A Missing step in Water Cycle!?

Do you remember studying about this ‘Water Cycle’ in school science text books? The cycle talks about how ocean water evaporates, condenses and then precipitates. Sun is essential for evaporating the water. The evaporated water condenses to form rain bearing clouds. These clouds send the water back to the ground in the form of rains. But, think about this. Sun exists every day, the ocean water is available all throughout the year long. Why do we receive rainfall only in certain period of the year?

Bhagavad Githa answers this question. The rain in this water cycle is part of a bigger cycle which defines the process that runs the existence of all beings! Therefore, rain isn’t dependant on just the steps defined in the above water cycle. But, it is dependent on an important phenomenon, YAJNA!

Let’s go through the steps in this cycle. Bhuthani refers to all the existing beings, all of us. These beings (we all) depend on annaath (anything that supports survival, ex: food, air, water etc) to live. This annam is depended on parjanya (rain). This rain is depended on yajna (a vedic procedure that utilises several elements, chanting of specified vedic mantras, and more importantly complete purity in the intent; and cleanliness of performer’s thought, word and action) . This yajna is depended on karma (work). This karma is performed using our body, deha. This deha is active only when an akshara (soul) exists in it. This deha + akshara = Bhutani. We are now back at the beginning of the cycle!

Now, the prime element of the entire cycle is Yajna.

What is this Yajna?

We may have all witnessed a yajna sometime in our temples. The Yajna refers to an offering made to God through vedic mantras via agni (lit in a kund). The offering converts into vapour reaching upper spheres towards the Sun through its rays. These vapours invoke the making of rain bearing clouds, and thus the rains pour.

But, we don’t do these Yajnas everyday and of course not everybody in the world know about these Yajnas. But, the cycle started with ‘Bhutani’, meaning all of us. How are we involved in this Yajna?

Yes, the Yajna described above is a symbolic representation of how everyone of us should carry out our daily routine. Don’t consider your work to be just a mere activity, but convert it into a Yajna and work on it. Example: If you are a businessman, your agni kund is your place of business. All that you earn when you sell to customers is what you are offering into your agni kund. The people who received your product are the recipients of the yajna you are performing. But they are the devathas (intermediate beings like the Sun or Agni in the Yajna that we talked about in earlier step). The final recipient is God who is enabling your customers to utilise your product. So, your work is finally submitted to the feet of God through yajna.

How long do we perform this Yajna?

One’s entire life is to be lead as a Yajna. When one performs their activities with such level of submission to God, then the fruits of such yajna will contribute to the running of the entire existence in the way it is meant to be. This will enable timely rains, harmony among all sectors of people. This kind of lifestyle will keep us away from accumulating more bad karma (bad karma keeps us ignorant of such great wisdom)

– From the discourse of Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji
– 16 th June 2019, Anil Agarwal ji’s Sudarsana Homa