All World
Gayatri Pariwar

The confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati is known as triveñi. It is said that one who takes bath in it is rejuvenated. Although a heron cannot become a swan, a crow cannot become a cuckoo, it is certain that the inner and outer life of a man can be totally transformed by the confluence of triple currents of upasana, sadhana and aradhana. These are not rituals to be performed in a particular manner or at a particular time but are instruments for bringing about high-level transformations in man's thinking, character and behavior. For this it is necessary to keep a constant watch on one's physical and mental activities. Vigilance has to be exercised to eradicate vices. High idealism has to be incorporated in our attitudes, actions and nature to restrain them, just as wild animals and birds are trained to display skilful feats in a circus. Upasana (worship) can be done for a short time but sadhana has to be done constantly, just as an infant has to be watched continuously. Only an upasana that is coupled with sadhana becomes fruitful. Those who consider p¿ja (upasana) a mere jugglery and indulge in daydreaming to attain riddhis--siddhis by performing this or that ritual are under a delusion.

Gurudev had on the very first day clearly indicated to me the mode of Tripada Gayatri in the form of upasana, sadhana and aradhana. He pointed out that along with regular jap and meditation, there should be permeation of upasana in sadhak's thinking and feelings, sadhana in his character and aradhana in his social behavior, with faith and alertness. I have so far implicitly complied with these instructions and the results achieved thereby are there for all to see.

Âradhana means remaining engrossed in doing work for public weal? Jivan- sadhana is a sadhana of self-restraint (sanyam) in which maximum is saved for public weal and minimum is spent on one's own sustenance. Only that much time, labor, money and talents are used on one's own person and family which could ensure a simple, dignified life of the standard of an average citizen. Measured against this criterion, a hard working and educated person should be in a position to save something after meeting his essential needs. Best utilization of this saving is known as aradhana. Ordinarily, people mis-spend this saving on themselves or members of their families because it does not occur to them that there are other persons also in this world who have their own needs. If their outlook had been altruistic, they would have utilized their savings in works of public good and fulfilled the needs of the times.

God is conceived as ‘Sakar’ (with form) for the purpose of meditation according to one's liking and belief and it resembles a human figure. This conception is definitely essential and useful, but it has to be borne in mind that it is imaginary and not real. God is one and cannot have so many forms as have been visualized by various religions and sects. The utility of form should be kept confined to practicing concentration of mind. The principle underlying idol worship is that effort should be made to understand, visualize and assimilate the Invisible God through the medium of a visible symbol.

The omnipotent God can only be ‘Nirakar’ (formless). God is known as Parmatma  which means that which includes and exceeds all living beings (Jivatmas). It is Virat-Brahma or Virat -Viïva. Shri Krishna had shown a vision of this cosmic or universal God to Arjun and Yashoda. Kaushalya and Kakbhusundi had also seen a glimpse of God in the form of entire universe. According to this conception public service becomes aradhana of Virat -Brahma. Man has been sent by God as his prince and has been endowed with a precious life to make this universe, a garden of God, happy and prosperous. The significance of human life lies in fulfillment of this aim, which is known as aradhana.

I have been doing this. Out of the twelve hours of night, four hours are spent regularly in upasana and the rest in sleep and other daily routine. If a person is lazy and careless, his whole time is spent haphazardly and in a disorganized way, but if he girds up his loins, remains vigilant, marvelous works can be accomplished. During twelve hours of the day, leaving two hours for food, rest and other routine, a net period of ten hours remains in hand. I have been using this period of the day regularly in doing work for the welfare of the people. These activities of aradhana can be classified as under: ¬

(1) Writing and publication of magazines, books, literature etc. for refinement of the minds and attitudes of the people in accordance with the ideals of Yug-cetna.

(2) To inspire and provide guidance to truly aspiring souls to adopt a way of life in accordance with Yug-dharma (needs of the Time Spirit);

(3) To give advice to those who have turned to me for guidance and counseling for elevating their souls to enable them to overcome their personal difficulties and build a happy future based on high principles.

Innumerable persons came in my contact and a majority of them were changed, enlightened and benefited. It is not possible to describe the events and mention the names of such persons, since it is not my habit to do so. Moreover, it will become a voluminous book even if only certain events, which I still remember, are reduced to writing. But the persons concerned may object to it. The practice of expressing gratitude is almost extinct now. It will, therefore, not be proper on my part to say anything about these events. Besides, by disclosing the bounty of good deeds, the efficacy of the virtue gets diminished.

There is, however, no doubt that these services have been very effective. Uptill now (1989), more than twenty-four lakh persons are associated with Prajóa parivar.  However, the number of those who have been deeply influenced by the principles, and ideals of the mission would be around one-third. Majority of them consists of those persons who have received enlightenment, affection, help, advice and divine gifts from me in their personal life. They had come rushing to me greatly worried and afflicted with grave problems and returned with solace and peace. This is the reason that such a large family has been built up. If it was all based on mere ideology and principles, the membership of Gayatri parivar would have remained limited like Ârya samaj and Sarvodaya samaj and the atmosphere of personal intimacy and cordiality would not have been established. There had been much pressure on Mataji on account of rush of visitors, their arrival at odd times and in making arrangements for their stay, food etc. Despite all these inconveniences we have been amply rewarded by the affection and love which we have earned in return. All that we have done for the people is being repaid with interest in the form of this affection and love. Thus it cannot be said to be a losing proposition.

Capital is needed for aradhana (public service). How can a person who is hungry himself distribute food to others? Wherefrom would this capital come? Gurudev had told me on the very first day of my meeting with him, "Whatever you possess, learn to sow it in the form of seed in the field of Supreme Spirit, the Virat Brahma." On sowing, one grain is bound to multiply hundred times. Gurudev quoted the instance of Jalaram Bapa who was a cultivator. He used to spend all his savings in feeding the needy. God was extremely pleased with him and gave him such a perennial bag, the contents of which never got exhausted. Free kitchen, which he started, is still working at Virpur, a village in Gujarat in which thousands of devoted people take food every day. A person who invests his money for public weal gets ready and glad cooperation. However, a person who accumulates and keeps his money unused and goes on amassing more and more is always cursed and ridiculed by the people.

Under Gurudev's direction, I decided to surrender my all viz. (1) competence to do physical labor; (2) capacity to do mental work; (3) sentiments and feelings and (4) ancestral property, at the feet of God. There was nothing self-earned. I applied all the aforesaid four-fold wealth with deep faith and devotion for specific purposes and the return was hundred times more. I did physical work for twelve hours daily and never got tired. My efficiency on the other hand went on increasing. Even at this old age, I have the capacity to work as hard as a young man. Both mental and physical works were done side by side and old age has never adversely affected my work and morale.

I have immensely loved people and have been in return profusely loved by them. Besides getting personal affection, respect and goodwill, people whole-heartedly responded to my appeals for working for this mission. An outstanding example of this is construction of 2400 Prajóapithas within a short period of two years. In the beginning, I started with my own money. Gayatri Tapobhumi was built with the money I got by disposing of my ancestral property. In my place of birth, a high school was built. Later, a ïaktipitha (Gayatri temple) was also constructed there. I had little hope that people will give so much without expecting anything in return. The complexes of Gayatri Tapobhumi Mathura, Gayatri Teerth Shantikunj, and Brahmavarchas Research Institute at Hardwar are examples of the fact that on being sown, a seed multiplies by hundred times. Due to lack of faith people conceal what they have in their possession, beg for donations and pray God that they may win a lottery. If a beginning is made with complete self-surrender, the result is bound to be astonishing. A devotee who built the ïaktipitha at Junagarh (Gujarat) made a beginning by selling his utensils. It is pre-eminent amongst all the ïaktipithas which have been built so far.

A grain of bajra or maize on being sown ripens and multiplies into hundred grains. This has actually happened with me when I sacrificed all I had. Members of the family should be maintained as long as they are not able to earn their livelihood. To go on spending money, labor and intelligence on able-bodied and earning family members and die leaving property in inheritance for them is immoral and 1 have always opposed it. Money that comes unearned or ‘gratis’ is ill gotten although it may be ancestral. Having kept complete faith in this ideal, I did not allow my wealth in the form of physical and mental labor, emotional feelings and accumulated savings to pass on to the hands of undeserving persons. It was totally applied in aradhana of God, towards the growth of nobility and goodness in society. The result is self-evident. If like a miser, I had used all my resources in self-gratification, hoarding or in spending on members of the family to make them multi-millionaire, it would all have been wasted.

One has to wait for the next birth for getting results of certain virtuous deeds, righteous actions. Public service, however, is such a universal good whose reward one gets instantly. We feel deep soul satisfaction in consoling others in the moment of their despair. There is a divine rule that the store of a benefactor never becomes empty. God's grace always blesses him and whatever has been spent comes back multiplied manifold.

Sheep parts with its wool but it gets new wool every year. Trees yield fruits but their branches again get loaded with fresh fruits every season. Clouds go on raining but they never get emptied as they go on collecting water from the ocean. The coffers of magnanimous persons never get empty. It is a different matter if a person donates his time, labor and resources to undeserving persons and blindly encourages evil tendencies and considers it to be a righteous deed. Otherwise, public service is bound to be instantly rewarded. Whosoever invests in this enterprise is bound to be rewarded by soul-satisfaction, public respect and divine grace. Misers are those who foolishly boast of their shrewdness and cleverness in accumulating and hoarding; but great is their loss in the ultimate analysis.

Public service loses its significance when in return a man expects to get name and fame. It then becomes a business like publication of an advertisement in the papers. If a person is reminded of the favor done or something is expected in return, the efficacy of virtuousness is lost. Donations given under pressure do not fulfill the true aims of a charitable purpose. The criterion is whether by such an act there is growth of kindly feelings and spread of righteous tendencies. These days innumerable ostentations and hypocrisies are in vogue which promote the growth of social parasites who exploit simple people by fraudulent and deceitful means. Before spending any money a person should think a thousand times what its ultimate use will be. It is absolutely necessary these days to exercise such far-sighted wisdom. On such occasions I have declined to oblige and have even dared to incur the ignominy of being dubbed as inconsiderate.

One can have a glimpse of the philosophy of my life in these three aspects of upasana, sadhana and aradhana. This is the path, which has been followed by all the great ones who have achieved their goals and earned fame. There is no shortcut on this path.