DEVI'S PADA DHULI 2(Soundarya Lahari)

Maha Tripurasundari is called by myriad names. She is Bhavani. She transcends all thoughts as the Upanishads proclaim, “ yato vacho nivartante aprapya manasa saha"  words and manas return unable to comprehend her! She is “ Bhavaranya kutarika”- the axe that cuts at the root of Samsara and all material connections! She is dear to her devotees and always interested in their well being. She is the only goal or destination for Her bhaktas. She is called Sankari, Sarvani, Srikari, Sadhwi,and Satodari! She is worshipped by Goddess Saraswathi! Her beautiful face resembles the cool round face of the Moon during “Sarathkala.” As Brahman, she has no form! No qualities- ‘Nirguna’! She is always pure! She has no defects-’ Nishkalanka’! She has no decay or destruction and destroys Death itself! It is very difficult to attain Her. She is Durga, remover of all sorrows and bestower of happiness! She is the embodiment of compassion and doesn't distinguish between the high and the low! It is practically impossible to list out Her glorious attributes!

Sankara has described the effect of Lalithambika's ‘ Pada renu’ on the Trimurthis. Brahma can create the universe only through the grace of Her Pada dhuli! Vishnu is able to bear the burden of all the worlds on his thousand heads because of Devi’s Pada renu! Siva has applied the fine  dust of Her lotus feet all over his body for carrying out his duties! If this is the astonishing efficacy of the dust of Mother’s feet on the Gods, what is its effect on the common, ignorant mortal man on earth? Sankara in his own inimitable way describes it in the third sloka of his Soundarya Lahari! “ Avyaja Karuna murthi rajnana dhwanta deepika” declares Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra! She is the embodiment of causeless compassion and the torch to dispel the darkness of ajnana or avidya!

“ O Mother! Your Pada Renu is the sunrise for those enveloped by the darkness of avidya or ignorance!” Like the Sun who dismisses dense darkness by illuminating the entire world, your  Pada dhuli dispels the ignorance of the common man! In other words, your real nature is revealed to those who have the fortune to get and be blessed by that! Man is lost in this illusory world and doesn't know what is real and unreal! It is your Pada Renu that reveals your true nature! Your Grace reaches Man through the fine dust of your feet! The effect of the fine dust of the feet of the Goddess is different on different individuals!

“For the stupid and foolish people it has the sweet and astonishing effect of the flower of awareness from whose bunch drips honey incessantly!” Blessed by Devi, their stupidity vanishes and they become fully aware of the realities of life and its transient nature! That experience is similar to drinking sweet honey raining from the flowers! In short, their stupidity and foolishness is totally driven out from them! “For the poor and the downtrodden, your pada renu is like association with the precious ‘Chintamani’ that satisfies all desires!

What about those who are struggling, caught in the web of Maya, and the cycle of Samsara and life and death? O Mother! For those who are tossed in the ocean of Samsara,” Sankara says,  “Your Pada dhuli is like the sharp horn of the wild Boar!” When Hiranyaksha, the Asura, folded up the earth like a mat and disappeared, Lord Vishnu took Varaha avatar --and saved the earth after killing the Asura! Devi's pada renu shall surely extricate them from all their toils and turmoils of life! Sankara advocates total surrender at the lotus feet of the Goddess! The multiple effect of her pada dhuli has not only rendered the Trimurthis very active and powerful but shall bring forth a total transformation in the ordinary lives of the ignorant, stupid, foolish and the poor and the downtrodden!

DEVI'S PADA DHULI (Soundarya Lahari 2)

Throughout his great work Soundarya Lahari, Adi Sankara establishes the glory and greatness of her person and beauty.  She is Sri Mata and the empress in control of everything! She is not of ordinary origin. She is born out of the sacrificial fire for the specific purpose of the destruction of the demons tormenting the Devas! Her radiance is dazzling and unbearable like that of a thousand suns! She has enveloped all the worlds with her softlight! She is adorned with ornaments that defy all description. Her soft lotus feet make fun of the very lotus itself! Her gait is that of the dignified swan! She is the resident of her palace called  “Chintamani.” She is highly motivated to fight Bhandasura the tormentor of Devas! She sends out her Commanders like Bala, Mantrini and Varahi to attack the asura and is happy and satisfied with their performance! She creates Ganesa and destroys all the mines and the yantras planted by the Asuras! She shoots a battery of arrows in reply to those sent by the asura! Not stopping wit this, Sri Lalithambika creates, from the tip of her nails, the ten avatars of Vishnu to assist her!

This is how Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra describes the Devi! It is clear from the description that the Devi is all in all, very powerful and totally immersed in the work for which She has taken avatar! She is the Supreme Brahman capable of creation, protection and destruction through her Sankalpa! The Trinity, viz Creator Brahma, protector Vishnu and Rudra the destroyer are  children to her! They remain by Her side with their spouses and praise and worship her! All the legions of Devas like the Siddhas, Sadhyas, Kinnaras, Kimpurushas, Gandharvas and others are obedient to Her and praise her glory!  Adi Sankara wants to to extol the universal Mother and indicates how the Trimurthis are totally dependent on the mercy and Grace of Maha Tripurasundari! With his natural poetic fervour, Sankara points out that but for her “pada dhuli”- the dust of the feet of the Goddess-they would not be in a position to  do their jobs!

Says Sankara, “ O Mother! Brahma is in a position to create the world mainly because he has taken the delicate dust out of your lotus feet! He has been very successful in creating all living and nonliving things! It is not different for  Vishnu!  He is capable of bearing the the heavy burden of all the worlds on his thousand heads because of the same minute dust of the lotus feet of MahaTripuraSundari!

What about Lord Siva? He sails in the same boat!  Sankara smartly says, “ Siva  takes the minute “ Pada dhuli” in his hands and presses it still more nicely and applies it to his entire body!” Otherwise he would fail in his duty! We may feel a little shocked at the description of the Trimurthis by Sankara!  Is he belittling them? Not at all! There is poetic licence for great writers and poets! In order to establish their point of view, they are allowed to express themselves in this manner. There is no offence to any one!

In “ Saaktham” or worship of Shakthi, She is the Supreme Reality and all others are subordinated to Her! Primacy is given to the presiding deity! It is so in all our Puranas also. In Vishnu Purana, He is the Supreme Being and everything is subordinated to Him! Likewise in Other Puranas, the respective Gods and Goddesses remain Supreme!  It does not mean that other Gods are belittled! As we all know there is only one God! There is no second! The Veda says “ Ekam eva adwitiyam Brahma”  Sri Sankara himself is an exponent of Adwaita Philosophy!

SIVA SHAKTHI (Soundarya Lahari) 1

“ The sun does not shine there, not the moon and the stars, not these lightnings. How then could this fire? When He shines, everything shines after Him; by His light all this is lighted.” declares Kathopanishad! It is foolish and stupid to think that we have won a victory or attained  glory. Man is under the illusion that he has achieved something great without understanding that that there is Divine will behind every success he meets! Why, even the Gods are prone to this unavoidable ego or ahankara that has to be curtailed! Because of this arrogance, man suffers but he is unable to control or correct himself! According to Kenopanishad, it was Brahman that won the victory for gods.The gods gloated over this victory and thought they had achieved the victory by their greatness and valour. It is common that one feels like that since he believes in his strength and heroism. Brahman sensed the arrogance of gods and appeared before them. The gods were shocked at the sudden appearance of the Spirit and wanted to know what spirit it was.

Agni, God of fire, was deputed to find out what spirit it was!  Agni boasted himself before the spirit and said that he can burn everything in heaven and earth! The spirit placed a straw before Agni and wanted him to burn it! Agni tried his best but failed miserably! Crest fallen, he went back and reported his inability to find the spirit!  The gods didn't give up. They sent Vayu, the wind god to find out what spirit it was. Vayu beat His own trumpet and claimed that he can blow off everything on earth! The straw was place to test hi strength but Vayu could not move it despite his speed or force! He returned hanging his head in shame and defeat! All gods were dismayed. Now it was the turn of Indra, king of gods, to find what spirit it was. Even as he approached, the spirit vanished and in its place stood an exceedingly beautiful woman! She was none other than Uma, the daughter of Himavat! Indra was taken aback to see an extraordinary Beauty before him instead of the spirit! Indira questioned Uma what that spirit was. She then revealed that the spirit was Brahman and all Devas were exulting in the victory of the Brahman!

Sankara begins Soundarya Lahari with the inevitability of the presence of Devi with her spouse Kamesa! She is praised by Brahma, Upendra, Mahendra an all other Devas! She is the part and parcel of Maheswara. Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra, at its end, declares the eternal merging  of Devi with her Lord Siva! “ Sri Siva Siva sakthaikya rupini Lalithambika”. Can any activity be done by Siva without the company of Lalithambika? Sankara says no and establishes the primacy of her presence. “ O Mother endowed with ‘ shadgunaiswarya’-six great qualities!”, says Sankara, “ Sadasiva with all His auspicious qualities  can create the universe only when He is associated with the energy that can build the worlds! If he is not united with that Shakti or the dynamic energy, he is unable to stir or move”

Therefore, Sankara concludes that he is not qualified to worship or eulogize the Mother as he had not accumulated that much of punya or holy deeds! “ How can I worship or praise you whom Vishnu, Siva and the creator Brahma themselves worship? I have not to my credit that much of holy deeds eligible for your worship.” Do you think that Sankara is really unfit to praise or worship the Universal Mother? We find Sankara exhibiting his utter simplicity and humility before the Divine Mother! Sankara is considered as the avatar of Lord Siva himself! It is he that has re established Hindu Sanatana Dharma and saved it from the onslaught of Buddhism and Jainism! His voluminous stotras on Devi and other deities have enriched religion, devotion and spirituality!

We have to understand that great sages , savants and philosophers always consider themselves as ordinary and not qualified for Divine Mercy and grace! It does not mean that Sankara is unfit for the worship of Devi! In describing himself like this, Sankara is drawing our attention to our status! What are our merits and credits for the worship of the Mother? Do we stand any where when compared to Sankara? Where are we and where is Sankara? By saying that he is unqualified, Sankara reminds us that we are nowhere and that we have to come a very long way before we get ourselves qualified! The actions and conduct of celebrities like Sankara are footprints on the sands of time to be trodden and followed by the succeeding generations!

 

THE WAVE OF BEAUTY--"SOUNDARYA LAHARI"

Adi Sakara’s Soudarya Lahari--The Wave of Beauty is one of the greatest classical pieces of devotional poetry that has ever been written! The founder of Advaita School of Philosophy, Sankara, established six systems of worship and came to be called as “ Shanmata  sthapanacharya.” “Saktham” is one method of worshipping Goddess Lalitha Maha Tripurasundari as the universal mother who is the substratum of all creation, protection and destruction! She is the dynamic energy that moves everything! Without this energizing factor in one’s life nothing can be done or achieved either by God or man! She is the primum mobile and without her Sankalpa or wish not even a blade of grass can move! Soundarya Lahari is believed to have been written by sage Puspadanta and Adi Sankara! The first part of this wonderful literary work, “Ananda Lahari” is believed to be etched on Mount Meru by Lord Ganesha himself! It is believed that sage Gaudapada the teacher of Sankara’s guru Govinda Bhagavatpada memorized the writings of sage Pushpadanta and that came down to Sri Adi Sankara! The one hundred and three Sanskrit Slokas eulogize the beauty, grace, and the munificence of Goddess Lalithambika, the consort of Siva.

Soundarya Lahari is not all poetry and imagination running riot. It is a clever combination of mantra, yantra and tantra or ritual! We find in the work, a systematic exposition of the concept of “Kundalini” and Sri Chakra Mantra in verses 32 and 33. The Goddess is depicted as Supreme Reality and as non dual. A distinction is made out between Siva and Shakti- the power holder and power- Being and Will!  Mother Maha Tripura Sundari becomes the dominant factor and the power holder Siva becomes a substratum! The very first verse affirms that without Shakti Siva is powerless to create! In verse 24, Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra do their work and Maheswara absorbs, assimilates into Sadasiva on receiving the mandate of Her eyebrows! The dominance of the Mother is seen again inverses 34 and 35.

A few legends are associated with the origin of Soundarya Lahari. On  one occasion Adi Sankara went to Kailash, the abode of Siva and Parvati. The Lord was engaged in writing about the beauty and grace of his wife! Welcoming Sankara, the Lord handed over the manuscript of one hundred verses that described the many facets of Goddess Parvati. Sankara’s joy knew no bounds! He was ecstatic about the special grace the Lord had showered on him. Receiving the manuscript of the verses humbly, Sankara started on his way back from Kailash when the most unexpected happened! Sankara had not thought about it even in his wildest imagination! He didn't know how he had angered Nandiswara!  But Nandi suddenly accosted Sankara on his way back from Kailash, snatched the manuscript given by the Lord, tore it into two, took one part and returned the other to Sankara!

Sankara was stunned and petrified at this sudden happening! All his joy at the grace of the Lord vanished into thin air! Why has this happened? He had no clue! There was no other way but to approach the Lord himself to get an answer! Full of anguish for what happened, Sankara ran to the Lord and complained at the misconduct of Nandi! The Lord, as usual, was not perturbed in the least! Siva did not summon Nandi or ask for an explanation for his misconduct! He commanded Sankara to retain the forty nine verses in his possession as the initial work and compose the next fifty nine verses in praise of the Goddess! Sankara was not very happy at the turn of events! But he obeyed the command of Siva and returned!

Thus verses 1 to 41 are the original work of the Lord in which He describes ancient rituals or tantras and powerful mantras! The rest, verses 42 to100  are the delightful compositions of Adi Sankara focussed on the beauty and grace of Her personal appearance! With the glow and flow of devotional fervour and ecstasy, Sankara describes Her person and glorious attributes as the universal Mother Maha Tripurasundari! The more we read the verses and understand them the more we are amazed at the poetic grandeur of Sankara’s pen and his thought! It is pure and  unalloyed bliss for the reader whoever it may be. Sankara considers himself a sinner and unworthy of writing and describing her attributes! How about us, poor mortals? That is the humility and simplicity of great Saints and philosophers! It is the Will of Lalithambika that has egged me on to write on Her Soundarya Lahari in BLOGS for the benefit of my readers who may be eager to know more about Her power and Glory!

Adi Sakara’s Soudarya Lahari--The Wave of Beauty is one of the greatest classical pieces of devotional poetry that has ever been written! The founder of Advaita School of Philosophy, Sankara, established six systems of worship and came to be called as “ Shanmata  sthapanacharya.” “Saktham” is one method of worshipping Goddess Lalitha Maha Tripurasundari as the universal mother who is the substratum of all creation, protection and destruction! She is the dynamic energy that moves everything! Without this energizing factor in one’s life nothing can be done or achieved either by God or man! She is the primum mobile and without her Sankalpa or wish not even a blade of grass can move! Soundarya Lahari is believed to have been written by sage Puspadanta and Adi Sankara! The first part of this wonderful literary work, “Ananda Lahari” is believed to be etched on Mount Meru by Lord Ganesha himself! It is believed that sage Gaudapada the teacher of Sankara’s guru Govinda Bhagavatpada memorized the writings of sage Pushpadanta and that came down to Sri Adi Sankara! The one hundred and three Sanskrit Slokas eulogize the beauty, grace, and the munificence of Goddess Lalithambika, the consort of Siva.

Soundarya Lahari is not all poetry and imagination running riot. It is a clever combination of mantra, yantra and tantra or ritual! We find in the work, a systematic exposition of the concept of “Kundalini” and Sri Chakra Mantra in verses 32 and 33. The Goddess is depicted as Supreme Reality and as non dual. A distinction is made out between Siva and Shakti- the power holder and power- Being and Will!  Mother Maha Tripura Sundari becomes the dominant factor and the power holder Siva becomes a substratum! The very first verse affirms that without Shakti Siva is powerless to create! In verse 24, Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra do their work and Maheswara absorbs, assimilates into Sadasiva on receiving the mandate of Her eyebrows! The dominance of the Mother is seen again inverses 34 and 35.

A few legends are associated with the origin of Soundarya Lahari. On  one occasion Adi Sankara went to Kailash, the abode of Siva and Parvati. The Lord was engaged in writing about the beauty and grace of his wife! Welcoming Sankara, the Lord handed over the manuscript of one hundred verses that described the many facets of Goddess Parvati. Sankara’s joy knew no bounds! He was ecstatic about the special grace the Lord had showered on him. Receiving the manuscript of the verses humbly, Sankara started on his way back from Kailash when the most unexpected happened! Sankara had not thought about it even in his wildest imagination! He didn't know how he had angered Nandiswara!  But Nandi suddenly accosted Sankara on his way back from Kailash, snatched the manuscript given by the Lord, tore it into two, took one part and returned the other to Sankara!

Sankara was stunned and petrified at this sudden happening! All his joy at the grace of the Lord vanished into thin air! Why has this happened? He had no clue! There was no other way but to approach the Lord himself to get an answer! Full of anguish for what happened, Sankara ran to the Lord and complained at the misconduct of Nandi! The Lord, as usual, was not perturbed in the least! Siva did not summon Nandi or ask for an explanation for his misconduct! He commanded Sankara to retain the forty nine verses in his possession as the initial work and compose the next fifty nine verses in praise of the Goddess! Sankara was not very happy at the turn of events! But he obeyed the command of Siva and returned!

Thus verses 1 to 41 are the original work of the Lord in which He describes ancient rituals or tantras and powerful mantras! The rest, verses 42 to100  are the delightful compositions of Adi Sankara focussed on the beauty and grace of Her personal appearance! With the glow and flow of devotional fervour and ecstasy, Sankara describes Her person and glorious attributes as the universal Mother Maha Tripurasundari! The more we read the verses and understand them the more we are amazed at the poetic grandeur of Sankara’s pen and his thought! It is pure and  unalloyed bliss for the reader whoever it may be. Sankara considers himself a sinner and unworthy of writing and describing her attributes! How about us, poor mortals? That is the humility and simplicity of great Saints and philosophers! It is the Will of Lalithambika that has egged me on to write on Her Soundarya Lahari in BLOGS for the benefit of my readers who may be eager to know more about Her power and Glory!

Adi Sakara’s Soudarya Lahari--The Wave of Beauty is one of the greatest classical pieces of devotional poetry that has ever been written! The founder of Advaita School of Philosophy, Sankara, established six systems of worship and came to be called as “ Shanmata  sthapanacharya.” “Saktham” is one method of worshipping Goddess Lalitha Maha Tripurasundari as the universal mother who is the substratum of all creation, protection and destruction! She is the dynamic energy that moves everything! Without this energizing factor in one’s life nothing can be done or achieved either by God or man! She is the primum mobile and without her Sankalpa or wish not even a blade of grass can move! Soundarya Lahari is believed to have been written by sage Puspadanta and Adi Sankara! The first part of this wonderful literary work, “Ananda Lahari” is believed to be etched on Mount Meru by Lord Ganesha himself! It is believed that sage Gaudapada the teacher of Sankara’s guru Govinda Bhagavatpada memorized the writings of sage Pushpadanta and that came down to Sri Adi Sankara! The one hundred and three Sanskrit Slokas eulogize the beauty, grace, and the munificence of Goddess Lalithambika, the consort of Siva.

Soundarya Lahari is not all poetry and imagination running riot. It is a clever combination of mantra, yantra and tantra or ritual! We find in the work, a systematic exposition of the concept of “Kundalini” and Sri Chakra Mantra in verses 32 and 33. The Goddess is depicted as Supreme Reality and as non dual. A distinction is made out between Siva and Shakti- the power holder and power- Being and Will!  Mother Maha Tripura Sundari becomes the dominant factor and the power holder Siva becomes a substratum! The very first verse affirms that without Shakti Siva is powerless to create! In verse 24, Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra do their work and Maheswara absorbs, assimilates into Sadasiva on receiving the mandate of Her eyebrows! The dominance of the Mother is seen again inverses 34 and 35.

A few legends are associated with the origin of Soundarya Lahari. On  one occasion Adi Sankara went to Kailash, the abode of Siva and Parvati. The Lord was engaged in writing about the beauty and grace of his wife! Welcoming Sankara, the Lord handed over the manuscript of one hundred verses that described the many facets of Goddess Parvati. Sankara’s joy knew no bounds! He was ecstatic about the special grace the Lord had showered on him. Receiving the manuscript of the verses humbly, Sankara started on his way back from Kailash when the most unexpected happened! Sankara had not thought about it even in his wildest imagination! He didn't know how he had angered Nandiswara!  But Nandi suddenly accosted Sankara on his way back from Kailash, snatched the manuscript given by the Lord, tore it into two, took one part and returned the other to Sankara!

Sankara was stunned and petrified at this sudden happening! All his joy at the grace of the Lord vanished into thin air! Why has this happened? He had no clue! There was no other way but to approach the Lord himself to get an answer! Full of anguish for what happened, Sankara ran to the Lord and complained at the misconduct of Nandi! The Lord, as usual, was not perturbed in the least! Siva did not summon Nandi or ask for an explanation for his misconduct! He commanded Sankara to retain the forty nine verses in his possession as the initial work and compose the next fifty nine verses in praise of the Goddess! Sankara was not very happy at the turn of events! But he obeyed the command of Siva and returned!

Thus verses 1 to 41 are the original work of the Lord in which He describes ancient rituals or tantras and powerful mantras! The rest, verses 42 to100  are the delightful compositions of Adi Sankara focussed on the beauty and grace of Her personal appearance! With the glow and flow of devotional fervour and ecstasy, Sankara describes Her person and glorious attributes as the universal Mother Maha Tripurasundari! The more we read the verses and understand them the more we are amazed at the poetic grandeur of Sankara’s pen and his thought! It is pure and  unalloyed bliss for the reader whoever it may be. Sankara considers himself a sinner and unworthy of writing and describing her attributes! How about us, poor mortals? That is the humility and simplicity of great Saints and philosophers! It is the Will of Lalithambika that has egged me on to write on Her Soundarya Lahari in BLOGS for the benefit of my readers who may be eager to know more about Her power and Glory!

"VISHNU"--MEANING

Matter can neither be created nor destroyed! Nothing is lost when the candle burns! That is called the Law of indestructibility of Matter! It may look surprising but it is a fact. Matter can lose its shape and form but it will take a different form and shape. Destruction means transformation of one object into another. What happens when clay is destroyed? It has taken the shape of a  pot! When the pot is broken it shatters into pieces but the clay aspect remains. When it is powdered and pulverised the particles of clay mix with earth but are not destroyed totally!  Similarly Atma can neither be created nor destroyed. It is without a beginning, middle or end. Such Atma is retained by Paramatma and He acts very carefully during the period of Pralaya or deluge. It is said the great Markandeya Maharshi enjoyed the vision of that bliss! It is the prerogative of Paramatma to retain, protect and release the Atma according to situations!

A beautiful analogy of this action is that of the spider and its web! It weaves its sticky web and waits for small insects! The insects enter the web and are caught without any chance of release or liberation! The spider releases a thin thread to catch insects and again withdraws it into itself! The very object of the spider is to catch as many insects as possible and feast over them! Similarly Paramatma releases that which is in Him and later withdraws every creature into himself! He swallows up everything and protects and brings them out once again! It is He that grants boons.He himself is the Creator! He is the one that is created! He eats everything and is being swallowed! For the Grace of Lord Vishnu, one has to surrender himself and everything that belongs to him. He should pray that the Lord should take over all his responsibilities!

One of the most common names of the Lord is Vishnu. What does that name signify? The Upanishad and the scriptures proclaim, “ ajayamano bahudha vijayate”--without birth, He is born in many! and “ Ekah paratma bahudeha varti”- the One Paramatma manifests in many bodies! In other words Paramatma is all pervading. There is not not a single atom or a fraction of it that is not filled with It!  Anything that is all pervading is called Vishnu! In the sloka on Sri Vinayaka, we find the word ‘Vishnu’. It has nothing to do with Lord Vishnu! It only means that Lord Vinayaka is all pervading!The Brahma Sutras lay down the requisites for the Parabrahman. What is He? What distinguishes Him from all other minor gods and others? The loftiest of all Gods, the Lord of everything in the universe should not have three important defects!

The Brahma Sutras lay down, “ Dushana traya rahityam Brahmanah parama lakshanam”. The Absolute should be free from three defects! The very fact that He is all pervading and all encompassing is a proof that he has no such defects! These are explained according to Tarka Sastra or Logic. What are the three defects which the Absolute should avoid? They are “ avyapti, ativyapti and asmbhavam” A clear research into the name Vishnu proves that the Absolute is devoid of these three defects! The word Vyapti means spreading all over. Avyapti is the opposite of Vyapti ie  not spreading. Asmbhavam is something that can never happen. When I say the cow is white it doesn't mean that all cows are white. This is avyaptidefect. When I remark that all cows have horns and find horns on buffaloes too, there is the defect of ativyapti! A person points to another and says that he has taken bath in mirage and he has the lotus from the sky on his head and that he has a bow made of the horn of the rabbit! This is an example of the defect asambhavam. One can never take bath in a mirage as there is no water! There is no lotus in the sky and rabbit has no horn at all!  

As Paramatma in the form of Vishnu is all pervading, we can never attribute the ‘avyapti’ defect to Him. He is the inner spirit of all animals plants, nature, mountains rivers and above all the Atma in all of us! There is no power higher than the Absolute Brahman! Hence there is no ativyapti defect in Him! There is nothing that is not in Him! Hence He has no ‘asambhava’ dosha!? It is because He transcends and remains above all these defects he is called Vishnu the all pervading, Omnipresent, Omnipotent and omniscient  God! Arjuna was dumbfounded at the vision of Viswarupa that the Lord gave him on the battlefield of Kurukshetra! He was aghast at the worlds in the stomach of the Lord! He saw many people being swallowed up by the gigantic form! He shook with fear and after viewing the mighty form prayed Krisna to revert to his usual human form. Thus Paramatma comes in different forms, creates, protects and destroys everything according to  His Will! There is nothing that he cannot do! He is “ Sarva Vyapi” who has pervaded in allHis creation

THE PRINCIPLE OF THE JIVA

The Atma has no beginning, middle or end! It is indestructible. Krishna describes it as “ nainam chindanti shastrani nainam dahati pavakah..” It cannot be injured by shastras nor burnt by fire. It cannot be made wet or dried up! Krishna tells Arjuna that he should not feel sorry to kill his own kith and kin as Atma cannot be killed and bodies cannot live forever! They are bound to die one day or other! Man is a combination of Divinity and other qualities. We are all chips of the same block which is God himself! The Atma that resides in the innermost recess of our heart is nothing but the Supreme Brahman which is the root cause of everything! What is the nature of this Atma? What is Jivatma and how does it differ from Paramatma or the Absolute Brahman? We are under the illusion that Atma dies and is reborn. When it enters a body it is called birth! When the body dies we mistake it as the death of the Atma! The Bhagavad-Gita and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad confirm this view.

The Taittiriya Upanishad states that the Absolute Brahman enters the body as the Atma! “ Tat srushtwa tadeva anupravisat (11.6). Chandogya Upanishad asserts that Brahman transforms itself into the Atma! “ jivena atmana anupravisya”. During the waking hours dreams and sleep this great

principle of Atma is present as the illumination of Knowledge! Why does the Atma think that it is subject to body and death? It is because of ignorance or avidya! It is because of its never ending association with the creations of Maya or illusions like the body, buddhi or mind and others!  Totally oblivious of its  Existence Awareness Bliss -- Sat Chit Ananda it demotes itself with inferior associations! The universal Space or sky is everywhere. It is inside the pot also. But it appears to limit itself within the pot. Why is it so? The limitation of space within the pot diminishes the size of the sky or space. Similarly, determined by Buddhi and others, the Atma appears to be small! This explanation is called “Aviccheda Vadam” or argument.

There is another explanation or argument regarding the the principle of Jivatma or the Individual Soul.  The Sun is one only but appears to be many and different when he is reflected in pools, ponds, lakes, wells and the ocean! On this analogy, the one and only Absolute reflected through different nature of Minds is termed as Atmas! This argument is called the Theory of Reflection! -- “ Bimba Pratibimba Vadam”.These two theories pertain to the school of Advaita Philosophy. The saying “ Aham Brahmasmi’ - I myself am Brahman too reaffirms the same idea. The ‘I’ refers to the jivatma which is Divine. The ignorance of man lies in thinking that he is the Body! When I say “ “It is my hand” you are separate from the hand! You are not the hand! That “I” is the Atma tatwam which one has to realize! That is the purpose of which God has created man! But steeped in materialism and a rat race for money and luxuries of impermanent life, man is destroying himself steadily!

The Vishnu Purana also declares the identity of the Brahman and the Jiva! “ Says  “Saha Aham sa cha twam” --I am verily That; You are also That! Vishnu Purana reiterates that those who think differently are ignorant! “ Dwaitinaha api atathya darsinaha”  Brihadaranyaka Upanishad echoes the same idea when it declares that Atma is Brahman. This, according to the Upanishad, is the advice and ‘anuasana’- mandate of all the Vedas! Just like water assuming the shape and color of the container, the condition of the Jiva is dictated by the body into which it enters! The Jiva appears to suffer, enjoy and have all other experiences but transcends them all! He is never touched by them in reality.

A TEST FOR BHAKTHI

It is very difficult to understand and realize the wonderful Divine sports or Leela's of God! The Supreme Being, sporting the guise of an avatar, performs these leelas to entertain Himself and edify others! How can God, described as “ Asabda masparsa marupa mavyayam”--one without sound, without touch, without form and decline suffer sickness or disease like an ordinary mortal? The Almighty, in human form, takes upon Himself certain sickness or disease and pretends to suffer to observe the reactions of his bhakthas! That is the nature of God who has descended as an avatar--” Mayamanusha Vesha”, one who has come down with the illusory form of man! How can Lord Krishna suffer from inconvenience and fever on a particular day in Dwaraka? Sri Rudram declares that the first Doctor is God Himself! “ Prathamo daivyo bhishak”  This Divine Doctor not only pretends to suffer but prescribes the medicine that can cure the malady!

On a particular day, in Dwaraka, Krishna suddenly developed high fever and his whole body began shivering terribly! It couldn't be controlled! People were alarmed and didn't know what to do. Something has to be done to bring relief to Vasudeva!! Krishna Himself prescribed the medicine for His fever. It was a medicine that none expected! Krishna said that His fever will be cured if the dust under the feet of his bhaktas is brought and taken with water! People with the Lord were taken aback! Now the ticklish problem was to pinpoint who the great devotee of Krishna was!! They thought that there couldn't be a greater devotee of Krishna than the sage Vedavyasa.They approached and told him about the matter. Vyasa was aghast at the remedy suggested by Krishna! “How can I give that to Krishna to drink with water? Who gave this prescription?” he questioned with surprise and shock. He immediately left for Dwaraka to question Krishna on this. Those who had hopes on Vyasa were terribly disappointed! They had to find another extraordinary devotee to give relief to Krishna laid up with fever!

Uddhava was an exceptional bhakta of Lord Krishna. The went and approached him. the moment he heard of what the remedy was, he  swooned! It took a long time for them to bring him back to senses!  Uddhava trembled at what they wanted from him! “ How can you come to me expecting that I can give the dust under my feet for Krishna? I will go and demand an answer from Krishna Himself ” cried Uddhava seeing them. So saying Uddhava left for Dwaraka! On reaching Dwaraka, Uddhava was astounded to see Sage Vyasa already there! Krishna, with fever, was seated on his throne! Totally disappointed with Sage Vyasa and Uddhava, the seekers had to find different devotees who could offer their dust under the feet! They spotted sixteen lakh Gopikas and wanted to try their luck by reporting the agony of  Krishna suffering from fever. They wanted any great devotee to offer the dust under his feet so that Krishna could mix it with water and drink! It is only then that the Lord would be free from fever totally!

The moment the Gopikas heard the news of the sickness of the Lord, they were sad and depressed. They did not reply or offer any excuse. All of them sat own, took a coconut shell and started to scrape the dust under their feet! They collected the dust and loading it in eight carts despatched it directly to Dwaraka! The carts with “Gopika pada dhuli” arrived with their jingling music to where Krishna was sitting and Vyasa and Uddhava were standing! Both Vyasa and Uddhava were at a loss to understand what was happening! So many carts of ‘Gopika Pada  Dhuli’ specially for Lord Krishna! Unable to contain their amazement, Sage Vyasa and Uddhava exclaimed, “ Swami! What is this practice? What is this Divine sport? We fail to understand your leela!” How can mortal man understand what Sage Vyasa and Uddhava could not understand?

“ I know what you are and I also know what type of people the Gopikas are! I will tell you now your state of mind as well as the state of mind of the Gopikas!”, continued  Krishna. “You think that I am Paramatma and offering Me the dust under your feet is prohibited and a great sin! You are afraid that you have to suffer in hell if you do so and hence refuse! The Gopikas are also aware of the sin they commit and are afraid of the experience of hell! Despite these inhibitions, they offered their ‘pada dhuli’. Why? The Gopikas are not bothered of their being spoiled; nor they fear hell! If their sufferings and trials and tribulations can cure Krishna of His fever why not the pada dhuli' be sent to Him? They sacrificed themselves so that Krishna may live! That is their way of thinking!,” concluded Lord Krishna. Uddhava was dumbfounded and exclaimed that he had not come across or heard of such self effacing devotion and love as that of the Gopikas! Why does God behave like this during the period of His avatar? It is only to test the devotion of his bhaktas ant to establish the greatness of his true devotee! There are innumerable instances of God testing his bhaktha and declaring the extraordinary bhakthi that the devotee has for the Lord! The story of Kannappa Nayanar is one of the many such stories!

FOOD AND DEVOTION

God is always in search of His real and true devotee! External show and paraphernalia does not attract Him! He likes the person who has surrendered himself totally to the will of God.he also loves one who always thinks of Him day in and day out! It is not necessary that you should chant the name of God loudly disturbing yourself and others! Chanting the name of the Lord within one’s heart is much more powerful and effective than chanting loudly. Sages and yogis practice internal Japa or chanting. In the Mahabharatha Vidura is such a character. His devotion to the Lord was spotless but he was humble and none could gauge the depth of his devotion! It was Krishna himself who recognized Vidura’s devotion and made others' understand what a great bhakta Vidura was! Bhishma Pitamaha, Drona, Duryodhana and others anxiously awaited the arrival of Krishna. The unexpected happens at certain times. One whom we expect doesn't turn up while the person whom we least expect turns up suddenly! Shattering all the anticipations of those awaiting Him, the Lord went to the residence of Vidura who lived a simple spartan life!

Vidura was thrilled and did not know what to do in his excitement at the sudden arrival of the Lord! He welcomed Him. He took a plantain, peeled it off and instead of offering the fruit gave the Lord the peel! Recognizing the pure devotion of his bhaktha, the Lord accepted and ate it! Vidura, though he saw it, was oblivious of what was happening! The Lord too didn't appear to notice the change in the taste of the peel! It is an example of what exactly draws the Supreme to His bhaktha. He is not bothered about what man offers. He is very much particular of the devotion with which the material is offered to Him! Duryodhana was crestfallen. He took exception to Krishna’s visit to Vidura’s home while he and others waited to welcome him grandly. He questioned how Krishna could visit and have food in the house of an ordinary person while all others waited to offer their hospitality. Duryodhana was the embodiment of arrogance and ego.The Lord gave him a fitting reply. In a beautiful sloka Lord Krishna replied: “ Suddham Bhagavatasyannam  Suddham Bhagirati jalam. Suddham Vishnu pada dhyanam.  Suddham Ekadasi Vratam”

“Annam Brahmeti vyajanath” says the Upanishad! It is equal to the Supreme Brahman. Without Annam life cannot exist.The Lord points out that the food left over by the great devotees is pure and worthy to be eaten by all others. It means the food remaining in the vessels from which it was served to the devotees. That is called “Sesham”. It is the faith and belief that by taking the remainder of food eaten by the devotees we can wipe away all our sins! Any desire or feeling to commit sin shall be warded off by taking in such food! One has to realize the extraordinary power of such Annam and eat and relish it! The character of a person depends on what type of food he takes. The food and vegetables that we take are of three types viz Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic food! People who take sattvic food are soft, gentle and righteous in general, The second, Rajasik makes persons irritable, rash proud and arrogant The third, Tamasic, brings out lazy, sluggish, and thick skinned people! People who dine in  these persons’ homes develop the very qualities of the food they take! Evil propensities or good qualities are generated unknowingly according to the nature of food served!

An atithi came into a house and was warmly welcomed by the house holder. After a good and wholesome feast he went to the backyard to wash his hands. The host expected him to come back so that he could honor him and offer him dakshina or sambhavana. But to the utter shock of the house holder, the guest did not come back! Not only did he not return but he drove away the host’s cow tied up in a corner! They began searching for the cow when a person informed the house holder that a person was seen driving away his cow at the corner of the village! The host ran with a few to fetch the cow back. At length, they caught the Individual and questioned why he didn't not come back after washing his hands but stole the cow in the corner of the house.They demanded an answer from him for his ungrateful act. The moment he was asked this question, he started crying bitterly and sat down in the same place.

“ I have not committed any mistake so far”, said the man. “But today, if I have stolen the cow,  that may be because I had taken food in your house! It is astonishing that in one day my mind has been spoiled! I wonder what would have happened to me if I had stayed for four days and eaten at your home! I would have been transformed into a terrible thief! I shudder at the terrible atrocities I would have committed if only I had remained with you and taken food at your home!” You have totally spoiled me by offering food!” the man concluded. Great people generally don't take food in homes of all and sundry! We don't know what type of people they are. One has to consider the nature of the house, how does the head of the family earn money, righteously or through devious ways, whether the members worship God and whether the members of the family are good! Hence the significance of eating food in the homes of devotees of the Lord. You should not eat at the homes of Tom, Dick and Harry! It is said that the evil thoughts of the cook do have a disastrous effect on those that take the food prepared by him! Lord Krishna thus brought out the exceptional devotion of Vidura and the importance of the type of food we take and from whom!

BEWARE Of YOUR INDRIYAS

The” Arishadvargas” are invincible! Egged on by the senses and the Indriyas man becomes a helpless victim to satisfy them! However great an individual may be morally and spiritually he is bound by the craving of his indriyas and has to abide by them! Even his knowledge and scholarship fails him in such circumstances! We have many examples of such failures in our Puranas. Was Sage Viswamitra an ordinary person? What about Ahalya and the great devotee of Siva, Ravana, king of Lanka? The Katha Upanishad proclaims: “ Know that the Self is like the lord of the chariot, and the body is his chariot. Know that the intellect is the charioteer and the mind the reins. The senses they say, are the horses, the objects of the senses their roads. When the Self is in union with the body, the senses and the mind the wise call Him the enjoyer.”     The intellect has to instruct the mind to rein in the horses or the Indriyas lest they may go in an uncontrollable gallop and throw down the charioteer!

There was an acharya who was instructing the daughter of a king from her early years. He was seventy years of age. The king's daughter grew up and was now a beautiful young damsel of eighteen years. Seeing her stand before him with exceptional youth and bewitching beauty, he was bitten by the love bug and desired to marry her- a desire that he should not have entertained! In order to accomplish his desire he made out a plan. He met the court astrologer secretly and asked him to inform the king that if his daughter remained in the kingdom for a week more, his entire kingdom will be destroyed. The king would ask the astrologer for the remedy. Then the astrologer should tell the king that he should keep his daughter in a comfortable box and leave the box in the nearby river! The king, in implicit faith and obedience would act accordingly. The rest the acharya would look after! The astrologer, being a very good friend of the teacher, went to the king and informed the king about the impending disaster!

The king was in a dilemma. He loved his daughter very much. But he loved his kingdom and the people better. He did not want his subjects suffer on account of his selfishness and love for his daughter. He got a big comfortable box, made his daughter sit, locked the box and as directed by the astrologer left it to drift in the river! The teacher was a clever fellow. He had planned what he should do! He went to the seventh port on the river and waited there patiently. Man proposes but God disposes! The king of the neighboring state had  come on a hunting spree and had rested at the fourth port on the river. The box with the king's daughter drifted along and came to the fourth port! The prince, spied the coming box with astonishment and ordered his men to bring the box! They went and brought the strange box. When they broke the lock, to their utter amazement and pleasant shock the prince saw a divinely beautiful young girl in her teens! There was love at first sight! The moment the king's daughter saw the prince, she liked him and both married as per the Gandharva wedding rituals by exchanging garlands! She narrated the treacherous plan of her teacher to the prince.The prince wanted to teach a lesson to the teacher. He put a live bear that he had captured during the hunt in the same box, locked it and allowed it move on the waters of the river!

The acharya was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the box with his dear student, the king’s daughter! The moment the box was seen it was brought to him and then taken to a dilapidated temple nearby. The teacher ordered his disciples to go away as he closed the door. He directed them not to open the door whatever sound or noise may be heard from inside! With expectation of amorous experience and  trepidation, the teacher removed the lock and opened the box. No sooner did he open the box than the angry bear pounced upon and caught his throat in its terrible grip! He shrieked with fear but the sishyas did not react or open the door! Somehow he managed to pierce himself out of the door and escaped through the skin of his teeth! Fresh from this deadly experience he said that it should be a lesson to the entire world! He was humiliated because of his amorous advances towards the king’s daughter at his advanced age when such feelings should not have come!

This is how the Indriyas dump even the greatest of sages, scholars, kings and emperors! Our Indriyas and senses are our inveterate enemies and bend even the strongest person physically, mentally or spiritually! We are aghast at the heinous crimes being committed in our society today! There is not a single day when rapes, gang rapes and abductions are not reported in dailies! The worst thing is that minors and even small children are being raped! Old men of seventy years are involved in raping minors and children! This is a very dangerous situation and we do not know where this will lead us to! Man has become a slave of his emotions. Morality has taken a back seat! The Government, in spite of draconian laws is unable to control the menace! Until man controls his indriyas through spirituality, yoga and other practices, these propensities will not leave him!!

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NINDATI CHANDANA MINDU KIRANA.. Jayadeva's 8th Ashtapadi

The Bhagavata Purana glorifies the Divine sports of Lord Vishnu and hence it it is called the Bhagavata! One of the amazing sports of the Lord is the “Rasa Leela” in which He takes countless forms and dances with innumerable Gopikas satisfying their insatiable yearning for togetherness with Krishna! Earlier, the Gopikas had suffered indescribable pangs of love for union with  Madhava! The Gopikas are considered as the greatest devotees or bhaktas for they never cared for anything but the sight and presence of Krishna before them! The had sacrificed everything for their Krishna! They never wanted to be separated from Krishna even for a fraction of a second! The story of Radha and Madhava is said to be the symbolic representation of the union of the Jivatma with the Parmatma! It represents how the Jiva is lovelorn and languid when it is separated from the Deva or Paramatma! The Gopikas can never subsist for a second without the presence of their Madhava! According to a story, Sachi Devi, Indra’s wife visited Vaikunta once and fell in love with the wonderful beauty of Lord Vishnu! The Lord granted that He would be born as Krishna in Dwapara yuga when her wish would be fulfilled! Thus Sachi Devi took birth as the sister of Nanda, the foster father of Krishna in Gokulam! She is none other than Radha, the epitome of a lady love who cannot live without her Madhva even for a second!

The great Bengali poet Jayadeva has described the Divine Sports of Lord Krishna in his “Magnum opus”  Gita Govinda. Krishna is the hero of his ‘Kavya’, Gita Govinda! Radha is the heroine! Whatever happens between the lover and the lady is beautifully and faithfully described by the poet! The sudden change of moods, the pangs of separation or ‘Viraha’, the suspicion of the lady on her lover, are portrayed as seen through a magnifying glass! Jaya Deva throughout describes the hero and heroine in “Sringara Rasa!” Though the entire description is erotic the element of devotion and surrender to the Lord runs as an undercurrent throughout his ‘Ashtapadis.’ Every Ashtapadi is a gem of superb Divine composition recording the diverse changing moods of Radha and the reports of her friends on the guiles and mischief of Madhava! In the eighth Ashtapadi starting with “ Nindati chandana mindhukirana manu vindati kheda madhiram” Krishna after meditating on Radha for long has seated himself in a bush! He has stopped searching for Radha. Spotting Krishna there, Radha’s friend stands before Him and addresses thus!

“O Madhava! Radha’s state is very pathetic. Her pangs of separation from you are indescribable!l She is afraid that she would be overwhelmed by the arrows of Manmatha! She is abusing the cool fragrant sandal paste as well as the comforting rays of the moon! She considers the gentle breeze coming from the fragrant sandalwood trees as poisonous! She is afraid that the flower arrows of Manmatha may injure you in her heart! Hence she has shielded her heart with moistened leaves of the lotus! O Pundarikaksha! Expecting the ecstasy of your deep embrace, she has reclined on the bed arranged by Manmatha’s five flowers. It is the repository of all acts of sringara! (the five flowers are: Aravinda, Asoka, chuta, navamallika and nilotpala). It appears that Radha is performing  some Vrata! Unable to bear your separation, tears are raining from her eyes! Her enchantingly beautiful face shines as if it is eclipsed by Rahu, the demon!”

“O Krishna! Much agitated by your love, Radha has seated herself in a rendezvous and is carving out an image of the love God, Manmatha with fragrant “Kasthuri!” Then she painted  below the idol, the figure of the peacock, the vahana of Manmatha! She then wrote a tender twig of mango as the arrow of the love God!  Later she addressed and bowed to him saying “O, the God of Five Arrows! Don't torture me!”  Radha, taking control of you through her meditation and visualizing you before her, is weeping! She is laughing at times and feeling sorrow at other times! She feels miserable at the next moment! Suddenly she leaves for some other place forgetting her sorrow!”

“O Sri Hari! Every moment she is calling out “ O Madhava! I have taken refuge in your lotus feet! As You are invisible to me and present at some other place, the moon is burning my body with his cold rays!” She suffers thus and is always thinking of you”  Poet Jayadeva addresses the devotees and says that if they feel that his words are the best, they should enjoy them in full! They should listen to the words of the friend of Radha suffering from the pangs of love or Viraha! It is only a lover or scholar of Sanskrit language who can enjoy every word of the description of Radha pining away for the Divine company of Krishna. Is it not the union of the Jivatma with Paramatma the be all and end all of human existence on this terra firma?

ON LONELINESS

Is it possible for man to be lonely? It is practically impossible. The moment the child sees the light of the day different relationships are attached to it! Father, mother,uncle, aunt, brother, sister, grand father grand mother and various other connections attach themselves to the child! Where is the question of loneliness? Parents and all other relatives dote on the child and do not allow the child to walk even on the floor! That is the type of filial bond and affection shown to the child in a family.! Surrounded by parents and others who fondle the child, it develops attachment even from the very early period of its life. The attachment increases day by day and when the child grows into man, these attachments have established their roots firmly in human nature!  Man without company is a fish out of water! He cannot sustain himself without someone to talk to or listen to. Man abhors loneliness. He wants always to be in some company good or bad. “The eternal quest of the Individual human being is to shatter his loneliness.” says

Norman Cousins. What is this loneliness? Different people have different opinions.

Loneliness is the expression of the pain of being alone without any company. “ Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty”, remarks Mother Teresa. Loneliness is considered to be dangerous and addictive. Once you realize how peaceful it is you don’t want to deal with people. The pessimist feels that life is full of misery, loneliness and suffering and it is all over much too soon. According to a writer, “ I don't fear death so much as I fear it's prologues-loneliness, depression, pain etc. After a few years of those I imagine death presents like a holiday at the beach.” Life is not a bed of roses nor is it a bed of thorns! But the hardest walk is walking alone. Loneliness is hated so much that it is called the biggest disease known to mankind and compared to leprosy! There is nothing in the world that breaks the spirit of man as loneliness! Is man really alone? A person shuts himself in a room, doesn't allow anyone inside and declares that he is in “ Ekantha” or loneliness!  How stupid he is! He thinks that no one can see or hear him! There is nothing like loneliness according to our Sastras. Fourteen observers are looking at and hearing you silently without being seen by you!

Who are these invisible silent observers? The sky above,the earth below, mother cow, and the Gods related to these are having an eye on you! Can you cheat the God who is seated in the innermost recess of your heart or Manas? He is the witness of every moment of your action and thought! In the Bhagavad-Gita when Arjuna becomes despondent and throws down his bow Gandiva and the arrows, the Lord rains questions on him. Arjuna says that he is not enamored of kingdom, name or fame or victory or happiness. Krishna again questions if his brothers would accept his decision.Then Arjuna replies that Krishna, as the Divinity in his heart or Manas knows everything! In short, we are deceiving ourselves by imagining that our thoughts and actions are not being observed! There is that Inner Voice that alerts you for every good or bad thought and action! That is the Soul or Paramatma who is termed as the “ Sarva Sakshi”-- the witnesser of all! One can never evade Him! So it is absolutely wrong to say that you are alone and unobserved!

Is there anything good about Loneliness? “Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.” says Henry Rollins. Sometimes Loneliness inspires the individual! Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, alone in his cell during incarceration, didn't waste time. He wrote “The Discovery of India” that became his magnum opus! We are told that even Aurobindo in his loneliness in jail spent his time usefully! The flash of inspiration came to  Pythagoras in his tub when he was alone! All precious and great thing are alone! Loneliness does not mean that you are without company. It means that no one cares! In company you are  likely to be subjected to praise or criticism. Hence it is better to be alone as nobody can hurt you.

It is said that in the silence of solitude God can be visualized! Yogis and sages have retired into the forest for meditation and tapas to realize God! Loneliness and avoiding the company of unnecessary things and people helps in concentration and spiritual elevation. “ Never say you are alone for you are not alone. Your Good and genius is within” says the famous philosopher Epictetus! The everlasting indestructible all pervading Spirit or Atma is enshrined in the heart every creature on earth! That company can never be lost however much one tries in his life! It is loneliness that eggs the person on to realize his SELF and merge into the BRAHMAN like a drop of water into the calm Ocean. “At the innermost of all loneliness is a deep and powerful yearning for union with one’s s lost Self!”