[Advaita-l] Chanting Gayatri overseas

[Venkatraghavan S]

Yes, shAstras do prohibit travelling across the seas. However, if that has
already happened, and there is no possible means of moving back to India,
then the next best thing is to do the karma where one is present.

In the case of nityakarma, which have to be compulsorily done, a failure to
perform them citing unfavourable circumstances will only incur pratyavAya.
In the case of kAmya karma, the efficacy of it is likely to be affected (or
even turn adverse) if the rules prescribed in shAstra are not strictly
adhered to. Therefore one has very little latitude when it comes to kAmya
karma.

Every karma has an utkriShTa paksha and a gauNa paksha - a superior way of
doing it and a middling way. It is true that the superior way is better
than the middling way, but when we are talking of nityakarma, the middling
way is better than no way. Therefore, if the choice is between not
performing nityakarma at all or doing it within the constraints of the
situation, the latter is a better approach.

However, there should be a desire to perform a karma correctly and we
should ask Ishvara for that opportunity.

Regards,
Venkatraghavan