Our scriptures clearly point out that the primary goal of human life is spiritual fulfillment which is known as by different names: ‘moksha’, ‘Iswara prapthi’, etc. The other goals that we pursue, i.e. material goals like procuring food for ourselves and our family are only subsidiary or secondary. Even animals strive to accomplish this. They procure food and even train their young ones to do so. Therefore procuring food, finding shelter, raising a family and earning more money is not the goal of human existence. No doubt we can pursue these goals but keeping in mind that they are only secondary. Spiritual accomplishment is the top priority. But since we do not know this, we have to be told by the scriptures. Not only do the scriptures have to tell us, they have to repeat it because even if we are aware of the spiritual goal, we do not have the time and keep postponing the spiritual pursuit. In a well known verse in Bhaja Govindam, Sankara says the child is lost in play, the youth is consumed by passion, the old man is immersed in his sorrows, alas, there is none who yearns to realise the spiritual truth. When we are young, we think it is too early to start spirituality. By the time we are old, our mind is full of worries and our faculties are very weak. Throughout our life, we are preoccupied with something or the other that we forget the spiritual goal. It is for this reason that scriptures prescribe so many festivals and ‘vratams’, to constantly remind us that spirituality is our primary goal. Festivals are of two types: those that are primarily for enjoyment such as Deepavali where we buy new clothes and ornaments, visit friends, etc. and those that do not engender enjoyment (vratams) but remind us of the spiritual goal. Sivarathri is not for enjoyment but withdrawing and asking the question ‘What am I doing?’. Under the varnashrama system, as one progresses from grihasta to vanaprasta to sanyasa, the material pursuit should become lesser and lesser and the spiritual pursuit should become more and more. The time that we spend qualitatively and quantitatively must gradually change more for spirituality and less for material ends. Ultimately in the sanyasa ashrama, one hundred percent of the time is devoted for spirituality. So we must periodically ask the question ‘Is there a change in how I spend my time?’ Vratams emphasize two types of practices: ‘upavasa’ and ’sath katha shravanam’. Upavasa means fasting. We give up not only food but all types of enjoyment. Upavasa is also a prayaschitam. It purifies not only the body but also the mind. Sath katha shravanam means listening to the scriptures. We are expected to follow these two practices on every ‘ekadasi’. If our health does not permit us, instead of practising ’shuddha upavaasa’ (total fasting), we can confine ourselves to consuming a simple meal. Even if this is difficult, we can fast once a year, on ‘Vaikunta Ekadasi’ or ‘Sivarathri’. Listening to the scriptures will remind us of the spiritual goal. Sankara says ‘You may have a lot of wealth, a kingdom, wife and children, a palatial house, many vehicles, friends. What is the use of all these? They are all perishable. Even if they are not, you are. Why are you spending your time on something that is ephemeral? Take only the minimum (material possessions) and focus on the higher. Worship Lord Siva for the sake of moksha and take the help of a sathguru. Then real happiness is possible without relying on material comforts’. Sankara emphasizes ‘Don’t postpone. Everyday you are growing older and older and you are assuming you are going to live a hundred years. Start today’. Sivarathri is a very important function that reminds us of the spiritual goal. On this occasion we think of Siva and chant ‘Rudram’ 11 or 121 times. Chanting Rudram is very auspicious. It will remove all our ‘papam’. Having removed all papam, we start the study of the scriptures, a very important part of ’sadhana’. And for this we must allot some time regularly, about half an hour or an hour every day. Today the study of scriptures is made easy by the availability of a wide range of books and cassettes. Also, many TV channels telecast ‘upanyasams’. If we find scriptures like the ‘Upanishads’ a little intimidating, we can take up a simpler text such as ‘Bhagavatam’, ‘Ramayanam’ or ‘Mahabharatam’. The study of scriptures will give us knowledge. On this auspicious occasion of Sivarathri, let us examine the meaning of the ‘dhyana slokas’ for ‘Rudram’ that are expressed in a few verses. All dhyana slokas contain certain peculiarities. The Lord is described in three different forms and this indirectly reveals Vedic teaching. First, God is described as a person. In the initial stages of the spiritual pursuit, a person can appreciate God only as a person because an abstract God is difficult to comprehend. Siva, Parvathi, Ganesha, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Saraswathi are examples of God with a particular form. This is called ‘ekaroopa Iswara’. Secondly, the Lord is not with one form but is all forms. This includes not only God-forms (Siva, Vishnu, etc.) but all other forms including humans, animals, plants and even inert objects. This is called ‘vishwaroopa Iswara’ or ‘anekaroopa Iswara’ and indirectly suggests that we should expand our mind to see the Lord in all forms. It is not uncommon to come across a staunch Saivite who will not go to Vishnu temples or a staunch Vaisnavite who will refuse to accept ‘vibhudi’. Not only must we strive to see the Lord in all Hindu God-forms but also in Islam God-form, Christian God-form, etc. Thirdly God is formless. God is the absolute, infinite reality and is called ‘aroopa Iswara’. The Lord is like pure crystal known for clarity and purity. The dhyana slokas describe Lord Siva as having three eyes. Two are regular eyes and the third is the ‘gnana chakshu’. Siva has five heads that represent shristi, sthiti, laya, nigraha and anugraha, the five-fold functions of the Lord. ‘Gangadevi’ flows out of His head that is adorned with a variety of ornaments. The digit of the moon and a snake also grace His head. Siva is the blue-necked one because He has taken poison. His dress is a tiger skin. He gives shelter to one and all. He holds a ‘kamandalam’ and a ‘mala’ in His hand for doing ‘japa’ and ’shoolam’ (spear). He has ‘jata’ (matted locks) and water within. Siva is described both as a ‘bhogaswami’ meaning the Lord of enjoyment (when He puts on all ornaments) and ‘yogaswami’ meaning the Lord of renunciation (when He renounces everything and is committed only to meditation). Siva plays both roles – ‘grihasta’ (when He is with Uma) and ’sanyasi’. We can worship Siva in either form. These two represent ‘pravrithi marga’ and ‘nivrithi marga’ respectively. Siva is soaked in ‘amritam’. This represents immortality. He sits on a throne and is surrounded by ‘digdevathas’. Siva is worshipped by both ‘devas’ and ‘asuras’ because He gives all boons. This is a description of Siva in the ‘ekaroopa’ form. In the ‘vishwaroopa’ form, Lord Siva is not a person sitting in ‘Kailasa’. He is in Kailasa also, He is in ‘bhoolaka’ also. The dhyana slokas describe formless Siva as ‘aksharam’ (imperishable), ‘nityam’ (eternal), ’suddham’ (absolute), ‘avyayam’ (changeless). All these words indicate Siva is ‘nirguna Brahma swaroopa’. Siva is free from all kinds of ‘gunas’ or properties (From the standpoint of Vedanta, guna is a dosha). So on Sivarathri, according to our temperament, we can worship Siva as a person, as ‘vishwaroopa’ or as ‘nirguna’ and we must continue this practice regularly.
Significance of Holi In spite of being such a colourful and gay festival, there are various aspects of Holi which makes it so significant for our lives. Though they might not be so apparent but a closer look and a little thought will reveal the significance of Holi in more ways than meets the eyes. Ranging from socio-cultural, religious to biological there is every reason why we must heartily enjoy the festival and cherish the reasons for its celebrations. So when, its time for Holi, please don’t hold yourself back and enjoy the festival to the hilt by participating with full enthusiasm in every small tradition related to the festival. Mythological Significance Holi gets us close to our religion and our mythology as it is essentially the celebration of various legends associated with the festival. Foremost is the legend of Prahlad and Hiranyakshyap. The legend says there once lived a devil and powerful king, Hiranyakshyap who considered himself a god and wanted everybody to worship him. To his great ire, his son, Prahlad began to worship, Lord Vishnu. To get rid of his son, Hiranyakshyap asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap, as she had a boon to enter fire unscathed. Legend has it that Prahlad was saved for his extreme devotion for the lord while Holika paid a price for her sinister desire. The tradition of burning Holika or the ‘Holika dahan’ comes mainly from this legend. Holi also celebrates the legend of Radha and Krishna which describes the extreme delight, Krishna took in applying colour on Radha and other gopis. This prank of Krishna later, became a trend and a part of the Holi festivities. Mythology also states that Holi is the celebration of death of Ogress Pootana who tried to kill infant, Krishna by feeding poisonous milk to it. Another legend of Holi which is extremely popular in Southern India is that of Lord Shiva and Kaamadeva. According to the legend, people in south celebrate the sacrifice of Lord of Passion Kaamadeva who risked his life to revoke Lord Shiva from meditation and save the world. Also, popular is the legend of Ogress Dhundhi who used to trouble children in the kingdom of Raghu and was ultimately chased away by the pranks of the children on the day of Holi. Showing their belief in the legend, children till date play pranks and hurl abuses at the time of Holika Dahan. Cultural Significance Celebration of the various legends associated with Holi reassure the people of the power of the truth as the moral of all these legends is the ultimate victory of good over evil. The legend of Hiranyakashyap and Prahlad also points to the fact that extreme devotion to god pays as god always takes his true devotee in his shelter. All these legends help the people to follow a good conduct in their lives and believe in the virtue of being truthful. This is extremely important in the modern day society when so many people resort to evil practices for small gains and torture one who is honest. Holi helps the people to believe in the virtue of being truthful and honest and also to fight away the evil. Besides, holi is celebrated at a time of the year when the fields are in full bloom and people are expecting a good harvest. This gives a people a good reason to rejoice, make merry and submerge themselves in the spirit of Holi. Social Significance Holi helps to bring the society together and strengthen the secular fabric of our country. For, the festival is celebrated by non-Hindus also as everybody like to be a part of such a colouful and joyous festival. Also, the tradition of the Holi is that even the enemies turn friends on Holi and forget any feeling of hardship that may be present. Besides, on this day people do not differentiate between the rich and poor and everybody celebrate the festival together with a spirit of bonhomie and brotherhood. In the evening people visit friends and relatives and exchange gifts, sweets and greetings. This helps in revatalising relationships and strengthening emotional bonds between people. Biological Significance It is interesting to note that the festival of Holi is significant for our lives and body in many other ways than providing joy and fun. We also need to thank our forefathers who started the trend of celebrating Holi at such a scientifically accurate time. And, also for incorporating so much fun in the festival. As Holi comes at a time of the year when people have a tendency to feel sleepy and lazy. This is natural for the body to experiences some tardiness due to the change from the cold to the heat in the atmosphere. To counteract this tardiness of the body, people sing loudly or even speak loudly. Their movements are brisk and their music is loud. All of this helps to rejuvenate the system of the human body. Besides, the colours when sprayed on the body have a great impact on it. Biologists believe the liquid dye or Abeer penetrates the body and enters into the pores. It has the effect of strengthening the ions in the body and adds health and beauty to it. There is yet another scientific reason for celebrating the Holi, this however pertains to the tradition of Holika Dahan. The mutation period of winter and spring, induces the growth of bacteria in the atmosphere as well as in the body. When Holika is burnt, temperature rises to about 145 degrees Fahrenhiet. Following the tradition when people perform Parikrima (circumambulation or going around) around the fire, the heat from the fire kills the bacteria in the body thus, cleansing it. The way Holi is celebrated in south, the festival also promotes good health. For, the day after the burning of Holika people put ash (Vibhuti) on their forehead and they would mix Chandan (sandalpaste) with the young leaves and flowers of the Mango tree and consume it to promote good health. Some also believe that play with colours help to promote good health as colours are said to have great impact on our body and our health. Western-Physicians and doctors believe that for a healthy body, colours too have an important place besides the other vital elements. Deficiency of a particular colour in our body causes ailment, which can be cured only after supplementing the body with that particular colour. People also clean-up their houses on Holi which helps in clearing up the dust and mess in the house and get rid of mosquitoes and others pests. A clean house generally makes the residents feel good and generate positive energies.
By R.V.Smith Courtesy The Hindu Not many know about the history behind the Kunti Devi temple in Purana Quila, said to be built by the mother of the Pandavas The Purana Quila has many secrets hidden in it, among them the Talaqi Darwaza and the Kunti Devi temple. The latter is said to have been built by the mother of the five Pandavas and is dedicated to Shiva and Durga. Hence, it is also known as Shiv-Durga Mandir. History books are mainly silent on this little temple, which was renovated in 1915 by Pandit Ghasiram Bhardwaj, the 108th Mahant of his sect. Even now the mandir is being looked after by his heirs, under whose possession also come the adjoining dharamshala, platform, garden and surrounding land, as stated in the inscription displayed outside the temple. Few visitors to the old fort are attracted to this place, which should originally date back to 1000 B.C., more than 1,500 years older than the fort built as Dinpanah by Humayun and later built upon by Sher Shah Suri, who ousted the second Moghul emperor barely 10 years after his reign. Sher Shah ruled for only five years and then his son Salim Shah came to the throne, after which Humayun, who had taken refuge in Persia, came back and recaptured his kingdom. But he ruled for less than a year before falling to his death from the Sher Mandal inside the fort. A group of people, including students and their parents, who were taken for a walk in the fort last week by heritage activist Surekha Narain, stumbled upon the Kunti Devi Mandir by chance and were fascinated by it. Excavations in the Purana Quila have unearthed black polished ware and painted gray ware, the former dating back to 300 B.C., which strengthens the belief that the site now occupied by the fort was probably part of the Indraprastha built by Yudhistar, with its ‘fairy gates’. Coins dating back to the Gupta and pre-Gupta periods have also been unearthed. The Imperial Guptas reigned from 319 to 495 A.D. and the fact that they had control over this area long before the Delhi Sultanate came into existence is proof that their kingdom included Delhi and the areas north of it – Punjab, Kashmir and perhaps parts of Afghanistan too. As a matter of fact, it is believed that Maharani Kunti’s sister-in-law Gandhari, wife of the head of the Kauravas, Dhritrashtra, got her name from her native place Ghanadar, as Kandahar was once known. So Kunti Devi’s temple is of some significance. As intriguing as this temple is the Talaqi Darwaza or Forbidden Gate, which has a mural of a man fighting a lion. Why this gate was considered forbidden is not known but there were probably some secrets lying locked beyond it as it happened to be the northern gate of the fort and perhaps full of telltale ruins of the Mahabharata days and women in bondage, of which orthodox Sultans did not want their subjects to know about. The Bhairon Mandir, outside the northern wall of the Purana Quila, is also said to date back to the Pandava times and is closely associated with the strongest of them, Bhimsen. Incidentally, the Purana Qila had 1,900 people living in it in village-type huts. They were evicted in 1913 when proper maintenance of the fort began. During the partition days of 1947 refugees from the Walled City of Delhi were camped there by Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (Union Minister for Health) and after their departure the ones from Punjab and Sindh found refuge in it. Sounds amazing that a medieval fort became a sanctuary for 20th century refugees. Surekha Narain, who has led walks to Ghalib’s haveli, the First War of Independence monuments on the Ridge and other places, made the students accompanying her visit the fort museum and attempt a quiz on the objects it contained. The Kunti temple and Talaqi Darwaza, with which Lutyens aligned the Central Vista of New Delhi, were also part of the questionnaire. Heritage walks are proving to be a novel way of rediscovering the history of the Capital.
© Yashoda.info. Manu Dawson doing his Sadhana at the Bahamas Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on the beach plattform facing the ocean. To check out the Ashram´s various acticities go www.sivanandabahamas.org … Yoga Bahamas Sivananda Asanas health fitness
AKSHAYA PATRA RAISES $750,000 AT ANNUAL BENEFIT GALA Boston– The Akshaya Patra Foundation hosted a successful benefit gala on Sunday, September 21 at the Westin Hotel in Waltham. The sold out event attracted over 400 community leaders from diverse professions. For some it was their first introduction to Akshaya Patra. The gala featured speeches from the Guest of Honor, Narayana Murthy, Chairman, Infosys and Congressman Jim McGovern, D-MA, Co-chair, Congressional Hunger Center and an honorary member of the Akshaya Patra Advisory Board. Akshaya Patra raised $750,000 that will help provide mid day meals to underprivileged school children in India. The pledges made during the evening were matched dollar for dollar by Jaishree and Desh Deshpande and two dollars for every dollar pledged by Sudha and Narayana Murthy. Akshaya Patra USA’s board chair, Desh Deshpande, in his opening remarks outlined the twin purpose of the gala, to celebrate the successes of Akshaya Patra and to honor the guest of honor Narayana Murthy, recipient of Padma Vibhushan and an icon in the Indian community. Congressman McGovern, an authority on international midday meal programs lauded Akshaya Patra as a global model of efficiency and sustainability. He said Akshaya Patra Foundation provides a model for the rest of the world to follow. Gene White, President, Global Child Nutrition Foundation, congratulated Akshaya Patra and shared Congressman McGovern’s sentiment, “We look to the future when hunger will no longer be a barrier to the health and education of the world’s children, and we are confident that Akshaya Patra will lead the way to achieve this.” Murthy in his keynote address shared some chilling statistics on hunger and poverty and set the stage for why it is important to support Akshaya Patra with a proven track record and demonstrated impact. He discussed how far India has come over the last 50 years, but how far it has yet to go and how Akshaya Patra is addressing two critical challenges facing India – poverty and educational issues facing India today. His inspiring and energizing remarks were followed by a short movie that highlighted the Akshaya Patra’s centralized kitchens, hallmark of the program that beckons imagination. “The event was an opportunity to honor Murthy who has given the global world a blueprint for leadership and for never shrinking from giving back to the society,” said MadhuSridha, President r of Akshaya Patra. “The evening brought together those committed to Akshaya Patra and those just being introduced to the cause. There was contagious enthusiasm, positive energy and strong commitment to address the challenge facing the next generation. “ The Akshaya Patra Foundation is the world’s largest NGO run midday meal program that feeds over 960,000 underprivileged children daily in over 5,700 schools in six states in India. Akshaya Patra is a public-private partnership that combines good management, innovative technology and smart engineering to deliver school lunch at a fraction of the cost of similar programs in other parts of the world. It costs $28 to feed a child daily for the entire year. For many of the children this is their only complete meal for the day. This gives them an incentive to come to school, stay in school and provides them with the necessary nutrients they need to develop their cognitive abilities to focus on learning. Through kitchens specially designed by engineers to leverage technology and sourcing its food stocks from local markets, Akshaya Patra is able to reduce costs associated with transportation and food spoilage while supporting the local economy. In a short time, the foundation has grown to become the largest, and certainly most innovative, school lunch program in the world. Akshaya Patra is a great example of what a non-profit organization can achieve– a cost effective, scalable solution with high quality service delivery. The above article which appeared as news release on 10/07/2008, the same is dedicated to Sri Narayanamurthy.
