All World
Gayatri Pariwar

“The Supreme Being by whose grace the self-realized, after discarding their mortal bodies, have attained to the elixir of moksha or salvation, by the grace of that Supreme Being, and by vrata and tapa we seekers of glory will also attain to that transcendental abode.”

Regulating the daily routine not only improves health but also imparts a certain glow to the whole javana sidhani.  The daily routine may appear to constitute a small aspect of life, but on a deeper look we find a reflection of the whole gamut of life in it.  The values of life, its aims, direction, ideals, goal – everything we can glimpse in the daily routine.  One whose day-to-day life is haphazard and disorderly, remains confused and aimless in the larger scheme of life, too.  This is a cardinal truth whatever arguments and excuses to the contrary may be proffered.  

An organized routine ensures refinement and priming of the energies of the body, mind and soul, and their application in a specific direction.  It is important to distinguish that order or organization does not merely mean the existence of a particular condition; the indication of a particular direction, too, is implicit in it.  In disorder, on the other hand, there is neither any specific condition nor any direction.  In order, there is spontaneous creation, whereas in disorder, only destruction flourishes.  This truth can be perceived clearly in every walk of life and every nook of the society.

Haphazard routine not only ruins health but also gives birth to serious psychological problems.  Even the school going children and teenagers, not to speak of the adults, have become victims of these maladies.  A disease like diabetes is not sparing even small children now.  Miscellaneous studies point to only one factor as the root culprit, viz. the life-style has become unbalanced; the daily routine has become chaotic.  Sleep time is wasted in fun and frolic while that for waking and working is spent in sleeping.  This topsy-turviness has antagonized nature.  Experts of human physiology as well as of human psychology are convinced that man will have to suffer the ill consequences of tampering with the biological rhythm ordained by nature.  And this is exactly what is happening.  If we have to salvage the situation, there is no alternative to reversing the inverted.  This is the only solution which can bring modern life presently groping in the maze of wilderness back on the right tracks.

There is an illuminating anecdote often related among the Vaishnav saint community.  An elderly saint lived in Vrindavan, the dhim or abode of Lord Krishna.  Many among the wealthy and elite were his followers.  They, too, suffered from the frailties which invariably develop from surfeit of money and power, but still they all possessed sense of veneration for their guru.  They would often ask their guru about the ultimate secret of life.  The saint fenced the question with a laugh because he knew that the underlying spirit of the question was not genuine enquiry but mere curiosity.

But one day the contrary happened.  A true seeker asked the same question.  In response, the guru became somber.  He sent the seeker to the great saint Roop Goswami of Vrindavan with the instruction that if the aspirant could learn the essence of that saint's life, then he, too, would instruct him in the ultimate mystery of life.  What the saint said was somewhat unusual but the disciple had total faith in him.  In pursuance of his guru's instruction, he remained with Roop Goswami for some time and then came back.  When he bowed at the feet of his guru, the latter looked at him questioningly and asked: "Tell me, what is the essence of the life of Goswamiji"? "Tapa and vrata", the disciple replied succinctly. 

The saint's face lit up with a sense of satisfaction and he said: "Son! Tapa and vrata are the quintessence of not only Goswami's life but the ultimate secret of everyone's life.  When a person is able to bring order into his daily routine with the help of the formula of tapa and vrata every other thing – money, fame, power, respect and spiritual glories – become easily accessible to him.  Tapa means to prevent the wastage of one's vigor and energy, and vrata means to resolutely pursue the path of self-enlightenment".

Those who are desirous of regulating their daily routine should get up before sunrise, prepare a schedule of the day's work, and fix one goal for everyday.  They should spend the entire day within the framework of this discipline and go to bed in the night immersing themselves in the remembrance of the merciful God.

Some practical guidelines to a disciplined routine can be learnt from the sidhaka’s diary printed by Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya.  This diary will help the sidhakas organize their routine and guide them into living a life of tapa and vrata. 

It is important to keep in mind that the seed of wakefulness lies in sleep.  So that the day is begun on the right note, sleep should commence at the right time too.  The diet also should be regulated because food impacts the entire course of life.