If we want to know the truth of life, we have to study Gita, says Thirumangai Alwar. But if we want to see that truth, we have to come to this Kshetram and worship Sri SathyaNarayana Perumal. Today's [ 15th January 2008] lecture is from Sathya Pushkarini in the temple. This pond is octagonal shaped and is surrounded by compound wall and gardens. The color of the water is dark green and resembles the hue of the Lord, says Thirumangai Alwar in the pasuram 'sangendhum meiyan...'. He says hands that do not worship this Lord are no hands. Bathing on Sundays in this pushkarini and worshiping the Lord is considered important. Once all the sacred rivers assembled and prayed to the Lord. All persons bathe in them to wash off their sins and so lots of such washed sins had accumulated in them. So, they prayed to the Lord as to where they could wash off such accumulated sins. The Lord asked them to come to this pond and get their sins removed. If, we therefore bathe in this pond all our sins would be removed. Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that to remove sins one has to practice yoga. Now the 14th sloka:
prashantatma vigata-bhir
brahmacari-vrate sthitah
manah samyamya mac-citto
yukta asita mat-parah
"Thus, with a contented heart and controlled mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life."
Mat para = he directs his mind [thinks] always about Me [Sri Krishna]. Person who starts practicing yoga, slowly drives his mind fully involved in Sri Krishna. Prashantatma = contented person. A person who begins yoga finds a contented heart and so is not in need of anything. If this is the state at the beginning, when yoga grows and starts yielding results, the amount of happiness is immeasurable. Prashantatma means the mind is clear and is fully satisfied. No materials can give this happiness of contentment. This can be achieved by even poor persons also. Bhi = fear, vigata = removed. In our routine life with so many struggles and stumbles, we yearn for peace and happiness and we get a fear that whether at all we would ever get these. Sri Krishna allays such fear and says that if one could practice yoga as advised by Him, fear will be removed. Brahmachari vrate sthita = he should observe brahmacharyam [bachelorhood]. Does it mean that yoga is not for married people? Does it imply that only bachelors and sanyasins only could practice yoga? Here we have to understand things clearly. These stages are called ashram. Bachelorhood is one ashram. Married life is another and sanyasin life is yet another ashram. When a person is there in an ashram, he has to follow the rules of that ashram sincerely and correctly. Mixing of the customs will lead to chaos. In bachelorhood, the person should avoid sex life, while in married life sexual activities are permitted, according to shastras. Same shastras also say in married life when and how one could have sex. If a person follows that correctly, then even if that person is married, he is supposed to lead a bachelor life. Thinking of sex with illegal persons and at unspecified times, will make one disqualified for yoga. So, during yoga one has to follow brahmacharya vratam. Manas = mind, samyamya = gets controlled. Controlling means five disturbances have to be removed. they are: avidya - ignorance, ashmita - pride, raga - lust, dvesa - hatred and abinivesam greed. Macchitta = deposits his mind in Me [Sri Krishna]. Like we keep our valuables in safety locker and remain peaceful, we have to deposit our controlled mind in Him and remain carefree. It will ensure that the mind does not drift away. '..Kanda kangal matronrinai kaanave' - says Thiruppanalwar. Yukta = attentively. Person who starts yoga should be attentive and remain thinking of Sri Krishna always.
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