श्रीकृष्ण जन्माष्टमी का पावन पर्व आप सभी अपनों के जीवन में नई खुशियां लेकर आए...हृदयगत शुभकामनाएँ...सादर प्रणाम! जय श्रीकृष्णा!

श्री कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी की सभी मित्रो को हार्दिक शुभकामना...

Navratri - The 9 Divine Nights

Origin of Durga - The Mythology

 

Devi is the great goddess of the Hindus,the consort of Shiva and she is worshiped in various forms corresponding to her two aspects: benevolence and fierceness. She is Uma, "light"; Gauri, "yellow or brilliant"; Parvati, "the mountaineer"; and Jagatmata, "the-mother-of-the-world" in her milder guise. The terrible emanations are Durga "the inaccessible"; Kali, "the black"; Chandi, "the fierce"; and Bhairavi, "the terrible."

 

Descent of the Goddess

Durga, a beautiful warrior seated upon a tiger, was the first appearance of the great goddess. The circumstance of her miraculous arrival was the tyranny of the monster-demon Mahishasur, who through terrific austerities had acquired invincible strength. The gods were afraid of this water-buffalo bull because neither Vishnu nor Shiva could prevail against him. It seemed that the joint energy of Shakti was only capable of vanquishing Mahisha, and so it was the eighteen-armed Durga who went out to do battle.

 

Battlefield

She went to battle on her ferocious mount lion, armed with the weapons given to her by the other Gods. Durga is one of the angry and aggressive aspects of the goddess Shakti, whose role in Hindu mythology was to fight and conquer demons and also personify the Sakti or female aspect of any male deity. In the battle, she fought and killed the evil Mahishasura and restored heaven to the Gods. Since then the goddess is invoked for protection from the powers of evil. Durga Puja is observed in her honor, to celebrate her victory over evil.

 

Revered Mother

She has been worshiped from about 400 AD, but probably earlier, to the present. Her literary references are chiefly the Ramayana and Mahabharata, epic and Puranic texts, and she is mentioned by name in Vedic literature. In general, Durga is regarded in northern India as the gentle bride epitomizing family unity while in southern India she is revered more in her warrior aspect.

 

Dussehra

 

The festival of Dassehra, also known as Vijayadashmi, is one of the fascinating festivals of India and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm. According to the great Hindu scripture, the Ramayana, Lord Rama performed chandi-puja (holy prayer). This was carried out in order to invoke the blessings of Durga Maa for the killing of Ravana, the ten-headed demon king of Sri Lanka who had abducted Seeta, wife of Lord Rama.

 

Durga Maa divulged the secret to Rama on how he could slay the great Ravana. Hence upon vanquishing the demon Ravana, Lord Rama with Sita and younger brother Laxmana, returned victorious to his kingdom of Ayodhya on the day which is called 'Diwali'. Revelers across northern India re-enact the legend at sundown in a performance called the Ramlila, featuring actors dressed as Rama shooting flaming arrows at effigies stuffed with firecrackers.

 

Dassera day is considered a most auspicious day. It is a time-honored belief that if any new venture is started on this day, it is bound to be successful. Hence, all the undertakings be it laying-in of foundation of a new building, opening of a new commercial establishment or even initiating a child into the world of learning- are started on this day. Also on this day implements of agriculture, manufacturer's machines, the intellectuals pens, the household articles, the children's school books are placed before the idol of Durga and worshiped.

 

The Bengali Belief

Sati, the consort of Shiva was the daughter of Daksha Prajaapati a descendant of Bhrama. Sati had married Shiva against the wishes of her father. Daksha was sponsoring a sacrifice and attendees came from various parts of the universe. He invited all of the gods and goddesses except his son in law Shiva. Against Shiva's wishes, Sati attended this sacrifice and was insulted by her father. Unable to bear this insult, Sati immolated herself.

 

Enraged at the insult and the injury, Shiva destroyed Daksha's sacrifice, cut off Daksha's head and when pleaded by other gods, replaced it with that of a goat and restored him to life. Still berserk with grief, he picked up the remains of Sati's body, and danced the dance of destruction throughout the Universe. The other gods intervened to stop this dance, and the disk of Vishnu cut through the corpse of Sati, whose various parts of the body fell at several spots all through the Indian subcontinent and formed the sites of what are known as Shakti Peethas today.

 

Shiva was finally pacified when the last piece fell off from his shoulder. Narayana revived sati as Uma for a new life. Ever since peace was restored, Uma, with her children, Ganesh and Kartick, and with her two 'sakhis' - Jaya and Bijaya, comes to visit her parent's home each year during the season of 'Sharat' or autumn when Durga Puja is celebrated.

 

Mahalaya

Mahalaya ushers in the aura of Durga Puja. The countdown for the Durga Puja begins much earlier, from the day of 'Janmastami'. It is only from the day of Mahalaya that the preparations for the Durga Puja reaches the final stage. The midnight chants of various hymns of 'Mahishasura Mardini' reminds one of the beginning of Durga Puja.

 

Mahalaya is an auspicious occasion observed seven days before the Durga Puja, and heralds the advent of Durga, the goddess of supreme power. It's a kind of invocation or invitation to the mother goddess to descend on earth - "Jago Tumi Jago". This is done through the chanting of mantras and singing devotional songs.

 

The day of Mahalaya is also the day of remembrance. On this day, people offer 'tarpan' in memory of their deceased forefathers. The banks of River Ganga becomes a sea of humanity. Priests are seen busy performing 'Tarpan' for devotees in groups. The rituals start from early down and end during the midday. Devotees and worshipers buy clothes and sweets to offer to their forefathers. 'Tarpan' is to be performed in empty stomach. After offering 'tarpan', people eat at the same place.

10 Rules for a Happy Day

1. Today I will not strike back:
If someone is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is unkind... I
will not respond in a like manner.

2. Today I will ask God to bless my "enemy":
If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I will
quietly ask GOD to bless that individual. I understand the "enemy"
could be a family member, neighbor, co-worker or stranger.

3. Today I will be careful about what I say:
I will carefully choose and guard my words being certain that I do not
spread gossip.

4. Today I will go the extra mile:
I will find ways to help share the burden of another person.

5. Today I will forgive:
I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way.

6. Today I will do something nice for someone, but I will not do it secretly:
I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another.

7. Today I will treat others the way I wish to be treated:
I will practice the golden rule - "Do unto others as I would have them
do unto me" - with everyone I encounter.

8. Today I will raise the spirits of someone who is discouraged:
My smile, my words, my expression of support, can make the difference
to someone who is wrestling with life.

9. Today I will nurture my body:
I will eat less; I will eat only healthy foods. I will thank GOD for my body.

10. Today I will grow spiritually:
I will spend a little more time in prayer today: I will begin reading
something spiritual or inspirational today; I will find a quiet place
(at some point during this day) and listen to the Heart/GOD's voice!!!

Discover yourself...

Looking back you realize that a very special person passed briefly through your life;

And it was you.

It is never too late to find that person again.

The Art of Giving...

"Rivers do not drink their own water, nor do tree eat their own fruit, nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them. The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others!

Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.

The first question is:

When should one give?

We all know the famous incident from Mahabharat.

Yudhisthir asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this, Bhim rejoices that Yudhisthir his brother, has conquered death! For he is sure that he will be around the next day to give. Yudhisthir gets the message.

One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give!

The time to give, therefore, is now.

The next question is:

'How much to give?'

One recalls the famous incident from history.

Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals. He had lost his army, he had lost his wealth, and most important, he had lost hope, his will to fight. At that time, in his darkest hour, his erstwhile minister, Bhamasha, came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day.

The answer to this question how much to give is:

"Give as much as one can!

The next question is:

'What to give?'

It is not only money that can be given away. It could be a flower or even a smile.

It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger that may be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks!

"You can give anything but you must give with all your heart!"

One also needs answer to this question 

Whom to give?

Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgmental and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving, is not justified.

“Give without being judgmental!"

Next we have to answer:

'How to give?'

Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated, nor the giver feels proud by giving.

In giving, follow the advice 'Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives? Charity without publicity and fanfare is the highest form of charity.'

'Give quietly!'

While giving, let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all, what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to us?

Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.

"What should one feel after giving?"

We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina, he unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya.

There is a little known sequel to this story.

Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb. He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was asked to him when he was dying.

His reply was "Yes! I regretted this only once in my life. It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son, Ashwathama, and had stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there, no one could have dared hurt my Guru?

The message to us is clear.

Give and never regret giving!

And the last question is:
‘How much should we provide for our heirs?'

Ask yourself 'are we taking away from them the gift of work? - A source of happiness?

The answer is given by Warren Buffett:

"Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing!"

I would conclude by saying:

Let us learn the Art of Giving,

and quoting the Saint Kabir:

"When the wealth in the house increases, when water fills a boat, throw them out (for good causes) with both hands!"

This is the wise thing to do!

How to Change Negative Thoughts to Positive Thoughts

Negative thoughts say we have no ability and we will probably never amount to anything. It is important to discover why you have these thoughts of no power. There are various causes of inferiority feelings and a lot of them came from childhood. Perhaps you were overweight or skinny and kids made fun of you.

Maybe you had a sibling you thought was smarter or better looking or maybe you came from an abusive family. When you find the cause you need to work on reprogramming your thought system. It is not easy to reprogram your thoughts--but it can be done. You need determination to overcome obstacles. Think of a dog when it has a bone. If someone tries to take it away, the dog sinks its teeth into the bone. This is the determination you need to achieve any goal, because you are going to have setbacks along the way. Do not be hard on yourself when you have setbacks.

Negative thoughts have been in your mind for a long time and you are not going to change them in a day. You will need to work on your mind everyday and become aware of your thoughts. Everyone makes mistakes and experiences setbacks. Think of each trial as a learning experience and focus on moving forward. What if you had given up learning to walk because you fell down the first time you stood up? Here are some tips on thinking positive:

Always picture yourself as succeeding--no matter how badly things seem to be.

If negative thoughts come to mind--voice a positive thought to cancel the negative.

Do not inflate difficulties with fear thoughts.

Try prayer power--affirmative prayers release powers by which positive results are accomplished.

Every day write down five things for which you are thankful.

Remember fear only becomes a problem when you receive it and let it control your life--find something positive every day.

Remember it is not what happens to us but what is in us that settles the matter.

Press through the pressure and do not let circumstances dictate peace and joy.

Pay yourself a compliment every day.

Stop thinking and speaking fearful negative thoughts--start believing good things are going to happen. In summary, Remember thoughts are powerful. You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.

Positive thoughts are full of faith and hope--they produce positive lives. Negative thoughts are full of fear and doubt--negative thoughts produce negative lives. With determination we can change our thoughts from negative to positive. We don't have to live a miserable life with negative thoughts. There are a lot of negative thoughts in my mind--I had a difficult childhood and over the past three years there has been one crisis after another. You feel like you are living under a black cloud and you will never see the sun.

My resolution has been to work on improving my thoughts. I hope if you are having problems with negative thoughts, you will decide you don't have to be miserable anymore and you are not alone with this problem.

Lord Vishnu Teaches Lord Brahma About Time

Lord Vishnu Teaches Lord Brahma About Time

There is a simple story told in folk tales that puts the concept of time into perspective for us. Once there was a conversation between Lord brahma and Sage Narada in the presence of Lord Vishnu. Sage narada asked brahma about the secrets of the universe. While explaining, Lord Brahma started boasting about his immortality and how he knew everything about the universe. Sage Narada praised Brahma, and that made him boast even more. Lord Vishnu kept silent during the whole conversation. After Sage Narada left, Vishnu asked Brahma if he would come to meet someone with him. Lord Brahma was in a very happy mood and obliged.

Vishnu manifested a chariot and asked Brahma to be seated in it. Brahma agreed and was taken by Vishnu to a realm of the universe which Lord Brahma himself didn’t know about. Brahma was starting to slowly lose his ego and looked on in awe at the mysterious surroundings. When the chariot stopped and they got down,Lord Brahma saw a sage sitting and meditating at a distance.

Lord Vishnu went near the sage with Brahma and asked the sage to introduce himself to Lord brahma. The sage explained that he has been meditating here for eons and that when the lifetime of one Lord Brahma comes to an end, one hair of the sage becomes grey and falls off (the sage is said to have a full head of long black hair and has a name denoting the same). And after each hair falls off like this from his head, he will die. Lord Brahma was astounded on listening to this. Lord Brahma had believed till now that he was immortal and that there was no end to his powers. 

Then Lord Brahma asked the sage if there are any more such people in this mysterious realm. The sage said that on going ahead there is a sage named ‘Ashtavakra’, who had eight deformities in his body. The sage also added that when all his fair fall off and he dies, one deformity of sage Ashtavakra would be straightened. Lord Brahma was speechless. Vishnu then thanked the sage and went to meet sage Ashtavakra.

Upon enquiring the same questions, Sage Ashtavakra said that there are 108 ashtavakra saints similar to him in this realm. Ashtavakra added that when one ashtavakra was relieved of their deformities and died, one deformity of the next ashtavakra would be straightened. And so on the cycle would keep going. By this time Lord Brahma was on the edge of his senses and couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Then Vishnu left the saint and turned to Lord Brahma and said, “when all these Ashtavakra saints die, the time is not even equivalent to the time I take to blink my eye”. On hearing this, Brahma lost all his ego and bowed down in front of Lord Vishnu.

[The mind-blowing amount of time mentioned here will become even more breathtaking if you relate it with the previous post - Life Expectancy Of Lord Brahma ]

This folktale is often narrated to make people realize the incomprehensibility of time and to make them shed their ego. The normal human mind cannot perceive the wonders of god’s ‘maya’ (illusions). I am not presenting this folktale/legend here to establish whether Lord Brahma or Lord Vishnu is supreme. It is just a simple folktale/legend that advices against ego. It is a good story to tell young kids and cultivate an appreciation of god in them. It will also initiate a sense of fascination in children which can help in making them interested to listen to more scriptures and divine texts.

Please do present your valuable views in the comments section and don’t forget to share it with any youngsters you know of. Om

Unconditional Love

Unconditional Love

Be someone who listens... and you will be heard
Be someone who cares... and you will be loved
Be someone who gives... and you will be blessed
Be someone who comforts... and you shall know peace
Be someone who genuinely seeks to understand... and you will be wise
Be someone who is kind... be someone who is considerate… and you will be admired
Be someone who values truth… and you will be respected
Be someone who takes action... and you will move life forward
Be someone who lifts others higher... and your life will be rich
Be someone who is filled with gratitude… and there will be no end for which you’ll be thankful
Be someone who lives with joy… and with purpose
Be someone who shines brightly
Be… in every moment… that special someone… you were truly meant to be !!!!

Contributed by: Shoba Jacob Balachander

Dew Drops [Theme : Life]

I feel joy at the sight of the dewdrops
Shining on the green grass,
Shimmering by the touch of the warm sunrays,
Gazing at the sky and
Settled on the cheerful blooms.

My cheerful childhood glowed
In the sylvan settlement
Capered in the friendly neighborhoods,
Shimmered by the touch of the
Gentle care and affection of the dear ones,
Gazed at the silver streak striking across the sky.

The dewdrops cuddled up by the rising sun,
Those days are in the past,
Alas, I slouch now in my office

with walls of sullen gray,
Hope, will be washed by the bright sunrays.

Know Unreality of Worldly bonds for peace...

Know Unreality of worldly bonds for peace

Spiritual knowledge emphasizes the unreality of these worldly bonds. Your family members were not related to you in the previous births and will not be related to you in the future births. These family bonds are present only in this birth and therefore they are temporary. Anything that is temporary is always unreal (Yadanityam tat kritakam—Shankara, (Nasato—Gita). The dramatic bond, which is unreal before and after the drama, is also unreal during the drama. All human beings, whether they are your family members or outsiders, have the only relationship with you of being your co-actors.

You cheat an outsider and rob his wealth for the sake of your family members. But both outsiders and your family members are equally related to you as only your co-actors. Why do you then cheat one co-actor and favour another co-actor and earn sin? Your family members will not share your sin. They have not asked you to steal the wealth of others in order to feed them. This was the answer given by the family members of Valmiki, who was a robber and would rob people to feed his family. One day he had tried to rob Sage Narada. Narada had told him to go to his family members and ask them if they would share the sin that he had earned in order to feed them. [Their flat refusal shocked and changed Valmiki forever.]

Lord Krishna started the Gita with the analysis of the self. All the family members are related to this gross body alone in which the blood flows. The self, He referred to in the second chapter of the Gita relates to the causal body along with its subtle body. When you fix the word ‘I’ to the causal body along with the subtle body, all the relationships with the gross body vanish. The Lord compared the gross body to an external garment. This again reveals the unreality of the dramatic bonds that exist with these family members.