NavaneethamNewsletter of the Guruvayoor devotees

September 2010

sukumarcanada@yahoo.com

Hari OM !

Sri GurubhyO Nama:

I am writing this on Sunilji’s behalf as he is taking it easy for this month. I am sure he will be back with full of activities within a few days. I was asked to compile this month’s Navaneetham and here it is. I know, many of the regular features are missing and many of our regular contributors could not send in their articles on time.

After the auspicious Ramayanam Month we celebrated the ThiruvOnam and this month we have Vidyarambham. I wish each and every GuruDevs a wonderful Vidyarambham. May this mark an auspicious beginning/reminder of the spiritual journey we all aspire to embark.

As I submit this freshly churned butter at the lotus feet of our Kannan, may I encourage everyone to contribute in preparing it in the months and years to come?

Yours,

Sukumar

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Vidyarambham at Sukumar’s house in Vancouver, Sept 2009

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1

“BHAGAVATHA DHARMAM” OHM NAMO BHAGAVATHE VASUDEVAYA:

Introduction : by M. P. R. Nair

“BHAGAVATHA DHARMAM” is a Book

written in Malayalam, by Sadguru Sreemad

Abhedanandaji Maharaj of Abhedashramam,

Trivandrum, Kerala. Sampoojya Swamiji

attained Maha Samadhi and left his mortal

coil on 29th

October 1983. The Book,

“Bhagavatha Dharmam’’ contains 1060

Soothras, (Axioms) which bring out the

essence of Sreemad Bhagavatham. This

Book has been translated into English by

Shri: P. N. Balakrishnan Nair, (formerly

Senior Deputy Accountant General), a

devoted disciple of Swamiji Maharaj. He

has been associated with Swamiji and

Abhedashramam from 1967 onwards, not

only as a devotee but also as a member of

the Ashram Trust and its Treasurer and

General Secretary from 1971 to 2000. He is

still continuing there as a member of the

Executive Committee of the Trust. He

received ‘Mantradeeksha’ from Swamiji in

1972. One of his famous books is ‘Satsanga

Peeyoosham’.

Coming to ‘BHAGAVATHA

DHARMAM’, it is the quintessence of the

18, 000 Slokas of Srimad Bhagavatham and

is summarized very beautifully in 1060

Axioms or Soothras and they are grouped

under 11 Chapters in this small book. They

are not the verbatim meaning of the Slokas

in Bhagavatham, but they contain the

essence and spirit of the texts in full. They

are very simple and even a lay man can

follow them easily and apply them in his

day-today-life. It will help increase our

inquisitiveness to know more and more

about Srimad Bhagavatham and according

as our knowledge increases, we can expand

and interpret those Axioms into definite

dictums, based on Srimad Bhagavatham.

As a prelude to it, it may be noted that in

Sreemad Bhagavatham, Brahmarshi Veda

Vyasa has composed 18, 000 Slokas

(Verses) in 12 Skandhas (Cantos). The first

six chapters are exclusively meant to

describe ‘Sreemad Bhagavatha

Mahathmyam’ alone and it is based on

Sreemad Padma Puranam, wherein the

glories of Bhagavatham, amidst the

description of the period when the world

was once a Golden Lotus and many other

beautiful stories are narrated. So, ancient

people used to say that we must read Padma

Puranam first, before reading Bhagavatham.

Padma Puranam contains 55,000 slokas in 5

Khandas (Parts), like Srishtikhanda,

Bhoomikhanda, Swargakhanda,

Pathalakhanda, and Utharkhanda.

As mentioned above, the first exclusive six

chapters in Srimad Bhagavatham are based

on Padma Puranam, covering various topics

form ‘Bhakthi-Narada Samagamam’ to

‘Sapthaha-Vidhi’. The first 55 Axioms

(Soothras) out of the total 1060, cover

Bhagavatha Mahathmyam, and the

remaining 1005 Soothras are made covering

the 12 Cantos of Srimad Bhagavatham.

They are simple to follow, very interesting,

informative, and instill ‘Jnanam’ in us

through ‘Bhakthi’ and ‘Vairagyam’ and

hence it is nice we read them, study them

and try to understand them, one by one,

especially with reference to various contexts

and the beautiful stories in Srimad Padma

Puranam and Srimad Bhagavatham.

The first 55 Axioms out of the 1060, are

reproduced below, from the English

translation of Punya Sree P. N. Balakrishnan

Nair, with his kind permission:

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BHAGAVATHA DHARMAM

(By Sadguru Sreemad Abhedanandaji Maharaj)

Sreemad Bhagavatha Mahathmyam.

1)Ananda (happiness) exists internally

within every man. But he wanders in search

of happiness, among external objects like

wealth, woman and home.

2) Jnana (knowledge) flashes in Man, at

times; but it does not remain for long. So, it

is difficult for those who follow the path of

Janna to attain peace and happiness.

3) Fulfillment of the aim of human birth is

Realization of Lord Krishna.

4) The ultimate benefit of worshipping idols

of the Lord installed in temples as

Archavatharas will accrue to us only when

we are able to see the presence of the Lord

in all living and non-living objects in the

world.

5) All living beings are part and parcel of

God. So the one and only goal of all beings

is to become one with God.

6) In the present day world human life has

become highly voluptuous. That is to say,

man spends most of his life for gratification

of the senses. It is, therefore, impossible for

such men to reach God through the path of

knowledge.

7) Those who live in luxurious houses,

indulging largely in the material pleasures of

the world, are not eligible for the study of

the Upanishads.

8) It is dangerous for those who immerse

themselves in carnal pleasures to practise

Yoga. Bhogees (voluptuous persons) trying

to become Yogees will definitely become

Rogees (sick)

9) Every activity of man should be based on

Bhakthi (Devotion)

10) It is not a sin to live in the house; but to

develop attachment towards the house is a

sin.

11) Those who insult Bhakthi and indulge in

worldly pleasures on the plea that “youth is

the time for enjoying such pleasures and

Bhakthi-Sadhana is for old age only”, will

never get the taste of pure Bhakthi even after

undergoing several births and deaths.

12) Do not get entrapped in the magic web

of the world. The only method for it is to

minimize your interest in worldly pleasures.

13) Let remembrance of the Lord be your

regular habit. Set it as your life’s goal and

realize it.

14) Man should perform all his actions on

behalf of God. This is eternal law. When the

doer of an action, loses even the feeling that

he is doing it, that action gets transformed

into Bhakthi.

15) Worship of the Lord should not become

merely an action of the body. Mind should

have the main role in it. Those who worship

the Lord in this complete spirit, can bind

Him with the rope of Prema ( Bhakthi)

16) In happiness as well as grief, God is

Man’s constant companion; but man co-

operates only when he is happy.

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17) Those persons, who receive God’s

grace, will never get attached to worldly

pleasures.

18) Make it a habit to remember God before

commencing every action. By doing so, it

will become easy for you to remember God

at every breath and every heart-beat.

19) Study of the Scriptures, writing and

thinking about them are good, but

translating them into your life is better.

20) Death is inevitable. The attack of the

God of death will definitely come any day.

Therefore, await the arrival of death, just as

King Pareekshit had done.

21) Fear (of death) will not approach anyone

who takes refuge in Sreemad Bhagavatham.

22) Remembrance of death will enhance our

devotion and love towards the Lord.

23) Fear of death will not affect those

Mahatmas who have conquered lustful

tendencies.

24) If your mind is not merged in God, you

cannot get rid of lust, anger and other

negative feelings.

25) By regular practice, prepare yourself to

meet death any time.

26) When your eyes, mind, words, deeds

and wealth are put to proper use, you can

defeat death and become ‘Mrithyunjaya’(he

who has defeated death)

27) By constant efforts, you can bring

Ridhies (plenteousness) and Sidhies

(superhuman powers) to remain permanently

in your home. So waste no time and offer

prayers to the Lord.

28) Re-birth occurs because of accumulated

Vasanas (tendencies).Therefore, make all

efforts to get rid of all Vasanas during this

life-time itself.

29) God will be pleased with us, if we offer

to Him anything that is most dear to us.

30) When evil tendencies and pleasure-

mongering dominate our life, it becomes as

dangerous as poison.

31) Unless you practice self-control and

righteous living, your bookish knowledge is

a mere waste.

32) Speak less; speak the truth.

33) Keep the mind pure by all means;

because, mind remains even after death.

34) Observe Ekadasi day religiously. On

that day, try to imbibe the feeling that all

your sense organs and mind are surrendered

to the Lord. (Ekadasa means eleven. Ekadasi

means pertaining to eleven. i.e. five organs

of knowledge and five organs of action plus

the mind.)

35) By listening to the stories of Bhagavan's

Glory, Bhakti (Devotion) arises in us. Then

Jnana (Knowledge) and Vairagya

(Dispassion) which are the off-springs of

Devotion, also strengthens.

36) We must withstand the biological urges

like hunger, thirst and sleep.

37) Our body is the temple of God; eyes and

ears are the doors for God to enter into it.

We must, therefore, keep our eyes and ears

pure.

38) Never complain about the circumstances

in which God has placed us. Whatever be

the circumstances, be always happy and

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contented .Constantly remember God, who

does only what is good for us.

39) If we surrender ourselves to God whole-

heartedly, we will be able to shine forth like

God Himself.

40) Hands which do not serve God or help

fellow creatures are no better than the hands

of a corpse. By performing Sandhya-

vandanam (prayers at sunrise and sun set)

your intellect becomes sharp

41) Our main duty is to detach the mind

from the worldly objects by any means and

keep it in close contact with God.

42) Mind gets polluted by the cumulative

effect of many many past births.

43) A man who is subservient to his sense

organs gets tormented by several mental

agitations.

44) Sinful men ultimately become ghosts. It

is rather difficult for them to get liberation.

45) Departed souls get liberated through

Gaya Sradham.( Obsequies performed at the

holy place Gaya)

46) Married life will be happy and peaceful,

if both husband and wife have the feeling

that ‘we have joined together to serve God’

47) We should constantly endeavor to

destroy our vasanas (natural tendencies) and

attachment to worldly objects.

48) Scriptures have said that the Jeeva (the

life principle) is bound by seven knots

consisting of Kama (desire), Krodha (anger)

Lobha (miserliness), Moha (delusion), Mada

(pride), Mathsarya (conflict) and Avidya

(ignorance). It is, therefore, necessary that

these knots are broken off by constant

Sadhanas (spiritual practices)

49) Listen carefully to the stories of the

Lord. Assimilate them properly through

meditation, and imbibe their contents in

actual life.

50) Good things should be done most

expeditiously. Never postpone anything for

‘tomorrow’.

51) Do not look at this world with an eye of

desires and craving for enjoyment. When

our vision is vitiated we can’t get divine

vision.

52) Listen to the stories of God with one-

pointed mind, so that you can forget the

world of miseries at least for that time.

53) If a person succumbs to anger, he will

immediately lose all his merits. So, both the

story-teller and listener should be totally free

from anger.

54) Study of the scriptures or their preaching

to others will not yield any results. The

greatness of the Scriptures can be realized

only when we put them into practice.

55) Do not bother about past actions or past

births. It is enough if you can keep your

present, free from faults.

‘Subham’

1

An Attempt to Appreciate Srimad BhagavatamChith K. Puram

The holy book of Srimad Bhagavatam is considered themost sacred of all puran. as. It is said Srimad Bhagavatam issvadu svadu pade pade.1 Let us explore what has been saidabout Srimad Bhagavatam and why devotees have embracedit in large numbers.

REASON FOR EXCITEMENT

It is well known that it was Sri Veda Vyasa who dividedthe Vedas into four. Everyone is not capable of readingand understanding the Vedas and practicing it. It requiredknowledge of the finer and more difficult aspects of SanatanaDharmam and considerable determination to practice it.

The sage realized this and therefore Sage Sri Veda Vyasawrote a book containing one hundred twenty-five thousandverses encompassing all the essential knowledge. This greatepic of several stories called Mahabharatam was created sothat the common man would be benefited. Great scholars haveunequivocally stated that this unique book contains essence ofVedas and therefore contains everything. The holy book Bha-gavad Gita is a part of the Mahabharatam. It is accepted thatBhagavad Gita is one of the most sacred and importance booksof Sanatana Dharmam. Frequently it is said that whatever isthere in the universe is contained in Mahabharatam. Whateveris not there in Mahabharatam cannot be found in the universeat all.

In spite of all these monumental works he wrote, that werewritten by him Sage Sri Veda Vyasa was unhappy. He did nothave contentment.

THE SAGE’S SOLUTION

Sage Sri Narada knew the reason and told him that thediscontentment was because Sri Veda Vyasa had not praisedthe glory of Bhagavan Vis. n. u sufficiently in the books hewrote. The great sage had written about Lord Kr. s. n. a inMahabharatam. He had included Bhagavad Gita, the greatestinstruction that anybody could give. But that was not sufficient,said Sri Narada. He had to write one entirely devoted to theglory of the Lord. He suggested that Sage Sri Veda Vyasawrite a book entirely devoted to Bhagavan describing his lilasand praising His glory.

A great sage like Sri Veda Vyasa had contentment bywriting Srimad Bhagavatam. Accordingly Sri Veda Vyasawrote Srimad Bhagavatam and became contented. Prior tothat he had already written Mahabharatam, still he did not

1Verse 1.1.19 Srimad Bhagavatam. Those who enthusiastically listen to thefascinating stories of Bhagavan enjoy them immensely. They get immenseanandam (inexplicable enjoyment) with every word of it. They are neversatisfied with hearing these stories and want to hear them again and again.

have the contentment. Then what about us? The sage in hisinfinite kindness has given us Srimad Bhagavatam. Sage SriVeda Vyasa taught Srimad Bhagavatam to his own son SriSuka who is a great sage.

WHY THIS BOOK?

There are many reasons why this book is considered themost important. A great scholar has said2

srimad bhagavatakhyoyampratyaks. a kr. s. n. a eva hisvikr. tosi maya nathamuktyarttham bhava sagare

This sloka says that Srimad Bhagavatam is Lord Kr. s. n. aHimself. He manifests in the form of Srimad Bhagavatam.Srimad Bhagavatam is the only means to cross the ocean ofsamsaram and obtain mukti .

If we consider the Vedas to be a tree, Srimad Bhagavatamis like its fruit. It is not easy to get the essence of the tree assuch. You may eat a mango but not a mango tree. By drinkingthe juice from the fruit one can get the essence of the tree.This is expressed in the verse 1.1.3 of Srimad Bhagavatam.

nigamakalpatarorggalitam phalamsuka-mukhad amr. ta-dravasamyutampibata bhagavatam rasamalayammuhuraho rasika bhuvi bhavukah

Oh intelligent men! Please drink the nectar of words(Srimad Bhagavatam) that comes from the Sage Sri Suka. It isthe essence of Vedas, which is similar to Kalpaka tree (whichwill give you whatever you want.) Drink it again. Realize thatit is your good fortune and drink it again till merger with Him.

THE POWER OF BHAGAVATAM

The greatness of Srimad Bhagavatam is commonly talkedabout the day prior to the beginning of a saptaham (sapta –seven, aham – day). Six chapters from another puran. am speakof the glory of Srimad Bhagavatam. The following verse isa big consolation for all of us living in this present day busyworld.

slokardham slokapadam vanityam bhagavatodbhavampat.hasva svamukhenaivayadicchasi param gatim

If you aspire for the supreme satgati (salvation) read halfof a verse or even a line from Srimad Bhagavatam yourself

2Siddhinathananda Swami “Bhagavataamrtam” p. x

Copyright c© 2010 Chith K. Puram; krsnakrpa@gmail.com;

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(Bhagavata Mahatmyam 3.33.) Therefore, to obtain salvation,all that has to be done is to read daily just one line fromSrimad Bhagavatam.

COMMON PRAYERS

With this background let us look at couple of verses that arewidely chanted. Many of you know already know the verse

kr. s. n. aya vasudevayadevaki nandanayacanandagopa kumrayagovindaya namo nama

This verse is from Srimad Bhagavatam. This is the prayerby Kunti Devi to Sri Kr. s. n. a after the Kuruks. etra war. In thisfamous prayer Kunti Devi addresses Sri Kr. s. n. a by differentnames. She later says that whenever they were in distress SriKr. s. n. a came to their rescue. She is asking for calamities sothat He will always be near them. How many of us can dothat? When we run into any problem we almost invariablycomplain.

Let us look at another versekr. s. n. aya vasudevayaharaye paramatmanepran. ata klesa nasayagovindaya namo namah

This verse is again from Srimad Bhagavatam. It was theprayer offered by the kings whom Sri Kr. s. n. a released fromthe prison of Jarasandha. This again is a favorite prayer formany.

The scholars emphatically say that it is not even necessary toread the whole of Srimad Bhagavatam. It is sufficient to reciteone verse. So if you know this verse that is good enough! Suchis the power of the great book Srimad Bhagavatam.

THE END OF THE BOOK

At the end of this glorious work Sage Sri Veda Vyasa saysnama sankirtanam yasyasarva papa pran. asanampran. amo dukhasamanastam namami harim param

By chanting the name of Sri Hari with devotion all sinsare eradicated. Again devotional chanting of His name fullyremoves all sorrows permanently. I bow to that Sri Hari whogives such blessings.

The sage says that all that is needed is to chant the holyname of Sri Hari. It is interesting to remember that when aperson chants namam he is not asking for anything. That isthe ultimate form of devotion.

CONCLUSION

In summary we have seen that Srimad Bhagavatam isLord Kr. s. n. a Himself and the essence of Vedas is completelycontained in Srimad Bhagavatam. Other puran. as say that itis enough if we recite one verse or even one line from it. Wetouched upon some prayers which many of us may be familiar

with. Sage Sri Veda Vyasa at the end of the book stresses theimportance of chanting namam. Let us chant His name.

Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

CHINNA KATHA FROM BHAGAVAN

SHRI SATHYA SAI BABA’S DISCOURSES – cotd.

By Dr. B.G.Y Sasthri

19 - True devotion will surely win

Sri Sailam is a great pilgrim center in Andhra Pradesh, and is famous for its temple of Siva and Parvathi atop a hill. There, Lord Siva is adored as Mallikarjuna and Goddess Parvathi as Bhramaramba.. There is a legend relating to this sacred shrine and the Divinity that abides there as Siva and Sakthi.

In a hamlet very near Srisailam, there lived a mother and a lad, six years old. He was called Balaramanna. He was studying in the local elementary school.

Once, on the eve of Sivarathri all the school boys were returning home eagerly discussing the festival. One boy said: "My sister and brother-in-law are coming tonight for Sivarathri. Tomorrow we will all go to the temple on the hill. "Oh! What fun it is to be with my sister and brother-in-law". Another boy said: "My sister and brother-in-law have already come. They have brought me new dress to wear. We are all going to the temple tonight itself." Balaramanna heard this talk. He wondered whether he too had a sister and brother-in-law. He ran home and asked his mother: "Mother, do I have a sister?" Where is she? What is my brother-in-law doing? Why don't they visit us? My friends are all enjoying themselves in the company of their sisters. I too would like to be with my sister and brother-in-law." The mother knew the child's heart. In order to comfort him and sow the seeds of faith in him, she said: "My dear child, you too have a sister and brother-in-law. They are, "Bhramaramba and Mallikarjuna". "Is that so? Where are they? I shall go and bring them home for the festival. Tell me where they are", said the lad. The mother sent her son along with her neighbours to the temple on the hill. She told them to take care of their son and gave them some money to buy odd little things for him. Balaram

said: "Mother, should I not take something for my sister?" The mother replied: "No, my son, since you are a child, they will themselves give you a lot of gifts."

Balaram was taken into the shrine. The neighbours showed him the two idols, beautifully decorated with flowers and apparel and said, "Look that is Goddess Bhramaramba, your sister and that is Lord Mallikarjuna." Balaram at once ran to the idol of Bhramaramba, caught hold of her hand and said: "Sister, please come home with me. Mother has sent me to invite you." There was no response. He ran into the other shrine and loudly said: "Brother-in-law, please come with me along with my sister. I won't leave the place without you." The temple priests took him for a mad cap and pushed him out. Balaram's agony knew no bounds. He was determined to return home with his sister and brother-in-law. He decided to end his life if his sister and brother-in-law did not appear before him. He ran and stood on the top of a peak and cried: "Listen, if you won't come with me, you my sister and you my brother-in-law, I will jump off the peak and end my life." At once, he heard someone calling: "Brother, wait! wait! We are coming, we are coming." Both Lord Mallikarjuna and Bhramaramba ran towards him and gathered him into their arms. Balaram said: "You must come with me, mother is expecting you." The all compassionate Lord and his consort did accompany the lad. They granted to them the vision to see them as Siva and Sakthi.

"Whatever you hold once, you have held,

Hold on to it, till you win.

Whatever you have asked, once you have asked,

Ask aloud for it, till you win.

Whatever you wish, once you have wished,

wish deeper for it, till you win.

Whatever you have planned, once you have planned,

Plan firmer for it, till you win.

He must grant to stop your wail.

Wail, weep, pray till you win..

Don't lose heart and turn away

True devotion will surely win.."

20 - Urgent letter to Lord Narayana

In an obscure village lived a mother and her son. The boy had lost his father when he was just two years old. The mother exerted herself in many ways to earn enough money for bringing up her only son and educating him. The boy too was very smart, obedient and had a great love and regard for his mother. The boy grew up and reached seventh class. He was studying hard for the examination. One day he told his mother, "Ma, I have to pay fees Rs. 20 for the examination within four days. Please somehow get for me the amount."

The mother was panicky, she had no money with her, and it was the last week of the month. She went to the headmaster and explained her inability to pay the fees in time and requested to help her in some way or other. The headmaster replied that nothing was in his hands. The mother returned home, sat under a tree near her hut and was weeping. The boy returned from the school, found his mother weeping. He sat near her and asked: "Why are you weeping mother?" "My son, I cannot find money. You cannot go to school from tomorrow. You better come and work with me. There is no other way." The boy said: "Why don't you ask somebody a loan of Rs. 20? After the examination, I shall work and will be able to pay back the amount." "My dear son," replied the mother, "who will give me the money? Only God if He will." The boy eagerly enquired, "Who is God, Ma? Where is He? What is His address? I shall go and get money from Him." The mother helplessly said: "Yes, there is the Lord of Vaikunta, Narayana, who is the source of all wealth."

Without a moment's hesitation, the boy ran to the post office. He had a few small coins with him. He purchased a card and wrote on it his mother's unfortunate condition, his own need and requested God to send Rs. 20 immediately by return post. He ran to the post box tied to a tree, but he was too short to reach the slit to put in the letter box. The postmaster, who had been observing the boy all the while, came out took the card from him and asked: "To whom are you writing the letter?" The Boy said: "Oh Sir! This is a very urgent letter to Lord Narayana in Vaikunta. I have to pay my examination fees within three days. I am writing to him requesting him to send Rs. 20 immediately." The postmaster stared at the address on the post card. He could not find words, tears gathered in his eyes at the innocence of that boy. "My dear boy, who gave you this address?" asked the postmaster. The boy narrated the dialogue between himself and his mother. "Sir, my mother says that God is very kind and He will certainly help the poor like us if only we pray to Him earnestly." The postmaster was very much moved. He patted the boy and said: "My dear boy, I shall see to the express delivery of this post card. You better come day after tomorrow."

The boy ran home in a joyful mode. He told his mother that he would get the money in a day.

The boy went to the postmaster the day after. The postmaster said: "My dear boy, here is the cover; inside it you will find Rs. 20. Now go and pay the fees." The boy ran home with the cover and placed it in his mother's hands. The mother asked him sternly how he

had got the money. The boy narrated the entire discussion with the postmaster. She would not believe him. She hurried to the postmaster and asked him whether what her son had told her was true and how it could have happened. The postmaster told her: "Mother, believe me. I have always been a hard hearted man. When I saw your son with that letter, I could not believe my own eyes. A letter written to God with such faith! It moved me. It must be God who had induced me to come to the rescue of your son. Please take the money. It must be God's will that I should give this money. Otherwise I would not have chanced to see your boy and your son's faith in God would have been shattered. I consider this an opportunity to help a good boy."

If we pray to God sincerely, God does help us. He would induce someone to act as His agent. Implicit faith in God alone would rescue everyone from all troubles and travails.

21 - Mere adulation is poor adoration

Akbar as we all know is one of the greatest Moghal Emperors. He was a lover of mankind and respected the great and pious souls of all religions.

He had heard of Guru Nanak's reputation and his attempts to unite the Hindus and the Muslims. He desired to welcome him and honour him in his court. So he sent word to him through his minister, paying his respects and requesting him to grace his court. Guru Nanak replied to the minister: "I shall only respond to the call of God, the Emperor of Emperors and shall enter only His court."

The minister conveyed this message to the Emperor. Akbar's respect for Guru Nanak increased and so he sent word again to meet him at the mosque at least. Nanak consented and did come to the mosque at the appointed hour. Both Akbar and Nanak were welcomed by the mullah with due honour. According to the custom, the mullah should say the prayers first. So he sat on his knees and prayed loudly. Nanak laughed loudly. All the Muslims in the temple got angry but dared not say anything because of the Emperor's presence. Then Akbar sat on his knees and prayed. Nanak at once laughed even more loudly. The atmosphere in the mosque was becoming tense. The faces of the devotees became red and their lips twitched to pounce upon Nanak. Akbar controlled them by way of silent gesture. Both of them came out. Akbar questioned Nanak with all humility: "Oh revered one! may I know why you laughed loudly during the prayer session? Does it become you?"

Guru Nanak replied: "Oh king, how could I withhold my laughter when I could see clearly that neither the mullah nor your majesty where thinking of God while praying. The mullah was thinking of his ailing son and you were thinking of the pair of beautiful Arabian horses that were gifted to you. Is it worthy of either the mullah or your majesty to call that prayer? Is it not hypocrisy? The mullah and emperor sought pardon from Nanak and thanked him for opening their eyes to their own weakness.

Remember that prayer is not just a string of words of praise to God to be recited mechanically. It is an earnest attempt to awaken and arouse the divinity in us. We should say prayers with full concentration. What matters is the feeling, not either the voice or words. "Mere adulation is poor adoration".

22 - True devotion

Once, Sathyabhama and Rukmini questioned Lord Krishna: "Why do you always make much of the devotion of Draupadi? Is she that great?" The Lord replied with a smile, "I shall let you know by and by."

One day, Draupadi came to visit her dear brother Krishna and she was given a suite of rooms. Krishna called Sathyabhama and Rukmini and said: "Let us go to Draupadi's apartment." Draupadi welcomed them with love and excitement. She had just taken oil bath; her long tresses were hanging loose. She was combing her hair. The lord looked at his queens and said: "See! My sister seems to find it difficult to comb her long tresses. Why don't you both help her?" Sathyabhama and Rukmini readily agreed. The tresses were parted; one half was taken care by Sathyabhama and the other by Rukmini. While they were combing, they heard from every hair, "Krishna", "Krishna", in a soft tone. They were surprised and looked at Krishna as if to say they had understood Draupadi's devotion. Krishna sat still enjoying the scene.

True devotion is silent and avoids display.

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aapadi kim karaNeeyam? Dr. A. P. Sukumar, Burnaby, Canada aapadi kim karaNeeyam? aapadi kim karaNeeyam? aapadi kim karaNeeyam? ennuLLil aadhikaL theer_kkum nEram amr^thinnuRavakaL kr^payaayozhukee amr^thaam_bE nin savidhaththil (2) aapadi kim karaNeeyam? kr^shNavar_NNaththil dEvee bhaavaththil amma nee gOlOkanaathha (2) punjchirippoo chooTi kr^shNabhaavaththil amma nee viSvaika gaathha thaavaka savidhaththil thaayE...... maan mana thaapathrayangngaLozhinjnjoo kr^payuTe vaaridhiye thoTTaRinjnju aapadi kim karaNeeyam? anugrahavar_shaththin aalim_ganaththil aa maTiththaTTilamar_nnaal (2) paamaran pOlum paNDithanaavum paNDitha gar_vvumaTangngum pinne baalanair_malyam niRayum aapadi kim karaNeeyam? niRukayilummaveykkum ammaykku munnil pathithanum mukthanum ponnumakkaL (2) ammathan dug~dham paarithil snEhamaay~ engngumengngum churakkoompOL ellaarumamma peta paithangngaL thanne (2) aa charaNayugam smaraNeeyam ammathan charaNayugam smaraNeeyam aapadi kim karaNeeyam?

What is the best recourse to face an affliction? Whenever I have the dilemma of facing afflictions of life, a divine nectar of grace (amruth) springs forth as I experience your august presence in my mind. (Thus the name Amrithamba is apt for you) When you adorn the color and attire of Sri Krishna you are the Lord of the goloka (world of your devotees). When you adorn the mesmerizing smile just like Krishna you are none other than the one unifying hymn for the whole world. Oh! Mother, with your presence in me all three levels of my afflictions disappear effortlessly because I have been ‘touched’ by the sea (abundant source) of everlasting grace. When one takes refuge on that lap and gets a shower of blessings in the form of an embrace, he becomes a scholar, even if he is uneducated. If he went there as a scholar, he ends up shedding even his last bit of pride and purifies himself with a child like innocence. For Amma, a saint and a sinner are both her dear children. As Amma’s milk of love spreads everywhere everyone in the world is indeed her children as they all get to drink the nectar of divine love. The best remedy to treat afflictions is indeed meditating upon the holy feet of the divine mother.

Sri Ranganatha Stotram By Parasara Bhatta

Explanation by Dr.Saroja Ramanujam, M.A.,Ph.D

kasthooree kalithorDhva pundra thilakam karNaanthalolekshaNam

mugDhasmeramanoharaaDharadhalam mukthaakireetojjvalam

vaSyanmaanasa paSyathohararuchim paryaayapankeruham

SreerangaaDhipatheH kadhaa anuvadhanam seveya bhooyopyaham When am I going to see the face of Sriranganatha decorated by the oordhvapundra made

of kasthoori, His moving eyes long reaching His ears, His lips with enchanting smile,

adorned with a crown of pearls, His lotus like face stealing the hearts of the onlookers?

Parasarabhatta expresses his anguish of being away from Srirangam in this and the three

slokas that follow. He is visualizing the lotus like face of the Lord, which steals the hearts

of those who look. His forehead is marked with the oorDhva pundra and it is done with

kasthuri paste. His eyes are long and reach till his ears. They are constantly moving to see

His devotees and to shower His grace on them. He has a bewitching smile on His lips as

though saying "at least you thought to coming to Me now." He is wearing a crown of

pearls. All these attributes are etched in the memory of the devotees as reflected in the

pasuram of Thondaradippodoi Azvar,

pongum neer parandhu paayum poompozil arangam thannuL

maayanaar kidandhavaaRum marakatha uruvum thOLum

thooya thaamaraikkaNgaLum thuvaridhaZpavaLavaayum

aaya Seer mudiyum theSum adiyarorkkagalalaame

It means, the reclining posture of the Lord of Srirangam which is situated between the

two streams of Cauveri, His form which is of the hue of emerald,(pacchaimaamalai, as he

says in another pasuram), His shoulders, His eyes like lotus, His coral lips, His crown and

his splendour, all this can never leave the mind of his devotees.

This description bring to mind an incident in the life of Sri Ramanuja. A man named

Urangaavillidasa had a beautiful wife and was in madly love with her. He used to carry

an umbrella to cover her head so as to shield her from the sun. One day Ramanuja saw

him and took pity on him and asked him the reason why he was madly in love with his

wife. He said that no one in the world had as beautiful eyes as she had. Ramanuja asked

him what would he do if he saw a pair of eyes more beautiful then hers. Urangavilli said

that he would become the slave of one with such eyes, being sure that no one else could

have more beautiful eyes than his wife. Ramanuja told him that he would show the more

beautiful eyes and took him inside the temple and showed the form of Ranganatha.

Seeing the Lord Urangavilli due to his past good karma became a devotee of the Lord and

he and his wife became the best disciples of Ramanuja.

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Charvaka or Lokayatha the materialist school

Dr.Saroja Ramanujam, M.A.,Ph.D

“Yaavajjeeveth sukham jeeveth

rNam krthvaa ghrtham pibeth

basmeebhoothasya dhehasya

punaraagamanam kuthaH”

" Live well as long as you are alive.

Drink ghee even if you have to incur

debt for that. When the body is burnt

where is the question of returning?"

For this school, perception is the only

valid means of cognition. They accept

only four elements, namely, earth, water,

fire and air, which alone are perceptible

by the senses. That is they believe in

what they experience by their five

senses, namely. The eye, the ear, the

nose, the tongue and the skin. There is

nothing beyond that they recognize as

knowledge. They do not believe in

rebirth nor in the absolute realty or a

permanent self. The body, senses and

the sense objects are the products of the

five elements. A human being is a body

possessing sentience and the only

purpose of life is fulfilling the sensual

desires. This kind of people are easily

recognized in today's world indeed!

They are out and out materialistic with

no inclination towards spirituality. Their

only purushartha is kaama and of the

other three, namely, dharma, artha and

moksha, the first and third are

nonexistent and the second, that is artha

is only for the satisfaction of kaama.

The Charvaka system belongs to the post

upanishadic and pre-Buddhist period.

The Charvakas are of two kinds called

dhurthas and susikshithas. To the former

there are only four elements and the

body is the result of atomic combination.

The intelligence is also biological,

arising from the combination of the

elements like the intoxication arises in

wine due to fermentation The latter

accepts a soul but according to them it is

destroyed with the body.

Founder of this system is said to be

Brhaspathi whose chief disciple was

Chaarvaka from whom the name was

derived, who is also considered as the

founder by some. Brhaspathi was a

heretic philosopher or it could be the

guru of devas who propounded the

philosophy so that the humans will not

strive for mukthi marga which will result

in their abandoning the ritual practices

like yajnas etc. that provide food for the

devas through the havirbhaga. The name

Chaarvaka may also be a common name

derived from charv to eat or it could be

chaaru vaaka as the teachings are

palatable to all.

The main objective of the Chaarvaka

philosophy is to deny life after death and

the concept of punya and papa and that

of karma. They do not accept God and

moksha. The self perishes with the body.

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നി� ഭിg"ധിഗ� ഭനി� ഭരഗള*hാംബ, ബേBാTവം

പായം പായമ,ൈദരേയാ ബiജഗTംഹാരിസിംഹാരവാc

025:007

ത�h-ാ തം ഹതമാY രhലഹരീസിേhാ"മദ-� ഷമണി

Jത�,തപത� സമസതൈദത�പടലീം ചാഖാദ�മാേന ത-യി

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േJാT� പതഖചരം ചരാചരമേഹാ ദ, ഃസVാമവസVാം ദധൗ

025:008

താവNാംസവപാകരാളവപ,ഷം േഘാരാlമാലാധരം

ത-ാം മേB� സഭമിBേരാഷമ,ഷിതം ദ,� വാരm� വാരവം

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സ� േവ ശ� വവിരിpവാസവമ,ഖാഃ Jേത�കമസേതാഷത

025:009

)േയാ/പ�7തേരാഷധാംനി ഭവതി rsാtയാ ബാലേക

JഹZ ാേദ പദേയാ� നമത�പഭേയ കാfണ�ഭാരാ'ലഃ

ശാ?സതവ ം കരമസ� മ� � Bനി സമധാഃ സേതാൈbരേഥാദ നായത-

സതസ�ാകാമധിേയാ/പി േതനിഥ വരം േലാകായ ചാ<Dഹം

025:010

ഏവം നാടിതരൗ*േചഷടിത വിേഭാ +ീതാപനീയാഭിധ-

+,ത�?സഫ,ടഗീതസ� വമഹിമ"ത�?YBാvേത

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DDDDasakam:asakam:asakam:asakam: 25: നരസിംഹാവതാരം

(കാകളി)

25.01 വ1c ഹിരണ�കശിപ,വ�ണിെന-

യേ1 പിള� �മാെറാ"ടി�െ�ാേഴ

ക� ണ� ം പിള� �ം പടി�, rsാ&വ,ം

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ഉ�ായിoൈ�സതരം ശബദെമാ-

"&കടാഹം വിറ�,േപായ7ണം.

മ,െ1�െമ�,േമ േക� �ാെ@ാരാരവം

ക1ം വള� @ിയാ ൈദത�െ�യ,� @േട;

rsാവ, േപാല,മ�;ാസന@ില നി-

"ാ�ാറ, െപാ�ിെ@റി�ാനര7ണം.

25.02

വലZ ാെത സം>മം പ� െ�ാf ൈദത�ന-

െ�ലZ ായിട�ം തിര�, േനാ�ീടേവ

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മ� ത�നെലZ "ാല തിക�,മലZ ാ :ഗം!

എെ?ാf ജ�വിെത"�, ൈദത�<-

മ1ര"ീടേവ ചാടി�തി�,ടc

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ചീ� �െപfകി�ട�ിയ<7ണം.

25.03

ച,�,പഴ, �ി� സൗവ� ണ� വ� ണ� വ, ം

Oഷടികളത�,Dമായ മിഴി�,�oം

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െമാ@താം വ�ം, ഭയാവഹം ദംഷPകള ,

ച,�ി@ിരിയ," ഖഡഗസമാനമാ-

േയ�ം മ,ഴ, െ@ാf ജിഹ-െയ"ീവിധം

എb ഭയ�രമാ2ര�കാരകം

അ@<െവ�ം ജയി�മാറാകണം

25.04

ഭീദിതമായ െഞാറി�,� കീഴ@ാടിയ, ം

�സ-മാേയ�ം തടി� ഗളസVലം,

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പ� #ന�നി� ഘാതoല�ം ഭയാവഹം

ഗ� #ന, മംബരച,ംബിയാകാരവ,ം

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മ� ത�സിംഹാvതി�ായി നമി�ിടാം.

25.05

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ഹിംസി�,െകാ�,വc"എ� േഘാഷി�,ടc

ഭീഷണമായി�,ഴ�,ം െപfംഗദ

േഭസി�,റെ�� ൈദത�െനൈ�കളാല

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വീരc പയ�ി�ട�ി ൈകവാളിനാല

വിശ-െ@െയാെ�യ,� െ�ാ�,വാc െവ1,"

വിശ-മഹാകാരIപി നിേ"ാടേഹാ!

25.06

വ�ം തിരിെ��,േമാട," ൈദത�െന

െപെ�� ചാടി�ിടി�, തc ൈകകളാല

ഉ�റവാതി� �ടിയി� @"�@ി-

ലാ�ാറ, വ�, വ7സ� ില നഖ�ളാല

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ച� െടഴ, ം രhം രേസന പാനം െചയo.

വലZ ാെത േലാകം നട,�,മാറ,�@ി-

ലേലZ ാ ഭവാെ�യാ ഗ� #നം ഭീകരം!

25.07

െപെ�� ൈദത�ജഡെ@െയറി�,ടc

രhാഭിഷിhമാം േദഹേമാേട ഭവാc

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ആടിയ,ല�,, ഖേഗാള�െളാെ�യ,ം

സVാനം െവടി�, rsാ&മസ-സVമായ .

25.08

േചാരയ,ം മാംസരസാദിയ,ം െകാ�തി

േഘാരമായ , വc 'ടല മാലയായ�,�ിയ, ം

ഉൈ�സതരം സിംഹനാദം മ, ഴ�ിയ,ം

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ശ�  <ം വാസവc താ<ം വിരിp<ം

െവേ െറ വാഴ@ിസoതി�, നി"ീടിനാ�.

25.09

േപ� �ം സoതി�ില,ം ശാ?നായീടാെത

ചീ� @ േകാപ@ിെ� മ� � @ിയായ ക�,ടc

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അല േപതരം vപാവായേപാട, ¡�രം

െകല േപാടവെ� ശിരസ� ിലണയ�യായ ;

താല ര�േമoമവനിലZ െയ�ില,ം

7ിJം വരേമകി Jഹളാദ< ഭവാc.

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ചി� �,fഷ, ഭവാc ന� കിയ<Dഹം.

25.10

ഈവിധം രൗ*രസഭരം നാടകം

ആവിഷകരിേ�ാരന?YBാvേത

+ീതാപനീയാദി പാടി�,കഴ�െ"ാ-

രാദ�?മാഹാ;�ധാമേമ സതJേഭാ,

ത-Tമം മ�ാf? സ� േ ാ@മc ഭവാc

മTരി�ാ<മfതിെ"ാf@<ം;

JഹളാദവTല, നാഥ, mfവായ� -

ര�, െയ"ാമയെമാെ�യ,ം നീ�േണ. 10

A Few Great Men and Their Words

Dr. Lakshmanan, University of British Columbia

z+I g uru_ y ae n m> , hir> ` .

Sri Sukumar approached me and asked me to

pen something appropriate for the readership

of Navaneetham with little time to spare. Given

the quality of articles that appear in this lovely

magazine, I could hardly bring myself to say “Of

course.” Indeed, I told him I hoped some noble

thoughts would arise in me in time. Thoughts

worthy of sharing with others. Thoughts

avowedly not completely original but have a

grounding in the works and wisdom of great

souls. I am not sure I have been blessed with a

realization of the said hope but here are some

matters that I have found very appealing to my

spiritual heart and physiological brain at once.

Matters that have made an impact on me over

the years. Matters I place before you in the

sincere hope you may find them interesting and

worthwhile. As always, whatever merit you see

in what follows belongs to the Mahatmas it

originated from and whatever flaws you

perceive therein is truly mine and mine alone

and must have arisen from my poor

transcription.

First off, on the very subject of noble thoughts,

let me first invoke the Rig Veda Mantra

Aa n a e _a d+a > k+t va e y N t u i vZvt > .

which means “Let noble thoughts come to us

from all directions.”

State of doubtlessness

Let’s begin with Sri Sri Sankara BhagavatpAdAL.

Everyone knows of His glory and of His

superhuman accomplishment in a very short

lifespan. Among many other things, He is

credited with the revival ( pun r ud!xa r [m! ) of

Advaita Vedanta. Let us turn to Him for the

answer to a question that may have occurred to

many of us. We often read or hear that

Mahatmas do not have any doubts once they

are realized. What does it really mean to have

no doubts whatsoever? Does it mean they

suddenly know the workings of a rocket or

principles of quantum physics or the diameter

of the universe or how iPhone4G works,

without necessarily having formally studied all

these sorts of things? No offense to them, but

doesn’t this sound magical and somewhat

unrealistic? Says Sankara, the state of

doubtlessness comes from realizing the

Oneness. What is One? In Advaita Vedanta,

usually Oneness refers to that of JeevAtman or

conditioned individualized Consciousness and

ParamAtman or Supreme Consciousness. What

does this realization have to do with having all

of one’s doubts removed? To have questions or

doubts, we need a minimum of two things -- the

subject who has the doubts and the object

about which the subject has doubts or

questions. Where there is only one thing, there

cannot be any room for doubts, for if we regard

the one thing that exists as subject, then about

what shall this subject entertain doubts?

The foregoing may well sound like specious

reasoning. Indeed, there are occasions when we

say “I am not sure of myself; I am not sure of

my own feeling about that” or we tell our boss

“I am not sure I can do that by tomorrow” etc.

In these instances, are we not entertaining

doubts about ourselves? A little logical

reasoning will reveal exactly what it is that we

claim to doubt in such instances. In the first

example, I the subject doubt my own feeling,

the object. In the second example, I the subject

have doubts about my own abilities. In both

cases, we can identify clearly a subject and an

object which are mutually disjoint. In Vedanta,

JeevAtman or conditioned Consciousness refers

to what remains after a series of negations or

rejections of things that are not me based on

the famous nei t n ei t reasoning. E.g., I am clearly

not my body but simply possess one. Nor am I

my mind. My mind is mine, but I am clearly

different from it. And so on. Many Mahatmas

have written about the greatness of such

realization as well as the prescriptive processes

leading to such realization and I am hardly

qualified to comment on that. The point is from

this perspective the only thing that resists the

series of “It’s not me” rejections, the only thing

that remains, is the Witness Principle that acts

as a witness for everything in the universe

(svRsa i ]). When one realizes that they are

nothing but this undivided Witness Principle,

and conversely, the essence in everything is just

this Witness Principle, from the standpoint of

what is essential, is there anything in the

equation other than the subject? And by the

logic above, when there is nothing second to

the subject, how can the subject possibly have

any questions or doubts?

This deep truth is expounded by Sri Sri Sankara

BhagavatpAdAL in His famous DakshiNAmUrty

AshTakam, as part of the epilog.

i ct+< vq t r aem RUle v&d!xa > i z :y a guruy uRva ,

g ur aeSt u ma En < Vy a Oy a n< i z :ya Stu i D N n s<z y a > .

Under the banyan tree sits the Guru, indicating

here Sri DakshiNAmurty and beside him are

seated His great disciples such as Sanaka

Maharshi. The Guru expounds the Truth

through silence while the disciples have all their

doubts eradicated. It stands to reason that

through realization of Oneness and through

such a realization alone can all doubts be

eradicated.

I can sense some lingering doubts (!) in the

minds of some. Isn’t saying the essence in

everything is Consciousness an escapist

principle? Isn’t that ignoring the reality of what

we see before us in our everyday experience?

Literally taken, it may well appear to be so.

However, the intent of Vedanta is not to deny

the physical reality of things as they are

perceived. Vedanta defines truth as something

that existed, exists at the moment, and will

never cease to exist. It is not difficult to see that

physical things such as body, mind, intellect,

rockets, iPhones, etc. do not fit this description

and are thus rightly discarded as untruths.

Vedanta is about liberation not escape!

Who is helping who?

Often we encounter situations where good

warm-hearted people are ever willing to help

the less privileged. They help by donating their

money or their time or their services. Have you

ever stopped to think how we often refer to

such donors? Magnanimous, merciful,

generous, munificent are the kinds of adjectives

one normally associates with such people.

Swami Vivekananda had a different outlook on

the matter. He was no ordinary man and his

outlook on many subjects bears study and

reflection. He says when you help a less

privileged person, e.g., by donating money to a

poor person, do not have the attitude that you

are helping him. Indeed, do not stand on a

pedestal in your mind as you help them.

Instead, be grateful to them for giving you an

opportunity to help them and thus help yourself

(purify yourself). Swami Vivekananda was not

just an academic haggling over terminology

when he said these words. He lived a life of

sacrifice, nobility, service, and wisdom. A

teaching from such a Mahatma is worth

incorporating in one’s life.

Do you need to be magnanimous to feel happy

for others?

Speaking of adjectives, how do we describe a

person who genuinely delights from watching

others succeed and derives happiness from

seeing others’ accomplishments or fortune?

Don’t we normally think of such people as being

well, generous? I am generous enough that

when I see that my friend’s son lands the job

that he and my son interviewed for, or when I

see an athlete from a foreign country win the

top spot in a sport for which I was rooting for

my country’s top athlete, I am genuinely happy

and I go ahead and congratulate the successful

party. Or I am generous enough that when a

colleague lands the promotion many of us at

work were vying for, with a clear conscience

and true joy in mind I go and congratulate that

colleague. Generous, large-hearted,

magnanimous etc are the adjectives that come

to mind. And why not? But a true Vedantin, a

true Master, sees even such mundane matters

slightly differently. He reasons that to genuinely

derive joy from someone else’s fortune or

victory, I must be really fortunate. Huh? I should

be lucky to feel happy for someone else? How

come? The reasoning is that anyone who has

many sources he can draw upon for deriving

happiness is indeed blessed or fortunate. We

cannot possibly quarrel with this. Now, if you

limit your sources of joy to just a few limited

individuals or things such as yourself, your

children relatives etc. then clearly your options

for feeling happy are limited compared to

someone who can derive happiness from

anyone! Once again, this is not to be taken as

academic word play. Hidden herein is deep

truth. I was fortunate enough to hear this being

expounded in a discourse by H.H. Sri Sri

Bharathitheertha Mahaswamiji of Sringeri

SAradA peeTham some twenty six years ago.

Let me end with these verses which help me

help myself by wishing the best for everyone

who is but a reflection of the same

ParamAtman that pervades everyone of us and

everything.

s vRe _ a vN tu s ui<<o n > ,

s vRe s N tu in r a m ya > .

s vRe _ a d+a i[ p Z yN tu ,

m a kiZ c t! du>o va G_ a vet! .

Teachings of the Bhagawad Gita: karmayoga

Shyam

Let us examine this with the aid of a very

famous shloka from the Bhagawad Gita

3.30

mayi sarvani karmani

sannyasyadhyatma-cetasa

nirasir nirmamo bhutva

yudhyasva vigata-jvarah

3.30 Devoid of the fever of the soul, engage in

battle by dedicating all actions to Me, with

(your) mind intent on the Self, and becoming

free from expectations and egoism.

Bhagwaan Shankara's commentary

Vigata-jvarah, devoid of the fever of the soul,

i.e. being free from repentance, without

remorse; yuddhyasva, engage in

battle;sannyasya, by dedicating; sarvani, all;

karmani, actions; mayi, to

Me, who am Vasudeva, the omniscient

supreme Lord, the Self of all; adhyatma-

cetasa, with (your) mind intent on the Self-

with discriminating wisdom, with this idea, 'I

am an agent, and I work for God as a servant';

and further, bhutva, becoming; nirasih, free

from expectations ['Free from expectations of

results for yourself']; and nirmamah, free from

egoism. You from whom has vanished the

idea, '(this is) mine', are nirmamah.

This sloka is one of the most important slokas

of the Bhagawad Gita, and carries tremendous

significance for reflection as well as

understanding.

The Self referred to here is Vasudeva or

Ishwara as karmaphaladaata.

Let us see what is implied and explained.

What is karma? Any action done with an

intent. Whenever we do any action there are

two things involved icchashkati and

kriyashakti - the capacity to desire and the

capacity to do.

(Now a doubt may arise - suppose I trample an

insect while walking on the street? Is that a

karma - i didn't intend to trample it – yes it is -

it is an act of omission - the intent was to cross

the street but in performing that task, care

should have taken to not cause harm.)

So karmas are intentional acts of both

commision as well as omission.

Now no action is possible without desire. And

desire is always for the fruit of the action.

A surgeon performs a surgery. It is an act.

What is his desire? That the surgery be

successful. Now can he perform the action

with no desire that the surgery be successful?

Of course not. Then how can he be free from

expectation? The Lord and Sankara make it

clear - free from expectations of the results for

"my"self – nirasih nirmamah. He wants the

surgery to be successful. But he knows this

result is not in his hands. It is in the hands of

the Supreme Bestower of the results of all

actions - the Karmaphaladaata – which is

Ishwara. And is this Ishwara sitting in some

place and watching this action(surgery) by live

relay - no - the very Laws of the Order that

will determine the results of that action is

Ishwara itself. You jump from a tree - the very

law that forces you to hurtle down at 9.8m/sec

is Ishwara.

Now Bhagwaan asks this surgeon to surrender

"his action" to Me, the Supreme Self - mayi

sarvani karmani sannyasya. How?? I can

surrender to you something i have with me.

You can ask me to surrender my watch, my

money, my food and so on. The results of my

action are not

mine - what/how then to surrender? I do have

one and only one thing I can surrender - my

attachment to the result for myself. My self

right now is my ego-sense- the sense of

insignificance and separation from Ishwara.

Hence the result becomes important to me –

because in that result I falsely see myself

becoming a little more significant a little more

complete - by gaining more respect, money,

pleasure, validation, honor, etc.

And these sow the seeds for me to get the

results also for myself alone - and these results

can be the same, different or opposite of what I

expected for myself. So by attaching myself to

the results of the action I am setting my"self"

up for an unexpected occurence. This then sets

up the lifelong struggle of ups and downs,

which we call samsara. A good result results in

elation which is however shortlived as the next

thought is focussed now on either safeguarding

it or repeating it. A bad result results in

depression and frustration. Either way it leads

to mental agitation. This is what the Lord

refers to as fever or agitation.(jvarah)

So instead for the good of my own self, the

Lord advises me very kindly - "Look, you do

not have an iota of control over the results of

your actions. So why attach yourself to that.

Surrender that attachment to me. Going back

to the example of the surgeon - his attitude

would/should be "O Omniscient Lord. I am a

mere instrument in your hands. You brought

me to this world. By your Grace have some

small skills been imbibed my me whereby You

have now given me this ability as well as

opportunity to be of some service in a very

limited way to one of my brothers. My

performance of this task is for You alone. Let

my skills, which You alone have imparted, not

fail me as I perform this task."

Adhyatma chetasa refers to this attitude soaked

in devotion to the Supreme Self whilst

engaged in action.

Now if the surgery is successful or not, the

surgeon is prepared. His mind is at ease, at

peace. He can now focus his attention solely

on the job at hand. His entire inner equipments

of his mind and intellect as well as his outer

equipments of his hands and eyes are now

completely in sync. His whole being is now

focussed wholly and solely on the action itself

- and this lends itself to dexterity in action -

and that the Bhagwan says is what is yoga.

"Yoga karmasu kausalam"

As Swami Chinmayananda-ji puts it so

beautifully - "If hope is the child of the unborn

future, ego is the lingering memory of a dead

past. To revel in ego and hope is an attempt on

our part to live, either with the dead moments

of the past, or with the unborn moments of the

future."

If the action is not "my" action, then the result

is also not "my" result. I do not see myself as

the "karta" and hence I do not see myslef as

the "bhokta" What happens happens in strict

accordance Ishwara's perfect order, and I

accept it gracefully as His prasad. Thus a

surrendering intellect gives rise to an accepting

intellect.

This can be made applicable to each one of us

- whatever activity we do - we do it in this

same spirit of surrender - we surrender the

expectations of the false self at the altar of the

true self.

A travelogueBy

Shri V. Venkitaraman,Retd. Air Vice-Marshal, BangaluruCompiled by Cheenu, Coimbatore

Map

                   

  Ashtaganapathy visits: (Part I)

(This I dedicate to Sree Nanjundan who suggested that I should write a travelogue based on our recent visits to temples in Maharashtra)

Introduction: The attached map shows (not to scale) the locations of the 8 Ganesha sthaapanas collectively called Ashtaganapathy. Additionally, we included in the itinerary Bhimashankar Jyotirlingam and Nasrapur (duplicate Tirupathy Venkatesha). We made Pune as HQ and launched out to different places by hiring a taxi covering roughly 1050 Kms totally in 3 days time viz. roughly averaging 350 kms a day. Each day we took off @ 7 AM and reached back home by 6.PM avoiding driving in the dark. The tariff was Rs.6.50 per km for a non a/c Tata Indigo. The toll taxes (quite heavy with several tolls enroute, but well maintained highways by Private entrepreneurs) and parking fees were to be borne by us. Of course we did tip handsomely the driver for his excellent service. We totally avoided (except for tea/coffee) eateries outside as there were none worth mentioning near the temples. So our 4 layered Tiffin carrier with home made food and bottles of water came in handy. As there are no good choultries we decided not to stay overnight any where but came home to rest at night. At the end of the trip none of us fell sick nor any one felt fatigued. All in all a satisfying ennobling experience. One of our Maharashtrian friends wrote out slokas for recitation at each place. I shall cover in parts the entire trip. First day: Ozar: (Pune Dist.) 85 kms from Pune (via Narayangaon; travel direction North). Shree Vighneswar idol faces east, trunk towards left with Riddi & Siddi, Other idols are SUN, Shiva, Vishnu, and Devi. The only one with Golden dome & pinnacle, huge dwaara paalakas in granite; built 1785. River Kukadi flows nearby. Sloka:

Bhaktanugrahe Gajamukho Vighneswaro Brahmapam Nana Murti Dharop: naijamahima Khanda Sadatma Prabhu Sweccha Vighnahara sadasukhakara sidha kallo swayepum Ksehtre cha Ozarke namostu satatam tasme parabrahmane.

(Let my mind be concentrated on the God, who is elephant headed, benignant and remover of obstacles. He had defeated demon Vighnasur. He himself is Brahma. His greatness is undisturbed in his different forms. He is the greatest artist, he gives happiness to his devotees, He who abodes at Ozar.)

Lenyadri: (Pune Dist.)100 kms from Pune (via Narayangaon, Junnar on Pune-Nasik high way. Srigirijaatmaja idol facing east tucked away in the 8th cave amongst 18 Buddhist caves. The idol is 7 feet high. It is quite a tough climb...307 steep steps Parvathi is said to have consecrated the Ganesh idol when she performed penance inside the cave. Puja can be performed on your own. Sloka:

Mayesh Bhuvaneswari Shivasati Dehashrita Sundari Vighnesham Sutamaptukam sanhita Kurvetapo Dushkaram

Takhya Bhutprakat Prasanna Varado tishtathaya sthaapitam Vande Girijaatmaja Parmaj tam Lekhanadri sthitham.

(Mother of universe, beautiful wife of Lord Shiva Goddess Parvati performed long penance of Shri Ganesh & at last obtained Shri Ganesh as her son. I salute Girija Parvati's son Girijatmaj who stays on mountain Lekhanadri (i.e.Lenyadri) Bhimashankar: 110 kms from Pune in Sahyadri ghat section is one of the 12 Jyotirlingams. This temple is closely associated with the legend of Shiva slaying Tripurasura. Shiva is said to have taken abode in the Bhima form, upon the request of the Gods, on the crest of the Sahyadri hills, and the sweat that poured forth from his body after the battle is said to have formed the river Bheemabharathi. Temple dates back to 18th century. The Sikhara of the temple was built by Peshwa Nana Phadnavees. The great Maratha ruler Shivaji is also said to have made endowments to this temple to facilitate the carrying out, of worship services. As with other Shiva temples in this area, the sanctum is at a lower level.

 

Ashtaganapathy visits: (Part II)

Backdrop: Before I proceed with the second day of our travel, I thought I will share with you some pieces of information I gathered here and there. What we notice as Lord Ganesha’s idol of today, with all specifications, came into being, people say when Ganapati Atharvasheersha was written. We do see different moods and modes of Ganesh idols since 6th century. In the beginning Lord Ganesha had only two hands, there after Ganesha came out with 4 hands with Gajamukh and a big belly. Rarely, Ganesha is seen with his trunk twisted on the right side, otherwise it is twisted on left side. Ganesha with right side trunk is supposed to be very rigid in application. All temples are open from 5.30 AM to 11 PM all days. Mahad: (Raigarh Dist.), 24kms from Karjat, 6 kms from Khopoli or 120 kms from Pune. Varadavinayaka as known here, idol facing east, trunk twisted to left, with Riddi & Siddi, 25ft high dome with pinnacle. In the temple of Varadvinayak, one Nandadeep (lamp) is lit and burning for last 107 years. Mahad has beautiful surroundings. In the ancient period it was called as Bhadrak or Mahad & so many sages & sects had resided in this place. In 1725 A.D. Varadvinayaka's temple was built by peshava sardar Ramji Mahadev Biwalkar & he gifted this to the village. There is a Gomukh towards north. Holy water (tirth) comes out of this Gomukh. Devotees can perform Pooja on their own. Sloka:

Bhaktabhimani Ganaraj Ekam| Kshetre MadhaKhye Varadam Prasanam|

Yastishtati Shree Varado Ganesham| Vinayakasta Pranamami BhaktamII

(I salute Ganaraj who is leader of Ganas, who is proud of his devotees & who abodes at Mahad & has pleasant appearance.) Pali: (Raigarh Dist.), From Pune via Lonavla & Khopoli, Pali is at a distance of 111 kms. 30 kms. from Karjat. From Mumbai via Panvel & Khopoli, Pali is at a distance of 124 kms. Shree Ballaleshwar�s original wooden temple was renovated & a new stone temple was built in 1760

A.D. by Peshwa Fadnis. Shape of the stone temple is in the form of letter "Shree" & faces east. During Dakshinayan at sun-rise, the sun rays falls exactly on the Vinayaka. Idol of Vinayaka sitting on stone throne faces east & its trunk is left turned. Temple complex has a big bell made in Europe. After defeating Portuguese in Vasai, Chimaji Appa brought the bell here. Village Pali is situated between fort Sarasgad & river Amba flowing on the other side. On being pleased by devotion of Ballal, Shri Ganesh remained in the stone worshipped by Ballal & hence is called as Ballaleshwar of Pali. Among Ashtavinayakas, Pali's Ballaleshwar is the only Vinayak who is famous by his devotee's name & who is dressed up as Brahmin. Since Vinayaka gave his darshan in the guise of Brahmin, idol of vinayaka at Pali is dressed up as Brahmin. This place is very famous & spiritually awakened. It is said that in Peshva regime justice was done by taking kaul (answer to the question asked in the form of flower, leaves etc.)from Ballaleshwar.

Vedo Sanstuvaibhavo Gajmukho Bhaktabhimaniyo |

Ballaleravya Subhaktapal Narat; Khyat Sada Tishtati || Kshetre Pallipure Yatha Krityuge Chasmistha Laukike |

Bhakterbhavite Murtiman Ganapati Siddhiswar Tam Bhaje || (I worshipped God Ganesh, who is elephant headed, who has been praised in vedas, who is popular by the name of his devotee (Ballal),who take care of his devotees & in this kritayuga who abodes is Pallipur or Pali.) Ranjangaon: On Pune-Ahmednagar Highway via Shikrapur, Ranjangaon is 50 kms. from Pune. Idol facing east is in a crossed legged sitting position with broad forehead & the trunk turned towards the left. Riddhi & Siddhi are installed. It is said that, original idol of Mahaganapati is hidden in a cellar in the basement; has 10 trunks & 20 hands. Meditating on that idol is called Mahaganapati Dhyaanam

Mahaganapati means powerful Ganapati. Mahaganapati has eight, ten or twelve hands. Lord Shiva could conquer Tripurasur (demon) on worshipping Mahaganapati. Therefore it is called Tripurari Varado Mahaganapati. (Lord Shiva is called as Tripurari after his victory over Tripurasur)

Shree Shambhuvarprada Sutapasa Namna Sahastra Swakam | Datwa Shree Vijay padam shivkar Tasme Prasanna Prabhu ||

Ten Sthapit Eva Sadgunavapu Kshetre Sadatishtati | Tam vande Manipurke Ganapati Devam Mahant Mudra ||

(Shiva obtained a boon by propitiating Ganesha who stays at Manipur, who gave boon to Mahadev, whose appearance is beautiful & pleasing & who is statue of good qualities.)  

   

 

Ashtaganapathy visits: (Part III) Background: There have been many interpretations of Ganesha body. Mudgala Purana seems to explain some. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality. His twisted trunk represents the zigzag path to wisdom. It reminds us that there is no direct path, that we must turn right and left in the search for truth thus adding to the Ganesha sculpture a symbolic meaning about the position of his trunk. One priest told us, if it is turned towards left, it denotes success in the world which is associated with house holders. If it is towards the right, it stands for moksham, good for those who renounce the material world. In lighter vein, when one chooses a Ganesha sculpture, the trunk position be kept in mind as per your requirement. And yes a prayer to Ganesh is invariably accompanied by smashing a coconut, symbolic of smashing the undesirable forces inherent in one self. The significance of the mouse (muushhika, strangely the English word sounds the same) as the vehicle of Ganesha is explained by the Mudgala Purana, although a form called Heramba-Ganapati is depicted as riding a lion. There are also rare references to the peacock as the vehicle in some texts. (ref; Moreswar @ Moregaon described below) Third Day: We started a little early. We had to accommodate Nasrapur (not Narsapur) as well in our itnerary apart from the 3 balance Ganesha sthalams. Theur: is the nearest Ashtavinayaka from Pune. (Distance of 25 km from Pune), Theur is situated on the confluence of the Mula, Mutha & Bhima rivers on Pune Solapur highway, after Hadapsar and

Loni, at a distance of 3kms.from Loni, a small road to the left leads to Theur. Don’t miss this turning. Idol

facing east is swayambhu and has a left side trunk. There are carbuncle and diamonds in the eyes of Vinayaka. Glowing all the time. Lord Brahma meditated here to subdue his wavering mind. As his worries (chinta) were removed the idol is called Chintamani. The place is called Sthar (stable) or Theur. Sloka:

Brahma Srushtyadisakta Sthirmatirahittam Pidito Vighnasandhe | Aakranto Bhutirakta Krutiganrajasa Jeevita Tyaktu Mischina || Swatmanan Sarvyakta Ganapatimamal Satyachintamaniyam |

Mukta cha stapayant sthirmatisukhadam sthavare dhudhi Midhe || (The one who is in search of happiness, whose mind is wavering like Lord Brahma, who is in the midst all calamities should go to Sthavar means Theur & worship Shree Chintamani & get rid of all Chintas (worries) & calamities.) Siddhatek: (Situated on the banks of river Bhima, in Ahmednagar district.) Take Pune - Solapur road via Daund (Daund is 78 kms from Pune and Daund-Siddhatek is another 18 kms). Here the roads were bad-real bad. Siddhatek is situated on the banks of river Bhima. Sage Vyasar had performed yagnya (sacrifices) here. It is said that, years ago there was a heap of ashes from this sacrificial fire. However, this place is now covered by water. The swayambhu idol of Shree Siddhivinayaka is placed in brass frame. Brass idols of Jay and Vijay are placed on both sides of Siddhivinayaka. In the sanctum itself there is Shivapanchayatan and goddess Devi's small temple. The idol is swayambhu. facing north with his trunk turned right. Idol is Gajmukh; however belly of the idol is not big. Riddhi & Siddhi are sitting on one lap of Vinayaka. The pradakshanam (circumnavigation) of the God is said to be very fruitful. One has to travel 5 kms. To complete one Pradakshanam as the idol is attached to the hill itself. We skipped this for want of time. Sloka;

Sthitho Bhimatire jagadvan kamen Harina | Vijetu Daityo Tachuti Malbhavou Kaitabhmadhu ||

Mahavighnarten Prakhar Tapasa Seitpado | Ganesh Siddhisho Girivarvapu Panchjanak ||

(Lord Vishnu, who was beset with calamities, performed penance on mountain Siddhetek on the bank of river Bhima. On receiving a boon from Ganesha, Lord Vishnu could kill the two demons Madhu & Kaitabh. Oh! Lord Siddheswar accept my salutation.) Moregaon: Moregaon, on the banks of river Karha is in Baramati Taluka. Shape of this place is like a peacock & long ago there were many peacocks here, as such called "Moregaon'. We drove on Pune-Solapur highway. Moregaon lies on the right side of Chaufula at a distance of 79 km from Pune. On the way to Moregaon have darshan of God Khandoba of Jejuri. But we skipped it. The Ganesha deity at Moregaon is in sitting posture, facing east with the trunk turning left & smeared with vermillion mixed in oil. On its head is the hood of Nagaraja. On left & right are brass idols of Siddhi & Buddhi. In front of the idol are the Mooshika & Mayura (Peacock).The original idol of Moreshwar was small in size. As many layers of vermillion got applied on it, it grew bigger. Sometime after 100 &125 years this armour of vermillion casts off by itself & original beautiful idol inside this armour is seen again. The original small idol was made up of atoms of sand, iron & diamonds & it is behind the present statue. It was consecrated by Brahma on its destruction by demon Sindhurasur,

There is a mouse made up of black stone, holding 'Laddu' in his front two legs. On climbing the steps you will see a big 'Nandi in front of Ganapati instead of Lord Shiva!! How come? :- 'Years ago, this Nandi was taken on a cart for its consecration in front of a near by Shivaalaya. However, the cart carrying Nandi broke down in front of Mayureshwara's temple and Nandi sat before Mayureshwar's temple for ever. People tried their best to shift Nandi from this place but Nandi did not move an inch. The artisan had a dream in the night. Nandi appeared in his dream and said, "I want to stay before Mayureshwar only. Don't try to shift me elsewhere forcefully, I won't come." People left with no other alternative, dropped the idea of shifting Nandi to other place. Hence this Nandiji was consecrated before Mayureshwar.

NIJE BHUSWANANDJADBHARAT BHUMYA PARATARE | TURIYOSTIRE PARAMSUKHDETVA NIVASASI ||

MAYURAYA NATH STAWAMASICH MAYURESH BHAGWAN | ATASWA SANDHYAYE SHIVHARINI BRAHMAJANAKAM ||

(O! Lord Mayureshwar of Moregaon, you stay on sage jadbharat's land, on the banks of river Karha which is known as "Bhuswanand' (means happiness on land). Shree Moreshwar, who is far from three qualities, who resembles Omkar, who is always in fourth state of yoga & who rides on peacock mayur accept my salutation.) With that we completed Ashtavinayaka visits.  

   

Trust is your third eye

By Osho(Kindly contributed by Dr. B.G.Y Sastri)

Trust is an inner eye. Just as the two outer

eyes are for seeing the universe, there is a

third eye inside of you whose name is trust.

With this eye of trust the divine is seen. The

eye of trust means the eye of love. There are

some things which only love can know.

There is no other way to know them.

If you love someone you will see certain

things in the person that no one else will see.

You will see in that person a sweetness that

no one else can see. That sweetness is

delicate and the touch of love is needed for

it, only then is it revealed. You will hear the

echo of a song in that person that no one else

will hear. To hear it one has to come closer

than anyone else has come. Only you are

that close.

This is why beauty begins to manifest in the

person whom you love. People think that

you fall in love with someone who seems

beautiful to you. They are wrong. The one

you fall in love with begins to be beautiful –

all of life's grandeur, all of its dignity is

revealed in the person. And it is not that you

are imagining it. As soon as the eye of love

opens the invisible begins to be visible to

you, the unperceivable begins to be

perceivable. The presence of what is hidden

begins to be experienced. Without any door

opening, someone enters into you.

"Finding upon waking the doors yet bolted,

Who knows by which door he enters and

leaves?"

This is a very lovely couplet from Bihari.

The beloved is sleeping with all the doors

and windows of the room bolted, yet in her

dreams her lover visits her. Later she wakes

up and sees that the doors are still closed

with the bolts in place, just as they were.

Who knows how he enters and by which

route he leaves?

"Which way do you enter, which way do

you depart? From which window do you

peep?" This window is called trust.

Someone living in logic will never know

anything deeper than the material; his life

will be meaningless. He may well collect

money, but all his wealth will be left lying

there when he dies and he will have missed

meditation. And it is only meditation that

will accompany you in death. Such a person

will not attain the ultimate wealth. Only the

one who has the eye of trust within attains

the ultimate wealth.

Trust is the culmination of love. Trust is the

faith that what has not already happened so

far will happen. Trust also arises from what

has already happened: there is such beauty

in this universe, there is such light, and such

music...the throat of each bird is filled with

song.... There is beauty in each leaf, light in

each star; this universe is so full of

magnificence, there must be some energy or

other behind it.

Trust means trusting that there must be some

energy creating this entire colour. Trust

means trusting that where so much beauty is

being showered, the source of such beauty

must also exist.

Trust means accepting the existence of the

source from which you receive these subtle,

delicate indications

സരസ തി നമസതഭയം വരേദ കാമരപിണിവിദയാരംഭം കരിഷയാമി സിdിര‍ ഭവതേമ സദാപtപരത വിശാലാkി പtേകസര വര‍ ിനീ

നിതയം പtാലയാ േദവി സാമാം പാത സരസ തി

നവനീതം

Navaneetham- September 2010