Sunday, November 13, 2022

COPY CAT

    Ronald Regan had said one time that - I am paraphrasing- Imitation is best form of flattery. But doing imitation without understanding is useless . It may work one or other time but on long term it does not. I may give explanation on  Geeta or Upanishada , but if I have no clue as to what is meditation or how to achieve the Kaivalya - release from cycles of life and death, then may explanations fall short. The story that I am going to tell is very old  and that may be known to many. But it conveys the lesion very well. 

   In India , there was this poor man who used to sell hats. He used to pack all the hats in a basket and then carry it on his head  and walk through the town and then sell them. He used to start early in the morning and then go home in the evening. At the end of the day whatever money he has collected ,he would buy the food for his family and go home. So one day he was doing his routine.. It was noon and the the temperature was reaching at it's peak. It was hot and he was tired walking for 3-4 hours. So he decided to take a break . He  had his lunch with him  and he was hungry and he wanted to take some rest. He went under a shade of big tree. He had his lunch and had dome water  and then decided to take a nap. There were monkeys sitting on the tree. They had watched him very carefully .As he was asleep, they came down and got all the hats from his basket  and went back up in tree. When the poor man woke up, he noticed that all the hats were gone . He thought that there must be a thief . But when he looked up he realized that the hats were taken not by thief, but by the monkeys. He did it know what to do. He started shouting at them and asking them to drop the hats. He was waving his hands and the monkeys were doing same If he shouts they would make sounds . 'if he waved his hands they did the same. He was frustrated . He had lost all the hats and the day would end in starvation as he had not made much money. He sat down and then it struck him The monkeys were just copying his actions. So he stood and as if in anger took his hat  and through in on ground. All the monkeys did the same thing . Quickly he gathered all the hats and started his journey to sell them. 

   Doing things without knowing why we are doing it ,is acting like the monkeys.

Saturday, October 22, 2022

WHY DO WE DIE ?

     This question is often asked by many. But that is in a different context. When we see someone young with family and then he or she dies we often question as to why someone so young has to die. But That is not a question that we expect anyone to answer. Then when some older or sick person we  want to to know the event that lead to the death. Like heart failed or had a stroke or had bad infection or breathing stopped . But these are surficial causes or may be terminal causes of the death. My question is as to how is the time of death decided ? Why doe a child dies suddenly or a young person dies in sleep or older person is there one day and is gone next day.

     So I have some thought process. This is the explanation that comes oit of my understanding of Law of Karma. ( For detail see my book on Amazon -Law of Karma, reincarnation and Genetics under my name Kirtane). As we know there are 3 kinds of Karmas. The one that I am doing now and have done in this life is called Kriyaman- I am doing it so called KRIYA. The part of that  will give fruits immediately  and part will be stored to show it's effect late in this life or future life. The next on is what is stored and the fruits have not yet come out is called SANCHIT KARMA. This is very large in quantity as is collected over period of several thousand lives .We are born with part of the SANCHIT KARMA , that is going to come to fruition in this life. This will give rise to the fruits in PRESENT LIFE . So we have 2 sources of Karma that will give rise to fruits in present life - one is what we do in this life and has some chance of coming to fruition in present life  and part of what we came with or born with from SANCHIT KARMA. So our life span is decided by when we  run out of the effects or fruits of these Karma. I can give an example of money . We make money and we have some inheritance . The inheritance is like SANCHIT KARMA  and the money that we make is like KRIYAMAN KARMA . When we run out of both these sources of money we cannot be in casino or moll. The same is with karmas . Once we are done with Karma fruition , there is no need for physical body and we die .

Sunday, September 4, 2022

CONSCIOUSNESS AND VEDIC RELIGION

    I wrote about the consciousness  and Brain .As I mentioned  in last one there are different views about the consciousness . One is that the consciousness is produced by Brain So the CONSCIOUSNESS is PRODUCT of the Anatomical Brain . The other view is that the CONSCIOUSNESS is the cause of BRAIN or consciousness produces brain function. And lastly the Brain and Consciousness are 2 independent entities . One can easily understand the 3 positions . The one that says that the consciousness is produced by the Anatomical brain is the view of neuroscientist  and may be of the people who do not believe in GOD . The view that the Brian is produced - the function of the brain is produced by the consciousness is the view of those who believe in GOD. Most of the world religions like Christianity and the Abrahamic religions and certainly some parts of Hindu religions believe that the brain is produced by the consciousness. The SANKHA  philosophy is the one that feels that there is consciousness as PRIMARY independent entity and the BRAIN  and  for that matter the entire body and the metrical things in the universe are separate and the Mind and the Intellect are also part of matter  and that is independent entity. The SANKHYA calls it PURUSHA AND PRAKRUTI - CONSCIOUSNESS and NATURE or Matter. The Hindu or VEDICA philosophy has many branches and the ADWAUTYA -NONDUEL philosophy has a very different view. It feels that the only REALTHING is the Consciousness  and it is projected as the entire world . The WORLD is projected by the consciousness and is IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS . So in that view the whole thing that we see or perceive as the entire world which includes our  own body is INSIDE CONSCIUSNESS and nor it is independent nor it is real. 

    This does not mean that there is no world But it means that it is not what it appears to be. ANYTHING THAT CAN BE PERCEIVED IS NOT CONSCIOUSNESS . So the physical body or Mind or Intellect or the entire outside world is not the consciousness. The Consciousness CAN NOT BE PERCEIVED. In the typical example of rope being mistaken as snake -the snake is not there but the rope is there  and so the the view of this philosophy the ignorance causes us to mistake the consciousness as the world To them the WORLD does exist at the transactional  level  called VYAVAHARIK  but at the spiritual level there is nothing but consciousness .

    I DON'R THINK WE REALY KNOW . But just thought of putting some different views on this topic . 

Sunday, August 28, 2022

CONSCIOUSNESS AND BRAIN

      I have been intrigued by the debate as to what is consciousness. The debate has gotten more intense with medical and neuroscience advancement. We did not have CT scan till 1980  and the PET SCAN came later on . The PET scan is more biological while the CT scab is more anatomical. And there is now MRI .As one can easily understand the subtle things mind and intellect and CONSCIOUSNESS can not be seen by in anatomical scan and needs ADDITIONAL THINGS  and so far there is no scan which shows the consciousness. The MRI is Magnetic Resonance Imaging . Since there is magnet and there is iron in blood and red blood cells one can at least see if there are areas in brain which light up with certain emotions etc. This is promising field of investigation. 

  The question is what is consciousness  and where does it come from. As I mentioned above ,we have Brain as the source of all out thoughts  and memory. So does the brain - anatomical brain - produces consciousness or is the consciousness causes brain to function or the 2 are independent entities ? There has bee number of neuro scientist who are working on it . As I have mentioned in past the chemical reaction or the electrical activity that happens when we see or touch or hear , are same ,no matter what we are seeing - a table or spouse or cake. Then why do we have different reaction ? Then the answer given is it jogs our memory and based on our previous experience, we react. But the question is how is the memory stored in a cell - if it is in some form of chemical or electrical activity, then how is it different for different things ? How would my memory in form of chemical or electrical activity be different for cake than my spouse? We certainly have no answer as yet . We are making progress on where is memory stored in anatomical brain. I feel that there the memory is stored in 'ABSTRACT' form in ASTRAL brain  and  it is carried from one life to other .Again there cannot be direct proof to such a statement only circumstantial. We often see children born of same parents ,brought up under similar conditions having  entirely different liking. 

    I know I started with consciousness , but ended with something different. Some feel that that the so called consciousness is produced by brain . Roger Penrose has been talking about microtubules in neurons  and some others are saying that it is like symphony .In symphony one has a sound produced by many musical instruments playing at the same time  and the final product is symphony music . In that same way multiple neurons firing at the same time produce consciousness. These scientists do not feel that the consciousness is anything independent from anatomical brain and is product of neurons firing . Again I do not agree . But my thoughts in next blog.

Sunday, August 14, 2022

WHAT LEAVES AT THE TIME OF DEATH ?

    This question has ben asked by everyone -young and old  and sick and heathy  and male and female  and in all cultures . One does have some answers in each culture but they deal with not what leaves but what happens after death . Th Abrahamic religions have  one way of thinking - they have concept of waking up and getting reward or punishment. While Hindus have Reincarnation. I have a hard time accepting that the GOD will allow us the human beings only one chance to either pass or fail . So I believe in reincarnation. ( For those interested may want to get my book Law of Karma , Reincarnation and Genetics available on Amazon- books under SHIRISH KIRTANE).But that is not what I am talking about I am asking as to what is the difference in ALIVE person and a DEAD body . 

    The answer that I have is simple. We have 3 bodies namely the STHUL SHARIR GROSS BODY , SUKSHMA SHARIR OR SUBTLE OR ASTRAL BODY  AND THE KARAN SHARIR OR CAUSAL BODY . The physical body or the gross body or the STHUL SHARIR is what we all see  and can touch etc. But the Subtle body also called Astral body - SUKSHMA SHARIR is not seen but we are familiar with it . It is the mind -intellect - feeling -emotions etc.  and these we can not see or touch  and so the term SUBTLE body. The Causal body is one which is the cause for these 2 other bodies. The unit of Causal body, Subtle body and Physical or Gross body -along with CONSCIOUSNESS  is what we have when we are alive .As one can see Gross or Physical body cannot do anything if it does not have other 2 bodies and the Consciousness . So at the time of death this unit leaves . The Consciousness pervades EVERYTHING and so it does pervade the dead body too. But the Subtle body and causal body cannot express or do anything without the Physical body  and same with Physical body . It can not do anything when the other 2 bodies are not there . The Consciousness 'trapped' or Reflected ' in other 2 bodies is called JIVA or LIFE. So, when someone dies the Physical body is there but the Subtle body and Causal body and the reflected consciousness has left.

   

Saturday, July 23, 2022

STORY OF SHUK MUNI AND VED VYAS

       We all have seen how we get elated with little success and then we say that the success goes to head . This can happen to ordinary person ,but it also can happen to people who have  enlightened souls too. So, this is the story of Ved Vyas and Shuk Muni. The great Vyas had a son named SHUK. After his birth - which happened after several years of pregnancy Shuk was born . Ved Vyas taught him everything that he knew and Shuk Muni was not satisfied . So, The Vyas told him to go a king . Shuk started his journey to go the kingdom . He had to walk long way and Vyas started following him thinking that he would not know. As he was going through a area in forest, there was a lake and ladies were taking shower . They did not have clothes on . As Shuk passed by they looked at him and did not care as they perceived him to be not affected by naked women . Thy continued to bathe . He did notice that they did not care that he passed by. He was followed by Vyas . As soon as the ladies saw Vyas they covered their bodies with clothes. Vyas did not care, but Shuk noticed the change in behavior of ladies . He was DELIGHTED . He thought that the ladies were concerned about being naked when Vyas passed by  and not when he passed by , so they thought of him being much more detached or at higher level of detachment than his father . 

   This is what indicate that Shuk had not reached the highest level . He still has ego  and he was elated as some ladies considered as better than his father. 

Sunday, June 19, 2022

MEANING OF PURNAM ADAH-----

                                                      पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पुर्णमुदच्यते

पूर्णश्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥
 शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam Puurnnaat-Purnnam-Udacyate
Puurnnashya Puurnnam-Aadaaya Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||


        This is the SHANTI MANTRA from ISHA UPANISHAD . The Mantra is interesting and many of us - Hindus know this and do chant it . The meaning is great and makes us understand the philosophy of the Vaidic Religion. For the people who are not familiar with such philosophy this becomes problem . The meaning is

 THAT IS COMPLETE -INFINATE  AND THIS IS IS COMPLETE - ,WHEN ONE ADDS THIS COMPLETE TO THAT COMPLETE IT IS COMPLETE  AND WHEN ONE TAKES OUT THIS COMPLETE FROM THACOMPLETE IT REMAINS COMPLETE .

       So one in a mathematical mind may be confused . If one takes out something from something how can it remain same - or complete  and when one adds something  how can it remain same? The answer is in the thought process The answer lies in the concept of the origin of PHYSICAL Universe. The Physical Universe arose or started from the BRHAMAN- which is complete and infinite . IT does not have the limitations of DESH - KAL - VASTU -Location-Time- IDENTITY . If I am sitting in this chair then I am not somewhere else. This is limitation of SESH or Location. I will change in my appearance with time - get older This is limitation of Time  and lastly I am ME  and not someone else ,This is limitation by IDENTITY .The Brahman does not have these limitations and so when the physical universe started or originated from the BRAHMAN , that COMPLETE -THE BRAHMAN WAS NOTV REDUCED . So this universe looks vast and infinite  and started from THAT Brahman which is vast  and Infinite . But when the Universe started the BRAHMAN remained complete or Infinite . When the universe is dissolved at the time of PRALAY the BRAHMAN still remains same - complete or infinite .This is the meaning that I understand . 


Sunday, May 29, 2022

MEANING OF MORNING SHLOKA - PRAYER

                                                            कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मी

                                                            करमध्ये सरस्वती 

                                                          करमूलेचु गोविन्दम् 

                                                          प्रभाते कर दर्शनम् |

    This is a morning shloka that we were taught to say in the morning. We were never taught the real meaning of this prayer . The simple meaning is that 

The Goddess Lakshmi is at the tip of fingers and Goddess Sarasvati is in the middle of hand  and the Govinda - Lord Krishna is at the base of this  and so look at the hand in the morning .

  This is the word by word meaning  and that really does not make lot of sense. So I thought of explaining the meaning of this Shloka. Again this is my explanation and I hope you will like it. The first part of this Shloka is THE GODDESS LAKSHI IS AT THE TIP OF THE GINGERS. The Goddess Lakshmi is the Goddess of money or wealth. We pray her for having more wealth . If you have seen the picture of Lakshmi she has gold coins dropping from her hands . So it is stated that she is at the tip of the finger . What does this exactly means ? We have fingers  and they move like no other animal's fingers can move. We have thumb and that has a movement called Opposition - it can be moved in such a way that thumb can be touching any finger. This is not possible for Dog or Cat or any other animal except may be little bit in chimpanzee.  If we could not do this movement of the thumb, then we could not hold a pen or a knife or a paint brush or any tools for surgery or any skillful work . So when we USE it - pen weapon- scalpel etc then we can do out duty or the job , which earns us money or livelihood. So the tip of fingers are the one that earn us the money. So that is Goddess Lakshmi  and she is at the tip of fingers.

    The next one is that the Goddess Sarasvati is in the middle of the hand . Again it does not make sense . But if we look at our hand we see cord or tendons, which actually control the movement of the fingers . So if we are doing a painting or a surgery the finer movements are controlled by theses tendons. So the how to and how far  and how precisely move the fingers is due to the tendons  and that Knowledge is nothing but due to Goddess Sarasvati who is in charge of knowledge. So the Sarasvati is in the middle of the hand .

   Now the next line . The Lord Krishna or Govinda is at the root of this or is the base of this. I am sure now it is clear to you that the entire process is possible ONLY DUE TO THE GOD or Lord Krishna . The meaning of MOOL is the root  and so we can see that we could not do anything if the physical body did not have God or reflection of the God Dead person can not do any movements of the fingers . So we need God or Brahman or Consciousness. 

   AND so we should look at it and contemplate on that Lord -God when we wake up in the morning - look at the hand . 


Sunday, April 24, 2022

LOOKING FOR LOVE IN TOO MANY PLACES

    I did write on Mahabharat and mysticism  and I would like to do it more . But for a change of pace I am writing one on moral  message.

     One of these day a Guru was asked by his disciple that Sir we have so many religions and we all go to different places like Hindu Temple , Muslim Mosque  and Christian Church. So where can I find REAL GOD ? The student expected the answer from this Hindu Guru that it will the Hindu Temple or the explanation of Hindu Gods . But the Guru told him that he will answer it sometimes later. Few days passed by and the the Guru had not answered the questions, Then one evening the student came to the hermitage  and saw his Guru looking for something under a street light. The sune had set and there was some darkness . The hermitage had electrical outage  and there was no light in the home. The student aske 'Sir what are you looking for?' The Guru looked up and answered . ' I lost a key and I am looking for it.' The student also started looking for it but asked ,"Sir where did you see it last?" The Guru answered 'I think I lost it when I was trying keep it on my desk in my study when we lost the power.' The student asked 'so you lost it in the house , so why are you looking for it here on the streets?' The Guru answered,''How can I look at the lost key in the house when there is no light, There is street light here  and so there is a light and I can see and so I am looking for ghe keys that I lost in my study. 'The student thought that the Guru has lost his marbles but then he saw the smile on the face of the Guru. Guru stated "You are looking for the God in Temple or Mosque or the Church when it is IN YOUR HEART. So tell me why do you do it?"

    The student got the answer to his own questions. 

Sunday, April 17, 2022

MAHABAHARAT AND MYSTICISM -2

    As I stated in my last blog ,that I would like to write on Mysticism in Mahabharat, I wanted to make one thing clear that, it does not mean that Mahabharat actually happened or not . I do believe that it did  and there are planetary positions described in Mahabharat that can predict the exact time as to when it happened .One of them is star duel of  VASISHT AND ARUNDHATI which rotate around each other -so called binary stars. MIZAR is VASISTHA and ALCOR is ARUNDHATI .This is in URSA MAJOR. But what I want to talk about is the stories in Mahabharat that sometimes makes no common sense or common sense explanation. In my last blog I tried to explain the birth of DRNA  ns why his son ASHWATHMA IS IMMORTAL .In this one I want to tell about the Bishma and his death.

   As the story goes, There was a king called Shntanu  and he saw a beautiful girl on the banks of river Ganga - so called Ganges in English .He fell in love with her and wanted to marry her and she did agree with a condition that when she has children, they will be hers and he cannot   question her behavior with them . If he does that she will leave him - so called divorce ?He agreed  and they got married and she had a child and she carried it to the river Ganga  and drowned it . Shantanu could not question this as otherwise she would leave him. ( I am sure modern dat psychiatrist would call this postpartum depression) She was pregnant again and again delivered second child and dos same - drowned it. This continued for 7 children and then when the eighth was born -King Shantanu stopped her  and she told him that he broke his promise and so she will leave him and left him  and became on with the Ganga the river. The eighth child was BHISMA and was left to be not killed or drowned . 

   The King was not very happy and then one day he came across a fisherman's daughter ,named Satyawati  and fell in love with her .But she would not marry him as her son  could not become the King as Shnatanu had a son Bhishma. So Shantanu kept his desire  and love for Satyawati to himself . In due course if time Bishma came to know and approached Satyawati  and she told him her concerns . So he promised her that he would renounce the rights to the throne, Satyawati was not happy as she told him that he may ot but his son could be the next king. So Bisham took a oath that he will NEVER MARRY, so there is no question of having kids.( they did not consider out of wedlock kids!!)When Shantanu came to know of this oath he was sad and gave a boon to Bhishm that he will have ISCHHAMARAN- he will be in position to leave his body or dye on his terms- time. 

    Fast forward to  the war. When Bhishm was struck by arrows and fell down ,Arjuna built a bed of arrows for him to rest. At that time the time was such that the Sun was moving southward so called DAKSHINAYAN  -( This is the time when the Sun makes transition in the Zodiac sign of cancer or KARK .This happens on JULY 16TH-period between Summer solstice and Winter solstice) this is not a good period to dye . So Bhishm did not want to leave the body and  he wanted till the Sun started it's movement towards NORTHWARD or UTTARAYAN. 

   So there are many mystical things in this story . One is How can Ganaga the holy river would drown her 7 kids. How can with boon Bishma can have power to have control over time of death. And the one that I will address today is HOW COULD TIME OF DEATH  WOULD DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER DEATH AND NOT WHAT YOU DID YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. How can movement of the Sun make a difference. The answer is complicated.

   The King Shantanu represents PARABHRAHM or the God the Father. The Ganga represents CHITANYA or Maha Prakruti or Holy Ghost. But her bahavior will be explained in my next blog But for now The Bhishma . He had ISCHHA MARAN . The Bhshma represents UNVERSAL EGO or AHANKAR. As one can imagine  only You can kill your own Ego. If I have ego Only I can get rid or it. So in that sense the Ego is under self control and Ego is attachment to the physical and astral or subtle body . So one has to give up that attachment  and that is the DEATH in real sense. When ordinary people dye, only thing happens is death of physical body  and the ego with astral or subtle  and causal body etc are still there.

   The movement of the Sun as southward and northward is in the sky  and that is astrological phenomena. I don't think that the movement of SUN in sky will determine what kind of life after death or my next life I will get. So when they talk about the TRAVEL of soul after death in different paths they are talking about our attention to the physical body and the so called light and darkness as determined by our attachments to different parts .As  mentioned in past we have several Chakras  and lower level ones are PROCREATION. EXCRETION AND HUNGER etc. The detachment with these happens gradually and then we have some higher ones like Heart . The sexual attractions is lower level and love with heart is at higher level . So Northward movement or movement towards spiritual Eye is better . So if at the time of death we are attached to the lower  level functions of physical body , then that is DAKSHINAYAN  and we will have harder tome .But if we have love for God or some spiritual achievements then that is UTTARAYAN northward - upper part of body -Chakra - then we will have better chance of different path and life . 

Saturday, April 2, 2022

MAHABHARAT AND MYSTICISM

    I thought I will write about some if the characters in Mahabharat and mysticism. If one reads the Bhagwat Geeta chapter 1  and first few verses , he will notice that there appears to be not much of message in them - at least that is what most of the  writers who interpreted it. In the verses there is mention of many characters and one may not even know all of them. In one of them there is mention of DRNA or also known as DRONACHARY to convey that he was the teacher of the Kaurava  and Pandawas.  So I will write on DRONA. 

   Anybody who has read Mahabharat, is aware of Drona. He was the teacher appointed by Bhishma to teach the Kaurava  and Pandava princes. So he became Dronachary .He was son of Rhrushi Braradwaj.But his birth is a very mystic. Bharadwaj looked at Apasara GRRITACHI  and he had sperms dropped in a DRONA or a bowl made out of dry leaves. From those sperms a child was born  and that was called DRONA as he was born in DRONA .There was no sexual intercourse. He became expert in using many weapons and then he was seen by Bhishma  and became the teacher. His son was named ASHAWASTHAMA  and he is AMAR or has no death. He learned with his father  and he was friends with a another student named Drupada who was a prince of Panchal .Drupada had told Drona that when he becomes King, he will help Drona who happens to be poor. After many years Drupada became king  and Drona continued to be poor  and so he goes to King Drupada  and Drupada shuns him and does not help. So then in future Drona tells Arjuna to  capture Drupada and bring him in. Arjuna had a war and he defeats Drupada and then brings him to his teacher - Guru Drona. Drona takes away half of the kingdom which was norther part and gave him southern half. 

    Defeated Drupada goes back and does Yadnya and a son is born and he is called DRUSTHDHUMNYA ,who in the war kills Drona.In mystic way Drona represents SAUSKARA or impressions from past habits and these will never die as we continue to do more Karmas in every day of every life  and so the impressions of theses Karma continue to accumulate  and their effects are shaping our life and next life. When we are have not perfected our meditation and dispassion, we are affected by our Sauskaras  and  we are friends to them .When we are young we don't mind smoking drinking having parties  and many other habits that come from our past actions and their impression. But then as we grow older  and realize the responsibility of our life as married  and as family man/ woman- we give up theses habits. So theses impressions from previous actions or Karma come back and want us to do things that we did on past we shun them. and sometimes they come with vengeance. So DRONA represents impressions from previous Karmas  and Drupada represents mature devotee who has dispassion for material world. And so Drupada - dispassion of material world-shuns Drona which is memory of our past habits - action  and preachment to material pleasures. But then one of these days theses impression and attachment to material pleasures win over dispassion  and we lose the control over higher Chakras- so called North part of our BODILY KINGDOM . We continue to have some control over lower Chakras. This the war  and victory of DRONA over DRUPADA  and losing north half of kingdom . 

    The past life actions are mixed and will leave impressions that will lead us to do or have good and bad tendencies .so, Drona was guiding or teaching good - Pandawas and Bad - Kaurawas. The past life impressions are never completely gone or never die. So ,Drona's son ASHWATHAMA is immortal or never dies. With meditation and sense organ control one can have mastery over our tendencies but once in a while the impressions will come and beg yo to do bad things just like our younger life friends - go to a bar or indulge in drugs or smoking . Drona did same thing to Drupada. When we try to shun them they come with stronger force  and vengeance. And we lose the fight. But with years of practice we still retain control over lower CHAKRA - representing procreation and excretion but not the higher ones . So Drona 'gave back' southern half to Drupada  after he defeated him. 

    This is the explanation for Drona and Drupada  Hope you understand this part and enjoy it.

Sunday, March 6, 2022

SEETA THE SHAKTI

     Most of us know SEETA  as Lord Rama's wife  and se had somewhat secondary role  and we may not know the origin of Seeta. We knew that Seeta was King Janak's daughter and Lord Ram went to King Jana and in the Swayamvar he picked up the SHIV DHANUSHYA  and that is how he got married to her. We also know that King Janak  received her from a farmer. The farmer was working in farm and he found a box and the box contained a small girl and so he took her to King Jnak and he adopted her and when she greo up and baceme of age for the marriage the King announced the Swayamvar and invited many kings . The contest was to put an arrow on the Shiv  Dhanushya.- the Bow received from Lord Shiv. Seeta was playing with this Bow and when the many Kings tried to pick it up, no one could even lift it  and not even Ravan..And then Lord Ram came and easily picked it up and when he was putting the arrow the Dow broke and then the Parshuram came in. He was extremely angry. But that is  a another story.

    I wanted to to tell the origin of Seeta. There was a king named Padmaksha  and he worshiped Lakshmi  and then she appeared he asked her to be born as his daughter . Lakshmi told him that he has to ask to Lord Vishnu. So he did that and Lord Vishnu agrees  and he had a daughter called Padmavati. Ravan came to know about Padmavati and decided to attack King Padmaksha.So, Padmavati jumped in a fire and committed suicide . Ravan found 5 diamond in the ashes. He put them in a box and kept in in his house near Devhara, His wife Mandidari could not even move it, she opened it and found a very small girl in it. She told Ravan to get rid of it and warned him that if he does not do so that girl will destroy entire Rakshsa society.. With great effort he took it in a plane and berried it in a farm in city called Mithila. And then in future a farmer found it when he was preparing the land for sowing and he took it to the King Janak. She was the Goddess of Power The Ravan could not move the small box that she was in and then the Bow that many kings who could not even pick up she was playing with as a small child.

Saturday, January 29, 2022

IMPORTANCE OF NAMA-KIRATANAM

   One of the things that we are asked to do when we worship God, is to do JAPA or repeating the name of Lord or chant BIJAMANTRA of out favorite God- ISTADEVATA . So Ishta-devata is the God that we develop some personal relationship.and we feel that it responds to our devotion.Ishta devata is SAGUN GOD, the God with form. The God is with no form but we for our own understanding  have a form. We have difficulty with formalness God for worshiping. Even the Abrahamic religions have some for to worship -Cross or Mary or praying in some direction where Macca is located  and then KABA etc. So we tend to repeat the name or a specific Mantra so many times - 108 is standard number. This story is related to the importance of this repetition. 

     When Seeta was abducted by Rvana, he knew that Lord Rama will come to fight . He needed all the help that he could get. So he woke up Kumbhakarna - who was his brother and used to sleep all the time. 

     When Kumbhakarna woke up and Rvana told him as to what he had done , he was mad and cursed Ravana  and was not very happy. So he asked Ravan if after abducting Seeta,has he been successful in getting Seeta ? Ravana answered No . So then Kumbhakarna suggested Ravana to play trick and change himself in to look alike of Lord Rama. The Ravana answered, "For me to change myself in to a different looking person, I have to concentrate on that appearance and get it in my heart. So when I tried to concentrate on the Lord Rama , i feel like I don't want anything . I don't even care about BRAHMADYAN . When I look at my own wife Mandodari , she looks like my mother to me - so thinking about Seeta in any other way is impossible.'

     So this is the principle of chanting or Japa  and when we do that we develop a relationship with the Lord  and that helps us in day to day behavior.

Sunday, January 16, 2022

SUBJECTIVE AND OBJESTIVE

    We have seen in our life how we have a disagreements with friends and relatives and many a times unknown people. I was visiting one my my friends the other day. The current topic of tennis star, unvaccinated being detained by Australian government was the topic of our discussion. The opinion was he should not be allowed to play in Australia as he should be not an exception to the rule. 'Why should he have Privileges that ordinary person does not have it?' We all have  incidences when WE get the privileges and don't complain. Things like getting ahead in line as we know someone or getting tickets as we know some one . The point that I was making is that when we look at OURSELF or things that pertain to US our outlook is different. So this is a old story but different point than privileges.

    The story is from stories of Birbal and Akbar. There are many stories related to these two. One day King Akbar was walking through the city with Birbal his secretary of state. They had changed in such a way that none could recognize them. They came across a lady who had a child playing in dirt , The child was full of dirt and was also not very good looking . Something happened and the child started crying and the mother came out and picked up the child and started kissing him on chick. Akbar was surprised. He asked Birbal how stupid that lady is . The child is dirty and is ugly  and this lady is kissing the child. Birbal  told Akbar that I will explain you tomorrow. The next day he called the lady's husband to the palace . he told her that we want you to pick a best looking child in the whole city . So you can go to different places and find out one child that YOU think is best looking  and does not seem to have any fault . You have 24 hours and come tomorrow. The man went allover and every time he saw some child he felt that that was too fat or too skinny or too dark or too fair in complexion. At the end of the day he went home without selecting anyone. Birbal had sent a person who had followed him without his knowledge. The husband went home and the wife noticed that he was worried . So she asked him as to what was on his mind . He told the wife that the king has asked him to pick BEST LOOKING CHILD in the city and after going around the city he could not find one - EVRY CHILD HAD SOME FAULT. The wife told him not to worry and took him to the crib where their child was sleeping and asked the husband 'Do you think there is anyone more beautiful than their child?' 

    The next day the father took the child to the palace  and presented his son as the best looking child in the town. The King was surprised But Birbal was not . He gave them gifts and send them home . The moral of the story is we can not find faults with ourselves or people that we love ,but for every body else we notice smallest of the fault. .  

Saturday, January 1, 2022

DON'T FORGET THE CIRCLE

      Happy New Year .

   I am sure that everyone has had celebration of the new year's eve  and enjoyed the party and are glad that 2021 is over. We all hope that the 2022 is better than 2021 and we talk of something else than mask and covid and vaccine and unvaccinated etc. But with time passing by all of us tend to forget that we are getting old. This blog is not to make anyone feel unhappy, but one must not forget the aging process. But it remind me old story. The Yamadoot - messenger of Lord Yama who is considered God of Death in Vedic religion came to take away the life of one old man, he asked them how come you don't give any warning . The Yamadoot answered, "what do you think was grey hair and receding hairline and loosing teeth and the wrinkles that you tried to cover with makeup ?" So on this first day of 2022 I want to say that we all do what we have to do. The old Kishorkumar song -translated in English, 'You lost childhood playing around - tou lost youth in sleeping and now in old age you are crying that the life is gone and there is no time. So I want to tell a old story and that may help to understand what I want to remind all. 

   In a family there was a couple was living with their son who was 7-8 years old. The father of the husband was also staying with them. One day the grandfather was bringing  a glass bowl from kitchen and it dropped from his hands and broke . The daughter in law was mad  and went out and brought a plastic bowl for him and instructed him to not use glass bowl and use only plastic bowl. In next few days was the husband's birthday. So everyone decided to buy gifts . There was a party arranged by the wife. As the husband started opening up the gifts, he noticed that he had a gift from his son. He decided to open that first and as he unwrapped it, he found out a plastic bowl. He was surprised and wanted to ask the son as to why he bought the bowl. The son told him that with this birthday he was older by one year and so he may drop the glass bowl ,so he decided to get him a plastic bowl which will not break even if it falls to the floor. The mother was speechless. The obvious fact that we tend to forget is that we are getting older and we must 'take care of the business' and I don't mean money or property etc. 

    ONCE AGAIN HAPPY NEW YEAR!