God is Savituhu.
DEVSYA= who gives all pleasure/merriment, so the name of God is Dev.
VARENYAM = He who is the most supreme and acceptable. God is most supreme and acceptable for worship.
BHARGAHA = the purest entity (though God is formless, but finding no suitable English word of Sanskrit word, “SUDH SWARUPAM” the word entity has been used.)
TAT = i.e., the God i.e., of the purest entity.
DHIMAHI = i.e., we must hold (sort of meditation) because
YAHA = the God
NAHA = our,
DHIYAHA = mind (i.e., in our minds)
PRACHODYAT = by inspiration (fulfill the mind with wisdom)
MEANING
“We meditate the God who is the base of lives’ of universe, totally free from any sorrow, omnipresent, creates the universe, gives all pleasure/merriment, most supreme and acceptable, purest entity; May the God enlighten our minds with wisdom by His inspiration”.
Here it is not out of place to mention that idea of a (one) Ved mantra is based on ideas of several Ved mantras. So in the above Gayatri mantra, there are three things —-
Bhuhu, Bhuvaha, Swaha, Savituhu, Bhargaha, Devsya are some qualities amongst unlimited qualities of God. These are called Stuti i.e., to say about God with His real qualities and not self made etc.
Secondly Dhimahi means meditation i.e., one should always sit in meditation and do hard and pious deeds for which he will have to study Vedas in full, while discharging moral duties towards family and nation.
Third and last is DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODYAT. It is a prayer to God explanation of which is cited above.
How to do havan
Please sit in the morning to perform havan. Havan must be in sunlight then it is more beneficial. Then half a bowl of fresh water with a tablespoon must be with you with small twigs especially of mango tree if possible, havan samagri, ghee, camphor and match box must be there with you. Please sit on sukh asan on four times folded blanket and blanket must be on mat.
Sukh asan i.e., sit on duly folded feet in comfortable position. Then first close your eyes and concentrate between two eyebrows and chant Gayatri mantra three times within heart and not by mouth. Then open your eyes.
Take one spoon of water in right palm. Chant this mantra, OM AMRTO UPASTRANMASI SWAHA and drink the water which you have put in your palm. Then again take the spoon of water in right palm then chant the next mantra, OM AMRITA APIDHANMASI SWAHA, and drink the water. Then again take the water in right palm and chant the mantra, OM SATYAM YASHAH SHRI MAYI SHRI SHRAYTAAM SWAHA, and drink the water. Then wash the right palm while sitting, with the same water kept in bowl.
Then put the twigs into havan kund with one piece of camphor and burn it. During this process chant the Gayatri mantra again and again till such time the fire is lighted sufficiently. Then chant the Gayatri mantra and at the last add the word Swaha and offer ghee with tablespoon, quantity equivalent to 4 to 5 drops. And if you are alone then also offer in fire pinch of havan samagri from your right hand’s finger and thumb avoiding forefinger. So this offering may be of 11 times, 21 times or 51 times as the time suits. It is the simplest way and I have not quoted the complete method of Yajna. The havan with Ved mantras are always offered as the best worship of God only please. Do havan daily and both times
PM: Swamiji Namaskar, 1) Is widow marriage allowed in Vedas?
2) Is advat vedant like kashmir shaivism(www.ksf.org) true? because it is easier to follow than ashtang yoga.
3) If atma is out of body it is like in Coma then what is mukhti because without material atam cannot see/hear? Thanks
Swami Ram Swarup: Namaskar.
(i) No, please. Widow marriage is not allowed in Vedas.
(ii) No, please. Advaitwad (present Vedanta) is against the Vedas. In this connection, I would advise you to study my books Vedanta and eternal Vedas philosophy – I and II. I hope that thorough study of books will clear all your doubts.
As regards easy way in the matter of spiritualism, it is not accepted by Almighty God, please. Why? Because, fundamental law of the Vedas, knowledge of which emanates direct from God, is never changed. That is why, it is stated that “Rarely some brave person tries to follow the Vedic knowledge completely.” And some of those who follow the Vedic knowledge and whose concentration is unstable, leave the path and get indulge in illusion even.
(iii) In Mukti, Atma (soul) does not remain in sushupt stage like coma. Soul, at this juncture, is free from all bindings and enjoys divine pleasure, remaining attached always with God. And souls other than in moksha condition, remain in sushupt stage i.e., like in coma because they are not free from any bindings.
