SRI SANKARA VIJAYA

Mankind will be very ungrateful if it does not remember the  great contribution rendered

to religion and philosophy by the intellectual giant Adi Sankaracharya! He was the founder of the Advaita school of philosophy and commentator of the Upanishads and the Brahma sutras, and the Bhagavad-Gita. Though his lifespan was only sixteen years, he lived for thirty two years, wiped out Buddhism and Jainism from our soil and established the superiority of the Vedas and the Upanishads. He is considered as the incarnation of Lord Siva himself! Born in Kaladi in Kerala to the pious parents Sivaguru and Aryamba Sankara was a precocious child and troubled his teacher by asking questions that he could not answer! Sankara’s life is full of incredible and mIraculous incidents. On an occasion when he went to beg for food, as for the custom of brahmacharis, the lady had nothing except a gooseberry for young Sankara! She was very poor and apologetic! Compassionate Sankara pitied her state and praised Goddess Maha Lakshmi to shower her grace on the poor lady. Soon there was a shower of golden gooseberries in her  small home! ‘Kanaka dhara’ stotra thus became very famous!

Young Sankara changed the course of river Purna so that his mother could fetch water comfortably! When the king wondered at the miracle and offered diamonds and other wealth,, Sankara refused them and accepted the three books he had written! He refused the request of his mother to marry and settle down. But he wanted to take to sanyasa and. wanted his mother’s permission which she promptly refused. Sankara enacted a drama to force her. When he went for bath in the river, a crocodile caught his feet! Sankara cried and his mother wept bitterly! Sankara said if she permits him to  take up sanyasa the crocodile would leave him!  Poor Aryamba had to agree and permit him. The crocodile disappeared as silently as it appeared! Sankara went to the famous Govinda Yogi as a disciple and drank deep all the sastras, scriptures and Puranas and the Vedas. One day, while his Guru was in samadhi, river Narmada  came in floods very dangerously near the ashram. Sankara caught the entire river in his 'Kamandalu’ and saved the ashram! The Guru was astounded at Sankara's power, blessed him and directed him to write the commentary for the Brahma Sutras for which he is eminently qualified! To teach a lesson to his other sishyas on Guru bhakthi, Sankara asked his close disciple Vishnu Sarma to walk on Ganges water! He, meditating on Sankara’s name coolly walked, on the water to the astonishment of all! He was thus called ‘Padmapada’ later on.

Seeing a chandala on his way, during his travel, Sankara asked him to get away from his path! The low caste man wondered if there was any difference between his body and that of Sankara! “If you want the soul to get away, how is it possible?” replied the chandala! Sankara prostrated before him as the chandala vanished and Lord Viswanatha stood before him! Feeling very thirsty during the course of his travel, Sankara drank toddy as there was no water available! One disciple drank toddy as his Guru had set an example! Sankara Knew this. He went to a place on the way where Iron was being melted. He drank a cup of molten Iron as easily as we drink coffee or some drink!! The disciples realized that they should follow the right things the Guru does but not the wrong ones! Sankara meets later the old man reciting” Dukrunkarane”and asks him to repeat the name of Govinda for salvation! The Bhajagovinda stotra is a compendium of all the highest truths of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the scriptures! Sankara travelled to Badarikaranya and wrote his commentaries to the ten- Dasa Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. Sage Vyasa came as an old brahmin and had severe discussion with Sankara and appreciated the wonderful commentaries by Sankara!

Deciding to cut at the root of Bhuddhism and Jainism, Sankara meets later Mandana Misra, a famous disciple of Kumarila Bhatta who too wanted to establishlish the Vedas.The debate between the two went on for long witnessed by the Devas! If Sankara loses he would marry and settle down! If Mandana Mishra loses he would take to sanyasa! Bharathi, wife of Mandana Misra would be the judge. Sankara was about win when Bharathi demanded that she should be defeated for a full victory! She put very inconvenient questions on the intricacies of marital life for which Sankara had no answer! He requested for a month’s time when he would be ready with answers! Sankara asked his disciples to keep guard over his body and transmigrated into the body of a dead king nearby. The dead king woke up but his conduct was entirely different from that of the dead King! The smart minister ordered the soldiers to search for all dead bodies and burn them! Sankara's disciples sent him message! Sankara left the King’s body and entered his own body! But the soldiers had seized the body and ignited it! The limbs of Sankara were partially burnt! Sankara prayed to Lord Lakshmi Nrusimha to extend his helping hand and sings the famous “ Karavalamba Stotra"! Miraculously his limbs were restored to their original shape!

Sankara later came to Srisailam in the south where a few Kapalikas tried to sacrifice him for their Goddess! Lord Narasimha through Padmapada' saved Sankara! He came to Gokarna and another miracle happened there! A boy entrusted to a sage fell into the river and died! Feeling  guilty, the sage transmigrated into the body of the boy! The boy was totally detached to worldly !ife! He remained mute and disinterested! The moment Sankara questioned him, he began speaking the highest philosophy! Sankara named him “Hasthamalaka” as he explained the knowledge of the Brahman easily! Sankara came to Tungabhadra river and established Sri Sarada Peeta. He argued with,Sakthas, Ganapathyas and various other classes of worshippers and defeated them! Meanwhile he performed his mother’s funeral rites!  Thus establishing Advaita, Sankara retired to the Himalayas and meditated on the Brahman on the bank of river Swarna! His Gurubrahma, Gowdapada visited Sankara and appreciated the commentary on his “Mandukyopanishad”! Sankara then went to Kashmir and climbed the great “Sarvgna peeta”

which was vacant for long.Then he went to Badarikaranya, visited Kedarnath and concluded his mission on earth! He went back to Kailash, his original abode leaving aside his physical body!  Jaya Jaya Sankara! Hara Hara Sankara! Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara Jaya Jaya !

ON THE ROLE OF BRAHMIN AND KINGS

Santhi parva of the Mahabharata is replete with the sound counsel given by the grand old man  Bhishmapitamaha to Yudhistira on various issues that a king has to concentrate on. Yudhistira questions the great warrior how a brahmin should conduct himself in times of danger and difficulties. Bhishma had earlier informed him that in such times a brahmin can follow the dharma of a Kshatriya.“ Is there an occasion when the brahmin can follow the dharma or the ways of a vysya?”  questioned Yudhistira. In reply Bhisma pointed out that the brahmin can  follow the way of life of Vysya if he is unable to follow the  ways of kshatriya. He can follow agriculture, protection of cows. “ What materials can a brahmin  sell  to qualify himself for heaven” questioned the eldest of the Pandavas.

In reply Bhisma said that under any circumstances a brahmin should not sell toddy, gingelly seeds, animals with manes, cattle , oxen, honey, meat, and cooked food. He will go to hell by selling them. If he sells a goat he earns the sin of selling the God of fire! By selling sheep he commits the sin of selling the God of water, Varuna! He sells the Sun God when he sells a horse! By selling cooked food he commits the sin of selling Goddess Earth! As he sells a cow the sin is that of selling “ soma rasa”!  There can be bartering by offering raw rice in return for cooked rice as it is an accepted principle! It is an unpardonable sin to force someone and seize things from him! “How can a king protect his people if all classes of people rise against him?” questioned Yudhistira. It is the duty of the brahmins to strengthen the king’s hands. By their charity, tapas, controlling their senses, performing yagnas they should protect themselves. They should perform Vedic rites to support the king. A wise king shall always take the help of brahmins to improve his strength. When there is good governance by the king people will engage themselves in lawful activities. “ yatha raja tatha prajah”. If thieves and robbers create havoc in society all classes of society can take up arms against them. There is no sin in doing so!

“What should the brahmin do if the king or Kshatriya rises against them?” asked Yudhistira. Bhishma replied that they should protect themselves by performing penance, celibacy, taking up arms, honestly or by cheating! If the Kshatriya exceeds his limit in tormenting the brahmin, the Vedas themselves shall come to his rescue! Kshatriyas are born of brahmins. Fire is born of water and iron is born of stone. Their power is all pervading except in their place of birth! When Iron tries to break the rock, or fire tries to win over water, or when kshatriyas are inimical to brahmins, the three lose their strength! The strength, power and radiance of kshatriyas is nothing before that of the brahmins! One who sacrifices his life for the protection of Dharma is a martyr! Hats off to those who die in saving the life of brahmins! According to Manu such people reach “Brahmaloka”!

People who are wounded and killed fighting evil are purified. Dharma become adharma and adharma turns into Dharma depending on the time and the country in which which the person lives. Many who have done cruel acts have reached heaven! Kshatriyas following Dharma despite their sins have attained heavenly abodes! There is no sin on the part of the brahmin when he takes up arms to protect himself, when he encourages the other classes to follow their Dharma and when he drives away thieves and robbers! To another question by Yudhistira Bhishma replied that one who ferries another to the other shore in terrible floods and guides another when there is no other way can be worshipped whether he is of low class Sudra or any other class in society! He is the true relation who extends his hospitality to others when they are troubled by robbers and have nobody to look for help. He is adorable who wards off the fear of others and satisfies their desires! What is the use of an ox if it cannot bear the burden? A cow that does not yield milk is worthless! Similarly a childless woman is good for nothing! Likewise  there is absolutely no benefit from the king who cannot protect his subjects!

Bhishma further adds that a brahmin who has not studied the Vedas and the king unable to protect his subjects are similar to a wooden elephant, a leather deer, a poor man, a eunuch and land that cannot produce anything! They become worthless like a cloud that doesn't bring rain! Bhisma asserts that one who protects his subjects and suppresses the bad elements is eligible for kingship! It is he who can rule the world!

Things have totally changed from the days off Dwapara Yuga to KaliYuga!  There are not many kings or even brahmins! The rules established by the law giver Manu are observed more in the breach than in the observance! Honesty has become a rare virtue and commodity! Morality has reached its nadir! Ethics and culture are totally forgotten! There is a rat race for money and material things! Spirituality has declined!  People Live for their love of money, luxury, entertainment and silly, small pleasures! Man says that he is God himself and denies the existence of God! Religion has lost its impact on man! Rationalism is at its height! Science and technology has changed the life of man enabling him to explore the skies and even colonize planets like the Moon and Mars! We do not know what more is destined for man!

VAYSIGATE KAH KAMAVIKARAHA-(Bhajagovindam)

“All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players” declared the bard of Stratford upon Avon, William Shakespeare! They have their exits and entrances. When man comes on the stage of Life it is his entrance or birth. After playing his part well or ill, when he leaves the stage it is his exit or death. In-between birth and death he has many parts to play. Even as per our scriptures human life is divided into four or five stages. 'jayathe’- taking birth, 'vardhate’- growing into boyhood, 'parinimithe’- changing over into youth and middle age,  'kshiyathe’- declining into old age and senility and finally ‘ nasayithe-leaving the stage of life or death! Old age is considered as second childhood! One cannot remain an infant or child for ever. Boyhood has to give place to youth which too is impermanent. Middle age occupies the the best and the most important stage of life and then there is the downward trend. Old age sets in and slowly the individual loses his strength, becomes senile. His senses are obscured and from that evening of life he enters into darkness and death! It is significant to note that every stage of life has its own 'vyapara’-activity. They are not interchangeable.

Adi Sankara, feeling sorry for the pitiable state of the man repeating the grammar sutra,  continues to reflect on the nature of Samsara or family life! As a child, it is entirely dependent on the mother and others.The boy is involved in play always. In his middle age man is totally lost in his wife and children and their upbringing. Later in old age he is very much worried about many things in his life till death takes him away. In short, every stage of life has its own specific activity. Emotions have been wonderfully arranged by the Providence! It is in one’s prime youth and middle age that man has amorous feelings, thinks of love. He falls in love, marries and bears children. That is the age prescribed for love, marriage, and procreation. Sankara asks, ‘ vayasi gate kah kamavikarah’- Where are your amorous advances when that age is past? Surely a boy cannot think of it. Past middle age and in old age it looks awkward to propose to a lady! People will look askance at such an act.

‘Sushke nire kah kasaraha?’ questions Sankara. Kasara means a lake. what is the requisite for  a lake? It must have plenty of water. If it is not brimful, it should have at least plenty of water. Then only it can be called a lake. If all the water is dried up or when there is negligible quantity of water in it how can that be called a lake? Everything in life has to satisfy certain conditions to be accepted by others. A sugar candy attracts hundreds of ants and even more. Slowly and steadily the the sugar candy disappears. Along with the sugar candy all ants vanish. Sycophants gather around the rich.They hail and flatter him to the skies not because he is great or scholarly but for the money he has and the doles that they get from him! The moment he loses his wealth they leave the rich man in the lurch and vanish like the frogs from the dry well! Aptly Sankara points out, ‘ kshine vitte kah parivaraha'-where are the attendants when money has declined?

Coming to the most important part of his message, Sankara asserts  that man is entangled the web of Samsara because of his ignorance or avidya or Maya or illusion! The physical world appears real to him. All his little pleasures, he considers as real. His wife, children, property are thought of as permanent!  He forgets the very purpose of his life for which God has created him! He thinks that he is the body only! He is not concerned about the spirit or soul that is enshrined

in his body! He doesn't understand the indestructibility of this Atma that manifests in each and every object in the world! As long as he remains ignorant of these  eternal truths he is caught in the cycle of birth and death endlessly! It is absolutely essential that he contemplates and tries to understand these principles.The moment this knowledge dawns on his mind he is free from the perennial shackles of  samsara! So Sankara points out, ‘Jnathe tatwe kah samsaraha’!

In the darkness of the night, without illumination, the rope is mistaken for a snake and the person is terribly frightened and steps back! Similarity between the snake and the rope, lack of proper light, and darkness contribute to this illusion! But the moment the area is illuminated, you feel, after all it is rope and not a snake! Various factors cause this feeling. Darkness is ignorance or avidya. Night also represents ignorance as you cannot see objects without light.  Light or illumination is knowledge or the real 'tatwa’ or ‘Jnana’. When man realizes this principle he is liberated from the bonds of Samsara! Adi Sankara, by the use of negatives, reinforces the necessity for Jnana and emancipation! Jnana is the realization that you are the chip of the same block, eternal Atma or the Brahman!

THE OTHER FACE OF WOMAN

THE OTHER FACE OF WOMAN (Bhartruhari)

In his Sringara Sataka, Bhartruhari describes first the personal beauty of woman, her various other  attributes, the way in which she attracts men and what physical and mental satisfaction she affords to relieve him of stress and strain! He says that the person who has for his mate an ideal and exceedingly beautiful woman is the most blessed and fortunate man in the world! Such an opportunity can come to very few individuals. It is on

ly his ‘purva punya’ that can give him such a felicitous existence on earth! Bhartruhari doubts if everything about the woman is positive. Is there not anything negative about the woman? The same poet who had extolled her in superlative terms earlier, now picks innumerable faults in her and reveals the other face of the woman, her negative side and how she tempts man and leads him to his doom and destruction! When a person, in a foreign country, thinks of his lady, he becomes lovelorn and languid. He would like to see her immediately and hug her. He is likely to forget everything he is expected to do! Can such a woman be called one’s sweetheart?

The poet points out that the beautiful woman appears to be nectarine as long as you can see her. The moment she fades from your vision she inflicts the agony of terrible unbearable poison! He wonders at the person who has created the machine called ‘woman’! Woman is the origin of all doubts and suspicions! She spoils the mind of man. she's the repository of disobedience. She is adventurous, dishonest, highly distrustful, an obstacle for reaching heaven, the root cause of entry into hell, a bundle of Maya or illusion, outwardly sweet like 'amruta’ but inwardly poisonous and the cause of attachment to all in the world! Who has built this machine called woman asks poet Bhartruhari! How can the moon be the face of the woman? Her eyes are not the lilies! Her body is not made of golden hue! But poets describe her in these terms! Fools lose their heads and fully conscious that after all she is a combination of skin, muscle, and bones, have become her slaves!

“Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold” said Shakespeare! Man is tempted by her physical beauty. Women talk friendly with some; look at some invitingly; but think of someone else in their mind! Hence it is difficult to say who is dear to her! Bhartruhari goes to the extent t of comparing woman to a serpent! While there is an antidote for the bite of the snake, there is no remedy for that of woman! The poet uses many metaphors to describe the effect of woman on man! Manmatha, God of Love is the angler. Samsara is the sea. Man is the fish in that sea! Woman is the angling rod he has set for man! Rosy lips of woman is the bait! The fish that eats the bait is drawn up and tormented in the fire of love! Bhartruhari warns the mind which he calls a traveller. He should not venture to walk through the forest, which is the woman’s body, inaccessible with hills and where the thief, the God of Love is hiding! He shall surely steal your chastity!

The five senses of man  pretend to do good to man! The woman’s song is the sweetest for the ear! Her movement is a feast for the eye! The tongue aspires for a liplock! The nose relishes her smell while the body yearns badly for her touch! These five senses create an illusion, hide the true nature  of woman and cheat mankind! Bhartruhari condemns  prostitutes who sell their bodies for money. They offer themselves to the blind, the old, the anonymous villager, one born of bad family, and even a leper! They destroy the intellect of the human being! How can an intellectual desire such women? Summing up Bhartruhari declares that outwardly they are sweet but full of venom inside! Man has to  to be very careful and cautious in approaching women! They are fit enough to be avoided rather than desired!

Woman is termed as the embodiment of Shakti! This energy is good as well as bad! It is creative and destructive. Nuclear energy can produce electricity or annihilate the entire world! She is also called as Maya or illusion that represents the real as unreal and the unreal as the real! That is why energy or Shakti is depicted as Goddess Sri Rajarajeswari! We are alarmed at some of the incidents in which a few women are involved in modern times! What Bhartruhari has said is not entirely false even in modern society! Women are involved in cheating, forgery,enticement of  men and other evil ways. They are more independent, assertive and occupy highly responsible positions! It is true that nobody can probe the mind of woman. “Strinancha chittam purushasya bhagyam”--the mind of woman and the fortune of man can never be foreseen! Have we not seen the renowned sage Viswamitra fall a prey to the wiles of the  beautiful damsel Menaka?  Didn't Ravana, a great devotee of Lord Siva come to nothing because of his lust for women, especially Sita? Indra king of heaven fell for the beauty of Ahalya, wife of sage Gautama! Woman thus becomes the greatest and effective tempter of man on earth!!

THE CYCLE OF BIRTH AND DEATH-- Punarapi jananam Punarapi maranam

THE CYCLE OF BIRTH AND DEATH..Punarapi jananam Punarapi maranam..

“Jatasya maranam dhruvam”  says the Sanskrit adage! For one who is born death is certain and inevitable. Soon after death once again there is birth! Is there any end for this interminable repetition of life and death? Obviously no! What prompts Sankara to declare that samsara is “bahudustare”, that which is very difficult to cross? It was born out of his own bitter experience  during the course of his wanderings. Family life is full of trials and tribulations. It leads to several unshakable attachments and relationships like father, mother, brother, sister, and various other connections!  This attachment or ‘mamakara’ weighs heavily on man and leads to his downfall! It is the same attachment that made Arjuna despondent and throw down his bow Gandiva on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Caught in the inescapable meshes of maya man thinks that the world is real and all his relationships and associations are everlasting! He forgets the prime purpose of his existence on earth namely realization of his own Self! He becomes the slave of the bundle of desires and his insatiable thirst for things continues to the very end of his life! Why should there be birth followed by death? What is the secret behind this eternal principle?

Our birth is determined by the Karma-- our deeds good and bad, done in our innumerable previous births! The accumulated effect of our past karma is so dense and voluminous that  it cannot be wiped out in a single birth! So man has to take birth again and again to reduce the quantum of his accumulated karma till it is totally annihilated to achieve birthlessness! This is practically impossible because man cannot exist without performing karma! Whatever action he does, good or bad, has an equivalent and opposite reaction! He has to enjoy or suffer according to his karma! Finally when he achieves a nil balance of karma he is granted mukti or salvation  by the grace of God! Prarabda karma is that that has started yielding results even as you are born. Sanchita Karma is the one that you accumulate during your life on earth. Agami Karma is the effect that you get in future! Thus man’s life is inextricably interfused with the actions that he undertakes in his life! So samsara- family life is a vicious circle that none can escape! That is why Sankara warns mankind through this sloka that samsara is a combination of repetitive birth and death from the womb of the mother to the womb of mother earth!

Why should the celibate and great exponent of Advaita Adi Sankara speak of samsara to which he had no connection? It is born out of his own experience during his travel.Those were the days of Buddhism and Mandana Misra, the disciple of Kumarila bhatta was famous for his Mimamsa exposition and insistence of Karma and rituals. He rejected the Upanishad statements saying karma will definitely bear fruit and that there is no need for God or any other thing! Sankara differed from his view of the Vedas and Upanishads. He wanted debate on these points with Mandana Misra and met him at his home.The bets were made! If Mandana Misra lost he would become a sanyasi and Sankara’s disciple. If Sankara  lost he would marry and become a grihasta- a family man. Battle lines were drawn and the debate went on for a number of days with arguments and counter arguments witnessed by great men and even Gods. Slowly Mandana Misra’s arguments flopped and he was about to lose. The garland on his neck faded while that on Sankara’s glowed brightly indicating his victory!

Mandana Misra was the incarnation of creator Brahma while his wife Bharathi was the avatar of the Goddess of Knowledge, Saraswathi! She challenged Sankara by saying that his victory cannot be accepted till she, the 'ardhangi’, the better half of Mandana Misra is vanquished. Knowing that Sankara is not familiar with the intricacies of family life or Samsara, she cornered him by putting delicate questions on that subject! Sankara was helpless as he could not answer them! But he wanted sufficient time to answer those questions on family life. Time was granted and he left. Sensing that the king of the country was dead, Sankara directed his sishyas to protect his body till his return and transmigrated into the king’s body to get a knowledge of Samsara! Meanwhile the dead King woke up as if from sleep to the shock and amazement of the royal family!

 The conduct of the king was totally different from that of the original king.The body was that of the king while the soul was that of Sankara! Suspicion grew and the smart minister, knowing that some noble soul should have entered the body of the king, ordered the soldiers to search every nook and corner of the country for any dead body and burn it off! Within the short time available Sankara grasped every detail of family life needed for the debate and decided to return to his body! But the soldiers had spotted Sankara’s body being guarded by his disciples and were ready to burn it in spite of resistance from Sankara's disciples! They immediately sent the message to their master Sankara who instantly left the body of the king and came back to his original body! But it was a little too late! The limbs of his body were partially burnt! Sankara had drunk deep the essence of Samsara, it's plus and minus points and was ready to answer any question by Bharathi!

It is at this juncture that Sri Sankara composes  the famous “ Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Karavalamba Stotram” describing the terrible debilitating effect of samsara on him! It is indirectly the warning for all humanity! He prays emotionally to the Lord to extend “His Helping Haveand” --”Karavalambam" and save him from the deleterious effects of Samsara. He uses a number of metaphors to explain what family life, samsara, is! Samsara- family life is a fathomless ocean full of terrible crocodiles! It is dense forest infested with wild beasts that can prey upon you any time! It is a deep well from which you can never get out of the ups and downs of life! It is similar to the terrible blow of the king elephant from which there is no escape! Samsara is like the bite of the terrible poisonous snake which is fartal and destructivel It is like the wily net in which man is caught like the fish! It is a tree, sin is it's seed, endless karma it's branches,‘karana’ it's leaves and love it's flower! “It is the 'davanala’ the terrible fire that has burnt my limbs, O Lord! Lakshmi Nrusimha, offer me your helping hand” prays Adi Sankara! Lo, Behold! his partly burnt limbs were restored in perfection! Hence Sankara’s bitter personal experience of Samsara, though for a short while, made him wise and shun it completely!

A LOOK INTO AITAREYA UPANISHAD

A  LOOK INTO AITAREYA UPANISHAD

Aitareya Upanishad is one of the 'mukhya’ Upanishads and belongs to the Rig Veda. It forms the fourth, fifth, and the sixth chapters of the second book of Aitareya Aranyaka. It is the eighth among the hundred and eight Upanishads. It is a short prose text in three chapters containing thirty three verses. We find three philosophical themes in the Upanishad. In the first, it states that the world and man are the creation of the 'atman’ (Soul, Universal Self). Next the Upanishad explains that Atman undergoes threefold birth.Then it asserts that consciousness is the essence of the Atman---the Self or Brahman! “Prajnanam Brahma”-Knowledge is Brahman  is one of the ‘Mahavakyas’ of the Upanishads. Everything was Atman in the beginning and it created the worlds. Atman then created guardians of the worlds from the waters. The guardian was then given a shape. Having created them, Atman wanted to provide food for their sustenance. When the food, created by the Atman, tried to run away the guardian attempted to catch it with his speech but failed! If he had succeeded, mere speech would have satisfied him!

All attempts to seize the food with breath, sight, hearing, skin and mind failed miserably! If the guardian had succeeded, he would have satisfied himself by merely breathing on food, or seeing food, or merely hearing of food or merely touching food or just thinking of food! At last he seized it with his digestive breath or ‘apana’ that takes and lives on food! “ Is it possible for the person to live without me?” the Atman thought. What exactly is its state if speech, breath, sight, hearing, touch and thinking are done by their organs respectively? Atman wanted to enter and by cleaving the head, he got in through the cleft called ‘vidriti’ which is the place of bliss. The three states of sleep are the abodes of the Atma! The Jiva knew and talked about the created objects. It is not before enlightenment that he could realize the Brahman the All pervading Spirit!  He could say”This have I seen” after enlightenment!

The Upanishad poses the question and asks who this Atman is that we worship and want to realize in the course of our lives. Is it because of Him that we see, hear, smell, speak and know the difference in taste? According to the Upanishad the heart and mind have various qualities which make for intelligence! They are consciousness, perception, discrimination, intelligence, wisdom, insight, steadfastness, thought, acuteness, impulse, memory, volition, decision, life, desire and finally control! All these are different names for 'prajnana’ or intelligence!

The Upanishad asserts with authority that everything​ in the created world is based on intelligence and guided by intelligence. Creator Brahma, Indra, king of Gods and prajapati and all other deities are guided by 'prajnana’. The five elements earth, air, ether, water and fire and other small creatures are based on Intelligence. Every thing born of egg, womb, and sweat and earth follow the same intelligence! All the quadrupeds are no exception to this intelligence! Everything that breathes, flying or stationary- the 'sthavara’ or 'jangama’ is nothing if not for the basis of intelligence or 'Prajnana’

As an illustration, the Upanishad says that by means of this intelligent self Vamadeva soared very high upward from this world! He had fulfilment of all his desires in the far away Heaven and became immortal!

IN PRAISE Of WOMEN ( Bhartruhari)

Rajarshi Bhartruhari is the author of “ Subhashita” a collection of three ‘satakas’ an anthology of one hundred slokas each in Sanskrit. First he emphasizes ethics and morality and later describes 'sringara’ the conjugal bliss of man. Any activity of man should be based on morality and righteousness including the intimacy between man and woman. Detachment cannot arise all of a sudden. It is only after experiencing the ins and outs of family pleasures and conjugal bliss that man becomes wise and thinks of detachment or Vairagya. The vicissitudes of the cycle of samsara and its trials and tribulations invariably drive man to Vairagya and he realizes the futility of material existence! He then understands perfectly that after all, this experience is transitory and an illusion! But before he arrives at this conclusion he has to experience everything in life--’ drink life to the lees’! The chief deity in charge of Sringara Rasa is Manmatha! He is both a God and villain and nothing will succeed if he is not propitiated! The poet invokes Manmatha the God of Love in Hindu mythology to make his attempt in describing sringara rasa successful! He offers his obeisance to him for he has made the creator Brahma, the protector Vishnu and the destroyer Siva totally obedient to their wives!

The Central point of sringara rasa is the woman! How does the lady bring down the greatest of men? The poet describes the personality of beautiful women who by their looks and behavior conquer the the most unconquerable of men. Her face is round like the full moon; her eyes neat and broad like the lotus leaf; her golden gleaming body; beautiful dense black long locks of hair reminding the color of the bees; Her ideal cleavage, strong back  and her soft and gentle words-- are adornments that nature has given her! ‘Sringara nayikas’ --lady loves are of three kinds according to sastras. They are 1 mugdha 2 madhya and 3 prouda. The one just reaching her youth and controlling her love through modesty is mugdha. The girl in her youth and having equal proportion of modesty and love is madhya. The damsel in her full bloom of youth and has subordinated her modesty to love is called prouda. Bhartruhari in describing sringara rasa dwells on the ways and means of women who win over men by their bewitching beauty. For the rasikas there is nothing greater and sweeter than viewing  the lovely lady’s face! Nothing is so mellifluous as the honey like words of the paramour! There is nothing more mesmerizing than the touch of her delicate skin! For the lover there is nothing greater than her tender age and her mischievous signals and pranks.

Praising the woman for her exceptional quality of attracting men, Bhartruhari compliments her. The soft jingling music of her bangles steal the hearts of men. The sound of the small bells adorning her silver chains on the feet and the seemingly frightened looks like that of the deer are powerful enough to defeat any courageous man! Bhartruhari does not agree with other poets who classify women as “abala”--without strength,weak. How can she be called weak when by her amorous deceptive looks she is able to infatuate even Gods like Indra and others? It is as if the God of Love Manmatha is the obedient servant of women with beautiful eye brows and looks! Her face is similar to the full moon stealing the hearts of many! Her attractive locks of hair are thick black in color! Her soft and gentle hands are of rosy hue! In short, she is a combination of the famous precious stones--’Chandrakanta, Neela and Padmaraga!

The poet describes the stages of  chain reaction that explodes in the heart of man who is in love! Until he does not see her he feels like seeing her once at least!  If by chance he happens to see her, he wants to hug her closely! If that happens he is afraid whether this supreme bliss will remain for ever! He does not wish separation from his lady and desires that their bodies should remain together for ever! The root cause of love and suffering in man is his youth says Bhartruhari. Love sprouts in one’s youth. Expectation pleases him and disappointment depresses him, leads him astray and drives him to other women! It clouds his intellect and leads to lust and satisfaction of the senses, eggs him on to perpetrate various kinds of sin! There cannot be any other stage in life as youth in committing sins!!

Samsara or family life is described as a shoreless sea! It is humanly impossible to cross it!  The object of everyone is to cross it. What is it that prevents man to cross this shoreless sea? Bhartruhari says that he desires to cross over to other shore. But in between are the bewitching beauties who do not allow him to cross over smoothly! It is because of them that the other shore is faraway! Otherwise that shore would have been very close to him! There are only two options for men in the world says Bhartruhari! one is to enjoy the  company beautiful young women or retire far from the madding crowd and perform tapas for salvation!! Before describing  how women contribute to the downfall of man, Bhartruhari points out how she takes control of man by her personal looks, beauty and other attributes!

"TIME AND TIDE WAITS FOR NO MAN"-Dina mapi rajani sayam prataha

“Time and Tide waits for no man”.The value of time can never underestimated. God is described  as ‘ kala swarupa” the embodiment of Time! At the same time He is called as 'kalatheetha’ one who transcends Time. Are we utilizing our time properly and effectively? While many waste their time in petty mundane affairs there are very few who realize the significance of Time and use it for their benefit. “The trouble is you think you have time” says the Buddha! It flies so fast that by the time you open your eyes everything is over! Time lost can never be got back. “The only real luxury is Time. You cannot get time back!” People react to Time according to their moods and situations. “ Time is very slow for those who wait; very fast for those who are scared; Very long for those who lament; very short for those who celebrate. But for those who love, Time is eternal!” says Shakespeare. Most of us are deceived by time. Even as we are conscious, it steals away every second of our existence on earth!

Providence has ordained that everything in Nature  should happen according to time! Adi  Sankara,in his Bhajagovindam, highlights the activities of nature and how they happen in a religious regimen. There is no violation of the Divine mandate whatsoever. Changes happen in a regular time bound order whether one likes it or not! Sankara says that day follows the day. Night gives in to day which again is replaced by evening in a regular and endless manner! The  seasons, spring, summer, winter and autumn come every year at their fixed time regularly! Time

plays with the lives of human beings and in no time takes away their life span on earth! Sankara  feels extremely sorry for the ordinary mortal because the foolish man, despite knowing these aspects of Nature, is not free from 'asha’ or desire! His hair turns white, parts of the body become loose and weak, there is muscular atrophy and he becomes old and senile. Now he has the stick for support. Even at this stage he is not free from desire!

“Where is the time for man to express his attachment to the Lord?” questions Sankara. Everyone, according to his status, is interested in the activity suited to him. Children are all engrossed in play! The youth of marriageable age are very much interested in girls. The aged and the old are all involved in their never ending worries! As such who is going to be interested in the nature of the Parabrahman? Day and night alternate. The month and the fortnight repeat themselves. The 'ayanas’, a period of six months, appear regularly. The years change as days and months pass on! But the burning Desire of man can never be quenched!  

Desire is of many kinds. It can be ‘ Dhana kama’ desire for money. It can be ‘Vidya kama’ desire for knowledge and scholarship.It can also be ‘Rajya kama’ desire for regal splendor and luxury! Very extraordinarily it can be for the knowledge of the Brahman and love for God! Which of these desires is the best? Sankara says that the old man memorizing the grammar sutra is mad after knowledge since ‘Dukrunkarane’ can never save him!  Everything​ in excess should be given up. “ati sarvatra varjayeth”

Desire for worldly pleasures shall land man in serious troubles! You have to answer the Income Tax people for the source of your income! You earn money with difficulty, save it very carefully  without the knowledge of others. But when you spend or lose it, you are filled with sorrow! Then why do you desire for money that is the cause of misery for you! Too much of knowledge makes man question the existence of God! Excess of money, knowledge and power turns the head of man and he becomes arrogant leading to his downfall eventually! The only desire that can sublimate all other desires of man is his desire or love for God! Sankara suggests that man should recognize the value of time that relentlessly drags you to your end. Instead of whiling away one’s precious time, man should think of God from the beginning. Bhakti or devotion cannot sprout suddenly! One must cultivate it assiduously! It is very easy for the great Sankara to counsel man but how far is it possible is the million dollar question!!!

VICTORY OVER DEATH- Bhagavad-Gita kinchidadhita

Feeling extremely sorry for the foolish person reciting the grammar sutra in his terminal stage of life, compassionate Sankara disabuses his mind and tries to turn his attention to God and spirituality! The man was memorizing the term “Dukrunkarane” blindly! Sankara advises him to not while away his precious time in useless pursuits especially in the evening of his existence! The plight of this man, a typical representative of mundane world, triggers various thoughts in the advocate of Advaita! The essence of Vedas, Upanishads and how man should live and derive the fulfilment of his stay on earth is meticulously described in simple style in the Bhajagovinda stotra.The fear of death chases man like a shadow. But no man wants to die! The material and illusory world is so dear to him that he does not want to leave it! In fact, knowing full well that life is impermanent, he wants to perpetuate his stay on earth! Very cleverly, in his own inimitable way, Sankara suggests ways to win over death! Is it possible to overcome death which is inevitable and inexorable? Yes, says Sankara, if man, in the midst of his multifarious  duties and involvements, finds time to turn at least a few pages of the Celestial Song, the Bhagavad-Gita that dispelled the doubts of the great Pandava warrior, Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra!

The second means of escaping the never ending cycle of birth and death is to taste at least a  few drops of the sacred Ganga water! The third and the most important device is to worship the enemy of Mura -Lord Krishna! Though man cannot avoid physical death by these ways, he can become immortal in spirit to be remembered for ever! In very rare cases when God showers his benevolent grace on the bhaktha, he literally wins over death like the child star Dhruva and the Siva bhakta Markandeya! Gita asserts that the body is different from the soul or Atma! We should not identify the body with the Soul.The body is perishable while the Soul is indestructible! Sorrow is the result of ‘mamakara’--attachment and hence it has to be curtailed.

Desire is the root cause of all human trouble and it is insatiable. Fulfilment of one desire leads to another. Easiest way to reach God is through bhakti or devotion. Man is only an instrument in  the hands of God! Perform ‘Nishkama karma’--rewardless action! Karma leads to bhakthi or devotion and that leads to Jnana or knowledge. Surrender yourself totally to the will of God when he happily takes over all your responsibilities! While jnani is like a husband, bhakta is a child dearer or even dearest to God!

Why does Sankara recommend tasting at least a few drops of water from the Ganges? She is called ’Vishnu pada’ emanating from the Lord’s feet! She is the holiest of the rivers in our nation and is believed to cleanse all sins and purify human beings! She was brought down to earth by the herculean effort of Bhagiratha, of the Ikshvaku clan and the ancestor of Sri Rama, hero of the Ramayana. Bhagiratha performed severe penance to please goddess Ganga first and later did tapas to propitiate Lord Siva, the only one who could receive the fury of the river while descending down to earth! Bhagiratha had to bring the river to earth for the salvation of his  forefathers who were reduced to ashes by the angry look of the great sage Kapila! Thus a few drops of the Ganges can remove the bodily and mental impurities of man and can direct him to the spiritual path for mukti or liberation! Though the river is an eternal purifier, it remains as pure as ever unaffected by the sins and impurities of the millions that bathe in her waters! Sankara wants man to be free from all his sins by taking a dip in the waters of the river.

While reading scriptures like the Bhagavad-Gita is important, it is no less important to have a dip in the holy waters of the Ganges and other rivers. Of the nine types of bhakthi like Sravanam and others 'archanam’ or worship of God is a step that takes the devotee nearer to God. Having an idol of the chosen God and offering Him the ”shodasopacharas'”- the sixteen types like dhyana, avahana, asana and others, the bhaktha revels in the company of the deity thinking that he is really in the immediate presence of the Lord and offering Him his hospitality! We can never  ignore the worship and devotion of bhakta Ramadas- Gopanna for his Lord Rama and how he was rewarded for the sincere worship!

Sankara declares with authority that mankind can get salvation through either of the three ways described above! Nama smarana- chanting His name shall keep the God of Death away! In the  same way ‘Archanam’ when done sincerely is capable of driving away Yama! The severe and sincere tapas of child Markandeya did not allow Yama to come near him! When he dared, the Lord kicked him out and severely warned him not to approach his bhaktas! Sankara, on the pretext of advising the foolish man, tells mankind to read scriptures,take holy dip in the Ganga and offer Archanam- worship to the supreme Being. Will it be too much for us to follow the large hearted recommendation of the distinguished philosopher, Sankara??

BHAJAGOVINDAM--yavad vittoparjana saktaha

Even from the time of the Ramayana during the Treta Yuga, Dhana--money was considered to be very important! Lakshmana tells Sri Rama, “ Dhana marjaya KaKutsa Dhana moolam idam jagat--antaram nabhijanami nirdhanasya mrutasyacha”--you must earn money,oh KaKutsa! Money is the root cause of the world! I don't find any difference between the dead and the poor! Our ancestors knew the significance of money in the life of every individual. That is why among the four purusharthas money or 'artha’ is given the second place next to Dharma which occupied the first eminent position. Without 'artha’ no Dharma can be  performed! Kama or desire fails miserably and can never be fulfilled without money or ‘ artha’. Without Dharma and non fulfilment of desires 'moksha or salvation can only be dream! Even the ascetics or sanyasis suffer in the absence of money at their disposal For daily routine and other activities money is absolutely essential! But money is unstable! It moves from one hand to the other! It has value only in circulation like the blood in our body! The rich are extolled as great by the world.They are imbued with qualities that they do not deserve! It is money in their possession or wealth that entices others to sing in their praise!  That is the way of the world!

Adi Sankara hits the nail on the head when he describes the importance of money in the daily life of man! Man has respect,dignity, value, love, and affection as long as he is a earning member of the family! “yavad vittoparjana saktaha tavan Nina parivaro raktaha…..” In other words the love and affection rained on man is directly proportional to the amount of money he earns, spends and saves! The prime stage of life gone, when he is in the evening of his life, when he becomes old, senile, when old age obscures his senses, is he looked upon with the same love and respect? Sankara points out that it is not the case! The person has retired, his money is in the hands of his children, he has no job, he sits In a corner of the house expecting help from others in the family. His wife neglects him, brothers and sisters stay away from him, children have no time to talk or spend with him! Mostly the individual is at the mercy of others in his own family! What a miserable situation for the head of the family in his own house! What Sankara has described in his Bhajagovinda stotra is literally correct in the modern society of the present century! It has gone a step further as children, unable to look after their aged parents put them in old age homes and visit them occasionally while the parents pine for them every moment!

When the pond is full of water it is a feast and treat for the eye! It attracts a number frogs which produce a deafening sound. The same frogs mercilessly desert the pond when it dries up! When sustenance is gone it is difficult to remain in the same place. Similarly a sugar candy is surrounded by hundreds of ants and they are lost in the enjoyment of the sweetness of the candy. Slowly and steadily as the candy dissolves we have to search where the ants have disappeared! These are laws of Nature!  But it is surprising that relationship, love, affection, kindness and attachment are intricately interwoven with money in the life of man! According to a Sanskrit adage, “ Udyogam Purusha lakshanam"--Employment is the requisite for an individual. It is only through a job a person can earn money in a righteous manner. He has to engage himself in any activity in any field like agriculture, engineering, science, arts,music and others. The criterion for dignity,respect love and affection from the family and society is the money that you earn! If you are unemployed and eke out a hand to mouth existence nobody cares! The Tatas and Birlas and the Anbanis of today are mainly revered for the money they have apart from their business acumen and the capacity to influence the economy of the Nation!

But we should remember that money is not the be all and end all in life! Sankara merely describes the the fate of man when he is unable to earn money and has retired from service. When finance is insufficient for family expenses, education of children and their marriages or for buying a house family people are agitated! Now that the head of the family is not earning a good salary, their interest, love, affection and concern for him suffer a little! The great philosopher Sankara himself feels pity for the status of the man who has lost the capacity to earn! Where is the necessity for Sankara  to feel sorry for this man?

It is because Sankara does not want man to waste his life in memorizing a grammar rule! That is not going to help him in his after life! Instead, compassionate Sankara directs him to worship Govinda again and again in his terminal stage so that he can get moksha or salvation! It is the quality of great sages to turn worldly wise men to spirituality. Indirectly Sankara counsels the foolish man to realize the futility of human relationships which lay emphasis on money only! Worshipping Govinda Shall make his life peaceful rather than earning and aspiring for elusive money!

" RAMO VIGRHAVAN DHARMAHA

“RAMO VIGRAHAVAN DHRMAHA”

Every year Sri Rama Navami is celebrated grandly in various places in India and the wedding of Sita and Rama is replicated to the joy of millions! But the very core message of Rama's avatar is totally forgotten! From Treta to Kaliyuga there is total degeneration of Dharma or righteousness! Not an individual seems to think of following or practicing at least a single virtue of Rama! The incarnation of Rama is out and out intended for the establishment of Dharma and Adi Kavi Valmiki is absolutely right in describing and depicting Rama as “Ramo vigravan Dharmaha--the embodiment of righteousness. Long before the descent of the avatar, the plan was ready when the guards of Vaikunta, Jaya and Vijaya we're cursed by the sages to come down to earth! They  preferred to be the enemies of the Lord in three births and return to Vaikunta! As such the Lord had to come down to earth to establish Dharma and save the devotees. Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu in the Krutha Yuga, Ravana and Kumbhakarna in Treta Yuga and Sisupala and Dantavaktra in Dwapara Yuga became the inveterate enemies of the Lord! The Lord fought them and resuscitated the decaying Dharma. Unlike the earlier avatars, he came down as an ordinary mortal, the son of emperor Dasaratha and the prince of Ayodhya.

The Ramayana depicts the tussle between the good and evil. The very purpose of the avatar is to demolish evil and there cannot be any delay. Sage Viswamitra takes Rama and Lakshmana for the protection of his yagna. On the way Rama is directed to kill the terrible Thataka creating hell to the dwellers. Rama hesitates a little since the demon is a female and according to Dharma she should not be killed! But his guru Viswamitra says that evil has to be Put down irrespective of gender! On the way Ahalya is released from her state of stone because of her  great chastity. She was the wife of sage Gautama and cursed for her inadvertent action. The wiles and machinations of Manthara and Kaikeyi demonstrate Rama’s implicit obedience to his mother's order and father’s wish! He was not bothered about the coronation that was fixed up the next day! Thus Rama came to be called 'pitru vakya paripalaka’-one who fulfills father’s word! We know how we treat our parent’s word!! Like an ordinary mortal the avatar suffered several difficulties and even wept when Sita was kidnapped by the disguised Ravana! He established Dharma by killing Vali the vanara king disapproving the lust for other’s wife! Dasaratha’s passion for Kakeyi led him to his death!  The same saw the end of Vali!! The same infatuation and lust for Sita led to Ravana’s doom!

As the protector of Dharma, Rama had to fight against all odds and demonstrate to the world that the unethical desire for the wife of another man is self destructive! The message of the Ramayana and the life of Rama is to warn humanity of this evil tendency and prevent them from indulging in such acts! Another aspect is that for establishing Dharma in a world full of adharma and evil, one has to rise to the occasion and be prepared​ for any suffering and sacrifice!! He has set an example to the entire universe by his unimpeachable conduct and character! Rama has killed Thataka first and Subahu next. He blasted Maricha and sent him away to an unknown place. He saved the yaga of Viswamitra and reassured peaceful life to the sages in the forest. He killed the invincible Khara and Dushana and his train in Dandaka forest! He taught a lesson to Ravana’s sister Surpanakha for her improper amorous advances when Lakshmana trimmed off her nose and ears!

He was much distressed at the loss of Sita and yet exercised his divinity in granting salvation to Jatayu who gave information on Sita. He ate the tasted fruits of Sabari who was awaiting his arrival anxiously. He was thus an ideal son, affectionate brother, trusted friend, the personification of righteousness,kind and loving husband and a terror to all the wicked and evil minded rakshasas! After killing Ravana he does not accept Sita readily since she was in Lanka for long! He orders Lakshmana to kindle fire so that Sita can come out of it unscathed as a proof of her purity! When Lakshmana was felled by Indrajit’s arrow Rama weeps likes child and says that his life is gone!That was the affection he had for his brother. It is surprising to note that the description, “Ramo Vigrahavan dharmaha” was uttered by Maricha who had tasted the arrow of Rama earlier! He warns Ravana by saying that he can never have his wish of separating Sita from Rama fulfilled Like the Sun who cannot be separated from his brilliant rays, so too Rama and Sita are inseparable! Scholars find fault with Rama for deserting Sita after her return to Ayodhya.The real truth is that Sita, pregnant at that time, expressed a desire to visit some sage’s ashram. Rama heard about a few people objecting his accepting Sita after a long  period at Ravana’s home. Rama never wanted to bring a bad name for his Ikshvaku clan! Thus Rama’s life breath and every action was seeped in Dharma!

By his conduct, character and action Rama is the personification of Dharma! What he did is Dharma and Dharma is what he did! As a man, in all trying situations he stood by Dharma and thus has become the apple of eye for all humanity! He differs from the avatar of Krishna in not exhibiting his divinity till the end. He endured all vicissitudes like an ordinary mortal and showed us the path of Dharma! In these days of moral degradation and immorality where rapes, molestations, abductions and gropings are the order of the day, Rama stands like a monument of righteousness calling everyone to follow dharmic way of life! Is it impossible for us to try our best to emulate the avatar at least to a small extent????

PUJA--WORSHIP​ GOD LIKES MOST

PUJA--WORSHIP GOD LIKES MOST

We perform puja grandly at home and in temples. A sum prescribed is paid to the temple authorities and all arrangements are made by them. Beautiful garlands,baskets of flowers, various varieties of fruits and fragrant dhoop sticks and naivedyam or offering  to the deity are   ready! The priest performs archana, you close your eyes, pray, receive prasadam and return! This is the puja of modern day! Can this be called real worship? Things have become so mechanical and casual that priests and people have no time to think what real worship is! Heavy and uncontrollable crowds gather at temples on festival days and it is impossible to concentrate on God for a few minutes at least! God expects something genuinely yours! He wants that which is “clean and fragrant with the perfume of virtue and innocence and washed in the tears of repentance.”  Fruits and flowers are an exhibition of devotion and tend to humiliate the poor who cannot afford such pomp and show! “Install the Lord in your heart and offer Him the fruits of your actions and the flowers of your inner thoughts and feelings--Worship in the mind!” exhorts Sri Satya Sai Baba in one of his spiritual discourses.

God is a lover of simplicity and sincerity! He does not like ostentation and show! A sincere prayer for a second pleases him. But we are unable to do that because of our attachment and involvement in mundane affairs. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, in the Bhagavad-Gita that it is enough if “Patram, pushpam, phalam, thoyam”--a leaf, a flower, a fruit, and some water is offered with a pure, and sincere heart. Outwardly it appears simple. The inner meaning is entirely different! Patram or the leaf is our body! It is not the ordinary flower but the flower of our heart! Phalam or fruit is our mind while toyam is totally different from the ordinary water we use but ‘ tears of joy welling up within you from a sincere and prayerful heart!’ Outward austerities like Japa, tapas or penance and sadhana for a number of years do not impress God! His Grace can be attained through a genuine and sincere appeal arising from a devoted heart! The age of the saints, sages, azwars, nayanmars and various other realized souls is over and the artificiality of modern man has created a great gulf between him and God!

Ordinary flowers fade away the next moment! Of what use is worship with fading flowers? Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba prescribes eight spiritual flowers for worship of the Supreme Being! The first and foremost flower is non violence, non injury to any creature in body and mind. The second flower is 'dama’ or control of senses. Compassion to all creatures is the third flower. Kshama or forbearance is the fourth flower that can adorn God. Peace or Shanthi is the fifth flower. The sixth is tapas or penance. Meditation or dhyana is the seventh and the eighth and the last flower is truth or Satya! “ God will shower grace on you if you worship him through these eight flowers.(SSS12.5.81) Instances galore, signifying exceptional devotion to the Lord, are not wanting in our scriptures.Rukmini out weighed Krishna with a single tulasi leaf overladen with pure bhakthi! Grace of the Lord stupified Sudama when he offered Krishna just a handful of flattened rice! It is not the quantity but the quality of devotion that God wants and recognizes!

Pride, egoism and affectation and artificiality do not impress God! Bhakthi or devotion sanctifies every act of man! Like a piece of paper getting importance when a certificate is written on it, it is the bhava or the thought behind that is important! Outward pomp has no place in God’s worship! “Man does not know the secret of transmuting every act of his life into sacred worship, and so he suffers from disappointment and grief.” (SSS 11.1.’66) Pure thoughts and fine feelings should be entertained by men always and whatever he does should be an offering to God! What is that we can offer God who has given everything​ for our happy existence? Is it not foolish to offer material objects to God? Do you think God is poor and you want to present gold and diamond ornaments to him? “The relation between a devotee and God is only heart to Heart and Love to Love. By offering jewellery you are making  God also a beggar. You should always keep in mind that God is bigger, not a beggar.” declares Sri Satya Sai Baba!

Worship or puja, of late, has become a bargaining from God! People flock to  temples with numerous desires and pray that they should be fulfilled. Businessmen want prosperity, childless couples want children, students desire good marks and pass in examinations. Every single individual has some want or other! They promise God that they would offer something if their wants are fulfilled! Thus all worship has become conditional! There is none who worships God for the sake of God and without any want! “Become His own. He is providing for the Idler, the insane and the shirker. Can he not provide for you? The father feeds the son's, whether they are idlers or shirkers or steady workers in field or factory. (SSS 23.10.’66) Let us perform worship with a pure and sincere heart for the sake of God without any conditions!!