CHANGE can be rapid and unrelenting when it is effected in the heat of ruthless competition. In the race to conquer material, worldly, and sometimes imaginary peaks, a human mind is naturally programmed to alter course in a jiffy. Such a change comes with its own consequences, leading an assault on the inner core, making the mind fall to the trap of indiscipline. And that is when a Divine intervention steps in, in a modest form, totally relatable to all the mortals. It is part of every religion, every faith where a chance to re-alter the course is presented in a simplistic way. For the Hindus, the Devashayani Ekadashi (Aashadhi Ekadashi), gives this unique opportunity for course-correction. From today, an immensely important phase of Chaturmas (a four-month sojourn) begins for the devotees of Lord Vishnu. The Aashadhi Ekadashi marks the start of a period that offers an opportunity to renew one’s spiritual commitments with an intense discipline.

 

It is a day when the Lord Vishnu enters the cosmic sleep which ancient texts describe as a four-month long Chaturmas. During this period, the Lord rests on his serpent Sheshnag in the Ocean of Milk (Kshirsagar). Spiritually translated, this is seen as an opportunity for the mortals on the Earth to begin a quest to find the God within by practicing total discipline, restraint and devotional practices. The rituals and fasts associated with the Chaturmas are also loaded with the same meaning. Not only are the habits and food to be taken come with great medical benefits, the period also introduces humans to the concept of soul-cleansing. It allows a clear reflection of the austerity practiced during the Chaturmas on the soul, making the process a perfect detox each human worth his salt seeks from time to time. Today marks the start of this much-needed course correction in this age where human attention span is being compared with the notoriously ill-focused goldfish. There’s a tendency of having a fleeting glance at all things available at a thumb’s twiddle. There’s an unexplained hurry to jump on to the next thing. Pace of this change is rapid and hence the metaphor of Ekadashi and Chaturmas needs to be extended to these materialistic urges. It is time to search for that golden pause which allows one to reflect and recollect. It is also time to find a way back to that pause which always opens a glorious path towards dialogue with self. It is time to awaken the God within when the Lord enjoys his cosmic sleep. All it needs is a mind ready to embrace a disciplined way as proposed in the Chaturmas. n