In the previous episode, we had witnessed Bhagawan Krishna’s important answer for Uddhava’s question on how do we achieve complete control of our mind. Bhagawan Krishna replies back by saying that there is no other way to control our mind, other than by performing our “Nitya-Anushtaana” regularly. We’ve witnessed at length in yesterday’s episode about the importance of performing our “Nitya-Anushtaana” and what is the result that we achieve by doing it. We’ve seen that it is mandatory for all of us to perform our “Nitya-Karma” every day, irrespective of whatever level we’ve attained spiritually. We shall have an extended discussion on the significance of “Notya-Karma-Anushtaana” in today’s episode.
As we’ve witnessed yesterday, the “Nitya-Karma” starts with performing our “Sandyavandanam” every day by taking shower regularly, early in the morning and evenings. It also encompasses performing our “Tarpanam” and other “Pitru-Kaarya” like “Shraadha”, etc. for our departed ancestors in our family, mainly for our parents. Many of us might have this question in mind as to why is it so important that we do the “Nitya-Karma” to control our mind. Why can’t we do some other things for mind control? The simple answer for this is that, performing our “Nitya-Karma-Anushtaana” regularly would gradually reduce our sins (“Paapa”). It is only the sins that are preventing our mind to come under control every time. For instance, if we’ve to do something productive during the day, as we’ve witnessed earlier, our three “Gunas” come into action and start dominating over us. Now, the “Rajo Guna” and the “Tamo Guna” would unleash their dominance over us and make us unproductive if our “Paapa” or “Sins” account is extremely high. If we’ve to thus reduce the effect of these two “Gunas” and thereby increase the dominance of our “Satva Guna”, it is important for us to reduce the impact of all our sins. Now how will we reduce this impact of our sins? This is why we perform the “Nitya-Anushtaana” regularly. This is one angle through which we can increase the dominance of our “Satva Guna”.
Now, for those who argue that they’re “highly spiritually advanced” and that, they do not need to perform th e “Nitya-Karma” – If we’ve to go into the “Gnyaana-Yoga” part of spiritual development, as explained by Bhagawan Krishna in His Bhagawad Gita, again, we should be devoid of our sins, isn’t it? If we have so much of accumulated sins sticking on to us at all times, how will all the “Gnyaana” even enter into our brains? How will we achieve “spiritual illumination”? Moreover, even for people who are really spiritually advanced – (I’m not talking here about those people who are faking around by propagating that they’re spiritually advanced) – They too have to survive in this world isn’t it? For that, they’ve to consume food three times a day, consume water, have a shelter for living, etc. For doing all of this, they too have to earn money. For earning money, they too have to do it legitimately. If we’re earning money legitimately, it again mounts back to performing our “Karma” properly, isn’t it? Hence, we should understand here that irrespective of whatever spiritual progress we make, our “Karma” is something that is always going to be following us at all times.
In fact, this is the same point that Bhagawan Krishna is trying to highlight in His Bhagawad Gita, during the second “Adhyaaya” (Chapter). As Bhagawan talks about “Karma Yoga” and moves on with the “Gnyaana Yoga” in the subsequent third and fourth “Adhyaayas”, Arjuna has a doubt. He asks Bhagawan Krishna thus, “Oh Keshava! If Gnyaana Yoga is considered to be of a higher level than Karma Yoga, why should I waste my time in fighting this useless battle? Why can’t I directly go to the forest and start meditating, sitting under a tree? Why can’t I renounce my life now itself and follow the path of “Gnyaana Yoga”? Upon hearing this from Arjuna, Bhagawan Krishna becomes angry a little bit. He replies thus, “Oh Arjuna! You’ve not understood the exact meaning of what I’m saying! You’re only trying to escape from what is your Karma as per the “Kshatrya Dharma”. What I’m saying is that, if you’ve to go to “Gnyaana Yoga”, you cannot do so by renouncing your Karma or your duty. Your primary duties as a “Kshatrya” comes first. Gnyaana Yoga would bear you fruits only if you perform your “Nitya-Karma” properly!”
What do we understand from this accord of Bhagawan Krishna? He simply implies that there’s no escape from performing our “Nitya-Karma”, no matter what we are and how we are. Of course, for Arjuna, his Nitya-Karma at that point was to fight the battle. But for us, our “Nitya-Karma at this point in time is to perform our duties properly, according to the “rule book” of our Vedas and Sanaatana Dharma. We should make sure that we’re performing our “Sandyavandana” regularly without fail, as well as our “Pitru-Kaarya” periodically. As we keep doing all of this, on one hand, our sins keep getting washed away, and on the other hand, because we get devoid of our sins, our mind automatically comes under control. Once our mind control is achieved, this would only serve as the concrete platform for our spiritual advancement and “Gnyaana Yoga” or whatever.
So for today, let us realize this important point and let us make it a point that we’re performing our “Nitya-Karma” every day without fail. If we hadn’t done it till now, let us start from today. This is very important for all of us to do. We shall conclude today’s episode with this important appeal and we shall wait till the next episode to witness the continuation of the “Keshava-Uddhava-Samvaadha”! Stay tuned! 😊
The Indian Dharma 