CELIBACY IS THE GREAT MANTRA OF SUCCESS IN LIFE—ACHARYA BHARAT BHUSHAN PANDEY

Ara (RNI) On the third day of the Shrimad Bhagwat Katha week, organized at Moon Market, Jagdev Nagar under the auspices of Shri Sanatan Shaktipeeth Sansthanam, Bhagwatacharya Dr. Bharat Bhushan Pandey Ji Maharaja said that our religion is based on Varna and Ashram. The first is Brahmcharya Ashram in which it is necessary for the followers of the Acharya having Vedic tradition, study the Vedas and scriptures, contemplate on the divine essence and protect the manliness.

Acharya Ji said that without the vow of celibacy, Brahmvidya can neither be attained nor sustained. Only hard physical labour, service, self-study and contemplation of Vedanta, VedaBrahm by remaining under the patronage of preceptors (Gurus) can keep the vow of celibacy intact. Bharat Bhushan Pandey said that today’s education and livelihood system itself is teaching degradation of celibacy and in the name of free life, it is creating human beings inferior to animals and birds. He added that for a successful household life, one must observe a strict vow of celibacy for the first twenty-two years. No task in world remains impossible. He added that God took the first incarnation in the form of Sanak, Sanandan, Sanatan and Sanat Kumar and followed the vow of celibacy. Sankadi, Narad, Nar-Narayan etc. are celibate sages while lord Parshuram, Pitamah Bhishma etc. are celibate celibates. He said that marrying as per the Vedic tradition and entering Grihastha Ashram is also a kind of celibacy. Lord Sri Ram follows monogamous vow and Jagadamba Sita is monogamous. This is the ideal teaching of scriptures.

Dr. Bharat Bhushan Pandey said that one who always engaged in removing the sufferings of others and for the welfare of the society, are dear to God. He said that Ashwatthama had killed all five sons of Draupadi but she saved his life. Dhruv Ji’s step-mother had exiled him but he attained God and always had close feelings towards his step-mother like his own mother and her son Uttam. Acharya Ji said that Prahlad Ji showed full respect and courtesy towards his father Hiranyakashipur who had turned out his bitter enemy but remained firm on his principles. This is the characteristic of a devotee. He cares about everyone’s welfare but remains dedicated only to God’s feet. Acharya Ji stated that even the great Chakravarti emperors remained dependent on the Lord’s feet and the subjects along with them kept relishing the nectar or divine. This is the ultimate fruit of life. Devotion to Bhagwat Bhagwat Kainkaryam is the ultimate happiness of life. He said that whenever the Vedic Sanatan Dharma gets attacked by the evil anarchic demonic elements and the good ones starts getting harassed by the wicked God took birth on this earth in various forms and destroys the evildoers and nurtures the good people. Only God protects the religion, hence one should follow the religion firmly with full devotion.

Describing character of Prahalad, Gajendra Moksha, Sri Ram’s birth and the appearance of Sri Krishna, he said that during the churning of the ocean, Mondaranchal mountan was churned and the lord bore the burden of mountain on His back in the in the form of a tortoise. The Mandar is in Bhagalpur area in Bihar. He added that the south bank of the river Ganga between Karmanasha and Sonbhadra has been called Karush and Malad regions. These two districts are nowadays known as Ara and Buxar. After the rescue of Vritasura, Devraj Indra was stigmata for Brahmahatya, Vrihaspati performed a Yagya in this area and purified Devraj Indra with the holy water of Ganga. The place where the filth etc. due to Brahmahatya fell was called Malad and the place where the hunger and thirst caused by Brahmhatya ended was called Karush areas. After his exemption from the sin of Brahmhataya, Devraj Indra blessed this area to be full of wealth, grains and religion. Buxar has also been famous in the Puranas by names like Siddhashram, Vamanashram etc. Lord Vaman appeared in Gujarat on the banks of the Narmada in the first Kalpoa and in Vamanashram on the banks of river Ganga in this third Kalpa. The sacrificial place of demon king Bali which was called Bayagasthal is nowadays Balia in Uttar Pradesh where Lord Vaman took the sacrifice is called Balihar. During the Mahabharata period, the Pandavas had resided in Ara and Bhimsen had killed Bakasura which is nowadays called a goat (Bakari).

On the occasion, Sri Niwas Chaubey and Secretary Triloki Nath Singh narrated the story of Sri Ram and classical singer Rakesh Mishra recited the bhajans. Pandit Sanjay Dwiwedi of Prayagraj and scholars performed Sarvatobhadra Mandal Puja, Rudrabhishek and chanted the original texts.

Organizing committee coordinator Brij Bihari Singh, Secretary Triloki Nath Singh, Vanshidhar Pandey, Prof. Ramnath Rai, Shri Krishna Gupta, Vasudev Singh, Sumant Singh, Ramnarayan Pandey, Madheshwar Nath Pandey, Jagdeep Narayan Ojha, Biteshwar Rai, Bhuvan Singh, Brahmdev Rai, Sudhir Kumar, Sumant Singh, Vidya Shankar Singh, Paras Nath Singh, Indramani Singh, Bhola Singh, Ranju Devi, Vidyawati Devi and many other dignitaries worshiped the Vyaspeeth. Prasad was distributed among the devotees.