Ramnarayan: How to prove that the soul exists and it traverses various body forms before attaining mukti?
Swami Ram Swarup: You see, when a newly born baby of any living being takes birth, the baby immediately searches the milking point of mother of respective species. Who told the baby at that time for the same. Secondly, the same baby exhibits fear about death. He has no experience of the death in his present birth being one day old. Without experiencing the death, nobody would feel its fear. This clarifies that every soul has experience of death and birth of previous birth’s life.
Bharat: Namaste swamiji. Could you please briefly explain the meaning of purusha sukta If it is not possible to explain word by word I kindly request you to show your grace by explaining overall meaning of each sloka and hence the overall sukta present in the Vedas? I know it is a bit lengthy but I cannot find resources which unambiguously say that the God is one. I have seen the attributes of purusha as male and nature as female which didn’t really touch my heart. If you can permit I would like to discuss in more depth and doubts arising reading the upanishads. I don’t have any fax but I would even be glad to read the scanned documents of manuscript if that is easy.
Thank You very much for all your previous answers which increase the clarity of understanding and realizing the supreme. Thank You once again
Swami Ram Swarup: I have written meanings of few mantras of Purusha sukta and I would not be able to send you more meanings in near future. But you can put your requirement after two months, please, since I am totally occupied in completion of second part of Bhagwad Geeta- Ek Vedic rahasya (chap. 7-12). You may send your postal address accordingly.
Akshay Sharma: Adarneey swamiji, saadar namaste. Kindly tell me the significance of doing ‘aachaman’ during sandhya vandan and/or before Yajna/agnihotra. punah namaste.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. In this connection, I would like to advise you to please study my book- Yajyen karma sarvashresth Ishwar Pooja, if possible, wherein every mantra including aachman mantra with its meaning and idea has been mentioned. However, I paste my article in this regard.
AACHMAN MANTRAS
Now after reciting the three mantras given below do aachman three times –
Note:- the process of aachman involves cupping of right hand and pouring a tea spoon of water into the palm. Then the pious water is drunk three times so as to cleanse oneself before initiating the pious deed of havan/agnihotra.
1. OM AMRITOPASTARANNMASI SWAHA.
Om is holy name of God who protects us. Amrit: A + mrit = amrit. Mrit means death and ‘a’ means not, so amrit means on whom death never comes, so God is immortal, (upastarannam) like bedding, (asi) = you are, (swaha) = eternal/true deed/action.
Meaning and Idea –
Oh! God you protects us, you’re immortal and you’re like our bed. We recite this mantra hence you protect us from below. Oh! God you’re omnipresent i.e., live in every minutest (atom, molcules, electron, neutron, photon and even the minutest parts etc.,) part of the universe. So this earth provided by you for resting on by all human beings, is like our bed to rest and for other purposes too like cultivation etc.
Oh! God, we are grateful to you for giving us this mother earth which gives us the same pleasure that we derive by sleeping on our mother’s lap, like a cosy/ comfortable bedding. You are present in every single particle of this earth on which we live, play, grow, build our houses, earn our living, and live happily. We thank you for giving us this beautiful earth.
2. OM AMRITAPIDHANAMASI SWAHA.
(Om) holy name of God who protects us, (amrit) immortal God, (apidhanam) to cover the body/matters with something say mantle or covering matter like blanket, etc., (asi) are, i.e., you are (swaha) eternal/true deed/action.
Meaning and Idea –
Oh! God, the saviour/protector of all, you are just like our mantle/covering. We recite this mantra hence protect us from above. Also, just like in winters we sleep happily and comfortably using a quilt/ thick covering from above similarly God is omnipresent in each and every atom of space above us, in sun, moon etc., because of which the space along with light emitting celestial bodies remains balanced and gives energy to living beings on the earth for the sustenance of life on this planet. It is with the grace of God that we lead a happy life on earth and we are grateful to you for giving us this outer space/sky which is just like a blanket.
3. OM SATYAM YASHAHA SHREERMAYI SHREEHI SHRYATAAM SWAHA.
(Om) holy name of God who protects us, (satyam) eternal/truth, (yashah) glory/fame, (satyam) truth, (shreehi) money, wealth i.e., the wealth earned with truth (mayi) within me, (shreehi) wealth, (shryataam) shelter.
Meaning and idea –
Oh! God, the protector/saviour of all, enable me to work hard to acquire wealth and fame by means of honesty and truth. May I become glorious and wealthy by using the wealth, acquired through hard work, in pious and auspicious deeds like Yajyen etc. Bless me so that I may never abandon the pious deed of donating to deserving persons.
