The life one needs to live.

Life is as much concerned with living as it is concerned with dying. One who does not know how to die, does not how he came to be born, therefore life is knowing how to die die as one should know how is to be born. Life is not an event, it is a process, there one who does not how to die does not how he is to be born.
Therefore, life is not only some thing to be learnt but also is some to be experienced. If one has experienced dying when one is alive knows what is it to be born again even when one is alive. Life is not a goal to be achieved, but a moment to be experienced.
Venkatraman first experienced what death is, therefore  he came to know what living is, being known as Maharishi, the great seer.

Whatever you experience now  in this body as life becomes the life you will lead when you are born again in a new body. That is what Karma means. Birth and death are events in the process of living; living life being an eternal process. Death is not the end, birth is not the beginning. Seen differently death could be the beginning and birth in a new body could be the conclusion.

Life and living is an endless river, which never ceases entering the ocean it comes again as river becoming vapour, mist, clouds and rain in between.

Gayatri Mantra

 In Upanishad  there is an important statement that lays down the course which one should accept in his journey to take him from the gross material temporal world to the subtle, superior, spiritual world, which reads as under : असतो मा सद् गमय ; तमसो मा मृत्युर गमय ; मृत्योर अमृतम् गमय. These exhortions are translated literally as - one should go from untruth to Truth ; from darkness to Light ; from death to Immortality.

The words contained in Upanishad are not simple to understand. Hey contain deep mystical truths within the overtly perceived meanings. Therefore the inner meaning should be listened with receptive mind, reflected and meditated to have clarity and benefit.

The words should understood by going to the source from which the word derives it's meaning.

असतो मा सद् गमय - सत् derives it meaning from the root अस् - to be, to exist, therefore सत्य, the Prime Existence. असत्, therefore is that which is not सत्, the Prime Existence. Therefore, the first exhortion should be understood as going from the gross temporal existences to the subtle, spiritual Existence.  The world is manifestation by way of forms, symbols in which the essence of the Prime Existence is posited. The essence is not known because human beings attracted and bewildered with the attractions of the forms in the primordial world fail to experience the concealed mystical essence within those forms. The forms and the symbols, the marks and the instruments are for the purpose of
making known the Prime Existence, which being mysterious requires to be searched by the constituents as one would search the cow by following its foot marks, which acts as the symbols.
This enables the manifest world to recognise each other and transcend from the known forms as symbols, marks to reach out the Unknown essence, the Prime Existence.

तमसो मा सद् गमय - going away from obscurity, ignorance to clarity and Wisdom. When one knows the gross, temporal existence is not the unknown subtle, spiritual, the Prime Existence then one is on the right Path to Perfection.

This takes one to final objective in life and the purpose of spiritual Path - मृत्योर अमृतम् गमय - going from decay, degeneration and dissolution of the mortal existence to resurgence, rejuvenation and re-existence in the immortal Prime Existence.

Reflect on these words because they indicate the true Path to Perfection, becoming liberated from the shackles of the World of Appearnce and deliverance to the World of Real Prime Existence.

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Form (रूप) and the Essence (नाम).

Upanishad declares that in the beginning Brahman was One but Unknown and for becoming known manifested as नाम (Essence) and रूप (Form), the नाम being posited in the रूप, to the tip of the fingure, as it were. The नाम is not seen because it is covered by रूप and becomes experienced only when actions are performed by the रूप, as sight when seeing, as breath when breathing, as sound when hearing, as smell when inhaling and as thought when thinking. रूप, the forms become manifest when one perceives externally  the actions performed and नाम, the essence concealed within becomes experienced when one perceives internally within रूप, the forms.

Therefore, it is said that there within रूप, the form - city of Brahman is the abode, a lotus flower, within that is a small space. What is within that Space should be sought, for that assuredly is one should desire to experience. Thus when one directs one's attention externally one sees and becomes distracted by रूप, the forms. When one directs one's attention internally one sees the नाम, the essence. Therefore, to experience the नाम, the essence one should transcend the attraction of रूप, the forms. This is what the seer prays for, when he pleads with the divinity, Pushan that the face of Satya, the Prime Existence is covered with the golden disc (attraction of रूप, the forms). Uncover it so that he may see
the Prime Existence. Pushan, the sole Seer, the Sun, the offspring of Prajapati, gather your rays which radiate in resplendence, so that he may behold the auspicious face.

Therefore, when one withdraws one' attention from the actions performed by रूप, the forms, through attractive only then one would to experience नाम, the divine essence within, in all it's resplendence and glory.

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Now a days following many North Indian Marriage celebrations which is spread over Sangita and Dance as we'll Mehandi Functions in addition to the main Marriage ceremonies are subordinated. In some cases we had an occasion of seeing picture of a a Maariage Reception where the Bridegroom is shown kissing the bride while the friends are closing their eyes. kissing the Bride is western custom and whereas Indian marriage is a sacrement and not a social contract to which marriages in west have been reduced to.

Therefore to give gist of what Indian Marriage is credited, I am giving the salient features of Indian Marriage ceremonies.  I have not included Sanskrit Slokas. Those who need them may contact me on ID no. Sondenagesh@gmail.com and I will mail the same.

Hindu Marriage – A Retrospect

In India Hindus are increasingly seeing the Institution of Marriage, not so much as a sacrament where two souls are enjoined together and two families are brought together, blessed by divine presence or by the  good wishes showered by the elders but as social gathering where two individuals agree to live together as contractual agreement witnessed by relatives and well-wishers.

A little reflection will reveal for the newer generation the Intent and Purpose, much greater significance and great many truths behind what the symbols suggest on the Hindu Institution of Marriage. According to the Rig Veda, marriage was to enable a man, by becoming a householder, to perform sacrifices to the gods and to procreate sons. According to a popular verse only when united with Shakti does Shiva has the power to manifest, and without her he cannot even stir , very much foretelling the physical law that only when energy is associated with matter, the matter becomes energized; without energy becoming associated the matter can not even stir. Therefore,  it illogical to imagine a marriage between persons of same gender, which satiates only the senses but never elevates the soul. A marriage should not only be for Progeny (prajā), Sexual pleasure (rati), Happiness (ānandam) but also  Companionship in the performance of Dharma - righteous conduct for spiritual evolution.

The Scriptures are aware that though the primary instinct for marriage is physical attraction, the emotional, social, cultural and spiritual compatibility also has important role in Marriage needing coalescing, bring together two independent and emotionally divergent souls influenced by different attributes and inclinations. Therefore, a Hindu marriage therefore envisages primarily five essential features : consent of the parents, formal acceptance of the bride by the bride-groom, honoring the groom by the bride’s father, taking of the bride's hand by the groom and taking seven steps around the sacrificial fire, confirming the commitment to live cordial life together. The rituals  prescribed are neither exhaustive or exclusive, neither sequential but consequential but only indicative based on vedic scriptures and supplemented by social, regional and historical traditions of the
people, places changing over periods in time.

The Scriptures are aware that though the primary instinct for marriage is physical attraction, the emotional, social, cultural and spiritual compatibility also has important role in Marriage needing coalescing, bring together two independent and emotionally divergent souls influenced by different attributes and inclinations,  

Once the considered approval  of the parents is taken in an atmosphere on amity, cordiality and camaraderie to pray together in harmony, to strive for common goals with a common purpose,  united by intention, united by hearts, united by thoughts, thorough harmony among all, then he bride to be says to the groom to be, “Sweet are our glances, our faces too are smooth as balm, within our bosom harbors. Our mutual glances, be they sweet. Our faces may they may show our concord. Take me within your heart and let our spirit dwell in both of us. The bride-groom to be responds saying to the bride to be I am the male and you are the female; I am the song and you are the verse; I am heaven and you are the earth. We two together shall live here, becoming parents of our children.  May the supreme Lord of the Worlds enjoin us with endearing affection; may Matarishvan, Dhata and Deshtri unite us in close embrace”.

The parents and the relatives from both sides thereafter  bless the couple,“ May you two waking up in your pleasant chamber, both filled with laughter and cheer and enjoying, mightily having good sons, good home and good cattle, pass the shining mornings. Enjoy you two together fortunes richest gifts, observing the Law in rightful bearing Brahma spate make the husband dear to her and graceful be the words the woofer speaks, Then prayers are offered to the Gods to assent this union and shower blessings on them, “ Thornless and straight be the paths whereby our fellows travel to the house of the bride. May God (Bhaga) endure us with prosperity, respect for the learned and majesty.  O Lord Indra! May you bring together this newly married couple in the same manner as a pair of chakravaka birds; let them enjoy marital bliss, and along with their progeny, live a full length of life.

Kanyadaan is  offering his daughter by the father proclaiming the purity, simplicity and integrity of bride, letting the gods “ Bring her here to us, O Varuna, who is kind to her brothers; bring her, O Brihaspati, who is kind to her husband and her children: bring her, O Indra, bring her, Savita with prosperity and asking the couple look at each other favorably. Gaze gently upon each other, never be
hostile to each other, be tender to animals, of cheerful mind, beautiful in your glory, the parents of heroes, be devoted to the gods, be the bestower of happiness,  be good and kind to us, and to all creatures. May the Golden-hued, the bright, the wherein the Sun and Fire were born, they who took Agni as the fair-coloured seed, and the waters bring us felicity and bless us. May the subtle ether in the midst of which the Resplendent Lord pervades, watching men's pious and
impious deeds, which acts as a medium for lightning, beautiful in appearance, bring joy to you and bless you. May the subtle ether which supports the manifold beautiful objects in the sky, which acts as a medium for lightning, eautiful in appearance, bring joy to you and bless you. May the Cosmic Principles behold you with auspicious eye, touch you with their auspicioushands. May they bright and pure, shedding loveliness and brilliance, bring joy to you and bless you.
The father then takes the bride's hand and places it in the groom’s hand blessing her to have valiant progeny bringing joy and happiness to all in her husband’s house, thus passing over the responsibility to the bridegroom. The groom accepts the bride's responsibility in the presence of the assembled guests and offers four clothes to bride-groom, Out of these the bridegroom, hands over two of them to the bride for wearing. This indicates that in future the husband will offer one-half of whatever he obtains to his wife.

A new grass mat is spread to the west of the fire. The couple take their seats with the bride to the right of the groom. The groom performs the preliminary rites and then the following two verses are recited, “observance of the Vedic law is your second, resurgent Agni, knowledge and strength of character are your third guardians. One born of woman is your fourth guardian. Tranquility develops in the girl the sentiment of following the Vedic law; which in turn brings her knowledge and strength of character; which bestows upon me prosperity and progeny”.

Then the presiding priest call all the elders from both sides join in prayer to bless the couple saying, “May the Golden-hued, the Bright, the splendid Cosmic Principles that produced the Sun and Fire. Those that contain the Supreme Wisdom, the golden Ones bring joy to you and bless you. May the subtle ether which supports the manifold beautiful objects in the sky, which acts as a medium for lightning, beautiful in appearance, bring joy to you and bless you. May the subtle ether which supports the manifold beautiful objects in the sky, which acts as a medium for lightning, beautiful in appearance, bring joy to you and bless you. May the Cosmic Principles behold you with auspicious eye, touch you with their auspicious hands. May they bright and pure, shedding loveliness and brilliance, bring joy to you and bless you. The couple stand facing each other and then the priest recites the following mantra they garland each other”

Thereafter, The bridegroom says to the bride , “ I take your hand for wellbeing so that together we may attain to old age in happiness. The Sovereign Cosmic Principles; Enjoyment [Bhaga], Aspiration [Aryaman], Creativity [Savitar] and Completeness [Purandhri] have united us for the performance of our duties as householders.

Laaja Homa is performed by bride’s brothers offering rice corn in sacrificial fire  suggesting the source beig transferred from one
family, from one place to other family, to the other place for proper
development, saying  “Aryaman, you are the personification of Spiritual Aspiration, mysterious are you. O Self-sustainer, as a kind friend, with streams of milk they anoint you, when you makes wife and husband one-minded. The bride prays for the long life of the bridegroom

Saptapadi - the seven steps represent the seven higher worlds, the seven lower worlds, seven Seers, seven sounds, seven rays, seven colours, seven corns, seven metals, seven continents, seven mountains, seven natures etc. therefore the entire gamut of life. They are taken by the bridegroom leading the bride around the resurgent sacrificial fire, the unwavering Witness with following statement made – “O Agni, in obedience to your command, we have brought the bride along with the marriage procession, unite her now with the husband along with future progeny. O Agni, give long life and energy to this couple, May they both live for a hundred autumns. Guide them through all tribulations as easily as one passes through rivulets of water.

Saptapadi are  the seven steps which represent the seven higher worlds, the seven lower worlds, seven Seers, seven sounds, seven rays, seven colours, seven corns, seven metals, seven continents, seven mountains, seven natures etc. therefore the entire gamut of life. They are taken by the bridegroom leading the bride around the resurgent sacrificial fire, the unwavering Witness with following statement made – “O Agni, in obedience to your command, we have brought the bride along with the marriage procession, unite her now with the husband along with future progeny. O Agni, give long life and energy to this couple, May they both live for a hundred autumns. Guide them through all tribulations as easily as one passes through rivulets of water.

While taking the First Step the bride assures : “O Lord! I have had the good fortune of acquiring you due to the various merits acquired by me in my earlier births”.

While taking the Second Step she assures : “ I will look after your entire family, from the infant to the aged and will be happy with whatever I receive for my sustenance”.
While taking the Third Step she assures : “ I will always provide you delicious nourishment seeking your pleasure during the three periods of the day.

While taking the Fourth Step she assures : “ I will adorn myself with clean attire and will unite with you through acts with the mind, speech and body.

While taking the Fifth Step she assures : “ As one self-assured in sorrow and in pleasant in happiness, I will share equally, and will never waver in the company of the other.

While taking the Sixth Step she assures : “ I will happily perform the household chores. I will respect my in-laws and also other relatives. Wherever you are there I will be and will never deceive nor be deceived.

While taking the Seventh Step she assures : “ O Lord ! I will assist you in the rituals of sacrificial fires and will obey you in fulfilling righteous duties, in your enterprise and in fulfilling your desire., In the presence of the resurgent fire, the men wise in Wisdom, my parents and relatives you have become my Lord and I have offered my body unto you.

The responcibilty t sustain marital does nor depend nly on the bride but on ride groom also. therefore the bride-groom likewise becoming conscious of his responsibility to be shouldered offers these words of assurance and commitment at every steps which he takes living the years to come.

While taking the First Step he assures : O bride, on the First Step be my companion on the Path ; Be provider of food, fulfiller of religious observances, with many sons during the long life”.

While taking the Second Step he assures : “ O bride, on the Second Step be my energizer on the Path ; Be provider of food, fulfiller of religious observances, with many sons during the long life’.
While taking the Third Step he assures : “O bride, on the Third Step become one who will increase my wealth ; Be provider of food, fulfiller of religious observances, with many sons during the long life.

While taking the Fourth Step he assures : “ O bride, on the Fourth Step become one who will increase my happiness ; Be provider of food, fulfiller of religious observances, with many sons during the long life.

While taking the Fifth Step he assures : “O bride, on the Fifth Step become one who will increase my progeny ; Be provider of food, fulfiller of religious observances, with many sons during the long life.

While taking the Sixth Step she assures : “O bride, on the Sixth Step become one who will increase in all the seasons ; Be provider of food, fulfiller of religious observances, with many sons during the long life.

While taking the Seventh Step he assures : “ O bride, on the Seventh Step become one who will ever remain my companion ; Be provider of food, fulfiller of religious  observances, with many sons during the long life.

These seven steps are important according to Hindu marriage rituals
because these seven steps together cement the relationship of once distinct individuals and now united as companions in marriage, ever to be harmonious in life, taking into consideration each other's likes and dislikes and never to have any discordance in relationship. Under the Hindu Law, a marriage is valid only after completion of Saptapadi with sacrificial fire – Agni as the Witness. At the end of all ceremonies the newly married bride is released from the  bonds of her father’s family with the words “I release you from your father's protection and give you over to your husband. I bind you gently there. O bounteous Indra, may she live blessed in her fortune and her children. Hail!  O Gods ! with constant offerings husband and wife will with one accord press out and wash the Soma juice … With sons and daughters by their side, may they two enjoy the full span of life, both decorated with ornaments of gold. O Bride, radiant as the Sun, mount this all-hued, golden-tinted, strongwheeled, highly brilliant car, gently rolling, bound for the world of life immortal. The bride is blessed and urged to to take the hand offered by Bhaga to conduct her to the house where she is going to be the mistress, to be happy and prosperous with many children, with caution to rule the new house hold, uniting with the husband and live full life is his company. May Prajapati provide progeny for us ; may Aryama adorn our lives till old age descends on us. Let not ill will enter our home but bring blessings for our two footed and four footed creatures.  Here, verily you shall stay and not part any were else reaching the full span of your life, with sons and grandsons sporting and playing rejoicing here itself in your home. O Bounteous Indra, make this bride blessed in her fortune and her children, confer upon her ten children, and may her husband be like unto the eleventh”.

Blessing of the assembled Guests.

The Guests had gathered, witnessed and participated in all the ceremonies. Now the time has come to thank the parents of the bride and the bride groom, bless the couple and pray the Gods for their well being, welfare and wealth and prosperity before all disperse to their own dwelling places. Thereafter as the bride is the foundation of the family and custodian of the family fortunes, the guests are called to bless the bride and bride groom to make for husband a happy bridal procession before the depart to the dwelling places:

“Highly auspicious is this bride, come congratulate her; wish her a married life filled with her husband's love, before you return to your respective dwellings. Agni, the resurgent fire has given you your resplendent husband with ample life; long lived be he who is her husband, a hundred autumns let him live. Let Bhaga take your hand and lead you, let Ashvin on their car transport you. Go to the house t the household’s mistress and speak as the lady to the assembled people. Be happy and prosper with your children , be vigilant to rule your household, Be united with your companion, your husband, so shall you two live for full of years together. May you two dwell together, be not separated. Enjoy the full span of your life, playing with sons and grandsons rejoicing in your own home. O Bounteous Indra,make this bride blessed in her fortune and her children, confer upon her ten children, and may her husband be like unto the eleventh. Be an empress over your father-in-law, an empress over your mother-in-law, be an empress over your husband's sisters, and an empress over his brothers too. Prepare you two happy and prosperous fortune, speaking truth in faithful utterances. Dear unto her make Brihaspati, her husband and pleasant be the words the lover speaks. Blessed be the gold for you,
blessed be the waters, blessed be the opening and blessed by the stable one. Blessed be the waters with with their clarity, blessed by they union with your husband. As the river Sindhu attained royal recognition over other rivers, sodo you attain supreme status in your husband’s home. May Indra and Agni, Heaven and Earth, Matarishvan, Mitra and Varuna,Bhaga and the Ashvins twins Brihasati and the Maruts, Brahma and Soma make this dame effulgent with offspring. So may the Universal Gods, so maythe Waters join your hearts. May Matarishvan, Dhatar and Desari together bind you both. Thus blessed by the assembles well wishers the couple depart to their new abode. Thus does an Indian marriage end, with divine blessings and human well-wishes, not as a social event but as divine communion. .

In addition to these words of Wisdom from vedic scriptures, we have
gems of Wisdom strewn in classical literature. In Kumar sambhava drama Kalidas said, “When, by the presence of these (Uma and Shiva) other couples,on the eve of their marriage, attain a rare splendour, who could describe the glory of them both? By going round these blazing fire, the couple shone like night and day, clinging each other and revolving round the fringe of mount Meru.

In Abhijnyan Shakuntata, Kashap Muni blesses his adopted daughter
Shakuntal, “She may be cherished by herr husband, as Sharmishtha was cherished by Yayati and she may bear a son, as did Puru, who may became sovereign of the world. Let these sacrificial fires, whose places are fixed round the altar, fed with holy wood, having the Dharbha grass strewn around their margins, removing sin by the perfume of the oblations, purify you. Pay respectful attention to your elders; treat other women of family as your dear friends; should your husband wrong you, let not your resentment lead your disobedience. Be ever courteous towards your servants; not puffed with pride in your fortune. By such behaviour, young women become honoured wives; but perverse wives are the bane of a family. In truth a daughter is another's property; and
having today sent her to her lord, I find my soul has become quite clear as if after restoring a deposit.

In Mahabharat Vanaparva, Chapte233-234, Draupadi gives
extensive advise to Satyabhama, one of the five wives whom Krishna had
married. Wondering the manner in which Draupadi had kept her five husbands ever inclined towards her, Satyabhama asks her to recommend some mantras penances and austerities by which the husbands could be kept inclined towards them. Draupadi is not pleased saying that such practices are followed by uncultured women. If the husband comes to know that he has been kept inclined towards her through magical rites for austere penances then he will be suspicious like those who have a serpent hidden in one’s home. Suspicion brings neither peace nor any happiness. therefore she counsels Satyabhama that she serves her five husbands all in equal measure without any self-centred ego, performs all actions in such manner that they will be pleased by them, caution that no illword wmay escape from her mouth, neither behave in uncivil manner nor shamelessly desire things, neither sit in the company of evil people
nor give any cause them to behave in improper manner, behave listening to husbands’ counsel. I am not attracted towards any one other than my husbands, howsoever handsome, rich and strong they may be, without seving the husbands first I never allow myself to be served, whenever they return home from outside I always stand to welcome them, to inquire of their well-being, to give them seat and water to drink. I keep my home clean and pleasant, store grains and use them judiciously, I speak no such words as would cause others to repudiate me, never stand at the door unnecessarily nor loiter outside aimlessly, neither speak to strangers nor give occasion to loose peace of mind avoiding unproductive controversies, neither express undue pleasure nor display unavoidable sorrow or anger. I do not like to be without the company of
my husbands nor go anywhere without my husbands aside me. I neither
decorate myself in their absence nor eat, drink things which they do not eat and drink. I keep myself ever engaged inclined to his wellbeing and welfare. I believe as the eternal need to be ever sheltered by the husband, other than the husband no one else can be a woman’s refuge, I never err in meeting his needs. Therefore they leave everything to my judgment being free to pursue their actions and activities. Therefore I consider devotion to the wellbeing and welfare to be the mantra, performance of commensurate is my penance.*****

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Knowing That One every thing becomes known.

When sage Aruni saw his son Svetaketu, approaching proudly from Gurukula as one well informed of the scriptural prescriptions and prohibitions and Knowlegeable of the recommended  rites and rituals, He asked him whether his Teacher has taught him the Wisdom about

That One, knowing which the unpercieved becomes perceived, the unheard becomes heard, the unknowable becomes known?

Svetaketu becomes perplexed by the question asked and curious to know That One, knowing which the unpercieved becomes perceived, the unheard becomes heard, the unknowable becomes known.

This is the fundamental reason for every inquiry and the intended purpose for all penances.  To know the end one should seek the beginning.  To know the vastness of the Ocean, one should take a dip in the source of the river.  The end is seen, the Ocean is perceived, the beginning is unseen, the source of the river is mysterious. Therefore, the seers seek the source in the caves of the mountains or in the caveswithin their heart.  When the source of the river is seen within the bowels of the mountains, or when the source of the energy becomes revealed in the cave within their heart then the vast ocean and the mysterious source of energy becomes known.

The Ocean is like the Supreme Being, all-enveloping and all-pervading, the rivers having entered the Ocean and becoming one as it were. Therefore, Isha Upanishad says that even like the Supreme Being which remains Complete even when it manifests as the creation, which is Complete in itself, the Ocean remains as one which Complete entirety, even when rivers enter or water becomes evaporated as rains, to flow as rivers again. Consequently one who sees all the rivers as one with the Ocean or the Ocean becoming the rivers when the waters of the Ocean become evaporated and flow as rivers, is not revised with one river or the other or one who knows the Ocean as the congregation of all the rivers, then neither delusion nor sorrow envelops him.

Sun h one is the Man of Wisdom who having known That One, for whom the unheard becomes heard, the unpercieved becomes perceived, the unknowable becomes known.  Then he listens to every sound and knows that soundless Sound -AUM, perceives That One, the Supreme Being in every form created, knows the divine essence within every form in Creation. He becomes the Brahman, as it were, but knot Brahman, the Supreme Being, even as the rivers become the. Ocean, as it were, but not the Ocean.

That is the meaning of Aruni's clarification given to Svetaketu.

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In Upanishad we find many queries being asked and replied. Assuming that a gross form is absolute necessity for the subtle essence to become resurgent, a seeker inquires about the mystery of birth of subtle animate  life in otherwise a gross inanimate form. Observing superficially a plant becoming resurgent even from a dry stump of a tree broken in pieces, the seeker inquires how does new life becomes evolved from the dead tree.

The man of wisdom replies that one should not say from semen, because from dead source no life can come to be, thereby suggesting that the semen provides merely the lifeless gross form and not the resurgent life, which the Supreme Being alone instils in the gross form according to the good or bad actions performed while it was present in the previous gross form.

Therefore it becomes clear that the human or non-human beings have the power and capacity to create a form but the power and capacity to instil the resurgent life in that form. Since the life cannot be active without a form available to dwell, it is incumbent on beings to provide the form for the wayward life that seeks a form to dwell in. Therefore it is necessary for beings to safeguard the form for the life to dwell in; and if no such form is made available or if the form comes to be destroyed even before it is made available, then the one who destroys the form becomes the Accused in the eyes of the wayward life, cursing the penetrator of such helnius crime.

Therefore, men wise in Wisdom look with disfavour those who abort the womb before it becomes fit for a life to inhabit. Every life needs a form to evolve itself spiritually and any interference in this natural process in crime against nature's law and therefore considered evil, immoral thing to do, deserving harshest punishment.

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 In Upanishad  there is an important statement that lays down the course which one should accept in his journey to take him from the gross material temporal world to the subtle, superior, spiritual world, which reads as under : असतो मा सद् गमय ; तमसो मा मृत्युर गमय ; मृत्योर अमृतम् गमय. These exhortions are translated literally as - one should go from untruth to Truth ; from darkness to Light ; from death to Immortality.

The words contained in Upanishad are not simple to understand. Hey contain deep mystical truths within the overtly perceived meanings. Therefore the inner meaning should be listened with receptive mind, reflected and meditated to have clarity and benefit.

The words should understood by going to the source from which the word derives it's meaning.

असतो मा सद् गमय - सत् derives it meaning from the root अस् - to be, to exist, therefore सत्य, the Prime Existence. असत्, therefore is that which is not सत्, the Prime Existence. Therefore, the first exhortion should be understood as going from the gross temporal existences to the subtle, spiritual Existence.  The world is manifestation by way of forms, symbols in which the essence of the Prime Existence is posited. The essence is not known because human beings attracted and bewildered with the attractions of the forms in the primordial world fail to experience the concealed mystical essence within those forms. The forms and the symbols, the marks and the instruments are for the purpose of
making known the Prime Existence, which being mysterious requires to be searched by the constituents as one would search the cow by following its foot marks, which acts as the symbols.
This enables the manifest world to recognise each other and transcend from the known forms as symbols, marks to reach out the Unknown essence, the Prime Existence.

तमसो मा सद् गमय - going away from obscurity, ignorance to clarity and Wisdom. When one knows the gross, temporal existence is not the unknown subtle, spiritual, the Prime Existence then one is on the right Path to Perfection.

This takes one to final objective in life and the purpose of spiritual Path - मृत्योर अमृतम् गमय - going from decay, degeneration and dissolution of the mortal existence to resurgence, rejuvenation and re-existence in the immortal Prime Existence.

Reflect on these words because they indicate the true Path to Perfection, becoming liberated from the shackles of the World of Appearnce and deliverance to the World of Real Prime Existence.

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