Steadiness and concentration of mind in Sadhana

A Sadhak should remove all disturbing thoughts from his mind and perform Sadhana with an unperturbed bed and quite mind. He should have firm faith, confidence, devotion and reverence. It can hardly be termed Sadhana if the mouth utters the Mantra, the hand works on the rosary but the mind wanders widely. The magnetic field to attract Gayatri cannot be created so long as the mind remains wavering and restless.

The other obstacle in Sadhana is lack of faith. Some people are by nature cynical and lack in depth of feelings. They have no real faith in spiritual pursuits. Words of praise from someone just arouse some casual curiosity in their minds. They think that by merely chanting a few Mantras their most-convicted desires might be fulfilled. Some persons are even seen taking a vow to do prescribe Jap after their desires have been fulfilled. Probably they assume that divine powers might be sitting hungry in the absence of their worship. This tendency of crude bargaining ridiculous and reveals the shallowness of their faith.

However, if persons who are lacking in faith, devotion and reverence and those who have an unsteady mind perform Gayatri Sadhana regularly, they are able to overcome these defects and in course of time, their Sadhana starts progressing smoothly. By and by faith and confidence are built up and they achieve concentration of mind. A person should, therefore, get started in Sadhana, although his mind may be unsteady. A day will come when he will overcome his defects and will receive Divine Mother's grace. He will then unders tand that faith, confidence, devotion and reverence habe a mighty power with the help of which impossible looking  tasks can be accomplished, as was done by Bhagirath.

Yagyopaveet has been forfeited on that account.

Some people do not put on Yagyopaveet or abandon it on account of fear that they are likely to forget putting Yagyopaveet around their right ear while going to urinal or latrine. Is is true that this rule should be strictly observed but the beginners deserve some leniency till the routine becomes a habit. In the beginning, Yagyopaveet may be wrapped round the neck so that it may climb up above the waist. The main purpose in putting Yagyopaveet round the ear is that it may go up above the waist so that there may not be any possibility of its being touched by any sort of impurity. If perchance one fails to wind it up around the ear it is not necessary to change the Yagyopaveet. Putting on Yagyopaveet around the neck can be dispensed with as soon as habit is formed to wind it around the right ear.

For children of tender age and other forgetful persons, Yagyopaveet of one-third size, known as kanthi, can be used by putting it around the neck. Small children and insufficiently refined/uncouth people often neglect to clean Yagyopaveet daily which gives badly smell on account of perspiration, dirt etc. It was to take case of such cases that wearing of kanthi consisting of a string of small beads of tulsi, rudrakhaa or some other sacred material around the neck came in vogue.