Journey From Head To Heart

The part 2 course or the advanced meditation course takes us on a blissful journey from head to heart. Guruji says enlightenment is the journey from head back to the heart, from words back to silence, to innocence in spite of your intelligence
The Abudhabi chapter of Art Of Living organised a beautiful AMC with Swami Jyotirmaya leading us through this wonderful journey.

Hollow and empty,we use these words quite so often,but wonder if we ever paused to think these simple words mean so much.During the course had the great fortune of listening to Guruji's talk on hollow and empty,and the depth of the words really struck me.To quote his words"We have never,even for a moment thought how much of grain and food has gone through this small hole called mouth....they have just disappeared,vanished,we must have consumed truck loads of grain ,fruit, vegetables and what not....isn't it so very true?????????????

Have we ever paused to give a thought to this anytime???

It is only because everything within (like the food pipe)us is hollow and empty that this is possible,isn't it????

We had an amazing time all through,right from the first session of fun and energy packed yoga.

Swamiji guided us through some excellent meditation sessionsand processes,just that my body kept reminding me of its existence every now and then. This was in fact my first experience where in we had continuous meditation sessions for more than an hour and a half with just a short break (eyes closed ,lying down,or stretching our body to music).It was indeed very relaxing at the same time taking me deeper within,whatever that means.....just that I am short of words....I believe it has to be experienced,like somebody rightly said,' it is liking asking someone eating a mango how it tastes?? You need to actually eat the mango know how it tastes isn't it'???

Post dinner we had excellent satsangh sessions each day and the hall was radiant with joy and dance and so full of energy(Just to remind that we were all in silence for 4 days).Swamiji too danced with so much grace enthusiasm and fun,it was indeed unbelievable yet true.He was so full of love and kindness that he came up to people who could not dance and held their hands and danced with them individually for few moments. Swamiji made sure that all participated in the satsangh.

All these precious moments will sure remain etched in my memory for a long long time to come.

The highlight and conclusion of the course was Swamiji blessing each and everyone present individually.These were sure moments filled with gratitude,tears of joy and thanks to our dear Guruji who graced us all with so much compassion,love and affection.

I am reliving those wonderful days and I must say that so far every part 2 course I have so far taken have been unique and wonderful.I must quote here what Guruji has said in one of the cassettes …The journey to heaven is very long and is made of 108 steps. The steps are made of soap and it is pouring….Each time you try to climb ..you slip!..Guru is your railing..Hang in There!!How very beautiful indeed!!!

Click below and enjoy this simply awesome optical illusion.

Jai gurudev!!!!!

“mujko zamin aasman mil gaya,

guru kya mile bhagvan mil gaye”

Good Samaritans

Today we live in such a materialistic world and we have become so self centered that we have no time and mind to look beyond our family.Infact,the meaning of family itself has taken a change in the present times and is limited to husband wife and children.Everyone and anyone beyond this circle is not considered family,be it your own parents or be it your own brothers or sisters. Sad state of affairs this for sure...I am absolutely perplexed and shocked that we have today reached a stage wherein even parents have to pay boarding and lodging to stay with their so called sons or daughters.They are gusets in theor own house!!funny that, isn't it????It indeed amazes me that even in the 21st century and inspite of all the economic growth people are still insecure and stuck on food.
I wonder where all the deep and rich culture that we always are proud to quote has vanished???
We belong to a culture that says "Matru Devo Bhava,Pitru Devo Bhava"Adithi Devo Bhava!!
We are taught to see God in every human being....,forget seeing god,unfortunately we are unable to see a human being,people who toiled all their lives so that one day you will be happy and comfortable!!There seems to be lack of gratitude and acknowledgement.However much one does for parents,one can never repay what they have given,so the least that can be done for parents in their old age is to spend some quality time with them,and see that they are comfortable.
Why is it that people are living such mean and mundane lives where they are unable to think beyond "What about Me??"Mera Kya Hoga????"Iske aage sochna hum shaayad bhool gaye hain,ya phir aisi maya ki jaal mein fase hue hain ki aur kuch dikhayi nahin deta......Jo bhi ho, mujhe tho yeh bahut sharam ki baat lagti hai....."jago, jago, aur apni khidki kholke ke dekho bahar ki duniya jahan har tarah ke insaan jeevit hai.Kuch karo samaj ke liya,tumhara kaam apne aap ho jayega.
Manav Seva Madhav seva,meaning help a needy person and you have served God.There is no point making regular temple visits and reading shlokas and scriptures, and turning a blind eye towards the poor and needy.We never know in what from God comes at our doorstep.
Well,well,enough of my ramblings and rantings,there are great people in this world ,doing a quiet and unbelievably great service to humanity and to the really needy and homeless senior citizens.I read about one such young boy from Madurai who gave up his job and career at a tender age of 20 to serve the mentally ill and homeless destitutes of Madurai. Read more about his achievements here.

I am indeed so overwhelmed at what this young man has been doing for the last 7 years,and feel so proud that there are Good samaritans around in this Big Big World,who want to bring about a change in the lives of those suffering. Each and everyone of us can make a difference by our service,whatever that may be .........
My sincere and heartfelt good wishes to this noble person.
God Bless
Jai Gurudev.

I Have Learnt

1)I have learnt no matter how much you love guavas,you just cannot add them to fruit salad.

2)I have learnt that people can keep a straight face and ask you"are you alright",when you just slipped on snow and fell thud on the road with loads of shopping in both your hands!!!

3)I have learnt that if you keep a smiling face people start wondering if you are normal.

4)I have learnt that it is difficult for people to accept the truth because "Truth is generally bitter".

5)I have learnt that "Ignorance Is Not Always Bliss!!!

6)I have learnt that most people don't actually mean what they say.

7)I have learnt that you are lucky to have true friends who are there for you when you really do need them.

8)I have learnt that national and international news can be more important to men many times than the happenings at home.

9)I have learnt that no matter how good a cook you are,all men believe that none can cook better than their mother.

10)I have learnt that most men prefer dumb wives.

11)I have learnt that it is very important to value and feel grateful for all that has come my way.

12)I have learnt that no matter how old I am,I can always depend on my mother when in need.

13)I have learnt that none can take the place of your mother.

14)I have learnt that only a mother's love is selfless,and without expecting any returns.

15)I have learnt that you recognise and start valuing your body only when they give you trouble.

16)I have learnt that arguments are so futile and such a criminal waste of precious days.

17)I have learnt that it is very important to enjoy every little thing,be it the chirping of birds,the morning freshness in the air,the beautiful sky .......

18)I have learnt that what you resist persists..so just let go.....

19)I have learnt that it takes less effort to smile and be cheerful.

20)I have learnt "Manav seva is Madhav seva"

21)I have learnt that it is best to ignore and feel compassionate for people who have hurt you.

21)I have learnt that when you include others in your prayers your prayers are answered.("Sarve Janasu Sukhino Bhavantu")

22)I have learnt that you should never ask saints personal questions.

23)I have learnt that "Silence Is Indeed Golden"

24)I have learnt that a sincere prayer is always answered.

25)I have learnt that Life is indeed uncertain and you cannot be sure of the next moment.

26)I have learnt that no matter what I am responsible for my Happiness.

27)I have learnt that I don't enjoy cooking any more.

28)I have learnt that no matter what I know for sure that "I AM"!

29)I have learnt that "Faith Can Move Mountains"!

30)I have learnt that age is not a limitation for learning.

31)I have learnt that there is something to be learnt from every being.

32)I have learnt that when pointing fingers at someone it is important to realise that the other four are pointing towards me.

33)I have learnt that being consciously aware of every thought going across the mind,callms the mind a great deal.

These 33 points are a small bit of what I have learnt in the last 33 years (29th Oct1976-29th Oct 2009).

Jai Gurudev.

Sage Of Arunachala

Ramana ashram at Tiruvannamalai has a lot of animals, like monkeys,peacocks and the like moving about freely.(I managed to find a picture of some animals which loved Maharishi)There is a true story of a cow named Lakshmi who lived during Maharishi's time and was very close to Maharishi.There is a samadhi too for Lakshmi at the ashram.More about Lakshmi later sometime...
Once a group of monkeys were mourning the death of one of their group when Maharishi was on his usual walk.He went and sat with them and explained to them that death is only for the body and not the soul and that they should not weep.The monkeys kept looking at him while he was talking and then walked away.Similar such anecdotes are plenty,and another very beautiful one that comes to my mind right now is again related to monkeys.
It seems there were a lot of monkeys in Tiruvannmalai and news spread that scientists from some foreign land were planning to come and capture a few of them for their research work.News reached Maharishi and that day when he saw one of the monkeys he sat and talked with him and told him that people were coming to catch them all and if he is intelligent he should escape from here with his group right away.It is indeed amazing that when the scientists did arrive and search around for monkey's they could not get even a single monkey all around Tiruvannamalai inspite of searching all day.
I was really touched and what I learnt from this is that language is not an issue when you talk from the heart.When it is heart to heart communion then language is not a barrier isn't it??
I wonder though how a scientist would view all this or probably may just trash it.Well, whatever that be, time and again all the great masters have stressed on the fact that sprituality cannot be understood by the intellect.Guruji says: 'deepening the mystery of creation is science and deepening the mystery of the self is spirituality'.
There is also another wonderful story about Maharishi and the squirrels around there.Mahaarishi used to feed the squirrels nuts everyday at a particular time and it is simply unbelievable to hear that everyday at that particular time they would all come and wait patiently for their turn to get their share of the nuts from Maharishi.
I am simply amazed at hearing such stories and incidents,and firmly believe that there is so much we can learn even from the smallest of creatures.In today's world we rarely get to see even the so called educated and literate people who like to wait patiently for their turn.People are always in a hurry and in the anxiety of may be not getting what they want they break rules, jump queues and forget all codes of conduct.
Let us learn from these small little ones without a sixth sense,many times we don't even give a glance towards the small creatures.Once we start observing all the creation,it is indeed amazing to see so much beauty all around is,we just need to wake up........
Jai Guru dev.

100th Post !!!

Just got back from a wonderful trip to Haridwar&Rishikesh,and actually I am yet to get back to the routine here.It is rather funny that both of us still haven't been able to adjust to the time difference yet, though it is just about an hour and a half.Waking up at 3.30 am until today,and I must say that it is quite unusual because we do go home atleast three times a year and have not faced this situation until now.

A nice topic for my 100th post I think.Our visit to Haridwar will be in my memory for a long time I'm sure for quite a few reasons.

This is my first trip to Haridwar &Rishikesh and also this is the first Baghavatha Sapthaham that I am attending.Many people told us that we are indeed lucky to attend the first Sapthaham on the banks of the Ganges,which has been the home for many many great saints and great people.I think and truly believe it is all God's Grace and blessings of Guru and elders that one gets such opportunities in life.

Right from our flight everything was so good.First,we got upgraded to business class at Dubai and so could catch some sleep inflight.Stayed with a dear friend at Delhi for a few hours and did a lot of catching up on old times.
Had to join the group at Haridwar station and it was indeed so easy and smooth,which I thought was really cool.The compartment was full of people all going to attend the Baghavatha sapthaham,and it was really wonderful to see so many people.

From Haridwar station buses were arranged to take us to Paramarth Ashram which was the venue for the satsangh.We were indeed blessed I must say to get accomodation in the ashram itself because they had only 50 rooms in the ashram and rooms were arranged in other ashrams closeby for the others.Everything actually fell into place so beautifully for us I must say.Thanks to God and Guru for making it all so easy for us.(I say this beacuse there were many people who did have a lot of issues right from the start)These are times when we are reassured that the gurus blanket is on us always.Jai gurudev!!

Next day morning after breakfast we left for Rishikesh,they had arranged buses to take us there.Had heard a lot about the famous Lakshman Julha and was so happy that I will be actually seeing it now,a child like enthusiasm for sure I must admit.A tourist guide was arranged to tell us about all the places around.She(Her name was Krishna I learned later) led us through a short cut to the famous Lakshman Julha and the view from there was indeed so very beautiful.The Ganges flowing so swiftly was a treat indeed.I always love to watch the waters and love the sound that goes along so enjoyed every moment to the full.We walked on Lakshman Julha nad crossed over to the other side where we were shown some important places and the famous Rudraksha trees which I am told are found only in Haridwar,Rishikesh and Nepal.

We then went to Sivananda Ashram which was indeed amazing.It is one of the oldest ashrams there it seems and there is satsangh hall there where 24/7 namasankirtan is going on,from the year 1942.Isn't that unbelievable??We were indeed blessed yet again to meet a swamiji there who has been living there from 1950.He was kind enough to talk with us for quite sometime.

I really admired the monkeys there.It was a treat watching them.The way they enjoyed the food bit by bit was amazing.One of the monkeys caame up and showed us how they drink water from the tap,which was simply great.The skill with which the monkeys act is simply unbelievable I must say.Every creation of God is a true marvel,just that we need to take a little time to admire,observe and enjoy it all.I for one truly enjoyed everybit that I saw.

We also so Ram Julha which is a more recent one,but we crossed the Ganges on boat this time and that was fun too.The day's sight seeing was over and we were back to our respective places by evening.

Next morning was reserved for Haridwar sightseeing and this we did in samll groups and travelled by autos.We had Darshan of the main Ganga at Hari Ki Paidi or Pairi,there was no water there beacuse claening up the Ganges was going on for the Kumbh Mela coming up later this year.This is one busy place with a lot of shops selling lots of stuff.We next went to Manasa Devi mandir and then Chandi Devi mandir which are up hill.We took the cable car which reached us up in 5 minutes and needless to metion it was so pictureque and scenic around.Wish I had a handy cam could have captured it all !!!With a camera there are limitations I guess!!After agood darshan and some shopping we had to return back.

We had to reach ashram back because the first session of Sapthaham was scheduled for 3pm.Once the parayanam and pravachanam started we were simply taken to another world and then only on the last day did I realise that all things do come to a close and so will this one.
Lived a total life of bliss and joy for 7 days.Enjoyed taking a dip every morning at 4.30 am in the ganges. On 17th Diwali day we had a Pratyaksha Ganga snanam and as early as 4am.The water was indeed chill but just initially only until the first dip.

All in all had a lovely time,met up with some genuine people, and I think this coinciding with my 100th post is lovely too.Something that I would wish to remember for a long time and sure something to chersih.

Jai Gurudev.

I Have Realized

A very nice fwd which I received,made me put it up her right away.

I have Realized that Words had Hurt me more than the Wounds I had suffered in Life.
I have Realized that I am better when I am Silent.
I have Realized that Kids are never at fault, they just mirror our Faults.
I have Realized that Tears convey more than what words can ever say.
I have Realized that when you have nothing to lose you show your true character.
I have Realized that you can't have happiness unless you are already happy.
I have Realized that when I am estatic about something there are never enough people to share it with.
I have Realized that no matter how many times I pray, I only get what I rightfully deserve.

Jai Gurudev.

Diwali is Here!!!!

Diwali is just round the corner,and sure is funfilled time for everyone.I generally knew why Diwlai is celebrated but I got a whole lot of information on why Diwali is celebrated,why we have oil bath and why lamps are lit and son.Just putting down some of the information here.In Kasi Devi Annapoornai is decorated with the gold kavacham on Diwali day,have attached a picture of Annaporani Maa,in gold loooking so absolutely Divine and full of Grace and Karunai.

I came across an article on Yama Deepam which is lit the day before Diwali ie on trayodashi,which I thought was indeed interesting and of course very useful.Paying our respects to Yama Dharma Raja, to eradicate untimely death and bless us with a long and healthy life.is . We should light as many lamps as the number of persons living in the house and keep them outside the house or in a nearby temple. This is supposed to eradicate all our “papams” and “fear of death”. In North India, the lamps are kept burning right through the night in reverential adoration to Yama, the God of death. In North India, ghee is used, but we, here, use gingelly oil. The following shloka can be chanted:

Mruthyunaa paas(h)dandaabhyaam kaalaena s(h)yaamayaa saha

Thrayodas(h)yaam deepadaanaath sooryajah preeyathaam mama

meaning:May my deepa daanam please Yama Dharma Raja, who holds Paas(h)am and dandam in his hands, shines with Shyama daevi and Kaaladaevan and is the son of Suryan.

Diwali is very popularly referred to as the Festival Of Lights and is celebrated all over India,though there are many varied legendary stories attached to the celebration.

In North India Diwli is celebrated for five days and it is celbrated for Lord Rama's triumphant return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana.

The other one is Narakhasura vadam which is the belief in south India.Deepavali is associated with many legends.The second legend goes thus. Narakasura, a monster, ruled the kingdom of Pradyoshapuram. He was a trouble-maker to the gods and the pious sages and would disturb their penance or create havoc during the rituals. To prove his power, Narakasura usurped some territory of Aditi, (the king of Suraloka and a relative of Satyabhama, Lord Krishna's wife). Vexed with this harassment, Indra and other gods approached Lord Krishna and pleaded with him to protect them from the demon Narakasura. Satyabhama appealed to Krishna to give her the golden chance to destroy Narakasura, as Narakasura was given a curse that he would be killed by a woman. Krishna granted her a boon to fight with Narakasura. With Krishna as the charioteer, Satyabhama entered the battle field and killed the demon, Narakasura. The killing of Narakasura was a victory of good over evil. It is interesting to note that Bhudevi, mother of the slain Narakasura, declared that his death should not be a day of mourning but an occasion to celebrate and rejoice. Since then, Deepavali is being observed by people every year with joyous celebrations and lot of fun and frolic, and fire works.

The third one says that on this auspicious day, Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and good fortune visits the houses of people. In the evening Lakshmi Puja is performed with great devotion.The making of various sweets is the order of the day. Homes are decorated, sweets are distributed and lamps are lit, giving a magical and radiant touch. There is an atmosphere of joy and festivity.

Normally according to dharma shastram, one is not supposed to take an oil bath before sunrise on any day. But on Deepavali, there is an exemption. People get up early in the morning and have an oil bath in hot water specially before sunrise. This is equated to having a bath in the Ganges.

Thailae lakshmeeh jalae gangaa

deepaavaLyaas(h) chathurdas(h)eem

On Diwali day,Mahalakshmi resides in gingelly oil and Ganga maata resides in water until sunrise. So we get the blessings of Mahalakshmi as well by doing this.The traditional exchange of Greetings in South India is “ Ganga snanam acha??"Deepavali is a time for fun and revelry as well as pooja and tradition. The lighting of lamps is a way of paying obeisance to God for attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, valour and fame. Fireworks are brought out and the children enjoy the fun and frolic. Hundreds of fire crackers can be seen glowing and then bursting as though it was a battle of glows and sparks in the skies. Thus there is universal enjoyment.And all this illumination and fireworks, joy and festivity, is to signify the victory of divine forces over those of wickedness."Thus this great festival of light symbolises man’s urge to move towards light of truth from darkness of ignorance and happiness."

The importance of oil bath on Diwali day is very beautifully explained below.

On this day the famous churning of manthara mountain with vasugi snake by the devas and asuras, came to a stand still, then our famous mahavishnu took a koorma avadaram [tortoise]and went down to help move the mountain, he found Mahalakshmi on a lotus there.When Mahalakshmi went in search of Lord Narayana the til plants wanted to hide away from her, but in her search she stamped them, oil came out and whatever is being touched by the lord of wealth is supposed to bring in wealth. [in the present day during these months if we notice our body heat is extreme due to the weather, pre- winter we tend to cover ourselves with warm clothing, all these rise the body heat and we suffer from innumerable problems like cold, aches and blurring eyes an oil bath cools the system].While Mahalakshmi marries Lord Narayana on this day she blesses the til to be good for human in every way. So to get her blessing we have an oil bath.

The most intersting part of Diwali celebrations are the new clothes,fire crackers and the sweetmeats and all the goodies.The most important is the Diwali Legiyam,which is the first thing given to all to eat on Diwali morning after the oil bath.There is food,food and lots more food all day.People greet each other,take the blessings of elders and also exchange sweets. Houses are beautifully and artistically decorated to welcome Lakshmi Devi.Colourful rangolis decorate the entrance of many houses.Lakshmi poojai is done in may houses and these days it is very popular to do Lakshmi Kubera pooja in the evening on Diwali day.It is believed that lighting sixteen lamps with ghee and doing the Lakshmi Kubera pooja will bring prosperity and peace.

Wishing everyone a very 'Happy Diwali'.

Jai Gurudev.

Harivarsanam Lullaby for Lord Ayyappa!!

A very intersting article I received from very senior friend which I thought I should post here right away.Beautiful verses.....

Harivarasanam was written by Kumbakudi Kulathur Iyer in 1950. Swami Vimochanananda recited this song for the first time at Sabarimala in 1955. This beautiful song originally has 16 padas of which only the first 7 are sung at Sabarimala. This song is in Sanskrit and is sung in Madhyamaavati raagam.
It is said that the then Mel Santhi of Sannidhanam, Thirumeni Easwaran Nampoothiri had a companion called VR Gopala Menon of Alappuzha. Mr. Menon used to stay on in a shack at the Sannidhanam even when the temple is closed. Wild animals never used to trouble him and he used to feed them. Revered Menon used to recite Harivarasanam with great devotion. Later when Devaswom Board was formed, he was asked to move out. He died as an orphan in a tea estate at Vandiperiyar. It was with immense grief that the Mel Santhi heard about the demise of Revered Menon. At that end of the pooja that day, when he was about to close the doors of the Sanctum Sanctorum, he remembered Revered Menon and recited 'Harivarasanam' starting a nostalgic tradition that remains unbroken to this day.
But according to some other sources, the tradition was started for the first time after the Punah Prathishta ceremony in the Sabarimala temple. The ceremony had to be conducted after a major fire that consumed the temple in the year of 1955. It was Swami Vimochananda's (Krishnan Nair) efforts to popularize Ayyappa bhakti by travelling the whole of South India that made the chief priest accept the song as a lullaby to Lord Ayyappa.
Harivarasanam is recited just prior to closing of the temple doors at night. As the final verses are being sung, all the assistant Santhis leave the Sanctum Sanctorum one by one. As the song ends, only the Mel Santhi is inside the Sreekoil. He extinguishes the lamps one by one and closes the doors for the night after the last lamp is extinguished.


Harivarasanam Viswamohanam

HaridadhiswaramAaradhyapadhukam

Arivimardhanam Nithyanarthanam

Hariharathmajam Devamashraye

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa.

Repository of Hari’s boons,Enchanter of universe,Essence of Hari’s grace,He whose holy feet is worshipped,He who kills enemies of good thought,He who daily dances the cosmic dance,Son of Hari and Hara,I take refuge in thee God.My refuge is in you Ayyappa,My refuge is in you Ayyappa.
=================================================
Saranakirtanam Bakhtamanasam

Bharanalolupam Narthanalasam

Arunabhasuram Bhoothanayakam

Hariharathmajam Devamashraye

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam

Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa.

He who likes song of refuge,He who is in the mind of devotees,He who is the great ruler,He who loves to dance,He who shines like the rising sun,He who is king of all beings,Son of Hari and Hara,I take refuge in thee God.My refuge is in you Ayyappa,My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Pranayasathyakam Praananayakam

Pranathakalpakam Suprabhanjitham

Pranavamanidram Keerthanapriyam

Hariharathmajam Devamashraye

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa.

He whose soul is truth,He who is the darling of all souls,He who created universe,He who shines with a glittering Halo,He who is the temple of “OM”,He who loves songs,Son of Hari and Hara,I take refuge in thee God.My refuge is in you Ayyappa,My refuge is in you Ayyappa

Thuragavahanam Sundarananam

Varagadhayudham Vedavavarnitham

Gurukrupakaram Keerthanapriyam

Hariharathmajam Devamashraye

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa.

He who rides a horse,He who has a pretty face,He who has the blessed mace as weapon,He who bestows grace like a teacher,He who loves songs,Son of Hari and Hara,I take refuge in thee God.My refuge is in you Ayyappa,My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Tribuvanarchitam Devathathmakam

Trinayanam Prabhum Divyadeshikam

Tridashapoojitham Chinthithapradam

Hariharathmajam Devamashraye

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa.

He who is worshiped by the three worlds,He who is the soul of all gods,He who is the lord of Shiva,He who is worshipped by devas,He who is who is worshipped three times a day,He whose thought is fulfilling,Son of Hari and Hara,I take refuge in thee God.My refuge is in you Ayyappa,My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Bhavabhayapaham Bhavukavaham

Bhuvanamohanam Bhoothibhooshanam

Dhavalavahanam Divyavaranam

Hariharathmajam Devamashraye

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa.

He who destroys fear,He who brings prosperity,He who is enchanter of universe,He who wears holy ash as ornament,He who rides a white elephant,Son of Hari and Hara,I take refuge in thee God.My refuge is in you Ayyappa,My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Kalamrudusmitham Sundarananam

Kalabhakomalam Gathramohanam

Kalabhakesari Vajivahanam

Hariharathmajam Devamashraye

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa.

He who blesses with enchanting smile,He who has is very pretty,He who is adorned by sandal paste,He who has a pretty mien,He who is a like a lion to the elephants,He who rides on a tiger,Son of Hari and Hara,I take refuge in thee God.My refuge is in you Ayyappa,My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Srithajanapriyam Chinthithapradam

Sruthivibhushanam Sadhujeevanam

Sruthimanoharam Geethalalasam

Hariharathmajam Devamashraye

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa.

He who is dear to his devotees,He who fulfills wishes,He who is praised by Vedas,He who blesses life of ascetics,He who is the essence of Vedas,He who enjoys divine music,Son of Hari and Hara,I take refuge in thee God.My refuge is in you Ayyappa,My refuge is in you Ayyappa

Panchaadreeswari mangalam, Hari Hara premakrithe mangalam

Pinchalankritha mangalam, Pranamathaam chinthamane mangalam

Panchaasyadhwaja mangalam, Thrithagatha-madhya prabho mangalam

Panchasthropama mangalam, Sruthi shirolankara sanmangalam.

Jai Gurudev.

Guru Bhakti

We have read and heard a great deal about Guru Bhakti and also grace of the guru towards disciple,shishya.I heard an indeed beautiful story about Sant Eknath Maharaj.Santh Eknath was brought by his grandparents since he lost his parents at the very tender age of three.
Santh Eknath as we all know was one of the greatest saints of Maharashtra.His reformist views brought him into conflict not only with orthodox pundits but also with his own family. His son Hari Pundit was annoyed at his father's habit of preaching in Marathi and of eating in low-caste homes. He went away on a pilgrimage to Varanasi and didn't return. When Eknath followed him, Hari Pundit told him the reason for his exile. With a heavy heart, Eknath promised to give up his discourses and unorthodox ways. Hari Pundit returned and gave discourses in Sanskrit, while Eknath remained silent. The audience dwindled to near-zero while the people clamoured for Eknath's discourses and kirtans. One day an old, low-caste widow came to invite Eknath for a meal at her place. She desired to feed a thousand Brahmins, but, being poor, could not do so.
Since she considered Eknath to be worth a thousand Brahmins, she decided to feed him. Eknath turned to Hari Pundit, who was moved by her plight. But Hari Pundit made two conditions: one, that he would accompany Eknath; and two, that he himself would cook the food. On the appointed day, the two of them went to the woman's house and settled down to eat. Hari Pundit noticed that the woman had slipped a dish that she had prepared onto Eknath's leaf plate. He resented this but kept quiet. After finishing the meal, Eknath told Hari Pundit to pick up the leaf plates, so as not to trouble the old woman. Hari Pundit bent down to pick up Eknath's leaf plate. As he picked it up, he found another plate beneath it. Perhaps he had been served on two leaf plates. But below the second was a third. Eventually, Hari Pundit had to pick up a thousand leaf plates! A thunderstruck Hari Pundit realized his stupidity. His father was worth a thousand Brahmins and more. He fell at, but not humility." Needless to say, after this Eknath resumed his preaching and other activities.
Santh Ekanath's commentary on the XI skanda of Sri his feet begging forgiveness. Eknath forgave him saying, "Hari, you have learnt the shastrasmad Baghavath is indeed very popular.
There are many more of santh Eknath's works which are a true reasure.He started writing the Bhavartha Ramayana a Marathi transliteration of the Ramayana,but took Mahasamadhi before completion.There is a very interesting story here associated with the completion of the Bhavartha Ramayan.Here is where we see the grace of Guru descending on the disciple.
Santh Eknath had a boy named "Poli"who was generally considered a good for nothing by all the villagers.One day he was brought to Santh Eknath and remained with him thereafter.After Santh Eknath took samadhi,many of his disciples,including his son tried to complete the Bhavartha Ramayan with no success.One day one of Santh Eknath's disciples had a dream where the Saint told him that Poli would be able to complete the unfinished Bhavartha Ramayan.So next day the day disciple went to meet Poli and told him his dream.Poli was such a sincere and earnest sishya,he immediately said if guruji has said then ok, come and sit and write down what I say,and shlokas just started pouring and Bhavartha Ramayan was thus completed.Such is the grace of the guru.
Jai Gurudev.

The Power Of Habits

All of us have certain habits which we very much do want to get rid of,but find it very difficult to do so.I read an article that says that habits that we born with are called samskaras,if it is an indivudual habit that we picked up in our life it is called vasana,but the collection that we have,that is our nature is our samskara. These are old habits which we devloped from our past lives and they do not change with form.This is very beautifully explained with a story.Read on......

There was a mahatma who was sitting in deep meditation by the side of a river. Just at that time a hawk came flying over with a little mouse in its claws. The mouse was wiggling and wriggling and it fell out of the claws of the hawk and right into the lap of the mahatma who was meditating. The mahatma jumped -- "Oh, my, what is this poor little creature?" He was a Mahatma who had some siddhis, spiritual powers, so he picked up the mouse and said, "You poor little mouse! Oh, I feel so sorry for you! Such a fate should never have to happen to you again. If I let go of you, maybe some other creature will catch you." He just uttered "Abracadabra," and the mouse turned into a little baby girl. He called the baby girl Kanti. He took her to his wife, and said, "Dear, you've wanted a child for so long. Here's a child." Then he explained what had happened. His wife said, "OK, I will raise the child as my own daughter." She did so, and when the girl was 16, she had become a beautiful young lady. "Sixteen," they thought, "we'd better get her married now." Since he was a great siddha, he thought, "I'll get my daughter married to no one less than the sun god." He looked at the sun, concentrating to make the sun god come down. The sun god took on a form and appeared in front of him. "Maharaj Swamiji, what can I do for you? Did you call me?"

The mahatma said, "Yes," and he said to his daughter, "Kanti, come here." Kanti came to him, and he said to the sun god, "I want you to marry my daughter."

Kanti looked at the sun god and said, "Daddy, this man is so hot, even stones will melt near him. He'll burn me to ashes. I don't want to marry Him, Daddy."

What could he say? He addressed the sun god: "I'm sorry, but can you suggest somebody else? Somebody even more powerful and greater than you?"


The sun said, "Yes, there is somebody."

"Really, how is that?"

"The cloud. The cloud is greater than I. He can cover my rays. He can prevent me from shining."

So the mahatma prayed to the cloud to come down. The cloud came rushing down. The mahatma said, "Sir, I'd like you to marry my daughter, Kanti."

But Kanti looked at him and said, "Father, he's so loud when he talks! He roars. He's like thunder. My eardrums will split every time I talk to him. I don't want a husband like that. I want a soft-spoken husband."

"Ah, what to do? All right. Do you have any suggestions?" the mahatma asked the cloud. "Yes, yes, the wind -- the wind is much more powerful than I. He blows me all over the place."

"All right." The mahatma prayed, calling the wind god down. The wind god came: "Yes, can I help you?"

"Yes, please marry my daughter, Kanti."

"Father, this man wanders all over the place: he has no steadiness at all. He'll be with me for a moment, and he'll be off to the other side of the world the next minute. What kind of husband is that? Can't you find somebody more suitable? Please?"

"All right. Wind god, can you suggest somebody else?"

"Yes, there is somebody that I'm unable to move."

"Ah, yes, who is that?"

"The mountain."

The mahatma invited the mountain god Himavan to come. Himavan came before him.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'd like you to marry my daughter Kanti."

But Kanti said, "Daddy, he's so hard-hearted. His heart is like a stone. I don't want a stone for a husband."

The mahatma said, "I don't know what to do. Do you have any suggestions, sir?"

"Well there is someone more powerful than I."

"Really, who is that?"

"There is a mouse. He's able to make holes inside me. He can hollow me out completely."

The mahatma invited the mouse.

"Oh, Daddy he's just what I've always wanted! I've always been looking for such a person to marry. He's so tiny but he's nice, perfectly suitable. He's everything I ever wanted in a husband."

"All right," the mahatma said. "It's true I changed your form, but I couldn't change your samskara. I couldn't change your nature. I forgot about that."

So he changed Kanti into a little mouse and she and her husband lived happily ever after in a hole under the mahatma's hut.

This is the power of samskara: that even though we change our form we take the same samskara with us into this form. So what to do? What's the way to get rid of these deep-rooted habits?


Jai Gurudev.

TODAY IS ONAM!!

                               "Ellavarkum enthe sneham niranja Onashamsakal"!!!

                  May this Onam bring peace, prosperity, health and happiness to everybody.
                                         
                                         " Maveli Nadu Vaneedum Kalam
                                            Manusharellarum onnu pole…"

Onam has been part of the Malayali psyche for centuries. There are records of Onam being celebrated during the Sangam Age. The earliest record of the festival is found during the reign of Kulasekhara Perumals circa AD 800.

Onam is the biggest and the most important festival of the state of Kerala. It is celebrated as a harvest festival and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm all over the state by people of all communities. The best part of the festival is that it is a secular festival so people from different communities and religion can take part in it. According to a popular legend, the festival is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam. Onam is celebrated in the beginning of the month of Chingam, the first month of Malayalam Calendar (Kollavarsham). This corresponds with the month of August-September according to Gregorian calendar. It is a ten day festival. The first day is called Atham and tenth day, Thiruonam are most important of all. Popularity and presentation of rich culture of the state during the carnival made Onam the National Festival of Kerala in 1961. Elaborate feasts, folk songs, elegant dances, energetic games, elephants, boats and flowers all are a part of the dynamic festival called Onam.

The festival portrays the rich cultural heritage therefore it signifies the rich heritage of India. Rich cultural heritage of Kerala comes out in its best form and spirit during the ten day long festival. It is indeed a treat to be a part of the grand carnival. People of Kerala make elaborate preparations to celebrate it in the best possible manner. The most impressive part of Onam celebration is the grand feast called Onasadya, prepared on Thiruonam. It is a nine course meal consisting of 11 to 13 essential dishes. Onasadya is served on banana leaves and people sit on a mat laid on the floor to have the meal. It showcase the unity among people.
Another enchanting feature of Onam is Vallam kali, the Snake Boat Race, held on the river Pampa. It is a colourful sight to watch the decorated boat oared by hundreds of boatmen amidst chanting of songs and cheering by spectators.There is also a tradition to play games, collectively called Onakalikal, on Onam. Folk performances like Kummatti kali and Pulikali add to the zest of celebrations. If we try to find out the meaning and significance behind its celebration we will see that according to legends it is this visit of Mahabali that is celebrated as Onam every year. People make all efforts to celebrate the festival in a grand way and impress upon their dear King that they are happy and wish him well.Onam has two specific significances. First, it is the memory of community at large and celebration of past history as enunciated in the Mahabali legend – a story of how paradise was lost. Second, it is the celebration of the harvest, tied with the memory of the golden age of prosperity.

The festival is the harbinger of spring — signalling the start of the harvest season. Onam epitomises the new-found vigour and enthusiasm of the season, and is celebrated traditionally with folk games, family get-togethers, gifting of clothes called Onakkodi and lots of merrymaking. Thiruvathira kali is a dance form usually performed at the time of ONAM. Onam is celebrated with flowers and sadyas (Kerala's traditional vegetarian feast). The flowers are decoratively arranged on the floor and clay models of the family of Mahabali are placed in the middle to welcome Mahabali.

Cultural festivities are held throughout the state at different venues with displays of the famed Kathakali , kaikottikali, Mohiniyattom dances etc.

The chief decoration, 'onapookalam', consists of a carpet made out of the gathered native blossoms like Thumba (common leucas), Kakka poovu, Thechipoovu, mukkutti (little tree plant), chemparathy (shoe flower), aripoo or Konginipoo (lantana), hanuman kireedom (red pagoda plant), chethi (ixora) etc.
The large flowers, and one or two varieties of foliage of differing tints are pinched up into little pieces
to serve the decorator's purpose. There were specifications of the type of flowers to be used on each
of the ten days from 'Atham' to 'Thiruvonam'. This flower carpet is invariably made in the centre of
the clean strip of the yard in front of the house. It is a beautiful work of art accomplished with a
delicate touch and a highly artistic sense of tone and blending.
 Now the traditional 'pookkalams' with flowers collected from the vicinities are becoming a thing of the past and today in the cities several Pookkalam competitions are being floated during Onam.
Happy Onam Greetings!!

Jai Gurudev.













 

Kubera Kalyanam

 

Sunday mornings are indeed interetsing what with the Tamil channels comepting to show us  different temples of Tamil Nadu.In today's divya darsanam it was the Kubera temple at   Rathnamangalam, Vandalur, Chennai..Very recently the marriage celebration of Lord Kubera and his consort Rithi also known as Chitralekha was celebrated.It was indeed divine as always.I did ofcourse note some interesting points that were mentioned by the compere.She mentioned that Chitra Pournima is actually celebrated to remember the marriage celebration of Lord Kubera.I found this actually very new.
Usually we have been always told by our elders that Chitirai Purnima is a Tamil ceremony observed on the Poornima day (full moon day) in the Tamil month of Chitirai (April – May).where Chitraguptan keeps an account of all our deeds. So NEVER TELL A LIE....Read on for the story in more detail.....

 Chitra Pournami ritual commemorates Chitragupta who according to the scripts is the assistant of Lord Yama, the God of Death. The day is also dedicated to Indra, the head of Devas. It is on this day that the star Chitra and full moon come together. Considered as Chitragupta’s Birthday, the Chitra Pournami
Chitragupta means collection of pictures. It is believed that Chitragupta examines the good and bad performances of the person. When a person dies, his soul first goes to Lord Yama, where Chitragupta tallies the deeds and report it to Yama. On this day, special poojas are conducted at temples and people take bath in holy rivers and temple ponds to wash away the sins committed. Chitragupta Temple at Kancheepuram is the only one temple in South India for Chitragupta. Thirukoteeswarar temple at Thirukodikaval, situated on the Kumbakonam-Mayiladuthurai route, has separate shrines for Chitragupta and Yama. In these temples, Chitra Pournami festival is celebrated in a grand manner every year.
Legend
There is a legend associated with Chitra Poornima involving Lord Indra, the king of Gods, and his Guru Brihaspati. Lord Indra and Brihaspati once had an argument. As Indra failed to respect Guru, he stopped advising Indra who started committing sins in the absence of Guru. Days passed and Brihaspathi returned to his duty. He advised Indra for a pilgrimage to the earth to lessen the burden of sins. During the pilgrimage, Indra realized that he had been redeemed from the sins. He found a Shiva lingam under a Kadamba tree and believed that Lord Shiva had helped him in relieving his sins. Following this, he started worshipping him. He worshipped Lord Shiva with a golden lotus which he found from a nearby pond.
This was believed to be happened on a Chitra Pournami day and the place was Madurai in South India. Devendra puja is held during Chitra Pournami day in Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, commemorating the event.
The Mangaladevi Temple located at Kumily in Idukki, Kerala also celebrated Chithra Pournami festival with much religious fervor. Mangala Devi Temple is build in Pandya style of architecture is dedicated to Kannagi or Kannaki Amman, the main character of the South Indian epic Silapathikaram. The temple is around 2000-years-old and remains closed for the entire year except for Chithra Pournami Festival. Hundreds of pilgrims from Kerala and the nearby state of Tamil Nadu visit the shrine during the festive occasion.

Now back to today's topic Lord Kubera.We all generally know the popular story that Lord Veknkateshwa(Tirupati Balaji) is said to have taken a loan from Kubera for his marriage which is still being repaid by way of the collections of the temple.
There are also other very popular stories  associated with Lord Kubera.
Kubera Yantra's are very popular these days.It is said that to keep the yantra in the pooja with faith and Bhakti will bring a lot of wealth and prosperity.The number yantra adds up to 72 either way and 7+2 =9 which is considered very auspicious and lucky.
Today's version was actually not only very very new to me but I did not manage to find a similar story online.Anyways there are always many versions to our mythological stories which we may not have heard.What I heard today was of course  a very interesting one and so thought will put it down right away.
Once again I must thank the TV channels for bringing right to our homes every Sunday morning a Divya Darsanam.
May Lord Kubera shower his blessings and grace on one and all.
Jai Gurudev.

Ganapathi Bappa's Adalat!!

The tower of Vigneshwar temple Ozhar(Maharshtra).One of the Ashta Vinayak temples.

Well Ganesh Chathurthi has always been a very important festival.Living in Pune sure meant a great deal more importance attached to the ten  day celebration and festivities in the city.Visiting all the different Ganesh mandals and enjoying the theme and the decoration was indeed an intersting part of the ten day festival.Over a period of time I sure did lose touch with all the festivities.After a long time actually I have been watching a TV coverage of the Ganesh chathurthi festivities not only in Maharashtra but all over the country.
There were some truly interesting and fascinating Ganesh temples that caught my attention.
One was the Bade Ganapthi temple of Indore where Lord Ganesh listens to everyone's problems on Mobile.......you can get more about this here.
After Ganapathi bappa on mobile at the Bade Ganapathi Temple Indore,now it is Ganesh ji ki Adalat I hear.I'm indeed impressed at the innovative methods of worship and of course must admit my blissful ignorance on all these temples,and also these methods of worship.I only knew the traditional way wherein when we visit any temple we say a prayer and do pranams to the Lord.In fact I wish to mention here that whenever I went to Tirupati or Shirdi I used to plan to ask so many things ,but invariably forgot everything when I had darshan of the Lord. that ofcourse is another story though......
Coming back to this  Ganesh Mandir in Jabalpur,here all the problems one goes with are noted down in a register (by the temple priest)and an offering of a coconut has to be made to Ganpathi Bappa.The interesting and most fascinating thing here is that the temple priest brings the register in front of Lord Ganesha and reads out the problem to the Lord and then strikes a hammer like in court.That is why the word Adalat maybe.I'm indeed fascinated by all this.Once their wishes are fulfilled people come back to the temple and thank our very dear Ganpathi Bappa  for the same.
I also have the privilege of getting Ashta Vinayak Darshan sitting in the comfort of my home in UAE.Thanks to the TV channels for this noble service.
Ganpathi Bappa Moraya!!!!
Jai Gurudev.

Ganpathi Bappa on mobile !!!

I was listening to this very interesting piece of news on television a short while ago where in one can call  a mobile number and convey all their problems, and our very dear ganapathi bappa listens to all grievances and showers his blessings and solves their problems.The poojari of the temple went on to say that earlier on people conveyed their problems through letters to Ganesha and this started around twenty years before.The poojari says they get mails from all over the globe.The first letter which they received twenty years before and then some time later another mail from the same person thanking the Lord for solving his problems.Isn't that indeed awesome!!!They get thousands of mails and all are placed at ganapati bappa's feet and he takes care of everything.More recently,what with the latest technology and excellent global connectivity,people can call certain moblie numbers(forgot to note them down,as usual,just like me!!!),the poojari tells the caller to convey his grievances or thanks or whatever it is he has to the Lord and places in the cell on Ganehsa's ears.I am supremely impressed indeed at the novelty and innovative thought.
 In case the same program is repeated will sure remember to note down the mobile numbers and post them down here,in case some one would wish to talk to Ganpathi Bappa.
Curious to know more about this temple I googled and found some informtion about the temple.This famous temple is The Bade Ganapati Mandir at Indore.
Enjoy and stay connected to the Lord always.

Jai Gurudev.

Ladoo Krishna!!

Doesn't he look so very beautiful!!!!!!

I have always enjoyed all that is associated with Janmashtami celebrations and of course a special mention here about the 'maa kolam of kutti krishna's feet'.I used to enjoy seeing amma (as a youngster)draw kutti kannan's feet right from our doorstep upto the poojai room and I remember there were times when I did try to place my feet on them (ofcourse only when they dried up!!),to see whether they did fit my feet.
It used to be fun for sure,everything associated with Janmashatmi was indeed truly enjoyable and fun.All the goodies amma used to make,uppu seedai, vella seedai, kai murukku,appam, therattipal,aval, payasam,navaneetam,different fruit varieties. Sure I too do all that amma did on gokulashtami.
Well now coming to the more pertinent point which I wanted to put down here.All of us have heard a lot about Krishna's bala leela's and his liking for butter,curd.....,and his love for all the little things in life.That is one of the main reasons why we make so many different vairities of naivedyam on gokulashtami.I have also thought and been told that the kutti kannan feet kolam is welcoming HIM into our homes.I just read an article where they said that another reason for kutti kannan feet kolam is also that,like he used to visit all the gopis houses in gokulam and steal butter and curd from their houses and also many times break their curd and butter pots and run away leaving his curd and butter soaked footprints.We imagine that in our houses too and hence draw the sweet little feet .

Whatever the reason,it sure looks beautiful to have tiny liitle feet go up to our poojai room isn't it??This is not the kolam I drew at  home(forgot to click pictures of mine!!),I got this on line,thanks to the person who did it.

Jai Gurdev.

This Too Will Pass

A very nicely written article I got as a Fwd.
Once a King called upon all of his wise men and asked them, "Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstance, in every place and in every time. Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me. Tell me is there any mantra?" All wise men got puzzled by King's question. One answer for all questions? Something that works everywhere, in every situation? In every joy, every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? They thought and thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealed to all of them. They went to the king and gave him something written on paper. But the condition was that king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he'll have to see it. The King put the papers under his Diamond ring. After a few days, the neighbors attacked the Kingdom. It was a collective surprise attack of the King's enemies. King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. King had to fled on his horse. The enemies were following him. His horse took him far away in the Jungle. He could hear many troops of horses following him and the noise was coming closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing at the end of the road - that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished and he could not return because it was a small road. The sound of enemy's horses was approaching fast. King became restless. There seemed to be no way. Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was very small but very great. The message was – "This too will pass." The King read it. Again read it. Suddenly something struck him- Yes! It too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. However when those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. Calm come on his face. He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of his Kingdom. The revelation of the message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forgot about those following him. After a few minutes he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and were not on that path. The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regained his lost empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fan fare at the door. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being thrown on the King from every house, from every corner.People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself," I am one of the bravest and greatest King. It is not easy to defeat me.: With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him. Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He opened it and read it again: "This too will pass" He became silent. His face went through a total change -from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness. If this too is going to pass, it is not yours. The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours. You are just a watcher. Everything passes by We are witness of all this. We are the Observer. Life comes and goes. Happiness comes and goes. Sorrow comes and goes. Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life. Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent? They all come and pass away. Life just passes away. There were friends in the past. They have gone. There are friends today. They too will go. There will be new friends tomorrow. They too will go. There were enemies in the past. They have gone. There may be enemies in the present. They too will go. There will be new enemies tomorrow and, they too will go. There is nothing permanent in this world. Everything changes except the law of change. Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setbacks, all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away. If there are problems in the present, they too will pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away. Who are you in reality? Know your real face. Your face is not your true face. It will change with the time. However, there is something in you, which will not change. It will remain unchanged. What is that unchangeable? It is nothing but your true self. You are just a witness of change. Experience it.
Understand the spiritual dimension behind this.
Jai Gurudev.

The Supreme Love

This morning I was sitting and pondering over an article I had read yesterday.It was about why the traditional Radha Kalyana Mahotsavam is celebrated though actually as per scriptures Krishna did not marry Radha,as he did Rukmini or Satyabhama or his other 16,000 wives.There were many explanations given, but one that captured my attention was where it said that Radha and Krishna were one,they were not two separate individuals as is commonly understood.
This is a humble attempt to put down in words what ever little I understood from a conversation with a very learned,senior, devoted dear friend and uncle.
Krishna loves butter as we all know,from all his childhood stories and leelas.To just give a deeper meaning to his love for butter,it is necessary to understand what is butter.Butter is our vasanas .When the curd of devotion is poured into the milk of samsara and churned with the mantra and left untouched, and let it settle down,that is meditation, and the result of meditation is butter.This butter we offer to the Lord.He takes away our vasanas and makes us pure.When one is pure, then love flows and that love is divine love,that is love without any expectation,love just for the sake of love.That is ‘prema swaroopa’.
Krishna is Sat Chit Ananda and Ananda is Love.Krishna could not experience Love because he was only one Advaita.He wanted to experience Love so from his Ananda amsha, he created Radha. Radha could experience Krishna’s love because she was thinking of Krishna alone and became Krishna maya,though Krishna still could not experience love.Krishna too started chanting ‘Radhe, Radhe’,and slowly became Radha maya,and only then could Krishna experience his own “Love”.This explains that there is no Krishna without Radha neither is there Radhe without Krishna.
Knowledge when it gets transformed into wisdom it is bahkti or devotion.When devotion reaches its peak it gets transformed into Love.If knowledge does not get transformed into Bhakti then it is useless tinsel,says Rajaji in his introductory talk to Bajha Govindam, rendered by one of the greatest music stalwarts M.S.Subbalakshmi amma.
Knowledge and bhakti reminds me here of Krishna’s friend Uddhava (who was gyani).Once Uddhav questions Krishna as to why he was cheating the gopis with his so called ‘Love’because he knew that Krishna is Jyotiswaroopa and can be experienced only by sitting in ‘Padmasan’and meditating and awakening the kundalini shakti.When the kundalini shakti reaches the top of the head or mastishka then one sees the jyoti which is your true formless aspect, then why is it that you are cheating the gopis ??
In order to teach the Gyani (Uddhav)love Krishna asks Uddhav to go to Vraj bhoomi and explain this truth to the gopis.Krishna authorizes Uddhav as his representative since he is himself busy and sends Uddhav to Vraj bhoomi with a letter.
Uddhav goes to Vraj bhoomi with the letter and tells the gopis that Krishna has sent a letter for them,and shows the letter to them.All the gopis ,eager to know if their name is mentioned in the letter,pull the letter in all directions and soon it is in shreds.Then they ask Uddhav how is their beloved Krishna,and what message has he sent for them????
Uddhav tells the dear gopis that Krishna has been fooling them all along and that he is formless and in order to see his formless aspect they will need to sit in padmasan and meditatae on him and awaken the kundalini and only then can they see his jyotiswaroopa.Uddhav asks them ‘why are you pining for that which is mere illusion?
When the gopis hear this they are angry and tell Uddhav that he is an imposter and their beloved could never send such a message.The angry gopis now ask Uddhav if he has ever loved,and when he replies in the negative they ask him, ‘then what do you know of love’???
The gopis go on to tell Uddhav that Krishna never left them in the first place,"Brindavanam partiyajya padam ekam na gacchet"(srimad baghavatham)Uddhav is spell bound to hear this from the gopis and asks them,ok, then why are you pining and crying for him then?
The gopis tell him, “Oh Uddhav!! He is in our hearts,we want him to come out and play with us.Since he is the one who can take any form, we want him to come and play with us.We are telling him,oh you heartless lover come soon,otherwise you will see only our dead bodies.The gopis take him to Radha who is sitting under a tree and there Uddhav sees Krishna sitting with Radha and is astonished at what he sees because he left Krishna at Mathura and now he is here.To reassure himself Uddhav crawls up to Krishna and touches his feet to see if he is real or only his imagination.Uddhav realizes he is real and then shaken by this, he weeps unconsolably and takes the dust of gopis feet and applies it on his head.All this was just to transform the gyani(Uddhav) into a bhakta.
Knowledge has to become wisdom in order to attain bhakti,and when devotion reaches its peak it gets transformed into love ,’Divine love’which is above all else.


Jai Gurudev.

Happy Janmashtami!!

Today is Janmashtami or Gokulashtami or Sri jayanthi as generally and popularly known to one and all.I read this very informative write up on Kalinga Narthana Krishnan and thought it apt to post it here right away.Also enjoy the photo of Kalinga Narthana Krishnan from Oothukkadu.

OOTHUKKADU is a small village in Papanasam taluk of Thanjavur district, about 7 km from Thirukarugavoor, where the famous shrine of Goddess Garbha Rakshambigai is located. The main deity of Oothukkadu village is, of course, Lord Veda Narayanar flanked by goddesses Sridevi and Bhudevi on either side. The temple gained popularity after the discovery of the panchaloka idol of Kalinga Narthana Perumal from the temple tank. It is believed that sage Naradha witnessed the Kalinga Narthanam that Lord Krishna performed in front of the divine cows Nandini and Patti, children of Kamadhenu. Sage Naradha prayed to Krishna to remain in the village in the dance posture and bless the devotees. Hence it is believed that Lord Krishna remained in the dancing posture in Oothukkadu.The idol of Sri Kalinga Narthana Perumal in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple is about 2.5 ft high. Lord Krishna, portrayed as a five-year old boy, is seen dancing with His left foot on the serpent's head and his right leg in the air.The sight of the Lord holding the tail of the serpent with His left hand and showing Abhaya Mudra with His right hand is indeed a feast for the eyes. It is so intricately sculpted that one can insert a thin piece of paper between the Lord's left leg and the head of the serpent. The beauty is that the weight of the Lord's body rests on the left hand that holds the serpent's tail, says the temple Bhattacharya. One can also see the scars on the right leg of Lord Krishna formed due to the violent beating from Kalinga's tail.Mahakavi Venkatasa Subbhayyar, popularly known as Venkata Kavi, who lived in the 17th century CE spent his entire life in front of the thulasi mada composing a number of melodious songs in praise of this deity. Due to the extreme devotion of Sri Venkata Kavi to the Lord, he is believed to be a reincarnation of Sage Naradha who witnessed the Lord's dance in the village.Some of the famous songs of Venakata Kavi are: "Thaye Yasodha," Ali Payudhe Kanna," Paal Vadiyum Mugam", "Asaindadum mayil", "Enna Punniyam" and "Aadadhu Asangadhu Va Kanna". The starting verses of some of these songs can be found on the temple walls. It is believed that Lord Krishna appeared in person and danced to these melodies. Lord Krishna also performed the entire Kalinga Nardhanam for the pleasure of Sri Venkata Kavi.The shrine has gained fame as a "Parihara Sthalam" for "Raghu Dosham" and "Sarpa Dosham."The shrine is also visited by devotees who pray for quick settlement of marriage alliances and birth of offspring.best wishes.

source: wikipedia/sthalapuranam.

Happy Janmashtami!!!

Jai Gurudev.

Saranagathi!!

We use the word Saranagathi so very often though of course very casually.Saranagathi means surrender to the Lord,Almighty,telling him Oh God, you take charge,I completely surrender to you.Saranagathi is a divine concept where the devotee submits himself or herself completely to the Lord.
Srimad Baghavatham illustrates Saranagathy with the stories .of Ganjendra moksham, Draupadi Vastrabharanam and the story of Uttara.
In the story of Gajendran we find that when he is caught by the crocodile he thinks he can set himself free from the crocodile and so tries hard,then he takes the help of his friends and then when he realises no one can help him he finally cries to the Lord for help and there he is immediately saved by Vishnu.
Draupadi too initially cries to all the seniors, the Pandavas,Arjuna, Bheema and the others and when she realises that none of them will actually come to her rescue then she cries out to Lord Krishna,who immedialtely protects her and gives her Abhayam.
So it is with us too.We think we can solve our problems ourselves and so do not turn to GOD until we realise that we are helpless.Only then do we start praying and cryig to HIM for help and cry for protection.Surrender comes only when we have tried all other means and failed.
If we surrender to God's will and accept everything as His will then we will realise that we are taken care of all the time.
Srimad Baghavatham also tells us another beautiful stoty of Uttara,the mother of Parikshit.
Gajendra moksham and Draupadi vastrabharanam are popular and many of us have heard or read sometime or the other.The story of Uttara is not as popular and may be familiar only with those who read Srimad Baghavatham.
The story goes that Ashwathama(son of Dronacharya)sees Duryodhana lying injured at the battle field (Kurukshetra)and tells him that he will destroy the Pandavas and fulfill his wish.Saying so, Ashwathama leaves and on his way he sees an owl attacking birds sleeping in their nest and destroying them all.Ashwathama decides he too will do the same, and at midnight enters the Pandava camp and kills all there.All the five children of Draupadi lay killed by Ashwathama.Draupadi when she sees her sons dead the next morning, screams in agony and calls Arjuna.Arjuna is very upset and vows to kill whoever did this so saying they he goes in search of the killer with Sri Krishna and after a long chase they find Ashwathama, capture him and bring him in front of Draupadi. Draupadi does not want him killed because he is their Guru putra,and also she says 'I know the sorrow of amother and I do not want his mother to go through the suffering that I am now in',so asks them to release Ashwathama.More on this story in a separate post.So the Pandavas punish ashwathama by shaving of his head and release him.Ashwathama is very ashamed and on his way out vows that he will wipe out the pandavas and releases an Astra which goes straight into the womb of Uttara.Uttara is in deep pain and comes screaming and falls at the feet of Sri Krishna,surrenders to HIM and prays that he protect her womb and the baby. Sri Krishna enters her womb and protects the womb and thus Parikshit gets the Lords darshan while in His mother's womb itself.The surrender of Uttara is said to be ultimate surrender,because the moment she is affected she realises that only the lord can protect and save her and so comes rushing to Him right away.

Jai Gurudev.

Clay Balls

I got this extremely beautiful forward which I thought was so true.We all the time give so much importance to the external appearance, that we totally ignore to catch a glimpse of the diamond that shines within each one of us.....In the process many times we lose the friendship of many genuine and wise ones....Read on....

A man was exploring caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock . Inside was a beautiful, precious stone! Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away! It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it. We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person. There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth. May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

Jai Gurudev.

A Birthday Surprise!!

Yesterday morning I wrote about being young at heart and vow,what should I say,yesterday evening there was an unexpected and pleasant surprise from DH.First surprise, he came home an hour early and second and the very exciting one was what he had in his hand for me.He had a boquet and a soft and cuddly soft toy,isn't that wonderful????

Feel truly happy and easily 25 years younger and truly enjoyed that gift,more so because DH is not generally in the habit of throwing surprises.Another more interesting observation here would be that this is probabaly the first soft toy ever for me.Vow ......every reason to feel young right????????????

Well,well,it did not end there,also got treated to malai sandwich and chole bhature from the new chaat joint in Mussafah,'Message'..........any guesses any one???

Had a great day yesterday, thanks to all my well wishers.Love you all and God Bless.

Jai Gurudev.

Young At Heart!!!!

Well, well, today is the day I made an entry into this world and it has been 55 years since.Vow, can't believe it actually.Infact I feel ancient and antique if I think about it.At the same time I must also admit that still have fresh memories of my school, college,etc and it feels as though it all just happened.
Amazing,actually when I think of all the wonderful experiences in life so far.
I remember my days at Chidambaram so vividly and a very dear and wonderful friend there Shelly.We used to be together all the time.At school in CDM I remember my english teacher Mr.Lakshmikanthan who used to call me a potato,road roller and can't remember whatelse.That was the time I also learnt to write and speak Tamil,until then I actually couldn't even speak tamil fluently. Had a whole lot of fun,for sure.I remember my mother's attempt at wanting to teach me carnatic music in which I had no interest then(though I do regret that now),I used to be regularly irregular to my class. I remember going and watching a movie in a theatre for the first time in CDM only,and actually after that it was a regular,did not miss out on any of the tamil movies released.
One incident which is ever fresh in my memory is the day when we were waiting for tickets to a movie and my athimber (athai's husband)came running to convey the message that my dear brother had passed the IAS exam.(They were such wonderful people my athai and athimber,difficult to come across such genuine people).It was indeed an experience when total strangers waiting in the queue joined us in our moment of happiness and expressed their good wishes and there were some who actually said they had seen such a scene only in a movie and could not believe that it was real.That was a very touching moment for sure when I think back today.People were sure much more simpler then I imagine.
Enjoyed my secondary school life thoroughly,my favourite period in school apart from english being Physical training and the breaks.I remember we just used to wait for break time and rush to the play area in school and the swing was our favourite.There were times when there were three of us swinging in one swinging at one go,great fun it used to be.....I loved playing kho kho, kabbadi, net ball, baseball,hanging upside down on the jungle gym, high jump long jump....I used to love it all at school, and back home it was langdi, hide and seek gilli danda and cricket sometimes.Super days,did everything other than studying I suppose....
Studying at St Mira's college Pune was another wonderful experience.Had a bunch of good friends and those were the days when I went to a hotel for the first time and had masala dosa.Used to love the chole bread that St Mira's college canteen served,haven't had anything like that after.Had the privilege of listening to Dada JP Vaswani's talk every day at prayer(I realise the importance only now though).....Also this was the time I first went to Ramakrishna math,Sarada math, Hari Krishna mandir quite regularly maybe.I remember many sunday mornings when we used to go to Harikrishna Mandir for dadaji's lecture(Dilip Kuma Roy)and also the satsangh that followed.I remember one evening when Indra ma asked me to sing a bajhan and my voice just wouldn't co operate and just choked.Entry to spirituality was here I guess.The one year PG at Ness Wadia,which was good too though I have no specific memories of those days.
After that it was entering into another totally different world of wedlock.Suddenly started managing a house,taking responsibility, vow cannot still imagine, but I guess that is how it is with everyone.Well life has gone a full circle I trust, and as it is with most people filled with plenty of immemorable joyous moments,joy rides, and not omit the roller coaster rides to probabaly create a balance and may be remind that life is filled with both ups and downs and its shares of joys and sorrows.
The last few years have been truly joyous and extremely enriching and lots of fun has been had and lots has been learnt.Have learnt that there is much more to life than holding on to unwanted garbage. Learnt the importance of living in the present.
Have learnt that happiness is a choice and a way of life and is certainly not associated with an incident or happening.Spending happy days and feel 20 at heart....
Sincere thanks and am totally grateful to one and all with whom I have been associated until this day.

A good journey until today and for sure better from now on, the best is yet to come................

Courtsey my DD blog managed to dig out some old pictures which she had posted,me carrying her on her 1st birthday......yenjaay..........


Jai Guru dev.

Give God Time

Most of the times we get disappointed and feel that though we have been praying so earnestly and with so much faith our prayers are not answered.We want to know why God does not answer our prayers.I got this really nice forward which throws light on this.
If you have a problem today, a great need in your life, maybe your problem is that you had done all the talking, but hadn't done any listening to God! "Stop talking and listen for a while! Listen to God's Word! Be still and let Him speak to you. When you get quiet and wait on Him, there will come a prompting from Him in a still small voice." Someone has also called it "A Divine Oughtness," that is, an impression that you ought to do a certain thing. Some people think that effective praying means to keep on seeking and keep on knocking, to keep on talking and talking and asking God with a multitude of words, and an insistence in talking it out with Him! This kind of prayer doesn’t show your trust faith that He’ll answer, on the contrary, it shows your unbelief lack of faith that He has heard you the answer is on its way.When you pray you don’t need to keep on asking, with so much talking and insistence on expressing yourself in words, but you need to keep on believing and keep on expecting and waiting! Waiting for God to answer! Oh, the answer's there, God will answer! You know, prayer in its highest meaning is not pleading with God or demanding things, but it is communion with God, throwing your whole being open heavenward, God-ward, and waiting for the divine response.
A little word by Martha Snell-Nicholson:
Sometimes I do not even pray in words.
I take my heart in my two hands,
And hold it up before the Lord.
I'm so glad He understands.
Sometimes I do not even pray in words.
My spirit bows before His feet,
And with His hand upon my head,
We just hold communion, silent, sweet.
Sometimes I do not pray in words,
For I am tired and long for rest.
And my heart finds all it needs,
Just resting on the Savior.
If you have prayed and had no answer yet, no answer's come and it seems as if when you pray, the Heavens are brass and He's been deaf to your pleading cries, remember this:No earnest sincere prayer to the heavenly Father has ever gone unanswered or been unnoticed. But it is also true that God has His time for all things in working out His purposes! God has strange ways of disciplining his intercessors and prayer warriors, and that takes time.
GIVE GOD TIME.

Jai Gurudev.

Always Say A Prayer!!!

Got this very interesting and actually innovative forward and thought I should put it down here.There is always two ways for everything and I think this is so beautifully brought out here.Ever wonder about the abbreviation A.S.A.P.? Generally we think of it in terms of even more hurry and stress in our lives. Maybe if we think of this abbreviation in a different manner, we will begin to find a new way to deal with those rough days along the way.
There's work to do, deadlines to meet
You've got no time to spare,
But as you hurry and scurry-
ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER
In the midst of family chaos,
'Quality time' is rare.
Do your best; let God do the rest
ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER
It may seem like your worries
Are more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather
ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER
God knows how stressful life is
He wants to ease our cares,
And He'll respond to all your needs
A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

Jai gurudev!!!

A Beautiful Anecdote

I was listening to a wonderful discourse on Srimad Baghavatham.It has sort of become a habit these days to listen to at least an hour of Srimad Baghavatham.What caught my attention was this lovely story that he narrated.The story goes thus:Ramana Maharishi had a childhood friend named Mani.Mani was affectionately called naughty Mani by one and all who knew him.Once mani and his mother are on their way to Tirupati.On their way when they reach Tiruvannamalai his mother tells 'Mani, I hear your friend Vekatraman (RamanaMaharishi)is now a Maharishi and lives here.Let us go and meet him'.Mani laughs and tells his mother I know him from childhood,now it seems he has become a saint, not listening to his mother,even now if I go and see him I can pull him by the ear and bring him back to his ,mother.So saying they go to Tirupati,have darshan of Lord Balaji there and are on their way back to Madurai.His mother again asks him to visit maharishi but he refuses, so his mother goes ahead and tells him to wait down hill.Mani waits for awhile, but after sometime he too decides to go to the Virupakshya caves and meet Maharishi.When he reaches there he is so shocked to see Maharishi,he no longer could relate to his childhood friend Venkatraman there.Mani fell at his feet and was sobbing like a child and he refused to go back home.He was convinced by the people to go home and leave his mother and get back.Naughty Mani was thus enlightened by the grace of Maharishi.After his return he stayed with maharishi all his life.
Isn't that beautiful?????????
Jai Guru Dev!!