Coming to think of it, after centuries of slavery under brutal foreign rulers belonging to barbaric cults, after achieving independence in the year 1947; after Sardar Patel convinced the rulers of 562 princely states to join the Indian union; after being ruled by a plundering dynasty for almost seven decades and being divided in the name of religion, caste, etc.; it is only now that Bharat or India is beginning to get back her truly deserved status in the world. It is thanks to the sincere, arduous, relentless, courageous, visionary, altruistic, patriotic, and socially responsible efforts by the current Indian Prime Minister who is a living example of a true KarmaYogi.
India is a democratic nation and all her citizens have the right to freely express their views, however, not making use of the NaMo App of our tech-savvy Prime Minister, and expressing ridiculous comments on him on public platforms, badmouthing him and all his efforts, amount to throwing a spanner in his works, which can be interpreted as an activity that is detrimental to the development of our nation.
Although this site is open to everyone regardless of their nationality, gender or social status; disturbing the remarkable work being done by Modiji is something that I would consider to be anti-national in nature that deserves no acceptance on this site, which belongs to me and is being used by me as my ‘loud-thinking’ platform as well as a place where people could find moral support, motivation, solace and spiritual guidance for a fulfilling life. People who are not interested in reading my posts may simply close the tab or browser and continue with what they were doing.
Having been born to the most amazing father, an officer in the Indian Air Force, who instilled the feeling of fervent patriotism in me ever since the time I was a toddler; anyone who insults my nation or endangers it, or interrupts and blocks the work done by our selfless national leader, will be straightaway treated by me as a threat to the integrity of my nation.
There have been some people who passed indecorous remarks on Modiji and wrote to me accusing him of ‘not doing enough’ for people of the Sanatana Dharma.’ An important policy of his that needs to be made clear is that he always holds on to his slogan ‘sabka saath sabka vikas’, which when loosely translated means ‘development of all through unity’. Despite maintaining his slogan on his philosophy, it was his government that succeeded in winning back the Ramjanmabhoomi that was usurped by a ruthless marauder five centuries ago. Indians who truly care for their country need to be responsible citizens and think that even simple comments or rumours could have the potential to lead to major communal issues that could jeopardise the safety of all Indians. The current leader has been democratically elected by the people of India and in the event, there should be people who would like to defeat him or unseat him, they might want to consider voting for someone else next time, instead of sending stupid messages on WhatsApp or on Facebook.
In a large nation of people with such great diversity, the dearth of unifying factors can always be a stumbling block for a national leader. This is due to the fact that uniting people with similar ideas or beliefs can be extremely challenging for even highly able leaders. From my modest experience of almost four decades in various professions including teaching young people, counselling, marketing different products internationally, travelling to over 60 countries, learning multiple languages, and closely interacting with people from varying backgrounds, I am of the humble opinion that there needs to be a simpler method to unite people who are as diverse as Indians. This method should be such that everyone can relate to easily without compromising on their core religious philosophy or that of life. By the reference ‘everyone’, I mean Indians who are not mental slaves of foreign religions, cults, political ideologies, or dynasties but are free to think for themselves. I have come out with four unifying factors for Indians, who, if I may stress on the important condition again, have not sold their souls to foreign soul traders but follow the timeless and eternal Sanatana Dharma.
They are:
1. The Indian National Flag
2. Krishna
3. The Srimad Bhagavad Gita, and
4. Shri Narendra Modiji
The way I see it is that the only ones who might not agree with the four unifying factors that I have given above could be those who have converted to foreign cults and religions; are religious or language fanatics, commies, pseudo-westernised liberals; or other such people with a reduced, limited or restricted ability to think for themselves. Luckily, such people are not the majority in our great nation.
Being a resident of Europe for over two decades, I can clearly perceive the increase in the respect that India and Indians are accorded ever since our true KarmaYogi leader, who knows the Srimad Bhagavad Gita like the back of his hand and practises the Divine Teachings of Krishna to a T, has taken over as the Prime Minister. The awe and respect for Modiji that non-Indians have can certainly make us all the more of prouder of our leader and motherland.
With the four unifying factors above, we would have no need for hirsute men who claim to be ‘babas’, or women who claim to be ‘ammas’ of the world,┬а or anyone who builds large masses of sycophants around them, twists the eternal Dharmic philosophy of nondualism, and creates their own narratives such as that of some imaginary ‘Adi yogi’. The knowledge of the rational, scientific, logical, universal, and non-dualistic philosophy taught in theSrimad Bhagavad Gita can eradicate fear from the minds of sincere seekers and guarantee them a healthy, peaceful, love-filled and prosperous life of freedom and ultimate Divine bliss.
Those who are longing or even ‘dying’ to find someone at whose feet they could fall could consider respecting their own parents and serving them as Gods on earth, In Dharmic culture, the mother and father are placed even higher than Brahman.
Keep all your personal or regional traditions to yourselves. When we are out, we stand together as one large Vasudheiva Kutumbakam.
Remember, UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL. Modiji is our beacon of hope for an amazing future – or does anyone of you have a better suggestion?
What a photographer who wishes to shoot a picture usually does include aiming the camera at the subject, turning the dial to adjust the focus, confirming if the light available is sufficient for the exposure, holding the camera steady, and finally shooting. A gunman or an archer also does something similar to what the photographer does except that when he shoots, a projectile is fired out of his weapon unlike what happens in a camera.
The Mahabharata, of which the chapters 23-42 of the Bhishma Parva form the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, is a metaphor for a spiritual battle against one’s own ego. It can be called an externalisation, in the form of a battle, of perennial inner conflicts. The analogy of war between an army of good people on one side and evil ones on the other calls for the usage of terms such as ‘shooting; ‘fighting’ and ‘vanquishing enemies’. Such analogy and the story as a whole greatly help seekers in being able to relate themselves better with the different characters and situations in the story.
The way perception works is that it primarily collects through the sense organs all kinds of data in the form of sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch. This data is processed by the mind employing the physical organ called the brain. The mind, which, the Atman carries along with it from Janma to Janma, as explained in Shloka 15:08 of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, is influenced by the Gunas, attitude, or nature of an individual that it belongs to. The three Gunas, namely the Sattva, Rajo and Tamo Gunas and their varying proportions or strengths, determine the actions performed by a person. A person with a high level of Sattva Guna, for example, would be greatly moved by the sufferings of downtrodden people or of innocent voiceless animals whereas one with a high level of Tamo Guna might not think twice before hurting someone or causing severe damage to life and property. A person with high levels of the Rajo Guna could be immensely ambitious and would not hesitate to go to any extent in order to achieve their goals.
Karmayoga, as taught by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita can be defined as performing one’s ordained or prescribed duty to the best of their ability without being attached to its result but with perfection and social responsibility as guiding factors.
рд╕рдХреНрддрд╛рдГ рдХрд░реНрдордгреНрдпрд╡рд┐рджреНрд╡рд╛рдВрд╕реЛ рдпрдерд╛ рдХреБрд░реНрд╡рдиреНрддрд┐ рднрд╛рд░рдд | рдХреБрд░реНрдпрд╛рджреНрд╡рд┐рджреНрд╡рд╛рдВрд╕реНрддрдерд╛рд╜рд╕рдХреНрддрд╢реНрдЪрд┐рдХреАрд░реНрд╖реБрд░реНрд▓реЛрдХрд╕рдВрдЧреНрд░рд╣рдореН || рей реирел ||
saktaaha karmanya vidhvaamso yathaa kurvanti bhaaratha
kuryaad vidvaam stathaa sakthash- chikiirshur loka sangraham (SBG 3:25)
Just as ignorant people perform actions with attachment to the results, learned people perform work, but with no attachments. Their desire, if at all, is only the welfare of the world.
Prescribed or ordained action is known as Karma and performing one’s Karma without any attachment to its results but as a sacrifice unto the Supreme Being is called Yagnya.
рдирд┐рдпрддрдВ рдХреБрд░реБ рдХрд░реНрдо рддреНрд╡рдВ рдХрд░реНрдо рдЬреНрдпрд╛рдпреЛ рд╣реНрдпрдХрд░реНрдордгрдГ | рд╢рд░реАрд░рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛рдкрд┐ рдЪ рддреЗ рди рдкреНрд░рд╕рд┐рджреНрдзреНрдпреЗрджрдХрд░реНрдордгрдГ || рей рео ||
niyatham kuru karma thvam karma jyaayo hya karmanaha
shariira yaathraapi cha the na prasiddhye dakarmanaha (SBG 3:08)
Do the duties prescribed for you because action is better than inaction. Even the maintenance of the body cannot be done without doing work.
Therefore after giving up attachment, always perform your work as your duty. The one performing duty without attachment to the fruit of the work will certainly attain the Supreme goal.
3:20 рдХрд░реНрдордгреИрд╡ рд╣рд┐ рд╕рдВрд╕рд┐рджреНрдзрд┐рдорд╛рд╕реНрдерд┐рддрд╛ рдЬрдирдХрд╛рджрдпрдГ | рд▓реЛрдХрд╕рдВрдЧреНрд░рд╣рдореЗрд╡рд╛рдкрд┐ рд╕рдВрдкрд╢реНрдпрдиреНрдХрд░реНрддреБрдорд░реНрд╣рд╕рд┐ || рей реиреж ||
karmanaiva hi samsiddhim тАУ aasthithaa janakaadayaha
loka sangraha mevaapi sampashyan kartu marhasi (SBG 3:20)
Even Janaka and other kings attained perfection through action. Your actions should be for the benefit of the world.
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever you practise as austerity, O Arjuna, do it for Me and as an offering unto Me.
Performing Yagnya correctly requires the seeker to be selfless and maintain total focus. But what does maintaining focus mean? What is it that needs to be focussed? And how and why should it be done?
Before we discuss the topic of developing focus, it would be useful to take a look at the five factors that cause action as stated in Shloka 18:14 of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita. They are:
1. the body, which is the seat of action
2. the ego, which claims to be the doer
3. the mind and the various senses
4. the different functions performed by the being
5. the superconsciousness which is the presiding Divinity within
Considering the analogy of a camera that has a body, a viewfinder, a camera lens, a camera lens dial, a camera lens aperture, an adjustment mechanism of the lens aperture, and, of course, the camera shutter; and of which, the camera lens dial is turned to focus on the subject and sharpen its image; it is the mind, which is the flow of thoughts, that needs to be focussed on a single thought. Controlling the mind is the greatest hurdle in the field of spirituality and it is its mastery that leads people towards realising their inner Self which in turn helps them reach into higher realms and discover their own innate intuitive abilities that had been masked all along by ignorance.
The mind can be called the most disobedient yet highly efficient and unbelievably creative slave that one can ever possess. The most common problem of the mind that people face is that the mind invariably convinces almost everyone that they are the mind when the truth is that a person is fundamentally the Self that carries along with it the mind and the senses. This great trick that the mind performs on people keeps them under its spell for almost their whole life until realisation happens either accidentally, by being taught by someone, or as a result of acts of seeking the truth.
In my experience, I have found that visualising the mind to be a camera or a piece of archery equipment if you would like, can help in pointing it towards one particular point with the intention of achieving perfection. Just like a photographer, an archer or a marksman aims to achieve a perfect shot, a person who is directing their mind to a particular point too can achieve total concentration and the desired result.
Visualising the mind as a physical object that has a camera lens attached to it greatly helps and makes it easier in learning to ‘focus’ it. As I said earlier, in the Mahabharata which includes the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, it is the analogy of war that has been employed to relate to the internal conflicts that everyone experiences and therefore we could use the analogy of archery to discuss aiming and focussing. A well-known story from the Mahabharata is about an archery competition that the teacher Dronacharya had once organised. He wanted to test his pupils to find out how well they had learned and developed their skill. He asked his pupils one by one to raise the bow and take aim at the toy bird that was placed on a treetop. As soon as each pupil had raised the bow and pointed it towards the toy bird, the teacher would ask the pupil to describe to him all that they saw. Every one of his pupils including Yudhishtra and Duryodhana said that they could see the tree, the leaves on the tree, the fruits on the tree the sky and also the clouds in the sky, Some even said that they could see the teacher as well as all the others who participated in the competition. Even before they could shoot, Dronacharya asked his pupils to put the bow back on its stand and give way to the next participant. Finally, it was the turn of Arjuna. Dronacharya asked him to describe all that he saw. Arjuna, the ace archer said that all he could see was the right eye of the toy bird. Dronacharya asked him if he could see anything or anyone else. Arjuna replied in the negative. Dronacharya commanded Arjuna to shoot. Arjuna’s arrow pierced the right eye of the toy bird and the teacher announced him to be the winner of the competition.
When the mind and the senses are not distracted and when one’s thoughts, like the eye and the arrow of Arjuna are directed on one point, there is total concentration. Doing so focuses all the energy of a person onto one single point and this usually results in a bullseye. Focus is necessary for succeeding in worldly activities and also in spiritual pursuits.
Krishna says in Shloka 2:41 of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita
рд╡реНрдпрд╡рд╕рд╛рдпрд╛рддреНрдорд┐рдХрд╛ рдмреБрджреНрдзрд┐рд░реЗрдХреЗрд╣ рдХреБрд░реБрдирдиреНрджрди | рдмрд╣реБрд╢рд╛рдЦрд╛ рд╣реНрдпрдирдиреНрддрд╛рд╢реНрдЪ рдмреБрджреНрдзрдпреЛрд╜рд╡реНрдпрд╡рд╕рд╛рдпрд┐рдирд╛рдореН || реи рекрез ||
In this path, O descendant of the Kurus (Arjuna) there is a single point of focus and determination. The thoughts of the undecided are branched and are infinite.
It is quite common that people complain about their difficulties in concentration or in the total lack of it. In order to resolve this problem, one needs to comprehend that the lack of concentration basically means thinking of things other than the thing that the person is trying to focus upon. This is quite normal because it is a natural quality of the mind to do exactly what it is told not to do! There is a phenomenon known as the ironic process theory according to which, the more one tries to suppress a thought, the more strongly will it surface in the mind. The famous ‘pink elephant’ experiment in which, a person is asked to take the next 30 seconds and think about anything other than a ‘pink elephant’, proves that consciously trying to avoid thinking of something is not an easy task at all. Different meditation techniques, which include regulated breathing and other practices, help in diverting the mind from an unwanted thought or other intrusive thoughts to a point decided upon by the seeker simply by giving their mind something to do.
The spiritual practice of chanting holy names or reciting Mantras with total devotion aid in training the mind to be less unruly and more focussed. Aristotle is believed to have said. “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness ” It is completely normal to have strange or even insane thoughts but sanity and intelligence help a person master their own mind by controlling their thoughts and utilising its immense potential to achieve goals in life.
The following are a few steps that can help in improving focus and concentration:
1. Breathing – Count while slowly inhaling, holding the breath, and exhaling. All three should be of equal durations of time. Counting forces the mind to block other thoughts and to concentrate on the counting.
2. Visualise the mind to be a camera and imagine viewing through its viewfinder a particular situation or even yourself in a situation which you would like to find yourself in. Imagine turning the dial left and right to focus on the image and arrive at a sharp and crisp image. Now record this image in your memory, imagine that you are going through the process of taking aim again and make sure that you see the same image you stored in your memory.
3. Also, work on improving your observation as well as your memory skills. Go into a room, look around at the different objects in the room, and then come out of the room. Now take a sheet of paper and write down all that you remember to have seen in the room.
4. There are plenty of games available on the internet that help in developing observation and focus.
However, the most important step is to realise that the mind is separate from the Self and to know for sure that the mind is an awesome tool which, when mastered, produces the best of results.
Considering the chariot analogy used in the Kat-hopanishad can also help in achieving mind control:
The chariot is the body
The horses represent the senses
The reins represent the mind
The charioteer is the intelligence
The Self is the master of the chariot
Therefore, the mind, in this case, performs the work of the reins that control the horses that naturally tend to pull the chariot in different directions.
The one who has conquered the mind has already reached Superconsciousness. Such a person has crossed all dualities such as cold and heat; pleasure and pain; honour and dishonour; and is always balanced, peaceful and steadfast in devotion.
Wherever and whenever the mind wanders restlessly because of its unsteady quality, it should be restrained and brought back under the control of the Self.
The mind is certainly restless, turbulent, strong and unyielding, O Krishna! I think it is extremely difficult to control it just as the wind is.
Krishna replies:
рд╢реНрд░реАрднрдЧрд╡рд╛рдиреБрд╡рд╛рдЪ | рдЕрд╕рдВрд╢рдпрдВ рдорд╣рд╛рдмрд╛рд╣реЛ рдордиреЛ рджреБрд░реНрдирд┐рдЧреНрд░рд╣рдВ рдЪрд▓рдореН | рдЕрднреНрдпрд╛рд╕реЗрди рддреБ рдХреМрдиреНрддреЗрдп рд╡реИрд░рд╛рдЧреНрдпреЗрдг рдЪ рдЧреГрд╣реНрдпрддреЗ || рем рейрел ||
Sri Bhagavaan uvaacha: asamshayam mahaabaaho mano durnigraham chalam abhyaasena tu kaunteya vairaagyena cha gruhyate (SBG 6:35)
The Blessed Lord said: Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed one (Arjuna), the mind is difficult to control and restless but it can be restrained through practice and dispassion.
Alexander Graham Bell said, тАЬConcentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sunтАЩs rays do not burn until brought to a focus.тАЭ
“If I had an hour to solve a problem, IтАЩd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions,” said Albert Einstein.
Mark Twain stressed the importance of focus saying, тАЬYou canтАЩt depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.тАЭ
Learn to use the most amazing tool called the mind, which can travel at an unimaginable speed which is much higher than the speed of light, create even the most impossible of images within it and when focussed upon and used well, can create ways to realise dreams that are otherwise next to impossible.
The mind is the greatest friend for the one who has conquered it. But for the one who has not done so, it is the greatest enemy.
The universe is but an extension of the conscious mind. Everything exists only until the conscious mind exists. For the one who has harnessed his or her mind and knows how to use it, the only possible limit can be the endless sky.
Q 01┬ароЪройро╛родрой родро░рпНроороорпН роОройрпНро▒ро╛ро▓рпН роОройрпНрой?
Q 01 What is Sanatana Dharma?
Q 02 роЪройро╛родрой родро░рпНроородрпНродро┐ройрпН роЙрогрпНроорпИропро╛рой рокрпЖропро░рпН роОройрпНрой? роЗроирпНродрпБроородроорпН роЕро▓рпНро▓ро╡ро╛?
Q 02 What is the real name of the Sanatana Dharma? Is it not Hinduism?
Q 03 роЪройро╛родрой родро░рпНроороорпН роОродрпИ роЕроЯро┐рокрпНрокроЯрпИропро╛роХ роХрпКрогрпНроЯ роородроорпН? рокро▓ родрпЖропрпНро╡ ро╡ро┤ро┐рокро╛роЯро╛? роПроХродрпНродрпБро╡ ро╡ро╛родрооро╛? роЕро▓рпНро▓родрпБ ро╡рпЗро▒рпБ роПродрпЗройрпБроорпН роХро░рпБродрпНродрпИроХрпН роХрпКрогрпНроЯродро╛?
Q 03 What kind of a religion is the Sanatana Dharma? Is it based on polytheism, monotheism, or any other concept? Please explain in detail.
Q 04 роХроЯро╡рпБро│рпН роОройрпНро▒ро╛ро▓рпН ропро╛ро░рпН? роироорпНрооро┐роЯроорпН роПройрпН роЗродрпНродройрпИ роХроЯро╡рпБро│рпНроХро│рпБроорпН родрпЖропрпНро╡роЩрпНроХро│рпБроорпН роЙро│рпНро│рой?
Q 04┬аWhy do we have so many Gods and deities?┬а (SBG 11.15)
Q 05 роЗроирпНродрпБ роородродрпНродро┐ро▓рпН рокро▓ роХроЯро╡рпБро│рпНроХро│рпН рооро▒рпНро▒рпБроорпН 33 роХрпЛроЯро┐ родрпЗро╡ро░рпНроХро│рпИ рокро▒рпНро▒ро┐ роОройрпНрой роХрпВро▒рпБроХро┐ро▒рпАро░рпНроХро│рпН?
Q 05┬аWhat about the 33 ‘crore’ Gods in Hinduism? (SBG 10.20, SBG 12.03-04)
Q 06 рокроЯро┐роХрпНроХ ро╡рпЗрогрпНроЯро┐роп рооро▒рпНро▒рпБроорпН рокро┐ройрпНрокро▒рпНро▒ ро╡рпЗрогрпНроЯро┐роп роЪройро╛родрой родро░рпНроородрпНродро┐ройрпН родро┐ро░рпБроирпВро▓рпНроХро│рпН ропро╛ро╡рпИ?
Q 06┬аWhich are the Hindu scriptures that need to be read and followed?
Q 07 роЙрогрпНроорпИропро╛рой ‘роиро╛ройрпН’ роОройрпНро▒ро╛ро▓рпН ропро╛ро░рпН? ‘роиро╛ройрпН’ роОройрпНро▒ро╛ро▓рпН роОройродрпБ роЖродрпНрооро╛ ро╡ро╛?
Q 07┬аWho is the real “I”? Am I the Atman? (SBG 2.17, SBG 2.20, SBG 2.22, SBG 2.27)
Q 08 роЖродрпНродрпБрооро╛ро╡рпБроХрпНроХрпБ рокро┐ро░ро╛рогройрпБроХрпНроХрпБроорпН роЕродро╛ро╡родрпБ роЙропро┐ро░рпНроЪроХрпНродро┐роХрпНроХрпБроорпН роОройрпНрой ро╡ро┐родрпНродро┐ропро╛роЪроорпН?
Q 08┬аWhat is the difference between Atman and Prana or life force?
Q 09 роиро╛ройрпН роЖродрпНродрпБрооро╛ро╡ро╛, рооройрооро╛, роЕро▓рпНро▓родрпБ роЙрогро░рпНро╡ро╛? роЕро▓рпНро▓родрпБ роЗро╡рпИ роЕройрпИродрпНродро┐ройрпН родрпКроХрпБрокрпНрокро╛?
Q 09┬аAm I the Atman, the mind, or the senses or a collection of all┬аof them?
Q 10 рооройроорпН рооро▒рпНро▒рпБроорпН рокрпБродро┐родро┐ роЗроЯрпИропрпЗ роЙро│рпНро│ ро╡рпЗро▒рпБрокро╛роЯрпБ роОройрпНрой? роОродрпБ роЙропро░рпНроирпНродродрпБ?
Q 10┬аWhat is the difference between mind and intellect? Which one is superior?┬а (Kathopanishad┬а1.3.3,┬аSBG 3.42)
Q 11 роЪрпЖропрпНрокро╡ро░рпН рооро▒рпНро▒рпБроорпН роЕройрпБрокро╡ро┐рокрпНрокро╡ро░рпН ропро╛ро░рпН?
Q 11┬аWho is the doer and who is the enjoyer? (SBG 3.27, SBG 5.08-07, SBG 18.14)
Q 12 роиро╛роорпН роЕройрпИро╡ро░рпБроорпН ропро╛ро░рпБроЯрпИроп роХроЯрпНроЯро│рпИрокрпНрокроЯро┐ роЪрпЖропро▓рпНрокроЯрпБроХро┐ро▒рпЛроорпН?
Q 12┬аAt whose command do we all perform actions? (SBG 3.36, SBG 3.37)
Q 13 роХро░рпНрооро╛ роОройрпНрокродрпБ ‘роТро╡рпНро╡рпКро░рпБ роЪрпЖропро▓рпБроХрпНроХрпБроорпН роТро░рпБ роОродро┐ро░рпНро╡ро┐ройрпИ роЗро░рпБроХрпНроХро┐ро▒родрпБ’ роОройрпНро▒рпБ роЪрпЖропро▓рпН рокроЯрпБроХро┐ро▒родро╛? роТро░рпБро╡ро░ро┐ройрпН роХро░рпНроорокро▓ройрпН роЕро╡ро░рпБроХрпНроХрпБ роЙроЯройроЯро┐ропро╛роХ роХро┐роЯрпИродрпНродро┐ро╡ро┐роЯрпБрооро╛?
Q 13┬аDoes Karma work like “Every action has a reaction” ie., does Karma take effect immediately?
Q 14 роиро▓рпНро▓ро╡ро░рпНроХро│рпБроХрпНроХрпБ роХрпЖроЯрпНроЯ ┬ароиро┐роХро┤рпНро╡рпБроХро│рпБроорпН ┬ароХрпЖроЯрпНроЯро╡ро░рпНроХро│рпБроХрпНроХрпБ роиро▓рпНро▓ роиро┐роХро┤рпНро╡рпБроХро│рпБроорпН роПройрпН роиро┐роХро┤рпНроХро┐ройрпНро▒рой? Q 14┬аWhy do bad things happen to good people and good things to┬аbad people?
Q 15 роЪро┐ро▓ро░рпН роПройрпН роХрпЖроЯрпНроЯ роХро░рпНрооро╛ро╡рпИ ро╡ро┐ро░рпИро╡ро╛роХ ро╡рпЖро▓рпНроХро┐ро▒ро╛ро░рпНроХро│рпН роЖройро╛ро▓рпН, рооро▒рпНро▒ро╡ро░рпНроХро│рпН родрпКроЯро░рпНроирпНродрпБ рокрпЛро░ро╛роЯрпБроХро┐ро▒ро╛ро░рпНроХро│рпН?
Q 15┬аWhy do some people get over bad Karma quickly against some who keep struggling?
Q 16 роХро┐ро░рпБро╖рпНрогро░рпИрокрпН рокро▒рпНро▒ро┐ропрпБроорпН, роЖродрпНродрпБрооро╛ро╡рпИ рокро▒рпНро▒ро┐ропрпБроорпН рооро▒рпНро▒рпБроорпН родро░рпНроородрпН родродрпНродрпБро╡родрпНродрпИрокрпН рокро▒рпНро▒ро┐ропрпБроорпН роЕро▒ро┐роирпНродрпБроХрпКро│рпНро╡родро▒рпНроХрпБ роорпБройрпНрокрпЗ роТро░рпБро╡ро░ро┐ройрпН ро╡ро╛ро┤рпНроХрпНроХрпИропро┐ро▓рпН роироЯроирпНрод роХро░рпНрооро╛ро╡рпБроХрпНроХрпБ ропро╛ро░рпН рокрпКро▒рпБрокрпНрокрпБ? роЕро╡ро░ро┐ройрпН роЕро▒ро┐ропро╛роорпИроХрпНроХрпБ ропро╛ро░рпН роХро╛ро░рогроорпН?
Q 16 ‘Many Karmas’ have happened before one got to know Krishna, about the Self and the Dharmic philosophy – so who is to ‘blame’ for this ignorance? (SBG 10.20, SBG 6.43, SBG 6.44, SBG 18.66)
Q 17 роХро┐ро░рпБро╖рпНрогро░ро╛ро▓рпН роиро╛роорпН роЕро╡ро░рпНроорпЗро▓рпН ро╡рпИродрпНродро┐ро░рпБроХрпНроХрпБроорпН рокроХрпНродро┐ропро┐ройрпН роЙродро╡ро┐ропро╛ро▓рпН роиро╛роорпН роироорпН роХроЯроирпНродроХро╛ро▓ роХро░рпНрооро╡ро┐ройрпИропро╛ро▓рпН ┬ародрпАро░рпНрооро╛ройро┐роХрпНроХрокрпНрокроЯрпНроЯ роироородрпБ ро╡ро╛ро┤рпНроХрпНроХрпИропро┐ройрпН рокро╛родрпИропрпИ рооро╛ро▒рпНро▒ро┐ роЕроорпИроХрпНроХ роорпБроЯро┐ропрпБрооро╛?
Q 17┬аA lot of Karma has been collected before one got to know Krishna, about the Self and the Dharmic philosophy – so who is to ‘blame’ for this ignorance? (SBG 18.55, SBG 15.08, SBG 4.23)
Q 18 роЙрогрпНроорпИропро╛рой роЪро░рогроЯрпИродро▓рпН роОройрпНро▒ро╛ро▓рпН роОройрпНрой? роиро╛роорпН роорпБро┤рпБроорпИропро╛роХ роЪро░рогроЯрпИроирпНродрпБ ро╡ро┐роЯрпНроЯрпЛрооро╛ роОройрпНро▒рпБ роиро╛роорпН роОро╡рпНро╡ро╛ро▒рпБ роЕро▒ро┐роирпНродрпБроХрпКро│рпНро╡родрпБ?
Q 18 What does true surrendering mean?┬а How do we test ourselves whether we have fully surrendered?┬а (SBG 2.07, SBG 9.27, SBG 9.28, SBG 3.25, SBG 5.25, SBG 11.55)
Q 19 роХро┐ро░рпБро╖рпНрогро░ро┐ройрпН роХро╛ро▓роЯро┐ропро┐ро▓рпН роиро╛роорпН роорпБро┤рпБроорпИропро╛роХ роЪро░рогроЯрпИроирпНродро╛ро▓рпН роЕро╡ро░рпН роироорпНроорпИ роХро╡ройро┐родрпНродрпБ роХрпКро│рпНро│ро╡ро╛ро░рпН роОройрпНро▒рпБ роЙро▒рпБродро┐ропро╛роХ роироорпНрок роорпБроЯро┐ропрпБрооро╛? роирпАроЩрпНроХро│рпН роОрокрпНрокрпЛродрпБроорпН ‘родро╛роЩрпНроХ роорпБроЯро┐ропро╛род роОродрпБро╡рпБроорпН роОрокрпНрокрпЛродрпБроорпН роироЯроХрпНроХро╛родрпБ’ роОройрпНро▒рпБ роХрпВро▒рпБроХро┐ро▒рпАро░рпНроХро│рпЗ, роЕродрпБ роЙрогрпНроорпИропро╛роХро╡рпЗ роЕрокрпНрокроЯро┐родрпНродро╛ройро╛?
Q 19 If we fully surrender before Krishna, can we be sure that He would take care of us? You always say тАШNothing unbearable will ever happenтАЩ – Is it really true?
Q 20 роиро╛ройрпН роОроирпНрод роХроЯро╡рпБро│рпИ ро╡рогроЩрпНроХро╡рпЗрогрпНроЯрпБроорпН? родрпЖропрпНро╡роЩрпНроХро│рпИропро╛, роХро┐ро░рпБро╖рпНрогро░рпИропро╛ роЕро▓рпНро▓родрпБ роЕро╡ро░рпБроХрпНроХрпБроорпН роорпЗро▓ро╛ройро╡ро░рпИропро╛?
Q 20 Which Gods should I┬а pray to? ‘Demigods’ or Krishna the most superior One?┬аSBG (10.39, SBG 10.20)
Q 21 рокроХрпНродро┐ропро┐ройрпН роЪро░ро┐ропро╛рой роорпБро▒рпИ роОройрпНрой? рооро▒рпНро▒рпБроорпН роХрпЛропро┐ро▓рпН роЪро┐ро▓рпИ ро╡ро┤ро┐рокро╛роЯрпНроЯрпИрокрпНрокро▒рпНро▒ро┐ропрпБроорпН роЪро▒рпНро▒рпБ ро╡ро┐ро│роХрпНроХрпБроЩрпНроХро│рпН.
Q 21 What is the true method of Bhakti? Please explain about idol worship. (SBG 12.05)
Q 22 роЪройро╛родрой родро░рпНроородрпНродрпИрокрпН рокро▒рпНро▒ро┐ роЕро▒ро┐ропро╛род рокро▓ роорпЗро▓рпНроиро╛роЯрпНроЯро┐ройро░рпН роОрокрпНрокроЯро┐ роиро▓рпНро▓ рооройро┐родро░рпНроХро│ро╛роХ ро╡ро╛ро┤рпНроХро┐ро▒ро╛ро░рпНроХро│рпН?
Q 22┬аHow is it that many Westerners, who are not aware of the Dharmic philosophy are good people? (SBG 5.07, SBG 11.55)
It is an irrefutable fact that everybody possesses some degree of a personality trait called narcissism. Of course, the degree of narcissism in a person is what that separates a normal person from someone who needs professional help. However negligible one’s degree of narcissism might be, it certainly is capable of pushing a person towards the feeling of entitlement, selfishness and also the typical ‘Why me’ Question. One’s own answer to the ‘Why me?’ question is usually based on self-pity and the feeling of being a victim of others, of external forces or simply of misfortune.
People who care to set aside their narcissistic trait, however small and insignificant it might be, and also their feeling of being a victim, succeed in finding out not the answer to the ‘Why me?’ question but a permanent solution to it.
The following presentation analyses the ‘Why me?’ question, the principle of Cause and Effect and the ways to carve out a clearer, better, enjoyable and enriching destiny with the help of the teachings imbibed from the Srimad Bhagavad Gita.
May peace reign in your heart, mind and soul and may your life be blessed with an abundance of Divine Grace.
The following poem by Rudyard Kipling explains the importance of maintaining a calm and balanced mind.
Who is a ‘Stithapragnya’?┬а
SBG 2:54-57
SBG 2:53 When your mind is no longer wavering or perplexed but is steady in Samaadhi (in Bhagavan) or in self-realisation, you will attain Yoga.
тАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФ-
SBG 2:54 Arjuna said:
What is a man, O Keshava (Bhagavan Krishna), who is steady in Samaadhi or Self realisation called? How does such a man talk? How does he sit and how does he walk?
тАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФ-
SBG 2:55 Shree Bhagavan Krishna said:
One who gives up all desires of the mind, O Partha (Arjuna), and when one has a purified mind and is in a pure state of the soul, he is called a тАШStithapragnyaтАЭor a man of steady consciousness.
тАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФ-
SBG 2:56 He who is not agitated or disturbed despite the threefold miseries, is also not euphoric when he has comforts and is free from attachment, fear and anger, is a sage with a steady mind. Note: The threefold miseries are, a. miseries that stem from the mind and body, b. miseries caused by other beings, and c. miseries caused by natural calamities and catastrophes over which no one has control
тАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФ-
SBG 2:57 He who is free from attachment and neither rejoices when he achieves good nor hates evil has steady wisdom and perfect knowledge.
In January 2020, I published on Amazon my first work of retelling the Srimad Bhagavad Gita in English in the form of an EBook and in February 2020, I published my first paperback version of my work.┬а On the front covers of both the books, just below the main title┬а ‘The Srimad Bhagavad Gita in English,’┬а it said, ‘Master the Art of Mastering your Mind’.
The world is an extension of the mind. Everything that we perceive, know and think we know is through the mind which acquires data through the senses. The one who has mastered his mind and has realised his Self, has nothing more to master.
Bhagavan Krishna says in SBG 7:02 I will now clearly explain to you this phenomenal knowledge and also its realisation after which, there will be nothing further remaining to be known in the world.
Most people spend their whole life searching for God and solutions to their problems only to realise that what they had been looking for all the while was within themselves.
Fundamental Q&A about The Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of the Sanatana Dharma aka Hinduism.
This presentation contains a set of 23 questions asked by some of the visitors to this site and their respective answers from me. They are primarily the most common questions people have regarding the Sanatana Dharma, which in no way is any organised religion. It is an ancient yet rational philosophy that has evolved over many millennia thanks to the contribution of great people including highly accomplished sages, and it has been handed down to the present generation of people by our forefathers who preserved it in order for us to benefit from it.
However, care needs to be taken to avoid its very essence of being nondualistic┬аfrom being altered and doctored by certain groups of people and religious organisations with vested interests or due to sheer ignorance. Doing so leads to major misunderstandings about the supreme philosophy of the Advaita Vedanta, which, when translated, means the ‘Nondualistic (path) towards the end or the goal of knowledge.’
Going through all the 23 questions and answers is recommended, however, timestamps for easy navigation to individual questions have been provided in the description box of the Video;
(The next presentation will be on Karma and the “Why me” question.)
The 23 questions:
Q┬а ┬а1 What does “Sanatana Dharma” mean?
Q┬а ┬а2 What is the actual name of the Sanatana Dharma? Is it not Hinduism?
Q┬а ┬а3 What kind of a religion is the Sanatana Dharma? Is it based on polytheism,
monotheism or any other concept? Please explain in detail.
Q┬а ┬а4 Who is God? Why do we have so many Gods and Goddesses?
Q┬а ┬а5 What about the 33 ‘crore’ Gods in Hinduism?
Q┬а ┬а6 Which are the Hindu scriptures that need to be read and followed?
Q┬а ┬а7 Who is the real “I”? Am I the Atman?
Q┬а ┬а8 What is the difference between Atman and Prana or life force?
Q┬а ┬а9 Am I the Atman, the mind, or the senses or a collection of all┬аof them?┬а
Q 10 What is the difference between mind and intellect? Which one is superior?┬а
Q 11 Who is the doer and who is the enjoyer?
Q 12 At whose command do we all perform actions?
Q 13 Does Karma work like “Every action has a reaction” ie., does Karma take effect immediately?
Q 14 Why do bad things happen to good people and good things to┬аbad people?
Q 15 Why do some people get over bad Karma quickly against some who keep struggling?
Q 16 ‘Many Karmas’ have happened before one got to know Krishna, about the Self and the Dharmic philosophy – so who is to ‘blame’ for this ignorance?
Q 17 Can Krishna and Bhakti towards Him alter our path decided by past Karmas?
Q 18 What does true surrendering mean?┬а How do we test ourselves whether we have fully surrendered?┬а
Q 19 Which Gods should I┬а pray to? ‘Demigods’ or Krishna the most superior One?
Q 20 What is the true process of Bhakti: idol/temple worship, reciting Mantras and which Mantras?┬а
Q 21 Why do many Westerners, who are not ‘linked’ to the Dharmic philosophy continue to be good souls?
Q 22 What happens after death?
Q 23 Can you give us some simple and practical steps that common people could follow in order to balance their Karma?
About two years ago, I had written a post on the typical narcissistic ‘Why me?’ question that people ask themselves when they face challenges in life.
When things do not go as one wishes, they tend to blame others, their fate, their natal chart, their teachers, their country and everyone as well as everything else other than themself who is the actual cause of everything. I have written in quite a few posts of mine about the three possibilities why things happen to people in life: 1. Everything is merely a coincidence and nothing has any reason whatsoever. 2. It is due to the principle of Cause and Effect or Karma 3. There is a God above who is doing all this to you.
Now, if you are a person who does not happen to belong to any cult which forces you to believe in a God in heaven, a book or in any person as tenets or conditions to be a part of that cult, you must be a mentally and spiritually free person who is guided by common sense. This should make you understand that the possibility number 3 is senseless. Therefore, it could either be No. 1 or No. 2. If it is No. 1 you know that you have no control over the situation anyway. So, if, for example, you feel you have a bad marriage and cannot live with your spouse, go for a divorce and be done with it. However, if you were to go by the possibility No. 2, which is that of Karma, you need to understand that whatever the situation you may be in, it was you who caused it or rather, asked for it. So, if you have a bad marriage, it is your own past Karma that caused it to happen. You cannot escape it. If you divorce your current spouse and go for another one without making the necessary changes in yourself, the story is sure to repeat itself because you have not broken the pattern. On the other hand, if you can break the pattern and make changes in yourself, why divorce at all and add more negative Karma to your bag which is already loaded with it?
Marital problems? It was you who had ‘asked’ for them
Let me clarify an important thought about Karmic balance. It is the subject of marriage that I shall be talking about today in order to explain clearly the destiny one’s past Karma creates. As I said earlier, if you have a ‘bad marriage’ in the current Janma, it could only mean that it was you who caused it or ‘asked for’ it for this Janma. It does not mean that someone or some God is punishing you. It indicates that in your previous Janma, you were not particularly good in this area and hence you needed to work on it further. That is why your destiny has created challenges for you in your marriage so that you can learn to manage it well.
Take the example of bodybuilding. If you would like to build muscle, you would need to apply more than normal stress on the particular muscle that you wish to build. This damages your local muscle fibre and causes muscle fatigue or muscle failure. When you rest after the workout, the exercised muscle repairs itself by undergoing a cellular process during which, new myofibrils or muscle strands are formed. When this is done at regular intervals, there is good muscle growth and the person begins to look in shape. In the case of one’s past Karma, the area in which a person has been weak or has not done sufficient justice in the previous Janma is repeated so that there is ‘more pressure’ in that area that would trigger the person to act on it and learn to handle it better. This helps them improve themselves and progress towards perfection.
Couples who do not realise this truth worsen their own Karma by continuing to do whatever they did in their previous Janma which is exactly why they have a difficult marriage in the current Janma in the first place. If they do not make changes, their pattern will continue into probably the next few hundred Janmas until they receive some kind of enlightenment someday. There are some who look for relationships outside of marriage with the excuse that they are not happy in their own marriage. They woo others into such immoral relationships and ruin the progress in their respective Karmic journeys. Such acts can only guarantee more Karma which they will have to soon balance. Shedding Karma, like shedding weight, is certainly neither an easy nor an enjoyable thing to do. You might want to stay fit and avoid the collection of negative Karma just as you would avoid collecting unwanted fat.
If everyone could comprehend the fact that they are, or rather, their past Karma is directly responsible for whatever situation they might be in, their propensity to purposefully, inadvertently or even foolishly collect more Karma can be minimised. The moment realisation happens they cease to blame the other person and they take the responsibility upon themselves. This activates an important part of their consciousness which turns them into a kind, compassionate, forgiving and lovable person. Attaining this should add colour and spice to their marital life and make it more interesting as well as worthwhile.
Children are the greatest gifts after one’s own life
Something of great importance is that couples who are blessed with children have no moral right to cause any negative impressions in the minds of their little ones. It is in fact highly sinful do so because the negative impressions they create in the minds of their children could have serious repercussions on the psychology of the child and also have a lasting impact on their psyche for the rest of their lives. If we were to talk about extreme cases, the name of Adolf Hitler is one of the names that come to my mind. His father was a cruel man who treated Adolf’s mother very badly. It can be concluded that his father’s cruelty resulted in the horrifying deaths of millions of innocent people in Adolf Hitler’s dictatorship. I have two questions to people who humiliate their children – “How dare you?” and “How ungrateful can you be?” There are people who have everything in the world but are not blessed with children but then we also have people who are blessed with everything including children but they are neither thankful, happy, appreciative or at peace with themselves in their lives. Also, think of the people who have everything but not a human companion. Therefore, when people who are blessed with a companion and children complain about life, they are only expressing that they feel that they are entitled to more or better. This is sheer arrogance, vanity and ingratitude.
Why me? It is me and that is why
The ways of destiny can be very cruel. A lot of people must be well aware of this great truth by now. Instead of asking ‘Why me’, it would make sense to say, “It is me and that is why,” It is my humble request to everyone to read the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, understand some basic truths about the Sanatana Dharma and Karma, and make a resolution to never treat children and all others with disdain. After their own life, it is children who are the greatest gifts that one can receive. Children are the future. It is not merely about the next couple of generations but forever into the future. If you took a moment to think, you would be able to see that some single action of one of your forefathers thousands of years ago is the direct causal factor of your birth as the individual you are in the current Janma. Every action of yours will have an effect on the generations to come. Let us be sensible and leave behind a better world for future generations.
As it is taught in organised cults and religions, Advaita Vedanta does not teach that there is someone up there or there are planets controlling your life. It is your own past and present Karma that are determining everything that happens in your life. You are Divine and you have the possibility to change your life for the better, right at this moment. If your life is a mess, you have to change it. Going to a temple and praying can help you calm yourself down and think more intelligently but the solution in the form of a change in what you do has to come from within. Look, if you continue to do what you have always done, you will continue to get what you have always got. It is not so difficult to comprehend this simple natural principle, is it?
So what is it that one should do to improve relations with their spouse?
Stop bickering, complaining, arguing, finding faults, suspecting or throwing the blame at each other. Remember that the best way to convince the other of your idea is through action and not through words. No one will buy your argument just because you so vehemently say whatever you say. Speaking harshly can only worsen the stress in the relationship. This is because, just like you, the other person too would do their best to prove themselves right. One person needs to give in. There is no loss of respect in giving in but it only shows that the one doing so is largehearted.
Discuss with your spouse and consider making major changes in your daily routine. This could include going to the fitness studio along with your spouse, going for walks together with your spouse and children, having an early dinner together, making it a point to sit together and read a book with each of you taking turns to read page after page, cooking together on weekends, starting new hobbies, and so on. All one needs to do is sincerely want to improve their relationship, and the rest will automatically follow. The ego is the main thing that needs to be avoided, like the plague. Ego leads people to think and say that they are better than the other and that they deserve a better spouse. The moment they sense disagreement, they get into a self-defence mode, which soon changes into an offensive one. They start hurling abuses at each other and even at each other’s families. However, most such people overlook the major fact that they will soon get old and that their children who are young today will grow up and do the same thing to them.
Men need to understand that women do not like their husbands to be weaklings. They usually like their man to be strong, kind, generous, appreciative, warm, forgiving and wise. Similarly, men too do not like it when their woman does not respect them or keeps nagging them constantly.
If you have decided to make changes in yourself in order to improve your relationship with your spouse but are feeling embarrassed to come down from your ‘high position’ and make it too conspicuous that you are trying to change, you could begin by throwing in here and there casual words of appreciation for your spouse. You could praise him or her before friends and tell your friends all that you would like to tell your spouse but are not able to do so directly.
Change needs to happen from within. Expecting your spouse to change for you to have a better married life can only waste the rapidly diminishing priceless gift of life, particularly the most valuable part of life which is known as youth. My experience in life has taught me that anything can happen to anyone at any time. Let us not, when our final moments arrive, have the need to rue not having used our time wisely.
Make┬а the change
Dump all idiotic conditions and reservations. Life is too precious and short for such silly things. Love everyone, be kind and loving to children and everyone else, have fun, sing, dance, meditate, party, travel, have holidays, enjoy nature, go trekking or climbing, and donate things to the needy who are not as lucky as you are.
Take a vow to take the lead in catalysing a chain of recurring happy events that bless your home with love, happiness, abundance, good health and bliss. Trust me, nothing is worth wasting the most precious moment called the NOW for!
Jai Shri Krishna
LIFE IS TOO PRECIOUS – LIVE IT –┬аBE THANKFUL FOR IT – RELISH IT –┬а CELEBRATE IT
рдЙрддреНрд╕реАрджреЗрдпреБрд░рд┐рдореЗ рд▓реЛрдХрд╛ рди рдХреБрд░реНрдпрд╛рдВ рдХрд░реНрдо рдЪреЗрджрд╣рдореН |
рд╕рдЩреНрдХрд░рд╕реНрдп рдЪ рдХрд░реНрддрд╛ рд╕реНрдпрд╛рдореБрдкрд╣рдиреНрдпрд╛рдорд┐рдорд╛рдГ рдкреНрд░рдЬрд╛рдГ || рей реирек || utsiide-yurime lokaa na kuryaam karma che-dhaham sankarasya cha kartaa syaam-upaha-nyaamimaaha prajaaha (SBG 3:24) Bhagavan Krishna said: If I ever stopped being engaged in My action, these worlds will perish. I would also cause unwanted population that would ruin all beings.
A person always needs to be aware of and responsible for his or her thoughts, words and deeds. Maintaining consistency requires effort, and therefore, one needs to always consciously work on remaining consistent. Making a statement or a verbal commitment merely for the sake of saying something attracts Karma, which will need to be balanced someday or the other. We come across a lot of people who make tall promises but, later on, retract from what they said with the justification that their situation forced them to do so. It is quite possible that the person’s situation really prevented them from keeping their word, but that is precisely the reason why, as I said earlier, one needs to be aware of and responsible for his or her thoughts, words and deeds.
The Shloka SBG 3:24 quoted by me above points out that if Bhagavan Krishna, Brahman or that intangible, incomprehensible and indescribable force were to ever stop working, an ‘unwanted population’ would be caused and that would ruin all beings. Let us look at it metaphorically. When, for example, a person makes a commitment to someone but does not continue to work on keeping the commitment, just like the unwanted population that Krishna spoke about, unnecessary thoughts, distractions and temptations, could take over their mind and make them deviate from the path they had earlier committed to taking. This would then force them to perform actions that would only attract negative Karma and damage their life as well as their Karmic journey, like the way an unwanted population would ruin all beings.
It is quite a normal human quality to be unsteady or fickle-minded, although the intensity of being so may vary from person to person based on the progress they have made in the process of their respective Karmic evolution. Learning to control one’s mind, not by suppressing it but by developing noble virtues, discipline, and social responsibility; ensures that one’s most important priorities, namely, those of collecting positive Karma and precluding the heaping of negative Karma can be achieved.
An important point to be borne in mind is the basic principle of Karmayoga, which is to do work without being attached to its results. Let me tell you that this is not as tricky or at times paradoxical as it may sound to some.
The following Shloka should explain how and why it is not so:
рд╕рдХреНрддрд╛рдГ рдХрд░реНрдордгреНрдпрд╡рд┐рджреНрд╡рд╛рдВрд╕реЛ рдпрдерд╛ рдХреБрд░реНрд╡рдиреНрддрд┐ рднрд╛рд░рдд |
рдХреБрд░реНрдпрд╛рджреНрд╡рд┐рджреНрд╡рд╛рдВрд╕реНрддрдерд╛рд╜рд╕рдХреНрддрд╢реНрдЪрд┐рдХреАрд░реНрд╖реБрд░реНрд▓реЛрдХрд╕рдВрдЧреНрд░рд╣рдореН || рей реирел || saktaaha karmanya vidhvaamso yathaa kurvanti bhaaratha kuryaad vidvaam stathaa sakthash- chikiirshur loka sangraham (SBG 3:25) Just as ignorant people perform actions with attachment to the results, learned people perform work, but with no attachments. Their desire, if at all, is only the welfare of the world.
This Shloka indicates that performing action wishing good for the society that one lives in, should suffice and enable a person to stay on the path of Karmayoga. The welfare of others need not always mean the society at large, but it could also mean the person or persons to whom one gives a word or makes a commitment. Simple actions that stem from wishing well for others include actions as simple as sharing positive energy with others. I have been running this website since 2014 and I do it expecting nothing from others except hoping that my posts help people learn certain basic truths and secrets that I have learned, which have been helping me welcome, face, fight and overcome major challenges in life including life-threatening ones and the knowledge that I gained through them that have been helping me evolve physically, mentally, intellectually and spiritually.
Thousands of people have been coming to this site, have contacted me and have also been communicating with me. In all those communications, I have been giving people the most valuable but rapidly and constantly diminishing asset that anyone can ever have, which is the TIME I have in my current Janma. The services I have been offering people include personally teaching them how to introspect, analyse a given situation, identify their own pluses and minuses, chart a plan for their future and I have also been counselling individuals, couples, morbidly depressed people and others who urgently require moral support. That is what I promise to unconditionally do for anyone who contacts me for help. However, the question is how many of the people who have personally communicated with me have honestly considered one of the most important pieces of advice I always give, which is to share positive energy and vibrations with others without any expectations in mind? Many people come here, get a temporary solution to their problems, and return to what they were doing, but rush back to me after a while saying that their life has not improved. Of course, there will be no change or improvement! How can one expect life to change when they do not change from within or do not remain consistent in what they, in their pursuit of self-improvement, started becoming after receiving some help from me or from anyone else? If one continues to do what they did earlier, they will continue to get only what they got earlier. It is plain common sense. Can you go to the gym for a couple of months and expect to have that dream figure? No, you cannot. It takes years of discipline, rigorous training and sacrifice.
At this point, I must emphasise that what others do with their lives makes no difference to me because I, anyway, do not expect anything from others. Nevertheless, I know deep in my heart that whatever I do through my sites or in my life, in general, is not with selfish motives but purely for the welfare and happiness of others at least for the reason that I take Krishna’s teachings a bit too seriously.
It is my sincere suggestion to everyone that if you wish to change your life, it would be you who needs to change. You can be sure that the world will not change. Waiting for a particular astrological phase to change your life is absurd because if you do not change, your life will not change. Following Dharma, having social responsibility as a guiding principle, being consistent and doing whatever you do as a sacrifice unto Krishna can help you lead an enriching and fulfilling life, which is anyway the only thing that comes to one’s mind during their last moments of life.
I am only sharing with others the knowledge that saved my life multiple times, changed it, enriched it, filled it with the most fascinating and exhilarating experiences, and is helping me every moment to stay blissful no matter what challenging situation my destiny forces me to enter or be in. I shall continue to do my small bit for others, even if some people still prefer to live in a world of delusion obsessed with dualities and a faulty ‘god’ concept.
To take what I teach or not is left to you. Remember, even Bhagavan Krishna said so to Arjuna in Shloka SBG 18:63
Please invest some time to study the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, discuss it, master the art of mastering your mind, and learn to design your future in the way you would want it to be and not like something that astrological predictions tell you it would be. The current situation with the quarantine and stay-home laws could be very used well to take life-changing steps that could pave the way to your wonderful earthly as well as Karmic future.
Always stay spiritually aware, focused, committed and socially responsible.
Therefore, as Krishna says to Arjuna: “Reflect fully on what I have declared to you and do what you wish to do.” (SBG 18:63)
‘Your own Self-Realisation is the greatest service that you can render the world.’ – Shri Ramana Maharshi
It was in the month of July 1896. Shri Ramana Maharshi, n├й┬аVenkataraman, was suddenly overcome by the fear of death. However, instead of panicking as people would usually do, he decided to study the subject of death. He tried to figure out what it was that died when a person died. He realised that death happened merely to the physical body but the actual being or Self in a person never dies. That day of realisation changed his whole life. He completely lost all interest in outward life. He would go to the temple and stand there for hours before the deities as tears would roll down his cheeks. He would meditate for long durations of time.
All the spiritual knowledge he possessed was experiential in nature that originated from his repeatedly asking himself, “Naan yaar?” in Tamil which means “Who am I?” They were purely from his own experience and not from others or from books. He was a neo-Vedantist who did not propagate rituals, rites and other such religious practices. He taught that┬а the only reality is the Self or the true ‘I’, which is nothing but an all-inclusive awareness.
Shri Ramana Maharshi principally taught Self-inquiry and encouraged people to do it sincerely. There is a well-known anecdote about him that when he was once asked by someone how to treat others, he replied by saying, “There are no others.” He said that the “Who am I?” question is not meant to find an answer to it but to in fact ‘dissolve’ the seeker who asks the question. His method of Self-inquiry is known as as ‘Hridaya Yoga’.
The selection and rearrangement of 42 Shlokas from the Srimad Bhagavad Gita is indeed a great boon to any seeker. The rearrangement form a smooth flow Divine teachings that help a person understand the core philosophy taught in the Srimad Bhagavad Gita.
Although I have given the respective Shloka numbers after each of them for easy reference, the correct way to read the selected Shlokas would be to follow the order given by Shri Ramana Maharshi ignoring the actual Chapter and Shloka numbers. The order of the Shlokas given by Shri Ramana Maharshi, just as it is in the original order, removes the fear of death, right at the very beginning.
Identification with the body; mistaking the mind for the Self; the fear of death; attachment to impermanent objects; a confused and egotistical idea of the ‘I’; a wrong ‘God concept’; and the lack of focus; are some of the key factors that cause sadness, pain, misery, hate and all things negative in the world. The Self is Divine, permanent and Divine. Learn to the revel in the Self. Everything else will leave you some day or the other.
In order to make it easy to understand the philosophy that Shri Ramana Maharshi, taught through his rearrangement of the 42 Shlokas, the Sanskrit Shlokas have been avoided so that one can read through the English translations uninterrupted.
I have grouped the 42 Shlokas in 10 groups, which should make understanding the Shlokas even easier. Set your mind, focus and read the following Shlokas with all humility and devotion.
I┬а ┬а ┬аThe body, the Self and existence
1.┬а Sanjaya said: To Arjuna, who was overcome with compassion, pity and sadness and whose eyes were filled with tears, Madhusudana (Bhagavan Krishna) said as follows. (SBG 2:01)
2.┬а Shri Bhagavaan said: O Arjuna, the wise sages call this body the Kshetra or the Field and he who knows it, the Kshetrajna or the Knower of the Field. (SBG 13:01)
3.┬а You should know that the Kshetrajna or the embodied Self in all bodies or Kshetras is Me, O Arjuna. Knowing about the Kshetra and the Kshetrajnas is called knowledge. (SBG 13:02)
4.┬а I am the Self, O Gudakesha (Arjuna), situated within all living entities. I am the origin, the middle and also the end of all beings. (SBG 10:20)
5.┬а For one who is born, death is certain; and for one who dies, rebirth is certain. Hence you should not grieve for this inevitable truth. (SBG 2:27)
6.┬а The Self is never born, nor does it die at any time. It does not come into existence by being born. The Self is constant. It is not killed when the body dies. (SBG 2:20)
7.┬а The soul or the Self is indeed incombustible. It cannot be cut, nor moistened nor dried. It is eternal and it has been there forever. (SBG 2:24)
8.┬а You must know that that which pervades the body can never be destroyed. The soul is indestructible and imperishable. (SBG 2:17)
9.┬а ┬аSeers who have studied both, the material body and the eternal soul, have concluded that the unreal does not endure and the real never ceases to be. (SBG 2:16)
10. Like the sun that illuminates the whole world, the Self or the Soul, which is the Lord of the Kshetram or the body, illuminates the whole field, O Arjuna. (SBG 13:33)
11. Neither does the sun, the moon nor fire illumine the supreme abode of Mine. The one who goes there never returns to material life. That is My highest abode. (SBG 15:06)
II┬а ┬а The Highest Goal is understanding the Ultimate Truth of the Omnipresent Divinity
12. What is called the Unmanifest and the Imperishable, is said to be the highest goal. Those who reach it do not return to this cycle of births and deaths. That is My highest abode. (SBG 8:21)
13. Those who are free from vanity and delusion, are victorious over the evil of attachment, dwell constantly in the Self, have their desires completely turned away, and are freed from the pairs of opposites known as pleasure and pain, will certainly reach the eternal goal. (SBG 15:05)
14. A person who disregards the teachings of the scriptures and acts under the influence of desire, attains neither perfection, happiness nor the Supreme goal. (16:23)
15. The person who truly sees is the one who sees the Supreme Soul or the Supreme Bhagavan, existing equally in all beings тАУ the unperishing within the perishing. (SBG 13:27)
16. By single-minded devotion and dedication, I can be seen and known like this and in fact, one can even become one with Me, O mighty-armed Arjuna. (SBG 11:54)
III┬а ┬аFaith, the kinds of faith and devotion
17. The faith of everyone is as per their nature, O Arjuna. People are what the nature of their faith is. (SBG 17:03)
18. The person of faith and devotion, who has control over the senses, attains knowledge. He immediately attains Supreme Peace. (SBG 4:39)
IV┬а The mind, the intelligence, the intellect and spiritual strength
19. To them who are ever steadfast in worshipping Me with love, I give the Yoga of discrimination by which they come to Me. (10:10)
20. Out of mere compassion for them, I reside in their intellect and destroy the darkness born of ignorance by the bright lamp of knowledge. (SBG 10:11)
21. But, to those whose ignorance is destroyed by the knowledge of the Self, their knowledge like the sun, manifests that highest Being. (SBG 5:16)
22. The senses are superior to the sense objects; the mind is superior to the senses, but the intellect is superior to the mind, and the Self or the soul is superior to the intellect. (SBG 3:42)
23. Therefore, knowing oneself to be higher than the material senses, the mind and the intelligence, one must conquer the enemy which is in the form of lust and desire. This enemy is difficult to conquer and only spiritual strength can conquer it. (SBG 3:43)
V┬а ┬а The fire of knowledge that burns Karma
24. Just as a blazing fire burns wood used as fuel into ashes, O Arjuna, knowledge burns all actions and reactions due to material activities, into ashes. (SBG 4:37)
25. A person whose every action is devoid of selfish desires and whose actions are burned by the fire of knowledge is known to be a wise and highly learned person. (SBG 4:19)
VI┬а The way to liberation
26. Sages who are free from passion and anger, who have their mind under control, who have realised the Self and are constantly aiming for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme, here and hereafter. (SBG 5:26)
27. One should withdraw little by little, establishing the mind in the Self through the intellect regulated by concentration. He should not think of anything else. (SBG 6:25)
VII┬а ┬аLearning to control one’s own mind
28. Wherever and whenever the mind wanders restlessly because of its unsteady quality, it should be restrained and brought back under the control of the Self. (SBG 6:26)
29. With the senses, the mind and the intellect always controlled, with liberation as his supreme goal, free from desire, fear and angerтАФthe wise person is truly liberated forever. (SBG 5:28)
30. A yogi whose Self is united with Divine Consciousness, sees the Self abiding in all beings and all beings in the Self. Such a person sees the same everywhere. (SBG 6:29)
VIII┬а Exclusive devotion to Krishna, being a ‘Stithapragnya’ or a person of stable and steady consciousness, and the way to becoming dear to Krishna
31. To those people who worship Me alone, thinking of no other, I give My assurance that they get what they want and preserve what they have. (SBG 9:22)
32. Of those, the one of wisdom who is engaged in devotional service is the best. I am dear to such a knower and he or she, in turn, is dear to Me. (SBG 7:17)
33. Therefore, after innumerable births, the one who has perfected his or her wisdom, understanding fully My universal reality, surrenders to Me and such a soul is very rare. (SBG 7:19)
34. Shri Bhagavan Krishna said: One who gives up all desires of the mind, O Partha (Arjuna), has a purified mind and is in a pure state of the soul, is called a тАШStithapragnyaтАЩ or a man of steady consciousness. (SBG 2:55)
35. The person who has renounced attachment to all sense objects lives with no sense of ownership and is free from false pride, thus attaining peace. (SBG 2:71)
36. The one who neither troubles others nor is agitated by the world; and is free from joy, envy, fear and anxiety; is dear to Me. (SBG 12:15)
37. He who remains unmoved in honour and dishonour; is the same to friend and foe, and has renounced all actions by giving up claims of being the тАШDoerтАЩ, is said to have transcended the three Gunas. (SBG 14:25)
38. But for the one who delights in the Self, remains Self-illuminated, fully satisfied with the Self, duties donтАЩt exist. (SBG 3:17)
39. Such a person has no purpose whatsoever and is not interested in whatever is done or not done. He also does not depend on other living beings. (SBG 3:18)
IX Being Self-content, free of envy, and balanced both in success as well as in failure
40. A person who is satisfied with gains that come to him on their own, is steady, has surpassed duality and is free from envy. Such a person is even-minded both in success as well as in failure. He is never bound even while performing actions. (SBG 4:22)
41. The Supreme Bhagavan dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, and in accordance to their respective Karma, He directs the wanderings of all beings by His Maya or illusive power, as if they were mounted on a machine. (SBG 18:61)
X┬а ┬аSeeking total refuge in Divinity
42. O Arjuna! Seek refuge in Him and surrender your body, mind and soul unto Him. By His Grace, you shall attain Supreme Peace and the Eternal Abode. (SBG 18:62)
KRISHNAM VAND├Й JAGADGURUM
Click below to go to the TVM Gita site and read the Srimad Bhagavad Gita
Welcome to this Mantra meditation session during which we shall aim to mentally connect with the timeless, Divine, eternal and grand system of which all of us are a part.
You would need to be in a dimly lit room and sit on the floor in the Padmasana position. Never mind, those of you who do not know the Asana or cannot perform it for whatever reason, may simply sit cross-legged comfortably on the floor or in any other position in which you would feel relaxed yet alert.
Bhagavan Krishna says in the 13th chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita:
рдХреНрд╖реЗрддреНрд░рдЬреНрдЮрдВ рдЪрд╛рдкрд┐ рдорд╛рдВ рд╡рд┐рджреНрдзрд┐ рд╕рд░реНрд╡рдХреНрд╖реЗрддреНрд░реЗрд╖реБ рднрд╛рд░рдд |
рдХреНрд╖реЗрддреНрд░рдХреНрд╖реЗрддреНрд░рдЬреНрдЮрдпреЛрд░реНрдЬреНрдЮрд╛рдирдВ рдпрддреНрддрдЬреНрдЬреНрдЮрд╛рдирдВ рдорддрдВ рдордо || резрей реи || kshetrajnam chaapi maam viddhi sarva kshetreshu bhaarata kshetra-kshetrajnayor-jnaanam yattat-jnaanam matam mama (SBG 13:02)
You should know that the Kshetrajna or the embodied Self in all bodies or Kshetras is Me, O Arjuna. Knowing about the Kshetra and the Kshetrajnas is called knowledge.
This means that the Self in all beings is Krishna Himself. However, the perception of our own Divinity is usually deluded by our untrained mind. That is when Mantras and Meditation are of great help.
рдордирдирд╛рддреН рддреНрд░рд╛рдпрддреЗ рдЗрддрд┐ рдордВрддреНрд░рдГ Mananaat Traayate iti Mantrah
A Mantra is that by which one is protected and redeemed through constant thinking and remembering.
The mental barriers due to the confused dualistic тАШIтАЩ in us and the supreme system known as Brahman, can be easily dropped with the power of Mantras and meditation.
We are made up of the same five elements that the entire universe is made up of. In that sense, just as the universe contains us, we too contain the universe in within us.
Mantras help us rise and get back to where we belong. They can have two major effects on those who chant, recite, sing or merely listen to them. By understanding what the Mantras truly mean, a person chanting or reciting them visualises the splendour and magnificence of the different forms of the Universal Brahman and derives immense spiritual energy from them.
The other benefit of Mantras comes from their sonorous value. All of us know that sound has the power to shatter glass panes, rid people of diseases, elevate states of mind and create overall wellness. These benefits of Mantras help in building a strong mind which protects one’s immune system from being compromised by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses or even unrighteous thoughts. Such a state of mind leads to a healthy and stable constitution of the body.
The concept of prayer taught in many organised religions is usually about asking God for help, for a cure from a disease, or for any other kind of favours. On the other hand, Vedic chants and recitations, that invariably are praises offered to the Supreme Brahman in different forms, are aimed at energising the seeker and helping them attain a natural balance of energies within themselves which contribute towards their mental and physical strength apart from building in them the necessary receptiveness for worldly as well as Karmic rewards.
Bhagavan Krishna says in Shloka 7:16
рдЪрддреБрд░реНрд╡рд┐рдзрд╛ рднрдЬрдиреНрддреЗ рдорд╛рдВ рдЬрдирд╛рдГ рд╕реБрдХреГрддрд┐рдиреЛрд╜рд░реНрдЬреБрди |
рдЖрд░реНрддреЛ рдЬрд┐рдЬреНрдЮрд╛рд╕реБрд░рд░реНрдерд╛рд░реНрдереА рдЬреНрдЮрд╛рдиреА рдЪ рднрд░рддрд░реНрд╖рдн || рен резрем || chatur vidhaa bhajante maam janaaha sukritinoтАЩrjuna aarto jijnaa surartharthee jnaanee cha bharatar-shabha (SBG 7:16)
Among the pious, there are four kinds who are devoted to Me. They are the distressed, those seeking knowledge, people desiring material gain and people of wisdom.
тАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФтАФ
7:17
рддреЗрд╖рд╛рдВ рдЬреНрдЮрд╛рдиреА рдирд┐рддреНрдпрдпреБрдХреНрдд рдПрдХрднрдХреНрддрд┐рд░реНрд╡рд┐рд╢рд┐рд╖реНрдпрддреЗ |
рдкреНрд░рд┐рдпреЛ рд╣рд┐ рдЬреНрдЮрд╛рдирд┐рдиреЛрд╜рддреНрдпрд░реНрдердорд╣рдВ рд╕ рдЪ рдордо рдкреНрд░рд┐рдпрдГ || рен резрен || teshaam jnaanee nitya yukta eka bhaktir vishishyate priyo hi jnaaninoтАЩtyartha- maham sa cha mama priyaha (SBG 7:17)
Of those, the one of wisdom who is engaged in devotional service is the best. I am dear to such a knower and he or she, in turn, is dear to Me.
I would now request you to close your eyes and visualise a bright light on the horizon. Fix your mental gaze on that light and join me in this brief meditational journey towards feeling the true Divine Self in us.
I shall now begin this session of Mantra meditation in which I shall be reciting ten powerful Sanskrit Mantras. The first Mantra is the Sankat Nashak Mantra of Ganesha. It is a Mantra that helps seekers like us transition from a mundane state of mind into a focussed and energised one. This Mantra will then be followed by Mantras for Shiva, Durga or Parvati, Narsimha, Aditya and Dhanvantari. Aditya, Surya Bhagavan or the Sun God, but for whom the solar system would not exist, is revered as the one deity who, in all his grandeur, is actually visible to the human eye.
Therefore, it is the Aditya Hridayam Mantra that assumes the main part of this meditation session, which we shall end with the Shanti Mantra for world peace and wellbeing.
Let us begin.
Send a mail to tvmmantras@gmail.com for a free EBook containing the 10 Mantras – Mantra Meditation with Tavamithram (Sanskrit text and Romanised transliteration)
the camera at the subject, turning the dial to adjust the focus, confirming if the light available is sufficient for the exposure, holding the camera steady, and finally shooting. A gunman or an archer also does something similar to what the photographer does except that when he shoots, a projectile is fired out of his weapon unlike what happens in a camera.
natural quality of the mind to do exactly what it is told not to do! There is a phenomenon known as the ironic process theory according to which, the more one tries to suppress a thought, the more strongly will it surface in the mind. The famous ‘pink elephant’ experiment in which, a person is asked to take the next 30 seconds and think about anything other than a ‘pink elephant’, proves that consciously trying to avoid thinking of something is not an easy task at all. Different meditation techniques, which include regulated breathing and other practices, help in diverting the mind from an unwanted thought or other intrusive thoughts to a point decided upon by the seeker simply by giving their mind something to do.
to cause any negative impressions in the minds of their little ones. It is in fact highly sinful do so because the negative impressions they create in the minds of their children could have serious repercussions on the psychology of the child and also have a lasting impact on their psyche for the rest of their lives. If we were to talk about extreme cases, the name of Adolf Hitler is one of the names that come to my mind. His father was a cruel man who treated Adolf’s mother very badly. It can be concluded that his father’s cruelty resulted in the horrifying deaths of millions of innocent people in Adolf Hitler’s dictatorship. I have two questions to people who humiliate their children – “How dare you?” and “How ungrateful can you be?” There are people who have everything in the world but are not blessed with children but then we also have people who are blessed with everything including children but they are neither thankful, happy, appreciative or at peace with themselves in their lives. Also, think of the people who have everything but not a human companion. Therefore, when people who are blessed with a companion and children complain about life, they are only expressing that they feel that they are entitled to more or better. This is sheer arrogance, vanity and ingratitude.
Tavamithram Sarvada 