Ashram Yoga : India's Spiritual Tradition » devotee

Prem nagar ashram delhi

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:03:29 +0000

This is it my last vid in India man I miss her

In communion with God

adam — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:44:00 +0000

By Padma Narayanan The Hindu devotee’s God is endowed with all beauty. He is a paragon of all qualities ever conceived by the imperfect human mind and yet He is in some special way part of the devotee’s psyche. If a devotee occasionally forgets all mores of propriety and sees the divine form as someone dearer than anyone or anything else, that very closeness making all apparent inequalities disappear; and if all kinds of liberties are taken with that God, can that familiarity be faulted? Would it amount to sacrilege or blasphemy to bless God Himself or take Him to task for not coming to the devotee in his/her time of need? Our poetry is rich with any number of songs that, under the veil of ridicule adore our Gods and Goddesses, display a unique intimacy. Do we not have a Vaishnavite saint losing himself in the beauty of the Lord that he breaks out spontaneously with verses blessing the Lord that He may live for many years? WE HAVE AN ENTIRE TREASURE OF SONGS AND POEMS BELONGING TO THIS UNIQUE GENRE. WE HAVE DEVOTEES WHO CHIDE THEIR GODS FOR BEING INDIFFERENT TO THEIR NEEDS, SO MUCH SO THAT THEY ASK FOR THE INTERVENTION OF THE LORD’S CONSORT TO ADVOCATE THEIR CASES BEFORE HER HUSBAND. ‘WHEN HE IS ALONE WITH YOU, HAPPY IN YOUR COMPANY, WILL YOU REMIND HIM OF HIS OBLIGATION TO PROTECT ME?’ SINGS RAMADAS (‘NANNU BROVAMANI CHEPPAVE’). DEVOTEE NONPAREIL Saint Tyagaraja’s language is always direct and conversational. His identification with the Lord is so complete that now and then the dividing line between the master and the servant disappears. This servant of Rama has known his master so well and for so long that he indulges in certain leniencies in the way he communicates with Him. Very often, there is a tone of impatient mockery in Tyagaraja’s voice that is so endearing. The saint-poet wonders in one of his songs if Rama is indifferent towards him heeding the advice of someone. “Who did you listen to and so will not come to my help? Or are you not here?” (‘Evarimata’ – Khambodi). In another song the saint makes a bold attempt to ask the Lord, “Have you not yet considered coming to my protection? At this time of my agony, how can you bring yourself to sport merrily with your wife?’” (‘Mathilo Yochan’ – Kolahalam). The devotee-divinity relationship is so personal and intimate that the devotee is able to question the implied indifference that the Lord displays towards His bhakta. Wondering what could have caused such indifference, Tyagaraja questions, “Are you scared you’ll lose your wealth if you appear before me?” (‘Ethita Nilachite,’ – Sankarabharanam) and “Perhaps your grace will fall on me only if I own elephants and wealth?” (‘Tharithapu Lekha’ – Saveri). “REMEMBER YOU OWE ALL YOUR GRANDEUR TO HAVING MARRIED OUR JANAKI.” (‘MAA JANAKI’ – KHAMBODI) REMINDS TYAGARAJA. IN ANOTHER SONG HE EVEN DOUBTS IF RAMA HAS LOST ALL CONTROL OVER HIS SUBORDINATES: HE ASKS, “HAS YOUR MOUNT, THE BIRD-KING GARUDA, REFUSED TO BRING YOU TO MY SIDE SAYING THAT THE EARTH IS TOO FAR FROM THE CELESTIAL SKIES?” (‘NAGUMOMU’ – ABHERI.) “RAMA! HAS ANYONE WHO ASKED YOU FOR HAPPINESS EVER GOT IT? … SURPANAKA EXPRESSED HER DESIRE FOR YOU AND HAD HER NOSE CHOPPED OFF. DURVASA CAME EXPECTING A SUMPTUOUS MEAL AND FELT FULL EVEN BEFORE HE HAD EATEN,” CRIES THE POET IN DESPAIR. SRI RAMA IS EVEN ACCUSED OF BEING A CHEAT! “O, YES! HE PREACHES WELL. BUT HIS FAME AS ONE WHO GRANTS BOONS AND PROTECTS HIS DEVOTEES ARE ALL EMPTY WORDS.” (‘VARIJANAYANUDA’ – KEDARAGOWLA). AND MORE DIRECTLY, “YOU SAY SO MANY CONTRADICTORY THINGS. WHAT CAN I DO? YOU ARE LIKE THE ONE WHO ROCKS THE BABY AND PINCHES IT AS WELL!” (‘ATLA PALUKUTHU’ – ATANA). THERE ARE MANY MORE SUCH GEMS IN THE OCEAN OF TYAGARAJA’S SONGS THAT BRING A SMILE TO ONE’S LIPS. THE DEVOTEE IS IN SUCH TOTAL COMMUNION WITH HIS CHOSEN LORD AND LIKE A FOND MOTHER, LOVING WIFE AND INTIMATE FRIEND DOES NOT SEE THE NEED TO HAVE ANY RESERVATION IN EXPRESSING HIS EMOTIONS OF THE MOMENT. THE DEVOTEE-GOD RELATIONSHIP IS AS MUCH SACRED AS IT IS PERSONAL. SUCH IS THE TEXTURE OF A HINDU DEVOTEE’S LOVE FOR HIS PERSONAL GOD THAT THEY ARE ALMOST ONE. IS THIS KIND OF UNINHIBITED LOVE, A PREREQUISITE FOR THE ULTIMATE REALISATION OF ONE BEING DIVINITY ITSELF, AFFIRMING AN ADVAITIC STATE?

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In communion with God

Sai Sat Charita Parayan Sunday

admin — Mon, 30 May 2011 12:08:00 +0000

Om Sri Sai Ram Sunday’s parayan Many Sai Devotees used to come to Baba and seek his pardon for mistakes committed by them and sought his blessings for an end to their sufferings.. Baba understood their needs and used to bless them. Today you will read about the experiences of some devotees and people who were drawn to Baba even before they had met him or heard about him. The pujari of the Saptashringi temple at Nasik was mentally troubled and fervently sought the Devi’s help in overcoming his difficulties. One day the Goddess of the Saptashringi temple appeared to him in his dream and instructed him to go to Shridi. The pujari, Kakaji Vaid, decided to do as instructed by his Devi and began to think about how he could get to Shirdi when Shama the great devotee of Baba came for the darshan of Saptshringi devi. Shama immediately offered to take Kakaji Vaid to Shirdi with him. On getting Baba’s Darshan at Shirdi was awe struck and surrendered himself at Baba’s feet. He returned to Nasik after spending a week at Shridi with Baba’s vibhuti Prasad and amazingly free of the tensions he had travelled with to Shirdi. Ramlal Punjabi once had a dream in which a Mahatma came to him and told him to go to Shridi. Ramlal, however, did not know where Shirdi was and did not know the Mahatma who had appeared in his dream. He spent his waking hours wondering who the Mahatma was and how he could get to Shirdi and to his surprise saw a picture of the same mahatma at a shop. When asked the shopkeeper about the person in the picture, the shopkeeper told him the picture was of Shridi Sai Baba and guided him on the route to Shridi. Ramlal immediately set out for Shirdi. Baba’s darshan filled him with immense peace and joy and he thereafter decided to spend the rest of his life in Shridi. Once Kaka Saheb Dikshit had a dream in which Baba asked him to go to Rahata and bring Sri Kushalchand to Shirdi. Kaka hired a tonga and went to Kushalchand’s house at Rahata. While Kaka was on his way to Rahata, Kushalchand also a vision in which Baba asked him to come to Shridi. As he was preparing to leave for Shirdi he realized that his horse was unwell and just at the very moment Kaka arrived at his house and told him he has come to accompany him to Shirdi. This is the amazing leela of Baba, he communicated with his devotees without sending any letters or telegrams. Master Tendulkar once consulted an astrologer who told him that it was not a good time for him to take his exams and he may fail. When Master Tendulkar’s mother met Baba and told about the prediction of the astrologer, Baba said her son have faith in him fully and start preparing for the exams. As advised by Baba, Master Tendulkar prepared for his exams he passed the exams without any difficult. His faith in Baba got him success. Once members of the Madras Bhakta Samaj came to Shridi and sang bhajans at the Shridi shrine. While in Shirdi the head lady of the bhajan mandali had a dream in which Baba appeared as Sri Ram, her ishta devta. When she told her husband about her dream he dismissed it as just a dream. He in turn had a dream in which he saw himself in prison and was released through the blessings of Baba who appeared as Ramdas swamy in his dream. His wife’s dream where Baba appeared as her istha devta and his dream in which Baba set him free from prison appearing as Ramdas Swamy made him a devotee of Baba. He received the blessings of Baba and was told that he would receive plenty of money through the grace of Allah. The first time Shiva Bhakt Megha went to see Baba, he hesitated to prostrate before Baba because he thought Baba was a muslim. On seeing him Baba got wild and did not allow him to enter the masjid, and angrily told Megha that since he was a high caste Brahmin and Baba a Muslim, he would lose his identity if he came near Baba. On hearing this Megha immediately knew that Baba had read is mind and he found himself spontaneously prostrating at Baba’s feet seeking his blessings. Thereafter he stayed in Shridi for some time and his affection and devotion for Baba deepened. While at Shirdi he would visit all the temples everyday and then come to Baba for the Pada tirtha. Once he expressed a desire to do abhisheka of Baba as is done to Shiva Lingas. He walked about eight kilometers to fetch water from the Gomati river and did the abhisheka of Baba. Baba had requested him not to pour water on any other part of the body other than his head. Megha poured water on Baba’s head chanting Har Har Gange, and to the amazement of everyone who was a witness to this beautiful spectacle not a drop of water fell on any other part of Baba’s body. Once a devotee by the name Lala Lakshmichand had a vision of an old man with beard and when he attended a discourse by Dasganu he saw a picture of Sai Baba kept there. It struck him that the old man he had seen in his dream resembled the person in the picture. This made him very eager to see Baba and so he borrowed rupees fifteen and arrived to see Baba. On seeing him Baba said if you wanted to come to Shirdi why did you have borrow money? He advised him not to borrow money anymore. On seeing Baba’s love and affection, Lakshmichand was moved and he decided to spend rest of his life at Shirdi. A Ramdasi- a devotee of Lord Ram, lived in Shridi and every day he recited the Vishnu Sahasranam after taking bath. One day Baba sent the Ramdasi to the market to bring Sena pod leaves. While the Ramdasi was away, Baba took his Vishnu Sahasranam book and gave it to Shama, a great devotee of Baba. On his return when the Ramadasi found that his Vishnu Sahasranam book was with Shama, he got wild and said he will die if the book was not returned to him immediately. On hearing the Ramadasi scream thus Baba called him and told him not fight and asked him to be considerate, affectionate and not have any attachment for material things. Baba said “you are not able to give away a small book whose contents you have memorized fully, how can you give away yourself when it is required. The Ramdasi understood significance of Baba’s message, and the meaning of life. This brought him peace and tranquility. Gopal Narayan Ambedkar used to come to Shridi and used to share his grief and happiness with Baba. Once he was so overcome by troubles that he decided to commit suicide by jumping into the well at Shridi. Just when he was about to take this drastic step, another devotee came there and gave a book which had the biography of Akalkot Maharaj. In the book it was mentioned that Maharaj had saved a person from drowning in the well and told him he had to suffer for all the bad and good deeds in this life, and one cannot escape the same by committing suicide. The book further said that if one tries to escape the sufferings and pain in this life by ending one’s life then one has to take several rebirths to atone for sins committed. This left a deep impression on Ambedkar and he realized that taking one’s own life is a sin. Over a period of time he mastered astrology and spent the latter part of his life immersed in astrological studies. Harshchandra Pitle’s son used to faint very often and so Harshchandra brought him to Baba’s masjid hoping that his child would get cured. However, the boy fainted as soon as they entered the masjid. Both Harshchandra and his wife were inconsolable on seeing their son’s plight and began to lament that they had brought their son to Baba hoping he would be cured but it seems there was no help. Baba asked them to be calm and assured them that the boy will regain consciousness soon, and God definitely helps those who have Shraddha and Saburi – faith and patience. As assured by Baba, the boy recovered and was completely cured of his sickness. Shri Pitle was given three rupees by Baba and was told that he should keep the same in the shrine at home and worship it to attain happiness. Baba also told him that he had been given two rupees earlier. Shri Pitle, however, did not remember receive two rupees earlier from Baba. Morever, that was his first visit to Shridi. When he returned home and narrated his conversation with Baba to his mother, she told him that as a young boy he had visited Akalkot Maharaj with his father. At that time his father received two rupees from the maharaj. His father used to worship the coin. Thus Baba reminded Pitle that he knows the past of people and one Mahatma knows about the other because of their visionary power. Once someone sent a box of mangoes for Baba at Shridi. From the box, Baba set aside four mangoes for Damu anna. Baba asked Damu anna to give the mangoes to his second wife and said that Damu anna will be blessed with a child once his wife eats the mangoes. Damu anna who has been childless for a long time was blessed with a child through Baba’s amra (mango) leela. After sometime Damu Anna wanted Baba to join his business as a partner. Baba declined the offer saying that he did not want to entangle himself in worldly affairs. Baba had said that even after he takes Samadhi he would take care of his devotees. He may not be physically present but His spirit would continue to guide his devotees, He would talk to His devotees and take care of their wellbeing. He asked his devotees to always remember Him and have faith. “Good things will happen to you,” thus spoke Shri Sai Baba. Once Hemandpant was washing Baba’s feet when some peanuts fell from his coat pocket. He was puzzled as to how there were peanuts in his coat pocket. Baba remarked that since it was the day of the baazar (weekly market) Hemandpant may have gone to the bazaar, bought some peanuts and eaten them all by himself. On hearing this Hemandpant told Baba that he never ate anything without sharing and it was wrong to say that he had brought peanuts to eat them all by himself. To this Baba replied that he knew that Hemandpant always shared and would never eat anything without giving to others. He advised all present there to remember that God is always with them and before anything is eaten it should be offered to God as all that we have or receive is provided by His grace and blessings. Once Shama, a devotee of Baba was bitten by a snake, and as was the custom people wanted him to be rushed to the temple of Khandoba. Shama refused and said his God and the doctor was Baba, so they should take him to the Masjid. When he was entering the Masjid, Sai Baba started to scream “Oh thankless Brahmin get down and get out.” Shama was taken aback by Baba’s reaction and as he lay at the Masjid wondered why Baba was not helping him. However, he soon found himself feeling better, cured of the effects of poisoning without any medicine. He came to realize, as did the other devotees present there, that Baba was not shouting at Shama but commanding the snake to get out. Om Sri Samarth Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai. Baba Sai, my prostration to you at your feet. With your blessings I could complete the Parayan for Sunday. Please bless me with a life well lived, with good health, with the means to take care of my life and of those around me, and peace for the world. Please bless me with your remembrance always and to receive the Prasad of your blessings daily. Om Satguru Sainathay Namah. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.

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Sai Sat Charita Parayan Sunday

Sai Sat Charita Parayan Monday

admin — Mon, 30 May 2011 12:01:00 +0000

Om Sri Sai Ram Monday’s Parayan There lived a devotee by name Ram Gir Bua, Whom Baba used to address as Bapugir with affection. One day Bapu Gir wanted to go to his village. When he went to seek Baba’s permission, Baba gave him a piece of paper in which there was an arati written and packet of Udi (sacred ash) and asked him to first go to Jamnagar and hand over the arati and the udi to one Nana Saheb Chandorkar. Ram Gir Bua told Baba that he had just enough money to go upto Jalgaon, to which Baba assured him that arrangements will be made for him to go to Jamnagar on his getting down at Jalgaon. When Ramgir Bua got down at Jalgaon man on a horse cart came and asked who was Ramgir Bua from Shridi and also informed Bapugir that he has been sent by Nana Saheb. The man took Bapugir on the tonga to Jamnagar. On reaching the entry point of Jamnagar Bapugir got down to attend nature’s call and whene returned he found that neither the tonga not the cart man was there. Bapugir went to the local court and got Nana Saheb’s address and went to his house to deliver the Udi and the arati. At that time Nana Saheb’s daughter was in labour and she was in a serious condition. On receiving the udi and arati from Bapugir, Nana Sahib immediately called his wife and asked asked her to mix the udi with water and give it to their daughter Naina tai. After giving the udi mixed with water, all of them recited the arati. To everyone’s relief the delivery of the baby was smooth and thus Nainatai came out of the difficult situation. Bapugir thanked Nana Saheb for sending the tonga to the station, to which Nana sahib replied that he did not send any body or any tonga to the station. On hearing this both Bapugir and Nanasaheb recognized this as Baba’s leela. One devotee by name Bala Bua Sutar saw a picture of Baba at his friend’s place and prostrated before the picture. Thereafter after some years when he went in person to see Sai Baba, Baba told that the other devotees present that he has known Bala Bua for the last four years. Bala Bua remembered that it was fours ago when he had seen the picture at his friend’s place and had bowed before it. Through this episode Baba conveyed that seeing his picture is like seeing him in person. A devotee who had undergone surgery but not relieved of his malady was brought to the masjid and the parents of the devotee were very worried. Baba took pity on them and told them that he who ever sets his feet at the Dawrakamai will be cured. He said the masjid is Dwarkamai who gives happiness and health to all who come there. The Dwarkamai is very considerate and compassionate, Baba said. He asked the parents to apply Udi on the wound and it healed within some time. A great devotee of Baba, Sriman Pillay suffered from ulcer in one of his feet and he told Baba that he is prepared to take ten more births if he were freed of the terrible pain in this birth. To which Baba told him not to worry and told that he will be cured of his malady within ten days as crow will come and peck his ulcerated feet. While Baba was telling this one Abdulla who was cleaning the masjid unknowingly stamped the feet of Pillay, no sooner he did that seven guinea worms came out of the ulcer of Pillay and he started crying in pain. Soon he felt the pain gone from his feet and he became calm. Baba asked him to use the Udi on his wound and within ten days Sriman Pillay found himself cured. Baba had lovingly referred to Abdullah as the crow who would peck at Sriman Pilay’s feet. One person from Bandra was having vision of his dead father whenever he went to sleep and who used to scold him in his vision, was given Udi by Baba and was asked to keep the same under his pillow. This person was soon cured of visions that troubled him in sleep. Balaji Patil used to come to Shridi after every harvest and used to offer all the produce to Baba.. He would carry back whatever was returned to him and he used to feed his family with that. He used to sweep the street through which Baba walked. One day there was Bhagwat discourse in his house and he invited many people. It was found that there were three times more number of people than invited and Balaji Patil’s family was worried that the food prepared may not be enough to feed all the guests. Balaji’s mother asked his wifeo put some Udi in all the eatables before distribution and keep them covered. After all the guests were fed, Balajis’ family found , that there was food left. Balaji Patil’s knew that this was the miracle of Udi from Baba. Baba used to distribute Udi as Prasad to his devotees and he would apply some on the forehead of devotees. Whenever was in a pleasant mood he would sing “please bring sack full of Udi and praise the lord Ram for the same.” Balaram Mankar became dejected after his wife’s death and after handing over all his responsibilities his son, he came to Shridi, Baba advised him to go to Manchindergad and to do meditation there in order to get peace. While at Machindrgad, Baba appeared before Balaram Mankar and said that his body of three and half cubits was there in Shridi, he could be present anywhere. Through this Baba conveyed that devotees could have the comfort of Baba’s presence wherever they be. Once a sick tiger was brought to Shridi and taken to the masjid. Baba advised the owners to immediately release the tiger from chains. The tiger dragged itself to where Baba was sitting, moved its tail thrice and fell to the ground dead Is said whoever dies in the presence of a Mahatma attains salvation in his life. Once two friends from Goa came to Shridi and Baba asked one of them to give Rs.15/- as dakshina, the other friend who was watching wanted to give Rs 35/- but Baba refused. The devotee then told people present there that he had lost around Rs.35000/-. His cook who had stolen it returned it apologizing for his deed. The devotee said that all this was due to the grace of Baba. The devotee’s friend said he had got a job with Baba’s grace. He had started with a salary of Rs.15/- which gradually rose to Rs,700/-. He had vowed to offer Baba Rs.15/- as Dakshina once he got job, so now Baba had helped him remember and fulfill his vow by asking for Rs.15/- as dakshina. A couple in Aurangabad was childless and they came to Baba seeking his blessing for a child. Shama, Baba’s devotee insisted that Baba bless the couple with a child. Baba gave a coconut to the couple and blessed them, after some the couple had a child. When the infant was 5 months old the couple brought the child to Shirdi and thanked Baba for the blessings. Sai Baba would sleep at the masjid and the Chavdi on alternate days. After some time this ritual began to celebrated in a big way and was called the Chavdi Utsav. Many people joined the Chavdi procession where Baba was carried in a palanquin, from the masjid to Chavdi. At the chavdi , Baba would make his own bed and sleep., Devotees are requested to remember the Chavdi procession every day before going to bed. Om Sri Samarth Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai. Baba, my prostrations to you at your feet. With your blessings I could complete the Parayan for Monday. Please bless my family and friends with long life, health, wealth and peace. Please bless me with your remembrance always. Om Satguru Sainathay Namah. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.

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Sai Sat Charita Parayan Monday

Sai Sat Charita Parayan Wednesday

adam — Mon, 30 May 2011 11:45:00 +0000

Om Sri Sai Ram Wednesday’s Parayan Maha Yogis and Saints hold each other in high esteem and bear brotherly love and affection for one another. Vasudevanand Saraswati, the saint of Datta Dynasty was living in Rajamandhury in Andhra Pradesh, and one of his devotees expressed a desire to go to Shirdi. Saint Vasudevanand gave a coconut to his devotee, Pundalikar Rao, and requested him to give the coconut to his “brother Shri Sai Baba” and to convey his pranams. Vasudevanand Saraswati held Sri Sai Baba in high regard. However, on the way to Shirdi Pundalikar Rao by mistake broke the coconut and consumed the same. Later when he realized his mistake Pundalikar Rao was very upset. When he reached Shirdi and went for Baba’s darshan, Baba asked for the Coconut. Pundalikar Rao profusely apologized to Baba for his mistake and wished to offer Baba another coconut. Baba told him that no coconut could be a substitute for the coconut sent with love by his brother, Saint Vasudevanand. Kind hearted Baba forgave Pundalikar Rao. One lawyer, by name Saptenkar, was extremely heartbroken on losing his only son. Then one day he remembered that his friend had mentioned how Sri Sai Baba helped devotees overcome their troubles and sufferings. He decided to visit Shirdi with his wife. When Baba saw Saptnekar he became very angry and began to shout saying that Saptnekar holds him responsible for his son’s death but he was wrong. After a while Baba calmed down and said that whoever steps into the masjid will be free of sorrow and suffering, and he would take care of them. He asked Saptnekar and his wife to have faith and that they would be blessed with a child again. Within another year the Saptenkars were blessed with a baby boy. Saptnekar and his wife were blessed by Baba. Once Baba narrated a story about a frog and a snake. The moral of the story was that sins committed in the past birth have to be paid for in this birth. It is therefore important that we tread on the path of good deeds and thoughts. Once the great bhakti, Shama wanted to go to Gwalior, Kasi Prayag and Gaya, to which Baba said that he would reach Gaya before Shama. When Shama reached Gaya after visiting Gwalior and Kasi Prayag, he found a big picture of Baba hung on one of the walls of the temple’s priest’s house. Shama remembered the remark by Baba that he will be there in Gaya before him. When Shama enquired about the picture, the priest told him that it was Shama who had given him the picture about 12 years when they met at Shirdi. Shama could remember the episode and felt very happy. Kaka Sahib Dikshit was asked to read the Eknath Srimad Bahagwat and Bhavarth Ramayana daily by Sri Sai Baba. Kakasahib continued this practice even after Baba attained Samadhi and one day when he was reading section where it was mentioned that a devotee was once very anxious to receive the blessings of his Guru. This reminded Kaka Sahib of his own anxiety. Shama, Baba’s devout disciple consoled Kaka Sahib saying there was no need to worry since Kaka Sahib had reached the very high pedestal of the Sadhguru. Shama narrated the vision that Anand Rao-one of Baba’s devotees once had. Anand Rao Patil had a vision in which he saw Baba sitting on a throne studded with diamonds, in the middle of the sea. Then Shama who was also there asked Anand Rao to touch the feet of Baba. Anand Rao wondered how he could touch Baba’s feet as they were underwater. Shama asked Baba to lift his feet and Baba obliged immediately. Anand Rao clutched Baba’s feet and placed his head on them, thus receiving Baba’s blessings. On hearing the tale Kaka Saheb felt relieved and realized that if one desires for and makes the effort to receive the Guru’s blessings he would never be disappointed. Baba would say, “he who ever insults others hurts me most and he who treats others with kindness is always near me. He who loves me and sees me always is nearer to God. He who ever chants the name of God to him I am indebted and will provide salvation to them and get repay my debt. He who comes to my durbar and offers me food I will never forget. He who always with pure heart seeks salvation I will make his life full of bliss. No one needs to go to far off places in search of me I am for I am everywhere. He who sees with true love and compassion every creature in this world he will find me there in them. You will find me in animate and inanimate things, Baba would tell his devotees. Once Baba narrated an incident involving him and his friends. Baba and three of his friends were once wandering in the jungle in search of God when a man appeared from nowhere and asked what they were searching for. He said that it would be very difficult to find one’s way through the jungle and if they wished he would guide them and it may not be very difficult for them to achieve their mission. None of the four members was willing to believe the stranger and started to walk away from him. After a while they found themselves back at the same spot and found that the stranger was still there. This time the man offered them some food. Baba friends did not accept the food offered by the man and started on their search again. Baba stayed back and ate the food offered by the stranger. Baba told him about their mission to find God. On hearing this, Baba said, the stranger took him to a nearby well and hung him upside down from the frame of the well and left him there in that position for a few hours. He returned after a while and freed Baba. All the while that Baba hung upside down in the well he was not able to touch the water near the well even though he was so near to it. When Baba came out of the well, the stranger asked Baba how he felt to which Baba said he could not describe the experience in words but it was complete bliss. Through this story, Baba wanted to convey that we should never ignore anybody who offers something with love and that food is parabrahama. Even when we are equipped with route map and directions many of us are unable to get to the same address. Similarly, in order to reach God we should have a Guru who will take us through the difficult path and show us the right path. The author of Shri Sai Charita, Hemandpant said that Sai Baba used to help his devotees in every aspect of their lives and Baba wanted them to love all the creations of God and always remember God. He who reads and assimilates the lessons contained in the Sai Sat Charita they will receive the blessings of Baba. Om Sri Samarth Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai. Baba, my prostration to you at your feet. With your blessings I could complete the Parayan for Wednesday. Please bless me with good health, peace and prosperity. Bless me that I remember you always and receive the Prasad of your blessings everyday. Om Sadhguru Sainathay Namah. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.

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Sai Sat Charita Parayan Wednesday

INTERFAITH – How I Found My Path To God

admin — Sun, 22 May 2011 08:40:13 +0000

The Hindu Community Council of Victoria presents: A VEDIC FORUM ” WHAT DOES MY RELIGION SAY ” series of lectures and Q & A sessions. The topic of the second of these HCCV Vedic forums is; “How I Found My Path To God” The venue for this HCCV event is the Shiva Ashram, Mt Eliza, near Frankston, Victoria. Our guests are: Christina Ghobadi – Buddhist faith, Nasirah Cavaney – Muslim faith, Jan Becker – Falan Dafa faith, Terry Fielding – Baha’i faith and James Suresh – Christian faith. The moderator is Stephen Stanford, an Executive at the Shiva Ashram. Introduction by Manadaleshvara Swami Shankarananda Saraswati – Shiva Ashram. Hindu Community Council of Victoria: www.hinduccv.org.au Victorian Multicultural Commission www.multicultural.vic.gov.au Shiva Ashram shivayoga.org International Society for Krishna Consciousness Melbourne www.iskcon.net.au The annual World Interfaith Harmony Week is during the first week of February. Recorded with Sony HDR-CX110 and Sony HDRXR150. Edited on iMac with Final Cut Express. Lighting from “Image Melbourne”.

Indian Groom’s Party goes To The Gufa Hindu Marriage/Wedding In Haidakhan BABAji Ashram India 2010

admin — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:51:21 +0000

The 10th day of Navaratri is traditionally known as “The Wedding Day” This was filmed on that day 2010, it was the celebration of the Spiritual Marriage of Two Western couples this year. Here the Groom’s party starts their journey from the Fakirabhad across the riverbed the music gets louder and the party gets bigger as it proceeds towards the awaiting brides on the Gufa side of Haidakhan Vishwamahadham!

Dhyana Yoga (Path of Meditation)

adam — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:52:00 +0000

Dhyana-yoga (path of meditation) KRISHNA: “He who, unattached to the fruit of his actions, performeth such actions as should be done is both a renouncer (1) of action and a devotee (2) of right action; not he who liveth without kindling the sacrificial fire and without ceremonies. (3) Know, O son of Pandu, that what they call Sannyasa or a forsaking of action is the same as Yoga or the practice of devotion. No one without having previously renounced all intentions can be devoted. Action is said to be the means by which the wise man who is desirous of mounting to meditation may reach thereto; so cessation from action is said to be the means for him who hath reached to meditation. When he hath renounced all intentions and is devoid of attachment to action in regard to objects of sense, then he is called one who hath ascended to meditation. He should raise the self by the Self; let him not suffer the Self to be lowered; for Self is the friend of self, and, in like manner, self is its own enemy. (4) Self is the friend of the man who is self-conquered; so self like a foe hath enmity to him who is not self-conquered. The Self of the man who is self-subdued and free from desire and anger is intent on the Supreme Self in heat and cold, in pain and pleasure, in honor and ignominy. The man who hath spiritual knowledge and discernment, who standeth upon the pinnacle, and hath subdued the senses, to whom gold and stone are the same, is said to be devoted. And he is esteemed among all who, whether amongst his friends and companions, in the midst of enemies or those who stand aloof or remain neutral, with those who love and those who hate, and in the company of sinners or the righteous, is of equal mind. “He who has attained to meditation should constantly strive to stay at rest in the Supreme, remaining in solitude and seclusion, having his body and his thoughts under control, without possessions and free from hope. He should in an undefiled spot place his seat, firm, neither too high nor too low, and made of kusa grass which is covered with a skin and a cloth. (5) There, for the self’s purification he should practice meditation with his mind fixed on one point, the modifications of the thinking principle controlled and the action of the senses and organs restrained. Keeping his body, head, and neck firm and erect, with mind determined, and gaze directed to the tip of his nose without looking in any direction, with heart at peace and free from fear, the Yogi should remain, settled in the vow of a Brahmachari, his thoughts controlled, and heart fixed on me. The devotee of controlled mind who thus always bringeth his heart to rest in the Supreme reacheth that tranquillity, the supreme assimilation with me. “This divine discipline, Arjuna, is not to be attained by the man who eateth more than enough or too little, nor by him who hath a habit of sleeping much, nor by him who is given to over watching. The meditation which destroyeth pain is produced in him who is moderate in eating and in recreation, of moderate exertion in his actions, and regulated in sleeping and waking. When the man, so living, centers his heart in the true Self and is exempt from attachment to all desires, he is said to have attained to yoga. Of the sage of self-centered heart, at rest and free from attachment to desires, the simile is recorded, ‘as a lamp which is sheltered from the wind flickereth not.’ When regulated by the practice of yoga and at rest, seeing the self by the self, he is contented; when he becometh acquainted with that boundless bliss which is not connected with objects of the senses, and being where he is not moved from the reality (6); having gained which he considereth no other superior to it, and in which, being fixed, he is not moved even by the greatest grief; know that this disconnection from union with pain is distinguished as yoga, spiritual union or devotion, which is to be striven after by a man with faith and steadfastly. “When he hath abandoned every desire that ariseth from the imagination and subdued with the mind the senses and organs which impel to action in every direction, being possessed of patience, he by degrees finds rest; and, having fixed his mind at rest in the true Self, he should think of nothing else. To whatsoever object the inconstant mind goeth out he should subdue it, bring it back, and place it upon the Spirit. Supreme bliss surely cometh to the sage whose mind is thus at peace; whose passions and desires are thus subdued; who is thus in the true Self and free from sin. He who is thus devoted and free from sin obtaineth without hindrance the highest bliss — union with the Supreme Spirit. The man who is endued with this devotion and who seeth the unity of all things perceiveth the Supreme Soul in all things and all things in the Supreme Soul. He who seeth me in all things and all things in me looseneth not his hold on me and I forsake him not. And whosoever, believing in spiritual unity, worshipeth me who am in all things, dwelleth with me in whatsoever condition he may be. He, O Arjuna, who by the similitude found in himself seeth but one essence in all things, whether they be evil or good, is considered to be the most excellent devotee.” ARJUNA: “O slayer of Madhu (7), on account of the restlessness of the mind, I do not perceive any possibility of steady continuance in this yoga of equanimity which thou hast declared. For indeed, O Krishna, the mind is full of agitation, turbulent, strong, and obstinate. I believe the restraint of it to be as difficult as that of the wind.” KRISHNA: “Without doubt, O thou of mighty arms, the mind is restless and hard to restrain; but it may be restrained, O son of Kunti, by practice and absence of desire. Yet in my opinion this divine discipline called yoga is very difficult for one who hath not his soul in his own control; yet it may be acquired through proper means and by one who is assiduous and controlleth his heart.” ARJUNA: “What end, O Krishna, doth that man attain who, although having faith, hath not attained to perfection in his devotion because his unsubdued mind wandered from the discipline? Doth he, fallen from both (8), like a broken cloud without any support (9), become destroyed, O strong-armed one, being deluded in the path of the Supreme Spirit? Thou, Krishna, shouldst completely dispel this doubt for me, for there is none other to be found able to remove it.” KRISHNA: “Such a man, O son of Pritha, doth not perish here or hereafter. For never to an evil place goeth one who doeth good. The man whose devotion has been broken off by death goeth to the regions of the righteous (10), where he dwells for an immensity of years and is then born again on earth in a pure and fortunate family (11); or even in a family of those who are spiritually illuminated. But such a rebirth into this life as this last is more difficult to obtain. Being thus born again he comes in contact with the knowledge which belonged to him in his former body, and from that time he struggles more diligently towards perfection, O son of Kuru. For even unwittingly, by reason of that past practice, he is led and works on. Even if only a mere enquirer, he reaches beyond the word of the Vedas. But the devotee who, striving with all his might, obtaineth perfection because of efforts continued through many births, goeth to the supreme goal. The man of meditation as thus described is superior to the man of penance and to the man of learning and also to the man of action; wherefore, O Arjuna, resolve thou to become a man of meditation. But of all devotees he is considered by me as the most devoted who, with heart fixed on me, full of faith, worships me.” Thus in the Upanishads, called the holy Bhagavad-Gita, in the science of the Supreme Spirit, in the book of devotion, in the colloquy between the Holy Krishna and Arjuna, stands the Sixth Chapter, by name — Dhyana-yoga (path of meditation)

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Dhyana Yoga (Path of Meditation)

Rishi Patanjali

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:24:00 +0000

To the noblest of Sages, Patanjali, who gave Yoga for serenity of mind, grammar for purity of speech, and medicine for the health of the body, I prostrate with folded hands. To this white Patanjali, who has a human form, holding conch, disc and sword and having a thousand heads, I bow. Patanjali, undoubtedly the greatest expounder of Yoga, lived sometime between 500 and 200 B.C. The life of Patanjali is an enigma to modern historians, and almost nothing is known about this great Master who epitomizes Yoga. It is only with the help of legends that one can draw inferences about him. Undoubtedly he was a great Yoga adept and was perhaps the head of a school in which “Swadhyaya”, study of the Self, was regarded as an important aspect of spiritual practice. Indian history is presumptive of several individuals by the name of Patanjali. Three of them were well-known; the first one being the famous grammarian who wrote the commentary on Panini’s Ashtadhyayi (the Mahabhashya) and compiled the Yoga Sutras, the classical text on Raja Yoga. The Mahabhashya symbolises the perfection of the discipline in grammar. The object of grammar is to supply rules for control of current speech (laukika) for the preservation of the integrity of the Vedas and the comprehension of proper meaning. The second person named Patanjali wrote the Nidana-Sutras, considered indispensable for the study of the Vedic ritual literature; while the third was a well-known teacher of Samkhya Philosophy. The above three people, in the historian’s view, happen to come from different time periods and are considered to be different personalities. The Indian Tradition however, differs in opinion strongly and advocates that the above different treatises were done by a single person and even further, attributes various medical treatises to him. In the Indian tradition, Patanjali is said to be self-born, swayambhu. He was a highly-evolved soul who incarnated of his own will in a human form to help humanity. He is also considered an incarnation of Ananta, the source of all wisdom (Jnana) and of Shesha, the thousand-headed ruler of the serpent race, which is thought to guard the hidden treasures of the earth. Ananta depicts a couch on which God Vishnu reclines. He is the Lord of serpents and his many heads symbolize Infinity or Omnipresence. Many yogis bow to Ananta before they begin their daily yogic practice. In one of the legends, it is said that Lord Vishnu was seated on Adishesha, the Lord of serpents as His couch, watching the enchanting dance of Lord Shiva. Lord Vishnu was so totally absorbed in the dance of Lord Shiva, that His body began to vibrate to its rhythm. This vibration made Him heavier and heavier, causing Adishesha to feel so uncomfortable that he was gasping for breath and was on the point of collapse. The moment the dance came to an end, Lord Vishnu’s body became light again. Adishesha was amazed and asked his master the cause of these stupendous changes. The Lord explained that the grace, beauty, majesty and grandeur of Lord Shiva’s dance had created corresponding vibrations in His own body, making it heavy. Marvelling at this, Adishesha professed a desire to learn dance so as to exalt his Lord. Vishnu then became thoughtful, and predicted that soon Lord Shiva would grace Adishesha to write a commentary on grammar, and that he would then also be able to devote himself to perfection in the art of dance. Adishesha was overjoyed by these words and looked forward to the descent of Lord Shiva’s grace. Adishesha then began to meditate to ascertain who would be his mother on earth. In meditation, he had the vision of a yogini by the name of Gonika who was praying for a worthy son to whom she could impart her knowledge and wisdom. He at once realized that she would be a worthy mother for him, and awaited an auspicious moment to become her son. Gonika, thinking that her earthly life was approaching its end, and that her desire of finding a worthy son would remain unfulfilled; now, as a last resort looked to the Sun God, the living witness of God on earth and prayed to Him to fulfil her desire. She took a handful of water as a final oblation to Him, closed her eyes and meditated on the Sun. As she was about to offer the water, she opened her eyes and looked at her palms. To her surprise, she saw a tiny snake moving in her palms, who soon took on a human form. This tiny male human being prostrated to Gonika and asked her to accept him as her son. This she did and named him Patanjali because her hands had been in the prayerful gesture (anjali) and he had fallen (pat) from heaven.* Another incidence is said to have happened in Chidambaram (also known as Thillai ) located about a hundred miles from Madras. Chidambaram is considered to be one of the holiest temples in India. In this temple, Lord Nataraja is present in his cosmic-dancing form. The story goes that once in Darukavanam, Shiva wished to teach a lesson to the Rishis who were proud of their learning. Shiva took the form of a mendicant with a begging bowl in hand, accompanied by Vishnu disguised as Mohini. The rishipatnis (wives of the Rishis) were attracted by the sight of this beautiful pair. The Rishis grew angry and tried to destroy the pair. They performed a sacrificial fire and raised a tiger from the fire, which sprang at Shiva. Shiva pealed off the skin of the tiger and wrapped it round his waist. Then again the Rishis sent a poisonous serpent and Shiva tied it round his neck. Then the Rishis sent against Shiva an Apasmara Purusha, Muyalaka, whom Lord Shiva crushed by pressing him to the ground with his foot. At this, the Rishis confessed defeat and Shiva started to dance before all the Gods and Rishis. Lord Adishesha heard the description of Shiva’s dance at Darukavanam from Vishnu and requested Vishnu to allow him to witness the dance himself. Vishnu agreed to this. Adishesha performed penance and prayed to Shiva to allow him to see the dance. Being pleased with his penance, Shiva appeared to him and promised that he would dance at Tillai (Chidambaram). Accordingly, Adishesha was born as a human being, as Patanjali, and went to the forest of Tillai. At this time a certain sage, Vyaghrapada, also lived in this forest. Vyaghrapada was the son of Madhyandina Rishi who lived on the banks of the Ganga. He came to the South under the directions of his father and started praying to the Swayambhulinga under a banyan tree near a tank in this Tillai forest. He used to collect flowers for puja and he prayed for the boon of getting tiger’s feet and claws, so that he could easily climb up the trees and pluck plenty of flowers. He also prayed for the eyes of bees, so that he could collect the flowers before any bee could taste the honey in them. His prayer for these two blessings was granted, and since he had the feet of a tiger, he was called Vyaghrapada. Each constructed his own hermitage, Patanjali at Ananteeswaram and Vyaghrapada at Tirupuleeswaram in Chidambaram. They started worshipping Shiva in the form of the Swayambhulinga in Tillai forest. Days passed and when the time came for Shiva to give them Darshan, the guardian Goddess of the place, Kalika Devi, interfered and did not allow Shiva to give His Darshan. Shortly afterwards, Shiva and Devi agreed that they should participate in a dance contest and that the winner should have undisputed possession of Tillai. So the dance started. At one moment during the dance, the Lord’s earrings fell down, but the Lord took them up from the floor in such a way that nobody could notice the loss and the recovery. This dance is called Urdhva Tandavam in which Shiva defeated Kalika Devi. Now Nataraja performed the Ananda Tandavam, i.e. the Dance of Bliss, in the presence of Shivakamasundari and all the Gods and Rishis, and at the same time fulfilled the wish of the two devotees, Patanjali and Vyaghrapada, by allowing them to witness it and thus satisfying them. Another story tells that once upon a time Nandi, Shiva’s carrier, would not allow Patanjali Muni to have Darshan of Lord Shiva (Nataraja of Chidambaram). In order to reach Lord Shiva, Patanjali, with his mastery over grammatical forms, spontaneously composed a prayer in praise of the Lord without using any extended (Dirgha) syllable, (without Charana and Shringa) i.e. leg and horn, to tease Nandi. Shiva was quickly pleased, gave Darshan to the devotee and danced to the lilting tune of this song. These three short legends throw some light upon Patanjali and his greatness. Today unfortunately even Patanjali’s lineage does not appear to exist anymore. Patanjali’s life is obscure, with precise details about his place of birth, life and personality missing; this uncertainty however does not detract the great merit of the Patanjali Yoga-Sutras. It is the most condensed traditional outline of the yogic path and should be studied in depth by all serious students of Yoga. Yogacharya B.K.S Iyengar, who is definitely one of the greatest exponents of Patanjali Yoga Sutras, is responsible for shedding much light on the greatness of Patanjali and his writings. It is his great vision that brought to the forefront, the science of Patanjali Yoga Sutras and its benefit to our daily lives. atanjali, undoubtedly the greatest expounder of Yoga, lived sometime between 500 and 200 B.C. The life of Patanjali is an enigma to modern historians, and almost nothing is known about this great Master who epitomizes Yoga. It is only with the help of legends that one can draw inferences about him. Undoubtedly he was a great Yoga adept and was perhaps the head of a school in which “Swadhyaya”, study of the Self, was regarded as an important aspect of spiritual practice. Indian history is presumptive of several individuals by the name of Patanjali. Three of them were well-known; the first one being the famous grammarian who wrote the commentary on Panini’s Ashtadhyayi (the Mahabhashya) and compiled the Yoga Sutras, the classical text on Raja Yoga. The Mahabhashya symbolises the perfection of the discipline in grammar. The object of grammar is to supply rules for control of current speech (laukika) for the preservation of the integrity of the Vedas and the comprehension of proper meaning. The second person named Patanjali wrote the Nidana-Sutras, considered indispensable for the study of the Vedic ritual literature; while the third was a well-known teacher of Samkhya Philosophy. The above three people, in the historian’s view, happen to come from different time periods and are considered to be different personalities. The Indian Tradition however, differs in opinion strongly and advocates that the above different treatises were done by a single person and even further, attributes various medical treatises to him. In the Indian tradition, Patanjali is said to be self-born, swayambhu. He was a highly-evolved soul who incarnated of his own will in a human form to help humanity. He is also considered an incarnation of Ananta, the source of all wisdom (Jnana) and of Shesha, the thousand-headed ruler of the serpent race, which is thought to guard the hidden treasures of the earth. Ananta depicts a couch on which God Vishnu reclines. He is the Lord of serpents and his many heads symbolize Infinity or Omnipresence. Many yogis bow to Ananta before they begin their daily yogic practice. In one of the legends, it is said that Lord Vishnu was seated on Adishesha, the Lord of serpents as His couch, watching the enchanting dance of Lord Shiva. Lord Vishnu was so totally absorbed in the dance of Lord Shiva, that His body began to vibrate to its rhythm. This vibration made Him heavier and heavier, causing Adishesha to feel so uncomfortable that he was gasping for breath and was on the point of collapse. The moment the dance came to an end, Lord Vishnu’s body became light again. Adishesha was amazed and asked his master the cause of these stupendous changes. The Lord explained that the grace, beauty, majesty and grandeur of Lord Shiva’s dance had created corresponding vibrations in His own body, making it heavy. Marvelling at this, Adishesha professed a desire to learn dance so as to exalt his Lord. Vishnu then became thoughtful, and predicted that soon Lord Shiva would grace Adishesha to write a commentary on grammar, and that he would then also be able to devote himself to perfection in the art of dance. Adishesha was overjoyed by these words and looked forward to the descent of Lord Shiva’s grace. Adishesha then began to meditate to ascertain who would be his mother on earth. In meditation, he had the vision of a yogini by the name of Gonika who was praying for a worthy son to whom she could impart her knowledge and wisdom. He at once realized that she would be a worthy mother for him, and awaited an auspicious moment to become her son. Gonika, thinking that her earthly life was approaching its end, and that her desire of finding a worthy son would remain unfulfilled; now, as a last resort looked to the Sun God, the living witness of God on earth and prayed to Him to fulfil her desire. She took a handful of water as a final oblation to Him, closed her eyes and meditated on the Sun. As she was about to offer the water, she opened her eyes and looked at her palms. To her surprise, she saw a tiny snake moving in her palms, who soon took on a human form. This tiny male human being prostrated to Gonika and asked her to accept him as her son. This she did and named him Patanjali because her hands had been in the prayerful gesture (anjali) and he had fallen (pat) from heaven.* Another incidence is said to have happened in Chidambaram (also known as Thillai ) located about a hundred miles from Madras. Chidambaram is considered to be one of the holiest temples in India. In this temple, Lord Nataraja is present in his cosmic-dancing form. The story goes that once in Darukavanam, Shiva wished to teach a lesson to the Rishis who were proud of their learning. Shiva took the form of a mendicant with a begging bowl in hand, accompanied by Vishnu disguised as Mohini. The rishipatnis (wives of the Rishis) were attracted by the sight of this beautiful pair. The Rishis grew angry and tried to destroy the pair. They performed a sacrificial fire and raised a tiger from the fire, which sprang at Shiva. Shiva pealed off the skin of the tiger and wrapped it round his waist. Then again the Rishis sent a poisonous serpent and Shiva tied it round his neck. Then the Rishis sent against Shiva an Apasmara Purusha, Muyalaka, whom Lord Shiva crushed by pressing him to the ground with his foot. At this, the Rishis confessed defeat and Shiva started to dance before all the Gods and Rishis. Lord Adishesha heard the description of Shiva’s dance at Darukavanam from Vishnu and requested Vishnu to allow him to witness the dance himself. Vishnu agreed to this. Adishesha performed penance and prayed to Shiva to allow him to see the dance. Being pleased with his penance, Shiva appeared to him and promised that he would dance at Tillai (Chidambaram). Accordingly, Adishesha was born as a human being, as Patanjali, and went to the forest of Tillai. At this time a certain sage, Vyaghrapada, also lived in this forest. Vyaghrapada was the son of Madhyandina Rishi who lived on the banks of the Ganga. He came to the South under the directions of his father and started praying to the Swayambhulinga under a banyan tree near a tank in this Tillai forest. He used to collect flowers for puja and he prayed for the boon of getting tiger’s feet and claws, so that he could easily climb up the trees and pluck plenty of flowers. He also prayed for the eyes of bees, so that he could collect the flowers before any bee could taste the honey in them. His prayer for these two blessings was granted, and since he had the feet of a tiger, he was called Vyaghrapada. Each constructed his own hermitage, Patanjali at Ananteeswaram and Vyaghrapada at Tirupuleeswaram in Chidambaram. They started worshipping Shiva in the form of the Swayambhulinga in Tillai forest. Days passed and when the time came for Shiva to give them Darshan, the guardian Goddess of the place, Kalika Devi, interfered and did not allow Shiva to give His Darshan. Shortly afterwards, Shiva and Devi agreed that they should participate in a dance contest and that the winner should have undisputed possession of Tillai. So the dance started. At one moment during the dance, the Lord’s earrings fell down, but the Lord took them up from the floor in such a way that nobody could notice the loss and the recovery. This dance is called Urdhva Tandavam in which Shiva defeated Kalika Devi. Now Nataraja performed the Ananda Tandavam, i.e. the Dance of Bliss, in the presence of Shivakamasundari and all the Gods and Rishis, and at the same time fulfilled the wish of the two devotees, Patanjali and Vyaghrapada, by allowing them to witness it and thus satisfying them. Another story tells that once upon a time Nandi, Shiva’s carrier, would not allow Patanjali Muni to have Darshan of Lord Shiva (Nataraja of Chidambaram). In order to reach Lord Shiva, Patanjali, with his mastery over grammatical forms, spontaneously composed a prayer in praise of the Lord without using any extended (Dirgha) syllable, (without Charana and Shringa) i.e. leg and horn, to tease Nandi. Shiva was quickly pleased, gave Darshan to the devotee and danced to the lilting tune of this song. These three short legends throw some light upon Patanjali and his greatness. Today unfortunately even Patanjali’s lineage does not appear to exist anymore. Patanjali’s life is obscure, with precise details about his place of birth, life and personality missing; this uncertainty however does not detract the great merit of the Patanjali Yoga-Sutras. It is the most condensed traditional outline of the yogic path and should be studied in depth by all serious students of Yoga. Yogacharya B.K.S Iyengar, who is definitely one of the greatest exponents of Patanjali Yoga Sutras, is responsible for shedding much light on the greatness of Patanjali and his writings. It is his great vision that brought to the forefront, the science of Patanjali Yoga Sutras and its benefit to our daily lives.

Here is the original post:
Rishi Patanjali

Ganga Sagar Mela

adam — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:12:00 +0000

Legend has it that, before joining the sea, the Ganga watered the mortal remains of King Sagar’s 60000 sons liberating their souls once and forever. It was standing on the Sagar Island that the mythical Kapil Muni condoned th sins of the sons of King Sagar who had dared to stop the horse blessed at Lord Indra’s Aswamedha Yagna and tied it to a post near his temple. It is this legend that attracts people to this little island in a remote southern corner of West Bengal. The Ganga Sagar mela (fair) is the largest annual assemblage of devotees in India. The greatness of the mela can be assessed from the fact that over a million pilgrims come from far-flung corners of India and beyond, speaking different languages and belonging to diverse castes and creeds, for a sacred dip at this holy confluence. For this, no invitation is given. No propaganda is carried out and overall no authority exists for carrying out the mela. It is indeed a tough journey. A few days in packed buses and trains bring the pilgrims to Calcutta. From there, again a long bus journey to ferry ghats or jetty in Sunderbans area, followed by crossing the tidal river stretching for miles across. The last leg involves either walking or traveling by a local bus upto 30 kilometres depending on the location of embarkation point. The journey can be tiring but religious fervour of the pilgrims overcomes all hardships. Kapil Muni ki jai, Kapil Muni ki jai, (Hail Kapil Muni), the din rises above the grinding motors of the launches ferrying the pilgrims across the Ganga and the countless buses plying between Calcutta and Namkhana. The problem of traveling doesn’t deter even the weak and vulnerable. Old people in their eighties, and village women carrying babies and little children in tow are a common sight. The never ending stream of pilgrims keeps pouring in throughout the day and night before the auspicious day and occupies any available space on the sandy beach. They move about the place in groups, many displaying saffron and red flags, identifying the religious Akhara (group) they belong to as well as acting as beacon to the members who stray out of the group. People walks to the sound of the bells, blowing conch shells and chanting prayers. Strains of devotional songs can be heard from far and near. And, the ceaseless din of loudspeakers. An array of shops, stacked with heaps of vermilion, rudraksha, colourful beads, conch shells line the pathways. Many a visitor stands wide-eyed before the shops selling everything from food stuff, household utensils to remote controlled toys. People crowd around the naga sadhus (naked ascetics) without whom the Ganga Sagar mela is incomplete. Sitting naked in little huts near the temple and enjoying a chillum of ganja, (cannabis) they are also the target of tourists’ camera. While devotees jostle in front of numerous temporary shrines of Hindu deities to pay homage, Kapil Muni’s temple remains the chief attraction. The temple of Kapil Muni, as we see it today, is by no means the spot where the sage meditated. It went under the sea millennium ago followed by the many others built in its place, which subsequently was also swallowed, by the advancing sea. The present one was built only a few decades ago, quite a bit away from the sea. The tall dome of the temple is visible from a distance. In the temple, three images engraved in stone are displayed, the one in the middle is that of Kapil Muni. The sage is seen in a jogasana; his eyes wide open, looking towards the sea with millions of devotees before him. The idols of Ganga and King Sagar flank Kapil Muni and the horse of the sacrificial yagna stands at a distance. The typical Ganga Sagar pilgrim is a country rustic, generally elderly, hardy, remarkably disciplined and fervent in his devotion. His dhoti seldom going below his knees, a cloth bound packet, containing everything needed for survival, on his head. And, of course, his women – heavily tattooed and clad in colourful saris. As the night, pregnant with the auspicious moment, descends, all wait for the precise hour to take the dip. The sandy track to the water’s edge is crowded with people who sit around fires before proceeding for the bath, chanting devotional songs and prayers. The seaside presents a spectacle in the darkness before dawn with the large bonfire lit by the bathers to keep off the cold. At midnight, the high tide drives the pilgrims back. The biting cold wind of mid – January from across the sea lashes the bare body. But there is a confidence on their faces and a kind of fire in their eyes. The confidence in God and the fire of earnest faith makes them brave the chill. The stars in the sky have quite a long time to fade when the moment of truth comes. As soon as the priest announces, the auspicious pre-dawn hour, the crowds surge forward to meet the tide with a loud chorus Kapil Muni ki jai and plunge into the sea. Suddenly the place is charged with the extraordinary power of the believers. After taking their holy dips, the shivering devotees trudge the one kilometre expanse leading to the brightly lit temple of Kapil Muni, where prayers were performed. Coconuts, flowers, vermilion, sweets, and money are offered to the image of the ancient sage. The bustle of activity continues for quite sometime in the morning as the pilgrims perform a series of rituals including the symbolic godan to Brahmins. A calf is symbolically handed over to the Brahmin priest by the devotee. Many perform the symbolic crossing of the river of blood, baitarani to attain moksha or transcendation. It is interesting to observe the people, clutching the tail of a cow and wading through a puddle a few paces. Many people shave their heads and perform the last rites of departed relatives. A number of marriages are solemnized on the beach during the day. Also, many local girls get married to the sea. This will ensure that theoretically they never become widows, even if their menfolk, braving the rough sea and tiger infested jungle for a living, die. It is no wonder that for many tourists from abroad, like though French couple I met, Sagar mela is something more than a mammoth religious congregation. They have visited the mela twice and found “something which has disappeared from France and Europe at least half a century ago”. Naturally this large an affair leads to some confusion. People get lost. The public address system works overtime as relatives try to trace those they have lost. But the majority of the pilgrims take it easy. After the rituals are complete, they dry their clothes and hair, cook their food on open fires, eat and rest. Happy, contented and smiling, having made the pilgrimage. The Ganga Sagar mela continues to throb with life, with the energy of millions of pilgrims. The pilgrimage may be extremely tough, but the pilgrims know that the visit will purify their souls. The visit fulfils their lifelong desire and often one can see tears of joy rolling down their cheeks. That is the magic of religion. A solar month is divided into 30 or 31 days and each is known as gate. A solar year has two halves of six months each known as ayana. The Northern declination of the sun when it appears to move between the constellations Capricorn and Gemini is called Uttarayan. This corresponds to the movement of the sun from the Tropic of Capricorn northwards towards the Tropic of Cancer. Uttarayan starts on the day of Makar Sankrant (14 Jan). The Southern declination of the sun when it appears to move between the constellations Cancer and Sagittarus is called Dakshinayan. This corresponds to the movement of the sun from the Tropic of Cancer southwards towards the Tropic of Capricorn. Dakshinayan starts on the day of Kark Sankrant (16 July).

Continued here:
Ganga Sagar Mela