GRACE ALONE
(January-February 1992)
Whither do we stand now?
With the fast frantic advance of the so-called modern science and technology, man today seems to have reached a juncture in his life which is densely enveloped in dismal darkness and thought steeped deep in melancholy, wondering whither shall he turn or proceed to save himself from this catastrophic stage. He has become like Midas, the King finding everything around him all glittering gold, yet dying of hunger, thirst and what not of the manifold miseries and immersed in the depth of darkness. Man has turned out to be like a herd of cattle only to follow the one going ahead thoughtlessly not knowing whither, perhaps heading only to fall in the bottomless pit.
Whither our path for safety ?
So, now, we shall cry a halt to our march as dumb-driven catttlehood, nor look back, but look around to find the right path and proceed ahead thereon. Simultaneously we have to girdle our loins and embolden ourselves to fling fast whatever literature or the so called prayer books which have been polluted and prostituted and interpolated by persons whose minds had been smoke-screened by corrupt commercialism and overbearing selfishness. It is through such mis-guiding books we have lost our faith in ourselves, and turning self-terrified non-believers. We have now, therefore, to make bold ourselves to learn afresh to look into the plan of an absolute scientific, rightly drawn plan indicating the correct path to be taken which has been emphatically authenticated by the ancient literature, viz., Vedas, the words of which guide truthfully and in an unequivocal, unerring, clear, emphatic, unquestionably categorical terms, as told by God Himself. The path as told by Him is straight and direct with no crookedness, bends or windings or clefts as to deviate one to anywhere else but to the exact goal or "destiny man is tended to reach having taken this birth.
Now before setting ourselves to tread this path, it will only help us here to make an estimate of the damage done to the environments, while modern technology in playing its innings and become victorious in man's reaching the moon and other planets. In its wake, it has left a heavy trail of pollution of air, water and soil on the mother planet. At the accelerating tempo of a highly computerised achievements gained by him, man stands now dazed becoming insensitive to the chaos that has been wrought bringing a material, moral and spiritual degeneration to him and to everything around him. Trying to elaborate into the nature and the extent of pollution and damage done will entail much space and time. Hence we shall only know that tons and tons of the oxygen containing the most important 'Prana Vaayu' of our atmosphere is fast turning into highly carbondioxided one forming a thick sheet of carbondioxide enveloping our planet earth affecting each and every life on it. Scientists opine that if such an envelope of carbondioxide is allowed to grow thicker as days go by, the whole of the earth will be rendered an uninhabitable place for man and other living beings. Stalwarts in science and social welfare are putting their heads to find a way out to save the earth and its beings from the clutches of such an unimaginably horrible catastrophy. How many really know that the great Rishis and the Awalars of God had ages ago foreseen this plight to come to this planet earth and the beings there. So they had also devised the ways - 'Upayas* - to save the life of the people and other living beings of this planet earth and avoid the disintegration of it to smitheriens.
How to proceed ? Whither the beacon?
Now what shall we do to save ourselves and the planet earth that we live in is the biggest question and poser that stands before us as a collossus. As has already been told that the great ancient Rishis of Yore have delienated the way that we shall in one united prayer seek to be guided into the right path of action, and towards this, and thus seek His Grace Alone which only can act as the beacon light to illumine our path ahead.
Is the path straight?
The path shown by the Rishis as told in the Vedas is not only straight but extremely simple too. The path is so universal and straight that it can be practised by one and all irrespective of any compartmentalised beliefs or faiths.
The Sun and Moon are common to one and all alike. Without any distinction, high or low, people of all shades of religious faith, welcome the warmth and the light of the Sun, so also of the cool illumination of the Moon. Just as these are universal, fire an extraction of these, is not only universal but one that is close to us and which serves us in our daily life in many forms from morn till eve. Therefore, the great Avatar of Vishnu, Parasurama, et-al evolved a simple way of propiciating the gods through worshipping the fire, the God nearest to us and within reach of our hands, the ‘Hastamalaka', the goosebery in the palm of our hand. What is this fire worship which the ancients sages of the east, especially of India, called YAJNYA, sacrificial offerings to fire and how we should go about and other details and benefits derived therefore, therefrom etc., can be known from the following paragraphs.
Now before we go into the study of the methods involved in performing this sacrificial fire offering we shall just look into the benefits derived from it and how it helps bring about a change in the performer and in the atmosphere around him, close in his vicinity and elsewhere, all over in general.
The aim and the prime business of any religion and the practices involved in it is to transform the individual soul and elevate man as such from a mere animalistic mundane living being to realise his reality as a part of the great all pervading effulgence of light, GOD. All temples built of brick and mortar or other form of edifices, is of least consequence in the transformation of man. This should be the criterion to justify any planning. On this Shri V. V. Paranjpe, a disciple commanded by His Holiness Gajanan Maharaj of Akkalkote says:
"Short cut to progress is dubious and full of explosive potentialities. Science untempered by this criterion may lead to slave test-tube babies made to order, domination of the technocraft over all he surveys, consequent pushbutton conflagration, lava of desires feeding on itself and enveloping the globe unmindful of the wanton destruction, greed, anxiety, insecurity, chaos and disharmony it brings in its train."
“A single misdeed perpetrated in any corner of globe will adversely affect the atmosphere, this in turn will have deleterious effect on functioning of human mind. So the circle perpetuates. That is why peace like progress is indivisible. By conscious efforts we have to purify the space dividing the Trilokas. Yajnya is conscious effort made in this direction."
In a brochure entitled 'Sacrifice’ published prior to Somayag at Akkalkot State by the Sadguru Seva Samiti says:
"A time is approaching when science and religion will reunite and harmonise. The fundamental unity of God in His essential attributes makes it imperative that science and religion must harmonise. Science is nothing but the investigation of physical laws while religion is realization of God and His laws in the metaphysical realm. When God created universe He created the physical as well as the metaphysical world. He projected His will into the physical world created natural laws. There also exists a third world which can be described as physical and metaphysical divinities from where contribute towards the unity of the physical and metaphysical world and strengthen the bond between them.'
"This new consciousness for need of spiritual values is arising in the world. In order to achieve this aim of life, the world atmosphere needs to be charged with the effects of harmonious musical notes and holy recitations. Harmony is an atomic energy that keeps off evil of all kinds.
"The hermitages of Vedic Seers, in days immemorial, were acting as generating stations of Divine Power solely with the object of enkindling of humanity to attain perpetual bliss. In that holy atmosphere these seers used to perform Fire Worship Continuously. Experimentation and minute observation of results there from convinced humanity about the efficacy of such worship, whether performed individually or collectively."
This is known as the ritual of Yajnya in Sanskrit and merely Fire-Worship in some other parts of the world. During this form of worship offerings of various items are made to be consumed by the fire along with the chant of Mantras. Mantras are combination of various syllables from the alphabets of Sanskrit. By virtue of the peculiar and specific combinations Mantra becomes a potent sound combined with the power of the thought also behind them. The word Mantra also carries a thought and meaning. Manah Trayate Iti Mantrah ~ Mananat Trayate Iti Mantrah!!! also holds good. This means that word or words which potentially vibration –charged can elevate the mind of the person who spells them repeatedly mentally or mildly audibly with due devotion, the power or the form of power it denotes, not only that, the subtle sound vibration of them penetrates through every cell, nerve fibre, flesh and blood of the chanter to purify his every cell, cell by cell, but transforms them in due course to shining divinity. Again, the air around him is also rarified by the sound vibrations and many particles of the air get altered and surcharged as to dispell all the impurities therein and also neutralise whatever pollutions there about and makes it clean and porous so as to allow more of the divine substance of 'Prana' to fill in. Thus helping only peace and godly enriched thoughts prevail all over the place. This, in turn, permit 'Devas’ and their agencies take their due and legitimate places around us to shower on us their grace and promote plenty and prosperity. That is what Bhagawan Krishna meant by saying - Yajnatbhavati Parjanyah Parjanyat annasambhavah, i.e., through yajnya comes rain and by rain food grows. Doesn't it make us wonder, how subtly and scientifically yoked the power of thought to the five elements of Matter (Earth), Fluids (Water), Fire (Lustre), Electronic Velocity (Wind) and Celestial atmosphere (ftther) to the welfare of man and his surroundings on this planet earth by the Vedic Seers (Rishis). Fire stands supreme in the centre as the co-ordinating force between Matter and Fluids having a downward tendency while the Electronic Velocity and celestial atmosphere an upward drive. Matter and Fluids by coming in contact with Fire get transformed into the last two elements, thus proving indirectly how Fire can elevate all those who come in contact with it. And where is this Fire ? The answer to this is by raising another question, wherever it is not?
In writing about Fire or Agni, the Rishis have nomenclatured ' them differently to distinguish and identify them specifically when they are operating in a manifested perceptible form or in its subtle slate. To mention a few, when it works in an imperceptible mysterious way in digesting the food in living beings it is known as 'jaatharaagni' i.e. the fire in the stomach. In the kitchen as 'Pachakanaagni' or 'Gaarhpalniyaagni', in yajnya as 'Aahavaneeyagni' etc.
Now going into some details about Yajnya involving sacrificial offering, I feel what Mahatma Paranjpe says in his book 'Grace Alone' cannot be excelled or improved upon. Therefore I shall extract the same to the benefit of the readers with my humble prostration to that great soul and his Guru Gajanan Maharaj of Akkalkote.
' 'Yajnya involving sacrificial offering to fire is a Siddha Sadhana bequeathed to humanity for achieving progress in matters mundane as well as spiritual. This Sadhana was prevalent in many parts of the world in ancient days although it had assumed different form. Prehistoric Cretons, Babylonians Sumerians, Akkadians, Semites, Polynesians, Greeks, Jews used to perform this sacrificial worship."
"Mexican Incas had a developed form of such worship. Fudo Myows of Japan perform Goma holy fire invocation. Baku in U.S.S.R. had fire temples. In India Yagnya was a well laid out ritual performed under expert guidance. Avesta, prayerbook of the Zoroastrians calls this worship Yasht which means a sacred ast for attainment of the Divine. The place of worship is known as Fire Temple and the Supreme Deity is Ahur Mazad (Asur Mahat, The Great God in Sanskrit)."
"In the performance of a Yagnya or a Mahayajnya offerings to fire always are accompanied by chantings of mantras. Mantra is not merely a prayer as vibrations of sound are an important element. Hence a mantra has to be chanted in the manner in which it is received from the Guru (Preceptor) while prayer can be offered in any language."
"Every mantra strikes the atmosphere with its potency and the effect could be tested. The prescribed Yajnya material when offered to fire in the chant of the mantras decidedly purifies the atmosphere. Scientific tests could be carried out before and after the performance of a Yajnya to guage the effects on atmospheric conditions. It is certainly cheaper than testing the after effects of N-bombs."
"The purificatory action in the atmosphere after a Yajnya is performed in the prescribed manner immediately goads the natural phenomena to act in the proper way yielding timely rains and bumper crops. It cleanses the water resources on earth. It simultaneously strikes the mind of persons in the area to change for the better and this pays marvellous dividends. Lust, greed, indulgence become on the wane and peace and contentment take their place. This is no idle dream but stark truth open to examination by experts in the field. Yajnya is the Kamadhenu, fulfiller of all desires."
"Mind and Prana may be considered to be the obverse and reverse of the same coin. If you control one you automatically subjugate the other."
"Hence atmospheric purity has a striking impact on-mind of man. Thus does Yajnya contribute to peace and prosperity on earth."
"A small atomic bomb exploding in a small town called Hiroshima had pernicious effects on the atmosphere for twenty years. A Mahayajnya will also have purificatory effect for twenty years."
"Vedas describe the rituals for various types of Yajnyas in typical details. The design, the mode of construction and the direction of the altar is posited. The solid and liquid offerings to fire and intervals between the offerings are clearly prescribed. Fire is prepared from wood of particular set of trees only. These trees are found growing in nature from equator to pole. They do not need tending by human hands. Different mantras are to be chanted for different Yajnyas and their sequence is stated. The intonations and pauses in utterances are mentioned. The qualifications of the priest and also of the performer are given. Nothing is left to chance and there is no and equivocation."
"Various types of Yajnyas are mentioned for satisfaction of various types of worldly desires either for the individual or the community. They range from Agnihotra to Ashwamedha for fulfilling the desires of an individual, a Masa, Chaturmasyayag, Soutramani, Vajapeya, Rajasooya, Somayaga were some of the Yagnyas prevelent in olden days performed for the fulfilment of specific desires. Yajnya lasting for a week or more is called Satra."
"It must be emphatically stated that among Yajnya offerings there is absolutely no place for animal flesh or blood. There should be no misconception in this regard."
"Yajnya performed with a desire to obtain rains, Parjanyakameshti would attract water particles as a combined result of specific offerings to fire among chants of certain mantras when at a temperature of about 640 C there appears a thin film in the atmosphere due to oxidation of organic substances leading to showers."
"Rains bring down to earth Prana from celestial atmosphere. There are instances when Yajnyas were performed with a desire to beget an offspring as in the case of Shri Rama and Draupadi. These are known as Putrakameshti and Kanyakameshti Yajnyas. Yajnyas were also performed to avert great wars and world disturbances when divinites were invoked."
"Yajnya even to this day has the potential to bring about the above achievements. With the advance of physical sciences and the consequent enlargement of human knowledge present is the most opportune lime for resuscitation of Yajnyas in society. Frontiers of pure science are receding and the scientist is on the verge to declare a new approach to problems of Life, Creation, Time and Infinity. It will be easier now to acknowledge that the disappearance of Yajnya from society has robbed humanity of a potent weapon which is intrinsically an atindote to pollution besides being capable of generating an atmosphere which imprints the human mind with seeds of contentment and prosperity."
"Purificatory effect of a properly conducted Yajnya on the mind is the biggest blessing to mankind and will enable man to climb up the stairs to spirituality for 'Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall SEE GOD."
FIVE FOLD PATIIYWAYS comprising of and conveyed in five simple words are: Yajnya, Daan, Tapa, Karma and Swadhyaya and Agnihotra: Fire, sacrifice in detail will follow in the next issue.