There is a Sutra in the Rudrashtadhayi of Shukla Yajur Veda – ‘tanme manah shivasankalpamastu’. It means – ‘May my mind make auspicious resolutions’. There is an immense power in sankalpa (resolve). This entire creation is a result of the sankalpa of God. Any activity starts with a firm determination and it reaches completion with the same power. If the power of resolve is weak or shadowed by doubt, then the work remains incomplete.
Sankalpa or the power of resolve fills a person with immense enthusiasm and unrelenting courage because of which he reaches his goal with full confidence. Mahatma Gandhi resolved to follow non-violence, love, peace and harmony. He lived his entire life following these principles, resulting in the success of Indian Independence Movement. If our mind is firm and focused, power of resolve gets strengthened. If our mind is wavering, there are cracks in our determination.
If our resolve is firm, even problems will be scared to come near us. It is then that an ordinary person ends up doing extraordinary work. If a person is determined, he can land on his feet anywhere and under any circumstances irrespective of the resources at his disposal. If the resolve is firm, even the smallest of efforts bring about a revolution. For example, Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya was determined to establish Benares Hindu University and it was his firm resolve that made this awe-inspiring task possible. Yugrishi Param Pujya Gurudev established this extensive ‘Gayatri Pariwar’ purely out of his power of resolve and it is continuing to scale new heights till today.
Even mountains can be moved with the power of resolve. Even the biggest of problems bow their head in front of a determined person. On the contrary, those who are fickle-minded lead themselves on the path to self-destruction. Spiritual life of a person is also founded on the power of resolve. If it is weak, then man cannot achieve meaningful success, become self-reliant or beget spiritual attainments.
There is a sutra in Atharva Veda in this context – ‘yo vah shushmo hridayeshvantarakutirya vo manasi pravishta taanseevayami havishya ghritena mayisajaata ramatirvo astu’. It means: ‘when one sets his heart and mind on something and pursues with determination, then such a task is bound to be completed successfully. A person or country or a civilization or culture can become victorious only by the strength of resolve.’
The jeevatma (soul) that resides in the body is endowed with five gyanendriyas (sense organs) and five karmendriyas (motor control organs) and their capabilities are limited. But mind, the eleventh sense organ is the most important and most powerful. Jeevatma expresses its desires and decisions using the mind. The strength of mind is such that it can bind even the soul in the web of desires and make it wander aimlessly through the worlds. This fickleness of the mind can only be controlled by the power of the soul known as sankalpa shakti (the power of resolve). Only a person who is steadfast on the path of Truth can realize the soul.
‘sanshayatma vinashyati’ – one who has doubt in his mind, one whose mind is fickle will cause his own downfall. In general, people do not succeed in their profession because their energy is not focused on it. But when they set their heart and soul into doing their job, their mind gets focused and perceives hitherto unseen opportunities. This increases the probability of success.
If the mind is brought under control and its energies channelized in a specific direction, one becomes immune to the pains and travails of the body. One such example is that of Lokmanya Bala Gangadhar Tilak. Once his thumb needed a surgery. The doctor came to him with chloroform which could be used to make him unconscious so that surgery could be performed. He would then experience no pain. However, Tilak refused to take the anesthesia and said that if he could be provided with a copy of Bhagawad Gita, they could perform the surgery. Once he got the book, in a few minutes he was completely engrossed in reading. The doctors performed the surgery and he was not even aware that it had happened.
There are many other astounding miracles of the power of resolve; like – accomplished yogis stopping rain, impeding the flow of flood water, lifting a massive stone etc. Sir Adyar has written about a saint by name Govind Swami. On Swamiji’s command a pot filled with water would rise 1.5 feet from the ground. Once when Maharshi Galav saw the residents of his ashram dying of thirst, he ordered a mountain to provide water. It is said that as soon as he gave the order, a fountain of water emerged from within the mountain. This place is famous even today in Jaipur and is known as Galtaji. When there was a famine in the ashram of Atri- Anasuya in Chitrakoot, there was not a drop of water available. Maharshi Atri was performing penance and hence was not in the ashram. The maternal instinct of Anasuya was invoked by the cries of her ashramites. With her sankalpa shakti she created a stream of water that is known as Mandakini. The water quenched the thirst of many people during that drought.
It is not that the miracles can be exhibited with spiritual power alone; many a miracle has been exhibited when determination meets physical effort. Dashrath Manjhi, popularly known as
‘Mountain Man’ was a poor laborer of Gehlaur village in Jharkhand. He used just a hammer and a chisel to cut through a mountain and carved a path that is 360ft long and 30ft wide. His untiring work for 22 years shortened the travel from 55 km to just 15 km. There are many such miracles of the power of resolve found in the history.
Sankalpa Shakti is a power that changes the direction of life and brushes aside all the hurdles in the path like a bunch of dry leaves. It is this power of resolve that makes a tiny seed emerge out of the soil and grow into a tree. Any person can scale new heights and reach the peak if he is determined and focused in his efforts. Only those who possess this virtue can attain great heights and be extolled as great souls.
Akhand Jyoti Magazine 2017 Mar-Apr