15 Jan 2022
Saṃkrānti is transition of Sun from south to north. South is considered to be worldly life (Pravṛutti) and north is considered to be spiritual life (Nivṛtti). The transition of Sun means transition of intellectual knowledge in the form of decision. The Veda says that Moon is born from mind and Sun is born from the eye (Candramā manaso jātaḥ, Cakṣoḥ Sūryo ajāyata). The eye is told as single eye and not as two eyes. This single eye is the third eye present on the forehead and represents knowledge. Seeing means knowing. The Veda also says that Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti are opposite to each other like south and north poles (Dūramete viparīte viṣūcī). Hence, today represents the transition from worldly life filled with blind fascination-oriented actions (karma mārga) in to spiritual life filled with spiritual knowledge-oriented actions (Jñāna mārga). This transition takes place when Sun enters the zodiac of crocodile representing firm grip, which means that you shall have very strong decision in spiritual life after leaving worldly life. After six months, Sun transits from north (spiritual life) to south (worldly life) through the zodiac of crab representing no grip or very weak grip, which means that you should attach to worldly life with full internal detachment. Every six months Sun transits from south to north and from north to south continuously. This means that you shall live in spiritual life with full grip for some time and then you shall live in worldly life for some time without any grip or with external grip and internal detachment. You must remember that when Śaṅkara was leaving the worldly life and entering the spiritual life (Saṃnyāsa), He created the crocodile representing firm grip or decision while taking bath in the river.
God Kṛṣṇa said that sacrifice involving knowledge is far better than sacrifice involving materials and also told that He is always pleased with sacrifice involving knowledge and not sacrifice involving materials (Śreyān dravyamayāt…, Jñāna Yajñena…). He also told that Yoga or union with God can be achieved by limited food and limited attachment to world (yuktāhāra vihārasya…). But, what we are doing especially on the festival of Kṛṣṇa Himself (Dīpāvalī), who told this concept? We are preparing the maximum number of sweets on that day of festival! At least, on the days of festivals, which are related to God and spiritual life, we shall avoid extra food items and even reduce the normal number of food items taken every day. The Veda also says that if you eat food in limited quantity, it will be eaten by you and if you eat food in excess quantity, the food will eat you by bringing diseases leading to death (Adyate'tti ca bhūtāni…). Sweets bring diabetes and oily items bring over fat resulting in BP and heart attack. Excess of food brings immediate drowsiness weakening mind and intelligence thereby opposing knowledge based spiritual life that is expected to be led by you on at least the festival day. Hence, celebrating festival in this way is one extreme end. The other extreme end is to fast on the festival day without taking food at all and this brings terrible weakness that also is resulting in drowsiness only again! For crops both flood and drought are dangerous and limited rains are only required. Hence, neither food shall be totally avoided nor food shall be over eaten and food containing health-promoting items in little quantities must be taken every day or at least on the festival days.
All the above explanation pertains to vegetarians and what about non-vegetarians because these people kill the animals on the next day after the Saṃkrānti day and eat the flesh. This non-vegetarian food is not only not good for health compared to vegetable food but also sin is achieved by killing the animals, birds etc. It is a double-edged knife! When animals eat vegetables, proteins of plants eaten are already broken and re-synthesized in the bodies of animals. When human beings eat such re-synthesized proteins from animals, those proteins are again broken and re-synthesized again as proteins and such re-re-synthesized proteins are not good for health. Apart from this damage to health, additional damage through punishments of sin incurred in killing the animals is attacking the souls. Another additional sin is to throw blame on Goddess or Divine Mother for this sin saying that the Divine Mother is fond of eating Her own children! The Gītā says that God is the Father and the primordial energy (Mūlaprakṛti) is the mother delivering this creation (Mayādhyakṣeṇa Prakṛtiḥ…). In the Pravṛtti the highest injustice or sin is told as killing the living beings (Ahiṃsā paramo Dharmaḥ). In a place called ‘Telaprolu’ in Andhra Pradesh, there is a famous temple of Divine Mother or Śakti. You will find boards around the temple on which written statements can be seen, which are “killing animals here is prohibited”, “killers of animals here will be punished” etc. The story behind these boards is that Divine Mother appeared in the dreams of all the devotees of temple and shouted “Why do you kill animals before Me? Did I tell anybody that you should kill animals etc.?”. From that day onwards, the killing of animals was completely prohibited.
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