Q: I have just got married. We want to live our life with love and also with wisdom. We want to ask as to what sadhana (spiritual practice) we should follow, especially, so that a divine soul may take birth in our home. And that we are supportive in its spiritual journey as well as he/she be also supportive in our spiritual practice. Is this possible? If yes, please guide.

A:  It is clear from this question that you have been listening to me carefully because I had once explained this matter very expansively that if the husband and wife have sex at the right period, time and with the right preparation, a divine soul can take birth in their home who will not only be the reason for their welfare but also the welfare of the society at large.

In our country, great souls and rishis have done research on this particular subject. However, today people have immersed themselves so much in desire that they think the meaning of marriage is that it is a license for having unlimited sex. That is it. They think that to enjoy physical pleasure they have received a license in the name of marriage. The truth is that marriage gives you such a system in which the husband and wife can develop physically, mentally, intellectually and spiritually.

This is the reason two people are brought together. Man and woman, both accept their weaknesses. Where there is love, if the other person points out your weaknesses, you listen to her. If a third person points out your weakness, you start quarreling with him. If the husband and wife belong to a highly intelligent level, then they will be able to recognize each others weaknesses, strengths, qualities and defects and will also understand that the aim of marriage is not just enjoyment and giving birth to children, but that both of them live their lives in such a way that while fulfilling their worldly obligations, their spiritual practices also continues to progress. For example, if the husband or wife become sluggish, are not able to come out of sleep, then the loving wife or husband will affectionately chide them that look, it is time to wake up. We should wake up now. Before the Sun God rises, we have to awake and take bath, we have to do Yoga Asanas and we have to take food together. Then when the partner receives this pat of love, he will do anything.

Why should anyone get married? If he/she does not understand that, marriage will remain a reason for enjoyment, giving birth to babies and bringing them up, worry about them and remaining attached to them. Marriage is not for this. Our rishis thought deeply about the question of marriage. Before marriage, the unmarried man or woman is under the guidance of their respective gurus. They should develop their mind, body and intellect, improve their health and gain knowledge. They should be educated and then carry on their business and then when they are made to unite with each other i.e. get married, they should realize that the aim of life is not marriage. Instead, the aim of marriage should also be the sadhana of the Lord. This is called being a ‘sadgrihast’ – a good householder.

So Devesh, I am very pleased to read your question that you are concerned about what kind of child should be born in your home. Look, I want to say something from the point of astrology. If one conceives during ‘krur nakshatra’ in bharani in kritika, it is very possible that a sinful soul may take birth. This is a very broad subject but I want to give a hint about this. The sinner is also dying, the pious man is also dying, a great soul is also dying and a saint is also dying. Everyone has to die. Once the body is gone, in the bodyless situation, the shakti of that soul’s karma will attract it to that womb through which it will take birth; at the same time, it will receive such parents who will be matching with your karmas. This means that a sinful soul will not receive a divine womb. And a divine soul will not get a sinful soul’s womb. For example, when you are traveling by train, by chair car and even if it is very important, you say that you will not travel by III class. We will travel by chair car only. In the same way, a divine soul will like to go to a divine father and mother. It will not go to the womb of an unlawful soul.

If the parents are wanting to enjoy sensual pleasures, thinking the body to be the self, enjoy sex with their body, mind and intellect; if there is no charity, austerity or spiritual practice in their life, no remembrance of the Lord or japa, such wicked souls who are attached to their bodies, what kind of soul will enter their womb – the way their thoughts and emotions are. This system is very strange and mysterious.

I would like to say that Shankaracharya’s parents were childless for many-many years. At times, they would be unhappy. One day they decided that if God wanted them to remain childless, they would accept it and now turn their life to self-study, japa and remembrance of the Lord and related spiritual practices. They were both pious Brahmins, so they would awake at dawn and perform spiritual practices. The husband would read the scriptures during the day, the wife would chant the Lord’s name all day and their life became saintly. One night both of them had the same dream. Once the dream was over, both of them awoke together. They stared at each other and wanted to enthusiastically tell each other their dream. The wife said, Lord Shankara came in my dream and said that one of his yogi disciples would take birth in our home. Name him Shankara. The husband said, “I also had the same dream. How is it possible that at the same time, we both had the same dream”. They were to receive the joy of a child and enjoy being parents. Within a year, the baby was born. He was named Shankara. Hardly had he reached the age of seven, when Shankara started telling his mother that he wants to become a sanyasi. This is the age for playing, for getting up to pranks and not for thinking about sanyas. The father had passed away. The mother says, what are you saying, my son? Are you at an age to take sanyas?

I am so much older than you and I am not thinking of it. Then, how can you? The mother would postpone this discussion whenever it started. One day Shankara was bathing in a river when a crocodile clutched his leg. The crocodile started dragging him deeper into the river. The mother, watching helplessly, could only shout and cry for help. But there was no one to hear her cries. Shankara shouted from his precarious position and said to his mother, “Look mother, now my death has come. Permit me to become a sanyasi”. Watching her son’s life ebbing away, the mother said, yes, yes, you can become a sanyasi. What a strange situation! Suddenly, Shankara’s feet came out of the crocodile’s mouth and he swam to the shore. He bowed at his mother’s feet, offered pranams and said, “All right mother, I go now”. Shankaracharya left his home at the age of seven. Is he an ordinary child? How did this mother get an extraordinary yogi child – because of her austerity and practices.

In my opinion, neither should one be in a hurry to get married nor in giving birth to a child. As it is, the country’s population is so large. Make a stop somewhere, someone give a stop. I feel that every husband and wife should think about this matter. First they should make their own life beautiful, improve their life and for obtaining a divine soul as their child, Devesh, as this is your wish, please come and meet me at the Ashram. I will tell you the whole process and definitely, a divine soul will be born in your home.