Spiritually Yours

Recently, an ex-colleague of mine, a staunch Hindu devotee, went to Mauritius for a fortnight. As he would do it daily in his hometown, taking a dip early in the morning in the holy Ganges and then pray the rising Sun with a palmful of Ganges water, a ritual named “arghya”, how overwhelmed he became with emotions of ocean in front of the Indian Ocean performing the same ritual with the ocean water is my pick of the day.

He explains, “I was searching for the water of Mother Ganges in the sea. There is a very old saying that out of 100 different types of milk, someone had smelled and identified his cow’s milk as different. This can be true because the thing with which we get emotionally, spiritually, and materially connected, we also become familiar with its every part and all the parts; one gets acquainted with its form, colour, taste and smell. Mother Ganga emerges from the Gomukh of Uttarkashi district and merges into the ocean in the Bay of Bengal. Sagar means ocean which must have been made drop by drop, synonymous with vastness due to amalgamation of rivers and thus becomes like infinity. This ocean keeps innumerable rivers just like the gopikas for Lord Krishna’s form; every Gopi is a Krishna and all gopikas make Krishna. Similarly, here every river is an ocean, everyone left it’s form, even gave up its taste and uniqueness. The one in whom ‘He’ is absorbed has become ‘His’, destroyed ‘My’ existence, there is no scope for infidelity either. The Ganges, holiest of all the rivers, which has attained the status of mother and all others however small or big are such kind. Indian scriptures say that in the churning of ocean between the Gods and Demons to get nectar, the urn of nectar spilled and whichever rivers the drops fell into, they became nectar-filled. The Ganga is considered the main amongst them all. Whatever may be the mythological facts and present reality, but Gangaji falls in this sea and its nectar water is in this sea. If it is not complete, then at least, for sure, a tiny & partial part will be here in this ocean.”

I, too, like many others, have all the faith in the Almighty and have a very special and private relationship with HIM, but I do not really want my faith to be very ostentatious or made to be known to others. Still, I adored his composed wisdom, vastness of thoughts, and acceptability of anything more than the religious frame of it. I was taken aback by his staunch devotion to look for the Ganges anywhere and everywhere. And that is exactly it ought to be, unaltered, unchanged, unaffected.

He applied that sea water on his lips to do what is called “Aachaman’, for peace on the mind, for Surya Arghya, for ‘Pitra Tarpan’ and also for their salvation. I would definitely do the same when I happen to approach the sea water next time more so for clarity of my thoughts even if not for what he did it for.

Good evening and see you next time.