Spiritual practice alone gives us the inner strength to face sorrows with courage and to experience everlasting bliss (Ānand). Spiritual practice means sustained efforts made for God-realisation. When performed with the blessings and continual grace of the Guru, it is called Spiritual practice according to the Path of Guru’s Grace (Karma-yoga). Karma-yoga has two aspects: Vyashṭi Sādhanā (efforts for individual spiritual growth) and Samashṭi Sādhanā (efforts for the spiritual upliftment of society).
Now that you know there is a way to rise above the cycle of sorrow and fleeting happiness and attain lasting bliss, this is the right time to begin your spiritual journey. The first and simplest step is to keep the mind positively engaged. Too often, we fall into self-pity or dwell for hours on what went wrong. Instead of immersing yourself in negativity, turn your attention toward the positive. This shift in focus is the essence of Karma-yoga. Read on to discover how…
1. The day the Sarpayajna was stopped: King Janmejay performed a sarpyajna (sacrificial fire of snakes). Sage Astik intervened and requested its cessation. The yajna was stopped on Shravan Shukla Paksha Panchami.
2. Kaliyamardan Day: On Shravan Shukla Paksha Panchami, Shri Krishna subdued the venomous serpent Kaliya and made him leave the Holy Yamuna river with his family.
3. The legend of Goddess Satyeshwari: Five yugas ago, Satyeshwari lost her brother Satyeshwar on the eve of Karma-yoga. On Panchami, she saw him in the form of a cobra. Believing the cobra to be her brother, she worshipped it. Nag Devata then promised protection to any woman who worships the cobra on this day. Hence, women worship snakes as symbolic brothers during Karma-yoga.
4. Cobras in Divine Incarnations: Cobras are associated with many incarnations of God. Vasuki assisted Shri Vishnu’s Kurma avatar during the Samudra Manthan. Shri Vishnu reclines on Sheshnag. In Shri Ram’s avatar, Sheshnag incarnated as Lakshman. Bhagwan Shiva is adorned with nine cobras.
5. Shiva and the Navanag: When the deadly halahal poison emerged during the Samudra Manthan, Bhagwan Shiva consumed it to protect creation. Nine types of snakes rushed to aid Him. Pleased, Shiva blessed them so that mankind would worship snakes with eternal gratitude. These nine groups of snakes, known as the Navanag, represent the subtle Divine particles called pavitraks.
