Lord Vishnu and Mosquito

Once Kanchi Swamigal told some people at the Matam, "Do you know that Mahavishnu and Mosquitoes are one and the same in some ways?!" And as usual, He Himself started to clarify that puzzle. "In Lord Vishnu's hand the Chakra is spinning continuously and so does the mosquito which keeps spinning and buzzing near us all the time. Bad people will shy away from looking at Lord Vishnu due to His luminosity and so do people having irritation in the eyes will be unable to look at the mosquito. Lord Vishnu plays with Shruti (Vedas) and a mosquito keeps buzzing around our Shrutis (ears)." The reason He narrated this analogy is because of the mosquito menace at place He had camped. He used to console people with this, "If we remember that mosquito is none other than Lord Vishnu Himself, then we can sleep in Happiness undisturbed by the mosquito bites!" He had this knack of dealing with any adversity in such a nice and humourous manner.

Churning of the ocean

 Rajesh Reviews The world that we live in Tuesday, 25 September 2012 Symbolism of Samudra Manthan  Samudra Manthan or The churning of the ocean of milk is one of the most famous episodes in the Puranas and is celebrated in a major way every twelve years in the festival known as KUMBHA MELA. The story appears in the Srimad Bhagavatam, the Mahabharata and the Vishnu Purana. Samudra Manthan is also known as: - Samudra Manthanam - Manthanam is the Sanskrit equivalent of Manthan meaning 'to churn'. Sagar Manthan - Sagar is another word for Samudra, both meaning an ocean or large water body. Kshirsagar Manthan - Kshirsagar means the ocean of milk. Kshirsagar = Kshir (milk) + Sagar (ocean).  The story represents the spiritual endeavor of a person to achieve self-realisation through concentration of mind, withdrawal of senses, control of desires and practice of austerities and asceticism.  The Devas and Asuras represent the positives and negatives respectively of one's personality. The participation of both the Devas and the Asuras signifies that when one is seeking bliss through spiritual practice, one has to integrate and harmonise both the positive and negative aspects and put both the energies to work for the common goal. The Ocean of Milk is the mind or the human consciousness. The mind is like an ocean while the thoughts and emotions are the waves in the ocean. Mandhara Mountain symbolises concentration. The word Mandhara is made up of two words Mana (mind) and Dhara (a single line) which means holding the mind in one line. This is possible only by concentration. Mount Mandhara was upheld by Lord Vishnu as a Kurma (tortoise). The tortoise here symbolises the withdrawal of the senses into oneself (just as a tortoise withdraws its head into its shell) as one practices mental concentration and meditation or contemplation. Vasuki, the serpent king symbolises desire. Vasuki used in the churning of the ocean denotes that the Devas and the demons held desire (to seek immortality) as a rope and churned the mind with the help of concentration and withdrawal of the senses. Desire, if not controlled will overpower and destroy an individual. The Halahala Poison symbolizes suffering and pain (counter-reaction of the mind and body) that one undergoes at the beginning of spiritual sadhana (practice). When the mind is subjected to intense concentration, the first thing that comes out of the process is intense suffering and great inner turmoil. These must be resolved otherwise further progress is not possible. Lord Shiva symbolises the ascetic principle. His role in this story as the consumer of poison suggests that one can deal with the early problems of spiritual life by cultivating the qualities of Lord Shiva, namely, courage, initiative, willingness, discipline, simplicity, austerity, detachment, compassion, pure love and asceticism. The various precious objects that come out of the ocean during the churning stand for the psychic or spiritual powers (Siddhis) which one gains as s/he progresses spiritually from stage to stage. The seeker should be careful about these powers as they can hamper her/his progress unless s/he uses them judiciously, not for selfish gains but for others' welfare. This is the reason why the Gods and demons distributed these objects as they did not want to lose sight of their original aim which was to gain immortality. Dhanvantari symbolises health and signifies that immortality (longevity, to be correct) or spiritual success can be achieved only when the body and the mind are in a perfect state of health. Mohini symbolises delusion of the mind in the form of (or originating from) pride. It is the pride of achievement to which the Asuras or the demons succumbed and thus lost sight of their goal. Pride and egoism are the last hurdles one has to overcome in spiritual life before experiencing self-realisation. The Amrit symbolises the ultimate achievement of the goal of self-realistion. Lakshmi represents universal enrichment which comes as an automatic by-product of the internal self-realization or Amrita.  Rajesh Mehta at 13:27 Share  No comments: Post a Comment ‹ › Home View web version  About Me  Rajesh Mehta  Sacred Scripture, the revered texts, or Holy Writ, of the world’s religions. Scriptures comprise a large part of the literature of the world. They vary greatly in form, volume, age, and degree of sacredness; but their common attribute is that their words are regarded by the devout as sacred. Sacred words differ from ordinary words in that they are believed either to possess and convey spiritual and magical powers or to be the means through which a divine being or other sacred reality is revealed in phrases and sentences full of power and truth.Most sacred scriptures were originally oral and were passed down through memorization from generation to generation until they were finally committed to writing. A few are still preserved orally, such as the hymns of the American Indians (now being recorded by anthropologists). Many bear the unmistakable marks of their oral origin and can best be understood when recited aloud; in fact, it is still held by many Hindus and Buddhists that their scriptures lack, when read silently, the meaning and significance they have when recited aloud, for the human voice is believed to add to the recited texts dimensions of truth and power not readily grasped by the solitary reader. Not all scriptures, however, were originally oral, nor were they in all parts directly effectual in rituals that sought the granting of magical and spiritual powers. The greater part of recorded scripture has either a narrative or an expository character. The types of sacred and semisacred texts are, in fact, many and varied. Besides magical runes (ancient Germanic alphabet characters) and spells from primitive and ancient sources, they include hymns, prayers, chants, myths, stories about gods and heroes, epics, fables, sacred laws, directions for the conduct of rituals, the original teachings of major religious figures, expositions of these teachings, moral anecdotes, dialogues of seers and sages, and philosophical discussions. In fact, scriptures include every form of literature capable of expressing religious feeling or conviction. View my complete profile Powered by Blogger 

What sadhana can you do with Krishna

“What sadhana can you do with Krishna?  What does sadhna means?   Spritual practice. ....

One can dance with him, you can sing with him, you can celebrate with him, and you can merge with him.

Like many threre are exoectations frim us.  Even myself.......

Now does the lord Krishna have expectations frim us? 

What do you think will make a parent proud of the child.  Or spouse or family.  

If you go to a Guru and say I have some problem  he will give you some method, he will tell you to first give up this and give up that and then the problem will be taken care of.

But if you go to Krishna with the same question, he will not prescribe any methods, if we arw spritual inclined he will say the ego has to go in the first instance, that you have to begin with its cessation.

Krishna will say that methods and techniques are ways of postponement.

Krishna is not going to oblige you. He will say parting with money won't do, because your disease will continue to afflict you even if you give up all your wealth.

If a man suffering from cancer says he cannot give up his cancer, but he can get his head shaved, what will you say?

Shaving his head will make no difference whatsoever to his disease, the cancer will continue to torment him. There is no connection between cancer and shaving; cancer will continue to be a problem even if you shave your head a hundred times.

If the seeker says to begin with, he is prepared to give up his clothes, Krishna will say clothes have nothing to do with cancer.

A Guru may say this. "Okay, begin with shaving your head. Then we will see."

Krishna deals straight away with the ultimate question; he does not like any dilly-dallyings.

He says if someone is prepared for the ultimate matter, then he alone will have entry into his house. It is for this reason that his house remains nearly empty.

Entry into his house is not easy. And so Krishna could not create any order of disciples and followers.

Many Gurus like  Mahavira had over fifty thousand disciples; it is simply natural.

With Krishna it is nearly impossible. Where can you find fifty thousand egoless people right at the beginning?

If we say it rightly, Buddha and Mahavira stand for gradual enlightenment, for gradual growth towards enlightenment.

And we understand the language of gradualism. We can understand that a dollar ee can grow into two dollars and two dollars  into three, and so on and so forth.

But that a poor person can become rich at once is something we don't understand.

What Krishna stands for is sudden enlightenment. He says, "Why go through a long and needless process? You are poor if you have one dollar, and you remain poor even if you own ten dollars; now you will be called ten - dollar- poor.

You will remain poor even if you possess a million dollars because there are people who own billions.

So be rid of this poor man's arithmetic. I am going to make you a king all at once."

What Krishna means to say is that it is not a matter of becoming a king, it is just a matter of remembering that you are a king.

You are already a king, but you have forgotten.

Just remembering is the way of Krishna. Just remember, recall who you are, and the journey is complete in a single sweep.

Just remembering is enough; it is Krishna's keyword.

I will tell you a story.

I have heard that a king expelled his son from his kingdom. He was angry with his son, a spoiled son, and so in a moment of rage he threw him out.

The son did not have any skills or vocation.

What can a king's son know? He was not even educated, so he could do nothing to make a decent living. How ever he had, by way of a hobby, learned a little singing and dancing in his childhood.

So he took to singing and dancing on the streets of a town belonging to a hot and arid neighboring country where he found refuge.

For ten years the king's son lived the life of a homeless beggar in tattered and dirty clothes. So he completely forgot that he was ever a prince. And curiously enough, in these ten years, he was increasingly maturing towards kingship, since he was the only son of a king who was growing older and older. But, at present, he was a faceless person moving from door to door with a begging bowl in his hands.

When the king became very old he grew worried about the future of his throne.

Who was going to succeed him and manage his kingdom after his death?

So he asked his prime minister to search for his only son, whom he had expelled years ago, and bring him back so he could take over the reins of his kingdom from him.

Even if he was stupid he had to be recalled, the king thought. There was no other alternative. The prime minister went out in search of his king's son. After a great deal of inquiry and effort he reached the town where his future master was living as a nobody.

His chariot halted in front of a hotel, where he found him under a scorching midday sun, a young man begging a little money from the hotel manager to buy himself a pair of sandals. He was pointing to his bare and bleeding feet, lacerated with wounds.

The prime minister stepped down from the chariot and approached the young beggar. He took no time to recognize him - he was the king's son - although he was in rags, his body emaciated, his face shriveled and sunburned. He bowed to him and said,

"The king has pardoned you and asks you to return to your kingdom." In a second, a split-second, the young man's face was transformed and he threw away his beggar's bowl.

In no time at all he ceased to be a beggar and became a king. And he told the prime minister, "Go to the market and bring me a pair of good shoes and good clothes, and in the meantime make arrangements for my bath."

And with the stride of a prince he walked to the chariot and stepped aboard. In and around the hotel, everybody, who a little while ago had given him alms or denied them, came rushing, crowding around his chariot. And they found he was a different man altogether, he was not even looking at them now. They asked him, "How is it you forget us in a moment?"

The prince said, "I remembered you as long as I had forgotten who I was. Just now I have remembered who I am, so forget I am a beggar.

" When the crowd reminded him of what he had been only a moment ago, he said, "Now I remember. Now I know I am a king. I have always been a king."

See Krishna's way is just to remind man who he is. This is not something to practice, this is just a remembering. And within a moment of this remembering everything is transformed; the beggar's bowl is thrown away.

In one moment one ceases to be a beggar and becomes a king. But this becoming a king is a sudden event. And remember, it is only suddenly that someone be comes a king.

Someone can be a beggar gradually, step by step, but not a king.

It is wrong to think there are steps leading to kingship.

Are there steps to being a beggar. If you climb those steps and stand at the top, you will become at best a better beggar, a moneyed beggar, and nothing else. It will make no significant difference.

If you still want to be a king you will have to leap from the top you have reached step by step.

Krishna will tell you, "First take a jump, and then we will take care of the next thing." And after you have taken a jump this "next thing" is not necessary at all.

Throughout the GEETA, Krishna does nothing but remind Arjuna who he is. He does not give a sermon, he only hits him on the head again and again so that he remembers who he is. He is not there to teach, but to awaken him.

He shakes Arjuna to wake up and know his self-nature, his innate nature. He tells him, "You are engrossed in very petty matters like people will die at your hands if you fight.

Wake up and see for yourself if anyone has ever been dead. You are eternally alive." But Arjuna is asleep, he is dreaming, and so every now and then he asks why he should kill his own kinsmen.

Bhajan.......

Uttamauja Jaaga Musaphir. ........

Krishna does not explain anything, he gives him shock treatment so he wakes up and sees the reality for himself. It is an illusion to think that one is related with one and not related with another, the truth is he is either related with all or with none.

Similarly, either everybody dies or no body dies. Ultimately it is the truth that counts. Remembering is the essence of Krishna's philosophy of life. Therefore it is not any kind of spiritual discipline, it is a direct leap into awakening, into enlightenment.

But we don't have the courage to take such a leap and so we say it is not our cup of tea. We want to move cautiously and slowly, step by step. But remember, if you move in this manner, you will save your ego at every step. It is really to save your ego that you refuse to take a jump.

A jump is certainly dangerous for the ego; your ego cannot survive after a jump. You go slow just to save yourself, but what is being saved at every step will remain safe even at the last step of the journey. And then your ego will tell you to somehow enter moksha or liberation keeping yourself intact. But it is simply impossible to save yourself and enter moksha. It has never happened.

Entry into moksha is possible only after the ego has been completely annihilated. The death of the ego is the price of freedom.”

R as leela

Rajesh Haldar – A Soul & the Servant of Lord Krishna The Journey of my Soul Menu Skip to content The Raas Leela – Clear the Doubts and Misconceptions Leave a reply After a long preparation finally I have started writing this post on the top secret of Bhagwat Purana, i.e; Maha Raas leela. As per the Bhagwatam this is the most secret Lila and one who reads the entire 5 chapters of Raas Leela, attains the full result of reading entire Bhagwatam. So dear devotees, please clear all your confusions and misconceptions regarding this Raas Leela. Lord Krishna performed this Raas Leela with Braj Gopis, now you might want to know who these gopis were and how they got the access to this Raas leela which was simply inaccessible for any demigods, even Lord Shiva also took part in this leela, but in disguise of a Gopi, except Shiva & Parvati no other demigods were able to join the Maha Raas, all of them were witnessing the entire leela staying at the Swarga itself and they simply showered the flowers upon Krishna & Gopis from Swarga Loka(heaven) during the raas nritya (Dance of Rasa). What is Raas? When one Nat(Male dancer) dances with innumerable Natis(female dancers) then it’s called the Raas. Who are these Gopis? First of all, Gopis are not mere the village girls of Braj, rather actually they are the ones who had been appeared through the energy of Krishna’s own Hladini shakti (Joy-rendering power or mental companion potency), Radha rani is the symbol of this Hladini Shakti. These Gopis were the most beautiful among 3 worlds, there love for Krishna was so pure and transcendental that even Bramha, Mahadev and others always expected the dust of Braj gopi’s feet. The Love of all those gopis were simply unconditional (nishkam prem), they expected nothing in return from Krishna, all of them were waiting since many yugas just to enjoy the company of Krishna in Raas leela. In their previous birth these Gopis were the sages of Dandakarnya, when Lord Rama Chandra visited the Dandakaranya during his 14years of exile then these sages were witnessing how nicely & delicately Mata Sita was serving the lord Rama, then these sages too possessed the same feelings of serving to Lord Rama being his wives, Lord Rama knew their feelings for him, so then he told those sages to wait till Dwapar yug when he will appear again on this earth as Lord Krishna, then being the Lila Purushottam he will accept all of those sages as his wives and will dance during the Raas Leela. So these Gopis were nothing but the sages who were waiting for long. Lord Rama could not accept them in Treta Yuga as he was playing the role of Maryada Purushottam then and he promised to have only one wife in that period, being Rama he never showed any of his magical power, he always used to hide his actual identity of Ultimate God head, but during Dwapara yuga he never hidden the fact that he is the ultimate God head, in each step he had shown his true power, be it was Maa Yashoda or Nandji, Kangsha or Arjuna. When Lord Krishna was dancing with these Gopis then there were crores of Gopis irrespective of ages, some of them were of 12 years old, few were of 25, 40 or even of 80. They all had the one feelings in their heart that Krishna is the Jagatpati(Ultimate Master of this universe) and they are nothing but mere servants to him. So to offer their seva (service) and just to give pleasure to the Lord they wanted the company of Krishna. The gopis were not only the Brahm gyani (knower of God), but crossing that level they already turned into the Brahm Premi (lover of God). Neither they had any material needs to fulfill, nor they wanted to satisfy their senses, they were just the pure lovers of Krishna. How old Krishna was during Raas Leela? Krishna was mere 8 years old when he played the Raas leela, he raised the Giriraj when he was 7 years old and the Raas leela took place after 1 year of that, so Krishna was not more than 8 years old then. Purpose of this Raas Leela: Mainly 2 reasons were there behind performing the Raas leela. 1) Fulfillment of the wishes of Gopis: Regarding this I have already explained that when the sages of Dandakaranya observed how nicely Sitadevi was serving to Lord Rama then they also wanted to become women and serve to Lord Rama as his wives, Ram Chandra blessed them with this boon that in Krishna avatar all the sages will become the Gopis and Krishna will accept all of them as his wives. In Bhagwatam we have also seen this Gopis to perform the worship to Devi Katyayani or Durga, during performing the one month long worship they prayed and chanted the following mantra “O goddess Katyayani, O great potency of the Lord, O possessor of great mystic power and mighty controller of all, please make the son of Nanda Maharaja my husband. I offer my obeisances unto you.”, it’s not the fact that they did not know that Krishna is the Paramatma, but out of their pure love they accepted Lord only as the Nanda Nandan & Yashoda Nandan. During this one month period the gopis ate only non-spiced rice, by the side of Yamuna’s riverbank they made the idol of Devi Katyayani or Durga with earth dug and offered worship with simple items like sandal pulp, lamp, fruits, fresh leaves and flowers.They prayed to Devi Katyayani with the strong and pure feelings for Krishna and just prayed to get him as their husband. At last the Devi Durga became happy and appeared before them and granted them their desired boon. She also said that in coming Sarad Purnima night all the Gopis will get Krishna as their husband. According to few sages it is also said that it is not the Katyayani who appeared and granted the benediction, rather it was Krishna himself who came in during the Gopi’s Cheer haran or Vastra Haran leela and later he granted them the boon, because being Paramatma he already was aware of the reason of 1 month long worship. But you should not think that Devi Durga was not pleased with the devotion of Gopis, but as per rule until a vrat or puja process is being completed, before that no benediction can be granted, but here Krishna, the prime goal of Gopis himself came and promised that they will get himself soon during the Sarad Purnima. 2) The incineration of Kaam Dev: The incineration of Kaam dev was one of the biggest reasons behind the Raas leela, because after the death of Godess Sati, lord Shiva started a yogic penance, but there was a demon naming Tarakasura who took opportunity of this incident and pleased Lord Bramha through penance, he asked for 2 boons, one was to become the most powerful man on earth and the other one was to be killed only by the son of Lord Shiva, because he thought probably after the death of Sati, Lord Shiva will never marry again. After getting this boon he started causing havoc to 3 worlds, he defeated many kings and attacked Swarga loka too, then all the demigods approached to Bramha and asked for a solution, then Bramha said that Devi Sati has already reborn as Devi Parvati, but Shiva is not interested to tie the knot and also does not want to be back in this world from Kailas, but Mata Parvati is already doing penance to get Shiva as her husband once again, so in this case Shiva’s penance should be stopped so that he can be brought back to this world again. Then all the demigods tried their level best to break his penance, but all of them had failed. Finally Bramha told demigods to take help of Kaam dev, then as per request, Kaamdev came along with his wife Rati and shot 5 arrows of flowers at Shiva’s heart in order to create the sexual urge in him, the purpose of demigods were fulfilled as Shiva’s meditation was interrupted, but the fuming Shiva then opened his 3rd eye and a blazing fire came out of it which burnt Kaam dev into ashes. When Rati lost her husband then she cried a lot and approached Shiva and requested him not to make her widow in this way, because her husband had no personal intention or purpose behind interrupting Shiva in his meditation, he just did so as per the instruction of Bramha and othr demigods. When Shiva got pacified then he said that he has not the capability to turn the ashes back into the previous body of Kaam dev, but Kaam dev has not died & still exists, for losing his body he has just become invisible, but Shiva also asked Rati not to worry, because in Treta yuga when Lord Krishna will appear then your husband will get a new body being his son whose name will be Pradyumna, in this way you will get back your husband once again. So these above 2 points are the prime reasons for which Raas Leela was performed. Kaam Dev challenged to Shri Krishna: There was a time when Kaamdev defeated almost everyone in this universe including Bramha also & as a result of this he started feeling very proud of himself, one day Devarshi Narad was traveling when Kaam dev appeared and challenged him and asked to fight with, in response to that Narad muni told that he is nothing but a mere sage, he is always engrossed in krishna devotion and listens to Krishna Katha only, so he is unable to fight, then Kaam dev was disappointed and told Narad muni that as he is not ready to fight with him then at least tell a person’s name who can fight with him. In response Narad muni told him that there is a child in Vrindavan whose name is Krishna, in the entire universe only he is someone who has the capability to fight with Kaam dev, listening to that Kaam dev told that in all 3 worlds no one could have defeated him, not even Bramha also, then how come a child of mere 8 years old will fight with him, then Narad muni assured him and told to have faith upon his words and go to Krishna. During this moment Krishna was in Vanshivat area and was playing the flute under the Vat tree (Banian tree). Do you guys remember the banyan or Vat tree image which I circulated few days back among various groups on web? If any of you missed that post then here I am attaching the same image again. Through this post again I would request all of you that if you are visiting Vrindavan then please don’t miss out the Vat tree. Now coming back to the fact, when Kaam dev found the little boy playing flute then he asked his name and Krishna told him about his name. Then Kaam dev challenged him to fight, but Krishna said that war can take place between two equals only, then being a boy how come he will fight with Kaam Dev, then Kaam Dev told him not to make him confused and again invited him to fight, he further told that Narad muni has specifically told him that in this universe only you are capable to fight with me, so I am challenging you. Then Krishna said Okay, I am ready to fight, but war can be fought in 2 ways, i.e; Kila Yudh (war from the fort) & the other one is Maidan Yudh (war in the open battle field). Now you choose the option. Kaam dev wanted to know the nature of both types of wars, then Krishna explained as follows: Kila Yudh: Under this option you can fight with me when I will be with Radha Rani in Nikunj Van, at that point you can hit me with your 5 arrows, for a single second even if my heart or mind will go weak then you will win. Maidan Yudh: Under this option I will create a special night during Sarad Purnima and the night will last for 6 months, since it will be autumn so your job will be easy, it will be a full moon night when I will perform the Raas lila with crores of Gopis, there will be only one single male and that will be me. So you can choose any option, thinking of the 2nd option Kaam dev thought that it will be the most easiest option to defeat Krishna, so he chosen the 2nd option. Then Krishna told that he has a condition, Kaam dev asked what that condition is, then Krishna told him that the person who will lose the challenge, will become the son of the winner. Kaam dev agreed to that. Reason behind placing the condition: I already explained that Lord Shiva burnt Kaam dev into ashes for interrupting him in his meditation. But later he assured to devi Rati that only Krishna in Dwapar will bless Kaam dev with his body. So in order to fulfill Lord Shiva’s word to Rati, Krishna had to perform the Raas Leela and also had to mention about the condition to Kaam dev so that he gets back his lost body being the son of Krishna as Pradyumna. Krishna calls Gopis: Finally the night of Sarad Purnima arrived when the full Moon delivered it’s rays in all 5 directions which covered the entire forest with it’s soft and loving rays. Many unseasoned flowers like Chameli, Mallika, Bela were bloomed on that night and the sweet scent of those had spread all over the forest, all these things were being organized by Yogmaya’s power (Radha rani) as per the wish of Krishna. Finally Krishna started playing his flute and the sweet tune gave bliss to all gopis and the total universe, it mesmerized them and increased their devotion further towards Krishna and the feelings to be with him. Krishna’s magical tune of flute fully controlled the minds of Gopis and they could not stop themselves from reaching the place. At that point of time many Gopis were busy in offering the grasses to cows, many were serving their husbands and in laws, many were boiling the milk, few were even feeding their milk to their babies, but the tune of the flute made them running towards the forest leaving everything. The family members of the Gopis simply could not understand why suddenly they all have started running together, because as those family members were not the devotees or pure lovers of Krishna so they could not listen to the flute tune. However, few Gopis were stopped by their husbands or brothers and they were locked in a room, but as those gopis were actually sages of Dandakaranya and were waiting particularly for that night only, so instantly they started meditating and their souls reached to krishna. So friends, just imagine the situation, the mortal body of those Gopis meant nothing to Krishna, but what was more important to him was their souls. The entire Raas lila was about the reunion of Atmaas with Paramatma (reunion of souls with the supreme soul). Testing of Gopis: This part is the actual conversation that took place between Lord Krishna & Gopis, so the same thing has been presented here within the quoted parts. I have made no changes and mentioned the exact lines from Bhagwat Mahapuran. Whenever any devotee tries to reach the pinnacle of devotion then before blessing God always tests him/her, here Krishna also did the same thing with Gopis. When the crores of Gopis reached to the Vansi Vat tree then Krishna first welcomed them, after that to check the intensity of their love for him Krishna asked: “Why are you running towards me? Has any misfortune struck? You are alright? What can I do for you? It is not right for a woman to be alone in a dense jungle at this time of night. Have you come to admire the beauty? Well, then enjoy the splendor of the night and quickly return to your homes! Your husbands and children must be waiting for you!” When Krishna asked them to return to their homes then they felt humiliated, because it was Krishna only who called them by playing the flute. Those gopis started scratching the earth with their toes out of humiliation, but as they accepted Krishna as their husband with pure heart so they could not use any harsh words against him, Krishna further tried to make them understand and said that the Gopis truly belonged to their husbands only, the Gopis knew this truth, but being the Brahm gyani (knower of God) they also knew that their husbands are the masters of their material body only, not of souls. The true master of all souls are Krishna only. So they said the same thing to Krishna. There are specific words like “Dharam Patni” or “Dharam Pati”, the word “Dharam” means the false wife or false husband, the dharam word is used as the respective relation is being established by following all the vedic rituals and by making the Paramatma as witness, but it does not make the relation as true relation, this is the reason while praying we say to Krishna that “Tvameva Mata Ca Pita Tvameva. Tvameva Bandhu cha Sakha Tvameva, Tvameva Vidya Dravinam Tvameva, Tvameva Sarvam Mama Deva Deva”. Then the Gopis further said to Krishna: “How can you ask us to return to the world, when you have promised union, to the one who worships you with love and faith? We have renounced all worldly pleasures for You! Only You reside in our heart!” Krishna asked Gopis: “What is the proof of what you claim?” Gopis answered as: “You Yourself are the proof. You alone reside in our hearts! Now we have only one desire! That of merging in You! You are the husband of our Soul! Now that we have seen You, how can we desire anything else? Shall we ask You a question? What is the reward of a faithful wife?” Krishna answered: “The mind becomes pure.” The Gopis asked: “And what does one achieve when the mind is purified?” Krishna answered: “One achieves the Lord!” The Gopis said: “Then why should we go back to the world after we have come to you?” Krishna said: “You can stay at home and achieve God! At home look upon everything as God Himself!” The Gopis said: “Life after life we have prayed, but we did not even get a glimpse of You. Therefore we decided to become Gopis this life instead of Sages! We recognize ourselves to be the Soul, (not women), therefore we have to fulfill the duty of the Soul, which is to be ‘One’ with You! We do not desire to pray to your picture anymore! Do not forsake us! Make us Your own!” Krishna said: “If you consider me your real Lord and Master, then I ask you to return to your husbands and children!” The Gopis said: “We are tired of playing worldly games, life after life, but if You are ordering us, then we will have to go. However to operate in the world, we require our mind and intellect. They both are with you. You return our mind and intellect and we return to the world, to our husbands and children!” Shri Krishna said: “I cannot return that to you, as once I steal your mind and intellect, it merges into me!” The Gopis said: “Our feet are not ready to walk a step away from you” Krishna said: “What if I sent you back to your homes by the power of my Yoga?” The Gopis said: “You would be able to send our bodies there, but our mind would remain with You!” After this long conversation finally Krishna was defeated and told them that he was actually testing them and started roaming around the forest with Gopis. Krishna’s disappearance & Gopi Geet: After some time Gopis started feeling very proud of themselves, because they thought in this universe no one has the greater devotion for Krishna compared to them and as a result of that only the Paramatma himself is giving them the company. But Krishna being the Paramatma sensed their feelings and disappeared from there, when Gopis saw that Krishna has disappeared then they understood the mistake that they have committed, their heart filled with the feelings of repentance, they all started searching for Krishna in all the direction of the forests, they asked to the Lotus, leaves of trees, Tulsi, Ashoka, Pipal and many other trees, but no where they found Krishna, finally they noticed the footprint of Krishna which had all the pious symbols of Sankha, Chakra, Gada, Padma etc, but along with Krishna’s feet there were foot print of one more Gopi also, then they started feeling jealous and said among each other that the Gopi with whom Kanhah has disappeared must be very lucky and more than that she is the greatest devotee too as she did not posses the pride in her heart, this is the reason Krishna has taken her only along with him, but when further they tried to know the identity of that missing Gopi then they discovered that it was none other than the Radha Rani. Then their anger rose high, after following their footprints upto certain distance they noticed that the footprint of Radha Rani was dissapeared and on the other hand the footprint of Krishna became more heavy on the mud, so they understood that perhaps Radha rani got tired and on her request Krishna taken her on his shoulder, then on proceeding further gopis also witnessed the bent branches of trees and few flowers & fruits were fallen on ground. Actually Kishoriji was really enjoying the ride on Krishna’s shoulder and was plucking the fruits and flowers while moving. But soon Gopis noticed a crying voice of someone who was asking for help, when gopis followed the direction then noticed that it was Radha Rani who was hanging from a branch, all gopis started telling that, “see, Kanhah has left her too in the mid forest”, then Radha Maa told them to help her first to get off, so all of them helped Radha Rani and later to see her condition all of their anger turned into sympathy and love. Actually when Radha Maa saw that Krishna has taken her only leaving every gopis then she too started feeling proud, when Krishna noticed the same problem in Radha Maa also, then he instantly left her too. So accompanied by Radha Maa all gopis started searching for Krishna more intensely, by the time all of them reached the bank of yamuna, by that time all of them got too much tired, then sitting by the Yamuna bank they all started crying and sang the song of separation which is known as the “Gopi Geet”. When the Gopis reached the level of such an intense pain which could have caused their death, then Lord Krishna reappeared before them. He expressed his sorrow to Gopis, but made them understood that whenever he notices slightest of the proud feelings in the heart of devotees then instantly he ruins it so that devotees remain pure. If anyone wants to win over the Kaam or sexual urge then it is advised to read the Gopi geet on daily basis and it really works. Becaue the Gopis had the purest feelings in their heart for Krishna, so it’s Krishna’s blessing on Gopi geet which will help you too to win over Kaam dev. Lord Shiva’s entry at Maha Raas: Krishna’s flute tune also captivated the mind of Lord Shiva in Kailas, when he saw Devi Parvati is getting prepared to join the Maharaas then he too expressed his wish to join, but Parvati told him that other than Krishna no other mail will have access to Raas, so you can’t join. Then Mahadev told her that “Devi, I had told you in past that I am beyond the concept of male & female, even I shown you my Ardhanariswar (half male and female) form also”. Then Parvati agreed and told him to dress up like a Gopi and follow her. Lord Mahadev then bathed in the river of Yamuna and by the grace of Yamuna Ji Shiva came out as Gopi and Yogmaya(Radha Maa) allowed him to access the Maha Raas. On arrival of Mahdev Krishna instantly recognized him though he was in disguise and later named Shiva as Gopeswar. At this Radha Rani got angry and asked Krishna why even after being with him for so many years instead of her the new Gopi got the name of Gopeswar, because the Gopeswar means the Lord or master of all Gopis. Then Krishna pacified Radha and revealed the actual identity of that Gopi as Devadidev Mahadev. If any of you are going to Vrindavan then please visit the Gopeswar temple where Lord Shiva today also standing as Gopi as per the request of Krishna, offer your pranama to Gopeswar Mahadev and take blessing of him. The Maharaas began: And finally the time came when the Maha Raas began, as there were crores of Gopis so Krishna too made equal number of his forms and each Gopi got his own Krishna to dance with, but none of the Gopis were able to see the Krishna with any other Gopis, they all danced, the environment became divine, the sound of their anklet (payel) made such an ecstatic sound that covered the entire Vrindavan, all the demigods including Lord Bramha too came to see them dancing and later they too joined from the swarga loka (heaven). The Nag, Kinnar, Yaksh & everyone danced and showered flowers upon Krishna & Gopis. At times my Krishna was singing alone and later to please him Gopi also joined, the voice of Gopis were so much electrifying that it reached all 3 worlds. Krishna danced with Gopis, he also danced with Mahadev too and when Gopis started becoming tired then they rested their head on Krishna’s shoulder. Friends, just feel the divinity… When Krishna touched Gopis then they started feeling a strange power of Lord within themselves and it was the reunion of souls with the one Supreme soul. Now simply I am getting out of words to explain further.. Later, when everyone got tired then all of them entered the Yamuna river and bathed, there Krishna was surrounded by Gopis, all of them were playing with Krishna by splashing water upon him. And after having bath they came out of the river and started walking for sometimes on the soft & wet sand of Yamuna, then Gopis with extreme care made a divine Aasana (puja mat) with their aanchal (upper part of saree or region or zone) for Krishna to be seated. And this is how those Gopis who were the sages of Dandakaranya, finally fulfilled their wishes to serve the Lord Krishna being his wives. At the end Kaam dev accepted his defeat and later he was born as the son of Krishna & Mata Rukmini, his name was Pradyumna. Finally Rati got his husband in the form of Pradyumna and this is how Lord Shiva’s words also became true. Hope, this is very much clear now that the Raas leela was not the leela of Lust, rather it was just the opposite, i.e; win of Krishna over Kaam dev. But without knowing the actual fact or without reading the bonafide shastras many of us dare to raise finger against Krishna’s character, this is very sad and unfortunate my dear friends. I have a small question to all of you, more or less we all are having small 8/10 years old kids at our places, but though it’s kaliyug still have you seen as such any little kid to perform any sexual activity in this little age? If those kids at your places can dance freely and play with you & if those activities are not sexual activities then how come you are alleging my Krishna to be a perverted character? Remember, Krishna was the person who stood by Draupadi during her vastra haran. Actually Krishna is atmaram purush (one who remains satisfied within his soul only), he is the param yogi, so being the mere human being and with lack of knowledge sometime it becomes very tough for us to figure out the hidden significance of his Leela, nothing else. However, if this article has cleared all your doubts or misconceptions then please share this article using the social share buttons placed above. Because till date if any of you had possessed as such any negative feelings about Krishna or made any statement against him then you have already committed great sin, so by sharing this article help to stop others from committing such sinful activity. And my Krishna will really forgive you. Let’s come and chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra to clean our heart and move forward towards the lotus feet of Radha Madhav. Hare Krishna. Note: If any of you wants to listen to the entire 5 chapters of Raas Pachyodhyay in Bengali then please send me an email, I will forward the media files to you through email & it will be totally at free of cost. Thank you. This entry was posted in Bhagwat Puran, Radha Madhav, Spirituality and tagged gopeswar mahadev, gopis, kaam dev, Krishna, maha raas, raas leela, radha, sages of dandakaranya on November 4, 2014. Post navigation← Ramayan: Why Devi Sita had to go to Patal Loka at the end? Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Name * Email * Website Comment You may use these HTML tags and attributes:

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Mythology

 NAVIGATION ← Back Archives Buy the Books: Flipkart | Amazon 5th October 2014 On Stories we Tell  Published on 5th October, 2014, in Mid-Day Animals don’t tell stories. Plants don’t tell stories. Rocks don’t tell stories. They don’t need to. They know who they are in the food chain and the pecking order of their pack, or herd, or hive. Humans tell stories, because we need to. They tell us who we are in this world by giving the world a structure. Stories transform us into heroes, villains, victims and martyrs. Without stories, we have no identity; we are just animals with imagination. Neuroscientists and psychologists around the world are finally appreciating the value of storytelling in human lives. Ancient Indian sages were called rishis, those who saw what others did not see. They had discovered the value of stories a long time ago. • The word for story, katha, and epic narrative, ka-avya, is rooted in ka, the first alphabet of Sanskrit, which is also the root of all interrogative words, in Sanskrit, as well as in Hindi today: kab (when), kahan (where), kyon (why), kaun (who). In the Veda, Ka is one of the earliest name of God. • Ka-tha and ka-avya means stories and poems that enable humans to answer the questions about their existence and purpose. They are maps of the human mind. • Mahabharata and Ramayanas were kathas and ka-avyas, composed by Vyasa, the sage who compiled and classified the Vedic mantras into chapters (mandalas), who passed it on to bards or sutas. Mythology is study of subjective truth revealed through stories; it tells us what people believe to be true and what people believe is indifferent to rationality. History is the study of objective truth that is revealed by, and restricted to, factual undisputed data. Mythology is more psychological while history is more social. In Indian thought, mythology has always been valued over history, until the British came along and frowned on this practice. Since the scientific revolution, much value has been placed on history over mythology. But after the World Wars that put an end to European colonialism and imperialism, world over people are realizing that value of subjectivity and its prevalence under the veneer created by rational philosophies and rationalized arguments. Science and rationality cannot explain colonial and imperial ambitions of Europe. It was fuelled by stories: the belief that European traders and industrialists were ‘saviours’ of the ‘savages’, a belief that is still prevalent amongst missionaries of modern Western thought, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding. It is this story that made many Western journalists very angry that the ‘savage’ Indian gets to the planet Mars so effectively and efficiently. Should Indians not tackle poverty and corruption first and leave scientific and technological development to the White saviours, they have argued. Share: PrintEmail    inShare 4 indian mythology • leadership • modern mythmaking • myth theory • society Previous Post New White Man’s Burden Next Post Violence and Gita  Browse Bio Press Article Archives Contact Buy Devdutts books Flipkart Amazon Subscribe   Get notifications of new posts in your inbox Follow Twitter Facebook © 2014 Devdutt 

Does Gita preach violence

 NAVIGATION ← Back Archives Buy the Books: Flipkart | Amazon 2nd October 2014 Violence and Gita  Published on 21st September, 2014, in Mid-Day Mahatma Gandhi found inspiration for his satyagraha or non-violent protest in the Gita. Balgangadhar Tilak on the other hand found in Gita justification of violence if the intent and objective is righteous. So does Gita preach violence or not? I remember an essay on Gita written by Wendy Doniger in which spoke of how Gita goes out of its way to justify violence. She also quoted Romila Thapar as to how Buddha would have responded to Arjuna’s crisis differently. You can imagine how this essay would upset many Hindus, especially those who keep telling their children how Hinduism preaches non-violence and hence, vegetarianism. The contrast between Buddhism and Hinduism is stark. The founder of Buddhism walked away from his family and his kingdom to become a hermit who rejected desire, sex and violence. By contrast, Hinduism insisted that a man perform his duty based on caste rules. Whatever be his views on desire, sex and violence, he had to marry, produce children, take care of his family by pursuing the family profession. He who was born in a warrior family had to go to war and fight. He who was born in a butcher family had to slaughter animals for food. Ramayana and Mahabharata valorise not war so much as the pursuit of social obligation, even while engaging in long discussions on the morality of war. At the heart of this controversy is the fundamental question: is violence good or bad? To answer this question, we have to pay attention to role of violence in nature and culture. In nature, animals survive by indulging in violence. Herbivores bite and tear plants. Carnivores hunt animals. Violence is used to establish pecking order, mark territory and isolate mates. Culture is also established through violence. Forests are burned to create fields. Riverbanks are broken to create canals. Mountains are blasted to find minerals. Animals are castrated to serve as beasts of burden. Thus violence is intrinsic to both nature and culture. Violence enables animals to find food. Humans use violence to generate wealth and lay claim to property. Buddhism has a monastic tilt. A monk rejects wealth and property. So he rejects violence. But society is not made of monks. How does one help people who have no choice but to participate in violence? How does one help a soldier who has to fight in a war or a policeman who has to catch a criminal? We may not use violence to offend, but we have to use violence to defend and survive. We do not like being at the receiving end of violence, but we do know that violence is sometimes necessary to create a civil society. Today, Western media is horrified that its pacifist understanding of Buddhism, constructed by its dealings with Dalai Lama, is being challenged by brutal violence perpetrated by Buddhist leaders in Burma and Sri Lanka. Here the question is not about outgrowing desire, it is about wealth and property, which are essential aspects of human existence. As long as we want wealth and property, there is no escaping violence. And violence thus perpetrated has consequences that we are obliged to suffer. Gita recognizes this. Share: PrintEmail    inShare 3 indian mythology • mahabharata • modern mythmaking • myth theory • ramayana Previous Post On Stories we Tell Next Post Time, Timelessness and the idea of Charity  Browse Bio Press Article Archives Contact Buy Devdutts books Flipkart Amazon Subscribe   Get notifications of new posts in your inbox Follow Twitter Facebook © 2014 Devdutt 

Timelessness and the idea of Charity  Published on 28th September, 2014, in

 NAVIGATION ← Back Archives Buy the Books: Flipkart | Amazon 1st October 2014 Time, Timelessness and the idea of Charity  Published on 28th September, 2014, in Mid-Day The biblical, or Abrahamic, worldview informs the Western view, just as the Hindu worldview informs the Indian worldview. The bible speaks of a beginning and an end, Genesis and Apocalypse. Thus the biblical worldview is finite. The Vedas speak of a world that is anadi, without beginning, and without end, ananta. Thus the Hindu worldview is infinite. What does this mean in the practical sense? It means that the biblical worldview focuses on solving problems using material things that have a finite existence, while the Hindu worldview focuses solving problems using psychological ideas that challenge material finiteness. The Bible speaks of a Promised Land that will be granted to the Chosen people. It also speaks of blessed are the poor for they shall inherit the earth. The vocabulary is about having, or not having. By contrast, Ramayana and Mahabharata end with Ram giving up his kingdom and walking into the river Sarayu and Pandavas giving up their kingdom and walking up the Himalayas. It’s all about letting go. Western society focuses on the material more than the mental, because the material is empirical. Everything is viewed in terms of wealth, and holidays. He who has money to spend and time to enjoy is blessed indeed. Monastic orders in the West therefore embracing poverty and serving the poor to uplift them from the status of ‘have-not’ to ‘have’. Equality is about making creating a world where there are no ‘have-nots’. In Indian thought, there is tension between ‘bhoga’ (satisfying hunger/desire) and ‘yoga’ (outgrowing hunger/desire). Those who chose the former path lived in human settlements and those who chose the latter path went into caves. Indian philosophy rejects the idea of equality as it assumes the world will always have ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ but as time passes, the ‘haves’ become ‘have-nots’ and the ‘have-nots’ become ‘haves’, and the wise discover that happiness follows when one outgrows the desire to have ‘having’ or the regret of ‘not-having’. This subtle difference is often overlooked by scholars who write about Indian or Western philosophy. The human mind refuses to accept rebirth, hence change. We think this moment is permanent. We use Western ideas as benchmarks and templates to explain Indian thought. This is evident in writings about Hindu philosophy in colonial times. There are strong attempts to explain Hindus to the West in Western terms: thus there are concepts like the ‘Gospel of the Gita’ or the ‘Hindu Church’. Nowadays, there is great popularity amongst Hindu outfits to do ‘seva’ or serve people. The assumption is: if you want to be spiritual, you must serve people. Placed in a biblical framework it makes sense, for it means you are aligning with God’s commandments and following the path of love preached by Jesus. But in the Hindu framework, it becomes a bit problematic. For it is an act done to generate good karma: in other words seva (service) for meva (fat). Thus there is nothing unconditional or selfless about it. In Sikhism, the gurus said that the person who gives service must thank the person who receives service. Why? Because the charity giver gets credit while the charity receiver gets bound in debt, or ‘rin’. Debt fetters one to worldly life, and becomes an obstacle to liberation, as one is obliged to repay debt in this or another lifetime. In a global world order, we want to homogenize spirituality. And the process of homogenizing spirituality, we try to standardize worldviews. More often than not, the worldview adopted is the finite time-bound Western one and not the infinite timeless Indian one. Share: PrintEmail    inShare 2 indian mythology • mahabharata • ramayana • society • world mythology Previous Post Violence and Gita Next Post Female As Alpha  Browse Bio Press Article Archives Contact Buy Devdutts books Flipkart Amazon Subscribe   Get notifications of new posts in your inbox Follow Twitter Facebook © 2014 Devdutt 

Bhagavatam Gita Mahabharat

People often confuse the Bhagavata Purana (commonly referred to as the Bhagavata) with the Bhagavad Gita (commonly referred to as the Gita). • Bhagavata focuses on bhagavan, or God who engages with the world; it establishes Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu. Mahabharata focuses on the quarrels of the Bharatas, another name for the Kuru clan to which the Pandavas and Kauravas belong. God engages with the world as Krishna through the quarrels of the Bharatas. • Bhagavata is a chronicle on the life of Krishna till he meets the Pandavas. Mahabharata is a chronicle of the life of Krishna after he meets the Pandavas. • Bhagavata focuses on Krishna’s life as a cowherd in a rural landscape. Mahabharata forces on Krishna’s life as a warrior and strategist in an urban landscape. • Bhagavata focuses on emotions (bhakti marga) while Mahabharata focuses on reconciling action (karma marga) with ideas (gyana marga). Gita, which is part of the Mahabharata, brings the three margas together. The same idea as the Gita is presented in a dramatically different way in the Bhagavata through the raas-lila of Krishna. After describing the events of Krishna’s childhood, how he kills demons sent to kill him, how he protects the village from natural calamities, how he takes the cows out to graze along with his friends, how he plays branks on the milkmaids and steals their butter, the Purana proceeds into the realm of romance and eroticism. Every full moon night Krishna goes into the fragrant woods of tulsi shrubs, the Vrinda-vana, and plays the flute. Hearing his melodious music, women rush out, leaving behind their fathers, brothers, husbands and sons who are fast asleep, to dance around him in a circular formation. Thus the forest (vana) turns into a delightful space (Madhu-vana). This creation of the circle of delight (rasa-mandala) is the rasa-lila. It would last as long as the women did not become possessive of Krishna. And while it lasted, every woman felt that Krishna danced with her exclusively. The contrast between the battlefield of Kuru-kshetra and the dance in Madhu-vana is stark. War here, dance there. Men here, women there. Blood here, milk there. Rage here, romance there. Day here, night there. Public here, secret there. Field here, forest there. Imminent violence here, sexual tension there. By overturning established notions of righteousness and appropriateness related to property in the Mahabharata and related to fidelity in the Bhagavata, Krishna draws attention to an underlying theme, the Vedic theme, of how the mind perceives information differently depending on the level of wisdom. Since there are infinite levels of wisdom, there are infinite ways of seeing the same thing. Only the expanded mind (brah-mana) can see infinity (an-anta). Further, Bhagavata speaks of Krishna’s mothers: Devaki, who gives birth to him and Yashoda, who raises him. It speaks of Krishna’s lovers: Radha, who leaves behind in Gokul, and Yamuna, who follows him to Dwarka. It speaks of Krishna’s wives: Satyabhama, rich and demanding, and Rukmini, poor and docile. Bhagavata tells stories of the inner quarters and not royal courts; of the village, not the city; the pasture, not the battle-field. Krishna, may be the great strategist, warrior and teacher, but he is also someone’s son, someone’s lover, someone’s husband, even someone’s brother and father, not always perfect, and often quite exasperating. This makes Bhagavata a very feminine narrative where Mahabharata is a masculine one, bringing God from grand things outside the home to simple things inside.

Why is a Hindu

"WHO IS A HINDU" 'He who has perfect faith in the Law of Karma, the law of reincarnation Avatara, ancestor worship, Varnashrama Dharma, Vedas and existence of God, he who practises the instructions given in the Vedas with faith and earnestness, he who does Sandhya, Sraaddha, Pitri-Tarpana and the Pancha-Maha-Yajnas, he who follows the Varnashrama Dharmas, he who worships the Avataras and studies the Vedas, is a Hindu.” This is the definition given by some highly cultured men. This is the only correct and complete definition." In a meeting of the Sanatana Dharma Sabha, Lokamanya Tilak said: “A Hindu is he who believes that the Vedas contain self-evident and axiomatic truths.” The Hindu Maha Sabha has given another definition: “A Hindu is one who believes in a religion which has originated in India.” “Those who burn the dead are Hindus.” This is another definition given by some. “He who protects the cows and the Brahmins is a Hindu.” This is another definition given by some. Some define: “A Hindu is one who regards India as his motherland and the most sacred spot on earth.” Some others define: “He who calls and considers himself a Hindu is a Hindu.” Some define: “He who accepts the Vedas, the Smritis, the Puranas and the Tantras as the basis of religion and of the rule of conduct, and believes in one Supreme God (Brahman), in the Law of Karma or retributive justice, and in reincarnation (Punarjanma), is a Hindu.” “He who follows the Vedic or Sanatana-Dharma is a Hindu.” This is the definition by some. “He who is a follower of the Vedanta is a Hindu.” This is another definition given by some others.(swamy sivananda).

Law of karma

"THE LAW OF KARMA " Karma means not only action, but also the result of an action. The consequence of an action is really not a separate thing. It is a part of the action, and cannot be divided from it. Breathing, thinking, talking, seeing, hearing, eating, etc., are Karmas. Thinking is mental Karma. Karma is the sum total of our acts both in the present life and in the preceding births. Any deed, any thought that causes an effect, is called a Karma. The Law of Karma means the law of causation. Wherever there is a cause, there an effect must be produced. A seed is a cause for the tree which is the effect. The tree produces seeds and becomes the cause for the seeds. How Karma Is Fashioned Man is threefold in his nature. He consists of Ichha (desire, feeling), Jnana (knowing) and Kriya (willing). These three fashion his Karma. He knows objects like chair, tree, etc. He feels joy and sorrow. He wills to do this, or not to do that. Behind the action, there are desire and thought. A desire for an object arises in the mind. Then you think how to get it. Then you exert to possess it. Desire, thought and action always go together. They are the three threads, as it were, that are twisted into the cord of Karma. Desire produces Karma. You work and exert to acquire the objects of your desire. Karma produces its fruits as pain or pleasure. You will have to take births after births to reap the fruits of your Karmas. This is the Law of Karma. The Working Of The Law The Law of Karma is one of the fundamental doctrines not only in Hinduism, but also in Buddhism, and in Jainism. As a man sows, so he shall reap. This is the Law of Karma. If you do an evil action, you must suffer for it. If you do a good action, you must get happiness. There is no power on this earth which can stop the actions from yielding their fruits. Every thought, every word, every deed is, as it were, weighed in the scales of eternal, divine Justice. The Law of Karma is inexorable. Things do not happen in this universe by accident or chance in a disorderly manner. They happen in regular succession. They follow one another in a regular order. There is a certain definite connection between what is being done now by you, and what will happen in the future. Every action produces a threefold effect. It gives you an appropriate reward or fruit. It also affects your character. It leaves behind an impression in your mind. This impression will urge you to repeat the act again. The impression will assume the form of a thought-wave in the mind on account of a stimulus, either external or internal. An action produces an effect in the world also. As You Sow, So You Reap If you put a seed in the earth, it sends up a little stem. Then leaves come out of the stem. Then come flowers and fruits. There are seeds again in the fruits. Mango seed only produces mango tree. If you sow rice, you cannot expect a crop of wheat. The same sort of seed produces the same kind of plant. A human being alone is born from the womb of a woman, a horse from a horse and a dog from a dog. Similarly, if you sow the seed of an evil action, you will reap a harvest of pain and suffering. If you sow the seed of a virtuous action, you will reap a harvest of pleasure. This is the Law of Karma. Whatever you sow by your actions come back to you. If you make others happy through service, charity and kind acts, you sow happiness like a seed; and it will give you the fruit of happiness. If you make others unhappy through harsh words, insult, ill-treatment, cruel acts, oppression, etc., you sow unhappiness like a seed; and it will give you the fruit of pain, suffering, misery and unhappiness. This is the immutable Law of Karma. Your actions in the past are responsible for your present condition. Your present actions will shape or mould your future. There is nothing chaotic or capricious in this world. You become good by your good actions, and bad by your evil actions. If you entertain evil thoughts, you must suffer the consequences. You will be in difficulties. You will be surrounded by unfavourable circumstances. You will blame your surroundings and circumstances. Understand the law and live wisely. Entertain noble thoughts. You will be happy always. Action—Habit—Character—Destiny Thought moulds your character. If you entertain noble thoughts, you will develop a noble character; and if you entertain evil thoughts, you will develop a base character. This is the immutable Law of Nature. Therefore, you can deliberately shape your character by cultivating sublime thoughts. Thought materialises and becomes an action. If you allow the mind to dwell on good, elevating thoughts, you will do naturally good and laudable actions. Conduct or behaviour reveals your character. Conduct also moulds your Character. Cultivation of good conduct needs rigorous discipline and constant vigilance. You will have to watch every thought, word and action. You must be extremely careful when you conduct yourself with others. With all your good intentions, you will be carried away by the force of your previous wrong impressions, instincts and impulses. Even highly educated people lack in behaviour. Good behaviour indicates that you have a refined or polished, disciplined mind and real, good spiritual culture. The practice of Japa, Pranayama and Mauna (or vow of silence) will help you to control the impulses etc. You sow an action and reap a habit. You sow a habit and reap a character. You sow a character and reap your destiny. Hence, destiny is your own make-up. You have built it. You can undo it by entertaining noble thoughts, and doing virtuous actions, and changing your mode of thinking. Now you are thinking that you are the body, Mr. So and so. Now, start the anti-current of thought. Think that you are all-pervading, immortal Brahman. Brahman you will become. This is an immutable Law.(swamy sivananda)

Tilaka

"TILAKA " —A Mark Of Auspiciousness Tilaka is a mark of auspiciousness. It is put on the forehead with sandal paste, sacred ashes or Kumkuma. The devotees of Siva apply sacred ashes (Bhasma) on the forehead, the devotees of Vishnu apply sandal paste (Chandana), and the worshippers of Devi or Sakti apply Kumkuma, a red turmeric powder. The scriptures say: “A forehead without a Tilaka, a woman without a husband, a Mantra the meaning of which is not known while doing Japa, the head that does not bend before holy personages, a heart without mercy, a house without a well, a village without a temple, a country without a river, a society without a leader, wealth that is not given away in charity, a preceptor without a disciple, a country without justice, a king without an able minister, a woman not obedient to her husband, a well without water, a flower without smell, a soul devoid of holiness, a field without rains, an intellect without clearness, a disciple who does not consider his preceptor as a form of God, a body devoid of health, a custom (Achara) without purity, austerity devoid of fellow-feeling, speech in which truth is not the basis, a country without good people, work without wages, Sannyasa without renunciation, legs which have not performed pilgrimages, a determination unaided by Viveka or discrimination, a knife which is blunt, a cow which does not give milk, a spear without a point—all these are worthy of condemnation. They exist for name’s sake only.” From this you can imagine the importance of Tilaka or the sacred mark. Tilaka is applied at the Ajna Chakra, the space between the two eyebrows. It has a very cooling effect. Application of sandal paste has great medicinal value, apart from the spiritual influence. Application of sandal paste will nullify the heating effect when you concentrate and meditate at the Bhrumadhya. Tilaka indicates the point at which the spiritual eye opens. Lord Siva has a third eye at the Bhrumadhya. When He opens the third eye, the three worlds are destroyed. So also, when the third eve of the Jiva is opened, the three kinds of afflictions—Adhyatmika, Adhidaivika and Adhibhautika—are burnt to ashes. The three Karmas—Sanchita, Prarabdha and Agami—and also all the sins committed in the countless previous births, are burnt. When you apply the Tilaka, you mentally imagine: “I am the one non-dual Brahman free from all duality. May my eye of intuition open soon.” You should remember this every time you apply a Tilaka. There are various methods of applying Tilaka. Saivas apply three horizontal lines with the sacred ashes. The Vaishnavas apply three vertical lines (Tripundra) on the forehead. When they apply Tilaka, they say: “O Lord, protect me from the evil effects of the Trigunatmika Maya which has Sattva, Rajas and Tamas as its binding cords.” Some Vaishnavas apply only one vertical line. Only the method of application differs, but the significance is the same in both the Vaishnavas and the Saivas.(swamy sivananda ).

Japa Mala

" THE JAPA MALA". Significance of the Number of Beads Generally, the rosary or Mala used for Japa contains 108 beads. A man breathes 21,600 times every day. If one does 200 Malas of Japa, it becomes 21,600; thereby, he does one Japa for every breath. If he does 200 Malas of Japa every day, that amounts to remembrance of God throughout the day. Malas may contain beads which form divisions of 108 also, so that the same calculation can be maintained. The Meru (the central bead in the Mala) denotes that you have done your Japa 108 times. This also denotes that every time you come to the Meru bead, you have gone one step further on the spiritual path and crossed over one obstacle. A portion of your ignorance is removed. A rosary or Mala is a whip to goad you to do Japa. Mohammedans also have a rosary (Tasbi) in their hands when they repeat their prayers. They roll the beads and repeat the name of Allah. Christians have their paternoster.(swamy sivananda).