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.