Ritual of Maha-Diksha for Anashramis.
Ritual of Maha-Diksha for Anashramis.
Narayan muni said:-
O sons, if a person not belonging to any of the stages of life (Anashrami) or whose wife is dead, wishes to receive great initiation (Maha-diksha), he can have it, by observing the fast as an atonement as said before. 1.
Know that the ritual of performing Maha-diksha is the same. I shall tell you if there is any special mark that he should have on his body. 2.
He should not keep beard and moustaches. He should not wear upper garment (kanchuk) and Chol and also gaudy clothes. Moreover, he should not wear clothes other than white. 3.
He should avoid contact with women as a celibate does. There is no objection in keeping money (lawfully earned), with himself. He should always serve the sages more enthusiastically and sincerely than the householders. 4.
Such a person (widower) who has taken Maha-diksha should take lifelong vow of having food only once a day, except in emergency. The same rule is prescribed for celibates and sages (renunciates). 5.
Such a person should either take meals during day time or at night. If he wishes to take noon-meals, should take after the meridian time and at early night, if he wishes to take meals at night. 6.
If it is convenient, he should take meals at night alone; because it destroys all the sins committed during day time. 7.
One who eats only once at night, should preserve the food etc. got as Prasad in the day time, carefully in pure, sacred place and eat it at night. He should not eat anything during day time, even it is got as Prasad of the Lord; otherwise it will break the vow of being Eka- bhukta. 8-9.
One, who eats only once, should not eat even Prasad- food (during day time) (brought by someone) by rule, but not insulting it he should respectfully immerse it in water. 10.
A Vaishnava, who has taken vow of eating once, should keep the food well preserved until the permitted time. If he receives some food as blessing i.e. Prasad of Shri Hari, even in the form of fruits, at odd time, he should not eat it, at the same time should not insult it but offer his Namaskara. 11-12.
If he receives the Prasada food on his fasting day, he should not eat it at all but should do Namaskara and immerse it respectfully. 13.
If at all he receives food at his dinner time, even if it is the blessed food – Prasad - he should not eat it, if it is not suitable to him. 14.
If any food item abandoned by himself, by rule, and also whatever affects his bodily health, he should not eat it even it is Prasad of the Lord. 15.
For escaping from indecent gossip, he should always mutter Shri Hari’s name day and night. He should sing glories of the Lord which attractive and pleasing to the devotees. 16.
The receiver of great initiation (Maha-Diksha), should not eat food if it is cooked even by his own brother (who has not received common or special initiation of this cult). 17.
One (the receiver of great initiation) should not take food cooked by a person though he may be initiated, but with whom there is no dealing nor food-taking, is there. 18.
If the food is cooked by a Brahmin, Kshatriya Dikshit may accept it. But if that Brahmin is not Vaishnava, an (initiated) Brahmin should not accept. 19.
This Dikshita man (widower) should make efforts that much is necessary to sustain his body and not more. 20.
He should always be connected to those practices encouraging detachment; and should be disinterested in those acts which will bring the peril of birth and death to himself. 21.
He should wear a loin cloth (Kaupeena) under his dhoti, like a celibate. Moreover, that said devotee (Anashrami Vaishanav) should adore Shri Hari, sincerely more than a householder. 22.
If he is a Brahmin, he should worship Shaligram stone every day and should always learn the meaning of Vishnusukta, from his Guru and should meditate on it. 23.
He should wear sacred wooden foot-wares (Paduka) and also a jug full of water. He should win over his senses, and strictly follow his duties that have come as per his caste. 24.
I have told so far, the special regulations for a person, who has received Mahadiksha and who has not entered Grihasthashrama (Anashrami) or who is a widower. 25.
If a person, living in householder stage of life and who has developed acute detachment after study of righteous scriptures, desirous to change over his life stage,
may also undergo this initiation recommended for one who is Anashrami, since both Vanaprastha and Sanyasa stages of life are prohibited in Kali-age. 26-27.
A person, after receiving the great initiation: the Vasudevi Diksha, abandoning fear should worship Krishna, with deep respect and exclusive devotion. 28.
If a householder receives Mahadiksha, who has not developed detachment, he should follow the rules of physical marks (like wearing of white cloths etc.) as told before. 29.
O sons, I have told you about the initiation rite of Mahadiksha, prescribed for- a bachelor who has abandon the stage of Brahmacharya but who has not been able to get bride; or one who has lost his wife; or one who has lost interest in married life. 30.
Thus ends the forty-ninth chapter entitled, ‘Description of the special aspects of the great initiation to be given to Anashramis,’ in the fourth Prakarana of Satsangi jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra. (the rules of the code of conduct). 49
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