Monday, December 22, 2008

Free from Selfish Attachments

That devotee who looks upon friend and foe with equal regard, who is not buoyed up by praise nor cast down by blame, alike in heat and cold, pleasure and pain, free from selfish attachments, the same in honor and dishonor, quiet, ever full, in harmony everywhere, firm in faith--such a one is dear to me.

-Bhagavad Gita 12:18-19

Why do you run about so wretchedly ?

Knowing yourself as That
In which the worlds rise and fall
Like waves in the ocean,
Why do you run about so wretchedly?

-Ashtavakra Gita 3:3

Why one utters Cruel words ?

Why would anyone speak cruel words,
Having observed the happiness that kind words confer?

To utter harsh words when sweet ones would serve
Is like eating unripe fruits when ripe ones are at hand.

-Tirukkural 10: 99-100

Cessation of Mind

Don't think about ideas such as bondage and liberation, simply abandon all craving and through wisdom and dispassion bring about the cessation of the mind. Even if the wish "may I be liberated" arises, the mind will come back to life.

-Maharamayana

Friday, December 19, 2008

Evolution of Hinduism - Sankhya




(Click on the picture - if not visible properly)

Evolution of Hinduism - (Main Table)

Hinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as Sanātana Dharma, a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its practitioners.

I have tried to depict the evolution of this eternal law over the time in history to the present age.
In this section i will try to draw a table diagram to prove how Hinduism has developed or evolved over the ages with the changing period or centuries. And also it is fascinating to know that the base of this eternal law remains firm at its place.

Evolution of Hinduism - (Main Table)



(Click on the Picture - if it is not readable properly)

Note: This is the just the main chart of my article. I will try to draw subsequent charts (a - f) as time permits. Also, i will write a relevant commentary for each chart.

Chart (a) - Diagram
Chart (a) - Commentary

Chart(b) - Diagram
Chart(b) - Commentary

Chart(c) - Diagram
Chart(c) - Commentary

Chart(d) - Diagram
Chart(d) - Commentary

Chart(e) - Diagram
Chart(e) - Commentary

Chart(f) - Diagram
Chart(f) - Commentary

I sincerely, hope you all enjoy reading my writings.

"Tathastu"

Hinduism: Some Facts

meaning of name

Hinduism, from the Persian hindu (Sanskrit sindhu), literally "river." Means "of the Indus Valley" or simply "Indian." Hindus call their religion sanatama dharma,"eternal religion" or "eternal truth."

date founded

Earliest forms date to 1500 BC or earlier

place founded

India

founder

none

adherents

900 million

size rank

third largest in the world

main location

India, also United Kingdom and United States

major sects

Saivism, Vaisnavism, Saktism

sacred texts

Vedas, Upanishads, Sutras, Bhagavad Gita

original language

Sanskrit

spiritual leader

guru or sage

place of worship

temple or home shrine

theism

pantheism with polytheistic elements

ultimate reality

Brahman

human nature

in bondage to ignorance and illusion, but able to escape

purpose of life

to attain liberation (moksa) from the cycle of reincarnation

how to live

order life according to the dharma

afterlife

if karma unresolved, soul is born into a new body; if karma resolved, attain moksa (liberation)

major holidays

Mahashivarati (mid-February)
Holi (Spring)
Ramnavami (late March)
Dusserah (early November)
Diwali (mid-November)

Hinduism by the Numbers

three paths:

* karmamarga - path of works and action
* jnanamarga - path of knowledge or philosophy
* bhaktimarga - path of devotion to God

three debts:

* debt to God
* debt to sages and saints
* debt to ancestors

four stages of life:

* brahmacharga - school years - grow and learn
* grhastha - marriage, family and career
* vanaprastha - turn attention to spiritual things
* sanrgasu - abandon world to seek spiritual things

four purposes of life:

* dharma - fulfill moral, social and religious duties
* artha - attain financial and worldy success
* kama - satisfy desires and drives in moderation
* moksha - attain freedom from reincarnation

seven sacred cities:

* Ayodhya
* Mathura
* Gaya (Bodhgaya)
* Kasi (Varanasi, Benares)
* Kanci
* Avantika (Ujjain)
* Dvaraka

ten commitments:

1. Ahimsa - do no harm
2. Satya - do not lie
3. Asteya - do not steal
4. Brahmacharya - do not overindulge
5. Aparigraha - do not be greedy
6. Saucha - be clean
7. Santosha - be content
8. Tapas - be self-disciplined
9. Svadhyaya - study
10. Ishvara Pranidhana - surrender to God

Sources

1. "Hinduism." Oxford Concise Dictionary of World Religions.
2. "Hinduism." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service. 2004.
3. Huston Smith, The World's Religions.
4. Linda Johnsen, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism, pp. 222-24.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Simply being Together

When you are with someone you love very much, you can talk and it is pleasant, but the reality is not in the conversation. It is in simply being together. Meditation is the highest form of prayer. In it you are so close to God that you don't need to say a thing--it is just great to be together.

-Swami Chetananda

A spark of my Essence

But there is no end to my divine attributes, Arjuna; these I have mentioned are only a few. Wherever you find strength, or beauty, or spiritual power, you may be sure that these have sprung from a spark of my essence.

-Bhagavad Gita 10:40-41

Fearless and Deathless

"That which moves about in joy in the dreaming state is the Self, fearless and deathless. That is Brahman, the supreme."

-Chandogya Upanishad

Should You Spread the Faults of Friends?‏

If men are disposed to spread the faults of friends,
What deadly harm might they do to strangers?

-Tirukkural 188

The Practise of Meditation

Some realize the Self within them through the practice of meditation, some by the path of wisdom, and others by selfless service.

Others may not know these paths; but hearing and following the instructions of an illumined teacher, they too go beyond death.

-Bhagavad Gita 13:24-25

The Eternal Brahman

True sustenance is in service, and through it a man or woman reaches the eternal Brahman. But those who do not seek to serve are without a home in this world.

-Bhagavad Gita 4:31

He is the Source

He is the source of all powers of life.
He is the lord of all, the great seer
Who dwells forever in the cosmic womb.
May he purify our consciousness!
O Lord, in whom alone we can find peace,
May we see your divine Self and be freed
From all impure thoughts and all fear.

-Shvetashvatara Upanishad

Defend yourself against Hatred

Dread hatred from within and defend yourself against it.
In calamitous times it will cut deeper than a potter's knife.

-Tirukkural 89: 883

Realize the Self

Those who realize the Self are always satisfied. Having found the source of joy and fulfillment they no longer seek happiness from the external world. They have nothing to gain or lose by any action; neither people nor things can affect their security.

-Bhagavad Gita

The Mind is an Object

The mind is an object of perception
like the eternal world.
The Atman, the real seer,
remains unknown.

-Pantanjali

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Listen to Learned

Even though he has no learning, if a man but listens to the learned
That will be his staff of strength in adversity.

Words from the lips of upright men
Are like a steadying staff in a slippery place.

-Tirukkural 42:414-415

The Separate Self

The Lord of Love holds in his hand the world,
Composed of the changing and the changeless,
The manifest and the unmanifest.
The separate self, not yet aware of the Lord,
Goes after pleasure, only to become
Bound more and more. When it sees the Lord,
There comes an end to its bondage.

-Shvetashvatara Upanishad

A man's wealth

If his countenance is harsh and access to him is hard,
A man's wealth, however vast, might as well belong to a demon.

If he is unkind and speaks cruelly,
A man's lofty wealth cannot last long--it ends right there.

Virulent language and overly severe punishment,
Like a keen file, grind down a king's conquering powers.

-Tirukkural 57: 565-567

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Wisdom is the Milk

The milk of cows of any hue is white.
The sages say that wisdom is the milk
And the sacred scriptures are the cows.

-Amritabindu Upanishad

Source: BeliefNet

Follow the Path

Those who follow the path of service, who have completely purified themselves and conquered their senses and self-will, see the Self in all creatures and are untouched by any activity they perform.

-Bhagavad Gita 5:7

Cosmic Consciousness

Even as rock remains rock, carved or uncarved, consciousness remains consciousness whether the world appears or not. The world-appearance is but an empty expression; its substance is nothing but consciousness.

In fact, even these manifestations and modifications are but Brahman, the cosmic consciousness—though not in the sense of manifestation or modification. Even this distinction—modification in the sense of modification, or any other sense—is meaningless in Brahman. When such expressions are used in relation to Brahman, the meaning is quite different, like water in the mirage.

-From the Yoga Vasishtha

Guru

If all the land were turned to paper and all the seas turned to ink, and all the forests into pens to write with, they would still not suffice to describe the greatness of the guru.

-Kabir

One Blade of Grass

As a caterpillar, having come to the end of one blade of grass, draws itself together and reaches out for the next, so the Self, having come to the end of one life and dispelled all ignorance, gathers in his faculties and reaches out from the old body to a new.

-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Distraction by False Imagining

Meditation is needed
Only when the mind is distracted
By false imagining.

Knowing this,
I am here.

Without joy or sorrow,
Grasping at nothing, spurning nothing,
O Master, I am here.

-Ashtavakra Gita 12:3-4

Live in the World Like...

Live in the world like a waterfowl. The water clings to the bird, but the bird shakes it off. Live in the world like a mudfish. The fish lives in the mud, but its skin is always bright and shiny.

-Ramakrishna

Refrain from Unrighteous Retaliation

Though unjustly aggrieved, it is best to suffer the suffering
And refrain from unrighteous retaliation.

Let a man conquer by forbearance
Those who in their arrogance have wronged him.

-Tirukkural 16: 158-159

Many Men... One Wilderness

I see only one.

Many men,
One wilderness.

Then to what may I cling?

-Ashtavakra Gita 2:21

Eloquence of Speech

The content of worthy speech binds friends more closely,
And its eloquence draws even enemies to listen.

-Tirukkural 65:643

Self

The Self is one. Ever still, the Self is
Swifter than thought, swifter than the senses.
Though motionless, he outruns all pursuit.
Without the Self, never could life exist.

-Isha Upanishad

Diligent Effort

Never say in weakness, "This task is too difficult,"
For perseverance will give the ability to accomplish it.

Beware of leaving any work undone, for the world
Will abandon those who abandon their work unfinished.

The pride of profuse giving dwells only
With the dignity of diligent effort.

-Tirukkural, 62:611-613

Sweet Words Spoken

Better than a gift given with a joyous heart
Are sweet words spoken with a cheerful smile.

-Tirukkural 92

Like Two Golden Birds

The ego and the Self dwell as intimate friends in the same body, like two golden birds perched in the same tree. The ego eats the sweet and sour fruits of the tree, while the Self looks on detached. For as long as you identify with the ego, you will feel joy and sorrow.

-Mundaka Upanishad

Control Your Senses

Those who abstain from action while allowing the mind to dwell on sensual pleasure can not be called sincere spiritual aspirants. But they excel who control their senses through the mind, using them for selfless service.

-Bhagavad Gita 3:6-7

Be Free

Inwardly be free of all hopes and desires, but outwardly do what needs to be done. Without hopes in your heart, live as if you were full of hopes. Live with your heart now cool and now warm, just like everyone else. Inwardly give up the idea "I am the doer," yet outwardly engage in all activities. This is how to live in the world, completely free from the least trace of ego.

-Maharamayana

Wherever you go, Be Happy

Desire and aversion are of the mind.
The mind is never yours.
You are free of its turmoil.

You are awareness itself,
Never changing.

Wherever you go,
Be happy.

-Ashtavakra Gita 15:5

God Alone Is..

A poor devotee points to the sky and says, "God is up there." An average devotee says, "God dwells in the heart as the Inner Master." The best devotee says, "God alone is and everything I perceive is a form of God."

-Ramakrishna

Thoughtless Glutton

The thoughtless glutton who gorges himself beyond
His digestive fire's limits will be consumed by limitless ills.

-Tirukkural 947

What is Brahman ?

Brahman is the Self hidden in everyone. He is only obvious to those who, minds focused one-pointedly on the Lord of Love, nurture intuitive knowledge. Meditation leads them deeper into consciousness, passing from the world to thoughts, and beyond thoughts to the wisdom of the Self.

-Katha Upanishad

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Should You Be Courteous to Enemies?‏

The world commends the civility of those
who combine fruitful effort and kindly benevolence.

Disparaging words are painful even when uttered in jest.
Hence, knowers of human nature are courteous even to enemies.

-Tirukkural 100: 994-995

Friday, November 14, 2008

Are you Drawn towards Compassion ?

Those whose hearts are drawn toward compassion
Will never be drawn into the dark and woeful world.

Evil deeds dreaded by the soul will not afflict
The compassionate who foster and protect all life.

-Tirukkural 25: 243-244

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Stand Firm, Grow Rich

Waste not food, waste not water, waste not fire;
Fire and water exist to serve the Self.
Those who realize the Self within the heart
Stand firm, grow rich, gather a family
Around them, and receive the love of all.

-Taittiriya Upanishad

Who Sees the Lord Everywhere

Just as a reservoir is of little use when the whole countryside is flooded, scriptures are of little use to the illumined man or woman who sees the Lord everywhere.

-Bhagavad Gita 2:46

Meditation

Meditation is needed
Only when the mind is distracted
By false imagining.

Knowing this,
I am here.

Without joy or sorrow,
Grasping at nothing, spurning nothing,
O Master, I am here.

-Ashtavakra Gita 12:3-4

Should You Do Things Without Asking?

Of what purpose is longstanding fellowship
If friends' familiar actions are not accepted as one's own?

Familiar with familiarity, the wise are not annoyed
When friends do things without asking.

-Tirukkural 81:803-804

Hold on to Nothing

Striving and craving,
For pleasure or prosperity,
These are your enemies,
Springing up to destroy you
From the presumptions of virtue.

Let them all go.
Hold on to nothing.

-Ashtavakra Gita 10:1

Decision We Make

Whatever decision we think we are making is actually being made for us, because the decision is the end result of a thought and we have no control over the arising of the thought.

-Ramesh Balsekar

Action Is Better Than Inaction

Fulfill all your duties; action is better than inaction. Even to maintain your body, Arjuna, you are obliged to act. Selfish action imprisons the world. Act selflessly, without any thought of personal profit.

-Bhagavad Gita 3:8-9

Who Does God Reveal Himself To?‏

God reveals Himself to a devotee who feels drawn to Him by the combined force of these three attractions: the attraction of worldly possessions for the worldly man, the child's attraction for its mother, and the husband's attraction for the chaste wife. If one feels drawn to him by the combined force of these three attractions, then one can attain him.

-Ramakrishna

The Light and the Dark

These two paths, the light and the dark, are said to be eternal, lending some to liberation and others to rebirth. Once you have known these two paths, Arjuna, you can never be deluded again. Attain this knowledge through perseverance in yoga. There is merit in studying the scriptures, in selfless service, austerity, and giving, but the practice of meditation carries you beyond all these to the supreme abode of the highest Lord.

-Bhagavad Gita 8:26-28

Mastery

The fool tries to control his mind.
How can he ever succeed?

Mastery always comes naturally
To the man who is wise
And who loves himself.

-Ashtavakra Gita 18:41

The Earth Is Mother

Impart to us those vitalizing forces
that come, O Earth, from deep within your body,
your central point, your navel; purify us wholly.
The Earth is mother; I am son of Earth.
The Rain-giver is my father; may he shower on us
blessings!

-Rig Veda

Before You Speak

Before you speak, ask yourself, is it kind, is it necessary, is it true, does it improve on the silence?

-Sai Baba

Expect No Return for Dutiful Giving

The benevolent expect no return for their dutiful giving.
How can the world ever repay the rain cloud?

It is to meet the needs of the deserving
That the worthy labor arduously to acquire wealth.

-Tirukkural 22: 211-213

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

What Pleasure It Is

What pleasure it is to human beings everywhere
When their children possess knowledge surpassing their own!

When a mother hears her son heralded a good and learned man,
Her joy exceeds that of his joyous birth.

-Tirukkural 7:68-69

Your Beauty is Infinite

For have you not heard?
You are pure awareness,
And your beauty is infinite!
So why let lust mislead you?

-Ashtavakra Gita 3:4

To Trust a Stranger

To trust a stranger without investigation
Invites troubles so endless even descendants must endure.

-Tirukkural 51:508

Justice

Justice may be called good when it acts impartially
toward enemies, strangers and friends.

The wealth of those who possess justice will not perish;
rather it will be their posterity's soothing security.

-Tirukkural 12: 111-112

The Impression of Past Actions

The impressions of past action, stored deep in the mind, are the seeds of desire.

They ripen into action in seen and unseen ways--if not in this life, then in a future one.

-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 2:12

Friday, October 24, 2008

Free From Passions

I am the power of discrimination in those who are intelligent, and the glory of the noble. In those who are strong, I am strength, free from passion and selfish attachment. I am desire itself, if that desire is in harmony with the purpose of life.

-Bhagavad Gita 7:10-11

Hidden by Selfish Desire

Knowledge is hidden by selfish desire--hidden by this unquenchable fire for self-satisfaction.

-Bhagavad Gita 3:38-39

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Desire Freedom from Birth

At all times and to all creatures
The seed of ceaseless births is desire.

If you must desire, desire freedom from birth.
That will only come by desiring desirelessness.

-Tirukkural 37:361-362

Death is like Falling Asleep

The soul's attachment to the body resembles a fledgling
Which forsakes its empty shell and flies away.

Death is like falling asleep,
And birth is like waking from that sleep.

Not yet having a permanent home,
The soul takes temporary shelter in the body.


-Tirukkural 34:328-340

You become Happy and Still

All sorrow comes from fear.
From nothing else.

When you know this,
You become free of it,
And desire melts away.

You become happy
And still.

-Ashtavakra Gita 11:5

And Pray Again and Again

O god of fire, lead us by the good path
To eternal joy. You know all our deeds.
Deliver us from evil, we who bow
And pray again and again.

-Isha Upanishad

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The World of Separateness

Those who dwell on and long for sense-pleasure
Are born in a world of separateness.
But let them realize they are the Self
And all separateness will fall away.

-Mundaka Upanishad

Renunciation

Even if you have nothing,
It is hard to find that contentment
Which comes from renunciation.

I accept nothing.
I reject nothing.

And I am happy.

-Ashtavakra Gita 13:1

Do Not Brood Over you Past Mistakes

Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures, as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret, and depression. Do not repeat them in the future.

-Swami Sivananda

Immoral Conduct's Legacy

Morality is the birthright of high families,
While immoral conduct's legacy is lowly birth.

-Tirukkural 14:133

Monday, October 13, 2008

Contact Intellectual Hinduism

The Best way to contact me is through E-mail -

Write all your queries, suggestions, appreciations or critic to me on -

hitarth.jani@gmail.com

And i will respond to you with love and honour.

Thank You and Many Regards,

Hitarth Jani

About Intellectual Hinduism

Welcome to my blog - Intellectual Hinduism.

I am Hitarth. I am no Saint, no Guru. I am a simple 26 years old young lad hailing from Western India and presently working as a Web Developer in Sydney, Australia.

You may come across many blogs which writes about Hinduism, age old mantras, explaining concepts of Gita, Upanishads and Vedas. Sometimes I feel all those great Granths are okay, but what is that real essence of Hinduism that it is the only one religion that is oldest among the all ?

In my quest to find the answer, i felt that there is a great need to understand the Logic about Hinduism and its evolution rather than just reading, learning the texts and various different granths that are available.

In this blog, you will find my effort that logically describes -

Why Hinduism is the Oldest Religion and Still followed ?
How did Hinduism has evolved all these years ?
How Hinduism is Logically and Scientifically Correct ?

And also, along with that logic i will also try to write in traditional way i.e. explaining various different texts, its meanings, etc.

Alongwith, that i will also try to write and evaluate the time line about the evolution of Hinduism. I have also tried to relate Hinduism with the Modern life style that most of us have adopted. I sincerely hope my message is well received in the society and understood. Again, I am no Saint, no Guru.

Long Live "Sanatana Dharma"

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Those who worship me with perfect Faith

Even among those who meditate, that man or woman who worships me with perfect faith, completely absorbed in me, is the most firmly established in yoga.

-Bhagavad Gita 6:47

The Lord is the Operator

The Lord is the operator; we are
But his innumerable instruments.
May we, in our consciousness, realize
The bliss he alone can give us.

-Shvetashvatara Upanishad

I am easily attained

I am easily attained by the person who always remembers me and is attached to nothing else. Such a person is a true yogi, Arjuna. Great souls make their lives perfect and discover me; they are freed from mortality and the suffering of this separate existence. Every creature in the universe is subject to rebirth, Arjuna, except the one who is united with me.

-Bhagavad Gita 8:14-16

The Four Kinds of Being

Of the four kinds of being,
From Brahma to a blade of grass,
Only the wise man is strong enough
To give up desire and aversion.

How rare he is!

Knowing he is the Self,
He acts accordingly
And is never fearful.

For he knows he is the Self,
One without two,
The Lord of all creation.

-Astavakra Gita 4:5-6

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Life is Uncertain

Life is uncertain, change causes fear, and latent impressions bring pain--all is indeed suffering to one who has developed discrimination.

But the suffering yet to come should be averted. The cause of suffering is that the unbounded Self is overshadowed by the world.

-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 2:15-17

Pray to him with a Longing Heart

It is necessary to pray to Him with a longing heart. The kitten knows only how to call its mother, crying, "Mew, mew!" It remains satisfied whenever its mother puts it. And the mother cat puts the kitten sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes on the floor, and sometimes on the bed. When it suffers it cries only, "Mew, mew!" That's all it knows. But as soon as the mother hears this cry, wherever she may be, she comes to the kitchen.

-Ramakrishna

I am Here

Meditation is needed
Only when the mind is distracted
By false imagining.

Knowing this,
I am here.

Without joy or sorrow,
Grasping at nothing, spurning nothing,
O Master, I am here.

-Ashtavakra Gita 12:3-4

Self is Supreme

The adorable one who is seated
In the heart rules the breath of life.
Unto him all the senses pay their homage.
When the dweller in the body breaks out
In the freedom from the bonds of flesh, what remains?
For this Self is supreme!

-Katha Upanishad

Those who Worship Me

Even among those who meditate, that man or woman who worships me with perfect faith, completely absorbed in me, is the most firmly established in yoga.

-Bhagavad Gita 6:47

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Durga SaptaShati - 700 Verses in Honor of Ma Durga

It is a long tradition that one reads the Devi-Bhagavatam or the Devi Mahatmyam (Durga saptashati, 700 verses on Durga) during Navaratra to invoke the blessings of Mother Durga.

Devi Bhagavatam notes that Lord Rama meditated and fasted for nine days after Devi Sita was kidnapped by Ravana. 

The reading of Durga SaptaShati (Devi Mahaatmyam) during Navaraatri is to be done follows:

Chapter 1 (Madhu kaitabha samhaara) is to be read for 1st day,

Chapter 2, 3 and 4 (Mahishhasura samhaara) to be read on 2nd day, 

Chapter 5 and 6 (Dhuumralochana vadha) on the 3rd day, 

Chapter 7 (Chanda Munda vadha) on 4th day, 

Chapter 8 (Rakta biija samhaara) on 5th day, 

Chapter 9 and 10 (Shumbha Nishumbha vadha) on 6th day,

Chapter 11(Praise of Narayani) on 7th day, 

Chapter 12 (Phalastuti) on 8th day,

Chapter 13 (Blessings to Suratha and the Merchant)on 9th day

Chapter 14 (Aparadha Kshamaprarthana) on 10th day

I have uploaded these shlokas online and it could be downloaded by Clicking Here

Honor God and Goddess

I honor the God and the Goddess,
The eternal parents of the universe.

The Lover, out of boundless love,
takes the form of the Beloved.
What Beauty!
Both are made of the same nectar
and share the same food.


-Jnaneshwar (also known as Jnanadeva)

Ramakrishna on How to Live Life

Live in the world like a waterfowl. The water clings to the bird, but the bird shakes it off. Live in the world like a mudfish. The fish lives in the mud, but its skin is always bright and shiny.

-Ramakrishna

Love your True Self

Love your true Self,
Which is naturally happy
And peaceful and bright!

Awaken to your own nature,
And all delusion melts like a dream.


-Ashtavakra Gita 18:1

Mahatma Gandhi On Inner Peace

Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.

-Mahatma Gandhi, 1929

Friday, September 26, 2008

He is still afraid of Freedom

He longs to be free…

He has no care for this world
Or the next,
And he knows what is passing
Or forever.

And yet how strange!
He is still afraid of freedom.


-Ashtavakra Gita 3:8

Make every Act an Offering

Be aware of me always, adore me, make every act an offering to me, and you shall come to me; this I promise; for you are dear to me. Abandon all supports and look to me for protection. I shall purify you from the sins of the past; do not grieve.

-Bhagavad Gita 18:65-66

An Instrument of the Divine Will

Conscious spirit and unconscious matter
Both have existed since the dawn of time,
With maya [illusion] appearing to connect them,
Misrepresenting joy as outside us.

When all these three are seen as one, the Self
Reveals his universal form and serves
As an instrument of the divine will.


-Shvetashvatara Upanishad

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Although the limitations of the world disappear for one who knows the Self, they are not destroyed, because they continue to exist for others.

-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 2:22

As a Horse Shakes Free

From the Divine Dark to the manifest
To the Divine Dark I pass again.
As a horse shakes free its mane, I have
Shaken off all evil. Freeing myself
From the bonds of birth and death as the moon
Escapes from Rahu's mouth, I have attained
The pure realm of Brahman; I have attained
The pure realm of Brahman.

Brahman is my home. I shall not lose it.
Truly I shall not be lost again.

-Chandogya Upanishad

Saturday, September 20, 2008

True Renunciation

It is not those who lack energy or refrain from action, but those who work without expectation of reward who attain the goal of meditation. Theirs is true renunciation.

-Bhagavad Gita 6:1

You and World are One

You are the endless sea
In whom all the worlds like waves
Naturally rise and fall.

You have nothing to win,
Nothing to lose.
Child,
You are pure awareness,
Nothing less.

You and the world are one.

So who are you to think
You can hold on to it,
Or let it go?

How could you!

-Ashtavakra Gita 15: 11-12

From Death.... To Death

What is here is also there; what is there,
Also here. Who sees multiplicity
But not the one indivisible Self
Must wander on and on from death to death.

-Katha Upanishad

Never harm the Wicked

A superior being does not render evil for evil. Never harm the wicked or the good or even criminals meeting death. A noble soul is always compassionate, even toward those who enjoy injuring others or who are actually committing cruel deeds--for who is without fault?

-Ramayana

Between Dreaming and Waking

As a great fish swims between the banks of a river as it likes, so does the shining Self move between the states of dreaming and waking.

-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Saturday, September 13, 2008

He is Serene

It is all the same to him.
Man or woman,
Good fortune or bad,
Happiness or sorrow.

It makes no difference.
He is serene.


-Ashtavakra Gita 17:15

Harness Body and Mind

May we harness body and mind to see
The Lord of Life, who dwells in everyone.
May we ever with one-pointed mind
Strive for blissful union with the Lord.
May we train our senses to serve the Lord
Through the practice of meditation.

Great is the glory of the Lord of Life,
Infinite, omnipresent, all-knowing.
He is known by the wise who meditate
And conserve their vital energy.

-Shvetashvatara Upanishad

Friday, September 12, 2008

The Lord of Love in Sun

The wise see the Lord of Love in the sun,
Rising in all its golden radiance
To give its warmth and light and life to all.


-Prashna Upanishad

What's the Unitive State

The unitive state cannot be attained
Through words or thoughts or through the eye.
How can it be attained except through one
Who is established in this state himself?

-Katha Upanishad

I am Mad with Visions

Dark One, hear me, I am mad with visions. Eaten up by separation, I wander from place to place covered in ash and clothed in skins. My body is wasting all because of you. Distraught and desperate, I go from forest to forest. Immortal and Unborn One, visit your beggar. Extinguish her pain with your pleasurable touch. Mira says: "End this coming and going. Let me forever embrace your sweet feet."

-Mirabai

Lord of Many Creatures

O Lord of creatures, Father of all beings,
you alone pervade all that has come to birth.
Grant us our heart’s desire for which we pray.
May we become the lords of many treasures!

-Rig Veda

Have Faith

Have faith, my Child, have faith.

Do not be bewildered.

For you are beyond all things,
The heart of all knowing.

You are the Self.
You are God.

-Ashtavakra Gita 15:8

As Storms Drive a Boat

The disunited mind is far from wise; how can it meditate? How be at peace? When you know no peace, how can you know joy? When you let your mind follow the call of the senses, they carry away your better judgment as storms drive a boat off its charted course on the sea.

-Bhagavad Gita 2:66-67

The Dignity of Diligent Effort

Never say in weakness, "This task is too difficult,"
For perseverance will give the ability to accomplish it.

Beware of leaving any work undone, for the world
Will abandon those who abandon their work unfinished.

The pride of profuse giving dwells only
With the dignity of diligent effort.

-Tirukkural, 62:611-613

In the world of embodied creatures

If one fails to realize Brahman in this life
Before the physical sheath is shed.
He must again put on a body
In the world of embodied creatures.

-Katha Upanishad

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Who Weeps for God ?

People shed a whole jug of tears for wife and children. They swim in tears for money. But who weeps for God? Cry to Him with a real cry.

-Ramakrishna

And I am happy

The body trembles,
The tongue falters,
The mind is weary.

Forsaking them all,
I pursue my purpose happily.

Knowing I do nothing,
I do whatever comes my way,
And I am happy.

-Ashtavakra Gita 13:2-3

Stay the Moment of Death

He who has realized by himself his souls' Self
Will be worshiped by all other souls.

So potent is the power acquired through austerity
That those who attain it may even stay the moment of death.

-Tirukkural 27: 268-269

Are Atman and Brahman Identical ??

Liberation cannot be achieved except through perceiving the identity of the individual spirit with the Universal Spirit. Atman and Brahman are identical. Their essence is pure Consciousness.

-Sankara

Rise above the Body - Consciousness

Like the wind, like clouds, like thunder and
lightning, which rise from space without
physical shape and reach the transcendent
light in their own form, those who rise above
body-consciousness ascend to the transcendent
light in their real form, the Self.

-Chandogya Upanishad

Have no Fear

I sit in my own radiance,
And I have no fear.

Walking,
Dreaming,
Sleeping,
What are they to me?

What is far or near,
Outside or inside,
Gross or subtle?

I sit in my own splendor.

-Ashtavakra Gita 19:5-6

He will be placed in the Heaven

He who pursues the householder's life well here on earth
Will be placed among the Gods there in heaven.

-Tirukkural 50

Why Grieve for the Body ?

The body is confined
By its natural properties.
It comes,
It lingers awhile,
It goes.
But the Self neither comes nor goes.
So why grieve for the body?

-Ashtavakra Gita 15:9

Saturday, August 23, 2008

They too Go Beyond Death

Some realize the Self within them through the practice of meditation, some by the path of wisdom, and others by selfless service.

Others may not know these paths; but hearing and following the instructions of an illumined teacher, they too go beyond death.

-Bhagavad Gita 13:24-25

The Nectar of Immortality

I was born from the nectar of immortality as the primordial horse and as Indra's noble elephant. Among men, I am the king.

Among weapons I am the thunderbolt. I am Kamadhuk, the cow that fulfills all desires; I am Kandarpa, the power of sex, and Vasuki, the king of snakes.

-Bhagavad Gita 10:27-28

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Are you Bound or Free

Indeed,
I am neither bound nor free.

An end to illusion!
It is all groundless.

For the whole of creation,
Though it rests in me,
Is without foundation.

-Ashtavakra Gita 2:18

Honor and Cherish

Honor and cherish the devas as they honor and cherish you; through this honor and love you will attain the supreme good. All human desires are fulfilled by the devas, who are pleased by selfless service. But anyone who enjoys the things given by the devas without offering selfless acts in return is a thief.

-Bhagavad Gita 3:11-12

Receive the Love of All

Refuse not food to those who are hungry.
When you feed the hungry, you serve the Lord,
From whom is born every living creature.
Those who realize the Self within the heart
Stand firm, grow rich, gather a family
Around them, and receive the love of all.

-Taittriya Upanishad

The World is a Vein of Silver

I am the mother-of-pearl.
The world is a vein of silver,
An illusion!

This is the truth.

Nothing to grasp,
Nothing to spurn,
Nothing to dissolve.

I am in all beings.
All beings are in me.

This is the whole truth.

Nothing to embrace,
Nothing to relinquish,
Nothing to dissolve.

-Ashtavakra Gita 6:3-4

How will you meet your Master

If you go on working with the light available, you will meet your Master, as he himself will be seeking you.

-Ramana Maharshi

Be Free from all Evil

Because of your faith, I shall tell you the most profound of secrets: obtaining both jnana and vijnana, you will be free from all evil.

This royal knowledge, this royal secret, is the greatest purifier. Righteous and imperishable, it is a joy to practice and can be directly experienced.

-Bhagavad Gita 9:1-2

I am the Ocean

I am the ocean.
All the worlds are like waves.

This is the truth.

Nothing to hold on to,
Nothing to let go of,
Nothing to dissolve.

-Ashtavakra Gita 6:2

The Spirit is Timeless

This is what I say: Your mind is spiritual and so too is the sense-perceived world. The spirit is timeless and it dominates all existence as the great law guiding all beings in their search for truth. It changes crude nature into mind, and there is no being that can't be transformed into a vessel of truth.

-Brahmajala Sutra

I am Happy

Sleeping, sitting, walking,
Nothing good or bad befalls me.

I sleep, I sit, I walk,
And I am happy.

-Ashtavakra Gita 13:5

Do You Desire God-Realization?

The intense desire for God-realization is itself the way to it.

-Sri Anadamayi MM

Only One State

There is only one state. When corrupted and tainted by self-identification, it is known as an individual. When merely tinted by the sense of presence, of animated consciousness, it is the impersonal witnessing. When it remains in its pristine purity, untainted and untinted in primal repose, it is the Absolute.

-Ramesh Balsekar

Beyond Virtue and Vice

One cannot see God as long as one feels "I am the doer."

Fully awakened souls are beyond virtue and vice. They realize that it is God who does everything.

-Ramakrishna

Never Upset Your Mind

Never upset your mind
With yes and no.
Be quiet.
You are awareness itself.
Live in the happiness
Of your own nature,
Which is happiness itself.

-Ashtavakra Gita 15:19

Thursday, July 24, 2008

A Hindu Proverb

If given with love, a handful is sufficient.

- Hindu Proverb

Perennial Joy or Passing Pleasure?‏

Perennial joy or passing pleasure?
This is the choice one is to make always.
The wise recognize these two, but not
The ignorant. The first welcome what leads
To abiding joy, though painful at the time.
The latter run, goaded by their senses,
After what seems immediate pleasure.

-Katha Upanishad

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Egotistical, Violent, Arrogant, Lustful

Self-important, obstinate, swept away by the pride of wealth, they ostentatiously perform sacrifices without any regard for their purpose. Egotistical, violent, arrogant, lustful, angry, envious of everyone, they abuse my presence within their own bodies and in the bodies of others.

-Bhagavad Gita 16:13–18

The Cavern of the Heart

From him come all the seas and the mountains,
The rivers and the plants that support life.
As the innermost Self of all, he dwells
Within the cavern of the heart.

-Mundaka Upanishad

Friday, July 18, 2008

Swami Vivekananda Speech at Chicago - Welcome Address

Download Speech (refresh page [f5] if it shows 404 page not found error)

Sisters and Brothers of America,

It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.

My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."

The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me." Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

- Swami Vivekananda

Download Speech (refresh page [f5] if it shows 404 page not found error)

-- Welcome Address to World Parliament of Religions September 11th 1893

-- Picture of Swami Vivekananda at World Parliament of Religions 1893

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Destiny's Last Days

Destiny's last days may surge with oceanic change,
Yet men deemed perfectly good remain, like the shore, unchanged.

-Tirukkural 99:988

As a great fish swims

As a great fish swims between the banks of a river as it likes, so does the shining Self move between the states of dreaming and waking.

-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Cheerful Smile

Better than a gift given with a joyous heart
Are sweet words spoken with a cheerful smile.

-Tirukkural 92

Pure Awareness

Two from one!
This is the root of suffering.

Only perceive
That I am one without two,
Pure awareness, pure joy,
And all the world is false.

There is no other remedy!

-Ashtavakra Gita 2:16

Friday, July 11, 2008

Patanjali on the Laws of Life

The laws of life are five:
Nonviolence,
Truthfulness,
Integrity,
Chastity,
Nonattachment.

These laws are universal. Unaffected by time, place, birth, or circumstance, together they constitute the "Great Law of Life."

-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 2:30-31

The Abode of the Universe

I rejoice in seeing you as you have never been seen before, yet I am filled with fear by this vision of you as the abode of the universe. Please let me see you again as the shining God of gods.

-Bhagavad Gita 11:45

Thursday, July 10, 2008

The whirling spokes of time

Some look upon the sun as our father
Who makes life possible with heat and rain
And divides time into months and seasons.
Others have seen him riding in wisdom
On his chariot, with seven colors
As horses and six wheels to represent
The whirling spokes of time.

-Prashna Upanishad

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Cling to the Feet of a Master

Cling to the feet of a master who can introduce you to yourself.

-Swami Veda Bharati

Monday, June 30, 2008

I Am Boundless Space

I am boundless space.
The world is a clay pot.

This is the truth.

There is nothing to accept,
Nothing to reject,
Nothing to dissolve.

-Ashtavakra Gita 6:1

Unitive State

For aspirants who want to climb the mountain of spiritual awareness, the path is selfless work; for those who have ascended to yoga the path is stillness and peace. When a person has freed himself from attachment to the results of work, and from desires for the enjoyment of sense objects, he ascends to the unitive state.

-Bhagavad Gita 6:3-4

Friday, June 27, 2008

My Mind Fell Like a Hailstone

My mind fell like a hailstone
into the vast expanse of Brahman's ocean.
Touching one drop of it.
I melted away and became one with Brahman.
This is wonderful indeed!
Here is the ocean of Brahman,
full of endless joy.

- Adi Sankara

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Seeing God in Everything

It is better to see God in everything than to try and figure it out.

-Neem Karoli Baba

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

The Cause of Delusion

Delusion arises from the duality of attraction and aversion, Arjuna; every creature is deluded by these from birth. But those who have freed themselves from all wrongdoing are firmly established in worship of me. Their actions are pure, and they are free from the delusion caused by the pairs of opposites.

-Bhagavad Gita 7:27-28

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Meditation is Superior

Meditation is superior to severe asceticism and the path of knowledge. It is also superior to selfless service.

-Bhagavad Gita 6:46

The Formless Self Within Each One of Us

The guru is the formless Self within each one of us. He may appear as a body to guide us, but that is only his disguise.

-Ramana Maharshi

How Fleeting is all life on Earth

These pleasures last but until tomorrow,
And they wear out the vital powers of life.
How fleeting is all life on earth! Therefore
Keep your horses and chariots, dancing
And music, for yourself. Never can mortals
Be made happy by wealth.

-Katha Upanishad

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The Kauravas

A List of 100 Kauravas, as found in Mahabharata. It is full list with names, including "Dusshala", the only sister of Kauravas.

I may be wrong, It would be great to hear from anyone, who knows there is mistake in the list and i will try to rectify it.

  1. Duryodhana
  2. Dussaasana
  3. Dussaha
  4. Dussalan
  5. Jalagandha
  6. Sama
  7. Saha
  8. Vindha
  9. Anuvindha
  10. Durdharsha
  11. Subaahu
  12. Dushpradharshana
  13. Durmarshana
  14. Durmukha
  15. Dushkarna
  16. Vikarna
  17. Saala
  18. Sathwa
  19. Sulochana
  20. Chithra
  21. Upachithra
  22. Chithraaksha
  23. Chaaruchithra
  24. Saraasana
  25. Durmadan
  26. Durvigaahana
  27. Vivilsu
  28. Vikatinandana
  29. Oornanaabha
  30. Sunaabha
  31. Nandana
  32. Upanandana
  33. Chithrabaana
  34. Chithravarma
  35. Suvarma
  36. Durvimochana
  37. Ayobaahu
  38. Mahaabaahu
  39. Chithraamga
  40. Chithrakundala
  41. Bheemavega
  42. Bheemabala
  43. Vaalaky
  44. Belavardhana
  45. Ugraayudha
  46. Sushena
  47. Kundhaadhara
  48. Mahodara
  49. Chithraayudha
  50. Nishamgy
  51. Paasy
  52. Vrindaaraka
  53. Dridhavarma
  54. Dridhakshathra
  55. Somakeerthy
  56. Anthudara
  57. Dridhasandha
  58. Jaraasandha
  59. Sathyasandha
  60. Sadaasuvaak
  61. Ugrasravas
  62. Ugrasena
  63. Senaany
  64. Dushparaaja
  65. Aparaajitha
  66. Kundhasaai
  67. Visaalaaksha
  68. Duraadhara
  69. Dridhahastha
  70. Suhastha
  71. Vaathavega
  72. Suvarcha
  73. Aadithyakethu
  74. Bahwaasy
  75. Naagadatha
  76. Ugrasaai
  77. Kavachy
  78. Kradhana
  79. Kundhy
  80. Bheemavikra
  81. Dhanurdhara
  82. Veerabaahu
  83. Alolupa
  84. Abhaya
  85. Dhridhakarmaavu
  86. Dhridharathaasraya
  87. Anaadhrushya
  88. Kundhabhedy
  89. Viraavy
  90. Chithrakundhala
  91. Pramadha
  92. Amapramaadhy
  93. Deerkharoma
  94. Suveeryavaana
  95. Dheerkhabaahu
  96. Sujaatha
  97. Kaanchanadhwaja
  98. Kundhaasy
  99. Virajass
  100. Yuyutsu

  101. Dussala

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Is There Fear in Paradise?

In paradise there is [no such thing as] fear;
Thou art not there, nor shrinks one from old age.
Hunger and thirst, these two transcending,
Sorrow, surpassing, a man makes merry in paradise.

-Katha Upanishad

What Does the Inner Self Perceive?

The inner self perceives the outside world,
Made up of earth, water, fire, air, and space.
It is the victim of likes and dislikes,
Pleasure and pain, and delusion and doubt.
It knows all the subtleties of language,
Enjoys dance, music, and all the fine arts;
Delights in the senses, recalls the past,
Reads the scriptures, and is able to act.
This is the mind, the inner person.

-Atma Upanishad

Way to Liberation

Whatever you are doing, seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, or saying, realize your essential nature as pure Consciousness. This is the way to liberation.

-Maharamayana

Patanjali on Being 'Firmly Established'...

When we are firmly established in nonviolence, all beings around us cease to feel hostility. When we are firmly established in truthfulness, action accomplishes its desired end.

When we are firmly established in integrity, all riches present themselves freely. When we are firmly established in chastity, subtle potency is generated. When we are established in nonattachment, the nature and purpose of existence is understood.

-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 2: 35-39

Striving Is the Root of Sorrow...

You are wise.
You play and work and meditate.

But still you mind desires
That which is beyond everything,
Where all desires vanish.

Striving is the root of sorrow.

But who understands this?

Only when you are blessed
With the understanding of this teaching
Will you find freedom.

-Ashtavakra Gita 16:2-3

Everything Adverse Must Vanish...

Whenever darkness comes, assert the reality and everything adverse must vanish. For, after all, it is but a dream. Mountain high though the difficulties appear, terrible and gloomy though all things seem, they are but maya. Fear not—it is banished. Crush it and it vanishes. Stamp upon it and it dies. Be not afraid. Think not how many times you fail. Never mind—time is infinite. Go forward. Assert yourself again and again and light must come.

-Vivekananda

Monday, June 9, 2008

Adi Shankaracharya's Works

Here is a list of Adi Shankaracharya's works as known to me. One can comment on any of his work and let me or rather people know if i have missed any or presented them as his work and in reality belongs to someone else. Hope my readers are enjoying my work.

I. Bhashya Granthas

1. Brahma Sutras
2. Isavasya Upanishad
3. Kena Upanishad
4. Katha Upanishad
5. Prasna Upanishad
6. Mundaka Upanishad
7. Mandukya Upanishad
8. Mandukya Karida
9. Aitareya Upanishad
10. Taittireeya Upanishad
11. Chhandogya Upanishad
12. Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad
13. Sree Nrisimha Taapaneeya Upanishad
14. Sreemad Bhagawad Geeta
15. Sree Vishnu Sahasranama
16. Sanat Sujateeyam
17. Lalita Tri-satee
18. Hastaamalakeeyam

II. Prakriya Granthas

19. Viveka Choodamani
20. Aparokshanubhooti
21. Upadesa Sahasri
22. Vaakya Vritti
23. Swaatma Niroopanam
24. Atma-bodha
25. Sarva Vedanta Sara Samgraha
26. Prabodha Sudhakaram
27. Swaatma Prakasika
28. Advaita Anubhooti
29. Brahma-anuchintanam
30. Prasna-uttara Ratnamaalika
31. Sadachara-anusandhanam
32. Yaga Taravali
33. Anatma-sree Vigarhanam
34. Swaroopa-anusandhanam
35. Pancheekaranam
36. Tattwa-bodha
37. Prouda-anubhooti
38. Brahma Jnanavali
39. Laghu Vakyavritti
40. Moha Mudgaram (Bhaja Govindam)
41. Prapancha Saaram

III. Hymns and Meditation Verses
42. Sri Ganesa Pancharatnam
43. Ganesa Bhujangam
44. Subrahmanya Bhujangam
45. Siva Bhujangam
46. Devi Bhujangam
47. Bhavani Bhujangam
48. Sree Rama Bhujangam
49. Vishnu Bhujangam
50. Sarada Bhujangam
51. Sivananda Lahari
52. Soundarya Lahari
53. Ananda Lahari
54. Siva-paadaadi-kesaanta-varnana
55. Siva-kesaadi-padaanta-varnana
56. Sree Vishnu-paadaadi-kesanta
57. Uma-Maheswara Stotram
58. Tripurasundari Vedapada Stotram
59. Tripurasundari Manasapooja
60. Tripurasundari Ashtakam
61. Devi-shashti-upachara-pooja
62. Mantra-Matruka-Pushpamaala
63. Kanakadhara Stotram
64. Annapoorna Stotram
65. Ardha-naree-Natesvara Stotram
66. Bhramana-Amba-Ashtakam
67. Meenakshi Stotram
68. Meenakshi Pancharatnam
69. Gouri Dasakam
70. Navaratna Malika
71. Kalyana Vrishti-Stavam
72. Lalitha Pancharatnam
73. Maaya Panchakam
74. Suvarna Mala Stuti
75. Dasa Sloki
76. Veda Sara Siva Stotram
77. Siva Panchaakshara Stotram
78. Siva-Aparadha-Kshamapana
79. Dakchinamoorthy Ashtakam
80. Dakshinamoorthy Varnamala
81. Mrityunjaya Manasa Pooja Stotram
82. Siva Namavali Ashtakam
83. Kaala Bhairava Ashtakam
84. Shat-padee Stotram
85. Siva Panchakshara Nakshatra Mala
86. Dwadasa Ling Stotram
87. Kasi Panchakam
88. Hanumat Pancharatnam
89. Lakshmi-Nrisimha Pancharatnam
90. Lakshmi-Nrisimha Karunarasa Stotram
91. Panduranga Ashtakam
92. Achyuta Ashtakam
93. Sree Krishna Ashtakam
94. Hari Stuti
95. Govinda Ashtakam
96. Bhagavat Manasa Pooja
97. Praata Smarana Stotram
98. Jagannatha Ashtakam
99. Guruvashtakam
100. Narmada Ashtakam
101. Yamuna Ashtakam
102. Ganga Ashtakam
103. Manikarnika Ashtakam
104. Nirguna Manasa Pooja
105. Eka Sloki
106. Yati Panchakam
107. Jeevan Mukta Ananda Lahari
108. Dhanya Ashtakam
109. Upadesa (Sadhna) Panchakam
110. Sata Sloki
111. Maneesha Panchakam
112. Advaita Pancharatnam
113. Nirvana Shatakam
114. Devyaparadhakshamapana Stotram

Friday, May 30, 2008

Waste not food, waste not water, waste not fire

Waste not food, waste not water, waste not fire;
Fire and water exist to serve the Self.
Those who realize the Self within the heart
Stand firm, grow rich, gather a family
Around them, and receive the love of all.

-Taittiriya Upanishad

Friday, May 23, 2008

Who Does God Reveal Himself To?

God reveals Himself to a devotee who feels drawn to Him by the combined force of these three attractions: the attraction of worldly possessions for the worldly man, the child's attraction for its mother, and the husband's attraction for the chaste wife. If one feels drawn to him by the combined force of these three attractions, then one can attain him.

-Ramakrishna

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Desire your own Awareness

You are always the same
Unfathomable awareness,
Limitless and free,
Serene and unperturbed.

Desire only your own awareness.


-Ashtavakra Gita 1:17

Friday, May 16, 2008

Does Lust Overwhelm You ?

The man who is wise
Knows himself in all things
And all things in himself.

Yet how strange!
He still says, “This is mine.”

Determined to be free,
He abides in the oneness
Beyond all things.

Yet how strange!
Indulging in passion, he weakens,
And lust overwhelms him.

-Ashtavakra Gita 3:5-6

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Gayatri Mantra

"Among Mantras I am Gayatri"
--Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita

The Gayatri Mantra

Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life, Remover of pain and sorrow, The Bestower of happiness, Oh! Creator of the Universe, May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light, May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.

AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA,
TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI
DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT


New York teenagers do it. Yoga teachers do it. Ascetics in the Himalayas do it, as do housewives in New Delhi. It is the Gayatri Mantra, a chant thousands of years old, spoken in a dead language, and yet the mantra's tremendous power, according to those who chant it, gives peace and calm to today's stressed-out multitudes. It is said that the Gayatri Mantra liberates one from the fruits of karma--the cycle of endless births and rebirths, and its maha mantra, or supreme status among mantras, is universally recognized. No surprise then that the rapidly proliferating CDs of the mantra have become best-sellers both in the United States and in India.

According to The Indian Express, one of India's three leading newspapers: "Every music company worth its salt [has] come out with albums devoted to the mantra." Artists as diverse as Swami Sukhabodhananda, Suresh Wadkar, Ajit Kadkade, Anuradha Paudwal, and Kavita Krishnamurthy have come out with their versions.

The Gayatri Mantra is a famous mantra that has been chanted since Vedic times, 6,000 to 8,000 years ago. It concerns the creation of the universe by Lord Brahma. It is a universal prayer, an amalgamation of potent sounds. "The Gayatri, of course, is the most important of mantras in the Hindu tradition. It is sometimes called the "mother of the Vedas" and is certainly the most luminous among the mantras," says University of Florida religion professor Vasudha Narayanan. "By reciting it, one doesn't seek just cognitive, conceptualized knowledge, but the splendor and brilliance of transformative wisdom." The Gayatri Mantra, says the album notes to one popular version, "has the force to move the cosmos."

"O Divine Beings of all three worlds," says the mantra, "we meditate upon the glorious splendor of the Vivifier divine. May He Himself illuminate our minds."

The Gayatri Mantra is important to practicing Hindus, and they chant it daily as one's nitya karma--part of the daily actions Hindus perform as prescribed by the scriptures. In Vedic times, both young girls and boys were initiated into this mantra, but in time only boys of the upper castes were eligible for it. "In the last two centuries," says Prof. Narayanan, "various groups have reclaimed this beautiful mantra, and I have heard men and women recite it both at regular prayers and at specific times of the day.

Traditionally, it is to be recited at twilight and midday, usually in the context of the sandhya vandanam, the prayers said at twilight, midday, and dusk, at the junctures of changing time. The daily sandhya vandanam is considered mandatory, and if a Hindu misses a prayer it is to be done with a compensation or "penance" (prayaschitta).

Murali Rangarajan, originally from South India, is a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering at the University of Florida. Rangarajan got his upanayana (a sacred thread given to boys to mark their commencement of studies of sacred texts) when he was 7 years old and has been chanting the mantra ever since. He feels it improves his concentration and composure and helps him through rough periods: "It is a kind of a fallback whenever I feel upset or angry--or in general whenever my mind ceases to act--and reacts. It helps me cool down. It is a reminder of my goal in life."

As a lifelong practitioner, Rangarajan believes the Gayatri Mantra is necessary in today's stressful world, where material reality can overwhelm us. "Japa is a technique by which we consciously monitor and control our thoughts and thus observe the functioning of our mind. This is a rather general purpose of chanting any mantra, but I have personally seen that the Gayatri Mantra gives the tejas [power]--or at least freshness, energy, clarity and peace that the Rishis claim it will."

Now the power of the mantra is catching on with mainstream Americans. Deva Parnell, a yoga teacher at Discovery Yoga in St. Augustine, Fla., says the mantra is the perfect way to end the day. "By allowing time for spirit at the end of the active day, we can more fully release the fruits of our actions and enter into restorative sleep."

Parnell ends all her yoga sessions with the chanting of the Gayatri. She says, "To me, the mantra speaks of the divine spirit in all things. Hatha yoga is becoming more of an exercise technique, so the Gayatri Mantra is a way for me to bring spirit back to maintain the spiritual connection between the individual consciousness and the divine soul."

Monday, May 12, 2008

Two Orders of Being

In this world there are two orders of being: the perishable, separate creature and the changeless spirit. But beyond these there is another, the supreme Self, the eternal Lord, who enters into the entire cosmos and supports it from within.

-Bhagavad Gita 15:16-17

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Cry before Lord

People shed whole jugs of tears for wife and children. They swim in tears for money. But who weeps for God? Cry to Him with a real cry.

-Ramakrishna

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Do you desire Liberation?

If you desire liberation,
But you still say "mine,"
If you feel you are the body,
You are not a wise man or a seeker.

You are simply a man who suffers.

-Ashtavakra Gita 16:10

Friday, May 9, 2008

How God Challenges Us

God sometimes does try to the uttermost those whom he wishes to bless.

-Mahatma Gandhi, 1931

You are Divine

My Guru told me;"Trust me. I tell you; you are divine. Take it as the absolute truth. Your joy is divine, your suffering is divine too. All comes from God. Remember it always. You are God, your will alone is done." I did believe him and soon realized how wonderfully true and accurate were his words.

-Nisargadatta Maharaj

Mystic Mantram

Fire is not seen until one firestick rubs
Against another, though fire is still there,
Hidden in the firestick. So does the Lord
Remain hidden in the body until
He is revealed through the mystic mantram.

Let your body be the lower firestick;
Let the mantram be the upper. Rub them
Against each other in meditation
And realize the Lord.

-Shvetashvatara Upanishad

Monday, April 21, 2008

Rejoice in Lord

The Lord is enshrined in the hearts of all.
The Lord is the supreme Reality.
Rejoice in him through renunciation.
Covet nothing. All belongs to the Lord.
Thus working may you live a hundred years.
Thus alone will you work in real freedom.

-Isha Upanishad

Friday, April 11, 2008

Beyond all Distinctions

Through ignorance
I once imagined I was bound.

But I am pure awareness.

I live beyond all distinctions,
In unbroken meditation.

-Ashtavakra Gita 2:17

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Aham Brahmasmi

I am not detachment nor salvation,
Nor anything reached by the senses;
I am behold all thought and form.
I am everywhere, and nowhere at all-
I am Consciousness and Bliss.

I am Shiva! I am Shiva!

-Shankaracharya

The Wise Seek Refuge

After many births the wise seek refuge in me, seeing me everywhere and in everything. Such great souls are very rare. There are others whose discrimination is misled by many desires. Following their own nature, they worship lower gods, practicing various rites.

-Bhagavad Gita 7:19-20

Free of Thoughts

Liberation,
Bondage,
What are they to me?

What do I care for freedom?

For I have known God,
The infinite Self,
The witness of all things.

Without, a fool.
Within, free of thought.

I do as I please,
And only those like me
Understand my ways.

-Ashtavakra Gita 14:3-4

Friday, March 21, 2008

Hindu teaching story

A king asked a sage to explain the Truth. In response the sage asked the king how he would convey the taste of a mango to someone who had never eaten anything sweet. No matter how hard the king tried, he could not adequately describe the flavor of the fruit, and, in frustration, he demanded of the sage "Tell me then, how would you describe it?" The sage picked up a mango and handed it to the king saying "This is very sweet. Try eating it!"

-Hindu teaching story

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Dreamless Sleep

As an eagle, weary after soaring in the sky, folds its wings and flies down to rest in its nest, so does the shining Self enter the state of dreamless sleep, where one is freed from all desires.

-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Monday, March 3, 2008

Path of Yoga

Healed of their sins and conflicts, working for the good of all beings, the holy sages attain nirvana in Brahman. Free from anger and selfish desire, unified in mind, those who follow the path of yoga realize the Self and are established forever in that supreme state.

-Bhagavad Gita 5:25-26

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Ten Commitments

1. Ahimsa - do no harm
2. Satya - do not lie
3. Asteya - do not steal
4. Brahmacharya - do not overindulge
5. Aparigraha - do not be greedy
6. Saucha - be clean
7. Santosha - be content
8. Tapas - be self-disciplined
9. Svadhyaya - study
10. Ishvara Pranidhana - surrender to God

Monday, February 4, 2008

The Largest Numbers Used

The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10**53 (10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest number is Tera 10**12 (10 to the power of 12)

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Indra

Filled with wonder, we sing, "I see the Lord."
So his name is Idamdra, "He who sees."
The name Indra stands for Idamdra.
The gods do like to sit behind a veil;
Indeed they like to sit behind a veil.

-Aitareya Upanishad

Monday, January 28, 2008

Sacred Life

Avoidance of all slaying, nay, of hurt to mind or body, of a living thing; of falsehood in all speech, and even in thought; of all unlawful gain or covering; of all sense of possessive ownership; such are the yamas. The niyamas are: Observance of utmost purity that may be possible for body of flesh; contentment with whatever may befall; study of sacred science of the self; restraint of body by determined will; and complete surrender of one's will to God's, replacement of one's own small self by the great self, by utmost trust in him.

-- Patanjali

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Seek the Transcendental Reality

As for those who seek the transcendental Reality, without name, without form, contemplating the Unmanifested, beyond the reach of thought and of feeling, with their senses subdued and mind serene and striving for the good of all beings, they too will verily come unto me.

-Bhagavad Gita 12:3-4

Monday, January 21, 2008

Immortality

"As rivers lose their private name and form
When they reach the sea, so that people speak
Of the sea alone, so all these sixteen
Forms disappear when the Self is realized.
Then there is no more name and form for us,
And we attain immortality."

-Prashna Upanishad

Saturday, January 19, 2008

The enduring empire of Sankara

Most historians are agreed that if a count were taken of the twelve greatest men who ever lived in any country in any age, Adi Sankaracharya would undoubtedly be one of them. I would call him the universal man. He deserves to be called the Universal Man in more senses than one. First of all, his accomplishments were of the very highest order in a number of fields of mental and spiritual activity, each one of which would have been enough to make him immortal.

He was a poet of the first order and also a philosopher par excellence. He was a savant and a saint of the highest spiritual development. He was a mystic and a religious reformer.

Adi Sankaracharya was a Karma Yogi, Bhakti Yogi and Jnana Yogi, and he was right in the forefront in each category.

First as Jnana Yogi: His knowledge was almost incredible. He should tear the heart out of the Upanishads, the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita and he could expound these scriptures in a manner which has never been surpassed.

As a Bhakti Yogi: He was man of infinite faith and infinite compassion. Nothing human was alien to his nature. All human beings were alike to him.

As a Karma Yogi: He did more as a man of action, than most men who are merely men of action have ever been able to do even those who have achieved world eminence.

What was his idea in having maths in different corners of India? One of his main ideas was that this is one single country. We may have different faiths, different sects, different creeds. Different communities may flourish here, and they have flourished here through the centuries, but we are all members of one single family Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. And his objective in going to all the four corners was to ensure that the message that we have a common and indivisible destiny got across this great country.

Universal Religion

If we go through his writings, we can readily see that he was not so much a man propounding a religion as a man propounding the religion which underlies all religions.

Adi Sanakara was universal in his outlook. His message was meant not for Hindus alone, not for Indians alone, but for all mankind. Surely, Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo must have been thinking of him when both of them said that the destiny of India is to be the spiritual leader and moral teacher of the world.

Today, when we look around and see to what pathetic depths we have sunk, we can hardly realise that this is our glorious destiny. But i have no doubt whatever, knowing a little bit as I do of the modern developments in science and philosophy, that the prediction of Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo is bound to come true. This country will be and is destined to be moral and religious teacher of the world.

Adi Sankaracharya did all his phenomenal work in the short span of 32 years, bearing out what Bacon said that a man may be young in years but old in hours if he has lost no time; and Sankaracharya never lost any time.

Every moment of his was filled with thought and action. And the great maths which he founded, 1200 years ago or more, are still continuing, are still giving the type of guidance which this country badly needs today.

One thing which strikes me as almost incredible is how close Sankaracharya's teachings are to the latest conclusions reached by scientists. You only have to read Sir Arthur Eddington's "The nature of physical world" or Sir James Jeans' "The Mysterious Universe" and "The Stars in their Courses" to realise that what Adi Sankaracharya said 1200 or more years ago is proved to be true today.

Ultimate Reality

It is incredible how the human spirit can merely, by means of meditation and introspection, come to the right conclusion about the ultimate reality, which hundreds of years of scientific research would ultimately lead to. The main message of modern scientists like Sir James Jeans, Sir Arthur Eddington, Albert Einstein and Max Planck, is that although the universe exists, the appearance is different from the reality. It exists but the appearance is not the reality. The reality, the only reality, is the spirit, the ultimate infinite spirit, Dr. C. P. Ramaswamy Aiyar has rightly said that we are amazed that the theory of relativity propounded in the 20th century was known to ancient India 3000 years ago. Sometimes I wish I had the time to put in paralled columns what Sankaracharya has said and what modern scientists are saying. You would be amazed at the correspondence.

In fact, I have no doubt that in any of our great scientists' meetings today or in meetings held ten years ago when some of the greatest scientists who are now dead were alive, Adi Sankaracharya would have found himself quite at home. He would have discussed, on a level of equality, the ultimate theories of science which he intuitively knew to the right.

His main contribution, as has been summed up by the different people who have written on Adi Sankaracharya - in fact, the books written on him would be enough to make a whole library - is his synthesis of all religions. You must remember that during his time there were quite a few different sects, sub-sects and castes and creeds. There was the question of Buddhism as against old Hinduism, and the question arose to what extent you could reconcile the different philosophies and beliefs.

Adi Sankaracharya not only synthesized all the different philosophies and ideals, but he purified them. As a creed or religion or language goes down the centuries, it gathers a crust of useless, immaterial accretions, and these immaterial things are mistaken for the essence of religion. He broke that crust and went to the essence of all those religions, and showed how they all could be synthesized, how they could all be made to fall into one pattern.

That gives his philosophy a certain completeness, a certain wholeness; you don't need to supplement Sankaracharya. As for his hymns, they are incredibly beautiful. He composed them in Sanskrit, one of the greatest languages that the human mind has ever evolved, they embody his profound vision.

In fact, when i look around and read what appears in the papers, I ask myself, is this country ever going to realise what her greatness is? But we are destined to live in an age of ignoramuses who have no notion of what the greatness of this country is. It has been said in the Bhagavad Gita by the Lord, "When things get very bad, I reappear to re-establish dharma". And I have no doubt that we have sunk to such a depth now that that day is at hand.

To Sankaracharya, philosophy was not an intellectual exercise, it was the dedication of a life. Sankaracharya looked upon every human life as the embodiment of the Ultimate Reality. And he said that human life which is vouchsafed to us is available for transmuting ourselves into an instrument of the Divine Will.

The four essences of his philosophy as summarised by both Eastern and Western thinkers are the following:

First, he says that you must discriminate between what is eternal and what is ephemeral. The one remains, the many change and pass; so dont get attached to what changes and passes, but get attached to the eternal, because that alone is the ultimate final Reality.

He was not against family life. He was sensible enough to realise that if there was no family life, the human race would come to an end. But his message was, 'Realise that everything around you, including your wealth and your family, are all transient things'. Too much attachment would result in diverting your mind from what is eternal to what is ephemeral.

His second message was that each one of us has to learn to renounce the thought of reward for what we are doing. People will ask you, 'Well, you have been speaking, for so many years, on so many occassions, but what have you achieved?' The answer is, 'Your attitude must be that you are not interested in the reward for what you are doing.' I would doubt whether Sankaracharya in his own lifetime got the reward for what he did. But he knew that ages and ages hence people would realise the importance of his message.

Mistaken Notion

Christ was crucified and, mind you, he was crucified by the majority vote of the people around him. So much for democracy. Never mistake the majority vote for a vote in favour of reason, for a vote in favour of what is right.

What is right is often quite different from what the majority believes in. Socrates was put to death, given the hemlock, by the people, his own fellowmen, who were around him. Mind you, that again was by a majority vote.

And I remember Rajaji in his speeches emphasising this when he was alive. Our country was so much richer for his life. He said. "Never mistake the majority vote for what is right and fair and just."

The third message of Sankaracharya was moral preparation. He believed that each life has to be so lived that you are prepared to meet the maker at the time of 'crossing the bar', when the final call comes, with a clean record of what you have accomplished with whatever you have been given by way of wealth, in trust for your fellowmen. He believed that Universal compassion and love area part of moral preparation.

I would like to quote to you the words which are from on of his hymns: "In you and in me and everywhere else, these is but one Vishnu". See yourself in all things, give up the false sense of difference from other human beings everywhere. This is his message of universality; the brotherhood of the entire human race.

In fact, we find it difficult to develop that kind of a sense of brotherhood even in one single country, leave aside the entire human race. Even if there are two states adjoining each other, we find it difficult to have the sense of brotherhood among the people of the two states. So we have a long way to go before we realise that great message of Adi Sankaracharya, one of the greatest men of our country.

And his last message was the longing for liberation, what St. Luke in his Epistle calls the 'longing for the eternal life'. Adi Sankaracharya said this world is just a preparatory ground, a school where we are trying to prepare ourselves, educate ourselves, for the eternal life.

About his year of birth and death, there is no certainity. Max mueller believed that he was born in 788 and we celebrated his 1200th Anniversary in the year 1988-89. But we are not sure when he lived and died, though the general consensus is that he was, perhaps, 32 when he passed away. But whatever may have been the exact year of his birth or death, it is his message which counts, more than his own individual personal life.

He established what I would call the Empire of the Spirit. Whole generations have come and gone, empires have flourished and vanished, but Sankaracharya's empire of the Spirit survives. And so long as his great spirit abides with our people; there is hope or the future greatness of our country.

Be Simple

A Person can achieve everything by being simple and humble.

- Rigveda

Friday, January 18, 2008

Be Humble

Be humble, be harmless, have no pretension, be upright, forbearing; Serve your teacher in true obedience, keeping the mind and body clean; Tranquil, steadfast, master of ego, standing apart from the things of the senses, free from self; Aware of the weakness in mortal nature.

- Bhagvad Gita 13:7-8

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Hinduism and Psychiatric Illness

Knowledge or ignorance,
Freedom or bondage,
What are they?

What is "I,"
Or "mine,"
Or "this"?

Or the form of the true Self?

-Ashtavakra Gita 20:3

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Be free of Hope and Desire

Inwardly be free of all hopes and desires, but outwardly do what needs to be done. Without hopes in your heart, live as if you were full of hopes. Live with your heart now cool and now warm, just like everyone else. Inwardly give up the idea "I am the doer," yet outwardly engage in all activities. This is how to live in the world, completely free from the least trace of ego.

-Maharamayana

Hinduism and Indian Culture

A long and joyous life rewards those who remain firmly
On the faultless path of Him who controls the five senses.

They alone dispel the mind's distress
Who take refuge at the Feet of the Incomparable One.

They alone can cross life's other oceans who take refuge
At the Feet of the Gracious One, Himself an ocean of virtue.

-Tirukkural 1:6-8