THOUGHT OF THE DAY--SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

THOUGHT OF THE DAY--SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

 

 

RARE SLOKAS 81-128 FROM PURANAS 

 

Puranas are encyclopedic and cover various topics including cosmogony, cosmology, folk tales, pilgrimages, theology, medicine, temples, grammar, philosophy, astronomy, and even the genealogies of Gods, Goddesses, Kings, Heroes, Sages, and Demigods. 

There are as much as 18 main Puranas and 18 minor Puranas (known as Upa-puranas). Together they contain over 400,000 verses (slokas). We are familiar only with a few that we recite daily and on special occasions. The 18 main Puranas have been divided into three categories and have been named after the Deity: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. 

Out of the 18 main Puranas: 

• Six are Satvic or Vaishnava Puranas which glorify Lord Vishnu 
• Six are Rajasic or Brahma Puranas which glorify Lord Brahma 
• The remaining (Six) are Tamasic or Shiva Puranas and glorify Lord Shiva 
• 
  
  

The Puranas endeavor to bring people closer to the Gods. It should be appreciated that the Puranas and more so Itihasas tell the Supreme Truth to one and all in a very simple manner. 

All the Puranas are dedicated to certain deities. Some are dedicated to Gods, and others are dedicated to Goddesses. They contain the essence of spiritual teachings and complex yogic philosophies of the ancient Vedic texts. 

Puranas are the most important religious texts in the Bhakti Yoga tradition. They go on to emphasize the devotional aspect of Yoga. They cultivate devotion by using a personification of the chosen deities in the form of entertaining myths and stories. 

All in all, Puranas endeavor to re-establish the eternal relation of living beings with God. They have been created so that any class of men (or women) can take advantage of them and experience the compassion and greatness of God. 

  

In their perpetual struggle of existence, human beings have forgotten their relationship with God and are overly attached to material sense gratification from time immemorial. 

Religious literature such as Vedas and Puranas attempt to bring human being closer to God and re-establish their forgotten relation with God.  Slokas play a major role in bringing us closer to Gods and Goddesses. 

Puranas offer shelter to people who seek to conquer the darkest region of material existence.  

Sri Muralidharan Krishnan enlighten us y researching rare hymns and mantras from Puranas that any of us are unaware. I have so far sent you 128 Slokas and   mantras. Please find slokas 81 to 128 in this long compilation. 

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2021/11/rare-slokas-from-puranas-81-t0-128.html

--October 31, 2021

 

Sri Skanda Shashti (09-Nov-2021) - Rare Sri Kumara Stavam from Ekamra Puranam

In Tiruchendur Sri Subramanya Swami Temple, 6 Day Skanda Sashti Vratham begins on Deepavgali day, November 4, 2021 (Thursday). Soorasamharam is on November 9, 2021 (Tuesday).  Sashti Thithi starts at evening of Nov 9th and ends at evening of Nov 10th). Thirukalyanam of Lord Subhramanya is celebrated in Tamil Nadu on November 10th (Wednesday) after observing fast ritual for six days, 4-9 and ending it on 10^th evening. 

 

Let us join Tamils enjoying the holy wedding of Lord Subhramanya conducted in all temples wherever located in the world and chanting the rare sloka sent through courtesy by Sri Muralidharan Krishnan while celebrating Diwali running parallel and receiving  Lord's blessings for a happy married life.

 

Message from uralidharan:

Greetings and Namaste. As Sri Skanda Shashthi falls on Tuesday (09-Nov-2021) culminating on the 6-day Vrat period starting this Friday, I am delighted to share a short and sweet prayer on Lord Kumara (Lord Subrahmanya) taken from Ekamra Puranam and Chapter 55.   May we pray to Lord Kartikeya with the short and sweet hymn during Skanda Shashti found among Rare Mantra collections.

 

 Dhana Trayodashi (Dhanteras) - Very Rare Sri Stuti by Manu from Srimad Devi Bhagavatam

Kamala Mahavidya Jayanti is believed to be the day when Goddess Kamla one of the 10 Mahavidyas incarnated on earth. Kamala Mahavidya Jayanti 2021 date is November 4.  It is observed on Diwali day as Kamala Mahavidya is believed to be the companion of Srihari Vishnu. She is propitiated for wealth in Tantric worship. The form of Goddess Kamala is similar to Goddess Lakshmi worshiped today. She is mainly worshipped for attaining prosperity – material wealth. Some people worship her with the sole aim of becoming rich. It must be noted that the rituals dedicated to Kamala Mahavidya Jayanti are observed on the Diwali day - when Lakshmi Puja is held in Hindu homes on Dhanteras Day.  

 

Kamala is Goddess Lakshmi herself, in her Tantric form. Kamalam is lotus flower and Kamala is the ‘one, who resides in a Lotus’. She represents the three most important aspects of material existence, fertility, prosperity and fortune, and remains the provider of greatest of well beings. She is the Goddess of wealth, and can bless one with both, its physical and spiritual aspects. Legend says that she emerged out of the churning of the milky ocean and was chosen as consort by none other than the great Lord Vishnu, the God of protection and sustenance. Also called Kamalatmika, she is of golden complexion. She holds red lotuses in two of her four hands, while the other two are sporting the Abhaya, the protecting and assuring, and Varada, the boon giving mudras. Seated in Padmasana in a full-blown lotus, she is bathed by four elephants who gently pour nectar over her through their trunks. The Goddess thus remains the personification of infinite beauty and grace. 

 

Worshipping Kamala will get for the devotees, her divine blessings. This will help to simply destroy poverty in every form. Her grace can also mitigate problems like sorrow, failure, childlessness, misfortune and the malefic effects of planet Venus. This will also help create prosperity and abundance, and bless one with physical and financial well-being and spiritual advancement. 

Please worship Mahalakshmi today, Main Deepavali Day November 4, as well as every day with this short and sweet prayer Mahalakshmi sent through courtesy by Krishna Muralidharan from Singapore.

|| Om Sri Mahalakshmyai cha vidmahe Vishnu-patnyai cha dheemahi tanno Lakshmee prachodayaat || 

--October 31¸ 2021

The connection between Buddhism and Nature Spirituality is Ancient and Neo-Paganism is Not Far from it   

What did the Buddha say when he was tempted by Maras daughters upon achieving enlightenment?  

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh writes: One day Siddhartha, the Buddha-to-be, felt that he was about to have a breakthrough. Meditating under a beautiful pippala tree, he had the sense that sometime that night he would realize full enlightenment and become a Buddha. Suddenly, Mara appeared. Mara sometimes appears as doubt, sometimes as anger, darkness, jealousy, craving, or despair. When we feel doubtful or skeptical, he is there. When we feel angry, irritated, or lacking in self-confidence, that is Mara. Siddhartha had been visited by Mara many times before, and he knew that the best way to treat him was to be very gentle. That day Mara came in the form of skepticism. He said, "Who do you think you are? Do you think you can attain great enlightenment? -- Don't you realize how much darkness, despair, and confusion there is in the world? How can you hope to dissipate all of it?" Siddhartha smiled, expressing great confidence. Mara continued, "I know you have practiced, but have you practiced enough? Who will witness that you have practiced long and hard enough? Who will testify that you can gain enlightenment?" Mara demanded that someone confirm that Siddhartha was going to become a Buddha, a fully awakened person.  

- At that moment, Siddhartha touched the Earth with his right hand, very deeply, with all his mindfulness, and said, "The Earth will testify for me." Suddenly, the Earth trembled and appeared as a goddess, offering him flowers, leaves, fruits, and perfumes. After that, Earth looked directly at Mara, and Mara just disappeared.  

 

- Even after the Buddha attained enlightenment, Mara continued to visit him. One time, after he had been teaching for a year and a half, he returned to his hometown, Kapilavastu, to share his insight with his own family and people. One day, sitting alone, he was absorbed in the thought that there must be a nonviolent way to run a country that would avoid the kinds of suffering brought about by prisons, tortures, executions, and war and bring real happiness to people. Suddenly Mara appeared and said, "Lord Buddha, why don't you become a politician? You can apply your wisdom, knowledge, and skills as a politician." The Buddha looked directly at Mara and smiled, "Mara, my old friend, I know you well," and Mara just disappeared.  

 

- The Buddha did not want to be a politician. He only wanted to be a monk, and he knew that it was Mara who was trying to tempt him to become a politician. All he did was recognize Mara and smile at him. When we recognize Mara as Mara, everything is all right. At times we ourselves touch the Earth, but not deeply enough.  

 

When the Buddha touched the Earth with his hand, he touched it with all his mindfulness. At Plum Village, when we are visited by Mara-when we feel irritated, lacking in self-confidence, angry, or unhappy-we practice walking meditation, touching the Earth deeply with our feet. When we do it mindfully and joyfully, Mara leaves us in less than an hour. The Earth, our mother, has brought us to life many times, and each time she receives us back into her arms. She knows everything about us, and that is why the Buddha invoked her as a witness.   

 

[He was well aware of the Vedic Dictum--The Supreme Brahman has manifested Himself as Bhuh Bhuvah and Suvah. This is austerity par excellence--Bhur-Bhuvah-Suvar Brahmai-tad upaasitavyai tattapah. Buddha did not reveal himself to the world as an Avatar, as Krishna did, though he was ninth Avatar. Some people meditated upon Him following his advice coming from a monk. Bhaktimarga followers of Hinduism thought he was an atheist as Buddhism was silent on God. Buddhism became more an Itihasa of Impressionism than a part of Dasavatara. But Thich Nhat Han’s Touching Peace reveals that Buddha was not atheist and worshiped Mother Earth. USA court has declared even atheism as religion. Vedas celebrate Earth as Goddess--asvakrante ratha-krante vishnukrante Vasundhra  sirasa dharayishyaami rakshasva maam pade pade… Prithavee Satyam (tad Brahma) Amriteti Vasishthah. Earth is visible, accessible and most celebrated Goddess though exclusive temples and sanctums are rare but invariably worshiped along with Lakshmi as processional deity. Ekambaranathar Temple is one of the five Pancha Bootham temples and specifically the element of earth, or Prithvi in Tamil Nadu. Here Lord Shiva is worshiped as Ekambareswarar or Ekambaranathar and Parvati as Elavarkuzhali, represented by the lingam, with his idol referred to as Prithvi Lingam symbolizing Ardhanarishwara. Kuzhali means fragrance. Earth is celebrated for its Fragrance--Gandhadvaram Ishwarim sarvabhootaanaam.  One is born from a woman, ends up in Earth. A woman is called Gruha Lakshmi, one who brings Prosperity to Home. Tamil calls her Illal, one who owns/rules the Home. Earth is eulogized as Mother and there are Vedic Sukthas in praise of the Earth, Bhoo Suktham, Neela Suktham etc. Such being the case, there is no wonder in Hinduism calling the Sanctum Sanctorum of a Temple as Garbha Gruha, Gharbha meaning The Womb and Gruha, the Home. Tamil calls The Gharbhagriha as Karuvarai, meaning ‘where the Foetus stays. One’s first Home is the womb, even to Avatara Purushas Rama, Krishna and Buddha. The term Garbhagriha though often associated with Hindu temples, it is also found in Jain and Buddhist temples.] 

 

Mother Earth appeared as a goddess, offering flowers, leaves, fruits, and perfumes to the Buddha. Then she just looked at Mara and smiled, and Mara disappeared. Mara is not much in the presence of the Earth. Every time you are approached by Mara, if you come to the Earth and ask for help by touching her deeply, the way the Buddha did, you will be offered flowers, fruits, butterflies, and many other gifts of nature, and the Earth will look at Mara in such a way that he will disappear.  

 

--We have so many reasons to be happy. The Earth is filled with love for us, and patience. Whenever she sees us suffering, she will protect us. With the Earth as a refuge, we need not be afraid of anything, even death. Walking mindfully on the Earth, we are nourished by the trees, the bushes, the flowers, and the sunshine.  

 

--Touching the Earth is a very deep practice that can restore our peace and our joy. We are children of the Earth. We rely on the Earth, and the Earth relies on us. Whether the Earth is beautiful, fresh, and green, or parched, depends on our way of walking. Please touch the Earth in mindfulness, with joy and concentration. The Earth will heal you, and you will heal the -Thich Nhat Hanh- Touching Peace

 

Shortly before his death, John Lennon called himself a "Zen Pagan." With this he gave an excellent name to a religious trend that goes back at least as far as Henry David Thoreau, who wrote of his love and respect for both the ancient nature god Pan and the Buddha. The connection between Buddhism and nature spirituality is ancient. According to legends of the Buddha's enlightenment, in his hour of need he asked the Earth to bear him witness rather than appealing to a heavenly deity. Over the centuries, Buddhism influenced and was influenced by nature religions like Taoism and Shintō, while its introduction to the West came partly through spiritual nature writers like Thoreau and Gary Snyder. Occultists Aleister Crowley and H.P. Blavatsky played key roles in both Buddhist and Neopagan history. Why Buddha Touched the Earth investigates the rise of Buddhism as a world religion during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, its relationship to the Neopagan movement, and how both are related to the extraordinary changes, civilization has seen since the Industrial Revolution. It combines rigorous history with lively and practical discussions of mysticism, magic, meditation, ethics, and the future of religion in a scientific age.  

 

This month, many modern Pagans in the Northern Hemisphere will be celebrating Samhain (pron. sah-win) on October 31st, the same day that many of their neighbors are celebrating Halloween. Due to the coincidence of these two holidays, as well as contemporary Paganism's association with Witchcraft, this is the time of the year when Pagans tend get the most media coverage. Unfortunately, a lot of the coverage tends to be sensationalist and tends to focus on Witchcraft and Wicca. But not all Pagans are Witches or Wiccans. Neo-Pagans as a whole have a remarkably cohesive, identifiable culture and Islam generally shared value set, even more so than religions such as Christianity, or Judaism when taken as a whole. Neo-Paganism is a life-affirming religion.   For them, the meaning of life is not to be found in another world or a future existence.  Neo-Pagans strive to live in the "here and now". Neo-Pagans perceive nature as both sacred and interconnected.  Neo-Pagans perceive a "deeper" (as opposed to a "higher") power, which is present in nature, in our own selves, and in the process of our lives. They seek to live in accordance with this deeper, sacred dimension. Neo-Pagans also acknowledge a female aspect, often called simply "the Goddess". Neo-Pagan women exercise religious power equally with men.  

Neo-Pagans perceive the essential nature of the cosmos -- including divinity, the world, and ourselves -- to be change.   This is reflected in the changing of the seasons, the movement of the sun, the changing face of the moon, the human life cycle, and in the ebb and flow of our lives. They may worship or honor one or more gods from ancient myth or even modern gods of their own imaginations.    

 

Samhain, which is celebrated today on October 31st, falls approximately half way between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. Neo-Pagans create their own rituals in order to relate their experiences and their lives to the larger cycle of life and to re-enchant the world.  

 

While Neo-Paganism is a life-affirming religion, Neo-Pagans recognize that death is a part of life like Hinduism (punarapi maranam). Neopaganis like Hinduism philosophy freely practiced religion. They embraced darkness and death as a natural part of the cycle of life. They seek rest, wholeness, wisdom, and spiritual power in the dark half of the cycle. Neo-Pagans are pluralists and tolerant of other's beliefs, but they are also selective in choosing what works for them personally. Neo-Pagans reject all claims to absolute truth and oppose all those who seek to deny the freedom of others to believe or practice their religion as they will. Neo-Pagans hold these things to be sacred: all life, the earth, nature, our bodies, and all living beings.   They do not attach guilt or shame to sexual desire or consensual sexual activity (praajapatyo paramam vadanti). At the same time, they condemn vulgar commercialization (Kaama) of sexuality. 

 
 

What's the Real History of Halloween—and Why Do We Celebrate It on October 31? 

·        The history of Halloween goes all the way back to a pagan festival called Samhain. 

·        The word "Halloween" comes from All Hallows' Eve and means "hallowed evening." 

·        Hundreds of years ago, people dressed up as saints and went door-to-door, which is the origin of Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating.  Hallow is "to make holy or sacred, to sanctify or consecrate, to venerate"

At long last, Halloween has finally arrived! From brainstorming spooky costumes to trying out pumpkin carving deas with our kids, eating unfathomable amounts of Halloween treats, candy, and chocolate and indulging in everything pumpkin-spice-flavored, there's so much to anticipate during this frightfully fun October holiday.

No matter how old you are or how many times you've been around the block, the holiday simply never gets old. The littlest ones get a chance to dress up and go trick-or-treating, and parents have an excuse to sip on a boozy Halloween cocktail. 

This old-fashioned holiday actually dates back many, many years.   Halloween takes place on the last day of October, but here's something you might not know: The word itself literally means "hallowed evening," and was previously known to early European celebrators as All Hallows' Eve. All Hallows' Eve (October 31) and All Saints' Day (November 1) both paid homage to saints ("hallows" = saints). The name was eventually shortened to "Halloween," which we know and love to this day. 

 

Up until the 7th century CE, All Hallow's Eve fell actually on May 13. Perhaps in an attempt to offset the occasion with a religious celebration, Pope Boniface IV ultimately made the call to change the observance to its current November 1 date. 

 

Halloween falls on October 31 because the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, considered the earliest known root of Halloween, occurred on this day. It marked a pivotal time of year when seasons changed, but more importantly, observers also believed the boundary between this world and the next became especially thin at this time, enabling them to connect with the dead. This belief is shared by some other cultures; a similar idea is mentioned around the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, which also typically occurs in October and involves saying prayers for the dead. This is also where Halloween gains its "haunted" connotations. 

 

The early pagan holiday of Samhain involved a lot of ritualistic ceremonies to connect to spirits, as the Celts were polytheistic. While there isn't a lot of detail known about these celebrations, many believe the Celts celebrated in costume (granted, they were likely as simple as animal hides) as a disguise against ghosts, enjoyed special feasts, and made lanterns by hollowing out gourds (hence, the history of jack-o'-lanterns). Over time, as Christianity took over and the pagan undertones of the holiday were lessened, the basic traditions of the holiday remained a part of pop culture every year; they simply evolved and modernized. 

 

The mystical rituals of earlier times evolved into more lighthearted fun and games. For example, the somewhat heavy concept of connecting to the dead was replaced with the more lighthearted idea of telling the future. Bobbing for apples, for example, became popular as a fortune-telling game on All Hallows' Eve: Apples would be selected to represent all of a woman's suitors, and the guy-er, apple—she ended up biting into would supposedly represent her future husband. In fact, Halloween previously posed a huge (albeit rather superstitious) matchmaking opportunity for young women in the 19th century. 

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Another popular All Hallows' Eve ritual was mirror-gazing, as people hoped to catch a vision of their future by looking into the mirror. There are also reports of fortune-cookie-like favors being given out during earlier times. People wrote messages on pieces of paper in milk, and the notes were then folded and placed into walnut shells. The shells would be heated over a fire, causing the milk to brown just enough for the message to mystically appear on the paper for the recipient. 

 

Many people were said to dress up as saints and recite songs or verses door to door. Children would also go door to door asking for "soul cakes," a treat similar to biscuits. Technical note: Soul cakes originated as part of the All-Souls' Day holiday on November 2 (yep, a third holiday!), but eventually became a part of Halloween night as the concept evolved into trick-or-treating. The candy-grabbing concept also became mainstream in the U.S. in the early to mid-1900s, during which families would provide treats to children in hopes that they would be immune to any holiday pranks. 

As for the costumes, they evolved, too. While they began as earnest tributes to saints, that tradition likely fell out of favor at some point…until young Scottish and Irish pranksters got the idea to dress up in scary-looking garb again as a way to spook unsuspecting neighbors. And just like that, thanks to these local hooligans, Halloween costumes became scary, spooky, funny, and creative all at the same time.  

 

As Halloween celebrations became more popular in America, communities also wanted to make it more about reasons to come together rather than ghosts, pranks, and witchcraft and an opportunity to make it big business too.  By the beginning of the 20th century, Halloween lost most of the superstitious and religious attributes that had originally created the holiday and has become big business too to America, a nation that is commercially inclined. 

 

Originally as the Celtic summer’s end festival, not only was it a frightening time to avoid evil spirits, but also a time when people felt especially close to their deceased loved ones. At their Halloween parties, they would set up places at the dinner table for those who had already passed, and the treats that they would leave were not only to appease ghosts to turn them away but also for their beloved deceased. They also lit candles to help their deceased family members find their way back to the spirit world. 

 

It’s interesting to see how traditions millenniums ago have evolved, considering the concepts are still relatively the same. Although there’s a more frightening and scary history to Halloween, there’s no doubt that with time, the holiday has become just another playful excuse to come together with loved ones. And who doesn’t enjoy a good scare anyways? USA has commercialized a sanctum religious summer festival in due course of time to a funny and scary enjoyment ghost day for a social gathering in Fall! USA keeps its grip on commercialization success of Halloween around 50 million making it closer to science fiction than horror. Hollywood's latest attraction is a museum dedicated to horror and science fiction. 

 

This month, many modern Pagans in the Northern Hemisphere will be celebrating Samhain while USA modern generation will be celebrating ghost Halloween. Due to the coincidence of these two holidays, as well as contemporary Paganism's association with Witchcraft, this is the time of the year when Pagans tend get the most media coverage. Unfortunately, a lot of the coverage tends to be sensationalist and tends to focus on Witchcraft and Wicca. But not all Pagans are Witches or Wiccans. Neo-Pagans as a whole have a remarkably cohesive, identifiable culture and as Islam generally shared value set, even more so than religions such as Christianity, or Judaism when taken as a whole. Neo-Paganism is a life-affirming religion. 

 

Samhain, which will be celebrated on October 31st, falls approximately half way between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. Neo-Pagans create their own rituals in order to relate their experiences and their lives to the larger cycle of life and to re-enchant the world. I will talk about Neo-paganism which is like ancient Vedic religion practiced as Hinduism christened so by invaders and foreign rulers of the geographic region of India of 18th century that continues.

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2013/10/samhain-evespiritual-alternative.html

 

HALLOWEEN BEGAN IN THE “HELL CAVE IN IRELAND 

The road to hell is lined with candy corn. Turns out our sugar-coated costume party is a portal to something far more sinister: the Celtic New Year festival of Samhain, and the devil-invested “hell cave” where Halloween was born. 

Considered by the ancient Celts to be a passage to the otherworld, Ireland’s Oweynagat cave   was seen as the demon-filled jetway to the “murky subterranean dimension, also known as Tír na nÓg, which was inhabited by Celtic devils, fairies, and leprechauns,” writes Ronan O’Connell 

 

Back when paganism was the dominant religion among Ireland’s majority Celtic people, the unassuming entrance to Oweynagat cave sat near Rathcroghan hub of the ancient Irish kingdom of Connaught and a monumental temple mound where animals were sacrificed on the eve of October 31. 

--October 29, 2021

 

 

 

Karwa chauth and Ahoi Ashtami popular in North India

Just like Karwa Chauth the celebrations of Ahoi Ashtami is very widespread in the whole of North India but not in South India.  This day is dedicated to worshipping Goddess Ahoi or Ahoi Mata. Ahoi Mata may be none other than Goddess Parvati worshiped by that name by mothers for the well-being and long life of their children. Parvati had the power to create Ganesha without the help of her husband Lord Siva who often remained as Adiyogi and mendicant and not interested in family life. Ahoi Maa may also be like Santoshi Mata and Sheetal Devi--some virtual Devi creation in North India and Mariamman in the South; nothing is mentioned about her or the other Devis mentioned here, in real Devi Bhagwat Purana or Shakta Sect. There are many legends about Ahoi Maa and here is the most popular one:

Once upon a time, there lived a moneylender who had seven sons. Just a few days before Diwali festivities in the month of Kartik, the moneylender’s wife decided to repair and decorate their house for Diwali celebrations. To renovate her house, she decided to go to the forest to fetch some soil. While digging the soil in the forest, she accidentally kills the young cub of a lion with the spade with which she was digging the soil. The animal then curses her a similar fate and within a year all her seven children die. Unable to tolerate the grief, the couple decided to kill themselves en route to a final pilgrimage. They kept walking till they were unable to and fell unconscious on the ground. 

 

On seeing this, God feels pitiful for them and makes an akashvani asking them to go back, serve the holy cow and worship Goddess Ahoi since she was believed to be the protector of the offspring of all living beings. The couple feeling much better, returned home. Following the divine command, the wife drew the face of the young lion and observed fast and invoked Goddess Ahoi as she invoked Durga on Durgashtami Day.  Durga appeared as Goddess Ahoi, pleased with her devotion and honesty, and blessed her with fertility. 

Ahoi ashtami vrat is observed only by Mothers, as the vrat is kept for the long life and well-being of their children and also to be blessed with more children. On Ahoi Ashtami, the mother of boy observes a strict fast all through the day for their child’s well-being. They spend the day even without drinking a drop of water. The fast is broken after sighting the stars, during twilight. In some places, the observer of the Ahoi Ashtami fast break their fast after sighting the moon, however it might be difficult as the moon rises late on the Ahoi Ashtami night. 

 

The festival of Karwa Chauth is celebrated on the fourth day of the fading moon fortnight which is also known as Krishna Paksha. Karwa Chauth falls in the Kartik month as per the Hindu Calendar. On this auspicious occasion of Karwa Chauth, unmarried young women also keep fast for their fiancé or desired husband. The name may differ as per the state for Karwa Chauth, but the significance and traditions followed during the festival remains the same. 

Karwa Chauth often coincides with Sankashti Chaturthi which is a fasting day observed for Lord Ganesha. On this day, married women worship Lord Shiva to seek longevity of their husband. Lord Shiva along with family, including Lord Ganesha is revered on this day and the fast ends after sighting the moon. Once the Moon rises, offerings are made to the Moon. The fasting is observed very strictly and not even a single bite of food or a drop of water can be consumed until the moon rises. 

 

Karwa Chauth is also popularly called Karak Chaturthi. Karak or Karwa refers to the earthen pot through which the water is offered to the Moon. The water offering to the Moon is known as Arghya. Karak is very important to during the Karva Chauth Puja and it is also given as dana to the Brahmins or to any eligible woman.  

For more details, please recall my discourse:

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2017/10/popular-karwa-chauth-teej-rfestivals-of.html

 

While paying obeisance to Ahoi Maa today all so remember Liberty Maa of USA that brought light to fighting USA sinkin in the darkness of civil war, with Torch of Democracy. The Statue of Liberty was erected atop an American-designed pedestal on a small island in Upper New York Bay, now known as Liberty Island that was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland in 1886 on October 28.  Today, the Statue of Liberty remains an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy, as well as one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks. French people were responsible for the statue and its assembly, while the Americans built the pedestal on which it stands–and a symbol of the friendship between their peoples. 

 

 Hindu Dharma, Hindutva and Hindudvesha - A Preview

 

Traditional Hinduism is a dharmic faith in relation to the concepts of truth (satyam) and it’s opposite (anṛtham), without however expatiating on supposed contrasts between Hinduism and the “Abrahamic” faiths. The argument is conducted by recognizing two senses to anṛtham, namely, “non-truth” and “falsehood,” in contrast to satyam; and the method used is inductive in that a historically well-known episode of the Mahābhārata—the story of Kauśika and the bandits—and its authoritative interpretation by the deity Krishna in terms of satyam and anṛtham are analyzed heuristically to indicate how dharma is viewed in the tradition qua ethical concept. The conclusion is drawn that Hindu dharma is understood as that whose objective is ultimately to bring about the welfare of the world (lokasaṅgraha). In relation to truth (and its opposite), materially, dharma is invariably contextual in connotation, whereas formally, at the hands of one commentator or other, not least in modern times, dharma is that which defines what it means to be Hindu. The material and formal connotations of dharma thus analyzed and taken together set Hinduism apart qua dharmic faith. 

 

Satyameva Jayate--Truth alone Triumphs; Our Deepest Yes​

When your heart, body, mind and soul are aligned, you experience a profound sense of rightness all the way down. This is Yoga. This is your truth. The truth about who we are, what we want and why we are here. This truth is the very thing that has been guiding our quest for authenticity, purpose and meaning. When we touch this truth, we experience it like a tuning fork sounding from the core of our being that reverberates out to dynamically interact with life. We can call this truth our “Deepest Yes”. 

 Satyaṁ paraṁ paraɱ satyaɱ satyena na |suvargāllokācchyavante kadāchana

satāɱ hi satyaṁ tasmāt satye ramante || || 

Truthfulness is excellent. What is excellent is truthfulness only. By truthfulness those who have attained to the state of blissfulness never fall from there. What belongs to sat, namely - good people - that is indeed satyam (truthfulness). For this reason seekers of the highest good find delight in truthfulness. 

The heart of Sannyāsa is tapas, which includes habits, temperaments and traits of character specified in the scriptures. Each moral quality that should necessarily be cultivated by a sannyāsin is also called tapas. Nyāsa is   at the head of all of them, for that transcends the rest—that is the unsurpassed means of attaining Self-illumination. 

A person is rendered fit for Sannyāsa by the destruction of his sins and blemishes. Worship habitually performed by one who lives the religious pattern of life help to bring about such purity. Thus, a candidate who is to be ordained as a sannyāsin becomes firm in the Supreme Truth.  

Mahanarayana Upanishad mentions 11 paths for Sanyasa and the first condition laid down here which gives fitness for Sannyāsa is truthfulness. Truthfulness is certainly high. Granting that one who violates this principle gets heaven through the force of some other virtue, it is stated here that he can never be there for long. 

That man, on the other hand, who is always wedded to veracity does not fall from the blissful state at any time. The word Satyam is derived thus: sati sādhuḥ, sate hitam—what is right for the good people, what conduces to the good.

 

The word Satyam is cognate to sat. This shows that sages (Santaḥ) who tread the right path are always truthful. Truthfulness, therefore, is the unsurpassed means of liberation. Those who have the summum bonum of life in view, therefore, delight in truthfulness always. 

Swami Vivekananda said: 

“Stand upon truth and you have got God! Follow truth wherever it may lead! Do not be cowardly and hypocritical! Those who think that a little sugar coating of untruth will help the spread of truth, are mistaken, and will find in the long run that a single drop of poison poisons the whole mass.”   Evidently moral and intellectual truths are allied. 

 

Please take active participation in this important and interesting Webinar and find out where Dharma and Truth conflate and conflict. To me, Truth is strict doctrine while Dharma is a philosophy, action focused on truth and therefore Hinduism is not a religion and Hindu Dharma is universally applicable and can be practiced by all religious and non-religious followers focused on sanghacchadvam samvadadvam samaanamaakootih that I have explained at length several times.

Oxford Dictionary of current English says: The suffix -ism in word is colloquially used in derogatory sense (Absurdism, anarchism etc.). Why no --ism suffixes for Christianity (purity, divinity etc.) and Islam. 'Hinduism' a geographic term as third world religion is a nineteenth century construction, largely dependent upon the Christian presuppositions of the early Western Orientalists.

--October 4, 2021

HISTORY AND INFLUENCE OF HINDU DHARMA WITH ITS DEPTH OF KNOWLEDEGE AND WISDOM THAT MAKES US WHOLE

 

No doubt we are scientifically advanced today beyond leaps and bounds even questioning Veda, the Book of Knowledge. But this scientific knowledge or intellect (buddhi) does not impart wisdom (Jnaana) that we need beyond life to attain eternal bliss that we need to make us whole (Poornam). Hindu Dharma teaches thus too! You have been participating in my discourses and closely observing how the knowledge and wisdom of Hindu Dharma has come to us from ancient sages and now safe in the hands of Urban Monks in USA and continues to be taught to us. This is being assimilated and dissimilated by Hindu American University that we urgently need during present times of arrogance, chaos and destruction.  The changes that have brought in recent times in the world can be seen in the citations from the Human Ecology in the Vedas (1999) written by Dr. Marta Vannucci that critically examines Vedic literature. 

Here is a collection of quotes from Human Ecology in the Vedas. These quotes are highly relevant in this era when living beings, trees and plants are being wiped out by human beings to satiate greed, lust and power. Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) teaches to prosper while protecting and nurturing all animate and inanimate enjoying their positive contributions. 

Judaic, Christian, Islamic philosophies willfully disregarded the obvious changes over time and the evolution of everything in the universe. One of the great merits we see in Vedic and Vedic derived philosophies,  is the recognition that nothing is ever static, everywhere in the universe.  (‘Human Ecology in the Vedas’, p. viii) 

 

Though the ancient rishis probably did not see the need to knit together the knowledge acquired into a well-defined and formulated whole or theory having general validity, they did recognize the importance of factual knowledge and of the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships for the understanding of the phenomenological world. (‘Human Ecology in the Vedas’, p.41) 

 

….the forest stands not only for our present concept of a forest which is a natural or man-made formation with tall trees and undergrowth, but the word aranya is used also for jungle in general including savannahs; at present, it can also be used for all sorts of un-tilled and uncultivated natural areas. In other words, Aranyaani is the mistress of wild vegetation and of all the animals associated with it. ... She is the root concept of ‘sacred forest’ and is best designated with the contemporary use of the word jungle, which is also feminine... Aranyaani and Prakriti are manifestations and materializations of Godhead, they are their embodiment governed by Rita. They are different aspects of Rita, the structure and dynamics of the universe that must be accepted and respected as such and of which we ourselves are part. Rita is what is and cannot be changed by man. (‘Human Ecology in the Vedas’, (pp.271-3)) 

 

The Lady of the Forest and the Lady of the Household are the depositories of strength, power and endurance of their respective ecosystems, the forest and the family.  

 

...while contemporary scientific research established the foundations of ecological theory on which rational use and management of nature must be based, the ancient Indian sages, the Rishis, had already established the foundations of an ecologically sound way of life some three to four thousand years ago, or earlier. The ancient traditional Indian way of life was objectively correct, rationally sound and ecologically valid. The ‘Indian way of life’ has been tested by time and has survived to the day, but it is swiftly being eroded away by human population pressure, or the excess of individuals of one species: Homo sapiens. (‘Human Ecology in the Vedas’, p.167) 

 

A radical difference between the Indian cultural tradition and the Western traditions is that the Indian cultures, and we could generalize for much of Asia, seek wisdom, while the Mediterranean and European cultures in general have traditionally pursued knowledge as the sum mum bonum, to which man can aspire. Among all the traditions and all men, knowledge has frequently been used unwisely forgetting that knowledge without wisdom may become very dangerous indeed. In fact, the concept of asura in post-Rig Vedic times, is that of a creature with much knowledge and power derived from knowledge, but no wisdom; arrogance having replaced wisdom. (‘Human Ecology in the Vedas’, p.167) 

Now Hindu University of America is actively engaged in teaching History and Influence of Hindu Dharma to the needy and younger generation.    

Gist of their program is: 

In rigorously exploring the history and influence of Hindu Dharma, the course will be organized mainly around the key disseminators who forged a vital connection between the ancient rishis and the modern West. First among those Vedic transmitters were the swamis, gurus, and yogacharyas who brought their gifts to the West, from the earliest (Swami Vivekananda and Paramhamsa Yogananda) to those who established a foothold in the 1960s and 70s (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Srila Prabhupada, Swami Muktananda, and others) to those teaching today (Sri  Ravi Shankar, Mata Amrit Anandamayi, Sadguru, etc.) – as well as luminaries who strongly impacted America without ever coming here (Sri Aurobindo, Ramana Maharshi, and others). We’ll examine both the diversity and commonalities of teachings that penetrated America’s spiritual soil, and show how the core principles were skillfully adapted to the language, values, and communication methods of the new cultural context—and the tradeoffs that were made in the process. The obstacles the ambassadors from India had to overcome—racism, religious bigotry, colonial assumptions, finances, etc.—will be discussed as well. Also covered will be the prominent Westerners who imbibed Vedic wisdom through gurus and/or texts, integrated what they learned into their personal lives and their areas of expertise, and ultimately disseminated what they valued most to vast numbers of people. This second-hand transmission was sometimes explicit and properly attributed, and at other times altered so much (in style if not substance) that the original source was either vague or entirely obscured. In that context, we’ll examine the contribution of philosophers and public intellectuals (from Emerson to Aldous Huxley to contemporary scholars); psychologists (William James, Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow); scientists (Nikola Tesla, Erwin Schrodinger); and artists, including novelists (Herman Hesse, J.D. Salinger), poets (W.B. Yeats, Allen Ginsberg), filmmakers (George Lucas), and musicians (the Beatles especially).  The course will also describe how Hindu Dharma has influenced certain Christian and Jewish leaders, leading to significant shifts in religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices. The course will conclude with a look at the future in light of recent phenomena such as the medical embrace of hatha yoga and meditation and the assimilation of Hindu citizens of Indian descent since 1965. 

 

--October 3, 202

 

WHY NOT OCTOBER 2 BE THE WORLD PEACE DAY?

Cordell Hull, longest served State Secretary was born on October 2, 1871,   two years after Mahatma Gandhi was born in 1869 on October 2. Gore, ex vice president honored Hull’s Vision of Peace, yesterday on October 1, which surprisingly happened to be World Peace Day, unveiling Hull’s statue at Cumberland University. Hull was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1945.  E WAS AWARDED hhHindu Americans who celebrated 150^th   celebrating year Birth Day of Mahatma Gandhi, the world renowned Apostle of Peace two years back are today  celebrating 150^th Birth Day of famous Vision of Peace of  America Cordell Hull ullhHull  along with Mahatma Gandhi. The famous Carnatic music below equally applies to Cordell Hull too, whose statue has been unveiled.   I wish   October 2, was made World Peace Day, instead of September 21uull too, as October 2, seem to be divine intended day to give birth to Person of Peace!

In 1945, the year of Norway's liberation from Nazi-German occupation, the Nobel Committee wished to show its support for the establishment of the new world organization, the United Nations. This was done by awarding the Peace Prize to Cordell Hull, the man known as the "father of the United Nations".

Mahatama Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times but was never bestowed with the honor.  Let us posthumously award him with Peace Prize of the World greater than Nobel Peace Prize!

A renowned mridangist and musician’s most famous composition given below is "shAnti nilava vENDum," written when Mahatma Gandhi died. The song was meant as a tribute to Gandhi’s selfless service to the nation.  

“ShAnti nilava vENDum | Atma Shakti Onga vENDum | ulagilE GAndhi MahAtmA kaTTaLai | aduvE karuNai oTrumai kadiroLi paravi
 koDumai sei tIyor manamadu | tirunda naRguNam adai pughaTTiDuvOm|
maDamai accam aRuppOm | makkaLin mAsilA nallozhukkam vaLarppOm
tiDam tarum ahimsA yOgi| nam tandai AtmAnandam peRavE|
kaDamai maRavOm| avar kaDan tIrppOm| kalangamil aRam vaLarppOm| engum shanti nilaava vENDum| Atma Shakti Onga vENDum”

We need peace to pervade everywhere. Spiritual strength must rise in the world. Mahatma Gandhi ordained it that way. We must exhibit compassion, cooperation and general camaraderie towards everyone. To rectify the mind of the evil-doers, we shall preach good conduct. We shall get rid of ignorance and fear. We shall promote blemish-free rectitude in everyone. To enable our non-violent sage (Gandhi) to derive spiritual bliss let us not forget what we have to do and discharge our obligations. Let us promote truth everywhere.

--October 2, 2021

Comments:

It is a very good and apt suggestion. Thanks.

-Purushottama Rao 

 

 

 

 

 

Webinar Yoga on Bhagavad Gita with Shriram Sarvottam

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is mostly represented as a teacher of great wisdom and erudition; he figures as a Yogi. The Bhagavad Gita records that Krishna sat up every morning for meditation merging himself with the transcendental self. We read in the Mahabharata also that Krishna was in the habit of meditating on Brahman in the hours before sun-rise. Krishna in all probability was historical in character, and was a philosopher who harmonized the Samkhya Yoga with Brahmavada of the Upanishads. The poem has justly acquired an honored place in the religious literature of India, for it is at once philosophical in outlook and practical in intent. Working with metaphysical concepts, it prescribes concrete rules of efficient conduct.  

 

Mahabharata War is a historic war that took place exactly on 22 November, 3067 BC., and thew Kaliyuga started at 3102 BC based on the considerable astronomical and astrological descriptions and omens researched by the Physics Professor BN Narahari of Memphis and others. 

 

The Gita shows the path of attaining permanent peace and perfect bliss.  The path is that of Yoga to be achieved through the performance of Yajna (selfless action). Yoga literally means ‘Union’, a special type of union between the individual and the Supreme Soul. Yajna signifies briefly the offering of every little act at the altar of the Divine. 

 

The Gita recognizes that the people have different tendencies. Therefore, it puts forward a number of ways to achieve Yoga--the mystic union. Broadly, there is Karma Yoga, the Yoga of Action, Bhakti Yoga, the Yoga of Devotion and Jnana Yoga, the Yoga of Knowledge, though Gita deals with 18 paths of Yoga. The paths seem to be different to suit different natures of us, but the goal is the same, to attain union with the Divine Spirit. 

 

How these paths of Yoga link with Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali Maharshi can be learnt in this Webinar of HUA with Shriram Sarvottam and further benefited to practice in our life-routine.  It is generally believed Philosophic Yoga was perfected as a Science by Patanjali but he was not the author!

Gist of the Webinar of HUA

 

 

 

 

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Can deep meditation and dynamic activity co-exist in the same person? Or are some people meditative by nature while others are driven to action? Are we constrained by our own past Karmas to move in one direction or the other? Or can they be integrated? 

 

One of the unique contributions of the Bhagavad Gita is the synthesis of Nivritti Marga (path of contemplation) and Pravritti Marga (path of dynamic activity) through Yoga. 

 

In this Webinar, HUA will introduce the participants to a structured Journey of Exploration of the world of Yoga as enunciated in the Bhagavad Gita by Krishna. HUA will also compare Krishna's exposition with the teachings of Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. 

‑‑October 2, 2011

 

 

 

World Smile Day

Our mood also depends on what we think. We can actually control the way we feel and the way we react in any given situation. Hence keep thinking about those things which make you happy and spend time with those people who inspire you. 

 

Laughter creates a good effect on everyone and creates a positive vibe. Being happy is the key to good health as it keeps your heart healthy. We celebrated HEART DAY on September 29. 

 

So spread some happiness among others for which you can also tell them a joke. Their smile will fill your heart with happiness too. It is said that when you share your happiness it increases. Give the poor and needy children things that they need or give them candies. You can also spend some good time with them or help them. Helping any needy will give them happiness for sure but it will also make you so happy that you will forget all your stress. 

 

Every year World Smile Day is celebrated on the first Friday of October. This year it is being celebrated on October 1.  American graphic artist Harvey Ball from Worcester, Massachusetts is the one who started this day. He created the first ever smiley in 1963 while working for a client of his own advertising agency. 

 

Harvey Ball created the smiley face for an insurance company which hired him to create an image to boost the morale of its employees. The result was the first ever smiley which became an instant hit. After several years Ball came up with the idea that at least one day in a year should be dedicated to smiling. Hence he conceptualized the World Smile Day and since 1999 it is being celebrated on the first Friday of October every year. 

 

Today on this occasion, know how one can remain happy in every situation. 

If you start your day with a smile, then the entire day in all probability will remain positive. When you smile for real dopamine and serotonin hormones get released in your body. These hormones are responsible for your happiness. Serotonin reduces stress and dopamine increases happiness and experience of pleasure. 

 

The main aim of Harvey foundation is “make whatever number individuals as could know of World Smile Day by utilizing online networks and your assistance to motivate smiles by demonstrations of love and kindness all around the globe.” This initiative of world smile day was loved by many people and it received praise from schools, people and organizations. Hence the theme for world smile day is "Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile". 

Warm smile is the universal language of kindness. (William Arthur Ward) 

Comments:

 

Thanks for the information. Also one looks his/her best while smiling! Yes; Smile is the start up for positivity! Regards.

-- A.N. Sapthagireeshan

 

 

 

 

FOUR NAVARATRIS OF HINDU TRADITION

 

Sharada Navaratri   (September/ October) dates - October 7 to October 14, 2021 

 

Most popular Sharad Navratri festival dedicated to Mother Goddess Durga and her numerous forms in Hindu religion are from October 7 to October 14, 2021.     This nine-day festival of Navratri in Hinduism celebrates the victory of good over evil - Dharma overcomes Adharma with the blessing of Goddess Durga. The nine-day festival begins on the first day of the bright half of Ashwin or Ashwayuja (September-October) as per traditional Hindu lunar calendar. 

 

2021 Navratri Calendar  

Day 1 – October 7 – Ghatasthapana – Chandra Darshan – Shailputri Puja
Day 2 – October 8 – Brahmacharini Devi Puja 

Day 3 – October 9 – Sindoor Tritiya – Chitrangada Devi Puja 

Day 4 – October 10 – Upang Lalita Vrat – Lalitha Panchami – Kushmanda Devi Puja 

Day 5 – October 11 – Skanda Mata Puja 

Day 6 – October 11 – Katyayani Devi Puja 

Day 7 – October 12 – Kalaratri Devi Puja 

Day 8 – October 13 – Mahashtami  – Mahagauri Devi Puja 

Day 9 – October 14 – Maha Navami – Siddhidatri Devi Puja
Day 10 – October 15 - Dussehra. 

Saraswati Avahan in Maharashtra is on Oct 21;Saraswati Puja is on Oct 22 in Maharashtra; Saraswati Balidan is on October 23 in Maharashtra and Mahalakshmi Puja is on October 23 in Maharashtra. 

The tenth day is celebrated as Dasara or Vijaya Dashami. (October 15, 2021)
The nine days are famous for Bathukamma in Telangana (Oct 7 to Oct 14). Dasara in Mysore (Karnataka) is from (October 7 to October 15).   Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala celebrates October 15, 2021 as Vijaya- dasmi Day.

 

Significance of Navratri 

Mother Goddess Shakti who appears in various forms to save and protect her children are worshipped on the nine days. There is no end to her forms. Whenever her children are in difficulty, she takes a form to annihilate the evil and protect her children like a caring mother. She is the all providing mother who nourishes and feeds her children. Life on earth exists due to her blessing.

Symbolically the first three days of Navratri are an opportunity to overcome inertia (Tamas), the next three days are dedicated to overcoming passion (Rajas) and the next three days are for keeping the mind eternally focused on purity (Sattva). The nine days are an opportunity to reboot. Make positive changes to life with blessings of Maa Durga. 

 

Navratri - Importance and Spiritual Significance 

Every Hindu festival has a spiritual message for the sadhaka. This nine-day festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil. In fact the theme of the entire Vedas is reflected in the Navratri festival: first remove all negativities; then purify the mind and cultivate positive virtues; and finally gain spiritual knowledge and transcend all limitations. 

 On the first three nights Durga is invoked for her strength and ferocity which are required to cut out from the mind its strong rooted, deep-seated negative tendencies. Goddess Laxmi is (then) worshipped on the next three nights. She is invited to bring in her wealth of noble values to nourish and purify the cleansed mind. Finally Goddess Saraswati is invoked on the last three nights to bestow the Higher Knowledge of the Self possible only after cleansing and purification have taken place. 

With the dawn of spiritual wisdom, the little ego is destroyed. This destruction is commemorated on the 10th night with the burning of an effigy. This 10th day is called Vijayadashami (Vijaya-victory, Dashami-ten);  Victory Day or the Joy of Enlightenment respectively. 

At Navaratri time the Rasa (dance of joy) of Shree Krishna and the Gopis is also performed. As the mind becomes purer, calmer quieter, a greater understanding of the nature of the Inner Self is revealed, giving rise to joy and happiness which is expressed in this dance of Realization. 

Why is the Navratri Festival celebrated at night? The spiritual message of night-time worship is that “you have lived long enough in the sleepy realm of tamas, it is time to get up now. 

 

Kanya Pujan 

On eighth or ninth day of the festival, people perform Kanya Pujan. Young girls less than the age of nine is invited and given food and clothes. According to Devi Bhagwat Purana, it is believed that by worshiping girls, devotees will receive the real merit of their prayers. Especially those who observe nine-day long fast must worship a girl child at the end of Navratri. Little girls are believed to be the avatar of Goddess Durga on earth and worshipped on Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami. Children across the universe are considered the purest form of humans. So people hold Kanya Puja to worship and acknowledge the pure soul. Durga killed Kolasura on earth who threatened the heaven and the earth. Durga descended on earth created by the joint power Brahma, Vishnu and Siva pleased by the prayers of humans and divines.  

  

Navratri Mantra 

You can chant any mantra dedicated to Mother Goddess. Here are three mantras chanting of which are considered highly helpful and meritorious.
सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके । शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥  

Sarva mangala mangalye shive sarvartha sadhike | Sharanye trayambake gauri, Narayani namostute || 

शङ्खचक्रगदाशङ्र्गगृहीत परमायुधे। प्रसीद वैष्णवीरूपे नारायणि नमोस्तुते।। 

Shankhchakragadaashankagrahita paramayudhe Prasida Vaishanaviroope Naraayani Namostute 

 देवि प्रपन्नाॢतहरे प्रसीद  प्रसीद मातर्जगतोखिलस्य। प्रसीद विश्वेश्वरि पाहि विश्वं त्वमीश्वरी देवि चराचरस्य।। 

Devi prapannarthahare prasida prasida matarjgatokhilsaya Prasaida Vishveshwari Pahi Vishwam Tavamishwaree Devi Characharsya 

 

Navaratri Celebration in South India

In South India, Goddess Durga is worshipped during the first three days. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped during the next three day. Goddess Saraswati is worshipped during the last three days. Ayudha puja including keeping of books, musical instruments and other educational materials on Ashtami. The materials are not touched on Ashtami and Navami. A kalash symbolizing the Goddesses is prepared and worshipped during the Navratri period. Musical concerts and Navratri Golu dolls are highlights of the festival. Vijayadasami is observed as Vidyarambham Day to start studies, in Kerala.  

 

Bommai Kolu - Navratri Dolls 

The festival in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is famous for the arrangements of dolls known as Bommai Golu. It is known as Bommala Koluvu in Andhra Pradesh and it is known as Gombe Habba in Karnataka.

  

Bathukamma in Telangana 

The nine day festival is famous for the Bathukamma festival. It is performed using natural wild flowers and clay. The festival is nature worship and Mother Goddess worship together.   In Karnataka, the festival is famous for the world famous Mysuru Dasara.   Tirupati Balaji Temple celebrates the annual Brahmotsavam on the nine days of Navaratri. 

 

Durga Puja in Eastern Parts of India 

In eastern parts of India mainly in Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Assam, Tripura and other states, Navaratri is famous as Durga Puja. The main rituals are observed on Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami day.   

 

Dashain in Nepal 

The nine-day Navratri is popularly known as Dashain in Nepal. The myth behind the celebration and the period are the same as Navratri but the method of celebration differs. The festival begins with Ghatasthapana. As the name indicates, a pot or kalash with an image of Goddess Durga is installed in the house on the day. The pot or kalash is filled with water and is covered with cow dung and seeds are sown on the dung. The pot is kept on a sand bed and seeds are sown on this too. Special pujas are conducted on the pot and water is sprinkled daily. The room where kalash is kept is known as Dashain Ghar. Several beds of the plant are made as they are distributed on the Vijayadashami day. This plant is known as ‘Jamara’ and is considered to be the blessing of Goddess Durga. The seventh day is known as fulpati. Animal sacrifices are held on the eighth and ninth day. 

 

Chandra Darshan during Navratri – Worship of Moon 

Chandra Darshan is the viewing of the moon and worship of it during the second day of Navratri. Nine nights of Navratri dedicated to Mother Goddess Shakti begins on the day after Amavasya (September/October) – the no moon day. Chandra Darshan is observed on the second day of Navaratri. In 2021, Chandra Darshan is on October 7. Chandra Darshan is of great significance in North India, Gujarat and Maharashtra. On the first day of Navratri, Ghatasthapana is performed in North India but the moon is not rarely visible on the day as it is the Pratipada – the first day after Amavasya. 

Chandra Darshan takes place on the second day when the moon emerges out. 

 

Sindhoor Tritiya 

Sindhoor Tritiya is observed on the third day of the 9-day Navratri festival. On this day Maa Chandraghanta is worshiped. In 2021, Sindhoor Tritiya is observed on October 8. This day is of great significance in North India. This is a ritual during Navratri, which is closely associated with Sindhoor – the red powder or Vermilion – which is an essential part of Hindu ritual and closely associated with Mother Goddess worship. The day also marks the end of the first three days of Navaratri, especially in South India. The first three days of Navaratri is here dedicated to Goddess Durga. The next three days are dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi. 

 

Source-An article published in the magazine October 2000 edition Chinmaya magazine of Chinmaya Mission. 

May Maa Durga bestow you and your family with 9 forms of blessings--Fame, Name, Wealth, Prosperity, Happiness, Education, Health, Power and Commitment!  Happy Navaratri!

 

 

Ganesha May Not be Parvati Putra But Picked-up Leader from Vishwaksena Army 

 

 Recently we celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi. Who is this Ganesha? Is he exclusive to Saivites and Prime deity? 

“Vishwakse:na and Vina:yaka are not one and the same. Vishwakse:na appears just like Lord Na:ra:yana Himself to devotees. Color will be ordinary and not blue. Along with Sankha and Chakra he will be holding a long stick in his left hand and showing index finger with right hand, to threaten all the evil powers. Several elephants headed (gaja mukhas) gana:dhipathis are in his force, to obey his instructions in removing the hurdles of Vishnu devotees. Vishwak Se:na is the whole and sole to look after the administration of the entire Universe and also the Paramapadam. Here is a verse that says: “vande: vaikuntta se:na:nyam, de:vam su:travathi:sakham |yad ve:thra sikhara spande: viswam e:thath vyavasthitham ||”  

 

Whatever draft he prepares with regard to running the vibhuties or Universes, will be accepted by Lord Srimannarayana, without any alteration or addition, it seems. A:lawanda:r Stho:tram reveals this in its verse ”priye:na se:na:pathina: nyave:di thath, thattha:nuja:nantham uda:ra vi:kshanaihi”.  

This is the exclusiveness of Sri Vishwak Se:na--there are so many Gajamukhas  in this Vishnusena and   also worshiped in his place and his worship is accepted.   

   

But then that Gajamukha will be having four hands with sankha and chakra and also with U;rdhwa pundram on his fore-head. These Gajamukhas are not mu:shika Va:hanas or rat riders” --Chinna Jeer 

 

Based on the narration of Chinna Jeer that brings to limelight scriptural references, I strongly believe Siva just destroyed the mind-created guard of Parvati and installed one of the Gajamukha leaders of Vishwaksena as Prathama Vandita, whom we worship with full deity status that should have two tusks and four hands around him, around whom several myths have been built to make him exclusive Gajamukha Gana and also made Ekadanta!  

 

The unique Nandrudayan Vinayaka Temple in Trichy is located in the East Boulevard Road in the region of Devasthanams (Postal code: 620002). Though the accurate age of the temple is unknown as to its antiquity, the temple is glorified in the sacred verses of 7th century Tamil Nayanars and Thirujnana Sambandar. What is more, the temple has been glorified by Kanchi Maha Periyavar Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamy. Broadly speaking, the Nandrudayan Vinayaka Temple is regarded as one of the oldest temples by all people of Tiruchirappalli. The Nandrudayan Vinayaka Temple is one of the very few temples in the country where the elephant god Lord Ganesha offers his blessings in the form of human. Yes, you read it right; this is the only temple in the region, which houses the idol of Vinayaka (Lord Ganesha) in human form.    

  

This confirms the origin of worship of two tusked elephant human bodied form of deity as well as single tusked Ganapati around whom many myths are spun around to distinct him from Vaishnava army leader and even superior raising to full deity status from sub-servient level. 

It is not possible to subside the popularity of Ganesha Worship today. So, we should install Ganesha deity with two tusks and four hands with Chandan Bindi avoiding terms of Ekadanta,  in all Hindu American multi-traditional temples,  whom Saivites and Vaishnavee's could worship with same reverence!

 

 

 

WHOLE PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL ALROUND CURE 

 

There are three levels of response to the COVID-19 outbreak: how it affects us physically, mentally and spiritually. The physical response came first, and by now everyone knows about self-isolation, social distancing and testing. The second effect, on our psyches, is being experienced personally but with only fitful answers and advice. The best advice in the mental area is meditation and yoga, relaxation techniques and paying attention every day to finding not just relaxation but joy and comfort in your life. 

 

The virus makes the need for a positive psychological response more urgent, and the good news is that meditation and yoga are good for anti-stress, which is connected to a strong immune response. 

 

But it is the third area, the spiritual effect of the outbreak, that is being neglected, even though the presence of death, whether we want it to or not, evokes concern about the state of our souls. Spiritual well-being is alien to many people’s daily lives, and with the decline of organized religion, millions of people experience a sick soul, however you want to define it — weariness of heart, existential dread, a sinking feeling that nothing really matters — without finding a way out. 

 

Meditation is nothing more than being alone in silence with yourself and letting your awareness go to the place where peace and joy are eternal. That’s how you test an eternal truth and make it true for you. 

 

It doesn’t terribly matter what kind of meditation you do; using a simple mantra like “So hum” is effective, but you can find meditation instructions everywhere online. The point is that among all the ways to find spiritual fulfillment, this is the most lasting, the most satisfying and the most meaningful. 

- Deepak Chopra, MD, FACP 

 

Mental Health 

 

If your teen appears to be depressed, you may have suggested that is time to get help. What can you do if they refuse to get help? Unfortunately, this is more common than many parents would like to believe. 

 

A depressed teen usually doesn't realize that depression is the reason for changes in how they are feeling or acting. Part of the disorder is not thinking clearly enough to see what's really going on and feeling too lousy to deal with it even if you do. 

 

There are a number of effective approaches to ease a teen into taking the first steps in facing depression and getting the help they need. There's no right or wrong way to do this. Start with the method that seems to best fit your teen's personality and problems. If that doesn't work, try another. 

 

Tips for Helping a Depressed Teen 

 

If you are concerned that your teen may be depressed, but they appear uninterested in getting help or perhaps outright refuse it, there are steps that you can take to help them. Proceed with gentle but firm methods to persuade your teen to get help. These varied approaches have all been effective in helping depressed teens move forward. 

 

Communication 

Talking openly and honestly with your teen is the first step. 

• Talk in specific terms about the signs and changes you've seen in them that concern you and that point to possible depression. 
• Discuss untreated depression and how it can negatively impact them. 
• Make a compassionate deal. For example, tell them that if they'll agree to getting an evaluation with a therapist specializing in teen depression, you'll treat them to a hot fudge sundae or another reward that motivates them. 
• Attempt to empathize with the pain your teen is feeling. For example, discuss that while you can't know exactly how they're feeling, outwardly they seem unhappy. 
•  

Research has shown that fear of what family members may think is a significant barrier to treatment for many depressed teens.  They may not share what they are feeling due to shame or fear that close family members will not understand. Communicating with a teen openly about depression is one way to help overcome this fear and stigma. 

 

Encouragement 

 

Once you've expressed your concern, encourage your teen to seek the help they need. 

• Reassure your teen that being depressed is a common medical condition that they should never feel ashamed about. 
• Give them a list of the positive qualities you know they have that will help them to heal. 
• Acknowledge that getting help takes courage. 
• Reward them for any steps they take to deal with their depression. 

Unfortunately, research has shown that only about one-third of U.S. adolescents with depression seek treatment.  

One study indicated that worries about what other people might think are a key barrier to treatment. Talking to a teen about the benefits of receiving treatment may help reduce some of the stigma and fear that some adolescents feel. 

 

Support 

 

Give your teen unwavering support and encourage them to develop a healing support system. 

• Let them know that you're in this with them—that you'll do whatever it takes to help and support them for as long as they need you. 
• Repeat as often as possible, "I'm really concerned about you, I really want to help, and I'm here for you." 
•  

Research has found that teen depression can have a serious impact on a child's physical, family, social, and school functioning. Supporting a teen by checking in regularly, inviting them to participate in social events, or just helping them with day-to-day tasks can be a way of showing that you care. 

 

Finding Help 

 

Assist your teen in finding the right providers for the help they need. 

• Offer to help them develop a list of questions they should ask a professional about depression and their specific symptoms and circumstances. 
• Express that they don't have to suffer alone. 
• Encourage them to talk to their doctor or a school counselor. 

 

 A Word from Very-well 

 

Most of these approaches can be facilitated through direct discussion or e-mails, texts, or pictures. Use whatever it takes to help your teen find the inner resources to take this first step. Don't allow yourself to get discouraged, and don't give up. Teen depression is very serious and treatment is necessary in order to heal. 

 

The word “holistic” means “dealing with the whole of something”. So, to take a holistic approach to medicine means to treat the whole person not only physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well.  

For example, if a patient comes in with a stomach ache, a holistic treatment plan would not only include relief from the pain, but also seek to address any underlying causes. What’s the patient’s diet like? Could stress be a factor? In this way, holistic medicine is focused on both treatment and prevention. 

 

Scientific benefits of mantra meditation  

A 2016 study of 45 inexperienced chanters and 27 experienced chanters found that chanting “om” for 10 minutes can help: reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms; improve attention; enhance positive mood; foster feelings of social cohesion 

 

According to a 2017 paper, humming can boost the production of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide helps regulate the nervous, immune, and cardiovascular systems. This in turn can help increase blood flow and muscle relaxation. 

 

The 2017 paper also states that when the correct technique is used, chanting can help reduce symptoms of anxiety. This includes slowing heart rate, reducing blood pressure, and oxygenating the brain. 

 

Using MRI scans, a 2000 studyTrusted Source on the practice of meditation found that meditation activates structures within the autonomic nervous system involved in attention and control. This part of the nervous system regulates bodily functions involved in anxiety, such as: heart rate;blood pressure; respiratory rate. 

 

A 2018 review of 37 studies also suggests that mantra meditation may be a helpful addition to workplace well-being initiatives or education programs. However, the researchers point out that more studies are needed to explore this. 

 

One large 2017 study Trusted Source showed that for meditation and mantra practice to be effective, understanding the underlying mechanisms, benefits, and applications of the practice is important. 

 

And a 2012 review Trusted Source of 36 studies found that meditative techniques can reduce anxiety symptoms, but not help clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders. 

 

Based on present studies, while mantras may be a useful and effective complementary tool, mantras aren’t a substitute for mental health treatment. Be sure to talk to your doctor, therapist, or psychiatrist about your symptoms and a treatment plan that’s right for you. 

 

 

 

 

 

Universal Oneness in Religious Approach Needs Focus to Save the World 

  

For Hindus living in Nashville the following news that appeared in comes as no surprise or heart-breaking for they know their own history too well and know that Hindus have lived with it for a millennium:”Muslim extremists who had captured the world city of Mosul in Iraq ordered all Christians to convert to Islam, or face execution". They later revoked the tax as an option.  The result has been mass exodus of Christians to the neighboring semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan. The extremists changed the church to a mosque, ruined historic museums and destroyed a monastery and manuscripts that were 1000 years old. The houses of Christians in Mosul are specially marked with the Arabic letter N   to dictate their fanatic terms. The Muslim fanatics who had taken over the city, calling themselves the Islamic State, issued an ultimatum to the city’s Christians, saying that if they did not leave, they “must convert to Islam, pay a fine, or face ‘death by the sword.’” Because of this, most of the city’s estimated 3,000 Christians had to flee.   

 

Lama Ma rut, a student of Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism and an ordained Buddhist monk came to Bible Belt of Nashville to promote his book “Be Nobody”.  Lama Ma rut comes from a Christian background, after practicing Hinduism, now practices Buddhism. I often wondered why he preferred Buddhism to Hinduism! Probably he was focused on its Spirituality, no thoughts on God and Caste-free society!      

 

It is extremely important for us, in an increasingly multicultural and multi-religious global society to promote Vedanta philosophy of sanghacchadvam sam vadadvam, to join together and speak together and not self-aggrandizement of a religion. “I am not interested in being famous as an individual person or a having a lot of likes on the Facebook page. Unfortunately, much of what happens on the Internet …encourages the kind of   self-centeredness that we are all liable to anyway… And it just seems like that’s unfortunately how many, many people are using this potentially incredible media that the Internet has opened for us” says Lama Ma rut, coming to a Christianity Belt. 

 

Hinduism that we practice in USA is not ancient Vedic Religion, Sanatana Dharma, but caste biased and compartmentalized Hinduism of India, encouraged and promoted by British rich, middle, poor, color biased society, around 18^th century.  Hindu Americans should revert back to Universality and Universal Oneness than Universal Brotherhood unity and diversity often get engaged in fights. All religions are not alike in USA. If we go beneath the surface, the simple superficial level of religious belief and practices we can find pretty much all the elements of every tradition, every religion in any religion. They all contain the basic principle of sanghacchadvam samvadadvam, samaanamaakootih may be within their small circles!     This wisdom of Vedas that are preached by urban monks today, I have tried to bring to focus participant’s attention in my discourses.  

 

“The Vedic religion that I am raising up before the USA and World Forum is   developed and perfected by rishis and saints of Ancient Tradition or Sanatana Dharma that is suited to all humans at all times” said Swami Vivekananda to the World Religious Forum that later Aurobindo too promoted.  

I do not know how many of you are able to get to the bottom of it? If we follow the Vedic wisdom of “Eko Viprah Bahudaa vadanti” The ONE the pundits call many and “Vasudheiva Kutumbakam”,--Whole world is one family, the disturbances and miseries we see around the globe will not happen. Is it not strange the Arabic religions and Christianity coming from the same God get engaged in constant fights? Rishis too engaged in several epithets of ONE and Unity? 

 

In fact, god is within all of us! The Gita teaches on zeroing on desire and attain godhood (man minus desire=God). 

 

Please go through my compilation on this vital subject:  

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2021/09/our-goal-is-unity-not-uniformity.html 

 

 

 

 

Birth, Disease, Aging and Death Avoid No Movable or Immovable 

Indriyārtheṣhu vairāgyam anahankāra eva cha | janma-mṛityu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣhānudarśhanam--Gita 13-9. 

 

Non-attachment with regard to objects of the senses, and also absence of egotism; seeing the evil in birth, death, old age, diseases and miseries.  

 

One should try to understand the distress of accepting birth, death, old age and disease. There are descriptions in various Vedic literatures of origin. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the world of the unborn, the child’s stay in the womb of the mother, its suffering, etc., are all very graphically described. It should be thoroughly understood that birth is distressful. Because we forget how much distress we have suffered within the womb of the mother, we do not make any solution to the repetition of birth and death. Similarly at the time of death there are all kinds of sufferings, and they are also mentioned in the authoritative scriptures. These should be discussed. And as far as disease and old age are concerned, everyone gets practical experience. No one wants to be diseased, and no one wants to become old, but there is no avoiding these. Unless we have a pessimistic view of this material life, considering the distresses of birth, death, old age and disease, there is no impetus for our making advancement in spiritual life.  

 

The plant starts life as a seed, which germinates and grows into a plant. The mature plant produces flowers, which are fertilized and produce seeds in a fruit or seedpod. The plant eventually dies, leaving seeds which germinate to produce new plants.   Different categories have their own life-cycles.

 

Annuals take one year to complete their life cycle. 

Biennials take two years to complete their life cycle, germinating and growing roots and leaves in their first year, flowering, setting seed and dying in their second year. 

 

Perennials live for several years after germination. 

 

Monocarpic plants produce seeds only once, but may take several years to grow to maturity. The Galipot Palm may live for 60 years or more before it produces flowers and seeds, and it then dies.  

 

Scientists do not fully understand why for example, in some oak trees fail to drop their leaves in fall. They do know that the abscission layer does not entirely form. In other trees, the abscission layer cuts the flow of water and nutrients to the leaf, which then dies and readily breaks away and falls to the ground. In oak species, the persistent leaves eventually do fall off even in some species that carry brown leaves through the winter. Heavy snow or ice or strong winds tear or beat the brown leaves off the branches. If some old leaves remain by spring, the swelling buds and emerging leaves push them off. This phenomenon is called Marcescens not even know to science!  

 

In normal tissues, the rates of new cell growth and old cell death are kept in balance. Every day thousands of our body’s cells die off. Every day exactly the right number of exactly the right types of cells take the place of those that die off. When everything is in proper working order, we never notice the death ad birth.  Generally, humans with good record of karma can live for full comfortable 100 years--Pasyema saradassatam; jeevema saradssatam! 

 

One who is not mature in his performance of yoga, he is given chance, another chance—another chance in a very nice family, śucīnām, very pure brāhmaṇa family; śrīmatām, very rich, royal or very rich mercantile family. These are chances. Nature, under the order of Bhagawan (remover of six evils), is giving chances to us, giving chance to us to come out of the entanglement of birth and death: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). One should be intelligent to see the troubles of these four incidences of life: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is the whole Vedic system can be recognized by knowing it and trying it. 

 

We reach the top species of human and can raise to Super-human level to attain Liberation in our struggle in life!  The liberation can be to get saalokya, saameepya or saayujya--get into divine region, get as near as possible to the divine or become a particle of it. Bhagavad Gita Sloka tells us-- plants, 4-legged animals and two legged humans are subjected to these.  Supreme Being is described in MNU as yatah maheeyaan mahatah oshadheebhih, charaacharani bhootaani vivesah--- that Being who has entered all medicinal plants, movable and immovable that need to be realized by turning inwards.  

 

Materially, Scientists investigate and tell us and teach us: 

 

The Scientists do not fully understand why some oak trees fail to drop their leaves in fall.  

 

Seedling and young oak trees may awkwardly and irregularly hold onto leaves into winter, but with maturity, they manage to drop leaves in late fall.  

 

Some oak trees consistently retain their dead leaves past the fall, regardless of their age.  

 

Evergreen oaks, such as live oak (Q. virginiana and Q. agrifolia), retain their living leaves year-round but do shed their oldest leaves in spring just before young leaves appear, Movables should have either two hands and two legs (humans) or two legs and two wings to fly or swim (birds) or four legs and so-called animals. 

 

Rigveda calls for peace not only among all movables as two legged and four legged (dvipade and chatushpade) but also plants in its mantra calling for Eco balance for all around Peace Fullment. May be all three worlds in mind?

 

Thachamyor vrunimahe; Jnyaathum yajnaaya;  Jnyaathum Yajna pathaye; Daivee swasthirasthu nah; Swasthir Manushebhya; Urdhwam Jignyaathu beshajam; Sam no asthu dwipadhe; Sam chatush pade; Om Shanthi, Shanthi, Shantih.  

 

Let us go to praying for the Supreme with all enthusiasm for good deeds, knowing Fire Sacrifices and knowing Lord Fire Sacrifices!   Let us praying to him seeking wellness for people, medicine herbs and plants, let us raising voice towards the skies, request Him for wellness for all two-legged beings and four legged beings and let us request Peace all round past, present and future in all three worlds.

 

 

WEBINAR OF THE WEEK ON DHARMA OF GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY

This course explores the impact of ancient Vedic Wisdom on the modern questions of environmental sustainability and global regeneration. It draws upon key lessons from Hindu Dharma and from the lives of the instructor and students to elicit the fundamental truths underlying a thriving human economy in a globally regenerating natural world and explores why we have strayed so far from these truths at present.

As a conscientious citizen of the world, these thoughts must have crossed your mind:

• What does the changing climate hold for the future of humanity?
• Is our current Lifestyle sustainable?  
• Can humanity solve the problems of Global Environmental Sustainability?
• Or will we leave a growing burden for our youth? 

We are confronted with some of the gravest environmental challenges ever faced by any generation of humans in our memory. This webinar on The Dharma of Global Sustainability aims to deliberate upon the lessons for Global Regeneration from the ancient Vedic Wisdom of Hindu Dharma and introduce you to a quarter long course taught by Dr. Sailesh Rao on the same topic.

This information is pertinent not only for the youth of the world but also for those who care for them.

 

 

aUTUMN EQUINOX--September 21st-22nd 

 

This festival is now named after the God of Welsh mythology, Mabon. He is the Child of Light and the son of the Earth Mother Goddess, Modron. In truth, there is little evidence that Mabon was celebrated in Celtic countries and the term Mabon was applied as recently as the 1970's. All part of our reconstructed Paganism... 

 

Here is another point of perfect balance on the journey through the Wheel of the Year, its counterpart being Ostara or the Spring Equinox. Night and day are again of equal length and in perfect equilibrium - dark and light, masculine and feminine, inner and outer, in balance. But we are again on the cusp of transition and from now the year now begins to wane and from this moment darkness begins to defeat the light. The cycle of the natural world is moving towards completion, the Sun's power is waning and from now on the nights grow longer and the days are shorter and cooler. The sap of trees returns back to their roots deep in the earth, changing the green of summer to the fire of autumn, to the flaming reds, oranges and golds. We are returning to the dark from whence we came. 

 

But before we do that, going party (again)! This is the Second Harvest, the Fruit Harvest and the Great Feast of Thanksgiving. The Goddess is radiant as Harvest Queen and the God finally dies with His gift of pure love with the cutting of the last grain. He will return. As the grain harvest is safely gathered in from Lammas and reaches completion, we enjoy the abundance of fruit and vegetables at this time. It is time to thank the waning Sun for the wealth of harvest bestowed upon us. It sometimes seems that each Festival requires the making of celebration and the giving of thanks, but this really is so, each turn of the Wheel brings both inner and outer gifts and insights. 

 

So, Mabon is a celebration and also a time of rest after the labor of harvest. In terms of life path, it is the moment of reaping what you have sown, time to look at the hopes and aspirations of Imbolc and Ostara and reflect on how they have manifested. It is time to complete projects, to clear out and let go that which is no longer wanted or needed as we prepare for descent, so that the winter can offer a time for reflection and peace. And it is time to plant seeds of new ideas and hopes which will lie dormant but nourished in the dark, until the return of “Spring” 

 

Symbols of Mabon 

The Cornucopia 

 

The Cornucopia, or Horn of Plenty, is a traditional symbol for Mabon. It is a wonderful symbol for the wealth of harvest and is beautifully balanced symbol which is both male (phallic) and female (hollow and receptive)

The Apple 

The apple is the symbol of the Fruit Harvest. The apple figures significantly in many sacred traditions. It is a symbol for life and immortality, for healing, renewal, regeneration and wholeness. It is associated with beauty, long life and restored youth. The Ogham name for apple is Quert and Quert is the epitome of health and vitality. The apple is at the heart of the Ogham grove and is the source of life. For Pagans, the apple contains a 'secret'. Cut an apple width way and it reveals a pentagram containing seeds. It is a much-loved symbol of Paganism. The five points represent the elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water with Spirit at the top, and thus also the directions of East, South, West, North and Within (Soul). 

 

A circle around the pentagram represents the eternal circle/cycle of life and nature, and of wholeness. In ritual and ceremony, the pentacle corresponds to the element of Earth. It is believed to be a protection against evil for both the person and the home, worn as an amulet or used to guard entrances to the home through windows and doors. 

 

Great Feast of Thanksgiving after Autumn Equinox Feast  

 

Celebrate with a feast for friends and family using as much fruit & veg, locally grown, as you can. Go for a walk and collect as much of nature's wild abundance as you can, while respecting the need to leave enough for everyone else.  Prepare to hibernate!  This is an excellent time to plant tree seeds and shrubs. They have all of winter in the darkness to establish and germinate. Plant bulbs which will hide in the earth until early spring beckons. Make each one a hope, idea or aspiration for spring and wait until their little green noses show above ground - to remind you! Turn inwards and "Plant the Trees of Peace!"

 

As we see time and again during the fall, the trees shed their leaves as part of the cycle of renewal.  This is a universal principle – in order to grow, we must release something.  This is true of our own bodies in ways we don’t even notice; we are constantly shedding old cells and creating new ones.  If our physical bodies didn’t have this process, we’d have a much shorter life span, as the old tissues would wear out rather quickly. 

 

In normal tissues, the rates of new cell growth and old cell death are kept in balance. Every day thousands of our body’s cells die off. Every day exactly the right number of exactly the right types of cells take the place of those that die off. And if everything is in proper working order, we never even notice.

 

Leaves of deciduous trees die, but many don't fall when they die. Botanists call this retention of dead plant matter marcescence. Ever green-ness is thought to confer an advantage to a tree by increasing the time available for its leaves to remain photosynthetic and by reducing nutrient losses associated with dropped leaves.

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.

In 2021, as we heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are inspired to think creatively and collectively about how to help everyone recover better, how to build resilience, and how to transform our world into one that is more equal, more just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and healthier.

The pandemic is known for hitting the underprivileged and marginalized groups the hardest. By April 2021, over 687 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered globally, but over 100 countries have not received a single dose. People caught in conflict are especially vulnerable in terms of lack of access to healthcare.

In line with the Secretary-General’s appeal for a global ceasefire last March, in February 2021 the Security Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for Member States to support a “sustained humanitarian pause” to local conflicts. The global ceasefire must continue to be honored, to ensure people caught in conflict have access to lifesaving vaccinations and treatments.

The pandemic has been accompanied by a surge in stigma, discrimination, and hatred, which only cost more lives instead of saving them: the virus attacks all without caring about where we are from or what we believe in. Confronting this common enemy of humankind, we must be reminded that we are not each other’s enemy. To be able to recover from the devastation of the pandemic, we must make peace with one another.

And we must make peace with nature. Despite the travel restrictions and economic shutdowns, climate change is not on pause. What we need is a green and sustainable global economy that produces jobs, reduces emissions, and builds resilience to climate impacts.

The 2021 theme for the International Day of Peace is “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world”. We invite you to join the efforts of the United Nations family as we focus on recovering better for a more equitable and peaceful world. Celebrate peace by standing up against acts of hate online and offline, and by spreading compassion, kindness, later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted.

 

WE NEED PEACE TO PERVADE EVERYWHERE

ShAnti   nilava vENDum Atmashakti   OngavENDum 

ulagilE  GAndhi  mahAtmA  kaTTaLai  aduvE karuNai 

oTRumai kadiroli paravi  koDumai  seydiDum 

manamadu  tirunda naRguNam adai pugaTTiDuvOm
maDamai  accam   aRuppOm makkaLin  mAsilA  nallozhukkam  vaLarppOm
diDam tarum  ahimsA yOgi nam  tandai AtmAnandam   peRavE kaDamai  maRavOm  avar  kaDan tIrppOm

We need peace to pervade everywhere. Spiritual strength must rise in the world.  MahAtmA Gandhi ordained it that way. We must exhibit compassion, cooperation and general camaraderie towards every one.To rectify the mind of the evil-doers, and we shall preach good conduct. We shall get rid of ignorance and fear. We shall promote blemish-free rectitude in everyone. To enable our nonviolent sage (Gandhi) to derive spiritual bliss let us not forget what we have to do and discharge our obligations. Let us promote truth everywhere.

Plant a peace tree. The LEAF International Organization helps schools around the globe plant trees for peace and prepare for a more sustainable future.

Want to live a long life? Choose your parents carefully. While environment and lifestyle certainly play a role, longevity definitely runs in families. If you have a grandparent who lived to 100, your own chances of doing the same are much higher than average. Male siblings of centenarians are 18 times as likely as their male peers to live to 100 and for female siblings of centenarians, the odds are 8.5 times higher than for other women born around the same time.

 

 

TAT -TWAM -ACI--THAT -GOD -IS

 

The theme of the Bhagavad Gita is that you are God. You are not the finite, weak, vulnerable individual you imagine yourself to be. You are the mighty Spirit that makes your heart pulsate, liver and kidneys function meticulously, lungs transfer gases perfectly. You are the Divine Power that lends life to every cell in the body, every emotion in the mind and every thought that flutters through the intellect. You are the same Force that guides the planets around the sun, the Milky Way galaxy in its trajectory and every star and heavenly body in the universe. But for some reason you do not know it. It is this ignorance of your identity that is the root cause of all your troubles. The Gita introduces you to yourself and your divine nature. With this knowledge all sorrows come to an end. You revel in the bliss of your new-found Self.  

The Gita zeroes in, on desire which stands between you and your Godhood. The formula is Man minus Desire is God (man--desire=God)

   

The Gita helps deal with desires. The first step is to manage desires with the intellect. The next stage is to reduce, refine and re-direct them with the three pathways of Karma Yoga, Path of Action, Bhakti Yoga, Path of Devotion and Jnana Yoga, Path of Knowledge. Only a handful of desires then remain – desire to realize the Self, serve the guru and engage in the service of humanity. These get eliminated through meditation which is single pointed focus on a mantra or word-symbol under the supervision of the intellect, not allowing the mind to meander to any other thought. When the last trace of thought vanishes the individual merges with the totality. You become God.  

 

Studying the Gita and following its wisdom is like having a practical guide to life at hand, all the time. It teaches a person to exercise self-discipline and self-perfection, thereby offering a solution to the problems in a person’s life. The Gita can be aptly described in the Sanskrit Mahamantra Tat-Twam-Aci, which means, ‘That thou art!’  

 

The first six chapters of the divine gospel dwell on the Twam-the soul. The next six explains the Tat--God and the last six teach union of the soul and God. In ordinary language, it conveys--I am His! He is mine! He and I are one! In Chapter 9 GOD is in the midst.

The aim of Gita doctrine is to lead to tranquility, happiness and equanimity. No rituals are prescribed. The Gita says that the world needs different religions, cults and deities to meet the vastly different needs of individuals. “Don’t worry, be happy” may well be a modern term but the secret of achieving; this lies in the Gita. The Gita Doctrine is beyond Religions and National boundaries.   

 

Comments:

Beautiful explanation of Gita: 6 + 6 + 6 = 18, based on Advaita

--Prof. G. Nagarajan

 

 

 

PRANAYAMA--Taking Charge of the Fundamental Life Force

 

Pancha Prana also known as Pancha Prana Vayu or the five energy flows, is 'the life force', formed by the classical five elements in Hinduism, called Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana. It is used commonly as colloquial expression to describe deep love for our grandchildren.  

The source of the Pancha Prana is Maha Prana. This Maha Prana is the cosmic energy and is manifest in each person as the Kundalini Shakti. There are five upapranas also which are minor vital airs; these are Naga, Kurma, Krikar, Devadutta and Dhananjaya for belching, vomiting, moving eyelids , creating's hunger pangs , Yawning, nourishing decomposing and ejecting from the womb. Its main needs are safety, security and defense.  

 

In Yoga Therapy, the Pancha Pranas have a pivotal role with the functioning of the organs. If any of the five pranas are depleted or not functioning optimally, diseases may occur in their corresponding organs. 

 

In the Yoga Vashistha, a philosophical text attributed to Maharishi Valmiki, it is stated that Prana, the divine vital air, does everything in the body: much like a machinist performs the actions of the machine. 

 

According to Vedanthic philosophy, the five vital airs of Pancha Prana namely Prana, Apana , Saman , Udan , and Vyana essential for breathing , urinating, defecating, blood circulation, swallowing and digestion. Pancha Prana, are integral to the Pranamaya Kosha, the vital air sheath which is the first layer of the subtle /astral body; Kosha is "sheath", a covering of the Atman, or Self according to Vedantic philosophy.  

 

 Prana, the first and the main of the five pranas, moves upwards, functions and pervades between the throat and the diaphragm. In fact, it governs the lungs, larynx and chest region. It provides the basic function of respiration and pumping. It is the force by which breath is drawn into the body, and associated with the element of Air. 

 

Apana, the second of the five Pranas, flowing downwards, basically relates to elimination, controlling organs situated between the naval and the perineum including, small and large intestine, kidneys, urinary system and reproductive systems. Its basic function is to eliminate waste from the body as feces, gas and urine It also controls ejaculation of sperm, monthly menstrual cycle for women and expulsion of fetus during childbirth. It is associated with the element of water. 

 

Samana Vayu, with a sideward movement that operates between the naval and the diaphragm, has control over the functioning of organs such as stomach, liver, pancreas, spleen, small and large intestine. Disturbance of the Samana Vayu results in indigestion and other stomach disorders. It is associated with the element of Fire. 

 

Udana Vayu, associated with the element of ether, space, operates above the throat, face and head region, and is thus also called Udana Shakti. It is accountable for all the sense organs and keeps a person erect. It governs thought and consciousness; harmonizes and activates the limbs and all their associated nerves, ligaments, muscles and joints. It is responsible for all the sensory organs and functioning of the brain. Apart from that it controls the organs of movement including hands and legs. 

 

Vyana Vayu, representing the element of Earth, is the reserve force of energy for the other four pranas. It infuses the entire body and maintained a proper balance of all the activities and movements of the body. It carries the nutrients needed to every cell of the body. It sustains muscular movements and carries the sensory and motor impulses from different parts of the body. It is the reasons for perspiration from the skin. Gooseflesh, caused by cold or fright also comes you need a proper balance of all the activities and movements of the body. It carries the nutrients needed to every cell of the body. It sustains muscular movements and carries the sensory and motor impulses from different parts of the body. It is the reasons for perspiration from the skin. Gooseflesh, caused by cold or fright also comes under the jurisdiction of Vyana Vayu.  

 

 A Yoga Guru explains the functioning of the Pancha Prana in a day to day life of human beings as: "...you will see that it follows a predictable pattern: you take things in (food, water, information, experiences); then you process them one way or the other; then you absorb the nutrients or knowledge from the processing; you eliminate the stuff that you don’t need; and as a result you grow, both physically and mentally. This is an example of your Vayu (currents of prana) at work." 

 

Please go through detailed discourse and Vital of Prancha prana by Sadhguru:

 

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2021/09/pranayama-taking-charge-of-fundamental.html

 

 

VISHWAKSENA AND VINAYAKA

 

I believe both Vishwaksena and Vinayaka should be Sri Ganesha Temple as Main Deities while all deities as other deities as sanctums for various deities as both Chinnajeeyar and Sadguru think of Vishwaksena by Vaishnava Tradition and Vinayaka by Saiva Tradition and the temple may be called Sri Ganesha Temple who as Gana leader and GANA ISHAS limb without bones of a trunk both Vaishnavites and Saivites artists shaped like elephant head with two tusks and not mutilated one tusk.

  

VISHWAKSEHNA AND VINAYAKA TWO LEADER OF GANAS 

 

Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated 10 and will end immersion on SEPTEMBER 20.

Vishwakse:na and Vina:yaka were not one and the same. Vishwakse:na appears just like Lord Na:ra:yana Himself. Color will be ordinary not blue. Along with Sankha and Chakra he will be holding a long stick in his left hand and showing index finger with right hand, to fear all the evil powers. Several elephants headed (gaja mukhas) gana:dhipathis are in his force, to obey his instructions in removing the hurdles of Vishnu devotees. Vishwak Se:na is the whole and sole to look after the administration of the entire Universe and also the Paramapadam. Here is a verse says that: 

“vande: vaikuntta se:na:nyam, de:vam su:travathi:sakham |
yad ve:thra sikhara spande: viswam e:thath vyavasthitham ||” 

 

Whatever draft he prepares with regard to running the vibhuties or Universes, will be accepted by Lord Srimannarayana, without any alteration or addition, it seems. A:lawanda:r Stho:tram reveals this in its verse ”priye:na se:na:pathina: nyave:di thath, thattha:nuja:nantham uda:ra vi:kshanaihi”. 

 

This is the greatness of Sri Vishwak Se:na. As Gajamukhas are so many in the Pariva:ra of Vishwak Se:na, in some occasions if devotees worship a Gajamukha in the place of Vishwakse:na, as a representative of him, will also be accepted. Because all the pariva;ra:s pass on the result to their boss always. 

 

But then that Gajamukha will be having four hands with sankha and chakra and also with U;rdhwa pundram on his fore-head. There may not be rats as his chariot. These Gajamukhas are not mu:shika Va:hanas. (We are sure you understood the subject with boneless like thumbikkai azhwar.)

--Chinnajeeyar 

GANAPATI, HEAD OF GANAS

 

You are a Ganapati. You are the head of ganas.” Somewhere down the line, calendar artists could not understand what this other creature was, and drew an elephant face. The lore talks about how the ganas had limbs without bones. In this culture, a limb without bones meant an elephant trunk, so artists made it into an elephant head. You are not going to find an elephant on the banks of Manasarovar because the terrain is not right. There is not enough vegetation for an elephant. Shiva could not have gone about chopping elephants. So, he is many things – Ganesha, Ganapati, Vinayaka – but not Gajapati. 

 

The ganas were the companions of Shiva. We do not know where they came from, but generally the lore describes them as beings who do not belong to this planet. The texture of that life is very different from how we know life here. 

 

Today, modern biology is very clear about what a phenomenal transformation it is from a single-celled animal, to all the more complex forms of life, to what a human being is. But the fundamental nature of life is the same – it has not changed. It is just getting more complex. However, the ganas were not of the same texture of life. They were not made on Earth. And they had limbs without bones. 

 

If you try to use your body in a variety of ways, if you attempt asanas, you would wish you had no bones. I started my Yoga when I was just 11, so when I taught Hatha Yoga when I was 25, people looked at me and said, “Oh, you do not have bones. You are boneless.” This is a dream of every Yogi: that someday he will have limbs without bones so that he can do any asana he wants! 

 

For thousands of years, Ganesh Chaturthi has lived on, and Ganapati has become one of the most popular and most exported gods from India. He is very flexible. He takes on many forms and poses. He is also the god of learning. He was supposed to be a brilliant scholar. Ganapati is always shown with a book and a pen, to show his scholarly capabilities. His scholarship and intellect are beyond normal human capabilities. 

 

And he liked food. Usually, if someone has to look scholarly, he has to look skinny. But this is a nice, well-fed scholar. On this day, people generally believe that all you are supposed to do is eat well. People saw only the big belly, but missed the much bigger brain in the new head. That is the most important thing. His belly grew later. Maybe with such a big head, he did not feel like taking a walk! But the important thing is that his intelligence multiplied. So, this is not just a day for eating. This is a day when you must multiply your brains, not your belly. 

 

All the Yogic practices in one way are about this, that your intelligence need not be stuck where it is. There are thousands of examples where people, starting simple spiritual practices, have multiplied their intelligence in many different ways. You will not grow a trunk, do not worry, but you can strive for the multiplication of intelligence. 

 

The Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi 

 

Humanity has always made the serious mistake of working towards producing good people. We do not need good people; we need sensible people. If you have sense, you will do the

 

Intelligence is not shrewdness. Intelligence is not about being clever. If you are truly intelligent, you would be 100% in tune with the existence because there is no other way to be intelligent. The sign of intelligence is that you are absolutely in tune with everything around you, you are going through life with the least amount of aberration within and outside of you. 

Ganesh Chaturthi is a day to at least start striving to multiply your intelligence. If you work for a boneless limb by doing asanas in the morning, it may happen! 

   · 

The logo of the most elite & oldest Engineering Institute of largest Islamic Country bears the image of Lord of learning Ganesha.

 

Comments:

Uncle, appreciate your insights into Vedic culture and its spiritual path. Like you I am also very eager to explore various paths. I am currently exploring Bhuddhist teachings. Just Sathipathana sutra exploration has taken me six months to comprehend. No other teachings have made an impact on me as those of mindfulness living. Thought I would mention.

 

 - Radhika Yogesh 

 

 

 

YOGAKSHEMAM VAHAMYAHAM--SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL SUCCESS OF BHAGAVAD GITA

Verse 22 in chapter 9,  is the central point of the Gita in which Krishna assures all those who worship God with singular purpose, always seeking union,   yoga (spiritual Enlightenment) as well as kshema (material success). The Bhagavad Gita does not promise a vague, post mortem happiness. Its benefits can be reaped here and now to gain material prosperity, happiness and spiritual Enlightenment. The accent is on consistency of purpose and depth of feeling. Pursue your goal constantly and devotedly and you will achieve it. Whatever action you perform, whatever you perceive, whatever you offer, give or strive for, do it as an arpanam, offering, to Me. Thus, every mundane action is converted to worship. You will be freed from the bondage of actions that yield good and bad results.  

Krishna accepts even the most wicked people, those who are rajasika (passionate) and tamasika (lethargic) and offers them liberation. Nobody is disqualified provided they choose the right path. Everyone has access to the supreme Goal. The highly refined and spiritually evolved ones find it much easier to get there. With a serene mind and sharp intellect they understand the nature of the world as anitya impermanent and asukha, joyless. They know they are heir to true and abiding Bliss. All they have to do is look for it in the right place – within.  

 

 Krishna ends by encapsulating shloka to a shining gem located right in the middle of the Gita. This oft-quoted shloka contains Ishvara’s promise to all devotees. Here, Shri Krishna assures us that Ishvara will personally attend to the needs of his devotees. But he also defines the type of devotee that is being discussed here. It is one who is ever absorbed in the contemplation of Ishvara. For such people, there is no fear, suffering, sorrow or lack of anything.  

 

 Previously, we learned about the “sakaama bhakta” or desire-oriented devotee. This shloka describes the “nishkaama bhakta” or desireless devotee. Who is a nishkaama bhakta? It is the one who is only seeking one thing: moksha, liberation. His desire for moksha is equal to no other desire, for that desire will permanently eliminate all other desires. It is a desire for infinitude or poornatva. He has “ananya” or focused goal, other devotees have “anya” or diverse goals.  

 

So, if we are desireless devotees, if our only desire is liberation which is the attainment of Ishvara, what does Ishvara do for us? Shri Krishna says that Ishvara takes care of “yoga” and “kshema”. Our entire life comprises two major activities: acquisition and preservation. The early part of our life goes in acquisition of knowledge, wealth, family, position and title. This is denoted by the word “yoga”. The later part of our life is d this chapter.   evoted to preservation of what we have acquired. This is “kshema”.  

 

 If we wholly devote ourselves to the pursuit of Ishvara, we need not spend any time incessantly worrying about our needs. As long as we perform our duties efficiently and in a spirit of service to Ishvara, we will be well taken care of. Ishvara will not just carry our burden of needs, he will also carry all of our worries as well.

 

The culmination of this shloka’s vision is the knowledge that there is no such thing as “my” need or “your” need. If everything is Ishvara and everything is in Ishvara, then he will take care of his own needs, just like our fingers are not worrying about someone taking care of their individual needs.  

 

 What happens to those who do not worship Ishvara in his infinite nature is explained in the upcoming shlokas in this chapter.   the entire spiritual path in one verse. Fix your mind on Me – Jnana Yoga. The intellect fixes Realization as the goal and constantly discriminates between the real and unreal, permanent and passing, eternal and ephemeral. Be my devotee – Bhakti Yoga. Feel for the ideal, pour your heart out to God. Be loyal to God. Surrender helps calm the mind. It empowers you to go through the ordeals the world has in store for you. Sacrifice to Me, Karma Yoga--Sweat, toil, and work hard. Dedicate your actions to the Goal. Prostrate to Me – dissolve your ego. Place your head and heart at the feet of the Lord. Thus, with Me as the supreme Goal you shall come to Me.  

 

ananyaashchintayanto maam ye janaahaa paryupaasate |  teshaam nityaabhiyuktaanaam yogakshemam vahaamyaham ||  9-22 ||

 

With single-pointed meditation, those who are constantly engaged in my worship, I carry the burden of acquisition and preservation of their needs.  

 Many commentators compare this shloka to a shining gem located right in the middle of the Gita. This oft-quoted shloka contains Ishvara’s promise to all devotees. Here, Shri Krishna assures us that Ishvara will personally attend to the needs of his devotees. But he also defines the type of devotee that is being discussed here. It is one who is ever absorbed in the contemplation of Ishvara. For such people, there is no fear, suffering, sorrow or lack of anything.  

 

 Previously, we learned about the “sakaama bhakta” or desire-oriented devotee. This shloka describes the “nishkaama bhakta” or desireless devotee. Who is a nishkaama bhakta? It is the one who is only seeking one thing: moksha, liberation. His desire for moksha is equal to no other desire, for that desire will permanently eliminate all other desires. It is a desire for infinitude or poornatva. He has “ananya” or focused goal, other devotees have “anya” or diverse goals.  

 

So, if we are desireless devotees, if our only desire is liberation which is the attainment of Ishvara, what does Ishvara do for us? Shri Krishna says that Ishvara takes care of “yoga” and “kshema”. Our entire life comprises two major activities: acquisition and preservation. The early part of our life goes in acquisition of knowledge, wealth, family, position and title. This is denoted by the word “yoga”. The later part of our life is this chapter,  devoted to preservation of what we have acquired. This is “kshema”.  

 

 If we wholly devote ourselves to the pursuit of Ishvara, we need not spend any time incessantly worrying about our needs. As long as we perform our duties efficiently and in a spirit of service to Ishvara, we will be well taken care of. Ishvara will not just carry our burden of needs, he will also carry all of our worries as well.

 

The culmination of this shloka’s vision is the knowledge that there is no such thing as “my” need or “your” need. If everything is Ishvara and everything is in Ishvara, then he will take care of his own needs, just like our fingers are not worrying about someone taking care of their individual needs.  

 

 What happens to those who do not worship Ishvara in his infinite nature is explained in the upcoming shlokas in this chapter 9 as Vedanta Vision of Jaya Row.

 

 

 

THE WISDOM OF TWO POTS--BRASS POT AND MUD POT

Two Pots had been left on the bank of a river, one of brass, and the second of earthenware.  When the tide rose, they both floated off down the stream. Now the earthenware pot tried its best to keep aloof from the brass one, which cried out: ‘Fear nothing, friend, I will not strike you.’

‘I may come in contact with you,’ said the second pot, ‘and, if I come too close, whether I hit you, or you hit me, I shall suffer for it.’ It seems the strong and the weak cannot keep company.

 

In the above story, if you are like the earthenware pot, there are surely a few around you who are like the pot made of brass. Either your submissiveness or their aggressiveness will hurt you. The brass pot not only stands for aggressiveness but also for some other negative qualities like being selfish, quarrelsome and insensitive. It will be wise for you to keep a distance from such evil people. If, on the other hand, you are like the brass pot, you are likely to hurt a lot of people. All of that (bad karma) eventually will catch. 

 

--Swami Chidananda of FOWAI Forum

 

An earthen Pot, and one of brass, standing together upon the brink of a river, were both carried away by the sudden rise of the water. The earthen Pot shewed some uneasiness, fearing he should be broken; but his companion of brass bade him be under no apprehension, as he would take care of him. Oh! replies the other, keep as far off as you can, I entreat you: it is you I am most afraid of; for whether the stream dash you against me, or me against you, I am sure to be the sufferer, and, therefore, I beg of you do not let us come near one another. 

 

APPLICATION 

A man of moderate fortune, who is contented with what he has, and finds he can live happily upon it, should be particularly guarded against the ill-judged ambition of associating with the rich and powerful, for what in them is economy [Sic], would in him be the height of extravagance; and at the very time they honor him with their countenance, they are leading him on to his ruin. People of equal conditions may float down the current of life without hurting each other; but it is no easy matter to steer one’s course in company with the great, so as to escape without a bulge: neither is it desirable to live in the neighborhood of a very great man; for whether we ignorantly trespass upon him, or he knowingly encroach upon us, we are sure to be the sufferers. 

--Thomas Bewick

 

 

You Reap What You Sow & Gita Tells How to Deal with Bad Sowing Caught in the Net of Desires

At present there is a controversy over the medical boost shots for Corona pandemic that shows no light at the end of the tunnel.   Living still threatened by the pandemic we do not know hHHh  How many boosts we need and how long each lasts; no one knows. Many that have received J&J single shot and Modena/Pfizer double shots are worried about booster shots and their future.  But all are sure we all need 18 spiritual booster shots even if we conquer the pandemic, having already experienced 8 booster shots of Vedanta Vision of Gita  of Jaya Row that I sent to you to get rid of mental illness  after effects of physical illness. Now I am presenting to you her ninth booster shot.  Please go through the effectiveness of that 9^th shot in the compilation sent to you earlier. Mananaat trayate iti mantrah--mantra is our protector, remedy and healer that even some physicians resort to. Physician Dr. Kulakarni in UK walks with Gita in one hand and stethoscope on the other. Western doctors are not lagging behind in seeking divine intervention while physically attending patients! In this context please go through the following philosophic thought on the pandemic crisis besides Gita Vedanta Vision of Jaya Row compiled in   http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2021/08/vedanta-vision-programs-of-bhagavad-gita.html

If there was ever a time we needed to reflect on our Karmas, it is now. If there was ever a time we needed to change our conduct, behaviorism, and lifestyle, it is now. 

The Chinese virus has indeed shaken the world today. And that the present generation has never had an experience with a pandemic before. But history shows that Karma has its way of working. The world may have conveniently masked its greed as moral entitlement and continued its atrocities on Mother Nature, but Karma doesn't look the other way.

Take a moment here and understand the cause and effect of humankind's wrongdoings on nature. Be it the 1720 plague, the 1820 cholera or the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak – pandemics have continued to teach the world a lesson: you reap what you sow.

And not just pandemics; disasters and tragedies beyond contagion have impacted the global society several times. For the world, it was World War II which was the biggest human tragedy that brought the entire world to a halt. Nearly 85 million people lost their lives to the Holocaust. For India, it was the Partition. The Mughal and the British rule indeed created a wretched India. But the biggest blow to India has been the 1947 division and the sectarian violence that followed. Estimates of those who died range from 200,000   to 2,000,000. And over 14, 000,000 were displaced, making it one of the largest forced migrations of the 20th century.  

Time and again, the world, including India, has seen major upheavals that changed its dynamics. Today, it is the Chinese virus outbreak that's transforming the world. 

Hindus believe that Mother   Earth has risen in anger against entire humanity  due to our abuse of Nature with no focus on Eco balance while enjoying  her bounties.   Those who are loaded with bad Karma have been victimized while those that had earned Punya (good) karma in the past have been rewarded that have escaped or recovered!

The world right now is paying for its Karma. And, all of us are blaming China. We all have to reap what we sow.  Though the virus originated in China, the suffering is worldwide. The entire humankind is paying for its sins. And the biggest of these sins is going against Mother Nature.

Lord Krishna explains in Chapter 3, verse 27 of the Bhagavad Gita:

Prakriteh kriyamanamne guneh kaarmaane sarvasah | ahankaramve moodhanam kartahameti manyate|| 3-27||

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः। अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते॥ ३-२७

In fact, all actions are being performed by the modes of Prakruti (Primordial Nature). The fool, whose mind is deluded by egoism, thinks: "I am the doer."

Humans have been exploiting Mother Nature since time immemorial. The global habitat and biodiversity loss that we orchestrated craved for a much-needed pause. Consequently, the 'real doer' Mother Nature had to pull the strings. And that she did. She decided to get the well-deserved long break by putting the world into confinement.

It seems just about impossible to fathom the extent of this virus that has forced countries to release inmates on bail for controlling the spread. Still and all, the entire world is imprisoned now. Nobody is spared. For the Chinese virus doesn't differentiate on the basis of caste, creed, religion, social status or affluence level. We may have created these demarcations, but this deadly virus knows none of them. It transcends national boundaries as well, proving once again that Mother Nature is much more powerful than humans and the borders we have created.

This infinitesimal virus is nothing but a means to teach us that nobody is above nature – just like volcanoes, earthquakes and other natural calamities that represent nature's anger. The only difference is that this time, the rage has hit its peak. And nature once again teaches us that no matter who you are, what you do, you will not be spared of its wrath if the desecration of its ecosystems continues. 

Chicken come home to roost

"He who gives permission, he who kills the animal, he who sells the slaughtered animal, he who cooks the animal, he who administers the distribution of the foodstuff, and at last he who eats such cooked animal food are all murderers, and all of them are liable to be punished by the laws of nature." ­ Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.37

SARS, MERS, HIV, bird flu, Ziska virus, Ebola and now the Covid-19 — all have one thing common. They are zoonotic diseases. These viruses originate in animals before reaching humans and resulting in outbreaks. So, when exotic wild animals are sold in wet markets to satiate the hunger of humans, such markets are bound to become virus Petri dishes.

One such incubator of human diseases, the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in China's Wuhan is apparently the source of Covid-19. Don't go by its name. The market, like several wet markets, used to sell much more than seafood. Raccoons, deer, bats, snakes, porcupines, and dogs were slaughtered and sold across the country as food delicacies and for medicinal purposes, as they would say. In China's Guangdong Province, there is a saying that, "The Chinese eat everything with four legs, except tables, and everything that flies except airplanes." I didn't find it amusing. And I never will. It just irks me thinking about the indifference of us humans towards other animals.

 And it's not just about China. Although Wuhan's wet market is said to be the source of the deadly Chinese virus, wet markets are common across Southeast Asia. These exotic delicacies have led to gruesome fatalities earlier as well, but humans seem to be living in oblivion. When you capture wild animals for food consumption and put them in close quarters with unsanitary practices, Mother Nature will avenge the mistreatment of the natural world, sooner or later.

Forget about China, all around the globe animals are slaughtered for food consumption, and India is no exception. Not just chicken and lamb, cattle slaughter, especially cow slaughter, is quite common in many parts of our country. Yes, anti-cow slaughter laws are prevalent in most Indian states. But unfortunately, Kerala, West Bengal, and states of Northeast India are not among them.

In the Vedas, Aditi, the mother of all the divines, is often represented as a cow. Imagine the significance this animal holds for us. India is the land where the cow is associated with Lord Krishna. It is the land where the cow is worshipped. It is the land where the cow forms an indispensable part of rural livelihoods. Well, the irony is that the cow is still being murdered and sold in the very same land.

The race to be the supreme

We have long known that superpower rivalry has lured nations into possessing nuclear weapons. And that's not all; we have carved up the sea, polluted air and water to unimaginable extents, cleared trees and forests for many, many decades now — all in the name of industrial gigantisms and progress.  So, today when the wealthiest of the nations have crashed down due to the Chinese virus, Karma is playing its role.

There was a time where almost every Asian dreamt of having an American passport. For most of us, America means world power, progress, affluence, and much more. But not any longer. The country has the highest caseload, with over 735,000 confirmed infections and has also lost over 39,000 lives to the virus. While America will come out of the crisis for sure, the human loss and Wall Street collapse will certainly leave the country devastated for years to come.

Look at how after the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed almost 3,000 people, the US started initiatives to combat terrorism. The country's 'War on Terror' which includes the Afghanistan War and the War in Iraq, has been on for more than 18 years now. Since 2001, the US has spent a whopping US $ 6.4 trillion on wars in the Middle East and Asia. After the 9/11 attacks, the USA also underwent an overhaul in airport security with multiple checks and screenings. While the country did prepare to combat human terror, it never prepared itself to combat bioterror. It is nothing but America's inity and the apathetic attitude of most of the Americans that led to the nation's distressing state.

I can understand that India is a developing country. We have many weaknesses. And the biggest of them is our political system. It makes sense why a nation like India, with few resources and the second largest population in the world, couldn't prepare for a pandemic. But what about countries like the USA? Even European countries couldn't prepare for it. Italy, for example, has the world's second-best healthcare system. Still, the country doesn't have enough hospital beds, and its healthcare came to a near-halt. The overloaded hospitals, scarce medication, ventilators and personal protective equipment hint at the world's carelessness towards public health threats.

India's legacy may help it combat the Chinese virus

At the height of this world-shattering pandemic, many nations found themselves struggling with a catastrophic loss of human life and burgeoning economic depression. While most of these nations have given precedence to the economy over human lives, India is different. India chose its citizens' lives over the economy.

Before the Chinese virus hit the world, the US economy was booming. It is the largest economy in the world after all and has not lost its status since 1871. In terms of nominal GDP, the US economy was US$ 21.44 trillion in 2019. India, on the other hand, had the nominal GDP of US$ 2.94 trillion in 2019. The world's second-most populous country and one of the poorest nations, India, chose lockdown to save lives, not the economy. That's what our heritage is. We might not be the mightiest. But we certainly are more humane and considerate than the wealthiest and the strongest of the nations out there.

Even in these struggling times, India is living by the ideology of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' which means the whole world is one single family. Apart from evacuating Indian nationals, India has also evacuated and repatriated thousands of foreign nationals so far. Not to miss the fact that India is in the process to supply Hydroxychloroquine and other aids to over 55 countries including the USA, Brazil, Bahrain, Germany and Spain. So, when it comes to the world's Karmic account, it is safe to say that India has always done good

Karmas. We have never started a war, nor have invaded anyone. We have never bullied another nation, nor have denied help to any. Perhaps, that's the reason why India is doing far better than most of the countries when it comes to combating the Chinese virus.

It's all about your Karma, after all. What goes around, comes around. Isn't it?

The universe is calling for peaceful coexistence

Imagine someone intrudes into your home, messes it up and replaces all your cherished belongings with theirs. Now imagine them flourishing and slowly eroding your personal space and threatening your existence. This is what we humans have been doing to nature. In our quest to develop, thrive and succeed, we have drastically eroded wild spaces and natural environments. We came to a point where there was no looking back. Stopping nations from conquering nature to win the race of superpower seemed impossible. Until nature decided to put its foot down. 

Lately, you must have seen social media buzzing with the pictures of emboldened animals frolicking through cities. These are the same cities that were once marked by humans as their territory.

It seems like wildlife is reclaiming its legitimate space. Not just this, across the globe, pollution belts are shrinking and air quality is improving. Even in a heavily polluted country like India, the sky is finally clear as nature is healing itself. And the river biodiversity is reviving too. The water quality of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers in India has improved radically ever since the country has been living under lockdown. Both these rivers have been fighting pollution for decades now. In fact, the government's 'Namami Gange Programme', with a budget outlay of Rs 20,000 crore to clean the national river couldn't achieve as much success as nature has done on its own during the lockdown.

The Chinese virus has made one thing pretty clear: no one is above the power of the universe. The world had caused so much disbalance in natural ecosystems that we didn't leave any chance for it to turn the corner. But not anymore. Nature is bouncing back. And we must recede.

As Lord Krishna says in Chapter 5, Verse 22 of Bhagavad Gita,

ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दु:खयोनय एव ते | आद्यन्तवन्त: कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुध: || 22||

Ye hi samsparsaja bhogaa dukhayonaya eva te | Aadyntavatah kaunteya na teshu ramate budhah ||

The pleasures that arise from contact with the sense objects, though appearing as enjoyable to worldly-minded people, are verily a source of misery. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise do not delight in them.

The pleasures that we seek by destroying nature for our enjoyment have an end. The Chinese virus is nature's warning shot. A wake-up call for us to not delight in this vice. But are we paying heed?

  ‑-SADHAVI KHOSLA

 

 

Lord Carries the Burden of Acquisition (Yoga) and Preservation (Kshema) of those that are Ever Meditating

 We all have our battles to fight. Battles between our own positive and negative tendencies. Between our higher aspirations and lower indulgences. Between the intellect on the one hand and the mind and senses on the other.

However, in the midst of these challenges we need to stand between the two opposing forces and delve deep into our inner being. Find our purpose, our mission, our inner calling. Then we will get the answers and derive the strength to fight and overcome adversity. All problems are self-created. Hence the solutions must also lie within. As long as we look outward the situation will always appear insurmountable. Look within and the problems vanish.

Just as Krishna spoke only when Arjuna completely surrendered and asked for help, the Gita will come alive and speak to us only when we set aside our arrogance and approach it with humility and a desire to learn. As Krishna explains in the Gita, you must have the capacity to surrender in areas where you are ignorant, pranipata, question when you fail to understand, prasna, and cultivate an attitude of service and sacrifice, seva. Then the guru who is jnanina, wise, and tattvadarsina, seer of Truth, will instruct you.

The Bhagavad Gita literally means ‘Divine Song’. Krishna, the jagadguru or universal mentor, is an expert player of the flute. The flute is a hollow reed with seven apertures. Krishna had mastered the art of evoking melodious music from this humble instrument. The flute represents our personality. The five senses, mind and intellect are the seven windows to the world. Not having learnt and mastered the technique of living, we bring out discordant notes in life. However, when we empty ourselves of negativity, desire and ego, captivating music emerges from our personality. The Bhagavad Gita imparts the art of operating in tune with the world by being in unison with the Spirit.

The Bhagavad Gita draws its knowledge from the Upanisads which in turn gained inspiration from the four Mahavakyas or great aphorisms. An aphorism is a short maxim, brief statement or principle. During the pre-Vedic times the human intellect was sharp and brilliant. The student needed only a suggestion by way of the Mahavakyas. These were four concise, potent statements of fact defining God, Brahman.

Prajnanam Brahma ‘Consciousness is Brahman’. This was called laksana vakya or statement of indication. The guru merely gave out this statement and the student pored over it, reflected upon it and struggled to arrive at the Truth. When he was unable to succeed the guru further elaborated with the second Mahavakya. Tat Tvam Asi or ‘That thou art’, you are God. This was the upadesa vakya or statement of advice. It gives a distinct guideline on how to locate God. The student went back and repeated the third Mahavakya –Ayam Atma Brahma or ‘This Atman is Brahman’.  This was called abhyasa vakya or statement of practice. Through consistent application the student finally attained Realisation and declared –Aham Brahmasmi or ‘I am Brahman’. Referred to as the anubhava vakya or declaration of experience, it came from the depth of his wisdom.

This method of teaching worked successfully for centuries. Over time the human intellect deteriorated and the student was unable to grasp the Truth. The Upanishads then came into being. They were elucidations of the Mahavakyas and were useful in guiding students to the Self. Much later, a further elaboration by way of the Bhagavad Gita came into being which brought the pristine Upanishadic truths within reach of the common person struggling with the everyday challenges of life. Then commentaries on the Gita appeared and today we need interpretations of even the commentaries!

The need of the hour is peace of mind. A tranquil mind is the foundation on which the edifice of success, happiness and growth can be built. The Gita gives the ability to remain peaceful in the midst of noise and confusion around. It speaks of a dynamic peace where the mind is at rest, intellect sharp and actions brilliant. A peace that cannot be shattered by a changing, undependable world. A strong, resilient peace, not a fragile equilibrium. The world pays homage to one who is at peace.

The theme of the Bhagavad Gita is that you are God. You are not the finite, weak, vulnerable individual you imagine yourself to be. You are the mighty Spirit that makes your heart pulsate, liver and kidneys function meticulously, lungs transfer gases perfectly. You are the Divine Power that lends life to every cell in the body, every emotion in the mind and every thought that flutters through the intellect. You are the same Force that guides the planets around the sun, the Milky Way galaxy in its trajectory and every star and heavenly body in the universe. But for some reason you do not know it. It is this ignorance of your identity that is the root cause of all your troubles. The Gita introduces you to yourself and your divine nature. With this knowledge all sorrows come to an end. You revel in the bliss of your new-found Self.

The Gita zeroes in on desire which stands between you and your Godhood. The formula is:

Man -- desires = God

The Gita helps deal with desires. The first step is to manage desires with the intellect. The next stage is to reduce, refine and re-direct them with the three pathways of Karma Yoga, Path of Action, Bhakti Yoga, Path of Devotion and Jnana Yoga, Path of Knowledge. Only a handful of desires then remain – desire to realize the Self, serve the guru and engage in the service of humanity. These get eliminated through meditation which is single pointed focus on a mantra or word-symbol under the supervision of the intellect, not allowing the mind to meander to any other thought. When the last trace of thought vanishes the individual merges with the totality. You become God.

Studying the Gita and following its wisdom is like having a practical guide to life at hand, all the time. It teaches a person to exercise self-discipline and self-perfection, thereby offering a solution to the problems in a person’s life. The Gita can be aptly described in the Sanskrit Mahamantra Tat-Twam-Asi, which means, ‘That thou art!’

The first six chapters of the divine gospel dwell on the Twam-the soul. The next six explains the Tat--God and the last six teach union of the soul and God. In ordinary language, it conveys--I am His! He is mine! He and I are one! In Chaptr 9   we are in the midst of second six chapters.

The aim of Gita doctrine is to lead to tranquility, happiness and equanimity. No rituals are prescribed. The Gita says that the world needs different religions, cults and deities to meet the vastly different needs of individuals. “Don’t worry, be happy” may well be a modern term but the secret of achieving; this lies in the Gita. The Gita Doctrine is beyond Religions and National boundaries.

Verse 22 in chapter 9,  is the central point of the Gita in which Krishna assures all those who worship God with singular purpose, always seeking union,   yoga (spiritual Enlightenment) as well as kshema (material success). The Bhagavad Gita does not promise a vague, post mortem happiness. Its benefits can be reaped here and now to gain material prosperity, happiness and spiritual Enlightenment. The accent is on consistency of purpose and depth of feeling. Pursue your goal constantly and devotedly and you will achieve it. Whatever action you perform, whatever you perceive, whatever you offer, give or strive for, do it as an arpanam, offering, to Me. Thus every mundane action is converted to worship. You will be freed from the bondage of actions that yield good and bad results.

Krsna accepts even the mostwicked people, those who are rajasika (passionate) and tamasika (lethargic) and offers them liberation. Nobody is disqualified provided they choose the right path. Everyone has access to the supreme Goal. The highly refined and spiritually evolved ones find it much easier to get there. With a serene mind and sharp intellect they understand the nature of the world as anitya impermanent and asukha, joyless. They know they are heir to true and abiding Bliss. All they have to do is look for it in the right place – within.

Krishna ends by encapsulating the entire spiritual path in one verse. Fix your mind on Me – Jnana Yoga. The intellect fixes Realization as the goal and constantly discriminates between the real and unreal, permanent and passing, eternal and ephemeral. Be My devotee – Bhakti Yoga. Feel for the ideal, pour your heart out to God. Be loyal to God. Surrender helps calm the mind. It empowers you to go through the ordeals the world has in store for you. Sacrifice to Me – Karma Yoga. Sweat, toil, work hard. Dedicate your actions to the Goal. Prostrate to Me – dissolve your ego. Place your head and heart at the feet of the Lord. Thus, with Me as the supreme Goal you shall come to Me.

ananyaashchintayanto maam ye janaahaa paryupaasate |
teshaam nityaabhiyuktaanaam yogakshemam vahaamyaham || 22 ||

Many commentators compare this shloka to a shining gem located right in the middle of the Gita. This oft-quoted shloka contains Ishvara’s promise to all devotees. Here, Shri Krishna assures us that Ishvara will personally attend to the needs of his devotees. But he also defines the type of devotee that is being discussed here. It is one who is ever absorbed in the contemplation of Ishvara. For such people, there is no fear, suffering, sorrow or lack of anything.

Previously, we learned about the “sakaama bhakta” or desire oriented devotee. This shloka describes the “nishkaama bhakta” or desireless devotee. Who is a nishkaama bhakta? It is the one who is only seeking one thing: moksha, liberation. His desire for moksha is equal to no other desire, for that desire will permanently eliminate all other desires. It is a desire for infinitude or poornatva. He has “ananya” or focused goal, other devotees have “anya” or diverse goals.

So if we are desireless devotees, if our only desire is liberation which is the attainment of Ishvara, what does Ishvara do for us? Shri Krishna says that Ishvara takes care of “yoga” and “kshema”. Our entire life comprises two major activities: acquisition and preservation. The early part of our life goes in acquisition of knowledge, wealth, family, position and title. This is denoted by the word “yoga”. The later part of our life is devoted to preservation of what we have acquired. This is “kshema”.

 If we wholly devote ourselves to the pursuit of Ishvara, we need not spend any time incessantly worrying about our needs. As long as we perform our duties efficiently and in a spirit of service to Ishvara, we will be well taken care of. Ishvara will not just carry our burden of needs, he will also carry all of our worries as well.
 
The culmination of this shloka’s vision is the knowledge that there is no such thing as “my” need or “your” need. If everything is Ishvara and everything is in Ishvara, then he will take care of his own needs, just like our fingers are not worrying about someone taking care of their individual needs.

What happens to those who do not worship Ishvara in his infinite nature is explained in the upcoming shlokas in this chapter 9.

 

 

YOGIC NEUROSCIENCE DEVELOPING THE SOMA OF THE BRAIN AND BEYOND

Dr. David Frawley

“Soma is part of a vast cosmic symbolism in Vedic thought and cannot be reduced to a single form, much less a single plant as some scholars have proposed. For every Agni or form of the cosmic fire there is a corresponding Soma, water or nectar. In the human being we have access to special powers of Agni or higher perception and Soma or states of samadhi. The ultimate Soma is Ananda or the bliss of pure consciousness.

The brain can secrete powerful chemicals that can bring about extraordinary changes in body and mind. While drugs can be used to substitute for these, the brain’s own chemical functioning can be transformed directly through cultivating a higher awareness and prana. For this to occur the mind must become silent and the brain merely serves to reflect it.

The brain’s secretions can be influenced by special foods, herbs, impressions, breathing exercises, mantras, meditation, and the whole range of Yoga and Ayurveda practices, working through nature rather than outside of it. Cultivating the ecology of the brain at a yogic level is central to health and well-being for the twenty-first century and its continuing high tech developments.

Soma Nectar of Immortality

What if the brain could secrete a fluid that could renew, rejuvenate, and revitalize body and mind, much like the fabled elixir of immortality – aiding a higher evolution of human awareness into a unitary consciousness of Self and universe?

Ancient Vedic thought records the existence of an botanical  substance   called Soma, which is a power of bliss and deeper perception. Soma is also called rasa or the essence and Amrita or the immortal nectar. While botanical or herbal Somas did exist and are mentioned in Vedic texts, it is clear from a deep examination of the Vedic teachings that an internal Soma can flow from a higher consciousness down through the brain and nervous system, brought about through Yoga practices of pranayama, mantra and meditation. It connects to higher Somas beyond the body and ultimately beyond the mind.

Yoga similarly speaks of the amrita or nectar that arises from Yoga practice and samadhi, the yogic state of unitary awareness, which creates a flow of bliss and well-being, moving through the nadis or channels of the subtle body and nervous system, filling them with a sense of ecstasy and well-being.

In yogic thought, the thousand-petal lotus of the head – the chakra at a higher level that corresponds to the brain at physical level – is also called Soma, meaning also the Moon. The lotus of the head is the place of Moon, as the heart relates to the Sun or Surya, and the lower chakras to Agni or Fire.

Soma refers to the Moon as the light of beauty and happiness, but also to the Moon as symbolic of the light of cool, calm self-awareness. The brain is referred to symbolically as the Moon owing to the extensive fluids that it contains. Yet the physical brain is but the outer manifestation of a higher power of contemplation.

Soma and Tarpak Kapha: Ayurvedic Insights

Today with the massive psychological malaise in our society and the limbic dysfunction in the brain, we need a new approach to improving brain chemistry. Certainly the many available designer drugs, and antidepressants in particular, can alter our moods. But they can possess significant side effects and breed dependency and addiction.

Ayurvedic medicine notes that there is a substance called Tarpak Kapha, a form of Kapha dosha or the biological water humor, which is responsible for the lubrication of the nervous system and the brain. Soma as the power of well-being and contentment relates to Tarpak Kapha. Tarpak Kapha is related to Ojas, the Kapha essence of primary vitality that is the essence of all the seven tissues, particularly the reproductive fluid, and is the ultimate resort of strength from both nutrition and our congenital vitality. Tarpak Kapha relates yet further to Soma as the ultimate rejuvenative power of body and mind.

A yogic neuroscience aims at understanding and developing the Soma of the brain and the head chakra or thousand-petal lotus, through improving Tarpak Kapha There are many tools and teachings about this in Vedic, Yogic and Tantric thought.

Such methods include cooling and calming forms of meditation, Soma promoting mantras and pranayamas, and cooling and calming asanas. Ayurveda brings in special Soma promoting herbs, foods and lifestyle considerations. Deep meditation or samadhi is the key. I have examined these aspects of Soma in my book: Soma in Yoga and Ayurveda: the Power of Rejuvenation and Immortality (David Frawley, Lotus Press 2012).

A simple way to begin is the Soma mantra – Om Shreem Somaya Namah!

Overall unless we learn to access the blissful energies of higher consciousness, our culture will become progressively more addicted to drugs both recreational and medicinal. Our information technology will irritate our nervous system further. Depression and agitation will increase in our society. Yoga and Ayurveda show us the way to counter this, but we must do the work in our own daily lives, starting with our own sadhana”--David Frawley.

I believe I needed Soma and I secreted soma for a short while for revivifying my brain by Divine will. My brain secretion of soma came from breathing exercises, yoga, mantras and meditation that took my brain to higher consciousness beyond mind for 9 days,  cutting  off from material world.   I would not be able to recollect it as I am not a yogi but got rejuvenated by HIS will that  made me recover from Seizure Disorder in a short time unlike my early long Seizure disorder Ayurvedic herb Chakravani and my religious  grandfather’s prayer that helped. Here, modern neuro-medicines based on long research should have also helped that may also come from ayurvedic herbs! The taste of pudding is in eating it. This expression conveys that the real worth, success, or effectiveness of something can only be determined by putting it to the test by trying or using it, appearances and promises aside—just as the best test of a pudding is to eat it. My future spiritual progress, work and contribution will alone tell!  His alone can   judge and tell through his periodic comments that I always valued and cherished! Are the neuro medicines come from Soma juice?

 

 

THANKS FOR YOUR CONCERN, CARING AND SHARING

Thank you for your concern, kindness and well-wishes coming know somehow about my mental short version of Seizure Disorder for 9 days and temporary absence that many noticed.

I am neither Bill Gates nor Narayana Murthy to dwell upon and leave behind my memoirs to all surviving through all ailments with the blessings of Pujya Jagadguru Chandrashekhar Saraswatiji. I survived 3 life threatening diseases, two accidents and 2 Seizure Disorders. Though I did not become famous as them, I had no less struggles in life as they might have had.  As and when life   permitted,  I started following Kamakoti Sankara Jagadguru’s advice to serve the community with my limited knowledge that so for resulted in 475 articles posted on the Blog.  Further, I am trying to leave behind my memoirs as a legacy to my children and close relatives that surprisingly is continuing beyond 700 pages describing many turns in life as a global trotter walking away from my parents at the age of 8, seeking greener pastures.

As a victim of Seizure Disorder for 9 days, followed by speedy miraculous recovery,   I have yet another episode to leave behind as a legacy.   I do not recall the customary performing of Upakarma rituals, Gayatri Japa meditation   Gokulashtami in 2021, got affected by moderate physical illness and severe mental illness,  though performed customary rituals  as usual, as told by my affectionate kids. They say, I had breathing trouble that forced them to move me to ICU to be treated by a neurologist. I am no stranger to Seizure Disorder. With my first earlier Seizure Disorder I should have spent all my life as a mental patient all my life with no education. He willed and planned otherwise!

At 14, after meningitis and 48 days of coma, administered by an Ayurvedic herb, though recovered, I had Seizure Disorder for a year. In those days neither effective vaccines nor penicillin existed   to fight pandemics.  At 92, I had both Moderna and Pfizer Covid 19 vaccines but soon became a victim of Seizure Disorder with moderate physical disorder for 9 days.  Doctors say Corona Vaccination has side benefits on other diseases and could be beneficial too to conquer other diseases!  Is this true to me too and shortened the disorder unlike the previous, resulting in amazing fast-back-to-life restoring mental health as normal? He only can reveal! How can I remember all my past, and mentally active as before, except for these recent 9 days of blankness? Normally this should have worked in reverse order--short earlier seizure followed by long seizure! As a lay man I believe it is my walk along the long and winding spiritual path, disposition towards spiritually helping others and above all His grace that has pervaded my life-style.

--September 12, 2021

 Comments:

The lord wants you to continue to guide us and we are so fortunate for that

--Aparna Arcot

GOD is great and I sincerely thank him for your quick recovery. Indeed this is a miracle and who else can do such things but HIM. Praying for your continued good health.

 --Subramaniam Vaidyanathan

Sorry to hear about your health issues, but glad you are OK-

--Bala and   Sasi

My computer and server were again having chronic problem.Finally last week it came back to normal.I started going through all your emails enjoying each of them..

However, I was distressed to note that you had a serious setback in health.
By HIS Grace, blessings of all your spiritual Gurus and your own unfailing Sadhana you have been able to surmount the serious problem and come back to working with renewed and greater vigour. We sincerely thank GOD for HIS kindness.Our continuing prayers that you may be blessed with long life and GOOD health and energy to continue your service to society. With loving regards and best wishes from all of us.

-- BRG Iyengar.

 

 

 

 

 

VAMANA/TRIVIKRAMA JAYanti 2021

Dwadashi of Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapad month is called 'Vamana Dwadashi'. This is the day when Lord Vishnu incarnated as Vamana Dev.a Therefore, this day is also called ‘Vamana Jayanti’. It falls on September 17,as well  this year.

Vamana Deva was the fifth incarnation of Vishnu and the first incarnation of the Treta Yuga.  The first incarnation of Lord Vishnu in human form was Vamana Deva. Earlier, Lord Vishnu had taken four avatars in animal form which were Matsya avatar, Kurma avatar, Varaha avatar and Narasimha avatar respectively. Lord Vishnu took the form of a dwarf Brahmin in Vamana avatar. Vamana Deva is also known as Upendra in South India.

Vamana Deva was born as the son of Rishi Mata Aditi and Kashyapa in the Abhijit Muhurta on Shukla Paksha Dwadashi of the month of Bhadrapada when Shravan Nakshatra was in vogue. He was the twelfth among the Adityas. It is believed that Vamana Deva was the younger brother of Indra Dev.

 Puja Mantra -

Dereshvaraya Devashya, Deva Sanbhuti Karine |
Prabhave saradevanam vamnaya namo namah ||

Inevitable Mantra -

Namasye Padamanabhaya namaste jalah shaayane |
Tubhyamacharya prayachchhaami vaalyaamanapine ||

Namah shaang dhanuryaan paathaye vaamanaya cha |
Yagyabhuva phalada trecha vaamanaya namah ||

According to one legend, Vamana granted immortality to Bali by placing his foot on his head. Vishnu appeared in his Virat giant form and conferred the title of Mahabali to the king because Bali had proved himself to be the Mahatma due to his piety and commitment. Vishnu allowed Mahabali to visit the spiritual sky where he met his virtuous grandfather Prahlada and other divine spirits.

The legend of Vamana who grew into Trivikrama varies from region to region. In some regions, Bali is portrayed as an egoistic demon king and in some regions he is a kind-hearted king. What is common in all legends is that Indra and other Devas had lost their power to King Bali and takes refuge at Vishnu’s feet.

 

King Bali was an ardent devotee and was only happy to surrender before Vishnu and attain Moksha.

 

During the same period the people of Kerala celebrate Onam, the annual visit of King Bali who was pushed to the netherworld by Lord Vamana.

 

The reign of King Mahabali inspired by his grandfather is considered to be the golden era. There were no lies, cheating, poverty – it was utopia in reality. Due to this the demon King Mahabali ruled the entire universe and the Devas (Demigods) had lost their power. Lord Vishnu had to intervene to save the Devas. He took the form of dwarf Vamana and attended a yajna being conducted by King Bali. Vishnu in this form is also known as Trivikrama. 

During the yajna, Mahabali made an announcement that he will fulfill any wishes made by anyone. Vamana was waiting for this opportunity and asked him to grant as much land as he could cover in three steps. Mahabali granted the request thinking how much land the dwarf can take using three dwarf steps, when he has the entire universe in his disposal.

Suddenly, Vamana took a gigantic form and in one step covered the whole heaven, and with the second step the earth and netherworld (Pathalam). As there was no more space left to keep the third feet, Mahabali lowered his head and Vamana placed his foot on it and sent Mahabali down below to rule the netherworld (Pathalam). 

Pleased with the sacrifice and devotion of King Bali, Lord Vishnu gave a boon to Mahabali. King Bali desired that he be allowed to visit his people once in a year.

Supta Trivikramasana is dedicated to Lord Vishnu who took three giant steps in Yogasastra. Trivikrama grew into a giant, who took one step covering the earth, one step covering the universe and one step onto the demon king Bali, sending him into the underworld.

In addition to stretching the hamstrings, opening the hips and its other physical benefits, supta trivikramasana is believed to activate the svadisthana (sacral) and muladhara (root) chakras. Svadisthana is associated with creativity, sexuality, joy and pleasure; while muladhara is grounding and offers a sense of security and safety.

Onam marks the first month of the Malayalam calendar known as Chingam. The festival commemorates the appearance of the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali. This year the festival was celebrated, on August 21. It began on Thursday, August 12, and ended on Monday, August 23 in USA as earlier reported.

Unlike other Indians that are religion biased, sectarian biased and tradition biased, living in shells,  Malayalees worship Lord Parasurama, King Mahabali and Dhanvantari to whom they have raised temple and also celebrate Onam with the  Vedic spirit of sanghacchadvam samvaddvam (sit together; pray together)  in Kerala and also wherever they are settled.

“Onam is something where all of us come together, regardless of our religion, regardless of our class in society. Where we sit together, we eat and we celebrate, like right now” Vera Chinese wrote in Newsday in 2019.

The nearly 8,500 miles between Long Island and the State of Kerala in Southern India, the land shrank that Sunday as hundreds gathered for the annual Onam festival in New Hyde Park. Onam, featuring a vegetarian feast, dancers and lighting of traditional lamps, marked the end of the monsoon season and the rice harvest in Kerala. Celebrated by the Indian diaspora all over the world, it highlighted community over the self and equality over inequity.

 

“Onam is not just any festival for us in Kerala,” State Sen. Kevin Thomas (D-Levittown), the first Indian American elected to the New York State Senate, told the crowd at Clinton G. Martin Park. “Onam is something where all of us come together, regardless of our religion, regardless of our class in society. Where we sit together, we eat and we celebrate, like right now.”

 

The annual event, organized by the Indian American Malayalee Association of Long Island every year, typically includes Thiruvathira, a type of folk dance, Ganamela, a musical concert, and a percussion soundtrack known as Chendamelam.   The 10-day festival, usually held in September, this year celebrated last month.

 

“It’s a festival of unity and prosperity,” said Usha Alfred, a Lynbrook mother who came to America about 15 years ago and was attending the festival with her family. “This is a time where we share love, food and equality.”   

Despite its Hindu origins, the festival is seen as a cultural event and celebrated by all in Kerala. It is not quite comparable to American Thanksgiving, said Aniyan George of Edison, New Jersey, the founding secretary of the Federation of Malayalee Associations of America, a national group. Onam emphasizes a gathering of a large community rather than just one’s own family, George said explaining the unified Vedic spirit of the festival.“It’s a celebration of all Kerala people, of all South Indian people,” he said. “We all believe in peace”

Enjoyed by all religions, this ancient festival of ONAM displaces all barriers of caste and religion, propagating that all people should live harmoniously in unison!

 

 

 

is descent to save us frThe Psychological and Social Impact of Covid-19: New Perspectives of Well-Being

 

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has had significant psychological and social effects on the population. Research has highlighted the impact on psychological well-being of the most exposed groups, including children, college students, and health workers, who are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and other symptoms of distress. The social distance and the security measures have affected the relationship among people and their perception of empathy toward others. From this perspective, Spiritual inspiration, tele-prayers, telepsychology and technological devices assume important roles to decrease the negative effects of the pandemic. These tools present benefits that could improve psychological treatment of patients online, such as the possibility to meet from home or from the workplace, saving money and time and maintaining the relationship between therapists and patients.  On-line prayers, Bhajans and concerts help to boost up our depressed moods.  Let us be grateful to our Ganesha temple for its boozed-up activity during the crisis, arranging music concerts. Music has the magic power of healing even crops and particularly Nadabrahmam that is spiritually inclined. 

 

Researchers are showing an increased interest in measuring social and community uneasiness in order to psychologically support the population. This increased attention might help in managing the current situation and other possible epidemics and pandemics. The security measures adopted in managing the pandemic had different consequences on individuals, according to the social role invested. Some segments of the population seem to be more exposed to the risk of anxious, depressive, and post-traumatic symptoms because they are more sensitive to stress.

 

The global response to COVID-19 has not been perfect. But it has shown the world what’s possible when people come together with the resources and the willpower to overcome a deadly challenge. And as the journal authors write: “Despite the world’s necessary preoccupation with Covid-19, we cannot wait for the pandemic to pass to rapidly reduce emissions.” All our lives depend on it.

 

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, scientists and government officials have gotten sage advice (wisdom through reflection and experience)  from a group of people who were already battling a massive threat to public health: climate scientists. From piles of sometimes contradictory evidence to rampant misinformation to mind-boggling denials of established facts, the issues that have plagued COVID-19 researchers and policymakers are starkly like those that have influenced the climate crisis. The pandemic has also laid bare similar issues with equity, access to healthcare, intergovernmental squabbling, and reluctance to embrace solutions that might harm the bottom line. 

 

But while the state of things may seem bleak right now, we actually have a lot to celebrate with COVID-19, in part because the pandemic spurred people to act urgently and drove a lot of innovation. Now *mRNA vaccines are not only keeping people out of hospitals, they hold potential for combating a host of other diseases. More people are saying they will embrace masks as an effective way to prevent respiratory illness beyond COVID-19. And governments and institutions are investigating ways to improve healthcare infrastructure.

 

So why can’t we learn a few things from COVID-19 to get serious about tackling climate change? That’s what the editors of more than 200 medical journals are asking this week in an article co-published across their pages. “Many governments met the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic with unprecedented funding. The environmental crisis demands a similar emergency response,”   Victoria Jaggard, SCIENCE executive editor writes. 

*Experts are optimistic about preliminary results from mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidates. A Phase 3 clinical study suggested Pfizer-BioNTech’s candidate, BNT162b2, was 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 in participants. Soon after Pfizer’s announcement, preliminary interim data from Moderna suggested that its vaccine is 94.5% effective. On December 11, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer vaccine candidate to be used against COVID-19 in the U.S. It became the first-ever mRNA-based vaccine to gain regulatory authorization. The Moderna vaccine received a EUA on Dec. 18. There’s potential that mRNA-based vaccines will be faster to produce than traditional vaccines, an enormous benefit as the pandemic rages. 

--September 11, 2021

 

 

 

Hindu Reflections on 9/11, in 2021

 

FOR HINDUS REMINDING MAHABHARATA WAR ON 9/11.

 

9+1+1=11. KAURAVAS HAD 11 AKSAUHEENIS &   PANDAVAS ONLY 7.  7 is a holy number started with Sapta Rishis who led the world wisely. Naga that protects the world has 7 hoods. Dharma was with Pandavas. They won and protected the world.  But they also lost their side affected by Adharma. Even sacred 7 could not protect them. May be based on Karmaphala. Karma does not spare anybody. This Krishna has shown. Krishna was killed by an arrow mistaken to be a deer by a hunter while resting under a tree. This was because in his previous Avatar as Rama he killed Vali hiding.

 

Adharma affects even the innocent. Balance needs to be maintained that depends on His will and control. That is why many innocents were killed (may be due to past Karma) on 9/11 and that in turn started series of disasters--ALQ’IDA, CORONA, LONG UNCALLED AFGHAN WAR Etc.

How can we overcome this? It is therefore necessary to universally observe Upakarma as Annual Repentance and Expiation Day followed by Japakarma Day to turn inwards and not to dismiss it as confined to Dwijas only. If you really research these rituals are based on mantras from Mahanarayana Upanishad on which I have spent lot of time and communicated to you. Mantras heal and mantras promote healthy crops, scientifically proven that have turned even modern physicians, spiritual that I reported.

 

I not merely preach but practice. That is how I overcame my first long suffering of meningitis, 48 days coma, conquer of death and one year loss of memory at 14, and conquered death again in a short period after performing Upakarma and Gayatri Japa this year at 92 though affected by seizure disorder for a short period of 9 days that falls short of two days of dangerous number 11, protected by Navakaanda Rishis of Upakarma. May be 9 stands for those   who pursue good and 11 for those who pursue evil leaving the choice for us! The twin tower still remains for good pursuits and part destroyed with losses of rich for the evil pursuits! Why Am I sharing this secret in life? I am   concerned with you all as Participants and want to “Arise You and Awake You to Spiritually Advance” and not to dismiss it as mere sermon in wilderness!

Tharpana is a sign of remembrance and an expression of Gratitude to the Sages who have enriched our lives by bequeathing to us the mantras. Who are the Kaanda Rishis and why are they to be remembered? The Yajurveda is divided into seven parts; called Kaanda (Chapter).  Each chapter is ascribed to be the compilation by Rishi, Sage. They are called Kaanda Rishis. They are: Prajapati, Soma, Agni, Vishve Deva, (saamhiti devata, yaajniki devata, vaaruni devata.) Havyavaha, Aruna, Sadasaspati.

 

Port Authority,  the busiest authority was established when all came together removing the barrier between New York and New Jerzy connecting the Bridge and the Tunnel symbolic of what we can achieve with resources from the rich and resorts to labor of the poor not resorting to hate or begging or blaming! Twin tower of World Trade center was raised storing rich treasures and housing hard workers; on 9/11 we lost many riches and 3000 honest citizens. 9/11 did not completely collapse, but came as warning and still stands saying that good shall prevail and the Avatar arrives when Dharma declines heeding to our atonement and prayers. That is why the annual atonement and meditation should be unified and strengthened and our voices intensified and reach the Supreme. There is no logic in restricting Upakarma and Gayatri Japa to privileged few. More the voices better the results!

--September 11, 2021

 

Comments:

 

Thank you mama, now I have to go back and ready your communique on the Narayana Upanisahd.

--Aparna Arcot

 

Fascinating connection of 9/11 and our Tarpana ritual! Kudos for thinking along these lines.

--A.S. Narayana

 

 

 

 

 

A MISSING LEGACY

Did the country manage to create a better future out of 9/11 Trauma?

The great crises in U.S. history have often inspired the country to great accomplishments.

The attacks of Sept. 11 — which occurred on a sparkling late-summer morning 20 years ago tomorrow — had the potential to leave their own legacy of recovery. In sorrow and anger, Americans were more united in the weeks after the attacks than they had been in years. President George W. Bush’s approval rating exceeded 85 percent.

The Civil War led to the emancipation of Black Americans and a sprawling program of domestic investment in railroads, colleges and more. World War II helped spark the creation of the modern middle class and cemented the so-called American Century. The Cold War caused its own investment boom, in the space program, computer technology and science education.

It isn’t hard to imagine how Bush might have responded to Sept. 11 with the kind of domestic mobilization of previous wars. He could have rallied the country to end its reliance on Middle Eastern oil, a reliance that both financed radical American enemies and kept the U.S. enmeshed in the region. While attacking Al Qaeda militarily, Bush also could have called for enormous investments in solar energy, wind energy, nuclear power and natural gas. It could have been transformative, for the economy, the climate and Bush’s historical standing.

Bush chose a different path, one that was ambitious in its own right: the “freedom agenda.” He hoped that his toppling of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq would inspire people around the world to rise up for democracy and defeat autocracy. For a brief period — the Arab Spring, starting in 2010 — his vision almost seemed to be playing out.

Bush and his team bungled Iraq’s postwar reconstruction. In Afghanistan, the U.S. rejected a Taliban surrender offer, and the Taliban recovered to win the war. In Egypt and Syria, autocrats remain in power.

Some wars have left clear legacies of progress toward freedom — like the anti-colonization movement and the flowering of European democracy that followed World War II. The post-9/11 wars have not. If anything, the world has arguably become less democratic in recent years.

Twenty years after Sept. 11, the 9/11 attacks seem likely to be remembered as a double tragedy. There were the tangible horrors: The attacks on that day killed almost 3,000 people, and the ensuing wars killed hundreds of thousands more. And there is the haunting question that lingers: Out of the trauma, did the country manage to create a better future?

·       The Washington Post’s Carlos Lozada, surveying books about the attacks and their aftermath, writes: “9/11 was a test. The books of the last two decades show how America failed.”

 

·       Dan Barry asks what it means to “never forget” given the inevitable fallibility of human memory.

 

·       Jennifer Steinhart speaks to veterans of two wars that followed the attacks. “I am still fighting a little bit of that war, inside,” one said.

 

 

·       Elizabeth Dias reports that the deluge of anti-Muslim hate that followed the attacks has forged a new generation of Muslim Americans determined to define their place in the country.

 

·       The site of the World Trade Center “still feels like an alien zone,” Michael Kimmelman, The Times’s architecture critic, writes. But the rest of Lower Manhattan has bloomed.

 

·       The remains of more than 1,100 victims have never been identified. But New York City continues to search for DNA matches, Corey Kilgannon writes — a task the chief medical examiner called “a sacred obligation.”

 

·       Radical pessimism is a mistake,” David Ignatius argues in The Post. “These two decades witnessed many American blunders but also lessons learned.

 

·       The fact that the United States itself went on to attack, and wreak even greater violence against innocent civilians around the world, was largely omitted from official narratives,” the novelist Laila Lalami writes for Times Opinion.

 

·       “Twenty Years Gone”: The Atlantic’s Jennifer Senior on one family’s heartbreaking loss and struggle to move on.

 

·       “The twin towers still stand because we saw them, moved in and out of their long shadows, and were lucky enough to know them for a time.”-- Colson Whitehead wrote this essay shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks. Many people revisit it

 

May Lord Ganapati bless us to conquer the Triple Traumas-- 9/11 of 2001, Corona Virus that has arisen in many forms and Climate Crisis that shows no end due to earth warming mostly created by us,  pardoning us as Sentinel of the Supreme who is mostly misunderstood or disrespected on Earth by fighting  Vaishnavites Saivites and others about whom I will talk next. 

 

--September 10, 2021

 

 

 

GANESHA CHATURTHI 2021

 

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as 'Vinayak Chaturthi' or 'Vinayaka Chavithi' is the day when all Hindus celebrate one of the most popular deities, Lord Ganesha. The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon). This year it falls on September 10^th .  

 

In certain parts of India, such as Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, the festival is celebrated for ten days and is a very public occasion. So also in my city Nashville Sri Ganesha Temple. Elsewhere it may be celebrated in homes, where hymns are sung and offerings made to Ganesha. Sweets are a common offering as Hindu legend has it that Ganesha liked them. 

 

On the day of the festival, clay idols of Ganesha are placed in homes or outdoor in decorated tents for people to view and pay their homage. Priests will then invokes life into the idols while mantras are chanted, in a ritual known as pranapratishttha.‘‘ 

 

Many of the Ganesha idols will be placed outside under Bodhi Trees (Sacred Fig). The Bodhi tree is revered as a great source of remedies and is used to treat up to 50 different ailments. It also has a unique ability in that it can produce Oxygen at night-time instead of Carbon Dioxide. These healthy aspects of the tree make it a popular place for people to worship at, as it is seen a great healer to naturally cure illnesses. This year due to persisting COVID and its Delta Form this worship under Bodhi tree assumes great importance. 

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2011/08/ganesha-worshiporigin-and-popularity.html 

Shiva, Ganesha and Parvati – The story of Ganesha’s Birth 

 

[Sadguru tells the story of how Shiva cut off Ganesha’s head and reveals that contrary to popular belief, his head was not replaced by that of an elephant, but with the chief of Shiva’s otherworldly companions known as Ganas.]

 

How Ganesha was Born 

Sadhguru: Shiva was a bit of a vagabond husband. He was constantly going off wherever his wanderings took him for long periods of many years. There were no cell phones and emails in those days, so when he went, Parvati had no contact with him at all. And she grew quite lonely. Moreover, because of the nature of who Shiva was – he was considered yaksha swarupa or not of human origin – Parvati could not bear his child. 

 

So, out of her loneliness and her desire and maternal instinct, she decided to create and breathe life into a baby. She took something of herself, the sandal paste that was on her body, mixed it with the local soil, made it in the form of a baby and breathed life into it. This may look far-fetched, but today science is talking in these terms. If someone were to take an epithelial cell from you, some day we could make something of you out of it. Parvati breathed life into it, and a little boy was born.

 

Why Shiva Cut Ganesha’s Head 

A few years later, when the boy was about ten years of age, Shiva returned with his ganas. Parvati was having a bath, and she had told the little boy, “Make sure no one comes this way.” The boy had never seen Shiva, so when he came, the boy stopped him. Shiva was in one of those moods – not willing to be stopped – so he just took his sword out, took the boy’s head off and came to Parvati. 

 

When Parvati saw the bloody sword in his hand, she knew what happened. She saw the boy lying there headless and flew into a rage. Shiva tried to convince her, “It is okay. He is not really your son. After all, you made him up and I closed him. So what is the problem?” But she was in no mood to listen. 

 

Why Ganesha Does Not Have an Elephant Head 

To settle the issue, Shiva took the head of one of the ganas and put it on the boy. Ganesh Chaturthi is the day this head transplant happened. Because he took the head off the leader of the ganas and put it on this boy, he said, “From now, you are a Ganapati. You are the head of ganas.” Somewhere down the line, calendar artists could not understand what this other creature was, and drew an elephant face. The lore talks about how the ganas had limbs without bones. In this culture, a limb without bones meant an elephant trunk, so artists made it into an elephant head. You are not going to find an elephant on the banks of Manasarovar because the terrain is not right. There is not enough vegetation for an elephant. Shiva could not have gone about chopping elephants. So, he is many things – Ganesha, Ganapati, Vinayaka – but not Gajapati. 

 

The ganas were the companions of Shiva. We do not know where they came from, but generally the lore describes them as beings who do not belong to this planet. The texture of that life is very different from how we know life here. 

 

Today, modern biology is very clear about what a phenomenal transformation it is from a single-celled animal, to all the more complex forms of life, to what a human being is. But the fundamental nature of life is the same – it has not changed. It is just getting more complex. However, the ganas were not of the same texture of life. They were not made on Earth. And they had limbs without bones. 

 

If you try to use your body in a variety of ways, if you attempt asanas, you would wish you had no bones. I started my Yoga when I was just 11, so when I taught Hatha Yoga when I was 25, people looked at me and said, “Oh, you do not have bones. You are boneless.” This is a dream of every Yogi: that someday he will have limbs without bones so that he can do any asana he wants! 

 

The Well-Fed Scholar 

For thousands of years, Ganesh Chaturthi has lived on, and Ganapati has become one of the most popular and most exported gods from India. He is very flexible. He takes on many forms and poses. He is also the god of learning. He was supposed to be a brilliant scholar. Ganapati is always shown with a book and a pen, to show his scholarly capabilities. His scholarship and intellect was beyond normal human capabilities. 

 

And he liked food. Usually, if someone has to look scholarly, he has to look skinny. But this is a nice, well-fed scholar. On this day, people generally believe that all you are supposed to do is eat well. People saw only the big belly, but missed the much bigger brain in the new head. That is the most important thing. His belly grew later. Maybe with such a big head, he did not feel like taking a walk! But the important thing is that his intelligence multiplied. So, this is not just a day for eating. This is a day when you must multiply your brains, not your belly. 

All the Yogic practices in one way are about this, that your intelligence need not be stuck where it is. There are thousands of examples where people, starting simple spiritual practices, have multiplied their intelligence in many different ways. You will not grow a trunk, do not worry, but you can strive for the multiplication of intelligence. 

 

The Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi 

Humanity has always made the serious mistake of working towards producing good people. We do not need good people; we need sensible people. If you have sense, you will do the right thing. People do idiotic things only because they do not have sense. 

 

Intelligence is not shrewdness. Intelligence is not about being clever. If you are truly intelligent, you would be 100% in tune with the existence because there is no other way to be intelligent. The sign of intelligence is that you are absolutely in tune with everything around you, you are going through life with the least amount of aberration within and outside of you. 

 

Ganesh Chaturthi is a day to at least start striving to multiply your intelligence. If you work for a boneless limb by doing asanas in the morning, it may happen! 

 

https://youtu.be/EYJ7UvbH1C8

 

 

May Lord Ganesha Vighnaraja destroy all your worries, sorrows and tensions. Happy Ganesha Chaturthi!

--September 10, 2021

Comments:

Very informative and educative post

--Purushottama Rao Ravela

 

 

CORNIVORUS THOUGH MALEVOLENT CAN BE BENOVELENT TOO LIKE NAGASERPA BITES  

Why should be angry at the Divine for the present pandemonium?

 

Getting the coronavirus vaccine provides one obvious and significant health benefit: It protects you from getting seriously sick or dying if you come into contact with the virus.

 

That, in itself, is amazing. But new research published on Wednesday points to another striking benefit of rolling up your sleeves that should not be dismissed: People who get vaccinated may experience significant improvements in their mental health.

 

In the study, published in the journal PLoS One, researchers tracked people who received a first dose of any coronavirus vaccine between December 2020 and March 2021.

 

They found that those who had received a shot were less likely to show signs of mild or severe depression than those who had not been vaccinated, including those who intended to get vaccinated but had not yet been able to.

And given that mental health is every bit as important as physical health, it’s yet another reason for everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated.

 

Race between Mental Health and Physical Health had been my life long struggle. I wrote to my friend, philosopher, guide and reputed psychologist Dr.  Vedavyas in Nashville as follows and hope for an expert’s explanation that may help others, instead of my own understanding and speculation,   being   on the last foot of my life:

“Thank you for your concern and well-wishes amidst your busy life style that I badly need. I am more a case-study than a patient for cure particularly for a psychologist like you in the confusing pandemic present times.  

 

The evidence so far suggests that Delta is similarly severe to earlier versions of the virus, probably with only modest differences in one direction or the other. While Delta is certainly more contagious — and its contagiousness does call for some new precautions, like more frequent mask wearing — its severity does not appear to be fundamentally different.   

 

My life experience runs parallel except earlier version was much longer and took a year to restore normality. I had meningitis at 14 and 48 days coma when I was almost declared dead and if recovered would not be mentally stable and would be a problem for the family by the then physician. Not even penicillin was available in those days (1944) But an Ayurvedic herb and mental prayer of my grandfather on 48^th day of coma saved me but memory got last for a year! 

 

Now at 92, though I performed Upakarma, Gayatri Japa and Krishna Jayanti, I can’t recall I did them though my brain started functioning as normal, after a short illness unlike before.

 

Despite the predictions of the then physician I could turn healthier in brain than in physical body and establish my life-style becoming an UNIDO expert racing with body and mind as I took it up as a challenge to disprove the physician. Probably as psychologist you have an explanation. As internist though experienced my son could not explain.  Spiritually oriented,   I believe it is all Karmaphala and divine grace. Karmaphala good or bad is inevitable, divine grace is optional and the wise seek divine grace. 

 

May be coronavirus was timely awakened and sent to caution and benefit us by the Divine?

--September 9, 2021

 

 

Beginning Your Sanskrit Journey

Message received from HUA and my reaction: hua

 

Namaste Nadipuram Ji,

What will it take to gain adequate proficiency in Sanskrit to be able to access the vast library of texts that constitute the Hindu world? How much investment of time and focus will it take? 

 

At HUA, we believe that proficiency in Sanskrit is integral to gaining expertize in Hinduism. Therefore, we are committed to creating many pathways for learning Sanskrit, while being sensitive to the different levels of proficiency that prospective students may have in the language.

Hindu University of America is a pioneering online university teaching a Dharmic perspective through courses in Hindu philosophies, traditions, culture, and civilization. Our faculty of dedicated, brilliant scholars recognizes the need for a global university that truthfully, steadfastly, and academically represents the Hindu paradigm. You can find more about HUA here!

I have been engaged in this missionary work since 2000 keeping my commitment made to Jagadguru Chandrasekharendra Saraswati while serving TATAS in 1977 after retirement, ​ and then created a blog, Hindu Reflections in 2011 when the local Sri Ganesha Temple decided to delete around 70 lectures, posted on its site complying with participants’ request,  for reasons best known to them. Consequently, I received several e-mails to know why I deleted all without informing them that I   could not answer, lying in recovery bed after four bye-pass surgery in 2002. I became a victim of my past Karmas but divine had its own plans too and extended my life that prompts me to continue with my work! 

By Divine will I am able to continue with my mission promised to Sankaracharya, running 92, although threatened with life twice including 4-bye pause heart attack surgery in 2002 and Seizure Disorder last month after performing annual expiation on Upakarma and Gayatri Japa that I can’t recall that I did not miss this time! Surprisingly, my mental strength has not go down though somewhat physically affected! This has created HRF blog that has posted 475 articles so for under 14 categories of Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma. As you know, Hinduism is a misnomer and recently coined word to degrade Vedic Religion in comparison to Christianity. 

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2019/08/classified-discourses-posted-on-blog.html

I am happy that my task is made easier and my mission continues with several pundits, unlike me. Over 2 decades I have just tried to wake up people to several aspects of the so called Hinduism with my elementary knowledge of Hinduism. Suddenly my past Karma again threatened my life but the Divine though had better plans with intellectuals that can Arise you and lead you to better and brighter worlds if not in this birth but next births, through the good offices of HUA, spared me! It seems, still HE wants me to continue with my mission helping the people of elementary level   and supporting HUA, for HE saved me last month from yet another life threat extending my life beyond 92, being the longest surviving in the family today. My great maternal grand-mother lived 103 years while grand-mother died around 50 years and mother around 75 years.  I should have done something good in this life? So,   genetics do not come in the picture. Please therefore bear with me if you wish or write to me if you do not like to continue as an HRF Participant. Your participation is more important to me than my harangues! 

--September 8, 2021

 

Comments:

Your above email is touching, in respect of ' your' journey in your present body. It is, as aptly mentioned by you, Divine Will. My Prayers to Him for your long life with good health. This Prayer is not altruistic, but egoistic. Yet, it is a heartfelt Prayer, on behalf of me and present Subscribers to your Blogs and other readers. 

 

I wish to take you into confidence that I do take a simultaneous copy of all of your blogs including the Attachments which in many cases happen to be your earlier Blogs and preserve them to facilitate non-dependence on net-based Blogs facilitated by externals. I do share them with family members and friends, wherever I feel so. So much is so written-- the significance of your Blogs. Thus, your Blogs are an inspiration to me in many ways.

 

I close this with my Pranaams to you again.  Gratitude for your Service, Admiration for your all round abilities and achievements, etc., even at this age. Also my Prayers again for your long life and good health.

--TKP Naig

 

Your emails are very important for us, I may not be keeping on top of reading them all but very grateful to the almighty that you are back to guide us.

--Aparna Arcot

 

Your devotion and dedication definitely will improve your physical and psychological well-being. We pray the Almighty to give His best to continue your investigative introspection and spread your soulful thoughts to all our members 

 --Purushottamarao (now in Ellicott City, Md)

 

 

Congratulations on your recovery from seizures. I wish you live a full hundred years to keep blessing us.

Dr.  Ved

 

 

 

WHY NOT DEDICATE USA LABOR DAY TO VISWAKARMA AND HONOR PURANIC SAPTA RISHIS?

Rishi Panchami is an auspicious Hindu fasting day, especially for women. It is observed on the fifth day of the Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapada month, according to Hindu Lunar Calendar. In this vrat, the people express respect, gratitude, and remembrance of the great deeds of those ancient Rishis, who devoted their lives to the welfare of the society. This fast is the destroyer of sins and rewarding when it is done by a proper set of traditional rituals guided by priests. Rishi Panchami is observed on the fifth day of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of moon) in the Bhadra month (August – September). Rishi Panchami 2021 date is September 11. On the day, tributes are paid to the Puranic Saptarishis – the seven sages – Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadhwaja, Vishwamitra, Gauthama, Jamadagni and Vashishta. 

 

Rishi Panchami is of great importance to the Hindu community in Nepal and in the hill districts of North India. In Nepal, it is the third and final day of Teej festival. Rishi Panchami is also the final day fasting for those who observe three-day Hartalika Teej fasting. In Nepal, women observe a strict fast on the Rishi Panchami day. The fasting is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is also undertaken by men in some regions. The fast is broken after the Rishi Panchami Pooja.  

Women have a special bath on the day using Datiwan herb. Special Kalash is prepared on the day and prayed to. Women in large numbers visit Lord Shiva temples. As Sama Panchami it is obsserved in Gujarat. 

You may recall the Navakanda Rishi Tarpanam performed by us on Upakarma day observing fast dedicated to all Rishis who contribute to our  Spiritual strength and upliftment. The Yajurveda is divided into seven parts; called Kaanda (Chapter). Each chapter is ascribed to be the compilation by Rishi, Sage.They are called Kaanda Rishis.   They are: Prajapati, Soma, Agni, Vishve Deva, (saamhiti devata, yaajniki devata, vaaruni devata.) Havyavaha, Aruna, Sadasaspati. 

Tharpana is a sign of remembrance and an expression of Gratitude to all the Sages symbolically who have enriched our lives by bequeathing to us the mantras. 

Nava Kaanda Rishi Tharpana Mantra: 

 

1, Prajapathim kanda rishim tharpayami--I satisfy the Kanda rishi called Prajapathi.
2.  Somam kanda rishim tarpayami-- I satisfy the Kanda rishi called moon.
3. Agnim kanda rishim tharpayami--I satisfy the Kanda rishi called fire.
4. Viswaan devaan kanda rishim tharpayaami--I satisfy the Kanda rishi called devas of the world
5. Saahinkeer devatha upanishadham tharpayam--I satisfy Upanishads which are devathas of collection of Vedas.
6. Yagnigeer devatha upanishadha tharpayaami--I satisfy Upanishads which are devathas of collections of Yajnas.
7. Vaaruneer devatha upanishadha tharpayami--I satisfy Upanishads which are devathas of collections of Varuna.
8. Brahmanagum swayubhuvam tharpayaami--I satisfy the Brahmam which is within me
9. Sadasaspathim tharpayami--I satisfy the presiding deity. 

 

Do you know Rishi Panchami is also observed as Vishwakarma Puja in Kerala. It is interesting to see how this is so close to USA Labor Day! Then, why not we invoke the Creator of the Universe Lord Viswakarma who sustains the creation in many ways and who witnesses the thoughts and deeds of people on the Labor Day in Hindu American Temples. Let us start the tradition and guide the world!

 

When Sadhguru visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, his first experience of this pooja was very powerful. Sadhguru describes the pooja as the creation of powerful stacks of energy. He says “It is a technology. What they build up in this temple in that forty-five minutes to one hour is phenomenal. I’ve never seen anything like that anywhere conducted by priests.”

 

Sadhguru explains that this technology was transmitted by Adiyogi  (Siva) to his first seven disciples, the Saptarishis, thousands of years ago. When Adiyogi asked the Saptarishis to go to different parts of the world and offer the science of yoga, they asked him, “How can we carry your Presence with us?” Granting their request, Adiyogi taught them this process – the Saptarishi Arati.

 

Vidhartaram havamahe vasoh kuvidvanati nah | savitaram nrichakshasam ||MNU ||

 

 May He grant us plenty of excellent Health & Wealth!

--September 7, 2021

 

 

NADABRAHMAM IN NASHVILLE TEMPLE DURING PANDEMIC FOR GANESHA CHATURTHI

 

ART OF SELF HEALING

Do you know that our body itself has an amazing healing capacity? The panchbhootas (Five Elements - Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space) are the great source of energy in our body. It is the game of panchbhootas that can make us fit or misfit. If any of these panchbhootas is imbalanced we are at the trouble and all our chakras will be imbalanced too.   

 

Our body has every medicine inside it. There are 72,000 Nadis in the human body, which distribute energy into the 114 junction boxes, out of which 2 are outside in physical nature and 112 are inside, out of which 4 are dormant.  There are 108 active centers in the body, which are called Chakras. This might sound surprising to most of us as we have generally heard about only 7 Chakras!  

 

Now these 108 Chakras (energy centers) are divided into left and right in the form of IDA and PINGALA Nadis with 54 each. Based on this arrangement, Sanskrit alphabets were formed with 54 sounds and also Japamala.  These 54 sounds each with feminine and masculine, make a total of 108. The SHUSHAMANA Nadi is in the center with IDA and PINGALA around it. We can call them the three IPS (Ida Pingla Shushmana) Officers in our body which take care of us. We must be keeping them active and fit by remunerating them with the proper breathing techniques or Pranayama. Ida and Pingala have their own characteristics, which drive our brain, mind and thought process further leading us to act accordingly. The most important Pranayama for the nadis is Nadi-Shudhi Pranayama and Anulom-Vilom Pranayama. We must practice these pranayamas daily to increase the capacity of our lungs and keep them completely fit.   Yoga and Nadabrahmam aids this.

 

At the end, enlighten you with the NADA YOGA concept. The whole music system evolves out of these 108 sounds. So, music evolves the entire nature of human being, it heals and balances these 108 chakras in body.  Do you know these 108 sounds are called NADA YOGA, the Yoga of Music? So, keep listening to mantras and music and be at peace.  

That is why this music concert is arranged in Hindu Temples as also Bhajans and choirs. 

Stay Healthy and Stay Fit. Sapna Priyadarshani ! 

 

(Author is Founder of Yo.Fit, a wellness organization dealing with wellness, therapy and healing for corporates and individuals. She can be reached at yofitwellness@gmail.com. You can watch her videos on  SapnaYoFit YouTube channel. She is a member of Rotary Club of Bombay Seacoast) 

 

Truth is often painful. That is the way it is. But that should not deviate one from truth. Accept truth and truth shall prevail. So is Nadabrahmam the healer. The fact is that no Westerner today wishes to discuss the Gospel with Hindus who believe in Sanatana Dharma but get entangled attracted by the powerful force of love, and turn atheists. On the other-hand intelligent who are tired of the speculative stories are thirsting for truth. Therefore, concerned Christians should study the spiritual truths contained in Vedas and Upanishads. It is not difficult for those who seek atonement of sins (as on Upakarma day) and eternal salvation by Gayatri Japa. Because the same subject is the content of both! The priestly religion will not teach the way of knowledge. Christian partner should practice deep sound word Om pronounced with reverence and train children.

 

The word Om pronounced with deep respect has very deep meaning. Only powerful saints like David Frawley and Yogananda Paramahamsa understood it. But those who consider it very unchristian and run away from its implications cannot preach Gospel to the world. Vedantins have elaborately explained what Om signifies and its boundary is beyond religion!

 

When Spirit (God) alone existed (Ait. Up.) He came to be known as Asmi, I AM in the meaning "I am everything Brih. Up. 1:4:1). God reveals himself to Moses with the same name (Ex 3: 14). Creation takes place due to divine will. The sound let it happen is power knowledge and life. It is Nada Brahmam or Om or Pranava.

 

klesa karma vipaka asayaih aparamrstah purusavisesah Isvarah signifies that the Almighty, is the Supreme Being, the Eternal Soul, who is forever liberated from all materialistic senses, sufferings, delights and the feel of arrogance. He stays impassionate in every achievement and faltering. But, humans are bound by worldly constraints. They thus they need to get out from the shackles of pain and pleasure, and whenever they find such a Supreme Being, he or she is bound to be inspired by Him to achieve sublime godliness.

Physical suffering is often only part of the difficulty that a person faces during a traumatic event or life-threatening illness. There can also be emotional and mental anguish — and spiritual distress or struggle. The last arises when a person’s basic belief system is shaken, and it can take place whether or not they are religious. This means that during a major crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic, we need to make sure that everyone is getting spiritual care. Nadabrahmam is well established Hindu cure. 

 

Physical suffering is often only part of the difficulty that a person faces during a traumatic event or life-threatening illness. There can also be emotional and mental anguish — and spiritual distress or struggle. The last arises when a person’s basic belief system is shaken, and it can take place whether or not they are religious. This means that during a major crisis such as the Covid-19.

 

Unlike last year, this year, we have been able to celebrate our customary Annual Chaturthi with live music concert that is timely and appropriate for Music is an art of healing and particularly Nadabrahmam. Let us thank HCCT   of Nashville that is so concerned with our mental health during the prevailing pandemic that we may overcome with Lord Ganesha’s blessings!

 

 

RELIGION TELLS THE TRUTH WHOLE TRUTH NOTHING BUT TRUTH 

 

There are different criteria on which one could compare those 3 religions.  Let us focus here only on the most important one: which one of the 3 is closest to Truth.  

 

Christianity claims that the full truth has been revealed 2000 years ago only to Jesus Christ by the one Supreme Being (called God) in English, and therefore Truth is only with his Church. All must become Christians and follow what Christ said, if they want to be saved from hell. 

 

Islam claims that the final truth has been revealed some 1400 years ago to Prophet Mohamed by the one Supreme Being (called Allah in Islam) and therefore Islam is the only true religion. All must become Muslims and follow what Prophet Mohamed said, if they want to be saved from hell. 

 

Isn’t it strange that even in the 21st century those unsubstantiated claims about eternal hell for “others” are not debated and dismissed as superstition? Further, obviously at least one of those religions can’t be true, if not both - so why nobody mentions this? Yet instead of a debate on what is true, the “right to freedom of belief” is protected. It’s surely strange. 

 

Now where does Hinduism stand? It usually is seen as inferior to the two big, established, ‘respected’, rich religions. And if one goes by common perception, Hinduism is mainly about caste system, Sati and worshipping many gods, which (idol worship) is the greatest sin in both Christianity and Islam, because the Christian God and Allah are claimed to be jealous of other gods. 

 

Now Hinduism is a rather new term. It was introduced by the British for the ancient traditions in India based on the Vedic texts. -ism is a suffix used for forming nouns. It is used in coining words in a derogatory sense as Oxford Dictionary says. Some typical nouns formed with this suffix are; atheism; cynicism; despotism; exorcism; hedonism; masochism; nepotism; occultism;

 

 

 

 

sexism; vandalism.  Many religions have been coined with this suffix--Hinduism; Confucianism; Mysticism; Sufism; Buddhism; Zoroastrianism; Taoism. Why no ‘ism’ for Christianity and Islam is anybody’s guess! Because the term “Hinduism” has become etched indelibly in popular parlance we are forced to use  it instead of the ancient name Sanatana Dharma before the concept of religion was introduced to serve sectarian views and interests. 

 

Why was Hinduism introduced? Today’s ‘Indians’ were called Hindus earlier and even today are called Hindu in China, as of Geographical origin. No other name of religion is derived on geographical basis. 

 

We get a clue why Hinduism was introduced, when we read that Voltaire, too, among many others in the west, praised the Vedas as the greatest gift to mankind and said “we are eternally indebted to India”. Voltaire fought against the influence of the Church and indeed, when the Vedas reached Europe, it had two effects: the influence of the Church went down and science took off in a big way (intriguingly, it is not mentioned today that those 2 effects could have anything to do with Vedic knowledge reaching the west). Clearly, the Church was not amused that the intellectual elite preferred Vedic wisdom over Christianity. It needed some strategy to stop losing her sheep. 

 

Now what is contained in the Vedas which are claimed to be as old as the universe? Veda (it means knowledge) is about what we need to know to live a meaningful, fulfilling life. Vedic knowledge is vast, though most of it has been lost by now. Vedas tell us even about Math, the age of the universe, of parallel universes, even the distance to the sun, how to analyze, how to connect with powers (devas) greater than humans, etc. And most important, the Vedas tell us the truth about us, the Supreme Being and the universe. 

The Vedas differs from the 2 other religions in a major point:
The Vedas claim that Brahman (Supreme Being) has become this universe. It means all is permeated by Brahman. All is essentially divine including our person. The names and forms are not really real. They appear only as real. Brahman alone is real, and Brahman is best described as sat-chit-ananda (blissful awareness). And the Upanishads, which are part of the Vedas, declare “Aham Brahmasmi”, or “Ayam Atman Brahma”. 

 

Does this claim make sense? Yes, it does. Quantum physics came meanwhile

to the conclusion that all is one energy and that there are no separate entities anywhere. Incidentally, physicists like Schroedinger, Einstein, Heisenberg, etc. drew inspiration from the Vedas. So far, the Vedas were never proven wrong by science whatever was tested.  

 

So the claim, that Brahman is the essence in all, is surely closer to the truth than the claim by Christianity and Islam that the Supreme is separate from his creation, including the human being, and will send all those who don’t believe in a certain book for eternity to hell. This Vedic claim of divinity in humans gives naturally inner strength to a human being and also kindness (as Brahman is in others, too--aatmavat sarvabhooteshu.  

 

Now why was Vedic knowledge suddenly made into a Hinduism, placed next and yet below the 2 big religions and associated from the start with a ‘divisive’ caste system (which is a social issue and prevalent everywhere) and other negatives like sati? 

 

One may conclude Intellectuals from others that the Church was afraid it would lose out when people come to know what Vedic knowledge really contains. They would stop blindly believing but go after genuine knowledge which is there in the Vedas.  

 

That’s why they had to coin a new term and demean “Hinduism” in the eyes of common people right from the start. They were successful. Everywhere children learnt in schools about the ‘terrible caste system’ in Hinduism. People didn’t ask further. They *knew* now that Hinduism is greatly inferior to the two big religions.  

 

Yet there is always the fear that people may discover that they were deceived for the sake of power and that truth may be different from what they were taught in religious class. In Germany, there is a saying which expresses certain folk wisdom: The King says to the Pope: “You make sure that people stay stupid and I make sure they stay poor.” But today many Western Intellectuals fed up with the sermons of Christianity have started studying Vedas to turn Spiritual getting at the bottom of the Truth that can be one only! 

 

‑-September 2, 2021

 

 

 

 

SNAKES, SERPENTS, NAGAS AND SARPAS HATED AND VENERATED IN MANY CULTURES 

 

One of my learned participants sent the following messge that baffled me though I had talked about them a lot during July-August 2021. “I am going through  some of the slokas in chapter 10 of the Bhagawad Geetha, and got this doubt. The lord says, "sarpaanam asmi vaasuki" and later "anantashchaasmi naagaanam" and I am not sure what the difference between sarpa and naaga is,  Google says sarpa is snake and naaga is serpent, and then I find between snake and serpent there is no difference, is that so?” I believe that most of you will have such a doubt too! Google depends on our feeding too and sometimes it quotes me back when I  search for information! 

 

Across religions and cultures, the serpent has been used as a symbol of evil, medicine, fertility, and much more. Snake is a generic term for any of the numerous limbless scaled reptiles and you might have read in my e-mail there are many harmless non -poisonous snakes. Serpent is a noxious creature that creeps, hisses or strings that winds and dances. Often terms snake and serpents are indiscriminately used without recognizing the suttle difference.   Naga and Sarpa in Hinduism are clearly understood. In Hinduism, we talk about Nagadevata,   Kalasarpa dosha, Naga puja, and Sarpa.   Hindus worship cobra in benevolent form Nagadevata on Nagachaturthi day and do not worship as Sarpadevata. Ananta is custodian of Times who destroys the Evil but protects the Good. MNU says, Yajnena dvishah mitrah bhavanti -by good acts of worship enemies become friends!      

 

July 16 is World Snakes Day. Here is an opportunity to celebrate snakes and raise awareness about their conservation. While snakes are threatened by many of the same issues that affect all wildlife (habitat loss, climate change, and disease), negative attitudes toward snakes may be the biggest barrier to their conservation because it often impedes efforts to address other threats. Let us not disturb Eco balance plans of Intelligence and encourage everyone to use this day to share positive stories about serpents with their friends and families.  I have shared my own family story with some. But why did they call it World Snake day instead World Serpent Day though they focus on serpents? Probably they had in mind beneficial snakes like Earthworm!           

 

Brahminy Worm Snake is the most widely distributed and commonest snake of planet Earth. Due to its life cycle of living in flowerpot and as a burrower it rapidly distributed in most of the tropical countries and its population increase was supported by parthenogenetic reproduction. This is the only snake which is not known for male individuals, the whole population consists only female. In majority of countries of its range this is the smallest snake for country except few Asian countries (India, Sri Lanka etc.). Additionally this is the very first and probably the only invasive reptile for most of the countries. During monsoon months Brahminy Worm Snake becomes the most encountered snake in urban and other areas where no other snake is living. Morphologically this species can be identified easily in most of the parts of range (for most of the parts it is the only species of blind Snake) by checking glossy and cylindrical body of brown to black color, rounded snout which bears four vertical sutures, very short tail with a single spine. 

 

Earthworms are known as farmers’ best friends because of the multitude of services they provide that improve soil health and consequently plant health. The density of earthworms in the soil is considered to be a good indicator of a healthy soil because they improve many soil attributes like structure, water holding capacity, moisture content etc., and also increase nutrient availability and degrade pesticide residues. As scientists understand these ‘ecosystem services’ provided by earthworms, they discover that this earthworm-farmer friendship is a lot deeper than previously imagined! 

 

The application of vermin -compost with chemical fertilizers and integrated nutrient management reduces the use of chemical fertilizers in the field. The use of these organic amendments can improve the growth of plants in a range of ways; number of leaves, seed germination, root biomass, fruit abundance, number of seeds, and overall yield. It also improves the nutritional quality of crops by increasing sugar, oil and protein compounds. It is vital that these little creatures in the soil are preserved at any cost to ensure they continue to provide their invaluable services to humankind. 

 

In Chapter 10 verse Krishna tells that he is “sarpaanaam asmi Vasukih” -among serpents, I am Vasuki. Vasuki, the yellow colored Naga, has been considered the most revered among the serpents. In the words of Swami Chidbhavanaananda “Vasuki is the symbol of Sakti, the cosmic energy.  In man the dormant-power is called the Kundalini Sakti or the coiled up energy symbolized as serpent power”. As a matter of fact Vasuki stands for the coiled up Kundalini in human body that helps the aspirant for god realization. In continuation in the next verse he says: “anantaschasmi nagaanaam” among Nagas, I am Ananta. In this verse 29, Sri Krishna mentions the word Naga for serpent. The Nagas are a special class of serpents. The word Ananta signifies the serpent-god “Sesha Naga” of thousand heads. The serpent-God Ananta is the seat of the lord Vishnu (sahasraseersha Purushah) like Chatrapati Sivaji! As a matter of fact, the Lord Vishnu is the Supreme-Self, the Consciousness in the body. The Sesha Naga symbolizes His Divine potency that is indeed Ananta, means immeasurable, which is upholding the entire creation on its many thousand hooded head. Sesha Naga is the mightiest power, so, Sri Krishna speaks of it, as His magnificence! 

 

Vaasuki is the King of Snakes and is seen coiled around the neck of Lord Shiva. He symbolizes our ego or ahankaara, our sense of “I”. If we are able to tame our ego, then it becomes an ornament, as in the case of Lord Shiva. If we cannot tame it, it becomes dangerous and can strike us when we least expect it, by causing strong feeling of superiority or inferiority as an example. So Shri Krishna says that Vaasuki is Ishvara’s expression among all the serpents. 

In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna spoke about Ishvara’s expressions among serpents that live on land. Here, he says that among the serpents that live in water, Ishvara’s foremost expressions is Ananta. Also known as Aadishesha, he is depicted with a thousand heads, each head singing the glory of Lord Vishnu, who rests on Aadishesha’s coils. His name comes from the Sanskrit root “sis” meaning “that which remains”, because Aadishesha remains unaffected after the dissolution of the World.  

 

When Lord Siva reprimanded Subrahmanya for egoistic arguing with elders, Subrahmanya, then, imposed on himself, a curse to take form of  malevolent cruel serpent and went on along penance, in which form he is worshipped in  Karnataka reminding of the Puranic incidence as often portrayed by sculptors  and not as Divine Naga.  Siva is glorified as Nagabhushana, Nagaraja etc. associated with divine Nagas. People are also often named as Anantanag, Seshanag, Seshachalam, Nagmani, Nagaratna, Seshiengar etc., all named after divinity though Subhramanya had the magnanimity to carry with most venomous and hateful name of Sarpa. Please recall Sarpa yajna   of Janamejaya and Sarpasastra, WMD, all associated with malevolent Sarpa! 

 Aztec race is mentioned as Sarpas in Mahabharata, who were saved by a sage named Astika during a slaughter done on their race. There are Nahuas people in South America who worship snakes. Nahua appears to be a corrupt form of Nahusha. The serpent [Naga] is of great significance in the Mayan culture also. 

The Nagas are serpent-like mythical creatures in Indonesian mythology.   This much-maligned reptile just wants to be left alone to do its thing, and will not hurt humans unless provoked.

 

Nagas in Puranas are mythical semi-divine beings, half human and half cobra like mermaids. They are a strong, handsome species who can assume either wholly human or wholly serpentine form and are potentially dangerous but often beneficial to humans and are not related to present day Nagas.   

 

Nagas and Nagis are known for their strength, supernatural wisdom, and

good looks. When Nagis take human form, they can marry mortal men, and some Indian dynasties claim descent from them. 

 

Mythology for the Millennial: From real serpents to divinities, Hindu lore's awkward relationship with snakes 

 Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan   

“The Naga are serpent-like mythical creatures of Indonesian mythology,” tweeted JK Rowling causing a flurry of exclamation points all over India.   

On the other hand, it's not something to be super proud of in our own mythology either. Hindu mythology is full of examples of people being terrible to serpents, for all that they are worshipped in several parts of the country. Serpents   were forever being hunted and killed, en masse, and whether they were the actual serpents or half-human half-serpent divinities, it was still murder. Take the case of King Janamajeya, descendent of the Pandavas. Because his father was killed by a serpent bite, he decided to do a massive ethnic cleansing as it were, of all serpents, in what he called a Sarpa satra, and was only dissuaded by the interference of a half-Naga, half-Brahmin sage called Astika. Here's where it gets a little murky though. The Nagas could have also been a metaphor and a catch-all name for a few tribes known to exist then. An article by Bipin Shah on the history of the Naga people, when the divine serpents are mentioned in the epics, they're given physical characteristics, which coincide with the Naga tribes who “once lived in Swat Valley, Punjab and the North West.” Which means, that Janamajeya wasn't actually serpents, which is quite a terrible thing to do anyway, he was killing humans. 

 

His ancestor Arjuna did it as well. In order to clear up a nice bit of forest for his new kingdom, he destroyed an entire forest which had Nagas living in it. One of those Nagas was a king called Takshaka whose wife was killed by Arjuna (and which is why Takshaka swore revenge on the Kurus and killed Janamajeya's father, the circle of death goes on and on in this ancient grudge). Another thing to come out of the fire? An ungrateful house guest. The asura Maya was staying with his serpent friend in the forest but when the fire started, he went over to Arjuna's side and offered to design his kingdom for him. Okay, this could have also been a survival tactic as Arjuna would have almost certainly have killed him if he hadn't been of use. 

 

Or take a lesson from the Real Housewives of Ancient India, and try and not fight with your sister as Kadru did with her sister Vinata. To be fair, Vinata sounds like she was pretty unbearable as well. Take this for example, their shared husband, the sage Kashyapa, asked them both to pick a boon. Kadru asked for a thousand Naga sons, and Vinata, not to be outdone, said, “Oh, I'll only have two sons, but I want them to be more powerful than all those thousand my sister just asked for.” Then the women lay eggs, which is horrific, and Kadru's sons hatched first, and Vinata, in her desperation, broke open one of her eggs, and her half-formed fetus flew into the sky cursing her for her impatience and telling her she'd have to be her sister's slave for a hundred years. Eventually, the other egg hatched as well, turning out to be the half-bird, half-man god Garuda. 

 

But Kadru was cursed before her serpent children as well. Once, some sages took offence to the way she looked at them from the corner of her eye, and she became one-eyed as a result. It's also obvious she's a villain — she cheats in a bet and Garuda and Vinata have to become her slaves. Later, though, “Garudas” became a word for birds who eat serpents, so there's that. 

 

 

Then there's Manasa, daughter of Kadru and Kashyapa, but oddly, not mentioned in a lot of texts. Her main deal is that she can't be a full god, because of her mixed parentage — doesn't seem to apply to cousin Garuda though, what's that about — so legends have her murdering humans until they submit to pray before her. Which is not a great way to get fans, unless you're a member of the Mansa family. 

 

You've got to feel a little bad for the serpents — human metaphors or otherwise. This much-maligned reptile just wants to be left alone to do its thing, and will not hurt humans unless provoked. Sadly, the opposite can be said about our heroes of Hindu mythology who seemed bent on wiping their world of any kind of diversity so that their kind, and their kind alone, would rule. 

Comments:

So much detail! अहं धनयोस्मि । This  life may  bought  enough for me to understand everything 🙏🏼 In fact, I was looking forward to it!

 --Aparna Arcot

 

 

 

 

 

 

Webinar-207 THE WISDOM OF THE TWO ROADS by Pujya Swāmi Chidānandaji

Some people in this world are perfectionists. Either we know such people as friends or co-workers, or we may be one ourselves. Perfectionism is a recipe for constant sorrow, because no matter who performs the actions, they will never be perfect. As we have seen earlier, an action is based on several factors, including the mental state of the performer, the instruments used, the state of the outside world and so on. It is next to impossible to expect all these factors to line up in such a manner that the action and its result will be perfect.
 
Shri Krishna says that any undertaking, any project, any action will always have some imperfection built into it, just like any fire will have some smoke covering it. So there is no point giving up our actions and our duties because they contain some imperfection or the other. Even the human body, the most intricate organism on this earth, has some minor defect in one form or the other, in the form of ill health or deformity and so on. Therefore, we have to accept this fact and continue to perform our best actions, not focus too much on the result.

Tyaaga was redefined by Shri Krishna to mean karma yoga, and was analyzed in great detail. Tyaaga or karma yoga, combined with bhakti, is a process, is a means to get us to a destination. When practiced properly, it lifts us from our materialistic life and places us on the path towards liberation. 

 

shreyansvadharmo vigunaha paradharmaatsvanushthataat   svabhaavaniyatam karma kurvannaapnoti kilbisham || 47 ||
 

One’s duty, though devoid of merits, is superior to another’s duty well performed. Doing the duty prescribed for one’s nature, one does not incur sin.

 

Our duty can only be understood by conducting self-analysis to understand what our mental makeup, what our varna is. Some of us may be well suited for starting businesses, whereas some of us may be better suited for the service sector. But it is quite common to get enchanted by another person’s occupation since it generates more money, since it has glamour and fame, and so on. How should we deal with this situation?

 

Shri Krishna says that we should stick to performing our svadharma, no matter how profitable or how glamourous other occupations seem like. In the short term, if we pick up another occupation, it may seem like we are doing a great job. But in the long run, we will fall into trouble. We will run into some problem or the other on account of not being suitable for someone else’s occupation. We also will deprive society from giving it the level of service possible if we had stuck with what we are good at.

 

Harboring likes and dislikes towards actions, preferring someone else’s occupation to ours, has the effect of strengthening the ego, and hence should be avoided. Furthermore, in karma yoga, we are only expected to perform our best actions, and to not worry about the result. By performing our svadharma, by doing the best we can, we automatically the fear of the consequence of our action, whether or not it will be a merit or a sin. To perform actions fearlessly is a blessing in itself.

 

There is a beautiful stanza in the second chapter of the first cycle of Kathopa-nishad in which it is said – “The good and the pleasant come to a man and the thoughtful mind turns around them and distinguishes. The wise choose out the good from the pleasant, but the dull soul chooses the pleasant rather than the getting of his good and it's having.” (Kathopanishad, 1.2.2, translated  by Sri Aurobindo) The two most important words in this verse which need to be understood in their root-sense are shreys and preyas. In this issue my attempt is to explain the root-sense of these two words.

 

The word shreyas is derived from the root-sound shri which means to cause to lean or rest on, lay on or in, fix on, fasten to, direct or turn towards, spread or diffuse light or radiance or beauty over. The most common word from this root is aashraya meaning support, refuge, shelter, dependence etc. The third person singular form of the root shri in present tense is shrayati or shrayate. The word shrii is another most familiar word from this root which means light, lustre, radiance, splendor, glory, beauty, grace, loveliness, prosperity, welfare, good fortune, success, auspiciousness, wealth, treasure, riches, high rank, power, might, majesty, royal dignity etc. Goddess Lakshmi is known as shrii because she is the refuge and support of all existence; she is the goddess of beauty and harmony. It is the greater harmony that supports all movements in the creation, without that there will be no creation. The word shriimaan (feminine shriimatii) is one who is in possession of shrii, the one who shines with the knowledge of Atman, lives in the light of the spirit. To achieve the knowledge that leads to the realization of the cosmic consciousness in each and everything is the object of shriividyaa. The word shreshtha which means the most excellent is also from the same root. The word shreyas, derived from the root shri, therefore, means that which diffuses light, brings happiness and bliss, and is good. It has the following meanings: auspicious, fortunate, conducive to welfare or prosperity, bliss, fortune, happiness, most splendid or beautiful, most excellent or distinguished, best, propitious, well disposed to, superior, preferable, better, better than etc. The word shreyaskara means that which promotes happiness and is favourable.

 

The word nihshreyas is another important word in this group. It is formed by combining the prefix nis with the word shreyas. The prefix nis conveys the sense of certainty, fullness, completeness and integrality. So, nihshreyas refers to that which is certainly and completely good. The word nihsreyas is related to the the salvation of Atman. When we fall back entirely on the inner support or resources, then the real quest begins to bear fruit. This leads to the realization that our real existence is in the Atman. This is nihshreyas, the perfect goodness or true happiness.

 

The word preyas is derived from the root prii which means: to please, gladden, delight, gratify, cheer, comfort, soothe, propitiate; to like, love, be kind to, to refresh. The third person singular form of this root in present tense is either priiNaati or priiyate. The words like priiti, prema and priya are derived from this root. The word priiti means pleasure, joy gladness, satisfaction, amity, love etc.; prema means love and affection; priya refers to fondness, one who is dear to, favourite, liked. So the word preyas means that which is pleasant.

 

According to a verse in Kathopanishad (1.2.2) from between shreyas (that which is good for the Atman) and preyas (that which is pleasing to the senses) the wise one always chooses the shreyas.

 

In a true sense preyas is that pleasure which is born from the contact of the senses with the objects and ‘is nectar to the lips at the first touch, but there is a secret poison in the bottom of the cup and after it the bitterness of disappointment, satiety, fatigue, revolt, disgust, sin, suffering, loss, transience.’ And that which is born of the satisfaction of the higher mind and spirit is shreyas. This refers to the best and most inward with us. At first this may, though not necessarily, be like a poison but in the end, it straight leads to the nectar of immortality. So, preyas is something pleasing to the senses and leads to failure and disappointment. And shreyas is something good for the growth of the Atman which ultimately leads to nihshreyas, the perfect happiness.

Everyone knows Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”—and almost everyone gets it wrong.

 

From The Road Not Taken: Finding America in the Poem Everyone Loves and Almost Everyone Gets Wrong, a new book by David Orr.

 

A young man hiking through a forest is abruptly confronted with a fork in the path. He pauses, his hands in his pockets, and looks back and forth between his options. As he hesitates, images from possible futures flicker past: the young man wading into the ocean, hitchhiking, riding a bus, kissing a beautiful woman, working, laughing, eating, running, weeping. The series resolves at last into a view of a different young man, with his thumb out on the side of a road. As a car slows to pick him up, we realize the driver is the original man from the crossroads, only now he’s accompanied by a lovely woman and a child. The man smiles slightly, as if confident in the life he’s chosen and happy to lend that confidence to a fellow traveler. As the car pulls away and the screen is lit with gold—for it’s a commercial we’ve been watching—the emblem of the Ford Motor Company briefly appears.

The advertisement I’ve just described ran in New Zealand in 2008. And it is, in most respects, a normal piece of smartly assembled and quietly manipulative product promotion. But there is one very unusual aspect to this commercial. Here is what is read by a voice-over artist, in the distinctive vowels of New Zealand, as the young man ponders his choice:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

It is, of course, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. In the commercial, this fact is never announced; the audience is expected to recognize the poem unaided. For any mass audience to recognize any poem is (to put it mildly) unusual. For an audience of car buyers in New Zealand to recognize a hundred-year-old poem from a country eight thousand miles away is something else entirel

— A short story by Anthony Veasna So

 

But this isn’t just any poem. It’s “The Road Not Taken,” and it plays a unique role not simply in American literature, but in American culture —and in world culture as well. Its signature phrases have become so ubiquitous, so much a part of everything from coffee mugs to refrigerator magnets to graduation speeches, that it’s almost possible to forget the poem is actually a poem. In addition to the Ford commercial, “The Road Not Taken” has been used in advertisements for Mentos, Nicorette, the multibillion-dollar insurance company AIG, and the job-search Web site Monster.com, which deployed the poem during Super Bowl XXXIV to great success. Its lines have been borrowed by musical performers including (among many others) Bruce Hornsby, Melissa Etheridge, George Strait, and Talib Kweli, and it’s provided episode titles for more than a dozen television series, including Taxi, The Twilight Zone, and Battlestar Galactica, as well as lending its name to at least one video game, Spry Fox’s Road Not Taken (“a rogue-like puzzle game about surviving life’s surprises”). As one might expect, the influence of “The Road Not Taken” is even greater on journalists and authors. Over the past thirty-five years alone, language from Frost’s poem has appeared in nearly two thousand news stories worldwide, which yields a rate of more than once a week. In addition, “The Road Not Taken” appears as a title, subtitle, or chapter heading in more than four hundred books by authors other than Robert Frost, on subjects ranging from political theory to the impending zombie apocalypse. At least one of these was a massive international best seller: M. Scott Peck’s self-help book The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth, which was originally published in 1978 and has sold more than seven million copies in the United States and Canada.

Given the pervasiveness of Frost’s lines, it should come as no surprise that the popularity of “The Road Not Taken” appears to exceed that of every other major twentieth-century American poem, including those often considered more central to the modern (and modernist) era. Admittedly, the popularity of poetry is difficult to judge. Poems that are attractive to educators may not be popular with readers, so the appearance of a given poem in anthologies and on syllabi doesn’t necessarily reveal much. And book sales indicate more about the popularity of a particular poet than of any individual poem. But there are at least two reasons to think that “The Road Not Taken” is the most widely read and recalled American poem of the past century (and perhaps the adjective “American” could be discarded). The first is the Favorite Poem Project, which was devised by former poet laureate Robert Pinsky. Pinsky used his public role to ask Americans to submit their favorite poem in various forms; the clear favorite among more than eighteen thousand entries was “The Road Not Taken.”

 

The second, more persuasive reason comes from Google. Until it was discontinued in late 2012, a tool called Google Insights for Search allowed anyone to see how frequently certain expressions were being searched by users worldwide over time and to compare expressions to one another. Google normalized the data to account for regional differences in population, converted it to a scale of one to one hundred, and displayed the results so that the relative differences in search volume would be obvious. Here is the result that Google provided when “The Road Not Taken” and “Frost” were compared with several of the best-known modern poems and their authors, all of which are often taught alongside Frost’s work in college courses on American poetry of the first half of the twentieth century:

 

According to Google, then, “The Road Not Taken” was, as of mid-2012, at least four times as searched as the central text of the modernist era—The Waste Land—and at least twenty-four times as searched as the most anthologized poem by Ezra Pound. By comparison, this is even greater than the margin by which the term “college football ” beats “archery” and “water polo.” Given Frost’s typically prickly relationships with almost all of his peers (he once described Ezra Pound as trying to become original by “imitating somebody that hasn’t been imitated recently”), one can only imagine the pleasure this news would have brought him.

 

But as everyone knows, poetry itself isn’t especially widely read, so perhaps being the most popular poem is like being the most widely requested salad at a steak house. How did “The Road Not Taken” fare against slightly tougher competition? Better than you might think:

 

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