Swami Swaroopananda, Director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat shares the story of Swami Vishnu-devananda and his mother in relation to a question asked about the relationship between the spiritual aspirant and his family.
Pnduranga Vittala & Temple above Bhajan is a Hindu devotional song often known as Kirtan. It is of ancient origin and sung with utmost devotion to God. Bha in the word Bhajan means that which is bhaavyam (sacred or holy), that Atma Tatwa (Principle of Atma) which is divyam (self-effulgent). The letters Ja in the word bhajan connotes japa (chanting of the Lord’s name). Bhajan literally means chanting the sacred name of Lord with utmost devotion. This act of singing with devotion makes one feel closer to true self (atma or jeeva) or to God (Brahma or Ishwara). In other words, Rasanam Lakshanam Bhajanam, acts which are performed for the purpose of pleasing God also known as Bhajans. Such devotional form of singing is heavenly to human ears and truly divine. Bhajans have been deep rooted in Indian tradition than anything else. They are simple soulful songs expressing undying love for God, a complete submission to Him through singing. This is one of the constituents of Bhakti for Haridasa to acquire the highest level in devotion (The other being Faith). These songs can be for a single God/Goddess, or any number of divinities, sometimes featuring several names and aspects of the chosen deity (esp in case of Ashtottarams and Sahasranamas). The music based on ragas and talas of Indian Classical Music played on Veena, Sarangi Venu (Flute), Mridanga (Tabla) or any traditional Indian instrument. The Sikh Scripture, however, contains 31 ragas and 17 talas which form the basis for Bhajan (Kirtan) music compositions. Bhajans can be seen in as old as Sama Veda, third Veda in Hindu scriptures. They have a very easy flow and their colloquial renderings differentiate them from the Shlokas (which for most people are much difficult to utter). They usually are sung in group by devotees, with one or more lead singers. The theme for a Bhajan is based on lives of Gods, their preachings, preachings of saints, glories of Gods and descriptions. Tunes are often fixed and words and phrases are repeated through out the bhajan. Bhajans have come a long way from when they were introduced first in Sama Veda. Types of Bhajans: Bhajans are typically classified into the following. There is no basic criteria for definign these types, but just the way they have been either formed or sung or who sang them. 1) Suprabhata Bhajans: Bhajans that are sung in the praise of Lord early morning to wakeup the Lord. Suprabhatam for Sri Ramakrishna,Sri Panduranga at pandharpur,Sri Kashi Visshwanath etc. are some good examples for Suprabhata Bhajan. 2) Avarohana Bhajans: Bhajans that are song in a descending order of the swaras (notes) in the early morning come under this category. Bhajagovindam sung in praise of Lord Venkateshwara is one good example for such Bhajans. 3) Aarohana Bhajans: Bhajans sung in ascending order of swaras (or notes) mostly during the evening or close to night are placed under this category. Shej Arathi sung for Shirdi Saibaba is a good example for Aarohana Bhajan. 4) Haridas Kitran: A well-known bhajan form is Haridas Kirtan where the bhajans are story-lined and revolve around the Gods and Godesses. 5) Sampradaya Bhajans: Also known as Dakshina Bharatha Sampradaya Bhajana is famous mainly in South India. Its a collection of Keertanas and Namavalis in a specific order which was evolved mainly by Sri Marudhanallur Sadguru Swamigal, Sri Pudukottai Gopala Krishna Bhagavathar, the trinity gurus for Sampradaya Bhajans. Sringeri Bhajans: A form of bhajan popularly known as Jyothirbhan is another form of Bhajan which has been uplifted from past 50 years by Sr. R. V. Krishnabhat in Bangalore. These bhajans have a flavor of classical raga and touch of tala perfection. They also have a mix of modern bhajans, kirtans and traditional bhajans. 6) Shyama Sangeet/Kali Kirtan: Shyama Sangeet is a genre of Bengali devotional songs dedicated to the Mother Shyama or Kali. It is also known as Shaktagiti. Shyama Sangeet appeals to the common man because it is a musical representation of the relationship of eternal and sublime love and care between the mother and her child. It is free of the common rituals of worship and also the esoteric practice of the Tantra.In modern times both Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam have composed poems of Shyama Sangeet genre. The term ‘Shyama’ refers to the skin color of Kali (usually depicted in black or deep blue.) Literally, it means dusky (or wheatish). Shyamasangeet can be divided into two streams: devotional or metaphysical and Umasangit, Agamani or Vijaya songs. The first category of songs is inspired by devotion and spiritual thoughts. The second category which is based on themes of daily family matters or social events, is known as Padavali, Umasangit, Agamani or Vijaya songs. Shyama Sangeet conceptualizes Goddess Kali as a loving human mother and the singer is longing for The Mother’s love. The songs have become popular not only for it’s devotional side, but also for it’s human appeal. The theme and occasion of Āgāmanī and Vijayā songs are as follows. Umā or Gaurī, daughter of Himālaya and Menakā, was married to Śiva, the Lord of Kailāsa. The Goddess Durga comes to see her parents from her in laws every year. The goddess is portrayed here as an ordinary girl living far away from her mother and feels joyous to come back home after a long stay at her in laws’ place. These songs too are highly popular because of their human appeal and as they are easily identifiable with any married girl living far away from their parents.
KOJAGARI PUJA Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped today, the Sharat poornima day, the full moon day of autumn. Mother Lakshmi visits the houses of those who are awake late in the night and blesses them. She comes asking,”Ko Jagrati – who is awake?”and that is why the puja is known as “Kojagari puja”. This puja is widely performed in Bengal and in all branch centres of Ramakrishna Math. In the life of Chandramani devi, mother of Sri Ramakrishna we have an incident relating to this puja. That happened before the birth of Sri Sri Thakur. Once, Ramkumar, the eldest son of Chandramani, went to perform this Kojagari puja in a neighbouring village Bhursuo as a priest in a house. It was very late night and as he didn’t return, Chandramani came out of the house and was waiting for his return. Then a small girl with many ornaments came from the direction of the village. Chandramani asked her,’ Did you see my son, he has gone to that village for doing today’s puja? The child replied,” Yes mother, I am coming from that very house where your son has done the puja and he is also coming.” Then Chandramani invited the girl to her house,” In this dead of night, where are you going alone with these precious ornaments? Stay in my house night and leave in the morning?” The girl replied,” No, no, this time I will not be able to stay. I have to go different places. I shall come next time.” Saying so she went towards the house of Lahas. Chandramani seeing from the distance that the girl was not going in the regular path, chased her to guide her the right path but the girl soon disappeared. Then Chandramani realised it was “Mother Lakshmi Herself who had come in the form of young girl.” Returning home she narrated the incident to her husband Kshudiram and later her son Ramkumar and they also had confirmed it was Mother Lakshmi Herself. “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is filled with His oft repeated teaching that one should should be free from greed and lust. He Himself practised the sadhana of taking earth in one hand and a coin on the other and threw them both in the Ganga water so as to mentally imbibe the idea that both the things are of the same. When his chosen disciple tested Him by placing a coin beneath his bed, He sprang up as if stung by a scorpion. Then why this worship of Goddess of wealth? Goddess Lakshmi is the mother of all wealth. Scriptures allow men to have 4 types of wealth, viz. the wealth of dharma, the wealth of sensory pleasures, the wealth of pleasures of flesh and the spiritual wealth. But unfortunately, we identify Goddess Mother with 2nd and 3rd wealth (artha and kama) only and pray Her for those 2 types of wealth. Sometimes men resort to unrighteous means to have those 2 types of wealth though the scriptures permit only through dharmic means. But many do not know that Goddess Lakshmi is also the Mother of the wealth of spiritual knowledge. In fact the vehicle of Mother Lakshmi denotes the same. Owl is the carrier vehicle of Mother. Owl is seen as an ugly bird, known as partially blind and considered as inauspicious. But why the Mother who is beauty personified selected that bird as Her vehicle? Is it to indicate that man if he chooses only those two types of wealth, it will drain away all his physical and mental energies and he will look ugly, fit for nothing either of this world or the other? Is it to teach the man that those pleasures that are enjoyed in darkness will lead man to darkness only and he will be blind to the light of knowledge? Is it to warn him that if he is confining himself only to those dark room pleasures then inauspicious future moments are awaiting him? We shall have to think for a while as to the answers. In case if we choose to pray Mother to bestow Her spiritual wealth, then how to view the owl? In such cases, does Mother wishes to say that Her vehicle Owl is the symbolic message of Gita sloka no.69 of 2nd chapter, wherein Lord Krishna says the quality of a man of steady wisdom. The sloka says that for a man of steady wisdom, that which is darkness of night for men of ignorance, for a man of steady wisdom it will be daylight and that hectic day time wherein men exert for wealth for senses will be night for a man of knowledge? Choice is ours to pray the Mother either for the secular wealth or for the spiritual.
Kali Puja “My child, you need not know much in order to please Me. Only Love Me dearly. Speak to me, as you would talk to your mother, if she had taken you in her arms.” Maa Kali is the fearful and ferocious form of the mother goddess Durga. She assumed the form of a powerful goddess and became popular with the composition of the Devi Mahatmya , a text of the 5th – 6th century AD. Here she is depicted as having born from the brow of Goddess Durga during one of her battles with the evil forces. As the legend goes, in the battle, Kali was so much involved in the killing spree that she got carried away and began destroying everything in sight. To stop her, Lord Shiva threw himself under her feet. Shocked at this sight, Kali stuck out her tongue in astonishment, and put an end to her homicidal rampage. Hence the common image of Kali shows her in her mêlée mood, standing with one foot on Shiva’s chest, with her enormous tongue stuck out. Kali Puja is done to diminish the ego and all negative tendencies that hinder spiritual progress and material prosperity. Performed on the night of Kartik Amavasya , which falls in October/November, Kali Puja is an intense invocation to the fearsome goddess. The main purpose of the puja is to seek the help of the goddess in destroying evil – both in the outside world and within us. The legend goes that long ago the demons, Shambhu and Nishambhu, disturbed the peace of Indra, the king of gods, and his empire (heaven). After extensive and endless battles, the gods lost all hope and the demons became stronger. The gods took refuge in the Himalayas, the holy mountains, the home of Lord Shiva and Parvati. The shaken gods sought protection from Mahamaya Durga , the goddess of Shakti. Kali was born from Durga’s forehead as Kal Bhoi Nashini , created to save heaven and earth from the growing cruelty of the demons. Along with Dakini and Jogini , her two escorts, she set on her way to end the war and kill the devils. There was chaos all around. After slaughtering the demons, Kali made a garland of their heads and wore it around her neck. In the bloodbath, she lost control and started killing anyone who came her way. The gods started running for their lives. The only source of protection seemed Lord Shiva, Durga’s consort. Seeing the endless slaughter, Shiva devised a plan to save the world. He lay down in the path of the rampaging Kali. When the goddess unknowingly stepped on him, she regained her senses. The well-known picture of Ma Kali, with her tongue hanging out, actually depicts the moment when she steps on the Lord and repents. That momentous day is celebrated ever since. Kali, also called Shyama Kali , is the first of the 10 avatars (incarnations) of Durga. Kali Puja is performed essentially to seek protection against drought and war, for general happiness, health, wealth, and peace. It is a tantrik puja and performed only at midnight on Amavasya (new moon night) in November. Best Wishes For A Happy Deepawali to All the Readers.May GOD bless us with Prosperity All Around.
J.Robert Oppenheimer Albert Einstein J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967) American nuclear physicist “If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One. . . . Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.“ Oppenheimer “the father of the atomic bomb” quoting from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad-Gita upon witnessing the mushroom cloud resulting from the detonation of the world’s first atomic bomb in New Mexico, U.S.A., on July 16, 1945. “Access to the Vedas is the greatest privilege this century may claim over all previous centuries Victor Cousin (1792-1867) French Philosopher When we read the poetical and philosophical monuments of the East, above all, those of India, which are beginning to spread in Europe, we discover there many a truth, and truths so profound, and which make such a contrast with the meanness of the results at which European genius has sometimes stopped, that we are constrained to bend the knee before the philosophy of the East, and to see in this cradle of the human race the native land of the highest philosophy. Hu Shih (1891-1962) former Ambassador of China to USA “India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border. Dr. Arnold Joseph Toynbee (1889-1975) British Historian It is already becoming clear that a chapter which had a Western beginning will have to have an Indian ending, if it is not to end in the self-destruction of the human race. At this supremely dangerous moment in human history, the only way of salvation for mankind is the Indian way.” Albert Einstein (1879 -1955) “When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous.” “We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.“ Will Durant (1885-1981) American historian “India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit the mother of Europe’s languages; she was the mother of our philosophy; mother, through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity; mother, through the village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all”. “Perhaps in return for conquest, arrogance and spoilation, India will teach us the tolerance and gentleness of the mature mind, the quiet content of the unacquisitive soul, the calm of the understanding spirit, and a unifying, a pacifying love for all living things.”
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