"KURUTHE GANGA SAGARA GAMANAM (Bhajagovindam)

The world is really interesting. On one side we have terrorism and destruction, rationalism and disbelief in God while on the other side faith, devotion to God, and religious rituals continue to impress people! Cheat, fraud, dishonesty,hypocrisy,violence, have become regular features of the day. Man is conscious of his evil ways but is forced to commit sin because of circumstances! There is not a single person who can say he is pure or perfect from the the lowest to the highest! Corruption is now deeply embedded in society and the Government is finding it extremely difficult to contain it! Conscious of the innumerable sins he commits, Man takes recourse to pilgrimages and visiting holy places to wash off his sins and become pure! Is it so easy to become pure and perfect? Every action has an equivalent and opposite reaction and Man has to reap the consequence of his action in the past as well as in the present! It is an absolute delusion to think that we can get rid of the effect of our misdeeds by visiting holy places and having a dip in the waters of holy rivers!

Adi Sankara stresses the same point in his Bhajagovindam! “ kuruthe Ganga sagara gamanam” People visit Varanasi, visit the various ghats, dip themselves in the holy waters of the Ganga and have darshan of Lord Viswanatha and Goddess Visalakshi and Annapurna! They fly to Badrinath and Kedarnath, the holiest of all pilgrim centers, bathe in the crystal clekar waters of Alakananda! They visit Hardwar and Hrishikesh, equally holy. In the south, they hasten to

Rameswaram and Dhanushkoti where the Sethu-- bridge to Sri Lanka was built! They bathe in the holy waters inside the wells of the Rameswara Temple, have a dip in the sea and return home believing that they have washed off their sins! They are strong in their belief that they are now shorn of their sins and misdeeds! What an illusion!!

“Vrata paripalana mathava danam” In order to get relief from their problems and suffering, people take vows, propitiate Gods and Goddesses, offer alms and charity! Different kinds of rituals, and religious practices are conducted to protect themselves from the evil influences of certain deities of the nether world! Satyanarayana and Chandrayana vratas are only a few of the hundred vratas suggested for the peace and prosperity of the people! Merchant princes, the rich and the affluent, business magnates and even the common man offer charity at temples, and help the poor and the downtrodden!They are the benefactors that change the lives of others! These are, no doubt, good deeds that should be hailed by others! But if you think it will bring down the accumulated karma of your previous births, you are totally mistaken! They are all just means to lead a good and peaceful existence!

“Jnana vihina sarva matena muktim na bhajati janma satena” Sankara establishes the truth that  all these acts of holy pilgrimage, bathing in waters of the sacred rivers and the sea, vows , rituals, vratas, offering alms and charities lead you nowhere! They cannot offer Salvation or Mukti to the individual! How can one attain Mukti? Sankara asserts  that one cannot dream of Mukti without Jnana! Without Jnana or Knowledge man cannot get salvation or Mukti even after a hundred janmas or births! There is a lot of show and ostentation in performing vows, rituals and other sacred activities. Faith and sincerity is the requisite for any activity! Pomp and paraphernalia do not count! Pure devotion, sincere heart and prayer does what show and arrogance cannot do! Humility and a sense of utter submission to His Will is the essential requisite for mukti!

What does Sankara mean by Jnana? In Vedantic parlance Jnana means Knowledge, knowledge of the eternal Self!  The Soul or the self is eternal, indestructible and manifests in all the creatures of the universe.” ajo nitya sasvatoyam purano nahanyathe hanyamane sareere”. Man is not the body! He is the receptacle where the Soul or the Atma is embedded! Understanding this aspect, namely, that we are all chips of the same Divine Soul is what is called real knowledge or Jnana! It does not refer to the various branches of knowledge available to students in colleges and universities! Unfortunately, immersed in the shoreless sea of Samsara and deluded by maya, man is irretrievably attached to worldly life and doesn't contemplate on spiritual elevation! So long as this real Knowledge does not dawn upon him Salvation eludes him! Those who realize this and think that they are not the body but the Spirit behind it, are freed from all sorrows and difficulties and attain Mukti or Salvation! Sankara doesn't say that you should not visit holy places or do vratas and dana! He only wants you to realize that you are not the mere body but the eternal soul manifest everywhere in the universe!

ON CONTENTMENT

Contentment is a quality which is significant by its absence in humanity! The first of our inner enemies, the Arishadvargas, is Kama or desire. The desires of man take Viswarupa and if he is not careful, finally eat him up! The fulfilment of one desire leads to another and there is a chain reaction that has no end! Even as a child that craves for more, man has multiple desires that can never be satiated! The attachments that he has, his family, children, kith and kin compel him to increase his wants endlessly! Unfulfillment of desire leads to anger which causes mental Imbalance! This again forces the individual to senseless action the consequence of which he doesn't realize! Hence the Sanskrit saying: “ aasaa aasaa paramam dukham nirasa paramam sukham”--the greater your wants or desires, the greater is your sorrow; the extinction of desires leads to great bliss or enjoyment! Is there no way to control one’s desires? The only way to con trol is to develop contentment! As desires are endless, how can man achieve contentment? In fact, what is this contentment and how can that be cultivated?

Contentment is not your desire for more! It is your thankfulness for what you have and patience for what is to come. Contentment is not the fulfilment of your desires but the realization of what you already have! According to Epictetus contentment comes not so much from great wealth as from few wants. Contentment is considered as the only real wealth! It is the greatest treasure says Lao Tzu! People say that they are happy but it is doubtful if they are contented.  How can happiness reside in a discontented man? The biggest obstacle to happiness is an undervaluation of one’s own possessions and over valuing what others have.

What are the benefits of contentment? A contented heart is a calm sea in the midst of all storms remarks a famous author. By appreciating what you have already you derive indescribable joy!  “A harvest of peace is produced from a seed of contentment.” Don't we see some one else is happy with less than what we have? According to another writer contentment is natural wealth while luxury is artificial poverty! In the absence of contentment man becomes greedy and wants to acquire more more material wealth. He becomes jealous of the wealth and possessions of others! These thoughts make him sleepless and restless! This unhappiness may lead to his iIl health and even death!Thus contentment is a quality of mind and heart wherein you are satisfied with what God has given. You are satisfied with what you have. You don't aspire for?? more and more material things! You are not envious of what others have. It is also a type of resignation that God has granted you what you deserve, neither more nor less!

The desires and wants that we have are instigated by our Indriyas, the sense organs, that see, hear, smell, taste,and touch! They have a dual role. They expose us to the good as well as the bad! They mislead us, pressurize us to satisfy them as much as possible! The Upanishad describes them as horses that gallop at a great speed! The atma, who is in charge of thes?? sense organs has to control them by the reins of his intellect or Manas! If he were to allow the sense organs their free run, they will dash him to the ground invariably! So contentment plays a major role in suppressing the onslaught of the Indriyas or the senses!

Instances galore are in our epics and Puranas of illustrious persons undone by ambition and un controlled desires! Moha or lust, a desire to have the satisfaction of the senses destroyed  Ravana, king of Lanka who wanted to marry any woman, human or divine! As a result he was cursed and lost whatever punya he had to his credit! It is a wonder, how, being the brother of Kubera and an exceptional devotee of Lord Siva, Ravana allowed his senses totally a free uninhibited run! There are many other instances similar to this even in modern days. Man can live happily if only he develops contentment and is satisfied with what the Providence has provided! Let us understand the value of contentment in our life and be happy and peaceful!

ALL ENCOMPASSING FEAR ( Sukhatah Kriyate Rama Bhogaha)

Human existence is always inextricably interfused and laced with the sense of fear! None can deny this fact! Is there anything in the world that exists without the feeling of fear? The answer is no.The poet is sorry and says, “ bhoge rogabhayam, kule chuyti bhayam, vitte nrupalath bhayam, mane dainya bhayam, bale ripu bhayam, rupe jaraya bhayam, sasthre vada bhayam, gune khala bhayam, kaye Krutantat bhayam, sarvam vasthu bhayanvitam bhuvi nrunam Vairagya meva bhayam!” The fear of roga or disease haunts the man who indulges in enjoyment and luxury! The fear of alienation worries the high caste man. The super rich has to fear the king--the Income Tax Department. A man of dignity is afraid of undignified acts. The strong and sturdy has the fear of his enemy. If you are happy about your good looks and personality, the fear old age and senility threatens you! If you're a great scholar in sasthras, there is the fear of another who can beat you in argument! If you are a man of character, there is the fear of an evil fellow spoiling it! If you beat your breast about your robust body and constitution the fear of death threatens and disappoints you! Everything in the world is enveloped with fear!  It is Vairagya-- non attachment that has no fear!

Adi Sankara, in his Bhaja Govindam pinpoints the futility of material pleasures and enjoyments! Man indulges in these silly pleasures thinking that it is real happiness! Under the delusion that the world, his wife and children and wealth and property are permanent, he attaches himself to them irretrievably! Sankara feels sorry for the state of man who is unable to discriminate what is real, eternal and unreal and transient. He puts it bluntly when he says, “ sukhatah kriyate rama bhogaha”-man is totally lost in the enjoyment of conjugal bliss with woman! He loses his discrimination in indulging in sexual pleasures! He does not think of the far reaching consequence of such over indulgence! For the sake of satisfying his senses he becomes the slave of momentary passion! He goes astray and that seals his fate! What is the result of satisfying his desire?

“ Paschath anta sareere rogaha”-- Sankara puts it crudely and says that this over indulgence is the root cause of many ailments in man! For the sake of a few momentary pleasures he has to suffer from various diseases! Is man not aware of this imminent danger? He knows it but the call of desire is so powerful that he cannot but satisfy it sooner or later! The temptation is too much for him to avoid! When Adam ate the forbidden fruit he did it knowingly that he has lost the paradise! When sages, saints, and great stalwarts had fallen to the wiles and charms of woman is it possible for ordinary mortals to resist the temptation of woman? From the great sage Viswamitra to the accomplished Siva devotee, Ravana, the king of Lanka, men were slaves of this sinister desire for conjugal pleasure!

Nothing is permanent in the world! “ Jatasya maranam dhruvam”! Death is inevitable! None can escape it! Every individual knows it!  Willy nilly one has to submit himself to its  sweep! But man’s nature is so obstinate that he doesn't shun committing sins! Sankara’s compassion for the erring humanity is strikingly brought out in this sloka of Bhajagovindam! Sankara tries to open the eyes of people to the dangers of attachment, of the bonds that tie up man to his wife and children! It is criminal to commit a sin knowing in full it's consequence! Man should not be swayed under the influence of certain desires especially regarding women.  Committing a sin unknowingly is pardonable! Sankara’s intention is to divert the attention of man from woman who is responsible for his sins!! One must really be brave and great to resist the onslaught of desires and passions that mislead him!

Sankara, on the pretext of addressing the foolish old man reciting a sutra of grammar, offers humanity a solution for peace and real happiness. He codifies the essence of the Vedas, the Upanishads, and our scriptures to edify the mind of man! How can he get rid of the fears that are hidden in every thing in life? As long as you are with “mamakara'”--attachment, there is no salvation!  Develop Vairagya--detachment from all mundane things and fear will vanish silently and quickly! But is Vairagya, such a simple thing to acquire? No! It has to be developed slowly and steadily through thoughts on God, meditation, Satsang and chanting the name of God! Why not we listen to the words of our great Guru, Sankara?

SUVARCHALA'S STRANGE CONDITION

“Is there anyone, though immersed in the sea of samsara and leading the life of a grihastha, bereft of the effect of the good and bad, pain and pleasure, joy and sorrow and other twins?” questioned Yudhistira seeking an answer from the grand old man Bhishma! It is really rare to see such a great individual.In the Moksha Dharma Parva of Shanthi Parva Bhisma answers innumerable questions posed by the Pandava warrior and counsels how to rule righteously and establish Peace in the country. In answering the question, he narrates the story of Devarshi  Devala who performed rituals as per the mandates of the Vedas and an embodiment of Dharma. He had a daughter by name Suvarchala. She was of medium height and an ideal personality. She was pretty and good looking. As she approached her marriageable age he was visibly worried to find a suitable match for her. How can he find a Vedic scholar, a celibate, sweet spoken tapasvi as a good match for his darling daughter?

Sensing the intention of her dear father, Suvarchala requested him to give her away to a person who is Blind and at the same time not blind! She told him that he is considered as all knowing. She wanted him to remember her condition for marriage always. Devala was shocked at her words! The condition for her marriage was strange and seemed practically impossible. He wondered if she was mad to lay such a condition. She replied that she was in her senses and directed her father to bring Vedic scholars from whom she could select her match! Devala called all his disciples and instructed them to fan out to find Vedic scholars, people with good antecedents, eligible bachelors, and handsome young men with exceptional good character. A number of sages with such credentials came to the ashram of Devala in the hope that one of them would be fortunate to marry Devala’s daughter Suvarchala. Pointing them to Suvarchala, her father said they were all great Vedic scholars intent on marrying and belong to renowned clans. They are all of spotless character! He directed her to select one among them and marry him.

Pretty Suvarchala offered her respects to the assembled sages and stated the one who is Blind and at the same time not blind shall be her spouse! The words of Suvarchala confused them and all of them left the place thinking that she was senseless! They were angry with Devala for inviting them needlessly! Devala was terribly disappointed at this incident! Suvarchala remained unperturbed and calm! Meanwhile a famous sage, Swetaketu, heard of the disappointment of the other sages that went to marry Suvarchala. He was a great Vedic scholar, a realized soul, specialist in Nyaya Sastra, an eligible bachelor, and full of many other good qualities! He was the son of sage Uddalaka. Desirous of marrying Suvarchala he quickly came to sage Devala. He introduced Swetaketu to Suvarchala, described his qualities and qualifications and asked her to marry him!  Even as she extended an angry look at Swetaketu, he began speaking!

 Truly speaking, he said he is blind! Because he has no doubts, his eyes are broad and so he is

not blind! One who has no eye of self realization is born blind! “I do not possess the eye of ‘ajnana’! In that sense I am a blind man! In worldly procedures I perform karma. But  they don't affect me because of my 'atma jnana’! The world is the effect and the cause is ‘Paramatma’ whom I experience and remain calm and peaceful! In short, I am blind to the materialistic workaday world while I experience the illumination of the Divine!”

Swetaketu explained his position to Suvarchala and said he is the best suited groom for her! He pointed out he has totally satisfied the condition that her  spouse should be blind and at the same time not blind. He asked her to join him in wedlock! Suvarchala’s joy was indescribable!  She  accepted his proposal and as per the practice wanted Swetaketu to approach her father Devala for conducting the wedding! Extremely overwhelmed at the turn of events, Devala invited  Swetaketu’s father Uddalaka and in the presence of many famous sages gave away his daughter Suvarchala in marriage to Swetaketu! As husband and wife they lived happily with wonderful cooperation, adjustment and accommodation! As his better half, Suvarchala participated in all the activities along with her husband and lived happily! Bhishma told Yudhistira that it's not impossible for man to remains a grihasta- and at the same time remain untouched by gross materialism as in the story of Swetaketu!​

THE STORY OF KING JANAKA

Some of the most important doubts of Yudhistira are cleared by Bhishmapitamaha in the Santi Parva of the great epic Mahabharata! On a question about the uniqueness of king Janaka who ruled Videha with Mithila as his capital, Bhishma describes the distinguishing qualities of Janaka. His original name was Janadeva but he was popularly called as Janaka. He was an intellectual and performed his duties with great deliberation. He was universal in his thoughts and extremely spiritual despite being a king of great repute. While performing yagnas or doing charity or homas or even while ruling the country he was in a kind of trance or blissful samadhi. God himself was a little surprised at Janaka and wanted to probe his mind! God disguised himself as a brahmin and did some mistake that would bring him face to face with Janaka. When he was presented before the king, Janaka,instead of punishing the brahmin, exiled him from his country! “Which is the boundary of your country?”, the brahmin asked the king. Janaka understood the implication of the question and remained silent. He told the brahmin that it is open for him to remain in his country or not.

The brahmin complemented king Janaka for fixing his thoughts always on Lord Vishnu and blessed him. But before leaving, he desired to reveal the spiritual accomplishment and the detachment of Janaka to the brahmins there. According to God’s intention, Janaka’s capital Mithila was in flames and people screamed and ran helter skelter to save themselves! Seeing his capital in terrible flames, Janaka remained calm and unruffled! There was no anxiety or any shade of suffering on his face! He said, “ My wealth is eternal! There is nothing for me to desire! Nothing in me is burnt or destroyed as Mithila burns!” Wondering at the equanimity and spirituality of Janaka, God brought back Mithila to its original glory! The flames disappeared instantly! The Lord presented himself before Janaka, blessed and directed him to tread on the righteous path and be truthful always!There is another version of the story in which king Janaka is considered as the disciple of the famous sage Ashtavakra , son of Kahola, himself a great sage. On an occasion while he was teaching he heard a souñd 'hum’! It was the sound of the child in the womb of his wife! The sound indicated that Kohola had committed a mistake! Kahola grew angry and cursed the unborn child to be defective in eight parts of the body! Thus the child became Ashtavakra and became soon a realized soul!

On one occasion Ashtavakra accompanied his father to a spiritual debate conducted by king Janaka. After he heard a few arguments, he courageously condemned them and said none in the gathering knew about the soul, including his father! King Janaka was shocked! He challenged Astavakra to reveal the true nature of the soul. If he failed, Astavakra would lose his life!  The young sage said he would reveal the secret if Janaka obeyed his command to the letter of the word. He wanted Janaka to come to the forest and left the scene. After sometime Janaka went to the forest in search of sage Ashtavakra. The forest grew denser as he travelled with his retinue. Finally he lost the way and the retinue couldn't follow the king. Meanwhile the king found himself in the presence of sage Ashtavakra! Surprised at this sudden development king Janaka was about to get down from the horse when sage Astavakra ordered him to stop! Janaka was on one stirrup and he implicitly obeyed the command of the sage! It isn't known for how long he stayed on the stirrup but at that very moment he realized himself and became an enlightened soul! King Janaka fell at the feet of sage Ashtavakra and sought permission to remain with him.

Ashtavakra did not permit king Janaka to remain with him. Janaka was an enlightened king- a ‘Rajarshi’. He has nothing for himself! He has to serve the society.Thus king Janaka ruled his kingdom selflessly and engaged himself in great introspection after his kingly duties. Ashtavakra liked his disciple and they used to have spiritual discussions between themselves. The intimate relationship between the master and the disciple kindled the jealousy of the other chelas. Sage Ashtavakra knew this and wanted to teach them a lesson. On an occasion when he and king Janaka were engaged in an absorbing discussion, he created a conflagration in which the entire city of Mithila was burning! A soldier came running and reported the matter! But king Janaka remained unmoved! He said that he had not lost any thing! He is not enamored of these worldly attachments! The other disciples were astonished at the detachment of king Janaka and his equanimity!

Sage Ashtavakra desired to prove the materialistic attachment of his other disciples! On an occasion, while in a session of discussion he caused a person to announce that monkeys had invaded the ashram and taken away the clothes of the monks! The moment they heard the news, they ran to salvage their loincloths! But there were no monkeys at all and their clothes were safe. They knew then that it was the trick played by their guru Astavakra!  The sage admonished them for their silly attachments and leaving the session of discussion to save their unworthy loin clothes! On the other hand, king Janaka remained unperturbed even while Mithila was burning! Spirituality and detachment should be real, not just outwardly! It should be in the heart of the individual, not a mere show! The monks realized the elevated level of king Janaka and his equanimity and blushed at their own nature!

PANCHA PRANAS-(yavat pavano nivasati dehe)

Our body is a combination of the five elements namely earth, water, fire,air, and akasa or space! It is a wonderful combination so dexterously arranged that none can imitate it!  The most important  life giving component is what is called Prana or breath! Without Prana the body has no importance; it becomes lifeless and is called 'sava- a dead body or corpse! But with Prana it becomes 'siva’ the seat of God! This Prana is also called the spirit or the soul or 'atma’ that resides in the body of every living object in the universe. Various activities of the body, those of the sensory organs, the eyes, the ears, the limbs,the nose and the tongue come to a standstill if  Prana does not activate them! It is this Prana which is called Vayu in the Upanishad. “ Namo brahmane namaste Vayo twameva pratyaksham brahmasi” Obeisance to  O  Vayu! You are the very form of the Brahman or the Absolute! But for the movement of Vayu in our body we will not have our existence at all!

Adi Sankara in his Bhajagovindastotra establishes the vital necessity of  Vayu which is also called 'Pavana'. “Yaavat pavano nivasati dehe tavat prucchati kusalam gehe”- As long as man is alive, that is with Prana, every person at home enquires of his well-being. They interact with him, like him, love him, and carry on the usual family regimen! They are happy with friends, relatives, and children. “Gatavati vayau dehapaye bharya bibhyati tasmin Kaye"-- when this  Pranavayu exits the body  even the person’s own wife is afraid of the body without life! It is because it has lost the activating factor, the life giving Prana and become a 'sava’! What exactly is this 'Pavana' or Prana?’ All of us have heard of the term “Pancha Pranas”. What are these five Pranas in our body? How do they manipulate the systems in our body?

The five Pranas that take charge of our body are Prana, Apana, Samana Dana, and Udana! These branch out into the most important  parts of our body and carry out their functions. Prana is centered in the heart and looks after the functions of the heart, the pumping and circulation of blood to every nook and corner of the body. Apana Vayu is responsible for the excretory system of the body and centered at the anal point. It manages the renal system of the body. Samana Vayu is stationed at the navel and is responsible for all abdominal functions. Udana Vayu  remains at the neck portion of our body. It is with the help of this that we are able to eat, drink and talk. Vyana Vayu radiates all over the body supervising the duties of the other  Vayus. Thus all the vital functions of our body are carried out through the movement of these Vayus regularly. If there is any malfunction of any of these Vayus, it is an indication of some disease! The moment Prana leaves the body, it is dead and unfit to be kept at home. Preparations for the burial or cremation shall take place. Relations Keep a distance from the body and the wife of the person too will be afraid to be too near the body!

Sri Ramakrishna has an interesting parable of the love of a wife for her husband. A hatha yoga disciple of a guru said that his wife loved him so dearly that he could not renounce the world! The guru wanted to prove the hollowness of his belief! He taught his chela some secrets of hatha yoga by which he could remain taut and look lifeless. As he remained like that there was wailing and sorrow at home as they thought the man was dead! The wife cried inconsolably and others too wept bitterly. The body had to be removed and it was difficult to take it out through the narrow doorway. They wanted to cut the door and widen it to remove the body!  Knowing this the wife stopped them! She said that she was now widowed and had to look after her children and cannot afford to repair the house if the door is broken! Instead she suggested that the arms and legs of her husband’s dead body be cut to remove the body!!

The effect of hatha yoga receding, the disciple woke up as if from sleep and was aghast at the  suggestion she made! Was this the love she had for him? She was prepared to cut the limbs of his body in preference to dismantling the doorway! How cruel she was! He was utterly disillusioned and realized that people show love and affection to even their nearest kith and kin as long as  there is life in the body! The connections are cut off as soon as death takes place! The disciple saw the truth in the words of his mentor and took to sanyasa immediately! Sankara  thus illustrates the worldly trend of the common people. Understanding these truths, man should think of God and worship Govinda without wasting time on worthless pursuits!

ANANDAM--OLDAGE HOME FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

“Anando Brahmeti vyajanath” declares the Upanishad! There is nothing like Ananda or bliss for mankind. It is to achieve this bliss that mankind is struggling. Brughu, son of Varuna approaches his father to know the nature of Brahman. Advised by Varuna to perform tapas, he considers Annam as Brahman first. Not satisfied, he thinks Prana is Brahman.Then he thinks Manas is Brahman. Still dissatisfied he considers Vijnana as Brahman. Finally after careful deliberation he concludes that Ananda or bliss is itself the Brahman! The four sheaths that are embedded in us finally lead to the inevitable goal Ananda! It is through food or Annam that man lives. Prana or breath is dependant on Annam. After many changes in the body energy is released and there is satisfaction or Ananda for the individual! Therefore​ our ancestors said, 'anna data sukhi bhava” Man’s desires are countless and he is never satisfied! But he has a limited stomach and once it is filled he is totally satisfied and doesn't want more. So to feed the needy and the destitutes is one of the greatest services to mankind!

Ananda--a free home for senior citizens is a pioneer in this field! The Trust, established in 1995, with the motto ‘ Service to Man is service to God’ started it's activities in 2003 and with the help of large hearted benefactors has now 101 ’elders who have no living children and no source of income’.We have many old age homes that charge a fee for receiving old age senior citizens but Ananda is outstanding as all service is free of cost! The inmates are extremely fortunate in finding a home like this! Anandam authorities consider them as their own parents and cater to all their needs till their last breath! Organ donations are made when they pass away and their cremations are taken care of! It is very difficult to find an old age home like this in India. The dedication with which they serve the inmates is enviable and worth emulation by other homes! Music, yoga, meditation, and bhajan sessions are regular at  Anandam and attend to the physical,mental, and spiritual needs of the hundred and one senior citizens at the home. The  Medical care center attached to the home looks after entire health and wellness of the inmates! It is a wonder that from its humble beginnings, Anandam has taken big strides and has its own premises in a 24000 sqft building with all facilities in ‘15 grounds of land’. The facilities include steam cooking, solar powered heaters, solar lights and fans, kitchen garden, STP treated water used for flushing and gardening. Situated in Kallikuppam, near Ambattur, Chennai, surrounded by about 20 villages nearby, Anandam is the cynosure of all eyes! Tuition classes started with 5 neighborhood deserving children have now fructified into 'a full fledged educational assistance project’!  The students were provided snacks  and drinks since they  come directly from school. ‘ ‘  happy stomach leads to a happy mind' The reward is not wanting. They have scored brilliantly! I was stunned at the facilities provided for the senior citizens in Anandam. Spacious well ventilated rooms, cots and mattresses, separate room with air conditioning for puja and entertainment and a big dining hall with chairs and tables are things to dream about for an old age home! Not satisfied with these rare facilities for the aged senior citizen,it wants to soar high and wants to embark on future projects like Hospice--palliative cure for needy terminally ill patients! It wants to open a full fledged Diagnostic centre at affordable rates for the low income group of society. We know how people are fleeced for these tests by private centres! There is a proposal to start a Blood Bank facility in Thiruvallur district!

The live wire and the key player of Anandam is Mrs Bhagirathi Ramamurthy who has sacrificed  her entire life for the well being of the senior citizens without children and home! Even at her advanced age she is agile and active like a youth and manages the entire working of the old age home! It is really a “ Bhagiratha prayatna” like the legendary Ikshvaku king Bhagiratha who brought the river Ganga from heaven to earth! Well employed in a bank, she was stung at the thought of the aged and elderly suffering to get their pensions. That was the germinal idea, which by her tremendous effort and tenacity of purpose, has taken root, grown, branched out, flowered and has taken shape as Anandam! She has taken a great risk, not out of selfishness but for the sake of suffering thousands who have none to look after and fall back upon. It is this courage that Providence likes and HE has provided her worthy, dedicated, sincere and honest lieutenants to assist her! Donations poured forth and slowly and steadily Anandam took shape to the delight, wonder and satisfaction of all! “ Dhairye sahase  Lakshmi” ---Lakshmi or money comes to those who take a risk and are adventurous! When the risk is for a selfless cause it succeeds. According to the Bible ‘he loses himself who finds himself; he finds himself who loses himself.’

Compassion and large heartedness illustrated in the life of Mrs Bhagirathi Ramamoorthy is a rare virtue that is not given to all! “Bhagawan manusha rupena” we say. God does not come down personally to help others. It is only through a select few that he carries out his purpose!  Mrs Bhagirathi Ramamoorthy is one of the selected few! Her humility is striking! Despite being the spirit behind this great achievement she never assigns the credit to herself but says it is all due to Divine Grace! Like the deep waters of the sea, her love and compassion for the aged senior citizens is fathomless! There is a pleasure, indescribable, in giving rather than taking! When the asura guru Sukracharya prevented Emperor Bali from granting three feet of land to the young Vamana, he refused to obey his mentor! Emperor Bali said that he is fortunate that Lord Vishnu has come to beg from him! His hand, as the giver, is above that of the Lord who is the receiver! What more fortune can he have to equal this splendid opportunity? Thus the giver is more blessed than the receiver! The giver, thus, becomes immortal by his act The Vedas proclaim,” na karmana na prajaya na dhanena thyage naikena amrutatwa manasuhu”-- it is not through your deeds, or progeny, or wealth and riches but by sacrifice alone one can become immortal! It is no exaggeration to say that Mrs Bhagirathi Ramamoorthy is eminently qualified for remembrance for ever by her sacrifice for a noble cause!!

SANKARA'S PRESCRIPTION (Geyam Gita Nama Sahasram)

“Kalau kalmasha chittanam papa dravyopajivinam vidhikriya Vihinanam gatir Govind Keertanam”. During the Kaliyuga, for people with impure mind, and who live with ill-gotten wealth and who have no respect for Vedic and scriptural mandates, the only way out is to repeat the name and sing the glory of Govinda! The golden ages are gone when Dharma was Paramount in society! People were honest, sincere, selfless, kind and compassionate then. But today dishonesty,insincerity, selfishness and cruelty rule the minds of people! Materialism and a mad rush and run for money is prominent.The thought of God and spirituality has receded to the background! Caught in the shoreless sea of samsara, man is struggling to find happiness in the illusive world! He doesn't realize what is good for him or bad! He is led away by his desires that can never be satiated. How is it possible for man to realize and save himself from this interminable cycle of birth and death? Is he to be tormented for ever like this? No,  says the philosopher Sankara in his Bhaja Govinda Stotra! What is it that man can do to not stray away from the path of Dharma or righteousness? Sankara , diagnosing the maladies of Kaliyuga prescribes a five fold treatment for the mind!

“Geyam Gita Nama sahasram” Read the Bhagavad-Gita and chant Vishnu sahasranamam counsels Sankara.The Gita is considered as universal scripture! What is its speciality? “Sarvopanishado gavo dogdha Gopala nandanaha Partho vatsah sudhir bhokta dugdham Gitamrutam mahat”! All the Upanishads are the Cow, the milkman is Lord Krishna himself! Arjuna is the calf. The good and the wise are the partakers of the milk which is the Divine nectar or amrita! It is the Divine discourse given to Arjuna, the  Pandava warrior on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Lord Krishna himself clarifies all the doubts of Arjuna vacillating between war and sanyasa. His attachment to his kith and kin are wiped out by Krishna. Krishna tells Arjuna that he is just an instrument in the hands of God! The soul can never die! It is indestructible. Action is the right of man, not expectation of any reward. Karma is a must and it leads to Bhakthi or devotion which again directs you to Jnana or Knowledge of the Brahman! Total surrender to the will of God is the ideal by which man can be saved. The study of the Gita thus can open the eyes of man and inspire him to go spiritual! Vishnu Sahasra Nama is said to cut off all bonds of birth and  Samsara! “ Janma Samsara bandhanath” It is a part  of the famous epic Mahabharata composed by sage Vyasa. Chanting the thousand names of the Lord is sure to absolve man of all his sins and lead him to salvation!

“ Always fix in your heart the form of Lord Vishnu and meditate on it” advises Sankara to the man in Kaliyuga! That worship will protect him from all the turbulent waves of the sea of Samsara! It is not easy to think of God all of a sudden and be free from the onslaught of desires and other worries! By meditating on God always one develops detachment slowly but surely! The next prescription  of Sankara is “ neyam sajjana sange chittam”  to keep company with the good and the wise! Associations are very important in life. Fire that cannot be touched, in association with Iron, receives terrible blows of the hammer! On the other hand ordinary thread, in association with flowers, adorns ladies’ heads! Even a bad man can become good by constant company with wise men, sages and saints who are always in the thought of  God!.

“Deyam Dina janayacha vittam” Make charity the ideal of your life, tells Sakara. Be large hearted and give money to the poor and downtrodden! Don't be selfish and greedy. Money has four ‘dayadis’ The first, Dharma is the major partner. If not utilized for Dharma, it can be consumed in fire, or taken over by the king or robbed by thieves! There is an indescribable  pleasure in giving away to others! We see God in the smile and happiness of the less fortunate. Our life is like a flash of lightning, sudden darkness after illumination! It is very short lived. By taking these prescriptions, Sankara says, man can save himself from the effects of KaliYuga and head towards God without any doubt!

Though Sankara has suggested the remedies for the ailments, it is doubtful how many in the present generation have read the Gita or at least heard its name! Even the thousand names of  Lord Vishnu many do not know and what of chanting them regularly! The company they keep is not ideal for spiritual elevation! They are worshippers of money and not charitable! Hence following Sankara’s suggestions gathers special significance in the present context!

ON EDUCATION

ON EDUCATION

Education is absolutely essential for the existence of man on earth for without it he cannot gain knowledge. “Vidya vihinah pasuhu” says Bharthruhari! One without education is equal to a beast! We generally consider education as attending a school, college, or some other institute, study the subjects of our choice and get a degree or diploma to earn a decent salary! That is just to eke out our daily life with the help of knowledge acquired! “What is education? Is it book learning? No. Is it diverse knowledge? Not even that.The training by which the current and expression of will are brought under control and become fruitful is called education.” remarks  Swami Vivekananda. Mere bookish learning cannot be called education till you are the master of your will! According to WB Yeats ”Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” It should fill the individual with the fire of inspiration.

What is the use of learning in schools and colleges? “Learning gives creativity, creativity leads to thinking, thinking provides knowledge, knowledge makes you great” says our past President Abdul Kalam. It should be the attempt of schools and other institutions to train students to think high and involve them in creativity. Mere memorizing and getting high marks will not help.”Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever” remarks Mahatma Gandhi. There are innumerable things to educate you in life. In short you should be a student all through your life. You can learn,‘books in the running brooks, and sermons on stones’. As Wordsworth says,” One impulse from vernal wood May teach you more of man Of moral, evil, and of good than all the sages can” He further says, “ Let Nature be your teacher”.

What is the use of education? Chanakya says “Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth” Bhartruhari echoes the same idea. “ Vidya bhogakari yasas subhakari Vidya gurunam guru”-- education brings  enjoyment and luxuries, renown,and everything good; it is the guru of gurus. In what way can education be of service to mankind? “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.says Nelson Mandela. Lack of education made nations servile to other nations! The Industrial Revolution and innumerable discoveries that followed changed the face of the world and made life comfortable and worth living. The terrific advancement of science and technology has placed man on the moon and it may not be very long for man to reside on Mars!! In the words of Albert Einstein “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” In short actual education starts after he comes out of school and college or university!

What is the goal of education? “Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education” says Martin Luther King! Character is Destiny. Without character whatever accomplishments  you may have shall come to nothing! The end of education is character. Have we not seen examples of very great personalities brought down through lack of character? Education should make man humble. If it brings arrogance in its wake man ruins himself. History has many such illustrations. The danger with education is that man becomes obsessed with his knowledge and may harm society! It is character that should control him! The fruit of education and knowledge is to be seen in the peace, prosperity and well being of all nations, not in the destruction and disintegration of humanity! Knowledge should be used for peaceful purposes only. But unfortunately man has no control over himself and his senses and his education and knowledge may be the cause of destruction finally!

“Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man” said SwamiVivekananda! But it  is very rare to see that perfection in educated individuals! Modern education has lost its values and ethics! It is purely employment oriented and money minded! Cultural values have gone with the wind and gross materialism has occupied their place. Religion is forgotten! Virtues and values of life are secondary! Spirituality is significant by its total absence! “Educating the mind without educating the heart of no education at all”! Sri Satya Sai Baba asserts,”Virtue is the life breath, character is the backbone”. When there is illumination or real knowledge there cannot be darkness or ignorance! “ The secret of life is not enjoymoment but education through experience” ( Swami Vivekananda)

WHO AM I (Bhajagovindam)

Continuing his counsel to the man involved in the useless repetition of a grammar rule, Sankara brings out the essential Vedantic truths. He has already pointes out that man is entangled in the  cycle of birth and death. He is born again and again and experiences death too repeatedly! Whenever there is birth there is inevitable death! From the womb of the mother he finally lands into the lap of mother earth! In every birth he has various associations​ and relationships. He has father,mother, brother, sister,uncle, aunt and various other friends and other acquaintances. Counting the endless births of the individual and remembering the countless connections he has during the time of his present birth is practically impossible! The strong point of Hinduism is its principle of ‘ punarjanma’-rebirth! That is how the  question of unmerited suffering is answered by our Sanatana Dharma! We have no unmerited suffering! All suffering or enjoyment is specifically merited by the individual as a result of his past Karma in his innumerable previous births!

Does anyone remember how many births he had earlier?  Is it possible for him to remember his fathers, mothers , sisters, brothers, uncle's, aunts, friends and various acquaintances he had in his countless janmas? It is practically not possible! The accumulated karma, in the previous janmas, has to be experienced in full through suffering and enjoyment. Thus in every birth man  reduces an infinitesimally small portion of his huge accumulated karma, dies, and is reborn again to experience and reduce his Karma! This is a cycle since he adds on to his past karma all the actions of his present birth whose effect he has to experience again and again! According to our Scriptures after a series of endless births, by reducing almost all Karma by suffering and enjoyment, man qualifies himself for salvation or mukti or emancipation!

Thus Sankara poses the questions: “who are you and who am I? From where do I come? Who is my mother? Who is my father?” Sankara wants everyone to ponder over these questions. These things and relationships are essenceless! The Whole world is an idle dream! It Is an illusion showing up the unreal as the real! “ Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya”. In our dreams there is a sense of reality and we believe in them as long as we sleep! But the moment we wake up,  we are relieved that it is, after all, a dream!

How many wives you had? “Who is your wife? Who is your son? Of whom are you? From where have you come? This Samsara is very strange! Sankara asks the brother to ponder over these truths! Sankara himself had a bitter experience of Samsara when he transmigrated into the body of the dead king to have a knowledge of its intricacies! In his “Karavalamba Stotra” he calls it sagara- ocean, kupa,- a deep well, jala,- a dragnet, sarpa- a poisonous serpent, vruksha-  dense tree with innumerable branches, a fierce raging fire, a mad group of elephants run amuck etc! Family life or samsara is described as a shoreless sea and fathomless!

Caught in the web of birth and death, man undergoes the ups and downs of life! He enjoys and suffers not knowing  that the world and all his trivial pleasures are transitory and meaningless! He is puffed up with pride and ego and pulled down by unsatiated desires! The more and more he attaches himself to his family and material things the more he throws himself into the abyss! He should realize that it is all an illusion and steer clear of them as early as possible! Illusion or Maya is avidya or ignorance! Illumination or light is knowledge or Jnana! It is a realization that  the world is a dream and our existence is dream-like! Sankara, being a philosopher, warns man to understand these truths and conduct himself wisely and not waste his limited days on earth!!

ON NAYAKAS ​AND NAYIKAS

The word “Sringara” refers to the decorations and the adornments the “Nayikas'” or the heroines indulge in to attract their heroes or “Nayakas”! It also brings to our mind one of the nine famous, ‘rasas’. In erotic ambience, Sringara is of two types namely 'sambhoga’ and 'vipralambha’. While the former is the intercourse between man and woman, the latter refers to the state of separation between the lady and the lover. Vipralambha has four branches depicting the different and changing moods of the Nayika towards her lover or Nayaka.The first is Desire, the passion engendered before the intercourse. Next comes Jealousy, the disturbance created when the Nayaka is interested in the other woman. The third is Viraha, the pangs of separation from the lover or nayaka for some reason. The fourth is Pravasa, the suffering caused by the presence of the lover in a foreign country.

Description of the different Nayakas and Nayikas is very interesting in Sringara Sastra. It describes four types of lovers based on their temperaments! Anukula is the lover deeply in love with one woman. Dakshina is the Nayaka who loves many women equally. The lover who reveals his mistake fearlessly to his lady is called Dhrushta. The last, Saka  is the one who reveals his secret only to his lady love.

While there are only four types of Nayakas or lovers, the ladies or Nayikas are eight in number! The first is Swadhinapathika. The second is Vasaka sajjika. Virahothkantitha is the third type of heroine. The fourth is Vipralabdha. The fifth is  Khanditha. The sixth is Kalahantarita. Proshita is the seventh type of Nayika. The last and the final type is Abhisarika.

It is interesting to note the characteristics of the individual Nayikas and their attitudes towards their lovers or Nayakas. Swadhinapathika is always indulged in and favoured by her lover! Vasakasajjika is always lost in her makeup and adornments in anticipation of her lover!  The third Virahothkantitha is afflicted by the late arrival of her Nayaka! More miserable is the state of Vipralabdha who endlessly waits at the rendezvous but is disappointed at the non arrival of her Nayaka! The irate and jealous lady Khanditha is the one who takes to task her lover for spending a night with another woman! The next, Kalahantarita is very severe and harsh with her lover first but feels sorry and relents later! Proshita bharthruka is the lady who suffers a lot as her Nayaka is in a foreign country! The last heroine is Abhisarika, who unable to suppress her amorous feelings, approaches her lover in disguise!

Vatsayana describes a few more types of Nayikas namely Padmini, Hastini and Chittini and their special qualities in his work. Besides women are differentiated as Mugdha, Madhya, and prouda according to their personality and age!

NARI STHANABHARA NABHI DESAM( Bhajagovindam)

“Beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes clean to the Bone" says Dorothy Parker! According to Confucius everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it! “ No matter how plain a woman may be, if truth and honesty are written across her face she will be beautiful” says Eleanor Roosevelt! Another writer remarks that beauty is not in the face, it is a light in the heart! Different individuals have defined beauty in different terms.  To John Keats, the famous Romantic poet,“ Beauty is truth, truth beauty-that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” Then what is beauty exactly? Can it be physical beauty or the beauty of the mind? Surely, beauty that is evanescent cannot be called by that name. It should be eternal, everlasting and not fading through​ the ravages of time, climate and temperature! Classical art is beautiful though it has seen many

generations! Beauty of the body, the fairness of the skin, the contours and other aspects cannot constitute beauty because they disappear, and disintegrate as age advances! After all, behind the outward beauty of  the body lies the ugly skeleton that we despise to look at!

Modern society is obsessed with the superficial, transient, outward beauty of the body! Since countless generations and civilizations man has been the slave of physical beauty! Stories galore are available in our Puranas, of sages, saints, great warriors and outstanding personalities, falling a prey to the bewitching beauty of damsels! As such present generation cannot be otherwise! It is to warn humanity of its folly that Adi Sankara expresses his anguish at the way mankind is staying away from the right path!

“ Why are you distracted by lust when you notice the region of the navel and the cleavages on the chest of the woman?” questions the king of philosophers, Sankara! He is compelled to question thus as he pities mankind that has become addicted  to sex! “Nari sthana bhara nabhi desam  drustwa maga mohavesam”! Don't be excited with passion at the sight of the woman’s navel and the place above. Though a celibate and a renowned intellectual and philosopher, he comes down to the level of the common man and crudely describes the attitude of modern man!

“ Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold” said Shakespeare long long ago and it is an established truth even today!  Man is enticed by the the fair skin and personality of the woman! He forgets that it is but the covering for various organs and muscles underneath the skin! “ Ethan mamsa vasadi vikaram” warns Sankara. Under the skin that you like, is present just flesh, marrow of the bone, muscles and nerves and a host of other arrangements in a maze! If one really thinks about that, he will never approach the woman!! Sankara calls it ‘vikara’--ugly. But what is ugly to one is beautiful to the other! That is the way of the world! Our body is a wonderful creation of God! Head and all organs, blood vessels, heart, nerves, and muscles have been dexterously arranged for maximum benefit and wrapped over by the skin so that none can see the complication and confusion inside! This act of God makes us think that we are good looking and beautiful!

Don't  fall in love foolishly! Counsels Sankara! It is very easy to be led away by the beauty of woman! Discriminate through your intellect. Woman is the root cause for bringing down man! She is the bedrock of Samsara, family life and all attachments that encircle you.  You will be engulfed in the shoreless sea of samsara! “ manasi vichintaya varamvaram” Deliberate again and again in your mind--and come to a conclusion early so that you may not lose your liberty counsels Sankara! Once Man is caught in the web of  samsara it is almost impossible to come out of it!

Advising the old man to not waste his time in learning grammar rules in the evening of his life, sankara recommends the worship of Govinda! At the same time he warns mankind of many pitfalls on his way. It is not easy to think of God all of a sudden. Even sanyasis are unable to concentrate on Him! Time flies and rob's silently the age of man!

Birth and death is a never ending cycle! Children, adults, and the old are all interested in their own small pleasures and none is interested in thinking about God! When man realizes God the fetters of Samsara are broken for ever! Hence, Sankara wants the youth to be wary of the wiles of woman and the charm of her physical beauty that is impermanent!