l+-4 +-4i - {zPs Published on behalf of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Dharmo Rakshathi Rakshitha: Dharma protects its adherents Hara Hara Sankara Jaya Jaya Sankara
vasati dasanasi khare dharani tava l agna sasi ni kal ankakal eva ni magna Kesava dhrta sukararupa jaya jagadi sa hare O Kesava in the form of the Boar (sukarupa)! The earth rests in peace on the tip of Your tusk, like the dark marking on the disk of the moon. Hail Hari! Lord of the universe! 2
Title Page - Nitya Kalyan - August 2007
Nit ya Kalyan Augus t 2 0 0 7 Published on behalf of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam
- l+r in: rl-i+i ei-+imi l-+ ++l+i +-++ il+ r-+i i ;+r +r-ri:i + +-rir e--i l+-e+ zl ini l+-4+-4i mini ii
Editor and Publisher K S Venkataraman Adviser Vedabhashyaratnam Dr R Krishnamurthi Sastrigal Editorial Consultants Dr. H V Hande, Chennai Dr. Nalini Shetty, Chennai K Srinivasan, Chennai V Subramanian, Chennai Overseas Liaison Prof. N M Sundaram, Australia (02) 96170852 K Guruvayurappan, New Jersy, USA (908-369-1644) V Bhuvaneswari, Allen TX, USA (469-675-0296)
Contribution of articles and photographs are welcome. Articles published in Nitya Kalyan - unless directly expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam.
Enquiries: K S Venkataraman, 'Kailash', # 56, Indira Nagar Park St., Chendurpuram Extension, Kattuppakkam, Chennai 600056 E-mail: nityakalyan_magazine@yahoo.com
3
Contents - Nitya Kalyan - August 2007
GURU UPADESA Vinayaka Mahaswamigal 4 Some Cult ural Habit s of Ours H H Sri Jayendra Sarasvati Swamigal 5 Anugraha Bhas hanam H H Sri Sankara Vijayendra Sarasvati Swamigal 6 VEDIC HERITAGE Swami Vive kananda on t he Ve das and Upanis hads Sister Gayatriprana 7 Upade s a Sahas ri S Balakrishnan 9 The Bhagavad Git a Padmasri S Balakrishnan 12 DEVOTIONAL LITERATURE Srimad Bhagavat am Lalitha Manjunatha Rai 13 Sri Adi Sankara Krishnan 14 Swami Bhagavat hi Prof. Kamala Viswanathan 16 Embrac ing t he Me aning of Our Human Exis t e nc e Dr Frank Morales 19 Sri Pada Sapt at i P R Kannan 21 Varahavat ar Veena Santosh 24 TRUE VALUES OF LIFE Sri Ramayana Sukt i Mukt avali K N Srinivasan 26 PRINCIPLES OF SELF DEVELOPMENT Advanc e d Yoga Prac t ic e s Yogani 27 We ll-forme d Out c ome s S Ravichandran 29 EPILOGUE Religious News & Events 32
4 Guru Upade s a Nit ya Kalyan Augus t 2 0 0 7
Vinayaka MAHASWAMIGAL
Each and every aspect of the moorthy of Vinayaka is illustrative of some significant principle.
Once Vinayaka asked His Father Easwara to give His head. Maha Ganapathi is pleased only when the greatest thing is sacrificed for Him. A coconut has three eyes just as Easwara does. Easwara has blessed us, making it possible to sacrifice coconut to Vinayaka.
A common practice prevalent only in Tamil Nadu is breaking coconut to pieces by forcefully throwing it in front of Sri Vinayaka. This is called chitaru kai. The coconut pieces would scatter in all directions and the children would jump and pick up hilariously the pieces, as a matter of right. I came to know this only from a child. It was 1941. I was adhering to chaturmasya vrata at Nagapattinam. In the temple, a number of coconuts used to be offered as chitaru kai. And a large number of children would gather and energetically compete for their share of chitaru kai.
Some elders, who were concerned about the safety of the children, shouted at them and directed them to go away. A small boy retorted authoritatively, How can you ask us to go away. If chitaru kai is offered to Pillaiyar, we would certainly come and you have no right to ask us to go away.
His style of talking and the firmness in his voice made me think, It is true. Once we make an offering to Pillaiyar, the sole right in the prasada naturally belongs to the pillaigal.
If the shell of ahamkara is broken, the amrtarasa within becomes available; the chitharu kai brings out this truth.
5
Some Cult ural Habit s of Ours JAGADGURU PUJYASRI JAYENDRA SARASVATI SWAMIGAL
We normally think that a person is in bondage only when he is in jail. But actually we are in chains or in bondage even when we are living in the world outside. We used to visit many jails for the purpose of bringing about transformation in the minds of the prisoners so as to bring them over to the right path. Religious teachers belonging to other religions were doing such a thing, and therefore we thought that we should also do it. We would visit the jails and then come back and have purification by doing anushtana and so on. I used to tell the prisoners that they were in fact having a better life and they could be happier than the people outside because they were very well looked after in the jails and they had nothing to worry about. I have seen many prisons in Madhya Pradesh and have gone there and given the prisoners my blessings. I went there to preach dharma, just to awaken their interest in our dharma and in our sastras. Some of them who were behaving well could wear white dress and could have freedom to move about within the compound freely. When some mental transformation takes place in a prison, he is able to get a job also within the prison and he can earn and get some promotion and also secure his release a little earlier. I used to tell the prisoners that the people outside did not have even that much freedom, and they were much happier than the people outside and that the people outside were in chains and in bondage all the time.
The question arises how we shall be free from bondage and how we shall be happy all the time. We have three types of bodies, as we have seen before, namely the gross body, the subtle body and the causal body. The activities of the subtle body affect the gross body, and similarly the treatment given to the gross body also affects the subtle body.
Without the subtle body, the gross body cannot function at all. Even if we want to make a physical movement, we have to invoke the aid of the subtle body. So whatever we do to the subtle body affects the gross body and vice versa.
Sometimes, we find that a person is doing sraaddha or Pitrukaryas and Devakaryas etc., regularly and with faith, and he is also doing worship of the Devatas etc., but still we find that he is not happy. What is the reason for this? I often say that the reason is the change which has been made by them in their traditional cultural habits. There may be many reasons for his unhappiness; but in my opinion, this change in cultural habits is also one of the most important reasons. (to be continued) 6 Anugraha Bhas hanam JAGADGURU PUJYASRI SANKARA VIJAYENDRA SARASVATI SWAMIGAL
Viveka is most important for man. This enables him to understand and appreciate good and bad nature of men and matters. The guru-sishya paramparya aims at improving viveka of the disciples.
In the olden days, the disciples stayed with their gurus, did service to them and learnt arts and sciences. Thus Sri Krishna learnt from Sandeepini munivar; Arjuna learnt from Drona. Brahsapati is the guru for devas; Sukracharya is the guru for the asuras. The gurus always know what would lead to peace and welfare. They teach how to make the best use of the Five Elements.
Knowledge is beyond religion; it is common for the rich and the poor. Even while aksharas are taught, it is combined with the sacred namas of Bhagawan.
Our country may not be very rich. We may not have many oil wells. But still, a number of persons come here from other countries for learning about our Vedic culture and practices. Though they are highly developed in science and technology, for learning to live peacefully, they find it necessary to come here.
Formal education alone will not do. If proper value system is not developed, mere worldly education can at times be disastrous.
Children should be taught to strictly avoid falsehood, jealousy and so on; they should cultivate an attitude of service and harmony. They should learn to respect their mothers, fathers and teachers as personifying divinity.
Social service, Nature, God these concepts are not separate compartments. They have to be understood together; then only a comprehensive knowledge would emerge.
Students should learn to absorb our ancient cultural values and also to master the modern principles of science and technology.
We pray to God that our children should imbibe good qualities like desabhakti, devotion to God and attitude of service. 7 Vedic Heritage - Nitya Kalyan August 2007
Swami Vive kananda on t he Ve das and Upanis hads Part I, Se c t ion 3 : The His t oric al Root s of t he Ve dant a Chapt e r 8 : The St ruggle t o Es t ablis h t he Kingdom of t he Upanis hads (Cont d. )
f) Through Sl ow Assi mi l ati on the Pure, Eternal Vedi c Rel i gi on Has Evol ved Indi a toward the Hi ghest Ideal
The task before renascent India was profound, problems vaster than their ancestors had ever faced. A comparatively small and compact race of the same blood and speech and the same social and religious aspiration [the Aryans], trying to save its unity by un-scalable walls around itself, grew huge by multiplication and addition during the Buddhist supremacy. However, it was divided by race, color, speech, spiritual instinct and social ambitions into hopelessly jarring factions. It had to be unified and welded into one gigantic nation. This task Buddhism had also come to solve, and had taken it up when the proportions were not so vast.
So long it had been a question of Aryanizing the other types that were pressing for admission and thus of making a huge Aryan body of its different elements. In spite of concessions and compromises, Buddhism was eminently successful and remained the national religion of India, but the time came when the allurements of sensual forms of worship, indiscriminately taken in along with various low races, were too dangerous for the central Aryan core, and a longer contact would certainly have destroyed the civilization of the Aryans. Then came a natural reaction for self-preservation, and Buddhism as a separate sect ceased to live in most parts of the land of its birth.
The reaction movement, led in close succession by Kumarila in the North and Shankara and Ramanuja in the South, had become the last embodiment of that vast accumulation of sects and doctrines and rituals called Hinduism. For the last thousand years or more, its great task had been assimilation, with now and then and outburst of reformation. This reaction first wanted to revive the rituals of the Vedas - failing which, it made the Upanishads or the philosophic portions of the Vedas its basis. It brought Vyasa's system of mimamsa philosophy (the Vedanta Sutras) and Krishnas sermon, the Gita, to the forefront, and all succeeding movements have followed the same. (72)
During the hundreds of years since the time of the great reformer Shankaracharya to the present day, there has been the slow bringing back of the Indian masses to the pristine purity of the Vedantic religion. These reformers knew full well the evils which existed, yet they did not condemn. They did not say, "All that you have is wrong; you must throw it away". It can never be so. Sudden changes cannot be, and Shankaracharya knew it. So did Ramanuja. The only way left to them was slowly to bring up the existing religion to the highest ideal. If they had sought to apply the other method, they would have been hypocrites, for the very fundamental doctrine of their religion is evolution, the soul going toward the highest goal, through all these various stages and phases which are, therefore, necessary and helpful. And who dares condemn them? (73) 8
In India, Kumarila again brought into currency the karma marga, the way of karma only, and Shankara and Ramanuja firmly reestablished the eternal Vedic religion, harmonizing and balancing in due proportions dharma, artha, kama and moksha [duty, gain, pleasure and liberation]. Thus the nation was brought to the way of regaining its lost life; but India has three hundred million souls to awake, and hence the delay. To revive three hundred millions - can it be done in a day? (74)
Re fe re nc e s
72. CW, Vol.6: The Historical Evolution of India, p.165. 73. CW, Vol.3: My Plan of Campaign, pp.217-218. 74. CW, Vol.5: The East and the West, pp.454-455
Si ster Gayatri prana is a nun of the Ramakrishna Order, who has worked at the Vedanta Societies of New York, Boston and San Fransisco, and is currently posted in Los Angels, California, USA
Towards Enduring Harmony The answers to several questions which are baffling scientists and philosophers today are contained within the treasure-house of the Vedas, as well as the solutions to several daunting problems threatening human society. Access to these answers would open up the possibility of a quantum leap into a world of new truths and new experiences, and a study of the knowledge contained in these texts should also help in understanding the founding principles of one of the most ancient civilizations in human history. Together these could indicate to us the road to the establishment of an enduring harmony and happiness on our planet. Ris hi Kumar Mis hra Before the Beginning and after the End Rupa & co (2001), p. xix
9
Upade s a Sahas ri Chapt e r 1 3 : Eye le s s ne s s (Acaku vaprakaraam) ( Cont d. ) ms+r4 S BALAKRISHNAN
i:4-+i +i +i+i l+ l+lna: i z4 zi+i l+-+i 44+l-4-++i + ii -+ ii
Bhedo bhedastada cai ko nana c e t i vikalpit ah J neyam jnata gati r ganta mayyekasmi n kuto bhavet. (23)
Tr.: Difference, non-difference, one or many, such things are imaginary. I am only one; how can then I accommodate such things as a thing to be known, a knower, a movement, a mover etc.
Sankara justifies the non duality of Self, by reducing all the plurality and differences to merely relative concepts.
A study of the theory of relativity in science can also lead to such philosophical concept. One becomes relevant only if there are more than one. All the triads are only the one, coming down to transactional level. In the absolute level all the triads are merged into me; there is no knower, knowledge etc.
If one analyzes very deeply, even differences between two things cannot be properly defined. If I ask you what is the difference between a cow and a horse you will only define a cow and a horse. You will never be able to define or quantify the difference. Any differences between any two objects cannot be actually defined. Therefore all the plurality and differences can be reduced to a myth.
+ 4 r4 + i44l+ilr 4+i or4 i ei 4+-+i ma: ei ai:i:s4: ii-x ii
Na me he yam na c ade yamavikari yat ohyaham Sada mukt as t at ha s uddhah s ada buddho'guno'dvayah (24)
Tr.: I have nothing to acquire or attain; or to drop or reject because I remain without any change. I am ever free, unattached always without attributes effulgent and non dual.
Sankara uses his oft-repeated phrase 'Heyo upadeya vasjitah' here also to convey the non-attached nature of the self. You can attain or reach another place if it is away from you like the heavens or America. Since you are all pervading such an effort is not relevant. In the same way you can drop or reject something if anything is really attached to you. How can you drop a serpent which you imagine around your ankles? You must only know that it is imaginary, no action to shake your leg or use a stick is called for. This is what is meant by the first line. The second line reiterates the nature of Atma as ever free, ever unattached, ever effulgent, attribute less and hence non dual.
10 ;-4 ei-4i+ lni-e e4ilr+: i ll-i 4i -r-4l4+i i + ii-- ii
It ye vam s arvadat manam vidyat Sarve s amahit ah Vidit va mam s vade has t hamrs hirmukt o dhurvo bhave t . (25)
Tr.: Thus with an integrated mind one should know the Atma as all and as available inside the body. Such a sage will certainly be liberated.
Sankara concludes this chapter giving the fruits of such knowledge echoing the famous upanisad dictum 'Brahmavid Brahma bhavati 'knowing Atma as everything everywhere as also available in his own heart the sage is ever free. He is Brahman.
We are reminded of the upanisad words yo veda nihitam guhayam and Lords exhortation to Arjuna in 18-61 Isvarah sarvabhutanam hrddese Arjuna tishtati'
+++-4n lean 4ii i i 4 +-i4-4i oi-4ri + ii - ii
Krt akrt yas c a s iddhas c a yoge e brahmana e va c a Ya e vam ve da t at vart ham anyat ha hyat maha bhave t . (26)
Tr.: One who knows the reality, as such is indeed a yogi, a Brahmin, one who has fulfilled his mission and an accomplished person.
Brahmajnani tu Brahmanah. The knower of Brahman alone is the real Brahmin. All others are pseudo-Brahmins by birth or by profession.
He alone is a yogi with mind integrated in his Self. He has indeed fulfilled the final and the only goal in life, the fourth purushartha of Moksha. What about other ignorant persons? As Dayananda Swamiji says, they just go from womb to tomb and back, just live and die. Acarya here uses strong words drawing his authority from Isa Upanisad, Ye ke ca atma hano janah and Gita 13-28 Hinasti atmana atmanam.
They kill their atma repeatedly in each birth! When you do not accept the presence of some thing so evident, it is as good as eliminating that as non-existent. In Sankaras words Ajnanam atmatiaskaranao npapatteh. You are totally obliterating the atma just as Rahu is said to swallow the moon.
ii l+ln+i o e4ie+ 44il+: i e-4ile-4: s+4: mi-+-4: lmrla+i ii - ii
Ve dart ho nis c it o hye s ha s amas e na mayodit ah Sanyas ibhyah Pravakt avyah s ant e bhyah si shta buddhi na. (27)
Tr.:The ambiguous meaning of Vedanta has been briefly vetoed by me. This must be taught to samnyasis who have calm minds by one who has been taught this knowledge.
As a parting advice Sankara gives the qualification of the student and the teacher for receiving and imparting this great knowledge which has been very clearly explained by him. 11
This chapter specifically concentrates on revealing the sacred and the secret knowledge. Being raja guhyam it cannot be freely propagated to all and sundry. The student must have the four-fold values with emphasis on vairagyam. To stress the same Sankara prescribes renunciation as a qualification; for only the samnyasis have a favorable ambience for the study and assimilation of such deep knowledge. The qualification of calm disposition is important. If calmness can be achieved by a Grihasta or any other asrami, the knowledge can be given. Sankara means vividisa sanyasa here, which is very conducive to study of scriptures under the guidance of a teacher. Sankara emphasizes that the teacher must have properly learnt it from a competent guru, thus stressing the value of guru parampara. The traditional handing over of the teaching is very important and the guru must be a srotriya and Brahma nistha. He must not be one who has just picked up Vedanta casually as a hobby or pastime.
Summary
Ve rs e s 1 t o 8
The nature of Atma as a primary illuminator devoid of any sense instruments is described. The word I is analyzed as consisting of two parts, the self and the ego. The self is described as the primary illuminator and the ego which is a part of inner instrument as endowed with citabhasa, acts as a secondary illuminator.
Ve rs e 9 t o 1 1
The cause of samsara is traced to a mix up with the two illuminators i.e. the two Is and the remedy is only through sravanam.
Ve rs e 1 2 t o 2 4
The glories of atma to create a continuous akhandakara vritthi are given which will be very useful for nididhyasanam.
Ve rs e 2 5 t o 2 6
The fruit of the knowledge is given as liberation.
Ve rs e 2 7
Rules for dissemination of the teaching are prescribed.
(to be continued...)
Sri S Bal akri shnan is well versed in several languages including Sanskrit and Russian. He has published the books: Will a Grihasta get Liberation? and A Spiritual J ourney. He teaches Vedanta to several students in Chennai and contributes to many spiritual magazines. His new book, An Elucidation of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (based on Vidyaranyas Anubhuti Prakasa) is to be released on 28 th J uly 2007 in Chennai.
12
The Bhagavad Ge e t ha Essence of Hindu Religion PADMASRI S BALAKRISHNAN
Chapt e r 1 8 : Moks ha Sanyas a Yoga (c ont d. )
The Cons t it ue nt s of ac t ion (Ve rs e s 1 3 t o 1 9 ) 18.4 There are five contributing factors to all actions according to Sankhya, namely, the seat or physical body, the doer or jeevatma, the instruments of mind and organs, mans efforts and providence (destiny). These five factors play their role whatever action is performed by body, speech or mind, right or wrong. (In particular, the non-human factor, namely destiny, disposes of all efforts and plays a leading role.) Therefore, one who looks upon himself as the sole performer in all actions, that is, the one with ahamkara, does not see the truth at all and is perverse. One who is free from ahamkara, that is, one with a proper understanding, will regard himself only as the instrument of divinity when engaged in any activity and will not be tainted by the action. The three motivating factors for action are the knowledge, the knower and that which is known and the three elements of action are the instrument, the action itself and the doer. Knowledge, action and the doer can each be divided into three categories according to Gunas. The t hree -fold divis ions of knowle dge , ac t ion and t he doe r (ve rs e s 2 0 t o 2 8 ) 18.5 The knowledge by which One Imperishable Being is seen in all that exists and which remains undivided among the various divided existences is satvic knowledge. That knowledge which sees multiplicity of beings in the different creations by reason of their separateness is rajasic knowledge, while that knowledge which clings to a single thing or mistakes the part for the whole without regard for the cause and without grasping the reality, is tamasic knowledge. 18.6 As regards action, any ordained action that is performed without attachment, passion or prejudice, by one who does not hanker after the fruits, is satvic action. Action, done with strain by one seeking to gratify his own desires or impelled by ego (ahamkara), is rajasic action, while that action undertaken through ignorance, without regard to consequences or to any loss or injury to another or to ones capacity, is tamasic action. 18.7 As regards the doer, a satvic does all action with vigor and firmness and without attachment or egoism unaffected by success or failure. A rajasic when action is swayed by passion joy or sorrow or craving for fruits thereof and acts greedily or with violence or impure conduct. A tamasic acts in an unbalanced, vulgar, obstinate, deceitful, malicious, indolent and procrastinating manner.
(to be continued...) Padmasri S Bal akri shnan is a jurist, who spent nearly five decades of his life in public service holding important and high ranking positions. His books are: Introduction to Hindu Religion, Worship of Deities in Hindu Religion, and The Vedas and Hindu Religion.
13
Srimad Bhagavat am (Contd.) LALITHA MANJUNATHA RAI Chapt e r 1 0 1 : Mat s ya Avat ara Parikshit then asked Shuka to relate to him in detail the Matsya Avatara of the Lord. Shuka said:
When there is fear of destruction of dharma or the Vedas or the world itself, the Lord descends to Earth to protect them. At the end of the previous kalpa, Brahma went to sleep and the world was submerged under water. When Brahma was sleeping an asura by name Hayagriva stole the Vedas from Him.
The asura then disappeared under the water with the Vedas. The king who was then ruling was Satyavrata. He was a great devotee of Narayana. At the end of pralaya when the world was recreated, king Satyavrata was born as the son of Vivasvat, one of the twelve Adityas, and the Manvantara was called Vaivasvata Manvantara.
One day, Satyavrata was performing his worship on the banks of a river. When he took up water in his palms to offer argyas to the pitris, he found a tiny fish in his hands. He dropped the fish into the river and it said, O King, protect me as there are big fishes which will eat me up in the river. He took the fish home in his kamandalu.
The fish kept growing bigger and bigger at a very fast pace and soon did not have enough place to move about. Finally the king took it to the sea and dropped it there. The fish said, The sea is full of sharks and whales, which will eat me up. Why did you bring me here? The king smiled and said, You are not an ordinary fish. I know Who You are. You are Lord Narayana, Who has donned this form for some purpose. The Lord replied, You are right. I have taken this form with a purpose. Seven days from today, the three worlds will be submerged under the water. Mahapralaya is coming. You will see a boat, coming towards you. Enter it, with the seven rishis. I will be in the waters. Tie the boat to one of my horns with the help of Vasuki, who will serve you as a rope. The Fish vanished.
Satyavrata saw Earth fast disappearing and also saw the boat. He, with the seven rishis, went reciting the Lords name. The Lord took them under His protection. The king saluting the Lord, asked Him to teach him atma vidya. The Lord taught atma vidya to Satyavrata. He taught him about gnana, bhakti and karmayoga. In the waters Narayana in the form of a fish fought with the asura Hayagriva and restored the Vedas to Brahma at the end of the Pralaya. Satyavrata was reborn as Shraddhadeva, the Manu of Vaivasvata Manvantara. (to be continued...)
Smt Lal i tha Manjunatha Rai is a great devotee; a very senior member of the Guild of Service, devoted to the cause of social uplift. 14
Sri Adi Sankara (contd.) KRISHNAN 30. Acharya, the Social Reformer
Acharyas devotion to his mother had arisen from the Brahman consciousness, mingled with Bhakti.
He remembered his promise to his mother and started preparing for her funeral rites. All the villagers had assembled by then. The Acharya said, "I will perform her funeral rites. Even though it is not proper for a monk, it is my duty and desire that I shall perform her final rites.
The villagers called him a cheat and a hypocrite. They said, You, being a monk, have no relationship with anyone. You have no right to perform the funeral rites of your mother. We will never allow you to do that.
The illiterate villagers would not accept the point made by the Universal Teacher, Jagatguru Sri Sankaracharya.
They left the place in anger and banned anyone from helping the Acharya in performing the funeral rites. The Acharya was left alone with the body of his mother.
Acharya was and is the Guru for the entire universe. It seems, even gnanis, who have corrected the ways of life of many of their opponents, are made to face extraordinary life situations sometimes, in some way or the other, in their own life time!
The Acharya carried his mother's body with great difficulty. No Mantras, no cries, no traditions, no water, no fire Everything was Sankara, Sankara, Sankara.
How far could He carry? Only till the garden yard behind the house. And, he placed her body there. He looked up. He got His voice back: Hey Agni Bhagwan! Till now, as per household Dharma, I have not offered you ghee or wood. But now I am offering you the more sacred body of my mother. Please take her! The fire engulfed her body immediately. Her body went back to the place where it belonged. It was a tearful adieu to the mortal remains of the mother.
Kaladi now is a pilgrim attraction. There is a temple of Sri Adi Sankara and Sri Sarada. There is also a Veda Pathashala and a Sankara math. The Sanskrit college in Kaladi is considered to be the best of its kind in south India.
King Rajashekhara, who had met Acharya when the Acharya was eight years old, heard about His visit to Kaladi. There had been a significant deterioration of social life and the king was thinking of a social reform. The arrival of the Acharya provided the right opportunity for him. He decided to institute social reform under the Acharya's instructions and guidance.
The King met the Acharya and briefed him about his plan. Agreeing to the king's suggestion, the Acharya said: "Very well, I shall draft a brief code. You should discuss its good and bad points with the scholars here and then institute it. This will be conducive to the welfare of the people". Soon, a book incorporating sixty four edicts was
15 written. The king was very happy and read it many times. The book was given the title, Sankara Smrit i, 'the code of Sankara'.
The king convened a meeting of scholars to discuss the merits and demerits of the code. The Acharya also attended the meeting. The scholars said that the principles put forth by the Acharya were against the scriptures and were harmful to the society. During the debate that followed, the scholars were gradually silenced by the super- human scholarship and divine brilliance of the Acharya. But they refused to admit defeat.
They took recourse to a novel idea to have their way. At two places, separated by nearly fifty miles, they arranged for two meetings on the same day and at the same time. The delegates at both the meetings separately informed the king that they were challenging the Acharya for a debate. If he could defeat them in debate, they would accept his code.
The Acharya agreed. Would it be possible for him to be present at both the meetings at the same time?
Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara
(to be continued...) Shri Kri shnan, a staunch devotee of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam and a devout religious scholar, is a Post Graduate in Electronics from Madras University and has done Management from J amnalal Bajaj, Bombay. He is software professional and runs an IT company in Bombay.
(12) : zvP uPP Aux _UPzvSa \z uSvPP Gu BQ?
u: zu |S Azx Au P Czu.
(13) : zPUS CPUS x u x?
u: b[P Aizu.
(14) : zvP uP G Gu PukQ?
u: zu.
(zu uU P P |S zx u _UPzu AhQ. GvPUPsk x SiPa \ CUP n[P AhxPsh CUQ Gx Pzx.)
16
Swami Bhagavat hi
PROF. KAMALA VISWANATHAN
Chapt e r 1 2 : Pilgrimage t o Sabarimalai (c ont d. )
We reached Chothanikkarai Devi temple on the night of 15 th April. On 16 th morning, the kattunirai was done inside the Chottanikkarai Devi temple. The executive officer of the temple brought a bronze lamp that was lit just before the kattunirai started. Swami initiated the ritual and poured ghee using a silver cup (materialized during the just concluded Sivarathri festival at the peetam representing jyothir lingams from all over India) and asked all accompanying him to fill the coconut with ghee. There were 13 of us including Swami and the coconut got filled with 13 silver cups of ghee! After the mudra was over, Swami suddenly asked my husband to come forward and carry the irumudi. When we were to leave the temple, the executive officer suggested that we take the lamp along with us, but Swami declined. Another interesting coincidence was that the van which was booked to go to the foothills of the sannidhanam had exactly 13 seats excluding the driver. On the way, all had breakfast at Ethumanoor. I had earlier resolved not to eat anything till I reach sannidhanam. I revealed my wish to Swami and sought his blessings to successfully undertake the pilgrimage. In the van I was sitting near Vinod Bhaskar who was also going to Sabarimalai for the first time. There was yet another devotee like us who was sitting at the back of the van. Vinod and I were discussing our pilgrimage in a very low voice. I told him that climbing the sacred eighteen steps is considered as most significant and since we do not have irumudi we may not be able to climb the sacred steps. This thought had been troubling me. I further added that if Swami wishes, he could ask us to keep our bags (dark blue bags were specially made for all of us to carry our personal belongings) on our heads and bless us to climb the sacred steps. I added that since we both were going for the first time, I was praying that Lord Ayyappa would understand our anxiety and heed to our prayers. We were singing devotional songs all the way. Swami suddenly told my husband that we have to take a jyothi (bronze lamp) with us to sannidhanam and that we should buy one on our way. En route at Erumeli, we got the lamp and proceeded to river Pamba. Since there was a huge crowd of pilgrims, the driver had a hard time getting a parking place. To our great surprise, there was hardly ankle deep water in the river Pamba and Swami suggested that we wash our feet, hands and face and sprinkle water on our head. We started climbing chanting Swamiyai Saranam Ayyappa after doing namaskarams to 17
Swami. At Pampa Ganapathi Peetam, Swami suggested that we just lift the doli (pallakku) in which he was to go up and then hand over the same to professional carriers. We proceeded up the malai with Swami. It was a rare experience trekking up the dense forest. It is only through Swamis grace that I was able to climb the hills in spite of suffering from painful corns in my feet. It was really an unforgettable experience. Since the temple had closed after the noon pooja, we had a light lunch and waited till we got accommodation. In the room after taking bath, just as we were getting ready to go to the temple, my husband and a couple of devotees went to buy twelve coconuts for breaking at the altar just before climbing the sacred steps, as per Swamis instructions. After pada namaskaram to Swami, we assembled to go to sannidhanam. Swami then said that he as Lord Ayyappa will be waiting atop the eighteen steps to receive us. He suggested that we place our bags on our head and climb the steps after breaking the coconut! He further said that there were some devotees who had come for the first time and were worried whether they would be able to climb the sacred steps. Wonders never cease! Hearing these words of Swami both Vinod and I were totally taken aback. We were overwhelmed with emotion as we realized that Swami knew our innermost thoughts and lovingly fulfilled our ardent prayers. Can words describe Swamis compassion and deep concern towards his devotees? We fell at Swamis lotus feet and thanked him. There was a big crowd and we had to wait to climb the sacred steps. Swami waited atop the steps as Ayyappa and blessed all of us to climb the sacred steps. He wanted to place the bronze idol of Lord Ayyappa and the bronze lamp inside the sannidhanam and then take it back to the peetam. He asked a couple of devotees to meet the mel santhi (chief priest) and find out if that can be done. They enquired and found that no idol is allowed to be kept inside the sannidhanam. They said that the Devasom authorities will confiscate the idol if found with us. We briefed the chief priest about Swami and the peetam. However, he was not able to appreciate the divinity of Swami. Finally it was agreed to have flower abhishekam to Lord Ayyappa after deepa aradhanai in the evening. At this point of time, Swami showed the divya jyothi in his chest. Mel Santhi and his deputies were taken aback. Their attitude towards Swami was turned inside out. After deepa aradhanai, we were told to be ready for pushpabhishekam for Lord Ayyappa. In front of the sannadhi, Swami suddenly showed darshan with two damshtras (teeth) coming out on either side of his mouth. On seeing this, the presiding priest rushed out with a flower garland, garlanded Swami and with great devotion, chanted Amme kshamikkanam (meaning Oh! Devi, please forgive.) Chills ran down our spine as we watched the divine spectacle in awe. The priests fell at Swamis feet and apologized. Like any other normal human being, the priests could not understand Swami and appreciate his divinity initially since Swami looks like an ordinary man. After the pooja got over, the priests approached Swami and requested that he along with all of us witness a special darshan of Lord Ayyappa when abhishekam with different items would be done the next day early morning at five. After having a wonderful darshan of Lord Ayyappa, we went to Malikappurathu Ammas sannidhanam. Swami gave me a lemon and asked me to give it to the priest inside the sannidhanam. Though there was a huge crowd, I could manage to go near the sannadhi and give the lemon to the priest. He kept that at the feet of Malikappurathu Amma and gave back the lemon along with turmeric powder as prasadam. We went around all the places and worshipped all the deities before returning to our room. Back in the room, we witnessed another hair-raising incident. Swami materialized amrutham (nectar) from thin air and gave it to all of us. The experience was thrilling, to say the least. 18
Next day early morning when we reached the sannidhanam, Swami was given a warm welcome by the priests and the abhishekam to Lord Ayyappa commenced. We witnessed the entire ritual in blissful peace and prayer. After the deeparadhanai, the priest gave Swami some coins with which they had done kanakabhishekam to the Lord. Swami distributed the coins to all of us. It was a unique, unforgettable divine experience for all of us. None can even dream of having darshan of Lord Ayyappa at such close quarters and witness the abhishekam at a time when the temple was flooded with countless pilgrims. When I think of all the divine experiences, I still find it hard to believe. It all happened because of the divine grace of Swami. The experiences of Sabarimalai made a deep impression in all our minds. Thus, through Swamis grace, we all could fulfill our dreams of a Sabarimalai pilgrimage. While returning, my husband wanted me to go through another route via Sabari Peetam and Neelamalai along with couple of other devotees. Swami and the rest of the devotees returned through the same route which we took on the way up. It was very strenuous for me to climb down the hills (may be because of the absence of Swami). I took two hours. Swami and the rest were waiting anxiously in the van for us. After reaching, I apologized to Swami. After chanting Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa, we left Pampa and reached Tripunithura. As per Swamis instruction, all of us removed the chandana Ayyappan malai and handed it over to him. We then departed to our respective homes and Swami left the next day to the Siddhar Peetam. The real wonder in the trip was that though millions of pilgrims throng to Sabarimalai year after year to get a mere glimpse of Lord Ayyappa for a few seconds, we were fortunate and gifted to be able to go to Sabarimalai along with Swami and have an unsurpassed divya darshan of Lord Ayyappa. Swami, as Lord Ayyappa incarnate, made our dreams come into reality. Swamiyai Saranam Ayyappa (to be continued...) Prof Kamal a Vi swanathan is an ardent devotee of Swami. She and her husband Sri Viswanathan have had many spiritual experiences in their association with Swami. Both were scientists with BARC (Bhabha atomic Research Center), Mumbai.
Swamy Bhagavathi Si ddhar Peetam is located at Plot 1/ 12, First Main Rd., Balaji Nagar, Selaiyur, Tambaram (East), Chennai 600073 (Ph: 044- 22292524/ 3938) E-mail: sidar107@gmail.com Ya ksha p ra sna m
(12) Yaksha: How kshatriyas become eligible to go Swargaloka? Dharma: By learning the dhanurveda properly and by protecting the people of their country. (13) Yaksha: What is the common dharma between kshatriyas and satpurushas? Dharma: Performing yajnas. (14) Yaksha: When kshatriyas are considered men? Dharma: When afflicted with fear. (The idea is that when they gain mastery in dhanurveda and protect the people of their country, they earn their entry in Swargaloka. While they fail to protect their people because of fear, they are treated like ordinary men, who are caught in the vicious cycle of births and deaths.) (to be continued)
19 Embrac ing t he Me aning of Our Human Exis t e nc e
DR. FRANK MORALES, PH.D. (Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya)
Who among us has never, at some contemplative point in our lives or another, asked ourselves the truly big questions, questions about the ultimate meaning of this world, and of our lives in it? Questioning the reason for our human existence is a very natural pursuit on the part of any human being. Indeed, unlike any other species of life, human beings alone have been gifted by God with the unique cognitive ability to engage in self-reflection upon our very own existence as human beings. To be human means to question what it means to be human.
It is especially when such existential questions arise in our minds that we find ourselves understandably turning to the precise fields of knowledge that deal most directly with such questions: the sister fields of religion and philosophy. In the following, I will answer this universal query from the perspective of the most ancient religio-philosophical system on earth, Sanatana Dharma.
The nature of existence has been dealt with by many philosophers, both Western and Asian, from the beginning of time. Whether we are speaking of Thomas Aquinas and his metaphysical distinction of existence and essence, Soren Kierkegaard and his attempts to come to grips with the problem of existence from a Protestant perspective, the Existentialists of the 20th Century, or the Samkhya and Vedanta schools of Sanatana Dharma, the nature of our existence has been on the minds of some of history's greatest thinkers.
The most basic of all philosophical questions that can be asked is: Why do human beings exist? When I open my eyes in the morning, why is it that there is something rather than nothing? In order to sufficiently analyze this question, the question itself really needs to be divided into two closely related questions: a) why do we exist at all, b) why do we exist as human beings. I'll try to answer both from the perspective of Yoga spirituality and Sanatana Dharma.
According to the ancient wisdom of Dharma, we exist to begin with because it's our very innate nature to exist. The sacred scriptures of both Yoga and Sanatana Dharma teach us that our true, innermost nature is that we are atman, or eternal units of consciousness. We have the Absolute (Brahman, or God) as both our causative and substantial source, and as the ontological sustainer of our existential being. Having God as our underlying source necessarily follows that we naturally share in many of God's essential attributive qualities. Because we participate in God's innate attributes - and if not to a quantitatively equivalent degree, then certainly to a qualitative one - we too share in many of God's qualities. One of those attributes that both God and we have in common is necessary existence. In other words, both God and we we (atmans or souls) are eternal by our inherent nature.
Never was there a time when we came into being, and never will there be a time when we cease to exist. So, in a way, we exist because we cannot but exist, being purely spiritual beings in essence. Such is our nature, for it is the nature of God, the ultimate source of our being. A deeper question than the principle of necessary existence, however, is: why is it the case that we were even gifted with necessary existence to begin with? Sanatana Dharma answers this in the following manner. Brahman (God) is One (ekam). But as a natural result of the overflowing abundance of the Infinite, God decides to become more than One. God thus becomes One (vishishta-advaita). Consequently, in addition to Brahman, we also
20
have atman (individual have our own individual existence in attributive relationship with Brahman (God) in order to know, and love, and serve Brahman.
The second part of our question on human existence, "Why do we exist as human beings?" can then be understood from understanding the first part. As beings who partake in God's necessary existence and attributive nature, we are currently in a state of self-imposed separation from God due to our self-destructive fascination with ego and the objects of ego. It is ego, and the subsequent selfishness and self-centeredness that result from ego, that produce the various layers of illusory self that we mistakenly identify with our true, spiritual identity. The "human person" is in actuality a complex symbiosis comprised of several distinct aggregates, including physical body (deha), mind substance, (manas), Intel force (prana), and ultimately atman as the source of consciousness and animating source. While the "human person" is an artificial and temporal construct comprised of these many elements, it is the atman alone that is the true self, and that is eternal, true, beautiful, indestructible, and blissful by its own inherent nature, having God (Brahman) as its source of being.
We thus find ourselves in human form (and sometimes other forms!) in an endlessly unsuccessful attempt to selfishly enjoy ourselves in the illusion that we can have a meaningful existence without the benefit of God's love. We are identifying with the temporal shallow instead of the profound, with the material instead of the spiritual, with the illusory instead of the real. The meaning of life in human form is to thus reverse this negative and self-defeating tendency to serve our ego, and to instead once again serve God. We are here, as human beings, to transcend our merely human nature, to re-embrace our true identity as eternal spiritual beings, and to partake of the Divine nature that is our birthright, that is our natural state of being, and that is our true home. We are here to know, and to love, and to serve the Divine.
In Sanatana Dharma, God is presented as the source of all goodness, acceptance, compassion, and non-judgmental love. God is embraced and loved without restrictions, without fear, without force, and without loss. This is a very different conception of the Absolute when compared to the notion we find in the Western, Abrahamic religious constructs of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Unlike in the Abrahamic religions, in Sanatana Dharma we find a concept of God as not only being a thoroughly transcendent source of reality, but also as a lovingly imminent and intimate friend who provides us all with a means for achieving immediate knowledge. The path of Sanatana Dharma offers us such profoundly philosophical works as the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, and Vedas for the unfailing guidance and knowledge necessary to comprehend life's meaning. It also offers us a systematic path of spiritual practice that leads directly to a personal experience of the Divine. This path includes the ancient and highly effective processes of Yoga, meditation, puja, and devotion to God.
To truly know the answer to the meaning of human life, however, it is not enough ultimately to merely engage in an intellectual understanding of Truth. Rather, we need to personally experience the sweet taste of Truth as the immediate presence of God in our hearts and in our lives. To experience the profound bliss of God's presence in your life, and to truly know why we have the joy of existence, please explore the profound depths of spiritual realization that Sanatana Dharma has to offer you. To be human is to ask.
Dr. Frank Moral es (Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya) has been a practicing American Hindu for over 30 years. He has a Ph.D. in Religious Studies and is recognized as one of the leading Hindu Acharyas in the nation. He is the Founder and President of the International Sanatana Dharma Society. To contact Sri Acharyaji, email him at: info@dharmacentral. com. 21
Sri Pada Sapt at i (c ont d. ) P R KANNAN
-i4 +- e+m4+ --ni++iln+i +inirl+ll-ml-4ni i4iul+i i 4ai--44-ia4ia+++i-+i4 ++-4--44i 4i+i: =++i 4il=+i: mi mi4r ii - ii
Devi ! When Siva prostrates at Your Sripada (during quarrels of love), the row of Your fingernails shine specially white, because of the beating of the waves of Ganga, residing at Sivas head. Long live the row of nails! We suspect that the fishes, the froth bubbles, the pearl groups, the shells are all performing penance in the waters (of the Ganga) in the fond hope of attaining the shining whiteness of Your fingernails (by contact).
Sastras say that company makes a man and emphasize the primacy of good company. The beings in the Ganga waters long for the noble association of Devis fingernails in order to attain radiance, which in fact stands for Gnana.
Durga, whose fingernails in the Feet spread their radiance far and wide, defeating the Sun.
4i+ m-lmr: srirlr+ +- --l-i++ i+ l- +i-4i-+ +rl-4r+i l-riil+4 i + +i+uima+nri: mi+im4-il++i ii-si: l+n mr-4 lmrei mi l-+i rlm+i: ii -c ii
Mane Sambhu-sira: prahara-charitham naiva tvad-icha-krutham Jane Devi padabjayostu Purajin-murdhna virodhad-idam Ethe pada-nakhamsu-baddha-kalahah Sitamsu-Mandakini- Bhogindrah kila Sankarasya sirasa sankam vina rakshitah (28)
Devi! We think that the attack of Your Feet on the head of Siva (during prostration) at the time of quarrel of love is not as per Your wish. It is due to the hostility of Your lotus Feet with the head of Siva, the vanquisher of the three cities. The reason is: The Moon, The Ganga and the serpent Sesha, who bear ill-will with the rays of the nails of Your Feet (having been defeated in brilliance), are protected without doubt at the head of Siva.
22
The Moon, the Ganga and Sesha could not stand competition with the brilliant rays emanating from Devis finger - nails in the Feet and, having been defeated, they were driven away by the rays. They were offered refuge by the ever compassionate Siva on His head. Your Sripadas, taking the opportunity of Sivas prostration, launch an attack, even against Your own wishes, on the three enemies who had been defeated, but protected at Sivas head.
Daughter of Himavan! On seeing Your unparalleled beauty, Ganga was afflicted with great fear and took the form of water. Siva, on noticing Gangas lotus face, put her on His head with compassion and bestowed fame on her.
l- --ri+-nu4li ni+i +4 +iil+ -=l+in-= +imi4i- ei:4 +: i reini+-+: --4 +4n: miril-mi4i- i+i 4-il+ +i+erle -+i4l-in=4+ ii - ii
Devi! Nataraja (Siva) prostrating at Your Feet, merges in the brilliance of the finger nails and shines as if reclining on the white radiant Kailasa mountain. Similarly, Brahma shines as if sitting on his carrier, Hamsa; Vishnu, the consort of Lakshmi, shines as if reclining on the milk ocean; Indra shines as if bathing in the Manasarovar lake in Swargaloka. In Devi Bhagavatham, Siva praises Devi:
Na cha vidanti vadanti cha yenyatha Hariharaja-krutam nikhilam jagat Tava krutas-traya eva sadaiva te Virachayanti jagat sacharacharam (3:5:4)
Those who say that Hari, Hara and Brahma have created all worlds do not know the truth. The three Gods themselves have been created by You and they create the Worlds with moving and stationary objects (due to Your granting them the necessary abilities). :ini+lnl-i lr4nlmnim e4-4ir+i+ +iii-i-4il+ 4i-+res-4-+i-4il-+ i +i-4-4i+m-er-s=i- l--+ir+i l-m+l+il+ +-4ri--nil+ --i4r ii + ii
Ambike! When you play on the swing in the Himalayas, Your Sripadas touch the rugged rocks of the mountains. Red lac particles from Your Feet drop on the rocks. The women from the heavens worship these red particles, because these are the brief forerunner of the heavy flood of blood of Sumbha, the demon on the battlefield. We worship this red dust.
In Keelaka Stotram of Durga Sapthasathi, we find:
Soubhagyadi cha yatkinchit drusyate lalanajane Tatsarvam tatprasadena tena japyam idam subham. (12)
Good fortune etc. found in women is all due to the Grace of Devi; hence this blessed Stotra should be chanted.
Sri P R Kannan is a religious scholar settled in Mumbai. He is well versed in devotional literature and it is a joyful and educative experience to listen to his spiritual discourses. Golde n words Objective possessions and subjective passions are handicaps in the race of realization. Offer God real flower grown in the garden of your heart; fragrant, beautiful and delighting. Offering all the deeds of man at the feet of the Lord is the real yajna. Every action performed by man must be considered as an offering to the Lord and as the Lord's work itself. Only in fear of sin can you experience peace and nonviolence. Only in love of God can you foster truth and love. In social morality you can experience righteousness. Only through renunciation can immortality (oneness with God) be attained. Peace of mind cannot be gained by wealth or fame or skill. It can be achieved only through sacrifice. Peace or distraction, calm or anxiety, it is the product of one's thoughts and deeds. Prayer alone makes life happy, harmonious and worth living in this universe. Prayer brings man and God together and with every sigh nearer and nearer.
Sage Kashyapa, the son of Marichi rishi, married the thirteen daughters of Daksha Prajapathi. Of them, Diti gave birth to demons, Aditi gave birth to gods, Vinita gave birth to Garuda and Aruna. Out of the various sons of Diti, two brothers named Hiranyaksha & Hiranyakashyapu were very notorious and had gained terrific powers obtained from their continuous sadhana of the gods. The very sight of these two, sent devas into hiding.
One day, the arrogant Hiranyaksha summoned Varuna (the god of oceans) to a fight. Varuna told him that he was no match to Hirayaksha and that he should fight with someone his own size like Vishnu. In an attempt to provoke Vishnu to fight him, Hiranyaksha hid Bhoomidevi (earth) under the ocean and waited for Vishnu.
Finding that the Earth disappeared deep into the waters, Manu (son of Brahma) who was ruling the Earth under the directions of Brahma, became worried. He went to Sathyaloka and represented to Brahma how his work had been spoiled. In turn, Brahma meditated upon Bhagawan Maha Vishnu. Even while Brahma was praying, Bhagawan appeared in the form of Varaha. The sacred form was in the size of a thumb in the beginning; grew greater than the size of a big elephant, surprising Brahma and all others. His roar echoed in all directions.
To kill Hiranyaksha and restore Bhoomidevi, Vishnu took incarnation as Varaha (wild boar). The Varaha avatar is said to have come out of Brahmas nose as a tiny pig, Who quickly grew into a mighty animal with the head of a boar and body of a human.
Varaha descended from the skies and went straight into the depth of the ocean to rescue Bhoomidevi where, He lifted her gently between his tusks and proceeded on His way up. Hiranyaksha witnessed this scene and was surprised by the size of the beast. He immediately understood that this could be none other than Vishnu in disguise. He vasati dasanasikhare dharani tava lagna sasini kalankakaleva nimagna Kesava dhrta sukararupa jaya jagadisa hare
O Kesava!, in the form of the Boar (sukarupa)! The earth rests in peace on the tip of Your tusk, like the dark marking on the disk of the moon. Hail Hari! Lord of the universe! (The Boar avatara is identified with sacrifice both in the Vishnupurana and Bhagavata. As sacrifice (of worldly affairs) is essential for the stability of mind for contemplation on God, it is symbolized by the Boar form of the Lord.)
25 now challenged Vishnu to a fight to prove His power but Varaha ignored Hirayaksha and kept heading to the surface. Hiranyaksha called Him shameless for turning away from a fight. Varahas eyes turned red with anger. He gently put bhoomidevi down and accepted Hirayaksha's invitation to fight. A fierce fight ensued between the two which continued from morning to evening. Brahma and all devas watching this became worried, as the rakshasas (Demons) strength normally increases after dark.
It is true that the strength of the asuras would increase during sandhyakalam. This is in accordance with the boon given by Bhagawan Himself. But they can never overpower Bhagawan. Only because of devotion, Brahma reminded Bhagawan about this.
Sandhyakalam has been described as being more favorable to the evil forces in many places. So our elders have advised us to spend the sandhyakalam in sandhyavandhanam, Gayatrijapam, meditation and so on.
The fight between Hiranyakshan and Bhagawan became more and more fierce. Hiranyakshan hit powerfully with his mace and the Bhagawans mace fell down. Hiranyakshan saw Bhagawan weaponless and hence threw away his mace. Everybody appreciated his yuddha dharma. Bhagawan summoned His sudarshana chakra and it was there in His hands immediately. Seeing this, Hiranyakshan also took his shoolayuda (trident). Chakrayuda destroyed the shoolayuda of the asura. He resorted to his maya tactics. But in the presence of Chakrayudha, none of his tricks worked. So he attacked Bhagawan with his hands. Bhagawan also, without using Chakrayudha, delivered a blow to the asura on his ear with His hand and it was the asuras end. Devas praised Bhagawan:
4ri+i4: ei:4 +- +reris4l+i ns=i -+i++ll: =il+rl+: i +i --i4ti4s4r l-nil+ z4i: 4+i-si: ei-sil: -+l+lr+-r-r++4 ii
Sri Namboodhri says: Hey Bhagawan, Hiranyaksha, who possessed a huge body, was crushed by Your lotus-like hands; blood flooded from his face; he fell down and died duly praised by the rishis assembled there. Then the great sages, who had become extremely happy, praised You aloud greatly. (Sri Narayaneeyam: 13-8)
Bhagawan gave darshan to Brahma, devas, rishis and other great devotees as Yajnavarahamurthi (Ub zv). The Vedas declare `kmo d {dUw: (Ub q:).
He then saved Bhoomidevi and re-established dharma. Bhagawans presence in the heart of the devotee becomes so intense and real while he contemplates on such sacred episodes relating to Him; Is there anything that could not be attained by such devotees!
Smt Veena Santosh, hailing from a reputed vaishnavite family in Kerala, is a young mother living in US. She is well versed in Srimad Bhagavatam and Sri Narayaneeyam. She strongly believes that cultivating interest in the minds of our youngsters in our devotional literature is the best way to ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for the mankind. 26
True Values of Life: Nitya Kalyan - July 2007 Sri Ramayana Sukt i Mukt avali (c ont d. ) K N SHRINIVASAN
4 +-i:-+il+ +i-+-4 -+i: i
Rama offers oblations to Dasarata and says: That kind of food which a man eats, that food is food for his gods also. (Ayodhya Khanda 102-31)
+i-4+: +i4+iri:l-+ +-i:44+ir: i ;+-+r+-+ ++i-+: +lr+l+ ii
Rama tells Bharatha: The man is not independent; nothing moves according to his desires; destiny is inevitable; results of past actions drive man here and there. (Ayodhya Khanda 105-15)
e- m4i-+i l+4i +++i-+i-e4-4i: i e-ii: l-s4ii-+i: 4ri-+ il-+4 ii
All the acquired treasures perish after a point; all positions when attained foretell downfall; all unions end in separation; life also ends in death. (Ayodhya Khanda 105-16)
4i =ni+i +=i+i +i-4++++i=44 i - +r-4 i+-4 +i-4+ 4ri=44 ii
When fruits ripen, their only fear is their impending fall; for a man born in the world, there is no positive fear other than death. (Ayodhya Khanda 105-17)
4iir - i --i:-eil+ i +- eil-+ +ri: ri4-4-m +i: ii
Even a house built with strong pillars gets dilapidated after long use; so does the human being wither away and get prone to old age and death. (Ayodhya Khanda 105-18)
Vividhavidyabhushana Shri K N Srinivasan B.A., B.L., author on a variety of subjects, introduces the pearls from Valmiki Ramayana, which would help even simple, uneducated Indian villager to imbibe the moral values of our Vedic culture and enable him to live a noble and peaceful life.
27
Principles of Self Development Nitya Kalyan July 2007
Advanc e d Yoga Prac t ic e s YOGANI Le s s on 5 8
Q: My question relates to the effects of combining the methods recommended by you with the ones that I am formerly accustomed to. Will they enhance each other or will they be counterproductive?
Relating to the most recent addition - Sambhavi - all I can say is Whoa! You could most definitely say I'm going through that "clunky" stage! The ability to hold anal sphincter tone, contract abs, breathe with a hiss on exhalation, cross your eyes to reach the third eye . . . all simultaneously . . . is really quite a task, much less to try to do it in a relaxed mode.
A: Of course, whatever you practice is your choice. If you are following an established teaching, there is no wish here to interfere with that. In that case, just consider these lessons to be "food for thought."
If you are trying to piece things together yourself, then some definite advice is offered.
First, less is more in spiritual practice. Simplicity is the key. Trying to put together overlapping pieces from several sources is not going to help you, unless you are advanced and are filling in clear gaps in your current practice. You don't seem to be in that position yet, but you will be if you keep at it long enough.
It is suggested you simplify what you are doing. You will know you are practicing at the right level if you are having stability (and fun!) instead of knocking yourself out trying to do too much. The best measure of the stability of your practice is how you feel afterward in daily life. If you feel frazzled during the day, go back and stabilize your practice at a comfortable level. Always make sure you rest adequately at the end of meditation.
Remember that we are working with natural abilities inherent within our nervous system. The ways in are delicate, and don't work well if we muddy things up too much with divided attention. These natural abilities are:
1. Our mind's ability to become still, opening our nervous system to the infinite field of pure bliss consciousness.
28 2. The ability of our breath and attention to cultivate our spinal nerve, enabling our whole nervous system to become fertile ground for pure bliss consciousness to grow in us.
3. The ability of our sexual energy to rise and enliven the spinal nerve to an ecstatic conductivity which expands throughout our nervous system, and beyond.
4. The ability of the senses to refine and travel inward along the many roads of ecstatic experience.
5. The ability of pure bliss consciousness expanding in us and beyond to reach a unified level of awareness encompassing all of existence. We come to know ourselves as that.
We want to stimulate all these abilities into their natural manifestation. This is the road to enlightenment. But we can't be successful by beginning with everything at once.
Rome was not built in a day. We must develop each level of practice into a stable habit. It is like that in the application of any knowledge. We develop a stable habit at each level of knowledge. First we learn step one. We do that until it is well established. Then we can add on step two, stabilize that, and so on. If we try and do steps one through ten all at the same time, we will have little chance of success. It is like that with anything new we undertake. It is like that in academic education. We take class after class, working our way from the beginning gradually through to the end.
The difference here is that it is all being laid out fairly quickly, far faster than anyone can take on in practice. For some additional perspectives on building up practices, it is suggested you go back and reread the lesson called, "What is your time line?"
If it is advancedyogapractices you want to use as your primary practice guideline, then, at this stage, it is suggested you don't muddy up your practice with other methods. Start slow with meditation. Get that down first. Then after a few weeks or months, add on basic spinal breathing. Get comfortable with that. Then, later, you can add on the practices in subsequent lessons. Take on practices one at a time, not all at the same time. This is mentioned over and over in the lessons.
The challenge used to be finding the knowledge. Now the challenge is applying it in an orderly way. It is in your hands.
The guru is in you.
The author, Yogani , is an American spiritual scientist with many years experience in blending powerful yoga method with the modern lifestyle. Over the years, he has crossed the lines between many traditions, developing an effective integration of practices. It is a flexible, scientific approach rather than a rigid, arbitrary one. www.aypsite.com
29 Principles of Self Development Nitya Kalyan August 2007
We ll-forme d Out c ome s RAVICHANDRAN
In studying excellence the founders of NLP discovered that excellent people pay most attention to the desired outcome, i.e. how they want things to be. Knowing what you want is fundamental to NLP. Just as important is being sure that what you want is really worth having, so that you will be satisfied when you actually achieve it.
Most of the times we have some idea of what we want but our thoughts are ill-defined or defined in a narrow way. Unless you know what you want, you will not be able to know when you have it. This operating principle is a reminder to consider carefully before we start what outcomes we want. Before something happens in the external world, it must first happen in the internal world. By imagining the desired outcome in detail you make it more real for yourself. When the mind has a defined target it can focus and direct until it reaches its intended goal.
When you know your outcome, you give your brain a clear picture of what kinds of information need high priority. An outcome is considered well-formed when it has met the following salient five conditions.
1 . St at e your out c ome in pos it ive t e rms .
Make sure your goal is stated in terms of what you do want. In order to stay focused on achieving your outcome, you need to have some kind of representation of your goal inside your head a mental map in fact. Since you cannot make a mental map of a negative, it must be created in a positive in order to be effective. Our minds are not capable of directly processing a negative. Suppose someone says to you Dont picture a pink elephant. Dont hear it trumpeting in your ears. Of course you have to think of a pink elephant first. As one NLP trainer put it, you cant think about what you do not want to think about, without thinking about it first.
All of us move between attraction and avoidance, pleasure and pain, the tendency to go toward what we want or what gives us a pleasure and away from what we do not want or what causes pain. This is called directionality. In terms of formulating an outcome you need to go toward. Some of the words that indicate directionality are: want, get, achieve, go for, include, accomplish etc.
Instead of using I do not want to feel nervous when presenting, use I want to feel confident when I present.
2 . Be as s pe c ific as pos s ible .
The more specific you can be about what you want, the clearer you will be. And more power you will command to achieve what you want.
Making the outcomes specific is, converting ideas into actual. To say I want to be happy / rich / successful gives you no direction or definition. Generalities get us nowhere. 30
Anne Lindan says, When you get down to the specific wording of your outcome, the first thing to check for, are words that have no precise meaning; the words like satisfaction, fulfillment, happiness etc. Ask yourself what, where, when, and how specifically do I want it.
3 . Have an e vide nc e proc e dure .
Evidence is a word, we use in NLP to test the validity of an outcome and to ensure it is achievable. Make sure your evidence provides you with realistic feedback about whether you are reaching your goal or not. Engage all your senses in describing the result you want.
When you have your outcome, how will you know it? What you will see then? What you will hear then? What you will feel then? These processes in turn determine our internal state and our internal state coupled with our physiology, ultimately drives our behavior. And by means of our behavior we create our outcome.
4 . Be in c ont rol.
Your outcome must be initiated and maintained by you. If it requires other people to do certain things or not do certain things, it is not an acceptable outcome in NLP practice. Are you going to take the first step or will you wait for someone to act first? If you wait you will end up reacting. David Molden says, There are, fundamentally, two places to be in this life. One is being a cause; the other an effect. The former puts you in the drivers seat; and the latter makes you a passenger. So be proactive take action to make your goal happen.
Steve Andreas and Charles Faulkner give an example. Say your goal is I want my boss to quit criticizing me. Since this requires your boss to change, it is not something that is within your control. If you reformulate it as what can I do or experience that will allow me to remain resourceful, no matter what my boss thinks? it puts you in charge of your goal. This gives you a sense of your own worth and ability to act even when your boss criticizes it.
5 . Ve rify t hat your out c ome is e c ologic ally s ound and de s irable .
A major strength of NLP concerns ecology. Bodenhamer says, Changes made at one point in a human system, must fit together with and adapt to the other parts of the system in a healthy way. Human systems include family, work relationship, friends, and community. If you gain from one area at the expense of another area, this benefit will not last. NLP says that we need to evaluate behavior and change in terms of context and ecology.
Pause for a moment and imagine that you have already achieved your goal. While you have successfully achieved the goal, have you discovered any downside to the situation? Is there anything you can alter about the way you achieved the goal that would improve the situation or there any other people you forgot to take into consideration?
31 It, therefore, becomes necessary to ask, - What will happen when you achieve the goal? What will not happen when you achieve this goal? What will happen if you do not achieve the goal? What will not happen if you do not achieve the goal?
Conc lus ion
Well-formed outcome reinforces our focus, spurs from within, makes us stay in the right course of action and tells us when we have actually achieved it.
(to be continued) S Ravi chandran is a famous HRD consultant, specializing in individual counseling and offering solutions for the problems of interaction in organizations affecting productivity and profit. Many of his counseling and training programs, tailor-made for challenging and conflicting industrial, organizational situations have proved to be very successful. He may be contacted by E-mail: ravichandrans1008@yahoo.co.in
Dis t ort ions in Indology Some plainly ridiculous misinterpretations were handed down as translations of the original Sanskrit texts, all of which resulted in grave misunderstanding of the Vedas and the suppression of their true significance. Such an elaborate falsification of ancient Indian history, quite apart from its other consequences, deprived humankind of the scientific insights contained in the Vedas. The distortions were a result of two clearly discernible motives; serving the interests of British colonialism and, secondly, lending support to the proselytizing activities of Christian missionaries. Several scholars were assigned to a study of the languages, history, religion and life of the Indian people. For example, the East India Company offered Max Muller generous funds to undertake a translation of the Rig Veda. A new branch of specialization known as 'Indology', came into existence and became a favorite subject of study, both for promoting the work of Christian missionaries and for consolidating the British hold over India. Max Muller made three assertions: preposterous assertions: 1. The Rig Veda, the oldest of the Vedas, was composed around 1200 BC; 2. The Rig Veda is a work of the Aryans; 3. The Aryans were a foreign race of people who invaded India and subjugated the indigenous people. Overwhelming evidence is now available to the effect that each of these propositions is utterly untenable. However, so deep has their impact been, and so strong the support they received from entrenched vested interests, that these falsehoods hold sway even today. Rishi Kumar Mishra Before the Beginning and after the End, Rupa & co (2001), p. xv 32
Re ligious Ne ws and Eve nt s
Ja ya Ja ya Sa nka ra ! Ha ra Ha ra Sa nka ra !
(1) Maha Pe riyaval Jayant hi
Harati to Holy Padukas of Maha Swamiji The Jayanthi of H. H. Sri Maha Swamiji was celebrated in a grand style at Bridgewater Temple, New Jersey, USA on June 9th 2007. Holy Paduka Puja was conducted by Brahma Sri Phalac handar, Priest of Sri Venkateswara Temple, NJ. The Puja was done by Smt . Me e ra Rajagopal and Sri S. Rajagopal of CT.
(2) Experience of a Lifetime (Ramesh.Bhattiprolu@gmail.com)
Veda Vidyarthi Sammelan [Conference of Vedic Students of Karnataka] 2nd, 3rd & 4th July, 2007
Vedic teachers (Adhyapakas) and students (Vidyarthis) were invited for this three day conference held in B'lore on 2nd, 3rd & 4th July, 2007. Conference was held in the presence of Sri Sankara Jayendra Saraswati Swami of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. His Holiness (HH) called for this conference with the objectives: - Meet all the veda and shastra branches related schools(patasalas) in K'taka and also give each of these schools an opportunity to showcase the work done by them over the years. Listen to their problems and help them in whatever manner deemed fit. - Give vidyarthis a chance to meet other vidyarthis from different patasalas. 33 - Convey the common message of "Sampradaya Bhajan and its glory" to veda vidyarthis and the adhyapakas. Around 750 vidyarthis from about 34 patasalas turned up with 100+ adhyapakas. The schedule for the three day conference was sent by mail to them earlier and so most of them a day in advance to be ready for participation. A couple of Kalyanamantapas were organized for the stay and food. Since so many veda vidyarthis attended the seminar, HH made sure there are 4 meals served everyday and sumptuous meals at that.
The evening before the conference began, the students reported at the Kanchi matam at Malleswaram, Bangalore. The evening's highlight was seeing a crowd of young boys enjoying the Sampradaya Nama Sankeerthana. On the 2nd morning, the conference was opened to the vedic chantings of several hundreds [including the patasala adhyapakas, vidyarthi and the Sankara matam veda pandits]. HH presided over the conference and chanted vedas along with the vidyarthis. The entire Kanchi Matam Hall was packed with these children and their teachers. It is amazing to see the discipline these children showed during the entire duration of the conference. They arrived for each session on time, they chanted vedas fearlessly, they made very little noise in general. The chantings by about 750 of them filled the hearts of those present there. They all kept looking at HH with adoration and love in their eyes. HH ensured every child was given breakfast, lunch, evening snack and dinner. Until the last day, the Sampradaya Bhajans really attracted the children so much that they participated with enthusiasm and vigor. In fact some of them stood up and started dancing during the Bhajan. The patasala adhyapakas met HH in private and explained the practical problems they face and received advise and help [monetary or guidance on running patasalas]. HH has felicitated every adhyapaka by showering gifts on them. HH also gave each child a silver pendant, sambhavana and prasadam with his hearty blessings. To me, a humble volunteer, it has been a once in a lifetime experience! (3) Veda Sammelan to be held 26th to 29th July 07
With the Blessings of Pujyasri Acharyas, Veda Dharma Shastra Paripalana Sabha is organizing a Veda sammelan from 26 to 29 July 07 at Sri Siddhi Vinayaka Temple, Veda Dharma Kainkarya sabha, Tiruvenkada Nagar, Ambattur, Chennai 53.( 94440-14247, 26583552)
34 Schedule
26-07-07 7.30 am - 11.30 am Sri Veda Vyasa Puja Rig, Yajur, sama Veda Parayanam 2.30 pm- 5.30 pm Veda Parayanam 7.00 pm Discourse Pitrupujanam -Dr. Brahmasri K V Seshadrinata sastrigal (Former Principal, Madras Sanskrit College)
Discourse Nityakarmanushtanam -Dr. Brahmasri P M Vijayaraghava Ganapatigal (Madras Sanskrit College)
27-07-07 7.30 am - 11.30 am Sri Veda Vyasa Puja Rig, Yajur, sama Veda Parayanam 2.30 pm- 5.30 pm Veda Parayanam 7.00 pm Discourse Aapastambha dharma sutram Dr. Brahmasri Mani Dravid sastrigal
28-07-07 7.30 am - 11.30 am Sri Veda Vyasa Puja Rig, Yajur, sama Veda Parayanam 2.30 pm- 5.30 pm Veda Parayanam 7.00 pm Discourse Aapasthamba Gruhya sutram Nannilam Brahmasri V Rajagopala Ganapatigal (Editor, Vaidikasri)
29-07-07 7.30 am - 11.30 am Sri Veda Vyasa Puja Rig, Yajur, sama Veda Parayanam 9.30 am Avahanti Homam 2.30 pm- 5.30 pm Veda Parayanam 7.00 pm Discourse Veda vyasa Mahima Brahmasri V G Subrahmanya Ganapatigal
Shakthi is the female principle of the Absolute Reality and is worshipped variously as Dakshayani, Parvati, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati and so on.
Shakthi remains as the deity or Kula Devataa of most of the Hindus. For Hindus, even our earth is also Bhudevi, a manifestation of Goddess. The Shakthi Peethas are places of worship consecrated to Shakthi.
According to legend, in the Satya Yuga, Daksha performed a yagna (named Vrihaspati. Daksha was angry because his daughter Sati had married the 'yogi' God Shiva against his wishes. So Daksha invited all the deities to the yagna except Shiva and Sati. Unmindful of this, Sakthi desired to attend the yagna. She had expressed Her desire to Shiva, Who tried to dissuade Her from going. Shiva eventually allowed Her to go escorted by His ganas (followers).
But Sati was not given any respect. Daksha insulted Shiva. Sati was unable to bear Her father's insults towards Her husband; so She discarded Her body by jumping into the sacrificial pit. When Lord Shiva heard about it, He became furious. Daksha was killed by Shiva's ganas and all the deities who had stood by Daksha were duly punished.
Shiva Peruman then carried Sati's body all over the world in a state of grief. At the request of all other gods, Lord Vishnu severed Sati's body into 51 pieces with His Sudarshan Chakram, so that Lord Shiva would become normal again. The parts of Sati's body fell at different places which came to be known as Shakthi Peethas.
These Shakthi Peethas are spread over not only in India, but also in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Srilanka. Devotees of Goddess Sakthi desire to undertake pilgrimage to all these temples at least once in their life time. As everyone cannot visit all these temples, our Paramacharyar Sri Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal advised to construct a temple with all 51 Devis at one place. "Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Seva Trust" was formed and the temple was constructed and Maha Kumbabishekam was performed in 1987 by Kanchi Kamkoti Peetathipathi Shri Jeyendra Saraswathi Swamigal after installing 51 Devis and the Main Deity as Kamakshi at the center of the temple. The temple is situated in Koteshwar Road, Ambaji, Gujarat, near Mount Abu. (From Ahmedabad it is 180 Kms. Bus services are there from Ahmedabad to Ambaji. From Ambaji, we can take Auto rickshaws to go to Kamakshi Mandir, nearly 3 Kms. From Chennai we can reach Ahmedabad by Navajeevan Express. Alternatively, from Chennai, we can go to Mount Abu Road by Jothpur Express and from Mt. Abu Road, it is 22 Kms. Plenty of Bus services are there to go to Ambaji.) This Trust for the 25 years, with the blessing of H.H. acharyas, has been rendering valuable services in various Charitable and Religious activities. As the temple does not have a Rajagopuram so far and also requires maintenance to some extent, the Trust undertook the construction of Rajagopuram and to perform maintenance wherever required at an estimated cost of Rs.60 lakhs. The Trust also plans to start a Vedha Patasala along with this Project. The Trust has planned to perform Maha Kumbabishekam by November 2007.
36 All devotees are requested to take part in the auspicious work by contributing their mite and to receive the blessings of Sri Kamakshi Devi. Cheques / DDs may be drawn in favor of "SHREE KANCHI KAMAKOTI SEVA TRUST, A/C. RAJAGOPURAM" payable at any bank in INDIA and sent to:
Shri V. Ramamurthy, 4/18, Third Main Road, Kasturibai Nagar, Adayar, Chennai 600020 Phone: (044) 24902344 Mobile: 94441 45922 Or
(Book titled "Sri Sakthi Prabhavam" in Thamizh language (Released by Sri H.H. Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal) is available with Shri. V. Ramamurthy, 4/18, Third Main Road, Kasturibai Nagar, Adayar, Chennai 600020. TEL: 044-24902344, Mobile: 9444145922. The book is also available with Pusthak Bharathi, Sannadhi St., Mylapore, Chennai-4. (Next to RAASI SILKS), and N Balasubramanian, F-3, Al-Mamoor Complex, (New no.23), Vepery High Rd., Periamet, Chennai-3. Tel: 25611405 This book contains all information of 51 Sakthi Peetams. The price is Rs.75/-. (Postage Rs.25/- extra in India) The sale proceeds are to be utilized for the KUMBABHISHEKHEM of this temple.)
Heart has to be strengthened By degrees the heart has to be strengthened. If one man is made, it equals the result of a hundred thousand lectures. Making the mind and lips at one, the ideas have to be practiced in life. This is what Shri Ramakrishna meant by allowing no theft in the chamber of thought. You have to be practical in all spheres of work. The whole country has been ruined by masses of theories. He who is the true son of Shri Ramakrishna will manifest the practical side of religious ideas and will set to work with one-pointed devotion without paying heed to the prattling of men or of society. Havent you heard of the couplet of Tulsidas: The elephant walks the market-place and a thousand curs bark at him; so the Sadhus have no ill-feeling if worldly people slander them. You have to walk in this way. No count should be taken of the words of people. If one has to pay heed to their praise or blame, no great work can be accomplished in this life. The Atman is not to be gained by the weak. If there is no strength in the body and mind, the Atman cannot be realized. First you have to build the body by good nutritious foodthen only will the mind be strong. The mind is but the subtle part of the body. You must retain great strength in your mind and words. I am low, I am lowrepeating these ideas in the mind, man belittles and degrades himself. Therefore, the Shastra (Ashtavakra Samhita, I.11) says: He who thinks himself free, free he becomes; he who thinks himself bound, bound he remainsthis popular saying is true: As one thinks, so one becomes. He alone who is always awake to the idea of freedom, becomes free; he who thinks he is bound, endures life after life in the state of bondage. It is a fact. This truth holds good both in spiritual and temporal matters. - Swami Vivekananda Courtesy: www.uttishthata.org 37
{zPs & Nitya Kalyan & {Z` H$`mU Hara Hara Sankara Jaya Jaya Sankara Dear Readers Nitya Kalyan published on behalf of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam is a purely service oriented project. It is a mission with noble objectives and not a commercial magazine. There are a number of publication programs to be taken up under this project, in the interest of preserving and spreading our Vedic Heritage and Devotional Literature. It is our moral obligation to share our spiritual wealth with all the peoples of the world to ensure universal peace, harmony and prosperity. And then, our youngsters should be informed about their spiritual heritage so that they would take up the responsibility of preserving it in future. This sacred effort needs your encouragement, participation and support. This E-magazine comes to you free. All of those who would like to contribute may kindly support it by donations or advertisements or sponsorships. Acceptance of advertisements from the devotees is subject to certain norms. They may have the relevant details but should also include some good spiritual / theological quotations. Pictures of deities or our Acharyas and other spiritual gurus are also acceptable. The magazine is uploaded as a file in the yahoo group Nitya Kalyan (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nityakalyan) by 25 th of every earlier month. This group has been specially created to provide a platform for healthy exchange of ideas among readers and authors of Nitya Kalyan. The group members can easily download the magazine and also have the advantage of the discussions. Those who want to receive Nitya Kalyan through individual E-mails or want any further details may please communicate with nityakalyan_magazine@yahoo.com
38
Pranams to our Pujyasri Acharyas Arusuvai Vithakar S VISAALAM