12/05/2021
War against the Covid pandemic - prayers to the divinity for the success of the human efforts -
Today's world presents a very grim picture of humanity on account of the Covid pandemic, particularly in India, where its second wave has been playing havoc; it has affected lakhs of people many of them needing hospitalization; it has claimed a very large number of lives not only of the aged ones and the weak but also of the young and the strong. A 34-year-old bodybuilder, a former Mr India and of international fame, of Baroda, fell prey to the pandemic.
On the other hand, the nation as a whole has geared itself to protect the population from the virus; the pharma sector, the medical and the healthcare sector, the governments and the law and order machinery have been relentlessly trying to stop the menace, and we are lending them support by taking all precautions prescribed by them. No doubt, the concerted efforts would produce positive results, because God helps those who help themselves. The efforts have started showing positive results; the number of cases of infection and those of casualties is declining.
This is the period of national crisis and every one of us should lend greater strength to the hands of those who are engaged in helping overcome the crisis. Many of us are helping the movement in one way or the other. But the alarming proportions the crisis has reached demand help from one and all. Every one of us can help the ongoing efforts with sincere prayers to God. God, the All-Compassionate, it is said, answers prayers and helps us sail through the situation whosoever calamitous.
Our peethadhipatis have already begun japa and parayana of mantras and stotras and have asked all of us to do it; pundits and many others too, have been doing it. Senior pundits, during the pathas and pravachanas, have been repeatedly telling people to do japa and parayana, and most of them have been following their advice.
Poojya Shri Vidyasimhacharya, a renowned pundit, has strongly recommended the Narasimha mantra: "Ugram veeram____", and has asked the eligible ones to do parayana 1008 times, every day, given the gravity of the situation. His Holiness Shri Satyatmateertha Swamiji, Pontiff of the Uttaradi Math, too, has, after explaining the enormous power of the Narasimha mantra, asked us to recite it 1000 times, every day, from 13th(Narasimha Jayanti) to 23 rd of this month.
The Narasimha mantra is a very potent mantra, but its japa needs fulfilment of certain conditions; it has to given by an authority following the prescribed procedure(mantropadesha) and recited
maintaining physical and mental purity; it is better to be undertaken and continued under the direction of a senior pundit. Those eligible ones, who wish to do the Narasimha mantra parayana, will please approach a senior pundit for guidance.
Let us all increase the japa and parayana we have already been doing. Those who have missed the pravachanas and patha sessions may do parayana of Shri Raghavendra stotra, Ram-Raksha stotra, Maruti stotra, Hanuman Chalisa and or other stotras they know.
The prayers offered on a very large scale would, apart from blessing one with a higher level of immunity, also help the human efforts win the war against the Covid pandemic and would, once again, make the world a healthy place to live in.
