VOLUME: 17 | ISSUE:2 March-April 2019

The Secret
of
Success & Long Life

If your general impression is that “the world is liable to fall off and break into two,”
that “fate has it in for you,” that you were “born to hard luck”, that you “never had a chance
and never will have one,” and that “you will not live long anyway,” then, of course, you will
lose courage and without the will to spur you onto effort, you will not succeed either in your
business or in prolonging your life. That pessimistic state of mind retards your digestion and
has a bad effect upon your liver. Such despondent people are usually unhealthy and therefore
unhappy, feeling that “there is nothing to live for’, they usually age more rapidly than optimistic
people. The remedy lies in both physical and mental activity, for the same law applies to the
mental organization as to the rest of your body, so that if you would keep young mentally you
must exercise your brains. The list of old men, thinkers, writers, statesmen and orators, who
have achieved their greatest successes in advanced years, is too long to recite, but the secret of
their success in every case was, that they kept busy.

- Sanford Bennett

One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself. - Leonardo da Vinci

3 AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019

 CONTENTS
1. Amrit Chintan
The Secret of Success and Long Life ........................................................................ 3
2. From Chief Editor’s Desk
Let’s Gift the Society Rich Legacy of Noble Personalities ....................................... 5
3. Definitive Route to All-round Success ...................................................................... 7
4. Control of Speech and Utilization of its Power ......................................................... 10
5. Science and Spirituality
Sensory and Mental Levels of Consciousness ........................................................... 12
6. Golden Rules for a Healthy and Disease-free Life .................................................... 17
7. The S³®khya School of Indian Philosophy ............................................................... 20
8. The Secret of Overcoming Loneliness ..................................................................... 25
9. Yug Gita – 17
Sthitaprajóa Always Remains Calm and Composed................................................. 27
10. Peace Pilgrim’s Wisdom – 17
Living the Spiritual Life – 1 ...................................................................................... 31
11. Break the Hypnotic Mold of Incompetency .............................................................. 34
12. Odyssey of the Enlightened - 66
Future Calling - 2....................................................................................................... 36
13. Youth Column
Do You Properly Use Your Mind Power?.................................................................. 40
14. Give Noble Sa®sk³ras, not Wealth, to the Children ................................................. 42
15. Amrit Vani
What Makes Gayatri S³dhan³ Miraculous? .............................................................. 44
16. Simple Techniques of Pr³öay³ma to Stay Healthy -2 ............................................... 48
17. Amazing Facts of Polar Regions ............................................................................... 50
18. Shantikunj News ................................... (Inner Cover Pages & Back Cover Page)

You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in
money, compliments, or publicity. - Thomas Wolfe
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019 4
 From Chief Editor’s Desk

Let’s Gift the Society

Rich Legacy of Noble Personalities

T
he present scenario is indicating towards a significant social transformation. If we watch the
events happening in different folds of the society, as an impartial observer, we can easily feel the
truth that the world is fast changing. The means of transport have drastically changed before our
own eyes. It is hardly fifty years when we used to go from one village to another by bullock cart or a
horse cart. Today such distances are crossed in minutes.

In fact, going from one village to another is not at all a journey. The distance between distant countries has
been made very short by the airplanes. Then this revolution has not been confined to reducing distances.
The advances in the means of communication and easy accessibility of tools of information technology,
have brought about so much change in the society that no one could imagine it two or three decades ago.
Whether it is the discovery of internet or the mobile phone with a touch screen – they are drastically
influencing the individual lifestyle as well as the social order. There can be no doubt that due to these
changes the human life has become easier and more comfortable. Such discoveries and related changes
should be considered auspicious, positive and essential for the human beings. However the worry is what
will be the impact of the human psyche that is also changing with this transformation. What kind of legacy
will we be leaving behind in the society?

Will the lifestyle of the coming generation, its viewpoint regarding life and its understanding of the aim of
life remain safe or get deformed? – Many awakened people have the curiosity to know the answer to this
question; and this kind of worry is but natural, because in the blind race of getting sensual pleasures, material
progress, prosperity and comfort, I wonder whether we are going on sacrificing the basic human values.

Param Pujya Gurudev used to say that, in common language, we use two types of words – one is heritage
(material and economic inheritance) and second is legacy (immaterial and cultural inheritance). He would
then say that a significant question is whether we are leaving behind us a material property or a legacy
for our children – the next generation. Land, house, money, jewelry, etc. come under the category of
property; and, good personality, virtues, simplicity, noble goal of life, etc. are indicative of one’s legacy.
A person’s legacy can be judged by his way of living, his vibrant personality, his manner of speaking,
his conduct, and his good moral impressions. Noble personalities leave rich legacy. Unfortunately, today
everyone seems to be engaged in amassing wealth and property and leave it to the children, but no one
is seen to struggle or endeavor to leave a rich inspiring legacy to the next generation.

The result is clear – today whereas the society has become rich and prosperous in many fields, it has also
become poor in many other aspects. The thoughts of selfishness, greed for power, pelf and prosperity have

You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing
for him. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
5 AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
penetrated the masses to an extent that it may be called as the poverty of humane values. God knows what
will be the outcome of this, but what is happening before our own eyes can be called horrible and shocking.

There is unabated rise in diseases, mental disorders and stress. Terrorism is at its peak. Under such
circumstances, if someone feels that he will remain unaffected by it, then this is nothing more than his
stupidity. If the fire is spread in the entire village, how can one save his roof from catching the flames? If
the whole atmosphere is filled with smoke, how can one breathe smoothly? When the power is cut to the
entire city, how can one have light in one’s home? This is nothing more than an illusion that collecting
external resources, degrees and accolades, reaching a high post, making a big home, earning a respectful
position can remove inner darkness. It can be removed only by inner light.

A person considered rich from the point of view of having higher education, earning plenty of money or
possessing a big home may not necessarily be rich in virtuous traits like honesty, empathy, selflessness,
humility, patience, self-control, etc. Today, when the inner-selves of people appear to be hollow, then
only the efforts of self-upliftment can fill this vacuum. Param Pujya Gurudev and Vandaniya Mataji
conceived the idea of incarnation of a new human being. If that human being is rich from the point of
view of nobility of character; then only the dream of dawn of golden era would be possible.

Thus it is the making of noble and spiritually powerful personalities that can achieve the prime aim
of the descent of Pujya Gurudev and Vandaniya Mataji on Earth. For this purpose, we should all get
engaged in the s³dhan³ of self-refinement – making of our personalities rich in virtues. The aim of
s³dhan³ is doing less but becoming more. It is important how much japa we have done, but it is more
significant what kind of a person we have become. Our personalities should be magnetic, illumined and
worth following so that others start emulating us.

In the present circumstances, when even the so called great personalities seem to be running in the blind
race for power, pelf and prosperity, our Gayatri Parijans would develop the courage to leave behind them
a rich legacy of noble personalities. There would be no fortune bigger than this.

Let us utilize upcoming Caitra Navr³tri (from April 6 to 14, 2019) for making ourselves spiritually
powerful through specific austerities (tapa), mantra japa and other methods. The austerities may include,
depending on one’s strength and capacity, taking s³tvika food (without spices, salt, sugar, etc); observing
fast, maun vrat (silence) and brahmacarya (celibacy); etc. When this power of tapa enters the s³dhaka,
it refines his personality accordingly. The energy thus gained can be retained by self-control and utilized
in the desired direction. If our thoughts are noble, we will use this energy in the right direction and in
due course will harvest its benefits.
With prayer-filled wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Harmonious New Samvatsar, 2076,

(Pranav Pandya)
Nobility of spirit has more to do with simplicity than ostentation, wisdom rather than wealth,
commitment rather than ambition. - Riccardo Muti
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019 6
 Definitive Route to All-round Success
T
he desire to attain success in life comes
to us naturally. What is the true measure
of success however, needs careful
consideration. After all, what use is the success
that later weighs upon us with feelings like
hollowness and futility? If success does not
lead to contentment and peace of mind, can it
really be called success? When people who have
reached the highest pinnacles of success are found
gripped with vices like drug abuse, smoking, and
alcoholism, or found suffering from depression or
ending up committing heinous acts like suicide,
then such a success becomes nothing but a big
question mark.
Are we really exerting ourselves to attain success
at the cost of inner peace, contentment and
happiness? Success attained at this price definitely
cannot be termed as a holistic success. Along with
intellectual progress, success can only be relevant
if it is attained along with progress in emotional,
moral and spiritual domains as well. Here are a
few sutras which can be adopted to walk on the
path to an all-round, holistic success:
1. Realizing our originality
There is no shortcut to a holistic, long-term
success. It has its own well-defined steady route,
and it has to be attained by paying the right price.
Nothing can be attained for free. If ever anything
is attained for free it has no value in the long-
term, because neither will it lead to a feeling of
fulfilment, nor to any increase in self-esteem or
Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in
your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. - Norman Vincent Peale
7 AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
self-confidence. In such hollowness, how can the
flowers of peace and contentment are expected
to bloom?
It is essential that the inspiration for whatever we
do in life comes from within. If a goal has been
set by listening to others or by blindly following
others, then the goal must be reconsidered
seriously. Such a goal may give bread and butter,
and may make us look successful in other’s eyes,
but will never provide us inner satisfaction. Only
a goal that is born from the womb of originality
can ensure satisfaction and happiness.
All the great people who have contributed
something worthwhile to the world have followed
their inner voice. While treading on their chosen
path, they have had to face opposition of the
narrow mindedness of their own family members,
friends and well wishers many a time. But despite
stiff opposition, when they kept moving on the
path resolutely, in the end everyone accepted the
merit of their decision and even began to tread on
the same path.
To realize and achieve the goal of life, it is
essential to give definite priority to tasks that lead
to the goal while carrying out the regular daily
activities.
2. Priorities must be clearly defined daily
The clearer the priorities, the more effective the
life will be. A big reason for failures and creation
of stress in life is the lack of clarity in assignment
of priorities. This leads to a lot of wastage of
precious time; and disorder; and lack of proper
planning becomes a part of life. It is a fact that
if the goal of life is clear, daily priorities will be
very clear too. With this clarity, all the energies of
our body, mind and spirit get focused and all the
tasks get accomplished efficiently.
If the goal is not clear then it becomes difficult
to decide what is important and what is not.
Time gets wasted in unimportant activities and
when the assessment time nears, a realization
of all the important tasks that could not be
completed sets in. The pressure of pending tasks
then significantly enhances stress. Stability and
peace of mind get lost in this state and life gets
embroiled in an emergency like situation. When
tasks are prioritized well, such situations of
emergency never arise and a strong basis gets
created for enhancing creativity in a person.
3. Creativity must become an integral part of life
When activities and daily routine get properly
harmonized, it becomes possible to undertake
creative activities which otherwise would not
find a place in the stresses and hustles of daily
life. Balance and stability of mind is the most
fundamental need and such a state of mind is
created when life gets organized. An organized
life leads to creation of a conductive workplace
as well; and when inner state of mind and
outer actions of a person are balanced, stream
of creativity automatically springs forth from
within. And when creativity finds expression
in accordance to a person’s liking, ability and
talent, it fills his entire life with a gentle flow
of melody and deep satisfaction. However,
if the practical side of life is not balanced and
Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are
always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’ - Brian Tracy
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
emotional disturbances perturb a person then
this flow can get obstructed.
4. Attain emotional equipoise
Individualistic success that isolates one from
friends, colleagues and the society can never be
fulfilling. Success feels enriched with worthiness
only when it leads to not just personal progress
but to the welfare of the society as well. For a
successful life, a balance in all practical aspects
of life is essential. Along with external success
and recognition of talent in the social circles,
nourishment of inner emotional being is required,
because this is what leads to deep and thorough
satisfaction in life.
For this it is important that we look beyond our
personal interests and also think about the welfare
of those who depend on us and of the society in
general. When we meet others, we should not
just keep speaking but must listen to others as
well. Being a good listener is a very good quality
while interacting with others. Such an empathetic
conduct acts like a soothing balm for the distressed
- unhappy minds and also leads to own emotional
upliftment. It is important to keep track of how
useful are we proving to others. If we develop
sensitivity and honesty towards ourselves as
well as others, we progress emotionally, and our
creditability and authenticity increases manifold
in our public lives. This is an important basis of a
holistic successful life.
5. Pay attention to spiritual aspects as well
Emotional progress initially gets confined to
thinking and caring for our own self or for whom
we are attached to. To expand its domains further
and to make ourselves emotionally richer it is
necessary to move beyond selfishness and egoism
8
and enter into spiritual domains. This is like
diving into the deepest depths of our inner-selves
or flying in the highest skies of life. This spiritual
journey sprouts by spending a few moments
in contemplation and introspection daily, and
blooms with sincere study of self and spending
time with great spiritual beings.
Selfless service of society, regular prayers and
meditation make the spiritual experience richer,
and balance and stability at a deeper level is
attained in life. By connecting with supreme
consciousness a person attains sufficient
strength to take on all adversities in the external
world with equanimity. A deep inner vision
gets developed towards life. When decisions
are made using this vision, they turn out to be
perfect and without any flaws.
6. Introspect daily
For balance and stability in life, it is essential
to introspect daily and measure our actions
against the criteria listed above. Awareness
about our thoughts, conduct, emotions and
resolves should be maintained throughout the
day, and efforts should be made daily to sharpen
discretionary wisdom. Whole day should be
spent with awareness and then in the night, the
habit of writing a diary should be developed to
introspect and analyse what transpired during
the day. A resolve should be made to correct the
mistakes committed and to do something new
the next day. Testing ourselves daily, and putting
in best efforts to overcome the challenges of
life, helps us to keep treading up the stairs of
excellence in life.
7. Follow the inner voice
Following the inner voice is the most important.
This voice originates from inner core of the heart.
It is truly a Godly voice. It is so gentle that it
can be easily suppressed, but it also is so clear
that it cannot be ignored. When it is not heard it
grows weak, but when listened to and followed it
becomes stronger and louder. It leads to increase
in sensitivity towards the world and sharpens the
power of discretion. Honesty within and outer
support of the divine help us progress on the path
to holistic all-round success and help us reach the
highest goal of attaining excellence in life.

“He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and
the love of little children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty or failed to express it;
Who has left the world better than he found it,
Who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;
Whose life was an inspiration;
Whose memory a benediction.”
- Bessie Anderson Stanley

Integrity is the essence of everything successful. - R. Buckminster Fuller

9 AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019

 Control of Speech &
Utilization of its Power
A
lmighty has bestowed man with
the ability of speech so that he may
express his thoughts in spoken
words. Expressing through writing came
much later. But expressing through voice
can be considered as the first ever method
in which a person expresses himself in life.
This also is the most used and simplest
method of communicating what’s transpiring
in one’s mind – be it emotions or happiness
or worries or pain or anything else. Even
children learn to speak first before learning
to write or read because one cannot survive
without expressing oneself. It will not be an
exaggeration to say that spoken word is the
basis for human expression.
While speech plays a vital role in our existence
and expression, it also happens to be the primary
cause for the loss of our mental energies.
Speech also is the medium through which we
express our ego, lust, anger, hatred, desires and
ambitions. All our suppressed emotions and
passions get expressed through our voice in
the form of words. This is why, controlling and
utilizing our speech is a very important means
for conserving our energies.
If we practice merely controlling our thoughts
and ignore our speech, whatever mental
energies we intended to conserve will now
find their way out in the form of words. Hence
we should certainly consider restraint in both
Sometimes not speaking says more than all the words in the world. - Colleen Hoover
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
thoughts and speech as a means for conserving
our energies.
Using our ability to talk is an inevitable part
of our daily lives which is why we tend to
forget how important it is. We end up speaking
whatever comes to our mind and speaking
without considerable thought has become the
order of the day. Truth is that more amount of
energy gets expended when we talk than when
we do physical work. So, it’s important that we
give serious thought to how we use this important
energy. Speech is directly related to our mental
energies which is why eight hours of physical
work is equivalent to one hour of mental work.
Keeping all these facts in mind, observing silence
is considered as an efficient means of protecting
our mental energies. Lord Shri Krishna in
Srimadbhagwad Gita extols the significance of
practicing silence and places it in the league of
mental penance.
Mana¡pras³da¡ saumyatwa® maunam³tmavinigraha¡|
Bh³vasa®ïuddhirityetat tapo m³nasamucyate||
(ïloka 16, chapter 17)
Meaning: Serenity of mind, warm-heartedness,
silence, mental restraint and purity of thoughts
are considered as mental austerity.
Once mind is brought under control, even big
tasks get accomplished easily. When Maharshi
10
Vedavyasa was composing Mahabharata and
dictating it, the task of putting it in writing was
taken up by Lord Ganesha. But while doing
this great task, Ganesha observed Mauna or
silence so that no disturbance could deflect his
focus away from what he was doing. These
principles can also be applied in daily life. If a
task requires utmost focus and attention, then
one can try to use the technique of Mauna for
guaranteed success. This is why maintaining
silence is considered to be an integral aspect
for conservation of mental energies.
Talkativeness not only depletes energy but
also can create bitterness in relationships.
Those who are in the habit of gossiping,
complaining, criticizing and spreading
hatred will often be seen having strained
relationships. When people are in the habit
of talking without thinking, they fail to even
grasp the effect of their words on the other
person. This is why in addition to talking
less or even remaining silent, it might be
worthwhile to speak politely and only when
required. This ensures that one will conserve
spiritual energy and also maintain cordial
relationships in material world.
Those who talk less and conserve their energy
end up being good listeners and comprehend
the other person better. This opens the doors to
knowing and learning something new. Those
who are interested in talking rather than listening
lose many such opportunities of learning from
others. Also, those who speak more often tend
to get excited and get into animated discussions
that further lead to loss of vital energies. Such
continuous depletion of vital energy in due
course leads to mental weakness that makes a
person restless and intolerant. This can also
be perceived as a permanent damage to and
downfall of one’s personality.
The intention of writing these facts is to bring
the attention of s³dhakas in the direction of
conserving vital energies by practicing restraint in
speech. By maintaining Mauna (silence), speaking
less, speaking politely and speaking only when
necessary help in enhancing mental energies,
developing love in relationships, resolving issues
in a holistic manner; and also attain both material
and spiritual success owing to the increased focus
obtained by improved mental vigor. Therefore
consider judicious use of your speech as a form of
spiritual s³dhan³ and reap benefits in your life.

“We cannot control the way people interpret our ideas or thoughts,
but we can control the words and tones we choose to convey them. Peace
is built on understanding, and wars are built on misunderstandings. Never
underestimate the power of a single word, and never recklessly throw
around words. One wrong word, or misinterpreted word, can change the
meaning of an entire sentence and start a war. And one right word, or one
kind word, can grant you the heavens and open doors.”
- Suzy Kassem

Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. - Roy Bennett

11 AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019

 Science and Spirituality
Sensory and Mental Levels of Consciousness
A
ll living beings in this world are
diverse functional expressions of the
omnipresent, eternal Consciousness-
Force (CF) manifested in a form (physical body).
It is because of this life-force in functional state
that a biological cell is different from the physical
matter or chemical substance. Faculties of CF are
most evolved in human beings as compared with
other creatures. It is only in the humans that it
exists beyond the sensory experiences. We will
highlight these distinct levels of consciousness
in scientific light and discuss the importance
of understanding and making best use of this
precious source towards holistic well-being and
further evolution.
Sensory Level of Consciousness – Manifested
in Physical Body:
Functions and perception of sensory-level of
consciousness is processed via the brain and its
sensory network of the nervous system. As most
of us know, our brain has a network of billions
of neurons (nerve-cells), which because of the
marvelous source of continuous energy and
guidance of CF, is superior to any functional
super-most computer or ‘intelligent’ machine that
could ever be invented.
The nerves - ‘biological channels’ (of information
processing) of inter-connected neurons are spread
in the entire human body and constitute the Nervous
System. These are broadly categorized as of two
types – the sensory nerves and the motor nerves;
Consciousness cannot be accounted for in physical terms, for consciousness is absolutely
fundamental. - Erwin Schrödinger
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
that make possible the perceptions of ‘signals’
of the sense-organs and the locomotion activities
respectively. The sensory nerves are linked with
the sense-organs. Whatever we smell, see, hear,
eat, or experience by touch is perceived with the
help of the instant signal processing between the
sensory nerves and the brain. The motor nerves and
their control unit in the brain conduct the activities
of movement, walking, chewing, bathing, reading,
etc. This ‘physical’ understanding of the nervous
system, together with the general anatomy and
associated physiological functions of the brain
have been known to the scientific community
since the advent of neurological research in the
past century.
With progress of research in neurosciences, many
secrets of the brain have been unfolded, including the
secretion of hormones and other neuro-chemicals
and their effects on physiological, biochemical
functions and emotional and other psychological
experiences. However, controlling these functions
by external means is still a challenge for modern
Medical Sciences and Technology. Much more
remains to be researched on the astonishing
functions and power of the human brain [1-2].
The negligibly tiny structure (spherical
diameter smaller than thousandth part of an
inch, and weight lesser than a billionth fraction
of an ounce), yet the immense capabilities of
the neurons seem to set living illustration of
the following Vedic quote on the omnipresent
12
Consciousness Force – Añorañºy³n Mahato
Mahºy³n (Meaning: subtler than the subtlest
and greater than the greatest). Indeed,
these basic units of brain-functions and their
gigantic, self-regulating network, appear
as evidential expression of the limitless
potentials of CF. Then what to say about its
manifestation in the mind?
Mental Level of Consciousness:
More evolved and marvelous functions and
faculties of CF in the humans are those at the
‘extrovert consciousness’ (expressed in behavior
and deeds) or mental (intellectual and emotional)
level. Prominent among these are - memory,
intelligence, thoughts, and emotions [1-4].
All these behavioral and mental faculties of CF are
naturally activated up to a certain level in almost
all mentally healthy people. Most often these are
‘taken for granted’, and, like the physical body
and its marvelous sensory and motor functions,
one hardly pays attention to carefully use, nurture
and refine these precious gifts of life. It is with
an objective to remind the readers of the vital
importance and enormous scope of this treasure
of potentials we will outline all these in the
following sections. Discussion on the gradually
more sublime, powerful, and majestic faculties
of CF will continue in some successive articles
under the column “Scientific Spirituality”.
Memory:
Neuroscientists consider the memory functions
as dependant on the flow of bioelectrical currents
through the information transmitting channels -
the nerves. As blood circulates through the arteries,
similarly, some ions/ionized biochemicals also
flow through specific connections of the nerves.
One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making
the darkness conscious. - C.G. Jung
13
The amount of activation potentials and the
rate of corresponding bio-electrical currents in
the memory regions inside the brain affect the
intensity and durability of the memory recorded
at any instant of time.
Creative manifestation of the powers of mind also
materializes at the physical level with the help of
bio-electrical functions of the brain. Like those
of a machine or a physical organ, the components
and functional units of the brain also need some
energy all the time. Continuous supply of oxygen
through blood circulation provides the necessary
fuel to this living machinery. In the young age
this ‘device’ (brain) is new and makes efficient
distribution and consumption of energy available
to it. The corresponding energy supplying
subsystems are also fresh and naturally energized
at that stage. Therefore, the physiological and
bioelectrical functions of brain are efficiently
carried out in normal children and youths. This
is why they usually possess sharper memory than
the older ones. Their natural grasping ability too
is quite high in the initial phases of life.
Yoga exercises of pr³ñay³m (deep breathing in
a controlled manner) help harmonize oxygen
supply to the brain; dhy³na-dh³rañ³ (meditation)
help concentrate bioelectrical energy available
to the brain and thereby generate a controlled
excitation, which accelerates the inter-neuronal
activities. Adept practice of these elementary
s³dhan³s of spiritual refinement on regular basis
results in sharpening and empowering the memory
along with enhanced mental concentration.
Intelligence:
Intelligence is a refined faculty of consciousness.
Most often it is identified as “intellect”.
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
Intellect is broadly defined as an advanced
ability of mental perception, cognition, pattern
recognition, learning new skills, reasoning,
hypothesizing, postulating, conceptualization,
imagination, planning, and decision-making
along with the active potential of envisaging
and generating constructive ideas. Coherence
of these abilities and their creative expression
and/or translation into action, is essential for
complete manifestation of intelligence.
Our education system and professional profiles
also lay emphasis on intellectual talents and skills.
Indeed, modern civilization and the wonders of
scientific and technological developments we see
today are living examples of the power of intellect.
Cultural and creative streams of art, social
sciences, and literature, represent soft (linked with
emotions and imaginations) domains of intellect.
Mathematics, physical and natural sciences, law,
etc, correspond to rather hard (sans emotions)
aspects like philosophical theory, rigor, logical
reasoning. Subjects like business-management,
planning, politics, diplomacy, administration, etc,
predominantly thrive on intelligence related with
vision, awareness, fast and practical decision-
making, communication skill, etc.
Most of us are fascinated by the wonders of bright
intellect. Also, to varied degrees and with diverse
reasons, many of us aspire to be intellectually
sharp. But do we really make adept use of our
memory and intelligence? Do we sincerely
attempt to ‘glaze’ our memory and intellect? Well,
we don’t have to go to any specialized training
school or grooming centre for it. (That way, such
schools, if any, can only provide some guideline
and lend only partial support). There are many
effective methods and yoga-exercises that, if
The language of light can only be decoded by the heart.- Suzy Kassem
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
practiced sincerely and regularly, would help us
sharpen and augment these precious faculties on
our own[3]. But more important is to wisely use
these resources of CF via positive, constructive,
and righteous thoughts.
Thoughts:
Human body is a wonderful system that
functions on many kinds of energies under the
auto-regulation of its super (bio)-computer - the
brain. But most prominent, intense and radiant of
the powers a human being is endowed with is the
thought-power of its mind (sublime functional
core via CF in which the ‘intelligence’ and
creativity of the brain/mind is manifested).
Ascent of human civilization is in fact the ascent
of human thoughts. It is said that what becomes
of one depends upon what he thinks. Indeed,
our thoughts express our ideas and intrinsic
desires and translate them into deeds. But what
transforms the nature of our thoughts and what is
the source of thought-power?
Most of us define and experience thoughts as the
language of the conscious mind and regard thought-
power as the impact of thoughts on intellectual
perceptions and activities. Its inherent root in the
inner self is therefore difficult to be accessed. We
shall discuss these issues at greater details in the
next article. Here, it would be sufficient to note that
every vibration, every perception and expression
of the mind (the conscious mind, the intellect, as
well as the inner mind) is a thought. This is how
emotion is regarded as a higher order thought and
willpower as a sublime expression of the thought-
power. Willpower could also be generated by
intense control and focusing of elevated thought-
power. Once awakened, the willpower or force
14
of intrinsic inspiration can help in activating the
otherwise dormant layers of mind and thus induce
intellectual and emotional evolution.
Emotions:
It is difficult to define “emotion” in words.
What we often experience as primary emotions
are - anger, fear, sadness, joy, disgust, surprise,
curiosity, acceptance, love, etc. Emotion as
a subject of scientific research has multiple
dimensions: behavioral (psychological),
physiological, subjective, and cognitive.
Many psychologists adopt what is popularly known
as the ABC model, which defines emotions in terms
of three fundamental attributes: A. physiological
arousal, B. behavioral expression (e.g. facial
expressions), and C. conscious experience, i.e., the
subjective feeling of an emotion. All three attributes
are necessary for a full fledged emotional event,
though the intensity of each may vary greatly.
Emotions and Hormones:
Emotions are thought to be related to activity
in brain areas that direct our attention, motivate
our behavior, and determine the significance of
what is going on around us. For a long time,
hormones secreted through the endocrine glands
were regarded as the ‘chemicals of emotions’
and some researchers claimed that emotions are
generated and controlled through hormones; e.g.
release of adrenalin results in feeling of fear etc.
Further research indicated that though there is a
strong correlation between certain hormones and
neurotransmitters and natural feelings of fear,
anxiety, joy and depression, the latter cannot be
caused or generated at will by ‘infusing’ those
hormones. In fact, the scenario is other way round.
Functioning of the endocrine and nervous system
Sooner or later on this journey, every traveler faces the same question: Are you a human
intending to be a god, or a god pretending to be human? - Eric Micha’el Leventhal
15
and hence the secretion of hormones itself largely
depends upon the internal emotions [1-2, 4].
Emotional intelligence:
Psychiatrist Dr. William Glasser’s theory
of the human control system states that
behavior is composed of four simultaneous
components: deeds, ideas, emotions, and
physiological states. He asserts that we choose
the idea and deed; but the associated emotions
and physiological states cannot be chosen
independently. He also further asserts that
internal choices (conscious or unconscious)
cause emotions instead of external stimuli.
These assertions accord with more detailed
and sagacious explanations given by Vedmurti
Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya [1-4].
As per the comprehensive definitions given by
the ancient Indian sages (the Rishis) emotion
(bh³van³) is a spontaneous expression of an
intrinsic impression, innate perception or a
feeling (anubh¿ti) or a psychological reaction or
response. In simple terms emotions (bh³van³)
not only constitute the subtle language of
the mind, they are also the reflections of the
sensitivity of our inner self. As the latter is
influenced by the sansk³ras - impressions of
the past, and the earlier lives carved/assimilated
in the citta (unconscious mind), the science of
emotions is explained and experimented by the
Indian sages in the domain of spirituality.
The subconscious and unconscious roots of
emotions, intuition, clairvoyance, precognition,
sublime intelligence, etc, and deep emotions and
spirituality, are realized with spiritual ascent.
These are subject matter of deeper science of
consciousness. In the present article, we have
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
focused only on those aspects of consciousness
functions that are associated with intelligence and
emotions that most of us experience within and
around us in ordinary life.
Most amazing, and hard to decipher are
the functions and experiences of CF at the
subconscious, unconscious, and extrasensory
levels - intrinsic tendencies, deeper desires, and
sublime (e.g. mystical, spiritual) and supernatural
expressions of intelligence, thoughts and emotions
fall in this evolved category of existence and
manifestation of CF. We shall delve upon these
aspects more deeply in successive articles.
Acharya Samagra Vangamaya” Vol. 18
Akhand Jyoti Sansthan, Mathura, (1995).
2. Human Brain – Astonishing Boon of the
Omnipotent. [English Version based on
Chapters 1& 2 of [1] above]. Shri Vedamata
Gayatri Trust, Shantikunj, Haridwar. (2rd
ed. 2016)
3. Practical Ways to Sharpen the Intellect
and Memory. [English Version based on
Chapter 3 of [1] above]. Shri Vedamata
Gayatri Trust, Shantikunj, Haridwar. (1st
ed., 2015; 3rd Print, 2017)

References: 4. Adhy³tmika Manovigy³na – set of about

20 books authored by Pandit Shriram
1. Chamtak³rº ViïeÌat³on Se Bhar³ M³navi Sharma Acharya. Publ. Yug Nirman Yojna,
MastiÌka. “Pandit Shriram Sharma Mathura. (1st ed. 1985)

Cosmic Dance
Modern physics has shown us that movement and rhythm are essential
properties of matter; that all matter, whether here on Earth or in outer space is
involved in a continual cosmic dance.
The Eastern mystics have a dynamic view of universe similar to that of
modern physics, and consequently it is not surprising that they, too, have used the
image of the dance to convey their intuition of nature. A beautiful example of such
an image of rhythm and dance is given by Alexandra David-Neel in her ‘Tibetan
Journey’, where she describes how she met a Lama who referred to himself as a
‘master of sound’ and gave the following account of his view of matter:
All things ….. are aggregations of atoms that dance and by their movements
produce sounds. When the rhythm of the dance changes, the sound it produces also
changes…. Each atom perpetually sings its song, and the sound, at every moment, creates
dense and subtle forms.
The metaphor of cosmic dance has found its most profound and beautiful
expression in Hinduism in the image of dancing God Shiva. …Shiva’s dance
symbolizes …eternal life-death rhythm which goes on in endless cycles.
-Fritjof Capra (From: The Tao of Physics)

The loudest preacher in the world is your conscience, the cleverest is wisdom, the rowdiest is
passion, the surest is truth, the purest is love, and the highest is God. - Matshona Dhliwayo
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019 16
 Golden Rules for a Healthy and Disease-free Life
T
he key to a happy, balanced and
successful life is a healthy body. Whether
it is material progress and prosperity
or spiritual development, everything remains
at bay in the absence of physical fitness. All
the four Puru̳rthas (primary endeavors) of
Dharma, Artha, K³ma and Mokïa are possible
only when one is healthy. Our scriptures have
mentioned that - ‘Ïarºra m³dhyama khalu
dharma s³dhanam’. It means that the body is
the medium to fulfill all the human obligations.
Therefore, it is our primary duty to look after
it. It is possible to build a firm foundation of a
healthy life by following certain universal and
well known principles.
Most of the physical diseases and disorders
which have distressed the human life are the
consequences of disorderly lifestyle. This
fact gets substantiated by the increasing
instances of diseases like diabetes,
hypertension, heart stroke and obesity. None
of them were even known to our villages
and suburbs a few decades ago. But today,
they have almost become an integral part of
our public life. Even today if a person can
take out time from his busy life to observe
certain rules and follow a disciplined routine
and some tried-and-tested principles, then
one can stay protected from these diseases
and disorders, which are a burden on the life
of many people. The following are some of
these golden rules:
When the heart is at ease, the body is healthy. - Chinese proverb
17
Self-control -
It is the basis of physical fitness. The chief
cause of every type of ailment and disease is
lack of self-control. It leads to the dissipation
of energy and diminishes the immunity of the
body, due to which even minor factors begin to
cause diseases. The types of indulgence ruining
the health of most people are related to eating,
living style and sense organs.
Therefore, the first rule to stay fit is to observe
restraint in eating, which is widely being violated
these days. It has now become a trend of our
lifestyle to eat anything at any time. Driven by
taste, we do overeating even when the stomach
gets full. One hardly cares to analyze the
necessity of the body, quality of food or whether
it is beneficial for the body or not.
The quantity of food depends on the type of
work one does. It is natural that there would be
a difference in the diet of a person who performs
twelve hours of intense physical labour in the
field and the one who does twelve hours of
sedentary work on a chair. In fact, the scriptures
have instructed the spiritual seekers to eat only
half of their capacity. Whatever may be the case,
food should be eaten in only that quantity which
does not impede our ability to work or makes
us lazy. One should eat only when he feels
intensely hungry. Eating without hunger is just
like putting wood into an extinguished fireplace,
which only gives rise to smoke.
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
Food should be chewed properly, so that the
intestines need not do the work of teeth. The
food eaten hurriedly proves to be very heavy for
the stomach. Half of the energy of the stomach
gets used up in digesting such food. Our meal
should be easy to digest, as far as possible
seasonal, pure and vegetarian. It may be changed
according to the tendency of the person, his
region, time, circumstances and work pattern. It
is more important to monitor the quantity of food
especially during the period when one is doing
s³dhan³. Half of the stomach should be filled
with food, one fourth with water, while one fourth
should be left for circulation of air.
Food should be eaten only when the mind is calm
and composed. Toxic elements are secreted from
the body during the state of tension and stress,
which distort the digestive system and also have
an adverse effect on the general health. On the
other hand, in the state of happiness the digestive
system works with complete efficiency.
Along with proper diet, another prerequisite
for fitness is restraint of sense organs. Enjoying
the senses within the bounds of moral limits
is beneficial for health. Birds and animals act
under the influence of their natural instincts
and lead a healthy and disease-free life. On the
other hand, man ignores the nature and gets into
overindulgence through which he ruins his own
health. Restraint of sense organs tightens the chief
medium of energy dissipation which increases the
vitality and becomes the basis of a healthy life.
Requirement of physical activity -
Doing physical activity is also as important
as observing restraint; lack of activity leads to
accumulation of calories present in food. This
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about
the future, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. – Buddha
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
increases obesity in the body, which increases
the risk of threatening diseases like diabetes,
heart stroke, etc. The requirement of physical
activity may be fulfilled by exercising daily and
performing certain Asanas (physical postures).
Morning walk is extremely beneficial in this
context. Deep breathing in the pure morning
breeze rejuvenates the mind and body and makes
them active. Light exercises and simple yogic
postures can also be included in this routine;
taking out only 30 to 45 minutes for this daily
routine are sufficient.
If the distance of your office or workplace is not
far away from your home, then you can walk
down to it rather than covering this distance by
a vehicle. This would fulfil the requirement of
exercise. If the distance is a bit longer, a bicycle
could be used. All these are the general beneficial
principles to maintain and retain health. Today, we
are lost in the rat race of life to such an extent that
we are ignoring even these simple things, which
in due course would make the body a reservoir
of diseases; and then, we will immensely pay
for that small negligence. This routine can also
be clubbed with a daily session of Pranayama,
which can be performed under proper guidance to
benefit our body and the mind.
A relaxing and deep sleep is a tonic for both the body
and the mind. Along with proper food and exercise,
rest is also equally important. The most important
part is the sleep, which acts as a tonic. A deep sleep
freshens up the mind and body and compensates for
the intensive activity during the day. A daily sleep
of six to eight hours is sufficient. Sleeping very less
or more than required both are harmful. The matter
of emergency is different, but in the daily routine
18
one should sleep for such a period of time so that
he feels fresh afterwards. Various researches have
found that incomplete sleep for three consecutive
days may decrease the immune power by 60%.
Therefore, adequate sleep and relaxation is a must.
A short nap could be taken for a few moments after
lunch, which will help in relaxation.
Simple living and high thinking -
Peaceful and happy life is also a hidden secret
for a healthy life. No matter how much a tensed
and worried person eats, he would seldom be
healthy. On the contrary, a happy person would
stay healthy and strong even by eating dry bread.
Here, one should keep in mind the percept -
‘Simple living and high thinking’. A contented
and peaceful life is no less than a boon. On the
other hand, a dissatisfied life full of desires and
aspirations is devoid of relaxation and sleep and
remains unhealthy even amidst various resources.
Well-organized and balanced routine -
Over half of the tension and anxiety is caused by
haphazard and unorganised daily routine. While,
well managed routine makes life rhythmic and
is an effective remedy for keeping the mind free
from tension. This is so because tension gives
rise to numerous diseases while stress-free life
keeps a person healthy. The company of nature
proves extremely useful in this task.
Association with nature is extremely beneficial -
The lap of Mother Nature, which is pure, tranquil
Healing is impossible in loneliness; it is the opposite of loneliness.
Conviviality is healing. To be healed we must come with all the other creatures to
the feast of Creation.
Good health and good sense are two of life’s greatest blessings. - Publilius Syrus
19
and soothing, is extremely beneficial for our
health. Its life-giving air and serenity infuses a
new vigour into the life. Therefore, one should
find opportunities to go on touring and travelling
towards the forests, farms, mountains and lakes.
If such a surrounding is available nearby, then it
is a blessing. It should be considered as God’s
gift given to you for a healthy life.
Spiritual strength is a firm basis of a healthy
life -
Performing a minimum spiritual pursuit daily with
the aim of spiritual development proves to be an
elixir for our overall health. Few moments spent
in introspection and worshipping God infuses
a new ray of hope and vitality into our life. It
nourishes our life at the deepest level. The faith in
divinity which we get from this process upholds
our courage and zeal even in the most difficult
circumstances, which, in turn, becomes the basis
of a healthy life. On the contrary, the life which is
devoid of faith gets entrapped into hopelessness
and tension which gradually drains the life energy.
By following these simple rules, a person
can easily lay the foundation of a healthy and
disease-free life. Then there would neither be the
need of any doctor nor of wasting one’s time and
money in these pursuits. Therefore, it is essential
for everyone to keep trying to incorporate these
principles into his life to the extent possible so
that this body, which is the abode of God, could
be adorned by the jewel of health.
- Wendell Berry
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
 The S³®khya School of Indian Philosophy
T
he word S³®khya (= Sa® + Khya),
according to Sanskrit etymology and
interpretation means first-ever thorough
counting or analysis of the elements (of Nature).
It also means thorough study (of Nature and Life).
Sa®khy³® Prakurvarte Caiva Prak•ati® Ca
Pracakïate |
Tatv³ni Ca Caturvinïattena S³®khya®
Prakºrttitam ||
Meaning: It deals with counting (sa®khy³)
of the elements of Nature with thorough study
and analysis.
At present there are very few scholars who have
deep knowledge of all aspects of this first (premier)
darïana of Indian schools of Philosophy.
Maharshi (great rishi) Kapil is regarded as the
founder of this darïana. This Vedic sage (rishi)
is revered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
He had realized and presented the S³®khya
philosophy (darïana) in the form of some
sutras1 (formulae, which were later on scripted
as couplets in Sanskrit prose and verse). As
referred in the Puranas and other ancient Indian
texts on philosophy, later on his direct disciple
rishi Asuri had propagated the knowledge
encoded in these sutras. Asuri’s first disciple
Panchshikh wrote a “Sutra Grantha” and “Shasti
Tantra”. Muni Vindhyavas was a very popular
Acharya of Sa®khya Darshana in the later
My philosophy is: Life is hard, but God is good. Try not to confuse the two. - Anne F. Beiler
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
ages. Many scholars of the later ages have cited
his analysis; notable among these works are -
Kumaril Bhatt’s treatises titled “Shlokvartik”,
“Bhojvratti”, “Medhatithibashya”.
Erudite scholars like Varshaganya, Jaigishavya,
Vodhu, Deval, etc have also been respected
Acharyas of Sa®khya. Vigyan Bhikshu was a
highly revered scholar in the 16th Century. The
“Samkhyasutra” and its commentary “Samkhya
Pravachan Bhasya” are both regarded as his
key contributions. He was an independent
thinker; therefore his interpretations and
explanations are based on, and also discuss the
views of philosophers of other schools, mainly
the Vedanta philosophers. Ishwar Krishna
was another sagacious Acharya; his work on
Sa®khya dates back to 200 BC. He wrote a
comprehensive treatise “Samkhya Karika”
which presents Sa®khya philosophy based on
tantra. His explanations are also compiled as
“Kanakasaptati”, “Suvarnasaptati”.
Several scholars, who do not agree with the
philosophy of S³®khya, criticize it as an
advocate of atheism. They argue that Nature
alone has been the focus of this school of thought
and it does not make any mention of the supreme
creator (God) who has created Nature (and the
entire universe). In fact their argument appears
prejudiced as S³®khya Darshana, in the original
views of Rishi Kapil regards the entire existence
(of matter and life) as consisting of 25 elements,
20
of which, 24 elements are classified as those of
Nature (Prak•ati) – material manifestation of
Nature; one single element is referred as the
consciousness element. Although this element
is not explicitly referred as the supreme power
(God), the deeper analysis of the Sa®khya
treatises would show that the qualities of this
element (referred as Pur¿Ìa) imply it as God.
Although Pur¿Ìa (which implies the
supreme expression of Consciousness-Power,
i.e., God) is not referred as the up³d³na
k³raña2 but has been recognized as nimitta
k³raña3 (the principal facilitator or doer)
of the creation and manifestation of Nature
(S•aÌÚi). For example in a sutra of the third
chapter it says - “Ak³ryatveapi Tadyoga¡
Par³vaïy³ta” - (S.D. 3.55). Further, “Sa Hi
Sarvavit Sarvakart³” - (S.D. 3.56), meaning
that-Pur¿Ìa is the source, abode (foundational
support) and controller of everything that
exists in Nature. The next shloka more
explicitly underlines the supremacy of God as
- Ed•aïeïvara Siddhi¡ Siddh³.
Core Concepts of Sa®khya Philosophy:
As mentioned above this darïana mainly
recognizes life and Nature as the perpetual play
of Pur¿Ìa and Prak•ati. It regards that Pur¿Ìa
is the (supreme creative and controlling) power
of consciousness force which is not made up
of any (of the 24) element of Prak•ati; neither
any (material) substance of Prak•ati consists
of the Pur¿Ìa. Sa®khya darïana defines
Prak•ati as that from which various things can
be produced that keep changing.
This darïana describes 8 major types and
foundational supports of existence, expression
One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes... and
the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility. - Eleanor Roosevelt
21
and experience of Prak•ati from which 16
prominent tools/mediums (of perceptions and
experience of Nature) and manifestations arise.
As these exist in diverse forms and functional
states, these are collectively termed in the
ancient scriptures of S³®khya darïana as the
16 Vik•atis. The 8 prak•atis are - (i) the M¿la
Prak•ati (the self-existent shadow of Pur¿Ìa
or the foundation for reflection of Pur¿Ìa,
and consequent manifestation of Nature and
cosmic creation); (ii) Mah³tatva (buddhi –
source of cognitive and other functions of
consciousness); (iii) Aha®k³ra (sense of self-
being; sense of experience); (iv) Ïabda (eternal
element of sound; sense of hearing); (v) Sparïa
(sense of touch); (vi) R¿pa (sense of vision);
(vii) Rasa (sense of taste), (viii) Gandha (sense
of smell). The last five are the five kinds of
perceptions that are experienced because of
buddhi and aha®k³ra.
The 16 vik•atis are identified in S³®khya darïana
as - Panch Mahabhutas (five basic elements
- Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth); Panch
Gyanedriyan (five faculties of perceptions and
cognition - nose, eyes, tongue, skin and ears);
Panch Karmendriyan - ( five organs of action -
Mouth, Hands, Legs, genitals and rectum). The
16th and most prominent vik•ati is the mind.
Thus the 8 prak•atis and 16 vik•atis, total 24
elements plus the Pur¿Ìa element, this way
total 25 elements are defined as the foundational
‘elements’ of Nature and Life in the S³®khya
darïana. The five basic elements, the sense
organs (of perception and action), and the mind,
these elements do not give rise to any new
element; they are simply the tools or medium
of various functions of a living being in Nature.
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
Therefore these are termed as vik•ati and not as
prak•ati. The functions of the sense-organs are
experienced through the sublime elements – the
five tanm³tr³s (shabda, etc).
If one meditates deeply, one can experience
the role of these tanm³tr³s at the subtle
levels. Further concentration on these makes
it clear that the root of these cognitive
senses (tanm³tr³s) lies in the sense of being
(aha®v•atti). Contemplation over the root
of how aha®k³ra (or aha®v•atti) makes
existence of tanm³tr³s possible, would show
that it is due to the sense of cognition (buddhi)
that makes all these experiences (including
the sense of self or sense of being) possible.
Above this mah³tatva (grand element),
there is nothing that can be easily realized.
Therefore, that super or most sublime and
original ‘element’ of Prak•ati is referred as the
“M¿la Prak•ati” which is self-existent (an³di
- origin-less; e.g. the latest scientific theory of
self-existent energy fields in Bosons).
The M¿la Prak•ati expresses itself and functions
via its three intrinsic tendencies or functional
properties (triguña) namely - sat, raj and tam. It
is only the different combinations of the triguña
expressed in the 24 elements of Nature that
result in the ever dynamic, ever expanding, ever-
new diversities in Nature. Different expressions
of these accepted or accommodated by the
consciousness element (the Pur¿Ìa) correspond
to different shades of life.
As per the principles of philosophy, whatever we
experience (or perceive) is only is an outcome
of some cause. Every effect or outcome has to
have some cause. Similarly every perceptions
The philosophy of life is this: Life is not a struggle, not a tension... Life is bliss. It is eternal
wisdom, eternal existence. – Author unknown
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
or experience has to have to some cause. In
S³®khya, this fundamental cause is the Pur¿Ìa
- the 25th element. For example look at the
following shloka.
Sangh³tpar³rthatv³t Triguñ³di Viparyay³t
AdhiïÚh³n³t |
Pur¿Ìoasti Bhokt•abh³v³t Kaivaly³rtha®
Prav•atteïcha ||
- (S. Ka. 17)
Meaning: Because of its capacity to adopt the
triguña, but being different from the triguña,
and because of considering the self as a bhokt³4,
but desiring to be free from all such perceptions,
experiences and attachments (pertaining to the
triguña and materialistic elements of Nature),
there is a clear evidence of separate existence of
Pur¿Ìa (the consciousness ‘element’).
Multiplicity of Pur¿Ìa:
Having proved the existence of pur¿Ìa, the
natural question arises as how does it exist,
and in what form? In this respect S³®khya
philosophy differs from the non-duality theory
of Vedanta philosophy. Vedanta regards the
Consciousness Force (and hence the soul) as
unique, omnipresent and eternal. S³®khya
regards the souls as multiple. More explicitly,
it regards that every soul is a distinct pur¿Ìa. It
regards every soul (and hence every being) as an
independent unit. In order to prove this point the
scripture “Samkhya Karika” argues -
Jananamarañakarañ³n³®
Pratiniyam³dayugapat Prav•atteïcha |
Pur¿Ìbahutva® Siddha®
Traiguñyaviparyay³chchaiva ||
- (S. Ka. 18)
22
Meaning: There is difference in the events of
birth and death, and course of life of different
individuals (regarded as souls here), and it
appears like a universal principle that different
souls don’t do exactly the same functions, nor
are their experiences (of anything) are exactly
the same. Therefore, all the souls are different
from each other. Because the self-existent Pur¿Ìa
(God) is not affected by the triguña, whereas
all the souls (beings) remain influenced by the
triguña (in fact, their lives are mostly nothing
but the expressions of different combinations of
the triguña), therefore the individual souls are
different from God.
Manifestation of Nature (Creation of the
Universe):
According to S³®khya, when the triguña of
M¿la P•akrati rest in equilibrium there is no
creation. Only the Pur¿Ìa and M¿la P•akrati
exist. When the evolutionary impulse (of
Pur¿Ìa) activates the M¿la P•akrati, this
equilibrium is disturbed. First the most
powerful guña namely the Sat gives rise to the
Mah³tatva (Buddhi-tatva). Combination of Raj
in the latter originates Aha®k³ra. Influence
of Tam upon Aha®k³ra results in creation
of the five tanm³tr³s. Gradual rise of Tam in
the tanm³tr³s creates the 5 basic elements.
The basic elements, their combinations, and
different levels of triguña in these combinations
give rise to the many, stochastically varying,
forms and events that collectively constitute
cosmic creation (JaÃa SraÌti).
Pram³ñas in S³®khya darïana:
The analytical discussions in S³®khya
philosophy, the proofs and counter-proofs given
in its treatises proceed with the support of three
The creative mind is the playful mind. Philosophy is the play and dance of ideas. – Eric Hoffer
23
major kinds of pram³ñas – Pratyakïa Pram³ña,
Anum³na, Âptavachana (pre existent mystic
knowledge realized through spiritual acumen
of the Vedic sages). That which is manifested,
or is perceivable through the senses, comes
under the category of Pratyakïa Pram³ña
(direct evidence). That which is not obvious,
but can be inferred without ambiguity by logical
intellectual arguments is considered as proved
by Anum³na. The extrasensory experiences
that cannot be proved by Pratyakïa Pram³ña
or Anum³na, are accepted only if approved
by some quote in the Vedas or Upanishads, or
original text derived from them.
“The complete use of
pure reason brings us finally
from physical to metaphysical
knowledge. But the concepts
of metaphysical knowledge do
not in themselves fully satisfy
the demand of our integral
being. They are indeed entirely
satisfactory to the pure reason
itself, because they are the very
stuff of its own existence. But
our nature sees things through
two eyes always, for it views
them doubly as idea and as fact
and therefore every concept is
incomplete for us and to a part of
our nature almost unreal until it
becomes an experience.”
- Sri Aurobindo
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
The Concept of Salvation in S³®khya darïana:
Every school of Indian philosophy aims at the
goal of salvation of all beings from suffering and
agony and attainment of ultimate bliss through the
light of absolute knowledge. S³®khya darïana
also guides towards this goal. In fact (e.g. in the
following shloka), it defines the ultimate endeavor
as - complete emancipation from all sufferings,
and desires.
Trividh Du¡kh³ty³nta Niv•attiratyanta
Pur¿Ì³rtha¡|
– (S. D. 1.1)
Although all other efforts of wellbeing, including
the worldly attainments, are also recognized
as worthy endeavors if exerted righteously, the
ultimate endeavor is only that of Jó³nanamukti
- salvation from ignorance and agony through
ultimate knowledge. (S. D. 3.23) |
S³®khya darïana describes five essential
supports for s³dhan³s (devout spiritual
endeavors) towards salvation. These are namely,
Uha - mystic knowledge attained in previous
birth; (Guru’s) Shabda - mantra and mystic
guidance given by an adept spiritual master;
Adhyayan - continuous, thorough study of the
Vedic texts; Suhratpr³pti - enlightening company
of some saints or spiritually elevated persons;
D³na (benevolence, charity). Unflinching
s³dhan³ gradually leads to uprooting of all
kinds of sufferings and sorrows - the daivika,
daihika, and bhautika du¡khas5 and attainment
of unalloyed happiness with peace.
“One man may read the Bhagavata by the light of a lamp, and another may
commit a forgery by that very light; but the lamp is unaffected. The sun sheds its
light on the wicked as well as on the virtuous.”
Philosophy should be an energy; it should find its aim and its effect in the
amelioration of mankind. – Victor Hugo
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
Notes:
1. Sutras: ‘Formulae’ or ‘aphorisms’ uttered
in Vedic style, which were later on scripted
as couplets (shlokas) in Sanskrit.
2. Up³d³na K³raña: The origin, the source of
birth; the root-cause, sans which, existence
of the specific result (in this case, the
existence of Nature) would not be possible.
[e.g. Gold is the up³d³na k³raña of gold-
jewelry.]
3. Nimitta K³raña: Principal facilitator or
doer. [e.g. A goldsmith is the nimitta k³raña
of gold- jewelry.]
4. Bhokt³: One who relishes the joys/benefits/
favors, and suffers the pains/agonies/
adversities.
5. Du¡kha: The three types - Daivika (mental
level pains or sorrows, e.g., tension,
suspicion, anxiety, despair, insult, etc);
Daihika (pertaining to the body, e.g. due to
illness, injury, allergy, etc), and Bhautika
(due to natural calamities, war, social
anarchy, riots etc.)
Reference:
1. Vedmurti Taponishtha Pandit Shriram
Sharma Acharya and Mata Bhagavati Devi
Sharma (author and editors): Sankhya
evam Yoga Darshana (2nd Ed). Yug Nirman
Yojana Vistar Trust, Mathura. 2011.
- Sri Ramakrishna
24
 The Secret of Overcoming Loneliness
I
f a person feels lonely in the midst of
a sea of people, then it is an indeed
unfortunate situation. Loneliness is felt
when one separates oneself from others, break
relationships with others, not considering
anyone one’s own or when one doesn’t
establish contact with anyone. In the present
time, loneliness amid people has become a
serious problem. This is similar to a situation
where one is in front of an ocean but without
a drop of water to drink. Unfortunately, this is
the reality of life in this modern age.
40% of city population is suffering from
loneliness. Psychologists say that the damage
caused by loneliness is same as that caused by
smoking 15 cigarettes / day. Dr. Vivek Murthy
published the results of a survey in an American
medical journal which states that loneliness
is not only experienced by elderly people but
youth also to a large extent.
The web of social media that is omnipresent
is in fact like an illusionary world. It creates
a sense of relationships and friendships. The
user indulges himself into this illusionary
world while knowing very well that these
friends are not true. He just tries to handle his
loneliness through his involvement. But the
worst part is that instead of belongingness,
there is a high chance that he may get cheated
and become lonelier.
Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the
glory of being alone. - Paul Tillich
25
Man is by nature a social animal. Physicians say
that people who suffer from loneliness should
not find solution in expensive treatments and
medication. Instead, they should meet other
people, socialize in the real world, share their
worries and happiness and feel part of the society.
When they are able to express their emotions
thus, the heaviness in their hearts is lifted and
they feel light and enthusiastic inside.
The words ‘alone’ and ‘lonely’ though might
sound similar, are totally different in their
meaning. Loneliness means that a person
wishes to have people around him but are not
present. It is a lack, a feeling that something
is missing, a pain, a depression, a need, an
absence. Aloneness means a person is complete
in himself, he doesn’t need anybody; and he is
happy to be that way. It is a presence, fullness,
aliveness, joy of being, overflowing love. There
is a beautiful description of this in Shiva Sutras
– one who is seated stably in the company of
oneself can happily take a plunge in the lake
of bliss present within his heart. Each of us
has this lake within ourselves, whose water is
sufficient to quench our thirst. But we search for
this lake in others and remain unhappy. This is
similar to the musk deer which searches for the
source of the fragrance outside unaware that it is
emanating from its own navel.
People are unhappy because they do not realize
the spiritual treasure that is present within
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
themselves. So they spend their entire life
searching for their happiness and joy everywhere
else. In reality, they need not go anywhere. As
long as they do not find their fountain of joy
within themselves, neither can they be happy
nor can they satisfy those around them. When
we find our happiness within, then anyone who
comes in contact with us also experiences the
same joy and contentment.
The lake of bliss that we have been talking of
is, of course, not present physically but in subtle
realms. We cannot perceive it with our physical
eyes but it can only be felt through our mental
vision. It is not easy to reach that lake because
one has to cross a river, i.e. citta, in order to reach
the bliss. This citta is formed as a result of one’s
own previous actions.
The learned people say that the road to heaven
passes through hell. This is precisely why most
people cannot enter the door to their inner
consciousness since it involves crossing the
barriers that they have created owing to their past
actions. This is what is depicted as the river of
citta that one needs to cross. Only the courageous,
fearless, those of strong resolve and undaunted by
difficult s³dhan³s can proceed on this path.
From times immemorial, the sages and rishis of our
country have done extensive research and study
to understand the subtle realms of consciousness
and have discovered new knowledge, divine
mantras and attainments. They experienced the
illumination of the soul and reached the lake of
bliss about which we have been discussing.
Today, man is moving away from his own self. He
is distancing himself from his identity so much
Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self. - May Sarton
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
so that he is not aware of the inherent divinity
within. He has begun to assume that he is nothing
more than this physical body made of flesh and
bones. He knows about emotions and thoughts.
But there is something beyond all these and there
lies his true identity – he outright rejects this idea
because it is not apparent to him.
We see only a fraction of the iceberg above water.
Majority of it is submerged within. Similarly, the
physical portion of life that is apparent is only
a small fraction of our existence. Subtle aspect
of our existence is many times more than the
physical and we are unaware of it.
Man does not live just one life. He lives one
life after another. When the body dies, the
soul takes another body and is born again.
But he has no recollection of his past life.
However, all his actions from the past lives
are meticulously recorded in his citta. Thus,
man’s present life is based on actions of
his past lives and his future is laid on the
foundation of present and past.
Whatever good or bad man experiences in life
is felt within the mind. This is how heaven or
hell is created in his mind. Good deeds will
bestow happiness like in heaven and bad deeds
will give rise to grief and suffering like in hell.
If man is suffering from loneliness today, it is
because he has forgotten the tradition of ‘caring
and sharing’. The one who cares experiences
inner joy and the receiver is also happy because
he feels nurtured. Thus the only technique that
will work for removing loneliness is to live
a life of love and togetherness; share one’s
joys and resources with the needy and feel
happiness in life.
26
 Yug Gita – 17

Sthitaprajóa Always Remains Calm and

Composed

I
n the previous issue, while explaining the essence of seventieth ïloka it was indicated that
the ocean possesses steady nature. Fiery, fast flowing rivers incessantly go on pouring their
waters in it; even then the ocean, with its great depth, does not become unsteady. In the same
way, sthitaprajóa (a person of steady wisdom) remains poised - that is, he does not get disturbed
by the impulses of sensual pleasures. By using the words ‘na k³mak³mº’ Lord Krishna says that
only sthitaprajóa can achieve peace and not a person desirous of sensual pleasures. This issue
takes up this discussion further and explains the essence of last two ïlokas of this chapter.

Lord is trying to convey here that sthitaprajóa
remains sober and steady all the time. The
ocean, despite being filled continuously from all
the sides by the river waters remains within it
boundaries. In the same way, sthitaprajóa even
though surrounded by many desires and impulses
of sensual pleasures does not get affected by
them, but remains calm. One who runs after
the sensual pleasures cannot attain peace. He
will always remain disturbed. The word k³ma
has been used here by Lord Krishna to highlight
the virtues of sthitaprajóa. The meaning of
‘K³m³ ya® praviïanti’ is – using objects of
pleasure, enjoying sensual pleasures. A similar
meaning word k³ma has been used by the seer
in KaÚhopaniïad, where he says - ‘ye ye k³m³
durlabh³ martyaloke’ (meaning – O Nachiketa!
Whatever objects of pleasure and howsoever
difficult they are to achieve, I Yama give you all
that.’). Thus there are three meanings of k³ma
– one is sex, second - desires of the mind and
third - use of external objects of pleasure. Pujya
Gurudev gave another interpretation - k³ma
is the trait of finding inner joy, which when
elevated to higher levels, becomes a spiritual
The worth of every conviction consists precisely in the steadfastness
with which it is held. - Jane Addams
27
power. This subject has been discussed by him
in great detail in his book titled ‘Âdhy³tmika
K³mavijó³na’ (in Hindi).
Considering external objects as the basis of
k³man³ (desire) is that by taking resort to them
(using them), desire to acquire more arises in
the mind; that is, these objects are the cause for
desires. Accumulated impressions and the actions
of previous several births generate the desires for
attaining the objects of senses and hence they
also become the cause of the desires of mind.
Mind gets easily affected by the external sense
objects. But when the latter enter the mind of
a sthitaprajóa, they are unable to influence
him. This is the majesty of sthitaprajóa. He
relinquishes all his desires for relishing the
objects of senses from the heart; and hence,
he becomes fearless. Even if he is made to
stand in the midst of illusive world of sensual
desires, he would remain unperturbed. Here
Veda Vyasa - the poet of the Gita, through the
medium of Lord Krishna, sung the paeans of
praise of a person of steadfast wisdom.
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
Sthitaprajóa also does not relish the taste or
flavor of food. Once Swami Vivekananda, after
eating inedible food, went to Ramakrishna
Paramhansa and said – ‘You prohibit us from
eating onion-garlic, but today I have eaten so
much inedible food.’ Then Thakur said – ‘You
are beyond all this. By sharing all this, don’t
give wrong example to your colleagues. They
will emulate you without understanding the fact
that you are sthitaprajóa of high order, where
such foods cannot affect you.’
There is one such example in the life of Pujya
Gurudev. He was on a tour. The host lady, while
serving a glass of milk to him inadvertently
mixed salt in place of sugar in the milk. He
drank the milk as such without any expression of
letting her know that the milk has salt in it. When
he saw such an expression on the faces of other
fellow parijans, he immediately pointed with his
eyes not to grumble and drink the milk as such.
Later, when she came to know about the truth, she
wept for what she had done. But Pujya Gurudev
consoled her and did not let her feel that it was
her mistake. Such foods get easily absorbed by a
sthitaprajóa like Pujya Gurudev.
Girish Babu and Narendranath (Swami
Vivekananda) were sitting near Ramakrishna
Paramhansa. They were debating on ‘where
to look for sthitaprajóa and how he appears?’
Thakur asked Girish Babu to stay with him and
Narendranath to go to Panchvati and meditate
there. Swamiji went there and immediately got
absorbed in the meditation despite a thick cover
of mosquitoes biting from all sides. Thakur then
asked Girish Babu to meditate near Narendra.
He too was attacked by the mosquitoes. When
he could not focus for some time he fetched
To a resolute mind, wishing to do is the first step toward doing. But if we do not wish to do a
thing it becomes impossible. - Robert Southey
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
a blanket from his room, wrapped it around
him and then tried to meditate. But somehow
or the other mosquitoes would enter inside the
blanket and he would get disturbed. Despite
incessant attack of mosquitoes, Swamiji was in
trance for full eight hours and Girish Babu kept
busy in getting the mosquitoes flee.
When Swamiji got up from his meditation, he
saw Girish Babu sitting near him. He asked him
– ‘GC (short form of Girish Chandra)! What
are you doing here?’ GC replied – ‘I was trying
to meditate but couldn’t do so due to the attack
of mosquitoes. How come you were able to
meditate?’ Swamiji said – ‘Meditation is done
with the soul. The mosquitoes were biting on the
body, so there was no pain to the soul. Please go
deeper beneath the surface of the body and then
meditate, you will find the difference.’ When
such a state is achieved, the ocean of soul remains
unmoved. In this state, whatever be the severity
of sufferings – howsoever powerful the attack
of sensual pleasures, the mind remains steady.
The Japa (chanting of mantras) in such a state
makes the s³dhaka achieve divine bliss. With
this example, it is now easier to understand the
comparison of sthitaprajóa with the calm ocean.
In this context, Vinobaji has written in
‘Sthitaprajóa Darïana’ that the mind and soul
of sthitaprajóa remain steadfast. On one side, it
may be impossible for him to do extremely pure
actions; and on the other, he may get involved
in prohibited actions as well. On one side, all
good or bad deeds are being abandoned; and
on the other, all the deeds are also welcome.
In both the states, the mind of sthitaprajóa
remains peaceful. His inner being always
remains steady. With the help of awakened
28
wisdom, feeling the truth or falsehood in
material objects, he remains steady all the
time. Whatever he does, he remains unattached
to it and hence it is pardonable. In fact, he
develops himself in such a way that he sees
good / auspicious in everything. That is why he
remains peaceful all the time. This is the only
way to keep oneself happy.
The next ïloka is –
Vih³ya k³m³nya¡ sarv³n pum³®ïcarati ni¡sp•ha¡|
Nirmamo niraha®k³ra¡ sa ï³nti® adhigacchati ||
(71/2)
Meaning: That person attains peace, who,
abandoning all desires for sense gratification,
lives free from attachment, false ego and sense of
proprietorship.
In this concluding discussion in the context of
sthitaprajóa some very important points are
being mentioned; in fact, some of them are
being repeated. Yogiraj Shri Krishna started
the discussion on the virtues of sthitaprajóa
with the abandoning the desires for material
objects and, he concludes also with the
same thing. The one, who can abandon
the three: attachment, ego and cravings
for sense gratification, will certainly attain
peace. Here, it is important to understand
the use of word ‘ni¡sp•ha¡’ after ‘Vih³ya
k³m³nya¡’. One can abandon all the desires
but the desire to live long remains. This desire
pierces the mind till death. But the one who
has abandoned this desire also, becomes
‘Jºvanmukta Paramhansa’ (the enlightened).
When this desire is relinquished, there
remains no fear of death. He never gets bored
Doubts and mistrust are the mere panic of timid imagination, which the steadfast heart will
conquer, and the large mind transcend. - Helen Keller
29
from life. Life becomes blissful. Considering
the mental state of Arjuna, Lord considered it
essential to highlight this point. This formula
is most important for the people seeking self-
realization.
In the above ïloka, word ‘carati’ has been used,
which means that such a person plays, roams,
enjoys. There are no sorrows in his life. After
relinquishing the desires for material objects
and the desire to live long, what remains is pure
inner bliss. Therefore he behaves like an innocent
child. In ‘Gita Rahasya’, Tilak has interpreted
‘carati’ as utilization of the power of controlled
senses for the social good. Param Pujya Gurudev
says – this word means ‘living a joyful life
like divine beings’. In short, the essence all the
interpretations is that when all the desires vanish,
what remains is peace.
The last ïloka of the chapter on ‘Sa®khya Yoga’
explains the benefits of being sthitaprajóa -
E̳ br³hmº sthiti¡ p³rtha nain³® pr³pya
vimuhyati|
Sthitw³sy³mantak³le ”pi brahmanirv³öam-
cchati|| (72/2)
Meaning: O Partha! Having attained this
Brahmic state (realization of ultimate truth), one
is never again deluded. Being established therein,
even at the end of life one attains to oneness with
Brahma (the ultimate consciousness).
The state of consciousness in which the
SiddhapuruÌas live has been called Brahmi
Sthiti. This is the incarnation of Super-
consciousness in human consciousness. It
is a kind of refined view on life. This state is
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
Eternal and steady. After attaining this state, a
person never returns to the material world. This
becomes a normal state for him. He doesn’t carry
the load of knowledge; he remains light all the
time even during emergencies. ‘Brahmanirvaöa’
means – get dissolved in Brahma, become one
with him. It is an extreme case of material
detachment. Removing the curtain of body,
the person embraces the infinite. In our Vedic
culture, ‘Brahmanirvaöa’ is indicative of all-
pervasiveness. Instead of saying ‘one is dead’,
our culture says ‘one has become all-pervasive’
or ‘one has become infinite’. Param Pujya
Gurudev after going into the subtle-causal realms
has become all-pervasive, infinite. We feel his
presence even now. If one has to understand the
philosophy of sthitaprajóa in a comprehensive
manner, then one should study the philosophy of
the life of Param Pujya Gurudev. We will discuss
this subject some other time. For now, we are
ending this second chapter on ‘Samkhya Yoga’.
In the next issue, we will start the third chapter
titled ‘Karma Yoga’ (The Yoga of Action).

[Note: This is the translation of Hindi version of ‘Yug Gita’ (Part 1) by Dr. Pranav Pandya, published by
Sri Vedmata Gayatri Trust, Shantikunj, Haridwar (2003)]

Blessings in a Curse
Whenever I became egotistical, I fell down. This is my experience.
My master said, “Try your best, but whenever you feed your ego, whenever
you try to do anything selfish, you will not succeed. This is my curse on you.”
I looked at him in surprise. What was he saying? Then he continued, “This
is my blessing to you, that whenever you want to become selfless, loving, and
without ego, you will find a great force behind you, and you will never fail to
achieve some good.”
A selfish man always thinks and talks about himself. His selfishness makes
him self-centered and miserable. The shortest cut to self-enlightenment is to cut
through the ego; surrender before the Highest One. Satsanga—company of the
sages—and constant awareness of the center within help one in going beyond the
mire of delusion. The ego is also purified by cultivating selflessness. Unpurified
ego is an evil which obstructs one’s own progress. But the purified ego is a means
in discriminating real self from not-self—real self from mere-self. No one can
expand his consciousness if he remains egotistical. Those who build boundaries
around themselves because of their ego problems invariably create suffering for
themselves, but those who try to be constantly aware of their unity with others
can remain happy and fearless, enjoying every moment of life. Those who are
selfless, humble, and loving are the true benefactors of humanity.
- Swami Rama

Perhaps there is no more important component of character

than steadfast resolution. - Theodore Roosevelt
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019 30
 Peace Pilgrim’s Wisdom – 17
Living the Spiritual Life – 1
I
n the beginning, I undertook my walking
not only to contact people; I undertook it as
a prayer discipline to keep me concentrated
on my prayer for peace. I hadn’t learned yet to
pray without ceasing. I also undertook a forty-
five day period of prayer and fasting as a prayer
discipline. After the first few years the prayer
discipline was completely unnecessary, because
I had learned to pray without ceasing. I made
the contact so thoroughly that into my prayer
consciousness I put any condition or person in
the world I am concerned about and the rest takes
place automatically. Occasionally some condition
is brought back into my conscious mind because
I need to really concentrate on it. If some person
is in dire difficulty, and that person returns to my
mind for thought, I sometimes use the prayer of
visualization, which has always been very natural
for me, but I understand not so for everybody.
I reach out - my divine nature reaches out - to
contact their divine nature. Then I have the feeling
of lifting them, lifting them, lifting them, and I
have the feeling of bringing God’s light to them.
I try to envision them bathed in God’s light, and
finally I do see them standing and reaching out
their arms bathed in golden light. At that point I
leave them in God’s hands.
In all people I meet - though some may be
governed by the self-centered nature and may not
know their potential at all - I see that divine spark,
and that’s what I concentrate on. All people look
beautiful to me; they look like shining lights to
At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit
or further away from it. - Thich Nhat Hanh
31
me. I always have the feeling of being thankful
for these beautiful people who walk the earth
with me. So I would say part of my prayer is a
feeling of thankfulness, and of course a feeling
of genuine love for all of God’s children and all
of God’s creation. Prayer is a concentration of
positive thoughts. That’s a little bit about prayer.
Ways of Prayer
You can visualize God’s light each day and send
it to someone who needs help. Your divine nature
must reach out and touch the divine nature of
another. Within you is the light of the world, it
must be shared with the world.
Visualize a golden light within you and spread
it out; first to those about you - your circle of
friends and relatives - and then gradually to the
world. Keep on visualizing God’s golden light
surrounding our earth. And if you have a problem,
take the matter to God in prayer, and visualize it
in God’s hands. Then leave it, knowing it is in the
best possible hands, and turn your attention to
other things.
That’s not the only prayer you can pray, but I have
discovered that for some who were in very great
trouble, this prayer of visualization was helpful
to them. I’ve heard of results later, so I do a little
of this.
There is also a constant prayer of thankfulness
- I am constantly thankful. The world is so
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
beautiful, I am thankful. I have endless energy,
I am thankful. I am plugged into the source of
Universal Supply, I am thankful. I am plugged
into the source of Universal Truth, I am thankful.
I have this constant feeling of thankfulness, which
is a prayer.
When you’re learning, it’s true it may be valuable
to take special times, even to use special forms...
I can see that.
Several times people have written to me and said,
“Peace, will you pray with me at four o’clock
in the afternoon or nine o’clock in the evening,
which is such and such a time, daylight saving
time?” I write and tell them, “You don’t have to
figure all that out for me - plug in at any time and
you will be praying with me, and I will be praying
with you, because I pray without ceasing.”
Praying without ceasing is not ritualized, nor
are there even words. It is a constant state
of awareness of oneness with God; it is a
sincere seeking for a good thing; and it is a
concentration on the thing sought, with faith
that it is obtainable. All right prayer has good
effect, but if you give your whole life to the
prayer you multiply its power ...No one really
knows the full power of prayer. Of course, there
is a relationship between prayer and action.
Receptive prayer results in an inner receiving,
which motivates to right action.
Let me tell you a story about an answer to
prayer. I was picked up late one night by a young
policeman as I was walking along a lonely
highway. I believe he was thinking in terms of
protective custody. He said to me, “Why, nobody
in this town would walk out along this highway at
You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual.
There is no other teacher but your own soul. - Swami Vivekananda
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
this time of night.” I said to him, “Well, you see,
I walk completely without fear. Therefore I’m not
attracting things which are not good. It says, That
which I feared came upon me. But I fear nothing
and expect only good.” He took me in anyhow,
and I found myself in a cell. The floor was littered
with old newspapers and cigarette butts and
every old thing. The accommodations consisted
of a single mattress on the floor and four ragged
blankets. There were two women attempting to
sleep together on that single mattress. They told
me there had been eight women in that cell the
night before with those accommodations. There
was a rather nice feeling among the prisoners in
general. They said to me, “You’ll need to have
two blankets because you’ll be sleeping on the
floor.” So I took a newspaper and cleared a place
on the floor, then put one blanket down and the
other blanket over me and slept comfortably
enough. It wasn’t the first time I had slept on a
cement floor, nor the last. If you’re relaxed you
can sleep anywhere. When I woke up in the
morning I saw this man staring through the bars. I
said to him, “What time does court convene?” He
said, “I don’t know.” I said, “Well, aren’t you a
policeman?” “No,” he said, “I just like to look at
the girls.” It was one of the town sports. Anyone
could come in right off the street and see what
they had there today: “Let’s go look at the girls!”
One of the women was middle aged and was
being held for being drunk and disorderly.
It was her seventh offense, she told me, so it
wasn’t so hard on her. But the other was an
eighteen year old girl. She felt her entire life was
ruined because of this experience. I said, “It’s
my second time and I certainly don’t think my
life is ruined!” I got her all cheered up and we
talked about what she’d do when she got out. She
32
was to get out that day or the next day. Then they
changed the guards. I never saw a matron. The
new guard saw me and said, “What are you doing
in there? I saw your picture in the newspaper.
I heard you over the air.” Then they just let me
go. But before I left I got a broom from the man
who cleaned up around there and gave it to the
girls so they could clean up their cell. I also got
them a comb; their hair was all matted. They had
been there about a week without a comb. What I
really wanted to tell you is that the eighteen year
old girl was a deeply religious person. She had
been desperately praying for help. I believe that I
was picked up off the highway that night and set
behind prison bars in answer to her prayers.
The most important part of prayer is what we
feel, not what we say. We spend a great deal of
time telling God what we think should be done,
and not enough time waiting in the stillness for
God to tell us what to do.
Now, beside God’s laws, which are the same for
all of us, there is also God’s guidance and that is
unique for every human soul. If you don’t know
what God’s guidance for your life is, you might
try seeking in receptive silence. I used to walk
receptive and silent amidst the beauties of nature.
Wonderful insights would come to me which
I then put into practice in my life. You might
prefer listening to beautiful, uplifting music,
reading a few beautiful words and pondering on
them. To me, the beauties of nature were always
the most inspiring, and so actually that was my
time alone with God. It didn’t last more than an
hour; if that, got so much from it.
[Reproduced with glad consent of the publishers – Friends of Peace Pilgrim]
Nurture great thoughts, for you will never go higher than your thoughts. - Benjamin Disraeli
33
Now the young folks talk to me today about
things like breathing exercises and meditation
techniques, which in some cultures are definitely
religious practices. But I say, look what I got from
my time alone with God: From the beauty around
me, my inspiration; from the silent receptiveness,
my meditation; and from my walking, not only
my exercise but my breathing. Four things at
once! I believe in making very good use of my
time. And you can’t be too pushy when you’re
doing four things at once.
I always think of the bud of a flower. If you give
it proper conditions it will open into a beautiful
flower, but if you’re impatient and try to tear the
petals open you permanently injure the flower for
the earth life. The flower can be equated with the
earthly human life. Give the spiritual growing-up
the proper growing conditions and it will open
into a thing of beauty.
When you feel the need of a spiritual lift, try
getting to bed early and get up early to have a
quiet time at dawn. Then carry the serene “in
tune” feeling that comes to you into your day, no
matter what you may be doing. For those of you
who are seeking the spiritual life, I recommend
these four daily practices: Spend time alone each
day in receptive silence. When angry, or afflicted
with any negative emotion, take time to be alone
with God. (Do not talk with people who are
angry; they are irrational and cannot be reasoned
with. If you or they are angry, it is best to leave
and pray.) Visualize God’s light each day and
send it to someone who needs help. Exercise the
body; it is the temple of the soul.
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
 Break the Hypnotic Mold of Incompetency
I
ncompetency has no relation with the
reality. It is a state of mind. When someone
thinks that he is incompetent in doing a
certain work, it is merely his imagination.
The fact is that this ‘incompetency’ complex
is built into our minds over a long period of
time coming from our childhood. In childhood,
we were often admonished by some people
–“You cannot do this work. You are incapable
of doing this. You are not fit to do it etc. etc.”
These kind of gratuitous verdicts are routinely
imposed by some people on the others, and the
latter even accept such opinions. This leads to
the formation of an inferiority complex. People
start thinking that they are really inferior and
less deserving; they cannot achieve success or
any do good in life.
Such thoughts gradually rigidify into a mental
block and prevent people from striving for the
better. When a person becomes convinced of his
incompetency, he closes his avenues to progress.
The simple thought that he too can do something
better or beyond his perceived limitation never
enters his mind.
In remote past, many societies and social
groups used the power of hypnosis to destroy
the talent, uniqueness and liberty of the people.
The vested interests were wary of the talented
and the highly competent, or those who loved
freedom. Instead they wanted mental slaves
or obedient servitors who would meekly
Luck is always the last refuge of laziness and incompetence. - James Cash Penney
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
follow the commands of ‘superiors’, and
would never think otherwise. The standard
psychological method to make a slave is to
din into the targeted people’s minds –“You
are just incapable; you should not ever wish
for more than what has been given to you”.
When a person keeps hearing such words
and, in turn, keeps repeating them in his own
mind, his subconscious gradually accepts these
false words as true, and the person becomes
hypnotized.
For example, when a product is advertised
on television, it is presented with such catch-
phrases and alluring visuals as to goad people
to see it again and again, and go over it in
their minds repeatedly. This product with
its surrounding hyperbole then makes an
imprint in people’s subconscious, and when
the person goes to the market he becomes
receptive to buying it.
Such advertisements target the mind, fascinate
it and finally goad it into buying. Thus hypnosis
is a simple process of prolonged repetition
in the mind. Constant hammering creates a
specific niche in the mind. This effectively
acts as an invisible wall beyond which mind is
unable to go.
George Gurdjieff, the mystic, philosopher and
spiritual teacher, has recounted his childhood
memories. He was born in one of the most
34
primitive areas of the world. This part is still
in that very stage. People there are very skilled
hunters. Their life is nomadic and hence they do
not build home or fixed habitations.
Gurdjieff was brought up by one such nomadic
tribe. He could remember that these tribes used
to practice hypnotism over children. Since they
could not take children to hunting expeditions
they would leave the latter in a protected place
under a tree. But to ensure that the children
would not wander away, they used the power of
hypnosis. When the child was still very small,
they would make him sit under a tree, draw a
circle with a stick and told him that he could
not cross the circle. This constant dinning into
the ears convinced the child that he could not
really go across the line. This is similar to the
thought process whereby people start believing
in religious superstitions.
Gradually the children become convinced that if
they violated the circle they would be visited by
some harm. They would grow up in age with this
mental barrier, so much so that if occasionally
they did try to cross the line they would feel as
if an invisible wall was physically blocking their
way. Until the person who had drawn the circle
came and obliterated the line, the children would
remain confined to the circle.
Thus hearing phrases like “you are incompetent’
since early childhood casts a hypnotic effect, and
has nothing to do with reality. No person is fully
incompetent. The idea of one’s own incompetence
is a falsity imposed by others. It tends to enslave
the mind. We have to merely free ourselves from
this mental block and refine our capabilities. This
effort would certainly cut away the cobweb of
false impressions, free us to see the reality as it
actually is, and lead us onto a new path.

The following dialogue between Lord Buddha and his disciple is very
inspiring for the selfless social volunteers.
Lord Buddha asked one of his disciples – “You are going for spreading
the noble thoughts of Dharma. If people do not listen to you, what will you
do? The disciple replied – “I will be grateful to them that they did not hurl
abuses at me.” Then Buddha asked what he would do if they indeed turned
abusive to him. The disciple replied that he would continue to be grateful
that he is not getting beaten up.
Lord Buddha wanted to test his disciple further and asked what
he would do if he was beaten. The disciple replied that he would still be
grateful that they had not killed him. Buddha then asked what he would do
if they killed him. The disciple replied that he still would not have a reason
to be ungrateful because if he were killed, then he would be liberated from
the grievances of this life. It is this level of sincerity that captures the true
essence of selfless efforts for uplifting the society.

Never attribute to malevolence what is merely due to incompetence. - Arthur C. Clarke

35 AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019

 Odyssey of the Enlightened - 66
Future Calling– 2
T
he difficult road to Independence
After the end of Second World War
in May 1945, for about one year, the
country witnessed several upheavals. In Britain, a
new government was formed by the Labour Party.
That government made up its mind to remove
British Rule from India. Shimla Conference
was abruptly dissolved due to the intransigence
of the Muslim League leader, Mohammad Ali
Jinnah. Out of the total number of members in
the governing council, he was insisting on getting
more than half of them for the Muslim League.
The way the political events of the country had
unfolded over the next two – three years, it became
clear that the partition of India was almost inevitable.
The failure of Shimla Conference put the seal on
it. The communal harmony was getting willfully
disrupted. The post-war conditions, British politics
and the wrangles for participation in the governing
body had filled the public with uncontrollable anger
and dissatisfaction. The stage was reached where
even small pretexts were enough for creating violent
riots. In the beginning of the year 1946, a Muslim
officer of Azad Hind Fauz was court-martialed.
He was sentenced by an army court. The Muslims
of Calcutta (now Kolkata) took out a procession
against this decision. Soon the procession became
violent and started looting the shops, burning trams
and even killing some innocent people.
Some incidents of revolt in the army and
security network too came to light. There was
When I discover who I am, I’ll be free. - Ralph Ellison
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
dissatisfaction in the police, too. The employees of
Bombay dock yard went on strike. Gandhiji held
World War responsible for this turmoil. Normally
after the war, for sometime there are always
chances of moral degradation and disorder. Apart
from this, conspiracies were being plotted to
intensify tensions between Hindus and Muslims.
In March 1946, a team of three cabinet ministers
of the British Government came to India. In about
four months, this team interacted with about five
hundred leaders of India.
The purpose of these meetings was to prepare
the ground for independence of India and also to
decide about the form of government for transfer
of power. According to the plan that the Cabinet
Mission submitted in May 1946, India was to be
given a federal rule. The federal government that
was to be formed by combining the princely states
and the representatives of the provinces was to be
given the responsibility of foreign affairs, security,
home affairs and transport. Rest of the departments
was to be looked after by the state governments.
Communal tension started building up
Although all the political parties and the princely
states accepted the formula of the Cabinet Mission,
the thinking of Muslim League was different.
They wanted a separate independent state for
Muslim majority areas, implying a partition of
the country. Though they had accepted the plan of
the Cabinet Mission in May 1946 but within ten
weeks they withdrew their support. The League
36
declared a ‘Direct Action’ movement for creation
of Pakistan. With this declaration, a conflagration
of hate, tension and violence erupted all over
India. In order to perform his duty in this riot torn
atmosphere, Shriram called a meeting of scholars,
pandits, and social workers of Mathura. He
himself went to invite these people to the meeting.
Exactly twelve days after the declaration of
‘direct action’, seven religious leaders of Mathura
attended a meeting at the residence of Shriram in
Ghiya Mandi. Among them three were Hindus,
two Muslims, one Christian and one Sikh. Among
the Hindus, one person was from Arya Smaj.
Salim Mohammad, the Imam of the mosque of
Chhatta Bazar, was requested to preside over the
meeting. He looked at Maulana Farukhi. After a
little deliberation, almost every one was looking at
Dwarka Babu of Arya Samaj to take the lead. The
following guidelines were framed in the meeting
to maintain communal harmony in Mathura:
“Howsoever inflammatory talks political leaders
give, the people of our communities should
resolve to maintain peace and harmony. After
Puja, Prayers or Namaz, some selected portions
of the respective religious texts should be read.
These portions should be such that they teach
peace, harmony and brotherhood. In our offices,
homes, or workplaces, we should employ at least
one person who is from a different community.
For example, a Hindu religious leader should
keep one Muslim with him and a Muslim leader
should give employment to one Hindu.”
“Abdul is already with you from the beginning.
So you need not do anything especially for this
purpose.” – said Dwarka Babu. Shriram said – “I
have resolved to publish the messages of different
religions in my magazine.”
Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others.
Unfold your own myth. - Rumi
37
He also made the members aware of his decision
of publication, in future, of the literature inspiring
communal harmony. He also requested for the
cooperation of visiting scholars in this direction.
The third important decision that was taken in
the meeting was that all concerned should ensure
that there were no riots. If, by chance, something
happened, all attempts should be made to save the
innocent people irrespective of their religion; this
would increase the willpower of the victims of riots.
During ‘Direct Action’ movement of Muslim
League there were demonstrations in Mathura
also. Bloody violence erupted in Bengal, Bihar
and Punjab. Its news spread like wildfire all over
A procession in honor of
someone was passing by in heaven.
Someone asked in whose honor
was the procession being taken out.
Reply came – in the honor of a tiger.
The inquisitive person asked again
– What did this tiger do to earn the
dignity of being in heaven? The reply
was – It was a stormy night with
strong winds and rain. This tiger was
returning to his cave. By smell that
came from inside the cave he knew
that a goat scared by the storm had
taken shelter inside the cave. The
tiger thought that if the goat would
see him it would get scared. So he sat
outside the cave. He got drenched in
rain and took sufferings upon himself
so that the goat did not suffer. The
good karma that he earned in saving
the goat’s life got him this heaven.
Truly, benevolence bestowed upon
others never goes waste.
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
the country; and due to this, tension was building
up in other cities which were earlier peaceful.
Under this movement, there were demonstrations
and public meetings in Mathura also. Within one
year, there were about fifteen instances in which
both the communities violently clashed with each
other. The freedom fighters of Mathura district
made a ‘Shantisena’ (peace-keeping force).
Its volunteers used to take out Prabhat Pheris
(morning processions). They would sing prayers
that used to be sung in the Ashram of Mahatma
Gandhi. The credit of chanting the melody of
‘Raghupati raghav rajaram’ in Mathura goes to
these volunteers. Shriram too would participate in
these prabhat pheris. He also inspired the readers of
Akhand Jyoti to participate in these peace marches.
After the final decisions of partition of India and
grant of independence to two partitioned states
– India (Bharat) and Pakistan - the minorities in
the two nation-states started becoming victims of
communal violence. Violence flared up in West
Punjab, Sindh and East Bengal. In those states, the
non-Muslim minorities started fleeing from their
ancestral homelands. Hindus were fleeing away
from West Punjab and Sindh and East Bengal (now
Bangla Desh) and Muslims from West Bengal.
The rioters made fleeing people their targets. The
news of riots reached other parts of the country
and families of minority community there started
packing up. In Mathura, some Muslim families
sold their properties overnight and decided to go
to Pakistan. Some of them had planned to go just
because it was an Islamic country and hence they
would get better opportunities there. When Shriram
heard this news, he along with his religious team
contacted these families and tried to persuade them
to stay back. Out of the twenty families, fourteen
changed their decision.
Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. - Steve Jobs
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
In those days of tension–filled atmosphere,
some religious places of Mathura also became
the victims of violence. Though it was the duty
of police to maintain law and order and protect
them but the police force was not enough. The
neighboring cities of Mathura, namely Agra and
Bharatpur, were also burning. Shantisenas were
formed there also for maintaining harmony.
Shriram was asked to visit these places. On some
occasions, he did so, but mostly he remained in
Mathura as he was more needed there.
The plot of some trouble–makers to attack
some religious places in Chauk and Keshavdev
(wards) was leaked. In order to prevent the
planned attacks, Shriram along with his friends
and volunteers went to Keshavdev ward.
However, police didn’t allow them to do so.
So the volunteers decided to individually visit
the families of minority community. In those
turbulent times of deep distrust, it was but
natural to disbelieve the people of the other
community by the residents. In those areas, the
news was spread that Hindus were coming there.
But in the next wave, it became clear that they
were volunteers of Shantisena and that among
them Shriram and his companions were also
present. This information removed the worry of
the Muslim residents of Katara. The rioters tried
their best but they could not do much harm. Some
people were arrested. The feeling of insecurity
and tension was still prevailing. So Shriram
made it a routine to visit those areas daily for
nearly one and half months. He would meet the
people and inquire about their apprehensions.
He would normally be accompanied by some
other volunteers and leaders of Congress. The
aim of keeping in touch with them was to lift up
their morale.
38
The festivities mixed with challenges
India got independence on 15th August, 1947.
This was celebrated as a festival in Mathura
too. Shriram performed a special Yagya at his
residence and hoisted the Tricolor Flag on the
main entrance. After that he also participated in
the program held at the collectorate. Later on, he
went to Katara Keshavdev. He was accompanied
by Shyamlal - his close friend and a social worker
of that region. Families residing in Katara, too,
appeared happy in a subdued way. Their minds
were filled with worry and doubt. Shriram told
these people – “If you people fear too much,
you can come to my house. People of your
community are working in my press. You can live
there for whatever duration you wish, don’t get
frightened.”
On this assurance two families indeed got ready.
Shriram told them to wait till evening. Then he
vacated two rooms in his house and took them with
him next day. There was not much luggage with
them that required any vehicle. They just made a
bundle of necessary items and accompanied him.
Mataji welcomed them; their food was cooked
in her kitchen. They stayed there for two weeks.
After normalcy was restored in that region, they
went back on their own.
Due to the riots, there was a serious concern
about employment / work in the minority
community. People simply stopped giving work
to them. Wherever they worked, people looked at
them suspiciously. In some places, their services
were terminated. Some such families came to
Shriram to solve their problems. Shriram met the
employers and tried to convince them. Obviously
their doubt was not unfounded. It was not due
to the nature or conduct of the workers, but on
account of mutual communal mistrust.

God himself takes care of his true devotees

Once Swami Vivekananda was travelling in a 2nd class
compartment of a train, a follower had bought the ticket
for him, Swamiji had no money. It was a very hot Indian day.
There was a business man in the next seat, he was eating variety of sweets and
drinking cool juices, he looked at Swamiji and said “Only if you had worked
hard like me you could have been enjoying too.” as if spirituality is a lazy man’s
business. Swamiji had not eaten anything in last two days; he did not say anything
in reply to the business man.
Coincidentally both got off at the same station; a sweet-seller
was waiting outside the train with variety of sweets, drinks and a chair
to sit on. As soon as his saw Swamiji he requested him to receive his
hospitality. “Why are you giving me all this?” asked Swami Vivekananda.
“In the afternoon sleep I had a dream, Lord Rama appeared in the dream and told
me to give all these to you.” said the sweet-seller. Swamiji ate all that with tear in his
eyes appreciating how divine love manifests for those who are genuine in their quest.

Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
- Mahatma Gandhi
39 AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
 Youth Column
Do You Properly Use Your Mind Power?
E
xceptional talent is normally regarded
by everyone as the Creator’s gift. After
all, not everyone is capable of writing
books, composing poems, creating paintings
or marvelous sculptures. Only one amongst
thousands becomes a high quality writer, and
only one among thousands becomes a great
scientist. What is the main reason behind the
evolution of talent in great achievers? When
this is assessed, the only conclusion that
comes out is – these people showed enormous
courage in deploying their mental powers in
the direction that lead to the chosen goal. A
judicious deployment of mental powers is, in
fact, the fundamental basis for unveiling and
nurturing of latent talent.
Varadaraj, a very famous exponent of Sanskrit
language was not so bright when he was a
young boy. Varad is another name for ox. Since
he was dull and unintelligent, his friends used
to tease him by the name Varadaraj (the king
of oxen). Once he grew sick of everyone’s
ridicule and ran away from his home. On the
way, when he sat down to take rest in a temple,
he saw a grasshopper with two legs missing.
The grasshopper was trying to climb a wall.
Despite climbing and failing several times it did
not accept defeat and kept trying. Finally, with
tremendous effort it did manage to climb to the
top of the wall. Varadaraj learnt a lesson from
the grasshopper and took a resolve then and
there that he would put in best efforts and focus
Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will
find the ways to do it. - David J. Schwartz
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
all his mental energies to become an erudite
scholar of Sanskrit. This resolve did make him a
highly accomplished scholar of Sanskrit.
This transformation happened only because
he properly channelized his mental powers,
and reaped its benefits. Most of us forget this
fundamental principle and end up wasting our
lives. If we put in efforts and recognize the
importance of the mental powers hidden within
us, we can transform our ordinary capabilities
into exceptional talents. Whoever has achieved
great heights, has earned the same by a proper
utilization of his strengths. If scientists do not
spend hours of efforts in conducting intense
research in their laboratories, will they be able to
attain any significant breakthroughs?
Every person who has attained excellence in
any field has done so by focusing his energies
and steadily developing expertise. On the other
hand, there are people who try all their lives but
never achieve much. The main reason behind
this failure is in their wasteful strewing of mental
powers. If there is no clearly defined goal, mind
gets disorganized, and his desires stray off in
meaningless pursuits. It is possible to attain
success only by concentrating all the mental
powers while focusing on a single chosen goal.
Our personality is built by the same process as
well. Without a goal, even self-control has no
utility because the energy conserved through self-
control also eventually gets wasted.
40
Within each and every person are embedded
enormous possibilities of development and
enhancement of mental powers but without a
clear goal in mind and without developing focus
towards that goal, all these possibilities get
wasted. It is harmful to not use these powers and
it is also harmful to misuse them for a wrong goal.
Spiritual aspirants who conserve their energies
through self-control need to put in a lot of effort
to stop the flow of their energies in undesirable
directions and to guide them in the right direction.
Otherwise self-control remains imperfect and
no great outcome becomes possible in spiritual
domain as well.
Very often our mental energies get wasted in
greed, attachment and fulfilling sensual desires.
It is necessary to fulfill needs of life and also
discharge responsibilities but to spend all our
energies in basic worldly needs is not right. People
who are continuously thinking and working to
fulfill their lofty desires cannot achieve anything
significant in life. When mental energies are
focused on a higher goal and actions are taken,
special talents begin to uncover.
Every plan that we work upon is first born in
our mind as a thought. If these thoughts are not
worthy or not focused towards a higher goal,
they get astray, and destroy or misdirect all our
energies. Lord Krishna has said so in the Gita:
dhy³yato vishay³npunsah sangasteshupaj³yate|
sang³tsanj³yate k³mah k³m³tkrodhobhij³yate||
krodh³dbhavati sammohh
sammoh³tsmritivibhramah|
smritibhransh³d buddhin³sho
buddhin³sh³tpraöashyati||
- Gita (62-63/2)
Meaning: A person who only thinks about sensual
pleasures, gets attracted and attached to them.
This attachment creates desires, which goad him
to take actions to fulfill them. When desires do
not get satiated, anger develops. Anger leads to
utter state of confusion of mind, which then leads
to loss of memory. This loss of memory leads to
destruction of intelligence and when intelligence
fails, it leads to the person’s destruction.
This indeed is the route to total decadence of
life. When we deploy our mental resources in
meaningless pursuits, we deny ourselves the
opportunity to achieve anything worthwhile
in life. Only by conservation, strengthening
and proper deployment of mental energies is
it possible to awaken our hidden talents. This
year, let our efforts be directed to attain this
very goal.

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to
be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only
way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet,
keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know
when you find it.
- Steve Jobs

The mind is just like a muscle - the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it
can expand. - Idowu Koyenikan
41 AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
 Give Noble Sa®sk³ras, not Wealth,
to the Children
A
ll parents think of their children as a
part of their own beings. They nurse
them, care for them and teach them
the ways of the world. But when these very
children grow up and embark on their own
paths of life, they tend to forget their parents,
neglect them and sometimes even break
contact with the parents. It is an irony of our
society that the children do not give back even
1% of the love and affection which they had
themselves received from their parents, but
are ever ready to claim right over the parent’s
property and wealth. Is this stark reality of
today a result of the changing times, or is it an
effect of the growing bad sa®sk³ras (inherent
tendencies) in the families.
Every person in old age wants to live with his
children. But modern society has become so
insensitive that it discards such aged persons
like used clothes and does not bother to even
know their whereabouts. We often come
across many such heart rending stories. One
such event is of 2017. In the Oshiwara locality
of Mumbai, a 63 year old woman died in her
posh flat and no one even knew of her death
for four full months! It is when her son, who
lived in America, returned to Mumbai and
went to his flat that he found his mother’s
skeleton lying inside. This event shook
everybody. What type of society are we living
in today that we remain completely unaware
of even our close neighborhood?
It is too difficult to think nobly when one thinks only of earning a living.
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
Another such instance is of 2018 and
happened in Ranchi. The skeleton of a
person’s aged mother was found in her house
under mysterious circumstances. That lady
had been living there all alone for the last 22
years. When foul smell started coming out, the
neighbors informed the police.
These are only two among the many such
instances which highlight how little the young
generation of today cares for its elders. Earlier, in
joint families, the elders were looked after, sought
after and respected. But in the modern nuclear
families, they have become useless adjuncts - left
alone and neglected.
Ironically, this is the age of communication
revolution. There are so many media to remain
in touch with others - voice calling, video calling,
online chat, WhatsApp, Facebook and what not.
One is so immersed in the small circle of only
select persons with whom an interest is served
that he has no time for his own elders.
How strange it is that in the time of all pervading
smart phones, people do not live like a unified
family, but like lonesome scattered individuals.
Occasionally, they condescend to observe
relations over phone only. When there was only
one phone in the house, members kept in touch
with others over that single phone. But now when
almost everyone has a phone, they hardly find
time to talk to other family members.
42
In this age of instant communication, when
new devices are coming in the market daily,
we are getting lonely and isolated, and are
forgetting the very meaning of a family. The
purpose of communication is to connect
people and the whole world, but in reality, this
bond and contact has broken in respect of our
own family members.
We will have to understand afresh our sa®sk³ras,
to connect with our own and look after the
elderly, because a society or family whose
members live like isolated islands cannot remain
healthy and nourished for long. Already we are
seeing the ugly results of such walled living. If
we do not take notice of such abnormalities and
rectify them, the future will produce even more
horrifying spectacles.
Today, there are only a few such incidents of
the aged ones dying and rotting alone in their
houses, but this scenario could become common
in the coming days. What is happening with our
elders today can happen with us too, because
the young generation of today which never tires
of bragging about its so-called achievements
and remains immersed in the superficial and
purely personal enjoyments of life forgets that
it too will grow in age and will be the elderly
generation of tomorrow.
There is another recent event which raises a
question mark over the nurturing methods of
children. Vijaypat Singhania, a billionaire of
one time, is now in dire straits and dependent
on others for every penny. Singhania who once
transferred the Rs. 10 billion worth Raymond
Company to his son has appealed to the
Bombay High court that his son has virtually
If you are not noble in your thoughts and actions, no title awarded by any king or queen can
make you so. - E.A. Bucchianeri
43
turned him into a pauper and beggar. Singhania
is now 81, and for anyone at this age to be
forced to knock at the doors of a court heralds
a very disturbing future.
There is perhaps a fault in the sa®sk³ras which
we are inculcating in our young generation;
there is some value shortcoming in the love
and affection in the family which is making
the young generation so callous towards the
elderly and distant from other members of
the family. That is why Yugrishi Param Pujya
Gurudev said - “Give sa®sk³ras, not wealth to
your next generation”. Wealth is fleeting but
sa®sk³ras remain embedded in the mind and
play their positive role for the whole life.
Lack of good sa®sk³ras or distortion in them
is the root cause of the decline of family as an
institution today as seen in the frequent feuds,
infightings and break-ups among the family
members. When the elders of the family - the
guardians, who looked after the family, kept it
together and tended to its every need are now
being grossly neglected and discarded, the result
cannot be otherwise.
We will have to understand this phenomenon
and look afresh at our -Ìi tradition. The value
of the family, of the warmth of relations, and of
the sight of the elders moving their affectionate
palms over children’s heads is just incalculable.
Only this way will we be able to progress in
the real sense; only then will we be able to
keep intact the institution of family and remain
assured of a loving future. We are responsible
for whatever is happening with our elders today,
and we will be responsible for whatever happens
with us tomorrow.
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
 Amrit Vani

What Makes Gayatri S³dhan³ Miraculous?

Translation of excerpts of some discourses given by Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya

Let us begin with collective chant of the Gayatri Mantra:
“Om Bh¿r Bhuva¡ Swa¡, Tatsaviturvareñya® Bhargo Devasya Dhºmahi, Dhiyo Yona¡ Pracoday³t ||”

S
isters and Brothers,
The japa-s³dhan³1,2 of Gayatri Mantra
should begin with remembrance of its
viniyoga. Every Vedic mantra has a viniyoga
that introduces us to the origin of the mantra,
its objective, and structural characteristic. For
example, the viniyoga of the Gayatri Mantra is
“G³yatrº Chanda¡ Savit³ Devat³ Viïw³mitra
RiÌi¡ Jape Viniyoga¡”. This means - the unique
mantra can also be chanted or sung like a
chhanda (verse); Savit³3 is the divine focus of this
mantra’s s³dhan³2; and Vishwamitra is the rishi
(Vedic sage) who first realized and spiritually
investigated this mantra.
So, in terms of today’s language, rishi
Vishwamitra discovered the Gayatri Mantra and
pioneered doing a ‘doctorate’ on the super science
of this mantra. You know, such great epochal
findings require lifelong arduous endeavors.
Great achievements and inventions require
rigorous motivation, unyielding efforts, and
immense courage with adventurous enthusiasm.
Awakening and ascent of humankind is marked
by such historic ventures.
For example, Edmund Hilary had an inner urge to
achieve the highest point in the world - Summit
Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it
all that is not gold. - Leo Tolstoy
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
of Mount Everest on the Himalayas. He didn’t
think twice, didn’t look back, didn’t care for the
hardships on the way, once he determined and
started his journey. He took Tenzing Norgay,
a local Sherpa as a guide with him. Finally his
unflinching endeavor succeeded and one day he
(and Norgay) hoisted the flag of victory on the
Everest peak. He even tried boating along the
reverse of the natural direction of the flow of the
Ganges - starting from the Ganga Sagar in the
Bay of Bengal towards Gangotri on Himalayas.
Though this effort had to be discontinued
midway due to non-availability of proper boat,
his adventure remains an ideal of courage for the
future generations.
Similar kind of firm determination and vigorous
zeal is essential to proceed along the ever
challenging path to spirituality. This is like
traversing the gigantic current of life against
the normal flow (full of worldly comforts and
attractions). For doing this, one has to renounce
all pleasures and attachments of worldly
comforts and passions, and on the contrary,
adopt strict disciplines, and willingly observe
self-restraint for noble aims. I also attempted
this and started my Gayatri S³dhan³ following
the path of Vedic sages. For this ‘research’, I
44
thoroughly studied the Vedic texts, traversed
the arduous heights of the Himalayas and
endeavored vigorous tapa4 to be able to meet
the Great rishis in their sublime forms in the
Himalayas. I did not accept the miraculous
power of Gayatri S³dhan³ sans experimenting
on myself and experiencing the truth.
I made my body and mind as the laboratory for
this research and did many kinds of difficult
spiritual experiments to test the amazing powers
of this Great mantra. I started higher-level
Gayatri S³dhan³ (of 24 Mahapuraïcarnas of
Gayatri) since the age of 15 and continued it
for 24 years. In the long period of s³dhan³ I not
only did Gayatri Up³san³ and mantra japa for
4 hrs every day (in Brahma Muhurta – about 4
hrs before sunrise), but also fulfilled my duties
towards the family, towards welfare of the society
and peaceful freedom movement of India. As
part of the tapa, I used to eat only Barley roti and
Butter milk of cow. I did not eat sugar; did not
eat salt; no fruits, no milk, tea or any drink (other
than plain water); nothing else [1]. This kind of
strict restraint is essential for perfect control over
the mind-body system to follow other ascetic
disciplines of devout s³dhan³. How many of you
who come to me for being blessed by the boons
of Gayatri Mantra are ready to adopt this kind of
self-purification and self-discipline?
It was only after completion of my dedicated
research experiments, and confirmation of
the miracles of Gayatri S³dhan³ that I started
guiding the spiritual seekers towards it. As such,
in the Hindu system, dºkï³ (initiation) of Gayatri
Mantra is usually conferred upon a Brahmin with
the ritual of thread-ceremony. But this is only
like a superficial customary activity. The real
The fires of refinement come with a cost, but also with a promise. - Robin Bertram
45
initiation of Gayatri S³dhan³ begins when one
becomes a Brahmin in true sense of the word -
which means, irrespective of caste or creed, one
lives a life devoted to the service of the needy
and consumes minimum of Nature’s resources
and worldly means for self (and the family). One
also needs to follow the enlightened path of self-
purification, self-discipline, self-improvement,
and self-less service, for Gayatri S³dhan³.
In my life, the ritual of Gayatri dºkï³ was
performed by Pandit Madanmohan Malviya,
who introduced me to the Gayatri Mantra and
the method of doing Gayatri Up³san³ every day.
This was like introducing me to the outer layer
- introducing to the limitless power of Gayatri,
only in words. My s³dhan³ got the pr³ña (life &
light), and inspired the divine force of a Gayatri
s³dhaka in my inner self only at the age of 15
when one day during my up³san³, my divine
guru from the Himalayas appeared before me in
his subtle body and made me realize the purpose
of the present life through a live-view and
experience of my past lives [1].
It was like inducing life-force in a fetus. When
a hen lays an egg, the egg remains lifeless (sans
any activity) for a long time. It is only after the
appropriate span of time that its temperature rises
and the chicken comes out of it by breaking its
thick shell. It is at this time that the chicken is
born - its life-force, the energy of its liveliness
is activated completely. Similar is the case of a
spiritual seeker. In the initial days of s³dhan³
there is no spiritual-realization, no recognizable
outcome; it is only after adept s³dhan³ for
necessary duration that one feels the divine force
within, which elevates him/her towards more
rigorous (devout) s³dhan³. The ritual of worship
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
in up³san³ is only like an outer body of the egg;
it’s only the warmth of the life-force of dedicated
s³dhan³ that induces pr³ña5 in it.
The rituals of p¿j³ (worship), as part of up³san³,
in which you may offer flowers and oblation
etc, to the deity in the form of an idol, picture or
some physical symbol and chant or sing some
prayers (or mantra), are only like initial steps
to attract and condition your mind. It’s only
after initiation of s³dhan³ with unflinching self-
determination and inner will that your up³san³
(devotional practice) gets life. Unfortunately,
what we find around is that most ‘devotees’ get
carried away by the rituals and don’t conduct the
experiment of s³dhan³.
For example many of you think that mere
chanting of the Gayatri Mantra, as part of your
up³san³, for several thousand times will result
in your spiritual ascent or will shower divine
boons upon you. Don’t you know that to activate
the power of this great mantra through chanting,
you first need to purify and empower your own
tongue and voice?
Time and again, I would like to emphasize
that most crucial part of any mantra-japa is
purification and disciplining of the tongue. Self-
inspired restraint over the greed of the tongue,
and discipline over its act of speaking is of utmost
importance for success of any s³dhan³. It is also
the most essential and core step of any kind of
tapa. In fact, you cannot control the agility of
your mind, and you can never achieve desired
mental concentration for mantra-japa (meditative
chanting of a mantra) unless you control your
tongue. If you succeed in disciplining your
tongue, controlling other sensory passions would
What a man’s mind can create, man’s character should control. - Thomas Edison
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
also become possible one day with sincere efforts/
practice. Restraining the mind and focusing it in a
desired activity would then be easily achieved by
the force of your inner will and devotion.
Step-wise Progress:
Although up³san³ is like an outer layer, it is an
essential step towards higher-level s³dhan³. For
example, you need to learn script (syllables)
of a language before learning to read or write
it. Most often you are taught the syllables of a
language in the pre-school level with the help of
associating some familiar objects, pictures with
them. Later on only the syllables remain and the
pictures disappear. Similarly you need to learn
the digits and the basic arithmetic operation of
addition, subtraction etc, before starting to learn
higher mathematics. What would you say about
someone who wants to do Graduation in Algebra
or Geometry without learning the basics of
Mathematics; or, of someone who wants to do a
Ph.D. in literature without learning any Language
at an elementary level?
So the point is that - in normal course, progress
always takes place gradually. The same holds for
spiritual development. As I told you, my first guru
Malviyaji had initiated me into doing the japa
of Gayatri Mantra by teaching the basic rituals,
discipline and method of japa of this mantra. He
began with teaching me its pronunciation and its
word- meaning. That was necessary to initiate my
Gayatri up³san³ and gradually its s³dhan³. So
the up³san³-rituals are important.
But this is not all. Many of you get stuck at this
first level itself. For you, how to hold the rosary,
how to chant the mantra, how many times to chant
the mantra, etc, is more important than the real
s³dhan³. That is why in spite of doing so called
46
anuÌÚh³ns of several thousand or even lakhs
(e.g. 1,25,000) times chanting of the Gayatri
Mantra, you see no significant results. This is
what I say, that you get stuck only in the outer
layer or just the physical activities. You neglect
the fact that the “core”, the “depth”, or what I
call as “pr³ña” (of the spiritual power of the
mantra) needs to be realized.
Realization of pr³ña or real substance (core or
life force) of Gayatri Mantra was instilled within
me by my divine mentor from the Himalayas.
I realized the importance of Gayatri which is
also called tripad³ (word-meaning: having three
legs) because of the three major components of
the Gayatri Mantra. These three components, in
terms of methods, are Japa, Tapa, and Dhy³na
[2]. I have already explained each of these
at length on several occasions. Your Gayatri
S³dhan³ cannot initiate unless you sincerely
practice and master in this triple-fold endeavor
of Gayatri Up³san³. Everyone can’t accomplish
it. Progressing along this path is not easy: only
sincere seekers of spirituality, only the true
devotees can follow these adeptly.
There also are three important facets of the
s³dhan³ of Gayatri. These three currents of
pr³ña of Gayatri Mantra (tripad³) are Ïraddh³,
NiÌÚh³, Prajó³. These are like the holy confluence
(sangam) at Prayagraj of the Ganga, Yamuna
and Saraswati. It is said that after bathing in this
sangam - “k³ka hohió pika, bakahuó mar³l³”
(meaning: a crow becomes cuckoo; and a
crane turns into a swan). This implies complete
transformation into a more evolved status. So
what are these three currents of Gayatri’s pr³ña,
inculcation of which amounts to evolution of
s³dhaka’s consciousness, divine transmutation
of the s³dhaka’s inner self?

(To be continued in the next issue)

Notes:
1. Japa-s³dhan³: Practice of japa (rhythmic mental chanting with emotional engrossment in the
focus of the mantra) as a s³dhan³.
2. S³dhan³: Self-determined ascetic endeavor of self-discipline, self-analysis, self-refinement and
spiritual enlightenment.
3. Savit³: Transcendent body of the Sun-God; source of sublime & manifested energies, & light.
4. Tapa: Observance of austerity, penance, and arduous self-restraint for self-purification.
5. Pr³ña: Vital Spiritual Energy.

References (Important for Detailed Reading):

1. Pandya P. & Jyotirmaya: Chetana Ki Shikhar Yatra Vols. 1-3. [English Version of V.1: Odyssey
of the Enlightened Vol. 1] Sri Vedmata Gayatri Trust, Shantikunj, Haridwar. (2014).
2. Acharya Pt. Shriram Sharma: Japa, Tapa aur Dhy³na. Yug Nirman Yojna, Mathura. (10th Print)
2017. [English Version: Japa, Tapa, Dhyana - Triple Fold Path of Sadhana. Sri Vedmata Gayatri
Trust, Shantikunj, Haridwar. (2nd ed., 2015)]

In the end, it is the person you become, not the things you achieve, that is most important.
- Les Brown
47 AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
 Simple Techniques of Pr³öay³ma to Stay
Healthy - 2
W
e know that there are several forms of
energy / power; e.g. electrical energy,
magnetic energy, gravitational
energy, wind energy, physical energy, etc. There
is one more aspect of energy that is more subtle
and more powerful. This is called Pr³öa energy.
Every living being possesses this life-sustaining
energy; however, it is not sufficient. The cosmos
is filled with huge amounts of this energy. The
Pr³öa element in a human being (soul) is called
Âtm³gni (fire of soul) and that present in the
cosmos is called Brahm³gni (fire of Supreme
Soul). In order to augment Âtm³gni it is essential
to connect it to Brahm³gni through the process
of S³dhan³. This process is called Pr³öay³ma.
In the previous issue, we had discussed a simple
method of ‘Pr³ö³karÌaöa Pr³öay³ma’. Now
we take up another, more advanced, form of
Pr³öay³ma.
S¿ryavedhana Pr³öay³ma:
There is a seed of storehouse of energy within
each human being. It is called ‘Kundalinº
Mah³ïakti’ (serpentine power or vital force). It
is located in the ‘M¿l³dh³ra Cakra’ (at the base
of the spinal cord). Normally it remains dormant,
and hence one cannot utilize its power. However,
if it is awakened, it can provide immense power.
S¿ryavedhana Pr³öay³ma can help in the
awakening of this power.
You may practice S¿ryavedhana Pr³öay³ma as
follows-
When you own your breath, nobody can steal your peace. - Author Unknown
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
1. In a peaceful lonely area be seated with
balanced poise. Face the East, sit cross-
legged, sit in the easy lotus posture, spine
erect and eyes half-shut; place hands
on both knees. This is called the Pr³öa
Mudr³.
2. Bend the left hand and keep it slanting. In
its palm, place the elbow of the right hand.
Raise the right hand. Place the thumb on the
right nostril and place the middle and ring
finger on the left nostril.
3. Close the left nostril with the help of the
middle and ring fingers. Inhale slowly but
deeply.
4. Meditate on the fact that the Sun’s vital
energy on mixing with air enters the body
via the Pingal³ subtle nerve situated in the
right nostril. Its heat is radiating our inner
bodily organs.
5. Let the inhaled air remain for some time
inside. Shut both the nostrils and meditate
on the fact that via the concentrated Pr³öa
(vital energy) of Sun is getting focused
on M¿l³dh³ra Cakra. The Kundalinº
having remained latent for a long time
in M¿l³dh³ra is now being activated by
this concentrated Pr³öa of Sun. Hence
it is becoming radiant and its aura is
continuously expanding.
48
6. Now shut the right nostril with the thumb.
Open the left nostril. Slowly exhale
air from the left nostril. Now meditate
on the fact that the dirt that induces
inactivation in the Cakras is being
exited totally. Now since this dirt is
mixed with the exhaled air it is no
longer radiant as it was when vital
force was inhaled. It is hence becoming
yellow in color and via the Ió subtle
nerve it is being exited from the left
nostril’s exhaled air.
7. Now close both the nostrils. Render the
lungs empty i.e. devoid of air. Meditate that
the external vital force remains outside only.
Since it does not pressurize the internal vital
force it is very light in weight. The Pr³öa
of the M¿l³dh³ra Cakra is appearing like
the Sun. Like a ball of light it rises upwards
akin to the flames of fire. Its flames travel
from M¿l³dh³ra to the throat and higher. In
the inner subtle SuÌumn³ nerve this ball of
fire (vital force) is making the internal body
radiant.
8. With the thumb close the right nostril and
inhale air from the left nostril. Think that
via the Ió subtle nerve Pr³öa shining
brilliantly like the Sun and mixed in air
is entering the body. This light is entering
the M¿l³dh³ra Cakra at the base of spinal
cord. It is getting focused there. Due to
the focus of this radiant light this Cakra is
becoming more radiant and the Kundalinº
power is getting awakened.
9. Now shut both the nostrils. Stop the air
from flowing out of the body. Meditate
A healthy mind has an easy breath. - Author Unknown
49
that radiant Pr³öa mixed with inhaled
air is rendering the M¿l³dh³ra Cakra
permanently radiant. The radiance keeps
augmenting and like tongues of flames is
marching upwards. Because of this light the
SuÌumn³ subtle nerve is getting nourished
ceaselessly.
10. Close the left nostril and from the right
nostril slowly exhale air. Meditate that the
dirt of M¿l³dh³ra Cakra like smoke mixed
with radiant breath is rendering the latter
opaque and yellow. This yellow Pr³öa air
is being evicted outside via the Pingal³
subtle nerve. Now since the inner dirt has
been removed the heart feels light and
radiant.
11. Now again shut both the nostrils and as
given in point number (6) render the lungs
empty i.e. devoid of any air. Feel the ball
of light of SuÌumn³ subtle nerve going
upward from M¿l³dh³ra Cakra to the
throat. Experience that the divine brilliant
light illuminates all the inner bodily parts.
This is one Loma-Viloma S¿ryavedhana
Pr³öay³ma. Pr³öa pulled within via
inhalation of air is awakening the Kundalinº.
It pierces its lethargy and dark gloominess.
From there via the SuÌumn³ path this radiance
travels to the stomach, chest and throat. Hence
this Pr³öay³ma is called S¿ryavedhana.
Loma means straight and Viloma means
upside down - once inhaling from right and
exhaling from left and then inhaling from left,
exhaling from right. Because of this cycle of
straight/upside down it is called Loma-Viloma
S¿ryavedhana Pr³öay³ma.
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
 Amazing Facts of Polar Regions
E
ver since the discovery of North Pole
by Robert E. Peary, Matthew Henson,
and four Eskimo companions in 1909, it
has been a place of international interest due to
the vast underground oil reserves in the Arctic
Circle. North Pole is situated in the Arctic Circle
and the South Pole is in Antarctic Circle. There
are actually two North Poles on Earth. They are
called north magnetic pole and north terrestrial
pole. North Magnetic Pole is said to be magnetic
phenomena that change on the daily basis as our
Earth crust changes. The average location of the
Magnetic North Pole is called Geomagnetic
North Pole. North terrestrial pole is a fixed point
which points the top of the earth.
North Pole is created by the accumulation of
floating ice pieces coming from Arctic sea.
The latter has an area of 9 to 12 million square
kilometers, and thickness of 3 to 4 meters, with
ridge height of 20 meters. In contrast, Antarctic
sea is spread in around 14 million square
kilometers. It is covered by 3 kilometers wide
thick layer of ice on South Pole. North Pole’s peak
is created by the top thick layer of ice present on
Arctic sea, whereas South Pole’s peak, is created
from Antarctic region’s deep embedded ice layer,
present in the Antarctic Iceland.
The average temperature of South Pole has been
observed to be - 28° C (during summer) and - 60°
C (in winter). Sun shines for about six months
continuously; however, sun rays are never warm
For humans, the Arctic is a harshly inhospitable place, but the conditions there are precisely what
polar bears require to survive - and thrive. ‘Harsh’ to us is ‘home’ for them. - Sylvia Earle
AKHAND JYOTI March-April 2019
enough to provide enough heat to the living beings in
those regions. Rest of the six months, it is dark there.
Similar situation has been observed in the Arctic
region of North Pole, with average temperature of
0° C (in summer) and - 40° C (in winter).
These seemingly barren landscapes are home to a
rich diversity of wildlife—both on land and under
the sea surface—that has evolved to survive these
harsh conditions. The outer reaches of the Arctic
Circle are a great place to see polar bears in the
wild. Other Arctic dwellers are Orca, Humpback,
and Beluga whales, and the arctic fox. Several
species of flying penguin-like birds called auks,
guillemots, and puffins can also be seen in the
Arctic Circle. Penguins are not found in the North
Pole. They live in the South Pole.
Despite the freezing-cold temperatures, millions
of indigenous people, called the ‘Inuits’ live in
the Arctic region. They’ve found ingenious ways
to survive in one of the harshest environments on
our planet. They have traditionally inhabited the
northern circumpolar region from eastern Siberia
to across Alaska. People live in semicircular house
made of ice blocks, which is known as Igloo. Their
major food for survival, are fish. Reindeer is their
main pet animal and is used for drawing sledges
and as a source of milk, flesh, and hide.
This demonstrates that one can survive in any
situation with wisdom, confidence and courage.
For determined people, nothing is impossible.
50