God does not discriminate between a son and a daughter. Only persons of crude mentality do so. Women should refuse to listen to the biased views of any person who says that women have no right to do Gayatri Sadhana. They can worship it and also perform Yagya. Keeping in view the fact that they remain busy throughout the day, a brief routine of Gayatri Sadhana, including Yagya, convenient to all women is being presented here.
Most of the housewives are extremely busy in the morning in cleaning work, preparing breakfast and doing other daily household chores. In the morning the children go to school and male members have to go out for work and everybody is in a hurry. Most of the household work in the morning has to be done by the house-wife in the morning, although daughters, elderly ladies also give a helping hand. Morning time, therefore, does not suit most of the women-folk for Sadhana. In the evening also there is a similar pressure of work on them.Keeping all these factors in view, the time between 12 noon to 3 pm. appears to be most convenient to them for performing Anusthan-Sadhana etc. Of course, they can perform Jap of one mala in the morning after taking bath.
If they happen to do mental Jap while cooking meals there will be good effect on all the persons who will take that food. Regular Jap should be suspended during the period of menses. Mental Jap can, however, be performed in all circumstances. Women who put on Yagyopaveet should replace it by a new one after the period of menstruation.
If women are enthusiastic about maintaining holy atmosphere in the house, it will have salutary impact on other members of the family, who will feel automatically inclined to lead virtuous lives. For this, by way of daily routine, members of the family should not only greet and salute the elders daily in the morning but they should also bow in front of the picture of Gayatri Mata placed in the family worship place and chant Gayatri Mantra five times.
In the evening, after the members of the family are free from their meals etc., the children should be entertained by reading over to them inspiring stories published by the Gayatri Mission, folders etc., which they can easily understand, so that mind and emotions are oriented towards virtuous life. To inspire the elderly members, Pragya puran, published in four volumes, should be read over to the whole family daily like Geeta and Ramayan. This programme can be continued for months. After finishing one reading the process can be repeated again and again.
Keeping in view the fact that people are extremely busy these days and there is general lack of faith and devotion, religious routines which are interesting to all can be adopted. Being masters of the kitchen, women can easily accomplish this sacred task. At the time of preparation of food, the first chapati should be divided into five morsels and chanting Gayatri Mantra each morsel should be offered in the fire along with some ghee and sugar. The tradition of Yagya is an integral part of Indian culture. This process of offering bread-pieces in the fire is symbolic worship and keeps the sentiments of sacrifice, (Yagya) alive in us.
While feeding a suckling child, mothers should do mental Jap of Gayatri Mantra. It will be good if they meditate upon the luminous God, Savita.
Observance of Panch-sheel in Daily Life.
Several kinds of Panchsheel are incorporated within the five offerings of Bali-veshya. Members of the family should be explained their significance so that they may have knowledge about the five sacred duties linked with various aspects of human life, which itself is a lifelong Yagya.
Panchsheel for physical well-being are:
(1) Satvik and limited food.
(2) adequate use of pure water.
(3) deep breathing in open air.
(4) honest labour. and
(5) care-free rest at night.
Panchsheel for wellbeing of mental health are:
(1) sportsman - like spirit,
(2) sense of humour,
(3) self-control,
(4) sanctity of work and
(5) self-contentment and enthusiasm.
Social Panchsheel are:
(1) Honesty;
(2) honest and sincere discharge of responsibilities as a citizen;
(3) gentle polite and sweet behaviour,
(4) credibility and
(5) willing and glad cooperation.
Family Panchsheel are:
(1) Feelings of cooperation, gratefulness and service towards elders,
(2) affection for and cooperation with youngsters,
(3) open-hearted love between the spouses
(4) nobility of character as true prosperity;
(5) to have minimum number of children.
Religious Panchsheel are:
(1) unity
(2) equality
(3) co-existence
(4) tolerance; and
(5) deep devotion towards the Divine.
Spiritual Panchsheel are:
(1) unflinching faith in divine law of sowing and reaping;
(2) self-reliance;
(3) living simple life of an average citizen and utilizing the balance of resources for philanthropic purposes;
(4) keen aspiration for Jeewan Sadhana; and
(5) loving kindness towards all creation.