Poonam: Pranam. In Patanjali Yogdarshanam part-2,page no. 119 (last 2 lines)it is mentioned that after learning about God’s Gun Karam & Swabhav, one should do CHINTAN during dhyaan avastha. You are requested to please elaborate how should we do that? Does it mean that we have to think about what we have heard? eg: God is sarvshaktimaan, sarv vayapak? Please teach me.
Poonam: Pranam. In Patanjali Yogdarshanam part-2,page no. 119 (last 2 lines)it is mentioned that after learning about God’s Gun Karam & Swabhav, one should do CHINTAN during dhyaan avastha. You are requested to please elaborate how should we do that? Does it mean that we have to think about what we have heard? eg: God is sarvshaktimaan, sarv vayapak? Please teach me.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you, my daughter. Chintan-manan while meditating the eternal, unchangeable, true, divine qualities of Almighty God must be considered, while sitting on asan with closed eyes. For example, one should sit for name jaap and then concentrate on Agya Chakra. Then he must chant Gayatri mantra in mind with its meaning when the aspirant would think over each and every word and its meaning again and again, it is called chintan-manan over description of divine qualities of Almighty God . I have explained this chintan manan in 3rd paad of Yog shastra, while describing sutra 1 i.e., “Desh bandashchitasya dharnna”
Dr. Tej Krishen Bhat: Sir, one year i.e. 365days of the earth is equal to how many days brahm lok or vesnu lok? E.g. if a man lives 100 years on earth what is that equal to brahm lok or veshnue lok? Please let me know at the earliest.
Swami Ram Swarup: Actually there is no Brahamlok or Vishnulok based on the calculation of days, years etc. Braham lok means human body where soul resides. However, as stated in Bhagwad Geeta, Shloka 8/17 and Manusmriti chapter 1 shloka 71, there is a calculation of ‘day of Brahma’ and ‘night of Brahma’.
One Day of brahma = 1000 yugas (time period ) and one night is also= 1000 yugas (time period). Atharvaveda kand 19, Sukta 53 states about the time calculation. Atharvaveda mantra 10/8/4 states about twelve months time and seasons of summer, winter, etc.
Manusmriti chapter 1, shloka 71 states that:
One satyug period = 17, 28,000 years.
One Treta period = 12, 96,000 years.
One Dwapur period = 8, 64,000 years.
One Kalyug period = 4, 32,000 years.
Total of which comes to 43, 20,000 years, which is called one chturyugi.
When the period of one chaturyugi exhausts by thousand times (43, 20,000 x1000) years then it is called a day of Brahma and similarly the said period is counted for one night of Brahma.
Alvin Lal: Pranaam Guruji, Please consider this worldly example. A person in a desert who has nothing to eat, no vegetables no fruit, very little water, only livestock like chicken or sheep. In this case to survive is the person allowed to eat meat?Similarly A Sanyasi doing tapasya for moksh in dense forest finds nothing to eat for survival except meat from chicken, etc. Is he allowed to eat meat to let soul survive and continue tapasya to get moksh? Will he get moksh because he has killed to survive, thus breaking law of Vedas?
Swami Ram Swarup: God helps those who help themselves. So, when we pray to Almighty God according to Vedas He always helps us. I mean to say, why an aspirant who really worships God would face the situation when he would not be able to get any food etc., except non-vegetarian to survive. Secondly, travelling to such a place where only non-vegetarian is available is due to the result of previous lives deeds. However, when an aspirant starts real worship then situation gets changed. I have a little experience of one instance of my life. I used to reside with my Guruji in a dense jungle of Rishikesh. Once he told me to go to a famous cave situated in extremely dense jungle. The path to approach the cave was very tedious, full of wild animals. After 10-11 hours journey I reached there. There was nothing to eat. My guruji gave me only fifty gms. grams (chana) and gud (jaggery) which exhausted soon. Jungle was full of wild animals, poisonous snakes, langoors. Suddenly, I saw a man with some chapaties and he asked me – “BABA I HAVE
BROUGHT THE CHAPATIS FOR YOU”. I was really surprised as to from where the man suddenly appeared since it was extremely dense jungle and there was no place of habitation near by. So, really it was mercy and blessings of Almighty God and My Guru Maharaj ji. So, God helps the true aspirant in such situations. Second instance, I have read in a book that there was an aspirant, lover of Vedas who used to perform daily Yajyen, do name jaap, etc. Once he fell sick and it had become difficult by the doctors to save him. Then doctors told if you would start taking non-vegetarian then you would be o.k. soon otherwise chances are minimum to survive.
The aspirant answered: Oh Doctor! Can you give me guarantee that by taking non-vegetarian, I would not be given punishment by God for my sin and my future births shall not be admonished to lower births like that in Yonis of animals , insects, etc. So, to survive hardly for few years, should I do the sin? And he did not take non-vegetarian.
Sanyasi never does Tapasya in a place where drinking water and vegetables (kand mool) are not available.
M: I am suspended from my job and getting more troubles in life. Please do the needful for re-instatement.
Swami Ram Swarup: It is all in the hands of Almighty God, please. So, I would advise you to chant Gayatri mantra .
Gayatri mantra
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 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. I.e., knows even every atom of universe and even beyond universe 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 (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 Gaytri 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.
In the above mantra we pray to God but mere prayer does not solve the purpose until we do hard work according to the prayer.
It will help you. Secondly, you should seek some other job to earn the money which is necessary in family life.
Anju: Namaste Swamiji. I want to know what is the meaning of stuti. I should we do and in the end of pooja kya aarti kerna must hai aor kya mantra jaap ke bade bhi aarti jaruri hai?
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you, my daughter. Stuti means true praise of Almighty God by chanting Ved mantras. That is the selected Ved mantras in which only the praise i.e., the divine qualities etc., of formless, Almighty omnipresent God exists. For example we chant Gayatri mantra.
As regards aarti i.e., “OM JAI JAGDISH HARE” this also contains praise of God. But seriously we must think about the meaning of Aarti and we must think whether we are praising the God whose description is there in aarti? Aarti is not necessary after mantra jaap but chanting of Gayatri mantra with its meaning gives more benefit of the worship of the God.
R K: Swami ji many many thanks. I am a working lady and reach home after work about 7.00 p.m. Can I do havan at 7.00 p.m? Swami ji I use havan samagiri which I purchase from Arya Samaj Mandir. I do not put any thing extra in the havan Samagiri except google doop. Should I mix something more to it.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you, my daughter. According to Rigveda mantra 10/15/1, the havan/Yajyen must be performed in sunlight because matters offered in burning fire make contact with sunrays and spread in atmosphere and even go upto space/sun. Then the matters shower innumerable spiritual and worldly benefits on public to a great extent which can’t be briefed here, being lengthy. However, God has told that havan can also be performed in evening/night when the sun sets down. It sure gives the spiritual benefit hundred percent being the best worship of God. But worldly benefit as quoted above, does not accrue. So, you can do evening havan at 7.00 p.m or afterwards to gain pious result of worship of God. The samigri used by you is enough but to obtain
