The Four Great Purusharthas

Four great values have been given by our ancients as the objectives to attain which every human individual must strive. These four great values are called the Purushartha Chathushtaya. ‘Purushartha’ means right exertion or effort. So they have given the same word for the object of effort also. Now, what are these four great values? They gave the foremost importance; they gave the primary place, to the value called ethics or morality. It is called Dharma. Whatever you engage in doing should be that which ought to be done, should be that which is proper to be done, should be that which is right, which is pure, which is moral and ethical. You should not do anything that contradicts the law of ethics and morality. Why? Because, in morality only lies your highest good. In that only lies your highest welfare. If your thoughts, words and actions are moral and righteous, there will be happiness. They will secure for you your welfare and good. Otherwise, you will reap the harvest of bitterness because of a law that pervades this universe, a law that is called the Law of Cause and Effect. This law states: "As a man thinketh so he becometh". This law is also stated in another way, namely: "As you sow, so shall you reap".

This Law of Cause and Effect is also called the Law of Karma or Karmaphala. Therefore, if you engage in righteous action, the result of it is auspiciousness and blessedness; the result of it is your own highest good and your own welfare, your own happiness. If you ignore or neglect this law, discard this law, and your actions are not proper, not right, what happens? You invite upon yourself a reaction that is bitter, a reaction that is not conducive to your own good, to your own welfare, because you have to steadily progress towards divine perfection and here you put and create obstacles. You slow down your progress towards that great goal. You create your own miseries. Therefore, having in mind the highest welfare and good of the human individual, our ancients put ethics as the foremost value, because more than anything else, they wanted to secure the greatest benefit and good of the individual soul or Jivatma. And they said: "This is the way".

So, adhere to the moral and ethical values in life. Never deviate from the ethical standard. Then you will be happy. You may have troubles. People may trouble you and you may have some difficulties; yet you will have happiness. Inside you will have happiness and peace. Why inside? "Inside", because physical troubles and mental difficulties and torments there will always be. Those you have to suffer according to your Prarabdha. But, if at the present you engage in righteous activity, it will give you immense strength.

Take the example of the Pandavas. What all difficulties, trials, tribulations and sufferings they did not undergo! Yet they had that inner satisfaction and contentment that they had not deviated from what was right and therefore it gave them inner strength. They never broke down. They never collapsed. Nothing was able to shake them. They were always firm in their abidance in virtue. Therefore the five Pandavas who abided in and adhered to virtue were able to overcome the hundred Kauravas who lacked the inner strength, because in the latter there was not the strength of virtue, there was not the strength of Dharma. So, Dharma upholds those who uphold Dharma. And those who do not uphold Dharma, they fall. Therefore, the first and foremost value in the Purushartha Chathushtaya is the ethical value or the moral standard in all our activities. This is called Dharma.

Now we come to the second value. You have got the body, you have got hunger and thirst, and you feel heat and cold. So you want food, you want shelter, you want clothing. And you want other necessities of life. So, for all this, you want money; and therefore, you must have a job or ply a trade or profession. This aspect of life the ancients did not ignore. They said, "Yes, this is also an inevitable value arising out of the fact that you are living in this world". They called this value Artha. Artha is money, the economic value. Money is inevitable; it is necessary. For that also you must strive. But you must strive for it on the basis of Dharma, on the basis of righteousness. Your efforts to earn your livelihood should not be immoral, unethical or unrighteous. Dharma should be the basis even of your professional activities or business activities. Anything you do to make a living should be based upon Dharma. Dharma should be the basis.

And then, the third value. Any animal—be it a dog, donkey, cow or buffalo—is satisfied if it has food and a place to rest. But man is not like that; he has got many longings, many desires, and many ambitions. Man is a vital being with a vital psychological personality within. He has got many longings, many desires, many ambitions and plans and schemes. So, this vital value also was given a place among the Purusharthas; a place was provided also for this vital value arising out of the desire nature of man. The other animals have no desire. They have only the instinct to go by. They want only food and drink and shelter and rest, and therefore, they are content if these are provided to them. But man is not content. He has the desire nature in him. They call it Kama.

The Human Body Compared to a Mansion

One little point needs to be stressed here. The body is like a mansion. No matter how wonderful a mansion may be, even if it be made of marble and set with jewels, no one will be able to live in that mansion unless it has a kitchen and a bathroom and a toilet. Because, whatever man takes in, part of its goes to form his mind, part of it goes to form his body, and the remaining waste has to be eliminated. And waste is always foul-smelling. The impurities of the body are always foul-smelling. In the outer mansion they have to have a toilet, they have to have a kitchen. If there be no kitchen, no one can live there. You may construct any type of palace, but if there is no food, no lunch, no breakfast, no afternoon tea—even for a day—no one will live there.

But then, when a kitchen is there, you have to provide drainage also. Kitchen means garbage, left-over food, vegetable cuttings, fruit peels and all that. If all this is kept, it will begin to rot and so you have to have a garbage disposal arrangement. You have to have drainage and sewerage. In the absence of all these arrangements, it will not be possible to live in that mansion. Likewise, in the human body, in this mansion of nine gates, in this Navadvara Kuti, where you have an entrance way and windows for light and air and knowledge, for the sake of drainage and garbage disposal, God has provided two holes.

Their real importance is that of drainage. They are only drains. This is the only right understanding of the matter. No doubt, the occasional function of reproduction is there, but to over-exaggerate that aspect is foolish. It betrays a lack of knowledge. Because, from birth until death, day after day, thirty days in a month, and three hundred and sixty-five days in the year, the constant function that these exit gates have to fulfill is drainage. And the occasional function that they have to fulfill is in cooperating with Brahma, but that is only some rare occasional function and that also, only in a very short period of one’s life. In the first Ashrama of Brahmacharya, it has no place; in the third Ashrama of Vanaprastha, it has no place; and in the fourth Ashrama of Sannyasa, it has no place. Out of the whole life, it is only in one Ashrama that that particular function of it is exercised. Otherwise, the main function of these outlets is only drainage of impurities.

If you change your Drishtikona and understand the body in the right perspective, then a great deal of your problem will be solved. It is taking a wrong view and giving a wrong emphasis which makes one to get into all sorts of difficulties. Secondly, take a look at it from the Vedantic point of view. The Adesha or Sandesha of Vedanta, the primary declaration of Vedanta, is that you are not this body, but that you are the Ajara Amara Avinashi Atma. Then, if you are not to identify yourself with your entire body, how can you identify yourself with one aspect of it? So, if your faith in Vedanta is Pucca, is firm and genuine, if you are true to your Vedanta, then, you have your solution in your own hand.

Consciousness - Force Hidden In the Human Organism

The most interesting and challenging topics of research in the recent times have been focusing on the mysteries of human body. Apart from the scientists and researchers of the modern age, the ancient sages and seers had delved even deeper into the marvels and intricate workings of the inner realms of the living human organism.

The modern age cutting edge biological researches have successfully made it possible to decode the human DNA sequence. However, despite the dedicated efforts of the geneticists, biophysicists, biochemists, and other researchers of the biomedical sciences, and despite the successful experiments on cloning genes and organisms and the synthesis of some bio-molecules in the laboratories, the mystery of the origin and ultimate end of life remains unresolved. No theory of evolution has yet been able to scientifically elucidate the origin and manifestation of consciousness in living organisms or capture the moments of transition between life and death.

The essence of what the Upanishad seers describe about the living system implies that the structure and functions of the human organism have not evolved in stages, as claimed by Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Rather, this highly evolved system has always existed as a perfect creation of the Almighty. For instance, a hymn in the "Ishopanishad" cites that the entireness of Brahma - the Supreme Creator of the universe - is immanent in his infinite creation. Everything existing in the universe therefore is as complete and vast (in its subliminal world) as the cosmic expansion. The following mantra in the "Chhandogyopanishad" proclaims the underlying unity of all phenomena in the ultimate source and substance of creation- the atma.

Satya eshoani maitdayatymidam sarvam|

Tatsayem sa atma tatvamasi shvetaketo ||

Meaning: The spirit is the only and the ultimate source of all phenomena that exist in this universe. The spirit is the Absolute Truth and 'Oh! Svetaketu (addressing to the disciple), you are nothing but that eternal spirit.'

The ancient Indian scriptures also throw light upon the fundamental principles for the physical manifestation of consciousness. A human being is described here as - "A superb individual concretization of the subtle dynamic impulses that perpetually flow in the limitless expansion of the cosmos". The principle of underlying unity of the subtle structures of the cosmos and the microcosm of a human organism, and the eternal conjugation between the vital powers and energy currents within and beyond the living system of the human body, provide a scientific basis of the subliminal existence of the universe in the latter.

What is known or perceivable about the structure and function of the human body (including the brain) itself is so astounding that there remains little doubt about the validity of above assertions. A complex, subliminal and limitless ocean of electromagnetic waves, neuro chemicals, and vital energy indwells in this visibly small but functionally omnipotent system. Noting that the Indian Philosophy and Science of Spirituality and Life had focused on the conscious as well as the material existence of Nature, a fresh look at the inherent import of the scriptural texts in the light of the new scientific discoveries might be useful in deciphering the mysterious realms operating within the living human organisms. The authentic descriptions and implications of the Upanishad texts may be regarded as theorems or conjectures for this purpose requiring theoretical and experimental research according to present day scientific methodology to prove, resolve, or verify the truth of their insights.

The eleventh mantra of the "Ishopanishad" says - "One who learns from the known (perceivable) as well as the unknown (subliminal), transcends the knowledge of death and eternity". This indeed gives an important clue in the present context indicating that the integration of the material based modern scientific research with the science of spirituality and the subliminal world of consciousness would indeed offer in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the astonishing world of conscious energy process operating inside the deeper levels of human organism.

In continuation of the advancing research on human genes, neuropathies and other biochemical’s, the molecular biologists, neuroscientists and biophysicists have also discovered some macromolecules responsible for bioelectrical functioning in the human body. It is found that a powerful electrostatic field exists in almost every tissue of our body. These electrical fields activate the neurons in the brain under the energized control of small amounts of certain neurotransmitters and these also affect the cell membrane potentials and hence the inter-cellular communication in other parts of the body.

Because of the enormous bioelectrical processing in it, our body functions like a dipole magnet who’s North Pole resides in the central core of the brain and the South Pole in the bottom center of the genitals. Scientific observations show that its polarization process is similar to that of the earth and that this polarization begins at the level of a zygote itself. The meiotic process of chromosome synthesis and distribution in gametes occurs after this polarization.

An electro-sensitive micron image of even a child's body shows dense halo of light near the brain and the genitals. The locations of the north and the south poles of the grand bioelectrical magnet of the human body match respectively with those of the sahastrara (extrasensory center in the reticular activating system) and the muladhara (extrasensory center beneath the lowermost end of the spinal column). These subtle energy centers are referred in the yoga-scriptures in the context of the galaxy of vital electric and spiritual powers hidden in the Kundalini. These two extrasensory centers respectively are said to be the subliminal inlets and outlets or the two 'channels' for the continuous flow of cosmic energy, vital currents and bioelectrical communication in the body's micro-universe.

Dr. Harold Saxton Burr (b1889-d1973), a distinguished scientist at the Yale Medical School had carried out extensive work on the bioelectrical roots of life-energy. In his book entitled "The Field of Life" (John Wiley, 1972) he remarks that the high magnitude of the (bio) electrical potentials between the two poles of a tiny zygote is indeed astounding. This (bio) electromagnetic property naturally has a crucial role in enabling multi-cellular development of this single cell into the marvelous human body. In fact, as Dr. Burr describes, sperm itself is a dipole in which the upper pole carrying the nucleus is the center of information and the lower pole, the tail, contains electrical energy for transmitting this information. These poles are functionally active in the DNA and RNA of the cells in the offspring.

The continuous and controlled flow of electrical currents between the involved cellular dipoles plays vital role in embryogenesis and complete development of the body. According to Dr. Jean Mark (Science, issue no. 1, 1981) electrophoresis is fundamental to various cellular processes occurring inside a living body. The balanced circulation and optimal activities of the Red Blood Corpuscles (RBC) and the White Blood Corpuscles (WBC) also rely on the ionic secretions through the membranes of these cells.

Significant work in the areas of electro-physiology is reported on the cardiac pacemaker and the conducting tissues, which control the pumping action of the heart and hence the healthy blood circulation. Electrophysiological phenomena have also been studied microscopically in the spinal cord (around the sushumna nadi) and the connecting sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglions. Transport of calcium ions across the cell membrane is important in the bioelectrical and biomagnetic properties of the cells and hence in the active transport across the cell-membrane and for intercellular communication too.

The terrestrial magnetic lines of force enter through the Geo North Pole and exit from the Geo South Pole. The reception and transmission (or dissipation) of cosmic rays also is most intensive at these poles. The electrically charged ultra fast solar rays are always concentrated and focused at the receiving center (North Pole) and are most dispersed at the exit center (South Pole). The South Pole works as the exit door for the dissipation of excessive heat, global pollution, unabsorbed radiation, etc. This natural flow of energy from the north to South Pole becomes possible because of polarization. The polarization in the human body is equally important for the bioelectrical, physiological and biochemical processing. The vital charging and evolution of energy fields around the two poles of the body's magnet emit specific aura that is brighter and intense around the upper pole.

The spinal cord is the connecting channel of bioelectrical power transmission from the brain to the central nervous system and to all the sensory organs in fractions of a second. The spinal cord is made up of collagen tissues constituted by a compact assembly of these stable protein molecules. The upper end of this cord (covering the bundles of nerves) is positively charged and the lower end is negatively charged. In terms of tissue structure, this cord forms a coiled cluster at the lower end and spreads at the upper end as an elliptical surface in the reticular activating system of the brain. This core is the central repository or powerhouse of immense (bio) electricity, part of which is also used in the bodily activities from cellular to organ levels. Most of this storage remains subliminal. Further, due to the continuous flow of positive and negative currents and mutual reactions and consumption of ionic concentration in the varieties of processes going on simultaneously in the sensory operations, electrophysiological, metabolic, and motor activities, etc, it is difficult to measure the charge of this power field by electroencephalograph (EEG). The EEG can record only about 13% of the bioelectrical activities of the brain on an average.

As described earlier, the reticular activating system, the central region of the pineal, pituitary and the hypothalamus in the brain are given immense importance in the yoga-scriptures. The associated vital and latent energy domains and extrasensory power centers are referred here as the brahmarandhra and the sahastrara. The sahastrara being the 'north (upper) pole' of the body's magnet receives cosmic signals and subliminal transmissions.

Yoga sadhanas of successive refinement, activation and control of sahastrara bestow the potentials of attracting and absorbing the desired supernormal energies and impulses of cosmic consciousness through this extrasensory center. The necessary disposal of the vices (of the body and mind) and pernicious effects become possible through the muladhara cakra (the south pole of the body's magnet). The quality and intensity of the cosmic energy received by the upper end (the brahmrandhara and sahastrara) of the dipole (bio) magnet of the spinal cord depends upon the mental enlightenment and spiritual elevation of the yogi.

As mentioned earlier, the cosmic radiations are received by the geo-north pole on the earth; and the untoward effects, and the excess or wastage after the consumption of the desired energy is discarded through the geo-south pole. This process is similar to the subliminal process of the attraction and absorption of cosmic signals (of the eternal prana indwelling the cosmos) by the sahastrara and disposal (after necessary consumption by the extrasensory centers along the endocrine column) through the muladhara. In the context of kundalini sadhanas the yoga-scriptures liken the muladhara to a deep pond and the sahastrara to the majestic Himalayan peak of the Kailash Mountain. The synchronicity and vital linkage of these two cakras (extrasensory centers) is realized through the electrification of kundalini (also known as the gigantic 'serpentine fire' in the science of "Tantra" symbolizes the sublime source of absolute life-force, vital spiritual energy and the latent reservoir of supernatural powers. It is also regarded to be the governing power of Maya. This limitless force normally remains hidden and dormant and could be stimulated and elevated through arduous sadhanas of Kundalini-Yoga.) and results in ultimate bliss. The individual self, the soul, unites with its eternal origin - (God) and attains self-realization.

The active level of spiritual charge in the sahastrara determines the intensity and glow of the aura around one's face (especially the head). The mythological depiction of bright halo around the faces of the idols of deities or divine characters symbolizes this fact. The two volumes on "Psychic Discoveries behind Iron Curtain" by Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schneider (published by Bantam Books, New York in 1970s) mention a great deal about the aura of vital energy around living beings. A technique called Kirilian photography is said to have made it possible to photograph and analyze the aura as clearly as the polar spectrum at the terrestrial North Pole. Dr. Narendran, a neurologist at the Madras Medical College is reported to have recorded the halos of 'light' (vital energy zones) around different parts of the body including the fingers.

The Kirilian technique of sensing and recording of micro-ionic energy domains has been a remarkable scientific breakthrough towards the development of Thermographs and Electro magnetographs in the second half of the 20th century.

According to Dr. Narendran, the intensity of the aura increases with vital energy. It exists in plants, trees and even in the inanimate matter but it is difficult to photograph it due to its low intensity. A high voltage projection recording with the help of a modified design of Dr. Kilner Walter's instrument (invented in 1949) is used for recording the aura around human beings.

Researchers in this field opine that the measurement of aura and the analysis of its spectra would be useful in understanding the mental state of patients and would therefore provide better means for the diagnosis and management of psychosomatic disorders. Some of them express the view that the knowledge about this rather new field of bio-energy was available since ages but was largely hidden due to misinterpretation of the scriptural texts and unscientific practices like those of hypnotism, holography, etc.

Dr. Kilner had shown, using a dicyanin screen, and that the distribution of ions around our body is affected by the number of dead cells being disposed off through the skin and that the extent and rate of decay is associated with the level of our vital energy. The aura is supposed to be formed in the intense ionic zones around the body. Hence a relation between the appearance of an aura and vital energy exists. He mentions in his book "Human Atmosphere" that the charged particles in the aura remain invisible due to their nano-structure and dispersed distribution. The glow of the aura around most people therefore remains dim or dull. However, people with supernatural powers and elevated spiritual energy can visualize and measure the aura around anybody.

The scientific methods of recording and analyzing the aura around the human body, and the scriptural reviews on the origin and knowledge of the subliminal fields of vital energy and the spiritual force associated with its glow, are discussed in detail in volume 17 of "The Complete Works of Pandit. Shriram Sharma Acahrya". The present discussion gives only a glimpse of some related aspects of the astounding living organism of the human body that have been deciphered in the modern laboratories. The subliminal world living inside the human beings is far more vast and mysterious than the perceivable world around it. The sukshmikarana sadhana - supreme spiritual endeavor of sublimation of the life force - is a consistent and phased process of the realization, expansion, transmutation and unification of the individual consciousness with the supreme cosmic consciousness.

As scientific research proceeds with discovering the subtler realms of life and consciousness in the human body, newer dimensions of supernatural powers would begin to unfold in this natural system. The principles and attainments of sukshmikarana would also then become more explicit and convincing and will inspire a greater number of people to undertake and benefit from the marvelous results of spiritual sadhanas.

Integration of science and spirituality would help in unveiling the subtle mechanism and depth of the universe of life in our body. This would also lead to an integrated scientific vision of the superiority of the power of consciousness over all other powers in the physical world and thus enhance our faith in its omnipotent eternal origin. This elevated reverence for its Supreme Creator should also educe our faith in the dignity of human life and humanity.

Creation of the universe on the earth planet according to the Upnishads and the Bhagwatam.

Aim of creation.

The aim of creation is to give a chance to all the souls to become human beings and then to realize God Who is absolute Bliss. They can realize God by doing absolute good actions and surrendering to Him. Souls are unlimited in number and are in an infinitesimal ‘life’ form, having a subtle mind of their own. When they receive human body during the creation they do good or bad actions according to the discrimination of their own mind. The record of these actions, called the sanskars or the karmas, are stored in a section of the mind. The consequences of these karmas have to be fructified otherwise there would be no meaning of classifying them as good or bad, and they do fructify. Thus, these collective karmas are like a subtle semi-dormant ‘force’ which reside in the mind of every soul and become the cause of its next incarnation; and the force of the collective karmas of all the unlimited souls works as one of the causal forces to create and maintain the universe.

Duration of creation.

The duration of the existence of the universe is countless but not unlimited. It goes on perpetually in a cyclic motion, like the creation state, and then no-creation state. In the no-creation state (called maha pralaya) the creative energies and the forces remain in an absolutely subtle and dormant state, and in the creation state they evolve in the form of the universe as we see it today. There was no beginning of this ‘cycle of creation and maha pralaya.’ It is eternal.

Powers involved in the creation.

God inspires the power maya (the cosmic power in its absolute subtle form) which evolves itself into the form of the universe and the souls begin to reside in the universe in living form. Thus there are three entities involved in the creation of the universe. They are: God, all the souls, and the lifeless maya. God is almighty and absolute-life-knowledge-Bliss. He is omnipresent in His Divine personal form and has uncountable absolute virtues. Just like, He is all-Gracious, all-beautiful, all-loving, all-charming, all-knowing, all-kind and all-forgiving to whoever takes refuge in Him. Maya (the cosmic power) is a lifeless miraculous energy or power. It has three characteristics or qualities called sattvagun, tamogun and rajogun (pious, evil and selfish; pretty, ugly and normal; and positive, negative and neutral) that appear in every part of its creation. Souls, in the universe, are unlimited and are infinitesimal.

Forces that keep the universe running.

There are two forces that keep the universe running continuously. They are ‘time’ (called the kal) and ‘karm’ (the accumulative force of the accumulated karmas of all the unlimited souls).

Time (kal) factor is not just the elapsed period that we count according to the calendar. Time (kal) is an eternal energy like maya which is a strong force that starts the manifestation of the mayic attributes (which gradually become the universe), and then it keeps the universe moving forward until maha pralaya. The time, which we calculate as the age of something or the passing period of an ongoing event, is the calculation of the aging process of something, or it is a point of determining the past, present or future. It is like a parameter that gives you an understanding of the period that elapsed or it helps you keep the record of an event of past, present or future. But the ‘force of time’ that pushes the universe to move forward is an ‘eternal energy’ that exists side by side with maya.

Procedure of the creation of the universe.

All the three: souls along with their karmas, maya, and kal (time), stay in God in an absolutely subtle form and in an absolutely dormant state during maha pralaya. They are activated by the will of God. After certain subtle phases of evolution the first thing that comes into being is the endless empty space.

There are seven phases of extremely subtle manifestations of maya that had already happened before the ‘space’ came into being.

(1) Space was the eighth subtle manifestation which was, in fact, the first gross manifestation of the energy of maya.

(2) In the endless space, unlimited numbers of pockets of various sizes were created. They became the base of uncountable sub-universes. Within that unimaginably enormous and endless-like looking space, the ninth phase of maya (called vayu) was evolved which created a circular movement in the space itself, as if the entire space was in a circular motion from its central point.

(3) Then, all over in that space, sub particles evenly emerged. This was the tenth phase of mayic manifestation (agni).

(4) Then the sub particles and the particles annihilated to form hydrogen atoms. This was the eleventh phase of mayic manifestation (apah).

(5) Then gravity began to predominate and the basic structure of uncountable galaxies and their clusters (as scientists know) were gradually formed. This was the twelfth phase.

The ‘already existing motion’ in the space now made it looks like the galaxies were moving away from each other. The speed of this motion of the space varied in different areas of this visible universe but with a perfectly controlled synchronization.

None of the existing theories so far have been able to create such a model of the universe that could accommodate all the features of the known universe. But, this knowledge was already incorporated in the Bhagwatam that was produced by Bhagwan Ved Vyas before 3102 BC.

The functioning of a planetary system.

The supreme God Who controls the creation and the functioning of the entire universe is called Maha Vishnu. When the galaxies begin to assume their normal shape, at that point Maha Vishnu creates a great number of divinely celestial spaces in the galaxies and He enters into those spaces. He then produces one Brahma in each section who controls the creation of the sun and its planetary system. Thus, in every planetary system there is one Brahma who is called the creator. Prior to the creation of the earth planet, Brahma extends the celestial space and creates celestial abodes of gods and goddesses. One planetary system with its celestial abodes is called one brahmand. In this way there are a great number of brahmandas in one galaxy. Celestial abodes are invisible as they are in a different space (dimension).

Now we know that the formation of a planetary system is not a coincidental creation of nature as the cosmologists believe, it is a controlled formation. Souls are already in the universe in their subtle form, a certain (uncountable) number of souls are transferred to each planetary system run by its own Brahma, and then, gradually Brahma produces those souls on the earth planet in their material bodies.

Life on the earth planet.

After the formation of the earth planet, the ozone layer was formed, oceans began to exist, and the first form of life appeared on the earth planet. The Upnishad says that first the vegetation appeared.

How? The soil itself contains the subtle form of the seeds of all kinds of vegetation, like, grass, plants, shrubs, flowers and trees of all kinds. Brahma transfers the souls into those seeds and the first vegetation grows. Afterwards it creates its own seeds. The bodies of insects etc. are produced as a general procedure of the nature and Brahma transfers the souls into them. We know that sometimes in the rainy weather a lot of flying insects are formed in the open space.

Later on, small creatures like fish and birds and then big creatures like tigers and elephants etc. are produced. At this time, Brahma produces the souls along with their body.

One thing must be noted here, that souls are eternal and they must have been living in some form prior to this creation before pralaya. Thus, it would be highly unjust if the soul of some human being is by mistake transferred into a worm’s body or a worm’s soul is transferred into the body of a human being. Because Brahma is graced with the Divine intelligence so he never makes such mistakes.

He produces all the souls exactly according to their previous status: grass becomes a grass, frog becomes a frog, and lion becomes a lion, human becomes a human, and so on. So, Brahma produces the first pair of all the creatures big and small on the earth planet. Afterwards they multiply themselves.

One should not think that how the animals just appeared on the earth planet, or that there may be some kind of evolution process involved in that. The impracticality of the theory of evolution has already been discussed. The most significant thing is this, that when a Divine personality Brahma who is so powerful, that he creates the whole brahmand, maintains the entire planetary system, and remembers the identity of each and every living being of the earth planet from each and every bacteria to an elephant and all the human beings as well, then there is no reason that he can’t create the bodies of the animals. So he does, and thus, the first creation of the animal world was done by Brahma.

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ij deky gS] bruk lc gksrs gq, Hkh fdlh dks bZ”oj utj ughaa vkrk A tks utj ughaa vkrk ml ij bruk fo”okl] bruh J)k D;ksa\ D;ksafd fdlh dks LoxZ pkfg,] fdlh dks eqfDr] fdlh dks bl thou ls tw>us dh ;qfDr pkfg, rks fdlh dks eqfDr ;k ije vkuUn A Jh d`’.k dgrsa gS] viuh ;ksxek;k eas fNik gqvk eSa lcds fy, izR;{k ugha gksrk] blfy, ;g vKkuh yksx eq>s tUejfgr vfouk”kh ijes”oj dks ugha tkurs A ¼xhrk7 +25½A yks tho vc fcydqy lkQ gks x;k fd ^bZ”oj* lcds lkeus vkuk gh ugha pkgrk A tku cw>dj vius vkSj gekjs chp inkZ Mky j[kk gS mlus] ek;k dk inkZ A

mfM+;k ckck us HkDrksa dks le>k;k fd mls

jked`’.k ijegal dgrs Fks mls MªkWbax :e esa kadk rks dzks/k feyk] bZ’;Zk feyh] jkx&}s’k] en&eksg lc dqN fn[kk ij bZ”oj ugha fn[kkA jked`’.k us dgk] igys g`n; dks lkQ] LoPN fueZy dj Mkyks A /kks yks] ekat yks A vlR; cksyus ls g`n; eSyk gks tkrk gS A ,slk lR; cksyks dh bafnz;ak >wB Lohdkj gh u dj ik,a A

os dgrs gSa] fd dzks/k er djks] g`n; eSyk gks tk,xk A fQj bZ”oj dks dSls pkg xbZ fpark feVh] euqok csijokg A ftUgqa dNq ugha pkfg,] lksbZ “kag”kkg AA

u jgsxh pkgr] u feysxh fpark A fpark gks] pkgr gks rks cl mlh dks ikus dh A tSls ehjk dks gks xbZ Fkh pkgr A cnukeh gqbZ A ‘kM+;a= jps x, ekjus ds] ns”k fudkyk gks x;k] ij pkgr yxh jgh mls ikus dh A ukud cksys dsoy bZ”oj dk uke lR; gS] ckadh lc >wB gS A gj dk;Z djus okyk ogh ,d gS A bZ”oj fuHkZ; gS] fuoSZjh gS] gj dky es fo|eku gS] vtUek gS A

yks] bZ”oj dk iwjk&iwjk C;kSjk fey x;k A lansg dh rks xqtkab”k gh ughaa jgh A fQj Hkh u tkus D;ksa jg jg dj eu nksLrks] fjLrsnkjksa] Vh +oh + esa T;knk lqdwu eglwl djrk gSA gka] vkSj /ku esa Hkh A nq%[k vkrk gS rks bl ckr ij ugha fd bZ”oj ugha feyk] cfYd bl ckr ij fd vQlj izkseks”ku jksds cSBk gS] iM+kslh us xkM+h [kjhn yhA

ij Hkxoku gS dgka & viuh n`f"V dh ifjf/k esa ;= r= ge tks dqN Hkh tM+ vFkok psru fc[kjk gqvk ikrs gSa] lHkh ije firk ijekRek dh d`fr gSA ogh leLr l`f"V dk jpf;rk gSA mldh lHkh jpukvksa esa ekuo dks loZJs"V jpuk ekuk x;k gSA ekuo gh ,slk izk.kh gS] ftlus fodkl o mUufr dh yEch nkSM+ esa vusd Å¡pkbZ;ka dks Nqvk gS] izd`fr ds vusd jgL;ksa dk mn~?kkVu fd;k gS] /kjrh ds xHkZ esa mrjk gS vkSj vkleku dh vizfre Å¡pkb;ksa rd igq¡pk gSA

ijUrq mUufr dh bl yEch nkSM+ dks ikj djus ds ckn Hkh og v'kkUr vkSj nq%[kh gSA fdlh vKkr lq[k dh [kkst esa yxk jgrk gSA ysfdu ml ije lq[k dh ijNkbZ Hkh mls utj ugha vkrhA vkf[kj ,slk D;ksa\ ,slk blfy, fd balku lq[k dgk¡

HkfDr leLr lq[kksa dk lzksr gSA ;g leLr ifjrkiksa ls ifj=k.k dk lk/ku gSA ijekRek loZ O;kid gSA ,d r`.k esa Hkh gS] ,d d.k esa Hkh gS] ,d i'kq esa Hkh gS] vkSj ,d Ik{kh esa Hkh gSA mnkgj.k ds fy, gekjs vklikl okrkoj.k esa gok O;kIr gSA bl gok esa vusd izdkj dh rajxas Hkh ikbZ tkrh gSA buesa /ofu rjaxsa Hkh gS ftUgsa ‘Vibrations’ dgk tkrk gSA ;s rjaxsa lw{e gSa vkSj bUgsa ge vius dkukas ls ;wa gh ugha lqu ldrsA gekjh bafnz;ka bruh laosnu'khy ugha gSaA vr% bu rjaxksa dks d.kZxkspj cukus gsrq ,d ;a= cuk;k tkrk gS] ftlesa ,d [kkl izdkj dk laosnu'khy iqtkZ yxk gksrk gSA mlesaa ;g {kerk gksrh gS fd og bu rjaxksa dks /kkj.k djds 'kCnksa essa ifjofrZr djds bUgsa gekjs lquus yk;d cukrk gSA blh dkj.k Radio/ Transistors] dks Tune djds ge okafNr lans'k vkSj laxhr lqu ikrs gSaA

vc ;aw rks balku us foKku ds ek/;e ls vusdksa ;a= o e'khusa cukbZ gS] ijUrq izR;sd e'khu esa ;g {kerk ugha gS fd og ,slh /ofu rjaxksa dks /kkj.k dj lds vkSj mUgSa lquus yk;d cuk ldsA Bhd blh izdkj ijekRek loZ= O;kIr gSA ijUrq mls ns[kus dh fo'ks"k {kerk o laosnu'khyrk pkfg,A [kkl iqtkZ pkfg,A

ge ijekRek dk lk{kkRdkj dj lq[kh gks ldrs gSaA ijUrq blds fy, ,d Hksnh dh vko';drk gksrh gSA tks crk lds fd oLrq dgk¡ gSa vkSj mldh izkfIr dSls gksxh\ HkfDr ds {ks= esa ;g Hksnh ,d iww.kZ lrxq: gS tks gekjk ekxZ n'kZu djds gesa vareqZ[kh djds ekuo ru ds Hkhrj gh vkdk'k LFky ij czã LFkku esa gh ijekRek dk lk{kkRdkj djok nsrs gSaA

blh fo"k; esa dchj nkl th dgrs gSa% ckgj ds vkleku ls bZ'oj dks fdlh us ugha ik;kA ftlus Hkh ik;k ekuo ru ds Hkhrj gh ik;kA vr% vko';drk gS vareqZ[kh gksdj [kkstus dh] bZ'oj ogha feysxk Hkhrj ds vkdk'k esaA ;g ekuo ru gh eafnj gS] efLtn gS] xq:}kjk vkSj fxjtk?kj gSA

xq:ok.kh esa dgk x;k gS% ^ckgj ewy u [kksft, ?kj ekfg fo/kkrkA* ckbcy dgrh gS% ^balku ijekRek dks ckgj ryk'krk gSA mls ckgj Loa; ls nwj [kkstrk gS] tcfd og gekjs Hkhrj] gekjs fudV fuokl djrk gSA*

dchj dgrs gSa fd balku dh n'kk dLrwjh e`x dh Hkk¡fr gS] ftldh ukfHk esa dLrwjh fNih gksrh gSA og mldh [kq'kcw ls ljksckj gks ckgj taxy esa mls rkmez ryk'krk fQjrk gS] ijUrq izkIr ugha dj ikrk vkSj mlds thou dk var gks tkrk gSA

balku bl rF; ls vufHkK gS fd ftl izdkj fryksa esa rsy gksrk gS] pded iRFkj esa vkx gksrh gS] niZ.k esa vDl gksrk gS] iq"Ik esa lqxa/k gksrh gS] mlh izdkj ijekRek gekjs Hkhrj gSA vKkurko'k ge e`x dh Hkk¡¡fr rkmez mls ckgj [kkstrs gSa] ij izkIr ugha dj ikrsA ijekRek rks dgrk gS& eksdks dgk¡ rw ysfdu ge ew<+ tu bl lans'k dks lqu ugha ikrsA lqurs gSa rks le> ugha ikrsA

God Definition is generator,Operator and Destroyer

Where shall you look to see God?

Look at yourself. Do you see a mortal, flesh and blood creature? That is not what I see when I look at you. I see a spiritual being. Why do I think you are spiritual? For one thing, because you have to live as if you were.

If we know what makes a creature happy, we know its true nature. To be happy, a swallow must fly. So we say it is a bird of flight. To be happy, a thrush must sing. So we say that it is a songbird. To be happy, a person must try to satisfy spiritual desires. What else then can we say, save that a person is Spirit!

If man were a mortal, flesh-and-blood creature with only physical needs to satisfy, then a life spent in satisfying these needs should be the most satisfactory of lives. But it is the least satisfactory. Something in you is more than flesh-and-blood. Something in you is wings. Something in you is song. Something in you is Spirit.

What are the longings of your heart, the aspirations of your mind? Consider them well, for they reveal the pattern in which you were formed. They are the voice of your true Self, demanding expression. For this, you were formed before Abraham was! And all the forces of heaven and Earth combine to bring this true pattern in you to fruition.

There is something in you that tells you were meant for more than all you have achieved, no matter what that may be, something in you that will be satisfied with nothing less than greatness. I t may settle for less, but it is not satisfied. It may be covered over with years of dusty mediocrity, of compromise and resignation to necessity. But it is there.

Something in you is Spirit and it hungers and thirsts after spiritual things – righteousness, usefulness, selflessness. It is not content merely to live; it has to live well!

You are more than body, more than mind. These may be altered, but there is something in you that cannot be altered. It is immortal. It is incorruptible. How do I know that this is there? Because I have caught glimpses of it. I have looked with loves eyes.

Sometimes we think we would believe if only we had a sign. "Give me a revelation, God!" We cry, "O Lord, let pass a miracle!"

This I believe: anyone who sincerely asks for signs will have signs. Pray, pray steadfastly, and you will have prayers answered.

But do not seek for God to show Himself in supernatural ways and forget that He is constantly showing Himself in natural ways. God is the unusual, no doubt; but God is usual too. Do not seek the burning bush and miss the bushes glowing with bloom in your own backyard. Do not look for God in the heavens and pass God by in your neighbour without speaking.

Do you seek a miracle? What is more miracle than morning, when the light comes streaming back to Earth? Or spring, when death is overcome by every greening clod? A star is a miracle, and it is closest to you of all that is. You are a miracle. Every moment of your life is packed with miracles.

It is all right to ask for signs, but to build on signs is to build on sands, for it is to build on appearances. We have to go deeper than appearances, even good appearances; else the first adversity will sweep our faith away. We cannot much of a faith on the fact that we happen to be having a comfortable, pain-free existence.

But there is knowledge of God, there is faith in life that has nothing to do with appearances. For fundamentally, God and life are not something we know with our brain but in our bones, in the very morrow of our bones, the morrow of our spirit. I do not need to convince the hare that bursts from my feet and bounds quickly away that life is good. He knows. He may be wet and cold and alone and shelter less and hungry, yet he knows. Every frantic leap he makes is a living affirmation of life.

The hare knows – deep down so do we all – that one moment of life is worth infinitely more than all non-life (if such there could be) in the world. If eternity had no other meaning, it came alive with meaning the moment life appeared in it.

For myself, I have never known with such absolute certainty that God is and life is meaningful and purposive as I knew at a time when appearances were declaring the exact opposite. My brain was full of doubt, but I knew with more than brain. God was there, that is all. Underneath were the everlasting arms. I felt the arms. I recognized the presence of God was there; that is the only way can describe what I experienced. At the moment I was deepest down, I was also highest up. I knew God not by believing in Him or reasoning through to Him. I simply knew God.

If you want to know the stars, do you study astronomy books? Do you think about stars? Perhaps, but most of you all you go out and commune with them-warm and glowing in the dark. And on a dark night when no star appears, the stars may be more meaningful and real than ever. If you live close enough to the stars, they go right on shining in you.

So it is with God. God is not something you have sometimes, if you work hard to find Him. God is in you, and you are in God. When you give yourself to life, you have not reasons for living, but life itself. When you give yourself to God, you have not thoughts about God, but God Himself.

How can you know God is? How can you know the world makes sense? How can you know there is purpose in living? How can you know? You can know God as you know the stars are shining on a cloudy night, as you know someone you love is in the next room. Give yourself to life in love and with faith. For then you live not on the surface but at the heart of things. And the heart of things is heart if God.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad-2

An Equal Half

Hinduism regards man and woman as the two halves of the eternal being, each constituting a vibrant, existential part, quite incomplete in itself. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Prajapati iztkifr, the primordial God, divides himself into two-man and woman, the symbols of cosmic polarity deriving sustenance from the same source.

The Hindu woman as life partner has a fourfold character: she is ardhangini (v/kkZxauh), one half of the her husband, metaphorically speaking; sahadharmini (lg/keZauh) , an associate in the fulfillment of human and divine goals; sahakarmini (lgdeZuh), a part to all her husband’s action and sahayogini (lg;ksfxuh ), a veritable cooperator in all his ventures. Husband and wife together are called dampati (nairh), joint owners of the household, sharing work in terms of their biological, psychological and individual dharma (/keZ). The former provides the seed (bija cht) and the latter the field (ksetra {ks=) for its fructification, so that humans could be perpetuate in the cosmic process of evolution. Both have the joint responsibility of helping their children grow in all respects, but the contribution of the wife is always immense.

As life partner the Hindu woman has equal right to participate in religious right to participate in religious rites and ceremonies; in fact, certain sacrifices like the Sita harvest sacrifice, the Rudrayaga (:nziz;kx ) for suitable sons-in-law or the Rudrabali (:nzckyh ) sacrifice for material prosperity are performed by women alone. Hindu lawgivers like Gobhila and Asvalayana ordain that no ritual or sacrifice can be complete (sampurna laiw.kZ) without the presence of the wife. Even Rama (jke ) had to order for Sita’s statue in gold to make up for her absence during this asvamedha sacrifice. In the Ramayana (jkek;.k ), Rama’s mother Kausalya (jke fd eka dkS”;yk) offers oblations to the fire god Agni (vfXu ) and Tara performs the Svastyayana ritual for the success of her husband Bali (ckyh ) against Sugriva (lqxzho ). Women of those days were quite learned in the Vedic lore. Draupadi (nzksinh ) was a brahmavadini (czãkokfnuh) and Tara an adept at reciting mystic syllables. Oghavati, Arundhati and Sulabha possessed a thorough knowledge of the Vedas and imparted religious knowledge even to rishis _f’k. The spiritual attainments of Savitri lkfo=h and Anusuya vulqf;;k have become legendary. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad one meets women of wisdom such as Maitreyi eS=s;h and Gargi xkxhZ. The former abandoned wealth for wisdom and the latter entered into a debate with sage Yajnavalkya ;kKoYd at the court of King Janaka . Much later, Bharati, the wife of Mandana Misra, carried forward the tradition by acting as judge in the philosophic debate between her husband and Shankaracharya “kadjkpk;Z. When she found her husband losing the debate, she emphatically told Shankaracharya “kadjkpk;Z that his victory would be complete only if he could defeat her, since she constituted her husband’s better half.

Where women are honoured, there the gods are pleased; but where they are not honoured, no sacred rites yield rewards. ‘Offspring, (due performance of) religious rites, faithful service, the highest conjugal happiness and heavenly bliss for the ancestors and oneself depend on one’s wife alone’.

Manu declares that the perfect man is one who constitutes a trinity made up of his wife, himself and their off spring, the wife being a gift from the Gods, she ought to be supported to the end of her life. If Manu points out of seductive nature of women, he is equally unsure of the unbridled passion of men. He advises that wise men must not be in the company of even their own mothers, sisters or daughters in a lonely place, for they may deviate from the right path! Manu regards woman as a precious unit of the family and of society but denies them absolute freedom due to their physical vulnerability. He, however, distinguishes between the noble and virtuous and the degenerate women, and like other smrtikaras le`frdj criticizes those who are faithless, fickle, sensuous, immodest, quarrelsome and loose. ‘Day and night women must be kept in dependence upon males and if the attached themselves to sensual enjoyments they must be kept under one’s control’. Manu prescribes capital punishment for killers of women, exempts pregnant and old women from paying fines and suggests that as mater of courtesy, they should be given precedence when crossing the road.

He meant thereby that they were not different from each other. The Hindu scriptures lay emphasis on harmony between husband and wife that is so essential for family peace and prosperity. Harmony requires understanding, which can only be among equals. In the Rig Veda, the couple jointly prays: ‘May all Devas and Apas unite our hearts. May Matarisva, dhata, Destri all bind us close.’

The highest duty of man and wife says Manu, is to be faithful to each other. While the supreme duty of the husband is to safeguard his wife, to care for her needs and necessities, and to keep her happy with gift and presents, the wife is expected to be pious and chaste, sincere and faithful to her partner, gentle, suave, skilled and sweet- tongued.

Although the concept of pati-paramesvara ifr ijes”oj (regarding one’s husband as god) has suffered an erosion in the wake of women’s empowerment, respect for the husband continues, as is evident from the observance by Hindu women of such traditional vows as Vata Savitri, Haritalika and Karka Chaturthi - all aimed at a long and happy conjugal life.

Nowhere do the accredited Hindu scriptures ordain that women should be abused, disgraced, chastised without reason or divorced in ordinary circumstances. Yet expectation from women as life partners has been many and varied. The best female partner, according to a popular Sanskrit adage, is one who renders advice like a minister, obeys like a maidservant, feeds like a mother, pleases like the nymph Rambha jEHkk, acts as a veritable companion, and has the forbearance of Mother Earth.

But, Sexual pleasure is no pleasure at all. It is a mental delusion.

These beautiful women and wealth are the instruments of Maya to delude you and entrap you into her nets.

Some ignorant people say: “It is not right to check passion. We must not go against nature. Why has God created young beautiful women? There must be some sense, in His creation. We should enjoy them and procreate as many as possible. We should keep up the progeny of the line. If all people become sannyasins lU;klh and go to forests, what will become of this world? It will come to an end. If we check passion,

What is this sex energy? This energy, this sex energy, is a manifestation of God. It is Brahman in dynamic expression. It is Shakti “kfDr, Para Shakti ijk“kfDr. We all know that this phenomenal universe is the activity of the cosmic power calls this which is illimitable, indescribable and infinite. We call this cosmic power Para Shakti ijk“kfDr, Maha Shakti egk“kfDr, Maha Maya egkek;k or Prakriti izd`fr.

The sex instinct is most powerful. The sex urge is formidable. It may conceal itself in underground compartments in the mind and assail you when you are not vigilant. It will attack you with redoubled force. Visvamitra fo”okfe= fell a victim of Menaka esudk. Another great Rishi _f’k became a prey to Rambha jEHkk. Jaimini tsfeuh got excited by false woman Masa. A powerful Rishi _f’k was excited by the sight of the mating of a fish. A householder aspirant carried away even his guru’s wife. Many aspirants are not aware of this secret urge, a treacherous enemy. They think that they are quite safe and pure. When they are put to test, they become hopeless victims