The demon Bhasmasura, through God’s Grace earned the power to turn into ash anyone by placing his hand on their head. However his instincts were not tamed, his reasoning was not purified. Blinded by greed and egoism, he tried to reduce the very Giver of the gift. Hence, unless you are extra careful to examine the very process of reasoning, even while the process is on, there is a big danger that you may be following only the trail that you yourself have laid down. Reason can be tamed only by discipline; through compassion, calmness, forbearance and endurance (Daya, Shantham, Kshama, and Sahana). Train your mind to walk quietly along small stretches of road at first and then after you have become sure of its docility, you can take it along safely down the tortuous road of the sixfold temptations of lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride and jealousy.

‘Samskrithi’, the Sanskrit word for culture, is derived from the root word ‘Samskara’ which means the dual process of removing dust and dirt, and planting the virtues of Truth, Right Conduct, Love, Non-violence and Love. Certain obligatory rites of initiation and purification prescribed by the Vedas for one’s spiritual upliftment, are also referred to as Samskaras. There are 48 such, but all of them can be reduced to just one, which is the final and fulfilling one – recognition of one’s identity with the Divine. Man (Nara) is God (Narayana). The individual entity (Jiva) is Divinity (Brahman) seen through the limitations of primal ignorance.