Test

HANUMAN..an example to everyone ..who wants to be GOD's MESSENGER, SEVAK OR DEAR FRIEND....shows us ..the WAY ..burn away all that luxurious label of EGO !! Burning of SONE KI LANKA ..is NOT physical geographical LANKA..but the Unpenetratable LANKA within each one , known as AHAMKAR ego ..yes Jealousy And Pride ..these are the real demons living inside unnoticed, until HANUMAN ..the WISDOM WEAPON ..of GOD 's words Enters it and RESCUES you ..Like ..mother SITA the embodiment of COMPASSION was rescued by LORD of LOVE..and DHARMA ..let Dharma be you weapon to destroy this enemy ..inside called EGO .sairam

Sign Kaliyuga coming to an end

One sign that Kaliyuga is coming to an end.   Shrimad  Bhagavatam 12.2.1 tataś cānu-dinaṁ dharmaḥ satyaṁ śaucaṁ kṣamā dayā kālena balinā rājan naṅkṣyaty āyur balaṁ smṛtiḥ ----- Religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, tolerance, mercy, duration of life, physical strength and memory will all diminish day by day because of the powerful influence of the Age of Kali..... Jai Bhagavan........

Demigod

Pundits say that all the forms of Paramaatma, the forms which Veda/Smriti/Purana/Itihaasa have mentioned should be worshipped. Without their blessing, one can not make any progress. Gita says - Yajante satvikan Devan (17.4). 

Personally, I feel we should not use the word DEMI-GOD. Instead use DEVA or DEVATA. Bhagavan Krishna said in GITA that many worship Devata for immediate benefits ( such as good health, success, wealth, victory, any worldly benefit) and that they will receive that. But all these prayers come to me and I do honor them.

Indirectly, HE does suggest to worship the ISHWARA ( In this case Krishna) than individual Devata. I think whether you worship Devata or Ishwara or both; it has to do with your own spiritual state in life. At the highest level of such advancement, you will worship Ishwara only. 

We use English word God to mean Ishwara. But do not translate Devata as demi God but use Devata word as is. Western religions do not have the concept or understanding of the existence of Devata and their vitol role. Hence no suitable translation. Demi has a negative connotation..... Ji Bhagavan....  

Pitrukarnyam

Loading 166 - 180 of total 6,321 messages  Yahoo Groups  gitatalk is a Public Group with 30062 members. gitatalk Public Group, 30062 members Primary NavigationConversations Photos Files Polls Links About Back View 6163why should we do any pithrukaryam for this departed soul ? SadhakApr 16 Respected moderator, Hare krishna, Pithrukaryam is done for the departed soul. But soul has no birth or death. It is real. When that is the case why should we do any pithrukaryam for this departed soul. I seek respected Sadhaks explanation on this. S.Vaidyanathan ======================= www.swamiramsukhdasji.net www.swamiramsukhdasji.org Next post in topic >> Show all 3 messages in this topic See more posts from Sadhak

Gita on Murti Pooja

Conversations Photos Files Polls Links About Back View 6308What does Gita say about Murti Puja ? SadhakNov 13 7:08 PM गीतामें इस बारेमें क्या बताया है? जब कभी किसी मंदिरमें नयी मूर्ति रखी जाती है तो मूर्तिमें विधि-विधानसे प्राण-प्रतिष्ठा करनेके बाद ही उस मूर्तिकी पूजा की जाती है। हर वर्ष दीपावलीपर बाजारसे नयी बनी लक्ष्मी गणेश की मूर्तियाँ लाकर (उन मूर्तियोंमें विधि-विधानसे प्राण-प्रतिष्ठा किये बिना ही) पूजा करते हैं। मूर्तियोंकी पूजा करनेमें यह भिन्नता क्यों है? गीतामें मूर्तिकी पूजा करनेके लिये क्या नियम बताये हैं? समझाइयेगा। सविनय, साधक What has Gita said about this When ever a new deity is installed at the temple, certain rituals and rites are performed for 'Pran Pratishtha' (invoking God into the deity), and there after puja etc is done. Every year at Diwali, new deities are purchased from the market of Lakshmi - Ganeshji and (without pran-pratishtha, rituals etc) one prays to them. Why the differences in the way the deities are worshipped ? What has Gita said about Murti puja and what methods - restrictions etc. are shown ? Please share, Humbly, Sadhak

Hanuman and Bhagavat Gita

“O King, at that time Arjuna, the son of Pandu, who was seated in his chariot, his flag marked with Hanuman, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows, looking at the sons of Dhritarashtra. O King, Arjuna then spoke to Hrishikesha [Krishna] these words:” (Bhagavad-gita, 1.20)

atha vyavasthitān dṛṣṭvā dhārtarāṣṭrān kapi-dhvajaḥ pravṛtte śastra-sampāte dhanur udyamya pāṇḍavaḥ hṛṣīkeśaṁ tadā vākyam idam āha mahī-pate

Friend1: So I saw an interesting movie the other day.

Friend2: Hollywood or Bollywood?

Friend1: Bollywood.

Friend2: You were able to understand? Did it have subtitles?

Friend1: No subtitles, but I was able to get the general idea of what was going on.

Friend2: Was it good?

Friend1: It was interesting for sure. You can tell they took advantage of the popularity of worship of Shri Hanuman.

Friend2: It was a religious movie?

Friend1: That’s the thing; it wasn’t.

The main character was a self-proclaimed devotee of Hanuman. He would go to temples, make offerings, and recite the Hanuman Chalisa whenever in trouble.

Friend2: I don’t know the Hanuman Chalisa, but every time I hear it I think of Tulsidas. Who could imagine becoming the author of something that famous?

Friend1: This character even paid obeisances to monkeys whenever he saw them.

Friend2: I know what you mean by “self-proclaimed devotee.” They’ll identify as a Hanuman-bhakta, right?

Friend1: Yeah.

Friend2: I never thought anything of that until I came across bhakti-yoga teachings. Apparently, a true bhakta will never identify himself as such.

Friend1: Really?

Friend2: Yeah; they’ll say that they’re trying to become a devotee or that they’re serving a devotee, following in the footsteps. Not a big deal, but I hadn’t heard that before.

Friend1: That is interesting. As you might have guessed, in keeping with the Hanuman theme this movie had the main character travel into a foreign land to do something important.

Friend2: And I bet that something important had nothing to do with God or His message.

Friend1: Bingo. I mean it was a feel-good movie. The Hanuman-bhakta secretly travelling into Muslim-Pakistan in order to reunite a small girl with her family.

She had gotten lost previously and it was a struggle to figure out where she was from.

Friend2: Ah, so they wanted to bring the two faiths together through this story. That’s not a bad message, but not sure why they would need to rely on Hanuman for that.

Friend1: That’s what bothered me. First off, you’re taking Hanuman’s brave journey into Lanka for the sake of Shri Rama, who is God, and comparing it to something material. There is actually no similarity between the two.

If the guy was infiltrating another country to preach the genuine message of Godhead, to serve Him in thought, word and deed, then the comparison would fit.

Friend2: Definitely.  Hanuman crossed the ocean to reach Lanka, where Rama’s wife Sita was being held captive.

Prabhupada sailed across the ocean to give the message of Divine love to those who had been held captive by maya, the illusory energy of this material world.

Friend1: This movie got me to thinking. I’m going to run this by you. Hanuman from the Vedic tradition was used in this movie to equate the Vedas with Islam. For analysis purposes, the exact religion on the other side doesn’t really matter. You can substitute any country and religion and have the same kind of movie.

Friend2: Right. Friend1: So what if things were reversed? Why isn’t there a movie about a devotee of the Hanuman of another religion doing something like this?

Friend2: Not sure what you mean.

Friend1: Well, why not take the devotee of the Hanuman of Islam and have him unite with people from another religion? That could be a good movie too, no?

Friend2: Umm, you’re missing a key point. Friend1: I’m not, but I’m glad you picked up on it. There is no Hanuman of any other tradition, is there? That’s what you were going to say, right?

Friend2: Yup. Not even close.

Friend1: This is how I know that Rama is God. I’m not trying to put down other traditions. This is not a contest of “my religion is better than yours.” God is one. The differences in religion are due to the level of detail in which the Supreme is described. Hanuman is there with Rama. He is known as Rama’s servant. Anyone who is truly devoted to Hanuman accepts Rama as God. More broadly, they accept that the Supreme Lord is a person with identifiable features.

Friend2: The person Hanuman is very specific. This means that the Vedas are very specific. That fact alone removes a lot of the doubt. Friend1: Exactly. So there is no reason to bring Hanuman down to a generic level or equate his actions with materially motivated ones.

Friend2: That’s a given. At least one good thing came of you watching that movie. You got a better appreciation for Shri Hanuman and the Vedic tradition to which he belongs. There is no need to go outside.

The Bhagavata philosophy, so nicely described in the Bhagavata Purana, is purna, or complete. You study the Bhagavad-gita and you learn everything that’s needed to be known.

Even Hanuman is represented; he stands tall in the flag on top of Arjuna’s chariot. In Closing: When Bhagavad-gita to recall in mind, Image of flag of Hanuman to find. Devotee of Rama, strong and brave, To Lanka went for Sita’s hopes to save. Not anywhere else to Hanuman the same, His association only from Vedas to gain. Means that tradition completeness to own, From it know everything needed to be known.

Yudhisthir and Narad

Narada Teaches Yuddhishtra a Householder’s Dharma Once king Yuddhishtra, the eldest of the five Pandavas, was conducting a big Vedic sacrifice. At that opportune moment sage Narada decided to bless the sacrifice with his presence.

Welcoming Narada with all due respect, Yuddhishtra, with folded hands, asked him the following question for the benefit of all humanity: "Oh divine sage!, please explain to me the course of conduct by which a householder like me, who is too much attached to his house and property, can attain moksha easily."

Bhagawan Narada replied: "A person, living the life of a householder, should perform all the karma prescribed for a householder, but offer it to God.

He should also serve great saints and mahatmas. Whenever he gets the time, he should go and live amongst people who have given up worldly life and hear from them stories about the various avatars of God. The companionship of these holy people will have the following effect on the householder:

Like the person who, getting up from a dream, feels no attachment to the objects seen in his dream, similarly, as the householder’s mind becomes purer and purer by satsang with holy men, he will gradually start reducing attachment to his body, wife, children, money etc, because in any case they are one day going to separate from him.

A wise person should serve his body and family only to the extent that is functionally necessary and not more. He should be detached from inside but show attachment outside and behave like an ordinary, typical person. He should, without any attachment, acquiesce to whatever his parents, brothers, children or friends say or want." "A householder, looking for emancipation, should carry out his duties while enjoying what he gets from the heavens (like crops due to rainfall), from the earth (like gold, gems etc), and whatever he gets by fate.

He should understand that all wealth is created by Lord Vishnu and is obtained through His grace only, therefore, he should not hoard the wealth given to him but utilise it in the service of the aforementioned holy men. Remember, man has right over only that much as is necessary for quenching his hunger. The person who lays claim on the surplus wealth is nothing but a thief. He should be punished." "A householder should think of deer, camels, donkeys, monkeys, mice, serpents, birds and flies like his own children and hence these should not be driven out of the house or fields if they enter and begin to eat.

Even though he may be a householder, he should not go through too much trouble to obtain the three purusharthas - dharma, artha and kama.

Rather, he should remain satisfied and make do with whatever he is able to get according to time, place and luck. He should share all objects of enjoyment with everyone, right down to dogs, sinners and people belonging to the lowest strata of society, and only then utilise them for his own use.

What more can I say, even his wife, whom he claims as his own should be deputed to serve guests at home, even at the cost of his own neglect. People lay down their lives for their wives. One is ready to go against one’s own elders for her. Such is the attachment to one’s wife. The man who can remove his attachment from such a wife wins over the great Lord Vishnu, who otherwise is unconquerable. How despicable is this body, which if buried is going to become the food of worms, or excreta if eaten by animals, or reduced to ashes if cremated!

Equally despicable is the body of the wife who contributes to its erotic pleasures! But how great is the infinite soul which pervades even the sky?"

"A grihastha should consume for his personal self only those items which are leftover after he has performed the five daily yajnas (pancha maha yajnas). The wise person, who does not lay claim to the surplus that remains is elevated to the status of saints." "Whatever the householder obtains through his vocation as per his varna-ashrama dharma, with that he should daily worship the gods, rishis, humans, other living beings, his ancestors (pitras) and his inner self. This is nothing but the worship of One God in different forms."

"If the householder has the required means as well the requisite qualifications for performing sacrifices, he should worship God with yajnas like Agnihotra etc. Even though God Himself is the enjoyer of all sacrificial offerings, He is much more satisfied when He is propitiated with rich food, dripping with ghee, offered through the mouths of brahmins, than He is with oblations offered through the sacred fire.

Therefore, you should satisfy all - brahmins, gods, the five yajnas, humans and other creatures. In this way, you will be able to worship all living entities, or in other words, the Supreme God residing inside all living beings."

"If sufficiently rich, the householder should perform according to his means, shraddha, the ritual for their departed parents and ancestors. Since a son is to thus revere his elders even after their death, what to say that he is expected to serve them when they are alive! Actually, having inherited their wealth, the son shows his gratitude to his parents by doing nothing to sully their reputation.

Doing shraddha purifies the mind and helps also to strengthen belief in life after death. One should feed a maximum of three brahmins in shraddha, and however rich a person may be, he should not expand the shraddha too much.

This is because if large scale invitations are given then it becomes difficult to sustain the necessary levels of purity required for the shraddha. Before being offered to the brahmins, the food prepared for shraddha should first be offered to the gods (bhog lagana).

In fact, anytime you divide your food between gods, rishis, pitras, living beings, relatives and one’s own self, these all should be viewed as identical with God, Who resides in all of us." "One who understands the essence of dharma should not serve non vegetarian food, nor eat it at the time of shraddha, for there is no real gratification in the slaughter of animals but there is supreme satisfaction with food which is fit for sages.

Actually, for those who wish to follow the correct course of conduct, there is no higher dharma than abstaining from violence towards all living beings either through mind, word or action."

"It is the duty of householders to indulge in charity on auspicious occasions like makar-sakranti, akshaya-trittya etc, as anything given to the gods, pitras, brahmins, humans on these days bears endless (akshaya) fruit. A householder should also regularly visit places of pilgrimage.

Any virtuous act performed in such places gives a thousandfold fruit." "However, remember one thing, the universe is a big tree with infinite creatures. Its root is Bhagawan Krishna.

Therefore, gratifying Him leads to the gratification of all creatures. Thus, many people worship His idols with great reverence. But those who cultivate hatred towards other humans, their worship remains futile and does not yield any fruit. Even amongst the humans, a brahmin is considered the most deserving of veneration because through his tapasya, studies etc, he bears within himself the Veda, which is nothing but the body of God.

Indeed brahmins, who purify the three worlds with the dust of their feet, are venerated even by the Supreme God Krishna." "The very definition of dharma is that which removes hurdles in the way to a person’s moksha.

The person wishing to follow the path of dharma should steer clear of the five forms of Adharma. These are: 1). Vidharma: It is that which though practiced as dharma, obstructs another person’s dharma.

2). Paradharma: This is when a person follows the dharma prescribed for another varna or ashrama. For example, a brahmin picking up the sword, even when there is no emergency. 3).

Upadharma: This is hypocrisy or performing dharma merely for showing off. 4).

Chhala: Interpreting the shastras (scriptures) otherwise by jugglery of words. 5).

Abhasa: When one resorts to a course of conduct according to one’s own fancy, different from the duties prescribed for one's particular varna and ashrama in the shastras, then it is known as ‘abhasa’, meaning that which given only an ‘impression' of dharma, but is actually not so. Indeed, varna and ashrama have been prescribed by God Krishna Himself, according to our innate natures (Bhagavad Gita 4.13).

When they are followed, they lead to innermost peace." "One who is a dharmatma (follower of dharma), even though he may be poor, should not attempt to earn money either for the sake of his own subsistence or even for performance of dharma. Because the person who ceases from all endeavours for his livelihood, gains to an ‘effortless state’, and it is this very effortless state which takes care of his subsistence, much like the proverbial python whose subsistence carries on without any effort on its part (ajgar-vritti).

How can the happiness enjoyed by a self-contented person who has no desires and delights in his own self, be obtained by a person who is always tormented by one desire or the other and runs hither and thither in the search of money?

Like the person wearing shoes has no fear from thorns and pebbles, similarly for the person who has contentment (santosha) in his heart, there is sukha always and in all places, and no dukha at all. Indeed, a self-satisfied man can be happy by merely getting water to drink. However, one who is driven by desires, especially those of the stomach and the genitals, is reduced to the status of a dog in his own house."

"Yuddhishtra! There are three impediments to a person’s moksha - kama (desire), krodha (anger) and lobha (greed), (Bhagavad Gita 16.21). One should win over kama by practicing restraint; krodha by giving up desires and lobha by recognizing money (artha) to be nothing but a source of trouble (anartha). And finally, one should win over fear by realisation of the Ultimate Truth.

Actually, one can win over all these faults merely by bhakti towards one’s guru. Indeed a guru is a direct manifestation of God Himself, who imparts to man the light of knowledge. But for the person who thinks of the Guru as an ordinary mortal, the hearing of shastras of is as futile as the bath of an elephant (who bathes in water quite thoroughly, but as soon as it comes on the shore it takes some dust from the ground and strews it over its body)."

"The ultimate aim is to cultivate the three types of advaita (oneness) in life. These are: 1). Bhava-Advaita: This is the comprehension of the essential oneness of cause and effect, like thread and cloth. Similarly, any difference between God, who is the cause of the world, and the world is unreal or illusory. 2).

Kriya-Advaita: This is the offering of all actions to God and realising that the mind, word or body, used to accomplish an act, are but mere instruments. 3). Dravya-Advaita: Realizing that one’s own self-interest is not different from one’s wife, children, as well as all living beings.

Finally, Yuddhishtra! For a particular person, the particular material he is allowed to acquire at a particular time by a particular means, as entitled by the shastras, except in emergencies, he should conduct his life according to only those materials. Oh king!

The householder who abides by these duties prescribed in the shastras, eventually attains unity with Bhagawan Krishna." (This story occurs in detail in the Shrimad Bhagavata Purana, 7.14-15).

Shiv eve's closing

We see many times Lord Shiva his eyes are often closed.   Is he sleeping?  If Bhagavan Shiva is God why appear to be sleeping?   See we live a life is often  often highly distracting. We wish to pursue what we see and are attracted to.   

Eventually  we go after the  negative bad and unhealthy aspects in life. Whether it is temptations to eat unhealthy food or indulge in harmful habits, we do a host of things in life that are not healthy practices for the mind and the body.

The Closed eyes of Bhagavan Shiva teaches us to keep away from that which will hamper out Academic  our Spritual growth.   Those things of life needed  for Spritual  fulfillment.   Hence it teaches us  to engage in right actions and right thoughts. This is a key to perfect health........ Om Namath Shvaya.......

Dean Teras

Dhanteras is the first day of Diwali Festival as celebrated in India. The festival, known as "Dhanatrayodashi" or "Dhanvantari Trayodashi".

The word Dhan means wealth and Teras means 13th day as per Hindu calendar.

It is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna paksha (dark fortnight) in the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin.

On Dhanteras, Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped to provide prosperity and wellbeing. Dhanteras holds special significance for the business community due to the customary purchases of precious metals on this day.

An ancient legend ascribes the occasion to on interesting story about the 16 year old son of King Hima. His horoscope predicted his death by snake-bite on the fourth day of his marriage.

On that particular day, his newly-wed wife did not allow him to sleep. She laid out all her ornaments and lots of gold and silver coins in a heap at the entrance of the sleeping chamber and lit lamps all over the place. Then she narrated stories and sang songs to keep her husband from falling asleep.

The next day, when Yama, the god of Death, arrived at the prince’s doorstep in the guise of a Serpent, his eyes were dazzled and blinded by the brilliance of the lamps and the jewellery.

Yama could not enter the Prince's chamber, so he climbed on top of the heap of gold coins and sat there the entire night listening to the stories and songs. In the morning, he silently went away.

Thus, the young prince was saved from the clutches of death by the cleverness of his new bride, and the day came to be celebrated as Dhanteras.

The following day came to be called Naraka Chaturdashi ('Naraka' means hell and Chaturdashi means 14th). It is also known as ‘Yamadeepdaan’ as the ladies of the house light earthen lamps or ‘deep’ and these are kept burning throughout the night glorifying Yama, the God of Death.

The Crow and Pigeon

The crow who become pigeon Once there was a crow that lived near a farm-house. The owner of the farm had kept some pigeons and he fed them with grains regularly.

The crow looked at the pigeons and envied them everyday. Deciding to share the feed, the crow painted his body like that of pigeons and joined the pigeons as one of them. Thus, he was able to enjoy the feed daily. The pigeons never suspected anything foul.

But one day, after the feed, the crow couldn't control himself and started crying. The pigeons came to know that he was not one of them. They pecked at his body so mercilessly that he started bleeding. The crow flew away to save his life and went straight to his own brethren- the crows. But because of his painted body, they refused to accept him.

So, he was forced to flee in order to save himself and became a homeless wanderer.

Moral of the story:

So it is important that we should just be satisfied with whatever the Lord has blessed us and should not pretend or pose to be what we are not. The five rupees in our pocket, is more satisfying than the crores of rupees in another's account.

So we should not burn our hut by thinking about others' palaces. Whether it is hut or palace, everyone in this world has some suffering or the other. The only panacea for all suffering souls is to chant Krishna's names.

So by sincerely doing the same, we will also be able to lead a satisified peaceful life.

In Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12 verse 19, Lord Krishna says,

tulya nindaa stutir mauni /
santushto yena kenachit
aniketah sthira matir /
bhaktimaan me priyo narah

"One who is always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn't care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service—such a person is very dear to Me."

In the above verse the phrase "santushto yena kenacit" means to be 'satisfied with anything'.

This is a very important quality which we need to imbibe in our lives. We must always be thankful and grateful to Supreme Lord for whatever He has given us and also for whatever He has not given us.

Because Lord knows what we deserve and more importantly as our dear Supreme Father, He very well knows what we need and He blesses us accordingly.

So we should always be satisfied in whatever condition He puts us in. Whatever He does is for our good. But unfortunately we forget these truths and always keep comparing our position with others, become envious and hanker for the same position and become morose in the end when our attempts are not successful.

For an unsatisfied person there is neither peace in this life, nor in the next.

How Draupadi Was Protected by Krishna’s Grace

How Draupadi Was Protected by Krishna’s Grace.

Sadhguru looks at the situation when the Kauravas attempted to disrobe Draupadi, and explains how Grace functions for those who are receptive.

Sadhguru: Krishna was not present when the Kauravas tried to disrobe Draupadi in public. He was not even aware of the scene because when he was about to go to the Rajasuya Yagna, Shalva, a king who held a grudge against him, came and raided Dwaraka. He and his men killed people and burnt homes, cattle and everything. Those of the Yadavas who managed to escape ran into the forest and hid there. On top of that, Shalva kidnapped Krishna’s father Vasudeva and took him away.

By the time Krishna reached Dwaraka, the whole place was burnt and devastated, and the survivors were all in hiding. When they saw him, they came back down. He organized the reestablishment of the community and the reconstruction of the city and sent his son to go and somehow achieve the release of his kidnapped father. Since he was involved in all this, he was not aware of what was going on in Hastinapur.

If Krishna was not even aware of Draupadi’s predicament, how did he reach out to her? How did this miracle happen that she was guarded? This is a question of Grace.

People constantly ask me this – some gently, some sarcastically, some in an accusing manner – how does Grace work? For Grace to function, I need not be mentally aware of what is happening to you. Through an initiation into a spiritual process, a certain investment of energy has been made, which functions as Grace. If I wish to be aware of what is happening with someone, I can be aware. But most of the time, I do not wish to be aware because too many things are going on. For those who are receptive, Grace works. For those who are not receptive, Grace does not work. Grace becomes accessible and available to you only when you create the necessary openness within you, which means you have to be willing to keep yourself aside. In a similar vein, Udhava once asked Krishna, “In many situations, I have seen beyond any doubt that you are a divine manifestation. There is so much about you which is beyond man. But then how come people are struggling and you cannot handle their problems with a snap of your fingers?” Krishna smilingly said, “No one can work a miracle unless the recipient is in full faith. Even the great Mahadeva cannot work a miracle unless there is receptivity and faith. When people are not receptive, you cannot expect miracles.

” There is a beautiful story: one day, Krishna was having lunch. Satyabhama was serving him. Halfway through the meal, he got up and said, “One of my devotees is in trouble. I need to go.” He washed his hands and went. Just before the gate, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and came back. Satyabhama asked, “You left midway through lunch, saying your devotee is in trouble, but then you turned back. What happened?” Krishna said, “A devotee of mine was chanting, ‘Krishna, Krishna,’ with eyes closed.

A hungry tiger approached him. The man would have gotten killed, so I thought I will reach out and I left. But by the time I was near the gate, the fool had picked up a stone – so I turned back.”

For Grace to function, the person who is the source of that Grace does not need to be mentally aware of the situation. The investment of energy that has been made through the initiation functions by itself. You just have to open up the bounty that has been given to you. Do not think of faith in the sense of how people are talking about miracles – they just lost control over their imagination. In his lifetime, Krishna himself generated faith in lots of people, but still not in adequate measure for who he was.

That has always been so – when the greatest ones came, the greatest things did not happen because they were too far ahead. In a way, medium-scale ones did better because they operated on a level that people understand, but they could not take them to the ultimate. Grace becomes accessible and available to you only when you create the necessary openness within you, which means you have to be willing to keep yourself aside.

If you say “Krishna, Krishna” and pick up a stone, it will not work. Similarly, if you say, “Sadhguru, Sadhguru” and pick up a stone, even if I want to, it will not work because Grace is very subtle. And as already said, it is not at all necessary that the one through which Grace functions is mentally aware of what is happening. That is why though Krishna was not aware of Draupadi’s predicament at that moment, still Grace worked for her.

Significance of Navratri

SIGNIFICANCE OF NAVARATRI: Every year Hindus celebrate twice the period called ‘Navaratri’ for nine days and nights. The first period begins on the first day of Vikrami Samvatsar (this year it is 2069) and in the first day of the month “Chaitra” (pratipada), usually in the English month of March, and the second Navaratri is celebrated in the month of Ashwani’s pratipada, the English month of usually October. Thus the first is at the end of winter season while the second is at the beginning of winter season. Both of these periods are pleasantly moderate in North India. But Pandits correlate these two celebrations variously in different regions of our country. However I think these celebrations are eulogy or ode or worship and thanks giving to Supreme Power (Energy) whom Hindus address by name SHAKTI. Shakti is power (Energy) and this name Shakti being in feminine gender, though God is genderless, the Hindus gave a name of “DURGA” in her Nine Forms of Energy. These nine names or forms are: 1) Shailputri 2) Bramhacharini 3)Chandra Ghanta 4) Kushmanda 5) Skandhmata 6) Katyayani 7) Kaalratri 8) Mahagauri 9) Siddhidayani. They correspond to known verifiable form of Energy, but not in serial order,: 1) Gravity 2) Light 3) Heat 4) Sound 5) Magnetism 6) Electricity 7) Earth 8) Water 9) Space. Both these calibrations fall in a very nice season in north India and in the first Navaratra on the ninth day is Bhagwan RAMA’S birthday celebration and on second Navaratra is great Pooja festival in Bengal and on the 10th day is Celebrated Dussehra, Bhagwan Rama’s return to Ayoddhya after His Penance of 14 years in forest and killing of demon Ravana, with Ramlila and fan fare in whole India. In the story of Durga, the deity’s, killing of nine ‘demons’ named 1) Madhu 2) Kaitabh 3) Mahishasur 4)Dhoomra Lochan 5) Chand 6) Munda 7) Rakta Beeja 8) Nishumbha 9) Shumbha; symbolises the control of Nine Passions of human beings like: 1) Lust (Kama) 2) Anger (Krodha) 3) Greed (Lobha) 4) Selfish attachment (Moha) 5) Envy (Droha) 6) Jealousy (Eirsha) 7) Ill-criticism (Par-ninda) 8) False-pride (Abhiman) 9) i-ness (Ahankar). Hindus are thus advised to observe control over their worldly-passions by practicing ‘ YAMA’ and ‘NIYAM’ during these two periods of Navaratri celebrations by putting all ‘negative traits’ in shadow or burying them in darkness (Ratri). Now what are these Yamas & Niyams ? YAMA:- They are five: 1) Ahimsa (non-violence) 2) Satya ( the truth) 3) Asteya (non-stealing) 4) Bramhacharya (control of lust) 5) Aparigraha (non-hoarding of un-necessary wealth). NIYAMA:- They are also five: 1) Shaucha (cleanliness) 2) Santosha (contentment) 3) Tapa (control of sensual and other pleasures) 4) Swaddhyaya (practice to understand self or Atman) 5) Eishwar Pranidhan (surrender to Supreme Power or God). This is all about Navaratri. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL. 9 hours ago

Have our gods failed us

Sep 09, 2015 Have our Gods really failed us? Editorial by Harsha V Dehejia 920 VIEWS 33 COMMENTS India is a land intoxicated with religion -- its people involved with gods and goddesses, thirty three million of them -- where every home has a shrine, every street corner a temple, every family a kula devata, where every important event of one’s life is presided by a god, where in every month there is a festival in honour of a deity, where we greet each other on the street with salutations like ‘Jai Shri Krishna’, ‘Ram Ram’, ‘Radhe Radhe’ and so on. It would not be wrong to say that the Hindu civilisation is god-centric, not homo-centric. In the vedic period struck by the forces of nature around us. we spoke of Agni, Vayu, Surya and Marut and performed yagnas to send our spirits soaring upward. In the Upanishads our search turned inward and our watchword was tapas or the discovery of truth through inward contemplation. With the turn of the millennium we crafted cosmic stories or the puranas where we created anthropomorphic gods and thus started our sampradays based on Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Ganesha and Surya. Adding flavour to this heady pantheon were semi-gods like Kubera and Kama, celestial beings like the gandharvas and kinnaras. Then we had sages who, gifted with vision, brought the distant truth closer to us. Despite the plethora of godmen our gods remained primal and pristine; we turned to them in awe and veneration and they presided over our lives. Today, however, we have displaced our gods with godmen, we turn to gurus rather than to gods, pour our heart out to babas and bapus, matas and mas. Our concerns are the alleviation of samsaric pain and suffering, physical and emotional, and not the quest of a higher truth or the search for spiritual serenity or realisation of ultimate reality. Why have our gods failed us, we ask? Or, have we failed our gods? While the vedic period may have been beset with wars, the post-vedic period was largely peaceful and prosperous. Tradition was defined by Buddha and Mahavira, Bharata and Bhartrhari, Panini and Patanjali, enriching our sense of inner Self. Modern India however is suffering breakdown of traditional values and economic setbacks -- despair rather then delight, sorrow rather than serenity, uncertainty rather than certitude seem to be the order of the day. Perhaps this has inspired the need to find a guru who can guide and provide hope. The iconography of our gods are visual metaphors that invite aesthetic analysis. Their varied and beautiful forms call for contemplation to convert rupa or form to arupa or the formless and take us from vritti or churning of the mind to nirodha or stillness. In the 19th and early 20th century our search for truth was mixed with our struggle for national freedom and we had enlightened rishis like Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Ramana Maharshi, Vinobha Bhave as well as leaders like Gandhiji. They created ashrams reminiscent of those in the upanishads. But the harried and troubled mind today is looking for quick answers and solutions, it wants to find instant solutions to heal its fractured psyche, replace chaos with calm, disorder with order. Godmen and godwomen of today promise just that, some with a hug, others with a mantra, still others with ambiguous practices and we turn to them in droves – looking for the genuine master in the midst of all the garishness and cacophony – seeking solace. Our gods, though, are still waiting. They have not failed us, but perhaps, we have failed them. .

Source of Happiness

Source of Happiness All of us want to be happy. When asked about what he wants in life, every person replies: I want to be happy. We link happiness with material things. We believe that money and relationships are the source of happiness. Definitely, money is essential to fulfill our basic wants and keep us in comfort. We need loving relationships which support and lift us in life. Good health, good looks, power, prestige - all give happiness. But it is short lived. The happiness that comes from all these vanishes quickly and we keep yearning for more possessions, power etc., as others have more than us. When we look around, we see powerful people, many with good health and wealth, others having relationships with many loving people. We find that most of them are always angry and irritated and not happy. The source of happiness is Self. We have to make up our minds to be happy and we become happy. The soul within is Bliss. This bliss is covered with layers of negative emotions and desires of mind. When we shift aside these layers by will and determination, with a smiling positive attitude, we become happy. We all know these truths but generally choose to ignore them. Let us see the story of the happy monk and the reasons for his happiness: Once upon a time, there was a monk in the forest. He meditated sincerely and over a period of time, developed his mind. He freed himself from unwholesome and ugly thoughts and became content and happy. His peaceful nature and friendliness drew others to him and he had several hundred disciples living with him. Most monks in his group were dignified and serious. But there was one monk, though dignified, was always smiling. No matter what happened, he never lost this glimmer of inner happiness. When it was a happy occasion, his laughter rang out merrily. At times the other monks would ask him why he was so happy and smiling. The happy monk smiled more broadly and told them that they would not believe him and if they thought he spoke a lie, that would be a dishonour to his master. Seeing his constant smiling face, his master knew this monk had found the source of happiness within and made him his primary assistant. Once, the entire group of monks went to the city. The King permitted them to live in his pleasure garden for the spring time. When summer approached, the monks got ready to return to the forest. The King was concerned about the health and well being of the leader of the monks as he was now old and not keeping good health. He requested him to stay in the city and send the other monks back. The leader accepted the King’s request and made the happy monk the new group leader and sent them back. The happy monk practiced intense meditation and gained more wisdom and insight in life and reality. His inner happiness always shone on his face. He missed his master and wished to share his new experiences and insights with him. So he went to the city. When he arrived, he sat at the feet of his master. They did not speak much but every now and then the happy monk would say: What happiness! O what happiness! The King came for a visit then. He paid his respects to the old leader. However, the happy monk did not get up and show proper respect to the King. He sat there with a broad smile and kept saying – o what happiness! The King felt angry and insulted. He had the burden of the entire kingdom on his head and was stressed out. Yet he had made time to visit the monk and was not given due respect. He asked the old leader if the happy monk was stupid from overeating and lying around all time. The old leader replied: O King, this man was a mighty, powerful and wealthy King like you. He became a monk and his old happiness is nothing compared to his state of joy now. He used to be surrounded by armed men, who guarded and protected him. Now, he sits alone in the forest with nothing to fear. He has given up the burden of worrying about wealth that has to be protected. He is free of the worry of wealth and the fear of power. His wisdom protects himself and others. He advances in meditation to such inner peace, that he cannot keep from saying: O what happiness! The King understood the message. He stayed with the monks for some time and received advice from them. He was at peace. When we get wealth and power, we fear for their safety and we lose our happiness. The only wealth which increases with time and for which we do not have to fear is the Holy name of God. The source of all happiness is Love of God. Let us do bhakti, the SitaRam Mantra and meditation and live in peace and happiness. From the teachings of Dhyanyogi Omdasji http://www.divineomdasj- isoundmeditation.com/, http :/ /www.divinebrahmnaad.com/

Pot belly Ganrsh

Aug 31, 2013 Pot-belly and Elephant Head of Ganesha Blog by Gyan Rajhans 5626 VIEWS 9 COMMENTS There are numerous names given to Ganesh according to different attributes attached to the symbolic representation of a "perfect being". Ganesh or Ganapati means the Lord of the multitudes. "Vighneshwara" means the God who removes all obstacles and `Vinayaka' means the supreme leader. Ganesh is also a symbolic representation of a man of perfection. Various Ganesh symbols, when put together, have many times been made a target of criticism by those who are ignorant of the meaning behind the "odd mixture" of human and animal parts in a divine form. The worship of Ganesh does not mean the worship of an idol but a constant reminder of the value to be inculcated in the worshipper if he/she wants to attain the state of perfection. This may shock ignorant people, but the elephant-headed Lord of auspiciousness represents some of the highest and best ideas in our scriptures. Let me go through two of Ganesha symbols today. Pot-belly Ganesha's endearing pot belly is equated with space; it is vast enough to hold all wisdom and all life. Ganesh, a man of perfection must have the capacity to stomach peacefully all the experiences of life-pleasant or unpleasant. Such a man is always depicted in every culture as a jovial man with Big Belly like Santa Clause and Happy Buddha . Elephant Head The elephant head of Lord Ganesh is the over-seeing, all-seeing, eternal witness, the unmanifest supreme. Ganesha is the lord of all, manifest and unmanifest. The memory of an elephant is, of course, proverbial. A leader must possess wide understanding. He should have a discriminating intellect. Both quantitatively and qualitatively an elephant's head was found to represent this aspect. The elephant ears are like winnows that separate the wheat from the chaff. All experience must be subjected to scrutiny to determine what is essential and what is non-essential. This is a critical aspect of judgement. The discerning and the wise do what they must and let the rest be. The elephant trunk has a peculiar efficiency. Here is a tool strong enough to uproot a tree yet delicate enough to pick up a pin from the ground. This range of adaptability is not known to any single man made instrument. This perfect discriminating adaptability in a perfect man can be used in the outer world for solving problems. Elephant Tusks: Discrimination implies a choice, say, between wisdom and folly, good and evil, right and wrong. This choice is expressed in two tusks. The broken tusk symbolizes the man of discrimination, whose choice in the field of action is always the right one. It is well known that left side (the side of our hearts) is emotion dominated and right side is intellect dominated, In the picture above, we find that the broken tusk is the left one. This symbolizes the dominance of rationale over emotions.

Bhagavan as per Gita

*Please Read the Complete Verse* Verse of the Day : Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- 2.2 Chapter 2: Contents of the Gita Summarized . . श्रीभगवानुवाच . कुतस्त्वा कश्मलमिदं विषमे समुपस्थितम् | . अनार्यजुष्टमस्वर्ग्यमकीर्तिकरमर्जुन || २ || . . . śrī-bhagavān uvāca . kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ . viṣame samupasthitam . anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam . akīrti-karam arjuna . . . . SYNONYMS . . śrī bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; kutaḥ—wherefrom; tvā—unto you; kaśmalam—dirtiness; idam—this lamentation; viṣame—this hour of crisis; samupasthitam—arrived; anārya—persons who do not know the value of life; juṣṭam—practiced by; asvargyam—that which does not lead to higher planets; akīrti—infamy; karam—the cause of; arjuna—O Arjuna. . . . . TRANSLATION . . The Supreme Person [Bhagavān] said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy. . . . . PURPORT . . Kṛṣṇa and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are identical. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa is referred to as "Bhagavān" throughout the Gītā. Bhagavān is the ultimate in the Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding, namely Brahman or the impersonal all-pervasive spirit; Paramātmā, or the localized aspect of the Supreme within the heart of all living entities; and Bhagavān, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this conception of the Absolute Truth is explained thus: . vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayambrahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. . "The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding by the knower of the Absolute Truth, and all of them are identical. Such phases of the Absolute Truth are expressed as Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān." (Bhāg. 1.2.11) These three divine aspects can be explained by the example of the sun, which also has three different aspects, namely the sunshine, the sun's surface and the sun planet itself. One who studies the sunshine only is the preliminary student. One who understands the sun's surface is further advanced. And one who can enter into the sun planet is the highest. Ordinary students who are satisfied by simply understanding the sunshine—its universal pervasiveness and the glaring effulgence of its impersonal nature—may be compared to those who can realize only the Brahman feature of the Absolute Truth. The student who has advanced still further can know the sun disc, which is compared to knowledge of the Paramātmā feature of the Absolute Truth. And the student who can enter into the heart of the sun planet is compared to those who realize the personal features of the Supreme Absolute Truth. Therefore, the bhaktas, or the transcendentalists who have realized the Bhagavān feature of the Absolute Truth, are the topmost transcendentalists, although all students who are engaged in the study of the Absolute Truth are engaged in the same subject matter. The sunshine, the sun disc and the inner affairs of the sun planet cannot be separated from one another, and yet the students of the three different phases are not in the same category. . The Sanskrit word Bhagavān is explained by the great authority, Parāśara Muni, the father of Vyāsadeva. The Supreme Personality who possesses all riches, all strength, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation is called Bhagavān. There are many persons who are very rich, very powerful, very beautiful, very famous, very learned, and very much detached, but no one can claim that he possesses all riches, all strength, etc., entirely. Only Kṛṣṇa can claim this because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No living entity, including Brahmā, Lord Śiva, or Nārāyaṇa, can possess opulences as fully as Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is concluded in the Brahma-saṁhitā by Lord Brahmā himself that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No one is equal to or above Him. He is the primeval Lord, or Bhagavān, known as Govinda, and He is the supreme cause of all causes. . īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥanādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam . "There are many personalities possessing the qualities of Bhagavān, but Kṛṣṇa is the supreme because none can excel Him. He is the Supreme Person, and His body is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. He is the primeval Lord Govinda and the cause of all causes." (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.1) . In the Bhāgavatam also there is a list of many incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Kṛṣṇa is described as the original Personality of Godhead, from whom many, many incarnations and Personalities of Godhead expand: . ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayamindrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge . "All the lists of the incarnations of Godhead submitted herewith are either plenary expansions or parts of the plenary expansions of the Supreme Godhead, but Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself." (Bhag. 1.3.28) . Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, the source of both the Supersoul and the impersonal Brahman. . In the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna's lamentation for his kinsmen is certainly unbecoming, and therefore Kṛṣṇa expressed His surprise with the word kutas, "wherefrom." Such unmanly sentiments were never expected from a person belonging to the civilized class of men known as Āryans. The word āryan is applicable to persons who know the value of life and have a civilization based on spiritual realization. Persons who are led by the material conception of life do not know that the aim of life is realization of the Absolute Truth, Viṣṇu, or Bhagavān, and they are captivated by the external features of the material world, and therefore they do not know what liberation is. Persons who have no knowledge of liberation from material bondage are called non-Āryans. Although Arjuna was a kṣatriya, he was deviating from his prescribed duties by declining to fight. This act of cowardice is described as befitting the non-Āryans. Such deviation from duty does not help one in the progress of spiritual life, nor does it even give one the opportunity to become famous in this world. Lord Kṛṣṇa did not approve of the so-called compassion of Arjuna for his kinsmen. . Question 1 : How Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains the conception of the Absolute Truth ? How can it be exemplified ? . Question 2 : What does this verse : . īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥanādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam . from Brahma-saṁhitā means ?

Chaturmas

14 गिरिराज डागा published a note. July 17, 2012 at 1:37pm · “Chatur Maas - the four holy months” (Shraavan, Bhaadrapad, Ashwin & Kartik) The first month in Chaturmaas, Shraavan is dedicated to God Shiv, especially the Mondays. The next month is Bhaadrapad, the month of festivals including the Ganesh Chaturthi and Krishna Janmashtami. Then comes Ashwin month and the important festivals include, Durga Puja, Navratri, Dussehra etc. Finally comes the Kartik month, which has the bouquet of Diwali festivals – Dhanteras, Deepavali, Bhai Dooj, Govardhan Puja, etc. The scriptures recommend the following for good health during Chaturmaas: Green leafy vegetables should be avoided in the Shraavan month. Curd (or yoghurt) is avoided in Bhaadrapad, while milk is avoided in Ashwin month. Pulses (the split variety) and rice are avoided in the Kartik month. Chaturmasa is an excellent period imbued with all virtues. One should earnestly devote oneself to garnering religious merit during this period. If one doesn’t take up the practice of yog with faith and earnestness in Chaturmasa, one has virtually let go of a pot of nectar. One with a wiser sense should try always to keep his mind under control, for mind control is a pre-requisite for attainment of Supreme Knowledge. Acts like misappropriation and adultery are always forbidden but should be particularly eschewed in Chaturmasa. Compassion to living beings is particularly recommended in Chaturmasa and the giving of food, water and cows etc. reading of scriptures and fire sacrifices afford immense religious merit. Giving food bestows the highest religious merit. It can be given at any time of the day; it can be given even to one’s enemies. It is a rare virtue to have the inclination to abide by dharma, to serve the saints, have darshana and satsang of saints, to worship Lord Vishnu and practice almsgiving in Chaturmasa. If one, for the sake of the Lord’s pleasure, voluntarily forswears sense-enjoyments dear to one’s heart in Chaturmasa, one gets those sense-enjoyments in unlimited quantity. One doing so with full faith gets immense religious merit. One not using metal utensils and taking food on Palasha leaves in Chaturmasa attains to Brahma Bhava (God-consciousness). One should particularly refrain from taking food in copper utensils during Chaturmasa. Wearing black and blue is harmful in Chaturmasa. One, who refrains from shaving in Chaturmasa, saves himself from the three - fold afflictions (tritapa). Sleeping on the ground, observing brahmacharya, eating on leaves, fasting, Mauna (silence), Jap, meditation and charities in Chaturmasa are especially beneficial. Slandering others should be particularly avoided in Chaturmasa. Even listening to slander regarding anybody is sinful. Paraninda mahapapam parninda mahabhhayam | Paraninda mahadukham na tasyaa: patakam Param || ‘Slander is a huge sin; it is great fear; it is highly distressing; there is no sin more heinous than slander.’ (Skanda Purana, Brahma Khand, Chaturmasa Mahatmya 4.25) Observing brahmacharya is the greatest among the pious vows. Brahmacharya is the essence of all penance and bestows the highest merit. Therefore, take recourse to brahmacharya in all manners. Brahmacharya leads to the highest in austerity. There is no greater means of dharma than brahmacharya. The vow of brahmacharya is particularly more rewarding in Chaturmasa. If one remains steadfast and takes moderate quantities of food only once in a day throughout Chaturmasa, he gets absolved of all sins and goes to Lord Vishnu’s abode. One eating only a single cereal throughout Chaturmasa is saved from diseases. One taking only one meal in a day in Chaturmasa attains religious merit of performing twelve fire sacrifices. One living on milk or fruit alone gets thousands of his sins destroyed. Complete fasting on one out of fifteen days destroys all ailments of the body and converts all the food taken in past fourteen days into ojas. That is why fasting on Ekadashi is so highly celebrated. One living a married life can do with fasting only on the Ekadashi falling in the bright fortnight but one should fast on both Ekadashis in Chaturmasa. Sri Vishnu sleeps in yoganidra during Chaturmasa; therefore, no marriages or other ceremonies or sacrifices with desire of future reward should be performed in Chaturmasa. This four month period is for austerities. Like Comment Share 7 people like this. गिरिराज डागा ॐ Like ✔ Comment ✔ Tag ✔ Share ✔ॐ Edited · Like · More · Jul 28 Santosh Sharma ॥श्री गिरिराज धरण कि जय॥ बहुत सुन्दर जानकारी के लिए Like · 1 · More · Jul 28 Santosh Sharma आज का विचार बहुत आसान होता है "कोई उदाहरण पेश करना" लेकिन....बहुत कठिन. होता है "खुद कोई उदाहरण बनना" ----------- ☆ शुभ प्रभात ☆ ----------- Like · 1 · More · Jul 31 Write a comment... Post  

Why Gandhari blind

Aug 20, 2015 Why did Gandhari blindfold herself?  Blog by Radhika Ravi Rajan 7153 VIEWS 9 COMMENTS  If this question were posed, the most common answer would be: that Gandhari's love for her husband coupled with her sense of sacrifice, or in other words, her empathy for him, to feel one as him, to be in his shoes, was what made her choose that extreme step... But here's another interesting theory: In a discusiion on this topic on Quora, one participant quoted Irawati Karve to bring forth another aspect: According to Karve, apparently, Gandhari's act of blindfolding had nothing to do with either sacrifice or love. It was quite the opposite, actually, according to her. Karwe says Gandhari belonged to Gandhar, or present-day Afghanistan. In other words, she was as far away from Hastinapur as one could imagine. To make matters worse, she was not told that her prospective groom was blind. Consequently, she was shocked to learn of his blindness after marriage. Thus, her deciding to blindfold herself was more of an act of defiance than loyalty. She vowed that she would end the main reason why Dhritarashtra had married her - to make her act as his guide and companion in the absence of his vision. So, in fact, it was a move to pounish him rather than herself. Of course, you could also describe it as the proverbial cutting off one's nose to spite one's face! What do you think?

What is Mahabharata biggest lesson

Aug 12, 2015 What is The Mahabharata's biggest lesson?  Blog by Radhika Ravi Rajan 11678 VIEWS 85 COMMENTS  If one were asked to zero-in on The Mahabharata's biggest question, it may well be: "Does the end justify the means?" The question, posed on Quora, elicited an intellectually stimulating response from Tejasvita Apte, one of its leading writers...I share it here for Speaking Tree readers... Apte says: "This question is fantastic. And The Mahabharata is truly an ocean of wisdom if we wish to ask such a question. The end may or may not justify the means. The best approach, therefore, is to analyse for yourself and decide. In each situation. There is no one answer that will fit every situation! Therefore, I am going to try and make arguments from both sides. Let's see! Let us take a few instances from the epic: The first example: Trying to avoid the war as far as possible: Pandavas do all they can, to avoid the war. Yudhishthir is very pragmatic. He knows that as per dharma (morality/righteousness), he should be the king. Yet, his first reaction is not to go to war for the same. He negotiates, understands, talks, argues and tries everything else. As a last resort, Pandavas send Krishna to negotiate. They are now willing to take just five villages. That was all they asked for, in the end. But when Duryodhana, in his arrogance, claimed that he wouldn't part with even a needle-prick's land, is when they know that war is inevitable. If the end were to justify the means, war in the first instance wouldn't have looked ridiculous. For, Yudhishthir is older and therefore, the rightful heir to the throne. Here, we can say that the Mahabharata tells us that ends do not justify the means." Looking at this very same instance from another perspective: Pandavas do everything they can to avoid the war. But at end of the day, they too know that war is inevitable. They know they are going to be forced to kill their own kith and kin, including their teachers. Despite that, they decide that the cause is too big to let go of. So, in one respect, the end does justify the means - which in this case is a war with your own blood relations! So, the very fact that the Pandavas chose to wage war (even if that was as a last resort), kill their own kith and kin, and cause misery to everyone involved, itself shows that sometimes, ends do justify the means. A second example: Arjuna's dilemma in Kurukshetra When Arjuna feels dejected in the war to kill his own teachers and brothers, Krishna shows his virat swaroop (cosmic form) and convinces Arjuna to fight, as that is his dharma (duty). He uses a number of arguments which encompass all aspects of human nature. He uses philosophy in which he explains that all of us are souls. Nothing is permanent in this world except the self/soul. The soul always remains untouched and unharmed as it is a part of the eternal Brahman (cosmic spirit or oneness). He then talks from the material sense in which Arjuna is a kshatriya (warrior) and his foremost dharma (duty) is to fight. When Arjuna is feeling guilty for having to take arms against his own brothers and teachers, Krishna contends that it is not he, Arjuna, who is killing them. It is prakriti (nature) which does it through him. In essence, he is saying that certain things are meant to be. That the war was inevitable, as its seeds were planted a few generations ago. Using arguments like the above, Krishna convinces Arjuna to fight, as that is all he can do. It is Krishna who directs Arjuna to kill Karna when he is unarmed, unethically. It is Krishna who uses his 'Sudarshan Chakra' to make it look like it's evening and kill Jaydrath. Unethical, again. All these unethical things for what? A larger cause, of course! Krishna, therefore, convinces Arjuna that the end does justify the means. And Arjuna fights, knowing well that the means, (war and killing) however unpleasant, justify a larger cause. Had he not believed in it, he wouldn't have picked up arms. We also have to consider the fact that the Mahabharata is not at all ambiguous about the fact that Krishna is, indeed, God. So, it's god himself who convinces Arjuna that the ends justify the means. Mahabharata is unequivocal about it. On the other hand, even though Krishna uses all of these arguments to convince Arjuna to fight, Arjuna cannot bring himself to fight. It requires Krishna's arguments from every angle, including reminding of the unethical killing of his son Abhimanyu to make Arjuna pick up arms. Even then, at every instance, he requires Krishna's assistance. Despite winning the war, the Pandavas are unhappy. Krishna is cursed by Gandhari and the curse comes to fruition. All of this can also be interpreted as the end not necessarily justifying the means. Or to pin-point, the end may justify the means technically, but that still may not bring an end to human dilemma and unhappiness. And dharma may still be elusive! Third example: Bheeshma and Shikhandi Bheeshma captures three princesses - Amba, Ambika and Ambalika - to marry Vichitraveerya, in order to make sure that the throne has an heir. And this mess is now because it is Bheeshma's oath of celibacy itself that has become a hindrance in the throne being without an heir. Had Bheeshma not stuck to his oath (even when Satyavati herself requested him), there wouldn't be any need to kidnap the princesses and there wouldn't be any disputes at all. But Bheeshma chose his oath and kidnapped the princesses, convincing himself that the end justifes the means! What followed, of course, was the pathetic situation of Amba, who ended up killing herself to be reborn as Shikhandini, who becomes responsible to bring about Bheeshma's death. So, all in all, had Bheeshma just given up his oath and married, none of this would have happened. A terrible war would have been prevented. But, arguing that the ends justified the means and kidnapping the princesses sowed the seeds of his own end. Could the real question possibly be: When Krishna (God) stands behind you, do ends justify the means? All of the Kaurava commanders are killed unethically. Krishna is the master strategist behind that. Krishna convinces Arjuna to take up arms. It is Krishna's strategy that helps the Pandavas win the war, despite their inferior military power. It is Krishna who says he is God and it is he who is performing all the actions. Arjuna is merely a channel. The result of all this is that the Pandavas win the war and seemingly, the end justifies the means! Could it be as simple as this: that God stood behind the Pandavas and therefore, their ends justified the means? We don't know! This gives birth to a scarier question. If I believe that my God is behind me, then does my end justify my means? In short, this is the whole argument behind any religious violence that happens in the world. Can this be true? I don't think so. And I suppose Vyaasa would agree! Because there are other facts too: The Mahabharata acknowledges that in spite of the victory of the Pandavas, it was an unfair war. It does not say that the heroes won and end of story! It punishes them as much as the others. They will now have to face the fruits of their karma. Therefore, in spite of the victory, they were never able to live happily. Gandhari curses Krishna and it comes true. Krishna himself dies of a misfired arrow. The Pandavas, despite winning the war, renounce everything. The leave for the Himalayas clad in rags. The Kauravas and Karna end up in heaven! So, now that this is the conclusion, does the end justify the means? Dharma is truly elusive. So, I don't know! 85 COMMENTS Read Write  popular  Trees are yogis  Khwaja Mere Khwaja  Remain a servant  La Tomatina: Spain paints its town red today  Dialogue with Universe  Appeal of a spooky house  Song of the reed  How a man won a million hearts  Prayers for peace  We need nature more ALL SPEAKING TREE MY PROFILE Today Last 7 Days Last 30 Days  Anushka Goyal PLATINUM 1 Rank84668 Points  Bipin Patel PLATINUM 2 Rank168879 Points  Babai Dey PLATINUM 3 Rank38409 Points  Aravind SILVER 4 Rank792 Points  Arun Hardia SILVER 5 Rank792 Points  Sujay Ghosh PLATINUM 6 Rank76155 Points  Jafa PLATINUM 7 Rank35308 Points  Tanzi Fatma PLATINUM 8 Rank100566 Points  Naveen Sinha SILVER 9 Rank664 Points  Adhyatm PLATINUM 10 Rank75931 Points Times Point Know more STORIES YOU MAY WANT TO READ  Why did Gandhari blindfold herself? India: A constantly changing matrix Does wildlife have to pay the price for humans eating meat? Why did Krishna kill Ekalavya? Spiritual Journey Through Religious Path Nuclear war wiped out Ancient Civilizations on Mars? Comments Comments Via Facebook  85 Comments Via ST   Dilip Modhawadiya Ok 9 hrs ago  Avinash Sorty There is nothing like papa/punya. & every thing has it's reason to happen. So whatever happens is justified as every result is the fruit of one's own karma which is without doubt is appropriate. As you think so you become &as you sow so you reap. That is law of nature which is beyond our comprehension as God is.Our whole life is like Mahabharata. 1 day ago  Ashish Kumar Here, we can say that the Mahabharata tells us that ends do not justify the means." 2 days ago  Kishore Kumar Burra Good 2 days ago  Ritu Raj All the leading characters of Mahabharat, except Yudhishthir, took recourse to various stratagems to achieve their ends. 4 days ago Load More © 2015 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved

There was a king who was a great devotee of God. He used to secretly pray and worship the Lord. The queen too was a great devotee of the Lord. From childhood she was engaged in devotion and worship. After marrying the king, even in her new home, she celebrated many festivals of the Lord, served the Brahmins, served the poor and grieving. 

 She was immersed in worship and meditating on the Lord and celebrating the various festivities. The king never objected to all these activities. At times the queen used to say Maharaj ! You too sometimes chant the Divine Name of the Lord - Ram ! ’He used to smile it off. The queen was quite unhappy about this, as to what to do about it, but the rest of her life was very good. He never objects to my doing satsang, bhajan, meditation etc; but the king himself never did any bhajan. One day, the queen saw that the king was in deep sleep. He was tossing and turning and in his sleep he uttered the Divine Name “Ram”. As the morning arrived, the queen began to prepare to celebrate the incident. She invited a lot of Brahmins, children, young girls, and celebrated. The king asked “what is the occasion for the celebration today. Today there is no special festive day of the Lord ? ‒ The queen said ‒‘Today it is a very joyous day in our lives.’ What is the joyous occasion ? ‘Maharaj! for many years I was hoping that you would say the Lord’s Name. At night, in your sleep, from your mouth came out the Name of the Lord.’ The king said ‘It slipped out? ‘Yes’ on saying so, the King breathed his last breath. ‘Oh ! all my life I kept this in secrecy, now that the secret is out, what is the point of living ?’ गुप्त अकाम निरन्तर ध्यान सहित सानन्द । आदर जुत जपसे तुरत पावत परमानन्द ॥ These six points, when present in your japa, that japa is instantly and exceptionally glorious. Repeating the Lord’s Name in secrecy, is great. People do not see the japa taking place, rather one can’t even tell - this is great point, but minimally, there should be no pretentiousness whatsoever. By this the real “naam japa” does not take place. Rather it is disrespect o “naam japa”. In place of “naam japa” you are buying honor-greatness, respect, you are drawing people towards you. This is a business dealing with naam japa. It is not some merchandize that needs to be sold ! What wealth is there like “naam japa” to show for? People do not even reveal the worldly wealth, they keep it most hidden. This is the real wealth that needs to be kept inside. माई मेरे निरधनको धन राम । रामनाम मेरे हृदयमें राखूं ज्यूं लोभी राखे दाम ॥ दिन दिन सूरज सवायो उगे, घटत न एक छदाम । सूरदास के इतनी पूँजी, रतन मणि से नहीं काम ॥ From Book in Hindi “Manas Mein Naam Vandana” by Swami RRamsukhds

Why Shri Rama is Maryada

Rama called Maryada Purushottam. why? Ramayana is invested with many episodes.

Each contributed to the smooth run of the plot of the text. Birds and animals are also major characters in this epic.

Nature, in general, supported the cause and purpose of Rama, the chief character about whom the whole story is narrated. Sage Valmiki wrote this kavya with some sorrows because of his witness of male bird's death. so, the full Ramayana was covered more sorrows and less happiness. Birth of Rama, Rama was taken by Vishwamitra, swayamvara, coronation stopped and banishment, lose of sita, war, difficulties in crossing the ocean, vali vadham, then washerman report, sita sent to forest, fight with own sons etc.,this goes more. In this juncture, sage valmiki took the Episode carefully. Returning back to Ayodhya after killing Ravana, Ram was coroneted as king of Ayodhya.

They had an efficient system of obtaining feedback from the public on the basis of which laws were made for the welfare of the public. Some of these feedbacks were very disturbing. They were all about Sita and how she could not be accepted back as queen after staying with Ravan. Initially these feedbacks were ignored. Slowly these feedbacks started increasing and dissatisfaction became much more apparent.

But Ram is not called Maryada Purushottam just as a mark of respect. He always respected the existing tradition (Maryada) of that time.

Shri Rama respected the citizens. He respected the people's talks. He declared that Sita had to pass the Agni Pariksha test so that he could accept her back. Laxman strongly opposed this. Yet the victorious army chief insisted that Agni Pariksha was the only thing which could make him accept her. Sita agreed and after the satisfactory completion of the ritual ‘Agni Pariksha’, Shri Ram gladly accepted her back as his wife.

Ram did it not because he personally doubted Sita but because of the demands of his dharma as a king; he knew she was innocent but he had to show his praja (subject) that unlike his father, he was not a slave to a woman, that as a just raja he was willing to make any amount of personal sacrifices for them. It was an act of sacrifice for him as well. He suffered no less, and lived an ascetic life thereafter.

Lord Rama: An ideal son to the parents. An ideal husband to His wife. A Good brother to his young brothers. A Good and Ideal king to the people of His kingdom. A good and ideal protector of Dharma. A Good and Ideal ruler. A good and ideal friend to vanaras. An Ideal son in obeying the parents. An example for morality. So, Shri Rama is called Maryada purushottam Ram. What about Krishna? Krishna established dharma. He showed miracles in his life. His life was happy. He behaved many times cunningly though it was for good. He got rivalary from many circles. Krishna Avatar is entirely different from Rama Avatar. Rama from the beginning to end behaved like a human whereas Krishna several times showed he is an avatar of mahavishnu like showing Vishwarupa Darshan etc., Maryada generally relates to humans and not Gods. The God is away from human natures. Because Rama behaved like a human and never showed his avatar rahashya, he was treated fully as a respectful human and hence Rama was called Maryada Purushottam. @Edit: Thank you ji for your kind remarks. My namskaram to you. @Edit: why Rama killed Bali(Vali)? Rama and sugreeva entered into an understanding to help each other in their misery and Rama had to fulfil his promise of killing vali. Besides, there is also more reasons. Raj dharma, and Raj neeti not protected by Vaali. how? as a king, he failed to protect dharma. vali not learnt lesson from a bird which fought with ravana when ravana took sita. When ravana passes through his kingdom, it is the duty of vali to fight with ravana and save dharma. He knew that sita has been abducted. He knew the one who abducted sita was once defeated. vali could have over powered him easily if he made an attempt. sita was carried across his kingdom.sugreeva had seen the abduction. so did vali. but vali could have stopped it, because he was capable and in capacity as a king of that territory/land/area/kingdom.vali failed to stop the crimes in his lands.vali failed to punish the offenders. Killing Ravana was to protect Dharma. All of a sudden Rama did not kill Ravana. He sent Hanuman. He gave one day time during the war. He gave many opportunities. Sita tells dharma. Ravana brother Vibhishana give suggestions. pl read my answer in this question under source where i gave answer why Rama sent sita to jungles. If you come with a question, i can give elaborate answer. Due to space problems i conclude my answer please. Thanks for the opportunity!!!

Humility is the foundation

Humility is the foundation God detests pride and loves humility. A saint has said, "When I was filled with pride, God did not enter my heart. Now that God has entered my heart, pride has disappeared. The narrow path of love can accommodate either pride or God, but not both." A tiny blade of grass teaches us the great lesson of humility. As we walk we place all our weight on grass. What does the blade of grass do? It bends down even further. It does not protest; it does not retaliate. As we step away from it, it becomes normal once again. Someone may step on you also by insulting you. He may call you foolish, ignorant, selfish, greedy, or something worse. Do not retaliate. Do not get angry. Instead, accept your shortcomings. Realize that the critic is benevolent and that he is only helping you by pointing out your faults. If you excel in some area, do not take full credit for it. Do not forget that self-effort is not the only factor in your success. The grace of God is absolutely necessary for you to succeed. Accept your weaknesses, and give heartfelt thanks to God for your virtues. Humility will increase little by little. As you walk on the path of devotion, never forget that humility is the foundation on which the palace of devotion is built.

Significance of Guru

Significance of the Guru The true meaning and the serious implication of the word 'Guru' elude those who generally use it to mean 'expert.' The eternal Vedas define 'Guru' as 'the one who dispels ignorance and gives knowledge.' They also specify that the Guru teaches the highest knowledge; the knowledge of God. We readily accept that even the knowledge of A B C or 1 2 3 cannot be acquired without a teacher; that no material knowledge can be learned without being taught by someone. It is odd, therefore, that we do not accept the need for a divine teacher to impart divine knowledge. It is our experience that when we try to understand anything about the soul, the mind, God or other spiritual matters, we are hopelessly lost despite being highly qualified in worldly matters. Enlightened ones have compared the material world to an ocean. The individual soul must cross the ocean of materialism and reach to the other side, to God's kingdom. The soul has been given a competent ship in the form of a human body. The captain of the ship is the Guru who steers the mighty barge across the ocean. Without the guidance of a Guru our life is like a ship being tossed around in the ocean. Life has no meaning until a divine teacher reveals it. The Guru reveals the meaning of life and the practical method of fulfilling the purpose for which God has sent us to earth.

Guru Purnima

Guru Purnima s the birthday of Srila Vyasadeva, the son of Parasara Rsi.

Srila Vyasadeva divided the Vedas into four sections and then he took the essence of all the Vedas and Upanisads, and wrote Brahma-sutra, so that everyone would be able to easily understand.

He then wrote fifty four Puranas, but they were also very difficult to understand. Then he wrote the Mahabharata, and within the Mahabharata he wrote the Gita Upanisad or Bhagavad-gita. Still, he was not happy, and he could not understand why.

In the meantime, Srila Devarsi Narada came and asked him, “Why are you not happy? You have fully delineated the subject of impersonal Brahman and other knowledge as well. Why should you be despondent in spite of all this? Srila Vyasadeva replied, “All you have said about me is perfectly correct. Despite all this, I am not pacified, and I don’t know why. You can tell me, because you are my Gurudeva.

I therefore question you about the root cause of my dissatisfaction, for you have unlimited knowledge.” Narada then said, “You have written and divided the Vedas, you have written Brahma-sutra, you have written the Puranas and even Mahabharata and Gita. But, you have basically only described dharma (religion), artha (economic development), kama (sense gratification), and moksa (liberation). You have not written about the fact that the devotional pastimes of although Krsna is the Supreme Lord, He performed sweet human-like pastimes of Vraja. That is why you are not happy.

“Please try to write how Mother Yasoda bound Him and chastised Him and, although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Para-brahma),
He was weeping bitterly because of this. Please write about Krsna playing with His friends, and write about how they used to defeat Him in various games. And write about how Krsna placed His head at the feet of the gopis and told them, ‘I have no capacity to repay you, even if I would have the lifespan of Brahma.

’ na paraye 'ham niravadya-samyujam sva-sadhu-krtyam vibudhayusapi vam ya mabhajan durjara-geha-srnkhalah samvrscya tad vah pratiyatu sadhuna [“I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahma. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation.” (Srimad-Bhagavatm, 10.32.22)]

“Have you written Gopi-gita, Venu-gita, Brahmara-gita, and the other gitas?”

Vyasadeva replied, “No, nothing of the sort.”

Narad says “Oh, you should concentrate your mind, by bhakti-yoga, and then you will realize all these pastimes.” Then, when Narada Rsi left Vyasadeva’s asrama, Vyasadeva concentrated his mind in bhakti-yoga.

He entered into trance, and thus he saw that Supreme Parabrahma, Krsna, present before him. Srimati Radhika, Lalita, Visaka, His mother Yasoda, His father Nanda Baba, Subala, Sridhama, and all His associates were also present.

Srila Vyasadeva thus saw Krsna’s pastimes, from His birth up to Dvaraka-lila. He saw how the souls who had forgotten Him were covered by maya. He also saw how certain souls in this world, by the help of a bona fide guru, were performing bhajana and going towards Krsna.

In his trance, He then wrote Srimad-Bhagavatam for those who do not know about these transcendental topics.

yasyam vai sruyamanayam krsne parama-puruse bhaktir utpadyate pumsam soka-moha-bhayapaha

[“Simply by giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for loving devotional service to Lord Krsna, the Supreme God, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation, illusion and fearfulness.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.7.7)]

The meaning of the verse is that bhakti enters the heart of those who hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, and such persons will become happy forever.

All calamities and sufferings will leave them. Srila Vyasadeva then wrote Srimad Bhagavatam in his trance of bhakti-yoga.

After that, he taught this to his son, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, and from Srila Sukadeva Gosvami it went to the entire world.

Today is the birthday of that very Vyasadeva, and therefore this day is called Guru-puja or Vyasa-puja.

More dakshnayana

"... it is very significant that the sun is now moving south...", Sun moving around the earth!, which century Sadhguru lives in? 5 Reply −  Sumam subhash 2 years ago Subhash, do you know how seasons are formed (if not read a science text of class 4, to know it) There is a phenomenon called summer solstice (Utharayana) and winter solstice (Dskinayana). As regards to your centuries question, if you are born in Bharat (India) even in previous centuries, you would know that, earth was round (as in kurmavatharam of dasavatharam) and that earth revolves n rotates - Dharthi (something which moves), unless you are born in western culture where they believed earth was flat, even as Copernicus was poisoned to death for his discovery. 19 Reply −  Guest subhash 2 years ago Subhash, during sunrise turn towards east and note the point of sunrise with respect to the Earth. Now after few more days or once in a month note the point of sunrise again. Do it for a year. You would notice that the point of sunrise moves towards south(I dont mean Sun raises in the south) but the point of sunrise moves slowly towards south direction.Similarly it moves towards north in another part of the year. These are changes that are referred to Uttarayana and Dakshinayana. Now after one year you can turn towards east and draw an imaginary line in the horizon from south to north which the sun had traced. Well, I observed long back when i was a kid say less than 12 years of age or so. 10 Reply −  Cibi Singaravel S subhash a year ago am a student of Space science and technology from Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Sweden. Its world known phenomenon, that the Earth is moving around the sun, But when you look from the Earth's sky, ( that is what he apparently mentioned ), the Sun is revolving around the Earth. Even we engineers will take it that way for simplifications of the calculations. Do this : Look at the sky daily. Take a snap shot of the Sun at any particular time, say 17.30 in the evening, at the exact place daily and plot it on a graph for an year. You will get it get a graph called Analemma. Look at the Image 1. If you take the snap shots daily and join it, you will get the image 2. This is like Shape 8. The topmost point is where the Summer solstice takes place at June 21. The bottom most point will take place at Dec 22. This is the wintter solstice. The crossing point at 8, which would take place for 2 times is called the Spring and Autumnal Equinoxes some times around April 15 and August 31. So Dakshinayana mean, the sun virtually moves form the top point on the graph to the bottom point. If you do the same procedure on Mars, you will get some thing like Image 3. Hope you have understood. Moral: We need to do some little reading and internet search before commenting on what elders have said. Sumam answered the century question rightly! Have you need more scriptural proof, with chapter number and verse number, I can provide you ! View View View see more 8 Reply −  Veera subhash 2 years ago the Sun begins to trace a southward movement in the "EARTH'S SKY" .. read it carefully , it is understood that it is written with reference to earth not the solar system.. 7 Reply −  Arun subhash a year ago It was said in a relative context( Dakshinayana is the time when the Sun begins to trace a southward movement in the "Earth’s sky" in the northern hemisphere of the planet.), watch The Tide of Time by Sadhguru to know the immensity of him. Trying to find a fault will not make idiots like you intelligent. Get a life for yourself 2 Reply −  klogram subhash 2 years ago But to one on the surface of the Earth, it is moving south. 2 Reply −  Ajith Shankar subhash a year ago Earth’s axis is not perpendicular to the Sun. This means the Sun does not lay always directly above the equator.In fact, it is sometimes to the north and sometimes to the south of the equator. The alternation of these configurations creates the seasons on Earth. tilt in the axis has on the length of days and nights at various latitudes in the two hemispheres. So with respect to earth the sun apparently will seam to move south during this period, due to the tilt in axis in which earth rotates 1 Reply −  Mrinal subhash 2 years ago Notwithstanding the correctness of your point, but that is a line taken out of context, so it reveals a completely incorrect information, as Sadhguru is used to in his communication of suggesting how we would perceive as Dakshinayana is happening (sun is moving southward), which is not technically correct, but we need to get the essence, else he knows it well that earth moves and sun is stationary. 1 Reply −  Radhika subhash 2 years ago " Sun begins to trace a southward movement in the Earth’s sky " , if you see the point of sunrise and try to draw a graph, you will find that the trace will be towards south. Does it mean that sun is rotating around earth? I don't think so 1 Reply −  Earthian subhash a year ago I don't want to go in this discussion as yet, but to give you a tip on the new science that is emerging, Space time is curve because of gravity so is the earth!!! 0 Reply −  Earthian a year ago Such clear thoughts and directions can come only from realised beings! Thank you, you made my day.. 1 Reply −  Shweta 2 years ago Thank you for sharing the wisdom Guruji.. However, would you please share what should be done? The article speaks of doing the right things.. may be a naive question... however, an answer to my ignorant and less wise question will be highly appreciated... 0 Reply −  Michael Shweta 2 years ago Your kriya

Uttarayana

Home About Archives Contact Us   Uttarayan – the time of harvest 05 Jan 201156 CommentsPREVIOUS ARTICLENEXT ARTICLE SADHGURU SPOT  Previous Next 4.2k Shares Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Mail Pinterest Google Linkedin The last few months have seen exhilarating levels of activity, the last two weeks in particular. The Ananda Alai movement has been a phenomenal awakening across Tamil Nadu, igniting spiritual awareness across the state and bringing hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic people like never before — to the extent that people and press have been drawing parallels with the Freedom Movement of yore. Indeed, it is a Freedom Movement of another kind. These past six months have also been a time of intense sadhana for all Ishas, and now we are at the threshold of Uttarayan, which is a period of harvest. The sun’s run in relation to planet earth will shift from the southern run to the northern run – from Dakshinayana to Uttarayan. People who have been spiritually aware have always identified this transition as a possibility for human consciousness to blossom. One of the most famous stories is of Bhishma waiting on his deathbed of arrows for many weeks. Though he was severely injured, he held onto his life until Uttarayan came because he wanted to make use of this transition in nature, to make his own transition possible. Gautama also attained on the third full moon day after Uttarayan. And in South India, there are examples of innumerable saints, sages, siddhas and yogis who have made the transition during this period. During the southern run, what is below the anahata can be purified very easily. During the northern run, what is above the anahata can be worked much more easily. That is why in terms of sadhana, Dakshinayana is for purification. Uttarayan is for enlightenment. So this is the time to harvest, and it is also the reason agricultural harvests begin during this period. Pongal is the harvest festival. So it is not only the time of harvesting food grains, but it is also the time to harvest human potential. The human body, if brought to a certain level of intensity and sensitivity, is a cosmos by itself. Everything that happens in the external sphere, in a subtle way, manifests in the body. It is happening to everybody, it is just that most people do not notice this. But a more organized and purposeful rearrangement of the human mechanism could be done if one becomes conscious of the external movement and aligns that with the movement that is happening within the human system. If you want this body of flesh and bone to imbibe the nature of the cosmic body, understanding and being in tune with this movement of Uttarayan and Dakshinayana is very essential. Love & Grace, You may also like  Shifting to Dakshinayana  The Significance of Dakshinayana  Getting a Double Promotion  Shiva Panchakshara Stotram – Audio, Lyrics and Meaning  Evaluating Growth on the Spiritual Path  Benefits of Surya Namaskar: How It Transforms Your System POSTED IN: SADHGURU, SADHGURU SPOT TAGS: Dakshinayana, Uttarayana   ISHA SADHGURU      Subscribe to Sadhguru Spot    ABOUT Isha Blog The Isha Blog is the premier guide to health, wellbeing and spirituality, in Sadhguru’s own words. Any use of content without permission is prohibited. © 2015, Isha Foundation Useful Links About Us Terms of Use Hindi Blog Tamil Blog Telugu Blog Malayalam Blog Isha Sites Isha Foundation Sadhguru International Yoga Day Isha Yoga Guided Meditation Dhyanalinga Conversations with the Mystic Isha Live  © Copyright 2015 Isha Blog  

Dakshinaya

Home About Archives Contact Us   The Significance of Dakshinayana 21 Jun 201414 CommentsPREVIOUS ARTICLENEXT ARTICLE DEMYSTIFYING YOGA  3.2k Shares Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Mail Pinterest Google Linkedin As we move into Dakshinayana, Sadhguru tells us the significance of this period of the year. Sadhguru: Dakshinayana is the time when the Sun begins to trace a southward movement in the Earth’s sky in the northern hemisphere of the planet. Dakshinayana is significant in the life of anyone who is doing any kind of yoga. In this phase, your relationship with the planet is very different than what it is in the northern run. Particularly for those of us who are living in the northern hemisphere, it is very significant that the sun is now moving south and the planet is moving in an anticlockwise direction. These together produce a certain impact on the human physiology. All the practices we do have been structured keeping this aspect in mind.  It was during this time of the year that Adiyogi turned south and became a Dakshinamurti – he began to transmit the fundamentals of the yogic science to his first seven disciples, who are now celebrated as the Saptarishis. It was not on a whim that he decided to turn south. He turned south because the sun turned south. The southern run of the sun became significant because this was the first phase of the teaching. This became the sadhana pada where he taught the Saptarishis what they should do. The northern run or Uttarayan is referred to as the samadhi pada or kaivalya pada. It is a time for realization. These six months are the sadhana pada and this time is important because now you can do the right things. The sadhana pada is always more important because in the process of making anything happen, the most important thing is to do what is in our hands right. What is not in our hands, we only have to wait. Sadhana is something which is in our hands – we can do something about it. It may be a lesser dimension than the other but it doesn’t matter, it is in our hands. It becomes important because we can make it happen. Watering and putting manure to a plant is important. Flowers will come as a consequence of that. It is not our doing. This is just like that. These six months are the sadhana pada and this time is important because now you can do the right things. If you do the right things, when the time to harvest comes, the right kind of harvest will come.    Editor’s Note: Check out the lyrics of the song, Dakshinayanam, in English and Tamil. You may also like  Shifting to Dakshinayana  Getting a Double Promotion  Uttarayan - the time of harvest  Kundalini Yoga: Beneficial or Dangerous?  Married, but not Identified  One Body, One Nation POSTED IN: YOGA & MEDITATION, DEMYSTIFYING YOGA TAGS: Dakshinayana, Uttarayana   ISHA SADHGURU      Weekly Newsletter    ABOUT Isha Blog The Isha Blog is the premier guide to health, wellbeing and spirituality, in Sadhguru’s own words. Any use of content without permission is prohibited. © 2015, Isha Foundation Useful Links About Us Terms of Use Hindi Blog Tamil Blog Telugu Blog Malayalam Blog Isha Sites Isha Foundation Sadhguru International Yoga Day Isha Yoga Guided Meditation Dhyanalinga Conversations with the Mystic Isha Live  © Copyright 2015 Isha Blog  Share this selection Tweet Facebook