4. As the new day dawns

 

प्रभाते मनी राम चिंतीत जावा।

पुढे वैखरी राम आधी वदावा॥

सदाचार हा थोर सांडूं नये तो।

जनीं तोचि तो मानवी धन्य होतो ॥३॥

Each new day is a fresh start. Samarth Ramdas calls this beginning as PRABHAT. Even though it literally means dawn, in this verse it has multiple interpretations. Dawn is the time when night has just ended and a new day is breaking. There is less visibility and the whole atmosphere is charged with positivity and freshness. As the day gradually progresses, everything becomes brighter and clearer. Metaphorically, this can also be considered as the moment of self realization when the seeker decides to turn a new leaf and abandon his old self.

Samarth Ramdas says that at this juncture a seeker should first think of Lord Ram. Hinduism considers Lord Ram as PURUSHOTTAM meaning the ideal man. When the targets are high, we try even harder to accomplish them. Mediating on the life and deeds of Ram (perfection personified) will help us in aligning our own thoughts, words and actions in the direction of success. The important point here is to do CHINTAN, which means meditate about Ram. Let not his inspiration be momentary and forgotten about later, instead etch it permanently in your mind.

Nowadays as soon as we wake up we reach for our cell phones and bombard our senses with the feeds from social media. Why not rather fill our mind and intellect with some spirituality as every new day begins? Set new goals everyday and meditate upon achieving those. Use your thoughts and words to constantly remind you of these goals. Make them your Ram, your HERO.

In Hinduism, there are certain mantras and shlok which are supposed to be chanted as soon as a person wakes up. To utter something out loud is VADAVE meaning to speak. And to speak we have to use the VAIKHARI form of speech. Anything that is spoken has to be first conceived in the mind so it goes through PASHYANTI and PARA forms of speech. Thus, every morning, outlining our goals and saying them out loud enables us to use our mind, intellect and body respectively to conceive, plan and achieve those goals. If you don't have any particular goals, then you can utter any mantra or phrase or chant OM loudly. Psychologists around the globe believe that by doing so one can put his/her mind to ease thereby reducing the stress. Hinduism considers NAAMSMARAN (chanting a particular holy mantra repeatedly) and prayer as instrumental in calming the mind. They stabilize our thoughts and provide clarity to the intellect.

It is observed that when we idolize someone or something then over a period of time, our habits and mannerism change. Subconsciously we start behaving like our hero! In such confusing times as today’s where social media influencers are labeled as HERO and put on the pedestal for all the wrong reasons, Samarth Ramdas guides us in picking the right HERO.

Hero worship should empower me. It should make me more happy, accomplished and respected in the world. My hero could be some specific person or the image of my own better self. Once you have identified your IDOL, put him/her or that image before anyone else. Think of him, speak about him, be like him and take the liberty of following him blindly. This total surrender will set you on the path of SADACHAAR meaning exemplary behavior. An impeccable conduct in everyday life is THOR meaning great and considered to be an invaluable asset that should not to be trifled with. It grants an individual an unparalleled veneration (DHANYATA) in the world and makes him stand out in the crowd.

Self transformation is impossible without believing in someone or something. Believe in the power of goodness, believe in the impact of habits, believe in your hero and in your own potential to be like that someday, believe that it is indeed possible to motivate your mind and reach for your goals. Because at the end of the day, belief is what makes this pursuit worthwhile.

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