Part II

Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya (University). DSVV is based on the teachings and vision of, Pt. Shri Ram Sharma Acharya Ji, who was a ground-breaking scholar and one of the greatest philosophers of recent times in India. His education philosophy was to provide a free education to the deserving students with the contribution of the society and in turn, the qualified students should return the learnt skills back to the society in the form of a mandatory social internship. The University is quickly gaining an international renown for its dynamic blend of ancient and modern as well as due to its unique approach to the personal and intellectual development of its students.

Scientific Spirituality

Pujya Shriram Sharma ji was convinced that modern man could not be persuaded to accept the values of life patronized by spirituality until and unless these were proved to be scientifically viable for the welfare of man and the society. The Brahmavarchas Research Institute founded by him in 1979 near Shantikunj stands as a live example of how his ideas could be implemented and researched in the modern laboratories.

Sukshmikarana Sadhana and the Dawn of the New Era During 1984-1986, he endeavoured the unique spiritual experiment of sukshmikarana, meaning sublimation of vital force and physical, mental and spiritual energies. He authored a special set of 20 books (termed Revolutionary Literature or Krantidharmi Sahitya) highlighting the future of the world and conveying the message of time to prepare us for the realities stored in the distant depths of the 21st Century. On 2nd June 1990, he voluntarily departed from his physical existence.

Thereafter, his wife revered Mata Bhagavati Devi guided the series of Ashwamedha Yagyas, which accelerated the global expansion of the mission with grand impact, in the critical juncture of the decade of change of a millennium and change of an era. She too joined Acharya Sharma in the subliminal domains of divinity after leaving the physical body on the 19th September 1994.

Pragya Yoga Sadhana

Revered Gurudev, Pt. Shri Ram Sharma Acharya, has pioneered a novel approach to yoga for a healthy and happy life, which is simple and suitable for the masses. He has named it “Pragya Yoga” Pragya yoga is a device for developing spiritual prudence, insight and intuition. It is also making the daily routine upright. With Internal excellence, one enjoy self-satisfaction, public respect and divine pleasure. It elevate inner consciousness & create atmosphere of happiness and peace. It is an all-round, comprehensive programme of Gayatri-Sadhana which cannot be fulfilled by Mantra-Jap alone.

The Pragya Yoga Sadhana’s easy, logical and systematic methods for self-purification is as follows:
• Starts with 10-15 mins Aatmabodh – thinking about new birth soon after getting up in the morning.
• After completing the daily chores in the morning – do Upasana (worship) sitting near your favourite deity for 15-20 mins .
• Third step is contemplation devote 15-20 minutes for reflecting over one’s present state.
• Ends day with 10-15 mins Tatvabodh i.e. thinking about death at the time of going to sleep.
• One Day Fasting – Sunday or Thursday. Gayatri Anushthan once/twice in a year.

Step #1 – Aatmabodh – thinking about new birth soon after wakeup:
The Sadhana begins right at the moment when one gets up in the morning. Devote about 10-15 minutes, while still lying on bed, thinking ‘Today I have got a new birth. I have only one day, i.e. today, to live. How best can I utilize this day?’ Then make a plan for the whole day and try to be as honest as possible in your dealings.
detail step for Aatma bodh tatva bodh

Step #2 – Tatvabodh – thinking about death at the time of going to sleep :
In the evening when you are going to sleep, again devote 10-15 minutes, thanking God for providing this opportunity and thanking the self for performing the duties well. If there was some laziness that crept in the routine, it should be removed the next day. Then consider that today’s life is over and embrace death (in the form of sleep) peacefully.

Step #3 – Upasana – Spiritual Practice Worship.
This aspect of sadhana gradually removes the fear of death. The third step is ‘Upasana (worship)’. After completing the daily chores in the morning, do Upasana for about 15-30minutes, depending on the availability of time. Upasana, is sitting near your favourite deity. For this purpose, one should see that the place of worship is clean and peaceful; the body and mind are pure, there is an altar on which the photo of the deity is installed properly. Normally the photo of Mother Gayatri (considering God to be in the form of Mother) is kept on the altar. After the rituals of purification etc, the sadhak invokes the Supreme Mother and offers Her the articles like sacred water, flowers, incense, sweets etc. Then he starts the Japa (chanting of specific mantra). In this case, Gayatri Mantra is recited normally 108times or more. During recitation the sadhak also meditates on the rising sun. Keeping the eyes closed, one feels that the rays of the sun are penetrating one’s body, mind and soul and are energizing them. Deeper the concentration more will be the benefit. Once the japa and meditation are over, seek the blessings of righteous wisdom from your deity.
Steps for Simple & Effective Daily Gayatri Upasana

Step #4 – contemplation – reflecting over one’s present state:

The fourth step in Pragya yoga Sadhana is ‘contemplation’. Anytime in the afternoon or evening may be chosen for it. The sadhak should devote 15-20 minutes for reflecting over his present state. He should analyze from the idealistic point of view what is lacking in him and what should be done to further improve oneself. A quiet place is ideal for such a reflection .If these four steps of Sadhana are done regularly, it should be considered that the foundation for all the four boons of life -Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha has been well laid.

Step #5 Weekly/Monthly/Yearly Sadhana:

One can go beyond this by adding to it a weekly special Sadhana consisting of observing fast on weekends, say on Sunday, observing celibacy that day, keeping silence for a specific period, etc. There is also a provision of half-yearly sadhanas (during Chaitra and Ashwin Navratri). In these nine day periods Japa of 24,000 mantras is done, along with observance of some austerities.
Pragya Yoga Jivan Sadhana, if done properly, is like a cash transaction. There are two immediate benefits:
(i) The person gets rid of the accumulated harmful animal traits; and
(ii) He / She finds the right path for progress (material as well as spiritual).

Pragya Yoga Asana
The Indian sages – the Rishis, have guided practical ways for accomplishing a purposeful life. A life when lived as per the will of the Creator becomes a life united with yoga. The Rishis have given the formulae to evolve the unlimited powers (potentials) of human life. Ashtang yoga is one such formula for accomplishing healthy and happy life. Asanas constitute the first phase of Ashtang Yoga. Asana refers to a specific posture (while keeping the body active internally). Our rishis had keenly observed the sitting and standing postures of different animals.

They had studied the effects of different postures in the laboratory of their own bodies and developed specific Asanas that had rejuvenating effect on the entire body-mind-soul system. However, with the changing attitudes in the course of time, we became materialistic and this single-tracked commercialized civilization has raised several problems in our life. Therefore, it is quite difficult to perform all these Asanas in the present age.

Pujya Gurudev has pioneered a novel approach to yoga for a healthy and happy life, which is simple and suitable for the masses. He has named it “Pragya Yoga” – under the noble “Pragya Abhiyan” mission. Shantikunj – an Aranyak of our times, which is situated in the lap of the Ganges and under the shadow of the Himalayas is a center for learning this comprehensive yoga. A brief description of this form of yoga is given below.

Warm up exercise: To begin with, the fist is tightly closed and opened. Now wrists are moved inwardly and outwardly in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction. This gives flexibility to the muscles and joints of the wrist. Then the elbows are folded and opened. The elbows are folded further and moved circularly in one direction and the other, as much as the joints of the shoulders allow. This circular motion provides exercise to the hands, shoulders and elbows together. Hands are moved once forward and next backward in the same way as the rudder is moved while rowing a boat. This provides excellent exercise to the arms and waist.

Both hands are now stretched forward and then pulled inwardly; then moved clockwise and anti-clockwise direction. This simple exercise is very much helpful for patients suffering from stomach disorders.

The neck is directly connected to all the nerves. Below the brain, it is the neck through which all nerves pass. Being seated in sukhasan the neck is moved circularly in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction.

Pragya Yoga: This yoga involves all the three bodies (physical, subtle and causal) of a person. The Asan (physical exercise) rejuvenates body, Pranayam (breath control) strengthens mind and chanting in the heart of Mantra augments the will power. The sequence of exercises of this yoga is given on next page.

Tadasan
Stand on the toes. Chant ‘Bhur’ (bhooh) and raise both the hands upward while inhaling gradually and deeply. Look straight in front. (All the four actions should take place simultaneously). Hold your breath inside. This exercise helps in the adequate supply of blood to the heart. It stretches the spine and thus giving it the much-needed rest. This practice instantly removes lethargy. It is also beneficial in the case of weakness of the heart and blood disorders.

Pad Hastasana
Chanting ‘Bhuva’, bring both the hands downward from the posture of tadasan and exhale at the same slow and consistent pace. Bow the head down to touch the knees, also attempt to make the palms touch the floor. Hold your breath out for a few seconds and come back to the normal standing posture. Practice of this asana removes gastric trouble and induces vital strength in the IÃa, Pingala, and SuÌumna Naús.

Vajrasan
With the chant of ‘Swa’, place the toes on the floor and set the haunches on the feet. Both the legs should be in close contact. Keep the backbone erect and place the palms on the knees. Breathe normally. The back, neck and head should remain straight. Practicing this asan for a few minutes every day helps in maintaining good digestion and curing gastric trouble and constipation. It strengthens the muscles around the stomach and protects from hernia.

Ushtrasan
Now get up slowly from the vajrasan with a chant of ‘Tat’. Stand on your knees with the toes touching the floor and the heels facing backwards. Almost simultaneously, bend backwards to place the palms on the heels. Inhale deeply while looking upwards. Hold the breath in for few seconds. This asana stretches the abdomen, stomach, chest, and hands in a balanced way and helps healing the problems of backache, bending of waist/lumber bones etc. It makes the heart strong and augments the natural elasticity of the spinal column.

Yogamudra
With the chanting of ‘Savitur’, exhale slowly and sit on your legs as in vajrasana. At the same time, clench together both the palms behind the back and stretch upwards. Place the forehead on the floor so that the chest and the stomach touch the thighs. Hold the breath out for a few seconds. This posture helps in curing severe gastric troubles, setting the metabolic activities right and increasing the appetite. It is recommended in advanced yoga practices of awakening the extrasensory energy nucleus.

Ardh Tadasan
Chanting ‘Vareñyam’, inhale deeply. Sitting in the posture of vajrasan, raise both the arms and look straight. Hold the breath inside and stretch the arms as much as you can without pain. This asana gives a natural and mild traction to the neck and reduces the problems, such as cervical spondylitis. Like tadasan, it increases blood supply to the heart and cures weakness of the heart and blood-flow related disorders.

Shashankasan
Chanting ‘Bhargo’, sit in the posture of vajrasan. Exhale and keep both the arms stretched outwards in front of the chest. Place the palms on the floor. Bend from the waist to make the stomach touch the thighs and the forehead touch the floor. The arms should remain straight with palms touching the floor. Hold the breath outside for a few seconds. This asan eliminates constipation and stretches the muscles around the anus and buttock regions. It relaxes the sciatic nerves and regularizes the secretion from the adrenal gland.

Bhujangasan
Chanting ‘Devasya’ inhale deeply and pull your waist upwards. Toes and palms should remain as in the previous posture. Arms should be straight. The knees and thighs should touch the floor. Draw your chest and head upwards. Hold the breath inside and bend the head backwards slightly to stare the sky. This asan is recommended as a remedy against cervical spondylitis and several other problems of the spine and back. This is a soothing exercise for the lungs, heart & the backbone; especially beneficial for healthy functioning of the liver & kidneys.

Tiryak Bhujangasan (left)
In the posture of Bhujangasan, exhale slowly and turn the neck towards the left. Try looking at the heel of the right foot. Chant ‘Dhimahi’ (dheemahi) simultaneously. Hold the breath for a few seconds. Now inhale and bring the head in the front just like Bhujangasan.

Tiryak Bhujangasan (right)
Chanting ‘Dhiyo’, exhale and turn the neck towards the right to see the heel of the left foot. Hold the breath out for a few seconds and bring the head again in front with inhalation. Practice of the tiryak bhujangasan enhances flexibility of the waist and augments the benefits of the bhujangasan.

Shashankasan
Chanting ‘Yona’ return to the posture of step 7

Ardh Tadasan
Chanting ‘Prachodayat’ (prachodayaat) repeat step 6

Utkatasan
Now chant ‘Bhu’ and with normal breathing sit on the toes. The heels should not touch the floor. Let the calves touch the thighs and heels touch the buttocks. Bend the arms and keep the hands in front of the chest with palms placed on each other in the posture of Namaskar. Back, neck and head should be erect. Breathing should be deep and continued at a consistent pace. This asan gives strength to the calves & improves balance of the body.

Pad Hastasan
Chanting ‘Bhuva¡’ repeat step 2

Tadasan
Chanting ‘Swa¡’ repeat step 1.

Coming back to original position