Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Vaanaprastha - Retirement plan

 An independent man’s possession in life is his wealth, fame, virtuous wife and good progeny. But a wise man’s possession is none. Like life everything in it also ends; but in fragments. Mostly life has become a will to live a bigger picture, acquire possessions on sale by selfish acts and thereby buying a name for oneself in the eyes of other needy foxes. You are brought up as a householder learning to desire and lust after worldly possessions and you remain there till you die. Nobody is there to inform of the end of things and lead you to the infinite and such is the order of life now.



Having made worthy progeny to your actions for the continuation of your family and bringing up a virtuous life to this world for your well-being in the Pitr loka or the world of Aaryamaa a pious son performs the shraddha karma after the soul departs to the other world. It’s through the acts of a pious son that his parents move from the preta loka to the pitr loka. It is in Preta loka that the departed soul is afflicted for the sins committed in their lifetime and it is the duty of the living son to uplift the departed soul from the preta loka to the pitr loka by observing the shraddha ceremonies prescribed to their caste and creed.

Now retiring from grihasthashrama after hearing the good deeds of a pious son one should set ones attitude in life like that of a Vaanaprastha as life is nothing but an attitude of the self and reminiscing about deeds done by mahaths or great personalities of what they have done in attaining liberation or eternal freedom which are written in the religious scriptures as seemed worthy by god and following them. Vanaprastha literally means retiring to the forest from the worldly pursuits.



No comments:

Post a Comment