Prafull: Namaste swami ji, is it important to read vedas for ashtang yog practice(samadhi)?
Swami Ram Swarup: You see, a boy takes birth from parents when he reaches young age and starts doing expenditure of his father’s money but does not respect and remember the parents, it means he is thankless and is committing a sin, so is with Ashtang Yoga philosophy. As per the study of the four Vedas, it reveals that knowledge of four Vedas emanate from Almighty God and also as per Yajurveda mantra 7/4, the Ashtang Yoga philosophy exists in the Vedas, i.e., emanates from the Vedas. Now, what type of sin is being seen here that Yoga philosophy has been made mostly professional and source of obtaining fame etc., due to lack of Vedas’ knowledge, the proper secrets of Ashtang Yoga Philosophy are also not been known and taught. This is thanklessness of a person and God never excuses this act of thanklessness. He punishes. Because, mostly the present practice of Yogasan etc., does not remember omnipresent, Almighty, Formless God from whom Ashtang Yoga philosophy and Vedas emanate.
Secondly, the said process has separated the nation from eternal Vedas knowledge. So, first, listening of Vedas is required then proper Ashtang Yoga Philosophy under the guidance of learned of Vedas and Ashtang Yoga is required. So, it is hundred percent necessary to listen to Vedas for Ashtang Yoga practice (Samadhi).
Manher: Pranam Guruji. I am looking for Pitri Stavan Paath, which is to be recited during these Mahalay Shraddh Paksh. Please guide accordingly.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. Pitri stavan path which is to be recited during Shradh paksh by you is not mentioned in Vedas, Shastras, Upnishads, Bhagwad Geeta and other ancient or present holy granths written by Rishi-Munis based on eternal vedic philosophy. However, you may continue it, at your own, please. I would like to paste my article on pitri Shradh for your guidance-
Anna Daan/Shradh to departed soul
Vedas are eternal knowledge which emanate direct from God at the beginning of every universe. Being the knowledge direct from God, each statement of Ved mantra is also eternal truth.
Thirty-ninth chapter of Yajurveda states about death. The soul when leaves the human body remains under control of a divine air named “Sutratma vayu”. Mantras tell that after wandering unconsciously for thirteen days in the space and planets like Sun, moon, etc., soul comes again on this earth inside the vegetation. Then either the soul enters the male living being’s body according to pious deeds and sins through pores or is duly mixed within vegetation and taken by a male person. Then the soul takes rebirth through parents.
This process is an eternal truth. However, if soul is religious and has done hard tapasya then the soul gets salvation. Only soul has to face the result of previous lives’ deeds through living being’s body. Since soul is alive whereas body is non-alive matter. So body does not face the result of deeds. When soul has gone out of body then how the soul will see, hear, taste, smell or touch or will be benefited of any pious deed etc.? therefore Vedas do not tell about the present system of shradh etc.
However, the pious deeds done to remember the departed soul by means of devotion or organising the holy Yajyen with Ved mantras, its result never goes in vain and the family is benefited.
Departed soul never meets again please. Even departed soul, when take rebirth, forgets every event of his previous life. As regards dreams Atharvaveda states that dreams of departed soul are not good so it is in your interest and welfare that you do not see dreams.
Kirtivasan: Can I perform Tarpanam for my alive parents and grandmother? I was told that there is pitra dosham in my birth chart.
Swami Ram Swarup: In this connection, I would like to say that Blind faith has destroyed people. I mean to say to decide the truth, it is an eternal law that we have to tally our views, worship etc., with eternal Vedas knowledge. Due to lack of Vedas’ knowledge, now nobody knows the said eternal law made by God Himself in Vedas. As Pitra dosh, kaal sarp Yoga, Vaastu kala, Mangalik, mentioned in Vedas. So, learned never accept it, being against the Vedas. if you want to do it, you can continue it at your own accord. However, according to Vedas, we have to serve our parents and learned acharya, elders when they are alive. Tarpannam means when they are alive. Tarpannam means with full satisfaction (tript kar deina) and Shradh means concentration over truth with faith. So, when we serve our alive parents, elders or learned acharya with due respect and faith by serving them food, clothes, house, sitting and sleeping arrangements (asan), it means we are doing Shradh i.e., service with shraddha by which they have been satisfied completely and they give us blessings in return (Tarpann). You are lucky that you have alive parents and grandmother but I would also like to paste my article on Shradh and Pitra paksh as under-
Shradh
The alive parents are to be served faithfully. Everybody knows that a person who is alive takes food, water, puts on clothes etc. After death body is burnt. Now how the parents will be able to take food. They according to the karmas get next birth too. So shradh is against the Vedas’ philosophy.
Pitr Paksh
Pitr means those who look after us to educate, to nurse, and to protect us etc. So the said dignitaries are mother, father, grandfather, elders, acharya, etc., so all days are pitr paksh to serve them according to Vedas. The worship of God has also to be performed daily i.e., in pitri paksh too.
