FAITH AND RESIGNATION

Today there is an explosion of scientific advancement in technology and innovation! People have no faith in religion and go even to the extent of denying God! Man thinks that he has conquered everything on earth but the pity is he has failed to control himself! The basic propensities like anger, pride, desire, greed and others have enslaved him! He has become too materialistic to think of salvation! What is it that comes in the way of his liberation? It is his ego that pulls him down. Man thinks that he is the doer and responsible for all actions! But he is just an instrument in the hands of God! “ Nimitta matram bhava Savya Sachin" as the Lord says in the Bhagavad-Gita. Absolute faith and resignation to His will shall surely save man from all his trials and tribulations! Miracles do happen when you resign yourself to His will! In the lives of  the Azhwars and Nayanmars of the south, there is not a single life without a miracle or two.Their lives were, to say the truth, total surrender to the will of God! Their devotion was extraordinary,  pure, unalloyed  love for God! Due to scientific temper and lack of sustainable proof, many do not believe in miracles and make fun of those yogis and Siddha Purusha who perform miracles. Science and rationalism ends where religion and faith begins.

There was a brahmin priest on the other side of the river. A milkmaid used to supply milk regularly. She had to cross the river by boat everyday and due to irregularity of boat service she could not supply milk punctually. When rebuked for her irregularity she poured out her distress in crossing the river! She starts early in the morning but has to wait for the boat for a very long time! The boatman and other passengers take a long time to gather! She had no other alternative but to wait for them to cross the river!The priest was touched at the word of his milk maid! Should he not do something to alleviate her distress in reaching him punctually? He wasn't an ordinary priest. He was spiritual and meditated on God always. He told her that many mortals are crossing the sea of life by chanting the name of the Lord! It will not be difficult for her to cross the river by repeating the name of the Lord! The milk maid was very happy that there is a simple way of crossing the river known to the priest.

From the next day  onwards the milkmaid was very punctual in supplying her milk! The priest noticed it soon and wondered how the milk maid, habitually late in supplying milk, is very regular and punctua.l one day he asked the milk maid the secret behind her punctuality! She was surprised because it was the priest who  told her how to cross the river. He had asked her to chant the name of the Lord and cross the river without waiting for the boatman and the passengers. From that day onwards she repeated the sacred name of the Lord and very smoothly reached the other side of the river! So it was easy for her to arrive in time and supply milk to the priest! The brahmin couldn't believe in her words! Is she lying? How is it possible to cross the swollen river by repeating the name of the Lord? He wanted to test her personally!

“ Can you show me how you cross the river?”, said the priest. Nonchalantly the woman took the priest with her and right royally began walking across the river! She was literally walking over the water and thought that the priest too would be following her. But to her utter dismay she found the priest in sheer trouble. The priest was unable to wade through water and at every step he was raising his dress not to touch water! But he was all the while chanting the name of the Lord. The milk maid questioned the priest as to why he was uttering the name of the Lord and at the same time trying to keep his cloth untouched by water! The priest had no answer to her question! He knew the distinct difference between him and the milk maid!

Is this not a miracle that the milk maid was able to walk on water and cross the river? She was given the mantra by the priest himself. She had implicit faith in him and his words! Completely resigning herself to the will of God, she followed the instruction to chant the name of God while crossing the river. It is her faith in the words of her Guru, the priest, that enabled her to cross the river by chanting the name of the Lord! The priest ,However, did not have the same faith in the name of God as the milk maid had. Hence he could not walk over water and cross the river as the milk maid did. We find in society many Gurus who prescribe remedies to their disciples. With faith and implicit obedience the disciple's follow the instructions and get the desired results!  It may appear incredible for others but it is a reality for the bhakta or devotee! Total resignation and unshakable absolute faith in God are at the root of all miraculous deeds!!

BEG FROM GOD, NOT MAN

The universe is the creation of God and we are all His children. God has provided everything for the survival and progress of his dear children! He has blessed us with the sky, earth, water, air and fire so that we can make use of them for our sustenance! The magnificent mountains, the clear blue sky, the gurgling streams, flowing rivers, green and dense forests, the inexhaustible fauna and flora and the varieties of wild animals that throng the forest are intended for the pleasure and well being of His creation! In spite of these blessings showered on man, he has countless desires and feels disappointed when they are not fulfilled! He prays for silly material pleasures forgetting the very purpose for which God has created him viz to realize himself! In fact he has misused and abused all the natural resources granted by God but is not satisfied! Can there be any other entity that can bless man better than God Himself? There is no point in approaching mortal man for many things that one requires! He who has planted the forests, watered and maintained them and filled the rivers and formed the magnificent mountains shall surely grant whatever we desire!

Believe in God not in man for God shall never dump you as mischievous man! When Man himself is in perennial want, what is it that he can do for others? He has provided for everything that His creatures require. “ He that doth the ravens feed be comfort to my age” says old Adam In Shakespeare's As You like It! A fakir lived in a forest near Delhi. It was the reign of Akbar the Great ! The holy man was popular and many used to visit his cottage. His cottage was small and he had no furniture  to make them sit nor did he have the wherewithal to extend his hospitality to his visitors! Hearing that  Akbar was kind and compassionate to holy men, he decide to visit  and request him for help. He prepared himself to meet the king and went to the palace. He was ushered into the prayer room where the Emperor was offering his prayers. Emperor Akbar was heard saying, “ O Lord, do thou grant me more wealth, more power, more territories!” The Fakir was astounded to hear the king pray like that. He rose immediately from his seat and was about to go when the Emperor signalled and asked him to be seated!

The Emperor asked the Fakir why he rose to depart having come to see him. The Fakir said that he did not want  to trouble His Majesty with the object of his visit. The Emperor wasn't satisfied with the answer. He thought that the Fakir was hiding or unwilling to  speak openly. The Emperor pressed the Fakir repeatedly to say what he wanted. At length the Fakir said that he was in need of money to see to the comfort of many who come to him for study! He came to the Emperor for help. Akbar was left wondering!  He asked the Fakir why he wanted to go away without telling him the object of his visit to the Emperor.

The Fakir replied, “ When I saw that you were yourself a beggar, begging of the Lord for fortune and power and territory, I said to myself, ‘ Why should I go abegging to a person who is himself a beggar? I had better beg of the Lord Himself, if indeed it is not possible for me to do without begging altogether’ The Emperor was shocked and surprised at the attitude and answer of the Fakir! He was  ashamed of his own conduct and prayer to God! He was the Emperor of the whole of India and yet he wanted more wealth, power and territory! He was consumed by greed and a never ending desire! The Fakir probably felt that what can a beggar give another beggar!

So praying for grants and awards from ordinary mortals, however great they may be, should be avoided! It depends on their mood and whims and fancies!They may give but can suddenly withdraw what they have given! Man’s mind is subject to vacillation! But when we pray to God sincerely, he grants our request which will be permanent! The incident of the fakir taught Emperor Akbar a very good and valuable lesson!

REAL VAIRAGYA

Thyaga and Vairagya are two terms very often used in spirituality. Thyaga means sacrifice. one has to give up things that he loves most! It includes self sacrifice and sacrificing for the sake of the nation! It is a very rare quality that we do not find in ordinary mortals. The Vedas and the Upanishads speak very highly of sacrifice. How can one become an immortal? asks the Upanishad. Is it through your deeds or people or by your money? Not at all. “ Thyage naikena amrutatwa manasuhu”-- It is through sacrifice alone that man attains immortality. We remember the illustrious Patriots of our country who had laid down their lives for the sake of liberating the country from the shackles of British Imperialism! In the same way we cannot forget those that have died for the betterment of society and making it more comfortable for living. Vairagya , on the other hand is more difficult than thyaga or sacrifice. It means total detachment from all mundane affairs and activities! With the inescapable bond of Samsara, its relationships vicissitudes, desires, and disappointments it is practically impossible for ordinary man to develop detachment! His attachment to life increases day by day until he is lost irretrievably!

Detachment should come naturally. One should be born detached! it is rather difficult to cultivate detachment as life will not allow it! Child devotees Dhruva and Prahlada are classical examples of ideal detachment! Detachment from worldly affairs leads to attachment to Divinity! Cutting off all connections from family and other things is called “sarvasanga parithyaga”-- total severance  from all connections! One cannot be half baked in thyaga and Vairagya! Having taken to the path of thyaga and Vairagya he cannot and should not return to normal family life. A tyagi and a Viragi is expected to look at all objects dispassionately! They should consider the most valuable things on earth as worthless and be not enchanted or ensnared by them! It is believed that the famous Seshadri Swamigal of Tiruvannamalai used to apply dirty mud onto his body and drink gutter water! He considered everything equal! For such great siddhas, who are exceptional, such consideration is possible! But to all of us it looks strange and incredible!

Renunciation entails both thyaga and vairagya. It is not a show to impress others. A husband and wife renounced the world and went on a pilgrimage to all the holy shrines.  They visited the important shrines in the South as well as in the north.They paid respects to the presiding deity Kamakshi, of Kanchipuram, went to Madurai and had darshan of Devi Meenakshi. Later they worshipped Sri Ramanatha Swamy at Rameswaram and came to the north! They continued visiting Varanasi and various other shrines and were filled with spiritual thoughts during their entire travel. Once while walking along the road, the husband, a little ahead of his wife, noticed a glittering object on the road. He was curious to know what it was! Slowly bending down and examining it, he found that it was a piece of diamond!

He was surprised to see a diamond on the road but suddenly scooped some ground to hide it from the view of his wife! He thought that his wife would be  attracted to the diamond if she were to see it! She may be greedy and want to have it for herself! Women are always fascinated by diamonds and other jewelry he thought. What will happen to their goal of renunciation if she were to see the diamond herself? These thoughts hovered over his mind even as he scratched the ground to hide the diamond! His wife, slowly walking behind, noticed her husband doing something and approached him. She wanted to know what was happening.

Reaching him, she wondered why he was bending down and scratching the ground and trying  to hide something! She asked her husband what he was doing.  He was apologetic and evasive in his answer! She wasn't satisfied with his reply. She scratched the ground and found the diamond that he was trying to conceal. She knew what her husband had thought about her! He had mistaken that she would be fascinated  and tempted at the sight of the diamond! How foolishly he had mistaken her she thought! She indicated to him how detached she was and renounced everything before they started their pilgrimage together. The question she posed to her husband was, “ Why did you leave the world, if you still feel the distinction between diamond and dust?” in short,  a person of real non attachment  has to see gold, diamond and other valuable articles as worthless as dust! For an ordinary man the temptation is too much! It is the sovereign quality of a tyagi and and Viragi to treat valuable articles no better than dust!! Many instances are found in the life of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa when his supporters tried to give him money without his knowledge! He rejected their offers and proved to his disciples and supporters that he was a real, ideal tyagi and viragi!

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MONKEY MIND

Mind is a monkey many people say! It is highly unstable! It travels faster than time itself! There is nothing that can stop its journey all over the universe. People remain in their own place but the the mind will be travelling in a different place and thinking about something else! The only way to control the mind is to practice yoga. Yoga is defined as that which arrests the instability of manas! “ Yogah chitta vrutti nirodhaha”. We find examples of people visiting temples with new brand slippers. They are bodily present before the deity but their mind is centered on the slippers in the fear that someone may steal them! Human mind is fond of trifles and cannot concentrate on the Divine properly. Too many thoughts crisscross over the mind when a person starts meditation and he is unable to concentrate! Our mind is a bundle of desires and emotions that alternate again and again!

I have an interesting incident of how the mind works in certain situations. It was a classroom in a school and the teacher was seriously working out a problem in mathematics. All the students were listening with rapt attention. There was a student in the corner of the classroom not very much interested in what the teacher was doing! There was a window near by and the student  was intently looking at it! The teacher finished his  work on the blackboard, turned to the students and noticed the student in the corner looking through the window! He was surprised and inquisitive to know what the student was looking at. Pointing to the student in the corner and noting that he was very inattentive he questioned, “ Has anything entered your head?” The student was rudely shaken out of his attention and recovering himself replied, “ Yes Sir, the body has entered completely but the tail is remaining!” The teacher and other students were shocked and amused at the answer. All along he was observing the movement of a rat attempting to burrow into a hole! Knowing this the entire class erupted into boisterous laughter!

It is the mind that is the cause of bondage and emancipation. “ Mana eva manushyanam karanam bandha mokshayoh” It is the mind that makes or mars you.If the mind is turned to piety, religion, and spirituality it leads one to the goal of liberation or mukti. If, on the other hand, it is turned totally to mundane affairs, there will be bondage to family and other material things. The spiritual advancement  of a person relies on one’s mental condition and thought. It proceeds  from his heart and not from any of his external actions! Another illustration. Two friends walked along and came to a place where a religious and spiritual discourse on the Bhagavata Purana was conducted. One of the friends suggested that they should get in and listen to the valuable discourse. The other disagreed and wanted to go to a nearby brothel and enjoy the time instead of wasting time at the boring discourse! But the first friend, not interested in such illegal activity, went into sit and hear the discourse on the Bhagavata.

The second, according to his desire, went into the brothel but was sorely disappointed as he did not find the pleasure he anticipated! He cursed himself for inflicting this suffering on himself and contemplated on the spiritual happiness his friend would be enjoying at the Bhagavata discourse. He would be fascinated at the Divine sports or Hari narrated in the Purana! The friend, thus thought about Srihari despite being in a brothel! The other friend who went to listen to the discourse was also disappointed! He did not find the discourse interesting either.  He felt bored! He thought about his friend who should be having a nice and interesting time at the brothel! He felt that he should have followed his friend to the brothel! Though he was physically present listening to the discourse, his mind was at the brothel and his friend there! He dreamt of  the pleasures his friend would have experienced at the brothel!

As a result of the activities of the mind engaged in good or bad things, the friends got the result! The first friend, whose mind was packed with evil thoughts got all the sin of visiting the brothel though he was not physically present there!  On the other hand the second friend who went to the brothel acquired  all the punya or merit of listening to Bhagavata despite his absence there! Therefore the mind has a very important role in bringing about a transformation in man! There is another story of a sadhu who felt sorry for a prostitute and advised her to turn to righteous life. But it was her profession.The sadhu, strangely, began counting the number of persons who visited her daily! The prostitute, though in her profession, felt sorry for her state and prayed to God for relief at least in the next birth! The Sadhu, became a sinner as he forgot God and meditation and concentrated on counting the number of people who visited the prostitute! On the other hand, being in her profession, the prostitute sincerely felt sorry for herself and prayed to God for relief and pardon! Her act, being offered to God, lost all its taint and she became a purified soul! While the sadhu went to hell for his evil act, the prostitute is said to have reached heaven for her repentance and thinking of God throughout her professional life!!

MERCIFUL MOTHER

Usually, in a family, the father will be strict and stern! He is the head of the family and the chief earning member.Thus he is the authority for any action and nothing can be done without his sanction! Getting groceries, clothing, books and toys for children, other utilities and jewels for the lady of the house depends on his will and pleasure! It is very rare that we come across a family where the mother is the absolute chief! Here the man, the head of the family, is just an earning member; all other work of managing the family, its expenses, and every need of every child of the family is looked after by the mother! The head of the family is God! The lady of the house is Prakriti , the kinetic energy that is always dynamic in her activity! The head of the family is potential energy, and in general a supervisor who does not work but oversees how the work is being done! This is the relationship between The Purusha and Prakriti or Maya! Who is the better of the two, Father or Mother? Evidently it is the mother who is kind, considerate,

merciful, understanding, forgiving and sacrificing for the sake of her family and children! The father may be harsh, arrogant, strict and stern, selfish and moody! Whatever mistakes the child does, it is the mother who pardons and corrects him finally! She is the embodiment of compassion for all her children

A religious teacher had a rich cloth merchant as his disciple. As is usual for merchants, he was  miserly. The teacher had plenty of books and needed a piece of cloth to wrap the book for safety. He approached his merchant disciple for the piece of cloth. The disciple said he had no cloth suitable for the book the teacher had. He further said that the teacher could have informed him a few hour earlier. He wanted the teacher to remind him frequently so that he can satisfy the desire of the teacher! This conversation between the teacher and the merchant was overheard by the merchant’s wife. She felt sorry for the disappointment of the teacher. She wanted to help him in this very simple matter. She sent for the teacher and enquired reverentially what he wanted. Having heard what he required, she directed him to go home and said that he would get his piece of cloth for the book the next day morning!

Soon after her husband came home she asked if he has closed the shop. He answered in the affirmative. The merchant wondered why she was asking such a question. She asked him to go back to the shop and get two pieces of the best available cloth! The merchant was shocked and and didn't know the cause for such hurry. He said he would get it the next day morning. But she insisted that he should go to the shop, open it and bring two pieces of the best cloth available! The merchant had no other alternative! He had to obey his dear wife though he managed to ward off the wish of his spiritual Guru! This  lady of the house had to be obeyed instantaneously if there is to be peace of mind at home!

Unwillingly he walked back to his shop, opened it at the late hour of the night and brought the two pieces of cloth desired by her. Early in the morning, the next day, she sent the two pieces cloth to the teacher so that his books could be wrapped for safety! Interestingly she sent a note along with the pieces of cloth saying, “ If in future you want anything from us, ask me, and you will get it.” The anecdote is just an illustration of how hard hearted man is in fulfilling even the small wishes of others! The merchant could have given the cloth to his teacher immediately. But his miserliness came in the way! He was casual and did not realize the significance of his teacher’s wish!

But the lady of the house, compassionate as she is, overheard the conversation between her husband and the teacher and decided to take action immediately! She knew he was wrong in denying the teacher’s wish! It was not for any money or material but for just a piece of cloth to cover his book! How miserly and mean has been the conduct of her husband! The teacher deserved much more than the piece of cloth! She is the representative of the Divine Mother, who will, by herself, grant the genuine desires of humanity! The father may be unmoved but the mother cannot afford to be merciless! Sri Ramakrishna says, “ Therefore those who pray to the merciful Divine Mother and ask for Her blessings have better chances of having their prayers heard than those who worship God in the sterner paternal aspect.” Glory to the Divine  Mother!”

THE ORIGIN OF VINAYAKA VRATA

After losing his kingdom through the wiles of Duryodana and others, Dharmaraja entered the dense jungle infested with terrible wild beasts with his wife and brothers. There he saw the sages radiant with their tapas following rituals and living on air and water only! He reached the ashram of the great sage Suta, seated himself with his brothers and wife. He narrated how the Kauravas cheated them and humiliated Draupadi and created difficulties at every step. He requested Sage Suta to suggest a suitable Vrata by which they could regain their kingdom and glory. Suta, the compassionate sage described to them a particular Vrata that destroys all sins and grants all round prosperity, children,and happiness. Sage Suta said that this Vrata  was originally narrated by Lord Siva to his son Kumaraswamy. On an occasion, while Lord Siva was  seated on the resplendent diamond decked simhasana in Kailas, Kumaraswamy, for the well being of all humanity, asked the Lord to describe a Vrata that would make people healthy, wealthy and prosperous! He wanted the best of all Vratas even as the  Lord was very much pleased at this request of His son.

“One such great Vrata granting prosperity in all respects is Ganapati Vrata. It has to be performed on the fourth day of the waxing period of the lunar month of Bhadrapada. Early in the morning, after ablutions and sandhyavandanam, you have to get an idol of Vinayaka in gold, silver or at least earth. The idol should be placed in the north, on a pedestal, with the rangoli of a lotus with eight petals. Sri Vinayaka idol should be worshipped with utmost devotion and faith! Archanam should be done with flowers, garika or durva, a type of grass sacred to Vinayaka and twenty one different leaves! Naivedyam and harati have to be given to Lord Vinayaka later. Modaka is the special dish for Vinayaka and every item should be twenty one in number! All fruits dear to the elephant  must be offered  along with recitation of the Vedas, dance and other ‘ shodasopacharas’, sixteen types of offerings! After offering ‘Vayana’ danam to Vedic brahmins, the feast can be shared with relatives and kith and kin. The worship should be done on the next day also in the same manner. This Vrata is considered as the best of all Vratas in all the three worlds! In the previous Kalpa Devas,sages, Gandharvas and Kinnaras and many others performed this Vrata and obtained the benefits.” said Lord Siva to Kumaraswamy!  Sage Suta directed Dharmaraja to perform Vinayaka Vrata with dedication and devotion to get back everything that he has lost! No doubt has to be entertained with regard to the effect or the efficacy of this Vratha! Victory is assured definitely!

Many are those who had performed this Vinayaka Vrata on earth. Darling Damayanti  married king Nala by performing this Vrata! Lord Krishna married the beautiful Jambavati after performing the Vrata! He had the fabulous precious stone,’ Syamantaka Mani’ soon after performing this Vinayaka Vrata! Indra, king of Devas could kill the demon Vrutrasura only after doing this Vrata! Sri Rama could retrieve his spouse Sita not before performing Vinayaka Vrata!  Bhagiratha, the ancestor of Ikshvaku clan brought river Ganga from heaven to earth after performing this Vrata! Before Obtaining 'amrita’ Devas and asuras performed the Vrata on Vinayaka! Samba performed this Vrata to free himself from leprosy!  Dharmaraja followed the advice of  Sage Suta, performed Vinayaka Vrata as per instructions with faith, devotion and dedication and regained his kingdom and lost glory

As whatever desire one has in his heart is fulfilled by Lord Vinayaka, He is called Siddhi Vinayaka! Worshipped before starting education, the person becomes highly educated! He will be victorious by worshipping the Lord! People desirous of Children shall be blessed with them! Unmarried girls Shall have suitable grooms by the grace of Lord Vinayaka! Sumangalis shall have long life! If a widow performs the Vrata, she will not have widowhood in her next birth! This Vinayaka Vrata can be performed by all classes of society viz Brahmana, kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudras. Women and children too can perform this Vrata with faith and devotion according to the method indicated! As instructed by  the great Sage Suta , Yudhistira performed  Vinayaka Vrata,   got back his kingdom and glory  and lived happily!

The story of Vinayaka Vrata is from the SKANDA PURANA as a dialogue between Umamaheswara! There are other versions of the stories on Vinayaka! There is a belief that one should not see the moon on this fourth day of the waxing moon! It is said that once the moon made fun of Vinayka and his large belly. Vinayaka grew angry and cursed that anyone observing the moon on that day shall be subjected to needless trouble and talk! It is also believed that Lord Krishna, by chance saw the moon on Vinayaka chaturthi and was subjected to needless worry! Krishna was charged with the theft of ‘Syamanthakamani’ owned by Satrajit for no fault of his! Later Krishna goes in search of it, retrieves it from the cave of Jambavan and marries his daughter Jambavati! Vinayaka Chaturthi is a very popular national festival and people vie with one another in having large sized Vinayaka of different types. Mumbaikars are mad after celebrating the festival for days together! Let us hope that Lord Vinayaka will remove all impediments in the progress of our Nation and ensure peace and happiness to all in the world!

NO ONE IS YOUR'S

Man is under the illusion that the relationship he has maintained is permanent! Father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt and several others, seemingly your’s, are different and do not belong to you! It is by accident that they have come together! None will come to your rescue when you are badly in need! On an occasion there was  conversation between a brahmin and a sanyasin on religious and worldly topics. The sanyasin told the brahmin to not depend on anyone for none belong to him! The brahmin was perplexed. He would not agree with that statement of the Sanyasin. His mother was so doting on him and greatly worried at his slightest headache that it was impossible to believe in the words of the Sanyasin. His mother was ready to give up her life if only he is cured of his headache! How can he distrust the love and affection of his mother? The sannyasin affirmed that not only his mother but his wife and children will not sacrifice their lives for his sake. That is the real truth.The sanyasin wanted the brahmin to verify the truth and asked him to feign excruciating pain in the stomach! He would come and demonstrate the truth of his statement.

The brahmin did as he was bid! He feigned excruciating pain in stomach! His mother was upset. His wife and children began crying. Doctors threw up their hands and didn't know how to cure the brahmin. The Sanyasin entered the scene at that moment. He said that the disease is of a very serious nature and can be cured if someone is prepared to give up his or her life! It was a bolt from the blue for those present there.The Sanyasin told the mother that she could sacrifice her life as she is already old and she need not see her own son die before her own eyes. Who else would sacrifice life if not the mother! She wept bitterly and said that she would gladly do so but for the children who require her services! The brahmin’s wife wept bitterly and said she is not prepared to sacrifice her life! She is the only daughter of her parents. If it is her fate to be a widow she has to accept it and live. She does not want to cause grief to her parents by sacrificing her life for the sake of her husband! In this manner everyone present excused themselves under some pretext or other! All the while, the brahmin, had to feign intense agony and was watching with dismay the arguments of his mother and his darling wife!

The brahmin was terribly disappointed! All the dreams he built over the filial affection of his mother and the love of his dear wife went into thin air! He knew how brittle human bonds and affection are! The Sannyasin told him how truthful his words are! None among his close kith and kin are willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the ailing brahmin! Life is the sweetest thing for everyone in the world! It is very difficult and rare for a person to sacrifice his life for the sake of another even if it is that of his near and the dear. He learnt the hard truth that he should not depend on anyone in this world even if they are his closest kith and kin!!!

“ Makuru dhanajana yauna garvam harati nimeshat kalam sarvam” says Adi Sankara in his Bhajagovindastotra! Don't be proud or arrogant about your money, people, and youth! Time swallows  them up in a minute. Man comes alone and has to return alone according to his past karma! All relationships are only accidental and temporary. It is absolutely foolish to think that others would come to your rescue! The Upanishad acclaims the importance of sacrifice in beautiful terms.” Nakarmana na prajaya na dhanena tyage naikena amrutatwa manasuhu” It is not by your karma or deeds nor by your people or by wealth but by sacrifice alone that you attain immortality!

Rudely shaken into his reality, the brahmin came out of his feigning the incurable disease! He was now cured of his mistaken notion that his mother and dear wife are sincere in their affection and love. He was fed up with the hypocrisy of human relationship. He saw for himself the universal  truth in the statement of the Sanyasin. He decided to give up his family life and all its vicissitudes! He got up, and becoming the disciple of the Sanyasin, followed him for his spiritual upliftment!!

WOMAN AS ThE MOTHER

Sri Ramakrishna paramahamsa was a great mystic, saint, philosopher and a reformer of society. He was the Guru of Narendranath who later became his disciple and came to be called Swami Vivekananda! Narendranath, an intellectual, began asking every holy person he met whether he has seen God and if he can show God to him! He was terribly disappointed as none gave him a positive answer! It so happened that Narendranath attended a meeting where Sri Ramakrishna was present. The Paramahamsa recognized him and said that he was waiting for Narendranath!  Narender was shocked and surprised! As usual, he put the same question to the saint and expected the same answer that he had received from many a holy person and Saint! But he was in for a rude shock! Sri Ramakrishna replied that he has seen God in the same way as he has seen him! He further added that he can show God to Narendranath! This answer seemed to be incredible. He wanted to test Sri Ramakrishna’s statement and met him later.

Ramakrishna welcomed him, made him sit and placed his hand on his head! The moment the hand was placed on the head of Narendranath, he fell into a delectable trance and had the vision of God that he badly wanted! The bliss and beatitude of the samadhi was such that he never wanted to come out of it! It was then that Narendranath realized that Sri Ramakrishna was not one of the common types of saints but a special and remarkable variety of Siddha purushas! He became the disciple of Sri Ramakrishna immediately.

Sri Ramakrishna's life was as strange as it was extremely spiritual and idealistic! He was the worshipper of Bhavatharini, a form of Kali, the primordial Shakti, the form of energy!! His spiritual, Vedantic leanings worried his parents. To prevent him from moving away from the cycle of Samsara, they arranged for his marriage and Sarada became his wedded wife. But the wedlock had practically no effect on his idealistic and spiritual progress! He was indifferent to his family duties and doted on Kali, his chosen deity! Young Sarada too understood the nature of her husband and cooperated with him.Though wedded, it was a kind of desireless, ideal and spiritual relationship between the husband and wife! It was, however, a cause for worry for the parents of both Sri Ramakrishna and Sarada. After many years, one of the Saint’s disciples wanted to know why he wasn't leading a family life like many other persons. The Paramahamsa was amused at this question!

Sri Ramakrishna narrated a story to illustrate the relationship between him and his wife! Lord Ganesh once happened to to scratch a cat with his nail. Returning home, he was shocked to see a mark on the cheek of the beautiful face of his mother, Parvati! He asked how that ugly Mark had disfigured her face. The Goddess replied that it was the result of his action!  Ganesh said the he had never scratched her face! The Divine Mother reminded that he had scratched the cat with his nail. But Ganesh wondered how that scratch could appear on the cheek of his darling Mother. She replied that She is the manifestation of everything in the universe!Any person who hurts a creature hurts her! That is how the scratch had appeared on her face! Lord Ganesh was shocked and surprised. Every woman was mother to him! Realization of the motherhood of woman made Ganesh give up marriage. Sri Ramakrishna considered every woman as his Divine Mother!

Not only was Sri Ramakrishna's' life bereft of conjugal felicity,  it was an example of the deification of womanhood! He considered every woman as his Divine Mother Kali and worshipped her inwardly and sometimes physically! He considered his own wife, Sarada as an embodiment of the Universal Mother! He literally made her seated and offered the same worship that he offered to his Goddess! This is a remarkable quality that we don't perceive in any other saint or sage! He practiced and experienced all religions and true to the bhakti doctrine, surrendered himself totally to his Goddess Kali! He suffered tremendous agony for Her vision and went to the extent of cutting off his head with the sword when the Divine Mother presented herself in his vision! When will our society consider woman as the personification of the Goddess? We are alarmed at the manner in which modern society is treating women. We must take the example of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in respecting the woman and give her the right place in society!!

PHILOSOPHY MISUNDERSTOOD

The Vedantic doctrines are very profound but appear very simple! Everyone refers to them easily to show off their knowledge. But it is very difficult to realize the profundity and significance of the ‘ Maha Vakyas’ of the Vedas. “ Aham Brahmasmi'” I myself am Brahman. The common man, if he says that, we cannot consider it seriously since he is merely repeating the Vedic statement! He has not realized and reached the stage when he can authoritatively state that he is Brahman! In the same way the other Vakyas like ’Ayam Atma Brahma’, ‘ Ekam evadvitiyam Brahma’. It is meaningless if you do something and say that everything is Brahman. A few Vedantic statements are controversial and contradictory! We should be very careful in understanding them! We should not take them literally but try to catch the spirit behind them!  There is also ways the danger of misunderstanding the statements of philosophy!

A king was an admirer of Vedanta and wanted to know more about it. He engaged a a great Vedantin as his Guru and began studying. He was very much impressed by the Vedantic doctrine which states that the whole universe is Brahman or the Absolute. The King loved this statement and immediately thought that every object, man, woman, and all animate and inanimate objects are Brahman. He failed to realize the spirit behind the Vedantic statement. In privacy, when he met the queen, he wanted to tell her about what he had learnt from his Guru. He told the queen that there was no distinction between the queen and the queen’s maid servant and that the maid servant shall be his queen henceforth! The statement of the king fell on her like a bolt from the blue! She was shocked and puzzled at the sudden behavior of the king. She knew that there was something wrong with the king!

She had to save herself lest the king in his blindness may take the maid servant as his queen! She sent for the Guru and complained against the disastrous consequence of his Advaitic teaching! The Guru listened to her calmly and consoled her. He assured her that he would he would cure the madness and misunderstanding of the king. He asked the queen to arrange for dinner and keep ready a pot of cowdung for serving along with rice! At dinner time the Guru and the king sat together for eating.The king was shocked to see the dish of cow dung kept along with the other dishes for dinner! He grew furious and questioned the queen for the grievous mistake she had done. The Guru sat calmly and smiling.

He questioned  the king and pointed out that he was well versed in the knowledge of Vedanta!  Why should he see any distinction  between the cow dung and rice! The whole universe is Brahman! Everything is one and the same. There is no difference between rice and cow dung. In his exasperation the king grew wild with anger and shouted at the Guru. He as a great follower of Advaitic principles should set an example by eating the cow dung! The king thought that it would be impossible for the Guru to eat the cow dung as he is an ordinary mortal! He failed to recognize the spiritual power of his own Guru. To his amazement, the Guru transformed himself into a swine and ate away the cow dung in the dish! The king was petrified and could not believe his own eyes!

Soon the Guru regained his original form. The king realized the greatness of his Guru and felt sorry for underestimating him. He realized his gross mistake in thinking that the universe is Brahman.The Brahma or the Atma manifests in every object, living and nonliving, of the universe! It is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient! It is this aspect of the Brahman that one has to understand and realize! The king had misunderstood the famous teaching of Advaita! The maid servant cannot become the queen. The same Atma or Brahma in the queen is manifest in the servant maid also. This recognition is the ultimate end of all Vedanta! Hence we should not take the Vedantic Vakyas literally. The king was ashamed of his foolishness and refrained from any such action henceforth!

REFLECTIONS ON INDIA AT SEVENTY

Prime Minister Narendra  Modi has painted a rosy picture of the wonderful development that India is going through on the occasion of her 71st Independence Day! It was a grand gala ambience that prevailed at the timeold Red Fort ramparts. It was a contagious atmosphere of festive mood and indescribable enthusiasm with mixed colors of the tricolor flag! The vision of India envisaged by the Prime Minister -- “Sankalpa Siddhi” is worthy of emulation and was well received by the large gathering! The PM took the audience through the latest developments that have shaken the people out of their stupor--Demonetization, collection of lakhs of crores of unaccounted money, determination to curb and root out corruption, indefatigable war on terrorism, Digitalization, a desire to embrace Jammu and Kashmir with development and love, his concern for the suffering of Muslim women tormented by ‘ talaq’ and the invincibility of Mother India under any foreign aggression! It was an inspiring peroration that comes easily to our PM!

This raises a question whether India is really independent after 70 years though this period is very small in the life of a nation. Liberty or Independence is defined not as a personal affair but a social contract. It is practically impossible for any individual or a nation to be entirely independent! The modern mantra for prosperity is not Independence but interdependence and building up very good rapport among the nations of the world! Our PM has done excellent job in developing good relationship among many great nations! We have different kinds of Independence. They are, political,economic, religious and a few others. Is India independent, in these spheres, in real terms? What we celebrate every year is political independence, the day when India forced itself out of the clutches of British imperialism! Politics in India has steadily degenerated irretrievably! The days of stalwarts and statesmen who sacrificed themselves for the sake of the nation are only in the pages of history! The present day politician is a parochial, selfish, greedy but a crorepati or at least a lakhiar! He is more interested in making as much money as possible during his term of five years! No moral scruples stop him from going astray!

Legislatures and Parliament are stalled for silly reasons and MLAs and MPs unanimously increase their salaries and perquisites forgetting all differences as if it is why they have been elected! Many do not visit their constituencies after their election! The common man doesn't know who his representative is! Corruption is rampant among all politicians and has become a  canker eating away the vitals of the Nation! India should have soared very high in the comity of  nations but for the type of these self serving politicians more interested in retaining their power and position! One Modi will not be able to retrieve India from this slush! Selfless,,dedicated and educated individuals should take over the reins of running the Government!

Every rose has its thorn! India has, as such, many, many thorns that have to be  plucked and thrown out! Religious bigotry, linguistic fanaticism, intolerance, moral depravity are in the forefront of society. Communal clashes are raising their ugly heads often! Sanskrit, the reservoir of our ancient culture and literature is hated inTamilnadu! Hindi has its worst enemy in Tamilnadu and of late in Karnataka! It is also staking its claim for a separate State flag! People forget that they are Indians first and bring in ‘ sons of the soil’ problems. Nepotism has increased and children of politicians are making a mark in politics! Fraudulent activities have become common. Abductions, rape, kidnappings are reported daily! We have to hang our heads in shame for this state of society in India even after seventy years of Independence! A rotten state of society is not the symbol of our great Bharat! Politically we may rule ourselves but the Independence in other fields is only ‘ nam ke  vaste-namesake!

We are not independent economically! We depend on Arab countries for oil and Western nations for arms! Modi has stressed on his pet project-- ‘Make in India’ and a beginning is being made now! India, unfortunately, has unfriendly nations in its neighborhood! Terrorist friendly Pakistan and its  trusted friend China are the real tormentors of India on the borders! Sri Lanka has its share in arresting Tamilnadu’s fishermen and seizing their boats under some pretext or other! It is a testing time for the PM! The standoff between India and China over the strategic point in Bhutan is another case for concern! The globe is crying for peace but war clouds are hovering over adamant North Korea as Trump is threatening to go to war! It will take a few more decades for India to grapple with the situation and bring them under it's control. In spite of its  diversity there is unity in India but it seems to be fragile! We should strengthen the hands of our PM in his efforts to achieve his “Sankalpa Siddhi” the new vision  for India!  Let our dear Bharat regain its past glory and shine with coruscating brilliance among the nations of the world!

MUKUNDAMALA

The Azwars were mystics of a very high order who lived in God and thought about Him every second of their existence!The very name of Krishna or Narayana would conjure up the various Leelas or Divine sports exhibited by the Almighty! The black cloud in the sky would take them instantaneously to the figure of their Lord Krishna who is supposed to be black in color! Anything related to their beloved Lord sent them into fits and trances visualising the form of God and enjoying his presence in their vision! They were totally detached from the mundane and materialistic aspects of life! They yearned for the vision of God and merging into His ineffable ..form! They were, mostly, not opulent, lived an austere life always pouring out their sincere unalloyed love for God! Their intense attachment to the Lord has come out in beautiful, rare 'Pasurams’ codified as “Nalayira Divya Prabandham” which is considered as “ Dravida Vedam”.The underlying thought throughout their Pasurams is total surrender unto His lotus feet! They excelled in experiencing the Lord as a friend, master, spouse, child and even as servant which is usual in expressing devotional fervour or Bhakthi! One such great Azwar who revelled in his devotion  to Lord Krishna was Kulasekhar Azhwar whose “ Mukundamala” is a magnum opus in the the expression of his deepest devotion to Krishna.

After wishing victory to the son of Devaki and the chief of Vrushni clan and the one who has taken avatar to reduce the burden of mother Earth, the Azhwar tells that he is not enamored of money or fulfilment of desires. He Knows that every thing in the world happens according to his good and bad karma. His only desire and prayer to Krisna is that he should be granted imperturbable devotion unto his lotus feet! Can devotion sprout all of a sudden? The Azhwar is conscious of it. He tells the Lord, “ Krishna! I have at the outset placed the royal swan of my manas in the cage of your lotus feet! I know that during my terminal stage it would be impossible to utter your name as the throat will be afflicted blood, by sputum, choler, bile and other obstacles! According to sri Kulasekhara Azhwar, Samsara is a shoreless sea. Wife, sons and daughters are weights that hang heavy on the Individual! They are all totally soaked in experiencing poisonous ‘ vishayas’- of material existence! He calls the wife as the moat and the children as the terrible crocodiles in the moat! He feels depressed and despondent that he is completely drowned in the fathomless ocean of Samsara! He beseeches the Lord to grant him the boat of true devotion unto His lotus feet to cross it!

The Azhwar wants every part of the body to have some connection with God! The tongue should sing His glory!  Manas should think about Lord Krishna! Both the hands should worship Him! The ears should involve themselves in hearing stories of His Divine sports or Leela's! Of what use are the eyes if they don't look at his beautiful form resplendently bedecked with ornaments? The only way for the feet is to visit His temples! The nose has to smell the scent of holy Tulasi used in worshipping Him! The head has to bow down to Him in an act of complete surrender! In an ecstatic and despondent mood the Azhwar cringes before Him that he does not know anyone else except his “ Gopalaka the ocean of compassion, the spouse of Sindhu Kanya or Lakshmi, the destroyer of cruel Kamsa, the Saviour of Gajendra, the brother of Balarama, the preceptor of all the three worlds and the one with lotus eyes! What are His credentials and qualifications? He destroys all the difficulties and dangers of His devotees like the Garuda the snakes! He is the protector all the three worlds! He is the special drop of water to the Gopikas who long for him like the chataka bird! He is the signature brand of Beauty! He is the adornment on the chest of His dear wife Sri Rukmini Devi! He is the chief of all the Gopalas!

How can mortal man attain his fulfilment in his earthly existence? The Azhwar has his mantra for it. It is the mantra for destroying all enemies outward and the Arishadvargas or the inner enemies! It is worshipped by all the Vedas and the Upanishads! It lifts up man from the toils of Samsara; It terminates the dense cluster of darkness or ignorance; It is the bestower of every type of prosperity; It is the remover of snake like worries that bite man! The Azhwar addresses the tongue and directs it to chant that Krishna mantra again and again for the fulfilment of its janma! There are a number of maladies, physical, mental and spiritual, affecting man. What is the antidote for all these ailments? The Azhwar has a very powerful and effective remedy for all the ills of man! It is the blessed “Sri Krishna Divyaushadham”. It bestows physical, mental and spiritual well being on man beyond any doubt! It removes all illusion or Maya, obsession; it is the remedy for the disposition of sages and saints! It is the reason for the terror among the demons; it is the potion for the rejuvenation of all the three worlds! While it is the dearest for all the devotees or bhakthas, it is also the destroyer of the great fear of Samsara or family life and its entanglementsl

Is the body permanent and unchanging? Surely it is not. It changes from childhood to boyhood , youth, middle age, old age and senility and finally is cremated and turns into ashes! “Why doubt about the medicine of Krishna elixir?” questions the Azhwar! It is total surrender to the Lord that should be the aim of every mortal! In the concluding part of his “ Mukundamala”, Sri Kulasekhara Azhwar offers his pranams unto the lotus feet of  Lord Krishna! Always he offers worship to Lord Narayana! He chants the sacred name  of the Pure Being and for ever contemplates on the  ‘tatwa’ of the Supreme Lord Narayana! On the sacred day of Sri Krishna Jayanthi let us resolve to make our lives worthwhile by remembering the Jagadguru Sri Krishna and follow a small portion of the counsel the Azhwar has given us!!!

A R M Y

You will be wondering what this ARMY is! It has nothing to do with the regular Indian army or any other army defending or attacking a particular country! It is a religious and spiritual congregation intended to sanitize the mind and heart of Man for the well being of  entire humanity! The word ARMY is an abbreviation of  Ati Rudra Maha Yagna organized and conducted by a group of dedicated devotees of Bhagawan Sri Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba!! Primum mobile for this great mahayagna is no doubt the grace of the Avatar but for which the yagna would not have taken place! As the Gita proclaims, “ nimitta matram bhava Savyasachin”, Swami has chosen as his instrument the most devoted and dynamic person from Sacramento Sri Sekhar Boddupalli whose indefatigable energy and inspiration resulted in organizing the mahayagna! It was the vajra sankalpa of Bhagawan that brought various persons to cooperate and coordinate things for the wonderful success of the mahayagna! Spacious land was offered for temporary constructions and every item of the mahayagna had its sponsors that made the task of Sri Sekhar easy!

The Atirudra maha yagna began with a bang with the ‘ girivalam’ by all the ritviks and chanters who had registered themselves for the entire period from July 26 to August 6, 2017. Uniforms for the ritviks and the chanters were distributed and the Mahayagna started on 27th July in right earnest. Chanting of Mahanyasa and Aruna Parayana was the highlight in the mornings. Ritviks and chanters from 22 countries including a large number of women had enlisted themselves for the Mahayagna! The distinctive factor of the yagna was that no consideration was given for race,religion,caste, creed, language, or community! It was expected to be one whole, pouring out of pure love for Bhagawan! Eleven huge home kundas beautifully decorated were ready for sacrificial offerings. Each homa kunda had eleven ritviks presided over by a priest. As Sri Rudram was chanted eleven times daily the ritviks offered medicinal herbs and ghee offerings into the sacrificial fire. Simultaneously Abhishek was performed to the golden idol of Bhagawan and the beautiful Siva linga on the dais.

The venue was kept spic and span by the Seva dal volunteers and others! Water and other needs were meticulously looked after by the organizers! Even toilets for the participants and the public were temporarily provided with modern amenities like flushing! We have lost count of the Bisleri and other water bottles supplied to the ritviks and the chanters daily. Cultural events stole the limelight during the evenings! Dance programs by the Bay area members and the presentation of a stotra by the Canadian group were appreciated by all. I had the fortune of reciting a few stanzas on the life and message of the Sai Avatar! Attendance swelled as days went by. Saints and dignitaries visited the mahayagna and wondered at the scale of the event. No such event had taken place in Tiruvannamalai earlier. Drought and water scarcity was the bane of the region. There were no rains since four years. Three days after the start of the yagna, thunder, lightning and a four hour long rain drenched the entire town to the utter delight of the people! Surely the Gods were pleased to shower their blessings through rain! Medical units were arranged to treat those with minor ailments and dehydration. A number of children and adults had to be treated for loose motion and dehydration. Food arrangements were very good and the Bengaluru cooks excelled in preparing new, nice recipes that tingled the tastes of many! Narayana Seva provided food packets to the neighboring villages. Clothes were provided for the poor under the Grama Seva program very dear to Bhagawan Baba! A similar yagna was performed in Atlanta in the US and in Badrinath in the Himalayan regions two years back!

Taken from the Yajurveda, Sri Rudram is also called ‘Satarudriya’ and ‘ Rudradhyaya’. Considered very important in Saivism, it views Lord Siva as the supreme God! Sri Rudra is famous for it's ‘ Panchkshari mantra’-- the five syllable ‘Namah Sivaya’ which appears in the text of the ‘Satarudriya’ in the 8th anuvaka. It also contains the mantra “ Aum namo Bhagavate Rudraya.” Chanting Sri Rudram is of great benefit. Various attributes of Lord Siva are invoked and worshipped in the stotra. Chanting can be with or without the accompaniment of a Vedic yagna ritual. Done with the Vedic ritual, it is called Rudra Yagna as the one performed in the town of Tiruvannamalai! According to legend, Lord Siva, after Bhasmasura was killed with the the help of Lord Vishnu, performed the Thandava dance and performed Rudra Yagna for the betterment of humanity! The place where the Rudra Yagna was performed is where Sri Kala hasti temple stands now!! This temple has one of the Panchabhuta Lingas, the Vayu Linga!

It is for the well being, peace and tranquility of the entire world--” Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavanthu” that such yagnas are being performed by the selected few! The Ati rudra Maha yagna is an illustration of the dedicated spirit of Love, pure and simple, for the ailing humanity beset with innumerable dangers and difficulties. With the onslaught of inner and outer enemies, and the relentless illusion drawing it away from God and spirituality, humanity is badly in need of such selfless sacrifices like the Ati rudra Maha yagna to restore faith and spirituality in society! Let many more Ati Rudra Maha Yagnas be performed for the benefit of the world!