THE STORY OF "BHAGIRATHI"

THE STORY OF “BHAGIRATHI”

According to legend it was Bhagiratha, son of the great king Dilipa who brought river Ganga to earth! His father and grandfather tried their best to get the river to earth but failed. His ancestors who angered the renowned sage Kapila were reduced to ashes! To get them a place in ‘Pitru Loka' river Ganga had to be brought down to earth. It was the indefatigable effort of Bhagiratha

that made it possible for river Ganga to arrive on earth from heaven! He was fired with the zeal and obligation for his ancestors and performed severe penance meditating on the river. Pleased with his devotion and commitment Ganga presented herself before Bhagiratha. He was happy at her presence. He reminded her how she took birth from the sacred feet of Lord Vishnu when as Vamana he took Viswarupa! Emperor Bali had then performed abhishekam to the lotus feet of the Lord with the water from his kamandalu! That water became river ‘Mandakini’ and called  ‘Vishnupadi!’ also!

Goddess Ganga asked why he performed such a severe tapas. Bhagiratha told her about the fate of his ancestors and how they can attain Pitru Loka by her touch! While agreeing to his desire, she said that she would be descending to earth with terrific speed and reach the nether world-- patala loka!’ Then all his efforts would be in vain! She was reluctant to come down to earth as she would be polluted when sinners and others bathe in her waters! Bhagiratha said that she would be purified when great saints, sages and seers take bath in her waters. He said that only Lord Siva could control the speed of descending Ganga and that he would request the Lord to help him! Goddess Ganga agreed to descend on the head of Lord Siva first! With redoubled energy once again Bhagiratha performed penance propitiating Lord Siva! When the Lord appeared Bhagiratha explained his aim and how his ancestors could reach ‘Pitru Loka'. He requested the Lord to receive the speeding Goddess Ganga in his matted locks and release her  slowly later so that she could follow him!

Lord Siva stood firm with raised chest and with both hands on the back with his ‘trisula’! Ganga came down with terrific speed! Creator Brahma and Indra and all the other Devas stood in utter amazement to witness the grand spectacle! Bhagiratha was extremely happy at the thought of his ancestors reaching their destined Pitru Loka'! But suddenly Ganga  became proud at the thought of Lord Siva receiving her on his head! Sensing her pride and arrogance the Lord imprisoned her in the maze of his matted locks! Ganga disappeared in the matted locks of the Lord! Bhagiratha was shocked at this and prayed to the Lord for the release of Ganga. Pleased  with Bhagiratha the Lord released Ganga slowly through a branch of his matted hair! Ganga followed Bhagiratha as he led her to the place where his ancestors were reduced to ashes by the furious look of sage Kapila. On the way the waters disturbed the penance of sage Jahnu who took the entire river into his kamandalu!! Bhagiratha had to beg his pardon for the release of water from sage Jahnu! Thus Ganga came to be called “Jahnavi!”

The water that fell in drops on earth formed into “ BinduSaras” and was called “ Sapta protsava.” It branched out into seven streams. Three streams ran towards the east, three to to the west and

the seventh followed Bhagiratha to the spot where his ancestors were reduced to ashes! As soon as the waters of river Ganga touched their ashes all the ancestors of  Bhagiratha reached ‘Pitru Loka' that was denied to them for long! Called as ‘Mandakini’ in heaven, the river came to be called as Ganga on earth! Since it was considered as the daughter of Bhagiratha, it was named BHAGIRATHI the holiest of all rivers!

Thus through the tenacity, perseverance and hard work of Bhagiratha river Ganga descended to earth! It is an inspiring story for all to work ceaselessly for the achievement of an ideal! There is no substitute for hard work in achieving our goal! impediments and obstacles would be there but we have to overcome all with faith, devotion and prayer! ancestors could not achieve in their lifetime! Let him be our role model in our life!

LASTDAYS OF DHRITARASHTRA

LAST DAYS OF DHRITARASHTRA

The famous Kurukshetra war ended and all the Kauravas met their deserved and tragic end.  Vidura, after a few days of stay in Hastinapura returned to meet his brother Dhritarashtra. He did not desire to waste his time but wanted to tell his mind firmly to his brother. He felt sorry that Dhritarashtra never cared for his advice. Now was the time for him to tell his brother very strongly! He must leave Hasthinapuram and go to the forest! It is high time he renounced all his Royal glory and retire into the forest! Dhritarashtra did not understand the words of his brother Vidura. He remonstrated and asked Vidura why he should go to the forest in his old age. But he felt that there should be some valid reason behind the words of Vidura. He requested him to explain why he wanted his brother to retire into the forest.

Vidura told him gently that death was approaching him. It is inevitable. None can stop it. One has to give up his dear and sweet life at the touch of the hand of death!  He has to leave his kith and kin, kingdom, riches,and everything! He has become very lean and lost weight! The present home is not his own! His sons have died in the hands of Bhima. He now ate food served by the Pandavas! This is utter humiliation for king Dhritarashtra! Even at this stage of life he wants to live! His obsession for life is ununderstandable! Vidura reminded his brother of the evil deeds that he,along with his son Duryodana, had committed to wipe out the Pandavas. It was his destiny that he should suffer and endure this unbearable agony of losing everyone in the war!

In spite of knowing that Duryodana was wrong he had not prevented him from doing wicked things. He attempted to wipe out the Pandavas in the wax house! He disgraced Draupadi and disrobed her in the full court in the presence of the great Bhishma and Dronacharya and others! He took away their kingdom and refused to offer even the smallest extent of land for  the pandavas! At every step he tried to destroy them without realizing that they were the children of his brother Pandu! Still they have protected and treated him with great respect! What is the use of such life? Death shall grab him whether he likes it or not! His body will decay like a torn cloth! He should think about this and be courageous to welcome and face death! One who realized this, and after losing all and everything, secretly retires into the forest is really a courageous person!

Detachment is a rare and noble quality! It should not come through others! The greatest merit is to be prepared to leave the body and welcome death! Such a person shall be hailed as a very great Individual! He has lived a full life though it was full of his ego and misdeeds and cruelty to his own children, the Pandavas! There is nothing for him to enjoy in the world now! Nothing is left for him except to leave this painful existence and retire into the forest secretly! Vidura thus told his brother to travel towards the north in search of Swarga! Dhritarashtra listened to these words of Vidura silently and with remorse. All the dark deeds done by his sons  flitted across his mind! He knew that he was a lost soul! He felt that there was no redemption for him!  The words of Vidura seemed sensible and soothing. At length he decided to follow Vidura’ s suggestion!

Dhritarashtra was restless and could not sleep that night. His heart was full of commotion! But there was nothing that he could do.The words of Vidura, though true, were sharp and hurt him very much! He was helpless and felt like an orphan! Somehow he pretended to sleep. In the later part of the night he got up. He saw his wife Gandhari sleeping.  She did not know anything that transpired between him and Vidura! She was such a great and chaste woman that bound her own eyes as her husband was blind! She didn't want to see the world that her husband couldn't see! Dhritarashtra woke up his wife and told her of his decision to leave the palace and everything. She Implicitly obeyed him! Led by Vidura the senile couple left the Palace secretly and went into the forest never to return! “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown!”

IDOL WORSHIP

There are two ways in worshipping God. When we worship Him within ourselves and meditate, it is called “.nirgunopasana”, that is worship without name and form. The second type is termed  “sagunopasana” where the Divine is worshipped with a name and form according to the preference of the bhakta or devotee. While the former is rather strenuous and and involves   concentrated meditation, the latter is comparatively easy as there is an idol with a name and form on which the devotee can concentrate his vision and meditate.The difficulty with the first type is that there is no object or idol to see and meditate! The mind cannot remain steady in the absence of some idol with form. Muslims do not have idol worship. Hinduism practises both the two types of worship-- “ nirguna and saguna” types. While the former is resorted to by jnanis, the latter is practised by the common devotees.

Idol worship is looked down upon by the followers of some religions. What is there in one stone or a metal object in  the shape of a God or Goddess? It is lifeless and is it not meaningless to worship such idols in temples and shrines? This is the question that many people ask. The idol is a means to the end! It is not an end itself! It is through the worship of God with name and form that we are able to realize the Divinity without name and form. Like the mother showing the child the branch of a tree first and later the moon beyond it, the direction and the object are pointed out gradually but not suddenly! This is called “ sakha chandra nyaya” in Sanskrit language. The idol is a symbol representing a God or Goddess. It is not a mere stone! It is the faith of the devotee that enlivens it. He looks at it and meditates on it as the embodiment of Divinity. “ It is the outer form; the inner content is Divinity. Western critics laugh at idol worship and say that Hindus reduce God into stone; but the truth is, Hindus elevate stone to God.”states Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba.

The devotee considers the idol as the living form of the chosen deity, the one who is all pervading. That form is invoked and perceived in the idol and approached with great faith and reverence! The real bhaktha attempts to merge himself in the Eternal and the universal! A few others consider image worship as superstition and condemn it. But for the Bhaktha endowed with pure faith, it is the Omnipresent God who is embodied in the form of the image, in the stone or metal! When it is considered as a stone it has no value. But when faith ,devotion, and emotion permeate the stone image is transmuted into the very person of one’s beloved form of God! Here is a story that demonstrates how faith and devotion compel the Lord to fulfill the  desire of his devotee! Ramanna was a village lad at school. He heard that his friends’ sister and brother in law were arriving to visit the famous Siva shrine at Srisailam. He wanted his sister and brother in law too to visit the shrine. When told that he had no sister or brother in law, he insisted that they should come! To satisfy the boy, his mother said that Bhramaramba and Mallikarjuna were his sister and brother-in-law!

Ramanna believed the words in faith but didn't realize the they were the presiding deities of SriSailam! He went there with his neighbor, saw the idols and wanted them to come home with him!! When there was no reply he fell at the feet of the idols and pulled them! When the priests of the temple saw this they were shocked at the foolishness of the young boy. They forcibly separated the boy, reprimanded and sent him away. Dejected and disappointed, the boy wandered along and did not know what to do. But he did not want to return home without his sister and brother-in-law! He finally decided to end his life. He went to a steep cliff at the SriSailam hills to leap down to death! When Ramanuja was on the verge of jumping down,he heard a voice, “Ramanna, don't jump! We are coming with you!”

Soon the Divine Couple presented themselves before Ramanna at which his happiness knew no bounds. He left for his village along with Lord Siva and his consort Bhramaramba! It was a sight to see and enjoy the incredible  and indescribable experience! Ramanna’s mother was really fortunate to have such an exceptional son who could, by his faith and devotion, bring down the God and the Goddess to her home! Through this story Sri Satya Sai Baba points out how implicit faith and devotion lead to the realization of Divinity!  It is faith and undiluted devotion that breathe Divinity into the lifeless images of stone and other materials! Many a bhaktha has realized Godhead through worshipping his chosen deity! Let us not think that images and idols are lifeless stones!

STRANGE STORY OF SAGE VISWAMITRA

STRANGE STORY OF SAGE VISWAMITRA

Gadhi was a descendant of the great clan of Pururava. Kausika, his son was also a great king who ruled the country righteously.How Kausika transformed himself into sage Viswamitra and later into “ Brahmarshi” is very strange and interesting! On one occasion Kausika went into the forest with his followers. He happened to see the ashram of Sage Vasishta situated in the beautiful Sylvan surroundings! Sage Vasishta gave the king a warm welcome and enquired .  about the well-being of the people. The King also enquired about the safety of the sage and others in the forest.The sage prevailed upon the king to partake of the feast that he wanted to serve him and his followers. Though unwilling at first, the king consented to stay on and enjoy the hospitality of the sage. But a great surprise awaited him! Sage Vasishta called the holy cow, Surabhi, which he owned and ordered it to provide a grand feast to the king and his followers. Sabali (another name of Surabhi) obeying the command of the sage, immediately brought forth a grand feast full of delicacies! The king was amazed at this incredible sight!

King Kaushika grew jealous. He felt that Surabhi can serve a better purpose for him and the kingdom if he owned it. He requested the sage to gift it to him. In return he would offer whatever  the sage wanted. He offered a thousand elephants and various other gifts to the sage but the sage refused. He said that Surabhi was his life and breath! Furious at the refusal, the king ordered his people to seize the holy cow and bring it to his kingdom! While being dragged , Surabhi put on a pale face and wondered why the sage was silent and nonchalant. It wanted the sage’s permission to resist and fight the king’s followers! The sage saying yes, Surabhi readied itself for a fight! Immediately it shook itself and shuffled violently when hundreds of soldiers emerged out of it! They defeated the king’s men. When the king’s sons came forward to fight, the sage destroyed them with a ‘hunkara’! Humbled and humiliated, king Kausika returned home dejected and crestfallen!

Being a Kshatriya he could not digest the utter defeat in the hands of the sage, a brahmin! Crowning his only son and leaving the kingdom in his charge, King Kausika set out to the Himalayan forests for penance. He performed severe penance propitiating Lord Siva and to avenge his defeat at the hands of sage Vasishta! After a long tapas, the Lord presented himself before Kausika! He granted innumerable astras that Kausika wanted! Delighted and reinforced with the Godgiven weapons, Kausika went straight to Vasishta 's ashram and rained a battery of arrows and astras on it! Sage Vasishta was needlessly disturbed at the commotion created by Kausika’s sudden attack.To save the ashram and the inmates he placed his ‘yoga danda’ in front. All astras sent by Kausika were swallowed up by the the ‘yoga danda’! Even the terrible ‘Brahmastra’ could not enter the ashram!! Disappointed and feeling that his penance was not enough to defeat Sage Vasishta, Kausika went southward to do penance once again! He wanted to become a “Brahmarshi” like the sage Vasishta!

At every stage ego and revenge ruled the mind of Kausika! He tried to send the renowned King Trisanku to heaven with his mortal body! When the Devas disallowed it and pushed him down, he challenged the Devas and created a new heaven, stars and even a new Indra also! He made them allow Trisanku to remain in the new Swarga between earth and heaven! He lost his spiritual power because of these events! His concentration in penance was extraordinary and  scared by his tapas, once Indra sent a heavenly damsel, Menaka, to spoil his penance. Kausika fell a victim to the wiles of Menaka and thus Sakuntala was born. Kausika deserted her and went away into the forest for penance once again! He thought that physical strength or that of astras was of no use before spiritual strength of penance. He wanted to be like sage Vasishta in his spiritual strength!

Persevering and with indefatigable zeal, Kausika went to the forest to perform tapas once again. It is believed that he continued for a thousand years. Creator Brahma , pleased by his penance appeared before him and granted him the position of “Brahmarshi.” But Kausika was not satisfied. He wanted that Sage Vasishta should call him a “Brahmarshi.” Accordingly sage Vasishta arrived and called him a “Brahmarshi.”  Thus King Kausika became the sage Viswamitra! It was the great sage Viswamitra who has given us the greatest and the most powerful GAYATRI mantra for which the world is indebted!

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KOTI KUMKUMARCHANA AT FREMONT

KOTI KUMKUMARCHANA AT FREMONT

It was a rare opportunity for the diaspora of Fremont, Bay Area to witness and enjoy the Koti Kumkumarchana for Sri Lalitha Maha Tripura Sundari Devi considered as the Universal Mother! It was an unprecedented sacred function in the whole of America! So far It was not even contemplated by any other Temple in the United States! The chief priest of the Fremont Hindu Temple, Sri Viswa prasad, the devout, dynamic and selfless  bhaktha of Lord Someswara and the Goddess, thought about the Koti Kumkumarchana soon after the strenuous daily Rudrabhishekam during the month of Karthik.There were doubts about the success of such a huge program for it entailed a lot of funds and manpower to conduct it!  But the green signal was given by the goddess and the grand function was scheduled to take place from December 2 to December 10, 2016 at the Temple! The temple is under a private Trust and not much could be expected from them. But the strong determination of Sri Viswa prasad and the Divine Will made it possible to conduct the Koti Kumkumarchana successfully and splendidly!

A special Sri Chakra was brought from India for the purpose of Koti Archana! It weighed a thousand pounds and it arrived just a few hours before the function overcoming all the impediments on the way by the grace of Devi. No proper publicity or invitation was given. The big hall in the temple was rearranged to suit the function as hundreds of devotees were expected to participate in the chanting of Sri Lalitha Sahasra Nama daily in the morning and evening sessions. The expenditure was huge and annadanam had to be done daily for those  who chant as well as to others! Initial funds were provided by Sri Viswa prasad himself and that included the cost of the Sri Chakra it self! With a band of a few dedicated volunteers, helping in every way, the function began on the 2nd of December,2016. Starting with Navavarana puja to the installed Srichakra daily in the morning, chanting Sri Lalitha Sahasra Nama by the suvasinies continued.

Initially the strength of ladies who volunteered to chant was not much. But it soon grew and reached its maximum within a few days! The devotion and the special mantras recited by Sri Viswa prasad who lost himself in performing the puja, attracted the devotees and they came in large numbers from different cities nearby like Sunnyvale, Milpitas and SanJose. Diksha was given to many ladies who had to chant both in the mornings and evenings. Surprisingly the number of chanters either in the morning or evening was 108 which was very auspicious. Starting at about 11am chanting went on till 1pm when there came the lunch break.On week days chanting was both in the morning and evening. On weekends there was an additional session of chanting in the afternoon with an hour break for lunch. Everyday a chosen suvasini was worshipped specially as she was the embodiment of Sri Lalitha Maha Tripura Sundari!  “suvasinyarchana pritayai namo Namaha” A Vipra, Vedic scholar was honored daily! The scholars addressed the gathering briefly and offered their blessings to the suvasinies gathered there. A few men also took part in chanting!

Slowly the number increased to 150,200, 250 and on the final day it crossed 300! The spiritual vibrations generated by the unified and continuous chanting of Devi’s name could be felt and experienced by each and every individual! Many were elevated to spiritual state! I had the rare chance of singing my composition “ Sri Raja Rajeswari pancharatnam” in the presence of Devi! I sang Sri Adi Sankara's famous stotra “ Tripurasundari Ashtakam” also. Puja was performed to to a young Brahmachari as it was the custom. “ Shodasopachara--16 types of worship at the end of the session were offered everyday. Though it was a herculean effort to have sufficient members to chant a crore namas, it was by the sheer grace of Devi that made it possible! On the final day of the Koti Kumkumarchana the hall was filled to its full capacity. Suvasini puja was done for all and thambula with a blouse piece was offered to every suvasini present! Temple authorities were honored. The chief priest, who had conducted the Koti archana so  diligently and with a religious and spiritual fervour was felicitated. Annadanam was arranged for all and the koti archana concluded on a grand scale to the delight and satisfaction of all! It was the grace of Devi that brought enough members to chant her name within nine days!

The Koti Kumkumarchana had the salutary effect of bringing in all the diaspora, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Gujarati, Punjabi, Malayalam families together! It was a treat to watch their interest and enthusiasm in the chanting of Devi’s name. Many came, with their kids, to chant despite the rain that came to inconvenience them. The other temple authorities in Fremont were amazed at the scale of the arrangements made. They are now thinking of having a similar archana in their premises! Let religious and spiritual fervour increase and bring peace and happiness to all! “ Sarve Janah sukhino bhavantu” “ Samastha Loka sukhino bhavantu!”

SAGE PARASURAMA

SAGE  PARASURAMA

Sage Parasurama is one of the greatest sages of ancient India who is unforgettable!  He was the son of King Ghadhi of the clan of Pururava! Gadhi had only a daughter married to a brahmin by name Ruchika who was pious and powerful. Ruchika wanted to help Gadhi in getting a son. Ruchika himself desired a son and kept sacred water in two pots, one for Gadhi’s wife and another for his wife Satyavati. But by a strange stroke of destiny the water in the pots were exchanged and Satyavati had a son who was the epitome of saintliness and satwa guna! He later flowered into the famous sage Jamadagni! Jamadagni married Renuka and had five sons of whom (Parasu) Rama was the youngest. The life of Parasurama is quite interesting. Though a brahmin by birth he had warlike qualities of a Kshatriya! Being considered as the sixth avatar of  Lord Vishnu, Parasurama lived in the last part of Treta Yuga and DwaparaYuga and is reckoned as one of the chiranjivis! It is said that he received the famous Axe-parasu from Lord Siva after a terrible penance! It is also believed that Lord Siva taught him Kalaripayattu the mother of all martial arts!

On one occasion, the Haihaya king Kartaviryarjuna happened to visit Jamadagn’s ashram with his train. Jamadagni feasted them with the help of the holy cow Kamadhenu gifted to him by Indra. Growing envious, the king’s followers stole the cow, in spite of objection, after beating up the sage! In terrible anger at this unholy act, Parasurama, after his return to the ashram, killed many sons of Kartaviryarjuna. To avenge the death of their father, a few of the king’s sons beheaded Jamadagni and took away his head! Later Parasurama chopped off all the king’s thousand hands and killed him! Enraged Parasurama, vowed to decimate all the Kshatriyas twenty one times and offer tharpanam to his father in blood. This blood is believed to have filled five lakes called “Samanthaka Panchaka”! It is said that Indrajit and Parasurama are the only owners of Brahmandastra, Vaishnava and Pasupatastras! Parasurama is believed to have saved Konkan and Kerala from the advancing sea! Lord Siva once tried to test his student Parasurama in fight! In the severe fight, protecting himself, Parasurama inflicted a severe wound on the forehead of the Lord! Siva cherished the wound and from that day he was called “Khanda Parasu”.

Young Parasurama exemplified implicit obedience to his father Jamadagni. On an occasion, Renuka, Jamadagni’s wife,who used to bring water in an unbaked earthen pot, arrived late at her home. She spent a few minutes admiring the beauty of Chitrasena, a Gandharva who happened to come to the lake! Sensing this through his spiritual powers, Jamadagni grew angry  and ordered his sons to kill her! When they refused, he turned them into stones! Obeying his father implicitly, Parasurama beheaded his mother! Pleased with his son, Jamadagni offered him two boons. Parasurama got back his mother with one boon and with the other his other four brothers! He went to the Himalayas and performed severe penance. He visited a number of shrines, performed many Aswamedha Yagas and conquered many Kingdoms. But he finally gave away everything to sage Kasyapa! It is interesting to note that Parasurama is the mentor  of the illustrious warriors Bhishma, Drona and Karna of Mahabharatha!

Parasurama fought with his own student Bhishma when Amba sought his help to persuade Bhishma to marry her! Having taken the oath of celibacy, Bhishma would not marry her! The fight ended to the great disappointment of Amba! To a great extent Parasurama was responsible for the downfall and miserable plight of Karna at the end of the Mahabharatha war! Karna had disguised himself as a brahmin to learn archery from him. While Parasurama relaxed with his head on the lap of Karna, Indra, as a beetle, drilled into Karna's lap and it bled profusely! Parasurama woke up and wondering at his student’s endurance demanded the truth! Knowing that Karna had lied, Parasurama cursed that Karna would forget whatever he had learnt from him at the crucial moment of his life! It was at that point of time, Arjuna, goaded by Krishna, killed Karna at the end of the Kurukshetra war!

In his travels, after killing various Kings to avenge his father’s death, Parasurama happened to meet Dasaratha who was returning with Sri Rama after his wedding at Mithila! He challenged Sri Rama to aim with the Vishnu bow offered to him by Indra! King Dasaratha trembled in fear! Sri Rama remained calm, and took the great bow even as he drained away the strength of the warrior Brahmin Parasurama! It was the fag end of the avatar of Parasurama! He realized it soon and blessing Sri Rama and others left for penance once again! Thus the life of this avatar was very eventful, interesting, and incredible!

OUR STAY AT FREMONT, CALIFORNIA US

OUR STAY AT  FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, US.

Finishing our visit to London, New Castle and the Lake Districts, we arrived at San Francisco on August 30, 2016. We were received at the airport by our son and driven to his residence at  Fremont. We had a momentous period during our stay there. We were visiting his new house for the first time and it gave us immense pleasure. This time we had a wonderful spiritual ambience at Fremont as the Hindu temple was at a walking distance from the house. On the occasion of my son’s Birthday a few events were arranged which were purely spiritual! Rudrabhishekam was grand creating divine vibrations among all of us. A lecture on Nadopasana by Sri Saravana Priyan led us into the intricacies Omkara and a few compositions of Saint Thyagaraja and some other composers. September concluded with an inspiring Sai Bhajan by the Prasanthi Bhajan group that was elevating and soul stirring! The proximity of the temple gave us an impetus to take part in many events organized there!

Fremont Hindu Temple is one of the many important temples in California. Spread out in a vast area, and managed by a private Trust, it has a big hall for all the important deities worshipped by the Hindu community. Shirdi Sai, Vinayaka, Radha, Krishna, Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Hanuman, and Devi occupy the main hall in their bedecked glory and glittering apparel! In the adjacent annexe stand the majestic Someswara, Venkateswara, Padmavati, Kodandarama,and Jagannath idols beautifully decorated! There are separate sannidhis for Ayappa, Subramanya, Vinayaka and the Navagrahas. In between, Lord Siva sits in meditation on an elevation with the crescent Moon and the Ganga pouring out in a stream down! It is really gratifying to note that the Indian diaspora have maintained their religious and cultural identity by establishing temples all over America! All Hindu festivals and other important days are observed without fail mostly during the weekends and evenings of weekdays to suit the convenience of local people. Most of the people visit the temple in traditional Indian dress-saris. A few come with shorts and all with socks on. Devotees bring fruits, flowers and sweets and offer to the deities. Oil for lamps, pulses, sugar are also offered to the deities and distributed as prasadam

October ushered in Navarathri and homes and temples were decorated with lamps and colorful festoons. Kolus were arranged in homes like in India. Ladies and young girls in their exquisite pattu saris  visited the  Kolus in their friend's homes. Devi alankaram as Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswathi and Mahishasuramardini excelled in all temples. Chandi homam was performed in a few temples in Fremont! In short, festive mood dominated throughout the puja days along with hectic activity. We did not feel like staying in America at all. It was like a mini India. Dipavali was the next festival. In America no festival is celebrated during the weekdays! All are performed

during the weekends! You are not allowed to fire crackers on streets and public places. There is no comparison between Indian Dipavali and that in America. It is on a very low key. Following Dipavali came the sacred month of Karthik corresponding to  November and sacred to Lord Siva!

The archaka in the Hindu temple, from the famous Siva shrine Kalahasthi in India, is a dynamic and passionate person! He is deeply religious and scholarly. He is well versed in sastras and rituals. I have not seen any other person so devout, and sincere in conducting worship! His chanting of Mahnyasam and Sri Rudram with a metallic voice is a treat to watch and hear! Daily abhishekam to Lord Siva was the speciality of the month. We attended them and relished the divine vibrations. Sahasra Deepa alankaram on the full moon day was amazing and drew large number of devotees! Then came the Sahasra Spatika Linga puja and abhishekam that was equally outstanding! It was a symbolic journey of crossing the 16 avaranas, worshipping the respective deities and reaching Kailash, the abode of  Lord Siva! Most astounding of all was the Laksha Rudraksha alankaram in which the Siva Linga is wrapped in one lakh Rudraksha beads! On the last day, the New Moon day, after abhishekam, the Rudrakshas were removed and a new sparkling alankaram was done. Lord Someswara rode on His Nandi in procession!

My son organized a series of cultural events like spiritual discourse and music concerts during the interval between abhishekam and alankaram. Local musicians rose to the occasion and rendered a feast for the ear. This maiden attempt was a grand success. Devotees appreciated the arrangement. Thus our stay till the end of November was spent with devotional and spiritual fervor! It was rare opportunity for us to be here at this time of the year. Closely following is the Koti Kumkumarchana  for Devi for which a special MahaMeru is being brought from India! Many ladies have enlisted themselves already! We are sure this too will be a grand success! We are looking forward to the graduation ceremony of our grandson from Berkeley University in December and shall be leaving for India by early January,2017. It is a memorable trip this time though it was pretty chill and rainy in Fremont!

"JAGAN MITHYA"

Jagan Mithya

The Vedas and the Upanishads declare in their profound statements the world as illusory, that it is unreal! “ Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya”. It challenges our intellect and we are unable to accept the word of the Vedas! How is it possible to accept the statement when we see so many people, their actions before our own eyes? How can we say that what we see is false, untrue and meaningless? There's no proper understanding of what Adi Sankara has stated. Atma is called Truth as it is indestructible, eternal and changeless. “Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma”. Related to the individual it is called Jiva. Applied to all creatures it is described as the Brahman. The world, people,and their intentions continue to change and hence cannot be called Truth. It is neither the eternal Truth nor total untruth but an intermediary state which is termed “ mithya” or illusion!!

The Acharyas distinguish three types of Truth. The first is ,’Paramarthika satyam’ or eternal Truth. The second is , ‘Vyavaharika Satyam’ or truth as seen by the society. The third is that which is outside the above mentioned states and called ‘Pratibhasika y satyam’.The tin piece shines like silver reflecting the sunlight! Likewise the shell glitters like silver. But examining closely we find no silver in them! This feeling is superimposition which is not true!  Dreams too belong to this category as they appear to be true but are not so in reality. When we say horse’s  horn, that becomes total untruth .The horse can never have a horn! Stepping on the rope in darkness, you step back in fright thinking that it is a snake! There is no snake at all but it appears like a snake! There is a mixture of reality and and unreality! Reality here is only for a temporary period! The assumption that there is a snake is what is called superimposition!

The rope is the object which is real.This is called ‘adhistanam’. Snake is the superimposition. Because of the shape of the rope and darkness you superimpose the snake on the rope. This is called ‘aropyam’. If we see the object directly superimposition vanishes! According to Vyavaharikaa dasa the world is real! It is unreal when Knowledge dawns!l Darkness stands for avidya or ignorance while illumination represents real knowledge or jnana!

This type of false perception is called “ mithya” or illusion or Maya. It is the quality of Maya to present the real as unreal and the unreal as the real! It is the creation of the Brahman itself. It is the Divine sport of the Brahman to weave the web of Maya and enjoy the working of the universe! It is impossible for human beings and even the Devas to be free from the effect of Maya! Krishna points out in Bhagavad gita, “ mama Maya duraratyaya”-my Maya is insurmountable. Like the spider that weaves the web in which all insects are caught, all creatures are entangled in its meshes and struggle to escape! The spider itself is free and never caught in its own web! Thus, due to the effect of Maya, we think the world we live in is real and everything we see, hear, and enjoy or suffer is real! It is not possible for ordinary mortals like us to realize the profound truth! Only great sadhakas, after deep meditation and penance can understand.

The world is always in a state of constant change! Many ages and Yugas have disappeared. Days and nights alternate.”Dina yaminyau sayam prataha sisira vasantau punarayataha” says  Sankara in his classic ‘Bhaja Govinda’ stotra! It is because of illusion that we think the world is  real. When the world itself is unreal and temporary what about our wife, children, property, kith and kin and all other possessions? Is it not wise for us to contemplate on this glaring truth and conduct ourselves properly? Unfortunately most of us fail to realize this most important fact! Let us realize the transitory nature of the universe and conduct ourselves in such a way that we are not lost in this confusion!!!

THE STORY OF SAGARA

Another great king of the Ikshvaku clan is Sagara chakrvarthi who paved the way for the  arrival of the the river Ganga from Heaven to the earth. It is also believed that the sea is called “Sagara” because of this renowned king! Sagara was the son of Bahuka of the Ikshvaku clan. His father at a later stage retired to the forest and after many years passed away. His wife, pregnant at that time decided to  commit sati as was the custom during those days! But the sages persuaded her not to kill herself. Other wives of Bahuka grew jealous of her as the son born to her would be the heir to the kingdom. They decided to kill her along with the child and poisoned her. But by divine dispensation she did not die and the child survived!The child was named Sagara which means the one born with a layer of poison! (Sanskrit: ‘gara’ means poison)

Sagara grew up and came to the throne as expected. He ruled the country righteously and treated the subjects as his own children. His fame spread far and wide. As it was the custom for the kings of the day, Sagara wanted to perform the Aswamedha Yagna to assert his supremacy. He made all arrangements and sent out the Horse to see if anyone would challenge his  authority by capturing it and preventing its onward progress. Indra, the Lord of Heaven was in jitters on knowing this and decided to thwart the yagna in someway or other! He finally stole the horse of King Sagara and left it at the ashram of sage Kapila in Patala Loka- nether world! Sagara waited for long but the horse didn't come back as expected! Very much worried at the non arrival of the horse, Sagara deputed his sixty thousand sons to go in search of it and bring it back! They went to all the four corners of the world in search of the horse but in vain.

Not relenting, the sons of Sagara dug up the earth to see if the horse by any chance could be found in Patala Loka!!  They discerned a cave in the northwest and a sage sitting in deep samadhi totally oblivious of  his surroundings. To their pleasant shock and surprise, they saw the horse in pursuit of which they had travelled tirelessly and in despair! The horse was safe and secure. Though valiant and indefatigable they were puffed up with ego, pride, and arrogance! They mistook the sage for a thief who had stolen the horse! In their ignorance and momentary emotion they approached the sage to attack him.The sage was Kapila, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself! The moment he opened his eyes, all the sixty thousand sons of Sagara were reduced to a heap of ashes on account of the tremendous power of his tapas! King Sagara at length came to know of this catastrophic news and grieved very much.The Aswamedha Yagna had to be continued and completed!

King Sagara was In a dilemma. He had no other alternative but to depute once again his grandson Amsumantha whom he loved very dearly. He was very well behaved and obedient. He followed the footsteps and the path taken by his predecessors and came to the same cave where the sage was in penance! But unlike his predecessors he was able to recognize the greatness of the sage and his avatar. He praised sage Kapila as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the protector of the universe. He is manifest in all creatures! He transcends all Maya or illusion! He has no beginning, middle and end! He narrated how wrong his predecessors were in trying to attack him! He told about the mahayagna being performed by king Sagara and requested  sage Kapila for permission to take back the horse. to Impressed by the humility and good manners of Amsumantha, sage Kapila blessed him and asked him to take back the horse for the successful completion of the yaga. Accordingly Amsumantha brought back the horse after which the yagna was completed without hindrance!

Sage Kapila informed Amsumantha that his predecessors who were reduced to ashes would reach pitruloka if river Ganges ran over them! King Sagara tried to get the river to earth but  failed. Meanwhile Amsumantha was crowned and he too performed penance to bring Ganga to  earth. He too failed! It was the indomitable will and performance of Bhagiratha that brought the Ganga to earth! He performed severe tapas and through the grace of Lord Siva and Vishnu  could  bring Mandakini- river Ganga to earth and send his predecessors to 'pitru Loka!’! It is believed that the waters of river Ganga filled the great pits dug by the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara and formed the seas! Hence the sea is called ‘Sagara’!

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THE GREAT CLAN OF IKSHVAKU

THE GREAT CLAN OF IKSHVAKU

It is astounding to trace the history of the Ikshvaku clan whose great kings were exceptional warriors!! A few of them were sought after by Indra, king of Swarga, to fight the ever tormenting asuras! One such king was Puranjana by name. The Lord of Heaven Indra once approached him for help in fighting the demons. Puranjana accepted the request on condition that Indra should become his mount--vahana! It was embarrassing for Indra to stoop down for a mortal and become his Vahana. But on the advice of Lord Vishnu he relented and took the form of a Bullock! Riding on this divine Bullock, Puranjana fought the asuras and drove them away restoring the lost kingdom to Indra! From that day onwards he was renowned as ‘Indra vahana’- the one who had Indra as his mount! Later he called himself ‘Kakutsa’ and that started the lineage of the  famous kings of that dynasty!

The story of Yavanaswa, another king of the clan is more interesting and incredible! Disgusted with life since he had no children, he retired to the forest where the sages performed a yagna to   bestow him with a son. They kept a pot with sanctified water intended for the wife of the king. At midnight, Yavanaswa got thirsty and finding the pot with water, drank the contents unwittingly! The sages were shocked in the next morning to see the pot empty and wondered at the turn of the tide! After a few months, Yavavaswa’s right side swelled and he became pregnant!! Surgery followed and a baby boy was taken out! It was an extraordinary child and he cried with insatiable hunger even as he was born! Since it was Indra who was invoked to provide a child for the king, he came to satisfy the boy. He placed the right index finger into the mouth of the baby boy. The blessed boy drank the ‘amrita’- nectar that oozed from the finger and stopped crying!! Yavanaswa lived long and the boy was called Mandhata! He became one of the greatest emperors of the time and was called as the ‘ jewel of Kruta Yuga’!

Much more interesting and unbelievable is the story of Trisanku the son of Satyavrata who wanted to reach Heaven with his mortal body!  Surprised at this strange desire of his disciple, sage Vasishta refused and cursed him to become a chandala! Trisanku went to the great sage Viswamitra who accepted his request and performed a yagna! When Trisanku rose towards Heaven through the power of the yagna, the Devas stopped him at the gates and pushed him down! Sage Viswamitra prevented him from falling down and with the power of his penance created a separate Heaven for Trisanku to live in! He even created stars and was about to create an Indra when he was stopped by the Devas!  Trisanku remained in mid Heaven upsidedown and this state came to be known as “Trisanku Swarga”!

Khatwanga is another great king of the Ikshvaku clan noted for his valour and good righteous rule. It was usual for Devas to approach great monarchs on earth for help in fighting the asuras who used to attack them frequently! Indra again needed the king’s help and requested him to vanquish the asuras. Accordingly king Khatwanga drove out the asuras and pleased Indra. When Indra desired to grant a boon to the king, he wanted to know, strangely, how long he would live on earth! As a special favor Indra told king Khatwanga that he would live for one muhurta which is equal to just twenty minutes!! The king immediately gave up his princely life, family and all belongings! He went to the forest and performed tapas! He wanted to release himself from the cycle of birth and death and come out of the web of Maya or illusion!  Finally he surrendered himself to the Lord and merged into Him!

There were many more kings of this Ikshvaku clan who were brave, righteous and respected. They were noted for their good rule and frequently sought after by the Gods themselves! To us in this Kali Yuga, their lives and incidents may appear incredible and improbable! But they lived thousands and thousands of years ago in different societies noted for the practice of Santana Dharma and righteousness!!

HOW DEVAVRATA BECAME BHSHMA

How Devavrata Became Bhisma!

The story of Bhisma, the grand old man of Mahabharatha is as fascinating as it is rare and interesting! Here is a man with an iron will who sacrificed his life for the sake of his father and remained a confirmed bachelor throughout his life! But for him the Great Chandravamsa and the Kuru clan would not have come into existence? Who was this Bhishma and what were the circumstances that compelled him to take upon himself this great but terrible oath of celibacy? Legend has it that a great king Mahabhisha once went  to Indra, king of heaven. Attracted by his handsome appearance, Ganga, who happened to be there, casts amorous looks on him! Embarrassed at this objectionable behavior, Indra directs her to be the wife of King Mahabhisha in his next birth! Ashamed and downhearted at her indecent behavior, Ganga was on her way back. It was then that she met the “ashta vasus”-a group of celestials, who themselves were cursed to be born as mortals! In spite of the curse, the Vasus abhorred life as mortals and desired to return to heaven as early as possible.

Knowing her plight and predicament they made a request to her. They would  be born to her and that she should throw them all into the river as soon as they were born! This would enable them to go back to heaven. Time rolled on and Mahabhisha took birth as the great King Santanu. He fell in love with Ganga and asked for her hand! Remembering her promise to the eight Vasus, she agreed to marry king Santanu on condition that he should never object to her acts. Seven children were born and one by one she threw them into the river! king Santanu was aghast at this unprecedented cruelty of the mother. He could not tolerate the action of Ganga any more. When she was about to throw her eighth son into the river, he objected to her act and stopped her! Thus he breached his promise to her earlier. Ganga took her newborn son and left the king. The son was named Devavrata and grew up under the care of great gurus. He flowered into a young, energetic and handsome lad. Ganga brought her son back to king Santanu, explained all details and departed.

Now the king had a grown up son but no wife! Moving about his territory on an occasion, he happened to see an extraordinarily beautiful girl, Satyavati by name and fell in love with her. But her father was unwilling to offer her in marriage to the king since he had already a heir to the kingdom. He desired that the son born to his daughter Satyavati should be the heir to the kingdom of Santanu! His condition for marriage was against the principles of the era and dharma. King Santanu did not accede to the condition laid down by the father of  Satyavati.The king was very unhappy and worried. Observing his father and his worried look, Devavrata came to know the cause for his father’s worry and gloom. He went and met the father of Satyavati. He explained to him that there will be no bar for the son of Satyavati to become the heir to the kingdom of his father Santanu! But the words of Devavrata did not impress the father of the girl. He questioned how that can happen when Satyavrata was there already. After Satyavrata, his son shall be the king!

Satyavrata contemplated for awhile. His father’s happiness was the most important thing for him! He had to convince Satyavati’s father regarding the proper heir to the kingdom of his father. He cannot be the king after his father. The doubt that his son may become the heir to the Kingdom  had to be dispelled. Things became clear to him. He declared to Satyavati’s father that he would never marry  and remains celibate all through his life! Devavrata took this terrible oath for the happiness of his father sacrificing his personal desires! The Devas showered flowers on him for this rare virtue of personal pleasures and enjoyment! Thus this sacrifice is considered as terrible or. “bhisma!j” From thence onwards  Devavrata became BHISMA and called so by the world!

Satyavati’s sons Chitrangada and Vichitravirya died without children. But Vichitravirya married Ambika and Ambalika before his demise. Through the intervention of Sage Vyasa, Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura were born.The Kauravas and Pandavas thus were children of Dhritarashtra and Pandu respectively. Bhishma had the greatest responsibility of looking after them in every aspect of their growth and progress! In spite of his lofty stature, rectitude and valour, Bhishma was not at all happy as he was a silent spectator to all the misdeeds of the evil minded Kauravas! He was on the side of adharma and could not override the opinion and misdeeds of the Kauravas! He had the rare and divine quality of deciding the time of his death! Events conspired in his life and he had to die fighting against a transgender, Sikhandi!  Finally he chose ‘uttarayana’ period for his death and breathed his last! He was a towering personality who strikes us with awe  and surprise!

ON SIN OF BEING BORN

ON THE SIN OF BEING BORN

Birth is considered as “ adhi vyadhi”-original disease! Spirituality and philosophy  do not speak highly of birth. It is considered as a misery. Why are creatures born in this world? Philosophy argues that it is because of one’s karma or deeds good or bad.A person or a creature is born with the consequence of the deeds of his previous birth. He continues to perform deeds and accumulates the effect of his good and bad deeds which form the basis of his future birth and  its happiness or suffering. Thus birth is the result of “ prarabda, sanchitha and agami “ karmas. there is no escape from this cycle! That is what Adi Sankara points out: “ Punarapi jananam Punarapi maranam Punarapi janani jatare sayanam.” Is man satisfied in his birth? The answer is no! Under the influence of illusion or Maya he considers life as permanent and forgets  the purpose of his life on earth totally! Krishna was once asked what was the most miraculous thing in all creation, and he replied that a man should wake each morning and believe deep in his heart that he will live forever even though he knows that he is doomed!

His ‘ mamakara’ or attachment to his wife, children, property and kith and kin leads him to intense misery and the various vicissitudes of samsara or family life. More and more insatiable desires torment him and there is no escape from the resulting agony! Every second he loses his longevity, youth deserts him, days lost never return, time swallows up the whole universe, wealth blows up like the bubble on the waves of the sea and life itself is like the momentary flash of lightning! The sea of Samsara is fathomless and abysmal. It is shoreless. It is infested with alligator like wife and children who drag you down further! “ Life and death are illusion. We are in a constant state of transformation.” says a  writer! “ Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides” according to Lao Tse. According to Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher, “ The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our separate ways, I to die and you to live. Which of these is better only God knows.”

It follows, therefore, that birth is the  result of the sin or the punya that one has  accumulated! Is it possible to live without doing anything to avoid birth? Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that it is impossible. If there is no karma there is no birth! If the body is at rest the mind is active! Mental activity is also karma and that has its effect. As such man is caught in the inescapable grip of the cycle of birth and death! When can man release himself from this everlasting cycle? It is only after innumerable births and deaths after experiencing the effects of all previous births. After all this experience emancipation is granted as per the Sasthras  and philosophy. But that stage is very far and the chances are remote since karma and its effect is continuous and unstoppable!

Man should realize that the world he lives in is unreal! It is an illusion, a make believe. It weaves a web in which we are caught and think it is real! It is like the silver in the seashell. For a look it shines like silver but there is no silver in it! The shell is real but the shine of silver is deception! But we are carried away by the shine of silver and think it is real.  This feeling is also similar to a dream. So long as we dream we feel it is real. We sometimes laugh and cry, feel sad or happy. But the moment we open our eyes the realization dawns that, after all, it was a dream! We still live in this dreamy world imagining it to be real! The world itself is of temporary existence and is it not foolish to think that we would live forever?

How to avoid birth? It is impossible to stop karma or escape from the ordeals of experiencing its gruelling effects! Janmarahitya -- birthlessness can be achieved by an attempt to achieve the aim and purpose of our earthly existence!  We are born not to live to eat. We eat to live. The purpose of our birth is to realize ourselves!  We are the Indestructible 'atma’, a chip of the block of the Paramatma or the Brahma the Supreme Reality! We are not the body with which we identify ourselves! we are not the small i but the big I which is the Infinite! In that constant thought we release ourselves from all our attachments and entanglements. We grow spiritual, detached, meditate on the Supreme Reality, attain Jnana and eventually merge with the Supreme Being! This is called emancipation or salvation or mukti when birth is annulled!

TOTAL SURRENDER

TOTAL SURRENDER

Of the nine types of bhakthi or devotion the most important and the most difficult is total surrender or ‘saranagati’. -The! devotee totally resigns himself to the will of God! He throws all his responsibility on the Providence and involves himself in His meditation day in and day out. He has no other attachment to the material world. He puts himself into the protection of God and in turn God takes over the task of looking over the total welfare of the Bhaktha! The bhaktha is totally devoid of his ego which is the root cause of all entanglements in life. The story of Gajendra in the Bhagavata is a  classical example of how total surrender impels the Lord to run to the rescue of his bhaktha in dire distress! In the beautiful Trikuta range of mountains there was an orchard with a variety of fruits and a captivating lake with crystal clear water. Gajendra

came to the lake with his female elephants and began to play with them by splashing water on them and disturbing the stillness of the cool lake! Rudely shaken by the commotion created by Gajendra, the crocodile in the deep waters grew furious and caught one of the legs of  Gajendra!

Gajendra struggled to extricate itself from the firm clasp of the crocodile. But in vain.In it's arrogancce of power it tried it's best but the more it tried the stronger grew the hold of the crocodile since water was its natural habitat! The tug of war went on for many years and gradually Gajendra grew hopeless. He then thought of God and prayed to Him for succour! There was no other alternative but to pray for the grace of God! Now he resigned himself to the will of God and praised Him with great faith and devotion. He surrendered himself totally to the grace and will of the Almighty! “ You are the creator,protector, and destroyer of the universe. You are the sea of compassion! All creatures finally merge into you at length! The world is full of avidya! In ignorance I thought I could win with my strength and now realize the futility of my effort! I want to get rid of the cycle of birth and death! Save me from the jaws of this monstrous crocodile! I entirely depend on your Grace! O Lord! kindly come to my rescue!” said Gajendra in his pathetic plight.

Potana, the celebrated Telugu poet describes the reaction and response of Lord Vishnu to the sincere prayer of Gajendra very beautifully! He was reclining in Vakunta in the company of Lakshmi Devi when he heard the prayers of Gajendra. Suddenly He got up and started to run! He did not release himself from the apron of his spouse! He did not summon Garuda his mount! He did not care to take the famous conch and the Sudarsana Chakra? Lakshmi wondered at the haste with which her Lord ran! Soon she followed him and with her the conch, Chakra and other Devas amazed at the anxiety and speed of the Lord! Gajendra saw his saviour, Lord Vishnu and lifting his trunk presented Him a lotus as an offering! The Lord was pleased and with the Chakra he killed the ferocious alligator and released Gajendra from its deathly grasp! Lo! Behold! From the dead body for the crocodile emerged a form bright and radiant with heavenly glow!

The form that came out of the dead crocodile was that of Huhu, a Gandharva who was cursed by the sage Devala! He dragged the toe of the sage while he was performing penance standing in water! Huhu apologized for his mischief and requested the sage for relief from the curse.The sage said that when Lord Vishnu comes to save Gajendra, he would be free from the curse and regain his original form! Gajendra in his previous birth was the Pandya King Indradyumna. He was pious and a devotee of Lord Vishnu. He was in deep meditation when sage Agasthya came. The king, in his thoughts on God, did not notice the sage and receive him with due honor! The sage took this attitude as the quality of ‘thamasa’ and cursed him to be an elephant! With the benign touch of the Lord the elephant transformed into the King Indradyumna! Though he became an elephant he remembered his previous birth because of his devotion to the Lord! Thus Indradyumna attained mukti and Huhu regained his Gandharva form!

So long as man believes in his physical and mental strength and becomes proud and arrogant God does not help him. It is only when he throws up his hands in despair and hopelessness and prays sincerely for his Grace, does God respond! In the Kaurava court, while Draupadi was being disrobed Krishna did not come to her rescue immediately! When she gave up all her attempts to save her own chastity and called upon the Lord sincerely did Krishna grant her His Grace and a never ending series of saris to protect her! There are many instances of total surrender in the lives of our ancient saints like the Azwars and the Nayanmars who lived in God and never cared for themselves. It was God himself who cared for them and demonstrated that he takes over all the responsibilities of his devotees if only they surrendered to Him in true faith and devotion!

SACRIFICE - The Story of Dadhichi

SACRIFICE --THE STORY OF DADHICHI

“ Nakarmana naprajaya na dhanena thayge naikena amrutatwa manasuhu” - Neither through deeds or progeny or money can one become immortal. It is only through sacrifice that one  can attain ‘amrutatwa ‘or immortality.This is nowhere established than in the story of the renowned sage DADHICHI who sacrificed his life for the sake of the general good of the Devas. As per legend, Indra in his pomp and pleasure disrespected his mentor Brihaspati and the sage vanished with displeasure! When Indra realized his mistake and went to apologize, the sage could not be seen. In his absence the demons invaded Swarga and defeated all the Devas. On approach, Creator Brahma advised Indra to take the help of Viswarupa, son of Thwashta. He gave Indra ‘Narayana Kavacha’ by repeating which Indra vanquished the demons and regained his lost kingdom. Partial to the demons,Viswarupa gave the sacred offerings to asuras during the yagna. Noticing the fraud,Indra cut off Viswarupa’s three heads and was afflicted with the sin of 'brahmahatya!’

To avenge the death of his son Viswarupa, Thwashta performed a homa to invoke a form that would kill Indra! Soon a terrible and fierce form, dense like the dark clouds, emerged from the homa! It's hair and eyes were of the color of copper. They generated intense heat like that of the rays of the noontide sun! It had the trisula or the trident in its hand! Looking at this terrible form all ran in fear of their lives! This demon was Vrutrasura who defeated the Devas once again and drove Indra away from Swarga! Dejected and humiliated by the successive defeats, Indra and the Devas approached Lord Vishnu for succor. The protector of all Gods,Vishnu directed them to the great sage Dadhichi whose bones alone could save them and kill the fearful demon Vrutrasura. Accordingly the Devas approached the sage DADHICHI and requested him to  sacrifice his life and offer his bones to be made into a weapon that could kill the demon.

Dadhichi had three boons from Lord Siva. He could be never humiliated and his bones would beA as hard as the diamond.The relationship between Indra and the sage was not good but he heard the request of the Devas and decided to give up his life for the sake of the well-being of Indra and the Devas! He wanted them to wait for a while so that he could bathe in the waters of the holy rivers and return. In order not to waste time, Indra caused all the rivers to come to the famous place of Naimisaranya! Dadhichi finished his ablutions and went into deep meditation and his spirit left  the body! It is said that the heavenly cow Kamadhenu licked the body to secure the bones of the sage! Thereupon,the bones of the vertebral column of Dadhichi were made into the invincible and very strong ‘Vajrayudha’ that became the main weapon of Indra. It was Viswakarma that hammered all the bones into that wonderful weapon ‘Vajrayudha’!

With the new weapon Vajrayudha and resurgent vigour, Indra and  his forces attacke Vrutrasura and his army of demons! lt was a fierce encounter and the demon's generals Namuchi, Sambara,Puloma and others were killed. Indra and Vrutrasura met face to face and exchanged various weapons in fight! Suddenly Vrutrasura opened his monstrous mouth and swallowed Indra along with his elephant Iravata! But Indra was safe because of the ‘Narayana Kavacha' given by Viswarupa! At this a turning point takes place and Vrutrasura  becomes non attachched and philosophical! He lost all interest in material existence. He desires to get released from Maya or illusion. He calls upon Indra to use his ‘Vajrayudha’ and kill him! Indra smites him with the weapon killing Vrutrasura! A radiant light emanated from his body and merges into the Lord!

The sin of 'brahmahatya’ chases Indra and he tries to save or hide himself! Finally he takes refuge in the lotus stalk in Manasarovar where he will be unaffected as the lake is the abode of Goddess Lakshmi! It is said that Indra  remained there for a thousand years! In his absence   king Nahusha became the Indra and ruled Swarga! The supreme sacrifice of sage Dadhichi thus resulted in the destruction of evil in the form of Vrutrasura and made life easy for all Devas. There cannot be a greater sacrifice than one’s own life for the sake of the good of society!

GOOD VERSUS EVIL

 GOOD VERSUS  EVIL

From time immemorial the universe is afflicted with the conflict between good and evil. Evil tries to win over Good but eventually it loses!Even during the Krutha Yuga gods were tormented with demons! Vishnu had to take different avatars to retrieve the Vedas and even mother Earth from the clutches of Hiranyaksha who rolled it like a mat and escaped! His brother  Hiranyakasipu was no less evil and challenged the Lord who killed him emerging as Narasimha. Vamana sent emperor Bali to the nether world. In Treta Yuga Sri Rama killed the ten headed Ravana and Kumbhakarna and established Dharma. DwaparaYuga brought out innumerable demoniac kings like Kamsa, Sisupala, Dantavaktra, Jarasandha and above all the fiendish Kauravas who had to be exterminated to revive the sinking path of Dharma! Thus once again Lord Vishnu came down as Krishna to punish the evil and save the good! “ Parithranaya sadhunam vinasayacha dushkrutham dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavamiyuge yuge!”

According to legend, Naraka was the son of Bhudevi and ruled over the kingdom of Pragjyotisha. With long life and power as a boon he conquered all kingdoms and invaded the heaven! Stealing the earrings of Aditi and kidnapping sixteen thousand women, he terrorized Indra and other Gods! The Lord promised to deal with Naraka in his avatar as Krishna during Dwapara Yuga. Later Aditi, mother of Devas approached Satyabhama, spouse of Krishna and requested her to save them. Satyabhama grew angry and with the help of Krishna waged a war against Naraka! Krishna killed the eleven divisions of Naraka's army with ‘agneyastra’. Mura, the general was killed. Naraka sent ‘brahmastra’ which was neutralized by the same astra. Naraka’s ‘Nagastra and Vaishnavastra’’ were neutralized by Krishna’s ‘ Garudastra and Vaishnavastra''.    respectively!  Finally Naraka attacked Krishna with the trident when krisna beheaded him with his Sudarsana Chakra! In his last moments Naraka requested a boon that his death anniversary should be celebrated by all on earth with colorful lights! That day is being celebrated as “Naraka Chaturdasi”  and Dipavali all over India  and other parts of the world where Indians are settled!

Mere lighting of lamps shall not dispel the gloom and darkness that has enveloped the world today! Evil and adharma is rampant everywhere. It is Kaliyuga now where Dharma stands on one leg. People have strayed from righteousness beyond the point of return! We have God men everywhere and people are confused regarding their bonafides! Society has lost its moorings and morality and ethics are totally lost! We have no demons of the previous Yuga's but modern men and women are the embodiments of demoniac qualities! It was the saint Ramalinga Swamy who said that wild animals are moving in society in the garb of people. Gross materialism has permeated into the fabric of society. Cruelty, violence, fraud, hypocrisy, greed, bigotry, lust and rape have entrenched themselves very strongly. Are not these the demoniac traits that we have to discord?

It is now during the Festival of Lights that we have to resolve to turn over a new leaf! The illumination of lights should brighten not only the outward world but illuminate the inner self and fill it up with lofty thoughts and righteousness. This Dipavali should not end with mere explosion of crackers but that of our ignorance! Our love and compassion should go out for the needy and downtrodden who have no money for crackers and no proper food for the day! We should also make them happy and assure them of our helping hand! Good has to overcome evil at any cost and it will surely happen as in the previous Yugas. Opportunities  are  many and we have to catch them by the forelock! Let this Dipavali cleanse us of all evil  and achieve the good that is direly needed!

SRI ANANDA PANCHAMUKHA VINAYAKA PANCHARATNAM

Sri Ananda Panchamukha Ganapathi Pancharatnam

This is a composition by KrishnamurthyYayavaram on Sri Panchamukha Ganapathi describing

the glorious attributes of the Lord with Five faces!  The stotra is in Sanskrit and can be easily read since it is transliterated into English for those who do not know Sanskrit.The Stotra is set to chandas and can be read for parayana daily.The meaning is given below each sloka for the benefit of the readers.

Omkara rupa' pranavatmaka varanasyam hunkara maatra vinivarita vighna megham

Hrinkara murthi Bhavatharini mukhya sunum sanchintayami Gananayaka panchavaktram

I contemplate on the embodiment of Omkara, the elephant faced God who dispels the clouds of obstacles by his  very hunkara; He is the  important son of Bhavatharini the form of Hrinkara!

Ananda Dayaka Maheswara bhavya Putram Herambha lamba jataram Guha sodaragram

Arambha karyaVijayaprada mekadantam sanchintayami Gananayaka panchavaktram

I contemplate on the great son of Maheswara, the bestower of bliss; he is Herambha,with a large belly, the elder brother of Lord Subramanya!

Ananda Panchamukha bhushana malya yuktam Ananda Chandra sakalojvala phaladesam

Bhanu prabha jita virajita pada pitam sanchintayami Gananayaka panchavaktram.

I contemplate on Sri Ananda Panchamukha Vinayaka decked with ornaments and garlands and the blissful crescent moon on his forehead; his feet at the pedestal put to shame the brilliant radiance of the Sun!

Panchana nonnata sukhasana maprameyam modasya modaka suhasta prasasta murthim

Vedokta mantra Paripujita punya silam Sanchintayami Gananayaka panchavaktram.

I contemplate on Ananda Panchamukha Vinayaka seated comfortably on the great Lion; he is Aprameya, with a cheerful face and the modaka in his renowned hand; He is of holy character and worshipped by the Vedic mantras!

Buddhi pradam sakala siddhi karaika daivam vriddhi pradam sakala saukhya mananta kirtim

Jnanadhi daivata masesha visesha lilam sanchintayami Gananayaka panchavaktram!

I contemplate on Ananda Panchamukha Vinayaka the bestower of intellect and all the mysterious Siddhis! He grants prosperity and endless fame! He is the presiding deity for Jnana or Knowledge. His Divine sports or Leelas are innumerable!