Bharath & India - Are we the same...???

Just yesterday, my conversation with a foreigner scientist named Dr. Stephen Cobeti amazed me. He was for the first time praising India and mentioned that he learnt a lot about India over the past 5 years of his career.... He said India has a lot to offer the world and that today being Gandhi Jayanti he planned to go through the literature's that speak about MK Gandhi

When he asked Dr. Avinash you've been an Indian by birth - studied here, lived here & living here now... so you must have learnt a lot about India & know more about it. Can you tell me more about India??? This question took me down memory lane of the last half century that I've been part of this country....

At first I said that "India" is a wrong nomenclature to our great country that the British gave it. Perhaps the people (so called leadership) at the helm of affairs at that point of time, all barristers qualified at Britain (including the man in-charge of formulating the constitution) loved this Anglicized name & shunned the real name BHARATH. It was like the lady shunning her maternal name after her marriage and adopting the in-law's nomenclature. But here, the divorce brought in the name given by the runaway British...

Secondly, the new name ingrained in a new set of values & characteristics which were part/ parcel & practiced by the naming factions. Thus, the attributes changed from an emotionally and spiritually wise nation to a logic-intelligent country.

Today as I see it INDIA, is a more "Mathematical Nation" as every aspect of it translates & an outcome of mathematics. Therefore, it can be noticed that INDIA (NOT BHARATH) is

1.  A voluminous set of derivations that share pathways from zero to infinity & infinity to zero.

2.      Addition of various Faith's & foreign cultures.

3.      Subtraction of people beliefs on our cultural values/ traditions.

4.      Multiplication of specific sects of people through production/ conversion

5.      Division of this great country into 2 other countries on the basis of religion

6.      Differentiation of people into castes & tribes by the very government

7.  Integration of people representatives into the legislative assemblies with divergent views or non-existent vision.

8.   Limits tending to zero when it comes to nation centricity & zero adherence to rules ; but, limits tending to infinity with chair centricity & infinite adherence to loopholes.

9.   Geometry in connecting cities as the golden quadrilateral or having the outer/ inner ring roads most named after marauders or tormentors or foreign rulers.

10.  Trigonometry of the

Ø sine to follow seldom exists

Ø cos is a variety of reasons & excuses that people give

Ø tan the foreigners get natural

Ø sec is a measure of unknown time taken by Govt officials

11.   Abstract equations existing between couples for marriage to survive yet the new gen battles for having same gender marriages

12.  Algebraic equations of numerous seers/ clergies/ god-men suggested for self-realization or god realization are for building their brands or money-banks.

 

I don't see Bharath here!! All I see is the India & India alone....

Stephen was a little taken aback by what I spoke. Quizzically he asked "Then what is Bharath???" I went back to tell him - for many, there's hardly a difference between India & Bharath because they are looking at it from the glasses of a country. To understand Bharath you need to get rid of these glasses & look at it as a child who looks at its mother. Bharath is the mother to the entire inhabitants of the world hence rightfully saying "Vasudaiv Kutumbakum" - the world is her family. She is life centric - where every life (be it, humans, animals, birds, insects, plants etc) is respected... many are worshipped too to ensure they don't get extinct due to their innate nature of preserving ecological balance. It's the only place where every subject or knowledge base be it any science, technology, non-science, economics, education, medicine, art, craft, warfare etc. etc... Anything a person can think of have found a place to rest, thrive & contribute for the world to use & utilize (some outsiders even stole it calling it their invention/ discovery). It is the only mother who taught it's children to accept & realise God in every single being from marine life to amphibians to animals to birds to humans also she lends a finger of each of hand standing before us prompting us to learn walking with a concrete belief - the finger of one hand indicating a belief of god with form and the finger of the other hand indicating a belief of god without form but she says your quality on the power of belief is what brings you outcomes....

It is she who has propagated to her children AHIMSA (quality of Non Violence); NYAYA - DAND NEETI (Quality of Justice & applied Punishment); DHARMA (Quality of adherence to Duties on the aspects of Sarva Dharma Sama Bhaav - equal importance given to all duties); RAKSHANA & SHARNAAGAT NEETI (Protection & giving Refuge); KSHAMAA (Quality of Forgiveness).... these were misused & used on her children but the perpetrators never stayed on its soil for long be it the Huns, Portuguese, British, French, Dutch, Md Ghori, Md Ghaznavi, Alexander etc.

She rides a Chariot carrying the burden (as the name suggests – BHAAR RATH) of propagating and establishing SHANTI & SAMRUDHI (Peace and Prosperity) through the quality of MANUSHYATVA (Humanity). Hence she is the only one who propagates with a firm resolve of “Sarve Janah Sukhino Bhavantu” without DWESHA (Quality of Repulsion) or VAIRATVA (Quality of Hate or Enmity). Finally she says lead a life of – righteousness, fulfilling all duties, don’t cause harm to other life form, respect & be respected, elevate your inner-self and evolve towards a better being; do not bear injustice done to any life form; maintain a strong belief on whatever you do and divine entity and finally live life without hampering the environment around you – once you follow it the outcome will be attainment of peace, prosperity, happiness, welfare and contentment/ satisfaction in life. The mother knows what her children need and offers everything to meet their need but not to meet their greed.

The change of glasses will definitely give you this entire picture. If you wish to decipher and understand it as a country and equate with those of the others you will end up being a mathematician doing a logical comparison of the statements on either sides of the equal sign. Bharat is not equal to something or some country… it is unique, a living entity, an embodiment of a supreme mother who can offer shelter to the whole world, wipe out their heart burns and fatigue, replenish them with energy (spiritual, emotion, intellectual and physical) to lead a healthy wealthy life, provide the right nutrition to their mind and body such that they become better beings; apart from all these it teaches them the right way to live and lead a life which the world says Hindutva. If you are viewing he as a country it’s now time to change your glasses.

GURUKULA - A System that produced innumerable Jagadguru's

After a long journey, a saint and his disciples reached the outskirts of Vrindavan – the land of Shri Krishna when suddenly the Saint uttered “Jai Shri Krishna Mukunda Muraari” with a unique zeal. The fatigue from the face of the saint had instantaneously sublimed into a combined expression of joy, satisfaction & enthusiasm. The look on his face and his gait to reach into the temple of Vrindavan to have the lord’s darshan surprised the disciples. They were astounded as to how a tired septuagenarian who had walked over 180 miles had all of a sudden transformed into an energetic youngster?. A scene they could never imagine. After prostrating before the lords Idol the Saint said “ वसुदेव-सुतं देवं कंस-चाणूर-मर्दनम् |  देवकी-परमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् || नमो नमस्ते || “ (vasudeva-sutam devam kamsa chanoora mardhanam | Devaki-paramaanandam krishnam vande jagath gurum)” meaning “Son of vasudeva the Lord, and killer of Kamsa and Chanoor. The one who brings immense bliss to Devaki, Oh Krishna you are the one and only Guru of the Universe – I Prostrate to thee”. Looking at the Saint all the other disciples followed and offered their obeisance too to the lord.

After the darshan of the lord, as the Saint and his disciples retired to a resting place in the temple complex, one of the disciples asked the Saint, “Guruji! how does one attain the state of Jagadguru?”. The saint smiled, and replied “it happens when Mother Nature decides to honor an individual who is an embodiment of perfection in all realms of life thus transcending to a level where he becomes a connect between humans and gods thus paving the pathway for other souls to experience God”. He went on to say “it takes a lot to achieve this state, but, with right guidance, non-egoistic perseverance that is devoid of vested interests and love for elevating humanity it can be attained. The Gurukuls of ancient times were the seats from where many Guru’s and Jagadguru’s have emerged. It meant the family of Guru - whoever studied had to live with and be part and parcel of the family, and continued to call themselves as the members of this Guru's family. In today’s era we have only schools and no Gurukuls. The center of learning has today transformed into a commercial complex that sells distorted western knowledge that is wealth centric and does not provide life centric holistic education that builds character and makes the student master of life and lives”. Intrigued by the reply the disciple went on to ask what was the Ancient system like?.

As the Saint began to elaborately explain the system of education that existed in ancient Bharat, many devotees visiting the temple seated themselves to listen. The saint gazed at the setting sun and said “our gurukula samskruti (culture/ tradition) had a glorious past just like the ever radiant Sun which has now set in the west. The Gurukula was designed to focus on all aspects of the student in a very systematic manner. It encouraged the student to learn, gave him time to master, acquire perfection and evolve into a valuable individual. The system was distinctly layered which laid special emphasis on the role and responsibility of the educator. A brief of which I hereby share:- Mother is the first educator for any child and it was essential that she permits her child to go under the tutelage of another educator with a promise not to interfere in the child’s future upbringing in the Gurukula. The child now gains the status of a Student the moment it is enrolled in the Gurukula.”

THE TUTELAGE OF ACHARYA

“The child’s age at this time would be around 8 years old and he was put under the tutelage of an educator titled ACHARYA. The Acharya focused on 2 major attributes that lays foundation to character building and contribute in the student’s evolution. The two attributes were “AACHAAR” (meaning Behavior in English) and “VICHAAR” (meaning the process of Thinking). These resulted in the child imbibing and performing “Thoughtful Actions”. He would learn to appreciate the value of behaving in a manner acceptable to others (who lived with him & worked in the Gurukula) thus, his actions were well thought out. This when learnt at the young age will last till the end of his life and also enables others to accept the student and build healthier relationships with him. Once rightful behavior in a variety of situations as well as among people of all ages and relationships is achieved, the student becomes eligible to go under the tutelage of a higher educator called as the SHIKSHAK

.

THE TUTELAGE OF SHIKSHAK

The SHIKSHAK now introduces the student into 3 streams – DEEKSHA, BHIKSHA & SHIKSHA. These are focused around inner sciences. The Educator initiates the student through a process called “Deeksha” where the student is put into a regimen of observance of the self and building awareness on his self. The next, to bring humility into the student it was required for the student to go for BHIKSHA (asking people for alms/ food etc). This had dual benefits one – it would instill humility in him and tunes him to have a healthy ego, and, two – the student learns the art of asking/ questioning thus he starts to ask right questions to get right answers. Once this is achieved the educator now starts to introduce the student to the right process of learning called SHIKSHANA that involves effective utilization of time (every moment (kshana) to learn and various methods that can enable him to learn effectively and adopt that method that’s most beneficial/ effective to him;. Once the student excels under the Shikshak he is now geared to go under the tutelage of an ADHYAPAK.

TUTELAGE OF ADHYAPAK

The student under the tutelage of Adhyapak acquired 2 major attributes DHYAYA and ADHYAYANA. The student was taught to get focus and how not to lose attention (meaning dhyaya). This involved a series of practices where the student was to master attentiveness – expanded attention span and attentive listening. It also emphasized on active memory – storage as well as recall. The process (called Adhyayana) involved chanting, reading, studying, looking through comparisons, making & taking decisions and the art of enumeration. These gave a greater leverage to the student’s attribute to learn, comprehend, understand, relate and work upon (or do what is best). Once he mastered this it was now time for the student to be put under the tutelage of a Pundit (or Vidhwan) for further education.

TUTELAGE OF PUNDIT

The Pundit introduced the student to the wide expanse of unbounded pure knowledge (called Vedas) which were imparted in smaller capsules of specific knowledge bases (called Vidya) and Concrete ethos-cultural science (called Shastra); or specific knowledge bases such as health science (called Ayurved), Music (called Gandharva ved), Dance (called Natya ved) etc. The plethora of subject matter was offered and imparted in a manner that made the student a ”Deep Generalist” later he was encouraged to learn subjects/ topics/ knowledge bases where the student had immense interest as well as a passion to excel and master it so he becomes a specialist in that field of study. The pundit also ensured that the student was strengthened in all aspects of his being pertaining to the knowledge bases (called Poorn Dridta – complete strengthening). Here the focus was on complete holistic learning that was subjective, objective and experiential (personal experiences as well as experiences of others). Once the student excelled in these he would now be sent under the tutelage of a Purohit.

TUTELAGE OF PUROHIT

Any amount of knowledge gained would be futile if it did not yield benefit to the society. The Purohit imparted knowledge of the society to the student. The student all this while was in the Gurukul devoid of any knowledge about the ways and living of the society. There was hardly any social interaction with people outside the Gurukul (except during Bhiksha). On successful completion of learning and upon exiting from the Gurukul, the student should not be a misfit in the society or much worse become a curse to the society. Thus, the Purohit educated the student on this Science of the Society or social science. This ensured application of the knowledge gained so far for the betterment or good (call Hita in sanskrit)  of the society – be it a village or the place or the nation as a whole (called PURA in Sanskrit) – hence the word PURO-HITA. Once the student excelled in this he finally came under the hood of a GURU who would then guide him under his tutelage.

TUTELAGE OF GURU

The Guru was the last pedestal of the learning process. The Guru never taught, he only activated (called Raudrik roopa) the qualities (called Guna’s) that were already innate in the student. Some needed Satva Guna, while some needed Rajo Guna and some others the Tamo Guna. Here the main focus was to bring balance (Called Rutam in sanskrit) in the physical, ethical, moral and spiritual nature of the student and integrating them (called Samyama in Sanskrit), such that, all the forces maintain the order of his inner self and the other existence (universe). In short the Guru ensured that the student gains mastery over the self and the existence external to the student. Very few gained mastery and excelled in these aspects and those who successfully graduated became Shri Krishna or Adi Shankara, or Madhvacharya or Ramanujacharya and others who left their indelible footprint on the land of Bharat for centuries to come.”  It should be noted that Acharya Drona became Guru Drona; Acharya Sandeepani became Guru Sandeepani etc. so it could be one single individual who would play these roles from that of an Acharya to that of the Guru.

Astonished!! I’m sure all of us are. Ever thought of the existence of such a robust, outcome based education system that possibly existed centuries before we were born? Ever wondered what would we have been if they existed today? Ever imagined the amount of time the parents today are stressed educating their children – getting them to study; forcing them to score well in the examinations; despite schooling in the schools the need to send them to tutorials hoping to see better grades on the marks card of the child???

An observation I have had over time is that

1.         Parents today are primarily focused on the growing grades on the marks sheet and seldom on the development of the child. For them the higher marks is an indicator of child development.
2.      .   Almost all students’ today study to get a job and not become an asset to the nation. Either ways their aim is to get a job (even if its not in his field of study or interest) – here it is the interest on salary that he gets or the money he makes even if it means jeopardizing his ethics, morals and good for the society.
3.    Universities and centers of learning are chosen by the students/ parents looking at the achievement of job placement history that the earlier batches of students were employed and the companies that have employed them rather than what my child would learn and become. They fail to reflect upon the past and fail to understand that the invaders to our countries were primarily looters – what would their schools of learning teach – not entrepreneurship or self-reliance but only slavery or taking shortcuts (easier way out) or cut-throat-ism under the garb or name of modern education. And today we’ve seen the outcome in 8 years post attaining freedom from British rule.

Certainly the ancient system that the saint mentioned was not for EDUCATING people but a process for MAN MAKING. The intricately systematized levels of elevating the student in a manner that he becomes self-reliant, self-administering, self-managed, self-driven and a walking embodiment of distilled complete holistic knowledge coupled with the wisdom to apply for the good of the society, made the student an asset to the nation. This system was meticulously, mercilessly mutilated and systematically wiped out of Bharat by Thomas Babington Macaulay during the British Rule. Today we are at a standpoint where the land of Bharat craves for value driven contributive visionaries enriched in all aspects of the being to reclaim the position of VISHWA GURU to our Motherland. Its time all of us (parents, children, students, educators, entrepreneurs, etc) decide what we want our next generations to be and become – A Jagadguru or a Curse to the world.

It certainly is a food for thought for us to ponder upon on this auspicious occasion of Guru Poornima as we owe it to the ancient gurus for their contribution in the past. Jai GuruDev !!

Maheshwara Mahadev - Bhajan

 महेश्वरा महादेव 

त्रिशूल धरण त्रिपुरान्तक गणेश

जिनके जग वंदना 

पंच देव पंचानन पूजन 

अभिर कपूर वाती निर्मल 

बेल पत्र संपूजन कमला

करपती महादेव 

नंदी भृंगी गण नाचत गावत

ब्रम्हा विष्णु ध्यावत पूजत 

गौरी मैया आरत करात 

भक्ताभिष्ट प्रदे 

Deva Deva Varasidhi Vinayaka - Bhajan

 देव देव वर सिद्धिविनायक

देहि अभय अभीष्ट प्रदायक

शंकर तनय गिरिजा नंदन

शम्भो प्रियवर देव गजानन

शम दम रज तम सात्विक गुण निधे

शरण वत्सल करुण वारिधे 

शरण वत्सल  कारुण्य वारिधे

देव देव वर सिद्धिविनायक

देहि अभय अभीष्ट प्रदायक

तत त धीम कु तक ताधिक धीम कु तक

तत धीमी तक धीमी तगुन तदि गिट तोम

तांडव नृत्य निरंतर निरत

तारका नाम साधन संप्रीत

देव देव वर सिद्धिविनायक

देहि अभय अभीष्ट प्रदायक

काशी मठाधीप सुरती यतिवर

श्री भुवनेंद्र करे सुप्रतिष्ठित

कामित फल प्रद महागणपती

श्रीयम ज्ञान अभयं देहि देहि 

देव देव वर सिद्धिविनायक

देहि अभय अभीष्ट प्रदायक

On A Tribute to Corona Warriors

The words from a Doctor for the "awesome & astounding thanks giving" to all the people of Bharat & it's Defense Forces.

आज ये कैसा दिन आया जब चुई चेहरे को सूरज की पहली किरण,
जैसे वो स्पर्श से बोल रही थी लाए हम खुशियां बिना किसी कारण।
हर दम झूंझ रहे थे हम छीन लें मरीजों के मूह से उनका यह मरण,
महामारी की इस गंभीर स्तिथि पर काबू करें और लाए उसपर नियंत्रण।

चालीस दिनों में पहली बार निकले बाहर खुले में सांस लेने को
बाहर पैर रखते ही देखा एक सुसज्जित सेना की टुकड़ी को।
अपनी टीम भी पहुंची, लोग भी पहुंचे देखने इस अद्भुत नजारे को,
तभी ठाठ से बैंड के साथ सैल्यूट दिया सेना दल ने हम सभियों को।

देखते ही देखते पुष्प बरसाए आसमान से वायु सेना की टुकड़ी ने,
बीच समुंदर के लहरों से भेजी कृतज्ञता नव सेना कि टुकड़ी ने।
पहली बार अद्भुत तरीके से इतना प्यार भरा सम्मान पाया हमने,
अकेले नहीं आपके परिवार सदस्य है हम ये एहसास दिलाया आपने।

नम हो गईं आंखें इस इज्जत व हौसला आफ़ज़ाई पा कर,
थके हारे वैद्य जीवों में नई जान फूंक दी आपने प्रेरित कर।
अब वादा करते हैं हम आपसे मिटाएंगे ये corona का डर,
अब इस महामारी की मृत्यु को शिकस्त दे कर ही  जाएंगे हम अपने घर।

धन्यवाद हम भी करते आप सब सेना और अन्य देश जनों का,
कभी ना हम भूल पाएंगे आपके इस असीम प्यार भरे क्षणों का।
इस प्यारे अभियान से आपने ताज़ा किया है हमारे वैद्य शापत का,
अपार शक्ति भी मिली है हमें अपने कर्म से देश की सेवा करने का।

With deep gratitude to all,
By Dr. Avinash Salgar
Written on an unforgettable day - TODAY

Akshaya Trithiya - A Golden day from golden eras'

सारे संसार का अलौकिक दिन है आया
जिसे सदियों से भारत ने है मनाया।
कहते हैं दिनों में स्वर्ण दिन है अक्षय तृतीया
अपना भाग्य बदलने को हमने वरदान में पाया।

आज सूर्य चंद्र सशक्त श्रेष्ठ समागम होते
सारे संसार पर संतृप्त आशीर्वाद है बरसाते।
सूर्य मित्र बनकर तेज को तोहफे में देते
चंद्र भ्राता बन लक्ष्मीजी को घर लेे आते।

युग उद्धारक परशुराम अवतरित इसी दिन तो हुए
इस दिन त्रेता युग का आगमन हुआ श्री राम केलिए।
वेद व्यास जी महाभारत ग्रंथ रचने को यह दिन चुने।
श्री कृष्ण ने सुदामा को कष्ट मुक्त कर धनी बनाए

ऐसा अद्भुत है ये दिन सभी मनाभिस्ट पूर्ण है होते
तेजस्वी, श्रेयसवी, यशस्वी, कीर्तिमान है हम बनते।
धन, अष्ट ऐश्वया, समवृद्धी, लाभ अधिक ही पाते
शांति, पुष्टी तुष्टी, आरोग्य से सारा जीवन बिताते।

यही विनती है मेरी की यह दिव्य मौका ना गवाना
साल में एक दिन है मिलता सूर्य चंद्र को मनाना।
पूजा-पाठ, ध्यान-जाप से करो उनकी आराधना
सुखमय, मंगलमय जीवन पाओ ये है मेरी प्रार्थना।

Wishing you all a graceful and blessed Akshaya Tritiya 2020. May you achieve the best of all that you envision for the self evolution, enlightenment and progress of our Nation. With best wishes from:- Dr. Avinash Salgar & Family

Hey Jag Janani Maa - Kuladevi Bhajan

                                ॐ   श्री   कुलादेव्यै नमः 

हे जग जननी माँ करुणामयी श्यामा

मम हृदय निवासिनी भाग्य प्रदायिनी मंगलकारिणी माँ

हे माँ  हे माँ

विद्या दायिनी बोध प्रदायिनी

ज्ञान विवर्धिनी माँ

विवेक-वैराग्य निधि प्रदायिनी

मार्ग दर्शिनि माँ

दुष्ट शिक्षिणी शिष्ट रक्षिणी

रिपु-दल वारिणी माँ 

तू दुःख दलिनी त्रिलोक पालिनी

चिर-सुखदायिणी माँ

हे महालक्ष्मी हे शांतादुर्गी 

मम उद्धारिणी माँ 

सर्व योग सुख: अभय देहि मे 

रक्षा देहि में माँ 

हे जग जननी माँ करुणामयी श्यामा

मम हृदय निवासिनी भाग्य प्रदायिनी मंगलकारिणी माँ

हे माँ  हे माँ

अविनाश सालगर विरचिता श्री श्रीमहालक्ष्मी   श्री श्रीशांतादुर्गी  कुलदेवी अर्पणमस्तु 

Seeking the grace from the ever blessful Divine Mother of my Kula - Shri Mahalakshmi & Shri Shantadurgi. May your grace ever be on me and my family. 

Lockdown - The days to work on... to live on...

The Corona pandemic that’s gripping the world has created fear in people. Nations getting in a lockdown state with a high level of curfew imposed are adding meat to this fear. Apart from this, the consistent reports on the challenging task on hand, the medical research fraternity has and groping for a cure has further reinforced this fear with uncertainty, thus impairing the very psyche of the people. Well, the fear of not contracting the virus and falling prey to this unknown life threatening invisible enemy has become an even bigger problem on hand. Another major issue that strengthens this fear or rather creates a new mindset is TIME. People who earlier had scarcity of time always quoting “I don’t have time for that or I wish I had time for that etc” were now experiencing a sudden abundance of time. This sudden freedom from being occupied with all other Lockdown conditions has put their mind in a tizzy “what to do with time?”. It is also said “an idle mind is a devils workshop” could this pose a bigger challenge to people – May be….. May be Not…. But the possibility exists.

I found that this issue has never really been looked at by the leaders of the nation (as they are really battling with containing the spread of the virus and working towards making the essentials reach the common man). Neither the news media (though having a geographical presence have infact transformed themselves into a Corona Dashboard – how many infected Vs dead & spread?.... Fault finding with, what the people did/ didn’t do or the misses/ inefficiencies/ wrongs of the Government? Or how & where did the Lockdown fail – apart from this there is hardly any worthy material fed to the common man’s brain) nor the so acclaimed Gurus (– be it Management or Spiritual) have provided respite to the ailing minds of the people. Perhaps the minds of the leadership (national, management & Spiritual) are mummified with draperies of secular emotions that are self-limiting them. So where can we find respite to the inner turmoil then? Is there no one who can guide us through these times and tell us “this is the best for you to do”. Well at this stage it reminds me of one of the most radiant Guru of recent times belonging to Goud Saraswath Brahmin Kashi Mutt named Shri Sudindrateerth Swamy.  His role in uplifting the people intellectually, morally, spiritually, culturally and patriotically has been impeccably well designed and executed. Even during difficult times he proved that with 3 P’s – Patience, Prayer, Perseverance and positivity through group consciousness effort, success is inevitable. Being part of the GSB community I had been a witness to this visionary’s success story.  The entire community who believed in the Pontiff unquestioningly followed every single instruction given to them by him, and, over time they reaped & realized the benefits. The GSB community today is one of the richest in the world – Intellectually, Morally, Spiritually, Culturally and Patriotically; which happened due to each individual (irrespective of age or gender) accepting that it is his/ her individual responsibility to commit to one’s own evolution through DHARMA & KARMA (Duties and Performance).  When we view it from this perspective it becomes all the more relevant for us to adopt these such that individually we become better beings and collectively, we achieve such a rich status as a nation. So what should we do now…..??

The human body deteriorates more due to misuse and abuse than due to proper use. Yoga is not a demonstration kit to be opened and shown only on Yoga Day (21^st June every year), it should made our body’s best friend who stays with us and does good daily and with whom we wish to spend time daily. Ideally the air is most refreshing early morning – best to wake up before the sunrises drink 2-3 glass of hot/ warm water (this resolves acidity issues, gastric issues, indigestion & constipation, flushes toxins) and set about doing a bout of pranayama - begin with anulom vilom for about 5 minutes followed by Ujjaiyi for about 5 minutes (this will refresh the brain, calms & stimulates the vagus nerve and cranial muscles, enhances lung capacity. It also nourishes the throat, vocal cords, relieves thyroid problems, asthama, bronchitis, migraine, acidity, anxiety, depression, insomnia, sleep apnea snoring and  regulates Blood pressure too.). Once the body is refreshed its now best to do a set of Yoga Asanas that are strengthening, releasing, rejuvenating awakening and relaxing the muscles and the inner system. However, the best among all of the asana’s is the Surya Namaskaar (initially a set of about 12 should be sufficient that can set the tone and over time it can be witnessed that this improves self-awareness, flexibility, agility, relieves fatigue, lethargy, stiffness, tensions and pain. It also increases the stamina and positive energies required by the body while also flushing the toxins.). The body is now prepared for flight into the depths of silence. Meditate for 20 minutes – among most of the techniques available the simplest, easiest, effortless, following the nature’s way and very effective is Transcendental Meditation technique propounded by Shri Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (this allows the mind to experience unbounded awareness and achieve a state of inner serenity enabling the full functioning of the brain – the benefits of this is simply astounding. It is also a time to offer gratitude to the body that has so far been a good companion). It is best to eat freshly prepared food that is Satvik as our body needs revitalization and rejuvenation that can harbor a healthy mind. Prepared food stored over 3 to 4 hours becomes Tamasik, this when consumed, changes the constituents of the mind’s functioning in a not so beneficial manner. This attunes the physical segment of our being, building resistance to anomalies that can affect the body due to the misuse.

We often forget that when our focus shifts from “I” to “WE” a sea change of benefits come our way. When we are always self-centered or self-focused the mind revolves around “I”- we do everything to satisfy this “I” and end up having “ILLNESSES”. When this shifts to “WE” - we start recognizing, regarding & respecting others. We employ all our resources healthily and judiciously to serve others and this brings “WELLNESS”. It’s so simple to realize this – do we need “I for ILLNESS” or “WE for WELLNESS”. And what best than to begin from home environment. Here I recommend each one of us follow a E³ METHOD – ENGAGE ; EDUCATE ; ENERGIZE . The first step is to ENGAGE into healthy discussions with your family members. Have short intermittent breaks with small eats which allows you all to sit together, chat together and also eat together – there’s an old adage “a family that eats together stays together”. These breaks should be engaged in fun, laughter and enjoyable times (times of your younger days, the days of mischief, the days you enjoyed the most and what you did etc – these will allow your children and your other family members to not only re-live your younger days but also give room to understand you better). In these happy moments the hidden talents of your near dear ones also surface which can be encouraged or unleashed making a personality out of the person. Also engage in activities that allow you to complete some pending tasks at work. Connect up with your work team and certain heads of your business/ job with whom a future pathway can be envisioned. This will lay a strong foundation to the career as well as family ties. This now leads to the second step EDUCATE where you share about your family origins, your customs/ traditions, values, festivals, etc. and helping your children appreciate these, realize the importance of these and inspire them to become custodians of this culture. If we don’t culturize our children then ETHNOCIDE of our culture is evident. It is also time to educate them about the real history of Bharat (prior to this do a bit of studying – not reading; you could learn from researches by Raj Vedam or Stephen Knapp or from the Archeological Society of India etc. where the real history with concrete scientific evidence is available). Tell your children stories of valour, courage humanity, truthfulness and patriotism such that they imbibe these qualities that are essential to lead their lives in the future. This paves the way to the third step which is a duty to ENERGISE the entire environment around you. Every day at dusk its best to unite your family in group meditation of TM for about 20 minutes followed by serious prayer – offer thanks to your gods (if you don’t believe it then to a supreme energy that exists or to the unified field which science has proven as a field of existence of all energies), pray together and pray from everybody – yourself, your family, other people and of course for the entire nation Bharat. It is here I quote the 

prayer of Sudhindra Teerth Swamy Ji and the people following the order of Kashi Mutt as an excellent example – they have a short focused and holistic prayer. Scientifically it has been identified that chants of specific sounds (in mono syllables or poly-syllables) have a profound effect on all life forms. 

One such verse that energizes – heals and strengthens 72000 energy irrigation systems (nadis) and 11 important organ systems that are essential for our healthy body.  This verse is called the MAHA MRITYUNJAYA MANTRA. Enough scientific researches on the effect of this verse have concluded that it has a profound effect on any patient’s healing of ailments/ diseases. Chanting this together with your families at a sufficiently audible level 108 times at a stretch renders its health benefits and enhanced immune system in your family and also creates a strengthened environment benefiting other too. Research studies have also shown that singing bhajans in appropriate melodies increases the ability to focus and concentration in children thus benefiting them in their studies. The day can end with a couple of such vocal renderences that also keeps your mind and body healthy. Remember the formulae for better living is “a healthy Mind gives a healthy body” over 90% of the diseases/ ailments are psychosomatic (created by our own brain).

This is not too difficult to employ, it is neither counterproductive, nor is it depleting life energies nor is it in any way harmful. During this Lockdown period should any individual apply it in a focused manner for the 21 days minimum – it becomes a habit thereby making you and all members of your family better individuals who would become intellectually, morally, spiritually, culturally and patriotically mature and robust exhibiting patience, perseverance and positivity in all you do. The times are ripe for all to make ourselves worthy individuals who can be part of Bharat’s success story. So here’s the way may you all be illumined by this way forward of mine hopefully sensitizing on the real meaning & truth behind “STAY HOME & STAY SAFE at this hour of National Health Emergency.