SEEKING GOD'S PARDON?

 

Seeking God's pardon?

There is this word, 'INADVERTENTLY'.

 

Looking for its meaning, the dictionary dishes out:

 

inadvertently

/ˌɪnədˈvəːt(ə)ntli/

adverb

without intention; accidentally.

 

Ofcourse,

Many a mistake we do inadvertently.

Is there no Gospel to tell

What is good

And, or

What not.

 

There's no dearth of Gospels, Sastras.

But are we making an effort to refer to them?

Yet God plays tricks.

Certain aspects He keeps away from human’s ken.

Still, yet to bring it to the level of ordinary human grasp,

God does it through Maharshi, Saints, Sages  etc.

Alas,

When we make efforts to know not just what we ought

To know, 

but also to know all trivia, pointless matters,

The pertinent question is,

Why should we not listen to such Great Souls.

The Sages, Maharshis carry all of God’s dictum,

Sastra of

What we should do?

And what we not to do.

Sans that

If a question -  that

Would God pardon all inadvertent deeds –

Is raised,

Does it meet any fairness?

The premise:

With pranams to Maha Swami: 

His 

உணவும், அதனுடன் தொடர்பு கொண்டோரும் : தெய்வத்தின் குரல் (மூன்றாம் பகுதி)- Chapter: ஆசாரமும் ஆஹாரமும்

Sastric way to live

Time and again, 

Why, all the time

Mahaswami insisted

We should live the way

As Sastras prescribe,

Or at least,

Try and

Start to live so.

The irony is

We brush aside

Such sagely Advices

Citing lame alibis,

Like it's impractical

In this new age.

But Sastras leave out

Practically nothing.

Example,

It even says 

How to brush tooth,

What days to shave, etc.

And every single

Aspect of life.

If we look deeply,

We may see 

How shallow such

Excuse is!

The next big

Question:

Where do we find

Any codification of

The Sastras.

Having said that

We should lead the life

Sastric way,

Would Mahaswami

Leave us in the lurch?!

He Himself recommends

The sources we can

Refer to.

A few of them here:

If you are looking for a stupendous treatise on Sastra, the choice is " ஸ்ம்ருதி முக்தாபலம்" a.k.a "வைத்தயநாத தீக்ஷிதம்" - 6 volumes.

If you want some concise form, "தர்ம சாஸ்திரச் சுருக்கம்" by R. முத்துசுவாமி அய்யர், கொடவாசல்.

Other sources:

ஸதா சாரம் by Shrivasta Somadeva, Bavani Book centre, 19 Station Road, Chennai - 600033.

நித்யகன்ம நெறி - தருமபுரம் ஆதீனம், மயிலாடுதுறை. (For Saivites)

For Vaishnavites - ஶ்ரீ வைஷ்ணவ நித்யாநுஷ்டானக் கிரமம், Liffco Publishers, T Nagar, Chennai 600017.

Our தமிழ் literatures:

திருக்குறள்

ஆச்சாரக்கோவை, both find superior status in தமிழ் literature. Mahaswami says you can find all Sastric codes in these.

நன்னெறி .

Thank You for your patient reading.

Let me wrap it with a stanza from

ஆச்சாரக்கோவை:

வைகறை யாமம் துயில் எழுந்து, தான் செய்யும்

நல் அறமும் ஒண் பொருளும் சிந்தித்து, வாய்வதின்

தந்தையும் தாயும் தொழுது எழுக!' என்பதே

முந்தையோர் கண்ட முறை. . . . .[004]

Begin your day's work getting up early and praying for parents' blessings.

God bless.

Sastric prescriptions - a few healthy and holy ones...

Maha Swami cites a few Sastric rules from a book on Dharma Sastra.

The compiler Shri Ra. Gana footnotes that the name of the book is not known.

Coming back to Maha Swami's references to certain codes and His remarks here and there:

- don't blow out the fire - for, the saliva shouldn't sprinkle on The Agni, the Fire God while blowing out by mouth.

- The husband should not put out the holy 🪔 lamp.   

- Woman should not break pumpkin.

- there are days prescribed for shaving.

- the same way for having oil bath also, it should be on prescribed days only.

- don't bite 💅 nails.

- don't spit.

All above are hygiene oriented.

Yet more, Sastric codes:

- don't gamble.

- no to alcohol.

Sastras aren't just strict restraints. They encompass ethics, good health, harmony in family etc.

He goes on:

When can a couple - husband and wife - eat together?

Sastra's answer: during eves of marriage, time of pilgrimage, Yatra - travel.

Curd is heavy for digestion. Avoid it night times. Instead buttermilk is ok. And skip milk mid noon.

Jaya Jaya Sankara.

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.