GREETINGS

Swamiji:

If a wife fasts on Thiruvathira, the wife’s life span will improve. Telling  a wife that her husband will have a long and healthy life is an incentive for her to do the fasting and rituals which have very profound health benefits. In olden days most of these good rituals were given such “phalasruthis” to make people observe it without fail or fault. Medical science has proven the health benefits of periodic fasting beyond doubt.

Now to answer your first question, we all come with a karmic burden, but we also possess the  tremendous  power in ourselves, to change our destiny. This potential power however has to be developed, sharpened and perfected. If we sit idle thinking some God is going to save us because we did puja or fasting, nothing will change. All rituals, Sadhanas and practices are just means to enhance that potential presence in us and express it courageously to change our life and destiny for better. Hari Om.