How to live without undergoing suffering or facing difficulty? This question haunts everyone on earth. Children face difficulties in their playtime, leisure, and education. Young people experience problems. Adults have problems due to their friends, property, spouse, and family affairs. Moreover, issues of power, fame, reputation in society, and financial difficulties cause difficulties to adults.
Yogamu – Kshemamu (Obtention – Preservation)
Obtaining a thing or position in life is called yogam. Preserving it for a long time is called kshemam. A person should retain the thing or position without losing it. These two factors are very important for all humans. If any harm takes place to possessions and their preservation, then an individual undergoes psychological turmoil and is offended. How to prevent harm to possessions and their preservation? This has been dwelt upon in this article. The KathakaBrahmanaprovides several interesting facts in this context.
King Janaka was the emperor of the Videha kingdom. He followed dharma and performed a number of virtuous deeds. By virtue of his way of living, he became a Rajarshi. He regularly conducted discussion forums, in which eminent Saints and Maharishis participated. He engaged in this activity, in order to gain Jnaana and to continue his spiritual practices. Maharishis like Gouthama, Aheena, Sushudu, Plaksha, and Baradwaja hadperformed intense tapas to gain knowledge in a particular area, which was termed the Kala-tatwa-vijnana or exploration of the Time system.
Vidyut and Vrishti:
The past karmas and wrongdoings of an individual cause harm to the Yoga-Kshemas. These are collectively known as Duritham. People who possess remnants of duritham will have to be born repeatedly, so as to experience their results. In the past, even the deities had suffered on account of their duritham. They underwent such suffering by obtaining a human body.
In order to circumvent this undesirable state of affairs, they worshipped two divine powers, namely Vidyut and Vrishti. They used to worship the Vidyut power, prior to commencing a yajna, andthe Vrishti power at the end of the yajna. The procedure they had adopted is described in the sequel.
The Introductory Mantra of a Yajna:
Rxutam means mental purity, and Satyam denotes purity of speech. “May my speech or talk be pure, as I possess an uncontaminated mind! Due to this may all my sins be destroyed! May the power of Vidyut destroy the vestiges of any sin!”
This is the meaning of the first mantra. The deities chanted this mantra and invoked the Vidyut. The meaning of the last mantra they chanted after the performance of the yajna is as follows.
The End Mantra of the Yajna:
“I speak only the truth. Due to speaking the truth, my mind will be pure. All my sins are destroyed due to the good nature I have developed by speaking the truth. May the power of Vrishti destroy my sins!”
Vidyut signifies the power that burns without leaving any residue. Vrishti denotes that which destroys or prevents something from influencing a person. These meanings are to be found in the scriptures on the Yoga. These are also provided by the grammar texts of the Vedas.
Since then, it has become the tradition to worship the divine powers of Vidyut and Vrushti, whilst performing Yajnas.
It is very difficult for anyone to perform yajnas daily. The Swaayambhuva kanda has introduced a Brahmayajna, namely the Nitya Swaadhyaya. This can be performed on a daily basis by anyone.
Brahma signifies mantra, as also the omnipresent Para Brahma. The words that provide information or knowledge about Brahma are known as the Sabda Brahma. Those who worship this Sabda Brahma daily, by means of the Nitya Swaadhyaaya Brahmayajna, are absolved of their sins. All the same, they have to chant the Vidyut and Vrushti mantras, during this daily practice.
In the Quest of Knowledge:
Once upon a time, a few young children of the rishis were desirous of attaining knowledge and decided to obtain a greater understanding of the time system. They approached a number of outstanding Gurus for this purpose.
In order to perform good or bad deeds, space and time are necessary. The basis for space and time is the Sun, and the latter influences our mind. Consequently, He is designated as the Savitha. The timesystem is formed due to the light from the Sun. The time system has several components, like seconds, minutes, hours, time-periods, praharas, yamas, nights, days, fortnights, seasons, and years. All these time measures are dependent on the Sun. Thus, the essence of time is directly dependent on the Sun and sunlight. A proper understanding of this concept enables us to achieve control over the mind. If we controlthe mind, then there is no opportunity to commit a sin or transgression.
These children understood this concept. One of them had met Maharishi Athamhasa. Upon being satisfied with the interest shown by this young boy, the Maharishi taught him some of the central features of the time system. He told this boy that the Sun was nothing other than the Savitrimandal.
The bright light inside the sphere is the Savitram. One has to worship the brilliance of Savitraas a yajna. The Maharishi asked the aspirant to approach Maharishi Plaksha, the son of Maharishi Dyampathi, for obtaining more information about the time system. He also warned the young boy to abruptly end the conversation if the matter related to life happened to come up for discussion.
Service and Learning:
To learn anything from a Guru, the disciple must be submissive, polite, obedient, and cautious. These qualities are indispensable. It is important to assume that the provider of knowledge is akin to a Guru, and the person who is seeking such knowledge must behave like a disciple. He should not attempt to disport himself as a scholar, by asking several questions on the subject, under discussion.
The young boy who wished to learn more about Savitri, approached Maharishi Plaksha. Thereafter, he asked the Maharishi “Do you know anything about the brilliance of the Savitramandal?”
The Maharishi replied calmly that he knew about this subject. Then the boy started querying the Maharishi, as follows;
Boy:
Where does the Savitram exist?
Maharishi:
It is exists beyond the brilliance and radiance of the Sun, outside the boundaries of the sky. Thus, it is called Parorajas.
Boy:
What is meant by Parorajas?
Maharishi:
Parorajas is the Sun. He is the provider of light and heat to all the worlds.
Boy:
Where does the Sun exist?
Maharishi:
He exists in Tvesham or light.
Boy:
What helps the Tvesham to exist?
Maharishi:
The truth survives irrespective of time. It existed in the past, it exists now and it will exist in the future, as such it exists forever. Such truth is the basis of the twesham.
Boy:
What is that truth?
Maharishi:
Tapas is truth.
Boy:
What is the basis of Tapas?
Maharishi:
That strength or power, which cannot be defined and which does not have any quality. Such strength is the basis oftapas.
Boy:
What is that strength?
Maharishi:
Life is that strength.
At this juncture, the boy stopped conversing with the Maharishi, as the life had come into their discussion. He stood up and politely explained to the Maharishi about the warning of his Guru Maharishi Aruni.
Maharishi Plaksha stated, “Boy! You should not question beyond life. The Savitram is the life-force in our bodies. If you argue about life, you will experience harm to your life. Till now, you questioned me without any respect or obedience. Such behaviour will not help you. There should not be any arguments about the Savitragni. If at all you want to argue, it is better to argue about it with some other scholar to gain knowledge. Those who learn about Savitragni with the utmost veneration will receive endless prosperity. Such persons would receive the outcome of tapas, and they will also receive the strength that is the basis oftapas. In other words, such individuals will obtain control over the lifeforce.”
Measuring Time:
The present day measurement of time, involves a day of twentyfour hours duration and an hour of sixty minutes. Therefore, a day consists of 1440 minutes. The ancient scriptures had subdivided the day in a different manner. According to them, there were 60 ghadiyas in a day and each ghadiyaconsisted of 24 vighadiyas. Two ghadiyas made one muhurtham, which is 48 minutes in length.
The time divisions and their names are as follows:
The days in a Suklapaksha are 15
The muhurthams in a day in the Suklapaksha are 15
The nights in a Suklapaksha are 15
The muhurthams in a night in the Suklapaksha are 15
The days in a Krishnapaksha are 15
The muhurthams in a day in the Krishnapaksha are 15
The nights in a Krishnapaksha are 15
The muhurthams in a night in the Krishnapaksha are 15
The number of Suklapakshas in a year is 12
The number of Krishnapakshas in a year is 12
The months including the Adhikamasa are 13
The Sikathas are 8
The inner – muhurthams in the period of a muhurtham are 15
The number of Agnishtoma ceremonies is 6
A wheel has an axis, which is at the centre of the wheel and around which the wheel moves. The rim of the wheel is connected to the axis with spokes. This example is better suited for describing the features of time. A wheel has no end. Similarly, time is also endless. That is why time is referred to as the wheel of time.
Lord Parabrahma is the axis of this time – wheel. He is the embodiment of both space and time. The spokes in this time-wheel are the days and nights. All these divisions end in a year. Therefore, year is known as Prajapathi, Mahan or Kah.
The Savitra radiance and brilliance is the time-wheel. This radiance is worshipped in the form of Agni in the yajnas. The Savitragnichayanam is the Mahayajna performed, in order to worship Agni as time. The person who knows the procedure of the Savitragni is termed a Maharishi. Such worshippers progress to the Adityamandala or the sphere of the Sun, without fail.
Conclusion:
Those who worship Adityaas time will always be aware of the brilliance in their mind and live piously. Such people will be absolved of their sins, and their jnaana or knowledge will eradicate all their past sins.
Knowledge is Incessant and Eternal:
Once, Maharishi Bharadwaja obtained three births, via his tapas, so as to study the Vedas, in their entirety. However, he could not succeed in his attempt, and prayed to the deity Indra, who manifested before him and taught him the Savitra procedure. This enabled Maharishi Bharadwaja to learn the entire Veda.
The Savitra radiance is of such great power. Let us all know it and worship it. Our lives will be purified by meditating on it.
Twameva twaam vettha yo si so si
“Lord! You only know Your form. No one can describe it. May I obtain that divine knowledge!”
Jaya Guru Datta