The Real Art II = Pujya Gurudev

The Real Art of Human Alchemy

=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

So if Upasana is so fulfilling, you may like to know more about it! What you have to do in Upasana? The first and most important step is self-refinement. Not only the neatness of the body and surroundings, more importantly, the cleansing of the mind counts more in this respect. There would be no reflection of light from an opaque or covered mirror; you can�t see any image in it if it is dirty or hazy. If you look at the surface of a clean and still pond of water in daytime, you can easily see your face in it. But it won�t be possible to do so if the water is dirty or turbulent. How would you see the image of God if your mind were not clean and calm? Therefore, the first thing you need to do before sitting near God is purifying yourself.

The rituals of panchakarma you practice in the beginning of your daily Gayatri Upasana symbolize this process. These five rituals are pavitrikarana, acamana, shikhavandana, pranayama, and nyasa; these are performed with chanting of specific mantras. In pavitrikarana, you take some water in your right hand and sprinkle it on the body while chanting its mantra with a feeling that all your impurities of the body and extrovert conduct are being cleansed. Then you do acamana three times, each time chanting a mantra and drinking a spoon of water (kept in your right palm). This is to remind you to keep your mind, speech and actions (both mental and physical) pure and disciplined. The water goes in via your tongue each time.

This signifies the importance of contemplation on the tongue. It is the most vulnerable of our sense organs; greed begins with its passion of delicious food; anger also is expressed first through the abusive words uttered by the tongue. This ritual teaches you to restrain both. What you eat should be fresh, austere and nutritious; eat only what is essential for good health. Also control your speech. Speak thoughtfully and soberly. In shikhavandana you are supposed to take some water in the left hand, soak the fingers of the right hand in it for a few moments and then keep these fingers with chanting of a mantra, on the root of the shikha (hair knot).

Shikha is a sacred symbol, like the sacred thread (yagyopavita), of the core ideals of the Indian Culture. Beneath its root inside the skull, lies the suture � an important junction of neuronal and blood supply channels in the brain. This spot is of great importance in yoga as well. Shikha stands like a flag, symbolizing our faith in noble values of the Rishi Culture. The ritual of shikhavandana is like saluting the great culture, paying reverence to Gayatri � the Primordial Universal Power, the Goddess of pure knowledge, enlightened wisdom and divine virtues. Shikha serves like an antenna to receive the beatifying illumination inspired by the cosmic force of Gayatri; deep engrossment in this feeling of shikhavandan during sincere practice of panchakarma every day indeed induces spiritual vibrations and majestic effects. Pranayama is an important yoga-exercise of harmonized breathing for physical and mental well-being.

 Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru,

Shiv Sharma