(Excerpts from Satsang
of Pujya Bapuji)
This festival is meant for all those who are
ignorant of their True Self
Rishis are also called ‘Mantradrashta’. Rishis do not consider themselves to be
doers. They observe the world in a detached manner, remaining established in
the state of a dispassionate witness. Similarly, they espouse the esoteric
meaning and impact of the mantras in a completely detached manner. As such, Rishis are known to be ‘Mantradrashta’.
On the occasion of Rishi
Panchami, such Mantradrashta Rishis are worshipped.
Women in particular observe a fast on this day.
There is no distinction between men and women
in the eyes of the Rishis. Everything to them
is but the manifestation of their own infinite Self. This festival is meant for
all those who are ignorant of their own Self. With a heart full of gratitude we
salute and pay obeisance to the Rishis who have endeavoured to remove the
ignorance due to which jiva gets entangled in
cycles of birth and death, going through various species and suffering
extensively in the process.
However, the real worship of the Rishis and Munis lies in complying with their commandments. And their expectation is:
‘Worship God by being god.’ Rishis are established in the state of being an eternal witness and are seers
with no attachments at all. They are not distracted in the least from this
state by the vagaries of pleasure or pain, loss or gain, respect or disrespect
or even auspicious and inauspicious events of the world. To establish oneself
in that state of an eternal witness through unrelenting practice is, in
essence, their true worship. They have toiled hard to free the world from
attachments. They have introduced specific ceremonies, social customs,
festivals and traditions so that we may see life as it is and realize the
Supreme Self, setting aside the obstructions of our age old notions. As a mark
of our gratitude, we should revere the Rishis in order to absolve ourselves from the debt owed to them.
THE STORY IN RELATION TO THE RISHI PANCHAMI
FAST
The story related to the Rishi
Panchami fast is described in ‘Hemadri Khanda’ of the ‘Bhavishyottar Purana’.
Once there was a Brahmin named Sumitra. His wife’s name was Jayashri. In general, they led their life
properly, but they failed to observe some of the important canons of healthy
living, such as self-restraint and circumspection.
Brahmin’s wife Jayashri did not pay heed to the rules prescribed to be followed during menstrual
cycles. She continued to cook food on those days and the Brahmin Sumitra used to take the food prepared by
her. With the passage of time, the Brahmin’s intellect lost its brilliance and
sharpness, and his capabilities also got blunted. Though he was blessed with a
human life, he made no attempts to elevate himself to the higher stages of
divinity. He frittered away his precious human life by leading an animalistic
life and was consequently condemned to lower species after his death.
It has been even scientifically proved that
the female body emits negative vibrations (aura) during menstruation. Her mind
and life force are concentrated in the lower centres. Therefore, it is essential for the sake of our own advancement to follow
the rules and regulations prescribed by the scriptures during menstrual
periods. For example, a boy who does not study properly while in school and
also avoids doing his homework cannot be successful and will lag behind even though
he may be intelligent and belong to a progressive family. Similarly, we are
attending this school of life in this human form; and without knowing the
nuances of righteousness, action and enlightenment, our intellect cannot attain
the heightened state required for Self-realization. Thus we fail to appreciate
the real worth of our human birth. If a son cannot manage the business and
wealth handed over to him by his father, he ends up becoming insolvent and has
to find a job to make both ends meet. Similarly, we, the sons of God, who is
the embodiment of Truth, Consciousness and Bliss, have been given a human
birth, and if we do not progress we will be condemned to take lower births.
This is but the law of nature.
That Brahmin Sumitra and his wife Jayashri were born as a
bullock and a bitch respectively in the next birth, in their same house. The
name of Brahmin Sumitra’s son was Sumati and his wife’s name was Chandrawali.
Many people have a “debtor-creditor”
relationship or feelings towards one another. The law of Karma operates in such a way that even while born in different species such
souls happen to live together. Jayashri had not observed the
prescribed rules during her menstrual cycles; therefore she had committed grave
sins and was condemned to become a bitch. Her husband had unwittingly committed
the mistake of not being careful enough; and so he landed up to be an ox.
As a Brahmin, it was his duty to be
circumspect and maintain purity within the house as ordained by the scriptures.
When he failed in that duty, he also had to suffer the consequences.
One day it so happened that Chandrawali’s former
mother-in-law, the bitch, entered the kitchen. The daughter-in-law, Chandrawali who was working in
the kitchen, beat the bitch with a stick.
All these events are written in the Puranas. As such this event would have
occurred even earlier than the Puranic period which is dated thousands of years back. Therefore, it is quite
probable that humans and animals could comprehend each other’s language in
those days. The daughter-in-law Chandrawali did not know that the bitch whom she hit was none other
than her own mother-in-law. The former husband and wife in the form of the ox
and the bitch were having their meals outside their son’s house. They started
talking amongst themselves. The bitch said, “She beat me mercilessly. What sins
have I committed that the wife of my own son, whom we brought up so carefully,
is now beating me?”
The ox said, “Sure enough, we must have
committed some sins.”
The daughter-in-law overheard this
conversation. She told her husband, the son of the Brahmin Sumitra, about this. He was deeply moved,
‘Oh! These are my parents and in such a miserable and sorry state! I must do
something for their emancipation.’
During those days, a renowned Muni, Sarvatapa, lived in that
locality. He was impartial and was established in the Supreme bliss of his True
Self. The guidance of such great Saints is highly beneficial for all beings.
One, who is beyond attachment and hatred and is established in the Supreme
Being, is the most elevated of all. Anyone who follows their instructions, quickly attains an elevated state. What they
say may not be appealing at that instant, but should still be accepted
whole-heartedly. It brings immense good to one, without fail.
‘Shri Guru Gita’ says,
‘Guru’s instructions should never be
disobeyed whether right or wrong. One should carry out Gurudev’s commandments day in
and day out and live like a slave in his proximity.’
For example, when a child goes to school, the
teacher tells him that the earth is round. Irrespective of whether it appeals
to his intellect or not, he accepts it. Later on he comprehends the concept.
Similarly, you should accept this precept of Enlightened Gurus, the liberated
Saints, that You are not this physical
body but Brahman. Subsequently, if you steadfastly imbibe this truth, you will
come to terms with it and realize Brahman.
The Brahmin’s son went to Sarvatapa Muni, and related the entire story stating,
“My parents live in my own courtyard as an ox
and a bitch. It is the bounden duty of a son to make efforts for his parents’
emancipation. Kindly prescribe the ways and means for the same.”
Sarvatapa Muni delved for a while into his own Self,
the source of all knowledge throughout the universe, and said,
“Your mother transgressed the rules to be
followed during menstruation. As a result of this sin she has taken birth as a
bitch. Your father unwittingly and foolishly acquiesced in her sin; that is why
he is in the body of an ox. He had got the human birth endowed with
intellectual faculties, but failing to utilize that invaluable privilege he
acted foolishly and ended up as an ox.”
Sarvatapa Muni then prescribed a course of action
for their emancipation, “These animal bodies do not possess the intellect to
comprehend the concept of fasting. You may starve the ox by denying it fodder, and the bitch by refusing to give it bread;
but they will hardly comprehend that they are observing a fast. Starving under
compulsion yields no virtue. A fast becomes virtuous only when it is observed
willingly. Therefore you should yourself observe a fast in lieu of them. On the
day of Rishi Panchami
observe the fast while remembering and worshipping the seven aforesaid Rishis along with Arundhati (the wife of Maharshi Vasishtha). Offer the virtues
of your fast, japa and meditation
performed on that day to your parents to absolve them of their sins. This will
give your parents an opportunity to be free from the Rishis’ debt and they will thus be emancipated.”
The Brahmin’s son and his wife observed the
fast and donated the virtue accruing therefrom to their parents. Consequently, both their parents were
released from their animal births and proceeded to heaven.
Generally women observe the Rishi Panchami fast. As per this
tale, any woman who has violated the rules ordained by the scriptures in regard
to the days of menstruation or unwittingly had darshan
of a Rishi during menstrual periods, thereby
committing an act of sacrilege, should observe this fast for expiation of that
sin, thus seeking forgiveness.
The modern woman may claim, “I don’t believe
in such customs.” As a result, she suffers the consequences; begetting
physically impaired and lustreless children.
Rishis and Munis are called ‘Arshadrashta’. They have laid
down these customs only after thorough investigation and not on the basis of
their whims. You can see for yourself that when any woman in the house is
menstruating, your mind is not as elevated and cheerful as it is on other days.
I know a number of ascetics and yoga
aspirants who engage themselves in austerities and practice of yoga, but to
look after their daily needs they keep a woman who disregards the rules of
maintaining piety during menstruation. Such yogis and aspirants miss the
effulgence of asceticism or yoga in their lives. They fail to impress. Although
my Gurudev might not have
engaged in such extensive austerities and meditation, yet he had a rare and
unique power of elevating people through his gracious glance, because he was
highly circumspect in such matters.
My Gurudev believed in women’s liberation, but not in the kind of liberation that is
observed today. What passes off as liberation today is in fact shamelessness.
Women are becoming more and more helpless everyday. Real liberation of women can
be appreciated only from the point of view of Rishis. There have been epitomes of female virtue like Madalasa, Jijabai, Chudala, Dirghatapa’s wife, etc. Young ladies like Gargi and Sulabha used to have open
debates with renowned scholars in spiritual discourses and competitions. Many a
woman has attained the status of a Rishi and even
contributed to the composition of the Upanishads. Where are that sort of vibrancy, strength and lustre in the modern women? Lustrous
children are born in only those families wherein people exercise self-restraint
and observe the rules ordained by the scriptures.