Manah Sodhanam -Verse 22

I have been thinking about verse 22 for quite sometime now. I really didn't know what to write about it, because whatever I penned down didn't really come out satisfactorily to me. But then, somedays back, I got into a heated debate with a friend -about the practice of staunch Iyengars eating food prepared by only those who have their Baranyasam done -the branding of the conch and the Sudarshana Chakra on their shoulders. The practice was more prevalent two generations back then it is now, like most of our customs and traditions. While my friend argued that the practice was completely bigoted and was just a way of reinforcing untouchability, I argued that it was an exercise in discipline.

Before I proceed further, let me make it very clear that I don't deny or justify the cruel of untouchability meted out by the so called upper caste people. But, in this case, I feel that we can't deny the amount of discipline and control people had to follow such practices. If you take a vow that you will eat the food prepared only by those who have their Baranyasam done, for example, it automatically means that you can't have food in hotels or restaurants. You wont be able to eat in many marriages or functions. Hell, you cant even eat in many of your friends or relatives place. Such people always have to plan in advance for all their meals. Many times, they may have to appease their hunger with just fruits and milk. Doesn't that require an immense amount of will power and self discipline? How many times have we compromised on something we resolved, just because of peer pressure or social obligations? That one slice of birthday cake when we are watching our weight, the one night out with friends when we have to get up early the next day for our exercise...


Forget about this Baranyasam. If we dig a bit deeper into most of the mindless rituals followed by our grandpas and grandmas, most of them -at their core -make the observer of the rituals more disciplined. Take bath before you cook or eat, practice certain vrathas or fasting, lighting the lamp morning and evening -simple things right? But many days we just take a break from these routines because we don't feel like it. I have never ever seen my grandmother take a break from doing madi samayal EVER! She cooked till she was 77 years! Every day! Till we made her stop cooking as she was getting very old. I have never done anything with so much consistency in my life.


Going back to the argument, I told my friend that all those rituals brought about discipline and hence, a focus in the life -ultimately leading to purification of the mind. Never mind that these very rituals ultimately deviated from their original purpose and became tools of castism. "Can you tell me one single thing that we do or practice with so much determination and with so much discipline?" He shot back saying, "If I truly believe in something, then I definitely will. If you say doing such and such a thing everyday will help in Arsenals winning all their games, then I will do it." He said. "But then, there is no such thing that you can do every day to make the arsenals win right? Admit it, we don't have the grit or the discipline of our ancestors. We are too easy on ourselves." I shot back.


The reason why I wanted to write about this incident is because, what my friend said was true. If we truly believe in something, then we will do it with all the focus and discipline. And the 22nd verse of Manah Sodhanam talks about how belief and devotion helps in conquering the mind.

RAJASTAMASCA   SATTVENA  SATTVAM  COPASAMENA  CA

ETAT  SARVAM  GURAU  BHAKTYA  PURUSO  HYANJASA  JAYET

The above verse says that the qualities of rajas and tamas should be conquered by sattva and sattva by Samadhi -ie meditation. However, all these can be conquered quickly by devotion to Guru.

It is ultimately the belief that will purify our mind. We just have to find what it is that we believe in. Hari Om!