Bhagwat Gita & Our Life - Philosophy

Idol Worship

2012-03-04T14:41:00.000+05:30

In many religions of the world people do idol worship while there are other religions where idol worship is forbidden. In Hinduism people do pray the idols of their revered Gods but there are people in other religions who disapprove of such idolism. Now big question is whether God is actually there in Clay Idol or not?

As per the philosophy of Bhagwat Gita & Hinduism, God is omnipresent (present everywhere) in it's un-manifest aspect & is always present all around us. Every inch of the space is occupied by Him. Every nook & corner is filled by Him. In this aspect He is called Brahm (God) who is Truth Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and is Infinite.

It is this un-manifest aspect of God that is present in Clay Idols that Hindus worship as their God. Now to fulfill the desire of a devotee, this un-manifest, all pervasive Brahm (God) who is there in Clay Idol, by the power of His Yogmaya, manifests Himself as an embodied Being and appears before the devotee. So in this way the Un-manifest God in Clay Idol becomes manifest before the devotees.

So this omnipresent, un-manifest God appears before a devotee in whatever form he worships Him, whether it is the form of Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Ganesha or any other form. A devotee should always remember that the God whom he worships, always pervades through this whole universe & can manifest Himself in any form, anytime He wants to appear before his devotee. God is never invisible to such souls who have understood His true nature, nor does He ever lose sight of them.

In Bhagwat Gita, Arjuna asked Lord Krishna to show him the "Cosmic Form of God" & Lord Krishna showed Arjuna his physical "Virat Rupa" or "Cosmic Form of God" in which all these universes & all these planets, stars etc. were present. This physical "Virat Rupa" of God or this whole universe is the external body of the omnipresent, un-manifest God. Similarly this small Clay Body of God is the miniature aspect of that "Virat Rupa" or all inclusive physical universes.

Generally we see that, whenever, people go to the temple & come in front of the Clay Idol, people close their eyes. Why it is so that when people come before their revered God, they close their eyes? Simple answer to this is that they feel God much closer to their heart inside themselves when they come in front of the Clay Idol. Yes, God who is there in omnipresent, un-manifest aspect in the Clay Idol is also sitting in their hearts in un-manifest aspect. So that is the reason that while closing their eyes before the Clay Idol, people feel the presence of un-manifest God present everywhere & also in their heart.

So the answer to the question, "Whether God is actually there in the Clay Idol or not?" is in Yes. Yes, God is there in the Clay Idol. Let us respect the feelings & thinking of those people who do Idol Worship.

Jai Shri Krishna

Is this World an Illusion?

2012-02-26T13:58:00.000+05:30

That day a friend of mine was talking philosophically & telling me that all this world is illusion, it does not exist in reality. Whatever we are seeing is just mere magic etc. etc. I kept listening to him. Then I just asked him to close his eyes & open it only when this magical, illusory world disappears. But when he opened his eyes, world was still there only. Where this world shall go? It was there only, it is there only, there is no magic that this world shall disappear.

Then what is that my friend was talking? Why he was calling this world as Maya (माया or māyā) or illusion? What is the philosophical meaning of his saying this world an illusion? Was he wrong in his saying that this world is unreal? In philosophy, the meaning of Maya is "that is not" but which appears to be real. In Hinduism, this world in which we live is called unreal not because of that it does not exist, but because it is unstable, impermanent, unreliable, ever changing and illusory. It is unreal because it is transient & changing every second. Just check the things around you, these are changing every second. So this changing world, which is not permanent is called Maya or illusion & not real.

In Hindu philosophy, Universal Spirit (Brahman) or God is the only truth which never changes & always remains the same but this world is changing every moment so that is the reason it is called untrue. Since Maya causes the material world to be seen, it cannot be untrue also. Hence, Maya is described as indescribable.

Purpose of Maya: In reality the purpose of Maya is to produce the duality in this world. Maya performs this role at the behest of the Supreme Lord only. God is not bound by Maya, just as magicians are not illusioned and deluded by their own magic. She has two principle functions - one is to veil the Universal Spirit (Brahman) and obscure and conceal it from our consciousness. The other is to present and promulgate the material world and the veil of duality instead of the Universal Spirit (Brahman).

Lord Krishna in Bhagwat Gita details about the 'Maya' in it's various chapters.

"mama yonir mahad brahma
tasmin garbham dadhamy aham
sambhavah sarva-bhutanam
tato bhavati bharata" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 3)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, My womb is the great Nature (Prakriti or MAYA) which is the source of birth of all living entities, and it is in that I place the germ (embryo of life). Thus it makes possible the births of all living beings."

"sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 4)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, It should be understood that all species of life, are made possible by birth in this material nature (Prakriti or MAYA), and that I am the seed-giving father."

"prakrityaiva cha karmani
kriyamanani sarvasah
yah pasyati tathatmanam
akartaram sa pasyati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 30)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, One who can see that all activities are performed by the nature (Maya) alone and sees that the self does nothing, actually sees." (The Self is the silent witness).

Ramakrishna on Maya

Ramakrishna acknowledged the power of Maya in life. He was all love and reverence for maya, perceiving in it a mysterious and majestic expression of Divinity. To him Maya was God.

In the guru Ramakrishna's experience, Maya was divine. Ramakrishna "did not, like a Vedantic scholar, repudiate the world as maya, but gave it a spiritual status, seeing in it the manifestation of Chit and Ananda." Ramakrishna had a "vision of the divine Maya, the inscrutable Power of God, by which the universe is created and sustained."

According to Ramakrishna, Maya projects and withdraws the world.
Further, "Maya . . . is the Mother of the Universe, identical with the Brahman of Vedanta and with the Atman of Yoga.

Ramakrishna discovered that maya operates in the relative world in two ways and he termed these "avidyamaya" and "vidyamaya.' Avidyamaya sustains lower planes, but vidyamaya is enlightening, including qualities like kindness. Vidyamaya elevates a man to a better consciousness. With the help of vidyamaya he then gets free of maya, if only for a while. The two aspects of maya are two forces of creation.

Ramakrishna said further: "When I think of the Supreme Being as inactive - neither creating nor preserving nor destroying - I call Him Brahman or Purusha . . . When I think of Him as active - creating, preserving, and destroying - I call Him Sakti or Maya or Prakriti, the Personal God.

To Ramakrishna maya itself was God - everything was God - [maya] was one of the faces of [the Godhead].

As per Ramakrishna: Maya can not be distinguished from the supreme [Godhead]

As per Ramakrishna: The mighty weaver (Maya) is none other than the Divine Mother.

As per Ramakrishna: Maya releases from bondage.

"I tell you the truth: there is nothing wrong in your being in the world." - Ramakrishna

Vivekananda on Maya

This universe is maya - Vivekananda

Maya is used incorrectly to denote illusion or delusion. - Vivekananda

God is 'HERE' Not 'THERE'

2012-02-19T13:16:00.001+05:30

Our mind always wanders outside in the world in search of God. We generally think that God is someone faraway sitting in a distant heaven. Our search for God is always in the outside world but it is not a practical approach to find God. In fact God is present everywhere i.e. He is omnipresent & is present in all places, all the times. He is there within ourself, within our house, within all the places around us & also in our place of worship. So it is not necessary to go to some outside place to find God but we can worship & get His Blessings within ourself & our home only.

Below is a little tale -- about looking for the God nearby ourself only. This little tale is by India's great saint from Bengal, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa.

"ONCE, a bird sat on the mast of a ship. When the ship sailed through the mouth of the Ganges into the 'black waters' of the ocean, the bird failed to notice the fact that it has come away from the land. When it finally became aware of the ocean, it left the mast and flew north in search of land. But it found no limit to the water in the sea and so returned back on the ship. After resting a while it flew south. There too it found no limit to the water in the sea. Panting for breath the bird returned to the mast of the ship. Again, after resting a while, it flew east and then west. Finding no limit to the water in any direction in the sea, at last it settled down on the mast of the ship only."

Same is the case with our search for God. God we seek is very near to us. Still we wander about Him from place to place outside in the world. As long as a man feels that God is 'there', outside in the world, he is ignorant. But he attains knowledge when he feels that God is 'here' nearby himself only.

Below verse of Bhagwat Gita explains His omnipresent nature:

sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah shrutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tishthati (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Everywhere are His (God's) hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super Soul exists, pervading everything in this world."

"In the Bhagwat Gita Chapter Fifteen verse 15 Lord Krishna says:

"sarvasya chaham hridi sannivisto"

God is seated in everyone’s heart.

In the Bhagwat Gita Chapter Eighteen verse 61 Lord Krishna says:

"ishvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tishthati"

The Supreme God resides in the hearts of all beings.

So let's look inwards & find the God in our hearts who is the source of all Joy, Peace & Bliss. Be sure that "God Loves You", only thing is that you need to turn toward HIM.

So just have faith in God & get the mercy of God nearby yourself only. God's merciful hand shall extend to you, wherever you are if you show devotion to God. When His grace shall happen then God shall give you, whatever, you are lacking in life & also shall protect your life & belongings. Then you shall always be protected in life by God. Such type of Special mercy of God shall only happen on you when you shall engage your mind in thinking of God, become God's devotee, offer obeisance's to God and shall always worship Him within your heart & nearby yourself. Being completely absorbed in God so, surely you shall become eligible for God's Special mercy.

Jai Sri Krishna.

Imitate Good People & Good Things

2012-02-05T14:27:00.002+05:30

We all have been taught from the school times that we should imitate good people & good things in this world. We should not do the company of bad people & should not imitate bad works of other people. We should only imitate good people & good works of other people in this world. Here below is a story by Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the great Indian saint, which tells us that if we imitate good things today then it shall become an inspiration for us to lead a good life tomorrow.

"In ancient times in India, once a Thief with a purpose to steal, entered the palace of a king in the dead of night and overheard the king saying to the queen, "I shall give my daughter in marriage to one of those sadhus (holy men) who are dwelling on the bank of the river," The thief thought within himself & planned: "Well, here is way to have good luck for me. I will go and sit among the sadhus (holy men) tomorrow in the disguise of a sadhu, and perhaps I may succeed in getting the king's daughter. "The next day he went & sat among the sadhus. When the king's court men came soliciting the sadhus to marry the king's daughter, none of them gave their consent to marry the king's daughter. At last they came to the thief in the guise of a sadhu, and made the same proposal to him. The thief kept quiet & did not say "No" to them. King's court men went back and told the king that there was a young sadhu who might be influenced to marry the princess and that there was no other sadhu who would consent. Then the king himself came to the sadhu by the bank of the river and earnestly entreated him to honor him by accepting his daughter in marriage.

By this time the heart of the thief had changed at the king's visit. He thought within himself: "I have only assumed the garb of a sadhu (holy man), and see!! the king himself comes to me to ask for the hand of his daughter. Who can say what better things may not be in store for me if I become a real sadhu!" These thoughts so strongly influenced him that, instead of marrying under false pretences, he began to mend his ways from that very day and exerted himself to become a true sadhu. He did not marry at all, and ultimately became one of the most pious holy man of his day. Imitating of a good thing sometimes leads to unexpected good results."

In Bhagwat Gita Lord Krishna says that one can atone for his / her sins in many ways like penance, charity etc. but there is no way more swift, fast for atonement to sins than Devotional service to God / Lord Krishna. In this regard Bhagwat Puran & Bhagwat Gita, both explain about this assurance in detail that Devotion to Lord Krishna is the supreme purifier for all the sins that a person commits in life time.

'Api chet su-duracharo
bhajate maam ananya-bhak
sadhurev sa mantavya
samyag vyvasito hi sah' (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter IX verse 30)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Even if the vilest sinner worships Me with full devotion, he should be considered a noble soul or saint; as he has taken the right step by worshipping me."

Through above verse 30, God is telling Arjuna that even if the most sinful of person worships Him with full devotion, then He considers him to be a saint only as he has rightly resolved in his life. So many times we too think that we have done many sins in life & how God shall accept us, but here God makes it very clear that once a person become devoted to Him, He does not considers that person a sinner, rather God considers that person to be a Saint as he has taken the right decision in his life to become devoted to God. Let's all be devotees of God.

'kshipram bhavti dharmatma
shasvac-chantim nigachati
kauntey pratijanihi
na me bhaktah pranashyati' (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter IX verse 31)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: He speedily becomes virtuous and secures lasting peace. O son of Kunti, know it for certain that My devotee never falls."

Through above verse 31, God is telling Arjuna that such a sinful person after becoming His devotee becomes a person of good virtues and always remains in peace & such a peace is not temporary but is ever lasting. God is assuring the son of Kunti (another name of Arjuna, his disciple) that his devotee never falls again in life as He always protect him. So let's all worship the God always so that He can protect us always.

"samo ’ham sarva-bhutesu
na me dvesyo ’sti na priyah
ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya
mayi te tesu chapy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 29)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him."

Like the Sun does away with all the fog, similarly Devotion to God does away with all the sins. A man full of sin, is for certain not as much purified by penance as by the devotion to Lord Krishna. In this world there is only this path that is really appropriate & the one that is followed by the well-behaved, fearless and auspicious, saintly people; that is in surrendering oneself to Lord Krishna. So let's all be devotees of Lord Krishna.

Jai Sri Krishna.

Churn Your Mind

2012-01-29T19:49:00.000+05:30

When we mix water in the milk, it gets mixed up very easily & we cannot separate the milk from the water. But when we churn it, we are able to transform the milk into the butter, which floats on the water. Now whatever, amount of water we put into the butter we cannot mix it with water. It always floats on the water. Similarly when our mind uninspired by Godly Wisdom roams in this world then it is like the milk which gets easily mixed up with the water of the world. But when by churning, we are able to purify our mind by divine knowledge; then even if it dwells in the world, it will not get polluted by worldliness. So we should churn our mind by enquiring about the mysteries of this world, try to get divine knowledge & devotion towards the God. By doing so we shall be able to live in this world, in which though we shall be doing our duties in this world but still our mind shall be holding on to the God.

Below is a verse from Bhagwat Gita which illustrates that if we are able to anchor our mind towards God then we live in this world like a lotus flower leaf, which is untouched by water while living in the water only.

"brahmany adhaya karmani
sangam tyaktva karoti yah
lipyate an sa papena
padma-patram ivambhasa" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 10)

"Sri Krishna said: One who performs his duty offering all actions & surrendering the results unto the God, remains unaffected by sin; same as the lotus leaf is untouched by water."

Jai Shri Krishna

You & Your God Live in Your Body

2012-01-22T17:30:00.002+05:30

As the title suggests, this article deals with Yourself, Your Body & Your God. When we are talking of Yourself, we are talking of You as an individual Soul who is present in your body. When we are talking of Your God, we are talking of that Supersoul who is Indestructible, is very fine, very subtle & is the omnipresent God who is also sitting in your heart as "Antaryamin", one who is witness to all of your actions. When we are talking of Your Body, obviously we are are talking about the external visible body of yours. Your body is the Temple in which the Divinity of your Soul & Supersoul (God) both live together. To better understand this let's first read below a parable from "Mundaka Upanisad".

"Mundaka Upanisad" compares the individual Soul and the Supersoul as two friendly birds sitting on the same tree (your body made of elements of nature). One of the birds who is the individual Soul, is eating the fruits of the tree (enjoying the pleasures of the senses afforded by the material body), while the other bird, the Supersoul (God) is simply watching his friend, the individual Soul. Of these two birds, although both are of the same quality, one is captivated by the fruits of the material tree (this material world) while the other is keeping watch on him only. Although they both are friends, one is the master and the other is the servant. Forgetfulness of this relationship by the individual Soul is the cause of one's changing his position from one tree to another, or moving from one body to another. The Jiva, or individual Soul, is struggling very hard on the tree of the material body, but as soon as it agrees to accept the other bird (God) as the Supreme spiritual master, (as Arjuna agrees to do so by voluntary surrender unto Lord Krishna for instructions), the subordinate bird immediately becomes free from all lamentations.

Below are verses from Mundaka Upanishad explaining that only:

"dva suparna sayuja sakhaya
samanam vriksham praishasvajate
tayor anyah pippalam svadv
atty anasnann anyo 'bhicakasiti"

In the tree of this body, Soul & Supersoul (God), are like two friendly birds sitting on the same tree. One of the birds (the individual atomic Soul) is eating the fruit of the tree (the sense gratification afforded by the material body), and the other bird (the Supersoul) is not trying to eat these fruits, but is simply watching His friend.

"samane vrikshe purusho nimagno
'nisaya socati muhyamanah jushtam
yada pasyati anyam isam asya
mahimanam iti vita-sokah"

Although the two birds are on the same tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord, and knows His glories, at once the suffering bird becomes free of all anxieties.

Below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which too explain about the nature of Soul & Supersoul:

"dvav imau purushau loke
ksharas chakshara eva cha
ksharah sarvani bhutani
kuta-stho ’kshara ucyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fifteen verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, There are two classes of beings, the fallible (this body) and the infallible (this Soul). In the material world every living entity having a body is fallible, and while this Soul is infallible & it never dies.

"uttamah purushas tv anyah
paramatmety udahrtah
yo loka-trayam avisya
bibharty avyaya ishvarah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fifteen verse 17)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Besides these two (this body & this Soul), there is the greatest living personality, the God, the Supersoul, the imperishable Lord Himself, who has entered the three worlds and is maintaining them."

So from the above it is very clear how this little individual Soul is different from the Supersoul (God) in nature. Though Soul is part & parcel of Supersoul (God) only & both are unborn, imperishable but still one is limited in capacity & power, while the other is Lord of unlimited power. Individual Soul is the enjoyer of fruits of this vast nature, while Supersoul (God) is the provider of all these fruits & simply watches the actions & play of these different Souls. Let's turn our mind towards our friend Supersoul (God) who is sitting within our heart only in the subtle form. Doing so we shall come in His protection & He shall shower us with His divine love & grace always. So once we turn towards the God, we shall become free from all the anxieties & lamentations in life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Two Kinds of Knowledge

2012-01-15T17:07:00.001+05:30

Long long back in ancient India, a very wise man named "Angiras" used to live in a hut in the forest. He had inherited the spiritual wisdom from his father & forefathers. Once a young man from the village came up to him. This was a man well-known as the owner of land, wise in the ways of the world. He said to sage "Angiras", "Please tell me that knowledge which will explain everything to me."

Angiras looked at him & said. "There are really two kinds of knowledge," he replied. One of them is higher knowledge and the other one is lower one. The lower knowledge is of hymns and scriptures, rituals, grammar, poetry, astrology and other such sciences.....but the higher knowledge leads a man to that being which never dies. That is called the knowledge of the Indestructible."

"Yes, sir," said the young man. "That is what I want to know about."

Angiras said, "Then, listen well. The Indestructible cannot be picked up like this stick or that stone. It belongs to no family, nor to any caste. It neither has eyes nor ears (yet sees & hears everything), It has no hands or feet, It is forever. Wherever you go It is there; you cannot leave It; It is all around you.

"Indestructible is very fine, very subtle, and that is why you do not see It. Everything else has come out of this Indestructible, you see. You know how a spider spins out her thread from her own body, and draws it back with her arms, or how plants grow from the soil, or how hair grows on a person's body. In that same way, the whole universe emerges from that Indestructible Being called God.

The God who is present everywhere in space & creation is called Omnipresent God. There is no place in creation which can be without the presence of God & He is present there at every point of time and space. God fills all the space & places in heaven and on earth.

Here below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which describe about the infinite nature of God:

"sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah shrutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tishthati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Everywhere are His (God's) hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super Soul exists, pervading everything in this world."

"mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 7)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, there is nothing else besides Me in this world. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this world is threaded on me.

Here below is a "Hymn to that Universal, Omnipresent Infinite God". It is from "Svetasvatara Upanishad":

"O God,

You are the Ancient One & the Lord of Shining Light,
You dwell beyond all the darkness and the night;
knowing You alone can a man cross over death,
There is no other path for him to take."

All heads are Your heads, all faces Your faces,
You dwell inside the heart & also in all hidden places.
Through the whole universe, You have extended Yourself.
You are Shiva, the auspicious, the ever-present Lord."

With hands and feet everywhere, eyes and ears
Everywhere, heads and mouths everywhere,
You have filled up every corner of the space.
Smaller than smallest and larger than largest."

So let's pay our obeisance's to such an Indestructible & Infinite God. Let's also think that God is always near us & is always in our heart. Then He too shall never give you up or never depart. God is always with you & shall always be with you if you think Him to be supreme Indestructible. So always have trust that God is near you though He is present in all the creation.

Jai Sri Krishna

Look For God Within Yourself

2012-01-08T18:07:00.000+05:30

That day my friend misplaced his Mobile Phone somewhere in the home. He looked for it all around the house, in his table, on top of TV set, in the drawer, in the bed etc. etc. Everywhere he searched for it but could not find it. He felt little worried. Incidentally I too was with him over there. I said to him that I shall ring his number from my mobile phone & wherever his mobile will be, it shall ring up & we shall come to know, where it is. A simple & great idea!!!! When I called up the number, his mobile started ringing & it seemed that it is ringing nearby only. I asked him to check the nearby TV table top but it was not there. I told him that it is ringing near to him only. Lo! mobile was ringing from the left pocket of his trouser only. Strange, I asked him, why didn't he check his left pocket? His simple answer was that, "I always keep my mobile in my right pocket or outside somewhere!!! Though it is rare but still it happens sometimes with us.

Same is the case with our search for God. We search Him outside in the world, in temples, mosques, churches etc. however, He is sitting within our body only, He is sitting in our hearts only. The pure joy is there in our self (soul) only which is a part of God only who sits in our heart. If our mind shall turn inwards & see the God sitting in our heart then we shall get the eternal pure joy & peace which is much better than joy of the senses. A deer who is having the Kasturi (Musk) in his body only, searches for the cause of fragrance all over there in the wild, while that sweet fragrance comes from the inside of his body only. Same is the case with us that we are searching for the God outside ourselves while He is sitting in our heart only.

In the Bhagwat Gita Chapter Fifteen verse 15 Lord Krishna says:

"sarvasya chaham hridi sannivisto"

God is seated in everyone’s heart

In the Bhagwat Gita Chapter Eighteen verse 61 Lord Krishna says:

"ishvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tishthati"

The Supreme God resides in the hearts of all beings.

So let's leave our search of God in the outside world & look for Him inside our hearts only. In this way we shall find Him in our hearts who is the source of all Joy, Peace & Bliss. Be sure that "God Loves You", only thing is that you need to turn toward HIM.

Jai Sri Krishna

Supreme Abode Of God

2012-01-01T20:47:00.001+05:30

Lord Krishna, is the master of the three worlds and the three principal demigods. All this Infinite, limitless material universe is manifested by one fourth of the powers of God. By the remaining three fourth spiritual worlds are manifested. No one can measure the length and breadth of the one fourth of Lord's energy manifested in the material world. Who then can measure the three fourths that is manifested in the spiritual world? Spiritual nature & spiritual worlds are indestructible, eternal, inexhaustible and unlimited. It is the Supreme abode of God, consisting of three fourths of the Lord's opulence & it is known as paravyoma, the spiritual sky. Although God is present in His Spiritual abode in higher spiritual worlds, He is yet all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which describe about the material & spiritual spaces & worlds :

"a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah
punar avartino ’rjuna
mam upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My Supreme Supreme abode, O Arjuna, never takes birth again.

"paras tasmat tu bhavo ’nyo
’vyakto ’vyaktat sanatanah
yah sa sarveshu bhutesu
nasyatsu na vinasyati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: Yet there is another unmanifest Spiritual nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested material nature. This Spiritual nature is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this material world is annihilated, those Spiritual worlds remains as it is."

"avyakto ’kshara ity uktas
tam ahuh paramam gatim
yam prapya na nivartante
tad dhama paramam mama" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 21)

"Sri Krishna said: That which the Vedantists describe as Spiritual unmanifest and infallible, that which is known as the supreme destination, that place from which, having attained it, one never returns—that is My supreme abode in the Spiritual world."

"purushah sa parah partha
bhaktya labhyas tv ananyaya
yasyantah-sthani bhutani
yena sarvam idam tatam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said: The Lord / God, who is greater than all, is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His Spiritual abode, He is all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him."

So let's always pray to The Lord Krishna, who is greater than all, with full devotion. By doing so we can attain to His Spiritual abode where there is no misery of any type & which is full of bliss.

Jai Shri Krishna

How Big Is God?

2011-12-25T19:19:00.003+05:30

Can you tell me how Big is this Universe or how vast is this Space in which endless Planets & endless Galaxies are there? In fact all this Universe with endless Galaxies is Infinite. Infinite simply means “Without Limits” & beyond the comprehension of human mind. When we think of that infinite then we just think of the limitless. Now God is called the creator of this limitless Universe & is much bigger than this Universe. Vedas say that all this Infinite, limitless Universe was created with just one fourth of the powers of God & three fourth of His powers still remains with the God. So God is beyond Infinite & is incomprehensible.

Once someone sent a model device made of salt in the "Big Ocean" to measure it's depth. But when model went in the ocean, it just got dissolved in the waters of the ocean & became one with the ocean. It could not measure it's depth. Same is the case with human beings. When a person tries to measure the vastness of the God then in this search that person becomes one with the infinite God but he cannot in reality know the true vastness of the God. So the question "How big is God?" is not to be answered by the finite human mind. Human mind is having it's own limitations due to which it cannot know someone who is having Infinite vastness & Infinite powers.

God as infinite is limitless, Omnipresent & the one who fills this limitless space. Such an Infinite God exists everywhere & is not limited by time or space. In all the religions of the world God is designated as a singular, universal Supreme Being who encompasses all this creation. His all the attributes such as power, wisdom, love, compassion etc. are limitless & hence Infinite.

Bhagwat Gita describes the God as unborn, eternal, ever-existing, infinite and primeval. God is never born nor dies at any time. God is manifest & un-manifest both i.e. He is there before the creation & also present during the creation. He is omniscient (knows everything), omnipresent (who is present everywhere), omnipotent (who is having all the powers & is all powerful), imperishable & indestructible. He is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. He is having supernatural powers. He is Truth Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and is Infinite. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same. So are some of the qualities of God described.

Here below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which describe about the infinite nature of God:

"sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah shrutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tishthati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Everywhere are His (God's) hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super Soul exists, pervading everything in this world."

"mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 7)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, there is nothing else besides Me in this world. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this world is threaded on me.

Here below is a "Hymn to that Universal, Omnipresent Infinite God". It is from "Svetasvatara Upanishad":

"O God,

You are the Ancient One & the Lord of Shining Light,
You dwell beyond all the darkness and the night;
knowing You alone can a man cross over death,
There is no other path for him to take."

All heads are Your heads, all faces Your faces,
You dwell inside the heart & also in all hidden places.
Through the whole universe, You have extended Yourself.
You are Shiva, the auspicious, the ever-present Lord."

With hands and feet everywhere, eyes and ears
Everywhere, heads and mouths everywhere,
You have filled up every corner of the space.
Smaller than smallest and larger than largest."

Present are You in the depths of our heart.
When free of desires and unshaken by sorrow, we
Seek for You only, then by Your grace,
Your Form and Your glory stand clearly before us.

"O Lord, Creator of even Brahma, the creator,
Revealer to him of the knowledge called Veda,
To You, I come in my longing for freedom;
To You, for refuge, with reverence, I come!"

So let's pay our obeisance's to such an Infinite God. Let's also think that God is always near to us & is always in our heart. Then He too shall never give you up or never depart. God is always with you & shall always be with you if you think Him to be supreme. So always have trust in your life that God is near you though He is present in all the creation.

Jai Sri Krishna

Bhagavad Gita & Russian Ban

2011-12-19T22:18:00.005+05:30

Bhagwad Gita / Bhagwat Gita, one of the holiest Hindu scriptures, is facing a threat of legal ban in Russia. The holy book is also being asked to brand it “an extremist” literature across Russia. The Moscow Times reported that Bhagwad Gita and Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf may be included in the Russian Judicial Ministry’s list of banned extremist literature.

The prosecutors are citing a passage from the original book as a reason for the ban and not the translation that is available there. The translation has been done by the founder of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The translation is called “Bhagavad Gita As It Is”.

However, a Russian court on Monday suspended its verdict till December 28 on the demand for banning Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita, which a group linked to the Christian Orthodox Church has described as 'extremist'. "The ruling has been postponed till December 28, as the lawyer of ISKCON requested the court to seek opinion of Russian ombudsman and experts from Moscow and St. Petersburg - the main centers of Indology in Russia", Sadhu Priya Das of ISKCON told PTI after the court in the Siberian city of Tomsk suspended its verdict.

The Bhagvad Gita is a holy Hindu scripture where Lord Krishna preaches the followers. It is also considered a great piece of literature in philosophical studies and is an important part of the Indian epic, Mahabharata. On the battle field of Kurukshetra, when Arjuna, the disciple of Lord Krishna got infatuated & forgot his duty to fight, then Lord Krishna reminded Arjuna of his duty to fight a lawful, justful war & gave him the teachings of Bhagwat Gita. Arjuna after having been taught in the path of knowledge by Lord Krishna came back to his path of duty & fought a lawful battle against the Kauravas (his enemies) & won the battle with the grace of Lord Krishna.

Bhagwat Gita is the "Song of the Divine" told by the Divine (God himself) to His disciple Arjuna. In it God (Lord Krishna) himself teaches Arjuna the philosophy of truth. In it Lord Krishna tells Arjuna about the philosophy of rebirth or reincarnation & how individual soul transmigrates from one body to the other. It also teaches you the difference between a Soul & Supersoul (God). It also tells you, what is Karma & how you can do the Karma effectively through Karmayoga.

In Bhagwat Gita, God teaches basically the four paths through which one can understand the philosophy of soul or oneself. First one is "Sankhya yoga" or the "Yoga of Knowledge". In it one can know the God through knowledge or through one's intellect. The second one is "Karma yoga, or the Yoga of Action." In it one can know the God through offering all of his / her actions to God. Third one is "Dhyana yoga" or the "The Yoga of Meditation". In it one can know the God through Meditation of God. Fourth one is "Bhakti Yoga" or the "The Yoga of Devotion." In it one can know the God through having devotion, love towards God.

So Bhagwad Gita / Bhagwat Gita does not teach us hatred & is not an extremist literature. It teaches one to do one's duty properly. It also teaches us the philosophy of life. It teaches us who we are, how this universe was born, how we can understand this universe, how we can know our true self, Soul, How we can know Super Soul God. It is a marvelous book of knowledge & is not at all an extremist literature. Russian court should not BAN this book at all & should respect its teachings.

Why this Pain in Life???

2011-12-11T16:31:00.001+05:30

"Joy & Pain", "Good & Bad", "Attachment & Detachment" etc. are dual characteristics of Nature or Maya. Individual soul or "Soul" is beyond this dual Nature & is of the nature of Bliss. But when this "Soul" gets involved with Nature or Maya, then it experiences dual fruits of Nature like Joy & Pain. In this world when we get involved with material things or people around us then attachment to those things or people happen. It seems to give us joy, happiness when we are with these things or people. But as Nature is of dual characteristics so these very things or people give us equal amount of pain in life when these are not with us or are gone away from our life. It is as simple as that involvement gives joy while separation gives pain in life but both are two aspects of the same coin.

That is the reason that saints ask us not to get attached with the things or people of this world. Even if we have to remain with these things or people in the world then just remain like a drop of water on a Lotus flower, where though it is there on it but it is not attached or touched by it. Basically the nature of our mind is so that it gets attached to some object, place or person badly. In such a state our mind is swayed by the emotions & we always think of that object, place or person & without it, our life seems impossible. So in all such cases if our mind is attached to them greatly then great shall be the pain to the mind during separation from them. Same applies to other material things like your home, car, money etc. So if our mind is attached to these things greatly, so great shall be the pain to our mind during its separation.

As per the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddhism), craving for worldly things is said to be the cause of all suffering that one experiences in human existence. The extinction of this craving leads one to ultimate happiness, or Nirvana. Nirvana means "cessation", "extinction" of suffering. It is also known as "Awakening" or "Enlightenment". As per the teachings of Gautama Buddha, suffering is an inevitable part of life as we know it & the cause of this suffering is attachment to, or craving for worldly pleasures of all kinds. The suffering ends when the craving and desire ends, or one is freed from all desires.

In this world we are getting deluded by the delusive energy of God called Maya. She puts our minds through the pains and sufferings of life & we all our life feel these regularly. Our mind is always full of worries, anxieties, pains of day to day life, diseases and mental sufferings. Sometimes that delusive energy of God called Maya removes a little pain from our life & gives us a small happiness & pleasure. We at that time feel that we have got fully rid of all the problems & miseries of the life & we again rush with more vigor towards the jungle called life. We forget that all those miseries & pains of life are still there & if we do not find the true answer to get rid of all these sufferings then we shall always feel the same way all through life & shall get reborn again to live a life of pain & sufferings. To get rid of all these pains & sufferings permanently, is to know your true self which is your Soul & Supersoul (God). Once you know your Soul & Supersoul (God) then all the miseries of life shall go away from your life.

In Bhagwat Gita Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna that if a person's mind is unattached internally to worldly things then that person lives in this world just like a water drop living on a lotus leaf, which is there on it but is still not attached to it.

"brahmany adhaya karmani
sangam tyaktva karoti yah
lipyate na sa papena
padma-patram ivambhasa" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 10)

"Sri Krishna said: One who performs his duty without any Attachment, surrendering all the results unto the God, is unaffected by sinful action, as the Lotus leaf is untouched by water."

Below is a story regarding a monk who lived a life of detachment in this world:

"Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening. It had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides. At one place a beautiful young woman was standing unable to walk across because of a puddle of water. The elder of the two monks went up to a her lifted her in his alms and left her on the other side of the road, and continued his way to the monastery.

In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said, "Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman?"

The elder monk answered "yes, brother".

Then the younger monk asks again, "but then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the roadside?"

The elder monk smiled at him and told him "I left her on the other side of the road, but you are still carrying her."

So remain in this world like the one who is not attached to the things & beings of this world. Don't say to yourselves, 'I have money, home, I have a son, I have a daughter, I have numbers of men and maids for my service, I have precious gold etc; do not cling to these things with craving and desire. Simply do not get attached to anything very much that you cannot leave it. Again, just live your life like a water drop living on a lotus leaf, which is there on it but is still not attached to it.

Jai Sri Krishna

Uniqueness of Bhakti (Devotion) - The path of Love

2011-12-04T19:19:00.000+05:30

As per the Hindu mythology, in other paths like "Jnana Yoga", the path of Knowledge or "Dhyana Yoga", the Yoga of Meditation etc. it is essential that one practices self discipline, masters his senses, passions etc. to realize the God. But Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion is Unique in that sense.

As per the great saint Sri Ramakrishna:

" Is it possible to realize God unless one’s passions have already been controlled? In a sense not. But that is true only of Jnana Yoga, the path of Knowledge. The knowing one says, “One must first be pure if one desires to see God. One must first control one’s passions. First self-discipline, then knowledge of God.”

There is however, another path leading to God – the path of devotion (Bhakti Yoga). If one man gains love of God, if once the chanting of His holy name begins to thrill the devotee with joy, what effort is needed for the control of passions afterwards? The control comes of itself. Can a man suffering from intense grief be in a mood to enter into a quarrel, or to enjoy a feast, or to give his mind up to the pleasures of the senses? So one absorbed in the love of God cannot think of sense-pleasures.

A poet has compared devotion to God to a tiger. As the tiger devours animals, devotion also swallows up all the ‘arch-enemies’ of man, such as lust, passion and the rest. Once the devotion to God is fully awakened, all evil passions like lust and anger are completely destroyed."

In "Bhagwat Gita", Lord Krishna Says that if a person is devoted to God only then God rescues that person from ocean of Birth & Death i.e. that man becomes eligible for permanent life beyond death forever with God.

As per (Gita: Chapter XII verse 8) God says that:

"mayy eva mana adhatsva
mayi buddhim nivesaya
nivasisyasi mayy eva
ata urdhvam na samsayah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 8)

" Fix Your mind on Me (God) and establish your reasoning in Me (God) alone; thereafter doing so you shall abide in Me (God) only. There is no doubt about it. "

' Ye tu srvani krmani
myi sanyasya mat-para
anany-naiv yogen
maam dhyayant upasate '
' Tesham-aham samud-dharta
mrityu-sansar-saagrat
bhavami na-chirat parth
mayy-avesita-chetsam ' ( Bhagwat Gita: Chapter XII verse 6-7 )

'Those people, who worship Me by surrendering all their activities unto Me, are always devoted to Me, always meditate upon Me, Having always fixing their minds upon Me, O Parth - to them, I swiftly rescue from the ocean of birth and death.'

So as per assurance given by God in Gita, Lets all be devotees of God only & let's pray for Him (God) daily.

Jai Shri Krishna

Emotions Are Tricky

2011-11-27T16:54:00.001+05:30

Do you know about emotions? Have you ever got emotional? How many types of emotions there are? How these emotions affect our life?

Emotions are basically the waves of feelings that arise in our mind. Due to these emotions our mind feels happy, distressed etc. There are many types of emotions that arise in our mind like love, hate, anger, jealousy, infatuation, fear, grief, compassion, happiness, distress, pain & pleasure etc. Out of these love, compassion, happiness, pleasure etc. are called positive emotions while hate, anger, fear, jealousy, infatuation, grief,distress, pain etc. are called negative emotions.

Emotions are required in our life as without these, one's life is mere mechanical. The difference between a robot & human being is that humans have emotions, feelings while a robot is not having that. Both robot & human being have intelligence but only humans have emotions, feelings etc. in their mind. Emotions make life pleasant, enjoyable unless until these are sensible and within limits. But when emotions are uncontrollable & beyond limits then mental equilibrium of a person is disturbed. Also negative emotions like hate, anger, jealousy, infatuation, grief, etc. destroy one's mental & physical health.

Bhagwat Gita is a great book which teaches us how to control our emotions & how to remain equipoise, calm when such emotions empower our mind. In ancient times "Arjuna" was involved in a war against his enemies (some of them his own relatives too) but he refused to do his duty of fighting a righteous battle as he got infatuated with emotions & started thinking of his enemies as his own near & dear ones. He told his master "Lord Sri Krishna" that he is going away from the war & do not want to fight on the battle field. Arjuna's mental equilibrium became disturbed due to negative emotions & he got deeply depressed. To overcome his disciple Arjuna's depression & to motivate him to fight a righteous war, "Lord Sri Krishna" gave the great teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" to his disciple "Arjuna". After listening to all these great teachings, Arjuna's mental health became well & he became motivated & energetic to fight the war.

As per Bhagwat Gita our true nature is that we are a "Soul" which is beyond mind. "Soul", our true self in this body of ours is a witness to everything while the drama of life with all the emotions in our mind goes on. "Soul" is only a witness & does not take part in this drama of life. All the emotions whether these are positive or negative arise in human mind only & we feel pain, pleasure etc. "Soul" is different from the mind but when we associate our true Soul nature with this mind, we also feel the qualities & emotions of this mind. The real tatva, the "Soul" is Satva & has no body, no mind, no intellect, no ahamkara (ego), no memory & no senses. "Soul" is beyond the body, the senses, the pranas and the four-fold interior substance consisting of the mind, intellect, ego and memory. Emotions are product of Maya; these are simply illusory, transient things & we should not associate our true self ("Soul") with these. We should know ourself to be that "Soul" who is beyond the unreal & should not be affected by the qualities of nature (Maya) which affect our mind.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which describe the above said:

"na-asato vidyate bhavo
nabhavo vidyate satah
ubhayor api drsto ’ntas
tv anayos tattva-darshibhih" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: Arjuna, the unreal has no existence, and the real (soul) never ceases to be; the reality of both has thus been perceived by the seers of the truth."

"maatra-sparshas-tu kaunteya
shitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah
agamapayino-anityas
tams titiksasva bharata" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, the contact between the senses & their objects, which give rise to the feelings of heat & cold, happiness and distress, etc. are transitory & fleeting in nature, therefore Arjuna, one should not get swayed by these and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed by them."

"yam hi na vyathayanty ete
purusham purusharsabha
sama-duhkha-sukham dhiram
so ’mrtatvaya kalpate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 15)

"Sri Krishna said: Arjuna, the wise human being to whom pain & pleasure, happiness and distress etc. are alike, and who is not tormented by these contacts i.e. remains steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation & immortality."

So we should not let our mind be swayed with these emotions in our life & in the midst of these emotions we should be rational. It is only when we are carried away with these emotions that we harm ourself or others with anger etc. So let's know our Soul nature which is beyond these emotions. Let's always establish ourself in the Soul nature so that our mind is not swayed with these emotions & is always calm, composed & peaceful.

Jai Shri Krishna

Chameleon

2011-11-20T18:27:00.002+05:30

"Chameleon" is a creature in nature who can change his body color at will. It looks sometimes lavender in color, sometimes gray, sometimes green, yellow, cream, and sometimes it has really no color at all. Here is a story regarding that chameleon & why someone called God as chameleon.

"In ancient times, in a rustic village of India, there was a little park where people used to come in their spare time. Villagers used to spend their idle time over there & used to sit and chat with each other. The path to this park lay alongside the forest. On the edge of the path there was a large, well-known Kadamba tree. One day a city-dweller came to the village, passed by the tree, and saw a peculiar lizard climbing on the trunk of that tree. When he reached the park he told the others sitting there, "I just saw a Green lizard on that old Kadamba tree!"

"Oh," said one man, "I know that lizard. I've seen it there several times -- but it's not Green-colored, it's Yellow."

"No, no, not Yellow," said another, "it is Cream colored." Then others chimed in: "We have seen it -- it is lavender (gray, etc.). Each person had a different picture of the lizard.

They decided to go to the tree to find the animal and settle the argument. Over there what they found was a Sadhu (Saint) from the forest, sitting in meditation under that Kadamba tree. The villagers questioned him about the animal. The saint answered, "I know all about that creature, who lives on this tree," he answered. "It is a Chameleon" (a creature who is able to change his body color at will). "It is sometimes lavender, sometimes gray, sometimes green, yellow, cream, and sometimes it has really no color at all."

Saint further said, "God, too is like that Chameleon, taking on different qualities and appearances, and then again He has none."

Different people in this world follow different religions & have different faiths in regard to God. Different religions of the world depict God in different forms. In Hinduism God is depicted as Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma etc. while in some sects of Hinduism, God is depicted as formless God too. In Christianity God is depicted as Jesus Christ who is said to be the Son of God. Sikhism & Muslim sects mostly believe in a formless God. So different minded people of the world see God in different forms or formless God too.

God is almighty & He is free to take any form. He Himself is Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva & Lord Brahma. He Himself is Rama God too. He Himself is Allah, Jesus also. So as per one's faith He appears in that form & that's the reason that above said saint called God as chameleon.

In Bhagwat Gita Chapter Ten Lord Sri Krishna himself declares about His different forms & attributes which you can read here.

In fact God himself is the creator of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Him.

"aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts."

Jai Sri Krishna

Bhagwat Gita & Philosophy of Life

2011-11-13T14:53:00.000+05:30

We encounter myriads of problems in our day to day life. We daily get work pressure, stress, tension etc. in our life. Now if we can find some way in which we can de-stress ourself & find peace of mind within us then how good it would be. The great philosophy of Bhagwat Gita not only tells us about the Yoga technique which can make our body stress free but also gives us many teachings by which we can calm our mind. Other than that it tells us about the mystery of Life & Death. It also tells us about the origin of this universe & life on other planets.

In fact Bhagwat Gita is the "Song of the Divine" told by the Divine (God himself) to His disciple Arjuna. In it God (Lord Krishna) himself teaches Arjuna the philosophy of truth. In it Lord Krishna tells Arjuna about the philosophy of rebirth or reincarnation & how individual soul transmigrates from one body to the other. It also teaches you the difference between a Soul & Supersoul (God). It also tells you, what is Karma & how you can do the Karma effectively through Karmayoga.

In Bhagwat Gita, God teaches basically the four paths through which one can understand the philosophy of soul or oneself. First one is "Sankhya yoga" or the "Yoga of Knowledge". In it one can know the God through knowledge or through one's intellect. The second one is "Karma yoga, or the Yoga of Action." In it one can know the God through offering all of his / her actions to God. Third one is "Dhyana yoga" or the "The Yoga of Meditation". In it one can know the God through Meditation of God. Fourth one is "Bhakti Yoga" or the "The Yoga of Devotion." In it one can know the God through having devotion, love towards God.

So if you want to have a stress free life & the peace of mind then you should read Bhagwat Gita. If you want to know the mystery of Life & Death, rebirth etc. then also you should read this great "Divine Song". It is basically the essence of all the Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads & all other Hindu scriptures. If one is able to understand the divine philosophy of Bhagwat Gita then one is able to understand all the great scriptures as it is the essence of all these great books.

Otherwise, reading Bhagwat Gita gives peace of mind, clears all doubts about life, makes one understand people better & let's one come closer to God.

Here below are thoughts of century's greatest saint Mahatma Gandhi about Bhagwat Gita & why he used to read this great philosophy of Bhagwat Gita.

"When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-Gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day." - Mahatma Gandhi

Jai Sri Krishna.

Kun Faaya Kun

2011-11-05T15:48:00.006+05:30

You must be wondering why I am writing about a song of a movie "Rockstar". In fact for me it is not a song but a Prayer, devotion or Ibadat to God.

'Kun Faaya Kun' describes the attribute of God through which God can create anything just by His wishing & that thing immediately becomes a reality. Literal meaning of 'Kun Faaya Kun' in Arabic is "Be, And It Is!". That means by just wishing of God everything is possible & everything becomes a reality. In Vedas also it is said that God created this world just by His wishing. God just thought of this world & it became a reality immediately. Below are few lines of this song:

"Kun faaya kun faaya kun faaya kun
faaya kun faaya kun faaya kun

Jab kahin pe kuch nahi bhi nahi tha
wahi tha wahi tha wahi tha wahi tha
who jo mujh me samaya wo jo tujh me samaya
maula wahi wahi maaya"

Meaning of above lines is that:

Be, and it is! Be, and it is!

When there was nothing nowhere,
He was the One, only One.
He is within Me, He is within You,
He is the One, only One.

That means before the creation when there was nothing in this world then He, God alone was present. God is eternal & existed before the creation also. God wished this world & this world came into existence just through His wishing. Also one God is there within me & you. God is the only one reality. Vedas also describe the God similarly.

In Bhagwat Gita also God himself is saying the same thing:

"ishvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tishthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 61)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The Lord / Supreme God dwells in the heart of all beings. He is deluding all beings by His illusive power of Maya / Material energy by which they revolve according to their actions in this world."

So, O God, You live within me & I live within You. You are the only Truth. Only You are the Real one so have mercy on us.

Which type of Devotee You are?

2011-10-23T16:03:00.001+05:30

There are two types of people in this world. One are those who believe in God & are called faithful ones, i.e. they have firm faith, belief in God. Others are those who do not believe in God & are called atheists. We here shall talk about believers in God who are also called devotees of God.

Devotees are of different types. Some remember God when they are in distress & want to get rid of their grief. Some want to know God due to their inquisitiveness about Him. Some pray God to attain wealth in life while some wise men want to have true knowledge of God. As per Bhagwat Gita there are 4 types of devotees of God.

1) First one are those people who are in distress. In our bad times when we are in distress or when we are going through physical or mental agony, at that time we generally remember & pray to God. Such people devote themselves to God because they wish to be liberated from grief.

2) Second one are those people who want to know about the God. Such people have faith in God & want to know more about Him. Such people due to their inquisitiveness, debate about the God, read books etc. to know more about the God.

3) Third one are those people who want to gain wealth in life. There is no end to such people in this world. You can find such people generally in temples etc. asking God to give them wealth, money etc. Such people are those one's who do their appointed task for money because doing it will bring good fortune to them. So such people are the doers of selfish action in life.

4) Fourth one are those people who are people of True knowledge. Such people are really the wise men.They have true knowledge to God. They are the realized sages, who have attained to the stage of reaching the supreme goal.

Below are the verses of Bhagwat Gita which explain about the above said 4 types of devotees.

"chatur-vidha bhajante mam
janah sukritino ’rjuna
arto jijnasur artharthi
jnani cha bharatarsabha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the inquisitive, the desirer of wealth, and the one who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute."

"udarah sarva evaite
jnani tv atmaiva me matam
asthitah sa hi yuktatma
mam evanuttamam gatim" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me, I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he/she is sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal."

So just check, which type of devotee of God are you? If you are not the fourth one i.e. a person of True knowledge, a really wise person, then just strive to be the one. Just devote yourself to God, read religious literature, join the company of saintly people, give charities, alms to the people. Doing all such good works & having a yearning for God, you shall certainly become a wise person, a true devotee of God & shall ultimately attain to Him.

Jai Sri Krishna.

Praying When Angry Helps to Manage Anger

2011-10-16T15:57:00.002+05:30

We all get angry at some point of time in life.
As per one research report it has been found that praying when you are angry could help you manage your anger. The researchers identified that praying when you have been left really angry could also help prevent one from becoming aggressive.

The authors of the research said the findings applied to even non-religious people. A co-author of the study, Brad Bushman who is also the professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University, said that, “We found that prayer really can help people cope with their anger, probably by helping them change how they view the events that angered them and helping them take it less personally.” Also during one exercise with participants, it was realized that those who prayed showed the lowest level of anger.

Prayer is basically an act of addressing the God with devotion. Prayer can be done during the worship or can be done just silently in our mind. Through prayer we have a personal experience & an intimate connection with our loving God. If we pray to God with sincerity then He shall answer to our prayers immediately. In Bhagwat Gita also Lord says that "Praying the God is the best form of rememberance of God".

"man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaishyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo ’si me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."

So if you daily do regular prayers to God then your anger shall always remain in your control. But if you get angry then you should do some prayer to God as by doing so you shall be able to manage your anger. So let's daily do the worship of God. By chanting the "Divine Mantras" we shall get peace of mind. Let's make it a practice to invoke the God daily through the prayer. By doing so God shall be happy with us & shall bless us always through His mercy & compassion.

Jai Shri Krishna

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter One (1) to Chapter Eighteen (18)

2011-10-09T10:55:00.001+05:30

On the battle field of Kurukshetra, when Arjuna, the disciple of Lord Krishna got infatuated & forgot his duty to fight, then Lord Krishna reminded Arjuna of his duty to fight a lawful, justful war & gave him the teachings of Bhagwat Gita. Arjuna after having been taught in the path of knowledge by Lord Krishna came back to his path of duty & fought a lawful battle against the Kauravas (his enemies) & won the battle with the grace of Lord Krishna. Bhagwat Gita has Eighteen chapters which you can read at below given links.

Chapter One of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Dejection of Arjuna."

Chapter Two of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "Sankhyayoga or the Yoga of Knowledge."

Chapter Three of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "Karmayoga, or the Yoga of Action."

Chapter Four of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Knowledge ,as well as, the disciplines of Action & Knowledge."

Chapter Five of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Action & Knowledge."

Chapter Six of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Self control."

Chapter Seven of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Jnana (Knowledge of Nirguna Brahma) and Vijnana (Knowledge of Manifest Divinity)."

Chapter Eight of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of the Indestructible Brahma."

Chapter Nine of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of the Sovereign Science and the Sovereign Secret."

Chapter Ten of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Divine Glories."

Chapter Eleven of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of the Vision of the Universal Form."

Chapter Twelve of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Devotion."

Chapter Thirteen of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Discrimination between the Field and the Knower of the Field."

Chapter Fourteen of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Classification of the three Gunas."

Chapter Fifteen of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of the Supreme Person."

Chapter Sixteen of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Discrimination between the Divine and the Demoniacal Properties."

Chapter Seventeen of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Classification of the Threefold Faith."

Chapter Eighteen of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Liberation through the Path of Knowledge and Self-Surrender."

Jai Shri Krishna

Soul Strength

2011-10-02T16:32:00.001+05:30

What is Soul Strength? What is Inner Strength? Is Soul Strength, Inner Strength & Mental Strength, one & the same thing?

When we are depressed, sad & are in distress; in all such times, where from we find our inner strength so as to come out of all such negative symptoms? Is there any God on whom we can rely in all such times? If yes, then where is that God & how can He help us in all such troubled times?

Inner Strength is our Soul strength, Mental strength or Personal Strength which comes into action in our hard times to defeat all such negative symptoms of sadness, depression etc. in one's life. In hard times it helps in building our low esteem and loss of confidence. When we are passing through bad times, we have a feeling of self dejection & a feeling that we will not succeed in life. In all such times, our Inner Strength comes into play.

Inner Strength is basically an exploration to find our authentic self. Now how we can peep into & explore our original inner self? Here is a great book "Bhagwat Gita" which is a reservoir of all such questions. "Bhagwat Gita", time & again tells us that we have a Soul inside our human body & this Soul has infinite potential. As this Soul of ours is a spark of the Infinite all powerful, all pervasive Universal Soul, so it's powers are also limit less. This Soul present inside our human body, in fact gives strength to our mind to carry out all difficult tasks. Believing in oneself is nothing but believing in one's inner Soul. All fountains of knowledge & strength come out of this inner Soul only.

In Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 18, God himself tells that :

"jyotisam api taj jyotis
tamasah param ucyate
jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam
hridi sarvasya visthitam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is un-manifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone’s heart."

So God is situated in everyone’s heart & gives strength, knowledge & guidance to every human being. So if we have faith in God, faith in our inner Soul then we shall get all the power & Inner Strength to get out of all our adversities.

So let's look inside ourselves so that we can come in touch with our real self (Soul) from where emerges all our Inner Strength. Be yourself & be proud of yourself, as your original self is part & parcel of the Universal Self (God) & with His grace you shall come out of all the adverse circumstances. So have devotion in God & it shall strengthen your mind to face all the challenges of Life.

Some Supreme Power Is Ruling This Universe

2011-09-25T11:55:00.000+05:30

Every morning Sun emerges from the eastern horizon & dispels the darkness of night. With the help of light of the Sun whole world gets lit up & all creatures are able to sustain themselves. Sun is the source of energy to this world & it's energy nurtures our earth just like a mother feeds her children. Now just imagine if Sun stops rising in the morning. In such a case all the creatures including us shall come to perish for the want of sunlight & it's energy.

Who has created this Sun & who in this Universe is ensuring that it rises daily from the east to sustain all creatures? Certainly no human being has done this. Sun was created by the Supreme Power called God & only He is ensuring that it rises daily from the east & that all creation is maintained.

In general God is the faith of human beings that a Supernatural Power exists in this universe which has created us & all other universal forms. He is having supernatural powers, who is omniscient (knows everything), who is omnipresent (who is present everywhere), omnipotent (who is having all the powers & is all powerful), who is Infinite in size, knowledge & powers, one who is imperishable & indestructible. Faith of humans in such a big & great entity having all the powers is known as God.

In Bhagwat Gita Chapter Ten, Lord Krishna is saying that he is the source of all beings & gods. Not even that as per Lord Krishna, all these universes & creations spring from but a spark of His splendor only.

This whole world has it's existence in that Universal Soul (God) only. God is like the ocean & you are like a wave of that ocean. We all are waves of the same Ocean. There is no higher or lower wave. As the waves and the ocean are one, so are you, part & parcel of God only. One's ego only separates one from the God. Just lose your ego & dive yourself in the ocean of Universal Soul.

When a fire is burning, many sparks come out it. Similarly, all these souls have come out from that Universal Soul. "Mundaka Upanisad" explains that only:

"tat etat satyam yatha su-diptat pavakad
visphulingah sahasrasah prabhavante
sa-rupah tathaksharad vividhah saumya
bhavah prajayante tatra caivapi yanti"

The Supreme God is real and eternal. As many thousands of sparks come from a blazing fire, so many different living entities are manifested from the imperishable Supreme God and then again go & merge into Him.

In Bhagwat Gita also God says that this whole world & it's people are nothing else but part & parcel of Him only. Just like clusters of Yarn-Beads are woven on a thread, so is this whole world threaded in Him. So You are nothing but a "Spark of the Divine".

"mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 7)

"Sri Krishna said:

There is nothing else besides Me,
Like clusters of Yarn-Beads,
Formed by knots on a thread,
All this world is threaded on Me (universal soul)."

So let's worship that Supreme Power who is ruling this Universe, someone who is all powerful, Infinite in size. One who is all knowledge, one who is imperishable & indestructible.

Jai Shri Krishna

Mercy & Opulence of Lord Sri Krishna

2011-09-18T20:27:00.000+05:30

Lord Krishna, is the master of the three worlds and the three principal demigods [Brahma, Vishnu and Siva] who rule them. No one is equal to or greater than Lord Krishna. All the predominating deities of all the planets touch the lotus feet of the Lord Krishna & offer their prayers to the Lord.

Lord Krishna is the greatest of all gods. No one is equal to Him, nor is anyone greater than Him. He is the supreme controller & has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes.

Lord Krishna is all merciful. His Divine grace or Blessing or 'Kripa' (कृपा) happens on all creatures. Read more here.........Divine Grace Of God

Lord of the Universe

2011-09-11T13:07:00.003+05:30

Here is a prayer to the Creator & Sustainer of the Universe:

Oh Lord of the whole Universe
Mighty Lord of the whole Universe
All Thy devotees' agonies
All Thy devotees' sorrows
Instantly Thou banisheth
Oh Lord of the whole Universe
He who's immersed in devotion
He reaps the fruits of Thy love
Lord, he reaps the fruits of Thy love,
Joy, prosperity and health
Enter the homes of those who pray to Thee
Oh Lord of the whole Universe......

God is all powerful. He is almighty. He is the Lord of the Universe. Oh Lord! You are the remover of the agonies & sorrows of your devotees. A devotee who is immersed in the devotion of the Lord reaps the fruits of Lord's love & blessings. Such a devotee enjoys the Joy, prosperity & health in life. God enters the home of such a devotee & always protects that person & his/her family. Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita in which God illustrates that He is the creator & Sustainer of all the Universes.

"yad yad vibhutimat sattvam
srimad urjitam eva va
tat tad evavagaccha tvam
mama tejo-’msa-sambhavam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 41)

"Sri Krishna said: Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious Universes & creations spring from but a spark of My splendor."

"yac chapi sarva-bhutanam
bijam tad aham arjuna
na tad asti vina yat syan
maya bhutam characharam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 39)

"Sri Krishna said: Furthermore, O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all Universes & existences. There is no being—moving or nonmoving—that can exist without Me."

"aham atma gudakesha
sarva-bhutasaya-sthitah
aham adis cha madhyam cha
bhutanam anta eva cha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: I am the Super Soul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings."

So let's all worship that almighty & all powerful Lord who is of the Creator & Sustainer of all Universes & all beings. He is called by different names in the world like, Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Allah, Jesus etc. So let's pray to that one God who is sustaining all of us.

Jai Shri Krishna

Conflict-Free Mind

2011-09-04T17:27:00.004+05:30

Human mind is the most complex thing to understand. Emotions and Intellect are basically two aspects of this human mind. Balance between Emotions and Intellect in human mind is necessary as without that mind of a person remains disturbed. Without proper balance of Emotions and Intellect in human mind, it always remain in a state of conflict. Very few people have a conflict-free mind. Emotions are required in life as without these, one's life is mere mechanical. Emotions make life pleasant, unless until these are sensible and within limits. But when emotions are uncontrollable & beyond limits then mental equilibrium is disturbed.

Bhagavat-Gita teachings let us know how to achieve this mental equilibrium and how to overcome any crisis situation. "Bhagwat Gita" teachings were given by "Lord Sri Krishna", God Himself, to his disciple "Arjuna" on the battle field of Kurukshetra in Haryana state of India in ancient times. "Arjuna" was involved in a war against his enemies (some of them his own relatives too) but he refused to do his duty of fighting a righteous battle as he got infatuated with emotions & started thinking of his enemies as his own near & dear ones. He told his master "Lord Sri Krishna" that he is going away from the war & do not want to fight on the battle field. Arjuna's mental equilibrium became disturbed & he got deeply depressed. To overcome his disciple Arjuna's depression & to motivate him to fight a righteous war, "Lord Sri Krishna" gave the great teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" to his disciple "Arjuna". After listening to all these great teachings, Arjuna's mental health became well & he became motivated & energetic to fight the war.

Similarly we can also make our mind Conflict-Free by following the teachings of Bhagavat-Gita. In your life if you have control over your mind i.e. if there is equilibrium of Emotions and Intellect in your mind then you shall be peaceful & happy in life. But human mind is not so easy to control. As per (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 34) :

"chanchalam hi manah krishna
pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye

vayor iva su-duskaram" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 34)

"Arjuna said to Lord Sri Krishna: For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it, to control it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind."

"sri-bhagavan uvacha
asamsayam maha-baho
mano durnigraham chalam
abhyasena tu kaunteya

vairagyena cha grhyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 35)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: O mighty-armed Arjuna, it is undoubtedly that mind is very difficult to curb & is restless, but it is possible to control it by suitable practices of meditation and by detachment."

So as per above verses, mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong but still it can be controlled by suitable practices of meditation, detachment & devotion to God. So let's read teachings of Bhagavat-Gita & understand how to keep our emotions & mind under control. Once there is balance of Emotions and Intellect in human mind then you shall always lead a peaceful & happy life.

Jai Shri Krishna