TV Channel

A pandit, a human being by birth known as a Brāhmaṇa, is also a scientist. He will now explain to us scientifically what a solar eclipse means. Tomorrow is a solar eclipse. According to the teachings of the ṛṣis, he will tell us why it occurs—though you also know why. But in Vedic Dharma, there is something more: what one should and should not do. It begins at 12:30. You should eat whatever you wish—your dinner, lunch—before that time. Afterward, from that time until the period purifies again as it moves, you should not drink or eat. It is also said, "Do not look at the sun; it has a very negative effect on your eyes." Furthermore, the principal, sir, will speak in English and explain it to you nicely. I have been given the order to speak something about the eclipse. As we know, the main planet... The sun and the earth move around, and in a whole year, the earth completes one round. Similarly, the moon moves around the earth, and due to that, we get day and night. Scientifically, if we study the sun, on its outer sphere some chemical reactions take place. The outer surface of the sun has the highest quantity of hydrogen gas. The sun's temperature is about 4,000 Kelvin, which is too high, so nobody can reach it. The chemical reaction on the sun's outer surface converts hydrogen into helium. During this conversion, some radiations are liberated. These radiations, along with sunlight, reach the earth. However, in our atmosphere, we have different layers. One of the most important is the ozone layer. Nowadays, you may have read in newspapers that a hole is developing in this ozone layer. Due to that, the types of radiations normally absorbed by the ozone layer now reach the Earth directly through these holes, affecting our bodies. That is why we now have so many problems with our skin. Previously, there was no such problem, but nowadays, everywhere in the world, many people suffer from skin diseases. So, whatever radiations are liberated during that chemical reaction are absorbed by the ozone layer. That is why that layer is very, very important for our life and for everyone on Earth. So, whenever this eclipse occurs—as I explained, they all move; the Earth, sun, and moon move around each other—during that period when the moon is between the sun and the earth, some radiations do not reach our Earth directly. Before that, when this situation arises and its effect starts (at least one hour prior), we call it sutak. Such radiation affects our body. That is why our Vedas and Purāṇas detail that we should not come out and should not see the eclipse, because these radiations directly fall on our eyes and skin, creating problems. In ancient times, we were all afraid of God. But nowadays, people are not afraid of God. They say, "What can God do? God cannot do anything." But our saints, our Vedas, our Purāṇas developed such teachings to create a fear in our minds: if we do these things, it will create problems for us; Lakṣmī will not come to our house; we will not be healthy; we will have other problems. That fear was developed in our minds, and that is why we followed all these things. But nowadays, the situations are quite different. As Bābājī tells us so many times, the situations are different now. It is 100 percent perfect that the situations have changed. So, when such an eclipse occurs, these radiations arise. That is why, during that period, whatever things we have to eat or use the next day should be covered completely. Even in temples, we cover our mūrtis and put up curtains so the effect of that radiation does not reach our temples or our God. The temples are closed. They do not want anyone to enter; one should sit outside the temple. They can go for bhajans and kīrtans and all those things, but they should not enter inside. So, the main scientific effect is that we must protect ourselves from such harmful radiations to stay away from all these problems. That is the main thing. For that, as I told you previously, in ancient times our ancestors told us we should keep ourselves... either we should sit in the temple, we should go for the mālās, we can go for any bhajans and all those things. When everything is cleared, then we should come out. That is the main thing, as per my knowledge. What I know, I have told you. So, the main thing is how we have to protect ourselves from these radiations. That is the main aim and scientific basis. Only this: such types of harmful radiations are harmful to our body, and we should avoid them. We should not be unaware; that is the main reason. Therefore, we have now heard something about the solar eclipse. Similarly, there is also a lunar eclipse. Tomorrow, the moon is completely hidden because it is amāvasyā. When these two come together—amāvasyā and sūrya-grahaṇa—because amāvasyā cannot be the chandra-grahaṇa... It can be chandra-kāraṇa also, because the moon comes at the same time as the sun rises and goes when the sun goes down. But there is also Pūrṇimā. In Kurukṣetra, which you know from the Bhagavad Gītā and Mahābhārata as a battlefield, there is a beautiful lake called Sūryakuṇḍ. People will go tomorrow. Already today there are millions, not just thousands. They will bathe to free themselves from all this radiance, negative radiance. Can you imagine when there is a disbalance, an interruption in the light of the moon or the light of the sun? The main thing is that many, many lives die. Those lives which are very fine—what we call Jalchar, Thalchar, and Nabchar. Jalchar creatures in the water; in the water there is also very fine life, bacteria also die. Thalchar—we are—we do not die, but we get pollution from those Nabchar. Even in this space in the room where we are sitting, there are millions of creatures in the air you don't see. Once, on the Discovery Channel, they showed that anywhere you stand on a spot on earth, if they x-ray the earth, you are standing on millions of living beings, millions of creatures. You would be frightened by what you see under your feet through telescopes. Thanks to God that you don't know this. This is also the reason we call our earth a living planet, a living earth. Now, in astrology, Earth is not spoken of—at least in Indian astrology—as a planet. Of the nine planets, Earth is not included because on other planets there is no life with this biological scene, what we call the five elements. But on this entire planet, even in the stones, it is proven there is life inside. Therefore, this earth is a living earth. Life is developing here: Chaurāsī lakh jīva yonī—8.4 million life forms on this planet and around this planet. So, as Mr. Oza spoke about ozone, we have something similar in the same rāśi: Oza and ozone. You know the biggest gap or hole in the ozone is in Australia and New Zealand. Look at Australian people aged 20 to 30; they look 50 years old by their skin. You will see almost every Australian has dark spots on the face and skin. But those Australians who moved to India do not have them. That's why Jaswatī doesn't have black spots... yeah, but he still has something. Thanks to God that we in India still don't have that much, though the ozone layer is also very thin in India. If you see according to the pollution which damaged the ozone, then India comes to a number which is a very low number. We think the government of India doesn't do much, but in reality, it's amazing. There was a report on how much the Indian government is doing to protect against pollution and many other things. But you see plastic on the road, and what is lying is not only pollution. A lot of pollution is created by airplanes. The highest quantity of pollution is created by airplanes. And then, amazingly, a lot of pollution which damages the ozone is created by sheep and goat farms—bhed bakrī. Where there are sheep and goats, the ozone becomes very thin. The gases freed from goats and sheep. Therefore, in countries like Australia and New Zealand, they have to pay extra taxes for sheep and goat farms. But though they pay the tax, with money they cannot neutralize the ozone or the gases. Similarly, now we come to cows. It is very interesting that where cows are, it helps recover the ozone—the cows' gases and their dung. But if manure from cows collects in one spot for a long time, it can happen that the spot of earth will die. Also, the urine from cattle farms, which flows in quantity into rivers or creeks, creates another problem: more pollution, and then it's a big problem. Therefore, scientific research states that a high number of cattle should not be in one spot. If they are, their urine and manure should be quickly spread in the fields. So, in our Gaushalā, we have nearly 700 cows now, but their urine... they are moving all the time in the fields. Therefore, it is dried, neutralized, and becomes good fertilizer. In Australia, there is a population of 6 million and 60 million sheep. In New Zealand, 16 million sheep and how many lakhs of people? Three lakhs? No, sixty lakhs. So, per person, how many sheep? Not ten, more. Sixty million... ten per person? No, more. It is generally about 60 sheep per head. Anyhow, that's not what I'm talking about now. How many sheep are there? From this point of view, the cows—especially the kind we have in Australia, they call Brahmin cows, exported from India—are also there. They give good milk and, unfortunately, are also slaughtered. Well, in that way, when the sun eclipses the earth, lots of very fine life dies instantly. Though these are only one-day flies, you may call them, or half-day creatures, when they die at once in such quantity, it creates a lot of pollution. So now this has to be purified, protected, and cleaned. When you look at the solar eclipse, it is said to have a very negative effect on your eyesight. It can blind, create high eye pressure, and many other things. Therefore, afterward, you should wash yourself, change clothes, also wash or at least dust the curtains. The temple is also closed. That we call sutak. During that time, you should not drink, not eat, and so on. Afterward, they give donations to poor people. They feed dogs, cows, or other animals—puṇya. Do something good. That will free you from this. Literally, they say God's son has a lot of debt and for a while is in prison, so we have to free him, and we become free. This is religious thought. Otherwise, people will not respect it. Though people don't believe in God as much as before, as Mr. Oza said, still people have fear of these things, so they follow. They will do it. Those who don't follow and don't do, it's their choice. But whether they believe or not, the effect is there. The negative effect is on them too. So, tomorrow is amāvasyā and this all together. Keep your temperament low; don't get angry. If you get angry, all this will go into your brain. So keep your brain rested, relaxed. That is why all believers of Viśvakarmā, Bhagavān Viśvakarmā—meaning all hand workers—tomorrow on amāvasyā, they will not work; they will rest. But now people have a different way. Tomorrow they will go to the cinema, go for a shaving, and this and that, everything. Or, let's say they have one day to go shopping and such. But this is the day you should fast or pray for the whole world, for its protection. So, the Oza question is, "What is in the world?" It is there where lots of kettles are kept in one spot. That kettle does not have sunlight; they can't see sunlight. They are kept only in a room, etc. Well, anyhow, many of you are waiting for Swāmījī's wishes for the new year. Every day is a new year. Every second is a new second, minute a new minute, hour a new hour, and the situation is a new situation every day. But according to our calendars, mostly followed now in many parts of the world, we are changing the working hours and days and months. So, January—today is already the 3rd of January—and that's very good. I wish you a happy new year, many, many blessings, good health, lots of success. Make a new saṅkalpa that you will do more good things, you will not become angry, and you will do more sevā. Sevā dharma is the highest dharma. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa said so. Karma yoga and bhakti yoga go together. And you cannot do karma yoga without jñāna yoga, because you must have knowledge of what you are doing. And you cannot do bhakti yoga without discipline, so it is rāja yoga. All four yoga systems are connected. So I wish you all the best and many blessings to all devotees listening around the world. In this sense, I wish you a happy, healthy, spiritually prosperous new year, much success and spiritual development, and many blessings. Dīpa nayana Bhagavān.