Tuesday, December 1, 2009

GM As a Powerful Aid to Austerities

Gayatri mantra chant, mentally, pondering over it's meaning, can reconcile one with the absence or loss of material things. Hence purposeful chant of the holy Gayatri mantra is a powerful aid to austerities, including Yama, Niyama etc. It is no wonder that traditionally Brahmins were able to live on Uncha-vritti and yet steadfastly upheld the path of Dharma, for thousands of years. Whenever one is upset over lack or scarcity of something, one is well advised to resort to the holy Gayatri mantra to use it as an opportunity for austerity.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Lead, kindly light!

The mind, confused by the unknown powers which seem to exert so much influence on one's life, which can make or break a person, one is bewildered, not knowing what is the best thing to do under the circumstances. With this tired mind, seeking rest and security, we, I beseech to the unknown Supreme power of all, to guide our thoughts.

Upanishadic Shaanti mantras in place of Pranaayama

It is advised to do Pranaayama 10 times before one starts chanting Gayatri mantra. During Pranaayama one is also advised to mentally chant the Gayatri Shiras.

The question is, what about those who are not taught the proper means of doing Pranaayama? It is certainly not advisable to experiment with breath control without the assistance of a Yoga instructor. It can lead to bad effects.

The alternative is to do some other thing that will have an effect approaching the effect given by Pranaayama. For those Brahmins who are not aware of the proper way of doing Pranaayama, it is advised to merely chant the Gayatri Shiras 10 times. As one of the key aims of Pranaayama is to relax and calm the mind, I have been chanting the Upanishadic Shaanti mantras instead, immediately after chanting the Gayatri Shiras 10 times. They seem have some positive effect on my concentration in the subsequent Gayatri japam.

Satyameva Jayate

The principle of the Gayatri mantra is Satyameva Jayate - also beautifully expressed as a spiritual aspiration in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, as "Asato Maa Sadgamaya, Tamaso Maa Jyotirgamaya, Mrtyormaa Amrutham Gamaya". The Self of the Gayatri mantra, expressed as TAT, is the only eternal truth, as everything else is transient which will vanish like an mirage. That Self energizes us all, and we want to completely align our thoughts and activities to that TRUTH of the Self, since truth alone wins. He who thus always aligns himself to that Truth and Dharma set out by the Self, need fear nothing. He is ever secure. He will get the brilliance and splendour of the Self. Through an awareness of our inner self potential, we also attempt to manifest it by associating and conforming to that Self. Like in the Dvaa Suparnaa verse of the Upanishads.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Shani Dasha

Shani is the God of perseverance and hardwork.

Thru the hardships he gives, Shani also reveals to us our inner source of fortitude and strength to bear any difficulties.

The below quote is most applicable to someone who has undergone a lot of hardships under Shani Dasha but still keeps hope and faith in himself.

"In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer" - Albert Camus

Chanting Hanuman Stutis like Hanuman Chaleesa is an effective remedy to counter the effects of Shani Deva. One can also chant the Dasharatha Kritha Shani Stotram.

Who is a Brahmana

In the Katha Upanishad, one of the earlier upanishads...when the boy Nachiketas visits the abode of Yamaraaja, he is referred to as below.

"A Brahmin visiting your house is like Vaishwaanara Agni. Give him Udakam to propitiate him, else he will burn everything that is worthwhile to you".

Now the question is - where is it mentioned that Nachiketas was a Brahmin? His father conducted a Yaaga but that's not the preserve of only Brahmins of that age. Somewhere I read Swami Vivekananda actually referring to Nachiketas as the son of a King.

The one thing that distinguishes Nachiketas was his Sraddha, ie Aasthikya Bodha. It is this Sraddha that drives Nachiketas to seek the meaning of Death. This Sraddha makes him ignore all the material pleasures offered by Yama Raaja and make him ultimately eligible for Brahma Jnaana.

I feel that having Sraddha, the Aasthikya Bodha is what makes one a Brahmin.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Soulful living

"You can never get what you want, but you can love all you have, and you can have everything."

These are momentous words from an article I read sometime in 2004-2005, which, along with certain other articles like 'Shadow comforts' were extremely soothing and strengthening to me - which gave me renewed joy in life.

For the entire article
http://www.soulfulliving.com/manifestinghappiness.htm

They have helped me in 2001

These are contents of a mail I wrote to myself on 9/11/01. That is, just a few months after one of the most crisis ridden periods of my life. I had already noted earlier, how VSN helped me then. Hope the wonder works this time too!

1) Aapadam - is a good booster of spirits. I recite it first, to reaffirm the allpowerful nature of the Soul. One who believes in It will be no more affected by accidents, even the mere thought of Its infinite, eternal, allpowerful nature would deliver a person from all rogas whatsoever(mental and physical). The prayer is a good method to start the aatma-sadhana.

2) the VSN has a multitude of underlying concepts..as one continues with the prayer daily, one will get to know the deeper meanings residing in the stotra. Many of the underlying concepts have been expanded in later hinduism, so there's a certain amount of historical content in it as well. As one recites in the beginning, this stotra is seen by rishi Vyasa, of the guru parampara of Vasishta, Sakthih and Parashara. The stotra begins by advising us to see God in the Guru - meditate on Vyasa as the swaroopa of Vishnu(brahman itself, and on Vishnu as the swaroopa of Vyasa himself. In this glorious note, the meditation of 'yasya smarana matrena janmasamsarabandhanaat vimuchyate' is to be commenced. And how is It to be understood?

It is the 'samastabhuutanam aadibhuutaya bhuubhrteh, who is present before us as anekaruuparuupaya'. It is equally present in all beings, and the originator and controller of all.

So the stotra is the means to see the infinite self present in all our hearts, as eternal and unquenchable, which has manifested in such forms as are mentioned in the thousand names mentioned later. To borrow a few lines from Swami Vivekananda, the self is everything, ready to do everything, the self can do everything and the self does everything. Thus let us pray to the Infinite Self present in all of us.

3) Now we come to the holy Gayatri mantra. we recite it, with our spirits uplifted with faith in the Self, faith affirmed by the japam of aapadam and VSN. In the Gayatri, we pray to the eternal self to uplift our minds - to realise more of his infinite glory in this material world.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Some Powerful, Universal Planetary remedies (Chanting)

Here are some simple, universal, harmless, time tested, effective remedies for daily practice. In my experience, as in the case of many many others, regular practice of these chants (for about 30-35 min per day) could have a tremendous effect on all aspects covering one's life.

1) Vishnu Sahasranama - In addition to the peace and tranquility created by the chanting, it also acts as an effective remedy to ward off all malefic effects of grahas in our life. Conversely, it serves to increase all benefic powers of these grahas. Chanting of this stotra takes about 20 min. If you have been taught Shiva Sahasranama, you can also chant that (with/instead of) Vishnu Sahasranama.

2) Hanuman Chalisa - Authored by the great Rama Bhakt Sri Tulsidas, a person chanting these verses while pondering over their meaning, will get great strength, courage and fortitude. It is a wonderful remedy for all ills arising out of adversely placed KUJA and SHANI. If you chant Rama Nama before and after the chanting, you will get the blessings of Rama Bhakt Sri Hanuman even faster. Chanting could take less than 5 min.

3) Aditya Hridayam - This master stotra is a great remedy to all health problems, and effectively corrects all issues related to badly placed Sun in the horoscope. It increases one's self confidence, positivity, facilitates career advancement and openness to all. Chanting could take less than 5 min.

4) Sankata Hara Ganesha Stotram - This great stotra from Narada Purana is a great remedy for all kinds of worries. Ganesha is Graha-pati so praying to him will immediately result in reduction and ultimate removal of all negative effects associated with the navagrahas, and especially Rahu and Ketu. It is advisable to chant this stotram first of all. Chanting could take less than 5 min.

5) Mahalakshmi Ashtakam/Uma Maheswara Stotram - Either of these could be chanted for reducing Shukra-related or Chandra-related issues in one's horoscope. Again, chanting would take less than 5 min.

It is recommended to chant Santhi mantras at the end of chanting any mantras/stotras dedicated to fiery Gods/Planets. Fiery planets are Sun, Mars, Jupiter. Instead of Santhi mantras, if one so prefers, one can also chant OM SHAAANTISHAAAANTISHAANTIH OR OM SHAANTHI OM 3 times.

One can also make the two mantras below a daily practice

1) The holy Gayatri mantra - This will enhance Dharma (Sun) and all Dharma-related aspects like purity, self confidence, leadership etc.

2) The holy Mahamrityumjaya mantra - This, if practised regularly in the early morning in empty stomach, will slowly but surely erase all serious ailments of the body and mind and enhances one's natural lustre. Chant the mantra in multiples of 11.

An excellent practice.
You can keep milk in a silver glass and keep it in your right hand while chanting this mantra 33 times holding the glass close to the mouth and once the chanting is finished, drink the milk immediately. Within one week of doing this every morning in an open stomach, you will surely see great results.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

What the Virgo type of personality could learn from the Gita

One of the outstanding characteristics of a Virgo personality type is being of service to others, self lessly. This is a very rare characteristic, but one which the Virgo could not live without. Virgos are also workaholics, even perfectionists at work. We Virgos cherish all work that will lead to self improvement in one way or the other, or else, to be of service to others in one way or the other.

The core messages of the Bhagavad Gita are 1) Work for Work's own sake 2) Show the way to the world 3) Work selflessly, either for self purification, or for the betterment of the world or for divine blessings. I feel these ideas, with their emphasis on work are most suitable for Virgos.

Virgos are intellectual types as well, however in the Gita the intellectuality is a tool towards achieving improvement in work. Similarly, we Virgos seek to improve using our intellectuality, not just our work, but almost everything we are involved with.

I feel that applying these principles of Gita will help the Virgo type of person to develop his/her strengths in the best possible way.

Arjuna, born in the same day as Krishna, embodies the Virgo skills of perfectionism as well as eternal worry :-) Arjuna's cherished aim was to become the best archer in the world and he explores all avenues, all means towards perfecting his skill. At the same time, his constant worrying nature shows up prominently at a critical moment in the war when, due to reasons which might not have appealed to anyone else in his army, he gives up arms, and the opening Chapter of the Gita portray him as a nervous wreck under the circumstances. It is likely that this was a worry gnawing at him for a long while, probably ever since his relatively easy success against the Kurus towards the end of the Ajnaatavasa, and a worry which he probably sought to silence through various kinds of analytical reasoning, but which, nevertheless reasserted itself once he came to see the teachers and kinsmen once again in the battlefield.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

On TV culture - message I posted in a Yahoo group

Proponents of TV most often quote channels like Discovery Channel, Animal Planet etc.

While in no way denigrating these channels, I wish to state that all they do is to immerse you in loads of information.

The flip side is, even if you spend the rest of your life, 24 X 7, watching these programs for their information content, the information you acquire would be miniscule when compared to what is on offer. And information is next to nothing, it is the wisdom that you acquire out of your own experiences, that truly matters in life.

I repeat, TV maybe good, in very limited levels, ONLY for an uncultured cannibal who absolutely doesn't have any other means of communication with the rest of the world, and no means of developing his inner qualities.

One suggestion I have for those who selectively watch TV channels is - keep a journal of TV watching habit. Regularly note down for a fortnight the names of programs you have watched and the time you spend on them. After a month or two review your notes. Looking back, Ask yourself - Have any of those programs made a difference in my life?

Had you devoted the time spent on TV, with your families, sharing love, sharing feelings, sharing information with them, wouldn't you have felt more satisfied with your life?

Even For those without families, communion with nature would bring far better profits in the long run - in the form of peace, happiness, wisdom. If you still need information, there are umpteen books available in the market (Good books fire up your imagination - they do just the opposite of what TV does)

For those living within the flat culture, away from other forms of nature, even sitting quiet, communing with oneself would bring tremendous benefits in the long run. Even thinking about your experiences in life, reflecting, would really help, believe me. It would make you far more wiser and capable.

The biggest CRIME that TV commits is, it dulls your senses. It is like slow poison, a silent killer of time, the most precious commodity.

YOU DO NOT WAKE UP IN THE MORNING EVERY DAY LOOKING FORWARD TO A DOSE OF TV CHANNELS.

YOU DO WAKE UP TO THE LOVE OF YOUR FAMILIES, TO THE AFFECTION YOU FEEL INSIDE YOU, TO THE LOVE YOU FEEL FOR YOUR SURROUNDINGS, BOTH ANIMATE AND INANIMATE. THAT WAS HOW OUR FOREFATHERS LIVED, THEY WERE CONSIDERED THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE, THE WISEST OF THE SOCIETY.

True, times have changed. But certain things never change.

Thanks to all,
Hari

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

My experience with Kausika Agasthya Nadi Josiyars in Tambaram Chennai

This is a repost of a message I sent to naadiastrology@yahoogroups.com

I guess this particular Nadi Jothida Nilayam is pretty much popular, situated as it is in one of the fast developing hubs in South Chennai. Nevertheless, if anyone wants to know the exact location, it is near Philip's hospital, New State bank colony, West Tambaram, Chennai. I went there, with my parents, around Feb end this year. We had to be there by 8:30 am as that's
when they close the gates and start taking the finger prints. They will take 3 copies of your thumb prints and ask you the place you're coming from and if there is more than one person in your group they will assign numbers 1, 2, 3 etc.

Fees - Rs 325/- per individual for Kandam 1, Rs 300 for reading Kandams 13, 14.

You would be asked to wait in the room in first floor. There is a TV to keep us entertained while the search is going on downstairs for our olachuvadi. If they are unable to find your olachuvadi, you don't have to pay any money. But you would have to come prepared for a long wait until they pick up your olai and call the name of the place you're coming from and your corresponding number.

The nadi readers are mostly young men in their 20's, wearing white shirt and dhoti. They would ask you questions like what's the first letter in your name, what's the last letter in your name (mine, as you can see is a pretty long name) and also ask you questions like whether you're married, was it a love marriage etc. Based on your replies they would sift through various olai leaves until they arrive at your olai. I must admit that I went there with a curious, yet sceptical mind. But it was quite amazing that once they came across the olai which was definitely mine, further statements they made covering my personal details were startlingly accurate. Once they locate your olai chuvadi, they would again tell you to wait and after a while they would call you inside a room to give you your readings. I am not sure what's happening in the intermediate period. It's possible that the first olai list is an index using which they locate the detailed olai readings maintained in the house.

What they normally do is to recite the content of Kandam(Chapter) 1 of your olai which is basically a summary of all the important incidents of your life, actually just a little bit about the past, but a lot more on the present and future. This information is present in the olai in classical Tamil, so even as they read the olai, they would also translate the content in vernacular tamil, and in English(if you don't know Tamil). The readings are recorded in an audio cassette and would be given to you. Chapters 13, 14 relate to doing Pariharams(atonement). The idea is, if you do the pariharams with full spirit and devoted mind, you would go a long way towards reducing your present and future sufferings (caused by bad karma). In Kandams 13 and 14, they would also tell you who you were in your past birth and what all good/bad things you did then to merit a rebirth. They would also give you a note book in which they have written down the predictions - past, present and future.

In my case I found the predictions of the past and present correct. The Pariharams I was asked to do were of 3 categories

1) Visiting Temples near Chennai and doing Archanai there. I was asked to do this at 3 temples, Dhenu Pureeswarar at Madambakkam, Thiruverkadu Amman temple, Marudheeswarar temple at Thiruvanmiyur.

2) Offering Guru Daanam. This involves collecting various articles as Guru Dakshinai (fruits, flowers etc) and pay some money to the person designated as our Guru. If we don't have a Guru, we can offer it to the Naadi reader. He would take you to the pooja room where pictures of Agasthya and other Rishis/ Gods were kept and he would accept the dakshinai on behalf of Rishi Agasthya.

3) Deekshai Kandam. We can get prayers done on our behalf by shelling out a certain amount of money. These prayers if performed well would help us tide over crises in our future life. In my case, the nadi reading was that I need to pay up only one-fourth of the cost of the pooja. The rest would be taken care of by the establishment themselves (as suggested in my nadi leaves). They
would collect our name, nakshatra and contact details, perform pooja on a daily basis and send the prasadam to our address.

As far as I was concerned, I was facing certain problems in my family life as well as in my career. I did the pariharams to the best of my ability and already see some encouraging results. Maybe by end of September, when my astrological bad period gets over, I will be able to give a
full update on the effectiveness of these Pariharams. Irrespective of whether the pariharams work or not, it was an interesting experience, meeting the naadi readers.

Regarding the Deekshai Kandam, personally I believe that doing stotra/mantra japam ourselves is a more effective way of reducing our bad karma, rather than asking some archaka to do it for you. So I am also doing some chanting on a daily basis. But who can say for sure in which way God's will and favour works? Great men have said that ultimately, it's the faith alone that matters, not the means.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

So Let's Chant the exalted Gayatri Mantra!

Gayatri mantra is often respectfully and adoringly called Veda Janani, the mother of Vedas. Vedas are supersensuous knowledge, beyond mortal senses, revealed to Rishis who saw them as Truths through Jnana-chakshus, ie divine eyes powered by knowledge. The aim of the chanter of the Gayatri is to reveal this divine knowledge to him and to his group, which might as well refer to the entire human race. This knowledge is hidden to his senses, hence he needs divine aid to perceive the knowledge.

The fact that this knowledge exists and is hidden to normal human senses, is attested to by several Vedic references. The Purusha Sooktam which proclaims the grandeur of the Supreme Purusha, in it's very first verse states... "that Purusha, after encompassing the entire universe...extends still beyond". The Rishi of the Purusha Sooktam states "I have seen this Supreme Purusha, radiant like the Sun, and entirely beyond all darkness". So this Purusha exists and could be perceived, provided one has the means to see Him. Those who are able to see this transcendental truth, become Rishis. They express the truths they perceive, through divine poetry which has come to us in the form of Vedas, Upanishads and epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata and the Puranas. Even such poetic stalwarts like Kalidasa are great examples of what Rishis divine inspiration can create.

Sri Krishna in the 11th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita reveals his Supreme form to Arjuna. He enables Arjuna with Divyam Jnana Chakshusham, to help him see the divine God. The God's splendour is shown incomparable. It is mightier than a thousand Suns blazing together.

So we humans could not perceive this ever-existent Lord through the senses available with us. Still, we do perceive the Sun radiating his light regularly and unceasingly, benefitting the entire universe. And the Sun as pervaded by the Supreme Lord, is the best guiding light we have for us, the best indicator of the glories of the Lord. So, even as we meditate on the Sun's divine rays, we seek to address that light which makes the Sun shine, to reveal to us the divine truth that is, however, beyond the material Sun.

The Katha, Mundaka and Swetaswatara Upanishad repeats "Where that divine light shines in it's glory, there the Sun does not shine, nor the moon or the stars, nor the fire. One who sees that divine light, also sees it as pervading and activating the entire universe. There is nothing in this material universe that does not owe it's energy to this divine light.

In the Ishavasya Upanishad, the Rishi says - the face of Truth is hidden by a Golden Covering, the material Sun. He beseeches to the Lord to reveal the Truth to him, by removing the outer covering. This is for "satyadharmaya dhrishtaye" - to understand divine Truth and Dharma.

The way to to address the divine Lord is to surrender ourselves fully to Him and make ourselves open towards receiving His divine grace. To pray to That Supreme Lord with a full heart, to meditate on His sin-dispelling divine rays, as the Gayatri mantra advises us. The Gita says, even if one is the worst of sinners, this path would surely help him perceive the Truth too.

As the Mundaka upanishad says, the relation between the chanter of the mantra and the divinity (Savita) is like between two birds, always inseparable, and adorning the same tree. Their only difference lies in the fact that the divine One does not immerse himself in worldly activities, instead he is immersed in his own supreme glory... "like a great emperor" according to Sankaracharya.

So why should we know this supersensuous Truth, the glory of the emperor? The Upanishadic Rishis praise the benefits one accrues when he perceives the Truth. The most significant benefit is the crossing over of Death. One becomes immortal since one becomes united with the divine. And one becomes fearless. One significant verse says "Na bibhethi kadachaneti". Even the heaviest danger or sorrow becomes like child's play to him who has, by God's grace, perceived this Divine Truth.

The Bhagavad Gita concurs "yam labdhva chaparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah yasmin sthito na duhkhena gurunapi vicalyate". Once he has perceived that Truth, then established in it, he does not see any other thing as as a better gain than that, and thus established in that truth, he remains unruffled, even when faced with the heaviest of sorrows.

Vasudevasutam Devam Kamsa chanooramardhanam
Devakee paramanandam Krishnam Vande JagadGurum

Friday, May 29, 2009

Sandhya Worship

Sandhya Vandanam is a complete package for enhancing our physical, mental and spiritual well being.

Offering water to the Sun helps in diluting our sins. When properly done it ensures that the beneficial rays from the early morning Sun fall on key parts (marmas) of our body.

Chanting Gayatri mantram gives spiritual insight. On a mental/social level it gives one the fortitude to withstand heavy sorrows/disasters and motivates us to continue living. Gayatri Japam is not to be discontinued even on days when a death has occurred in the house. It is a great purifier.

Doing mudras while chanting mantra helps in enhancing physical health. Mudras are powerful in their own right, but when combined with mantras their potential is awesome.

(Additionally, fasting on the day before one does a Sahasra Avritti Gayatri Japam enhances it's benefits manifold)

Doing Surya Namaskaram helps one in overall physical health and also provides a lot of energy and a glowing skin.

Worshipping darkness (Yama Raaja) regularly at a prescribed time helps in overcoming all kinds of fear.

Worshipping the 4 directions as shining Brahman (see Chandogya Upanishad for the details of this Upasana) helps one gain eminence and excellence.

Worshipping Bhagavan Krishna as Keshava helps in diluting our sins, and in winning his grace, enhancing humility in us and in motivating us to do work as Karma Yoga.

The opening sloka
"Namo Brahmanya Devaaya Go-brahmana-hitaaya cha
Jagat-hithaaya Krishnaya Govindaya Namo Namah"
is very insightful. To understand the deeper meaning of it, one has to read the introductory chapters of the Bhagavad-gita Bhashyam by Adi Shankaracharya.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Interpreting the holy Gayatri mantra

Gayatri mantra is a chant often used as a prayer for universal peace and enlightenment. In my experience, whenever I used to sit at a quiet place, and chant this mantram mentally for 20-30 minutes, at the end of it I felt happier, mentally uplifted and occasionally I have found answers to the questions/problems I was facing at that I point of time. Oftentimes, various interpretations for the mantra come to my mind. Only recently did I think about writing these thoughts in a blog, as it would be interesting to read them later, say many years from now.

Here is one such interpretation.
The exalted Gayatri mantra is a prayer for the Supreme wisdom, for elevating us in all ways from this mundane life, for giving us a peep into the reality that is pervading the entire universe. When we begin a mantra chant, say for 108 times, it will be helpful to focus on praying for mental strength, energy and fortitude, the first few times you chant the exalted Gayatri mantra. This mental strength is most needed for us to sustain our sincerity in religious practice. When we meditate on the glory of the Supreme Savita, we seek to burn our sins, and of sins we all, human beings, plants, animals, all the Jeevajalas of the universe, have our own quota to burn. We need a sustained campaign to destroy these sins, individually and collectively. Only when these sins are burnt up, do we become pure enough to be able to see the ultimate reality, the Supreme Self shining everywhere, including our own selves, which is the ultimate goal of chanting the exalted Gayatri mantra. So, with mental strength and fortitude we are able to overcome the weakness caused by the bonds tying us to this world, and we are able to devote our time to sincere prayer to the divine for enlightenment. And as we progress in our prayer, we move closer and closer to our better selves, better in all ways.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Layoffs

Rediff has published a list of tales of people who have been laid off in Indian IT companies.
http://specials.rediff.com/getahead/2009/apr/07layofftales.htm
How about all or most of them who have been laid off, join together and start a new company? Will it work at all?
They might want to try various available avenues for raising capital. Government can take a supportive stand.
Well, new, successful companies do not just rise out of the blue. It needs creativity, original thinking. But it's most often the case that desperation leads to new ideas!