All World
Gayatri Pariwar

Friends!

I was telling you about the angelic contributions of the rishis that laid the foundation of human cultural ascent and civilization aimed at global welfare in harmony with Nature.   Have you heard of rishi Charak?  His idol is also enshrined here (at Shantikunj) in one of the rishi temples, built as mark of our gratitude and reverence.    

Rishi Charak had a prominent place among the vedic rishis who were sagacious scientists of Nature. He had discovered enormous number of medicinal plants and herbs in the Himalayan region. He had carried out his sadhana and research in Kedarnath, Himalayas. The valley of flowers in this region near the Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara — tirtha of the Sikhs - was like a paradise those days. Rishi Charak loved this place and nurtured in it a wide variety of rare plants. What you see here now is only a tiny fraction of the original botanical garden.  These days you may have to go much higher up to Tapovan-Nanadanvan, ahead of Gomukh, to see some of the precious Himalyan beauty and finest and rarest varieties of flowers including the real Brahmkamal, which is not found anywhere else in the world! 

In an attempt to resurrect the glory of the medicinal Indian plants/herbs and the Science of Health – Ayurveda, we have set up a herbal laboratory in the Brahmvarchas Research Centre, Shantikunj, Hardwar. The unique contribution of this lab is identification and verification of the phytochemical and medicinal properties of the Himalayan herbs with respect to the scriptural descriptions. It was very important to do that, as the morphology and other properties of the medicinal plants, would have changed over the long span of so many thousands of years.  Following the tradition of Maharshi Charak, we have also experimented on use of fresh decoctions and dry powder preparations (with the expiry period of 6 months) of these medicines. Excellent healing effects have been observed in hundreds of patients of different types of diseases. Vedic method of yagya-therapy using these medicinal plants /herbs is also successfully applied here.

Uttarkashi region in the Himalayas still has some Ârañyaks.  What does Ârañyaka mean? Well these are the places where one lives, away from home, in the age group of Vanaprastha Âïram1 to devote all the time and efforts to altruistic services of the society, after fulfilling the responsibilities towards one’s family. People in the Ârañyaks, also learnt the real meaning and glorious purpose of life. In ancient times, many Ashrams of Rishis used to have both the Ârañyaks and the Gurukuls.  The Gurukuls2 were ideal schools for the children.  I have tried reviving both the traditions in Shantikunj. The children’s school here is like a modern model of a Gurukul. You may not find its parallel anywhere in the world. 

There are special sadhana-courses for personality development, refinement and constructive orientation of the talents of the youths. Moreover, the Yug Shilpi course programmes run at Shantikunj for the youths are like initial phase of renaissance, in today’s context, of the training programmes at Nalanda and Takshila universities of the Buddhist era. Apart from other things the trainees are also taught light classical music to generate awareness among the masses (especially in the countryside in India) and mobilize them for moral and social upliftment through the medium of discourses and music.  Dev-rishi Narada was the pioneer of this tradition. This wandering rishi of the divine realms had performed arduous tapa in the Vishnu Prayag region of The Himalayas. He had invented and disseminated the method of devotional music and inner awakening by the angelic source of Vedic Music.  

We organize sadhana and training courses to generate parivrajaks from among the people who are in their Vanprastha Âïram and have volunteered for social service.  These volunteers work for awakening the masses against archaic customs, superstitions, motivating them towards reformatory and constructive activities and teaching them righteous values through religious platform along with educating them.  In some respects the parivrajak tradition here is somewhat similar to that of the bhikshus – disciples of Lord Buddha.

Brahmarishi Vashishtha is among the most revered of rishis of the Vedic times. He had brought about assimilation of high ethics and ideals in politics. He was a revered religious saint, a seer and also the raj-guru3 of King Dasharath. As per the guidance of my divine mentor, I have also worked on both the fronts – spirituality/religion and politics. I have devoted most of my life to spirituality and religion. However, a truly religious being should also earnestly transact the duties of a good human being. I have tried to do so at my level best. I have also carried out the responsibilities of a social worker and a freedom fighter.  From 1920 to 1942, I was actively associated with the non-violent freedom-movement of India.

Bramarishi Vashishtha had been the mentor of Shri Ram, Lakshman, Bharat and Shratughna. While King Dasharatha was their biological father, Vashishtha had given birth to their majestic characters. He had molded the ideal personalities of these disciples who continue to stand as immortal symbols of perennial human values. You all, my disciples, are like my children. I also want you to follow the enlightened path of spiritual unfoldment.  I am trying to teach you why and how to integrate ethics with civics, politics and other domains of personal and social life, and thus to integrate science, spirituality and religion.  

Adi Shankaracharya had pioneered renaissance of the glory of Vedic knowledge during past Buddhistic period. He mostly used to live in a cave at Jyotrimatha near Badrinath but had established four major tirthas in the four principal directions, with the help of his capable disciples like Mandhanta. In our country, pilgrimage is regarded complete only after visiting all these four sacred tirthas  – namely, Dwarika, Jyotirmath, Jagannathpuri and Rameshwaram. Following his tradition and for the welfare of the masses, I have also established 2400 Gayatri Shatkipeethas, with the help of all my disciples like you, while I am mostly living here in Shantikunj and doing my tapa-sadhana.

Our great rishis had emphasized the importance of fasting and eating simple sattwik food earned honestly by self-effort. This is because the subtle quality of what one eats has intense impact on one’s subtle body – especially on the mind.   For example, rishi Pipplad used to survive on the fruits of Pipal (holy fig tree) during the long years of his tapa near Lakshman Jhula in Rishikesh region of the Hilamalyas. Those days the Himalayan forests were rich in this and several other beneficial trees; so sufficient quantity of these fruits might have been easily available.  During my puraïcharaña sadhana of 24 years, I have also taken only barley and buttermilk; now as well, I observe fasting and maintain strict discipline vis-à-vis my food intake. You must remember time and again that purity of food is essential for purity and calmness of the mind and intelligence.

Suta and Shaunak rishis had lived in Rishikesh, Himalayas. Their lucid discussions on different aspects of human life, religion, etc are compiled in the Puranas. The narrative question answer style of teaching through stories has made these scriptures most suitable for awakening and educating the masses. Reviving this tradition in the context of present times motivated me to write the Pragya Puranas, four volumes of which are now complete.

Our rishis had adopted austerities in their own lives and also inspired others to leave the selfish tendency of accumulating possessions and donate their resources for the welfare of the lowliest and the lost. This is why the great king Harshwardhan had donated all his prosperity for the setting up of the university of Takshashila. This had happened here on the banks of holy Ganges at Har ki Paudi, Hardwar. I have brought this “sarmedha yagya” tradition to Shantikunj; Vandinaya Mataji and I had initiated it by donating all our property, jewelry, every single paisa, for the noble mission of Gayatri Pariwar.

Rishi Kanad was among the greatest seer-sages and scientists whose illumined insight had discovered the existence and properties of atom and subatomic particles without using any material instruments. He, likewise rishis Nagarjuna and Aryabhatta, had also carried out arduous tapa in the Himalayas. Nagarjuna was a sagacious expert of Chemistry, who had discovered and invented many varieties of chemicals from natural substances – the list included the tonics for youthful longevity and rare compounds that could transform iron into gold. Aryabhatta had studied and discovered many secrets of planetary motions and their impact on the earth; he was the founder of astronomy and astrology. As most of the original scriptures detailing the great inventions and discoveries of these seers of yore are lost, there is a great need for reinvestigating the respective disciplines of knowledge following their approach in new scientific light.  It has been my humble attempt to motivate some bright modern researchers in this direction.

The Brahmvarchas research centre of our mission is established for the purpose of carrying out applied research in the science of spirituality and integration of natural sciences with Vedic knowledge. The Ayurvedic lab here, as I mentioned earlier, has come out with excellent herbal/plant medicinal preparations to prevent and cure several diseases and psychosomatic disorders that are increasing in the modern life at an alarming rate without any other effective therapy.  A model of planetary observatory has also been designed at Shantikunj and for the first time (in the known history of the world), a comprehensive panchnag4 is compiled here. Its computation has taken into consideration the relative positions and motions of three newly discovered planets apart from the most commonly studied nine planets of our solar system. 

You might have read about rishi Shringi who had cursed King Parikshit for his sinful conduct against rishi Lomash! The boons and curse uttered by him were proved to be absolutely true. He had conducted the Putreshti Yagya for King Dasharatha after which Lord Ram and his three angelic brothers were born. Rishi Shringi was a distinguished expert of the super science of mantras.  The sadhana of Gayatri Mantra, which is recognized as the origin of all Vedas, the preeminent source of the powers of mantras, has been the beatifying force behind the foundation and progress of our mission. Whatever spiritual attainments and supernormal potentials you see in me are natural consequences of this sadhana. This sadhana is guided in the anuSHÚhana sessions here.  Millions of people have been initiated in this mantra sadhana.   Research on this mantra would help unfold the scientific basis of the marvelous effects of the mantra and acquaint the world with the gigantic treasure of knowledge and culture our Himalayan Rishis have bequeathed to us.  But more importantly, we the seekers should imbibe this sadhana and its teachings in our lives and accomplish something worth our divine origin and dignity.

It is indeed a boon to get an opportunity to do Gayatri Sadhana in the holy Himalyan region. All of you are lucky to have got this chance of doing Gayatri AnuSHÚhan at this “Gayatri-Tirtha” Shantikunj, Hardwar.  As I had told you earlier, the ambience of this Himalayan region is divine; it is pervaded with the sublime spiritual vibrations generated by the dedicated sadhanas of the Vedic Rishis since pre-historic times. Do you know there is a Vilvakeshwar temple here in Hardwar? This was the place where Goddess Parvathi had done epochal tapasya for Lord Shiva. Her earlier birth as Sati, the daughter of Daksha, had also taken place in a nearby area. Daksha was a technologist of the Vedic Age; a place called “Daksh Prajapati” in Hardwar marks his interaction with Lord Shiva. The Ashram of rishi Kanva was located in slightly higher (on the Himalayan range) region of Kotadwar. Shankuntala was his daughter. Her son after whose name our country (India) is called “Bharat” was also born here.  The four grand tirthas (char dham) – Yamnotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath – are located in this Uttarakhand Himalayan region.

The Shantikunj Ashram, is situated in Hardwar towards Rishikesh, right at the center of the land where the Ashrams of the seven Supreme Rishis (Sapt-Rishis) existed.  Also, as I have tried to explain to you in the two earlier discourses, the Rishi Culture, the noble deeds of the Vedic rishis, are being revived here for spiritual awakening of the world. Your sincere sadhana here is bound to bring beatifying results. You must try to come here as often as possible. Vandiniya Mataji and I are like your parents. This is your home. If you can’t come for sadhana, at least perform some samskaras here. We have made arrangements for conducting all the “shodas samskara” (the sixteen sacraments of human life prescribed under the Vedic System) here in an ideal way.  More importantly, two new samskaras most relevant today have also been added — these are the birthday and the wedding anniversary. Your visit here will always give you joy and light.   This is the land of the rishis, their sublime presence here will always bless you.  May the divine light invoked by them inspire and illuminate your lives.       


Notes: 

1.    Vanaprastha Âïram:  The Rishi Culture broadly divides the span of human life into four phases (each of about 25 years) w.r.t. one’s duties towards oneself, family and the society or the world at large. Vanaprastha Âïram refers to the third phase, which begins say, around the age of 55 years in terms of the present life-style.  Brahmcarya Aïrama: The first phase of life (upto the age of about 25 years).

2.    Gurukuls: Schools for integrated education, chiseled development of personality and character, illumination of intellect, cultivation of virtuous qualities, training in the observance of strict disciplines, inculcation of moral values and constructive orientation of the student’s personality. These were nurtured and governed by the rishis themselves.  The students used to be admitted in early childhood and used to spend whole of their Brahmcharya Âïram under the enlightened guardianship and guidance of the rishis.

3.    Rajguru: Revered advisor and spiritual preceptor of the king.

4.    Panchang: Hindu calendar, which also indicates the effects of different planetary arrangements on different days and times of the year.