||  Shri Hari  ||

8.  Description of Different Forms of Worship and their Fruit in the Gita

tvameva   mata   cha   pita   tvameva

tvameva bandhuscha sakha tvameva  |

tvameva  vidyaa   dravinam tvameva

tvameva sarvam mama   devadeva  ||

Swami Ramsukhdas

||  Shri Hari  ||

8.  Description of Different Forms of Worship and their Fruit in the Gita

govindachaarya devanaam pitrunaam yaksharakshasaam

upasana ca bhutanaam phalam proktam tu bhavatah    

In the Gita there is (either detailed or brief) description of the worship of God, preceptors, gods, manes, demigods-demons and ghosts-evil spirits etc. with its reward as—

(1) Four types of devotees–the man seeking worldly possessions, the distressed, the seeker of knowledge and the  man of wisdom worship God viz take refuge in him (7/16). The worshippers of God attain Him (7/23) (9/25) . ^[1]

(2) The preceptors are really those liberated, enlightened souls who lead a life according to the dictates of the scriptures. Obedience to them and translating their principles into practice is service to them (4/34; 13/7). Such type of persons who render service to their preceptors cross death (4/35; 13/25).

(3) Those who are full of worldly desires, whose sole aim in life is to hanker after worldly pleasures and prosperity holding the view that there is nothing besides them, perform rites recommended by the Vedas (2/42-43). The men longing for success by action, worship the gods, for success born of action follows quickly (4/12). Those whose discrimination has been veiled by desires for mundane pleasures, take refuge in gods rather than in God, and prompted by their own nature adopt several rules and methods in order to satisfy their desires (7/20). The Lord declares, "Whatever god a devotee wishes to worship, I make that faith of his in that god steady, Endowed with that faith he worships that god. But the fruit, obtained by that worship is ordained by Me" (7/21-22). "Those who perform action with some interested motive as laid down in the three Vedas and drink the sap of the Soma plant, purged of sin, worshipping Indra (the lord of the gods) through sacrifices, seek access to heaven" (9/20). 'The devotees, who endowed with faith, worship other gods, worship me alone but their approach is wrong." (9/23). 'The worshippers of gods go to heaven and having enjoyed the fruit of their virtuous deeds return to the mortal world. (9/20-21). 'The worshippers of gods attain the gods' (7/23), 'Votaries of the gods go to the gods' (9/25).

(4) Votaries of the manes worship the manes and thus reach the manes viz go to the world of the manes (9/25) (But if they worship them without expecting any reward, as a duty, they are liberated.)

(5) Those men of the mode of passion worship demigods and demons (17/4) and thus reach the demigods and demons viz become demigods and demons^[2].

(6) The men of the mode of ignorance worhsip ghosts and evil spirits (17/4). Their worshippers go to them viz they are reborn as ghosts and evil spirits (9/25) ^[3].

In the Gita the worship (service) of men, gods manes, demigods and demons etc. without expecting any reward is not prohibited, rather the service to others and welfare of others without expecting any reward have been glorified. (5/26; 6/32; 12/4). It means that if duty or worship is performed without expecting any reward according to the ordinance of the scriptures in order to cherish and propagate gods, the man is not bound, he rather attains God (3/11). In the same way if food and water etc. are offered to the Brahamartas (persons of the priest class), in honour of manes and water is offered to manes in order to satisfy them without expecting any reward according to the dictates of the scriptures, that also leads to God-Realization. Similarly if food is offered to the members of priest class in honour of manes at Gaya or the story of the Bhagavata is recited in a week or charity is offered to deserving hands, or the Divine-name is chanted or the Gita and the Ramayana etc. are recited in order to liberate the demigods, demons, ghosts and evil spirits etc. from their life and to provide them peace without expecting any reward in accordance with the scriptural injunctions, they are liberated and get peace while the striver realizes God. It is worship performed in order to reap its fruit which leads to bondage, to the cycle of birth and death and lower regions. If a devotee beholds God in all men, gods, manes, demigods, demons, ghosts, evil spirits, birds and beasts etc. thinking them as the manifestations of God and serves them without any selfish motive, he attains God. The above mentioned two points explain that the feeling of expecting reward for any deed and the tendency of not beholding God in all beings are the factors which conduce a man to follow the wheel of birth and death otherwise he will attain God.

The above mentioned two points explain that the feeling of expecting reward for any deed and the tendency of not beholding God in all beings are the factors which conduce a man to follow the wheel of birth and death otherwise he will attain God.

There is one more significant fact which needs attention. If God worshipped with exclusive devotion even with a slight motive for its reward, it will also lead to salvation. The Lord has declared in the Gita that the distressed, the seeker of wealth, the seeker of knowledge and the wise-these four kinds of devotees are noble (7/18) and also 'My worshippers attain to Me' (7/23; 9/25). Thus if a person in any way gets engaged in the service of God, he will attain salvation. The fruit of the worship of gods is perishable ( 7/23) because these worshippers go to the higher regions such as heaven etc. in order to reap the fruit of their virtuous deeds and on the exhaustion of their merits return to the mortal world. But those who attain God have no return (8/16) because man (spirit) is a fragment of God (15/7). Therefore when the man (spirit) by God's grace attains Him, he has not to return to the mundane existence (8/21; 15/6) because His grace is eternal while the merits of those who go to higher regions such as heaven etc. are transitory.

SOMETHING WORTH KNOWING

Question:- The worshippers of ghosts and evil spirits (Preta) are reborn as ghosts and evil spirits^[4]  (9/25). Why?

Answer:- Those who worship ghosts and evil spirits regard them as superb and they are their `Favourite-Deities'. So at the last hour they think of them and thus become ghosts and evil spirits. (8/6)

The man who commits sins and crimes by holding the view that he will think of God at the time of death, is totally mistaken. The reason is that the same thought appears at the time of death which has constantly engaged his mind. Therefore a sinner will think of his sins at the time of death and will go to the lower wombs, will become ghost and evil spirits. A person commits crimes and sins such as falsehood, fraud, adultery, thefts and robberies etc. It is wrong for him to think that by residing in Kashi, Mathura, Vrindavan and Ayodhya etc. he can avoid an evil destiny. He will meet with an evil end only. At the time of death because of certain circumstances he will have to go out of God's dwelling and there after dying will become a ghost or an evil spirit. Even if he dies in God's dwelling, he will become a ghost or an evil spirit because of his sins.

Question:- What should a man do in order to escape the life of an evil spirit in the next birth?

Answer:- God by His grace has bestowed upon us this human body so that we may attain God. So every person instead of getting entangled in attachment to mundane pleasures and prosperity should seek refuge in God. Thus he can escape the lower regions and avoid becoming ghosts and evil spirits.

Question:- What is the difference between evil spirits (ghosts etc.) and manes?

Answer:- Though ghost, evil spirits, fiends and manes etc, all are included in divine form of life, yet they are of several kinds.

Air predominates in the bodies of ghosts and evil spirits, so they are not seen by everyone. But if they want to show their bodies to anyone, they can show it. They have to eat and drink filthy things such as excrement and urine etc. They give out a strong nasty smell. They can't eat and drink pure food stuff but if anybody offers them pure food stuff in their name, they can eat it.

Manes are regarded as superior to ghosts and evil spirits. They maintain their relations with their family and protect and help its members. They guide the family in their business and domestic affairs. They relish the hot dish of rice, cow-milk and sugar boiled together, drink cold water as that of the Ganges and take pure food stuff. Some manes trouble and vex the members of the family. Thus there is a difference in their nature.

As there is a difference among men because of their social order and nature etc., so is there a difference of Social order and caste etc. in manes, ghosts, fiends and evil spirits etc.

Question:- What kind of persons become ghosts and evil spirits after death?

Answer:- Those persons who eat filthy food, whose conduct is bad, who remain engrossed in evil deeds, who are in the habit of harassing others and who are obstinate, become ghosts and evil spirits, possessing a cruel nature. They torture the people possessed by them and the sufferers don't easily get rid of their possessions even by sacred formulas.

Those who possess a mild nature and don't trouble others but are attached to the mundane materials, wife, sons, wealth  and property etc. become ghosts possessing a mild nature after death. They don't trouble those who are possessed by them but tell them methods how to attain salvation.

Those who are proud of their knowledge and learning etc. and insult and slight others by regarding them as inferior become brahma rakshasa (demons). It is very difficult to get rid of their possession even by sacred formulas or incantations. They recite the sacred formulas recited by the person who is expert in the occult science of champ and incantations.

There is a real incident  to illustrate the point. There was a great scholar named Moroji Pant in south. He was very proud of his learning and knowledge. He regarded no one as equal to him in knowledge and slighted every one. Once at noon he was going to the river to take bath. There were two demons sitting on the branches of a tree. They were talking that the man passing by, would occupy the vacant seat on the branch by becoming a demon because he was very proud of his knowledge. Hearing their conversation he got puzzled by thinking that he would have to go to the species of a demon. So he took mental refuge in Saint Jnaneshwariji at Alandi and lived near the place where the great Saint had disconnected his soul from the body. Thus by the Saint's grace Moroji Pant was freed from pride and he also became a saint. An unchaste woman who is too much attached to another person becomes a hag after death. This is the general rule that men are possessed by male evil spirits while women by hags. Hags are of two kinds-One exploits the man viz. sucks his blood and weakens him while the other nourishes the man and provides comfort to him. Thus both types of hags overpower men.

There was a constable. Once in the moon lit night he saw a beautiful woman sitting under a tree. He talked to her and invited her to come to his house. At night she used to come and sleep with him and in the morning she departed. Thus she began to exploit him. One night both of them were lying in the bed. He asked her to switch off the light. She switched off the light from her bed by lengthening her arm. Then he came to know that she was no ordinary woman. The hag warned the constable that she would kill him if he disclosed her secret. He was very much terrified and he became weaker and weaker, but he did not disclose the secret out of fear. One day he brought some medicine put in a piece of folded paper. That night when the hag came, she asked him to throw away the piece of folded paper from his pocket. The constable thought that there was something miraculous otherwise she would easily approach him. So he did not throw it away. Hence the hag was forced to go away. The constable saw that the piece of the folded paper was a leaf of the Gita. Thus having known the glory of the Gita he began to keep a copy of the Gita in his pocket.

Those priests who are engaged in offering worship to God, studying the sacred books (such as the Bhagavata and the Ramayana) and reciting the Divine-name, while they also commit theft by stealing the clothes and food offered to God, cheat devotees and regard God as a means of earning money. Such persons can also become evil spirits because of their crime against God. The persons possessed by such evil spirits are not tortured. As the result of their past worship and devotion they chant God's name, go to temples, go round the idols of God, eulogizes Him and prays to Him. But they can't offer eulogy and prayer without possessing any person. In Vrindavan, a boy who did not know Sanskrit used to visit the temple of Banke Bihariji. He recited psalms in Sanskrit standing before the idol of Bihariji. His voice was also like a grown up person. The reason was that he was possessed by a ghost, but the ghost did not torture him. Such ghosts by suffering pain due to their past sins against God, are freed from the life of evil spirits by His grace. As sinners who commit deadly sins can't listen to benedictory discourses and can't chant God's name, so can ghosts and evil spirits, who are endowed with this body in order to reap the fruit of their sins, neither listen to religious discourses, nor can recite God's name. Those who oppose and slight such religious and spiritual activities during the human life, can't perform such activities as ghosts and evil spirits. If they try to be engaged in them, they have a burning sensation in their bodies. If priests instead of attaching importance to mundane materials attach importance to God and feel delighted and fortunate by receiving His gift (blessing) in the form of food etc. they don't incur sins and don't become ghost and evil spirits. But those priests who attach importance to mundane materials and have a desire to acquire them become ghosts but they live at the place of pilgrimage because of their worship to God. Thus they reap the fruit both for their mundane attachment, as well as, spiritual activities.

Question:- Can those who recite God's name and study the sacred books become ghosts and evil spirits?

Answer:- Generally such people don't become ghosts and evil spirits. But if they are more attached to the mundane and at the last moment think of the mundane, they can become ghosts and evil spirits but they don't torture any one. 'Mysterious are the ways of action' (4/17). Therefore if they identify themselves with sins etc., they can become ghosts and evil spirits etc. Lord Krsna also declares, "Even men of intelligence (who are well versed in the scriptures) are perplexed as to what is action and what is inaction (4/16).

Question:- Why do those who die in an accident or who commit suicide become ghosts and evil spirits?

Answer:-  A sick man thinks of death. So he becomes indifferent to the world and can be engaged in devotion and worship etc. But by meeting with an accident a man dies all of a sudden. So because of his evil thoughts at the time of death he may become a ghost. At that time he may think of the person who caused the accident and may have ill will or enmity against him. It is because of his attachment to the mundane affairs which misleads him to the life to ghost etc. But if he is engaged in spiritual activities being indifferent to the world he does not become a ghost. It is attachment to the world and desire for the mundane which conduce him to meet with an evil destiny. But he, who is free from attachment and desire may die any time and at any place, will not meet with an evil end not become a ghost. He who out of anger or disappointment commits suicide meets with an evil destiny viz. becomes a ghost or a fiend, he who commits suicide commits a deadly sin because this human body has been bestowed upon us only in order to realize God.

So if we miss this golden opportunity and don't realize Him, we commit a deadly sin, crime and villainy; and such a man can not meet with a good destiny. So a person should not even dream of committing suicide. A man who is very much distressed or who is suffering from a deadly disease thinks that he will get rid of distress or disease if he dies. But it is wrong. He will have to bear the fruit of his past misdeeds in other species he is born in. Moreover this deadly sin of committing suicide will mislead him to lower births as that of ghost or an evil spirit and he will have to suffer for thousands of years.

Question:- Where do ghosts (evil spirits) reside?

Answer:- They generally reside on the cremation ground and the trees of the cremation ground. They also reside on the bank of lakes. Though they can't drink their water, yet the cool air, having touched water, pleases them. Moreover the peepala tree provides shelter to everyone, so they live in its shade. If someone gets a canopy constructed where they are cremated, that place is also haunted by their ghosts. The deserted houses are also haunted by ghosts.

Question:- Through which gate (opening or cavity) do ghosts enter the body of the person who is possessed by them?

Answer:- There is predominance of air in the bodies of ghosts. So they can enter the body through any cavity or sense organ such as eyes, ears and skin etc. But generally they enter through filthy cavities as that of excretion or urine or life-breath.

Question:- Having entered the body in which part do they reside?

Answer:- Entering the body they reside in the sense of 'I' (aham vrtti) viz. inner sense. ‘I' is of two kinds-

( 1 ) Egoism (ahamkar) and

( 2 ) the sense of 'I' (aham vrtti). Egoism abides in the spirit (self) while the ‘sense of I’, abides in inner sense. Ghosts enter the body by breath and abiding in the sense of 'I' use the senses.

Question:- Can a person be possessed by more than one evil spirits?

Answer:- Yes, a person can be possessed by more than one evil spirits. When they speak through that person's organ of speech, there is a difference in voice.

Question:- Having entered a human body do ghosts reside there every time?

Answer:- There are a few ghosts who reside there all the time. But there are others who make their entrance and exit. They wander in close vicinity to that body and sometimes disappear, their speed is fast like wind.

They are not eligible to enter every body and to torture it as they wish. They enter a body and torture it according to the order of their ruler and also can't stay in his body all the time without his order. As if those who attain heaven as the result of their meritorious deeds want to talk to any one living in this mortal world, they have to seek permission from the ruler of heaven in order to talk; so do evil spirits act according to the order of their ruler.

As in hell, beings are thrown into boiling oil and their bodies are cut into pieces, yet they don't die unless sins are exhausted, so has a man, possessed by an evil spirit in spite of the application of incantation and charm etc. has to suffer because of his past misdeeds. When they have reaped the fruit of their misdeeds, they are no more possessed by evil spirits.

It is observed that when after death a person of a family becomes a mane, he enters the body of a particular member of the family only. It shows that he had relationship with the member pertaining to debt. Similarly that person is possessed by ghosts who had relationship pertaining to debt. Evil spirits can kill a person only when his life-span is over.

In this connection I have heard a story. About a hundred years in Rajasthan a butcher was taking a cow to the slaughterhouse. Hearing this news, the king ordered his constables to kill the butcher who had taken the cow to the slaughterhouse. After dying that butcher became a fiend and the king was possessed by him. The king made every effort to be rid off the fiend's possession, but all was in vain. The fiend said that he would free the king out of his possession only if a man was offered as a sacrifice to him. At last a member of the warrior class was prepared to sacrifice his life to satisfy the fiend in order to save the king. The fiend freed the king and killed that member. According to the wish of the member of the warrior class, his corpse was taken to his spiritual guide. When the people after going round the preceptor started for the cremation ground, a saint sitting with the preceptor said that something should be offered to the corpse. The preceptor said that nothing could be done as his life-span was over. Then both the saints offered him twelve years of their lives and he was saved. It means that the fiend could not kill the king before his life-span was over,  he could only kill the member of the warrior class whose life-span was over.

Question:- The marks of a person suffering from epilepsy and those of a person being possessed by a ghost are almost the same. How to distinguish one from the other ?  

Answer:- A person suffering from epilepsy generally becomes unconscious, while a person being possessed by an evil spirit (ghost) does not become unconscious, but he babbles. The diseased person has a spirit (soul) while the person being possessed by an evil spirit has two souls, his own and that of the ghost which harasses and tortures him. The former can be cured of his disease by medicine, while the latter can't.

Question:- What fate do those persons who deal with the occult science of charms and incantations meet with?

Answer:- They meet with an evil destiny viz.they become ghosts (evil spirits) because:—

(1) Their science, the food stuff they eat and their thoughts are all filthy and they mislead them to a bad destiny viz.the life of ghosts.

(2) When ghosts enter someone's body, they don't want to leave that place because they get relief there, they receive good eatables. But the persons dealing with the occult science force them to leave the place and bury them in the earth by shutting them in the bottle of beer or subdue their influence by nailing them to a tree where they have to suffer hunger and thirst for hundreds of years. it is a deadly sin to cause any one to suffer. So after death they meet with an evil destiny by becoming evil spirits.

(3) They don't think of the welfare of others because they are engaged in this sort of work out of greed to earn money. They also bluff and cheat others. So they have to become evil spirits after death. If they think of the welfare of both - he who is possessed by the evil spirit and also the evil spirit (by offering food to the members of the priest class in their honour), they can't meet with evil destiny. They rather attain God (12/4).

Question:- Who is responsible for shutting the ghosts in bottles or nailing them to trees — their own actions of the past or he who shuts them?

Answer:- Their sinful actions are responsible for it. But those who nail them to the trees commit a deadly sin by doing so. In order to liberate them from that life, spiritual activities ordained by the scriptures such as recitation of the Bhagavata in a week, offering of food to the members of the priest class in their honour at Gaya or chanting God's name or any other activity suggested by them should be performed. He who conduces them to meet with a good destiny is virtuous and those ghosts being free from their life bless such a man.

Question:- Why do those experts who deal with the occult science of charms and incantations incuresin in nailing ghosts when they help them to be free from sins?

Answer:- The ghosts or evil spirits who are nailed or buried in the earth have to bear the fruit of their misdeeds but those who nail them incur new sins. So they will have to reap the fruit of their sins. He who butchers an animal out of greed, desire and selfishness incurs sin while the animal dies only when his age is over. When even a virtuous action performed out of desire leads to bondage, how will an evil deed performed out of desire not lead to bondage? It is the duty of a man neither to trouble and torture any one nor to commit murder. But he incurs sins by performing such evil deeds out of desire (3/37). So every person should make efforts for the welfare of all beings by renouncing desire and selfishness etc.

Question:- How long do ghosts who are nailed or shut in bottles stay at that place?

Answer:- Incantations are powerful for a certain period of time. When this power is exhausted or ghosts bear punishment as the fruit of their past deeds, they are freed. But unknowingly if they are unnailed, or the bottle is broken either while digging the ground or by the falling of a tree, they again start torturing others according to their nature.

Question:- If any person unnails them or breaks the bottle, will he be possessed by those ghosts?

Answer:- Yes, he may be possessed by those ghosts. So a person should not perform such an action. But if he, who has taken refuge in God or in Hanuman, frees them, they can't harm him, rather they can be free from that life. The saints and great souls have done so.

Question:- A few experts in the occult science of charm and incantations by overpowering ghosts cause them to do their domestic work or farming. Is it proper?

Answer:- It is not proper for a man to overpower any being But it is no crime or sin if someone gets the work done by them by feeding them and by pleasing them in the same way as he gets the work done by servants by paying them. But a striver following the spiritual path should not indulge in such an activity. Those who are engrossed in the mundane can do such sort of work.

Question:- How are they fed and pleased?

Answer:- There is predominance of air in their bodies. So they are fed and pleased by smelling fragrance or perfume. They are also fed if sweet dishes are offered to a member of the priest class or to one's own sister or daughter or sister's daughter.

Once a boy of about ten was drowned and then became an evil spirit. His sister was possessed by him and he narrated his sad plight to her. Once he by possessing his sister said that he was very hungry. Then members of his family offered food to a Brahman (member of the priest class). When the Brahman was eating the food, the ghost's sister's mouth moved as if she were eating something. When the Brahmana had eaten the food, the ghost (evil spirit) possessing his sister said that his hunger was satisfied. Evil spirits can't drink pure water, so they remain thirsty. If the water, which falls after wringing the clothes after a bath, is offered to them, they can drink it. Similarly if the water, which remains after washing the organ at the evacuation of bowels, is poured on any thorny bush or swallow wart plant, in the name of evil spirits, it is drunk by them. Saint Tulsidasa performed such an activity. One day an evil spirit appeared before him and said to him that his thirst was quenched with the water offered by him. He told Saint Tulsidas that he could grant him a boon. The saint said that he wanted to have a vision of God. The ghost said that it was beyond his power to enable him to have a vision of God, but he could tell him the method how to have His vision. The evil spirit said to him that in the evening time at a particular place the Ramayana was recited and there Hanuman ( the monkey god) also came as a poorly clad leper who went from there when all the listeners had dispersed. By touching his feet he should make an earnest request to him to enable him to have a vision of God. Saint Tulsidas did accordingly and had a vision of Lord Rama. If food, water and an umbrella etc. are offered to Brat-unarms

In the name of evil spirits, they receive those articles. But if other evil spirits are stronger than those whom you want to offer articles, they snatch them and don't allow them to receive. But if the food stuff and water are offered carefully in their name, they receive them.

Question:- How to exorcise an evil spirit? Answer:- There are several method for exorcising:—

( 1 ) A man being pure should take his seat on a pure mat by burning incense and taking a brass ( or copper) mug full of water and should recite 'Narayana Kavacha' (Srimad bhagavata, canto 6, chapter 8. When the recitation is over, he should blow a puff on the mug. He should repeat this recitation at least twenty one times and each time he should blow a puff on the mug. Then that water should be drunk by the person possessed by a ghost and a little water should be sprinkled on his body.

( 2 ) The Rama Raksha stotra (hymn) published by the Giti Press should be endowed with super-natural power by the method mentioned there. Then reciting that hymn the man possessed by the ghost should be touched by peacock feathers.

( 3 ) By being pure, water should be purified by the repetition of 'Hanuman Chalisa (forty verses eulogizing the monkey-god) seven or twenty-one or a hundred and eight times and then this water should be drunk by the man possessed by on evil spirit.

( 4 ) The man possessed by an evil spirit should drink the water purified by the repetition of the thirty sixth verse of the eleventh chapter of the Gita a hundred and eight times.

( 5 ) The person possessed by an evil spirit should listen to the recitation of the Bhagavata (which is recited in seven days).

( 6 ) Food and water etc. should be offered to a Brahman who is pure in conduct at Gaya in the name of that ghost according to the ordinance of the scriptures.

( 7 ) The holy books such as the Gita, the Ramayana and the Bhagavata should be placed near the possessed person and "Visnu sahasra nama? ( a thousand names of Lord Visnu, the preserver) should be recited to him.

( 8 ) The possessed person should visit such holy places where there have been religious rituals such as repetition of Gayatri mantra (a Vedic metre recited daily by the twice born ), rhythmic recitation of the Vedas, and narration of the story of the Purapa. There he becomes free from the possession of ghosts. Residing there he should recite the name of God, Hanumana Chalisa and Sundar Kanda etc. so that he may not again be possessed by an evil spirit. If it is not done, the evil spirit may wander in his vicinity and may again possess him when he crosses that area.

( 9 ) The mystical diagram consisting of sixteen squares, the total of the numbers being thirty four (known as chautisa yantra) should be endowed with supernatural power^[5]

On Tuesday or Saturday the oblation consisting of coconut, clarified butter, sesame and fragrant spices should be poured into fire a hundred and eight times. While pouring oblation each time the thirty sixth verse of the eleventh chapter of the Gita should be recited and the mystical diagram drawn on the white piece of paper should be revolved over the fire with each oblation. Then that paper of the mystical diagram should be put into a talisman with a red or black thread and be worn by the possessed person. An evil spirit can be exorcised by adopting any one of the above methods with faith and belief. If any one of these rituals is more powerful than the past evil deeds, an evil spirit is totally exorcised, but if the past evil deeds are more powerful the evil spirit is partly exorcised.

Question:- How to be free from the possession of a fiend demon ?

Answer:- (a) Those devotees, who are engaged in worship, adoration and chant the name of God, possess divine power. So the power of fiends is brought to naught by that divine power.

(b) If the possessed person goes to an enlightened soul, he is liberated from the possession of the demon and that demon is also liberated from that life.

(c) If the demon accepts that food should be offered to Brahmana at Gaya in his name, it should be done. It will lead him to liberation.

Question:- What type of people are not possessed by ghosts and evil spirits?

Answer:- Ghosts and evil spirits possess those people who had any kind of affinity for them and transaction with them, or who performed evil deeds or who are not engaged in spiritual activities or who eat forbidden food or who don't observe purity or whose conduct is bad. But they can't possess those who depend on God, who chant His name and glories, who listen to His life-history, who observe purity and whose conduct is good. Ghosts also don't possess those who study the sacred books such as the Gita, the Bhagavata and the Ramayana etc. But there are several ghosts and evil spirits who themselves study such sacred books. So they can come to those people who study these sacred books but they can't torture them. If they come to such type of religious minded persons, they should not be slighted, because they get irritated if they are slighted. Those persons who drink the holy water of the Ganges or recite `Hanumana Chalisa' (forty verses euloging the monkey-god) or Vishnu Sahasranama' (a thousand names of Lord Vishnu, the preserver) are not possessed by evil spirits.  

Once two gentlemen were travelling by bullock carts. A ghost chased their cart. Both of them were frightened But one of them started reciting the `Vishnu sahasranama'. That ghost chased them up to the boundary of the village they had to reach. Then he disappeared. Thus they could not be possessed by him because of the recitation of the `Visnu sahasranama'. Those who wear the rosary of holy basil or of the seeds of eleocarpus ganitrus or ties up mercury can't be possessed by evil spirits.

Once a gentleman was going riding a horse in the winter season very early in the morning, about two hours before sunrise. He reached the place which was heard to be haunted by ghosts. He suddenly saw a ghost standing in his way as long as a tree. The horse was alarmed by his appearance, so the gentleman fell off the horse and his arms were sprained. He was not afraid of the terrifying figure because he was fearless. By the sun-rise that ghost remained standing there before him but he could not touch or possess him because he was wearing the rosary of holy basil round his neck. When the sun rose the ghost disappeared and that gentleman came back home. Ghosts and evil spirits possess more power from sun-set to mid-night and also at mid-day. It is also every one's experience that he is more afraid if he has to go to the cremation ground at night or at noon than in the morning or evening. If we have to go to some lonely and deserted place at night or at noon and any body (a ghost) calls us or seeks permission from us to accompany us, we should not respond but should start the recitation of God's name, Vishnu Sahasranama, Hanumana Chalisa and the Gita etc. By doing so the ghost will not chase us. But if we say 'yes' in response to his question of seeking permission, he will chase us. If we urinate at such places which are haunted by ghosts and evil spirits, we are possessed by them because it is a crime against them. This topic has been discussed here so that we may not have to meet with an evil destiny by becoming ghosts and evil spirits. Moreover we should offer food and water etc. to a Brahmana at Gaya according to the scriptural injunction in order to liberate the ghosts from their miserable life.

Narayana! Narayana!! Narayana!!!

From Book -  Gita Darpan in English  by Swami Ramsukhdasji

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