The Diligent Practice

Sri Adi Shankaracharya, 788-820 CE, presents a five straightforward suggestions on how to perform sadhana, or practices leading to the realization of Atman, the Self. Which is explaining step by step how the mind can be made free of thoughts and how one can reach the meditation status and achieve the goal. These five slokas contain the essence of all the Vedas and purana scriptures. All the five slokas have immense value and the depth as Veda puranas scriptures and reveals the spiritual strength. Study of these slokas with understanding the meaning is absolutely necessary for all ambitious of spiritual growth. Even more all these slokas are useful to attain the practical life's destination. The related story from Skanda Puranam in Nagara -Kandam.

Brahmarshi Vishvamitra (Vishvam - meaning is World - Mitra- meaning is friend so "friend of the world") is one of the 24 Rishis (Sages) Viswamitra's previously he was an efficient kshatriya King. His motivation was very strong he did severe penance and diligent practices on austerities so he became Brahma Rishi. The term was first used by Viswamitra and associated with a range of actions. There was a challenged incident occurred to Viswamitra

Once there was a Solar dynasty king which means Sri Rama's ancestor named Trisangu wished to gods realization with his mortal body; which is odd unusual universal rule. He approached to his ancestry Guru Vasista and told about his desire. Heard his wish guru told him that “O king having realization with the mortal body is not possible change your mind “ the king got so anxiously he went to the Guru's son there also he had the same experience , once again he went to Guru and appealed him again about his earnestly wishful and he urged his Guru to find a way to fulfill his wish. Vasista emerged with anger and cursed him to turn out to be a 'Chandala'. Without any other way the King crowned his son Harichanra and went to a forest. where he met Sage Viswamitra who took 

up the issue as a challenge; the Sage advised that Chandala king should first get rid of the form of a Chandala; hence the sage decided to take him to perform a Holy Pilgrimage. The both of them were set on visiting all holy theerthas and had dip, once they finished visiting all theerthas they met Markadeya according to his advise Viswamitra and the Chandala king had a dip in Pathala Ganga after they finished dip in the precious holy water to a surprise the Chandala became clear all his curse and enhanced as old king Satyavrutha. . The yagnas (rituals) began and with the ascetic powers of the sage, the former King Trishanku started rising to heaven. Upon his arrival in heaven, the Devas were afraid by this unnatural occurrence. Led by Indra, they refused to grant permission Trishanku to enter, and throw him out. Trishanku began falling back to earth. The furious Vishwamitra would not accept defeat at the hands of Indra. The sage used his powers and stopped Trishanku fall, causing the latter to be hold-up in mid-air upside-down manner.

Trishanku pleaded Vishwamitra for help and the sage once again used his powers, and created of a parallel heaven in a portion of the southern sky. As the new heaven was built, the sage raised Trishanku to it and restored him to his former state as a king of new heaven. Vishwamitra then began establishing Trishanku as the Indra of the new heaven that he had created. This alarmed the Devas who then appeared in front of the sage and tried to console him and withdraw him from his act. They explained to Vishwamithra, their actions and they wished to prevent the unnatural act of someone with a mortal body entering the heaven.

Vishwamitra was gradually convinced but now he faced the complication of having to break his promise to the king Trishanku about sending him to heaven. Vishwamitra reached a compromise with the Devas to let the King populate the new heaven that was created for him. The new heaven is called Trishanku heaven and from now on the king should reside in this heaven. Indra should not replace or command of ruling on the king's own heaven. Yet he ensured that, the king will reside upside down in his heaven.

Message:-

Viswamitra's severe, diligent practice and repeated efforts led to his achievement-related to something difficult and hard task. Non stop practice lead to win. Desires, interests of driven force behind all the humans actions. However a man's needs and desires both should have a strong resolution in his mind to reach of destination. To achieve that point one has to have diligent practice. The diligent practice is based on ones motivation, training, self interests and enthusiasm; all these are like inter links. ones interests is differs and which may different forms like adventures, constitutional, physiological, and spiritual achievement etc; whatever it may be the interests and motivation should be strong on particular field and diligent practices only will lead to achieve related the boundary. However one should not have any negative forms of motivation and short-cuts they will never and ever to reach the goal. Diligent practice is definite need for success of the attainment or gods realization. This is what Sri Acharya Swamy emphasizing in 'Sadhana Panchagam'.

Astronomers View:-

The astronomers finding the 'Trisangu Swarga' in the sky is identified with the constellation Centaurus; and Trishanku is probably Alpha-Centauri or Rigel Kent, a triple star system in this constellation. The other star in this triplet is the Proximal-Centauri, (explanation is ,a faint red dwarf star associated with the bright binary star Alpha Centauri. It is the closest known star to the solar system (distance 4.24 light years). the closest star to Earth next to the Sun.

“Sage Viswamitra is honored as the earliest Indian astronomer . He is credited with for cataloguing the Stars visible in the Southern sky. Viswamitra is also identified another prominent constellation in the southern sky.”

“Interestingly, the next set of nearest stars to Earth after the Proximal-Centaur, (Sirius etc.) are at least twice the distance of Proximal-Centauri this observation allows an interpretation that trisanku or Alpha-Centaur triplet is ‘midway’ to Earth and the ‘rest of the skies’, a literal meaning for ‘Trisanku Swarga‘ to be hung in the middle.  Because it is possible to know from naked eye-sightings (without telescopes etc.) to decipher which star is closer to Earth, as a reasonable guess. Viswamitra, the astronomer, could have done it.”

Sadhana Panchagam Translation:-
1) Study the Vedas daily. Perform diligently the duties (karmas) ordained by them. Dedicate all those actions (karmas) as worship unto the Lord. Renounce all desires in the mind. Wash away the hoards of sins in the bosom.Recognise that the pleasures of sense-objects (samsar) are riddled with pain. Seek the Self with consistent endeavor. Escape from the bondage of ‘home’.

2) Seek companionship with Men of Wisdom. Be established in firm devotion to the Lord. Cultivate the virtues such as Shanti  etc., Eschew all desire-ridden actions. Take shelter at a Perfect Master (Sat-Guru). Everyday serve His Lotus feet. Worship “Om” the Immutable. Listen in depth, the Upanishads declarations.

3) Reflect ever upon the meaning of the Upanishads commandments, and take refuge in the Truth of Brahman. Avoid perverse arguments but follow the discriminating rationale of the Shruti (Upanishads). Always be absorbed in the attitude (bhava) – “I am Brahman "renounce pride. Give up the illusory misconception – “I am the body”.Give up totally the tendency to argue with wise men.

4) In hunger diseases get treated. Daily take the medicine of Bhiksha-food. Beg no delicious food. Live contentedly upon whatever comes to your lot as ordained by Him. Endure all the pairs of opposites: heat and cold, and the like. Avoid wasteful talks. Be indifferent. Save yourself from the meshes of other peoples’ kindness.

5) In solitude live joyously. Quieten your mind in the Supreme Lord. Realize and see the All-pervading Self every where. Recognize that the finite Universe is a projection of the Self. Conquer the effects of the deeds done in earlier lives by the present right action. Through wisdom become detached from future actions (Agami).Experience and exhaust “Prarabdha” the fruits of past actions. Thereafter, live absorbed in the bhav - “I am Brahman” ! ( Translated by Charles Johnston)

The slokam

vedo nitya­mad­hīy­atāṁ tadu­di­taṁ karma svanuṣṭhīy­atāṁ
 teneśasya vid­hīy­atāma­pac­i­tiḥ kāmye matistya­jy­atām |
pāpaughaḥ parid­hūy­atāṁ bhava­sukhe dośo’nusandhīyatāṁ
 ātmec­chā vyavasīy­atāṁ nijagṛhāt­tūrṇaṁ vinirgamy­atām ||1||

saṅ­gaḥ satsu vid­hīy­atāṁ bha­ga­vato bhaktirdṛḍhā”dhīyatāṁ
 śān­tyādiḥ par­icīy­atāṁ dṛḍhataraṁ kar­māśu santya­jy­atām |
sad­vid­vānu­pasṛpy­atāṁ pra­tid­i­naṁ tat­pā­dukā sevy­atāṁ
 brah­maikākṣara­marthy­atāṁ śru­tiśirovākyaṁ samākarṇy­atām ||2||

vākyārthaśca vicāry­atāṁ śru­tiśi­raḥ pakṣaḥ samāśrīy­atāṁ
  dus­tarkāt­su­vi­ramy­atāṁ śrutimatastarko’nusandhīyatām |
brah­mās­mīti vib­hāvy­atāma­hara­har­gar­vaḥ par­itya­jy­atāṁ
  dehe’haṁmatirujhyatāṁ bud­ha­janairvā­daḥ par­itya­jy­atām ||3||

kṣud­vyād­hiśca cik­it­sy­atāṁ pra­tid­i­naṁ bhikṣauṣad­haṁ bhu­jy­atāṁ
  svād­van­naṁ na tu yācy­atāṁ vid­hivaśāt­prāptena san­tuṣy­atām |
śītoṣṇādi viṣahy­atāṁ na tu vṛthā vākyaṁ samuc­cāry­atāṁ
  audāsīnyam­ab­hīp­sy­atāṁ janakṛpā­naiṣṭhurya­mut­sṛjy­atām ||4||

ekānte sukhamāsy­atāṁ paratare cetaḥ samād­hīy­atāṁ
  pūrṇātmā susamīkṣy­atāṁ jaga­di­daṁ tad­vād­hi­taṁ dṛśy­atām |
prākkarma prav­ilāpy­atāṁ citibalān­nāpyut­taraiḥ śliṣy­atāṁ
  prārab­d­haṁ tviha bhu­jy­atā­matha parabrah­māt­manā sthīy­atām ||5||

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The Art of Hospitality

The Yajur Veda, is confirming the remarkable reverence for a guest equal to mother,father, and teacher, . The Sanskrit word for guest is Atithi. Atithi Devo Bhava regards a procedure of the host-guest relationship. Taittiriya Upanishad, Shikshavalli I.20 says: matrudevo bhava, pitrudevo bhava, acharyadevo bhava, atithidevo bhava. It literally means "be one for whom the Mother is God, be one for whom the Father is God, be one for whom the Teacher is God, be one for whom the guest is God." matrudevah, pitrudevah, acharyadevah, atithidevah are one word each, and each one is a Bahuvrihi samasta-pada. (Meaning : Bahuvrhi - beware, samastha- whole, pada -foot-step or verse or line ). Tithi in Sanskrit denotes a calendric date. In ancient times, the communication were limited hence it was not possible for guests to expect their date of arrival, Atithi which literally means "without a fixed calendric time" the visiting person who had no fixed date of arrival or departure.

The ancient Tamil scripture, Thirukkural, says, மோப்பக் குழையும் அனிச்சம் முகந்திரிந்து நோக்கக் குழையும் விருந்து. meaning is the Anicham flower fades in smelling, so the host should invite gusts with the smiling face other wise the guest will be offended.இருந்தோம்பி இல்வாழ்வ தெல்லாம் விருந்தோம்பி வேளாண்மை செய்தற் பொருட்டு. meaning is "The whole purpose of earning wealth and maintaining a home is to provide hospitality to guests.

All our ancient puranas also emphasizing about the hospitality to the guests. Here is a related story from 'Markandeya Puranam'.

There was a mountain called Brahmagiri, there was a cruel hunter living in the mountaintop. He was killing sages and saints other than his usual trait of killing birds and animals. Once he hunted immense of birds and animals and collect all things put them in his cages. he spent long time in the forest and also it became night and also started to rain, the hunter lost his way. Thinking all he climbed on a tree and decided to stay that night. yet his mind and thought on his wife and children at home. In the mean time there was a pigeon family living happily in the same treetop. Both of the pigeon-parents went to their pray. The father pigeon returned to the nest but the mother pigeon was missing, so the father was worrying about his wife. At that time he heard a feeble-voiced female bird and searched all over the tree. The female said that I am in the cage of the hunter. The father pigeon look at him so he said to his wife “ see this hunter is sleeping so I just relive you from the cage” the female said that “No don't do that , we living beings should respect to our guest now he is our guest so treating him and giving hospitality is our duty so I be his food so you look after other things”. Male pigeon said that “Yes darling you are right I forgot my sense of righteous way we serve our guest so we both give our lives to him that is our hospitality to our guest.” the rain is stopped so bring some dry leaves and light them up so we immolate in the fire ourselves and he can take our bodies as his food. The male did as the female said the both of them immolated in the fire. The hunter heard the entire conversation and wondered about pigeons selfless action and he saw that there were a sky-mount arrived for the birds to carry them to kailash . He saw the all amazement scenes and asked the two birds “ Mahatma “how I prevent all my sins,? And what kind of penance I should do please tell me the way. The birds said no need to do any penance "Go to Goutami, Ganga and take a dip continuously for fifteen days," your sins will be vanished” The hunter did as the birds advise. The place where the pigeons immolated themselves became a holy tirtham known as kapota-tirtha, the word kapota means pigeon. (For information Kapota-theerthas is under river Godavari. Another Teertha is called Kapothaka-theertha is under the river Sabarmati and the third one is called Kapoteeswara-theertha which is under Sri parvatham these all associated with the bird pigeon 

Message:-

Based on a casual scrutiny of cordial reception from the historical date for centuries' with in the two types of society between the wealthy and poor; the wealthy who entertained lavishly to their own status but the poor people could celebrate as their best within their own family structures and they only have wide developing the art of hospitality.

                                                        

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