Anonymous: PRANAM, SWAMI JI, Thanks for answering my last question. I want to perform my yagneopavit ceremony by the method quoted by you,but my parents aren’t favouring me in this matter. So what should I do?
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. You are welcome, please. You may request your parents again and again to perform your yajyopaveet based on Vedic mantras. If, they do not agree then there is no alternative except to accept their custom.
Mayank: Swami ji, pranam. I have one doubt since long: “Is the time & place of Death is fixed?” This doubt arose because if it is all fixed then we are not free will! Swami ji, please give your invaluable views on this.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. Based on the previous lives’ deeds, the time of death is fixed for all living beings. However, in case of human beings, Almighty God has given the knowledge of Vedas to be followed by us. So, those who follow the Vedic path and start doing daily Hawan/yajyen, name jaap of God and practice of ashtang Yoga, they become capable of increasing
their life-span upto 100 years and more. So, it is a Vedic law that age and future has been given by God to us and we by following the Vedic path can make our life long and happy and can even attain
salvation. For example- Yajurveda states- “Aayu Yajyein Kalpantam”, long age is attained by performing Yajyen Again, mantra states- “Ma Nah Aayu Promeeshehi” i.e., Oh! God, may my age not be decreased but be increased.
Anonymous: I am a patient of abnormal thinking, depression, since the past few years. I have been on medication till few months back. The improvement is rare and slow. I have suicidal tendencies but I can’t do that since its a crime. What should I do? Please tell me.
Swami Ram Swarup: The human life blessed by Almighty God is utilized to realise
God while discharging all moral duties towards self, family, society and nation. I am happy that you already know that suicide is a crime. I paste my article also as under-
Person can achieve long, happy life if he performs daily hawan/Yajyen. You see, life is a struggle and we must face it happily. The sign of a religious person is to hold the following pious qualities, says Manusmriti:-
(i)Dhriti (ii)kshama (iii)dum (iv)asteya (v)shauch (vi)indriya nigraha
(vii)dhee (viii)vidya (ix)satya (x)akrodh.
So, the first sign of Dharma is called “Dhriti” i.e., Dhairya i.e., Patience. Only a puzzled, discouraged, impatient mind can think about the heinous crime/sin of committing suicide. So, please be brave and never think about it. In this connection, I would also like to paste my article, below, by which you would be able to destroy all your problems and would get success:-
Past Sins
Everybody has the past either saints or sinners. The present life of human being is too based on past. Our present deeds will make our future either good or bad. By doing the present pious deeds based on spiritualism, the past sins are destroyed and the present as well as future life is made pleasant. So there must not be any worry about the past or future, but about present pious deeds. Saints kill the past by present pious deeds which everybody must do even in the family life. Only repentance will not serve the purpose.
One will have to do worship along with hard pious deeds and must discharge moral duties faithfully. In this way, the spiritual advices are necessary. One has to worship a formless God who creates, nurses and destroys the universe.
Normal death is always welcome by all, being awarded by God Himself. But even thinking of suicide is great sin. God has blessed the human body to worship God and maintain long happy life. Difficulties come due to previous lives’ deeds which have to be faced bravely.
Regarding death Mirza Galib has stated his views, “MUJHE KYA BURA THA MARNA, GAR EK BAAR HOTA,” SO PLEASE BE BRAVE. And continue to be a faithful optimist.
YOGA PHILOSOPHY IS NOT A SECT PLEASE AND THUS APPLICABLE TO ALL HUMAN
BEINGS OF ANY SECT. So try to learn yoga asan and meditation. Do only pious deeds. And attend good society only. Never sit idle and try to discharge your moral duties faithfully. Hard working towards right path must continue. Then everything will be okay.
Suicide
Suicide occurs in respect of those who indulge in illusion. Due to illusion, they are demoralised, lose patience. When the creation starts then at the beginning of every creation, God gives the knowledge of four Vedas to Rishis/human beings, to become learned by destroying the illusion. But those who due to one or the other reason, do not listen Vedas, they become unable to understand the motto of the human life and therefore the illusion effects them. As a result, they lose heart and commit suicide which is the greatest sin of human life. They even do not understand that due to their said act of sin, they will have to face more and more sorrows in the next birth. Even they
are devoid of best human body which is meant to achieve salvation while doing all moral duties under the guidance of learned acharya of Vedic philosophy.
Also, even to think about suicide is itself a grave sin, the bad result of which will be borne in next life. We have come here to worship Almighty God, to burn our previous bad deeds so as to make our life happy and not to generate more sins. So God is one who is the creator. And to concentrate on the formless, Almighty God, one will have to follow the Vedas.
As regards, your sickness, you have told about gaining some improvement. So, please be brave and continue your treatment. In addition, I would advise you to make contact with local yoga teacher
to learn yogasan, prannayam and meditation, practice of which would give you relief from the disease. Besides, you may also adopt following course-
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 NAHA 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 Hirannyagarbha, Vayu and Tejas names occur and Ma = 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 final destruction 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. That is, knows each and every atom of universe and even beyond universe. He who is to be known, to be gained and is worshipful. So Agni is the name of God.
VISHWA = Vishwa word is made from dhatu, “VISHPRAVESHANE”. Its meaning is He in whom the universe is entering or He who is entering the universe. So being omnipresent, Vishwa is the name of God.
HIRANNYAGARBHA = 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.
VAYU = from dhatu, “VA GATIGANDHANYOHO”, vayu word is made. Its meaning is He who holds, gives life and destroys and is the mightiest amongst all. So the name of God is Vayu.
TEJ = from dhatu, “TIJA NISHANE”, the word Tej is made meaning He who is self made and self-enlightened and gives light to sun, moon, stars etc. God does not take light from anywhere but gives light to sun, moon, stars, etc. so the unbroken, unobstructed/unproduced and eternal form 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 He who 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 meaning whose wisdom is totally without any misunderstanding and thus he who knows every matter and behavior of whole universe without misunderstanding. So God’s name is Prajayen. So here also it is 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 Prann 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 the soul removes his own all sorrows after coming in contact with Him. 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.
VARENNYAM = 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, “SHUDH 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 (fulfil 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 AMRITO 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 Yajyen. The havan with Ved mantras are always offered as the best worship of God only please. Do havan daily and both times
These shall enable us to seek forgiveness from God for our sins which shall give relief from our problems.
