Navaratri is a call for spiritual awakening

Nava-raatri is a call for spiritual awakening

October 5, 2013 | By KNews | Filed Under Letters

 

DEAR EDITOR,
Hindus are currently observing one of our very and perhaps most sacred and auspicious festivals—Nava-raatri. In its literal sense, it is nine nights of worship, prayer, introspection and scriptural recommitment.
Religious observances, traditional worship have, at times, more than one significance.
Apart from them being the adoration of the Divine, they are commemorative of thrilling bygone events, allegoric when interpreted from the occult standpoint, and are significant pointers guiding man on the path of God-Realization.
Nava-raatri is one such event. Outwardly, the nine days of worship are featured with wide performances of ritualistic worship. It is dedicated to worship of God as Mother—the feminine aspect in three prominent names, viz, Durgaa, Lakshmee and Saraswatee.
However, underlying all outward engagements during this occasion, there must be a more sublime and profound inward transformation of life, that every spiritual aspirant seeks to undergo. This deeper purpose of Nava-raatri is captured in its division of three sets of three nights each, to which the spiritual aspirant in his life of spiritual pursuits adore the different aspects of the Supreme Goddess. This has got a very sublime, yet thoroughly practical, truth to reveal. In its cosmic aspect, it epitomizes the stages of the evolution of man into God, from manhood to Godhood. In its individual import, it shows the course that his spiritual pursuits should take.
The central purpose of existence is to recognize your eternal identity with the Supreme Spirit. It is to grow into the image of the Divine. The Supreme One embodies the highest perfection. It is spotless purity, “Niranjana”. To recognize your identity with That, to attain union with That, is verily to grow into the very likeness of the Divine.
The spiritual seeker has, therefore, as the initial step, to get rid of the countless impurities and the un-divine elements that have come to cling to him in his embodied state. This transformation is to be had during the first three nights (first segment of Nava-raatri), where the Supreme is worshipped as Mother Durgaa. Then he has to acquire lofty virtues and auspicious divine qualities. This happens in the second three nights of the season, wherein the Goddess as Lakshmee is adored. Thus purified and rendered full of purity and goodness, Knowledge flashes upon him like the brilliant rays of the sun upon the crystal waters of a perfectly calm lake. This is to be had in the final section of Nava-raatri in which Saraswatee is worshipped.
This arrangement has also a special significance in the aspirant’s spiritual evolution. It marks the stages of evolution which are indispensable for every seeker of spirituality, through which everyone should pass. One naturally leads to the other, and to short-circuit this would inevitably result in a miserable failure. Nowadays, many ignorant spiritual seekers aim straight at the appropriation of Knowledge without the preliminaries of purification and acquisition of divine qualities, and complain that they are not progressing in the path. How can they? Knowledge will not descend till the impurities are washed out and purity is developed. The pure and good plant can grow on no impure soil.
Therefore, Nava-raatri if observed as pointed out above brings man to realize his higher self and to feel the Supreme Spirit within— all of which helps in the journey of realizing the Ultimate Goal—to merge with the Supreme. There are two birds on the same tree. One is perched at the top and the other below. The bird which is sitting on the top is perfectly serene, silent and majestic at all times. It is ever blissful. The other bird, which is perching on the lower branches, eats the sweet and bitter fruits by turns. It dances in joy sometimes. It is miserable at other times. It rejoices now and weeps after some time. Sometimes it tastes an extremely bitter fruit and gets disgusted. It looks up and beholds the other wonderful bird with golden plumage which is ever blissful.
It also wishes to become like the bird with golden plumage, but soon forgets everything. Again it begins to eat the sweet and bitter fruits. It eats another fruit that is exceedingly bitter and feels very miserable. It again tries to become like the upper bird. Gradually, it abandons eating the fruits, and becomes serene and blissful like the upper bird.
The upper bird is God—the Supreme Spirit within. The lower bird is the individual who reaps the fruits of his deeds, viz., pleasure and pain. He gets knocks and blows in the battle of life. He rises up and again falls down as the senses drag him down. Gradually he develops dispassion and discrimination, turns his mind towards God, practices meditation, attains Self-realisation and enjoys the eternal bliss of God, which is the end goal of life. Nava-raatri must foster and help in meeting this end.
In essence, Nava-raatri is a call for spiritual awakening.
Pandit Charranlall Nandalall
Secretary of
Sanatan Vaidic Dharma Pandits’ Sabha, Region 3  

 

 

 

how to be happy and Contended..? a story

There lived a Sadhu who regularly used to give discourses. One day at the end of the discourse he was talking of being grateful to existence. “Operate from a space of gratitude, `Kritajna’. This will allow us to expand.” a beggar was sitting in a corner and listening to the discourse, he came up to the Sadhu and said, “Maharaj, your talk was great. But one thing I am not able to do. You said to be grateful to the existence because it has always showered benediction on you. Sorry! But, existence has not given me anything. I am struggling even for one roti”.

The Sadhu said, “ I agree with you, I will give you two lacks, right here, will you be grateful?’ The beggar was thrilled.

“But I want something in return from you”, said the Sadhu. “I do not have anything, what can I give you? If I have something I will definitely give you.” said the beggar.

“I won’t ask you anything that you do not have”, said the Sadhu. The agreement was made.The Sadhu said, “I will make arrangements for the two lacks; you please give me both your eyes.”

The beggar was astonished. “What will I do with these two lacks without my eyes! I don’t agree to the deal,” he said. “I prefer my two eyes to the two lacks”.

The Sadhu said, “but you said you don’t have anything and were cursing existence.’

This is a beautiful story. Two eyes he had, then two hands, two legs, stomach etc., He is already a multi millionaire. But all these gifts we do not see. For the beggar, money was very important.That we can see is such a great gift of existence. We can hear. We can walk. All are great gifts. If you say you are unhappy, it is ridiculous. In fact we should dance and celebrate that existence has given us so many gifts.

We are normally focused on what is missing in life. The moment you start operating from what you don’t have, whatever you have also go into darkness.

WHY YOU SHOULD SUPPORT NARENDRA MODI AS PM IN 2014 ? PL. READ

 

Why I shall support Modi in 2014. By .By Avay Shukla – Retired IAS o

Whatever your political inclination , this article is worth a read ..
>>
>>TODAY as we are poised to look ahead, and forward, with HOPE to a better INDIA …
>>
>>Why I shall Support Modi in 2014…
>>By Avay Shukla – Retired IAS officer
>>
>>
>>I have been getting more and more worried over the last year or so at the direction( or lack of it) in which our country is headed. It is
>> like a runaway plane falling from the skies and we are plummeting past one alarming indicator after another– inflation,economic slowdown, falling rupee,complete break-down of law and order, ever emboldened Naxalites, total internalization of corruption, an administration that answers to no one,complete lack of governance, cronyism on a scale never seen before, a brazen lack of accountability, public  intimi-dation of constitutional authorities, a judicial system that has all but collapsed, environmental disasters that no one knows how to cope with, complete paraplegia of decision-making at all levels in government, appeasement of †minorities†and Other sections that are reachingridiculous and dangerous levels, dynastic politics at the Centre and the states reminiscent of the Mughal era…….
>>
>>I could go on and on but after some time the mind becomes numb and registers only one emotion – IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE. Another five years of this and we would be well on our way to becoming a failed state and joining the ranks of Pakistan, Haiti and Somalia.
>>
>>The general elections of 2014 offers us one last chance to redeem ourselves. I have been on this mortal coil for 62 years and have never voted for the BJP but have, after much thought, decided to support MODI in 2014. This is considered a heresy in most neo-liberal circles in India today but we have to go beyond mere labelling and stereotypingto understand my decision.
>>
>>But before I go on to Mr. Modi himself, let us review the context in which this decision has been taken. The state of the country is self evident in para one above.
>>
>>
>>The next question then
is: What are the alternatives or choices that we as voters have?
>>
>>The Congress will only perpetuate the present mess-even more worrying and dangerous is the fact that, were the Congress to return to power, it would consider it to have a renewed mandate to carry on as before.
>>
>>In any case, who in the country would lead the Congress- a reluctant dynastic or an ageing economist who has discovered his true skills lie in politics, or a backroom puppeteer? Or, God forbid, all three? ( Seriously, this is a possibility- after all not one of these three want to shoulder sole accountability, and they may reason that if a dual power center can ensure two terms, a triple may be good for even more!) No, to my mind the Congress is not an option.
>>
>>Who else, then?
>>
>>Well, if we scrape the bottom of the barrel assiduously we will come up with Mamta Banerjee[ TMC], Mulayam Yadav[ SP], Nitish Kumar[JDU], Naveen Patnaik[ BJD], Jayalalitha[ AIADMK], Sharad Pawar[ NCP] and Mayawati(BSP). There is no need to discuss their achievements or ideologies at a national level (incidentally, not even one of them has a remotely national outlook or ideology since they cannot see beyond pandering shamelessly to the vote banks in their respective states) because they are state (not even regional) leaders and none of them can hope to be Prime Minister on the strength of their own Parties.
>>
>>They all realize this, of course, hence the idea which periodically emerges like a skin rash, of a Third or Federal Front. This didn’t work even when a Third Front could agree on a leader (as in the case of I.K. Gujral or Deve Gowda). How on earth will it work when every one of the state leaders mentioned above feels that he or she has been reincarnated precisely to become the Prime Minister of India?
>>
>>The negotiations for choosing a PM (if the Front comes up with the numbers, that is) will resemble one of those WWF fights where about six hunks are put into the ring to beat the daylights out of each other till one of them is left standing to claim the crown. I cannot see all of them agreeing on even one policy issue, whether it is reservations, industrial stimulus, foreign policy, dis-investtment, environmental protection, center-state relations etc. If they come to power at the Center, the paraplegia of today will become quadriplegia tomorrow.
>>Fortunately, in any case, they can never muster the 274 seats required-it will be difficult for them to reach even hundred even if they do very well in their states.
>>
>>So a Third Front is a
non-starter, and voting for any of these parties will only help the Congress by dividing the anti-congress vote. [You will have noticed that I have not mentioned Mr. Karat of the CPM. That’s because he’s become like a flat bottle of Coca-Cola – earlier he was all fizz and no substance: now even the fizz has gone].
>>
>>That leaves only the BJP, with its historical baggage of the RSS, Hindutva, Ramjanmbhoomi (by the way, this baggage also includes five years of exemplary governance under Vajpayee from 1999 to 2004) – perhaps enough baggage to dissuade me from voting for the party. Except that this time the BJP has an add-on: Narendra Modi. And that, to my mind, adds value to the party and makes the crucial difference.
>>
>>Modi has been reviled ad-nausea m by the “secular†parties and sections of the elite media for many years for the 2002 riots in Gujarat, by the former not because of any love for the Muslims (as I hope to show later) but simply in order to appropriate the Muslim vote, and by the latter because they have to keep whipping somebody in order to get their TRPs – in India only extremes succeed. Modi has been tried and condemned by them not on the basis of facts but by an opportunistic mixture of innuendo, presumption, speculation, half-truths, hear say. Look at the facts. There was a horrendous orgy of killing of Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 where about 2000 of them were massacred. Some of Modi’s ministers and many BJP/ VHP workers were involved: quite a few of them have also been convicted, the trials of many still go on.
>>
>>The Supreme Court set up at least three SITs and is itself monitoring the investigations. Many PILs have been filed in the SC and the High Court accusing Modi of master-minding these massacres. In not a single case has either the Supreme Court, the High Court or the SITs found any evidence of Modi’s personal complicity.
>>
>>Yes, they have held that he could have controlled the situation better- but nothing beyond that in-spite of ten years of frenetic drum beating and sustained vilification.
>>
>>Now look at the other set
of facts. Under Modi’s current watch, perhaps for the first time in India, people have been actually convicted for communal rioting and murder- more than 200 convictions, with about 130 of them sentenced to life imprison-ment. All the communal massacres in India since Independence have not
resulted in even one tenth of these convictions.
>>
>>Modi’s government has to be given some credit for this: yes, the investigations were carried out by the SIT and not by Modi’s police; yet Modi could, if he was so inclined, have interfered covertly in the whole process by asking his officials not to cooperate, by intimidating witnesses, influencing judges, conveying hints to prosecutors- something which, as we all know too well, governments of all political hues in India have mastered.
>>
>>Modi could have done what the Congress has done so successfully in Delhi in three other high-profile cases being monitored by the Supreme Court- the Commonwealth Games Scam, the 2G case, and Coalgate ( not to mention also the Sikh massacres of 1984): have these cases made any headway? has wrong-doing been proved in a single instance? has anyone been convicted?
>>
>>No, Sir, these investigations will drag on and on till they are lost in the mists of time. Supreme Court monitoring cannot ensure justice unless the govt. of the day allows its agencies to function – it is to Modi’s credit that he did so allow them.
>>
>>Compare this with the manner in which the police in Delhi have been emas- culated to protect some senior Congress leaders in the 1984 Sikh carnage – everyone in Delhi knows, even after 27 long years, that their hands are dipped in blood, but the evidence will never reach the courts; the recent acquittal of Sajjan Kumar only confirms this.
>>
>>The biggest stigmata on Modi is the charge that he is †communal†and not  secular†.
>>
>>All (non-NDA) political parties never tire of tom-tomming this from the roof-tops and consider this their trump card to ensure that he will never achieve his Grand-slam at the centre. But after eleven years this is beginning to wear thin and people are beginning to question the assumptions behind this charge and even the definition of what constitutes †communal†and “secular.â€
>>
>>Nirad Choudhry had long ago given his opinion that India is the Continent of Circe where humans are turned into beasts-it is also the graveyard of the Oxford Dictionary where the meanings of words are turned on their heads to suit political exigencies! So †communal† today means a Hindu who is not ashamed of saying he is a Hindu, and † secular†means a Hindu who panders to other religions in order to get their votes at the next elections!
>>
>>By this inverse definition Modi is considered communal- notwithstanding that not a single Hindu- Muslim riot has taken place in Gujarat under his watch since 2002, notwithstanding that the BJP got 17% of the Muslim vote in the Assembly elections in the state earlier this year, notwithstanding that the party won five of the eight seats which had a dominant Muslim voter base, notwith-standing that the average Muslim in Gujarat is much better off economically  than his counterpart in Assam, UP or Bihar (headed by †secular† parties).
>>
>>Compare this with the record of the Samajwadi party in UP where more than a hundred communal riots have taken place in less than two years, with the Congress in Assam where hundreds of Muslims were butchered last year and at least three hundred thousand of them are still languishing in relief camps with no hope of ever returning to their villages, with the Congress ruled Maharashtra where hundreds of Muslims were killed with the active help of the police after the Bombay blasts. ( Needless to say there do not appear to have been any convictions in any of these pogroms). And MODI is communal?
>>
>>I am a Hindu but I stopped going into any temple twenty years ago because I was sickened by the rapacious behavior of their pundits. I am no longer a practicing Hindu in a public, ritualistic sense and frankly I don’t know how many of the religious beliefs I retain, but I still consider myself a Hindu because Hinduism is more than just a religion- it is a culture, a civilisation, a way of life.
>>
>>
>>But in the Kafkaesque India of today if you were to proclaim that you are a Hindu ( even though you have equal respect and regard for all other religions) you would be branded †communal†– this is what political discourse has been reduced to by our politicians. And being †secular†no longer means treating all religions equally: it means splintering society into a myriad †minorities†( another perversion of the Oxford Dictionary) and then pandering to such of them as suit you in your naked pursuit of power.
>>
>>In the process India has been converted into a complex jigsaw of minorities, castes, tribes, classes, sections and what have you. The British could have learnt plenty from us about Divide and Rule! But more and more right thinking people are beginning to question this recipe for disaster, and I am one of them.
>>
>>India is 80% Hindu- why should one then have to be apologetic about proclaiming that one is a Hindu ? We have been ruled and exploited and vandalized for eight hundred years by Muslims and for another two hundred years by Christians, and yet we have accorded these two religions a special status as †minorities†with privileges that the Hindus don’t have. Has any other country in the world ever displayed such a spirit of accommodation and egalitarianism? Is there a more secular civilisation in the world? And yet, a Hindu who says he is a Hindu is considered communal!
>>
>>Does a Hindu have to prove his secular credentials time and again by greater levels( or depths) of appeasement of other religions simply so that they can continue to be vote bank fodder for political parties? Modi has had the courage to raise these questions and is therefore being reviled by those political parties whose apple carts he is threatening to upset. But people are beginning to pay attention. Modi is not considered secular because he is proud to be a Hindu and refuses to give doles or concessions to any religious group( including Hindus, but that is conveniently glossed over) beyond what is provided in the constitution and the laws of the land. He believes this weakens the social fabric of the country and that even handed development is the best guarantee for equitable prosperity for all. He is not considered secular ( and instead is branded as communal) because he says publicly that he is proud to be a Hindu. And
has he done anything blatantly or provocatively pro-Hindu in the last ten years? There is not a single instance of this and yet he is vilified as communal and anti-minorities by the same party that presided over more than two hundred anti-Muslim riots in the seventies and eighties in Gujarat, that massacred 6000 Sikhs in 1984, that lit the fuse in Ayodhya by installing an icon of Ram in the mosque there, that failed to take any action when the Babri masjid was being razed to the ground! Modi has carefully distanced himself from any public support of Hindutva, has kept the VHP and the Bajrang Dal on a tight leash in Gujarat ever since he came to power there, and has even incurred the wrath of the RSS for not toeing the line on their purely religious agenda. It takes time, and some mistakes, to attain maturity; the Modi of today is not the Modi of 2002: then he was still in the pracharak mould of the RSS, inexperienced in
the exercise of power, lacking administrative experience. He has now developed into a politician with a vision, an administrator who has delivered to his people and caught the fancy of the entire corporate world in India and abroad. Rahul Gandhi has been around in politics for almost the same length of time but has still not progressed beyond his epiphanic perception that India is a bee-hive.
>>
>>Pause a while to honestly compare Modi’s qualities with his peers in the political firmament. His integrity is impeccable, both personal and vicarious. Even Mr. Manish Tewari has not been able to charge him on this score, and that’s saying something! I am not aware of a single major scam unearthed during his term( compare this with the Congress either in Maharashtra or at the Centre: the Congress has more skeletons in its cupboard than a graveyard does).
>>
>>Modi has no family to promote or to insure against inflation for the next hundred years( compare this with any other party leader, all of whom have given an entirely new meaning to the term †joint family†– brothers, uncles, wives, sons, sons-in-law, nephews-all happily and jointly looting the nation’s resources). Modi has a vision and a road map for the future and he has demonstrated in Gujarat that he can implement his vision.
>>
>>No other major leader of
the parties that are vilifying him comes even close to comparing with him in this respect – Manmohan Singh once had a vision but his unique concept of †coalition dharma†has ensured that he now cannot see, or hear, or talk; Rahul Gandhi cannot see beyond bee-hives and boats that rise with the tide, Sharad Pawar cannot see the woods for the sugar-cane stalks, Mulayam Singh has been fixated on the Prime Minister’s chair for so long that he has now started hallucinating; Nitish Kumar’s vision is a peculiar bi-focal  which  enables him to see only Muslims and OBCs; Navin Patnaik, being erudite and sophisticated must be having a vision but he has not deigned to share it with anyone yet; Mayawati cannot see beyond statues of herself and of elephants; and as for Mamta Banerjee, she is colour blind – she can only see red. Modi’s track record as an administrator inspires confidence in his ability to play a role at the
national level.
>>
>>He sets specific goals, provides the resources and then gives his bureaucrats a free hand to operate. He has ensured water availability to towns and to greater number of farmers, Gujarat now has 24X7 power and has even offered to sell power to other states.
>>Modi has realised long before his peers that future growth can only come from the manu-facturing sector since the past stimulus provided by the service sector is now bottoming out, and has prepared his state to attract capital: perennial road-blocks which have bedevilled other states – land acquisition, labour issues, law and order, lack of decision making, cronyism – have all been sorted out. It is no surprise then that Gujarat has been receiving the second highest amount of investment funds after Maharashtra.
>>His opponents, looking for anything to denigrate his achievements, cavil that Gujarat has always been a progressive state and no credit goes to Modi for all this. True, Gujarat (and Gujaratis) have always been entrepreneurial and progressive, but any economist can tell them that the higher you are on the performance scale, the more difficult it is to make incremental gains – and these gains Modi has been making year after year.
>>Gujarat has consistently been among the top five states in just about all economic, social and human development indicators, and far above the national figures.
>>Here are some figures I picked up in the Hindustan Times of June 12, 2013:
>>
>>[a] Infant Mortality Rate
>>                                     2005        2010
>>     Gujarat                      54              44
>>     Haryana                    60              48
>>     Orissa                         5               60
>>     INDIA                        58               47
>>
>>[b]  Access to Safe Drinking Water( in %)
>>                                      2002           2011
>>      Gujarat                    84.1            90.3
>>      Maharashtra           79.8             83.4
>>      Andhra                    80.1             90.5
>>      INDIA                      77.9             85.5
>>
>>[c]  Poverty Reduction ( in %)
>>                                     2004-5         2009-10
>>     Gujarat                    31.6               23
>>     Karnataka               33.3               23.6
>>     MP                          48.6               36.7
>>     Orissa                     57.2               37
>>     INDIA                      37.2               29.8
>>
>>[d]  Annual GDP increase( in %) from 2005-6 to 2012-13
>>     Gujarat                       10.3
>>     Uttarakhand               12.36
>>     MP                               8.82
>>     Maharashtra                9.97
>>     Delhi                          11.39
>>
>>Modi is no paragon of virtue. He is arrogant, does not allow a second rung of leadership to emerge, brooks no opposition, is impatient and authoritative, is not a consensus builder. But then we are not seeking to canonize a saint but looking for a political leader who can get this country out of the morass that its present stock of politicians has got us into. We are looking for someone who can be decisive rather than justify inaction under the garb of seeking an elusive † consensus†. We are looking for someone who has the courage to have a vision and the skills to translate it into reality. We are looking for someone who will work for the country and not for his †joint family†.
>>
>>We are looking for someone who can restore our identities as INDIANS and not merely as Brahmins or Scheduled castes or Muslims or Backward castes.
>>
>>We are looking for someone who will not pander to religions and be truly secular.
>>
>>And we are looking for someone who will not be ashamed to say that he is a Hindu in the land that gave birth to the most tolerant and enlightened religion this world has seen.
>>
>>Modi may fail- in fact, there are good chances that he will. But he at least promises change, whereas the others promise only more of the same.
>>
>>He offers us Hope. Shouldn’t he be given a chance?
>>===========================================================
>>** The author retired from the Indian Administrative Service in December 2010. He is a keen environmentalist and loves the mountains – he has made them his home._
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>–
>>  ZINDAGI DA KEE BHAROSA, KADDON PATAKA BOL JAYEE, so let us ENJOY
>>
>>”To fight the darkness do not draw your sword, light a candle”
>”You can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets”
>
>Note:
>If you  would like to forward this request to others, please do     Thank you.

 

GAYATRI MANTRA AND ITS SCIENTIFIC INTERPRETATION

GAYATRI MANTRA AND ITS SCIENTIFIC INTERPRETATION Gayatri mantra has been bestowed the greatest importance in Vedic dharma.  This mantra has also been termed as Savitri and Ved-Mata, the mother of the Vedas. Om bhur bhuvah swah Tat savitur varenyam Bhargo devasya dheemahi Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat The literal meaning of the mantra is: O God! You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty, You are all Light. You are all Knowledge and Bliss. You are Destroyer of fear, You are Creator of this Universe, You are the Greatest of all. We bow and meditate upon Your light. You guide our intellect in the right direction. The mantra, however, has a great scientific importance too, which somehow got lost in the literary tradition. The modern astrophysics and astronomy tell us that our Galaxy called Milky Way or Akash-Ganga contains approximately 100,000 million of stars. Each star is like our sun having its own planet system. We know that the moon moves round the earth and the earth moves round the sun along with the moon. All planets round the sun. Each of the above bodies revolves round at its own axis as well. Our sun along with its family takes one round of the galactic center in 22.5 crore years. All galaxies including ours are moving away at a terrific velocity of 20,000 miles per second. An alternative scientific meaning of the mantra, line by line is provided below.

Line 1: OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAH: Bhur the earth, bhuvah the planets (solar family), swah the Galaxy.  We observe that when an ordinary fan with a speed of 900 RPM (rotations Per minute) moves, it makes noise. Then, one can imagine, what great noise would be created when the galaxies move with a speed of 20,000 miles per second. This is what this portion of the mantra explains that the sound produced due to the fast-moving earth, planets and galaxies is Om. The sound was heard during meditation by Rishi Vishvamitra, who mentioned it to other colleagues. All of them, then unanimously decided to call this sound Om the name of God, because this sound is available in all the three periods of time, hence it is set (permanent). Therefore, it was the first ever revolutionary idea to identify formless God with a specific title (form) called upadhi. Until that time, everybody recognized God as formless and nobody was prepared to accept this new idea. In the Gita also, it is said, “Om-iti ekaksharam brahma”, meaning that the name of the Supreme is Om , which contains only one syllable (8/12). This sound Om heard during samadhi was called by all the seers nada-brahma a very great noise), but not a noise that is normally heard beyond a specific amplitude and limits of decibels suited to human hearing. Hence the rishis called this sound Udgith musical sound of the above, i.e., heaven. They also noticed that the infinite mass of galaxies moving with a velocity of 20,000 miles/second was generating a kinetic energy = 1/2 MV2 and this was balancing the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence they named it Pranavah, which means the body (vapu) or store house of energy (prana). Line 2: TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM: Tat that (God), savitur the sun (star), varenyam worthy of bowing or respect. Once the form of a person along with the name is known to us, we may locate the specific person.Hence the two titles (upadhi) provide the solid ground to identify the formless God, Vishvamitra suggested. He told us that we could know (realize) the unknowable formless God through the known factors, viz., sound Om and light of suns (stars). A mathematician can solve an equation x2+y2=4; if x=2; then y can be known and so on. An engineer can measure the width of a river even by standing at the riverbank just by drawing a triangle. So was the scientific method suggested by Vishvamitra in the mantra in the next portion as under:-

Line 3: BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI: Bhargo the light, devasya of the deity, dheemahi we should meditate.  The rishi instructs us to meditate upon the available form (light of suns) to discover the formless Creator (God). Also he wants us to do japa of the word Om (this is understood in the Mantra). This is how the sage wants us to proceed, but there is a great problem to realize it, as the human mind is so shaky and restless that without the grace of the Supreme (Brahma) it cannot be controlled. Hence Vishvamitra suggests the way to pray Him as under: Line 4: DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT Dhiyo (intellect), yo (who), nah (we all), prachodayat (guide to right Direction). O God! Deploy our intellect on the right path. Full scientific interpretation of the Mantra: The earth (bhur), the planets (bhuvah), and the galaxies (swah) are moving at a very great velocity, the sound produced is Om , (the name of formless God.) That God (tat), who manifests Himself in the form of light of suns (savitur) is worthy of bowing/respect (varenyam). We all, therefore, should meditate (dheemahi) upon the light (bhargo) of that deity (devasya) and also do chanting of Om. May He (yo) guide in right direction (prachodayat) our(nah) intellect dhiyo. The important points hinted in the mantra are 1) The total kinetic energy generated by the movement of galaxies acts as an umbrella and balances the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence it was named as the Pranavah (body of energy). This is equal to 1/2 mv2 (Mass of galaxies x square of velocity.) 2) Realizing the great importance of the syllable OM , the other later date religions adopted this word with a slight change in accent,  viz., Amen and Ameen. So Memorize and Chant Mantra everyday Courtesy :Thanks Sampath Iyengar : USA

Interesting facts about Bali that Indian Hindu must know.

 

Hindu must know.To:

.

Facts according to Swami Veda Bharati, a great master of meditation from the Himalayan Tradition. When I was called to Bali it was to teach and preach the Vedic teachings. But I came back with a humble realization that I have to learn more from Bali than I can actually teach them.                                                ****************************** Bali is a state of Indonesia, a secular country with the biggest Muslim population in the world. But the majority in the state of Bali, over 93 %, are Hindus. Bali is home to 4.22 million Hindus whose ancestors had to flee from other islands of Indonesia, after the great Indonesian Hindu Empire Majapahit was defeated and most of Indonesia was converted to Islam. Here are some interesting facts about Bali that every Indian Hindu must know. 1. Nyepi day, a day of total silence (mauna) once a year, when even the Ngurah Rai International Airport of Denpasar is closed from 6 am to 6 am. No cars, no traffic, no entertainment, no TV. Sit in the house, do contemplation, do prayers. Can we introduce that Nyepi Day in our noisy country? 2. The culture of Bali was begun by the Rishis of India, whose names are no longer taught in the schools of India but which are common in the schools of Bali-Markandeya, Bharadwaja, Agastya – the names we hear in the Puranas but they are part of the way the history of Bali is taught in the schools of Bali. How many Rishis can you name? Do you remember any one of the 402 names of the Rishis and Rishikas (female Rishis) from the Rig Veda (the most ancient and most sacred text of Hinduism), which are our ancestors and the forming fathers of our religion – Vaidika Sanatana Dharma? 3. The national Balinese dress for both, men and women, girls and boys, is Dhoti. No one can enter a temple without wearing a Dhoti. Except in some parts of South India, Dhoti is laughed at in India today. Why are we so ashamed of our heritage? Even most Indian priests change their dress after they are finished with the worship because they feel ashamed in a Dhoti?? 4. The social, economic and political system of Bali is based on the principle of tri-hita-karana.three benevolent, beneficent principles- that every human being has three aspects .the duty, the relationship that we have with God [Parahyangan]; the relationship that we have with human beings [Pawongan]; and the relationship that we have with nature [Palemahan] and these are the three principles on which the entire culture of Bali is built. This was all established by the Rishis whose names are just about forgotten in India which are taught in the schools of Bali. 5. Trikala Sandhya (Sun worship three times a day) is practiced in every Balinese school. The Gayatri Mantra is recited by every Balinese school child three times a day. Many of the local radio stations also relay Trikala Sandhya three times a day. Can we even think of introducing something like this to our schools in India? How many Indian Hindus are aware of their duty of Trikala Sandhya? It is as central to our religion as the 5 times Namaz is to Islam, yet? 6. In the year 1011 AD, at a place which is now known as Purasamantiga. there was the first interreligious conference of three religions: Shaiva Agama, Bauddha Agama and Baliyaga, the traditional pre-Buddhist, pre-Hindu, Balinese religion. The scholars and the leaders sat down and worked out a system by which the three religions should work together and exchange forms with each other and that is the religion of Bali today. 7. In Bali every priest is paid by the government. Despite the fact that Indonesia is a secular country with the biggest Muslim population in the world, the priest of every religion is paid by the government so every religion is supported by the government. That is the Indonesian form of secularism. Can we even think of this in India? 8. The national motto of Indonesia “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. One is many, many is one.” is inspired by an Indonesian Hindu scripture Sutasoma Kakavin. The complete quotation is as follows – “It is said that the well known Buddha and Shiva are two different substances; they are indeed different, yet how is it possible to recognize their difference in a glance, since the truth of Buddha and the truth of Shiva are one? They may be different, but they are of the same kind, as there is no duality in truth.” Why can’t we have “Ekam Sad Vipra Bahudha Vadanti” (The truth is one, but the wise express it in various ways – Rig Veda) as our national motto? 9. Bali is one of the world’s most prominent rice growers. Every farm has a temple dedicated to Shri Devi and Bhu Devi (Lakmi the Goddess of wealth and mother earth – the two divinities that stand on the either of side of Tirupati Bala ji in India). No farmer will perform his agricultural duties without first making offerings to Shri Devi and Bhu Devi. That is called culture, that SubakSystem. The agricultural and water irrigation plan for the entire country was charted in the 9th Century. The priests of a particular water temple still control this irrigation plan. And some World Bank or United Nations scientist did a computer model that would be ideal for Bali. And when they brought the model the Balinese said ‘we have been practicing this since the 9th century. What are you bringing here?’ And I don’t know how many million dollars these WTO, these World Bank people, United Nations people, spent on creating that chart which was already created in the 9th century without any computers.. and that Subak System still continues. Such systems were in place in various parts of the country. Its remnants are still visible here in India. I have visited areas where there is no water for miles due to drought, yet the well at the local temple still provides fresh water. 10. In Bali Hindus still don’t read a printed book when they perform Puja (worship). They read from a Lontar, which have traditionally been scripted by hand on palm leaf. When they recite the Ramayana Kakavin.where the book is kept, worship will be performed. There is a special ritual of lifting the sacred book, carrying it in a procession, bringing [it] to a special place, doing the bhumi puja, worshipping the ground there and consecrating the ground, then placing the book there. Then the priest will sit and recite the Ramayana.

நீ என்ன பெரிய “மேதையா” ?

நீ என்ன பெரிய “மேதையா” ?

ஒரு ஆணின் விந்து பன்னிரண்டு வருடம் அவன் உடம்பை விட்டு வெளியேறாமல் இருந்தால், அவனது உடம்பில் சூஷ்மமான (கண்ணிற்கு தெரியாத) நாடி ஒன்று வளர்ந்து வரும். அதன் பெயர் “மேதா நாடி”. அதற்கு என்ன சிறப்பு என்றால் அந்த ஆண் மகனுக்கு அதீத ஞாபக சக்தி வந்து விடும். அவன் பிறந்தது முதல் நடந்த ஒவ்வொன்றும் அவனுக்கு ஞாபகம் வரும். ஏன் அவனுடைய மற்றும் எல்லாருடைய முன் ஜன்மமும் ஞாபகத்திற்கு வரும். அவன் எதை பார்த்தாலும் அவனுக்கு அதன் நுணுக்கம் புரிந்து விடும். அவனுக்கு எதையும் கற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டிய அவசியம் இல்லை. அவன் ஒரு “மேதாவி” ஆகி விடுகிறான்.

இப்படி பட்ட அதிசயமான ஒரு சக்தியை அவன் உண்ணும் உணவு அவனுக்கு பாதகம் செய்து விடாமல் இருக்கவே நம் முனோர்கள் கண்ட இடங்களில் உணவு அருந்த மாட்டார்கள். இதை எல்லோரும் அனுபவிக்கவேண்டி சாஸ்திரப்படி அனுமதிக்க பட்ட உணவுகளை மட்டும் உண்ண வேண்டும் என்று சொல்லி வைத்தார்கள். பிறகு வந்த சந்ததியினர் இதை உணராமலேயே சாஸ்த்ரம் சம்ப்ரதாயம் என்று தீண்டாமையை வளர்த்து விட்டனர். இன்று கூட வட இந்தியாவில் சிலர் தானே சமைத்த உணவைத்தான் உண்பார்கள்.ஹோட்டல் மற்றும் வேறு இடங்களில் உணவு உண்ண மாட்டார்கள். இப்படிப்பட்ட அதிசயமான சக்தியை சிதறடிக்க கூடாதென்று வெங்காயம், பூண்டு , முருங்கை மற்றும் வேறு சில சாஸ்திர சம்மதம் இல்லாத உணவுகளை ஒதுக்கி வைத்தார்கள்.

இதைத்தான் நாம் பேச்சு வழக்கில் யாரவது எல்லாம் தெரிந்த மாதிரி பேசினால் நீ என்ன பெரிய “மேதையா” என்று கேட்கிறோம் அனால் அதன் அர்த்தம் தெரியாமலே .

பெண்ணின் உடம்பிற்கு இப்படி பட்ட ஒரு அமைப்பு இருபதற்காக தடயம் எதுவும் காணப்படவில்லை . யார் இப்படி மேதையாக வாழ்ந்தார்கள் என்று பார்த்தல், சமீபத்தில் காஞ்சி பெரியவர் மற்றும் ரமண மஹரிஷி.

Congress Government and Mohammed Ghazni!?

Congress Government and Mohammed Gazni!?

How revenue of Temples in India misused by governments

Please forward this to ALL Hindus all over the world”

It’s time we realize our culture is being wiped away!!!

If you care forward this….IF NOT Delete!!
Why are we Hindus taking all this lying down? 
Why is there an IAS officer as head of very temple? 
Can they dare go to a Masjid/mosque or a church? Please see the article and decide for yourself?

Foreign writer opens our eyes.

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act of 1951 allow State Governments and politicians to take over thousands of Hindu Temples and maintain complete control over them and their properties. It is claimed that they can sell the temple assets and properties and use the money in any way they choose.
A charge has been made not by any Temple authority, but by a foreign writer, Stephen Knapp in a book (Crimes against India and the Need to Protect Ancient Vedic Tradition) published in the United States that makes shocking reading.
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/crimes_against_india.htm
Hundreds of temples in centuries past have been built in India by devout rulers and the donations given to them by devotees have been used for the benefit of the (other) people. If, presently, money collected has ever been misused (and that word needs to be defined), it is for the devotees to protest and not for any government to interfere. This letter is what has been happening currently under an intrusive law.
It would seem, for instance, that under a Temple Empowerment Act, about 43,000 temples in Andhra Pradesh have come under government control and only 18 per cent of the revenue of these temples have been returned for temple purposes, the remaining 82 per cent being used for purposes unstated.
Apparently even the world famous Tirumala Tirupati Temple has not been spared. According to Knapp, the temple collects over Rs 3,100 Crores every year and the State Government has not denied the charge that as much as 85 per cent of this is transferred to the State Exchequer, much of which goes to causes that are not connected with the Hindu community. Was it for that reason that devotees make their offering to the temples? Another charge that has been made is that the Andhra Government has also allowed the demolition of at least ten temples for the construction of a golf course. Imagine the outcry writes Knapp, if ten mosques had been demolished.
It would seem that in Karanataka, Rs. 79 Crores were collected from about two lakh temples and from that, temples received Rs seven Crores for their maintenance, Muslim madrassas and Haj subsidy were given Rs. 59 Crore and churches about Rs 13 Crore. Very generous of the government.

Because of this, Knapp writes, 25 per cent of the two lakh temples or about 50,000 temples in Karnataka will be closed down for lack of resources, and he adds: The only way the government can continue to do this is because people have not stood up enough to stop it.
Knapp then refers to Kerala where, he says, funds from the Guruvayur Temple are diverted to other government projects denying improvement to 45 Hindu temples. Land belonging to the Ayyappa Temple, apparently has been grabbed and Church encroaches are occupying huge areas of forest land, running into thousands of acres, near Sabarimala.
A charge is made that the Communist state government of Kerala wants to pass an Ordinance to disband the Travancore & Cochin Autonomous Devaswom Boards (TCDBs) and take over their limited independent authority of 1,800 Hindu temples. If what the author says is true, even the Maharashtra Government wants to take over some 450,000 temples in the state which would supply a huge amount of revenue to correct the states bankrupt condition.
And to top it all, Knapp says that in Orissa, the state government intends to sell over 70,000 acres of endowment lands from the Jagannath Temple, the proceeds of which would solve a huge financial crunch brought about by its own mismanagement of temple assets.

Says Knapp: Why such occurrences are so often not known is that the Indian media, especially the English television and press, are often anti-Hindu in their approach, and thus not inclined to give much coverage, and certainly no sympathy, for anything that may affect the Hindu community. Therefore, such government action that plays against the Hindu community goes on without much or any attention attracted to them.

Knapp obviously is on record. If the facts produced by him are incorrect, it is up to the government to say so. It is quite possible that some individuals might have set up temples to deal with lucrative earnings. But that, surely, is none of the governments business? Instead of taking over all earnings, the government surely can appoint local committees to look into temple affairs so that the amount discovered is fairly used for the public good?
Says Knapp: Nowhere in the free, democratic world are the religious institutions managed, maligned and controlled by the government, thus denying the religious freedom of the people of the country. But it is happening in India. Government officials have taken control of Hindu temples because they smell money in them, they recognise the indifference of Hindus, they are aware of the unlimited patience and tolerance of Hindus, they also know that it is not in the blood of Hindus to go to the streets to demonstrate, destroy property, threaten, loot, harm and kill.

Many Hindus are sitting and watching the demise of their culture. They need to express their views loud and clear Knapp obviously does not know that should they do so, they would be damned as communalists.  But it is time someone asked the Government to lay down all the facts on the table so that the public would know what is happening behind its back. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not secularism. And temples are not for looting, under It’s time we realize our culture is being wiped away!!!

HARD REALITIES………

Hinduism remains the most attacked and under siege of all the major world religions. This is in spite of the fact that Hinduism is the most tolerant and pluralistic of the world’s major religions.

—

Arulmigu Sri Peruvembudaiyar Sastha Temple, Perumazhinji by Kalakad Ganapathy

Arulmigu Sri Peruvembudaiyar Sastha Temple, Perumazhinji by Kalakad Ganapathy.

Donkey Theorem

The Great Donkey Theorem 

Equation 1

Human = eat + sleep + work + enjoy
Donkey = eat + sleep

Therefore:
Human = Donkey + Work + enjoy

Therefore:
Human-enjoy = Donkey + Work

In other words,
A Human that doesn’t know how to enjoy = Donkey that works.

++++++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ ++ ++
Equation 2

Man = eat + sleep + earn money
Donkey = eat + sleep

Therefore:
Man = Donkey + earn money

Therefore:
Man-earn money = Donkey

In other words
Man who doesn’t earn money = Donkey

++++++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +
Equation 3

Woman= eat + sleep + spend
Donkey = eat + sleep

Therefore:
Woman = Donkey + spend
Woman – spend = Donkey

In other words,
Woman who doesn’t spend = Donkey

++++++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +

To Conclude :

From Equation 2 and Equation 3

Man who doesn’t earn money = Woman who doesn’t spend

So Man earns money not to let woman become a donkey!
And a woman spends not to let the man become a donkey!

So, We have:
Man + Woman = Donkey + earn money + Donkey + Spend money

Therefore from postulates 1 and 2, we can conclude:-

Man + Woman = 2 Donkeys that live happily together.

 

Employer-Employee relations

 

I have realized that I can relate any employee with a re-chargeable battery. To elaborate it more, lets consider the analogy of smart phones. In most of the smart phones the battery consumption is displayed on the top right corner of mobile screen. When the consumption percentage falls below 25%, the color of battery icon turns orange and when it is less than 10% the color goes alarmingly red. So it is responsibility of the owner to ensure timely charging to keep it functional. Just like that, it is responsibility of each manager to closely observe the discharge level of each member of his/her team and take appropriate measures to ensure high efficiency of the employee consequently getting maximum throughput. The good news is that when employees are charged more and more, they produce the results in the same high proportion!

 

So below are some techniques which can be considered to boost the charge level:

 

1- Trainings: Needless to emphasize the importance of training, this is one of the critically important aspect of professional growth and ultimately for the business enhancement. It’s a genuine Win-Win approach. I highly recommend studying the concept of “Sharpen The Saw” from Stephen Covey‘s 7 Habits of Highly effective people ®. The trainings can either be online, or in-house or at international level. Further, podcasts can also be considered. 
2- Professional Membership: Encourage employee to join professional groups. Even if the company has to pay some amount for the membership, it should be done. Employee will get satisfaction for being the member and will learn new ideas and trends in the industry which will eventually help business growth.
3- Get together: If possible, Employee’s families to be invited as well. This will give extra boost to employee’s satisfaction index. Outdoor activities including Lunch, games and fun activities can be considered.
4- Financial benefits: This is the most attractive part from employee’s perspective. This can either be on annual or project basis. Specific targets can be set in terms of sale (or any applicable Key Performance Indicator). High KPI should result in high bonus. This will ensure employee go extra mile to achieve high and high. Also Employee of the month is another technique which should be used. A certificate along with optimal amount of cash will feed extra energy.
5- Knowledge based sessions: Technical and motivational lectures/events should be arranged on weekly or monthly basis. You may find a gem within your team who loves to speak on a specific subject. Find such people and give them the opportunity to share their knowledge and skills with other colleagues.

 

Be Who you are and say what you feel

 

Rgds

Prayer

• Please read this. This has been sent by a young Marathi friend of mine. This was written by an old lady who recently died at the age of 92. The original is in Marathi. It was found when her daughter was sifting through her papers. The daughter is a non-believer. The translation is by her grand son, who too is a non-believer. This is a deeply moving document of a human being who, in her humble way, was trying find the meaning of existence while living her life with as much freedom as she could win.

  I am not a believer either but I agree with her that we should all have our corners of purity, especially in our minds. It is a tough call but that should not deter us from constantly seeking it, which just might make life worth living. Purity, I admit, is not easily definable, but I am sure everyone who reads this note has a personal definition of what purity is.
  Anybody who is familiar with the Communists of the Old School – the Indian Communists – will know what I am talking about.
  On another plane, this note tells us about the strength of our great country, especially of its ordinary people.

  Prayer

  What is my concept of God or his powers? Who is God? Do I believe in him? Do I have clear thoughts, ideas, emotions, or opinions about God? My idea of God is not that of God as one powerful being who can be coaxed into blessing me by my prayer, fasting, or sacrifice. Our own efforts determine what we get in life. Success or lack of it may be decided by circumstances. My mind never brought itself around to the self taking credit for successes, and blaming God, fate or destiny for failures. We are the cause and recipient, actors or witness, of what happens in our lives.

  If such are my thoughts, why do I pray regularly? I am a believer. There is an unknown, mysterious power that drives the natural world and its myriad happenings. Knowledge, whether scientific or philosophical, hasn’t yet solved this mystery. Mankind is collectively putting in great and persistent thought and efforts to unravel it. I believe in the existence of this mysterious power. It has helped me live my life. I do not believe however that this power will stand behind me and help me get what I want merely by my regular offerings of prayer.

  The idols I worship regularly are Ganesha and Saraswati – the Gods of knowledge, Annapoorna – the Goddess of food, and Balkrishna – the God of mischief and childlike innocence, one who provides a refreshing, constant flow of energy to move forward in life. All of these are symbols of things that I love in my life. The idols are a physical realization of these symbols. My offerings in daily prayers – flowers, leaves, grass, or Tulsi – remind me always of the beauty of nature.

  The corner of my house that hosts these idols is a place that respects virtue, one that provides strength in trying times. My house may be unkempt, dirty, messy, and I may become negligent or careless. Yet, there is one corner in my house that is a constant reminder of virtue, one that keeps me awake to living life as a good person, one that provides strength to deal with grief. Every house needs such a corner, irrespective of whether one actually prays or makes offerings to God. This corner reminds me to remain humble. It a constant source of energy to live. My mind, of its own accord, makes me fold my hands and bow my head in prayer. The corner that houses the idols gives my mind peace. My idea of God makes me strive to keep this corner it pure. It is personal, intimate, my own.

  I don’t find this same God in temples. I don’t feel the need to visit them. This corner of my house gives me strength live and keep living, to walk through the fog of disappointments. It shows me beauty and truth. This is the God of my mind. I have seated him that corner. God occupies a corner of my mind that keeps it awake to virtue.

  Kumud Oke
  Nasik

 

Interesting facts on Indian Mythology

INTERESTING INFORMATION ON THE CHARACTERS IN HINDU MYTHOLOGIES Mandavi and Shrutkirti, the wives of Bharata and Shatrughana respectively where the daughters of Kushadbhoja,the brother of King Janaka. Demons Madhu & Kaitabha who were killed by Lord Vishnu at the creation of the world were born as Atikaya & Trishara, as sons of Ravana & Dhanyamalini. Jambavantha,who is believed to live from Sat Yug to Dwapara Yug is considered as the King of bears & the 1st son of Brahma before humans were created. Jambavati, one of the chief wives of Krishna was daughter of Jambavantha, with whom lord Krishna had duel for the gem Syamantaka known as Kohinoor. King of Nagas- “Shesha” the incarnation of supreme God Sankarshan is said to hold all planets on his hoods & constantly sing the glories of Vishnu. Hanumana was son of Kesari, s/o Brihaspati & Anjana a celestial apsara born on earth as female Vanara due to curse. Hanumana had a duel with his own son Makardhwaj while he reached ether to rescue Rama & Lakshmana who had been kidnapped by Ravana’s associates. Goddess Saraswati is shown holding Book, Rosary, Pot of scared water & Vina depicting knowledge, spirituality, purification & Art respectively. Manthara, cursed Indera, the king of gods that he would not be worshipped, as he prompted her to instigate kaikeyi for the exile of Rama. Pavak, Pavamana & Shuchi, the three sons of Swaha, the daughter of Daksha who was married to Agni consume all the oblations offered to fire of Yagna. Atri proclaimed the theory of 3 strands that represent creation- Brahma-“A”, sustenance-Vishnu-“U” & destruction-Shiva-“M” ie “AUM” of the sacred thread Janeu. Durga-beyond reach, Bhadrakali- power of time,Lalita-playful, Chandiviolent, Annapurna- food giver, Amba- the mother & Bhairavi-fearful are forms of Parvati. 1st form of Maa Durga- “Shailputri” worshipped on the first Navratra mounts on the bull holding a lance in the right hand & a lotus in the left hand. Brahmacharini the 2nd form of Maa Durga-known as Aparna holds a rosary & Kamandalu in her right & left hand & blesses unending benefits of restraint. “Chandraghanta” third facet of Durga has 10 hands, 3 eyes & bell typed half moon on her forehead is worshipped for peace, tranquility & prosperity. Krishnamanda/Adi- Swarup/Astbhuja created universe with her smile, Destroys diseases, sorrows & depression, blesses age, health & reputation. Lord Kartikeya-Skanda who was commander in chief in the war against the demons was son of Skanda Mata. She is worshipped on 5th day of Navaratri. 6th form of Maa Durga- Katyayni-has 3 eyes & 8 hands, was born to Rishi Katyayan who practiced penance with a desire to get Paramba as his daughter. Black like night, having unlocked hair, wearing necklaces, shining like lightening, riding on dead body-KALRATRI is the 7th facet of Maa- Durga. Fair as conch, moon & Kunda flower, having her body washed by Lord Shiva with Ganga’s water, 8 year old- is Maha Gauri- the 8th facet of Maa Durga. Siddhi’s such Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamaya, Isitwa & Vasitwa are blessed by the 9th facet of Maa Durga Siddhidatri. Anirudda, grand-son of Krishana married Usha, daughter of Banasura a thousand-armed asura the son of Bali. Lord Rama was thirteen, when he married Sita who was six years old By all means marry. If you get a good wìfe, you will be happy. If you get a bad one, you will become a philosopher. SOCRATES AGASTYA-Sage who drank the ocean.BHAIRATH-Sage who brought Ganga from heaven.BHARADWAJ-father of teacher Drona. Naraka in Hinduism is compared to Abrahmic concept of Hell, is ruled by the Death God,such as the Hebrew bible’s Nergal,the Hindu Yama or the christian Satan. One of Sapatrishis, Maharishi Vishwamittera composed GYATRI – MANTRAMahabhata is also known as Ithas, Jay & 5th Veda Pleased with hospitality, Rishi Durvash gave boon to Kunti to have sons through gods . Janmejaya , the last king of Pandu’s dynasty was the son of Prikshit, grandson of Abhimanyu and great grandson of Arjuna. Some of many incarnations of Maa Durga are- Kali, Bhagvati, Bhavani, Ambika, Lalita, Gauri, Kandalini, Java and Rajeshwari. Indian deities are shown with many hands holding some object which symbolize various qualities. Balrama the elder brother of Lord Krishana was son of Rohani & Vasudava Divine draftsman, Vishvakarama constructed Heaven, Sone Ki Lanka,Dwarka & Hastinapur in Satya -yug, Tareta, Dwaper & Kaliyug ) Architect Vishwakarm was also designer of flying chariots, divine weapons & creator of missiles & Vajra the weapon of Indera. Apart from Manu- Smriti there are Yagnavlka, Narada, Parashara & Devala Smrities too. In Satyug Lord Vishnu had incarnations as Matasya-FISH, Kachap- TORTOISE, Vahra-BOAR, Narsingh-Half man- Half lion & Vaman- Dwarf. King Sibi was put to test by god Indra and god Agni in disguise of hawk and dove. Jyotirlings of Shiva with their respective states – Kedarnath- Uttaranchal, Baijnath- Bihar, Vishwanatha- Uttar Pradesh and Nageshwar- Gujarat. The vehicles of MAA LAKSHMI-the goddess of wealth, KARTIKE-the god of war and KAMDEV- the god of love are owl, peacock and parrot respectively. ” Shiva ” is a symbol of kindness, friendlyness, graciousness or auspiciousness. Vishnu had 5th Vamana Avatar as son of Aditi, one of 13th wife of Kashyapa, the son of Marichi Maanas-putera of Brahma. The name of the family priest of Pandavas and Kauravas was Kripacharya. Any thing that you do not find in Mahabharta can not be found in any book of the world. A Mahayug is a sum total of Sat yug, Treta yug, Dwapar yug and Kal yug and the lifespan of a Mahayug is 43, 20,000, multiple of 9. The operator of the universe Lord Vishnu had nine Incarnations so for. The life span of Satyug is 17,28,000 years, of Treta Yug is12,96,000 years,of Dwapar yug is of 9,96,000 years and that of Kalyug is 4,32,000 years. The life span of every yug is a multiple of 9. The prime system of worship in Kali-yug is “Sat sang”, in Dwapar it was “Pooja/ Archana”, in Tretha it was “Yagya” and in Satyug the prime system of worship was “Tapasya”. Lord Vishnu had his seventh incarnation as Maryadha Parshotam Rama in Treta- Yug and had his eighth incarnation as Karm yogi Krishna in Dwapar-Yug. “Kyadu” was the mother of “Prahlad Bhagat”, the wife of “Hiranyakashyapu” wrongly known as “Hiranyakashyap” who was actually his elder brother. “Holika” was the sister of Hiranyakashyapu who tried to set Prahlad on fire but was burnt herself. “Kumbh Mela” festival takes place after twelve years at the following four locations in India:-. Prayag, at the confluence of three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, Haridwar, on the bank of river Ganga, Ujjain,on the bank of Ksipra river and Nasik, on the bank of Godavari river. The short tempered Rishi Durvasa was the son of Rishi Atri and Ansuiya and is known as one of the incarnations of Lord Shiva. “Raj Gopalacharya” was the first who translated Ramayana in English. Shubh ( luck ) & Labh ( profit ) are known as the two sons of Lord Ganesha, the God of fortune. Ridhi (grandeur) and Siddhi (accomplishment) are known as the two wives of Lord Ganesha. Among 18 Purans , Shrimad Bhagwat Puran is considered as the supreme. Only one temple in Pushkar in Rajasthan is attributed to Brahma. Sri Lanka was constructed by Vishwakarma on the instance of Lord Shiva for his consort Parvati. “Trishul – Pani” was the first incarnation of Lord Shiva. Kaydu, the wife of Hiranyakeshapu and Suniti, the wife of Uttanpad were the mothers of Prahlad and Dhruv respectively. King Janaka & his minister Sumanta were married on same day, Hour & place Devahuti, Prasuti and Akuti were the grand daughters of Lord Brahma. Bhagirath who brought river Ganga to earth was the son of Dileep & grandson of Anshuman. Barbreek, the son of Ghatotkach and the grandson of Bheema offered his head as “Gurudakshana” to Lord Krishna and now is worshipped as “Khatushyam”. Disrespecting the elders “Dushasana”, the brother of “Duryodhana” shot the first arrow in the battle of Mahabharata None of the elderly persons of Mahabharata ever wished Duryodhana “Vijay Bhava”- (May you win). Saraswati, the consort of Brahma is known as Goddess of Education & Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu is known as Goddess of Wealth According to Indian mythology Ahalaya, Droupadi, Tara, Kunti & Mandhodri though married yet are considered damsel. According to Indian mythology Ashavathama, Kripacharya, Ved Vyas, Hanumana, Raja Balli, Vibhishana & Pershurama are considered immortal. Born at Phillour in Punjab, Shivanand composed Aarti”OM JAi JAGDISH.” in 1870 . Arjuna the prominent character of Mahabharata is also known as Savyasachin – “one who can perform every task with either of his hands”. Dharmkashatra, Sathyam- Shivam & Sunderam temples of worship established by Sathya Sai Baba are at Mumbai, Hyderabad & Chennai respectively. Out of 51 Shakti-Peeth, “places of worship of Goddess Shakti” the most important Shakti Peeth known as the Kamakshi temple is in the state of Assam. Siddhi and Buddhi the wives of Ganesha were daughters of Vish- varna and grand daughters of Kashyap. Four temples of Lord Shiva in the state of Maharashtra are known as Grishneshwar, Bhimashankar, Mahakaleshwar & Tryambakashwar. Sathya-Sai-Baba claimed himself to be the re-incarnation of Shirdi -Sai- Baba on May 23, 1940 Ikshvaku dynasty was started by Vivasvan, the grandson of Marichi, one of the Manas putr of Brahma and ended by Lov and Kush, the sons of Rama. Out of 108 names of Lord Shiva, Hara-sin remover, Omkara-creator of Om and Umapati- consort of Uma are the only names that start with H, O and U. Nine words- of GAYATRl-MANTRA stand for humility, austerity, orderliness, co-operation, wisdom, integrity, responsibility & courage. One of the importance of No 108 is that diameter of the sun is 108 times the diameter of the earth. The MALA has 108 beads & in Sikh tradition has a MALA OF 108 Knots tied in a string of wool, there are 108 forms of dance. Due to severe penance Bhagat Dhruv was blessed to rule for a period of 36000 yrs approx and was also granted an eternal place in heaven as pole star. The river Saraswati was brought to earth by Rishi Keshava in the same way as Bhagiratha brought Ganga to the earth. Lord Krishna mastered 64 subjects in 64 days with the blessings of his teacher Rishi Garg. Black beauty, Draupadi is the only example of a woman having 5 brothers as her husbands. Devhuti, the wife of Rishi Kardam was daughter of Swayambhav Manu & Shatrupa who are known as the progenitors of human race. Uttanpada the father of Dhruv (the pole star) was the son of Swayambhav Manu & Shatrupa The Bhagwad Gita consisting of 18 chapters is divided into three segments Vishad Yog,Karam Yog and Bhakti Yog consisting of 6 chapters each. Neglecting Bheeshma and Yudhishtra,due to the absence of steadiness in their actions & thinking,Krishna chose Arjuna to deliver the discourse of Gita. Lord Vishnu had 4 incarnations in Sat Yug , 3 in Treta Yug , 1 in Dwapar Yug , 1 in Kal Yug and 1 is yet awaited. Names of Sapatrishi of present MANVANTRA are Atri, Vashishtha, Gautama, Jamadagni Kashyapa, Vishvamitra & Bharadvaja. Having been insulted by the sons of King Sagar, Rishi Kapil, the son of Rishi Kardam reduced them into ashes. According to Hindu religion “Shikha ” tuft of hair is known as flag of Kala, Anusuya, Gati, Kriya, Khyati, Arundhati & Shanti were married to Rishi Marichi, Atri, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrigu, Vashishtha & Atharva respectively. The vehicles of Lord Shiva family were “Nandi”-the ox, “Singh”-the lion, “Moosak”-the rat and “Mor”-the peacock. “Geeta”, the essence of Indian mythology is composed in 700 verses, out of which Lord Krishna recited only 577 verses. The cremation of “Daanvir Karna”, an important character of Mahabharata was performed on the hand of Lord Krishna. Ansuiya the wife of Rishi Attari is known as symbol of fidelity. Shukaracharya is known as the Guru of Asurs “Demons” and Brishpati is known as the Guru of Surs “Devas”. “Savitri” was the pious Hindu woman who managed to get her husband back to life after he died. Celestial musicians who are half bird and half human are known as “Kinnaris”. Upanishads/ Vedanta’s are 108 in no; only 12 are the most important, are the last part of Vedas & are in the form of dialogue between Guru & disciples. The preceptor of devas, Brihaspati identified as Jupiter one of the planets (Navgrah) was the son of Angirasa and Surupa. Lord Shiva’s body consists of five faces- Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusa and Isana which are known as Pancabrehmans. According to Indian Mythology the vehicles of Kubera, Indera and Yum-Raj are Pushpak- Viman, Aravat (the elephant) and Buffalo respectively. Goddess Sheetala , God Varun and Shani had donkey, seven swans and crow as their respective vehicles. The seven sacred rivers of India are Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri. Kardam Rishi & Devhuti were the parents of 9 daughters- Kala, Ansuya, Gati,Kriya, Khyati, Arundhati, Shanti, Havirbhu & Shraddha & 1 son- Rishi Kapil. Lord Shiva has six, eight and twelve arms while in boon giving form, destructive form and benign form respectively. Siddhidhatri, Kalaratri, Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Katyayani, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandmata and Mahagauri are known as the Nava Durgas. Dattatreya was the confluence of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. Goddess Meenakshi, the sister of Lord Vishnu and the consort of Lord Shiva had three breast before her marriage. Lord Vishnu had incarnations as Preshni-Garav, Upinder & Krishna born to the same parents with different names Pershin/Sulpa, Aditi/Kashap & Devki/Vasudev. In Sanskrit “Ga” stands for Knowledge, “Na” for Transcendence & “Ish” for lordship. It means Ganesha stands for lord that transcendence the knowledge. The troops of Lord Shiva were known as “Gana”. Lord Shiva appointed Ganesha as commander of His troops, thus he is known as Ganapati. Son of Surya -Sanjana & husband of Shamale, Yum-raj is also known as Mrtyu, Kala, Antaka, Vaivasvata, Sarva-panchera & Dharam-raj. The first Shloka “Verse” spoken by Lord Krishna in The Bhagwad Gita is number 11 of Parva “Chapter” 2 . Ashta Lakshmi comprises of Adi Lakshmi, Dhanya Lakshmi, Dhairya Lakshmi, Gaja Lakshmi, Santana Lakshmi, Vidya Lakshmi, Vijaya Lakshmi & Dhana Lakshmi. “Rahu-Ketu” the uninvited are the head and body of the same being while Rahu represent short lived fortune, Ketu denotes the feeling of emptyness. Among the Panch Parameshwaras Lord Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Surya and Maa Durga, lord Shiva is known as Maha Deva. Bhagavad Gita is like a lighthouse of eternal wisdom that inspires any man or woman to supreme accomplishment & enlightenment. Ishvara/ Supreme controller, Jiva/ soul, Prakriti/Matter, Dharma/duty & Kala/time are philosophical subject matters explained in the Bhagavat-Gita. Amravati is the capital of Swarga ruled by Indera the king of gods & Alakaapuri is the capital of Kubera, the God of Wealth. Lord Rama was born on 10th January, 5114 BC. HE was exiled for 14 years on his 25th birth day. He killed Bali on 7th Oct. 5077 BC. Out of 700 verses of Gita , 577, 79.5 , 42.5 and 1 have been recited by Lord Krishna , Arjuna , Sanjay and Dharitrashtra respectively. Ganesha the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati is the only son of God and Goddess who too is worshipped. The robes of saffron color worn by the Indian sages are a symbol of renunciation of all worldly pleasures & the flag of Sanatan Dharma too represents this. Moderator: Many thanks to bandhu Aditham  for collection and presentation of wonderful information.

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God is one

God is one Once, a saint went to a village.  Some of the villagers came to him and asked, “Oh revered saint, you are a devotee of which God or Goddess?” The saint said, “The God is one and identical. So, it really does not make a difference whom you worship.” One of the villagers said, “But, Gods and Goddesses exist in different names. It also so happens that discussions and debates take place to decide who is the best among them.” The saint said, “Listen to a story. My teacher had told me this from his real experience in life.   There was village like this village of yours. A river was flowing down by the side of the village. Once, some type of germs came flowing in the water of the river as a result of which the villagers fell sick of a peculiar disease. Slowly, their memory started failing. Gradually they realized that their memory will be lost completely. A clever man advised – ‘Brothers, before we forget everything and get completely detached from this world, let us come forward and write on everything their names.’ Everybody started doing that. Names were written on everything. Gradually a time came when people started forgetting the use of things though names were written on them. Therefore, they started writing on everything briefly about their use.   But, before their memory was completely lost, my teacher reached there one day. Seeing this situation, he put a drop of magic water in everybody’s mouth as a result of which all of them got back their memory. After getting back their memory, they were surprised at first for a moment to find the name and its use written on everything. Thereafter, when they came to realize the actual thing, the whole village burst out with laughter. The saint said, “When man under the worldly illusion started losing its consciousness, he started calling the God in different names. The man without consciousness is dependant on name. One who does not lose consciousness, he understands that God is one and identical. Therefore, why should one give different names to the God? Why not immerse oneself in the state of oneness of the almighty?” * *  *

Philosophy of life

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Philosophy of Life      A boat is docked in a tiny Mexican fishing village. A tourist complimented the local fishermen on the quality of their fish and asked how long it took to catch them. “Not very long.” they answered in unison. “Why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” The fishermen explained that their small catches were sufficient to meet their needs and those of their families. “But what do you do with the rest of your time?” “We sleep late, fish a little, play with our children, and take siestas with our wives.  In the evenings, we go into the village to see our friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. We have a full life.” The tourist interrupted, “I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.” “And after that?” “With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to  Mexico City , Los Angeles , or even  New York City !  [  From there you can direct your huge new enterprise.” “How long would that take?”   “Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years.” replied the tourist.   “And after that?”   “Afterwards?  Well my friend, that’s when it gets really interesting,” answered the tourist, laughing.  “When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!”     “Millions?  Really?  And after that?” asked the fishermen. “After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends.”   “With all due respect sir, but that’s exactly what we are doing now.  So what’s the point wasting twenty-five years?” asked the Mexicans. And the moral of this story is: Know where you’re going in life, you may already be there!  Many times in life, money is not everything.  “Live your life before life becomes lifeless”

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