Page 16 - The Planets & Forecast

Planets & Forecast Mar.-18

is best for worship. For a Gruhasta Vratha a divine duty eating food.
performing Sri Satyanara-yana Vratha, Considering Annam Parabrahma
Rudrabhisheka or other Vrathas do give Swarooupam, i.e. Food is the form of
benefits sought after by them. All are the divinity. Fasting is not prescribed
not expected to be seekers of the self. any where in the scriptures. It is a
Ordinary mortals have to seek material misconception that fasting is necessary
gains, they too need some spiritual for performing any spiritual practice or
help or practice which is a Vratha and vratha. Without taking food one
daily worship. becomes physically weak. That
It is a wrong notion that a Vratha weakness will effect the mind and it
(worship) should be taken up with too becomes weak. A strong mind can
empty stomach. Vedas, Upanishads not dwell in a weak body. The mind
and Bhagavat Gita considered that will be after (seeking expecting) food
'annam' i.e., food is the primary and will not concentrate on the spiritual
requisite for spirituality. practice or Vratha. Matter and Mind are
annam na 'nindyat tad viatam interdependent.
praanova annam annand bhavanti bhutaani
sareeramannadam parjayaad annasambhavah
pranaa sareeram prathistidam yajnaad bhavati parjanyo yajnah
sareeraa praanah pratisthatam karmasamudbhava (B.G. III 14)
tadetadannamannaa pratistham From food comes the being, from
saya eatadannamanna rain food is produced; from rain is
pratisthitam veda pratisthati produced yagna which is karma.
annavanannaadoo bhavati istaan bhogaan hi vo devaa
maham bhavathi praajoya daasyante yajnabhaavitaah
pasubhishrahma varcahasena maham tair dattaan apradaayai bhyo yo
keerthaa (Thithiyopanishad B.V.VII.) bhunkte stena eva sah B.G. III 12
Food should not be slighted. This is We have to offer every thing to
very essential for upasaka (Annamu). God, before enjoying desired objects,
Life is installed in the body and body is as we got them from God. If we enjoy
installed in life. (They are interdepen- the God's gift without offering to God,
dent) Hence life is installed in food. then it amounts to stealing.
Who takes food gets stabilized. By This idea has inculcated in the minds
taking food one gets children, wealth, to observe fast till the culmination of a
fame. religious ceremony which is not good.
For an upasaka body is the essential Instead the sadhaka should perform
part, it is his temple. If only he is laghu pooja (simple worship) in the
healthy, strong, then only he performs morning and eat the fruits or others
the spiritual duties-rituals. Body is built which are offered to the Lord. Offering
by food and nurtured by food. Hence food to our soul implies that we have
food is divine, it should be look upon it offered it to God as the soul in all the
as the door to divinity. Food should not beings is divine. Just eating to satiate
be rejected or slighted under any hunger or for pleasure is not offering
circumstances. Fruits & items of food to God. Before consuming if we
should be offered to God with devotion meditate by our soul offering the first
and supplication before eating with morsal to the divinity is the sacred duty.
respect as a prasad as those items With empty stomach hunger sets in,
are God's gift. Then the mind gets hunger weakens the mind, hence the
purified, gives happiness and heath. thoughts of the sadhaka run towards
The upasaka should consider it as a satisfying the hunger than towards the
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