Mind

The flowers wither when its time
The sun disappears in the horizon
People known bid goodbye
Objects held dearly deteriorate

What then sustains
This thing called life
A burden to carry
Alive yet dying

The questions pour forth
Creating a turbulence in my mind
Disturbed I faint and accept madness
Overcome by these torrent of thoughts

Suddenly the flowers bloom within
As the spirit brightens the mind
People populate with love
And play with the objects that arise

Ye mind! You are a wonder
Constantly changing and playful
Your games I see now
Wonderstruck I bow down and pray

May this realization last forever
Asato ma sat gamaya
Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya
Mrtyor ma amritam gamaya

Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthihi

Invoking the Universe

Live in the world! Seems such a paradox as my only aspiration so far in this life has been to leave this world and go to a better place.

Live in this moment! Well, as always I have wanted a better moment with conditions of my choice around me.

These 2 statements I have always heard but have not given enough heed. Maybe this is the time this is the place. And this is the happiness knowing fully well that this is my potential. I am limited in all ways. I am not perfect. I am not good.

I also understand then that there is something that is. And that is the Universe. Continuously living, breathing and taking all the beatings(in my frail understanding) the Universe is what it is with me in it. And I am a part of that Universe whether I like it or not.

SO how could I be imperfect if I am part of this Universe. Something then is wrong with my understanding as I am a part of this beautiful Universe.

I Invoke Thee mighty Universe, show me the role I play as a part of You. I submit myself to the will of the Universe. I chose not this birth, this body, this life. I have mechanically become who I am today.

Here and now I actively seek Your support, Thy will, They grand plan. Birth or Death hold no meaning to me. As I am a part of this Grand being I call Universe. I am but a reflection of the past of this body. In my ignorance I have thought me to be different than Thee. I am Thee. I submit myself to Thee.

I invoke Thee in me to guide, to teach, to partner, to live, Thy grand plan.

Un vazhi en vazhi

Om Tat Sat

Ram in trouble

Suddenly in a flash I realized that I have been looking at Rama and Krishna as super Gods. With astras and divine powers they could surmount all challenges and be the Gods that they always were ... But this is a latter view. Our Ramayana and Mahabharatha are called Itihaasa - As They Happened and the little I know about these voluminous books was that neither book look at these personalities as Gods ...

Rama was pushed away from His throne to lose His wife and roam around for Her. Close to death several times He overcame His troubles ... Even at the instance of His fight with Raavan He is over come with doubt as to killing Raavan and has to be taught by Sage Agastya to focus on His energies for the fight.

Even before going with Vishwamitra Rama had to be coached by Sage Vasishta on the principles of Truth to dispel the self doubt of Ram.

Krishna on the other hand though aware of the Truth did not have a cake walk. He was constanlty on the run in His childhood and had to fight hard from that age in Vrindaavan, in Dwaraka and even with his relatives.

This sudden realization was the fact that in these characters I had laid so much of faith and deified belief that I had somehow held back on so many ventures in self doubt that its not possible at this age and time. Yet everyday we come across so many success stories of men and women who have withstood great inhuman difficulties to be recogonized as leaders in society.

Though I had been brought up being told that the movies are not true somewhere in the back the mind there is an intense longing to be perfect ... Be superb .. Be able to do those magical things that are stuff on the screen. Yet the fact that failure is also a part of life seem to be missed out in most narratives.

This has had a constant frustration in the mind as how to overcome this notion of failure ... I have always considered failure in a sense of doom though knowing fully the phrase 'Pillars of success'.

This sudden realization that its ok to fail ... Its ok to take a beating for a bad decision, its ok to feel the pinch, the heat of an unexpected turn brings about such a relief. What seems to matter most is to feel reselient, to hang inside to the dreams and work tirelessly to realize the possibilties that the failure has taught.

Subroto Bhagchi explains in his book 'Go kiss the world' that success is more getting out of the comfort zones that we have created around ourselves. I have been deifying my Ram and Krishna to the extent that I always have been asking 'Why me' rather than look at the reselience and decision making of these two men in their times. They are Gods for they persisted .... That was their Tapas

What a relief .... Thank You Mr. Bhachi

Go kiss the world

In search ...

Fool am I to search for You
You who I thought were outside
In the temples in the places holy
In places of worship

Fool am I to think I can..
I can.. I could .. What illusion
How can I.. Where can I
Oh what a joke I have been

Slowly but steadily oh Lord
Slowly in my reference slowly
You have draged this fool
All the way to Yourself

Oh Lord my world has withdrawn
My thoughts have withdrawn
My foolishness so far has become apparent
Oh Lord I am mad in Your Love

Oh Lord You have been my father
My Mother My brother sister My All
Oh Lord You have been me
All along Oh Lord You have been me

Your Love Oh Bhagavan has withstood
This foolishness of mine
As I wretchedly searched for You
In the gutters of my senses

Oh Lord You have made me withdraw.
In Your presemce I dwell now
Your Light now ebbs out of every pore
Of my being, a mad obssessed lowly lover of Thine

Oh Lord Your presence is now clear to me
Your beauty today flows through my mind
Constantly questioning my habits
Calling them to merge in Thee

You now flow through these veins these nerves
As they jump in Thy awareness unable to take Thy grace

Oh Lord how do I explain this
Why do I even write this
Oh Lord show me Oh Lord
I can only with Thy grace

I can I can only with Thee
Only with Thee

Thee I see now in thoughts words sounds
Thee in sights colours shapes forms movements
Thee in logic ideas understanding
Oh Lord Thee I seek in me

Time is true, only to memory and desires
When these are but Thy grace in my understanding
I, just a reflection of Thy thoughts
In this conscioussness that Thy are

Oh what fool am I, now
Trying to explain Thee in words, that are Thee
Let me Oh Lord merge
This I seek for I am just my own illusion in Thee

Om Om Om I am Thee

Your Real Dimension

Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

Aakaashaval-lepavidooragoham aadityavad-bhaasya-vilakshanoham .

Ahaaryavan-nitya-vinishchaloham ambhodivat paara-vivarjitoham ..

(From Adi Sankara's Vivekachoodamani)

"Like space, I can never be tainted by anything. Like sun (which reveals all objects but is revealed by its own brilliance), I am distinct from the things illumined (I shine in my own luster). Like mountain, I am ever unshakable. Like the ocean, I am unbounded."

THIS IS YOUR DIMENSION! The other dimensions are those of your body which your mother delivered. The body is yours, it is not you! With this Soul-dimension, you can sink, sink and sink – into the unfathomable depth within, or you can expand, expand and expand – encountering, receiving, assimilating and outliving anything coming from the wide world. All external inputs, in the form of interactions with places, persons or situations, will bring nourishment for growth of your mind and intelligence.

This is a comprehensive path of progress, an evergreen path of enrichment. And when your are satisfied with your growth, refinement and enrichment, when you feel fulfilled, sit wherever you are, and sing in tune with Adi Sankara –

Aakaashaval-lepavidooragoham aadityavad-bhaasya-vilakshanoham .

Ahaaryavan-nitya-vinishchaloham ambhodivat paara-vivarjitoham ..

Radha Kalyanam

Oh Krishna I call you so
Pleading and yearning
You have no heed
You behave as though You dont care

Who do You think You are
Where do You think You can escape
Just like a theif who cannot escape his Dharma
You cannot escape my Love

Oh Krishna how long can You hide
How long can You run
How long can this go on
Oh deceiver Krishna

When my parents (Guru)
Meet You asking for Thy hand
How will You hide Oh Lover
Where will You hide

This Love of mine a moral
And human Love for Thee
I can show... for my ignorance
Matches that of a stone

Nay I dont deserve Thee
For my mind is not Yours yet
As I stray on the roads
Only to seek Thee in difficulty

Oh Lord Thy agreement with
My parents so Divine
I hold so precious
For You wait for me

For me to finish my desires
Roaming in Thy maze of Love games
Oh Lord is it time now
I ask... You smile and stay so serene

Thy presence so soothing I feel
I ask for Thee to marry me
You stay silent Oh Lord
Fool am I to ask Thee
For You have already agreed

In my mind I have thought
So many thoughts in my greed
You have always blessed me with what I need
In Your Love You show my path

Now the time has come
My Love in bloom
No thought of the other
For all has blurred into You

I see Thy Vishwaroopam
In me as You
Oh Lord my lover
I have merged in Thee

A reflection a shadow
In my ignorance
I have sought separateness in Thee
Oh Love Thee I am..
Thee I am...

Haa Vu Haa Vu Haa Vu

Krishna stealing butter

Now i know why
You are called the thief
Oh Deceiver of hearts
Lovely face of Thine I behold

Oh Krishna, like a child
You steal the butter
The result of a days toil
For Your enjoyment and mirth

Divine Lover You are
Stealing and laughing
From far away with Love
As we search for the butter of toil

We fail to see Thee in action
In every effort of ours
And hold the result to our hearts
To forget Thy grace in our results

Your loving grace we see
When You lovingly steal away
What we thought was ours
Only to prove that All are Yours

Thy praise I cant sing
For You stole my tongue
My words my thoughts
Even my Will is Yours

Yet Your action seem to me
That You have stolen what belongs to me
Knowing full well that
All belong to You

May Your Love ever last
May Your grace ever shower
Oh Lover Keshava Madhava
Govinda I proclaim

For whenever I say Your name
More and more of what I believed was mine
Seem to be Yours and in place of my greed
I see now Your Love and I enjoy Thy grace

I pray Oh Lord that in these actions
I carry out dedicating to Your Love
May Dharma Your Love prevail
May actions be carried to completion with Your Love

I seek Thee for I love Thee
More and more You reveal Thy actions
In my life, the more I begin to give
And to give I can only drop my greed

For Love is Yours, the world Yours
These thoughts Yours, these results Yours
These failures of mine appear to me for
I cling to my greed for these results

I pray Thee to show me Thy grace
For I do these actions dedicated to Thee
Else what should I do, that You Will me?
Pray show me the path to follow

Oh Madhusudhana! Do I cry for what You stole
Or for You who stole me and left confused
May You blossom in my heart
May You manifest in my actions

May You merge me in Thee
Om Tat Sat

Dancing with Krishna

Holding on to His arms
Pressing His shoulders on mine
Locked in His hold
Forgetting everything else

I indulge in this passion
In His presence I dwell
Thinking only of His breath on mine
Warm and powerful, I lose control

Whirling in His arms
Stepping to the sounds of drums
Arms around Him I lose sense of direction
As the world loses its grip on us

In a lovers embrace I shamefully hold Him
In a world that recognizes lust as Love
I only want for His safety, a babe
His appearance as a babe in my arms, Krishna

Oh what joy, this dance brings
Where thoughts merge into an intense longing
To only feel His presence and nothing else
Where He dominates in His Love and I a mad lover

Will this end I think and there disappears the Love
And in its place a world appears with thoughts
That spills over with greed and want for things
And there I lose His grip to fall with a painful force

Oh Krishna, may I pray for Your embrace again
May I be in Thy presence that even Lovers shy away
As I shamelessly clutch to Your being passionately
As a longing lover would her partner after parting for long

Drunk in the memory of this ecstasy
My senses whirl in longing for Your body
That hold the Lotus of Love in Your arms
And Your lips that smile like blossomed roses

Oh for that kiss of Yours I long O Krishna
That smile of Yours with eyes open wide
Taking control of this mad fool
And making me forget of my greedy wants

Whirl me in Your Love dear Lord,
Oh dreamer, Oh Lover; bewitcher of hearts
May I merge with You as Radha,
May I be married to Your Bliss

Where is Heaven my darling
Where is there a moment in Joy
That does not carry Your thought
That does not hold Your presence in it

Time my Lord seems to me to kill me slowly
But when Your memory overcomes
Time seems to wrap me in its arms
And embraces me into a dance of Joy

As visions of You with Your lovers
appear to soothe my mind
As I undress my mind from its wants
And embrace Your body in Love

Your memory is like the kiss of a Lover
Your arms reaching over my being
Your thoughts making this misery disappear
Oh Krishna Oh Lover Oh Giver of Joy

As I whirl in the delusional Joy
Time seems to stand still
Holding me in Her arms
Like a mother would her babe

Oh Krishna You are Time,
You are Kaala, death Giver
May I die in Your arms Oh Lord
And be born in Your arms

Only to sing and dance forever
Whirling and whirling in Joy
Arms holding each other with Your Lovers
Let there be nothing but Your embrace

Oh Krishna, I long for You
I die for Your presence
Oh Lord, let this end
This misery of Your absence

Oh Keshava, Oh Madhava
May I merge in Your Love

Om Tat Sat

Strange that it seems to me
To judge a moment a person
A thought, a word
with no knowledge of what it means

Strange it seems that I think
I know a lot of things
yet in reality I know nothing
To judge anything, anyone

Strange it seems that I dont
Think twice before the thought emerges
from somewhere inside, deep within
Where words originate as though I authored them

Strange it seems that I keep saying
I, strange on what basis do I say I
who am just a bunch of memories
A feeble electric pulse in a network of dirt

Strange, yet I see the beauty in flowers
The strike of a note in a guitar
The beat of a drum in rhythm
The joy in the synchrony of instruments

Oh for that moment I stop judging
I just am ... suspended in joy
An acceptance par explanation
Words fail and I return

And try to judge it
And I can only exclaim
What an experience!
I just cant judge

'cause I cant hold it,
I can't control it
I can't possibly say how it will go on
I just accept it as it is!

Strange, cause I fail
And I just accept it as it is!

Music .. saves me from madness!

Hope

Moments of sorrow these
Moments where every possibility seems impossible
Moments that hold me in the grip of fear
These moments my own creation of greed

Have I done so wrong
Have I let my people down
Have I taken the wrong path
I have never thought this far

These thoughts now seem to hide
Not even do they come out to engage
Where from these thoughts came from
I have always wanted to figure

Now these thoughts are held
In a potential known as terror
In a suspended state of lack
For every chance seems to be unknown

I have never been in such a state
Of indecision .. of fear
The unknown is not death
The unknown is not pain

This is the fear where words fail
Where promises made falter
Where effort falls into waste
Where plans lead to failure

Yet, there is a voice inside
which says in whisper... wait
And I hope against all odds
That this voice is right

This voice is true, not my imagination
I have nothing else to cling to
As the world around me falls
Into a futureless pit of loss

I hope. I wait
I resign into this helpless around me
I accept that there are bigger things at work
A world about which everyone has written poems about

A world full of holes and danger
And the only things that tides over is Hope
An emotion that promises that life goes on
A prayer that the bigger things would listen

Help! I seek Thee, for my efforts are useless
My plans are but writings in water
That fade away with Time
That brings no good

Those who have hoped for You Love
They.. .their actions have stood through time
For their actions were scripted by Thee
And etched in the heart of life

For they were Thy plans
their actions was an expression of Thy Will
yet I thought foolish me I could
I could do what they couldnt

For they were You
They were Your thoughts
they were Thy energy
They were Thee

Krishna! Show me the way
Let me dissolve in Thee
Let there be traces of me
To praise Thee in Thought word and action

For This brings me Joy
Show me Love
Oh Krishna! Oh Divine Lover
All that is left in Me is HOPE!

Show me the way Oh Lord
Om Tat Sat

ICQ

Suddenly I see you today in a flash
Shanka Chakra Gada and Lotus in hand
Glowing brighter than a thousand suns
And all I can make out is Your Divine Smile

Let there be words and words that come to me
That praise You Oh Luminous One
Let there be thoughts and feeling that emanate
The Joy out of which I remember You

Let there be You in all I can do and get
That bring out the devotion to You
Let there be shamelessness in my praise to You
Oh beautiful One as I feel the Love grow inside

Your Love envelops all this, has and what shall be
Your presence substantiates rather makes existant
All that has been and shall be
Yet I have not seen You caressingly holding me and showing the way

Your Love oh Lord has cleared this mud pool
Bringing out the Love that shaines from within
As a reflection in a muddied water body
Only to close in again due to the habits I have developed

Oh Lord I seek Thee in the thoughts I think
In the words I say In the actsI do
And results I yearn, The feelings that
Bring me joy or sorrow is You Dear Krishna

My entire being is You
Nay I am but a reflection I am but You
Your game for Your sport
Oh Love show me the way to Love

I Love You

Om Tat Sat

Shivam Shivam Sarvam Shivam!

I long for that day I sing your praise
I wait for those few moments of exertion
I long for those minutes of ecstacy
Singing out your name amidst your devotees

Oh Lord Your name gives so much joy
My twisted mind just stops and cries
When I hear Your name Oh Lord
Yet I know I am so lowly to reach You

Is there any pleasure Oh Lord that
Brings out the pinnacle of emotions
Is there a word Oh Lord
That breaks free the shackled thoughts of Love

Oh Lord thy name is That I think
As I long again and again to sing of
Yet I neither have the voice nor the knowledge
Of singing Your praise Oh Shiva

Thy feet They tap the rhythms with Thy gait
Thy anklets the snakes hiss in ecstacy
Thy dumuru They evoke life from slumbering ignorance
Thy primordial fire burns up the lust and thoughts of Thy devotess

I seek Thee for freedom
I seek Thee for Joy
I plead Thy name shamelessly
Oh Lover Oh Destroyer of ALL

Sarvam Shivamayam Jagat
Isha vasyam Idam Sarvam

As You burn Me
I become Thee

Aham Brahmasmi... Om Tat Sat

Let there be Love!

The gap between You and i does not exist. It is but a notion of distance as distance is space and space - Akasha is You. This notion is but a lack of understanding. There is a notional faith in You. Faith is there when You and i are different. When space is You, then Sarvam - All is You. Distance is You, hence there is NO distance. What is far is near as Akasha is You. Hence where is the question of Faith. There MUST be ONLY LOVE. It is only possible to see SARVAM as LOVE. When distance - Akasha - Space is but ONE where is the OTHER. There is nothing else to compare with; nothing else with which to be judged; nothing but one infinite presence conscious of nothing but itself...Sat- Chit- Ananda

Show me LOVE. Let this ONENESS seep into every pore of my being that this notional difference disappear. Let me realize and BE the TRUTH THAT i seek.

That which I seek cannot be other than me as I cannot be OTHER than Thee. There cannot be infinity minus me. I am THEE - Aham Brahmasmi.... Let there be LOVE!

Om Tat Sat

Measuring myself by that standard I must exclaim with Surdas :

Measuring myself by that standard I must exclaim with Surdas :

Where is there a wretch
So wicked and loathsome as I ?
I have forsaken my Maker,
So faithless have I been.

For it is an unbroken torture to me that I am still so far from Him, who, as I fully know, governs every breath of my life, and whose offspring I am. I know that it is the evil passions within that keep me so far from Him, and yet I cannot get away from them.

The Story of My Experiments with Truth

M. K. Gandhi

The Ashram, Sabarmati, Ahmedabad.

26th November, 1925

Fire - Touch of Love

Is there something called Love
That is separate from who we are
Is there moments that are seen
Where we disconnect with Love
Has there been any occasion
Where Love turned her eyes away

In every instance, in every act
There can be no event
Without the Touch of Love
Every act that has, Is and shall be
Is filled with Love to the brim
That, one gets immersed in the act
Only to realize later that Love was around
Only held back by our greed
Only strained by thoughts of lust
Only touched by the sin of ignorance
And Love strikes back as tears
As a force unparalleled
Unchageable and unique
Only realized when thoughts withdraw into who we are..

Never can there be a moment
,An act that lies unconnected to Love
As Love is He, Love Is who we are..

Om Tat Sat

I am..

As the mind expands towards the Infinite including everything good, bad, tall, short, clean, unclean, big and small, there envelops a peace so serene that Divinity manifests in every thought.

Purnatvam - Fulness takes shape as a concept - first and subsequently a meaning and finally as reality. This all inclusiveness brings about an acceptance of all that was, is and shall be. Time, space and matter resolves into the here and now as the percieved. The entire Universe appears as a projection on the screen of consciousness. Like a dream the Universe merges with the Infinite on the realization of Onself as Awareness. Eternal peace is all that remains. Purnatvam I am ..

Om Tat Sat

Thoughts

Thoughts are the best creators in humanity. Matter and energy are insentient. Thoughts, the flame of sentience, are far above both. They have the power to live through generations and still be vibrant and overwhelming.

Swamiji - Narayanashrama Tapovanam

As Radha to Krishna

His glance, His gait,
His control His poise
His deeds, His play
His Love His Grace

Evokes in me this desire
To hold on and praise
His power over me
And His Divine embrace

I am aware of You around me
Your enveloping presence around this body
This ever brilliant experience I forget
And dwell in the finite fleeting moments

Thy playfullness I seldom see
And complain on fate and past deeds
Forgetting to notice Thy Loving sport
I recogonize not Thy presence in those

My love for Thee is divided
Part spiritual, part for greed
Pray, these thoughts other than Thee
Make them melt in Your loving heat

Oh Lover, shower me Thy grace
Let me be ever aware of Thy embrace

Radhe Krishna Gopalakrishna
Radhe Krishna Gopalakrishna

Om Tat Sat

The Divine Dance

As He dances eternally
Spiralling time and matter
His matted locks spinning
Catching up ...
His Divine dance breathtaking
Fire blazing on His sides
Snakes whirling around his frame
Shiva! Oh Divine Father
Without You even Om loses its meaning
Pray dont stop
Dont stop this Vision
Your dances is this life
Let there be nothing else
Let there be Love
Let there be Peace
The Earth, She spins
This Sun, He spins
This Universe spins
All, Sarvam ...spins
As you spin Oh Lord
All this is an extension of Your dance
There is no sound
There is no life
But for Your Dance
Oh Lord Nataraja
Om Shanthih Shathih Shanthihi

Dream - Continued

Why did I forget to dream? Still why this lamentation. Klybhyam ma sma gamah Partha. Where from this eunuch like nature?

You need to know where you are going. Why the doubt?

I gave up my dreams. I burnt my dreams in the fire of prayathna-effort. I took whatever I held as thoughts and threw them out of my being.

Why? They were not in tune. Tune to what - Tune to my being. I needed to know emptiness. I needed to know if there was emptiness when I removed all. I needed to know if I would get dissolved if I did not think at all. I needed to know if there was salvation if the mind was stopped.

In the process I somehow did not channelize this unique gift; the ability to dream.

Here now in my vision is Lord Narayana lying down on His serpent Adishesha. His eyes half open as though in a dream. On His feet Sri Lakshmi. Through His navel Brahma emerges and is seated on a lotus.

His right hand touching a Linga. His Divine feet - Grace. The Shanka - Conch and Chakra - Disc on His sides. And on His other hand the Gada - Mace

All the Devas amd Rishis are waiting on around Him in awe.

Oh Krishna! You are a dreamer. You are the Dreamer.

This is Your dream what I call as Reality. I have burnt all my dreams in this vision of You the Divine Eternal Dreamer.

The Devas are Your senses. Adisesha is Your sense organs(Five headed serpent). Wealth and everything in Maya - Sree is at Your feet. You are touching the Linga - ever Aware that You are He.

Your eyes are almost closed as though in a dream. Bramha - The Shrishti Kartha emerges out of Your being as the projector. (Our Upanishads explain Shrishti as projection not creation. Projection as in a dream projected in the Mind. Similarly the Jagat - World is projected in His Consciousness)

You are as though asleep in Your Infinite Ocean of Milk or Your True Nature of Bliss. Oh Lord. You the Eternal Dreamer. 'I' am but You in Your dream.

Tell me now Oh Lord. What is 'my' dream thats not 'Yours'

Why dream? Show me the way. Dreaming is serious business. Teach me to dream ... I wish to realize. Reveal the dreams You dream.

This is my dream. My prayer.

Om Tat Sat

Dream

I wonder which is more difficult. To have a dream, to sustain a dream or to realize a dream. I am stuck at a point in my mind where I find it difficult to dream. Silly!

I ask myself this. What does it cost to dream. What is the validity of a dream. Where is the necessity to prove or disprove any dream. Etc etc. And to all these questions, I answer them logically and fail. A dream is but a dream. A fantasy with no reality other than a visualization of time and space in my mind to entertain, captivate and develop a desire to make the multi sensory imagination come to life so that it can be shared with loved ones and those yet to be loved in the 'real' world.

What a pathetic way to try and define what a dream is.

This brings me to the thought, 'Why dream?'

Questions questions rumbling in my head yet I find it so difficult to just dream. Man... I miss being a child. To look at something and just superimpose your thoughts and imagine rockets, music and women and make Indra look ordinary.

That was just a try.. still no good. Just dream my boy.

Mind rejects.

Somewhere while growing up and experiencing the so called ups and downs of life this dream aspect of my being seems to have jumped into the back ground and got faded. Everything is looked at as facts and figures. Plans and results. Yes and No's. Black and White. The colours seems to have faded away.

Why Dream

Break free oh Thought you are trapped in this tiny head. You are infinite. If the sky can be reflected 'unconsciously' in your mind when you are asleep, ask yourself this question are you limited inside the physical skull of yours or are you as Infinite as the sky that can be simply imagined even unconsciously without the slightest of efforts.

What stops you from dreaming Oh Bharatha - He asks

Why the limitations? Why do you carry these iron shackles around your mind. Let go; let free this mind. Let it dream

Why not dream

Why dream

What are your goals. What are your targets. What are your plans. What are your requirements. Why are futures traded. Why is tomorrow so important that you invest today? Question Questions you may scream ... but are all these not somebody's dreams realized and being lived today.

We dont want surprises. We dont want to fail. We dont want to behave or act different than norms set for people to behave and act. I dont want ... I dont want

What DO you want. Dream it. Break free

Mistakes is part of life. You learn. Limits can't be drawn on every scenario, every solution, every behaviour pattern, every future incident. We are so drawn to making fact based studies and compiling them that we dont stop and tell our self that this is what we want.

Consider this arguement - 'It is not there today but it will and can be there tomorrow because its my dream'

If there has to be a better tomorrow it has to come from a positive mind that holds a vision of time and space with conditions that makes happiness possible. But is that not somebody's dream.

So why not dream? What is the difficulty in dreaming? To come about a situation where the dream becomes a reality the dream has to be sustained and worked upon to be achieved. But without the dream in the first place where is the question of a better tomorrow.

Where did the dreaming process stop? Why so many arguments to just dream?

Definition

I thought I needed to share this thought as I have been trying to get around it and avoid it for long. This has sort of suppressed my real intention, my passions and driving force for me doing what I am doing.

I have always been drawn towards spirituality. I have always been drawn to the sanctum sanctorum of any temple. I have always found that path leaving out of the temple painful and an intense pain in moving away from the gopurams. I have always wanted to become an ascetic - a Sanyasi.

I still have this intense feeling and I sort of desire it.

Thats where the problem begins.

I shall dwell upon this later, but this is where my current life began. This where thoughts fell in place. This recognition of this desire as a desire - Kama.

A whole new set of thoughts poured in. As these thoughts took shape my mother land loomed large before me and I was in a place distant and alone. Alone to the onset of thoughts of guilt. Thoughts of shame. Why? Lack of direction.

Two very powerful forces. One the desire to take to spirituality. Second the desire to work for the motherland. I was part of section of Indians in a foreign land wanting for an American life with an Indian setting.

I love India. Slowly I started appreciating the Americans. The people that built America were passionate. They did not stop at goals they simply went for bigger ones. Outside! Outside into the world.

Indians have been passionate from the first call towards freedom - Moksha! The call to expand and grow inside. They did not stop. They went towards infinity - Inside.

These thoughts slowly tore away my limited thinking and I started to expand inside and learn on the outside. I told myself I will get back. I will work. I will work hard for my country.

I dont want India to change. I dont want to compare. I just wanted to live and make a difference to myself. To live every moment. To learn every moment. To enjoy doing every moment.

I cant make India rich. I cant make the poverty go away. I cant put a heart to capitalism and I cant show the Spirit to the Commys. I can make a difference to myself doing what I like. Working in my country.

I love India. I love the World and I love the Universe. I love my world and my world is rapidly changing and I am learning to change with it. Live it. Enjoy it. Taking baby steps one at a time.

Why all these words. They define what I am doing. I am learning.

When I sat there thinking what am I doing neither a renunciate nor an enjoyer. Brooding! Kshudram Hrudaya Daurbalyam. Where from the faint heartedness Bharatha! You are the Infinite. Says He! and I am sitting here brooding.

Live life. Do Dharma. Thats my way! And here I am learning Dharma every minute. Here I am a citizen of Bharat a Lover of the here and now. Learning to exist. Here I am watching and learning that Love is not what another showers on you. Its what You offer continually. The ears have to be trained to listen to the subtlest of tunes in Carnatic or any classical music. Similarly, the heart has to be opened up to give Love to feel Love.

I hope and pray I continue opening up to learn and Live Life to Love.

Soar

Ye Mind! Soar higher
To highest pinnacle of joy
To the abundance in the Infinite
Rooted to the Oneness of Truth

Where from this wretchedness
Where from this meekness of thought
You are the Infinite
You are the power that created life

Soar higher into the realms of Bliss
Where thought created Life
Where laughter pervades on Joy
In the realization of this Truth

You are the world
You are the people
You are the nations
You are the Truth

Tat Vam Asi - Soar.. Soar higher
Dhiyo yonah Prachodayath

Om Tat Sat

Deja vu

These thoughts Divine.... Nurture them, see them as beads on a string of Dreams and work to realize this wonderful garland of events in time as experiences.

And we find ourselves saying 'I've been here before, as though in a dream - Deja Vu'

These experiences are the Divine Thoughts manifesting in the Eternal Existence that You are

Tat Vam Asi

Om Tat Sat

Life and Death

As told by a student ....

There is no difference between life and death

On one side we see people who eke death out of their very being with their thoughts that cause so much fear that others would rather die than be around such people.

On the other hand we have great visionaries and leaders who though are not anymore but still bring out such inspiration and courage by the Divine acts of Love, that even after 'Death' their being still enlivens so many to live the Life Divine

Heaven on Earth

The vision of paradise in Heaven as opposed to the 'reality' that exists in front of our eyes is not an apparition.

That vision of heaven is THE REALITY waiting to be discovered. Etch this vision of heaven on earth out of efforts of Love and Nurturing

I wonder at this mind so Divine!

Om Tat Sat

Beethoven - I was told

Mathematics, Music and Divinity are the three sides of an equilateral triangle

Appanum Ammayum Aavay En Shivaney

My Father and Mother Thou shall become Oh Lord Shiva!

If Parameshwara (Parama-Greatest Ishwara-Lord) is taken as the Father and Parvathi (daughter of the Mountains, Lord Shivas Wife) is taken as the Mother....

My mistakes oh Lord become Your joy
As You see Your child faltering trying to crawl,
hold onto supports trying to walk
and then falling
And Lord Your smile is the Joy of the Father
seeing Your child learning that which looks effortless to You

We are children Oh Lord, Your children
posing as You, as adults
Pray, make us children again
So that all experiences 'good' or 'bad'
may become exciting all over again
played in front of You Oh Father and Mother
in confidence and Love

Om Tat Sat

Re-discovering childhood - Learning Vs Unlearning

Re-discovering childhood unlocks the barriers that we have 'created' in terms of social & intellectual norms. Mistakes and learning from mistakes is part of childhood; but for an adult it is considered different.

An adult mentions these mistakes as ill-luck, or feels depressed about the turn of events. He even finds it difficult to approach someone for help. Seeking, for an adult is mostly looked down upon or even with suspicion instead of an understanding that this process of pondering actually strengthens his resolve, roots him to his understanding and evolves his outlooks and helps him grow.

The very lack of self-confidence in seeking help is a barrier to evolution. If we accept that learning is continuous then retaining the child in an adult is imperative to help him/her learn.

----------------x---------------

The process of unlearning continuously is as important as learning continuously

Creation

There is no creation!

Whatever is to be created is always already there.... hence there is ONLY 'Discovery'

Creativity is a keen observation of what IS and applying your individuality to what is already available to be discovered.

The sculptor has the image of his creation in his mind. This image is a sequence of events or his interpretations of certain events recreated to tell a story or vision in stone. But his experience is but a recreation of events that already IS. His interpretation ... if dwelt upon with all possible alternatives and logic ... an understanding of what already IS. This interpretation hence is 'Discovered' not created.

The Discovery takes place as a thought which on subsequent nurturing 'develops' as an image in the mental space/plane. This vision of the image hence before taking shape in the sculpture becomes something that already IS.

The process of sculpture hence becomes the orientation of work to bring alive the vision, the interpretation, the idea or the concept of what already IS. Hence the sculpture becomes something that is a representation of what is 'Discovered' by the sculptor and not what is 'Created' by the sculptor.

This interpretation, this thought to understand the event of experience has its origins in the Divine which is omni-present, omni-potent and omni-scient hence the Thought already IS in the Divine which was revealed or 'dis'-'covered' by the sculptor.

Divinity alone IS

Even the worst person (you may think!) has the Thought and can choose to act on the thought.

Divinity IS and is the only thing that IS!

Oh Shiva, Great is Your mind
Great is your thought
Great is Your vision. Oh Lord!
All Greatness is Yours alone
Let Your thoughts inspire me
Let Your vision be mine
Let my mind dwell in You
Let this pseudo identity merge
Oh Lord! Great are You
Oh Shiva, Oh Shiva
Om Tat Sat

The Divine is Universal
The Divine thoughts continuously rise likes the waves of the sea in the stillness of the mind
Yet we are too busy too preoccupied with our own false expectations and in-correctable memories
Yet the Divine Will, The Divine Love showers forth His Omnipresence in acts of kindness
The worst of individuals in their craving for sadistic yearnings do unconsciously carry out these unexpected deeds
The deeds are the extensions of the Divine continuously showering forth inspirations

Hence even the vilest of beings as we see them have their Divine role in carrying out consciously and unconsciously the Will the Divine
The forces of Good and Evil merge in the reality of Existence Consciousness and Divine Bliss
Thus encompassing the entire Universe of what was, IS and shall ever BE.

Oh Divine One, Let Your Love prevail
Om Tat Sat
Om Shanthi Shanthi Shantihi

Origin of Thought

The origination of thought is Divine. This thought is not profit driven. No greed, no desire, not material. It is just a Will; a push from the Divine. To move, to act.

He propels this thought. He directs the thought. He makes sure the circumstances are conducive. He hones in on the result.

JUST ACT

Dont stand in the way. You are the witness. Your free will is to be free. You are free to act and also not to act.

To act is Divine. To not act is to hoard. You are the propeller of this thought. You are He

Tat Vam Asi - Love I am - Om Tat Sat

Thought

Thought - The power, the spirit, the creative energy, the life, the actions and the results are all Divine IF THIS thought is nurtured by Dharma, Love and Bliss

Om Tat Sat

Bliss

This intense emotion
Longing yet so attainable
Sad yet in Bliss
Distant yet so near..

As I fade away into this
Stream of thoughts
That burst forth in vigor
To create a display of ideas

A directionless state of being
Neither in the material
Nor in the spiritual
I hang to whatever is left of sanity

A presence that redefines lucidity
That is clear as daylight
Yet that vanishes with a single longing
When tried to be defined

What more is there to want for
When this presence, this energy
that bursts forth takes control
And dissolves this duality of me and mine

Suddenly Love another unknown emotion
takes shape inside this being
Tearing apart anything that society has defined
inside the framework of right and wrong

I fail here to continue any further
As my words stop short, falters
Loses meaning in a blitzkrieg of emotions
So real yet so far that doesn't fall in the realms of definition

The Holy Grass known as Dharbham or Dharbai

by TRS Iyengar

This article is on one of the practices widely used by Indian Brahmins all over using a Holy Grass named Dharbham or Dharbai.

In all functions, auspicious or inauspicious, a performing person needs to wear a ring made of this Dharbham. But many have lost the reason of why it is to be used in the first place.

What I learnt from my father is proved to be accurately correct by a Medicine Practitioner.

A Doctor named Sadhashiv Rao, once visited my home. When the topic turned to many subjects, I needed to tell him about the Holy Grass named Dharbham.

When I told him about the usage and the values, he could not just believe my words.

So, he took out a bunch of the Dharbham from me, went straight to the clinic to take an x-ray of his palm, by covering his hand with the Dharbham. To his utter surprise, he found that the grass absorbed about 60% of the radiation!

When the so powerful X-ray radiation can be absorbed by the Holy Grass, why can it not absorb the ill radiations spread over the atmosphere?

While chanting and reciting some Vedic phrases and versus, one needs to wear a ring made of Dharbham on his right hand ring finger.

The count of leaves depends upon the function that is held viz.: for some functions related to death only Single leafed Dharbham is used;

for Auspicious and daily routine a ring made of two leaves is used; for inauspicious but not death related functions, (i.e. Amavasya Tharppanam,Pithru Pooja etc) a three leaf Dharbham ring is used.

And for the Temple Prayer and Pooja, a Four-leaf Dharbham ring is used.

Also, when a fire ritual known as Agni Santana is performed, these Dharbham are spread all the four sides of the Agni Kundam. Also, during the Eclipse time,
these Dharbham are used to cover all food items to protect them from the harmful ultra violet radiation.

Whenever any function is held, firstly they perform a site-cleansing act known as “Sudhhi Punyaahavachanam”.
While reciting the selective versus, they hold the Dharbham bunch in their hand and placing the tip point of it over the vessel containing water.

Thus the recited vibration values are absorbed by water in the vessel through the Dharbham.

They found that the Holy Grass known as Dharbham has the highest value in conducting the phonetic vibrations through its tip. Later, they sprinkle the Holy water at every nook and corner of the place, where the function is held.

A Dharbham without the tip is considered of no value, as the conductor-type value is lost in it.

My father, Late Shri Ramabathrachariar of Mukkur,
fondly called by everyone as Sriraman, has given me the immense values of Dharbham and its usage.
With Sanskrit phonetic sound and vibration, using the Dharbham increases its value.

The usage varies according to the functions. It is really a marvel, that in those days of Vedic Era, the Sages & Saints of Hindu land used to control the Magnetic path disturbances, just by simply using this Dharbham!

Apart from the above, Dharbham cannot be planted and grown everywhere.

It only grows naturally at selective places and available almost in every state in India.

Some learned scholars name it after Saint Vishwaamitra -
hence Dharbham is known and called as Vishwaamitra.
If it is kept for a longer time, say for more than six months, then it loses it value and the power of absorbing the radiation or magnetic path control values.

Dharbham cannot just be plucked straight or cut on any day; There is a specific Slokha that is to be recited before cutting it;

That too it can be cut only on the day next to Full Moon - known as Krishna Paksha Pradamai.

A Dharbham without its tip portion is not to be used for making a Ring like item known as "Pavithram"।

pattars@yahoogroups.com

Balamukunda Ashtakam

balmuk…Ndaòkm!
ïIk«:[k[aRm&tm!
krarivNden pdarivNd< muoarivNde ivinvezyNtm!, vqSy pÇSy puqezyan< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 1. sMÿ‚Ty laekan! vqpÇmXye zynma*Nt ivhInêpm!, sveRñr< svRihtavtar< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 2. #NdIvrZyaml kaemla¼< #NÔaiddevaicRt padpÒm!, sNtankLpÔ‚mmaiïtana< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 3. lMbalk< liMbtharyiò< z&¼arlIlai»t dNt pi“m!, http://www.kandala.org/ClassMaterial.html ibMbaxr< caéivzalneÇ< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 4. izKye inxayaip pyaedxIin bihgRtay ìjnaiykayam!, Éu®vayweò< kpqensuÝ< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 5. kailjliSwt kailySy )[a¢r¼enqniàyNtm!, tTàuCDhSt< zridNÊv±< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 6. %lUolebÏmudarzaEy¡ %Äu¼yuGmajuRn ɼlIlam! %T)…‘pÒayt caéneÇ< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 7. AalaeKy matumuo madre[ StNy< ipbNt< srsIéha]m!, si½Nmy< devmnNtêp< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 8. bälamukundäñöakam çrékåñëakarëämåtam karäravindena padäravindaà mukhäravinde viniveçayantam| vaöasya पत्रस्य puöeçayänaà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi १

सम्ह्रुत्य lokän vaöapatramadhye çayanamädyanta vihénarüpam|
sarveçvaraà sarvahitävatäraà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi

indévaraçyämala komaläìgam indrädidevärcita pädapadmam|
santänakalpadrumamäçritänäà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi

lambälakaà lambitahärayañöià çåuìgäraléläìkita दंत paìktim|
bimbädharaà cäruviçälanetraà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi

çikye nidhäyäpi payodadhéni bahirgatäya vrajanäyikäyäm|
bhuktväyatheñöaà kapaöenasuptaà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi ५

kälijalasthita käliyasya phaëägraraìgenaöanapriyantam|
tatprucchahastaà çaradinduvaktraà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi ६

ulükhalebaddhamudäraçauryam uttuìgayugmärjuna bhaìgaléläm
utphullapadmäyata cärunetraà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi

älokya mätumukha mädareëa stanyaà pibantaà saraséruhäkñam|
saccinmayaà devamanantarüpaà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi ८






balmuk…Ndaòkm!
bälamukundäñöakam
ïIk«:[m&tm! çrékåñëamåtam

krarivNden pdarivNd< muoarivNde ivinvezyNtm!,
vqSy pÇSy puqezyan< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 1
karäravindena padäravindaà mukhäravinde viniveçayantam
vaöasya patrasya puöeçayänaà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi

I meditate on that infant Mukunda (Krishna) who is sleeping on the leaf of a banyan tree with his the lotus like foot placed in his lotus like mouth with his lotus like hand. 1

krarivNden kara+aravindena = with his lotus like hand, pdarivNd< pada+aravindaà = his lotus like foot, muoarivNde mukha + aravinde = in his lotus like face (mouth), ivinvezyNtm! viniveçayantam = he places, vqSy pÇSy puqe vaöasya patrasya puöe = on the corner of a banyan tree leaf or banyan leaf basket, zyan< çayänaà = (Kåñëa) is sleeping, bal< muk…Nd< bälaà mukundaà = baby Mukunda (Kåñëa), mnsa Smraim manasä smarämi = I meditate in my heart (mind). 1

sMÿ‚Ty laekan! vqpÇmXye zyanma*Nt ivhInêpm!,
sveRñr< svRihtavtar< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 2
samhrutya lokän vaöapatramadhye çayänamädyanta vihénarüpam
sarveçvaraà sarvahitävatäraà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi

I meditate on that infant Mukunda who is sleeping holding all the worlds together on the leaf of a banyan tree in such form, which has no beginning or no end. He is the incarnation of God for the welfare of all mankind and the Lord of all. 2

sMÿ‚Ty laekan! samhrutya lokän = holding all the worlds together, vqpÇmXye vatapatra + madhye = in the middle of a banyan tree leaf, zyan< çayänaà = (Krshna) is sleeping , Aa*NtivhInêp< ädyanta vihénarüpaà (ädi + anta + vihéna + rüpaà = in such a form which has no beginning or no end, sveRñr< sarveçvaraà = sarva + éçvaraà = Lord of all, svRihtavtar< sarva + hita + avatäraà = incarnation of God for the welfare of all, bal< muk…Nd< bälaà mukundaà = baby Mukunda, mnsa Smraim manasä smarämi = I meditate on Mukunda in my heart. 2

#NdIvrZyaml kaemla¼< #NÔaiddevaicRt padpÒm!,
sNtankLpÔ‚mmaiïtana< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 3
indévaraçyämala komaläìgam indrädidevärcita pädapadmam
santänakalpadrumamäçritänäà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi 3

I meditate on Baala Mukunda in my heart, who has a delicate body like a blue lotus and whose foot is worshipped by all the gods and Indra etc. He is the wish-fulfilling tree for those who take refuge in him. 3

#NdIvrZyamlkaemla¼< indévara + çyämala + komaläìgaà = he who has a delicate body like a blue lotus, #NÔaiddevaicRt padpÒm! indra + ädi + deva + arcita päda+padmam = his lotus like foot is worshipped by all the gods, Indra etc. sNtankLpÔ‚mmaiïtana< santäna + kalpa + drumam + äçritänäà = for those who take refuge in him, he is the wish fulfilling tree, bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi = I mediatate on that BaalaMukunda in my heart.

lMbalk< liMbtharyiò< z&¼arlIlai»t dNt pi“m!,
ibMbaxr< caéivzalneÇ< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 4
lambälakaà lambitahärayañöià çåuìgäraléläìkita danta paìktim|
bimbädharaà cäruviçälanetraà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi

I meditate on that Baala Mukunda in my heart, who has hanging curls and hanging necklaces, a beautiful row of teeth which are shown playfully. His lower lip is as red as a Bimba fruit and has beautiful wide eyes. 4

lMbalk< lambälakaà = who has hanging curls, liMbtharyiò< lambita + hära + yañöià = hanging necklaces, z&¼arlIlai»t dNt pi“m! çåuìgära + léläìkita danta paìktim = a beautiful row of teeth are shown playfully, ibMbaxr< bimbädharaà = having a lower lip red as as Bimba fruit, caéivzalneÇ< cäru + viçäla + netraà = beautiful wide eyes, bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi = I meditate on that baby Mukuda in my heart. 4

izKye inxayaip pyaedxIin bihgRtay ìjnaiykayam!,
Éu®vayweò< kpqensuÝ< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 5
çikye nidhäyäpi payodadhéni bahirgatäya vrajanäyikäyäm|
bhuktväyatheñöaà kapaöenasuptaà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi. 5

I meditate on that Baala Mukunda in my heart, who pretended as if he was sleeping, having eaten the yogurt to his contentment from the hanging pots of the Gopis when they had gone out. 5

izKye inxayaip pyaedxIin çikye nidhäyäpi payodadhéni = having kept a pot of rich yogurt and milk on a pot-hanger (çikye = on the pot-hanger, sling), bihgRtay bahirgatäya = having gone out, ìjnaiykayam! vrajanäyikäyäm = Gopis or the cowherd women of Vindavana, Éu®vayweò< bhuktväyatheñöaà = bhuktvä + yathä + iñöaà = having eaten as much as he likes, kpqensuÝ< kapaöena + suptaà = pretended to sleep, bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi =
I meditate on that Baala Mukunda. 5



kailjliSwt kailySy )[a¢r¼enqniàyNtm!,
tTàuCDhSt< zridNÊv±< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim . 6

kälijalasthita käliyasya phaëägraraìgenaöanapriyantam|
tatprucchahastaà çaradinduvaktraà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi. 6

I meditate on Baala Mukunda whose beautiful face resembles the autumnal moon and is dancing happily on the hood of the serpent Kaaliya holding it’s tail with his hand in the Kälinda pond. 6

kailjliSwt käli+jalasthita = In the pond of kalindidni, kailySy käliyasya = the serpant Kaliya's, )[a¢ phaëa + agra = top of the hood (serpent Kaliya's hood), r¼e raìge = on the stage (Kaliya's, hood as the stage), nqniàyNtm! naöana + priyantam = dancing happily, tTàuCDhSt< tatpruccha + hastaà = holding the tail with the hand, zridNÊv±< çarad + indu + vaktraà = autaumnal cuved moon (very beautiful), bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi =
I meditate on Baala Krishna in my heart. 6

%lUolebÏmudarzaEy¡ %Äu¼yuGmajuRn ɼlIlam!
%T)…‘pÒayt caéneÇ< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 7
ulükhalebaddhamudäraçauryam uttuìgayugmärjuna bhaìgaléläm
utphullapadmäyata cärunetraà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi 7

I meditate on Baala Mukunda with beautiful eyes like the petals of a full- bloomed lotus and who with great valor broke the pair of tall Arjuna trees even though he was tied to a mortar (a large heavy stone bowl for pounding grain). 7

%lUolebÏm! ulükhalebaddham = even though being tied to a mortar (a large heavy stone bowl) for pounding grain, %darzaEy¡ udäraçauryaà = great valour, %Äu¼yuGmajuRn pair of tall Arjuna trees, ɼlIlam! bhaìga + léläm = broke playfully, %T)…‘pÒayt utphulla + padmäyata = like a full blown lotus (eyes), caéneÇ< cäru + netraà = beautiful eyes , bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi = I meditate on Baala Mukunda in my heart. 7

AalaeKy matumuo madre[ StNy< ipbNt< srsIéha]m!,
si½Nmy< devmnNtêp< bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim. 8
älokya mätumukha mädareëa stanyaà pibantaà saraséruhäkñam|
saccinmayaà devamanantarüpaà bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi. 8

I meditate on Baala Mukunda, God filled with sat and cit, i.e., infinite consciousness, of infinite divine form, the lotus eyed one who cast his looks at his mother’s face with affection, while drinking milk from her breast. 8

AalaeKy älokya = having seen, matumuom! mätu + mukham= mother's face, Aadre[ ädareëa = with affection, StNy< ipbNt< stanyaà pibantaà = while drinking the milk from the breast, srsIéha]m! sarasé + ruha + akñam = (grown in the lake means lotus) lotus like eyed, si½Nmy< sat + cinmayaà = filled with sat and cit, the infinite consciouness, devmnNtêp< devam + anantarüpaà = God with infinite form, bal< muk…Nd< mnsa Smraim bälaà mukundaà manasä smarämi = I meditate on that baby Mukunda in my heart. 8

raamacandram raajeevaaksham

http://www.karnatik.com/c3348.shtml

Song: raamacandram raajeevaaksham (note)

rAmachandram rAjIvakSham
raagam: shankaraabharaNam

29 dheera shankaraabharaNam mela
Aa: S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N3 S
Av: S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S

taaLam: catushra Eka
Composer: Muttuswaami Dikshitar
Language: Sanskrit

rAmacandram rAjIvakSam shyAmaLAngam shAshvata kIrtim kOmaLahastam kOshalarAjam

mAmaka hrtkamalAkaram mArutiyuktam dHimantam mAnita bhaktam shrImantam

kaumAravaram guruguha mitram kAruNyanidhim dasharatha putram bhUmisutAbham

bhUpati rUpam kOmala pallava pAdam mOdam kAmagurum sitArAmam kaustubhabhUSam vandEham


If someone has the meaning please post it

eppaDi paaDinarO

http://www.karnatik.com/c1265.shtml

Song: eppaDi paaDinarO

eppaDi pADinarO
raagam: karnaaTaka dEvagaandhaari

28 harikaambhOji janya
Aa: S G3 M1 P N2 S
Av: S N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S

taaLam: aadi
Composer: Suddhaananda Bhaarati
Language: Tamil

pallavi

eppaDi pADinarO tiruvadiyAr appaDi pADa nAn Ashai koNDEn shivanE
(eppaDi)

anupallavi

apparum sundararum ALuDai piLLaiyum aruL maNi vAcakarum poruLuNarnDu unnaiyE
(eppaDi)

caraNam

gurumaNi shankararum arumai tAyumAnArum aruNagirinAtharum arutjyOti vaLLalum
karuNaikkaDal perugi kAdalinAl urugi kanittamizh sollinAl inidunai anudinam
(eppaDi)

Meaning:
pallavi: I desire to sing of you, oh Lord Shiva, as your devotees (aDiyaar) sang!

anupallavi: As the saints Appar, Sundararar, Aaludaippillai and Manivaasagar (MaaNikkavaasagar, a great Tamil poet) sang of you with knowledge (also of the Truth of Brahman) and understanding.

caraNam: As the great teacher Sankara (not a Tamil poet), dear Thaayumaanavar, Arunagirinathar and ArulJyoti Vallal (a reference to the poet commonly known as Vallalaar), their oceans of compassion overflowing (karunaik kadal perugi ), melting in their love for you(kaadhalinaal urugi), sang of you sweetly (inidhunai) each day (anudhinam) in chaste tamil words (kannith thamizh chollinaal), I also wish to sing.

Meeting Swami Dayananda

I wondered what it would be
To worry about Him, His deeds
His safety, His life
Him I always thought all powerful
All knowing, all Vishwan
He is to protect me the helpless
I was told that His Bhaktas
the Azhwars worried for Him,
Cared for Him, Waited for Him,
For they feared His safety out of Love
I wondered how, how this is possible
How could one even in ultimate Love
fear for the Lord
Fear Him they can, but fear for(?)
I could not believe, understand
I wondered how

In He walked today, in guise
In His 80s slow and careful
Held by His disciples
Clad in saffron, a simple man
I fell at His feet
And He recognized me
Asked about me and I was happy, joyed, in bliss
Oh what luck, what Divine event
My flight was delayed, so was His
And He took me to His lounge
Held my hands and laughed
like He was a 2 year old
Like my daughter carefree, lovely
Wanting nothing, just joy
And He said laughing
That His sugar level qwent to 65
and He almost fainted
Still laughing, still carefree
Still holding my hand
And I was overcome
with tears for my wonderment
became and emotion
I suddenly cared for Him
I suddenly wished, prayed for Him
I felt I should not leave Him
Yet, He was smiling, laughing, carefree
The Divine One, the Guru
My Guru, Sri Dayananda Saraswati
the saffron clad, He reveals
He teaches, He shows the way

Suddenly I cared
Suddenly I realized that mine
this emotion was just budding
He showed me the way
Oh Lord, show me the way
I know not what lies ahead
But I pray Oh Lord
Show me Love, Teach me Love
Teach me show Love
Let my thoughts not hinder Your words

Om Tat Sat

-----------------------------------

On 9/11/9, my flight was delayed on the way to Delhi. I met one of His devotees while clearing my baggage at the airport and she told me that He was also expected at the airport. I was joyed as I was trying to meet Him at the ashram the whole week but couldnt make it.

Also I had been listening to Sri Velukkudi Krishnans lecture and he was explainging about the Azhwars Love and devotion to Lord Narayana and how they would wait for Him and show emotions that normally a father, mother or lover would show to their beloved. I could not fathom this behaviour.

As though in tune to these thoughts I met Him and he had been given a lounge by the Airport authorities. He pulled me in along with Him and we were talking for about 30 minutes along with many others but he kept holding my hands.

Nothing strange happened, only my thoughts cleared and I suddenly cared for someone whom I had revered. I did not ask anything even as a thought. I only prayed for His well being that He continue what He is doing and suddenly the words of the Azhwars and my emotions connected. I am not poet I just write down the words in my mind. But even this gave me so much joy so much tears, I wonder how much the Love of the Azhwars would have been....

Sat Chit Ananda

THE VEDAS INTERPRETATION AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS

An interpretation or a critical analysis of a book is a series of logic based thought with respect to the “understanding of the given book in the light of the knowledge acquired or that already present”. Hence it is to be understood that the readers choice in interpreting or criticizing a book is subject to change depending on the circumstance and instance of “when” the book is read.

What are the Vedas and why interpretation or critical analysis of the Vedas is useless!!

“Vedas” is derived from “Vid”. “Vid” literally means “to know”. “Veda” means “knowledge”. The Vedas are a collection of fourteen books or parts and they are also called as “Chaturdasa Vidya”. The main purpose of the Vedas is to establish happiness or to remove sorrow by acquiring knowledge of the TRUTH. Hence the Vedas is also called as “Shoka Nivritti Shastra”.
Every man searches for a means to stay happy. Happiness drove the rishis (ascetics) to seek the basis of happiness and we have what we call the Vedas – the establishment of TRUE knowledge to give continuous happiness or BLISS.
The state of mind during the process of knowledge acquirement is unique to the Vedas. It is by a basis of “Understanding and the Establishment of a Strong Foundation for TRUTH to Maintain Knowledge thereby Giving Bliss” unlike the other fields where the knowledge acquired is dissipated during an act in a field other than the knowledge specified by it.
Hence it is necessary to study the entire Vedas drinking (assimilating) it’s meaning and continuing its study that one comes to apprehend the simplest TRUTH explained in the Vedas. So unless and until one has fully understood the Vedas in the perspective of the rishis, one will not be able to apprehend this “eternal” Truth.
Why is the message of the Vedas said to be simple. Sri Adi Sankara explains that the Truth is available to everyone as clear as water held in ones palm. All the religions in the world cry out only one message “The Lord is omnipresent”. Yet very few people have come to realize this Truth. We find every religion fighting with every other one establishing their “Lord” who is called omni present as they did not “understand” the SIMPLE Truth in the EXACT sense.
The message of the Vedas is said to be a “Rahasyam”- A secret and a very unique secret. In the general sense a secret is information held by an individual or a group of individuals. But this Rahasyam is unique in the sense that even though the prophets around the world have screamed out the Truth very few have understood it. Hence the Vedas are called as a Rahasyam.

Why should not one try to interpret or criticize the Vedas!?
The Truth of the Vedas is achieved by a sequence of logic entirely different from what a person “generally” follows. Hence unless the method of understanding, used to logically understand the Truth is known, it is futile to debate on the Vedas.
Further when one brings to light the conditionings of his mind in understanding the Vedas he is forced to interpret it and if he does not find/experience the Truth of the Vedas in his daily life he tends to reject the Vedas.
Hence the Vedas is best understood by a gradual continuous study under a Guru who teaches the Truth of the Vedas according to the conditioning of the seekers mind so that he can readily interpret the teachings in his daily life. Therefore it is also peremptory that the Teacher be a “jnani” a SEER of the Truth. Hence a self effort to understand the Vedas by individual analysis might lead to a conditioned knowledge of the Truth. A conditioned knowledge of the Truth is as good or as bad as ignorance. Where there is light, there darkness cannot be and where there is darkness even a single beam of light will illumine the place thus there is light only. Similarly there is either knowledge or darkness. There is no state of a mixture. Until knowledge is complete anything lesser is ignorance. When knowledge occurs, ignorance disappears or vanishes or removed as explained in the Vedas. There can be no room for doubt any more.
Hence the Vedas are not to be analyzed before completely understanding the Vedas by discussion with a Guru- a jnani.

HOW SHOULD ONE RELATE HIMSELF TO THE VEDAS?

The interpretation of the Vedas is very difficult before coming to a full & complete understanding of the Vedas themselves. Hence it becomes necessary to learn it from a Guru – a jnani who has come to understand the Truth.

What should be ones attitude while learning?
It becomes a trade off to begin with for some. But it is necessary to have a full faith in the Vedas. How to come about to this stage? The wise have said that the first stage is to have an “Ishta Devata”- a personal God by the seeker and to devote himself to this Devata by “Naama Samkeertanam” – chanting the name of the Lord and by reading the stories of the Lord in the Puranas.
The trust in the Lord should be equal to the trust that Arjuna has on his friend Sri Krishna.
Life is always quoted as a roller coaster ride. Ups and Downs, joys and sorrow, thrills and fear. If the attitude of the person riding the roller coaster is of courage and cheerfulness, the working of the roller coaster known to him and there is a trust(faith) in the person who designed the roller coaster, the rider will enjoy every moment of the ride.
If the working of the roller coaster is unknown or the courage on riding this tremendous design wears/dwindles or the trust on the designer is absent, every moment of the ride is a misery and a cause for sickness. The whole purpose of the roller coaster is lost.
The designer of life is the Lord. Many have a doubt in the existence of the Lord. The Vedas proclaim “The Lord is omni present” If the studies of the Vedas is not undergone fully the purpose of the study itself is lost. This is the trade off.
Come to ride the roller coaster with a faith in the designer and one would come to enjoy it. The movement of the roller coaster and the thrills are that of a design that is brought about by an intellect that made it.
The world is a roller coaster. The designer is the Lords mind. Once the roller coaster is pushed slightly from its state of rest the car travels the entire distance of the design. Similarly, the moment – “Shrishti”- creation is kicked off life follows the design of nature in its movement and it continues. It is hence necessary to have that faith to ride this roller-coaster.
In Mahabharata, the charioteer of Arjuna is the Lord driving Arjunas’ chariot with His skills excellently through the mazes of battle formation. Arjuna uses all his skills in fighting the war having full faith in his charioteer the Lord. Arjunas chariot is driven by the Lord which represents the body and the five horses the five senses. Arjuna having complete faith in the Lord continues his work – fighting the Great War of Life. The battle field represents the world with all the good and evil forces, which is nothing but our daily life. Arjuna had several gains and several loses. He lost his own son in the battle. Yet his faith in the Lord did not shake.
To have an Ishta Devata and to have complete faith on the Devata similar to Arjunas faith in his friend Sri Krishna is all that is required to start with. A friendly/trust based unshakable attitude.

MY PURPOSE IN WRITING MY UNDERSTANDING

The joy experienced by the child when he holds a toy can be understood by the child best. The mother watching the child “reflects” on the happiness and enjoys. If one analysis the happiness of both it will be seen that the child enjoys the toy “ignorant” of what it is and what the world is. The mother with all her experiences enjoys the happiness that the child is excited with a toy which has no value beyond a certain age. Hence by mere reflection and understanding of the use of the toy the mother enjoys the scene in front of her.
When I read the interpretations of my Guru and I try to understand them, the acts which I perform everyday appear as a running movie which I enjoy like the mother watching her child with an understanding of what the child is doing. My own actions amuse me though I myself am doing them with these hands. As a child I play with the toys of daily life which we call necessities and also which hold no significance beyond their limited use. As a mother watching her child, I watch myself when I reflect upon the teachings of my Guru. Is my joy doubled? ,….No! My understanding has…

I have tried explaining this wonder to many people in the past, with an aim of sharing his teachings. A comedy is best watched when there is company. Joy is exponential when it is shared. When I tried sharing these teaching I have been advised that this subject is too early for my age.
It is my understanding that the Truth about the Atman is too difficult to grasp. A study of such a subject after retirement for me is equal to procrastination. If there is an itch in one heart about the Truth, the best time to start is “here and now” says the Vedas. How then can this challenge be left for a later period. Never at a later point of time will something fructify if the effort does not begin right away and the sustaining interest in that Goal is not strong enough.
As explained in the first summary, “Knowledge, Understanding and Decision Making”, I state that “My understanding of the Vedas is conditioned to the state of my mind today”. Conditioned knowledge is a beautified form of the word “ignorance”. Hence the topics that are written are only “My Understanding” and not “knowledge”. Knowledge is pure.

Impure knowledge = conditioned knowledge = ignorance

Therefore I wish that everyone reading this will refer to books written by Gurus which are interpretations of the Vedas after understanding the Eternal Truth of the Atman.
My purpose in writing is to share my understanding as a logical sequence of thought so that I can analyze and correct myself at various stages of my studies by discussing ideas to gain a clear understanding.
I am open to discussion on Vedanta but am not sport to debate the same. A debate is for realized souls to establish the Truth in the hearts of men. I am a seeker. A “Mumukshu”. This is only a call for company is discussing to gain a better understanding.
My path was brought about by “Naama Samkeertanam” and “Sandhyavanthanam” as it was a conscious effort from my part. My accomplishment in life is not worth mentioning when I see my Gurus a bunch of renunciates qualified as M.S., PhD. Etc, sitting under trees teaching.
It is my desire that every individual atleast undertakes a study of the Vedas before coming to a conclusion based on stray comments. I welcome everyone to come and experience this roller coaster ride called life in the light of the Vedas.

LORD THE OMNIPRESENT BEING

As seen in the chart the unchanging Supreme Truth, the “Para Prakriti” is the Atman, The Lord and also termed as Sivatattva. The changing existence, the “As though” Supreme Truth, “Apara Prakriti” or Maya is the inherent strength of the Lord also known as the Shakti Tattva.
The Shrishti – creation (used for now) of the Lord is said to be like that of the spider weaving its net. The spider “designs” the web using its “intelligence” and “makes” the web using its saliva. The intelligence and instrument of making and the material for the same is inherent in the spider itself.
Similarly, the Lord, the EXISTENT (Sat) cause, is the intelligent cause, the instrumental cause and the material cause for the universe. He employs His inherent strength the Maya Shakti for “Shrishti” and “Pralaya”.
Shrishti is “projection” NOT CREATION. It is called projection because it comes from Himself. Pralaya is “withdrawal” or “dissolution” NOT DESTRUCTION as the projection from Himself is withdrawn INTO Himself.
How can He create and destroy Himself? This is a wrong interpretation due to a misunderstanding of the Truth. Not only the Lord projects and withdraws the universe, He also sustains it. Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva are the manifestations of the same Truth, the “Sat-Chit-Ananda” Atman manifesting as the Projector, Sustainer and Dissolver of the Jagat - universe.
This is why we do “namaskar” to another person, the mother, father, Guru are equated to God, a paper stamped is respected for by touching it and seeking forgiveness as it is a source of knowledge. Even Land walked on becomes the Divine Land. All this can be understood only with a complete “knowledge” or “VEDA”.
Hence the Lord Brahma, the projector has four faces representing the four Vedas and in using that knowledge he projects the universe. The Sustainer, Lord Vishnu sleeping as he is in “Ananda-sayanam” – sustains the projected phenomena of the universe “as though asleep” – Apara Prakriti. The Lord Shiva using his “Third Eye” – Eye of knowledge comes to dissolve the Universe from the sustaining principle by merging it with the One Truth of the Atman.
The Lord Nataraja dances to His own tune, the of “kala”-time as the five elements, space, fire, wind, water and earth which are the constituents of the Universe as we perceive it “here and now”.
Open your minds eye, the eye of knowledge and understand the knowledge of the Vedas in its full import. Where is Death? Where is hell? Where is heaven?
“Where his God? Show Him to me!” – screamed the atheist
“Where is God not to show Him to you. He is omnipresent” – said the Vedantin.

This is an open invitation to one and all to come and see the Lord Nataraja in His Omnipresence.

My salutations to my Guru who is in the form of Lord Sri Dakshinamurthy Himself.

Om Shantih Shantih Shantih

KNOWLEDGE OF ABSTRACTION

The method employed by one person to abstract from one perspective to another may not be appreciated or understood by another. Hence it is necessary to study under a Guru so that one does not get lost in irrational logic trying to disprove another perspective. This is a personal experience.
There are just too many distractions and philosophies that exist in each realm of abstraction. One needs to keep in mind that this study is of the Vedas and the goal is that of the Vedas that is being pursued.
One should not dream about being rich businessman while his duty is only to study. This is a waste of time and intellectual capacity. Concentration should be focused on the achievement of the Goal as much as the Goal itself.

Necessity of a Guru:
The study of the Vedas is also seen as a dry philosophy and confusing logic. This study has to be coupled with devotion and motivation and a constant prodding necessary to keep the goal in mind
When each realm is being studied, one may come to feel that the level of thought is unnecessary as the world is suffering from the pangs of sorrow. There is a chance that the subject is discarded as useless to the world.
When a person works as a social worker the attitude should be that of happiness and the support should be that of care and understanding. So the understanding part plays an important role as the social worker should not be affected and depressed by the sufferings of the needy. Hence an abstraction is a must for the social worker to strengthen her emotional capabilities to work continuously and tirelessly. Also there must be an availability of funds. So the work is doubled, as the minds of the donators must be convinced to come to an “understanding” of the problem faced.
Hence abstraction becomes necessary. The statement of Swami Vivekananda-“Arise Awake and Stop not till the Goal is reached”. This can be interpreted in as many ways as possible depending on what the conditioning of the mind of the person may be and what the Goal is that person thinks about. Whatever said and done it is a positive statement said with such a force that the first thing that comes to the mind of any person who is acquainted with the name of Vivekananda, is this one call for an awakening.
To make the person understand the abstraction of this statement itself requires one to “know” what the Goal is!

KNOWLEDGE AND ABSTRACTION

Abstraction – A perspective:
When solving a problem the method employed is a “decision made conditioned by the understanding in the light of the knowledge acquired”. Hence the emphasis here is “on the problem to be solved”. The focus is on the current moment, on an object external to the person solving the problem.
Now, if the focus is shifted from the problem to be solved into the “conditioned understanding” of the problem, it is an abstraction. The shift in focus is from a “physical realm” external to the problem solver to an “emotional realm” that is inherent in the person himself. The understanding of the problem is termed as “emotional” because the problem solver brings into play his likes and dislikes in solving the given problem. This is one stage of abstraction.
The second stage of abstraction is the shift in focus from the “emotional realm” to an “intellectual realm” which is the knowledge factor used by the person in understanding the problem.

Abstraction and the Vedas:
The abstraction followed in the Vedas as understood by me is shown in the table below:

KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING AND DECISION MAKING

Any problem given today to be solved involves three principles to reach a conclusion on how to carry on. Firstly, on reading the problem we try to think whether we have had a similar case in the past. If yes, we have “knowledge” of the case in another circumstance under different conditions. If no, then we refer other sources of to find out about the “knowledge” of a similar problem in the past.
Now that we have the knowledge of a similar problem, we try to “understand” the given problem IN THE LIGHT OF the knowledge acquired. With THIS UNDERSTANDING we analyze the problem to be solved and we come to a conclusion on what is to be done. Hence the given problem is solved or is tried to be solved by coming to a “decision” [DECISION MAKING] CONDITIONED BY an UNDERSTANDING BASED ON PAST KNOWLEDGE.
If the solution and the result obtained after solving the problem is desirable, then the approach has paid off. If the result is not fulfilled what went wrong? One can come up with hundreds of reasons and logic, set up talk shows and write papers based on this problem, its solution and the undesirable effect it produced, THOUGH THE PROBLEM REMAINS YET TO BE APPROACHED AGAIN WITH A NEW PERSPECTIVE.
But whatever the decision of this discussion could be, the approach will be a method of, “A solution based on the Decision conditioned by the Understanding based on past Knowledge.” Hence we fall into a loop repeating what we already did. It is therefore no surprise when we see the fact that “History repeats itself”. Man evolves from animals, kingdoms are formed, kingdoms are demolished, man becomes an animal in his behavior/nature, looting, drinking which even animals avoid, governments formed, war, formed, fall……
It is to be noted here that throughout history the common factor has been an EXISTENCE of a common BEING, a life force in varying shapes and natural instincts, an evolution in form yet a life form, the source unknown, present CONSCIOUSLY AT ALL TIMES though varying in INTELLIGENCE and itself remaining same on what is happening in the realm of the physical phenomena. This BEING, the common factor is the LIFE that has been in various forms. No matter what has been happening, this life form has EXISTED from a small amoeba to man today.
I approach this discussion on the TRUTH of the CONSCIOUS, CONTINUOUS EXISTENCE (SAT-CHIT) conditioned by “my” understanding of the knowledge talked about in Vedanta. I shall not make any decision on this topic because the decision is subject to change at the instance of an improved understanding of the “extra and known” knowledge that I “might” acquire from the Vedas.
It is necessary for me to change my approach in trying to understand the books I read on Vedanta. It is not a one time change that I had to undertake but a continuous chain of change. I find that the progress is futile unless one statement is fully understood in the perspective written before the next line is read or at least a re-reading necessary before claiming a full understanding of the words. By the time the words have sunk in and the next sentence is approached, a new perspective will have to be drawn. So a constant adaptation is necessary in reading. So I will not claim that I have understood the full import of Vedanta as I read only from interpretations of the Vedas and not the words of the Vedas themselves. It is hence only my understanding of Vedanta.