Does direction matter while bathing?

Yes.

It does.

Who points to it - about which direction to face while bathing?

Maha Swami.

Where He premises this at?

Our Sastras.

In our Hindu philosophy and culture, way of life, every single thing, almost none left, in life is as prescribed in Sastra. Right from bathing till the final rites, and even beyond - instance: pitru darpan, need to feed birds on Amawasya days, etc.

Here we focus on bathing directions.

In olden era our elders, Rishis took bath in rivers. When times changed and people had to migrate to cities and live in apartments, bathing in rivers evaporated from memories. The bathing now happens under showers and in bathtubs.

Sastras go or has to go compatible and flexibilities are the ways.

How did our elders and Rishis in aeons bathe in rivers? Especially in what direction?

General saying is 'go with the flow'. But while bathing in river, the rule is just the other way round. To face the side, direction the flow is coming from.

Back to our apartment life, face Eastward while bathing. East is the best to do any good deed - Karma.

Why these Sastric prescriptions - on bath in particular?

Bathing is not just to cleanse the body. It's to elevate feel-good spirit of the soul - ஆன்ம பலம் பெறவும் தான்.

Many realtors advertise that their wares are vastu-tailored. If shower is not positioned in such a fashion - to enable facing East while bathing -, time it's to change.

May you be in Bliss

And 

Be in Almighty 's shower of all good 👍.

குறள் references by Maha Swamy

Throughout all volumes in His title, தெய்வத்தின் குரல், Maha Swamy keeps referring to தெய்வப் புலவர் திருவள்ளுவர்'s திருக்குறள்.

One such is in Volume 3, Chapter title: ஆசார விஷயங்கள்.:

நன்றிக்கு வித்தாகும் நல் ஒழுக்கம் - தீயொழுக்கம்

என்றும் இடும்பைத் தரும்.

He goes on to expound:

"...ஒழுக்கம் என்பது பிரத்யக்ஷமான திருஷ்ட பலனைத் தருவது மட்டுமில்லை;

அத்ருஷ்டமாக நல் ஒழுக்கமே புண்யம் என்பதாகி, என்றோ ஒரு காலத்தில் நல்லதைத் தரும்: தீய ஒழுக்கம் பாபம் என்பதாகி எந்நாளும் கஷ்டத்தைத் தரும்.'

Good conduct reaps the visible  - திருஷ்ட -fruit.

And as well, not so visible - அத்ருஷ்டமாக - adds to your புண்யம், that's out of doing good.

May Almighty bless us eternally.

What's the apt time to take bath?

Maha Swamy keeps emphasising the way to live is shastric way.

But how many of us do that, despite being so staunch in our devotion to Him, is not a million dollar question.

Saving grace is, thanks to His grace and our Darsn of Him even if that was just a glimpse, we do try to follow His advices, if not all, at the least a few.

The very first thing, He quotes a sloka stressing on the need to take bath very early in the morning, that's 90 minutes - 3 and 3/4 நாழிகை - before Sunrise.   நாழிகை = 24 minutes. The sloka is:

'ப்ராத : ஸ்நானம் ப்ரசம்ஸந்தி த்ருஷ்டாத்ருஷ்ட பலம் ஹி தத்'.

People need motivation to do anything. This sloka also refers two benefits - the first is so visible and immediate and the other is not so but may happen later either within one's lifetime or beyond.

The word,

த்ருஷ்டா here is what is visible and you can feel instantly.

Whereas

அத்ருஷ்டா here doesn't denote luck, but to one which is not visible. Because it's invisible, it doesn't mean it's not there at all.

Coming back to the right time to take bath, as referred to above, is 90 minutes before Sunrise. Supposing Sunrise is at six o clock, the time to take bath is before 4.30 in the morning. This time is referred to as Sunrise period, ப்ராத காலம்.

Should you switch on your geyser?

No.

Use  the chill water.

Should you bathe your head?

Yes. From head to toe.

Mandatory for male all days.

Women may bathe head on fasting days and pitru darpan  days(the day on which we pay obeisance to late parents). The other days, they must sprinkle turmeric water over their head.

Benefits of ப்ராத ஸ்நானம்:

You can feel cleanliness instantly.

Sleepiness goes away and you become alert.

You feel a kind of loveliness and become brisk.

Your mind is clear.

Your nervous system gets strengthened.

Psychologically, you feel very balanced.

When you chant the name of God wholeheartedly while bathing, the value addition is you get more spiritual.

The sastra lays more emphasis on invisible benefits of ப்ராத : ஸ்நானம்.  Just because we may not derive any instant benefits, it doesn't mean The Almighty holds back. He's Almighty and knows the right time, right mode to deliver - the reason why true Maharshis, Saints incarnate and live as contemporaries.

May we try a leaf,

Leaf of living the sastric way.

God bless.

Newton's Third Law- a holistic view

We, all Bharatvasis, can lift up our collar.

For, no where else in the universe, would you have heard such all embracing:

"Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam";

"Let noble thoughts come to us from every side."(Rigveda 1-89-1) - आनो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वत: | ऋग्वेद – 1.89.1

Why these Vedic references? 

Oh!,

Let's go right away to:

Newton's Third Law: - For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. 

Newton may or may not acknowledge it.  Maha Periyava cites the premise of this Newton's third law was our timeless theory of Karma.

But, to anyone not aware of, not in entirety, even a glimpse of our Vedas, there is every likelyhood that one may take Newton's Law literally.

Supposing one is doing a good deed, going by Newton's law it may mean opposite effect, bad one has to happen.

It's not so with Karma theory. When one does a good deed, it only adds to his/her punya, good effect.

Time we look later centuries theories through the prism of our timeless Vedas. 

May All live blissfully.

A Hindu's Gospel... தெய்வத்தின் குரல்.

A Hindu's Gospel 

The problem is every other Religion has its Holy Book to go to. Alas!  Where can a Hindu turn to? 

Is there a dearth? 

No. 

The problem is problem of plenty. 

We have 

Veda

Upanishads 

Bhagavad Gita 

Thirumurai 

Divyaprabandam

Plus Maha Epics 

Ramayana 

Mahabharata 

And etc.,  etc. 

Which one in particular out of above will you single out and say this is my Gospel? 

With all reverence to myriads of all spiritual,  divine literatures all on the Religion Hindu,  Hindu philosophy,  innumerable Deities, I'm afraid even if a Hindu can't turn every single leaf of all Hindu scripts,  texts, surely there always is  தெய்வத்தின் குரல்   -Divine Voice of Maha Periyava. The compilation by Shri Ra. Ganapathy. Wow! His meticulous compiling is superb.  Maha Periyavar's  தெய்வத்தின் குரல் Title is in 7 volumes. His Title has been running into multiple editions. Evidence that people are finding their Gospel. Don't reserve it for your read-list - post retirement. It has everyday life lesson. It's not a page turner. To be taken like you consume honey. You just take a spoonful. A few pages,  a few paragraphs, a few lines. It may take quite long to complete one volume. Don't worry. 

Just having completed reading of volume 2, felt like sharing a few profound lines. About invoking the blessings of Lord Hanuman.  Before that a bit of context. 

Many would have gone to Rameswaram. 

The first you do after settling down is your visit to the sea to have and start your ஸ்னான் bath.   The 22  தீர்த்தம் ஸ்நானம் is after the sea bath only. 

You wouldn't have missed the Sankara Math on the sea front. There has been a small shrine for Lord Hanuman in the entry point to the Math,  with Lord Hanuman facing the ocean. This shrine has been there even before Maha Periyava established the Math in 1963.

Well,

let's move over to the last paragraph in Volume 2 and be showered with Lord Hanuman's blessings :

ஆஞ்சநேய ஸ்வாமியின் தூக்கிய கைக்குக் கட்டுப்பட்டு ஸமுத்ரம் அடங்கி நிற்கிறது. நாம் ஸம்ஸார ஸமுத்ரத்தில் தவிக்கிறவர்கள். நம் மனஸ் அலையடங்காமல் ஓயாமல் அடித்துக் கொண்டேயிருக்கிறது. ஆஞ்சநேய ஸ்வாமிதான் மனோஜயம் பண்ணினவர்; இந்திரியங்களை ஜயித்தவர். “ஜிதேந்த்ரியம் புத்திமதாம் வரிஷ்டம்” என்று சொல்லியிருக்கிறது. தூக்கிய கையோடு அவர் நிற்பதை தரிசனமும், தியானமும் பண்ணினோமானால் அவர் நமக்கு அபயம் தருவதோடு இந்த ஸம்ஸார ஸமுத்ரத்தை, மனஸின் அலை கொந்தளிப்பை அடக்கி ஸெளக்யமும் சாந்தியும் தருவார்.

May God bless. 

The Path to Stillness….

 

The Path to Stillness….

Conscious, deliberate effort is needed

To attain that effortless

State of STILLNESS.

 

-          Bhagavan Shri Ramana Maharshi

-          Day by Day – 11/01/1946

Yes.

 

The way has to be conscious.

Does it mean you have got to push yourself?

No.

No Effort of Herculean sort is required.

 

Gentle shift suffices.

What holds you back from that gentle shift?

 

Maha Periyava reasons it out and attributes the same to the past birth – purva janma.

Those accumulations – purva karma  weigh you down.

How will you undo the past misdeeds?

 

By doing good – punya- deeds in this current birth and eschewing any misdeed now.

How do we do?

 

The God shows the way.

To engage in doing good karma, duty now;

To observe prayer and follow the way of devotion- i.e., the Bhakthi Marga.

 

What is punya karma?

The swadharma, the nature of a bee is to collect honey from flowers.  No other creature can do it. It’s unique to Bees.  The same way, Vedas prescribe a particular way of living to everyone.

 

As Mahatma points out there is everything for one’s need but not for greed.

 

Indulgence in greed steers one away from the path of righteousness and the indulgent one keeps adding to accumulation of hate, sorrow and fear.  Even when one engages in one’s own duty to make his own living, still he has a duty to mind the welfare and good of others as well. The bee does not gather honey and keep all for itself. Neither the river flows for itself nor the Sun rises for itself.   It’s here the volunteering for good public causes, helping others play a vital role.  Such engaging keeps the mind pristine pure and leads one to the God Consciousness.

 

Mere cajoling, commanding one to pray, sing in praise of Lord would not work. That’s why there are rituals, prayers, namas in religions.  Involving in this marga, the Godward journey happens.

 

Once born, all are subject to constraints, struggles, obstacles etc.  Only to feel it, there is a           tradition in Tamil community following Tamil calendar from Chitrai to Panguni that at the      beginning of the new year on first day of Chitrai, the neem flower is cooked and consumed      and on first day of the month Thai, sweet pongal is cooked and consumed along with juicy          sugar     cane. This is to indicate what begins with bitterness would end in sweetness.

Maha Periyava blesses:

 

“May everyone follow one’s dharmic – the righteous way in all fairness and be in eternal bliss”.

 

 

 

 

Welcome fast..... to fast.......at least on Ekadashi

Maha Swami never missed to emphasize how and which way we need to lead our life.

He pinpoints Dharma Sasthra. 

He never imagines any deviation and never advocates also. 

But,  citing myriad alibis, it's quite obvious that there's stark reality of obliviousness to live the way Shasthra mandates. 

Well

Is there only hopelessness? 

Thank God. 

Even if we don't live every inch of our life the sasthric way,  I'm afraid if one commits and determines,  one can begin at some point. 

For,  as Chinese proverb bodes, 

'The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."

In this piece, let's take one leaf from Dharma Sasthra. That strangely is about  not leafful nor your plateful. 

Dharma Sasthra has room for feasting and celebrating and at the same length stipulates fasting, vrada விரதம்,  உபவாஸம், on various sthithis,  occasions. 

Here our concern is on The Need to Fast and occasions to fast:

○Ekadasi - fasting throughout the day 

○Sunday - fasting at night 

○Amavasya - fasting at night 

○Full moon day - fasting at night. 

○Ashtami - no food during day time 

○Sathurthasi - no food during day time 

○Ramnavami - fasting throughout the day 

○Gokulashtami - fasting throughout the day. 

Besides above, though not in Dharma Sasthra,  in propitiation of Lord Balaji At Tirumala

○Saturday - night fasting. 

Of all the vradas, the cardinal one is Ekadasi vrada.

Who have to fast on Ekadasi? 

Those between the ages of 8 and 80.

It's not to strain those outside this age gamut,  the Sasthra exempts these children below 8 and seniors above 80 from the vrada. 

Even if I may incur the wrath of everyone, I can't help citing Mahaswami's reference how strict and mandatory it is to observe full fast on Ekadasi :

No redemption at all for the sin of not fasting on Ekadasi. 

Your murmur, question, whisper falls on my ears deafeningly :

"hey,  are you fasting on at least the Ekadasi day? "

My honest answer is  No. 

But once having learnt and known it,  let me make a vow,  shankalp:

Rest of my bonus life,  I would go sans food on my remaining Ekadasis.