Vanity and Ego

"Vanity & ego take away the sanity in human beings! They become arrogant & belittle others! It is no exception even in the case of famous heroes like Bhima & Arjuna! Bhima's search for the Saugandhika flower leads him to Hanuman waiting to test him! In his ignorance Bhima taunts Hanuman when he asks him to move the tail a little away & proceed on his way! Failing to move it even to a little bit Bhima realizes it is some great soul that is testing him! Hanuman reveals himself, blesses Bhima & shows him the way to get the desired flower! Hanuman' obsession for RAMA & Arjuna's pride in his archery are both removed by Krishna, when the Bridge of arrows collapses twice! A third bridge is built & Hanuman is unable to break it! Turning back Arjuna sees Krishna & Hanuman sees his Rama! The Lord admonishes both & blesses them! Hanuman, pleased with Arjuna for his valour says that he will remain in the flag of his chariot during the Kurukshetra war! That is the reason why Arjuna is called " kapidhwaja" the one with the Monkey ( Hanuman) Flag! Arjuna was saved because of the presence of Hanuman & Krishna soon after the war! Immediately after Hanuman left the flag & krishna got down from the chariot, the chariot of Arjuna burst into flames & was reduced to ashes! Such was the power of the asthras aimed at Arjuna! These incidents show that where there is god's Grace there is always safety & success!ll"

Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Pancharathnam

                                                               Composed by Krishnamurthy yayavaram 

  SRI GANESWARA SRI GANESWARA SRI GANEAWARA PAHIMAM

                                           HEI GANADHIPA HEI GANADHIPA HEI GANADHIPA RAKSHAMAM

                                           AADIDEVA BHAVADI SANNUTHA AARTHA RAKSHAKA HEI PRABHO

                                           PAHIMAM VARASIDDHIDAYAKA DESIKOTHTHAMA NAYAKAM!

Oh Lord Ganapathi! shower your benign Grace on me and protect me! You are praised by Lord Brahma and all other gods! You are the protector of the suffering! You are the bestower of boons and the chief of all mentors!

                                          SANKARAATMAJA VIGHNARAAJA VISAALAKARNA GAJAANANAM

                                          SANKA PANKA VIMAGNA MAANASA BHRAANTHI DARPA VINASAKAM

                                          PANKA KUMKUMA BHURI LOCHANA SPURTHI DEEPTI VIBHASITAM

                                          SANKATOGRA NIVARANAM PRANAMAMI SIDDHI VINAYAKAM

I bow down to the son of Sankara,the lord of all obstacles,the one with large ears and the elephant faced God! He is the destroyer of all the arrogance and illusion of people drowned in the slush of samsara! He shines with bright eyes and is anointed with the red colored sindhura on His body!

                                          RAVANESWARA DARPANAASAKA VAMANAARBHAKA MOHANAM

                                          DEVA RAKSHANA BADDHA KANKANA DHIMANIM BHAVA BHANJANAM 

                                          PAAVANAANGHRI SUPALLAVAM BHAVA THARAKAM GUHA SODARAM

                                          BHAVAYAMI SADAA VISISHTA MAHODARAM DURITAPAHAM

You destroyed the arrogance of Ravana by assuming the small enchanting form! You are dedicated to the protection of all Devas! You are extremely smart and help devotees cross the sea of earthly existence! Your tender feet destroy all sins! You are the brother of Lord Subrahmanya! You are Lambodara with the special tummy! I meditate on you always!

                                         VAKRATHUNDA MANOGNA BHUSHANA MALYA RAJITHA VAKSHASAM

                                         SAKRA DHARMA DHANANJAYAADI SURAARCHITHANGHRI SARORUHAM

                                         SUKRA JIVA BUDHAARKA BHUMIJA CHANDRA SAURI VIDHYAKAM

                                         VIKRAMAUJASA KAARANAM PRANAMAAMI VIGHNA NIVAARANAM                      

you are the God with the twisted Trunk! you are adorned with jewels and garlands! Your Lotus Feet are worshiped by Indra, Yama and Agni! You command even Sukra,Guru,Budha,Surya, Kuja, Chandra and sanaischara! I bow down to you, the remover of all obstacles!!

                                         JNANA KAARANA VEDA VEDYA VINAAYAKAM NAVA NAAYAKAM

                                         BHAKTI MUKTI PRADAAYAKAM SAKALAARTHA SAADHAKA VIGRAHAM

                                         NITHYA NIRMALA VASTHU THATHWA VIRAAJITHAM PRABHU MAVYAYAM

                                         AAKHU VAAHANA MAASRAYE MAHANIYA THEJA GANESWARAM 

You are the cause for all Jnana or knowledge! You are realized through the Vedas! There is no leader other than you! You grant devotion as well as salvation or Mukti! You radiate the principle of pure Eternal Brahman! I beseech you, the rider on the Mouse, Oh Ganeswara! with the only tusk!

DESIRE

Krishnamurthy Yayavaram posted a response on Thought of the daySadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

"Desire is the root cause of all our troubles & sufferings!! But at the same time it is the basis of human existence!! Without desire there is no progress in life!! The question is as to what we should desire! As mortals we desire power, pelf, position, wealth,health & renown!!These are needed for all in material existence!! These are all ephemeral & are likely to vanish sooner or later!! When man's life itself is so short why talk of these things??Desires should not be limited to these trivial & small things!! Our desires must be ideal & aim at very great & grand things! Man is finite whereas God is infinite!! It should be his endeavor & wish to reach God ultimately!! in other words, he should wish to become god himself!! Desire should not be limited for limited things in this world!The motto should be to aim very high in whatever you attempt to do! if you aim at cent percent you may get 80%!! But if you want just a pass you may fail!! Swami Vivekananda said that if he were to be a burglar he would break in to the house of a Millionaire rather than a Beggar as he may not find much in the beggar's house!Every thing about MAN is limited & hence he goes after limited things!!We pray to God for material benefits! we seldom pray for liberation from the terrible cycle of samsara--that of Birth & Death!! When the Creator Brahma came to Kumbhakarna & asked what he wanted as a boon, poor kumbhakarna wanted SLEEP as the boon!!That is human nature! We ask for silly things & miss the great things though God is willing to give whatever we want!! Our ultimate Nature is DIVINITY! The desire for self realization should be in every individual! We must realize that " I" the Atma is different from the physical BODY!!"

"Let Nature be your Teacher"

"Nature is the manifestation of God! In every object of nature our ancestors saw the Almighty in one form or other! They worshiped nature as none did! but today Man's atrocities against Nature are manifold! He has blasted the mountains, felled trees, polluted all rivers beyond redemption! and has not left even the free air without polluting it! The earth has been dug out for some purpose or other! Is there any limit for his selfish nature? But on the other hand Nature has been forgiving him for all his lapses! We do not know when Nature will , in its anger, retaliate! It has been very, very patient for a very long time! God has causeless love for his children! In the same way, Nature too has been too very lenient to men! All trees, specially the sandalwood tree offers its fragrance to the axe that cuts it! When burnt it wafts fragrance in the air & rubbed, it produces sandal paste that is fragrant! It does not mind the fellow who has cut it but its fragrance is given to the very axe that has cut it! All trees & other objects of Nature are forgiving and treat man indulgently!! Nature teaches us many lessons! " let nature be your teacher" said Wordsworth the famous Nature poet! We should remember that it it is to our own peril that we destroy Nature! The floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions & other calamities are the signs of nature's anger against man! After all Man is insignificantly small before the forces of Nature! Let him realize this factor & behave properly lest he will be ruined!"

 

See GOD in Every object

"The entire Universe is the manifestation of God or Divinity! As such every individual and every thing is the reflection of divinity! Man, in his ignorance looks at the exterior only and does not care to delve deep and try to recognize the enshrined God principle ,namely the Atma! The same Soul or atma embedded in one's heart, is also there in every living being as well as in all objects in the world! " Ekah paratma bahudeha varthi" say our scriptures!The most important quality of a Jnani or Wise man is to recognize this fact and look at others with this insight! That is why people say  "Panditha samadarsiniha" The wise look at others equally! When we look at others' indwelling atma, all differences of caste, community, religion,language, creed, nationality and other differences dissolve and we realize the self same Spirit or soul residing in them! In other words we recognize the God in him! We illuminate him with our Love and affection which is pure and unalloyed! Entire Nature is also seen as the personification of divinity! The magnificent mountains, the brooks & the flowing rivers, astounding scenes of greenery satisfy us as the very essence of divinity! That is the reason why we worship trees, mountains, rivers and other objects of nature!!Hence, the essence of spiritualism and Jnana consists in recognizing the divinity in other human beings and Nature!! Adi Sankara, in one of his walks meets a chandala, a repulsive figure, who engages him in a philosophic dialogue! Sankara, recognizing him as a great Jnani, prostrates to him, to the surprise of all his disciples! He did not hesitate for a second thinking that the person was of a very low caste! That is the unique nature of Jnanis!!"

SELF REALIZATION

"" deham devalayam proktwa jeevo devas sanathanaha!" says the mantra!!The Body is the wonderful shrine in which the jiva, the divine chip is embedded!! Searching for Him elsewhere is like searching for Ghee having butter in our hand!! But Ghee cannot come by itself! Butter has to be churned out of Curds & it has to be melted before we can see Ghee forming out of it!! In the same manner, One has to churn himself & melt for the vision of God!! We gloat about or success & look up with desperation & blame god for our defeats & failures!! God is not in heaven! He is omnipresent & therefore we miss him!! The Atma principle manifest in every creature in the Universe fails our recognition!! God resides in the heart of every creature!! Lord Vishnu tells Sage Narada that HE does not reside either in his abode vaikunta or in the hearts of yogis but wherever his devotees sing HIS praise by chanting HIS name!! Narayana Suktam describes very clearly the omnipresence of God & the exact place in our heart where he supreme Spirit resides! His position is from down the neck region & above the navel!! " "Padmakosaprathikasam hridayamchapyadhomukham ----- nabhya muparithishtathu!!" Covered by the pancha kosas & the illusion that this jagat is Real, we forget to look inside ourselves for the vision of God! But this is easier said than done!! This requires very great effort & training! But it is not at all impossible!!This realization of God within one self is called " atma sakshatkara" the realization of the self which is god!!Then the whole world becomes his possession!! He loves all,hates none! All creatures are one & the same to him!! HE visualizes God in every being! He loses his EGO which has been the stumbling block for realization! He does not Knock at the doors of others for any spiritual progress!! He is the most satisfied man on earth! The 'arishadvargas' shall not touch him!! He becomes the embodiment of LOVE & compassion as it happened to Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa!! His terrible suffering for the vision of his deity KALI is too very well known to be forgotten! Once he realized the vision in his heart he was transformed!! It is the duty of every individual to attempt at least for realizing GOD in one's own heart! Such an attempt, in itself shall transform him into a different individual altogether--A REAL JNANI!!!"

Body, Soul and Atma

 Arjuna asks Krishna whether there is an 'atma' or Soul apart from the body. Elaborating on the nature of atma Krishna says that atma is called ' Sadvasthu'-- existing entity. That which is not atma is called 'asath' namely the body. That is the conclusion of great philosophers. The Supreme Soul, like the Individual Soul, has no beginning or end. The world appears to exist as in a dream! It is unreal like the water in a mirage or a snake in a rope or silver in a mother of a pearl. No power on earth or heaven can destroy Him who destroys everything. Atma is not destroyed even after the destruction of the three bodies viz 'sthul (physical) 'sukshma' (subtle) and 'karana' (causal) bodies. It is very important to practise one's own dharma to realize the knowledge of the Self. Atma can never kill another atma nor can it be killed. To think otherwise is stupidity and foolishness!

     In our ignorance we attribute our bodily qualities to the atma. What are the qualities of the body? The six qualities that the Body has can never be taken as the characteristics of the atma. These qualities are (1) 'asthi'--remaining in the mother's womb for a period of time (2) 'jayate'--birth (3) 'vardhate'-- growth (4) 'parinamathe'--changing from one stage of life to another like childhood, youth, and old age (5) 'kshiyathe'--decline,senility (6) 'nasyathe'--going out of existence, death. Krishna tells Arjuna that there is no need to cry over the death of the body. We discard worn out clothes or shift from our old and dilapidated residences to fresh and new ones.In the same way atma enters into the best or average or the worst type of bodies according to its past 'karma'. Therefore Krishna argues that the sooner we get out of this mortal coil, however good and beneficial it may be, the better because we would be nearing our goal--Paramatma!  "Ajo nithyaha saswathoyam purano nahanyathe hanyamane sareere"(2-20).  "Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grunhani naroparani tatha sareerani vihaya jirnanya anthani samyati nayani dehi" (2-22).

       Not fully satisfied, Arjuna asks Krishna how the atma can be called ' avikari'--without any affectation whatsoever. Krishna says that atma cannot be torn off by any weapon; fire cannot burn it; water fails to drench it; air cannot evaporate it. All the above mentioned states are only for the body, not for the soul!  "Nainam chindanthi sasthrani nainam dahathi pvakaha naichainam kledayam thyapo nasoshayati marutaha" (2--23). How can we justify this statement of Krishna? (1) Weapons, water and fire are Jada -and act on inanimate objects only. Atma is unaffected as it transcends nature. (2) Individual or Supreme Soul is atomic in nature. No weapon can reach it and cut or slice it. (3) Fire can burn an object that has the quality of ignition. Fire cannot burn ash. In the same way atma cannot be touched by fire. (4) A piece of cloth becomes wet because of the fibrous pores in it. Atma has no such pores in it. So water cannot drench it. Air evaporates the wetness in a cloth.There is no moisture in atma to be affected by air. So the Supreme and the Individual Souls are eternal, immanent, stable and without any beginning or end! It is said tat Alexander the Great was surprised at the indifference of a sage whom he met in India after the war with Porus, when he tried to kill him, the sage quoted the above sloka and said, "You cannot kill ME!"

        Atma is beyond the reach of the external sensory organs. Mind cannot imagine what it is. "Yato vacho nivartante aprapya manaso saha" says the upanishad! Even if the body and Soul are identical it is foolish to weep for the body as death is inevitable for anything that is born. Birth is follwed by death. "Jathasya maranam dhruvam". The word "Sareera" means, that which is destroyed. Creation is only projection. Like the sea that draws the wave into itself and the spider that weaves the web and withdraws it at will, God projects the world out of him, becomes immanent and withdraws it into Himself at will. The five elements with which our body is formed merge into their parent entities after the body disintegrates. It is very difficult to control sorrow over the death of some one near and dear. Even Sage Vassishta had to grieve for the death of his childen.

        Summing up Krishna describes the differences between the Body and the Atma or Soul. (1) Body is Jada or inanimate; Atma is full of awareness-chaitanya. (2) Body is ephemeral, Atma is eternal. (3) Body is full of sorrow, Atma is full of Bliss or Ananda. (4) Body is highly impure, Atma is very pure. (5) Body is full of ignorance, Atma is full of Knowledge. Krishna tells Arjuna that HE is not the impure and ignorant Body but the Chaitanya filled awareness blissful and eternal principle of Atma!

What is Love?

The word LOVE has different connotations differentdefinitions are given for the word!! The parents love their children. The husband loves the wife. Brothers & sisters love one another. Many other things are loved by many people!!Any intense liking for an object without which he cannot manage is called Love!! But all this affection is concentrated on material & worldly objects that are ephemeral!! The person dies & the object also, leaving no trace So this tantamounts to temporary pleasure!What is this BLISS? IT is indescribable -a superior kind of everlasting joy that transforms the individual & makes him transcend all silly material pleasures!! This can be called Beatitude!! How can this state of supreme Bliss be achieved?? What are the tools to achieve this? What are are the means to achieve this end!! LOVE is said to be the wonderful tool to obtain this object!! LOVE not in the ordinary sense but on a totally different plane! Love, here, has to be pure & unalloyed,selfless & totally for the sake of Love without any desire for gain or reward!! This extreme Love is also called Bhakthi!! The Bhakta forgets everything, including his existence in the contemplation of his God & that state of complete oblivion, of self, induces the BLISS which he desires!!In the lives of Ramadoss & Gorakubhar we see their Blissful state, not conscious of the death of their own children while serving God!!The Bhakta in his delirium of extreme ecstasy, almost becomes one with God & forgets his material existence! That is the power of the tool of LOVE over the devotee!!The love of Meera for Krishna,of sri Ramakrishna paramahamsa for his goddess kali,of the child Prahlada for Sri Hari are the excellent & vibrant tools for the BLISS they enjoyed! The lives of the great Bhaktas in the North like Namdev, Thukaram,Tulsidas & theAzwars & Nayanmars in the south are classical examples of LOVE as a TOOL for attaining Real BLISS!!"

What is Vedanta?

Vedanta is the name given to the Upanishads which form the last part or the end of the Vedas!Various definitions are given for the word Vedanta! The word itself is a ' savarnadirgha sandhi' of the two words Veda + Anta= Vedanta which means the end of the Vedas!One of the famous definitions is " upanishaditi Brahmavidya" It is called so because it gives the knowledge of the Brahman otherwise called as the Absolute Reality!!It reveals the path to free oneself from the never ending cycle of birth & Death & the vicissitudes of samsara or material existence!!Quite a number of Upanishads are there & all of them emphasize the same doctrine of how to realize the Brahman!! No mention of the names of Gods, as we see in the Vedas, are found in the Upanishads!! They point out that the Atma,enshrined in the Body is the most important thing to be recognized!!They vehemently argue the uselessness of the body without the Atma within! The Upanishads proclaim with one voice the philosophy of ADVAITA & how one can become the Brahman! Anandavalli of Taittiriya Upanishad says "Om brahmaviadapnotiparam tadesha bhuykta satyam jnana manantam Brahma yo Veda nihitam guhayam parame vyoman sosnuthe sarvan kamansaha Brahmana vipaschiteti" The Rig veda has declared the characteristics of the Brahman as "satyam, jnanam & Anantam" One who has realized the Brahman enshrined in the center of his heart shall merge into that omniscient Brahman!! Another mantra in the same upanishad explains how the Brahman transcends all speech & even Manas!! " yato vacho nivarthanthe aprapya manasa saha anandam brahmano vidwan na bibheti kadachaneti" The wise man, who experiences the Bliss of the Brahman whom no speech or manas can approach shall have no fear!! The supremacy of the Brahman & its omnipotent power is explained in the Khatopanisad! It is the radiance of the Brahman that illuminates the Sun,the Moon,the stars, the lightning & even water & the Fire!! "Na thathra suryo bhati na chandra tarakam ne ma vidyutho bhanthi ku thoya magnihi twameva bhanta manubhati sarvam tasya bhasa midam vibhati" All the Upanishads establish the supremacy of the ATMA or the Brahman!!

Surrender To Krishna

Of all the avatars taken by Lord Vishnu, Krishna avatar is the most interesting, complex and controversial. What is the meaning of the word Krishna? It means "dark colored". Another meaning is "one who attracts the other". "Karshatiti krishnaha" His bewitching smile and personality enchanted one and all irrespective of their age and qualification.The Azwars, the mystics of the South, were totally dedicated to the various forms of the Lord like Krishna, Rama & Venkateswara. In their hymns or ' pasurams' they unpacked their soul and expressed their Bhakti or love for the Lord. One after the other,these Azwars,poured out their love and glorified the Divine Sports or leelas and lost themselves in mystic contemplation of His attributes. One among such renowned Azwars is Kulasekhara Azwar! He ruled the Chera kingdom, won many battles, conquered many territories & killed many people! But at a particular stage he was disgusted with the materialistic life he was leading. His intense & latent Bhakti for the lord flowered and he came into the stream of God consciousness!

       In his scholarly magnum opus " Mukunda mala" he describes the divinity and glory of Lord krishna. He surrenders himself to the Lord and says that there is nothing else you can do except surrender yourself to His Will if you want to escape from the endless cycle of samsara! Every thing is Krishna for him, walking,talking, eating, smelling, hearing and many others! This God given sareera- body, its every organ or part must be diverted to the service of the Lord! He says in this sloka,

       "Jihve! kirtaya kesavam muraripum cheto! bhaja Sridharam panidwanda! samarch yachuta katha srotradwaya! twam srunu Krishnam lokaya lochanadwaya! Harer gachanghri yugmalayam jighra ghrana! Mukunda pada thulasim murdhan! namadhokshajam"He addresses the tongue and says," oh Tongue! always sing the glories of Kesava and the enemy of Mura the demon! Oh Manas! worship the Lord of Lakshmi! Oh Hands! offer archana to Achyutha! Oh Ears! listen to HIS stories! OH Eyes!  feast upon His holy form! Oh Legs! Walk to HIS temple! Oh Nose! smell the Tulsi leaves at HIS feet! Oh Head! prostrate at the feet of Adhokshaja!" We use the body and its parts for different and useless activities and waste our energy! The Azwar emphasizes the significance of our devotion and total dedication of our activity to God!

        Devoton to God or Bhakti will not come suddenly or by magic! It has to be cultivated from childhood and in the company of many devotees.It is foolish to think that we can cultivate Bhakti in the later stages of life. Kulasekhara Azwar himself puts it very beautifully in his Mukunda Mala; "Oh Krishna! I have at the outset rested my Royal Swan of my Manas in the cage of your Lotus Feet! It is because, at the terminal stage of my life, I cannot utter your Name as my throat will be stfled by phlegm, wind and bile!" "Krishna! twadiya pada pankaja panjarante adyaiva me visathu manasa raja hamsaha  Pranaprayana samaye kapha vata pithaihi kantavarodhana vidhim smaranam kuthasthe!" Let us follow in the footsteps of these great devotees!!

How to die? A Message for the Soul

"Jathasya maranam dhruvam" say the Sasthras!! Death is inevitable for every birth!! But one should die a good death--not by accidents & other means!! The insensible action of parikshit in placing a dead snake on the neck of the harmless sage resulted in the curse of his son that the king should die in seven days!! But the King turned philosophical & spiritual instead of wailing at the curse! He utilized those seven critical days in listening to the glories & leelas of Sri Krishna & Sri Hari! That is Bhagavatha purana! In 12 Skandas ,Suka Bramha narrates stories of the various Avatars & many others associated with them!! The Bhagavatha emphasizes the significance of total surrender of the individual to the will of God!! Chanting his glorious names & listening to his divine exploits with single minded devotion shall absolve man of all his sins & liberate him!! In the episodes of Gajendra Moksham & Prahlada charitra, sage Vyasa  brings out this aspect very effectively!! Fighting the crocodile for hundreds of years puffed up by his EGo, Gajendra ultimately surrendered to God & only then Hari came & saved him by killing the crocodile!! The effect of chanting the name of the Lord is seen in prahlada's story! With HIS NAME on his lips & mind, he was saved from the torments & tortures of his father Hiranyakasipu!!The Gopikas too had salvation through the chanting of the Lord's name!! In this Kaliyuga nama sankirtan is the easiest & the best!! The Lord himself tells Narada that he does not live either in His abode Vaikunta or in the hearts of yogis but is present wherever His devotes sing & chant his divine Names!!Youngsters should develop chanting the name of God from their early childhood!"

I don't see individual human beings. I don't see individual things.I I see the same Divinity every where! Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev.

"The entire Universe is the manifestation of God or Divinity! As such every individual and every thing is the reflection of divinity! Man, in his ignorance looks at the exterior only and does not care to delve deep and try to recognize the enshrined God principle ,namely the Atma! The same Soul or atma embedded in one's heart is also there in every living being as well as in all objects in the world! " Ekah paratma bahudeha varthi" say our scriptures!The most important quality of a Jnani or Wise man is to recognize this fact and look at others with this insight! That is why people say " Panditha samadarsiniha" the wise look at others equally! When we look at others indwelling atma, all differences of caste, community, religion,language, creed, nationality and other differences dissolve and we realize the self same Spirit or soul residing in them! In other words we recognize the God in him! We illuminate him with our Love and affection which is pure and unalloyed! Entire Nature is also seen as the personification of divinity! The magnificent mountains, the brooks & the flowing rivers, astounding scenes of greenery satisfy us as the very essence of divinity! That is the reason why we worship trees, mountains, rivers and other objects of nature!!Hence, the essence of spiritualism and Jnana consists in recognizing the divinity in other human beings and Nature!! Adi Sankara, in one of his walks meets a chandala, a repulsive figure, who engages him in a philosophic dialogue! Sankara, recognizing him as a great Jnani, prostrates to him to the surprise of all his disciples! He did not hesitate for a second thinking that the person was of a very low caste! That is the unique nature of Jnanis!!"

Sri Krishna's Persuasion

     Arjuna's surrender to Lord Krishna is now complete. It is now for Krishna to persuade the dejected and despondent Arjuna and inspire him to fight. Krishna tells him that his compassion and attachment for the evil doers is totally misplaced. He is showing sympathy to the undeserving which cannot be accepted. Arjuna's words are that of Jnani but not his action. A jnani does not weep either for the body or for the Soul. He is unperturbed even at the demise of his close kith and kin and his own children. It was Mohamed Zaid the disciple of the prophet who said, " Allah diya Allah liya!" God has given and HE has taken back. So we need not feel sorry for the loss.

       The stupid and the foolish who feel sorrow are of three kinds:(1) those who think about the departed (2) those who grieve for the dead for a while and their dependents and members of their family at other times (3) and the worst who wail for the money and material not left for them by the dead! Krishna tells Arjuna that the relationship between the Supreme Soul and the Individual Soul is that of fire and a spark of fire, a mountain of candy and sugar. Says Krishna, I the Supreme Soul and you the Individual Soul are existing now, and there will never be a time when we cease to exist!"

       Arjuna asks whether there is an Atma or Soul apart from the body. Krishna says that Atma has no destruction. It is full of knowledge and bliss. The body is wrapped in ignorance or ajnana and sorrow. It dies sooner or later. The body changes every minute but we still recognize and identify people. For recognizing others, body or mind is not important. The "I" factor or the Atma is the most important thing. So the Body and Soul are different and opposite! To recognize any change there should be something that does not change. In short, the entire Universe is transient and ever changing. There is one entity that takes cognizance of this change. It transcends all change that is the Spirit or Soul!--the Atma!

        The possessor is always different from the thing, possessed. When we say MY head, MY house, MY Property, the word MY stands distinct. The head is mine, house and property are mine. But I am not the head, or house or the property!  I am distinct from the physical and mental bodies. There is no point in feeling sorrow for the body that is destined to die! The Individual is not the body but the undying principle of Atma is one's true identity. Man hates death because it is not in his nature to die! He is a combination of Existence, Awareness and Bliss--Sath Chit Ananda--the Atma! According to Adi Sankara 'Jneya' the object to be known is different from the 'Jnatha' the owner. According to George Berkeley God is the dreamer. The individual Souls and all the material objects are like things dreamt of. They are unreal. The moment you wake up they disappear! But the dreaming person exists. Man's inveterate enemies are 'ahankara--egoism and ' mamakara--attachment. Krishna counsels Arjuna to be detached and do his duty. He should not forget his 'swadharma' the duty of a Kshatriya to destroy evil. All his doubts are meaningless. Krishna points out that Arjuna is only an instrument in His hands!  "Nimitta matram bhava Savyasachin." He persuades and inspires Arjuna by saying that he has already killed the Kauravas. Arjuna's fight will be like killing a dead snake! But many more questions have to be answered by the LORD before Arjuna takes up his bow and arrows! 

Swami Vivekananda

Man speaks of his free will! But his free will is conditioned by his past Karma & the vasanas that he has brought with him from his innumerable Births earlier!! His freedom is akin to a cow which is tethered to a pole on the ground! The cow is free but within the circumference it can describe from the peg to which it is tied! Within that area it is totally free but it is also tied up & cannot release itself or go beyond its limit! Our mind is also influenced by the past karmas that have been collected, namely Sanchita Karma which is the deposit under our name! That yields interest or result in the present Birth. It cannot be prevented or opposed however much you may try! That is why we say, "Buddhih karmanu sarini!" Our past actions mercilessly lead us to the results, good or bad,whether we like them or not!! The something that is behind the Will is the Providence who is the Great supervisor who allots all the effects of our past actions! Any action both good & bad has its effect & ,has to be experienced for which this body of ours is given! There is no question of cancellation between the good & bad karmas!!

Money comes and goes, morality comes and grows--Sri Satya Sai Baba.

Earning money is very difficult. Protecting it is more difficult. Its loss is sorrowful and spending it away is  much more sorrowful! Why this Money that causes so much sorrow?  "arthanam ajitam dukham arjithanacha rakshane  nase dukham vyaye dukham ki martham dukha bhajanam? But man is mad after money! Money changes hand every second. It is not with any one permanently. 'Lakshmisthoya tharanga bhanga chapala' says a great devotee It is as transient as the bubble on the wave! Though materialistic pleasures are provided by money it comes and goes and is never stable! On the other hand Morals , once they  come are stable and do not leave the individual. It grows and the person becomes a steadfast moralist! He will set an example to others! Swamy wants to stress the importance of morality over money making. We cannot say always that a rich person has morals.But it is possible that a person with morals need not be rich.

Variety is the Spice of Life

Our life is a drudgery involved in repeating the daily chores endlessly. It gets bored too very soon.The housewife does the same thing again and again.The office goer has the religious regimen of attending the office. The student runs to school and college regularly.The businessman sits and moves about without any other alternative. Even Nature carries on its activities meticulously every day. There seems to be no relief from the activities which repeat themselves with no end!

      Is it not possible to break from this rut and routine and enjoy ourselves by doing something other than what we do every day? It is not impossible.Man must change his attitude and mindset.We say "Variety is the Spice of Life" Do something different from what you do daily! The housewife can get up late and relax and for the sake of a change abstain from cooking! The Father can take out the family to a restaurant for lunch.The student can go late to the class or bunk to experience how it savours! The office goer can doze befoore his computer or do some personal browsing instead of doing office work! The businessman can visit places without doing any business for a change! Every individual can attempt doing something unusual for his regular daily activities There is a thrill and pleasure or an adventure in doing things like that! As a writer says, an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered! Variety in your activity is the essence of your otherwise dull, drab, earthly existence!

      Not only this, we can enjoy NATURE by visiting parks, gardens, vallyeys and magnificent mountains and wonder at the artistic and aesthetic creations of God! We ca educate ourselves by seeing and relishing the beautiful sights and sounds of nature! It was Wordsworth who said, "ONE IMPULSE FROM A VERNAL WOOD MAY TEACH YOU MORE OF MAN  OF MORAL EVIL AND OF GOOD THAN ALL THE SAGES CAN" ..."LET NATURE BE YOUR TEACHER." The Banished Duke in the Forest of Arden read "Books in the running brooks and sermons in stones!" There are too many things that we miss in Life attending to the daily chores! We can even extend our helping hand to the lowly and the downtrodden through charity and derive the bliss of contributing our mite to their happiness!!

       Instead of being incorrigibly materialistic, we can turn spiritual by seeing the Divine in every other being! We can lose our EGO by serving others and the society we live in, in various ways! Service to Man is service to God! We do not live to eat! We eat to live! All beings live, reproduce and die. But it is the way we live that distinguishes Man from the beast! Every day we lose a fraction of our longevity. Youth turns into old age. Days lost do not return. Time swallows up every thing in the universe! Wealth and riches are transient like a bubble on the waves! Our Life itself is like a flash of lightning---sudden momentary brilliance and total darkness! We have to wake up, understand the illusory aspect of our life and involve ourselves in realizing what we are and what the purpose of our Life is! There is an indescribable pleasurein the Spiritual Path when we serve without expecting any reward-- (nishkama karma) Let us break into that untread path to escape from that trodden by us earlier to enjoy what Life is!!!

How to go from Sex to Spirituality

SEX is considered sacred by our ancients as it involves procreation & propagation of race! The marriage rituals have mantras that glorify sex! Sex is not intended for fun or overindulgence! Without sex there cannot be any creation! Vatsayana has given in his famous work the time & the period when sex can be resorted to!! Many indulge in sex indiscriminately & lose themselves!! Man has a weakness for woman because of the principle of sex! Sex is not for enjoyment like some entertainment! It is purely for perpetuating your family or race! Our ancients have said that after the birth of a son & daughter one should abstain from sex & think of spirituality! In modern days sex has become a huge problem! Men have lost control over their emotions & urges! The abuse of women & the series of rapes being reported every day is very distressing!! Controlled sex activity & abstaining from it totally shall help a person in the path of Spirituality! Our ancient Rishis & Saints were all family men & had children! But they knew the value of sex & did not over indulge in it! They performed penance but yet maintained family life! They lived happily & are remembered even today! SEX is a double edged weapon! It can if properly managed, be one's salvation, or else his damnation!

Thought for the Day - Aug 3 2014

They say seeing is believing, but everyone sees what they want to see. - Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudeva

"Experiment, observation & inference are the ways of the scientist!! He wants to see to believe in things! Otherwise he experiments ,observes & draws inference! The out look of Man differs from person to person! Depending on the personality every person understands things as he sees them! Their sight is colored by their attitude!The same object produces a different effect to different persons! Like a person wearing red or blue glasses, man has different visions of the wold & life! For a worldly person it is materialistic life! For a spiritual man it is spiritual life! The interests,ideas likes & dislikes,preferences, etc dominate his mind & egg him on! There are many things that we cannot see but we believe in them with Faith! We all know that appearances are deceptive!! We have to be very careful in believing what we see!"

Thought for the Day - Aug 04 2014

"Taste goodness before you recommend it." - Swami Chinmayananda

Goodness cannot be tasted like a fruit or some edible material! If one asks how sweet the fruit is you cannot explain it in proper terms! You will ask him to eat & experience the taste!! !n the same way one has to experience goodness in many ways before he considers others as good or bad! People who are sincere, simple pious,gentle, of good habits & customs,service minded,treat others with love & respect in your opinion can be considered good!!Company of such people shall give you pleasure & satisfaction & a realization that they are genuinely good!! you should not be carried away by mere appearances for appearances are deceptive! There are bad people but outwardly looking good!! there are also villagers with rugged & rough exterior who are as good as gold & as gentle as lamb!!It is our company & movement with them that will reveal the truth about them! It is only after that experience that we can recommend them to others! Otherwise our name will be under cloud!!

Is Arjuna qualified for Gitopadesa?

The quintessence of all the four Vedas and the Upanishads is presented to us through the rarest of the rare dialogue  between Lord Krishna and Arjuna the paramatma and the jivatma! Like the battle on Kurukshetra, there is a battle going on in the life of every one between Good and Evil! The symbolism of the Gita is beautifully explained in the dhyana slokas preceding the text. All the Upanishads are the Cow. Lord Krishna is the milkman. Arjuna is the calf. The wise and the good are the enjoyers of the milk and the milk is the delectable nectar of the Bhagavadgita! "Sarvopanishado gavo dogdha gopala nandanaha  partho vatsa sudhir bhoktha dugdham gitamrutam mahat."

      The Gita secures its added significance as the Lord himself addresses Arjuna!  It is chronicled by the great sage Vyasa and forms a very important part of the Mahabharatha, called as the panchamaveda. Why should Arjuna alone be selected for Gitopadesa? Generally the first milk from the cow should be tasted by the calf and then only it should be distributed to others. Arjuna and Lord krishna represent the Individual and Supreme Souls respectively. There was and is never a time when these two were nonexistent. The relationship between Arjuna and Krishna is that of friendship-- sakhya bhava. Many a time, Krishna had come to the rescue of Arjuna during critical situations  Arjuna loved krishna intimately and had implicit faith in him and depended on his advice in times of need. 

     The very first look at the armies of Kauravas, Bhishma, and his teachers Drona and krupa fills him with pity, compassion, and guilt. He does not want to kill them and eat the bloody meal He is prepared to beg rather than do this annihilation. He shudders at that thought and his Gandiva slides from his great shoulders. He sweats profusely, his tongue is parched and he is in a trauma! "seedanti mama gathrani mukhancha parisushyati vepathascha sareeram me romaharshascha jayathe (i-29)  "Na kankshe vijayam Krishna na cha rajyam sukhanicha kim no rajyam Govinda kim bhogai jeevitanicha." (i--33)

       Doubting the outcome of the great battle Arjuna owns that he is spoiled by "Karpanya dosha" the delusion of mistaking the body for the Soul and hankering after material comforts and pleasures.He is undecided between waging war or begging. He beseeches Krishna's grace & and advice. He requests Krishna to take him as his disciple & clear all his doubts. In short, Arjuna totally surrenders himself  to the Lord!  "Karpanya doshopahatha swabhavaha  prucchami twam dharma sammuda chetaha  yacheyasyannischitam bruhi tanme sishyasteham sadhimam twam prapannam."

       Arjuna's first defect is his "mamakara"-- attachment to his kith and kin that prevents him from doing his duty. This attachment hangs heavily on all of us and drags us down to the  bottom! secondly, forgetting his duty to fight against evil  as a kshatriya, he is ready to beg! It is the duty of a Brahmin to beg, not that of a Kshatriya. The third defect is that Arjuna grieves for those who do not deserve sympathy and sorrow. Arjuna, in speech is sensible and appears to be a Jnani. But Krishna lists him among the stupid category!! A Jnani does not feel sorrow either for the dead or for those going to die. For these reasons Krishna has to disabuse the mind of Arjuna by his Gitopadesa! However, Arjuna is credited with pure nature making him eligible for the wisdom imparted in the Gita. The word "Arjuna" means pure, unsullied, and white. Thus his name is  quite appropriate and he lives upto the name given to him. The first and foremost quality of Arjuna is his the sense of discrimination between the eternal and transitory things. He is non attached to worldly or heavenly pleasures. He has control over the external sensory organs and the inner mind. He has patience,faith, and contentment or peace of mind. Most importantly, he is a ''mumukshu'" hankering after liberation from material bondage with an urge of a drowning man to come out of water!  Lord krishna, being the Jagadguru, and Yogiswara tests Arjuna severely and strictly before he gives him Upadesa!  Arjuna, thus fully qualifies himself  for the grand Upadesa from the LORD HIMSELF!

Can Vishada or Sorrow become a Yoga?

     The Bhavadgita depicts life's struggle & battle. While the Mahabharata war was only for eighteen days, life's battle is till the end of one's life. Our body is symbolically a battle field. It is also called "Dharma Kshetra". There is a fight going on between Good and Evil in ourselves. "Sareera madyam Khalu Dharma sadhanam". The Body is given to perform acts of Dharma or Righteousness! The GITA out lines Eighteen Yogas. The word YOGA means the union of the Jeeva the individual Soul with the Absolute Soul or the Brahman. Religion is that which binds Man to GOD! Our birth place is God himself. We have to return to God. Wordsworth says, "Like trailing clouds of glory do we come from God who is our home".

     The first of the eighteen yogas is VISHADA YOGA -- the grief and despondency of Arjuna the Pandava warrior. It reveals the speciality and efficacy of sorrow or grief as an indicator of attainment of Divine Grace. Arjuna feels that his greed for kingdom is the root cause for war. In the same way man earns Divine Grace when he grieves for the sorrows of life. Compassion for all creatures and pity are the first steps for liberation or "mukti". It is sincere sorrow and repentance for all our acts of sin and introspection that shall entitle us for the Grace of God.    

     Why should Arjuna become despondent having come to the battle field to wage war and kill all the Kauravas? Where is the need for him to feel sorrow and dejection? Requesting Krishna to drive the chariot to the center of the two armies, he surveys the ranks of his enemies--his own kith and kin including his grand father Bhishma and the teachers Dronacharya and Krupacharya and many others. He is over come by pity and delusion. He shudders at the thought of Killing those brothers, relatives, and his own preceptors. His body shivers. He sweats profusely. His famous bow Gandiva slides from his shoulder along with the quiver of wonderful arrows. Says Arjuna "Sidanti mama gathrani mukhancha parisushyati vepathascha sareereme romaharshascha jayathe" (1-29). Arjuna does not want success or kingdom. He tells Krishna that he is not enamoured of kingdom. He does not want to eat a bloody meal after killing all and rule the empty land. Rather, he is ready to beg or die instead of annihilating the entire Kuru race! He should not and cannot aim an arrow at his beloved teachers and relatives. Krishna points out that the Kauravas are called "athathayis" -- people who have set fire to houses, poisoned others, grabbed lands, defaulted on loans, violated the chastity of women, attacked with murderous weapons. Kauravas have done almost all of these heinous crimes. They do not deserve any mercy.!  But Arjuna says that non violence is the best policy. "Ahimsa paramo Dharmaha". It is the quality of great people to do good to those who do evil to them. He turns aside and lays down his arms, his Gandiva and the quiver with mighty arrows! In his pity and sorrow he is too weak to stand and falls at the feet of the Lord and prays for edification and knowledge on various issues and doubts!

     What exactly is the result of this grief or VISHADA of Arjuna? What is its importance? His despondency is very beneficial. Arjuna was not a coward to run away from the battlefield. It is an acid test for his sincerity and steadfastness. It is the motivating force to surrender himself to the Lord totally! VISHADA or sorrow leads to Sanyasa yoga and is the bedrock of detachment. Arjuna's sorrow is typical of the sorrow of Humanity. Man in his ignorance thinks that he is the architect of his sorrows and successes. He is in ecstasy and euphoria when he wins and in distress when he fails. This pain and sorrow, when enlarged, not for personal wellbeing, is transformed into what we may call as "VISHADA YOGA" -- sorrow that brings us closer and closer to GOD! The grief of an individual should be for the mistakes he has done, for the bad road he has taken and not for narrow personal gains. In the Lives of the great Nayanmars and Azwars we find the same type of sorrow and suffering for general good. Another great aspect of these devotees has been their total surrender or "Saranagati" to the lotus feet of the Lord!

      

     Arjuna's grief is slowly turning to the grand ideal of total Surrender or "Saranagati" to Lord Krishna. He is invaded by innumerable doubts. He is in a dilemma. Should he fight or not fight? Should he kill the Kauravas as well as his teachers and kith and kin?What is his Dharma? Is he greedy? Is violence sanctioned by Dharma sastras? How will he be judged in the future? These relevant doubts require elaborate clarification before he shoots his first arrow. Krishna allows him to be deluded and when Arjuna is incosolably sorrowful, gears himself up to ward off his silly doubts and establish what is right and wrong, and Dharma and Adharma. Thus VISHADA true and sincere, is a gateway for union with GOD!!!

What is detachment? And how to achieve it?

“Be like a lotus, which is not affected by the water in which it is born” says Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Lotus is a flower pure and unsullied. It is a symbol of perfection prosperity and riches. Its value is further augmented as the goddess of wealth Lakshmi is seated on it. Sri Suktha describes her as “Padmapriye Padmini Padma Hasthe Padmalaye Padma dhalaya thakshi“.  Lotus is very dear to Goddess Shakthi and to almost all other Gods and Goddesses. But the origin or the birthplace of Lotus is considered very ordinary or even bad. The flower has different name in Sanskrit like Pankaja, Pankeruha, Jalaja, Jalaruha, Neeraja, Padma, Ambuja and others. The word Pankaja explains its origin, Panka in Sanskirit means Mud or Slush. So out of slush or mud we have this most beautiful pure and adorable flower. The peculiarity of Lotus is that it does not get wet or affected by Slush or Mud or Water from which it is born. Even the Lotus leaf does not become wet though it is immersed in it.

Swami says, ”man should be like the Lotus which raises its beautiful head unaffected by the surrounding waters, slush and mud. Water here is symbolic of samsara and the vicissitudes of material existence. The smartness of man consists in his ability to come out unscathed from the toils and turmoil of the cycle of samsara or family life. He is not destined to suffer like this. Why it that Man is unable to free himself from those shackles? Is it impossible for him to clear himself from those troubled waters? It is not impossible but rater very difficult for a person totally drowned in the sea of Samsara. Samsar is considered as mire from which man cannot come out easily. Sakara says “Punarapi Jananam Punarapi maranam Punarapi Janani Jatare sayanam Iha samsara Bahu dustare”. Kulasekara Alwar says “Bhava Jaladhi Magadham dustaram”.

Sankara trans migrating into the body of Kasi Raja finds life as an unfathomable ocean full of terrible crocodiles ready to drag him down to the bottom.“ Samsara sagara vishala karal kala nakragraha grasana nigraha vigrahasya”. Wife, children, desires ambitions, success, failure and what not hang heavy on man to bring him down. In short man is attached to mundane things and neglects his own spiritual leanings.

Man has no choice in his birth. He does not know where he will be born and how. His birth is dictated by the cumulative effect of the karmas during his innumerable previous births. As such the Jeeva carries with him the vasanas or tendencies that he had specially liked in those births. The pungent and strong smell of substances that cling to our hand and remain for long these vasanas follow the jeeva for many births and do not go unless he corrects himself. Thus, it is once in a way, there is a birth with ideal or good vasanas when great souls are born.

How can man raise like a lotus unaffected by water from which it is born? It is through detachment only. How can it be achieved? It is through attachment to God and spirituality but yet doing your daily duties.

Saint Thiruvalluvar in his great work Thirukkural says “Patruga patratraan patrinai; appatrai patruga patru vidarkku” Catch hold of the one without attachment to get rid of your attachment. Man is affected by illusion or Maya and considers as real what is unreal and as unreal what is real. Two types of maya namely Avidya and Vidya affect him. The first one leads him astray into samsara and material existence. The second leads him to spiritualism and God. The first one is called Pravruthi marga and the second Nivirthi marga. It is because of Poorva janma vasana, that the child Druva obtained salvation though his father was bad. Prahlada had a father who hated Sri Hari. The Alwars, Nayanmars of the south and the great bhakthas of the North are also evolved souls and turned to God. They steered clear of the muddy waters and flowered like the Lotus. Sri Ramakrishna, Swamy Vivekananda belong to the same group. Sri Shirdi Sai and Sri Sathya Sai are evolved souls though born and brought up by ordinary parents. Swamy was detached to the core even from his childhood. He would be the last to take new clothes after everyone had chosen theirs. Elders were astonished at his total detachment to worldly things even at an early age. When Kati Subbing offered him a pair of new clothes and basket full of Aldus he refused and distributed them to the children saying, “My hands only give but never receive anything from others”. Swamy was personification of detachment, divine love, and compassion.

Devotion to God accompanied with wise satsang, chanting the name of the lord incessantly, and keeping away from too much of involvement in worldly affairs shall make you detached slowly but surely and bring peace of mind.

Unique Nature of Motherhood

"The mother is the pillar of the home, of society, of the Nation and so of Humanity itself" BABA!

Sri Lalitha Sahasranama sthothram begins with the mantra, "Sri Matre Namaha" pranams to the Universal Mother! Mother is the bedrock and foundation of the home, society and nation. As such she is the basis of humanity itself! We worship all goddesses of our Hindu culture as our mothers. Goddess Lalitha Maha Tripua Sundari is extolled as the universal mother, the energizing principle of every creature in this universe. She is called Shakti, the driving force of all beings in this universe. According to Sri Lalitha Sahasra Nama Stothram she is all in all. She has created the trinity, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheswara and allotted to them their duties of creation, protection, and destruction. It is said that she has created the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu! Sahasra Nama Sthothra describes,"Karangul nakhothpanna Narayana dasakrthyai namonamaha".

Our Vedas and Upanishads consider the Supreme Being as male or Purusha and Prakriti as female. Purusha is potential energy while Prakriti is kinetic energy. Unless potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy creation cannot be achieved. Purusha transforms himself into that dynamic force for the purpose of creating the universe, all it's creatures, fauna and flora, the ' sthavara and ' jangama' objects. In other words Nature is created in all its wonder and diversity! That is the reason why Nature is called as the manifestation of God and we worship various forms of Nature. We call Nature and earth as our mother goddesses as the Providence has created it in such a way that they offer every blessed thing for man for his mundane existence. The Five Elements--Pancha Bhutas, Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Akasa are the life supporting divine ingredients that our Divine Mother had bestowed on us long before human existence happened on earth.

In one of the Upanishads the almighty power of Shakti, the mother goddess is clearly indicated. The Devas were puffed up with pride after their victory over the asuras or demons. Shakti wanted to snub them and reveal their helplessness without her grace and blessings. She placed a blade of dry grassland asked the Devas to exercise their individual power on it. Vayu tried his best but could not move it to even a fraction of an inch! Agni came but could not ignite it! Varuna failed to moisten the blade! Indra, the king of Gods and all others failed miserably in exercising their powers! Shakti then told them that it is HER POWER instituted in them that works wonders!

In the SIKSHA VALLI of Taittiriya Upanishad, the Vedic Preceptor, after training and instructing the student in Gurukulavasa, gives a piece of advice regarding how he should conduct himself in society and life. Asking him to speak the Truth and act according to Dharma, he ordains that he should never neglect his duties to Gods and Pitrus--ancestors. Then he wants the student to consider the Mother, Father, Teacher, and the Atithi--Guest as gods respectively! "Satyam vada, Dharm am chara......Deva Pitru karyabhyam napramaditavyam Matru Devo Bhava Pitru Devo Bhava Avharya Devo Bhava Atithi Devo Bhava."

What is the uniqueness of the Mother? She is the personification of supreme self sacrifice! She is prepared to sacrifice herself for the sake of her child. She bears untold suffering from the time of her pregnancy till the child is delivered. Sometimes she has to die so that the child may survive. The child is the flesh of her flesh. She is the embodiment of selfless Divine Love that does not expect any reward in return for the Love shown for her children! She is the perfect example of what the Lord said in the GITA! "Karmanye vadhikarasthu maphale shu kadachana" Bhagawan says " The Mother brings forth and trains the emotions and the intelligence and fosters and feeds the child during the critical first few years of life" one can repay any debt but not the debt owed to one's Mother! A home where the Mother sheds tears can never prosper!  Swami says, "whoever claims to be the devotee of God must have the credential of reverence for Mother!" Mother and Motherland are considered greater than heaven or Swarga!  "Janani janma bhumischa swargadapi gariyasi." Parents must love their parents and set an example to their children.

The great Bhakta Pundarika made Lord Panduranga wait on the brick while he served his parents! Garuda released his Mother from the servitude of his aunt Kadruva!  Dharmavyada served his parents and is glorified in the Mahabharata! The influence and the guidance of the Mother works wonders on the individual. Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi owed their name and fame to the noble qualities of their Mothers! Chatrapathi Shivaji's Mother Jijiya Bai was an influence in his life and greatness! The saying, " The Hand that rocks the Cradle Rules the world" is aptly said of the Mother!

Swami's Love for His Mother was very great and indescribable. It was because of the word he gave her, he stayed in Puttaparthi till the last! The hospital, well, and school were started at Parthi as per the wishes of His Mother Eswaramma! Today they have grown gigantic proportion as the Super Specialty Hospital, Drinking water Supply, and Sri Satya Sai Institute of Higher Learning benefiting lakhs of people in the Nation! Bhagawan says, "Let the children, even grown up boys and girls, touch the feet of the Father and Mother every morning before the daily tasks are started." Five minutes in the shrine room and namaskarams for parents--Upanishads recommend this as the basic requirements of our culture. The MOTHER is the high priest of this House of God!

Is not MOTHER and MOTHERHOOD unique? Let all our love, respect, adoration and service be for our dear Mother, and reach the Lotus Feet of our Lord as an offering!!!