The importance of Time - Ugadi new year message from Sringeri Jagadguru Sri Bharathi Teertha Swamiji !
" Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya points out thinking about the Lord is a must. One who spends his or her life without the thought of God is devoid of discrimination and is not wise. The Acharya points out: मुहूर्तमात्रेऽतिक्रान्ते भगवच्चिन्तनं विना । दस्युभिर्मुषितेनेव युक्तमाक्रन्दितुं ध्रुवम् ॥ One Muhurta consists of 48 minutes. The Acharya says that even if one such Muhurta period of 48 minutes is lost without the thought of the Lord, we have to feel sorry. How? What we see in our experience is given as an example in the verse. One might have acquired and stored a lot of material wealth in one’s house. Suppose a thief enters the house and steals only a watch from the house, what would be the grief experienced? Eventhough all other articles and possessions remain intact, and only a watch has been lost, there is still a period of mental agony that is undergone due to this loss. Whatever material is lost in this world can be earned again. However, this is not the case with time. No amount of money can bring back lost time. And yet, people experience such agony for the loss of an object though can be earned again. But when time is frittered away, you are not sad about it. Sri Adi Shankaracharya says that it is lamentable that if even one Muhurta is lost without remembering God. How many remember God even for the time period of one Muhurta (48 minutes) each day? Everyone must hence keep this in mind and Yugadi - the ushering in of the new year is an auspicious occasion. One must remember the passage of time as we usher in the new year and fix some time daily for contemplating on God. On the auspicious occasion of ushering in of the new year Vikriti, may all strive to allocate atleast one Muhurta for prayer every day and attain Shreyas."
