Mohan Singh
Fasting for longevity is
just illusion and superstitious, from a Spiritual standpoint, the story and
rituals related to Karvaa Chauth are more or less nonsensical. This is
mainly observed by the women of north India; Hindus, Sikhs and some others. It
is virtually unheard or nonexistence in rest of India. This is traditionally
observed few days before Diwali on the Kartik Ki Chauth; married women observe
their ritualistic fast on this day seeking the welfare, well-being, and
longevity of their husbands.
In this, worship is offered
to Siva and Parvati before ending the fast. In principle, the fast is not to be
broken until the moon is sighted at night, and an elderly woman in the house is
supposed to narrate a totally weird story of Karvaa Chauth before the
fast is terminated. Also, women get together and visit a nearby Pandit's house
or a temple for the purpose of performing rituals of ending the fast. Thus,
apparently, the Karvaa Chauth is celebrated as a wife's benediction for her
husband. Nowadays it is equally popular among unmarried women; perhaps they
observe it in hope for a "good match''!
There seems to be no such
celebration as a husband's benediction for his wife! Does this mean that the
married men do not care or are not obliged to seek the welfare, well-being, and
longevity of their wives? Evidently, it scarcely requires a feminist to point
out that there exists an extraordinary inequity in the relations between men
and women.
Why does only a woman pray
for her husband's well-being, and not the husband? According to the traditional
belief, upon marriage, the husband becomes protector of the woman after she
leaves her parents home. He provides her food, shelter, clothing, respect,
comforts, etc. Because of selfishness, it so happened that, after the death of
her husband, the widow was viewed as burden to the household and was best got
rid of by burning her on the funeral pyre of her husband. This Satee Prathaa was
glorified by attributing great virtue to the woman who had become widow, having
thus brainwashed her enough so that she herself would
decide to jump into the burning funeral pyre of her husband and become what was known as a Satee. In reality, Satee Prathaa still continues in remote village in India!
decide to jump into the burning funeral pyre of her husband and become what was known as a Satee. In reality, Satee Prathaa still continues in remote village in India!
Because nobody wants to
burn herself alive on the funeral pyre of her husband, it became exceedingly
important for a woman that her husband remain alive, otherwise she would become
a Satee. Hence, in complete
Spiritual ignorance, or out of desires and fear came into being the importance
of ritual of fasting. With this came another easy source of income for the wily
priest class (Pujaarees, Brahmins)!
Nowadays, Karvaa Chauth has
become so commercial that it is glorified on the television, radio stations,
temples, and other media. Shops are heavily decorated with expensive clothes, jewelry,
sweets, foods, and so on. Women adorn themselves with the latest designer's
clothes, ornaments, bodily decoration and make-up.
This is all Karamkaand performed under the spell
of illusion, pride, ignorance, worldly love, selfishness, material desires,
hypocrisy, egoism, possessiveness, emotional attachment, material bondage,
greed, doubts, superstitions, whim-led mental and material habits, spiritual
indifference, and "I-am-the-body" idea.
The Gurbani disapproves of
worshipping of any demigods or goddesses because they are mentioned to be as
much deluded by Maya as anybody else. It is declared by the Gurbani that each Jeeva
(individual being) is blessed with the counted number of breaths and morsels of
food; no less, no more! However, in his thoughtlessness, man does not know that
each day, his breaths are being used up; his most beautiful body is wearing
away; old age, the death, is closing on him. Instead, he is engrossed in family
play; placing his hopes in transitory things. He indulges in corrupt pleasures,
and wanders lost. “No one remains here when
the count of the breaths is full. (GGS: 465).”
The only purpose of our
life is to know ourselves or to find out why we are here on this earth; not to
use it in pursuit of passions. The only way to realize Mool is to use the life
for Spiritual Enfoldments through the Gurmat (Aatam Giaan). However, in false
illusion to gratify senses, we participate in religious activities or rituals
are also generally motivated by the hope for further sense gratification here,
and after death in some far-off heaven.
Religious rituals are
generally performed with the purpose of material benefit in mind. Such acts are
in the mode of either passion or ignorance, for they bind us in egoism. In this
madness, we work day and night to develop material wealth, without caring for
the eternal Spirit or advancement in Spiritual Understanding (Aatam-Giaan).
Due to such perverted understanding, we maintained some religious rituals or observance
as long as such activities contribute to our wealth or material well-being.
This material success, in turn, is utilized for sense gratification. This is
like pouring more fuel on blazing fire!
As made clear in the
Gurbani, pure devotion or Bhagti is to thoroughly understand the Gurmat. One
cannot be a pure devotee if he has some worldly aspiration or desire to fulfill
in exchange for his devotional service. In other words, when one fully
understands that any material remuneration or reward has nothing to do with
Spiritual well-being, then he becomes a pure devotee.
Kabeer says “One, who discards food, is practicing hypocrisy. He is like Kuchajee woman who is neither a happy soul-bride, nor a widow. (Those who claim in this world that) they live on milk alone, secretly eat whole loads of food! ||3|| without the food, time does not pass in peace. Forsaking this food, one does not meet the Lord. Says Kabeer, this I know: that blest is the food etc. by which my mind is propitiated with the Lord. (GGS: 873).
Women apparently observe fast in hope of remaining Suhaagan (bride), in material sense! But, according to the Gurbani, who is the true Suhaagan? The true Suhaagan is she (Soul) who has made the Mool within (Source of Origin), her beloved husband. In other words, she has enshrined the Pure Mool in her mind; through God-consciousness, her Heart-Lotus has blossomed forth; she is blessed with the treasure of Love and devotion; her doubts or darkness of ignorance is dispelled; she has focused her consciousness on the Divine; she is joyously embellished in Sahaj; her material hunger and thirst are vanished; she has torn down skepticism; with her intuition, she is engaged in meditation (Naam-Simran: Understanding the Gurmat); she has conquered her mind; thus her mind has awakened to Spiritual Realization. Such a beautiful, happy Soul-bride enjoys her Husband Lord who never dies. She is the True Suhaagan.
Kabeer says “One, who discards food, is practicing hypocrisy. He is like Kuchajee woman who is neither a happy soul-bride, nor a widow. (Those who claim in this world that) they live on milk alone, secretly eat whole loads of food! ||3|| without the food, time does not pass in peace. Forsaking this food, one does not meet the Lord. Says Kabeer, this I know: that blest is the food etc. by which my mind is propitiated with the Lord. (GGS: 873).
Women apparently observe fast in hope of remaining Suhaagan (bride), in material sense! But, according to the Gurbani, who is the true Suhaagan? The true Suhaagan is she (Soul) who has made the Mool within (Source of Origin), her beloved husband. In other words, she has enshrined the Pure Mool in her mind; through God-consciousness, her Heart-Lotus has blossomed forth; she is blessed with the treasure of Love and devotion; her doubts or darkness of ignorance is dispelled; she has focused her consciousness on the Divine; she is joyously embellished in Sahaj; her material hunger and thirst are vanished; she has torn down skepticism; with her intuition, she is engaged in meditation (Naam-Simran: Understanding the Gurmat); she has conquered her mind; thus her mind has awakened to Spiritual Realization. Such a beautiful, happy Soul-bride enjoys her Husband Lord who never dies. She is the True Suhaagan.
Fasting of all sorts is
condemned in the Gurbani because man's true enemy is not his body but his deluded
mind. Man's all Vaasnaas and physical passions are in reality created by
the spiritually blind mind, which we all must try to restrain and conquer if we
wish to link with our true Husband, who never dies or takes birth.
The true fast, hence, is to
keep the wandering mind in check through mental fast. The mind is drunk with
the illusive wine of Maya. It is restless though thousands of scorpions have
stung it at one time! In such disturbed condition, the mind behaves like it is
separate from the Mool. This is our disease; and in this diseased condition, we
perform worthless deeds. Contentment in every situation coupled with compassion
is indicated to be the antidote to subdue and conquer dark mental forces.
How can we develop Divine
Virtues like True contentment, etc.? As indicated in the Gurbani, the Divine
attributes can be awakened within through observing the fast of Naam-Simran
through the Shabad-Vichaar . Through it comes the dissolution of the
body-consciousness, transforming the mind into Divine Consciousness. Vanish
with the dissolution of the body-consciousness are the useless Karamkaand such
as fasting and all other rituals.
Thus everything - fasting,
pilgrimage, liberation, all treasures, happiness, purity, self-discipline, good
deeds, good thoughts, Kirtan, devotional service, meditation, knowledge,
all Mantras, Divine Love, fearlessness, and so on - is in the Divine
Name. The Divine Name is woven into all our breaths and morsels of food;
without which man's all actions are useless. In other words, the real fast is
to experience the Supreme Truth, not to carry out useless and mean acts.
Freedom from mental delusion confers the state of equanimity which leads one to
liberation from desires and fear.
Mohan Singh (Homeopath)
Gurmat Learning (North),
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
