Kunwar: Namaste Swamiji, Thank you so much for your last reply. I am highly obliged that you took out your precious time and replied to my queries. I really desire to gain Vedic knowledge through you and your books so could you please guide me which book I should start from as a beginner and to proceed onto which book. Also I need books in Hindi as much as possible so I can share the knowledge with my family as well. I really need this guidance in regards to vedas from you and I will be very thankful to you for this. Below is my mailing address where you could please have the books sent. Please tell me how can I pay for the books so I can have money sent to the destination as soon as possible.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. I am telling my dear disciple who is a government engineer in Jammu who will provide you with all Hindi books. You may also get my Audio CDs of Vedic bhajans, if you desire.
You are always welcome here to gain Vedic knowledge. Several devotees from Jammu come here usually (month or every week). I also occasionally come to Jammu to deliver Vedic lecture and hold yajyen.
Siva: Guru what is the truth of life? I now consider that all life in the earth is just energy, we absorb energy from sun directly or indirectly and consuming it for day to day activities, after the death the energy will freed. so i think there is a predefined rule for this universe, this rule is coded in veda, our ancestors decoded it ,unfortunately we did forget it, is my assumption is correct?
Swami Ram Swarup: Energy from Sun is also taken by a dead body but it does not
move. There are three eternal matters in world:-
There are three matters in the Vedas which is called “Traitwad”. First Almighty God , second – souls , third – Prakriti. Almighty God and souls are alive whereas Prakriti is non-alive from which God creates universe. So, there is not only atma (souls) but Almighty God and Prakriti are also there.
Souls (Atma) are several but God is one. Soul takes living being’s body based on his previous lives’ Karmas – good or bad so human being’s bodies , animals and birds’ body etc., are taken by souls.
So, God states in Vedas that services to mother, father, learned atithi, learned acharya of Vedas and Yoga philosophy are required to be rendered when they are alive only and not after death.
So, all living-beings are blessed with bodies by the God, based on their good or bad deeds. Accordingly, we the human-beings, as per Rigveda mantra 10/135/1, 2 are also blessed with human body to face the result of our previous deeds and whatever we will do in present, result of these deeds will be borne in future births. This is the life to struggle. Vedas like Yajurveda mantra 7/29 tell us that to know about the fact that who am I? So, we must follow Vedic Path and worship accordingly to realize ourselves as well as God who resides within us. This is the aim of our life. So, we do not absorb energy from sun but it is absorbed by our human body to be in a condition to
work, in presence of ourselves (i.e., soul). Even, if we know Bhagwad Geeta shloka 2/23 –
NAINAM CHHINDANTI SHASTRANNI NAINAM DAHATI PAAVAKAH.
NA CHAINAM KLEDAYANTYAAPO NA SHOSHAYATI MAARUTAH.
Wherein it is stated that Oh! Arjun, you are immortal, you cannot be pierced with any weapon, you cannot be burnt with fire nor wetted with water. Your body will be declared dead and not you, you being immortal. So, when your body will be dead, you will be out from it and as per Yajurveda chapter 39, after thirteen days, you will get another birth in human, animals or bird’s body based on your good or bad deeds. Whatever you have told has not been coded in Vedas, please.
M: Pranam Guruji, I have 3 months old girl child. I chant Gayathri Manra daily from sometime but not able to maintain time of chanting especially of morning time due to my child getting up time a night. Can I sleep again after chanting in the morning? Please tell the me ranges of morning , noon and evening when I can chant. Thanks
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you, my daughter. Everything is possible, if a person is desirous of the same. That is why, Vedas tell that one should be a faithful aspirant to gain knowledge which is motto of human-life (while discharging all moral duties.) Worship is to be done
daily both times. So, one should get up early morning overcoming laziness. If, it is not possible like in your case, then you can chant mantra anytime daily and can get sleep during day also. But chanting of Gayatri mantra, name jaap of God- Om should not be broken. In addition, I would also advise you to do the following-
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
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 Yajna. The havan with Ved mantras are always offered as the best worship of God only please. Do havan daily and both times.
Procedure of Chanting
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.
