|
|
|
Written by Sri Swami Chandrashekarendra
Saraswati |
|
|
|
Great men have spoken in the past about the evil done by the carnal
desire. Remarkably enough, our Vedic dharma has turned the same into
an instrument for the purification of the Self by means of samskara and
by imparting to it an element of propriety. It is not easy for an
ordinary
man to go to the forest and live as a recluse there or become a
sannyasin.
To become mellow, he has to go through all the rough and tumble of life,
experience all the joys and sorrows of his worldly existence. In the
years
of tenderness he must taste bitter, in boyhood or student-bachelorhood
he must taste astringent, as an unripe fruit [in youth] he must taste
sour
and as a mellow fruit [in old age] he must taste sweet. Ordinary people
must go through all these stages so as to become mellow finally and to
be
filled with sweetness. What has not ripened naturally, or by itself,
cannot
be ripened forcibly. In this context one is reminded of the words of
Ramalingaswamigal who speaks of a "prematurely ripe and withered fruit
dropping". The sages know that such would be the result if a man were
forced into maturity by going against nature. The duties of marriage and
the life of a householder are intended to make a person mellow
naturally.
Besides are there not many beings that are to be born again as a
consequence of their past karma? How can they be reborn in the absence
of the samskara called marriage?
The householder has to continue to chant the Vedas he was taught as a
brahmacarin. He has also to teach these scriptures, perform a number of
sacrifices and rites like aupasana and sandhyavandana. At present the
conduct of sacrifices has become rare and not many learn the Vedas. But
the tradition of sandhyavandana and Gayatrijapa
is still followed though
only to a very small extent. I will now speak about the Gayatri mantra. |
|
|
