Chapter 10 - Importance of goodness in religious practices with special reference to non-violence

Importance of goodness in religious practices with special reference to non-violence. 

Shri Hari said: - 

A householder should follow the conduct prescribed by the Shruti and Smriti and the one that is accepted by the sages and ascetics. 1. 

He should be unassuming, devoid of hatred, free from lust and greed, and should regularly observe the rituals like bath, morning and evening rites etc. He should be a seeker of truth and should have control over his senses. 2. 

He should be devoted to the cause of the cows and Brahmins and chant Savitri (Gayatri). He should worship Brahmins and Gods, and should dedicate himself to the well-being of parents, should exercise self-control, engage in performing sacrifices, be merciful, abstain from hurting others and follow Dharma, Artha and Kama rightfully. 3 - 4. 

He should never think of Artha (earning money) and Kama (passion) which is against his religion and should never abandon his religion, even if it becomes inevitable. 5.

O Brahmin! Although he is engaged in his duty as householder, he should never be reluctant to observe the three objects of worldly existence (Dharma, Artha and Kama). He should always distribute food to; dogs, Chandalas, and the down-trodden and treat birds, beasts and other insignificant creatures with care like he would attend to his sons. 6 - 7. 

When (one’s) parents, brothers, sons, friends and relatives express their wishes to him, he should respond to them favourably, without any selfish motive. 8. 

He should carry out the daily household duties without any attachment towards his wife, wealth etc.; he should serve Narayan muni. 9. 

Those, who possess special powers, and those who are rich and wealthy should worship Shri Hari by performing various types of sacrifices. 10. 

Rite of non-violent Yagnas in Kaliyug. 

Since sacrifices like Asvamedha, are banned in this Kali era, sacrifices like Vishnu-Yaga, Maha Rudra etc. should be performed. 11. 

People of good qualities (Sattva guna) love sacrifices which do not contain slaughter of the animals. Those who wish for prosperity should then, perform sacrifices like Vishnu-yaga etc., which do not prescribe animal-slaughter. 12.

Importance of worship of Brahmins. No religion is as sacred as the one which propounds nonviolence. There is no other sin on this earth, which is comparable to killing of animals. 13. 

By the offerings of rice, porridge, and ghee in sacrifice, Gods are propitiated. One should please the earthly Gods i.e. Brahmins with proper food and gifts in the form of honorarium. 14. 

One should commence the sacrifice by initially checking the presence of Agnicakra. If the offerings fall in the mouth of wicked stars/planets, it will create great disaster to the doer of the sacrifice. 15. 

The Brahmin priests, the doer of the sacrifice and his wife, should follow the norms of celibacy. 16. 

If even a single person (from the above list) fails to perform the atonement for breaking the norms , that sacrifice becomes fruitless or goes in vain. 17. 

That sacrifice will also not bear fruit if the Brahmins overseeing it have not studied the Vedas or if they do not get proper honorarium (for the sacrifice). 18. 

Mouth of a Brahmin who is a devotee of Bhagwan is better than mouth of Agni. 

Shri Hari is gratified when people offer food and sweet enriched with ghee to the mouths of the Brahmins performing the sacrifice. The sacrifice would not bear fruit if the offerings are prepared in the fire. 19.

That sacrifice, in which sweet offerings with plenty of ghee and sugar is offered to the Brahmins, is considered to be the best among all the sacrifices. 20. 

Shri Hari is very much pleased, only when the righteous Brahmins are pleased. (There is) no doubt that the three worlds are happy when Hari is pleased. 21. 

Lord Vishnu does not love His own body, nor that of Goddess Rama or the other deities as much as He loves righteous Brahmins. 22. 

The one who adores righteous Brahmins is adored by Lord Vishnu himself. The one who insults righteous Brahmins is said to have insulted Lord Vishnu Himself. 23. 

On this earth, a Brahmin may or may not be well-versed in the Vedas. Still, he should be adored and offered food and should never be insulted. 24. 

Hence, a householder should always honour and adore the righteous Brahmins without any prejudice. On special occasions, he should perform rituals and give generously to the Brahmins, with due considerations to time and place. 25. 

Pilgrimage to sacred places, rituals and charity there over 

A country which is the habitat of virtuous persons, where Lord Vishnu manifests Himself, is considered to be a blessed country. 26.

Those countries in which, knowledgeable Brahmins practise austere penance, where worship of Lord Vishnu is regularly performed, where there are holy rivers like the Ganga, where there is a long tradition (of the Vedas), where there are holy lakes like the Pushkar and where there are holy places inhabited by pious and noble people are all regarded as sacred and auspicious. 27 - 28 

All the penance-groves of the great sages and all the great mountains are regarded as auspicious. They are regarded as the places conducive to perform sacred rites. 29. 

The rites performed in these places are considered to be thousand times superior to those performed at other ordinary places. Hence, good and meritorious deeds should be performed in the above auspicious places. 30. 

The manifestation and residence of Lord Vishnu and settlement of the great sages determine the auspiciousness of the holy places. 31. 

Description of the ritual of a pilgrimage 

Householders desirous of going to the holy places for pilgrimage should observe fast on the first day. Thereafter, they should worship Ganesha, righteous Brahmins, sages and their manes. Then, after concluding the fast, they may leave for the pilgrimage. After reaching there, they should, without discrimination, offer food to the Brahmins residing in that holy place. All the deserving Brahmins are considered worthy of gratifying with the offering of food. 32 - 33.

On the day before entering the holy city, he should shave his head in the nearby place and observe fast. After coming to the holy place, he should offer food to the Brahmins. One who has control over his hands, feet and mind attains knowledge, fame, austerity and enjoys the fruit of the pilgrimage. 34. - 35. 

One, who speaks truth, abstains from anger, has a firm mind, has overcome his passion, and loves all beings as his own self enjoys the fruit of the pilgrimage. Such a person never gets reborn in an unholy womb or in an evil place. He never becomes unhappy, attains heaven and discovers the path of final emancipation. 37. 

A sinner, the one who lacks faith, or an atheist, one who has not cleared his doubts and one who engages himself in illogical reasoning - these five (persons) will never enjoy the fruit of pilgrimage. A person who neither practices celibacy nor observes any vow but visits a holy place never bears the fruit of that pilgrimage and certainly incurs sin. 38 - 39. 

Sin incurred elsewhere is wiped out in by visiting an auspicious place. But sin committed at an auspicious place becomes a vajra- lepa (inerasable stain). 40. 

A householder should keep control over his senses, confer gifts according to his capacity and offer food to the Brahmins. He should look at women with a pure mind and treat elderly women as his mother, women of his age as his sisters and those younger than him as his daughter. After returning home from the pilgrimage, he should perform the due obsequies. He reaps the fruit of the pilgrimage only after offering food to Brahmins. 41 - 43. 

A householder should perform all the virtuous actions in a holy place and at a meritorious phase of time according to his ability and income e.g. in the month of Bhadrapada, in the black fortnight, one should perform the ancestral rites. If he is rich enough, he may separately perform ancestral rites of his father, uncle etc. 44 - 45. 

During the loss of a Tithi, or a Vyatipata, or at Vishuva (a day when the sun enters Mesha or Tula-rashi Zodiac sign), or at Dakshinayana, Uttarayana , at the concurrence of Anuradha and Shravana constellations, or on a Dvadashi day, on the concurrence of Uttara-Phalguni, Uttarashadha and Uttara Bhadrapada constellation, on Ekadashi, Dvadashi or Navami of bright fortnight of the Magha, Akshaya Tritiya day, (i.e. the third day of bright fortnight of the month of Vaishakha Ashtaka, i.e. second half of the Hemanta and Shishira seasons), and the ninth and the seventh day, Kapila shashthi and Ardhodaya Yoga, a full moon day, or a full moon day when a moon is short of one phase, at the concurrence of the planets barring the names of the respective months, at the planet at the time of one’s own birth , the holy days representing Manu and others, the days of celebrations of Annakoota etc. and on the day of the manifestation of Lord Vishnu, on the Amavasya day, a day when planet Surya enters the particular zodiac sign and the solar and lunar eclipse; one should take bath, give away alms , practise penance and sacrifices, perform ancestral rites, offer food to the Brahmins, and carry out such other activities, during those auspicious periods. 46 - 51. 

Amavasya day, falling on Monday (Somavati Amavasya), the seventh day of any lunar month falling on Sunday (Bhanu saptami), the fourth day of any lunar month falling on Tuesday (Angarki chaturthi), the eight day of any lunar month falling on Wednesday (Budhashtami) - these four days are regarded as equally significant as the solar eclipse day. Offering of gifts and uttering of prayers, chanting the names of the deities and performing sacrifices result in the accumulation of crores of meritorious deeds. 52 - 53. 

One should carry out meritorious deeds like offering alms etc., on the occasion of Garbhadhana, Pumsavana, Simantana ceremony, naming ceremony of a child, during other purificatory and sacred rites of the child, funerals, anniversary rites of the parents and even while celebrating one’s own religious and festive occasions. 54 - 55. 

Indeed! One should bestow alms to a devout, humble and deserving ascetic who is a regular observer of vows and who hails from a high and decent family. 56. 

‘O doyen amongst the Brahmins! In Kaliyuga, offering of gifts as prescribed by the scriptures are benevolent to the people in general. 57. 

Thus ends the tenth chapter entitled, ‘Narration of special features of place, time and worthy recipients among householder’s religious duties,’ in the fifth Prakaran of Satsangi jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra (the rules of the code of conduct). 10