AT THE FEET OF THE MOTHER

Home » World As It Is » I don’t quite understand the concept of doing vrats. Many women around me observe fasts on Mondays, Thursdays, and other specific days. These fasts are usually done with a particular intention—like, “I’ll fast for 5 Mondays, please help my husband get a job.” And surprisingly, after completing the 5 Mondays, their wish often comes true. This strengthens their belief that the fasting made it happen, and then they start encouraging others to do it too🙄.

I don’t quite understand the concept of doing vrats. Many women around me observe fasts on Mondays, Thursdays, and other specific days. These fasts are usually done with a particular intention—like, “I’ll fast for 5 Mondays, please help my husband get a job.” And surprisingly, after completing the 5 Mondays, their wish often comes true. This strengthens their belief that the fasting made it happen, and then they start encouraging others to do it too🙄.

People say and do all kinds of things for fulfilling their wishes. When things happen the way they wanted, they believe in it more, and the paradox is that the more one believes in it, the greater the chances that it may materialise. The reason is not so much the fasting or the ritual they engaged in but the belief, the confidence they placed in the process or the deity. It is akin to the placebo effect wherein the credit goes to the doctor and the medicine where what really worked is faith.

This is not to say vrata and fasting or the doctor and medicine have no value. Everything has its place and value. But these things should not be equated with spirituality or God who teaches us how to be always happy and peaceful regardless of what we have or have not. Anyways He is the ultimate dispenser of all boons. So why not ask Him directly. If in His Wisdom He chooses to grant our wish, then so be it. And if He does not because He feels it is not good for us then perhaps we have been saved from something that we were ignorantly asking for. Isn’t it then best to turn to Him directly for all our material and spiritual wants?

Affectionately,

Alok Da

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We recently brought a Shivling from my in-law’s place as they are not able to take proper care of it. My in-laws used to worship it with elaborate rituals. We have also been advised to follow it. To be honest, I don’t have much faith in their long rituals which were advised by our family priest. To me a simple ritual with faith & devotion is what is actually needed in worship🤨.

July 1, 2025

I understand your situation and have experienced this with other families as well. Ritual involves a,material and a spiritual aspect. The material side is to give bath (wash) the Shivalingam daily and keep it in a …

Dear Alok da I am a woman so it’s very easy to look at Divine as a lover… but how can a man relate to Divine like a lover ? Like when Sri Aurobindo writes the poem on Krishna I can relate feel Krishna in that form but what about a man? This was just silly curious question but thought to ask🙂.

July 1, 2025

This is something that i struggled with for a while as to how could I see the Beloved in the Mother or bring before Her all my different parts for the needed change and transformation. Soon I realised that it …

Last night, I had a dream where I saw that my father and I were getting a tubewell installed, and at the end, when we inserted the pipe, a lot of water came out and it was sparkling. Then, Grandpa came and asked why we had the tubewell installed, saying that the water is salty. When we drank it, the taste was a bit salty, so I said at least the water would be useful. Later, I saw that my brother and I were checking the car’s headlight, but it didn’t light up. So, I said, doesn’t the light work? What’s the problem? He said it’s fine, and when I turned it on, the light was very dim. Then, we removed the mirror from the headlight and saw that it was giving off very little light. What could be the symbolic meaning of this dream🤔?

July 1, 2025

I don’t think it has any deeper symbolic meaning. Looks more like a dip into the subconscient where the water is not tasty and the lights are dim. But it could also be…

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AT THE FEET OF THE MOTHER

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Dear Alok da I am a woman so it’s very easy to look at Divine as a lover… but how can a man relate to Divine like a lover ? Like when Sri Aurobindo writes the poem on Krishna I can relate feel Krishna in that form but what about a man? This was just silly curious question but thought to ask🙂.