192
Aptavani-4
(21)
The Purpose of Penance
Penance, Renunciation and Fasting
Questioner: Are penance (tapa), vows (vrat) and
disciplined rituals (niyam) necessary or are they unnecessary?
Dadashri: All the medicines that are available in a
pharmacy are all necessary, but they are necessary for other
people, and you only have to take the medicine that you need.
In the same way, penance, fasting, renunciation, vows, etc., are
all necessary. There is nothing false or wrong in this world.
Stealing is not wrong and neither is levying income tax. When
your pocket is picked, it is the Nature’s tax! The one’s imposing
the tax are the thieves themselves! There is nothing wrong in that
either. There is nothing wrong with fasting, penance or chanting.
Everything is correct according to each individual’s viewpoint
and expectation.
Questioner: So is it necessary to do japa-tapa (chanting
or penance)?
Dadashri: No. Is it necessary for you to take all the
medicines that are in a drugstore? You take the medicine
according to the illness that you have, and you will only need a
couple of bottles of it. If you took all the bottles, it would kill
you! If you are fond of japa-tapa, then you should do it.
Questioner: Is it possible to be fond of japa-tapa?
Dadashri: Would anyone do it without being fond of it?
This is how it goes: fondness for women, for alcohol or for