||O® bhurbhuva¡ swa¡ tatsaviturvareñya® bhargo devasya dhºmahi dhiyo yo na¡ prachoday³t ||

(May Almighty illuminate our intellect and inspire us towards the righteous path)
- Rigveda 3/62/10; Samveda 1462, Yajurveda 3/35, 22/9, 30/2, 36/3

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Date of Publication : CHIEF EDITOR
01.01. 2005 Dr. Pranav Pandya

Amrit Chintan
PROMISE YOURSELF
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of best, to work only for best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a
smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize
others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear; and too happy to permit
the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words but in
great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side as long as you are true to the best in
yourself.
-Anon
With prayer-filled New Year Wishes and Greetings to all our readers.
- Editorial Team

Jan.-Feb. 2005 03
1 Amrit Chintan: Contents
Promise Yourself ...................................................................................03
2 From Chief Editor's Desk:
Vasant ParvaWakeful Call of the Time-Spirit
for the Youth across the Globe ................................................................05
3 Swastika
- A symbol of Auspicious Knowledge.....................................................07
4 Vedic Cosmology-1
Cosmology and Science of Nature in the Vedas A Preview.................10
5 Peace Pilgrim's wisdom
Right Attitude Towards Life ..................................................................15
6 Companions in Solitude - 1
My Solitary Himalayan Seclusion and Purpose of Tap Sadhana..........16
7 Wonder ..................................................................................................23
8 The Science of Mantras
- Makes Possible the Impossible .............................................................24
9 Ayurvedic Therapies 1
Ayurvedic Therapies: New Frontiers of Alternative &
Complementary Medicine ......................................................................26
10 Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya
(An Institution of Higher Learning with a Difference) .........................30
11 Mastery of the Mind
Key to Success in All Endeavors ............................................................34
12 My Life: Its legacy and message-12
Revelation of the Technique of Sublime Transformation:
How I Implemented it in My Life? ........................................................37
13 Amrit Vani
The Spirit of Spring and Awakening of Kundalini................................40
14 Gayatri Teerth
Shantikunj Ashram Complex - A Glimps..............................................44
15 A Silent Place.......................................................................................48
16 I Am There (Poem) ................................................................................50

04 Jan.-Feb. 2005
 From Chief Editor's Desk
On the Threshold Vasantof Parva
the
Wakeful Call of the Time-Spirit for the
New
Youth across the Year
Globe
Dr. Pranav Pandya
If there is one truth to to a breath; we have to let it go in
Life, it is that Life is order to breathe again. All order,
Change imperceptible, harmony and beauty in nature
unstoppable and are the manifestations of change.
constant at the invisible
cellular, molecular and As this issue (first of the third
atomic levels and year of the life of this magazine)
visible in the cycles of reaches the hands of our readers,
seasons and phases of the New Year of the Gregorian
life-spans of sentient Calendar (2005) will have
beings and objects started and soon thereafter we,
birth, growth, decay the parijans of Gayatri Pariwar,
and decomposition. As will be celebrating Vasant Parva,
th
regards human beings, which will mark the 79 anniver-
we all move from level sary of the spiritual rebirth of
to level in conscious- our Gurudev - the Yugrishi
ness through the Pandit Sriram Sharma Acharya
exercise of choices of on February 13, 2005.It was on
our free will, which is a this sacred parva on January 18,
unique gift to our 1926 that Gurudev's own
species from the Divine Guide and Teacher
Supreme Creative Swami Sarveshwaranandji,
Spirit. As we go up a appeared before him in the early
path, things change and hours of the morning in his
we change. Life never subtle luminous body and
stands still. It is to be initiated this young teenager of
lived at the level we about 15 years of age into
have come up to. We intensive Gayatri Sadhana for
can't hold on to any- his own spiritual transmutation
thing for long not even and guided him at every step of
Jan.-Feb. 2005
Gurudev's life and work.
Thereafter, including the
launching of Yug Nirman
Yojana for metamorphosis of the
quasi-animal human conscious-
ness into the Enlightened Realm
of the Super-consciousness and
thus heralding the advent of the
prophesied golden age on earth.
The Gayatri Pariwar, therefore,
considers Vasant Parva 1926 as
its own birthday.
The fulfillment of Gurudev's
seer-vision of Golden Era
depends on the spiritual mass
awakening of the present day
youth of India especially and of
humanity at large in general. In
India, we have the highest
percentage of youth (65-68% of
the population). The Mission has
traveled a long way towards its
aim during the past 79 years and
the message of Gurudev's seer
vision has spread in all corners
of the world, touching millions
of people, showing them the
path of authentic Art of Living.
The youth of this generation are
05
our greatest hope and strength.
It is they who are in living touch
with the realities and challenges
of the present age. The Mission
has, therefore, planned to
celebrate the 80th year of its life,
beginning from Vasant Parva
2005 as the year for spiritual
awakening of the youth of
humanity for carrying forward
our Yug Nirman campaign for
regeneration and transforma-
tion of humanity in accordance
with the Truth and Light of
supramental realm of conscious-
ness.
We have already taken first
halting steps in this direction by
organizing during 2004 youth
conventions in USA at
Harrisburg, Chicago and Los
Angeles followed by similar
conventions in various parts of
India. We propose to accelerate
the momentum of this effort
throughout this year so that
more and more youth (men and
women) join our campaign of
integral transformation of the
collective subconscious and
conscious levels of human
psyche.
We have established Dev
Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya
(DSVV) at Hardwar, as a nurtur-
ing center for integral growth
and training of the leaders of
new humanity. The DSVV held
06
its first convocation on
November 8, 2004, with the Vice
President of India, Sri Bhairon
Singh Shekhawat, as our Chief
Guest. 340 young men and
women received their degrees /
diploma certificates after
completion of their 2-year
programs in various disciplines
followed by 3-6 months intern-
ship training. They have gone
out as torchbearers of our holy
crusade for ushering in the
Golden Era of awakened aware-
ness of unity, understanding
and peace. Fifty of them took a
vow to wholly devote the first
five years for the furtherance of
this Mission's work.
Our hope and faith for enlight-
ened and ennobling human life
hinge upon the youth of this
generation. The clarion call of
the Time-Spirit (Mahakal) is
loud and clear: Wake up, the
youth of the world, and join the
ranks of the warriors for the
decisive triumph of the divine
forces of Truth, Love, Unity and
Peace over the asuric hordes of
the devil falsehood, hatred,
division and strife. It is thus that
fertile tool for flourishing of
scientific spirituality will be
prepared - which is bound to
become the universal religion of
humanity of the third millen-
nium. Divisive and exclusive
social structures, beliefs sys-
tems, lifestyles and
external codes of
conduct - whether of
the remote or the recent
past - will have to give
way to the fast-
emerging uniting and
inclusive conscious-
ness of the 21st century.
Let the youth become
the catalytic agents to
help and guide human-
ity in gladly and readily
accepting and assimi-
lating the message of
the Time-Spirit
towards this revolu-
tionary paradigm shift
in human conscious-
ness. This mass call is
also addressed to our
Parijans (of whatever
age) with youthful and
vibrant souls.
Heartfelt greetings
for the
New Year
and the
Vasant Parva
to all our readers.
Jan.-Feb. 2005

- A Symbol of Auspicious Knowledge
Om Swasti N~indro Vadhdaïrav³¡, Swasti Na¡ P¿Ì³ Viïvaved³¡ |
Swasti Nast³kïryo~ariÌÚanemi¡, Swasti No Baspatirdadh³tu ||
T
his sacred hymn of
the Yajur-veda is a
swastiv³cana - a
prayer, an ardent
aspiration, for the
highest good and well-
being of all beings, of
everything, of the whole
universe…. Heart-felt
chanting of this hymn is
an integral part of
initiating every religious
sacrament or important
familial ceremony in the
vedic cultural rituals. It
conveys the core mean-
ing hidden in the vedic
symbol of swastika. The
term swastika emanates
from the Sanskrit word
swasti = su (good) + asti
(being).
As a symbol, swastika is a
line-design invented by
the vedic sages. Its
specific geometry is
believed to have some
relation with certain
natural energy fields. It
is drawn as a cross with
equal arms when all the
arms are continued as far
again at right angles
clockwise. The sublime
effects, in terms of the
Jan.-Feb. 2005
cosmic energy currents superim-
posed in the unique pattern of
swastika, correspond to what the
swastika symbolizes -- auspicious-
ness, well-being. The clockwise
(dakïiñ³varta) direction is of
significant importance, as it also
happens to be the direction of
movement (as we see it on the
earth) of the sun, which rises in the
east and sets in the west. The four
sides of the swastika thus represent
the four principal directions.
The symbol of swastika is being
used as a holy sign in India since
the time of yore. Scriptural
descriptions define it as a divine
symbol that encompasses (in
coded form) several important
meanings and mysterious formu-
lae or signs representing specific
energy cycles in the universe. The
"Halayudh Kosha" regards it as
prominent among the twenty-
four symbols of significance in the
Indian Culture and states --
Chaturvinïanti Chinh³ntargata
Chinha ViïeÌa. The same scripture
also refers to it as chatuÌpatha - four
paths emerging symmetrically in
four directions from a common
origin. The seed-syllable (sound-
ing like "ga®" in the Vedic script)
of the Ganapati Mantra resembles
the swastika. This seed syllable
Swastika
together with the four segments
(chatuÌÚaya) of the mantra seems to
be encapsulated in the swastika
symbol.
In some scriptures, four divine
powers governing the physical
system of Nature are said to be
subtly present around its four
sides: Vradhdaïrav³ Indra in the
east, Brahaspati Indra in the south,
P¿Ì³-Viïwaveda Indra in the west
and AriÌÚanemi Indra in the north.
Scholars of vedic literature also
interpret the swastika symbol as
the coded design of the electro-
magnetic / magnetic energy fields
around the solar system's nucleus.
Valmikiya Ramayana cites the
appearance of swastika symbol as
that of the bluish line-design seen
on the crest of the cobra - king of
snakes. This simile indicates a
deeper meaning - conveying the
importance of swastika in tantra as
well. The matrik³s - special sounds
or 'packets' of eternal sonic energy
(N³da) indwelling the cosmos that
were realized by the rishis in a
state of trance - are of fundamental
importance in the science of tantra
and mantra. The signs (notations)
representing the matrik³s are said
to be the origin of the syllables of
the Vedic Sanskrit script and
07
hence of all the (ancient) lan-
guages. Acharya Abhinav Gupt
explains this in the "Tantraloka" as
Prathakprathaktattriya®
Sukïmamityabhiïabdyate |
SaÃja® Karomi Madhura®
V³day³mi Bruve Vacha¡ ||
The matrik³s and (hence) the
vowels and consonants were
generated from the manifestation
of the omnipresent, eternal sound
(N³dabrah®). The different forms
of 'voice' - namely the païyanti
(voice of the inner self) madhyam³
(mental voice or the voice that one
hears while thinking) and baikhari
(usual voice used in speech) - also
originated from the same N³da;
each of them was further divided
into the perceivable and subtle
forms. Thus the six-fold manifes-
tation of the N³dabrah® came into
existence. The six line-segments
of the swastika symbolize this
occult knowledge. In this context,
swastika is further regarded as a
sign depicting the secret facets of
the origin of Nature.
The vocal sound (baikhari vani), as
we perceive it, consists of both --
the vowels and the consonants. Of
this, the vowels are fundamental;
they exist as natural expressions
of sound, namely the swaras; the
consonants can't be perceived
without the suffix of swaras. There
are six basic swaras of musical
notes. These are like the six major
components of the spectrum of
light that is referred in the scrip-
tures as - "ÌaÃdevat³tmaka®
s¿ryaraïmiktwa®", and the ensem-
08
ble of these six s¿ryaraïmi (sun-
rays) is called "swastika".
Apart from the scriptural descrip-
tions, the archeological findings,
especially inscriptions in the
ancient caves indicate the popu-
larity of swastika design in ancient
times. The paintings and stone
carvings found at Singhanpur
area in Raigardh, Baniya Beri in
Pachmari and several caves in the
Chambal and Sagar-Bhopal
regions are among the authentic
proofs available today in this
regard in India. Many of the
designs depict both the
dakïiñ³varta (clockwise) and the
v³m³varta (counterclockwise)
swastikas. Both the types are found
engraved on the coins of the Age
of Indus-civilization as well.
However, only the clockwise
swastika, which we have referred
so far, is found in the pictures or
inscriptions showing signs of
religious rituals; it is indeed this
type - the (vedic) swastika that is
used and worshipped in the
Hindu religious sacraments.
The counterclockwise swastika is
supposed to be used in some
tantrika practices; incidentally, the
'swastika' symbol adopted by the
Nazis is also of counterclockwise
type. As per renowned scholars
like Prof. Maxmuller, this anti-
clockwise design of swastika was
also favored in some orthodox
Christian churches and was
popular several hundred years
ago in England, and then in some
varied forms in Denmark,
Norway and Sweden. For exam-
ple, the related symbol
in Sweden had the arms
of the counterclockwise
swastika design
expanded and con-
nected to each other
along a circular contour;
which appears like a
cross embedded in a
circle. It should be noted
that in this article the
main focus of our
discussion is only the
vedic symbol (the
clockwise swastika).
Another scholar Mrs.
Murray remarks in the
volume entitled "Sym-
bolism of the East and
West" that the vedic
symbols encompass
deep and important
meanings. It is mostly
these symbols, which
were propagated in
different parts of the
globe; some changes and
diversions occurred and
got adopted with the
flow of time. These
variations are reflected
in several symbols used
in different religions of
the world. Swastika is a
vedic symbol which has
acquired a rich global
tradition and signifi-
cance.
According to Indian
Philosophy, the four
arms of swastika symbol-
ize the four Vedas, four
Varnas, four Ashrams,
Jan.-Feb. 2005
four Lokas and the four
deities - Brahma,
Vishnu, Mahesh (Shiva)
and Ganesha. Eminent
vedic scholar Pt.
Ramchandra Shastri
further cites that the
design of swastika
resembles a four-
petalled lotus (chaturdala
kamal) which symbolizes
the abode of Lord
Ganapati and is there-
fore worshiped in
religious ceremonies
and also enshrined at the
places of worship.
Several savants also
regard swastika as the
symbol of the Kaustubh
Mani present on the
chest of the embodied-
manifestations of God
Vishnu.
In Jainism, swastika is
revered as the symbol
associated with the
seventh tirthankar
Suparshvanath. The
followers of Jain religion
regard the four sides of
the swastika as symboliz-
ing the four possible
places where one could
be reborn or reside after
death. These abodes are
described as - the animal
or plant kingdom, the
earth, jºv³tm³ (soul in the
subtle body that awaits
rebirth) and the hell.
Imprints of swastika are
found inscribed in the
Buddhist Monasteries as
Jan.-Feb. 2005
well. It can also be found in the
houses of the Lamas and in some
temples in Tibet. In the views of
George Birdwood, the Buddhist
symbol of the wheel (lifecycle), the
cross of Greece, and the swastika,
all symbolize the sun. He further
refers swastika as among the most
ancient symbols that contains
sublime implications.
Prof. Maxmuller is among the
noted European scholars, who
had studied Sanskrit language
and the vedic literature and also
written commentaries there on.
Commenting on the global
propagation of the swastika
symbol, he once wrote in a letter to
Dr. Schloman indicating that --
this vedic symbol could be found
in Rome, Milan, Pompia perhaps
in almost every part of Italy, in
some ancient cities of England, at
several places in Hungary,
Greece, China, and in many other
parts of the world. He has also
supported the views of E.
Thomas, where the latter has
described swastika as a symbol of
the continuous motion of the sun
(and the solar system).
Prof. D. A. Mackenjee throws light
on several other implications of
this vedic symbol. His studies
indicate that apart from being an
important sign or code in the
ancient Indian astrological and
astronomical formulae, the
swastika was also used as a symbol
describing multiple meanings,
such as -- the birth-cycle, a flying
bird, and all-round progress. It
was a useful sign in commercial
records in the ancient times and a
symbol of fire, electricity, lighten-
ing, water, magnet, etc. Yet
another western researcher
opines that swastika, the symbol of
auspiciousness and well-being, as
designed by the Indian rishis
(sages) of the Vedic Age, was well
received and recognized by the
different civilizations across the
globe who adopted it in various
forms of similar designs. He views
that this symbol, likewise the
other marks of the Vedic Culture,
carries the spirit of enlightening
thoughts and wisdom, the flow of
which is eternal like that of the
divine values of this culture.
Many more aspects of knowledge,
deeper meanings and philosophi-
cal teachings and feelings and
effects might have been folded in
the distinctive and comprehen-
sive design of swastika. But at the
core of it lies the spirit of auspi-
ciousness and well-being of every
individual, every family, society,
nation, and the whole creation. It
therefore continues to be of
universal significance and
reverence. What is required is that
we grasp its implications and
adapt them in all walks of life. Let
the auspicious sentiments and
teachings encoded in the swastika
be expressed in our aspirations,
thoughts and deeds. Let swastika
not only be worshipped in our
shrines, let it also be enshrined in
our hearts and minds as the spirit
and light of saintly sentiments,
knowledge and wisdom.
09

Cosmology and Science of Nature in the Vedas - A Preview
D
ecipherment of the gene-
sis and manifestation of
Nature and Life, the origin
and structure of the Cosmos, and
the existence of its Creator, if any -
- has intrigued the human quest
ever since perhaps the first
impulse of thought in the human
mind. This very quest has inspired
the collective intellectual evolu-
tion of mankind and the advent
and expansion of scientific
research and development. In
other words, all the knowledge
generated, acquired and
expressed in the world is, explic-
itly or implicitly an overall out-
come of combined efforts of natu-
ral inquisitiveness of mankind
towards its own being and the con-
ception and cognition of the per-
ceivable and the non-perceivable
within the known dimensions of
the universe and beyond.
As the modern science is delving
deeper in its investigations from
the gross to the subtler forms of
existence in its attempt to unfold
the mysteries of Nature, we seem
to have stepped closer to the hori-
zons from where the Vedic seers
and sages (the rishis) had begun
their search. Still a lot remains
beyond the reach of the modern
scientific research. The peripher-
ies of its limitations are drawn by
10
Vedic Cosmology -1
the failures of the present theories
or findings in making further
breakthroughs or explaining the
yet unexplained by its own logic.
Vedic knowledge derived by the
intuitive quest and spiritual acu-
men of the rishis appears to be
obscure, poetic and of primitive
imagination to many of us today
because of our reasoning molded
in specific frame of logic as per the
norms prevailing today. To those
among us, who possess spiritual
inclinations and introvert experi-
ences, Vedic knowledge is a
reflection of highest core of sub-
lime realization and inner illumi-
nation. Interestingly though,
most of us have heard of and have
had the curiosity to know whether
and what the Vedic knowledge
says about -- the creation of
Nature, past, present and future of
the universe, existence of Life
within and beyond this world,
dimensions of time, etc? We also
want to know whether or not
there are proofs of scientific
advancement in the Vedic Age.
But, few of us might have had the
opportunity or access to read
authentic texts and studies in this
regard.
Scholarly treatises on ancient
scriptures often revolve around
linguistic decoding and historical
debates and interpreta-
tions with respect to the
modern references and
are therefore beyond the
reach of common read-
ers. Nevertheless,
because of its relevance
in human culture and a
philosophy of life lead-
ing to enlightened prog-
ress and welfare of all,
several saintly reformers
and sages of the modern
times including Swami
Vivekanand, Sri
Aurobindo1, and Pt.
Shriram Sharma
Acharya2-5 had dissemi-
nated Vedic scriptural
knowledge for the bene-
fits of wider class of peo-
ple across the world.
Motivated by this light,
comprehensive research
studies have also been
pursued on different
aspects of Vedic Culture
and Science by some
young researchers.
Gamut of reviews and
scholarly works of the
Indian, European and
other thinkers and
researchers around the
world are reported in
their dissertations with
authentic references6-7.
Jan.-Feb. 2005
This series will present Sagacious Greek philosopher significance in any respect. The
rare information on the Plato also points to the inexplica- researchers have tried to investi-
Vedas and elucidation of ble wonder that the creation of gate (c.f. Lee Smolin, “The Life of
the Science of Nature Nature is when he attributes the Cosmos”, pg. 12) -- What is the
and Cosmology in the emergence of Philosophy as an Universe? Is it infinite or finite? Is
Vedas based on collec- outcome of amazement (of the it eternal or did time begin at some
tive reviewing of the human mind over this astonishing first moment? If it began, when
above volumes. creation). Several thinkers define did it begin? For some the hypoth-
Philosophy itself as a scientific esis to be tested is - “If the universe
“Who created Nature mode of understanding the world is expanding, does this mean that
and How?” “What was in which we live. No wonder then, it had a beginning in time?” (c.f.
there before all the cre- that most of the Greek philoso- Peter Coveney and Rozer
ation?” “Who could phers and European thinkers Hightfield, “The Arrow of Time”,
know it when there was inspired by them had, ever since pg. 97). Interlinked with the big
no existence?” “Did the the times of Thales (the first question of our origin is that of the
divine powers of Nature known Greek philosopher), universe; as put by John Gribbin
manifest prior to all the attempted to understand, redis- in “Companion to the Cosmos”
existence? But where?” cover and interrelate the princi- (pg.1): Everybody is intrigued by
These intrinsic queries of ples of Nature with respect to the the story of our origin -- how the
the human mind are also contemporary hypotheses. The Universe came into being? Or, as
reflected vividly in some focus of their initial studies was Brian Greene writes (“The Elegant
hymns of the Vedas espe- referred in the Greek language by Universe”, pg. 345) -- Humans
cially the Rig-Veda. The the word “Cosmos” (original throughout history had a passion-
same quest of the rishis, word “kosmos” meaning: world) ate drive to understand the origin
together with their intu- and in Latin by “Universe” (origi- of the Universe. Scientific studies
itive realizations and nal universus = uni+versus, mean- motivated thereby are continuing
conceptualizations, is ing: combined into one, whole). since the middle of past millen-
reflected in the The seekers and thinkers of the nium, witnessing ever-increasing
Upanishads and the Six later Ages -- Democratus, Plato, zeal and greater rigor, with every
Darshans of Indian Aristotle, Saint Augustine, Bruno, new principle or theory derived
Philosophy. The Descartes, Spinoza, Kant, Hegel, from the previous ones….
s³dhan³s of the rishis of Herbert Spenser, to name a few --
our times like -- Swami contributed to speculating and Be that the Theory of Relativity
Vivekanand, Swami formulating the theory and princi- and the Big-Bang hypotheses of
Dayanand Saraswati, ples to explain different aspects the modern sciences versus the
the great yogi Sri pertaining to the universe, space, Vedic descriptions of “m³y³” and
Aurobindo, Vedmurti time, its creator, origin of life, exis- “evolutionary explosion in the
Pandit Shriram Sharma tence of matter, mankind and Hirañyagarbha”, etc, every mile-
Acharya, have also been related entities. stone of the modern endeavors
devoted to resolution of seems to be confirming the scien-
this eternal riddle and The scientific attempts at reveal- tific facets of the Vedic
unfolding of the infin- ing the secrets of Nature in the Philosophies of Nature and
ity…. modern times hsve been of no less
Jan.-Feb. 2005 11
seems to be confirming the scien-
tific facets of the Vedic
Philosophies of Nature and
Cosmology. Reviewing and
rediscovering the Vedic descrip-
tions and metaphors in new scien-
tific light is therefore both relevant
and important at this juncture
when the modern research
appears to have just started look-
ing into the semi-manifested
realms of the infinite reality.
Despite wide ranging differences
and debates about the source,
time and history of the Vedas and
their original records, availability,
nature, purpose, language and
interpretations, Vedas are unani-
mously regarded by the scholars
as the oldest existing repository of
knowledge. Vedas have always
been a topic of inquisitive interest
across the globe. Ever since the
known history of mankind, these
have been the focus of
inconsumable attraction for the
seekers of true knowledge. The
monumental scholarly reviews
and delineations on the Vedas
echo as though the infinity of
knowledge and timeless flow of
thoughts are encoded in these eter-
nal symbols of absolute enlighten-
ment.
Many of us often doubt the possi-
bility of scientific knowledge
being present in the hymns of the
Vedas and think that such infer-
ences drawn from some Vedic
hymns are imposed or argued by
12
Cosmology. Reviewing and
rediscovering the Vedic descrip-
tions and metaphors in new scien-
tific light is therefore both relevant
and important at this juncture
when the modern research
appears to have just started look-
ing into the semi-manifested
realms of the infinite reality.
Despite wide ranging differences
and debates about the source,
time and history of the Vedas and
their original records, availability,
nature, purpose, language and
interpretations, Vedas are unani-
mously regarded by the scholars
as the oldest existing repository of
knowledge. Vedas have always
been a topic of inquisitive interest
across the globe. Ever since the
known history of mankind, these
have been the focus of
inconsumable attraction for the
seekers of true knowledge. The
monumental scholarly reviews
and delineations on the Vedas
echo as though the infinity of
knowledge and timeless flow of
thoughts are encoded in these eter-
nal symbols of absolute enlighten-
ment.
Many of us often doubt the possi-
bility of scientific knowledge
being present in the hymns of the
Vedas and think that such infer-
ences drawn from some Vedic
hymns are imposed or argued by
deliberate interpretations of cer-
tain words or phrases of the
ancient language. According to
the views and reviews of
several western and
modern Indian research-
ers Vedic hymns seem to
be only obscure and
abrupt creations of an
uncivilized, barbarous
race of Aryans in the pre-
historic times; whereas
for some of these schol-
ars Vedic hymns are
merely some prayers
sung in an ancient lan-
guage by primitive
minds which, because of
ignorance, imagined
every component of
Nature as sublime and
some kind of creation of
invisible divine pow-
ers…. However none of
these erudite thinkers
and writers have been
able to elaborate upon --
how could and from
where did the most
splendid treatises of
supreme knowledge -
the Upanishads and the
epochal intellectual phi-
losophies - the Shat
Darshanas (including the
Yoga, Vaishashik, Nyaya,
Sankhya, Mimansa and
Vedant etc) originate?
The Upanishads, the Shat
Darshanas, the Tantra,
Puranas and gamut of
other Vedic Scriptures
which have emanated
from the Vedas, have
Jan.-Feb. 2005
been reputed sources of
not only some of the
world's richest and pro-
foundest religions, but
the subtlest metaphysi-
cal philosophies as well.
Their recognition as the
paramount sources of
ultimate spiritual
knowledge and elevated
culture has remained
unchallenged in the his-
tory of mankind. No cri-
tiques of Vedas have
been able to challenge
this fact. Not only the
sages and seers of the
modern times, but also
some of the great scien-
tists, the founders of
modern civilization
have acclaimed the
Vedas, Upanishads and
the Darshanas - espe-
cially Vedant Darshan, as
magnum opus of sub-
tlest depths of knowl-
edge, ultimate truth, sub-
lime illumination and
evolved self-culture.
Why then, are there so
many controversies
about the interpretations
of the Vedas and doubts
about the existence of
Vedic propositions
which contain, though in
a different mode of
expression, certain reali-
ties of Nature rediscov-
ered by the modern sci-
Jan.-Feb. 2005
ence? Well, this seems mainly
because of lack of comprehension
of the symbolic language of the
Vedic hymns, non-availability of
the complete collection of inter-
linked hymns, which have been
ignored by superficial and at
times prejudiced reviews of some
of the western scholars and their
Indian followers. One needs to
have awakened insight to attempt
grasping even a glimpse of intu-
itive knowledge encoded in the
Vedic scriptures. It is only after
diving deep in the ocean of Vedic
scriptures and stirring the inner
intellect to fathom the gist of
colossal knowledge hidden
therein that one attains the
enlightenment prerequisite to cog-
nition of the Vedas. As tren-
chantly explained by Sri
Aurobindo, the Vedic Word was a
seed of thought and vision by
which the rishis of Upanishads
rediscovered the old truth in new
form.
In Sri Aurobindo's words1 --
“Veda is the creation of an age
anterior to our intellectual philos-
ophies. In that original epoch
thought proceeded by other meth-
ods than those of our logical rea-
soning and speech, accepted
modes of expression, which in our
modern habits would be inadmis-
sible. The wisest then depended
on inner experience and the sug-
gestions of the intuitive mind for
all knowledge that ranged beyond
mankind's ordinary perceptions
and daily activities. Their aim was
illumination, not logical convic-
tion, their ideal the inspired seer,
not the accurate reasoner. Indian
tradition has faithfully preserved
this account of the origin of the
Vedas. The Rishi was not the indi-
vidual composer of the hymn, but
the seer (draÌÚ³) of an eternal truth
and an impersonal knowledge”.
“The language of Veda is ïruti, a
rhythm not composed by the
intellect but heard, a divine Word
that came vibrating out of the
Infinite to the inner audience of
the man who had previously
made himself fit for the imper-
sonal knowledge. The words
themselves, draÌÚi and ïruti, sight
and hearing, are Vedic expres-
sions; these and cognate words
signify, in the esoteric terminol-
ogy of the hymns, revelatory
knowledge and the contents of
inspiration”.
The sages like him who in the
Modern Age had acquired the
supernormal faculty and spiritual
acumen to grasp the mystic Vedic
knowledge have magnanimously
bestowed its scrupulous expres-
sion in the form intelligible to the
researchers of our times. The ded-
icated studies of the latter under
the sagacious guidance of their
spiritually elevated rishi-like mas-
ters have further explored and
deciphered the scientific facts con-
cealed in the ageless richness,
depth and subtlety of Vedic
13
knowledge. The present series of
articles in “Akhand Jyoti” is an
effort to explain collective essence
of these exemplary works with
special focus on what pertains to
some topics of natural inquisitive-
ness and general curiosity preva-
lent in the thinking minds of this
Age of Science.
Range of intriguing topics includ-
ing - Origin and form of the Vedas;
The language of Vedas and the
interpretations and commentaries
by ancient and modern reviewers
of global repute; Implications and
significance of Vedic Philosophy;
Modern scientific theories
encoded in the Vedic hymns and
metaphors; Scientific scrutiny of
the secrets of Genesis of Nature
and Cosmic creation hidden in
Vedic symbolism and rhetoric
depictions; and Comparisons of
the latter with modern theories
and results including the
Singularity Principle, Big-Bang
Theory, Quantum Theory, Bio-
Molecular Evolution, etc encapsu-
lated in the Vedas, will be cov-
ered successively in this series
with citations from major
authentic references.
References:
1. Sri Aurobindo: The Secrets of
the Veda (On the Veda - Part
I). Aurobindo Ashram,
Pondicherry. 1956
2. Acharya Pt. Shriram Sharma:
RigVed Samhita, Vol. I-IV.
14
Brahmvarchas Shantikunj,
Hardwar (India). 1994.
3. Acharya Pt. Shriram Sharma:
SamVed Samhita.
Brahmvarchas Shantikunj,
Hardwar (India). 1994.
4. Acharya Pt. Shriram Sharma:
YajurVed Samhita.
Brahmvarchas Shantikunj,
Hardwar (India). 1995.
5. Acharya Pt. Shriram Sharma:
AtharvaVed Samhita, Vol. I-II.
Brahmvarchas Shantikunj,
Hardwar (India). 1995.
6. Jayaswal Dr. Arun Kumar:
Vedic Sanskriti Ke Vividha
Ayam. Lalit Prakashan, New
Delhi. 2000.
7. Sharma Bhavna: Vedic Srishti
Vigyan. Amar Granth
Publications, Delhi. 2002.
(Series to be continued)
Once upon a time a
wealthy man came to
Lord Buddha. He had
accumulated immense
wealth but felt a deep
void within. He
narrated his inner sense
of nagging pain to Lord
Buddha. The Buddha
said-“You have given
importance to desire
ridden Karma and hard
work in your life but not
to feelings. By merely
listening to prayers,
religious discourses and
hymns, only our
thoughts get nurtured.
To remove the dryness
within share yourself
and your wealth with
the needy and the
suffering people. Go
amidst the orphans and
the poor people and
help them to become
self-reliant. Use your
talents and wealth in
noble deeds. Then you
will get true peace of
mind.” The wealthy
man acted accordingly.
He felt a miraculous
change in his life and
got such peace and
happiness, which he
had never felt before.
Jan.-Feb. 2005

· Be willing to face life
squarely and get down
beneath the surface of
life where the verities
and realities are to be
found.
· Life is a series of tests;
but if you pass your
tests, you look back
upon them as good
experiences.
· Concealed in every new
situation we face are a
spiritual lesson to be
learned and a spiritual
blessing for us if we
learn that lesson.
· Each season of life is
wonderful if you have
learned the lessons of
the season before. It is
only when you go on
with lessons unlearned
that you wish for a
return.
· When you perceive that
problems serve a
purpose in your life,
you will recognize that
problems are opportu-
nities in disguise.
· Every problem that
comes to us has a
purpose in our life.
Through problem
solving we learn and
grow.
Jan.-Feb. 2005
Peace Pilgrim's Wisdom
Right Attitude Toward Life
· If only you could see the whole
picture, if you knew the whole
story, you would realize that no
problem ever comes to you that
does not have a purpose in your
life, that cannot contribute to your
inner growth.
· Recognize all problems, no matter
how difficult, as opportunities for
spiritual growth, and make the
most out of these opportunities.
· If you did not face problems you
would just drift through life. It is
through solving problems in
accordance with the highest light
we have that inner growth is
attained.
· A life without problems would be a
barren existence, without the
opportunity for spiritual growth.
· Problems come when we live our
lives out of harmony with higher
laws- they come to push us toward
harmony.
· When societies are out of har-
mony, problems develop within
the society -collective problems.
Their purpose is to push the whole
society toward harmony.
· Collective problems must be
solved by all of us, collectively,
and no one finds inner peace who
avoids doing his or her share in the
solving of collective problems.
· Many common problems are
caused by wrong attitudes. People
see themselves as the center of the
universe and judge everything as
it relates to them. Naturally, you
won't be happy that way.
· You can only be happy when you
see things in proper perspective:
all human beings are of equal
importance in God's sight, and
have a job to do in the divine plan.
· It is an orderly universe, and the
suffering that comes to us has a
purpose in our lives -it is trying to
teach us something. We should
look for its lesson.
· Every experience is what you
make it and it serves a purpose. It
might inspire you, it might
educate you, or it might come to
give you a chance to be of service in
some way.
· No problem is set before us that,
with a proper attitude, we cannot
solve. If a great problem is set
before us, this indicates that we
have a great inner strength to
solve a great problem.
· You must learn to forgive yourself
as easily as you forgive others.
And then take a further step and
use all that energy that you used in
condemning yourself for improv-
ing yourself .
· Life is like a mirror. Smile at it and
it smiles back at you.
15
 Companions in Solitude-1
My Solitary Himalayan Seclusion and Purpose of Tap Sadhana
This pilgrimage travelogue marks a prominent milestone in Gurudev's long, incomparably stupen-
dous creative endeavour. In 1958, during his one-year self-imposed seclusion (Agyatvas) in
Uttrakhand Himalayas he contributed a series of articles for publication in Hindi monthly Akhand
Jyoti, titled 'Sadhak ki Diary ke kuchh Prishtha (Some pages from the diary of a sadhak). Later
these articles were compiled and published in book form as Sunsan ke sahchar (Companions in
Solitude). It is said that words used to cascade effortlessly out of Gurudev's pen, instinct with
matchless profundity, clarity and simplicity, directly inspired by Mother Saraswati, as a token of
Her Grace upon this beloved child of Hers. From this book one can have a feel of his inimitable,
moving, musical style of literary creativity. Now that Akhand Jyoti (Hindi) is going to complete 68
years of its life, let us remember, with deep gratitude and thanksgiving the contribution, the Yug
Rishi made through his magically facile pen towards inspiring, guiding and exhorting millions of
way-lost souls to rise, awake and start on their pilgrimage towards the Indwelling Light and know
their true identity as sons and daughters of Immortality (Amritasya Putrah). We hope the English
version of this book, which is being brought to the readers of this magazine through this series of
articles, will be equally inspiring, uplifting and illuminating for the environmentalists, the nature
lovers and the spiritual seekers.
-Editor

T
he power of Tap (penance) is
immense. Tap means heat. So
penance means heating up the
self for purification. The greatest
of all the powerful elements in this
world have their roots in Tap or
heat. Sun heats itself up. Thus it is
the Lord of the solar system,
providing life-energy to all
beings. The heating up of the
atmosphere in the hot summer
results in benevolent rains that
provide relief, happiness and
prosperity. When gold is heated it
becomes pure and bright, enhanc-
ing its value. All the metals
coming out of the mines in the
form of ores are impure mixture of
dirt, dust and stones. But when
melted by heat, the pure metal
separates itself from dross and
becomes valuable. The unbaked
pots, utensils and toys made of
unbaked clay get broken even
when slightly hit. But when baked
in kiln they become red and
strong; and earthen bricks baked
in kilns become strong like stones.
The soft limestones become
cement when processed by heat
and the structures prepared with
it last for long durations.
The ordinary mica, when heated
hundred times in fire, becomes
Chandroday Ras, an invaluable
Ayurvedic medicine.
Only when purified on
fire several times, the
metals become valuable
Bhasma, Rasayan etc. that
provide cure and
healing for serious
diseases. Ordinary
grains, pulses and
vegetable in their raw
states are tasteless,
uneatable and indigest-
ible. But when cooked on
fire they become tasty
and easily digestible.
The soiled dirty clothes,
when heated in the
washerman's boiler, are

16 Jan.-Feb. 2005
washed clean and
spotless. The foods we
take in are digested by
the fire in the stomach
(in the form of pancreatic
secretions) and help
produce blood, bones
and marrow that build
up and sustain our
bodies. If the purifica-
tion in fire or the process
of heating is stopped, all
the processes of nature
will come to halt.
All the functions of
creation are going on
only because of heating
up of nature. The latent
potential in the creations
mani fests i tsel f i n
various forms of Tap like
energy, valour, courage,
enthusiasm, knowledge,
science and so on.
Mother nourishes the
embryo in the uterus by
her body heat and gives
birth to the b a b y .
Whosoever endeav-
oured to rise above the
humdrum, lazy, indo-
lent state had had to take
up Tap. All the brave
men and women who
have left their imprint on
the pages of history have
had to undergo Tap in
their own way. Similarly
the chosen few from
amongst the farmers,
students, labourers,
Jan.-Feb. 2005
scientists, administrators, schol-
ars, industrialists, and artisans
who have made some great
contribution in their respective
fields could do so because of their
extraordinary hard work, perse-
verance, devotion and Tap. Had
they remained dull, lazy and
inactive and indulged in ease,
comfort, lavishness and merri-
ment, they could never have
reached the heights they attained
by their tireless toil and persever-
ance. Of all the energies, spiritual
energy is the purest and greatest.
It also implies that wealth of
spiritual enlightenment is supe-
rior to all the worldly wealth.
Even with ordinary power of
wealth, wisdom and might,
people achieve enormous prog-
ress and happiness, but the
achievements of those who have
gained spiritual enlightenment
are many times greater. The
difference between the worldly
wealth and spiritual wealth is the
same as between brass and gold or
glass and gem. There are a lot of
people who are rich, virtuous,
powerful rulers, scholars and
artists. But they cannot be com-
pared to the great souls who not
only elevated themselves but also
contributed immensely for the
betterment of the world through
their spiritual attainments. In
ancient times too, those who
wanted their children to be
endowed with virtuous qualities
like hard work, perseverance,
patience, peace, truthfulness,
compassion and wisdom used to
send them to the Gurukuls, (seats
of learning under the guidance of
Gurus) so that they could be well
groomed to inculcate such virtues
and be able to face the hardships,
hard realities and challenges of
life unflinchingly, confidently and
boldly.
Whenever and wherever any
great thing has been accom-
plished in this world, there was
inevitably the power of penance
behind it. Our country has been
the land of gods and god-like
humans. The land of Bharat was
called Paradise on Earth. It was
also in the forefront of humanity
in terms of wealth, knowledge
and valour. The credit for attain-
ing this peak of progress is
attributed to the unshakeable
adherence to noble-aimed
penance of its people of yore. The
lazy, selfish, amorous, pompous
and greedy people have always
been looked down with contempt
and considered inferior by the
basic Indian culture. The great-
ness of the power of Tap was truly
understood and imbibed
throughout the golden ages of our
history making them the torch-
bearers of spiritual, ethical and
moral values of humanity as also
rich in worldly prosperity.
If we go through the past history
of Bharat i.e. India, it will become
evident that the multifaceted prog-
ress of this land has been based on
17
penance and its adoption. Lord
Brahma, the creator of this uni-
verse, performed Upasana of
Gayatri for hundred years, sitting
on the lotus emerging out of the
navel of Lord Vishnu, before
embarking on his mission of cre-
ation. Manu, the ancient sage,
who framed the ancient ethical
and moral code of conduct for
human society, was able to accom-
plish the great assignment only
after performing penance along
with his wife Shatroopa. Lord
Shankar is himself the embodi-
ment of Tap. Shesh, symbolised as
the Serpent, is carrying the weight
of this earth on his head by the
power of Tap.
Saptarishis, the seven pre-eminent
Rishis in ancient India, performed
Tap of immense proportions, as
the result of which they became
immortal and are now shining in
the sky as seven stars. Brahaspati,
the guru of the gods and
Shukracharya the guru of demons
were able to guide and protect
their pupils by the power of their
tap.
The superhuman capabilities of
Vishwamitra, who brought into
manifestation a new creation, and
Vashishtha, who had been giving
guidance to several generations of
the kings of Raghu dynasty lay in
Tap Sadhana. Once king
Viswamitra, along with his troop
of soldiers, visited Vashishtha in
his hermitage in the forest. The
18
latter instantly arranged a sump-
tuous fare befitting the guest and
his entourage, despite there hav-
ing been no visible materials or
facilities for the purpose. Seeing
this, Vishwamitra was awestruck.
This was made possible through
the miraculous powers of
Kamdhenu cow kept by Rishi
Vashishtha in his Ashram. Later,
Vishwamitra invaded the Ashram
of the Rishi to get hold of the
divinely blessed cow but he was
defeated by the unarmed
Vashishtha again with the help of
Kamdhenu. Vishwamitra then
declared that a king's formidable
might is powerless before the
power of Brahma tej of a Rishi and
he renounced his kingdom and
took to the path of tap for the rest
of his life.
In order to rescue his forefathers
condemned to hell and to quench
the thirst of the parched land and
thereby ensure the well being of
the people, it became necessary
for Bhagirath to bring Ganga from
heaven to earth. This was not pos-
sible by any worldly efforts. So,
intense penance was the only way.
Moved by his hard painstaking
and untiring penance holy Ganga
agreed to come down to earth, for
which Lord Shiva had to be per-
suaded to bear the enormous
impact of torrential Ganga on his
matted head. Only superhuman
Tap could accomplish this descent
of holy Ganga on Earth.
Rishi Chyawan (an emi-
nent scholar of Ayurved
in ancient India) had
been engrossed in Tap
for such a long time that
white ants made an
anthill of his body. While
passing by it, princess
Sukanya saw two glitter-
ing objects through the
holes of the anthill,
which she pierced with
thorns (and they began
bleeding). The shining
objects were nothing else
but the eyes of rishi
Chyawan. He had to
undertake this intense
tap to prove his eligibil-
ity for the share of
boundless energy of the
Spirit, by awakening the
latent energy centres in
the etheral body.
Right from birth,
Shukdev (a great saint
and scholar of
Mahabarat period) was
of meditative and con-
templative nature. It was
his conviction that the
best use of this rare gift
of human body is to
awaken dormant spiri-
tuality indwelling the
human soul. He kept
himself away from the
worldly temptations
and got engrossed in
self-awakening instead.
Jan.-Feb. 2005
Dhruva a prince who
took to Tap in early child-
hood and is known as
the legendary star in the
galaxy, attained highest
spiritual heights
through Tap. Had he
lived a life of pleasure
and merriment, like ordi-
nary princes, he would
not have been able to
become the ever-shining
star of the heavens and
thus attaining immortal-
ity. Worldwide fame
and a vast kingdom also
came to him effortlessly
and unasked. Rishi
Kanad, who lived on bro-
ken grains scattered here
and there on the ground
and Valmiki, who lived
on the white juice of
Banyan tree, were
deprived of worldly plea-
sures. But what they got
in exchange of their Tap
was far greater than the
greatest of mundane
gains.
During their time
Buddha and Mahavir,
the founders of
Buddhism and Jainism,
also took recourse to Tap
as the unfailing weapon
to help the people get rid
of sorrows and suffer-
ings. They transformed
the atmosphere of evil
and violence into one of
Jan.-Feb. 2005
peace and compassion. It is con-
sidered easy and proper to sup-
press evil with the might of arms.
But they are not found as effective
as the might of Tap. The axe of
Parshuram (which he got by Tap)
proved to be a far more effective
weapon than all the superior
weaponry for eliminating the
unjust kings. The anger of Rishi
Agastya could not be borne by the
poor ocean. In three gulps
Agastya consumed the entire
water of the ocean. When the gods
were constantly getting defeated
at the hands of demons, Rishi
Dadhichi sacrificed himself and
offered his powerful bones with
which the heavenly weapon of
Vajra was made, enabling Indra to
defeat the demons and restore
peace and happiness in the godly
realm.
In ancient times, only those who
were endowed with patience and
endurance were considered eligi-
ble for education. Only such peo-
ple could do justice to knowledge
by its application for the welfare
of mankind, apart from meeting
their own minimal needs. But
today education is monopolised
by the greedy and the acquisitive,
which misuse it. It is the so-called
educated class, which has become
a curse for humanity, creating
problems of all sorts. In the olden
days the parents used to send their
children to Gurukuls (hermitages
where students had to stay and
work while undergoing real edu-
cation) in order to cultivate nobil-
ity in them. In a Gurukul the
Master (Guru) used to put them to
various tests of endurance for
quite some time and only after a
student had passed this primary
test was he considered eligible for
receiving formal education. The
readers might be acquainted with
the stories of Rishis like Dadhichi,
Uddalak, Aruni and innumerable
others who had to pass through
such stringent tests of endurance.
Brahmacharya (Celibacy) has been
considered an important part of
self-control. The unmatched
might of Hanuman and the
supreme valour of Bhishma, who
remained celibates throughout
their lives, are known to all. Adi
Shankaracharya, Swami
Dayanand and many other great
men had been able to do great ser-
vice to mankind due to the con-
served energy of celibacy. In the
olden days there were many mar-
ried men who observed controlled
continence even while leading
married lives.
On acquiring inner power, the her-
mits used it not only for their own
benefit, but spent a part of it for
upliftment of their disciples.
Rama and Krishna, by undergo-
ing studentship at the hermitages
of Rishi Vishwamitra and Rishi
Sandipani respectively, got their
personalities so developed that
they came to be called Avatars of
God. An ordinary Maratha boy,
19
by getting trained by his illustri-
ous Guru Ramdas, became
Chhatrapati Shivaji. Through the
infusion of a small dose of divine
power of Ramkrishna Paramhans,
an atheist youth named Narendra
became great Swami
Vivekananda, who took the mes-
sage of Vedic Sanatan Dharma to
all corners of the world. Indra, the
king of gods, who was wandering
in search of shelter from the
attacking demons, was enabled to
defeat the demons by Dadhichi,
the great rishi, who gave his own
bones for making the powerful
weapon Vajra. A Dacoit Ratnakar
became saint Valmiki through
brief impartation of self-
knowledge from Narad Muni.
Those who wished to have worthy
children born to them have also
been benefited by the blessings of
hermits. King Dasharatha, who
did not have a child even after
three marriages, was blessed with
four sons by performance of
Putrakameshti yagya by Rishi
Shringi. Having had no child for a
long-time, king Dilip along with
his wife tended the cows of Rishi
Vashishtha, with whose blessings
a child was born to them, thus sav-
ing the dynasty from extinction.
When Pandu in Mahabharat period
became impotent, his two wives,
Kunti and Madri, gave birth to
five illustrious sons through the
blessings of Rishi Vyas. About
Jawaharlal Nehru it is said that
Motilal Nehru, who was worried
20
about having no child for a long
time, was blessed by a Rishi of the
Himalayas, who shed his body for
fulfilling Motilal's wish. Many
sons of rishis used to be born with
the attributes of their parents'
power of Tap and in the childhood
itself used to perform such feats,
which were difficult even for their
elders. Shringi, the son of Rishi
Lomash, on seeing a dead serpent
thrown around his father's neck,
cursed that whoever had done the
heinous act would die of serpent
bite within seven days. The curse
of the Rishi's son did materialise
and king Parikshit, who had done
the misdeed, did die of serpent
bite on the 7th day, despite elabo-
rate precautionary measures.
The pages of ancient history are
replete with instances of exactly
desired outcomes of such curses
and blessings. As the punishment
for unwillingly killing Shravan
Kumar by his arrow, king
Dasharath was cursed by the
father of the boy that he too would
die of the pain of parting of his
son. True to the hermit's words
Dasharath did die of the unbear-
able pain of parting of Rama. Even
gods were powerless to nullify the
effect of curses of Rishis. Indra, the
king of gods, and god Moon, too,
had to suffer from the curse of
Rishi Gautam. The ten thousand
sons of King Sagar had to die in
fire for incurring the wrath of
Kapil Muni. When pleased, the
Rishis too, like gods, used to
shower their blessings
and innumerable people
got rid of their sufferings
and experienced peace
and happiness.
Not only men, but spiri-
tually exalted women of
ancient India also under-
took immensely difficult
Tap. The incomparably
arduous Tap of Parvati
compelled Shiva,
(whose fire of wrath
burnt to ashes Madan,
the god of love, for dis-
turbing his trance, a state
in which he always liked
to remain), to marry her.
Anusooya, on the
strength of her power of
Tap, transformed
Brahma, Vishnu and
Mahesh, into small kids.
Sukanya restored youth
for her old husband.
Savitri brought back to
life her dead husband
Satyavan, from the
clutches of Yama, the
king of Death. Kunti
gave birth to a son as glo-
rious as the Sun himself
by worshipping the Sun
god, when she was a vir-
gin. Enraged Gandhari
cursed Krishna that his
tribe would also become
extinct in the same man-
ner, as had her sons,
grandsons and their
accomplices. Her words
Jan.-Feb. 2005
proved true. The entire
yadava clan was killed
through internecine bat-
tles. The hunter was
burnt to death by the fire
of wrath emanating
from Damayanti's eyes.
Ida helped her father in
completing his Yagya
and getting his desire
fulfilled. All these won-
derful results are the
manifestations of the
power of Tap of women.
Like gods and Rishis, the
demons too had mas-
tered the power of Tap.
They also performed pro-
found penances and
acquired boons, which
could not be achieved
even by Rishis and gods.
Ravana in the course of
his profound Sadhana,
offered in sacrificial fire
his own head several
times to Lord Shiva and
was given the boon of
invincibility and condi-
tional immortality by the
Lord. So pleased was He
by Ravana's Tap.
Kumbhakarna also had
got his special wish for
sleeping and awaking
for six months alter-
nately fulfilled due to
penance. Meghnad,
Ahiravan and Mareechi
had gained magical pow-
ers due to Tap.
Jan.-Feb. 2005
Bhasmasur had gained, by his Tap,
the power of killing anyone by
merely touching the victim's
head. The valour of demons like
Hiranya-kashyap, Sahashrabahu,
Baali etc. was also the result of
Tapa. Many demon ladies like
Tadaka, who was a headache to
Vishwamitra and Lord Rama;
Pootna, who attempted to kill
Krishna; Sursa who tried to swal-
low down Hanuman; Trijata, who
entertained Sita by her numerous
tricks to lessen her sorrow; were
renowned for possessing great
occult powers.
Leafing through the pages of the
history of India one comes across
numerous such instances where
ordinary human beings had
astounded the world by their
amazing deeds of benevolence to
humanity, besides self
upliftment, by their power of Tap.
Even in the present era, the works
done by enlightened souls like
Mahatma Gandhi, Sant Vinoba,
Rishi Dayanand, Meera, Kabir,
Dadu, Tulsidas, Soordas, Raidas,
Sri Aurobindo, Maharshi Raman,
Ramkrishna Paramhans,
Ramtirth, etc. have been of revolu-
tionary dimensions. From the
very beginning, I, too, have
adopted this path of Tap. I have
utilized the power gained from
the hard Tap of Gayatri
Mahapurashcharanas for the wel-
fare of the world. As a result, innu-
merable persons made material
and spiritual progress of high
order through my instrumental-
ity. Many are the people who got
rid of their pains, sufferings, sor-
rows and worries.
Simultaneously, commendable
works were also accomplished
towards moral and ethical and
social transformation. The pledge
to prepare 24 lakhs of Gayatri
sadhaks and to perform Yagyas of
24 thousand Kunds was so enor-
mous that it was not possible to
complete it by hundreds of people
working together for many gener-
ations. Yet all this was smoothly
done within a matter of days. The
construction of Gayatri
Tapobhoomi at Mathura, the organ-
ising of Gayatri pariwar and the
translation and publication of the
Vedas and their commentaries
can be seen as the manifestation of
the power of Tap.
-
I have decided to pursue intense
Tap in future too. So no one need
be surprised if I devote entire
future years of my life for Tap-
sadhana. I have realised fully well
that the importance of Tap is
greater than the greatest worldly
achievements. A jeweller does not
exchange glass pieces for gems.
My decision to pursue the path of
Tap in preference to hankering
after mundane pleasures may dis-
please the members of my family
and relatives; but in due time they,
too, will realise that my decision
was wise and foresighted.
The work which the politicians
21
and scientists are engaged in at
present is only fanning the fire of
mutual hatred and distrust and
might lead to mass-scale annihila-
tion of humanity by weapons of
mass destruction. Forceful and
effective voices advocating peace,
harmony, love and brother-sister-
hood of all humanity are rare and
are almost inaudible in devilish
din of violence, strife, hatred
based on race, religion, region,
culture, etc. Such noble virtues
surcharged with transforming
energy cannot be designed and
developed in the seats of political
power or in the laboratories of sci-
entists. Even in ancient times,
when such a need arose, the weap-
ons of peace were forged in the
laboratories of hermitages by
resorting to Tap-Sadhana. In the
present time, too, many great
souls are quietly engaged in this
work.
Many efforts are being made to
make human life and the world a
heavenly abode for all sentient
beings. Many industries, busi-
nesses, factories, means of trans-
port, dams, schools, hospitals etc.,
are being built up. It is expected
that these efforts will help solve
the problems of poverty, disease
and illiteracy to some extent. But
unless the virtues of love, brother-
hood, compassion, generosity,
faith in Divinity, restraint, and
service are operative in human
consciousness, no effort in the
direction of universal peace will
22
succeed. So long as highly and
nobly evolved souls like Gandhi,
Dayanand, Buddha, Mahavir,
Narad, Vyas do not appear on the
scene to inspire and provide guid-
ance, it is impossible to elevate the
mass mind to a higher plane of
consciousness. Until the public
thinking is not refined and ele-
vated, until pure and idealistic
feelings are not generated, the raw
urges of hatred, enmity, grabbing,
adultery, laxity, and sinful deeds
cannot be flushed out from public
behaviour. Till then there will be
no respite from the suffering of
pain, strife, disease and poverty.
It is necessary to charge the atmo-
sphere with subtle spiritual cur-
rent of transforming energy so
that moral forces could develop,
sublimating human character at
its base. This can .be achieved only
through Tapa-Sadhana of special
nature performed by highly ele-
vated souls. This is the greatest
service to humanity, religion and
culture. Today its need is urgently
felt, for, with the passing of time,
evil forces will overwhelm us and
lead to colossal disaster.
This call of the Time Spirit has com-
pelled me to take the present step.
I have been doing Gayatri Upasana
regularly for six hours daily from
the- day of Yagyopaveet Sanskar.
But it is not enough for achieving
great goals. It calls for tremendous
energy of Tap. So it has become
necessary to perform intense, con-
centrated Tap for one
year by staying in that
area in the Himalayas
where Rishis perform
their Tapa. This Sadhana
is not intended for per-
sonal benefits. I have
never longed for heaven
or salvation and will
never do so either. I have
pledged umpteen times
to work for the uplift-
ment of human dignity.
So then, how come the
question of escapism?
Universal welfare is my
welfare. It is with this
aim that I have taken this
step to melt myself in the
intense heat of Tap.
The weight of our body
is borne by our feet. If
the feet are weak then
it would be difficult to
walk and stand up. Our
stomach does the work
of digesting the food. If
our digestive system
gets spoilt then it
would be impossible to
digest our food with
the help of someone
else's stomach. It is
essential to study on
our own to get
education. A person
gets happiness and
sorrow as a result of his
own good and bad
deeds. We are makers
of our own destiny.
Jan.-Feb. 2005
 Wonder
Abstracted from Catherine Ingram's universally acclaimed book- Passionate Presence. Published with
glad consent of the author. Catherine is a world-renowned Dharma teacher. She is also the author of In
the footsteps of Gandhi: Conversations with spiritual/social activists. Catherine considers late Sri
Hariwansh Lal Poonja (Papaji) as her last teacher. Poonjaji was one of the foremost disciples of
Ramana Maharshi. Acknowledged with gratitude. -Editor

“Our situation on this
earth seems strange.
Every one of us appears
here involuntarily and
uninvited, for a short
stay, without knowing
why. To me it is enough to
wonder at the secrets.”
- Albert Einstein
A friend of mine bought a
telescope for his eight-
year-old daughter, and on
a full moon night they set
it up in the backyard. He
fixed the lens on the moon
so that it took up the
entire view and had his
daughter take a look.
Astonished at the sight,
his daughter said, “ Look,
Dad, the moon is mov-
ing." Her father explained
to her that the moon was
indeed moving around
the earth, just as the earth
was moving around the
sun, In a moment of reve-
lation, the wide-eyed girl
exclaimed, "Oh my god,
we're in space!"
We may be equally fasci-
nated by what we can
know in form and what
we can sense in formless-
ness. The Dalai Lama, though dedi-
cated to a lifelong study of medita-
tion and dharma, has always loved
to know the workings of mechanical
things. In a documentary called
Compassion in Exile, he is seen taking
apart watches in order to put them
together again while cheerfully
explaining that it is his way of relax-
ing.
A fascination for Einstein revolved
around something that we take for
granted but don't actually under-
stand. “For the rest of my life, " he
said I want to reflect on what light
is." Who knows what will turn us
on? Whatever it may be, when we
are soaring in wonder we are con-
nected to the divine. In awakened
awareness we trust our fascination
to be an aspect of existence wanting
to know itself through another
aspect of existence, like facets of a
jewel, each intrigued by the other's
color. When our attention is not wea-
ried by neurosis, it is free to hover
around whatever strikes its fancy.
One's awareness mingles with its
object of interest and there is that
wonderful feeling of forgetting one-
self that is actually a remembered
aliveness. This is what is meant
when we say we are lost in some-
thing we love. "She was lost in
painting for hours. He was lost in
his woodworking project." "They
were lost in each other's eyes." The
direct experience is actually that we
are whole and fully present, not lost
but found. We are not obsessing
about our small sense of self, so it is
only the constricted sense of I that is
"lost". What is found is a greater
sense of being.
A mind released from self-
obsession and limiting beliefs is
freed for fascination, for wonder,
for love. In fact, in awakened aware-
ness fascination is a form of love, a
desire to experience oneself more
fully in the limitless exploration of
"other." Our awareness is forced to
enlarge itself to accommodate the
new, and widening the awareness
in this way is exhilarating, like
removing a tight suit and slipping
into pajamas.
Finally it is this love of feeling that
drive fascination---feeling our-
selves anew, enlarged by under-
standing and empathy, enlivened
by curiosity. In awakened aware-
ness there is no shunning of fascina-
tion. It is a welcomed aspect of pas-
sion; a way to know that we are fully
alive.
( To be continued)

Jan.-Feb. 2005 23
 The Science of Mantras
- Makes Possible the Impossible
H
ealing by mantras is an
important aspect of the sci-
ence of occultism. It can pro-
vide healing even in incurable-
looking diseases, remedy person-
ality disorders and enable one to
overcome the greatest of difficul-
ties. The impossible becomes pos-
sible; the unachievable is made
achievable. The true adepts in the
theory and practice of this science
are capable of yoking the powers
of nature favorably and positively
modifying the course of destiny.
What is mantra? The literal answer
is “manan³t tr³yate iti mantra” i.e.
that whose contemplation gives
succor is mantra. It is a unique and
potent combination of syllables,
which is capable of stirring and
illuminating the subliminal world
of consciousness. Many define
mantra as an uplifting, energy-
charged sublimated thought cur-
rent. For example, G³yatrº
Mah³mantra is the most sacred and
sublime thought in the whole cre-
ation. In it, prayer has been made
to the Divine symbolized as Sun
on behalf of whole of humanity
for the gifts of righteousness and
enlightened intelligence. But the
intellectual understanding of the
meaning of mantra, although
good, is not in itself sufficient to
make it efficacious. It does not
encompass all the variegated
24
dimensions of a mantra. A mantra
may have a meaning, or it may not
have one. It may be sublime
thought, or it may not be. Many
times, the arrangement of its sylla-
bles is such as to give out a mean-
ing, while at other times, this con-
struction is so haphazard that no
intelligible meaning can be made
out of it.
As a matter of fact, a mantra is not
created with any specific meaning
or thought in mind. Its sole pur-
pose is to devise a method for
accessing, attracting and absorb-
ing a specific current of the cosmic
energy and its purposeful har-
nessing. Whatever be the mantra -
vedic, puranic or tantric - its mecha-
nism is the same. It would be appo-
site here to also keep in mind that
creation or construction of a man-
tra is not an intellectual process.
However talented or brilliant a
person may be, he cannot create
mantras. It is the job of only the
rishis and seers, whose divine
vision is capable of peeping into
the subtlest realms.
These adept s³dhaks, through their
s³dhan³, see the specific currents
of the cosmic energy whose pre-
siding deities, called gods or god-
desses, make them manifest. The
configuration of the mantra is
revealed in the s³dhak's inner con-
sciousness as a reflection
of this manifestation. We
may call it the word-
image of the energy cur-
rent or devashakti (deity-
power). In mantra vidya
(science), it is called the
seed mantra of a particu-
lar devashakti. Which
aspect and for which pur-
pose this energy-mode
of the devashakti has to be
captured and borne
determines the develop-
ment of other mantras of
this particular deity.
That is why, there can be
many mantras of a partic-
ular god or goddess.
Each one of these
mantras is capable of ful-
filling the specific pur-
pose associated with it.
The methodology of a
mantra's functioning is
novel. As the specific
phase of its s³dhan³ is
completed, it connects
the s³dhak's inner con-
sciousness with the spe-
cific cosmic energy cur-
rent or devashakti. But
this is one aspect of its
function. In its other
aspect, it simultaneously
makes the s³dhak quali-
Jan.-Feb. 2005
fied and fit to receive this
special power. By mantra
- s³dhan³, certain secret
recesses or zones of the
s³dhak's interior become
activated, and he
becomes capable of
receiving, bearing and
harnessing those subtle
energies. Only then the
mantra is said to have
become siddha (accom-
plished or mastered).
This mantrasiddhi does
not come by mere rote
chanting or mechanical
repetition. This explains
why a good many per-
sons even after years of
s³dhan³ of a mantra have
to meet with disappoint-
ment. Either they get no
result at all or only par-
tial and negligible result.
The fault lies not with
the mantra but with the
s³dhak. It is important to
bear in mind that any
mantra- s³dhan³ requires
the s³dhak to attune his
life to the peculiar nature
of the mantra. Apart
from strict observance of
the rules of mantra-
s³dhan³, he is also
required to conform his
diet and dress, speech
and conduct to the tem-
perament and nature of
the deity. For example,
white dress may be
Jan.-Feb. 2005
essential in one case while in
another it could be yellow.
If everything is performed cor-
rectly, siddhi of the mantra is inevi-
table. Mantra siddhi means ener-
gies of the Mantra becoming active
in the arena of s³dhak's inner con-
sciousness. This condition may be
roughly likened to a hard working
farmer digging a long canal and
bringing the waters of a great river
to his fields. Just as completion of
the canal leads to his whole agri-
cultural lands being permanently
irrigated and saturated with
waves of water, even so, after
Siddhi of the Mantra the energy
flow of Devashakti keeps gushing
and pouring every moment into
the inner consciousness of the
s³dhak. He can employ this force
according to his resolve. He can
cure incurable ailments by the
potency of specific mantras.
Swami Nigamanand of West
Bengal was one such Mantra-
Siddha sage. He had mastered
many Mantras and Mahamantras.
His voice, glance, resolve, touch-
were all miraculous. His mere
resolve cured dying patients.
Once this great soul went to a vil-
lage Sumerpukur. It was dusk
turning to darkness. There was an
ominous silence in the air. The peo-
ple looked sad and dejected.
Enquiry revealed that one
Mahendralal, son of one of the vil-
lage's moneylenders, Ishwardhar,
had been seriously ill for many
months. That particular day his
condition had turned precarious
and it appeared that he would not
survive the night. The village
vaidya (healer) had given up all
hopes.
Swamiji proceeded to the house of
Ishwardhar. The inhabitants first
mistook the monk for a routine
seeker of food and shelter and
pleaded their inability to serve
him that day. Nigamanand
assured them: “Do not worry. I
have come here not to get any ser-
vice but to offer one”. The house-
holders were skeptical but never-
theless met his demands of certain
articles of worship. Nigamanand
sat near the dying patient and
closed his eyes, a faint quiver on
his lips.
After some time, Mahendralal
opened his eyes, his face started
regaining colour and within an
hour or so he sat up and asked for
water to drink. That night, he slept
well; the next day he ate meals of
his choice. All were awe-struck at
this miracle. The elderly village
vaidya asked: “Which medicine
could achieve this wonder'?
Nigamanand replied: “Vaidyaraj,
it is not the effect of any medicine,
but of mantra, the mantra of the
Divine Mother”. When all medi-
cines fail, all worldly efforts prove
futile, it is the mantra alone which
can breathe life into the dying.
Mantra - healing done by a true
Mantra-Siddha never fails.
25
 Ayurvedic Therapies - 1
Ayurvedic Therapies: New Frontiers of Alternative &
Complementary Medicine
Ayurveda - the Vedic Science of Health, is being seen by many as the leading mode of Alternative and
Complementary Medicine and Therapy in the future because of its comprehensive approach to the
mind-body system. In the earlier series of articles on useful health-tips from Ayurveda, we had
looked at the daily routine and diet control as prescribed in the Ayurvedic scriptures for prevention
of diseases and attainment of natural health. Now we shall focus on some of the therapeutic aspects
of this ancient medical science.

Our major objective in presenting this new series on Ayurvedic Therapies is to provide new informa-
tion on Himalayan herbal medicines based on first of its kind research carried out at the
Brahmvarchas Research Centre, Shantikunj, Hardwar (India). In this first article of the series, we
shall briefly review the overall status and expanding acceptance of Ayurveda worldwide in recent
times. From next issue onwards, a series of articles is planned to be published which will cover "De-
coction Therapy". The latter has been extensively studied and applied in the Kadha Lab of this cen-
tre. Thousands of people have been benefited from this therapy and got rid of diseases of different
types and severity. Following this will be a series of articles on yagya-based herbal healing and
vibrant health. Rare knowledge from the scriptures will be presented here; pioneering experimental
research in this field is also going on in the Yagyopathy Lab of Brahmvarchas centre.
- Editor
Interpretations of the scriptures Atharva Veda, while a few also views of Maharshi
imply that Ayurvedic mode of cite it as an upaveda of the Riga Charak who also discov-
healing was derived from rich Veda. Both affirm it as a Vedic ered this eternal natural
field of sublime knowledge and science of ³yu (life-span) and science through inner
high quality, comprehensive sci- hence as the first science of medi- realization. He defined
ence of medicine. It is said that cine and health. it as - "Hit³hita® Sukha®
this Vedic knowledge descended Du¡kham³yustasya
(realized through the vision of the Hit³hitam | M³naócha
rishis) with the advent of life on Maharshi Shushrut and Maharshi Tachcha Yatroktam
Earth. It is said to have been pro- Charak are revered as the great Âyurveda¡ Sa Uchyate |".
pounded by Lord Brahma - the rishis (vedic sages) who founded Meaning: Ayurveda is
Supreme Creator - Himself, and is Ayurvedic Therapy. They stud- the name of that Shastra
therefore regarded as originating ied, experimented and brought its (Vedic Scripture), which
from eternal knowledge. It is original knowledge into healing deals with the under-
referred in the Vedic literature as a practice for the integrated well- standing of the happi-
sub-Veda (upaveda). Most scholars being of the world. Maharshi ness and sorrows, auspi-
of Vedic disciplines have recog- Shushrut referred it as a primor- cious and unauspicious
nized it as emanating from dial science. Similar were the aspects of life, and which

26 Jan.-Feb. 2005
also deciphers and ana-
lyzes, in detail, the
causes, symptoms and
remedies of what is
good, suitable and sup-
portive for healing and
health.
As the above definition
indicates, Ayurvedic
approach takes into
account all aspects of an
individual's life that
directly or indirectly
affect his physical and
mental wellbeing and
accordingly provides
the benefits of preven-
tive as well as therapeu-
tic health care. The
Ayurvedic philosophy
regards the (physical)
body as a fine-tuned
instrument for soul
growth bestowed by the
Almighty to help an
embodied soul to excel
in material as well as spir-
itual realms of life. While
it focuses at eliminating
the deficiencies, infec-
tions and untoward ele-
ments from the body and
balancing the presence
of those elements, which
are vital and useful for
its harmonious and
healthy functioning, it
also stresses and incor-
porates the subtle but
prominent role of the
mind in influencing the
Jan.-Feb. 2005
state and activities of the somatic
system.
In ancient times Ayurveda was
found effective in inducing
k³y³kalpa (transformation of a dis-
eased or weak body into a young
vigorous one) and providing lon-
gevity of youthful health and
charm. The present day polluted
environment and inability of peo-
ple to stick to the ascetic disci-
plines desired for k³y³kalpa cer-
tainly restrain such magical
effects in the modern times.
However, the total healthcare and
natural healing offered by this
ancient medical science continue
to justify its superiority in several
respects. Most importantly, the
fact that Ayurvedic therapies are
risk-free and do not generate any
negative or suppressive effects on
other kinds of medicaments or
modes of treatments that might be
used simultaneously, makes it an
excellent substitute of Allopathy.
Moreover, yoga is an integral part
of the total healthcare approach
under this Vedic Science. This,
perhaps, is the reason why more
and more people, not only in India
but also across the globe, are get-
ting attracted towards Ayurveda.
Last decade has witnessed a steep
rise in the research and use of
Alternative and Complementary
Medicine in general and
Ayurveda and herbal medicines
in particular. Several new colleges
and/or research centers have
opened in the USA, which focus
exclusively on Ayurveda. A com-
mittee of the members of the
House of Lords was constituted in
the UK to consider the scientific
recognition and expansion of "Al-
ternative and Complementary
Medicine". A high-level commis-
sion in the USA had recom-
mended in favor of the Indian
System of Medicine vis-à-vis the
modern modes of medical treat-
ment. It has also emphasized at
innovative scientific research in
the fields of Ayurveda to expand
its practice in hospitals, clinics and
other healing centres.
The world today is in dire need of
a system of healthcare that could
rescue it from the growing ago-
nies of ailments. Most of the so-
called 'progressive and advanced'
people are suffering the painful
consequences of an artificial life-
style and choosing the quick
(though short-lived) remedies of
Allopathy. The toxic effects of
antibiotics and risks of side effects
-- apart from upsetting the diges-
tive system and sleep -- of the syn-
thetic chemicals used in allopathic
drugs have shaken people's faith
in this dominating science of medi-
cine of the modern age. Still worse
is the fact that Allopathy has failed
to allay or cure varieties of psy-
chosomatic disorders and dis-
eases and abnormalities pertain-
ing to problems of endocrine
glands or hormones, while these
27
happen to be alarmingly rising
complaints in the urban sections
of the society. The integrative
approach of Ayurveda provides
promising solutions in this
regard. Research in modern labo-
ratories is showing excellent sup-
portive results in its favor.
The scenario is threatening for the
weaker or poorer sections of soci-
ety. Ignorance, lack of hygiene,
malnutrition and uncontrolled
population growth, etc add to
their pathetic health conditions.
Single-tracked approach of the
public healthcare policies that rely
solely on Allopathy have been
unsuccessful in improving their
wellbeing even at the level of phys-
ical health. The risks of dreaded
diseases like AIDS have further
worsened the situation. The pre-
ventive approach of Ayurveda
acquires special significance in
this context as an ideal substitute
of Allopathy. The use of medicinal
plants (many of which are easily
available at practically no costs),
as recommended by Ayurvedic
experts, would be most suitable as
natural tonics and risk-free effec-
tive drugs in most cases here.
Above all, the scope of collective
Ayurvedic healing of the masses
through yoga and yagya ensures
remarkable positive effects at
large scale. Studies and imple-
mentation of dedicated schemes
of rural healthcare at places like
Brahmvarchas, Shantikunj,
Hardwar, have affirmed these pos-
sibilities.
28
As per a survey, in year 2003, the
total number of doctors practising
Ayurvedic or some other
Alternative Therapies in England
was about fifty thousands. The
total number of cases cured by
them in year 1999 alone was about
fifty hundred thousands. These
data were presented by the 67th
British Parliamentary Select
Committee for Science and
Technology. According to an inde-
pendent survey conducted by the
BBC a couple of years ago, on an
average the British people spend
about 1.6 billion pounds per year
on Alternative and
Complementary Medicines; of
which about 50 million pounds
are for Ayurveda. The popularity
of plant (herbal) medicines is
increasing in U.K. at a rapid rate.
Similar trends are recorded in
USA. In its report, a commission
headed by the American Health
Minister at White House, had
reported a few years ago that the
choice of most Americans for heal-
ing is now shifting from
Allopathy to Ayurveda, Yoga and
oriental herbal medicines in gen-
eral. This is a positive sign of
increasing popularity of
Ayurveda there.
This trend was noticed way back
in a survey conducted during
1990-1997 in the USA. It showed
that the number of persons prefer-
ring these modes of therapies had
increased from 33.8 to 42.1 percent
during this period; the increase in
this number for
Ayurveda alone had
been the sharpest - from
2.5 to 12.1 percent. The
average expenditure in
the USA on Ayurvedic
therapies alone was esti-
mated to be around 27
billion dollars in the year
1997. This had had an
impact on the govern-
ment policies as well.
Ayurveda is now con-
sidered to be a part of the
state-sponsored medical
education. There are
already some recog-
nized non-
governmental institutes
and colleges for
Ayurveda teaching and
research in America,
which are having a grow-
ing profile of success.
The risk-free, naturally
effective healing science
of Ayurveda has also
attracted people in other
parts of the world,
where yoga has already
been quite popular.
Germany is much ahead
of other countries
abroad in Ayurvedic
research and medical
practices. Ayurvedic
therapies are also gain-
ing a significant place in
the healthcare systems
in Canada, France,
Jan.-Feb. 2005
Hongkong, Australia and expansion of the ancient
and several Arab coun- Indian Medical Science of
tries. Ayurveda vindicates its compre-
hensive scientific approach that
Russia is no exception in works in total harmony with
this regard. The popu- Nature and takes into account the
larity of Ayurvedic medi- multiple dimensions of human
cine is growing there, life. In fact, many facets of this
too. Ayurvedic therapy Vedic Science yet remain unex-
of panchkarma has been plored in the modern times.
given official recogni- Decipherment and thorough
tion by the Government study of these would pose chal-
of Russia. The Russian lenging research projects with
administration has also enormous potential benefits. The
communicated to the interdependence of mind and
Government of India body as considered in Ayurvedic
emphasizing the need to approach is truly remarkable. It
translate and publish the has proved its relevance and
textbooks and other lit- importance in healing psychoso-
erature on panchakarma matic disorders and offers greater
and other modes of hopes and promises to rid the
Ayurvedic therapy and world from the ailing state of peo-
medicine in Russian lan- ple's health. We, the inheritors of
guage for disseminating the Vedic culture, have the
Ayur-vedic knowledge, responsibility to preserve its origi-
education and nality and prevent its rapidly
healthcare applications growing expansion from being
in Russia. Similar devel- entrapped in commercialization.
opments have taken
place is some East In view of its prominent role as an
European countries. alternative and complementary
Moving a step ahead in science of medicine, and its rising
the future direction, popularity worldwide, and con-
Poland has initiated sev- sidering its proven scope in pro-
eral research projects on viding total healthcare with
Ayurveda in collabora- youthful vigor, Ayurveda may
tion with some govern- well become the leading medical
mental and non- science of the present century.
governmental institu- The divine vision of the Vedic
tions of India. rishis had seen and discovered the
deeper aspects of spiritual
The global recognition wellbeing as well. Knowledge of
Jan.-Feb. 2005
the predominant role of the five
basic elements (pancha tatvas) in
manifestation of Nature and also
in the gross and the subtle bodies
of an embodied being and the spir-
itual philosophy of life incorpo-
rated in Ayurvedic scriptures
would guide the dedicated
researchers to rediscover these
aspects in scientific light. Success
in this regard would bless the
world with celestial boons of
Ayurveda and Vedic Spiritual
Disciplines.
(To be continued)
Maharishi Dayanand was a good
friend of the Maharaja of Bikaner
who often used to talk of Swami's
strength of Brahmacharya and
used to request Swamiji to display
his strength. The Swamiji used to
always laugh it away and ignore it.
Once the king got his four-horse
chariot ready to go for a morning
ride. The carriage driver made all
his efforts for the horses to move.
The horses started with all their
strength but could not move an
inch further. When the Maharaja
turned back to look into the
matter he found that the
Maharishi was holding the
carriage with one hand. He was
totally astounded looking at the
great power of patience and self-
control of the Maharshi.
29
 Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya
(An Institution of Higher Learning with a Difference)
There is need for an educational
institution, which could mould
its students into noble and
enlightened human beings - self-
less, warm-hearted, compassion-
ate and kind.
- Pandit Sriram Sharma Acharya
(Akhand Jyoti, March 1964)
Introduction
The world has witnessed many
upheavals in its cultural, political
and economic spheres during the
past few decades. India is no
exception to it. Although national
struggle for Swaraj freed the
country from foreign rule in 1947,
political independence has not
been able to establish “Ram Rajya”
- Su-raj - rule of equity, fraternity
and love.
With a view to actualise these
noble ideals, a silent cultural,
moral, spiritual, social and eco-
nomic movement of far-reaching
significance was launched by Yug
Rishi Pt. Sriram Sharma 'Acharya',
a well known freedom fighter,
equally acclaimed by the elites as
well as the masses as Vedmurti,
Taponistha, Yug Drashta, Rashtra
Sant etc. He was also honoured by
the central government for his
meritorious services to the nation
by releasing a one-rupee postal
stamp in his memory in 1991, after
30
his voluntary Samadhi in June
1990, on holy Gayatri Jayanti.
Yug Rishi's silent revolutionary
movement is now well estab-
lished as Yug Nirman Yojana,
Vichar Kranti Abhiyan or Pragya
Abhiyan. It aims at activating
divine qualities in mankind and
creating a heavenly atmosphere
on earth, which could ultimately
lead to the emergence of a society
imbued with high ideals, indomi-
table character, lofty thoughts and
noble deeds.
Epochal Visualisation of Yug
Rishi
Almost five decades back, Yug
Rishi, in a higher state of trance,
visualised a Dev Sanskriti
Vishwavidyalaya that may infuse
new life in the education system
and nurture selected youth as
heavenly saplings for the univer-
sally prophesied Divine Era. After
awakening from the trance, he
exclaimed: “Vibrantly noble life
was always nurtured in
Vishwavidyalayas. New eras
have always been visualised and
concretised in Vishwavidyalayas.
Whenever mankind was trans-
formed or divine virtues were
induced in human beings, it was
done in the Vishwavidyalayas.
But these Vishwavidyalayas were
not like the present day universi-
ties, where we mass-
produce specialised
workers for keeping the
complicated and stress-
ful modern way of life,
which is blindly hurtling
towards the abyss of 'no
where'. In ancient seats
of learning true knowl-
edge was imparted to
refine the emotions and
thoughts of adolescents
and the youth. They
were equipped with
virtuous qualities.
Healthy stout saplings of
mankind were thus
raised in these Vishwa-
vidyalayas, which later
used to grow into
renowned personalities,
sagacious geniuses,
outstanding seers and
thinkers, and eminent
citizens of global repute.
Nalanda and Takshshila
were internationally
renowned seats of learn-
ing of this kind. The
establishment of such a
seat of integral educa-
tion relevant to present
day needs is my solemn
resolve so that the divine
culture founded by the
angelic vision and spiri-
tual acumen of the Vedic
Jan.-Feb. 2005
seers, sages and Rishis • Education and research in trative block, auditorium, infor-
could be revived and disciplines rooted in Dev mation centre, 'Swawlamban
duly attuned to the Sanskriti such as- Spirituality, Bhawan', library, meditation hall,
present day needs.” Philosophy, Culture etc. Centre for 'Art of Living',
Psychotherapy, Yoga and
Dream becomes a • Education and research in the Yogatherapy, etc.
Reality occult and applied scientific
Quite conscious of the pursuits of Dev Sanskriti, such Library
pressing need to gear as -Jyotish, Ayurveda, Science The university library has both
educational reform with of Mantras, Yogic Science, ancient and modern texts on the
the present day require- Psychology etc. and their subjects taught to meet the present
ments and reverse the evaluation in the context of needs of students and staff. It is
evil influence of educa- modern science. located in an especially con-
tional policy enunciated structed building named as
by Macauley, Shanti- • Teaching and research in fields "Aryabhatt Bhawan," which has
kunj, under the farsee- related to self-employment; provision for a reading room,
ing, bold, vibrant and disaster management, village reference room, video
dynamic leadership of management, etc. with a view conferencing, micro-filming, etc.
Yuva Manishi to ushering in of a new social Acquisition of books is being
Dr. Pranav Pandya, order based upon the vision made on a continuing basis to
Coordinator of the of Gurudev. enrich the library. The grand
Global Gayatri Pariwar library of Brahmvarchas Shodh
activities and Revered Facilities Sansthan is also open to students
Shail Didi, Managing Out of over 1 million sq. ft land and staff of the Vishwavidyalaya
Trustee of Shri Vedmata area of the Vishwavidyalaya for consultation.
Gayatri Trust, got the campus, about 30 % shall be cov-
Dev Sanskriti Vishwa- ered by roads, buildings, lawns Laboratories
vidyalaya incorporated etc. “Takshashila Bhawan”, meant The Vishwavidyalaya will have
as a deemed University for imparting education, has 30 separate laboratories for all the
in 2002 under an act of classrooms / laboratories, an four faculties in a huge complex.
Uttaranchal Legislative assembly hall, a committee room, At present two laboratories, fully
Assembly, with Dr library, store and faculty rooms. equipped with modern instru-
Pandya as the Residences for staff, students etc ments and appliances concerning
Chancellor. have already been completed. Psychology and Yoga, are func-
These are sufficient for the present tioning in “Takshasila Bhawan”.
Aims and Objects requirements. Proposed hostel The laboratories of
• Study and dissemina- has provision for international Brahmavarchas Shodh Sansthan
tion of the tenets of students as well; and will accom- situated very close to the univer-
Dev Sanskriti (culture modate about 750 students. sity and fully equipped with
inspired by the Vedic Amongst other buildings, more modern electronic instruments,
vision of Divinised important ones are those for a are also available for experiments
Humanity) Global Research Centre, adminis- on the effects of Jap, Dhyan,

Jan.-Feb. 2005 31
Dharna, Tapa, food, Agnihotra, etc.
on the health of human body and
mind. Facilities for physical,
chemical and physiological analy-
sis of medicinal plants and their
products, and for pathological
tests of blood, urine, stool, etc. are
also available.
Teaching & Research
The University offers Master's
degrees in Clinical Psychology
and Yogic Sciences; and Indian
Culture and Tourism. Selected
and specialized post-graduate
diploma programmes are offered
in Human Consciousness and
Yogic Sciences; and Bio-
informatics and Bio-medical
Systems. Besides, certificate
courses on Theology, Holistic
Management and Yogic Sciences
are also offered. It is worth men-
tioning here that Art of Living is
an integral part of all the above
stated courses and it remains the
centre of attraction for the stu-
dents.
Salient Features and Future
plans
• Vishwavidyalaya is situated
on the banks of Holy Ganga
and in the lap of the sacred
Himalayan region.
• It is 7 km from Hardwar rail-
way station on the Dehradun-
Rishikesh road on Delhi- Niti
Pass Highway and has a
sprawling campus spread over
an area of 82 Acres.
32
• Established under an act of
Uttaranchal Government on
11th April 2002.
• Duly recognized by the
University Grant Commission
(U.G.C) as a deemed univer-
sity.
• First academic session - com-
menced through Gyan Deeksha
ceremony on 23rd July 2002.
• Is fully residential for all stu-
dents and staff.
• Self- financed through modest
contributions of lakhs of
parijans and admirers of
Gayatri Mission movement
and not by any grants from the
state or the central govern-
ment or the UGC.
• No salary structure for staff;
only a subsistence allowance is
provided to enable them to
lead simple lives of dignity.
• The mediums of instruction
are Hindi as well as English.
• Admission to all courses is
made on the basis of merit
obtained in the entrance test
followed by interview.
• Its Faculty of Education will
focus on designing a modular
degree programme and value-
based education for all.
• Courses of ancient and modern
sciences, including Indology,
are being designed and will be
started in due course
of time.
• The Faculty of Health
(teaching and
research) will encom-
pass, apart from
Ayurveda, systems
of health and healing
such as:
Psychotherapy,
Yoga-therapy and
Yajna-therapy, etc.
• Extensive research
will be carried out on
indigenous medici-
nal plants, herbs,
trees and their prod-
ucts to establish the
utility of Aurveda on
scientific basis.
• Intensive in-depth
research will be
undertaken on immu-
nity development
and prevention of
diseases instead of
adoption of curative
measures after falling
sick.
• In the Faculty of
Scientific Spirituality,
teaching, research
and extension activi-
ties will be directed
towards ancient
spiritual practices,
after testing properly
their efficacy.
Jan.-Feb. 2005
• Practical training • The students donate their time, Such a gigantic plan of social
shall be imparted in after completion of studies, transformation is being executed
scientific principles towards development of the without any governmental finan-
underlying power of society by associating them- cial assistance in the full faith that
Mantras, yogic exer- selves with the social and members, well wishers and
cises, penances, cultural upliftment activities of friends of Gayatri Pariwar from all
focused will power the Mission. Results obtained strata of society shall generously
etc for spiritual so far have been quite encour- and gladly contribute towards the
growth.. aging. The time compulsorily fulfilment of the Yugrishi's vision
donated is generally from 6 of ideal education.
• Special programs months to 1 year in the field by Detailed information about the
shall be started on all passing-out alumni. A few Vishwavidyalaya, its distinctive
Hathyoga, Rajyoga, have devoted their lives for the features, rules and regulations for
Layayoga and cause. admission, courses offered,
Mantrayoga for resto- admission procedure, pattern of
ration and mainte- We will heartily welcome valuable admission test, academic activi-
nance of body-mind- suggestions from eminent ties, syllabi, academic calendar,
soul harmony and educationists, religious and spiritual fee etc., may be had by visiting
health. leaders, social activists and intelli- websites: www.dsvv.org;
gentsia of all hues as to how best we www.awgp.org
• In the Faculty of
can serve the society through our
Entrepreneurship humble efforts towards providing
and Self employ- meaningful education to the youth on The father asked his son to do
ment, courses on the firm foundation of all that is best farming. After some days he
management for and perennially fresh and inspiring in asked the son about what
rural areas, hospitals, our cultural and spiritual heritage -
temples, schools,
happened to his farming.? The
assimilating at the same time the best
colleges and other son replied “O Father! My crops
and highest of human heritage at
institutions of public large. are blooming. I have dug the
service utilities shall earth with good deeds, sown the
be started to enhance Resource Mobilisation seeds of divine hymns, used the
opportunities of All recurring and non-recurring
manure of prayers and have used
socially useful self- expenditure of Dev Sanskriti
waters of contentment, and now
employment. Vishwavidyalaya from building
up of infrastructural facilities to everywhere happiness is
• The teachers and the running of the educational growing.” The father was
professors of various process are being entirely met by stunned at this reply. This child,
universities in India Sri Vedmata Gayatri Trust, who did this spiritual farming,
and abroad offer, ex- Shantikunj, Hardwar, a charitable
gratia, their expertise
was later known as Guru Nanak,
Trust. For its charitable activities,
and guidance to the the first Guru of Sikhs.
it has been granted 100% exemp-
students. tion of IT from Government of
India on this 200 - crore project.

Jan.-Feb. 2005 33

- Key to Success in all Endeavors
T
he materialistic world has its
own operational laws. But the
reactions of human mind are
not entirely determined by the
material events and objects. The
configuration of human con-
sciousness and the plane of aware-
ness too play a role in the quality
of our interactions on the material
plane. Thus, the domain of collec-
tive human mind is not simply a
subtle reflection of the external
world. Instead, it is a strange
world of its own - with its layers of
conscious, subconscious and
super conscious levels. It is the
refinement of this multi-layered
field that is the object of s³dhan³.
This refinement and sublimation
of the mind brings about a sea-
change in our outlook of the mate-
rial world. The power of a refined
and sublimated mind also makes
an impact on the materialistic
world. The process of this trans-
formation has been called the
s³dhan³ of Manomaya KoÌa.
The students studying with con-
centration pass the examination
with good grades. Attentive farm-
ers harvest a good crop.
Enthusiastic wrestlers win titles in
wrestling. Mind filled with wis-
dom and alertness proves to be an
asset in achieving success in busi-
ness. It is the refined and focused
mind that helps in achieving siddhi
34
Mastery of The Mind
(success) in s³dhan³. Devoted
artists keep the audiences spell-
bound. The achievements in dif-
ferent fields depend on the inten-
sity of will power, concentration
and deep involvement (all quali-
ties of a mastered mind) in set
goals. In spite of the similarity of
assets and means, different results
are observed with the difference
in the degree of mental mastery.
Inert objects have only existence.
Life is of different and higher level
of manifestation. That is why the
rules of life and that of inert
objects are different. Inert objects
do not have any independent will
power. On the other hand, the
entire development of life has
been made possible due to the
impact of will power. It is the
higher quality of will power that
especially distinguishes human
beings from sub-human life
forms. A human being is consid-
ered the master of well-developed
consciousness, because his will
power is more active and effec-
tive. It is the enlightened will
power that leads a person from
darkness to light, from mortality
to immortality and from false-
hood to truth.
Strong and focused will power
definitely produces the desired
results. It has been said in
Yogavashishtha-
DiÃhabh³vanay³ cheto
yadyath³ bh³vayatyalam
Tattatphalam tad³k³ram
t³vatmanam prapashyati
(Yogavashishtha 4/21/56
- 57)
That is - “(Oh Ram!)
Whatever this mind
desires with a strong will
power, it remains in that
domain for that time and
also experiences the
results accordingly”.
Therefore, the main
objective of the progres-
sive s³dhan³ is to make
the mind quiet, silent
and focused. S³dhan³ is
not possible by neglect-
ing the mind. Those who
enter the field of s³dhan³
with unstable and unre-
fined mind, cannot suc-
ceed in it whatever
bodily penances they
might mechanically
perform. One should
also be cautious about
the mental attitude and
motives with which he
undertakes austerities
like: fasting, penance,
endurance of hot and
cold seasons, etc. Merely
bodily disciplines will
give meager benefits like
Jan.-Feb. 2005
physical feats, strength,
etc. In this situation,
some ignorant people
may blame the rituals of
s³dhan³ for their failure
even after hard and aus-
tere physical penances.
The fact is that all
s³dhan³s fail which
neglect the mastery of
the mind. It should
never be forgotten that
s³dhan³ begins with the
disciplining and mas-
tery of mind and not of
the body.
From where does a per-
son get the inspiration of
and resolve for progress-
ing forward and rising
high? There is only one
answer -“From the
mind”. The wise and the
learned have declared
that mind alone is the
cause of bondage and
salvation - “Mana aiva
manuÌy³ñ³m k³rñam
bandha mokïayo”. There
is a wonderful power of
imagination present in
the mind, which makes
the pictures of imagina-
tion so live that a person
starts chasing them like a
child. The children run
after the colored butter-
flies. In the same way,
whatever desires and
imaginations are
aroused in the mind, a
Jan.-Feb. 2005
person becomes active to achieve
the same. That is why it has been
said that mind is perpetually
unsteady. Ordinarily it is not able
to concentrate on a single object
for a long time. Once some fantasy
catches hold of the mind, it starts
knitting the web to achieve it.
After sometime, another fantasy
replaces the earlier one and it
starts knitting the web to achieve
the second one; and so on…..
Behind this unsteadiness of the
mind, there lies the desire for plea-
sure. Therefore, wherever the
mind feels that the pleasures of
senses may be obtained, it starts
making a colorful imagination of
the same and starts planning to
achieve them. As the mind is ori-
ented, the body also starts work-
ing in that direction. One plan is
not complete and another fantasy
comes to the mind and the plan-
ning for the latter starts. Thus this
process of hopping and flitting
from one fantasy or fancy to
another goes on ad infinitum. This
is the only activity of an unbridled
mind. It goes on endlessly chasing
the chimeras of sensual gratifica-
tion and pleasures - making life a
hellish whirlpool of unsatiated
desires and hungers. Arjuna puts
this restlessness of the mind
before the Divine Teacher of the
Gita, Lord Krishna, thus:
Yoayam yogastvay³ prokta¡ s³myen
Madhusudan
Aitasy³ham païy³mi
chanchalatw³tsthitim sthir³m
Chanchal hi mana¡ Krishna
pram³thi balwad didham
Tasy³ham nigraham manye
v³yorivam suduÌkaram
Meaning - This yoga that has been
declared by Thee of the nature of
equality, O, Madhusudan, I see no
stable foundation for it owing to
restless.
Restless indeed is the mind, O,
Krishna; it is vehement, strong
and difficult to bend; I deem it as
hard to control as the wind.
(Gita 6/33, 34)
Lord Krishna, too, considered the
control of mind a difficult task and
the Blessed Lord had earlier, in
chapter 2, stated:
Yatato hyapi kaunteya puruÌasya
vipaïchita¡
Indriyañi pram³thini haranti
prasabham mana¡
That is, The turbulent senses, O
son of Kunti, do violently snatch
away the mind of even a wise man
who is striving after perfection.
(Gita 2-60)
Indriy³ñ³m hi charat³m
yanmanoanu vidhiyate
Tadasya harati pragy³m
v³yurnavamiv³mbhasi
That is - For the mind, which fol-
lows on the wake of wandering
senses, carries away his / her dis-
crimination, as a wind (carries
away from its course) a ship on the
waters.
(Gita 2-67)
35
Lord Buddha described the fickle-
ness of mind as-
Yo sahassam sahassen sang³me
m³nuse jine
Aikam cha jaiyya at³nam sa vai
sang³m jutayo
(Dhamma Pada- 103)
That is - A person may conquer
thousands of people in war thou-
sands of times, but the greatest
winner is one who has conquered
his own self (mind).
True the unsteadiness of the mind
in its ordinary state of immersion
in ignorance is natural and con-
trolling it extremely difficult, but
it is not impossible. Once one
understands the harmful effects of
the fickleness of the mind and the
beneficial effects of its mastery,
then it would definitely be possi-
ble to move forward in the direc-
tion of mental steadiness and
steadfastness. Sunrays fall on the
body and it is possible to bear
them even during extreme hot
weather because the rays are scat-
tered. If the same rays are focused
at one point by a convex lens, no
part of the body will be able to
bear that concentrated heat. Any
cloth can be burnt by it. A fire can
be lit anywhere with that heat. In
fact now-a-days, this method is
being used for utilization of the
solar energy for accomplishing
different tasks.
Like the focused power of sun-
rays, the power of focused mental
energy is unlimited. No objective
36
in the life can be achieved with
scattered mentality. But if the
mind is steadily focused on one
goal, its power increases manifold
even in an ordinary life. With such
a concentrated mind, desires can
be fulfilled, plans can be imple-
mented and success can be
achieved in any field of endeavor.
In the field of spirituality, the mas-
tery of the mind is considered
very essential. In the scriptures,
mind has been called a foe and a
friend, and it has been stated that
the controlled mind is equivalent
to nectar, Kalpavriksh (divine tree
which fulfils all the desires), and
the uncontrolled mind is equiva-
lent to a deadly poison. When
there is no control over the mind,
first of all it seeks sensual plea-
sures and runs after them. The
greed for relishing different tastes
of the tongue troubles it. In the
field of beauty and youthfulness,
it wishes to play with the Apasaras
(damsels) of the royal court of
Indra. Dance, songs, music, enter-
tainment, holiday tours, picnics,
beautiful scenes, scented objects
attract it and it wishes to spend
most of its time in such sensual
indulgences. It wishes to enjoy
theatre, cinema, games, club, etc.
In order to decorate the body and
giving it rest, it compulsively col-
lects the objects of luxury and thus
vainly tries to satisfy its ego-
driven impulses and fancies.
Therefore this fruitless and aim-
less agitation of the mind must be
stopped and it must be
mastered. The key to all
the siddhis lies in the
mastery of the mind,
which is bedrock for all
s³dhan³s and yoga prac-
tices. It has already been
said that the powers of a
concentrated mind are
limitless. Whatever prog-
ress has been achieved
by any one in this world,
is the result of focused
mental energy. A per-
son's happiness or sor-
row, bondage or salva-
tion are dependent on
the state of his mind -
whether it is restless or
steadily mastered. The
subtle knowledge
acquired by direct per-
ception too is attained
through the mind.
Discussing the impor-
tance of mind, the sages
have said “As the spokes
of the wheels are
arranged at the nucleus
of the axle of the chariot,
in the same way the
knowledge of rik, yaju
and sam vedas is estab-
lished in the mind
(shukla yajurveda-34/5).”
If the mind becomes
pure, steady and single -
pointed, the quality of
life will change alto-
gether. That is why, it
has been said that the
one who has conquered
the mind can conquer
the world.
Jan.-Feb. 2005

Revelation of The Technique of Sublime Transformation:
(Autobiography of Poojya Gurudev Pt. Sriram Sharma Acharya )
B
efore I proceed fur-
ther, it will be
appropriate to
describe three important
phases of my life s³dhan³,
which are linked with my
spiritual progress. This
has been the central point
of my successful life jour-
ney. If readers of this
book are inspired to pro-
ceed on this path they
should assimilate the
philosophy behind the
s³dhan³, which I have
adopted in my life.
Mysterious occult events,
no doubt, sound interest-
ing but they are confined
only to the person con-
cerned. Hypnotised by
such events, if a person
performs the same rituals
and pays a visit to the
Him³layas, he will get
nothing. The most impor-
tant lesson which my soul
has learnt living in this
body is true up³san³ (wor-
ship), correct life s³dhan³
and ³r³dhan³, which
means service of human-
ity. This is the path, which
Jan.-Feb. 2005
My Life
Its Legacy and Message - 12
How I Implemented it in My Life?
can transform a person into a
divinised human being, a RiÌi or a
messenger of God.
A man needs food, clothes and
shelter for sustenance. Pen, ink and
paper are needed for writing a
book. Seed, manure and water are
needed for growing a crop. Not
one, but all these three are impor-
tant and none of them can be
ignored. For spiritual progress also,
coordination of up³san³, s³dhan³
and ³r³dhan³ is needed. All these
three are equally important.
Real form of up³san³
The aspect which is secondary and
minor e.g. mechanical adoration
(puj³-p³th) has been wrongly con-
sidered to be up³san³ (worship).
Offerings of some stray materials to
the deity and doing certain rituals
or overt acts of worship are consid-
ered as puj³. To eulogize, extol and
chant praises of gods is known as
p³th. Sweets, cocoanut, cardamom
etc. are presented and offered to
God or the deity as if He lacked
such articles and by offering them,
He will be overwhelmed with joy.
People think that just as a ruler is
puffed up on hearing bardic poetry
in his praise from a bard, God will
fulfil their worldly desires by such
adoration (puj³-p³th). Such persons
are totally ignorant about the true
nature of Godhead and consider
Him to be a stupid Superperson
who could be allured or befooled
like a child. They think that God can
be coaxed to fulfil their desires,
proper or improper, just or unjust.
The common man is a victim of this
illusion. The so-called bhaktas (dev-
otees) beg wealth, success, heaven,
liberation, siddhis (divine powers)
from God. Some people are crazy
after seeing God with physical eyes.
Amongst persons who are engaged
in counting beads or burning
incense- sticks, a majority belongs
to this category. Some are after a
still cheaper formula. They think
that simply by seeing idols in the
temple or having a darÌan of saints
they can cajole them to fulfil their
ambitions. Such naive beliefs are
prevalent in the society.
It should be clearly understood that
a really worthwhile thing is bound
to cost more. If a person wants to be
included in the Central Cabinet, he
has to get himself elected as a mem-
ber of the Parliament. The meaning
37
of up³san³ is to sit close by. It is not
like the railway passengers who
jostle or push each other to get into
the train somehow. It is like two
bosom friends who have two bod-
ies with one mind and one soul
sitting together. In such intimacy
one has to surrender to the other. A
devotee (bhakta) has to mould his
life and surrender himself to the
will of God. Explaining the impor-
tance and philosophy of up³san³,
which is the first essential pre-
requisite for spiritual upliftment,
Gurudev said, "God cannot dance to
your tune. You will have to become
his devotee and act according to His
will. If you are able to do so, you
will become identical with God.
Fuel has no worth except when it
embraces fire and becomes fire
itself. Fire does not become fuel. It is
fuel, which has to be transformed
into fire. A drain meets a river and
becomes as purifying and great as
the river itself. But it never happens
that a river flows in reverse, meets
the drain and becomes dirty like it.
Iron comes in contact with p³ras
(the mystical stone which is said to
convert iron into gold by mere
touch), and turns into gold. It does
not become p³ras. It is the s³dhak
who has to dance to the tune of God
like a puppet. God does not fulfil
the wishes of the s³dhak. A s³dhak
has to surrender himself to God and
fulfil His will. A drop of water
merges into and becomes one with
the ocean. The ocean does not
become a drop. This is the philoso-
phy of up³san³. If a person wants to
do up³san³, he has to sit near God,
do His will and become His fol-
lower."
38
I had to do the same. I worshipped
God, performed jap of G³yatrº as
Divine Mother and meditated upon
Savit³ as Divine Father. Throughout,
I had only one feeling. Like
Shravankumar, I would demand
nothing from my Parents but carry
them on pilgrimage. I would mould
my character in such a way that I
may be called a worthy son of wor-
thy parents.
I did, no doubt, regard G³yatrº as
Mother and Savit³ as Father for the
sake of convenience of meditation
but knew throughout that they are
formless, astral and all-pervading.
On account of this conviction I
could feel that they pervaded my
whole being and there was com-
plete identity of Spirit. If I had
regarded God or G³yatrº M³t³ as
specific persons, a distance
between us would have been main-
tained and I had been deprived of
that feeling of complete identifica-
tion.
In the beginning, for the sake of
practice, one should regard himself
as a creeper and God as a tree. The
creeper embraces the tree and
reaches the top. It is also convenient
to regard one's self as a flute and
God as the Flute Player to enable
him to make his life disciplined and
inspired. The meditation about a
kite flying high up in the air with its
controlling thread in the hands of a
child is also helpful. I have followed
these three types of meditation
from time to time and had rich,
enthusing and happy experiences.
The sacrifice of the moth on the
burning lamp; physical,
mental and material sur-
render of the wife to her
husband are instances of
experiencing complete
identification, unity or
oneness with God.
In my up³san³, actions,
rituals were not of pri-
mary significance. It was
suffused with emotional
zeal, devotion and faith. I
strictly followed the disci-
pline of doing prescribed
jap. Except for some emer-
gency, rarely was there
any omission in getting
up in the morning at 1
A.M. and performing the
set routine. Deficiency, if
any, was made up on the
next day and nothing was
left in arrears. Even then, I
had practised throughout
to maintain an attitude
full of emotional zeal
during my up³san³. In the
beginning the practice of
arousing feelings of sacri-
fice, unity, identity and
negation of duality was
done in the form of imagi-
nation. Later it became a
part of nature and ulti-
mately culminated in self
-realisation.
The power of G³yatrº
M³t³ started reflecting in
the form of devotion
(ïraddh³) in causal body,
illumination (prajó³) in
astral body and determi-
Jan.-Feb. 2005
nation (niÌÚh³) in physical
body. Strict self-
introspection was done
from time to time to
ensure that this was no
mere wishful thinking. I
examined and analysed
myself in the light of
actual daily events
whether or not devotion
for leading an idealistic
life, for the service of
mankind as a whole, had
increased and allurement
of temptation has been
overcome; and found that
my feelings had fully
matured like those of a
RiÌi-kalpa s³dhak.
G³yatrº M³t³ manifests as
divine energy in feminine
form. It took the form of
prajó³ and dominated the
mental arena. I tested on
several occasions to
ascertain whether in the
form of prajó³ there was
integration of wisdom,
responsibility and fear-
lessness down to the deep-
est depths of conscious-
ness. I have been experi-
encing that G³yatrº M³t³
has incarnated in the
form of prajó³ in my inner
consciousness and my
up³san³, meditation and
contemplation have all
become fruitful. Whether
or not our convictions,
our ideologies are
reflected in our actions
(karma), attitudes (guñas),
Jan.-Feb. 2005
and nature (svabh³v) is the real test
of up³san³.
The third aspect of Tripad³ G³yatrº
is niÌÚh³. NiÌÚh³ means firm determi-
nation, patience, courage, bravery,
devout austerity (tap) and endur-
ance. Just as a pot taken out from
potter's kiln is thoroughly exam-
ined by thrashing and beating it
with fingers to find out whether it is
half-baked, broken or fully baked
and intact, in the same way, I kept
on introspecting and observing
myself whether there had been any
wavering in my firmness in the face
of temptations and fear. I found
that every step was an advance
forward and there was no stagna-
tion in the progress.
The brilliance of Savit³ is known as
Brahmavarchas. It is also called ojas,
tejas, varchas. It is reflected directly
in the form of piety, sharpness and
brilliance. The inrush of Savit³'s
light in physical, astral and causal
sheaths fills the body with strength,
the brain with knowledge and the
heart with love and courage. Later,
I started experiencing that my
entire self had become a field of
light; a column of fire; and divine
nectar was flowing through each
and every cell of my body, my
entire being. I felt, I was getting the
joy of contentment, fulfilment and
peace, as if I were drinking somras
(nectar).
This, in brief, is my regular
programme of doing up³san³ for
four hours daily. This period effort-
lessly flies without boredom, tired-
ness, yawning, as if only half an
hour has passed. Every moment I
feel heavenly joy and closeness to
God. This has become a routine. I
have no inclination to count, boast
or think of rewards or results. Like
all other tasks of daily routine, sit-
ting near God (up³san³) is also a
natural living routine for me with-
out which I cannot live for a single
day. For me doing up³san³ for a
fixed period daily is a process of
recharging myself with spiritual
energies, which keep me full of
divine bliss throughout the day. I
spend every moment blissfully
experiencing myself in God and
God in me.
In such a state of inner conscious-
ness, one takes the ups and downs
of life in one's stride. There is nei-
ther joy nor sorrow. An undulating
ocean of bliss appears all around.
Wherever I look, I see God. He
walks beside me wherever I go. I
feel His Presence every moment
like a guardian angel, like a pilot.
An ocean cannot become a drop but
there is no doubt about a drop
becoming an ocean by merging its
identity in the ocean. An attitude of
carefreeness and fearlessness spon-
taneously grows with the aware-
ness of God's constant presence.
I have cherished firm faith (Ìraddh³)
in the Divine throughout my life,
which has helped my soul in get-
ting united with God. It is revealing
and manifesting itself in the form of
actual Bhagvati (Mother aspect of
Divinity).
(To be continued)
39

The Spirit of Spring and Awakening of Kundalini
(Translation of excerpts from the discourse on
Vasanti Panchami day February 1981:
"V³santi H¿ka, Umang, Aur Ull³s Yadi  J³ye Jºvan Me")
Let us begin with the collective
chanting of the Gayatri Mantra:
“Om Bhur Buva¡ Swa¡,
Tatsaviturvareñya® Bhargo
Devasya Dhºmahi, Dhiyo Yona¡
Pracoday³t ||”
Sisters and Brothers,
I
was referring to the umang
vibrant enthusiasm and ecstatic
emotional thrust generated in
the spring. It emerges from
within. It can't be stopped by any
attempt. This is what spring
brings in Nature. A day of spring
had also bestowed a divine umang
upon Prince Siddharth. On the
one side were his family, the
enchanting joys, luxuries and
powers of royal life, and on the
other was the Call of Time Spirit,
the cries of suffering humanity,
agonized by ignorance and eradi-
cation of true religious values in
the world. The umang of Vasant
(spring) awakened in his mind
and guided him: "If you want to
spend your life blindly chasing
happiness in worldly joys and
attachments, you would have
40
Amrit Vani
lived a meaningless life; anybody
can do it, in fact everybody is
doing only that; you should chose
the path of awakened awareness."
This message of spring drove him
towards the search for the path of
Deliverance from Suffering; and
eventually he succeeded in his
search and became The Buddha,
The Awakened One.
When umang emerges from
within, it erupts like a spark of fire
that rises and expands unhin-
dered. It transforms one's life in a
stormy way. The Appearance of
my eternal Guru, on the Vasant
Parva in Febrauary 1926, was also
like a sublime cyclone of this
immensity. He flashed before my
consciousness my previous lives
and before leaving, he blessed me
with what is known as "Ïaktip³ta"
and "KuñÃalinº J³garaña".
Supramental spiritual attain-
ments that require grand ascetic
endeavors and s³dhan³ for several
lifetimes, were bestowed upon me
in a matter of few moments.
Everything within me seemed to
have been transformed. I could
now visualize the world far
beyond and quite differ-
ently from what I used to
see before. Let me tell
you about my KuñÃalinº
J³garaña (awakening of
KuñÃalinº).
What is kuñÃalinº? It is
the sublime source of
unlimited vital, spiritual
energy that remains
dormant in most of us.
Yoga Shastras talk a
great deal about the
s³dhn³s of KuñÃalinº
J³garaña. Without going
into complications of its
hidden science, you
must know that most
natural expression of
ultimate state of
KuñÃalinº J³garaña is
awakening of divine
attributes in the s³dhaka.
I therefore regard
kuñÃalinº as sensitivity
and compassion; as
sagacity and foresight.
Compassion is that
which makes one cry
with others' sorrows,
Jan.-Feb. 2005
which drives one to live
for others' welfare.
Sagacity is that which
guides one to live a dig-
nified life of a noble
human being, who
engages his talents con-
structively in righteous
pursuits. Look for exam-
ple, at Mr. Kagaba who
is honored as the "Gan-
dhi of Japan". He dedi-
cated all his life in the
service of the downtrod-
den, the helpless; and
the patients of leprosy
and other dreaded dis-
eases, who are practi-
cally abandoned by their
families. His karuñ³ (com-
passion and generosity
with saintly love) for
them inspired his wife
also to join in his altruis-
tic mission. Both of them
used to be engaged in
this noble mission round
the clock without expec-
tation of even gratitude.
What enabled this
superhuman endeavor?
It was the power of
karuñ³, which had sprung
up in their hearts. This is
what I call the expres-
sion of kuñÃalinº, which
produces a zeal, a pain, a
thrust; and pulls the
individual conscious-
ness out of the smog of
all infirmities and selfish
attachments.
Whenever the
Jan.-Feb. 2005
Indwelling Divinity is awakened
in an individual, it expresses itself
as pain, as sensitivity to share
others' agonies, as unbounded
love, as karuñ³. God is not a physi-
cal structure or a material cre-
ation. It is Brah® the omnipresent,
eternal consciousness force.
Consciousness cannot have a
material structure or shape. It is
most naturally expressed and
experienced in pure sensitivity.
What is pure sensitivity? Well, in
essence, it is that intrinsic spiritual
power which gives rise to viveka
(enlightened discernment) and
karuñ³.
If you are sensitive to your duties
and have adopted noble moral
ideals in your conduct and deeds,
your consciousness (being) would
work like a sublime magnetic
force that would naturally attract
spontaneous support from all
directions and from everyone and
will also invite divine grace. This
certainly happens in the lives of
saints; this is what manifests in the
lives of great personalities like
Gandhi and Kagaba. The history
of Indian rishis is an immortal
testimony to this fact that emer-
gence of karuñ³ in the heart even-
tually leads to sainthood and
divinisation of the ego-bound
human self.
The day of Vasant Panchami is full
of grand opportunities for noble
resolutions and initiatives. This is
the day of landmark initiatives for
our mission. Each year, this day
sparks a new enthusiasm and a
new courage in me that drive me
to elevate and expand my efforts
with greater zeal to beautify this
world, to work for the welfare of
all beings. The milestones of our
mission's achievements towards
social awakening and revival of
the divine cultural values have all
been initiated through resolutions
made on this day; new projects
have been undertaken on this very
day. Now, today, we have to take
another leap along our forward
journey. We should strive single-
pointedly to spread the light of
true Theism, faith in divinity, the
universal ethics. Disciplines of
morality and ethical conduct are
integral facets of Theism.
Believing in God means having
faith in His eternal omnipresence,
believing in His absolute Law of
Karma. His Law allows us to be
the architects of our own desti-
nies; His Law is simple you reap
as you sow. Each one of us could
be beatified by His infinite grace;
but first we have to abide by His
laws that are essential for the ideal
maintenance of His creation. This
is what theism teaches us. The
religious shrines, the methods of
worship and devotion are there to
help condition our minds, our
inner selves ponder over and expe-
rience His cosmic consciousness,
to know and link ourselves with
the divine values. The temples of
Gayatri Mata built by us are sym-
bols of the eternal teachings of
Gayatri Vidya. Gayatri means
ïraddh³, viveka, karuñ³ and
pavitrat³ (pavitrat³ means piety of
41
body, mind and heart). You
should keep the holy pictures of
Goddess Gayatri, worship it, pray
and meditate before Her with
heartfelt devotion and faith. This
would gradually induce Her
grace and virtues in you. We all
should adopt theism in practice
and also spread it around us. You
all may begin with sincere devo-
tional practices before Gayatri
Mata's picture in your own house
and also inspire your neighbors to
do so.
Theism evolves in brahmvarchas.
Brahmvarchas includes awaken-
ing of the infinite powers hidden
or dormant in the inner self by
pure ascetic practices (tapa) of self-
discipline, self-refinement and
self-transformation. The princi-
ples of brahmvarchas incorporate
self-restraint over the sense
organs (by observing austerity,
fasting, chastity, etc) at the gross
level and control and purification
of the thoughts, aspirations and
sentiments of the inner self, on the
subtler levels. This is how tapa
generates spiritual energy and
activates the latent divinity exist-
ing in the individual. I had initi-
ated my brahmvarchas on the day
of Vasant Panchami. In one word,
it is a confluence of theism and
tapa. Theism means adoption of a
moral, righteous life; and tapa
means voluntary adoption of
hardship, penance, austerity for
achievement of high ideals and
altruistic endeavors.
Brahmvarchas Shodh Sansthan of
our mission is a symbol, a place
42
where I want to demonstrate and
teach the super-science of
brahmvarchas.
I have only two dreams: inculca-
tion of divinity in humans and
creation of divine life on the earth.
My supramental attainments of
ïaktip³ta and kuñÃalinºI are dedi-
cated only for materialization of
these objectives and for nothing
else. Blossoming of brahmvarchas
in every dimension, every
impulse of life this is incarnation
of divinity in the human self. And
what is the descent of heaven on
the earth? Well, heaven or para-
dise is not some God's capital
(VaikuñÚha) in the subtle world. It
can very well be created on this
earth, in the very world we are
living in. The ambience and cir-
cumstances of a paradise are cre-
ated wherever good people live in
moral discipline, with mutual
love and cooperation. I wanted to
build a model colony, village or
town where elevated personali-
ties could live simple, happy,
dignified lives devoted to high
ideals; where people could set a
living example of what an altruis-
tic, purposeful, glorious life
engaged in welfare of all is like?
Gayatrinagar, Shantikunj amply
demonstrates the realization of
this dream.
If you can't develop sansk³ras
(virtuous tendencies) in your chil-
dren, send them here, send them
to me. Why? What will I do? Like
Rishi Valmiki, I can transform
your children into Lava-Kush; can
make their mother a
blessed tapswini like
Devi Sita and endow
you with the ideals of
Ram-Lakshman. This is
why Shantikunj and
Brahmvarchas Ashrams
were founded on the
auspicious parva of
Vasant Panchami, as
nuclei of our mission of
Yug Nirman for world-
wide dissemination of
the light of knowledge,
theism, and divine Vedic
cultural values.
Brahmvarchas Shodh
Sansthan has been estab-
lished to revive the sci-
entific basis and training
practices of elevation of
vital energy, hidden
talents and spiritual
awakening of conscious-
ness force by tapaïchary³
(tapa). Gayatri Nagar,
Shantikunj has been
built for the renaissance
of theism by nurturing a
community of divine-
centered human beings
as a model of heavenly
ambience on this earth;
manifesting the virtues
of selflessness, simplic-
ity, duty, service, endur-
ance, benevolence and
co-operation in their day
to day lives. Thousands
of people come here to
receive our love, guid-
ance and help; they come
here to seek the light of
Jan.-Feb. 2005
knowledge and wisdom
and to get inspirations to
progress along the righ-
teous path.
I want to open my heart
before you all on this
Parva of Vasant
Panchami: to share my
loving compassion for
humanity; to show you
the spring of karuñ³ that
has erupted in my inner
self; to tell you how
much compassion is
there in its deep folds to
make every life noble; to
let you see the indwell-
ing divinity. I want to
distribute all these
divine attributes among
you as well. You look at
these, experience and
test them and if you have
courage and quality,
come forward and take
these beatitudes from
me, your Guru. Take
home: some peace, some
greatness and every-
thing that is noble, sub-
lime, and glorious from
here. I want to endow
you also with the
immense powers of
ïaktip³ta and kuñÃalinºi
that my Guru had
blessed me with. May
you become worthy of
these boons. This is
what I wish for you all on
this holy day.
||OM SHANTI||
Jan.-Feb. 2005
KuñÃalinº in terms of Yoga Science
In physiological terms, kuñÃalinº is manifested as a bioelectrical
force, as the source of vital energy... We all know that the spinal
column is the foundation of our body. The majority of the nerves
pass through its hollow. Three important channels namely, the
Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna, described in the spiritual sciences,
also exist in the inner core of the spinal column. Ida represents the
flow of negative currents of the vital energy and Pingala the posi-
tive... Conjugation of the two is said to constitute the Sushumna.
The Three extrasensory currents of spiritual power Vajra,
Chitrani, and Brahm Nadi, flow along the Sushumna. The Brahm
Nadi is tied with the dark hexagonal particle in the bottom centre
the m¿l³dh³ra chakra. This hexagonal base is referred as k¿rma in
the yoga-scriptures. The coiling of the Brahma Nadi in the k¿rma is
termed as kuñÃalinº or the Serpentine Power in the spiritual sci-
ence of yoga.
There are six extrasensory power centers along the Sushumna Nadi
up to the brain in the upward direction. These are respectively,
the m¿l³dh³ra , sw³dhiïÚh³na, mañip¿ra, an³hata, viïuddhi and ³gya
chakras. The upper end of the Brahm Nadi unfolds in the reticular
activating system in the form of thousand streams.... This majestic
spark is what is named the sahastr³ra, the collection of thousands
of rays of cosmic glow. In normal case, the power of kuñÃalinº
remains dormant in the m¿l³dh³ra and supplies only the bare
minimum of vital energy essential for physical life. This power
needs to be stimulated and electrified to flow towards the higher
chakras by dedicated spiritual endeavors of s³dhan³s. This spiri-
tual attainment of the highest kind is called KuñÃalinº J³garaña.
The awakened power of kuñÃalinº is activated in gradually evolv-
ing forms in the successive chakras and elevates the s³dhaka up to
the sublime realms of spirituality and self-realization. Shantikunj
Hardwar offers a spiritually vibrant ambience and adept guid-
ance for the yoga- s³dhan³s of KuñÃalinº J³garaña that are ideally
suitable and riskfree in the present-day environment of life.
43

Shantikunj Ashram Complex - A Glimpse
S
hantikunj Gayatri Teerth
Ashram complex is the
embodiment of the vision of
Yugrishi saint-seer -philosopher
par excellence, Pandit Shriram
Sharma Acharya (Gurudev to his
devotees), who was born on
September 20, 1911 in village
Anwalkheda in Agra district of
Uttar Pradesh, India. He volun-
tarily shed his physical sheath on
Gayatri Jayanti Day on June 2,
1990 to be able to carry forward
his Mission with manifold effec-
tiveness from the subtle realm. It
is the headquarters of the Global
Gayatri Mission and has emerged
over the years as a unique center
and fountainhead of a global
movement for moral, ethical and
spiritual regeneration of human-
ity in the light of the perennial
wisdom of the hoary Indian heri-
tage. Gayatri Mission Pariwar, has
more than twenty million devo-
tees and another seventy million
persons as followers and
wellwishers spread all over the
world. The Yugrishi founded
Shantikunj in 1971, when he
finally bid goodbye to Gayatri
Tapobhoomi Mathura at the
bidding of his own Master.
The gist of Acharyashri's message
is the awakening of human con-
sciousness to a higher and nobler
realm of light, love and life suf-
44
Gayatri Teerth
fused with peace, harmony and
joy. Vandniya Mata Bhagvati Devi
Sharma (adored as the emanation
of Mother Durga by the Gayatri
Pariwar parijans) has been the
foremost collaborator and disciple
of Gurudev. She contributed
immensely in giving concrete
shape to the ideals and dreams of
her soulmate. Mataji withdrew to
the subtle / invisible realm on
Bhadrapad Poornima in 1995. The
smooth working of this world-
wide movement is based on vol-
untary daily contribution of a
minimum of fifty paisa, one hand-
ful of grains and one hour's ser-
vice towards furtherance of the
aims and objects of the Mission by
millions of its devotees.
Peace, prosperity, amity, love,
goodwill and fraternity irrespec-
tive of region, religion, faith, caste,
creed, sect etc. are avowed aims of
Gayatri Mission. True to its name,
Shantikunj is a living and vibrant
Abode of Peace. Thousands of
visitors who go around the vari-
ous departments of the Ashram's
activities are visibly moved and
touched by the all-pervading
vibrations of warm welcome and
goodwill with which they are
treated.
The central thrust of Gayatri
Mission's efforts is the inculcation
of national unity, amity
and brotherhood and
removal of ignorance,
outmoded customs,
jealousy, hatred, and
strife through the popu-
larization of Gayatri
Mantra, Yagya and Vedic
Sanskars, amongst the
masses, by making them
aware of their soul-
uplifting significance.
The Shantikunj Ashram
Complex broadly runs
the following activities:
Brahmavarchas Shodh
Sansthan
The founder-patron of
the Mission was of the
firm view that in this
scientific era, spiritual
principles and religious
rituals and rites can be
accepted by the elites as
well as the masses only
when they are scientifi-
cally validated and their
relevance for a nobler
way of life practically
demonstrated. Towards
this end, he established a
research institute of
scientific spirituality,
known as Brahmvarchas
Shodh Sansthan in 1979.
Jan.-Feb. 2005
Situated at a distance of
less than a kilometer
from the main Ashram,
on the banks of the holy
Ganga, it is a unique
center of research.
Dedicated to the pursuit
of integration of Science
with Spirituality, it
conducts fundamental
and applied researches
in the esoteric realm of
Gayatri Mantra - the
fundamental fount of
cosmic knowledge and
energy, which lies dor-
mant in the human
psyche. Investigations
are made on the benefi-
cial effects on the
Sadhak's body, mind and
intellect of Gayatri
Sadhana; herbal and
Aurvedic medicines;
and fumes emitted from
the Yagya of various
medicinal plants.
Rigorous research is also
conducted on the purifi-
catory effects of Yagya
fumes on the environ-
ment. Scientific princi-
ples underlying
Yagyopathy are also
being analyzed. Healing
and refining effects of
Yagya on the physical,
subtle and causal bodies,
too, are under investiga-
tion with a view to scien-
tifically establishing the
validity of Yagyopathy as
an alternate therapy.
Jan.-Feb. 2005
Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya
Another noteworthy contribution
of great significance is the estab-
lishment in 2002 of a university of
its own kind, with the avowed
object of imparting integrated
education based on scientific
spirituality and a refined and
noble path of living, which may
set an example before the human
race of a way of life founded on
selflessness, loving kindness,
mutual understanding and awak-
ened awareness of interconnec-
tedness of all that exists.
Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya
has been developed on the pattern
of Takshshila and Nalanda, the
two glorious universities of
immortal fame of ancient times,
initially with four faculties of
Sadhana (Self-discipline and
refinement), Shiksha (Education),
Swasthya (Health and Healing)
and Swavlamban (Self-reliance). A
detailed description on DSVV
may be found in the article on
page 30 in this issue.
Network of Gayatri Mission
The Mission has a global network
of about 4000 Shaktipeeths-Pragya
Peeths, 25,000 Pragya Sansthans,
30,000 Swadhyaya Mandals etc.,
which regularly organize satsangs,
discourses and discussions on
various problems in their areas to
advance the noble cause of the
Mission. They serve as local cen-
ters, of which Shantikunj is the
Headquarters.
Rich Literary Legacy of
Gurudev Subjectwise
Classification
Gurudev was also blessed with an
exceptional gift of literary talent,
which is evident in more than 3000
books written by him. These are in
the process of compilation into
108 volumes of “Vangmaya”, 70 of
which have already been pub-
lished. His writings encompass
the whole gamut of moral, cul-
tural, ethical and spiritual heri-
tage of India especially and of
humanity in general. He initially
started a monthly magazine
“Akhand Joyti” in 1937 in Hindi
with a humble beginning of 250
copies, circulation of which has
now risen to 15 lakhs per month. It
contains articles on moral, cul-
tural, spiritual, ethical and social
topics, national integration,
amity, and brotherhood. There is
hardly any subject of human well-
being and interest from the most
mundane to the highest level of
spirituality, which remains
untouched by this magazine.
Akhand Jyoti is now also being
published in Gujrati, Marathi,
Uriya, Tamil, Telgu, Bangla and
English.
Outreach
After the magnificent 1008 Kundi
Maha Yagya in 1958 performed at
Gayatri Tapobhoomi, Mathura,
45
the Mission performed 24 similar
Gayatri Mahayagyas in various
parts of India between 1958-1970
in each of which 2 to 3 lakh per-
sons participated. Besides these,
28 Ashwamedha Yagyas (in India
and abroad) were also organized
between 1993-95 for global awak-
ening of people, in each of which
10 to 15 lakh people took part.
Two Yug Sandhi
Mahapurashcharanahuti yagyas
were also organized: first in 1995
at the birthplace of Revered
Gurudev at village Anwalkhera,
Agra, in which several lakh peo-
ple participated and the second at
Hardwar in 2000 in which almost
ten million devotees participated.
Besides the performance of gigan-
tic Yagyas, more than 250 Sanskar
Mahotsawas were also organized
in different parts of the country for
revival of the ancient practice of
Sanskaras in the most elegant
manner, which converted hun-
dreds of hard-core criminals into
refined human beings. In this
way, the Mission has been serving
as a unique spiritual sanatorium
for people of all walks of life in
India and abroad.
Training and Sadhana Camps /
Retreats
For inculcation of the moral,
cultural, spiritual and ethical
values, national integration and
development of the youth, vari-
ous training camps /retreats are
46
organized regularly. Amongst
these, 9-day training camp of
Sanjeewani Vidya, one-month
training camp of Yug Shilpis and
Paribrajaks, three-month training
for proficiency in Music have been
the regular features of the training
activities of the Mission.
Occasional trainings of officers,
and employees of central and state
governments, local bodies, corpo-
rations, banks, factories etc. are
also organized on “Art of Living”,
organizational management,
efficient working methodology,
work culture, dignity of labor,
health, behavioral science, value
of time, inculcation of discipline,
duty consciousness, national
integration, etc. For the integrated
development of villages and self-
employment generation, 9-day
training is imparted to selected
rural youth. This relates to agri-
culture, horticulture, herbal plant
production, dairy and cottage
industries, etc.
Temples of Prakhar Pragya and
Sajal Shraddha
The splendid Prakhar Pragya and
Sajal Shardha, two tiny temples
made of marble, near the main
entrance of Shantikunj contain the
marble footprints of Param Poojya
Gurudev and Vandaniya Mataji
respectively. These are sources of
inspiration for self- enlighten-
ment and fulfillment of noble
aspirations for thousands of men,
women, newly-wed couples and
children who daily offer
their prayers at these
temples for peace, pros-
perity and success in
their lives. Just in front of
these tiny temples is the
Samadhisthal of Gurudev
and Mataji made of
sparkling granite stone,
which is suffused with
celestial vibrations of the
two divinised beings,
who are revered as
spiritual guides by
millions of their devo-
tees.
Akhand Deep
“Akhand Deep” (perpet-
ually lighted lamp),
which was initially
lighted by Gurudev on
Basant Panchmi day in
1926, has been kept
uninterruptedly lighted
since then and is kept for
daily Darshan on the first
floor of the Rishi-duo's
abode in Shantikunj. In
front of this flame,
Gurudev performed 24
Mahapurashcharanas of
24 lakh japas of Gayatri
Mantra each, over a
period of 24 years. On
their completion, he
organized a 1008 Kundi
Gayatri Mahayagya in
1958 at Gayatri
Tapobhoomi, Mathura,
which resulted in the
Jan.-Feb. 2005
attainment of immense
supernatural powers by
him for the furtherance
of the noble mission of
human upliftment and
inspired lakhs of people
who participated in it.
Darshan of this Akhand
Deep with faith bestows
divine gifts on believers.
Thousands of men,
women and children
daily file past it prayer-
fully every morning.
Devatma Himalaya
It is a miniature model of
the sacred Himalayas
from Jamanotri to
Badrinath, where
ancient Rishis and saints
have lived over the
millennia and per-
formed their Tapasya for
wellbeing of humanity .
Built on a circular base,
and with an oval shaped
dome, it provides a
sacred and quiet niche
for meditation. It can
accommodate hundreds
of persons at a time for
meditation. With audio-
visual feedback from
multimedia projection
Dev Sanskriti is also
exhibited within its
sacred precincts.
Devatma Himalaya is
surrounded by lush
green vegetation and a
nursery of medicinal
Jan.-Feb. 2005
plants and beds of flowers.
Yagyashalas
Owing to enormous increase of
visitors and devotees, the Ashram
has expanded its residential and
other facilities manifold during
the last one decade. Many new
buildings have been constructed.
Three commodious canopies for
performing Havan have been
constructed which present a
memorable sight in the morning
hours, when thousands of saffron-
clad devotees perform Yagya in
the blazing flames of yagya kundas
with chanting of Mantras. All the
Sanskaras are also performed in
morning time, in various canopies
and buildings in the Ashram
complex, free of cost.
Medical Facilities
Well-equipped dispensaries of
Ayurveda, Homeopathy and
Allopathy are run in the Ashram,
where qualified doctors render
free service. Medicines are also
supplied free of cost as per medi-
cal prescriptions. They also render
free advice for maintenance of
sound health and improvement of
natural immunity of the body
organism.
For detailed information contact
Email:
shantikunj@awgp.org;
shaildel2@yahoo.com
Websites:
www.awgp.org; www.dsvv.org
The celebrated Chemist
Nagarjuna was on the look
out for an associate for his
laboratory. Many aspirants
for that important position
would come with high hopes
and having failed the test
given by Nagarjuna, return
disappointed. One day, a new
applicant came. He was
assigned a task to be com-
peted in three days. At the
end of three days, he returned
and told of his complete
failure in performing the task.
When Nagarjuna asked
about the reason, he replied.
“A patient lay dying nearby
and I had to fully devote
myself in tending to him. I
thought that it was more
important to save his life than
to make chemicals”.
Nagarjuna's search had
ended. He was looking for
someone with tender feel-
ings. He had found one now
and immediately appointed
him.
47

T
here is a silent place inside us
where those captivated by the
world can never go. The
prison bars are only limited beliefs
and concepts. They cannot hurt
us, but by focusing on them,
reality is beyond reach. If our
focus is fixed on the tiny speck in
the microscope of our mind's eye,
we miss the shining sun in a
universe of universes. We see the
pile of dirt before our eyes and
miss the vastness of the Eternal all
around us.
This vastness is a Sacred Place
only perceived in the emptiness of
quieted mind. Without paying
attention to all the chatter, we are
free to perceive a reality we never
leave. Only in the dreams and
delusions of the mind can we be
deceived into believing in a world
of discord and inharmony.
With an opened inner eye we
perceive the same sky and fields,
but they are now singing a song of
joy. We stand now in an ocean of
contentment. Bliss or despair,
what do these matter now? We are
the eye that perceives in all
directions without
misconceptions. Here we are,
awake to the dawn. Feel the gentle
breeze and smell wave after wave
of freshness as morning dissipates
48
A Silent Place
all appearance of night. Hear the will fill us up with roses,
trilling of the birds singing. They so we may fill this empty
must know something we long room with their fine
for. Our eyes search the skies to fragrance.
find these divine ones disguised We are on the verge of
in feathers in the trees. Their song knowing the Eternal. We
is a calling to our soul to fly freely, are only a breath away.
to sing the songs beyond words Feel It beating in our
that praise the dawn. “Just to be, chest. Hear It all around.
that is enough for me.” Feel It breathing us,
now.
In this moment, joy or sorrow are
only changing conditions. We can
smell the fragrance of the rose that Ramanujacharya's
always blooms, no matter what teacher gave him all
the season. We can hear a silent types knowledge. At
song that echoes throughout the time of completion
creation. We are the song of that of education his
one that sings. Oh how we would teacher said-
be the song going forth from the “Ramanujan! Do not
lips of the Beloved. We are like give this knowledge to
grapes yearning to become the people of lower
wine of the Divine. Crush us castes.” On this
beneath Your feet and hide us in Ramanujan said-
Your darkened cave, until we are “Gurudev! I do not
what the Master always intended want any knowledge
us to be. To be free, to see all that which cannot be used
we can be. to uplift the downtrod-
What more could we ask for? The den.”
Beloved is knocking at our door.
Open it up and let that One in. Appreciating the noble
feelings of his student,
What does it matter if our lives are
the teacher gave him
shattered and thrown down? That
permission to use the
which forms all life will lift us up
knowledge as he
again. What if we are only an
wished.
empty cup? Surely the Beloved
Jan.-Feb. 2005
 A Light
There is Light, if we can find it,
That dissolves the night that cloaks a troubled heart.
It is the Sun that slowly rises,
And in its Light, the night is gone.
There is a Silent Place, when we can find it,
Not in some distant city or foreign town.
It's here, not very far away,
Just within reach of our awareness, now.
There is Love, that's waiting for us,
That fulfils, even erases, our greatest desire,
For It, and It alone, is the object of our affections,
Not some fickle lover, but a fiery Joy, that lifts us higher.
To see! To be! That is the all of what we seek.
The price is high; forsaking our personal sense of wanting;
But for this sacrifice, a new world is revealed.
In which this inner Light alone, yearns to know Itself.
When we've mastered all the rules that guide us.
Even these must fall away, as stages in a rocket ship,
On a journey that takes us beyond this world
To another, not far away, but here within us now.

[ Published with the glad consent of the author, Allan Stocker. Allan has lived in many places, from Boston
to Hawaii, soaking up the rich spiritual heritage each area maintains. Described as a renaissance man,
Allan has found music, poetry, writing, painting, and movement exercises that nurture and give
expression to this inner longing to experience Oneness. Allan tries to accept the challenges that life
presents in many disguises and maintain a meditative attitude toward life's challenges. In this way, he
aspires to live each moment with innocent eyes that perceive glimpses of the Divine both in meditation and
every day events. Amongst Indian saints and savants he derives special inspiration from: Kabir, Raman
Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo and Rabindranath Tagore. -Editor]

Jan.-Feb. 2005 49
 A microfilm copy of this poem lies on the surface of the Moon where
it was left in July 1971 by Apollo XV astronaut Col. James B. Irvin

I Am There
Do you need me? I am there.
You cannot see Me, Yet I am the light you see by.
You cannot hear Me, yet I speak through your voice.
You cannot feel Me, yet I am the power at work in your hands.
I am at work, though you do not understand My ways.
I am at work, though you do not recognize My works.
I am not strange visions. I am not mysteries.
Only in absolute stillness, beyond self, can you know Me as
I am, and then but as a feeling and a faith..
Yet I am there. Yet I hear. Yet I answer.
When you need Me, I am there.
Even if you deny Me, I am there.
Even when you feel most alone, I am there.
Even in your fears, I am there. Even in your pain, I am there.
I am there when you pray and when do not pray.
I am in you and you are in Me.
Only in your mind can you feel separate from Me, for only
in your mind are the mists of "yours" and "mine."
Yet only with your mind can you know Me and experience Me.
Empty your heart of empty fears.
When you get yourself out of the way, I am there.
You can of yourself do nothing, but I can do all.
And I am in all.
Though you may not see the good, good is there, for I am there.
I am there because I have to be, because I am.
Only in Me does the world have meaning;
only out of Me does the world take form;
only because of Me does the world go forward.
I am the law on which the movement of the stars and
the growth of living cells are founded.
I am the love that is the law's fulfilling. I am assurance.
I am peace. I am oneness. I am the law that you can live by.
I am the love that you can cling to.
I am your assurance. I am your peace. I am one with you. I am.
Though you fail to find Me, I do not fail you.
Though your faith in Me is unsure, My faith in you never wavers,
because I know you, because I love you.
Beloved, I am there. --James Dilet Freeman
[Published with deep gratitude to late James D. Freeman (1912 2003), a true friend and a
great teacher, whose moving and musical words have provided spiritual inspiration to
millions around the globe. -Editor]

50 Jan.-Feb. 2005