What is to be observed and what is to be avoided - The Dos and the Don'ts Siddhamuni continued his narrative to Namdharak on the spiritual illumination Sri Narasimha Saraswati was lighting up in the minds of people. He was giving instruction on the disciplines necessary for keeping up the spiritual flame shining brightly in the homes and in the hearts of people. After soothing their body and minds, he used to start giving spiritual instruction to put them on Godward path, to help them evolve spiritually, so that they would be relieved forever from the afflictions of birth and death. In the previous chapter, Guru Nath narrated to the Brahmin couple the Acharavidhis for the Brahmins. In this chapter, he described to them Deva Puja Vidhi (about the daily worship) and it's Mahima. For Deva Puja, the shrine room should be kept clean, Rangoli should be done and the place should be decorated with flowers. The atmosphere should be filled with the fragrance of incense sticks, sandalwood or other perfume materials. The place should be specially congenial and soothing to the minds. It should make an instant appeal to the minds and bring it into devout and worshipful mood. The atmosphere should be such that the senses get sublimated, mind gets collected and calmed and the spirit gets uplifted and elevated. Seated on a clean, comfortable seat, one should take to the Puja (worship). The worship has to be done three times a day - morning, afternoon and evening. If the full and elaborate worship is not possible for want of time or any other reasons, one should at least do the Shodasopachara Puja (worship constituting the sixteen types of services) in the morning, Panchopachara Puja (worship constituting of five types of services) in the forenoon, and offering of the camphor light (Niranjan) in the evening, and perform the worship this way. Having been born as a Brahmin if he does not do the worship daily, he will be subject to hell life after death. There are six types of Puja. These are:- i) Udaka Narayana Puja, i.e, worshipping of God in Water. ii) Agni Puja, i.e., worshipping God in Fire. iii) Aditya Puja, .i.e, worshipping God in the Sun. iv) Manasika Puja, i.e, worshipping God in the Shrine of one's heart. (offering of worship mentally) v) Pratima Puja, i.e., worshipping God in the Icons (idols) vi) Yadnya Puja, i.e, worshipping God through performance of Yadnya. The Manasika Puja is the highest form of worship. Idol worship is a relatively lower type or form of worship compared to Manasika Puja, but it also has its place in the spiritual journey. Worship of cow and a Brahmin, visualising them as God, is also an accepted form of Puja. Worship of Guru pleases all the Trimurtis. In the Kali age, as men are not capable of cultivating and cherishing such exalted form of adoration towards the Guru and of identifying the Guru with God, God has assumed the forms of Saligrama stones and of Linga form stones, which are found on the banks and the river beds of the Narmada and the Gangaki rivers. Worship of the Saligrama of the Linga, absolves man from all his sins. With Guru's Upadesha, and worshipping the idol as per his instructions, God will respond fully in stone and wood idols even and will fulfill all the desires of the worshipper. Regarding the worship to the idol, firstly one should seat himself before the shrine, should do Sankalpa and then Pranayama (regulation of breath). Pranayama helps to quieten the mind and centralises the consciousness for concentration. Water has to be sprinkled over the materials for worship. The idol has to be then installed in the Simhasan (throne or seat for the Lord). On the left side of the idol should be placed the bell. The flowers and other materials of worship of the previous day are to be removed. The lamp has to be lighted. Then worship has to be first offered to Lord Ganapati. Then the Guru has to be remembered. The worship to the shrine has to be done. The tutelary deity has to be visualised in the shrine of one's own heart, and the same visualised form has to be then invoked and enshrined in or to be identified with the idol placed for worship. This is Prana-Pratishtha, imparting living reality to (or instilling life into) the idol. One should visualize that God himself has come and is standing in front of him. Bhavana, with true faith, is the very essence of the idol worship. Then to the visualised form of God, identified with the idol, Padya, Arghya, Aachamana, Madhuparka, Snana - all these Upacharas (services) are to be done. Then chanting the prescribed Mantras, Abhishekas has to performed with milk Panchagavya, etc. The idol has to be dried with a clean cloth and placed back on the Shrine. Then Vastra (cloth/clothes), Gandha (sandal-paste), Yajnopavita (sacred thread), are to be offered and thereafter Puja has to be done with flowers, with materials and articles of fragrance, and with Akshatas (rice mixed with Turmeric paste), etc. While white flowers are ideal for worship, coloured flowers are not so sacred for worship. Lotuses, Jasmines and some other such flowers are good; Ganapati is not to be worshipped with Tulsi, and Devi is not to be worshiped with Garika. Maredu (Bilwa) is dear Shiva and Tulsi for Vishnu. After the offerings of flowers, Dhoopa has to be offered. During the Puja, appropriate Mantras and prayers are to be recited with full devotion. After the Puja, Naivedya (food) will have to be offered to the Lord. Visualising God to have eaten the food offering, His hands are to be cleaned with water. Then Tambula (Betel leaves) have to be offered. The Puja will have to be conducted with Arti and offering Mantra Pushpa at His feet and doing the Pradakshana and finally doing the Sashtang Namaskar. Namaskara Vidhi is also explained in detail, how to offer Namaskars to the idol, to the Guru, to the elders, to parents, etc. The Puja Teertha has to be sprinkled on one's forehead, to be smeared on the eyes and should be sipped by the mouth. The Puja-Teertha is most purifying; it purifies the body, mind and the spirit. After the Deva Puja and before taking food, we have to offer oblations, the Pancha Yagnas, viz., Deva Yagnya, Rishi Yagnya, Pitru Yagnya, Bhuta Yagnya, and Athiti Yagnya. These Yagnya's absolve man of the Pancha-suna suns which everyone invariably commits while doing the daily chores. The Pancha Yagnya's are done through Vysvadevatri from the food cooked, a little portion will have o be first offered to the Gods, Pitrus, ancestors, Bhutas, Rishis and Athitis, and then only one will have to take his food, considering it as Yagnya-Sesha ( the remnant portions of Yagna). If a guest happens to arrive, he should be welcomed and fed. Athiti is to be deemed as God himself come in human form. After the guest is fed only the Grihastha (the house holder) has to take his food. When an Athiti or Brahmachari comes for Bhiksha, he should be offered Bhiksa, instantly even if Vaisvadeva and Naivedya have not been performed yet. If Athiti is pleased, all Gods, all Pitrudevatas will be pleased. One morsel of food given to them brings mountain sized merit and one tumbler of water offered to them brings an ocean-size merit. One who does not offer food to Athiti and eats by himself, will be born as a dog or donkey in his next life. Strict silence is enjoyed while taking food. Actually before taking food, there are other oblations to be done and observed. A circle with four cones (mandala) should be drawn with flour and plate of food should be kept on the mandala. A little food has to be kept aside on the right side on the floor as 'Bali', in the name of Chitragupta, and thereafter only we should et the food. One should visualise that God only, seated inside him, is eating the food and that the food is also Brahman himself (Brahmarpanam, Brahma Havir, Brahmagnav, brahmanahutam, Brahmaivathena gantavyam, Brahma Karma Samdhina). "Pranabhuti" and "Ausposana" Mantras are to be recited at the beginning and after the completion of taking the food. At night when taking food,there should be lighted lamp and one should not eat the food in the dark. Moderation in food is also enjoyed. Moderation is very much necessary in food. How many mouthfuls one should take as per day of the fortnight, i.e, Chandrayan Vrat is described. The types of utensils and plates to be used for taking food, the metals out of which thy are made, their shapes - these are also described in some detail. There are also rules prescribed about drinking water, washing hands, washing eyes, etc. The auspicious sounds with which one should hear, the sounds which are inauspicious, whose faces are auspicious to see and whose faces are not - these are also described. Sri Narasimha Saraswati teaches also about the typesof food to be taking and those which are prohibited for a Brahmin. Food without a daily oblation, food made with too much salt, garlic, etc, are prohibitive. On particular days, some types of food and certain types of vegetables and fruits are to be avoided, like Padwal on Padyami day, belphal on Friday, Shaniphal on Tuesday, etc. A Brahmin should never take nishiddha food or food touched by a cat, rat, crow, dog, etc. He should not eat food that is stale, i.e, leftovers from previous. These impair, the Satwic states and promote rajasic and tamasic tendencies in him. A Brahmin should nurture and guard his Satwic gunas which are necessary and essential for his functioning as the community and the society as a whole. In the evening the Brahmin should perform Shyam Sandhya, i.e., chanting Gayatri Mantra with three oblations of water and uttering Gotra, Pravara and with Auposan. Thereafter only he should take his night meals. before retiring to bed, one should read some sacred books, and then after offering his whole day's work as worship done to the lord, he should go to sleep. Sayana Vidhan (sleeping) is also described, i.e., regulations, relating to the cot used for sleeping by a Brahmin, etc. The cot should be clean. It should not have been made of jambul wood or tusks of a dead elephant. Days for weaving cots are also specified - they are either Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday. When weaving, certain Deities are to be remembered. One should sleep with head towards east or south. The places prohibited for sleep for a Brahmin are also mentioned. Old temples, cremation grounds, at the foot of a tree, near anthill, near tanks, on foodgrains and dilapidated house are prohibited places for sleeping. A Brahmin should not go to bed with wet clothes. He should not go to sleep without a garment. He should not sleep under the bare sky. A Brahmin should not indulge with his wife when she is in her monthly period or when she is wearing blue coloured saree. There are injunctions on the wife as to how to conduct herself during her monthly periods and the things and disciplines she should observe. All these are necessary for bodily health as well as for moral and spiritual health, not only for the couple but also for the well being and welfare of the progeny. All these have been codified by Prasara Rishi in Parasara Smriti. With this ends the Karma Kanda section of Sri Guru Charitra. Thus ends the Thirty Seventh chapter of Sri Guru Charitra describing "Varnashrama Achar Vidhi". Glory to the All merciful, the Omnipresent and the ever responsive Guru Nath! Namaskara Priyaha Suryaha Alankara Pryaha Vishnuhu Abhisheka Priyaha Sivaha "One meal a day makes a Yogi, Two meals a day makes a Bogi and three meals a day makes a Rogi (a patient)" It is said. Further it is said that the purity of one's mind depends on the purity of food he takes, not only through the mouth, but also through his five senses, namely eyes, ears, nose, limbs and the tongue.