C O N T E N T S

1. Prefatory ... 1

2. What is Anushthan? ... 2

3. Experience of opposite states at the

time of God Realisation

... 4

4. Attainment of God through wifely

devotion

... 6

5. A personal experience ... 7

6. The process of Anushthan ... 10

7. How the God of one's choice

(Favourite Deity) manifests himself

... 18

8. A devout housewife reforms her

husband

... 20

9. The path of self purification ... 24

10. Let the mind wander if it will

during Anushthan

... 26

11. The need for and benefit from the

wanderings of the mind

... 32

12. The Episode of a Prostitute ... 34

13. How the mind is cleansed of its

impurities

... 39

14. How to carry on Anushthan during

the time of Impurity (Ashaucham)

... 41

15. How to carry on Anushthan during

sickness

... 43

PREFATORY

After four years (1910-14) of severe

penance under Shree Sai Baba of Shirdi and one

year of crowded glory at Kharagpur, Shree

Upasani Baba Maharaj finally settled down

(1917-1918) at Sakuri, a small village in the

Kopargaon Taluka of Ahmednagar District. A

small Zopadi (hut) was erected for him by some

of the village farmers in the cremation ground on

the outskirts of the village. Sometime later Baba

voluntarily confined himself for about 15 months

in a Pinjra (cage) made of bamboos. Thousands

of devotees used to gather here on all important

Hindu festivals and to those congregations he

delivered a series of discourses on a variety of

subjects, social, political, ethical, religious and

spiritual. One of those discourse forms the

subject of this booklet.

In those early days, there resided at

Sakuri a Sanyasi, Mangalamurthy by name. He

was a votary of God Ganesh, and was in the

practice of reading out a portion of Mudgala

Puran every day in Baba’s presence. One day it

happened that as he was reading the scripture

seated outside the Zopadi, it began to rain. The

ground soon became wet and muddy. Baba who

was then seated in the Pinjra within the zopadi

enquired of Mangalamurthy how it went with

them outside. “Very well”, replied the Swamy.

Baba thereupon started his discourse. “One

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man’s meat is another man’s poison. What is

well to you may be ill to another. You have a

comfortable seat to sit upon and a proper stand

for your scripture. Hence you have no eye for the

inconvenience of others. Look at that Narasinga

Maharaj! How he is balancing himself on the tips

of his toes in order to escape being soiled.

Generally every one looks to his own comfort,

unmindful of the difficulties of others.” Then

addressing himself to the other devotees, Baba

said: “If you find it dirty and inconvenient to sit

there you can come in “, and continued.

What is Anushthan?

Those who read a scripture as well as they

who listen to it shall have to strictly conform to

certain regulations. The act or mode of

behaviour which is well regulated and systematic

becomes an Anushthan. There are many kinds of

Anushthan and the perusal of any sacred book is

one such. What does the word Anushthan mean?

This word is composed of two syllables, Anu and

Sthan. In compounding them the syllable Sthan

becomes Shthan as per laws and regulations of

grammar (Anu Sthan. Anushthan Anu means

after and Sthan mean place or state). That state

which we create for ourselves as an equivalent to

a particular state which we desire to achieve or

which we feel cannot be attained is Anushthan.

All those activities resorted to by philosophers,

3

spiritual aspirants and those sick of this worldly

life, who, in order to experience the

characteristics (attributes) of the Supreme Source

whence all creation (animate and inanimate) has

sprung, create a new state of their own in

accordance with the description of the original

state as found in the scriptures or in the sayings

of the seers of the Truth, constitute Anushthan.

Unless one obtains a desired object or hopes to

obtain it in the natural course of events without

any effort, one will have a mad hankering after

the experience of the coveted state, the attributes

of which he will forcible try to infuse into

himself. Let us see how far this definition of the

word Anushthan is appropriate.

The anecdote of Lord Krishna, Radha and

Gopies aptly illustrates this point. The Gopies

were ever mad after Krishna. All of a sudden

Krishna once vanished from their midst and the

Gopies were at a loss to know what to do. As has

been already pointed out, if we cannot get a

desired object, we try to bring home its

experience by forcibly instilling into ourselves all

the characteristic features of the aspired thing.

Thus Radha and the Gopies, who deeply felt the

absence of Krishna and also the lack of his

virtues in them, tried to transform themselves

into Krishna by adopting his guise and imitating

his qualities. Therefore if we are to become one

with Krishna, we have to resort to service of God,

charity, imitation of his Divine virtues and such

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other activities as will ensure for us all the

manifested divine qualities. Forgetting their sex,

the Gopies strove hard to experience in

themselves Krishna’s miraculous powers and

magnificent glory, or become one with him; and

it is no wonder that by their thought force they

attained their objective.

In like manner, by imitating the

characteristics of the Primeval State in the course

of Anushthan, it amounts to being well

established in that state.

EXPERIENCE OF OPPOSITE STATES AT

THE TIME OF GOD-REALISATION

God is both with form and without form.

As such He is sexless as well as with sex. At the

time of God-Realisation, men and women

experience a state which is exactly the opposite

of their own. Unless a man passes through the

experience of the female state, namely that of

Adimaya, Adishakti and a woman through the

male state i.e. the state of Pramapurusha or the

Supreme Lord, he or she cannot attain the Divine

status beyond the pale of the sexes. This is a

profound spiritual truth, not easily grasped by

those involved in the meshes of Samsara, (cycle

of births and deaths) whose vision is always

materialistic and superficial.

5

Though God is self evident, men have, by,

contrasting Him with the manifested world

termed Him the Unmanifest or Invisible and hold

the human and Divine States antithetical. Hence

it has become customary and conventional to

keep confidential all the activities pertaining to

the Invisible Creator of the Universe.

Aspirants who yearn for union with God,

therefore, prosecute their austerities in secret, and

the priniciple underlying all such activities is

known only to Yogies and seekers after Truth.

The mind actually becomes that which it

constantly thinks of, whether by force or by its

own free choice. The example of how the Gopies,

though women, attained unison with Krishna by

forgetting their sex and firmly fixing their mind

on the Lord is a point in question.

Though God is self apparent, He clads

himself in Maya and appears in the form of the

world. Since by contrast with the apparent world

God is unmanifest, Yogies try to be in a state of

secrecy. Yogies invoke, by means of their Yogic

powers, any individual upon a stone, a blade of

grass or any other inanimate object and converse

with him. The person thus invoked, whether he

be at Bombay or some such distant place, will

receive all the suggestions in his heart, though he

may not be aware of the source whence the

suggestions come. Thus any one can achieve

anything he aspires for, even if it be God

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realization. As God is manifest in both the sexes,

He can be attained in either form.

ATTAINMENT OF GOD THROUGH

WIFELY DEVOTION

If one, who has lost his beloved

constantly thinks of her like one mad, he will

experience all her qualities in himself. He does

not actually behold her material form. But as his

mind is saturated with her qualities, he forgets his

personality and feels himself one with his

beloved. Similarly a wife too can have the

experience of being her husband. If during her

lifetime a woman is devoutly attached to her

husband, looks upon him as God and serves him

wholeheartedly thereby meriting a reciprocation

of his wholehearted affection, her husband after

death appears to her in all the greatness and

grandeur of God with whom she has been

identifying him. The couple will merge in the

Absolute and the joy knows no bounds. This is

why the wise have laid down in the Scriptures

that a husband and wife should love each other as

God and Goddess. An entirely different state of

affairs now prevails. Men and women have lost

sight of the principle of divine love. Their love is

now limited to the practical exigencies of their

mundane life.

7

A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

What does Anushthan signify? What

advantage is derived from sitting in the mud?

These points have to be clarified. “If you find

your usual place muddy and uncomfortable, you

had better come in and seat yourselves here.

Thereupon the devotees walked in and sat in the

zopadi.” And Baba thus began. “Had you been

attentively following what has so far been said

you would not have stepped within. Commands

are obeyed without hesitation so long as they are

along the course of least resistance. If you had

been asked to walk out of the zopadi, you would

have perhaps thought twice before you obeyed.

What a hard task master you find in me!” At

these words, all of them walked out of the zopadi.

Formerly I used to go from Shirdi to

Rahata and back every day. In the course of

those customary rounds, one fine morning I

squatted by the wayside halfway from Shirdi to

Rahata. Some of the passers by soon gathered

round me. The whole country round knew me

well to be nude as well as mad. It was about

eight or nine a.m. people were busy going about

their vocations, some on foot, some on horse-

back and some on bicycles. That day happened

to be Avidhava Navami (The ninth day of the

dark fortnight of Bhadrapad). The sun was

shining bright. There was no sign of rain.

Besides Shankar Patel and a few others from

8

Sakuri, there were other big people as well.

When I was by myself, my thoughts were mine

own. But now the conversation that ensued took

a turn suitable to the occasion and the audience.

“Aren’t you all bound for Shirdi? Why then do

you loiter here and waste your precious time?”

said I. “No Baba, “replied they. “We shall spend

a while here with you and then go.” Very soon

the congregation swelled. Four or five

employees of the Irrigation Department came up

there. One of them rode a bicycle and another a

horse. They set aside their conveyances and sat

near me. “It is getting hot”. Said I. “ Why do

you idle away your time neglecting your duty?”

They answered, “there is no pressing work on

hand. We shall sit for a while and go.” One of

them observed, “Today is Avidhava Navami,

isin’t it so? It is my wife’s anniversary.” The

other remarked that it was his mother’s

anniversary and preparations were being made

for its performance. Hence they were in no hurry

to go. Time passed on unnoticed and it was now

about 1 p.m. My discourse on Avidhava Navami

continued. As they found it very interesting, they

sat with rapt attention, especially because it very

closely concerned the first gentleman’s lost wife.

Though it was past two, they refused to stir from

their places unless and until I would make a

move. The sun was fierce and there was no

apparent sign of rain, but I said “It will rain and

you will be drenched.” They were however

firmly resolved not to stir at any cost. There

9

were also some Mussalmans in the crowd and

they said, “You are the very embodiment of

Divinity, and where you are in Bliss”. Another

remarked, “if it rains, you too will be drenched.”

I replied, “What have I to be drenched? Your

suits and hats will drip wet. I will be here till

dusk.” Then turning to the gentleman who lost

his wife, I said, “Your wife will perhaps visit

your house and finding you absent, may walk

away disappointed.” He answered “Why will she

go home? She must surely have come here to

drink deep the nectar of your divine discourse”.

All of a sudden rain began to pour down in

torrents. I sat unmoved and so did the rest, as

they too were determined to weather it out at all

costs. One of them unfurled an umbrella over my

head. At my refusal to avail myself of this

advantage, those of the congregation who had

umbrellas denied themselves their use. Till about

half-past four, the rain continued unabated but

none got up.

In those days Durgabai was in the practice

of offering me Naivedyam (offering of food to

God) immediately after Sai Baba’s Arati in the

mosque, and till then she would never break her

fast. At first I was staying in Khandoba’s temple

outside Shirdi, but later on I used to wander

about. Wherever I was, she would find me out

and would never return to Shirdi to break her fast

without offering me the Naivedyam. Whether it

be sun or rain, Whether I would partake of her

10

offering or not, she rigorously kept up her

Anushthan. This evening she came up with her

Naivedyam at half-past four and stood behind me.

Shanker Patel or some one else intimated the

same to me. After sometime I felt I should not

put the gathering to inconvenience any longer

and so got up. In a hut pointed out by Shanker

Patel, I tasted a few morsels of the food brought

by Durgabai and she then retraced her steps to

Shirdi. The long and short of it is that though

those persons were not at all used to move about

in rain, the strength of their purpose was such as

to render them practically unconscious of the

external circumstances and they sat there all the

time deeply engrossed in my talk. Thus this was

an Anushthan for them. You have left your seats

as soon as a few drops of rain have fallen on you

and the contrast has reminded me of this

incident”.

THE PROCESS OF ANUSHTHAN

In the course of Anushthan, i.e. while

trying to attain the ideal we have set before us,

many obstacles will be encountered. By

incessantly prosecuting our Sadhana for the

attainment of the characteristic attributes of the

Supreme Source regardless of these obstacles,

even without the slightest idea that they were

such, the Anushthan is brought to perfection.

This rain is an obstacle for the perusal of your

Scripture, Mudgala Puranam; but if you take it

11

seriously and accounting it an obstacle leave your

customary place and seek a more comfortable

one, the purpose of Anushthan is defeated. The

Original State is steady, motionless and without

the least admixture of anything other than Bliss

Absolute. To infuse the above qualities into

ourselves, it is essential that we should under all

circumstances keep to the place set apart for the

Anushthan. The reading of scriptures like the

Ramayan, Bhagavat or Guru Charitra, constitutes

one form of Anushthan. I shall here outline for

you the procedure and those of you who can

make use of it are welcome. Strict observance of

silence (Mauna) essential for any Anushthan. If

in the course of Anushthan your child cries and

you are disturbed by it, or some one comes to pay

you money, or the postman brings you an insured

packet and you break your Mauna and cry out.

“Wait a minute please, I am with you presently”,

and you put a mark in the scripture and break

your Anushthan, the Anushthan becomes null and

void. If one is earnest and whole-hearted about

his Anushthan, he should, in order to instill into

himself the attributes of the Primeval State, allot

a certain place for the purpose and keep to it

under all circumstances. He should betake

himself to the fixed place at the appointed hour.

Discipline regarding the particular posture to sit

in belongs to the sphere of Hathayoga. You are

men of the world and your objective is to attain

God with your kith and kin, even while actively

leading a worldly life. Therefore if you have

12

previously practiced any particular posture, it is

well; or otherwise you seat yourself in any

comfortable position so as to remain steady and

unmoved for a considerable length of time. The

series of activities prosecuted to acquire the

qualities of the Original State is termed Satkriya.

It is not absolutely necessary even for men of the

world to carry on their mundane activities all the

twenty four hours of the day. They should

therefore set apart at least one or two hours every

day either in the morning or in the evening for

this purpose. They should, at the appointed hour,

betake themselves to the place fixed upon in a

state of a purity (both of mind and body). Time

and again you have persistently placed before me,

in spite of my remonstrances, money and

material as an offering to me. I don’t need any of

them nor do I ask for any gift. If I have to ask

anything of anybody, it is this, “Out of the twenty

four hours of the day, please offer me an hour or

atleast fifteen minutes. If you don’t like to offer

this time to me, offer it to God.” Again you do

not take back or utilize for your own purposes

anything that you have gifted away to me.

Likewise you should abstain from making use of

the portion of the time of the day which you

offered me or God for any of your worldly

purposes.

Let us now estimate the result of your gift

of your time to God. Just as we have no claims

over any object we gift away to God, we have no

13

hold whatsoever upon that portion of the day

given away to God; that is to say, we should not

utilise it for the discharge of any of our worldly

activities. Moreover it will be well if you don’t

even think of worldly things during that period.

But due to force of habit it has become the very

nature of our mind to go on thinking of ever so

many things, good, bad or indifferent during the

time dedicated to God, though physically we

abstain from all worldly activities. Those who

realize that during the period of Anushthan the

mind should not keep thinking of worldly affairs

or that they should not be tainted by the

wanderings of the mind ceaselessly press on with

their Satkarma without allowing the mind to lose

sight of its ideal. The mind of such strong-willed

souls will speedily come to rest or leave them

unaffected by their slight oscillation.

In view of this principle, a fixed time and

a fixed place are absolute pre-requisites for any

kind of Anushthan or mental discipline. It is

usual in many households to set apart a room for

the worship of God and this room goes by the

name of Pooja Griha or Deva Griha. The idea

underlying is that we should not only stop from

all worldly activities during the period gifted

away to God but we should not even sit in a place

which is a ‘portion of the world’. Hence the

convention of having a separate room for the

worship of God. Even here one should reserve a

specific corner for oneself so that others may not

14

intrude upon it. That fixed time and place should

be maintained under all circumstances. At the

appointed hour one should seat himself in that

fixed place with a clean mind and body,

approximating to the purity of the Source. And

suitable posture in which it will be comfortable to

sit motionless and steady till the end of the

prescribed period may be resorted to.

Movements of all kinds should be avoided unless

absolutely necessary. The particular mode of

Anushthan fixed upon, whether it be the reading

of a Scripture, repetition of a Mantra or

Abhishekha or meditation, should be carried on

throughout the period allotted for the purpose.

You may ask “Baba, the mind begins to wander

as soon as I sit for Anushthan, what then are we

to do?” Let the mind wander where it will. It has

become its nature to wander and what is natural

cannot be stopped at once. For your part, you do

not mind the wanderings of the mind but carry on

your Anushthan with a fixity of purpose. Till the

mind acquires perfect strength of purpose, it will

have to face and overcome obstacles at every step.

But these obstacles should be regarded as so

many opportunities to strengthen your purpose

and your Anushthan should be pushed on with a

courage and fortitude that defy all adverse

circumstances. Smaller obstacles may make

room for greater ones but in the long run they too

will be overcome. If one leaves off his

Anushthan for fear of obstacles, it is an

unmistakable indication of a weak purposed.

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Anushthan and strength of purpose are essentially

identical. If the strength of purpose is perfected,

the objective is achieved. Says Tukaram,

“Strength of purpose is it’s own reward.”

The final fruit of such strengthening of

purpose is ambrosial. Fruit, material or spiritual,

is the finished product of this strength of purpose.

Anushthan is the processs of perfecting this

strength of purpose. Therefore one should be

watchful. He should not be deterred by obstacles

but continue his Anusthan till its perfection or the

perfection of strength of purpose. If the aspirant

is earnest, God takes care of him. Either he will

encounter no obstacles or they will be formidable

indeed. If even under those trials he is persistent

and bold, he will have the Grace of the Lord. He

may then come out triumphant or physically

succumb to circumstances. Nothing worse can

happen. If there is a time limit to his Anushthan,

these trials will overtake him within the limited

period. If the ego (Jeeva is destroyed and the

body continues to live it is indeed a high stage of

attainment, the state of Jeevan Mukti or liberation

while yet in the body. If the ego and the body

both perish, it is also a desirable consummation.

This is the state of Videhamukti or liberation

after the fall of the body. You may wonder at

this kind of Anushthan but remember that the

purpose of Anushthan is to attain the state of

everlasting Bliss, a state devoid of all vehicles. If

this is achieved before the expiry of the period set,

16

you will be fortunate to reach your goal earlier

than your expectations warrant. If, however,

these great trials of strength are treated as mere

obstacles and the Anushthan left unfinished,

nothing will come out of it. It is not infrequently

that we come across a type of people who put a

peculiar construction of their own upon those

obstacles and make it an excuse for leaving off

their Anushthan. “It is not the will of Heaven

that we should serve Him and therefore, He puts

a number of obstacles in our way. How can we

think of doing that which does not obtain His

sanction?” A certain brahmin’s wife was

childless. I directed her to perform Tulsipuja.

She replied that Tulsipuja did not prove itself

auspicious for her, for within a few days after

her starting it, her only child died. How is

Satkarma possible for men and women of such

queer notions? There was a certain house holder.

Lord Shankara came to him in the disguise of a

beggar and begged for alms. The gentleman

instructed his wife to gim alms which she did.

That very night one of her children took ill. The

next day the same beggar turned up and she gave

him alms. By the time the beggar arrived the

third morning, that child was no more and its

corpse was about to be taken away for the burial.

In spite of it, as she had been instructed by her

husband not to forsake her practice of giving

alms under any circumstances, she sent the

beggar away satisfied. The idea never occurred

to the couple that giving of alms was unlucky or

17

inauspicious and thy continued their Anushthan.

In course of time the second and the third boy

passed away. From the time they started giving

alms to this beggar all their children expired in

quick succession. But they never thought for a

moment that the giving alms was the cause of

their children’s death and hence desirable. On

the contrary the husband instructed his wife to

continue her good practice, come what may. At

length the wife too fell sick and died the next day.

Preparations were being made for her funeral. A

little rice was cooked for that purpose. The

husband was alone in the house. The beggar

came for alms as usual. The unfortunate

gentleman was at a loss to know what to give to

that beggar. He sadly moaned out, “There is no

cooking in the house as yet. What am I to give

you?” The beggar pointed to the rice cooked for

the last rites of the dead and said,” Serve that

rice to me.” Without a word the gentleman did

so, and the beggar vanished. As this gentleman

had kept on his good practice of giving alms

regardless of all the mishaps that befell him, after

leaving this world, he attained the highest Bliss

of Kailasa along with other members of his

family.

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HOW THE GOD OF ONE’S CHOICE

(FAVOURITE DEITY) MANIFESTS

HIMSELF

The jeeva state or the ego is the prime

source of our sorrows and sufferings and as such

it is in our best interests to destroy it as soon as

possible. If you push on your Anushthan

regardless of obstacles and obstructions till the

close of the prescribed period, the object of your

prayers or the God of your choice will reveal

himself to you even where you sit in Anushthan.

This revelation may be in one of two ways. (1)

The deity may manifest itself before you as a

separate entity maintaining an individuality of its

own. Thus the worshipper and the object of

worship stand face to face. This experience will,

in the first instance, be brief but by persistent

Sadhana it can be made to last longer till at last,

when the Anushthan is complete, the deity stays

with you as long as you like and will appear to

you whenever you wish and will give you

counsel or direction as per your requirements. (2)

It may be that you may completely lose your

body-consciousness and feel you the object of

your worship. This experience of oneness with

God (Soham) is indeed a higher state of

development and here there is no duality or

separate individuality of the worshipper and the

object of worship. In the early stages this

experience also will be momentary and the body-

consciousness will again and again intrude upon

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this divine consciousness. But by patience and

perseverance the Anushthan should be perfected.

Then you are for ever established in the state of

divine consciousness and even if the body-

consciousness may thrust itself upon you on

occasions, it cannot disturb, much less break, the

stream of God-consciousness which courses

steadily through. No Guru (Spiritual Master) is

obligatory for this kind of Sadhana. Any one

with an elementary knowledge of spirituality can

by himself practise this kind of Anushthan and

attain the cherished goal of life. What is essential

is that the time dedicated to God should be held

sacred and should be utilized only for spiritual

purposes. The question may be raised as to how

it will be possible for men and women in service

who are not always masters of their own place

but may be obliged to go hither and thither on

duty to carry on Anushthan. I say unto you, “If

you are not masters of your place, do not worry.

If you cannot maintain a fixed place for

Anushthan, let go the place but stick to the time.

By carrying on your prescribed Anushthan at the

proper time in your temporary residence, you will

derive the same benefit as in the original place.

Even if you cannot carry your place with you,

you do not leave your time behind.” It may

however be questioned” What if we are

otherwise engaged at that time by a call of duty?”

It is indeed an obstacle. Your concern should be

to maintain the time of your Anushthan at all

costs. In proportion to the strength of your

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purpose will be the measure of your successs; for

providence is ever watchful and takes care of you.

The ancient practice of Sandhyavandan (twilight

prayer) laid down for the twice-born is based on

this principle of the importance of timely prayer.

The Mussalmans never miss their time of prayer.

Even while traveling in a railway train, they will

kneel down and pray at the prescribed time of the

Namaj. As a rule God will see to it that no

hindrance comes in the way at the time of your

Anushthan. If circumstances so conspire that it is

not at all possible to carry on the Anushthan at

the prescribed time also it should be continued as

soon as normal conditions are restored and no sin

will then be attached to the period of lapse. On

the contrary if you become negligent and indolent

and put off the Anushthan, it all goes waste.

A DEVOUT HOUSEWIFE REFORMS HER

HUSBAND

A spirituality minded and devout

housewife will be of immense help in the proper

discharge of her husband’s Anushthan. A wife is

generally termed a Dharmapatni or

Sahadharmacharini. This term, however, is

appropriate only to that wife who renders active

assistance to her husband in the discharge of

Satkarma. Though the husband may not

naturally be inclined to Satkarma, the example of

his devout wife will put him to shame and he will

very soon be induced to copy her. The wife

21

should strictly adhere to and keep up the

traditional practice of wearing a sacred cloth at

the time of worship, cooking and eating and

arrange the materials of worship etc., whether the

husband takes to it or not. If she is asked to

remove them, she should implicitly obey but

repeat the process every day. If she is rebuked

for her persistance, she should answer: “I follow

the tenets of Stridharma (duties of a woman).

Please do not come in the way of my duty. If you

have taken a vow of not performing any religious

austerities viz., Sandhyavandan, Puja etc., don’t

do so. My parents have brought me up in the

traditional religious path. As you are my

husband. You are my God. At the same time my

parents too should command from me the respect

and adoration due to God as has been laid down

in the scriptures (Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo

Bhava i.e., Let thy mother be a God unto thee, let

thy father be a God unto thee). Therefore it is

incumbent on me to obey both. If your

commands do not harmonise, I shall be put to

inconvenience and trouble in carrying them out,

but I am prepared to bear them patiently.” If the

husband gets wild, she should gently remonstrate

with him in some such was as the following.

“What cause of offence have I given you? Have

I set before you any unclean or undesirable

objects such as a shoe or excreta and the like?

The beneficent results of our austerities will be

far reaching and will extend to our progeny as

well.” Her persistence and tenacity of purpose

22

will slowly tell upon the husband and he will

gradually learn to respect the sentiments of his

wife and allow her to have her way. This is the

first step in the reformation of the husband. A

little later he will slowly learn by degrees the

wearing of a sacred cloth at the time of meals and

the reciting of the usual prayers etc. If by chance

a friend of his, a finished product of modern

civilization and one used to sit at the table and

dine with his boot and suit on, pays him a visit,

he will be surprised at his friend’s orthodoxy. He

may ridicule him and jeeringly ask when and by

whom he has been initiated into those fantastic

superstitions of our foolish fore fathers. The host

may feel a little abashed and will thrust the whole

blame upon his old fashioned wife. The guest

will thereupon express his disapproval with a

sneer, adding that women are always

conservative, irrational and bigoted and to follow

them will be to plunge headlong into silly

superstitions and meaningless conventions. Then

the host may get a little confused, feeling a sort

of inferiority complex and command his wife to

put away all the rubbish and serve them without

further ado. After meals the friends will smoke a

cigar or two crack a few jokes, put on their

goggles and hurry away to their offices. Not

withstanding the gibes and ridicule of his friend,

the influence of the wife’s austerities will not fail

to make itself felt upon her husband in a greater

or lesser degree; and in course of time he will fall

in with his wife’s aspirations and be take himself

23

to the prescribed religious observances. If again

his old friend happens to be his guest and finds

fault with him for his orthodoxy, he will now

answer “Let it be. Our ancestors have trodden

this path and handed it down to us. It has stood

the test of time and the lives of our fore fathers

bear the incontradictable evidence of its merit

and veracity. Why not we too adopt it and derive

the same benefit as our forefathers?’ He thus

gets well established in the path of righteousness

and will refuse to be shaken by the mockery and

ridicule of his friends.

If his good old friend repeats his visits to

the gentleman’s house off and on, he too will

very soon come under the influence of the good

example of his friend and his pious wife. He will

begin to wonder why his wife had not been

brought up on such healthy and righteous lines,

for she would then have enabled him too to

perform the worship of God and other

meritorious acts. The picture of his friend’s wife

will imprint itself prominently on his imagination;

her docility, devotion and sense of duty impress

him so well that he will address himself to his

wife and enquire of her whether her parents had

never inculcated to her the righteous path of

religious observances, devotion to God and the

like. “Let alone my parents,”will be her sharp

rejoinder, “What about your honoured self?

What have been your ways of life so far? It is

you, sir, that have led me along theses lines of

24

modern civilization. By force of habit they have

been so deeply ingrained in me that they have

become my very nature and it is impossible for

me now to shake them off. Undoing, you know,

is more difficult than doing. Habits are harder to

break than to aquire, more so bad habits.” As

there is engendered in him an earnest desire to

reform himself, this gentleman will, in the

fullness of time, train his wife and himself on the

model of his friend and wife. Thus the couple

will also lead a pious and a religious life. The

successful completion of an Anushthan depends

directly uupon the strength of purpose of the

individual. “Be wary and watchful; fill the

minutes as they come and go with good thoughts,

good words and good deeds.” An obstacle is

meant to be a stepping stone to success.

At this point Baba once more invited the

devotees to sit inside the zopadi if it was muddy

outside. But not a soul stirred from his place.

THE PATH OF SELF PURIFICATION

In order that the characteristics of the

Supreme Source should manifest themselves in

us, we should observe strict silence (Mauna) and

carry on Anushthan at a fixed time in a fixed

place as has already been outlined and God will

reveal himself to us in that very place. We will

not be obliged to go anywhere or to any

individual.

25

We do not possess the divine attributes to

any great degree and hence we shall have to

instill those qualities into us by force and

transform our nature from the human to the

Divine. If this practice is carried on long enough,

we get firmly established in Divinity and our

Anushthan is then complete. Such a

transformation is almost entirely the outcome of

our association.

Times without number have I given you

to understand that I am or a Sadguru is like a

lump of wet clay. He is blind, deaf and dumb.

You can fashion him as you please. The state of

a Jeeva (individual soul) too is exactly similar.

You too, like wet clay are moulded by

circumstances. You are at present under British

Rule and so you ape and acquire their dress,

customs and manners. We unconsciously acquire

the qualities of those with whom we closely

associate ourselves. Hence the proverb “Tell me

what your company is and I shall tell you what

you are.” Place the highest minded philosopher

in the midst of rogues, scoundrels and vagabonds,

he cannot raise them to his level but he will

unconsciously gravitate to theirs. The association

with drunkards will induce in us a thirst for drink.

A lump of wet clay may be cast into the form of

an ass. This form, if not required, may easily be

demolished and remoulded into a cow or into an

angel, as he wish. A jeevatma may likewise be

26

moulded into whatsoever form we choose. If a

soul lacks faith and devotion, they may be

induced in him by dint of patient and persistent

effort. If the clay gets dry, it has first to be made

wet by sprinkling some water and then modeled

into the required form. Even so in the case of a

mind from which the elements of faith and

devotion are entirely absent. Greater trouble has

to be taken but nevertheless those virtues can

gradually be induced into such a mind of

relentlessly pursuing the path of Satkarma or

Anushthan. To replace the old by the new or the

bad by the good costs not a little by way of

hardship and labour. By strong and determined

effort, however, unmindful of the hardships and

sufferings, the objective may be achieved in this

very life or in one or two lives at the most.

Gold too like wet clay can be shaped and

reshaped at will. But it has first to be heated in

the fire in order to reduce its hardness into

mellowness. The soul’s hardness (evil tendencies)

has to be reduced to softness (good tendencies)

by melting it in the fire of Satkarma.

LET THE MIND WANDER IF IT WILL

DURING ANUSHTHAN

It is the common experience of many that

as soon as they sit for Anushthan their mind

begins to wander hither and thither. But I say,

“Let the mind wander where it will. Of the three

27

instruments (Thri Karana) God has gifted you

with, the mind is not within your control. But

you are masters of your tongue and body.

Therefore, keep these two firmly engaged in the

service of God. In the instance of the husband

and wife cited above (See Section 8) the husband

was heterodox and unruly to begin with but was

slowly converted by the good example of his

wife. Our mind may be likened to the husband

and the body to the wife. By the steadfast

devotion and incessant striving of the wife of a

body, the husband of a mind can be brought

under control and into harmony. By the

systematic practice of any kind of Anushthan

such as reading of a holy scripture Abhisheka,

Japa or Dhyana, the mind will feel ashamed of its

wanderings or will spend its force and get

exhausted and will inevitably come to rest. The

more it acquires the attributes of the Source, the

more blissful it becomes. What is required of

you is that you should not allow yourselves to be

distracted by the wandering aspect of the mind

but steadily push on your Anushthan. You have

already seen that the mind resembles a lump of

wet clay and can be fashioned into any specific

form. The more the mind absorbs the qualities of

the Original Source, the steadier will it become.

The true nature of the mind is not to wander but

this has become its nature by force of habit.

Even if the mind wanders, you are free to

disregard it and continue your Anushthan

28

uninterrupted. If the body tenaciously carries on

its Satkarma, the mind cannot but come to rest.

The question is often asked whether an

Anushthan in which the mind goes on wandering

upon worldly things will be of any great spiritual

value. In my opinion we incur no loss by the

wandering of the mind but on the other hand

there is a great advantage to be gained. This

statement of mine may somewhat puzzle you and

you can come down upon me with the retort that

in the scriptures and Puranas it has been laid

down that all Satkarma should be discharged with

a steady and one pointed mind. How then can

these apparently contrary statements be

reconciled? I do not say that the scriptural

injunctions are inaccurate but what I drive at is

that because you are not in a position to carry on

Satkarma with an unwavering mind, it does not

mean that you should abstain from it altogether.

Something is better than nothing.

In the course of Anushthan, the agent

experiences a two fold aspect of the mind.

1. The steady aspect which goes on

continuously with the prescribed

Anushthan.

2. An unsteady or fickle aspect which keeps

on roaming from place to place or object

to object whether they be good, bad or

indifferent. The mind is one but its

29

working is two fold and there is no

inconsistency about it. The mind starts

some kind of activity through the body

and engages itself in another avocation.

The latter does not come in the way of the

former but both run simultaneously.

Anyone resorting to any form of

Anushthan first plans it out intellectually

and then works it out physically. Having

endowed the body with the necessary

strength and power to carry on the

physical activity of the Anushthan such as

sitting steadily in a particular pose,

repetition of prayers and hymns, pouring

of water and telling of beads, the mind

projects itself forth into the wide world

of its acquaintance. “He the mason

started the building of the latrine or not?

How long are we to use our neighbour’s

latrine even after repeated warnings from

him not to do so etc.” Or again if there is

a patient in the house, “Which doctor

shall I call in for treatment? What

remedy?” etc. Or again “For want of

avocation I have opened this ship, will it

turn out a profitable concern or not” etc.

These or similar thoughts come crowding

into the mind. If a drunkard sits for

Anushthan, his thoughts naturally wend

their way to the liquor shop. “There is

shortage of the usual dose. Whom shall I

send to fetch some more for me? If

30

perhaps I take a puff of Ganja, the mind

will be in high spirits and it will be in a

mood to meditate on God” etc. This two

fold working of the mind is a matter of

common experience of everyone who

enters upon any form of spiritual sadhana.

So long as the Satkarma continues

without a break, the wanderings of the

mind are of no great account.

What is Anushthan for? It is capable of

purging the mind of its impurities and restoring it

to the state of Absolute purity of god

(Sadavastha). Wheresoever the impure thoughts

of the mind travel or whomsoever they touch

upon, is rendered unholy or impious. In order to

purify all these polluted objects, the mind

generates power by virtue of its Anushthan and

transmits it to the several objects or individuals

who have been rendered unholy by its vicious

thoughts. Thus the course of Anushthan purifies

both the mind and the wide range of objects or

persons within its purview.

Whither does the mind wander? Its

vagaries are confined to those places, objects or

individuals whom it has come to know of through

any of the senses. It cannot conceive or think

about anything of which it knows nothing. Thus

if the mind has no knowledge of a lion, it cannot

imagine anything about it; nor can it remember a

person whom it has known nothing about. If it is

31

possible for anyone to shut himself up from any

sort of knowledge pertaining to the world, the

world would not exist for him at all. His mind is

a complete blank i.e. it will be very subtle and

concentrated unlike the average mind which is

expansive and diffused. In the process of

Anushthan the mind journeys from place to place,

person to person, whether it be a friend or foe,

pure or impure, returning every now and then to

the place of Anushthan. It is also possible that it

never returns but continues its march from place

to place. All those places, persons or objects the

mind thinks of constitute the mind, and the extent

of its wanderings marks out its boundaries.

Therefore unless and until all the constituent

elements of the mind get purified, the mind as a

whole cannot be said to be pure. How then can

the mind abstain from wandering in the course of

Anusthan? For instance, say a gentleman

undertakes a certain piece of work but before

finishing it, is obliged to go somewhere else.

What prevents him from entrusting the work to

his son and completing it through him? Is it

obligatory that you should not leave the work

unfinished or entrust it to another? If the mind

wanders in the course of an Anushthan, does the

Anushthan come to a standstill on that account?

Again take the instance of a person who has

started on foot from Sauri to Kopargoan. Having

invested the feet with the necessary strength and

capability to undertake the journey, the mind sets

about its own work of roaming about “Well, at

32

Kopargoan, shall I be able to meet such and such

a person? Will he do the work for me?”etc.

countless thoughts of a similar nature flash across

the mind in quick succession, but does this

impede the progress of the feet? If it be so, we

can well admonish the mind, saying, “you, fool,

be still. Because of your wanderings, my pace

has become slow. Kopargaon which is only four

miles ahead has now been removed a hundred

miles farther away by your restlessness.” But as

a matter of fact, it is not so. Were it so, we shall

be justified in concluding that no activity is

possible unless the mind is steady. So long as the

Satkarma goes on uninterrupted, there is no need

whatsoever for the mind to be still.

THE NEED FOR AND BENEFIT FROM

THE WANDERINGS OF THE MIND

Steadiness of the mind is the final fruit of

Anushthan. How is it possible to secure it even

without starting Satkarma? If the mind is at a

standstill, what is there to do and what for?

There is need for the maximum wandering of the

mind in the course of Anushthan. For, with the

force generated by the Satkarma, the mind shall

have to purify all the dark spots in it and the

process of purification is effected by its traveling

to those places carrying with it the merit of the

Satkarma. If in the course of Anushthan your

mind thinks of an enemy, the inimical tendencies

of that individual will gradually lose their

33

intensity and will ultimately be absorbed into and

made holy by your mind. Amicable thoughts will

be engendered in his mind. “He whom I have so

long regarded as my enemy seems to be a good

fellow after all. They say he spends practically

all his time in the service of God. It is not,

therefore, desirable that I should harbour any ill-

will towards such a pious individual.” Moved by

such considerations, he will speedily change his

attitude of mind towards you and become

friendly. In the same way, if a drunkard takes to

the disinterested discharge of any Satkarma and

his mind wanders upon his fellows at the tavern

in the course of the Anushthan, a change is

wrought in the mentality of those drunkards by

virtue of their friend’s Satkarma. “Our friend has

left off drink and spends his time in devotion to

God, but we are still addicted to this vice. How

long are we to be enslaved by it?” Similar

thoughts hold sway in their minds and ennoble

them. Later on if they meet perchance, the

former will admonish his fellows in some such

way as the following. “My friends, I am now no

longer one of your company. I am no longer a

votary of Bacchus, but devotee myself whole

heartedly to the worship of God. In the course of

my worship, my mind, by old association, thinks

of you and I am not very happy about it. You

must either cease to be my friends or give up

your drinking habits.” Thus admonished, they

too will feel ashamed of their weakness and the

strength of their vice will slowly get reduced.

34

Instances of this sort may be cited time without

number. Mysterious are the workings of the

mind. When it was sanctified all the unholy

elements in its constitution, its work is brought to

finish and its wanderings automatically stop.

This is verified by experience.

THE EPISODE OF A PROSTITUTE

I shall here narrate an interesting episode

within my personal experience. Take from it the

lesson it conveys, if you are so inclined. You

know I was at Amaravathi for some time. During

that period, I came into contact with a prostitute

of that place in my professional capacity of a

doctor. As the lady had customers of a

variegated character, she often fell a prey to

sickness and suffering. On one such occasion, an

acquaintance of mine who was also her paramour

engaged me for her treatment. I examined her

and advised that besides medicine and diet she

should have recourse to some sort of Satkarma

for the purpose of purging off her sins. As she

was ailing greatly, she readily consented to do so.

I gave her the necessary directions and she

started of with her Anushthan. Very soon she

became normal. But she had already evinced a

taste of her devotional activities and continued

them even after the purpose for which she started

them was served. Every day she used to spend as

much time she could possibly spare in solitude

and silence, devoting herself whole heartedly to

35

Puja, Bhajan, Dhyan etc. When we chanced to

meet now and then, I could clearly perceive that

her mind was deeply engrossed in devotion to

God. In the course of conversation, she used to

complain to me that during Anushthan her mind,

in spite of her best efforts, would not remain

steady but keep continually thinking of her

paramours. I counseled her not to worry about

the wanderings of the mind but keep her

Anushthan steadily going. She would say, “I do

regularly carry on my Anushthan. My mind

takes to it with avidity and at the appointed time

would automatically come to the place and

subject of Anushthan with an enthusiastic fervour.

But no sooner does the Anushthan begin that the

mind goes off at tangents and refuses to be

controlled. ‘Such and such a person has not yet

paid me my dues. He does not seem to be fair

minded’. The picture of his foul play refuses to

clear away from the screen of my mind. This is

only one of the innumerable disturbing elements

that beset and baffle me in the course of my

meditation.” I had only one answer to give to all

such complaints: “Let the mind run where it will.

Your concern is with the carrying out of your

Anushthan without a break. The merit that

accrues therefrom will be available not only to

you but to the several individuals of whom you

think well or ill of during that time. As her

lovers were variously constituted, her devotional

bent of mind reacted differently on them. Many

of them fell to ridiculing her but as she used to

36

observe silence during her Anusthan, she would

never answer them. Some treated her with scorn

and contempt, while others of a generous

disposition put the best construction upon it and

appreciated her for her reformation. Days passed

on. Some people became more sympathetic in

their attitude towards her. “This woman is

completely changed. She spends all her time in

the worship of God and has abandoned her old

ways. Therefore, we are no longer justified in

approaching her with the same old sinful

intentions.” Thereafter they continued their visits

to her house but with a changed mind. In course

of time, they too began to copy her example and

take to the worship of God. Those who had

never known in all their lives what prayer was,

were inspired by the prostitute to have recourse

to Sandhya, Puja, Bhajan, etc., The very persons

who ridiculed and scorned her were slowly

metamorphosed; a complete and permanent

change was brought about in their outlook of life

and they betook themselves to Japa, Dhyana,

recitation of scriptures like the Bhagavadgita etc.,

When her lovers were thus reformed, their wives

who had so long been made miserable now felt

happy that their husband’s sinful careers were at

an end. Her house, once a house of ill-fame, had

now became a sanctuary and those who visited it

did so for Divine Service. “You are now a

mother to us, “they would often reiterate. “You

have led us in the proper way as a mother does

her infant.” She completely gave up her former

37

style of dressing and behaviour, would put on the

simplest and plainest costume and was looked

upto as a supreme example of modesty and

devotion, of plain living and high thinking, even

for house wives to copy.

As the mind wanders over hundreds of

miles during Anushthan, it bears with it the merit

of the Satkarma even to such far distant places

and purifies them. The tremendous magnitude of

the good work accomplished by the mind as a

result of its wandering about is little

comprehended or appreciated by the average run

of mankind. If in the course of Anushthan the

mind thinks of the departed souls of friends or

relatives, those souls also will be cleansed and

will attain Sadgati.

The disinterested discharge of satkarma

has been laid down in the scriptures as the means

of self purification. If your whole body has to be

cleaned, every individual limb has to be washed

with soap and water. Likewise if the entire mind

has to be purged of its dross, every particular

limb of it has to be carefully washed with the

merit of Satkarma. If some parts are clean and

others neglected, the whole cannot be said to

have been purified. It may be questioned how

much Satkarma is needed for purification of the

mind which, according to the scriptures is located

either in the heart or in the head. A child requires

a very small quantity of water for its bath and a

38

very small quantity of food for its nutrition.

When, however, the child grows into an adult, its

needs both for washing and eating increase

proportionately. He now wants several gallons of

water for his bath, rice, vegetable, bread and

various other dishes for his food. Exactly similar

is the case of the mind. If it is small and enlarged,

it requires only a limited amount of Satkarma for

its purification. But your minds have been vastly

extended and assume gigantic proportions. The

innumerable individuals, objects or places, which

form the range of activities of the mind are, as it

were its limbs. Whether they be far or near, good

or bad, they are parts and parcels of the mind.

This is a measure of the extent of your mind. If

your mind contemplates good or evil about an

enemy, he too forms part of your mind. Hence

the mind devises ways and means of purifying

the enemy. It is natural for you to try to put an

end to the machinations of your enemy to harm

you and if possible, reduce his inimical

tendencies. The ways and means adopted differ

with different individuals. The ignorant retaliate

or pay him back in the same coin. (an eye for an

eye and a tooth for a tooth). But this defeats its

purpose, augmenting animosities instead of

removing them. Others more wise think that the

best way of overcoming the enemy is by keeping

quiet and maintaining their mental equilibrium.

Because they happen to be your enemies, you

should not be under the misapprehension that

they are not parts of your mind. Your mind’s

39

boundary extends upto and includes them. Since

your anus is dirty, will any of you deny that it is

part of yourself or that your body extends upto

that organ? Just as we take care to keep our anus

clean, so do we adopt several forms of Satkarma

by the merit of which we purify the various

organs of our mind which sometimes extend over

hundreds of mils and include men and materials

of all descriptions. When all its organs are fully

cleansed, the wanderings of the mind come to an

end; like one exhausted it ceases to project itself

forth but withdraws itself into the smallest

compass possible. Any sensation in any part of

your body can be cognized by you as pleasant or

painful, from which locality it arises, etc., In the

same way, when your Anushthan is brought to

perfection, you will be in a position to understand

anything which any individual who forms an

organic limb of your mental body does or thinks.

Thus purifying countless souls in the course of

your Anushthan, you will, after the fall of your

physical body, attain liberation (Sadgati), and all

those persons or objects that have formed parts of

your mental body will also, after death, attain the

same status.

HOW THE MIND IS CLEANSED OF ITS

IMPURITIES

Whence arise this impurity of the mind

and wherein lies the purifying capacity of

Satkarma? In the beginning, there was only the

40

Absolute purity (Sadavastha) and upon it was

superimposed the impure state (Asadavastha).

Our existence is within this Orginal Impurity.

Hence the qualities of this Asadavastha are

inherent in us. As this Asadavastha takes its

origin in and support from the Sadavastha, the

attributes of the Sadavastha too are native to us.

To purify the Asadavastha, it is necessary to

bring in the aid of the Sadavastha whose qualities

are the opposite of those of the Asadavastha.

Therefore, if the Asadavastha has to be cleaned

by another Asadavastha, it will be possible to do

so only if the latter possesses a greater degree of

the power of the Sadavastha. It is by virtue of

this power of the Sadavastha that the

Asadavastha is able to purify. The subject is

rather abstruse and recondite but will be clear to a

sharp, penetrating intellect. All activity

conducive to the destroying of the Asadavastha

and bringing it to the state of absolute purity is

denominated Satkarma. The Sadavastha does not,

of its own accord, take the initiative and start the

process of purification. It is for ever in a state of

non action. Therefore the destruction of the

Asadavastha, has to be accomplished by drawing

upon the power of the Sadavastha through the

medium of another Asadavastha. Suppose a dirty

cloth has to be washed clean. For this purpose

water has to be taken in a vessel. The dirt of the

cloth as well as the vessel which is the support of

the water are Asadavasthas. In order to destroy

the Asadavastha-the dirt of the cloth, water-the

41

Sadavastha has to be resorted to through the

medium of another Asadavastha, the vessel. The

Sadavastha is homogeneous and one, but the

Asadavastha is varied and many. The Sadavastha

does not act on its own initiative. A lamp or the

Sun, for instance, are also different forms of the

Asadavastha. But as they possess a greater

measure of the power of the Sadavastha, they are

competent to destroy other Asadavasthas. In

proportion to the strength of the Satkarma does

the power of the Sadavastha penetrate into and

destroy the impurities of the mind. Thus will the

resolute mind make available the power of the

Sadavastha by means of Satkarma-Anushthan,

such as the repetition of Ram Nam; and with the

power so acquired, transform the mind to its

farthest limit into the state of absolute purity as

that of Rama. What need then for taking the

name of Rama who is in no way different from

himself? Further, such a one will in his turn be

capable of removing the impurities of others as

do a soap, a light or the Sun God. He not only

enjoys Bliss Absolute but imparts the same to

others.

HOW TO CARRY ON ANUSHTHAN

DURING THE TIME OF IMPURITY

(ASHAUCHAM)

One of the devotees wished to be

enlightened on the subject-how to conduct

Anushthan during the time of impurity-

42

whereupon Baba spoke thus. “Had you paid

close attention to what has been said so far, there

would have been no room for this query. The

time of impurity is evidently an obstacle and the

pith of an Anushthan is to ignore and overcome

all obstacles. A little consideration will show

that nothing should stand between you and your

Anushthan, whether it be the time of impurity or

something else. In fact, the so called obstacles

are so many opportunities for strengthening our

purpose. It is only a weak mind that regards

them as hindrances. It is traditionally believed

that you are in a state of impurity during the

period of ashaucha and hence your hesitation to

resort to Satkarma during that period. In reality,

no impurity can attach itself to that portion of

time dedicated to God. If you gift away one of

your clothes and all your other clothes are soiled,

this cannot affect the gifted cloth. How then can

that portion of your time offered to God be

tainted by the state of impurity? Besides, the

purpose of your Anushthan is to destroy all kinds

of impurities. How then can the subject of

impurity arise at allin connection with your

Anusthan? From the worldly point of view,

when someone dies in your family, the whole

clan is believed to be polluted. If you carry on

your Anushthan with an unshaken resolve at the

fixed time, the soul of the dead will, by virtue of

your Satkarma, attain Sadgati. If, on the other

hand, you treat the state of impurity as an

obstacle and stop your Anushthan, the soul of the

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departed will not in any way be benefited. Those

who do not have the strength of mind and

illumination to view impurity in this light will do

well to stop if for the time being, but they should

not utilise the time set apart for any of their

worldly activities. It should be kept vacant. If

any of your kith and kin happens to die, you

should not leave off your Anushthan to attend his

funeral obsequies. If it becames obligatory that

you should perform them and that too within the

very period of Anushthan, rest assured that the

departed one will obtain salvation. If, during the

time of Anushthan, you have to attend upon a

patient on his death-bed and minister to his needs,

his suffering will surely be alleviated; if he dies,

he will attain Sadgati.

HOW TO CARRY ON ANUSHTHAN

DURING SICKNESS

If the performer of an Anushthan falls ill

and finds it impossible to carry on the Satkarma,

he should not expend that time for any worldly

purpose but he should steadily remember the

name of God and put up with the suffering with

all the patience and fortitude he can command.

No measures should be adopted during that time

to mitigate the pain or add to the comfort of the

body. The mind should be made to dwell upon

the place of Anushthan or the object of worship

etc; and after the expiry of the time reserved for

Anushthan, medical aid may be resorted to. The

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important point to remember is that it is sinful to

make use of the time set apart for God for our

worldly purposes. The sanctity of this period

should carefully be preserved. If death overtakes

you during that time, you are indeed blessed; for,

you obtain thereby the final fruits of perfecting

your Anushthan. If the Anushthan is duly

discharged throughout your lifetime, the God of

death will come to take you away during that

time only.

To sum up, if it is not possible to carry on

the disinterested discharge of any form of

Satkarma or Anushthan during the time sert apart

far such activity, it should be kept free. No kind

of worldly activity should be conducted within

that period. If you have to go abroad, you leave

the place of your Anushthan behind, but your

time and the object of your worship are with you

wherever you go. Even in a new place, the

prescribed Anushthan should be gone through at

the appointed time. In case you cannot be

masters of your time as well, the Anushthan may

be performed at some convenient hour of the day

instead of forgoing it altogether. But this is only

a second grade Anushthan. A Satkarma will

never go waste, thought it may not be performed

at the proper time. “Better late than never.” It is

a common practice to take a vow that unless and

until such and such a Karma is discharged, fast

should not be broken. Such a resolve does not go

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without its reward but it cannot strictly come

under the definition of Anushthan.

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