Maha Swami on Diwali

Maha Swami on Diwali 

The True Message of Deepavali

- HH Jagadguru Pujya Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Mahaswamiji

Deepavali and Naraka-Chaturdasi are one and the same. This is celebrated as a national festival throughout India, but in different ways in different parts of the country. In North India, it is considered a day of lights and the houses are colourfully illumined on the occasion. In the South, however, people take an oil bath before dawn and put on new clothes. It brings happiness and joy to people who undergo sufferings in their daily lives. In the early hours of the dawn of the day preceding the new moon day, i.e. Chaturdasi, when the sun is in the Tula Rasi (Libra) of Zodiac, water anywhere in the world is Ganga and oil becomes saturated with the auspicious presence of Sri Mahalakshmi. Everyone from the simplest gypsy to the proudest magnate, from the innocent child to the serene saint should take a bath with oil and water and be happy, illuminating every nook and corner with strings of light, literally deepa-aavali (rows of lights). This is the boon prayed for by a mother when her son, who was a real naraka, to the world at large, was being killed by Sri Krishna. 

"Let the happiness of every creature in the world be the compensation for the grief caused to me by the death of my son", was the prayer of that bereaved mother. Deepavali outweighs every festival because of its having emanated from two hearts in which happiness of the world at large outweighed the lightest pitch of personal calamity. Nothing can be nobler than this last wish of the dying demon, and more so, the prayer of a bereaved mother.

Source: kamakoti.org

Saraswati Devi in a cave

If we all think just only Ayodhya was under siege, we are all mistaken. 

Maha Periyavar refers to an incident in Madhya Pradesh. The place is Dhar city. It was ruled by King Bhoja, nearly about thousand years ago. He was great supporter of Indian Arts, literature, poetry, Sanskrit, architecture etc. People came to learn that a few people saw some Sanskrit letters inside a cave there in a Mosque. Only after independence, the Epigraphical department could manage to obtain permission from the custodians and see inside the cave. There was a chakra inscripted within which lot of slokas in Sanskrit was written. 

The same was Saraswathy Devi Temple during King Bhoja's era. Maha Periyava says it was proof that those days Kings preserved and worshipped Sastras, Vedas. 

Saraswathi Namastubhyam sarva devi namo namaha

shaantarupe shashidhare sarvayoge namo namaha

सरस्वति (Sarasvatii) - Devi Saraswati

नमस्तुभ्यं (Namastubhyam) - Salutations to You

सर्वदेवि (Sarva-Devi) - All Goddesses

नमो (Namo) - Salutations

नमः (Namah) - Salutations

शान्तरूपे (Shaanta-Ruupe) - Who has a Tranquil Form

शशिधरे (Shashi-Dhare) - Who Wears the Moon

सर्वयोगे (Sarva-Yoge) - Who is the Embodiment of All Yogas

नमो (Namo) - Salutations

नमः (Namah) - Salutations

Meaning:

6.1: Salutations to Devi Saraswati, Who is the Embodiment of All Goddesses; Salutations, Salutations to Her.

6.2: Who has a Tranquil Form, Who Wears the Moon and Who is the Embodiment of All Yogas; Salutations, Salutations to Her.

RAM NAM

"When a child, my nurse taught me to repeat Ramanama whenever I felt afraid or miserable, and it has been second nature with me with growing knowledge and advancing years. I may even say that the Word is in my heart, if not actually on my lips, all the twenty-four hours. It has been by saviour ...."

- Mahatma 

Naga Swami on Ram Nama....vol 4, தெய்வத்தின் குரல்:

ராம ஸ்மரணம் மாத்திரம் ஒருவனுக்கு ஸதாவும் இருந்து விட்டால் அவனுக்கு இந்த பாபமயமான, துக்கமயமான பூலோகமே பரமபதமாகத் தானிருக்கும் என்று ரூபித்துக் காட்டக்கூடிய யோக்யதை இவர்களுக்கு இருந்தது. ஆகையால், ‘இந்த உண்மையை உலகத்துக்குக் காட்டுவதற்காக இவர்கள் இங்கேயே சிரஞ்ஜீவியாக இருந்து கொண்டிருக்கட்டும்’ என்று நினைத்தார். அதனால் அவர்களை பூலோகத்திலேயே இருக்கும்படியாக ஆக்ஞாபித்து விட்டுப் போய்விட்டார்.

Who was it that left them to live eternally?

Ans: Lord Ram

Whom He left to live eternally?

Ans: The Ever powerful Lord Hanuman.

All those who chant Ram Nam are blessed Souls.

Gone Machine

This may have become museum piece.

But if your fingers effortlessly do a நர்த்தன் in your modern key board, we owe a lot to our training in these years ago - lower, higher grades.

My memory goes back.When a bunch of cousins, we approached the Master at Lakshmi Institute, behind age old Lakshmi Theatre at Devakottai. The Master said, "sorry, all slots are full. I can't help."One ingenious cousin, not a one to give up easily shot back, "Is your 4 a.m slot also full?".

Master stared and hesitantly said, " we open by 6 am only."My go-getter cousin said, "Master you give the key, we will practice from 4.30 to 5.30 or six and we will leave after 6 am slot students walk in."

Master handed over one key out of his two sets.

For about two months we practice till our college opened after summer vacation".The adjoining one is 100 years old Narayana Vilas restaurant. There too, after type practice, in the restaurant too we were the first to walk in and enjoy the steamy ghee Pongal sprinkled with roasted cashews. Can Pongal go alone? Yeah, it went with its accomplice, the piping hot methu vada. 

The days we can't go back but live in happy memory only.

Miracles.....How?

We don't know.

God keeps sprinkling surprises here and there quite often.

It was a busy working Saturday.

A cousin walked in casually, for it was his holiday.

 In the midst of chat, he narrated two of his close experiences.

The first,

His cousin's friend has a house in Kodaikanal. That friend's mother is a devotee of Bhagavan Sai Baba of Puttabarti. Swamiji used to Visit His Asram in Kodai. The friend is a jolly good fellow. In his house, his mother had decorated their hall with a big picture of Baba. Whenever his mother was away from hilly town, he gathers his local friends and is used to have a drink session. Every time he picks up a glass, he extends the same towards Baba's portrait and says, "cheers".

One weekend the mother dropped in. She took him to have darsn of Baba at Kodai Asram. It's a practice in Baba's Asram. Before Bhagavan arrives in the hall to give darsn, the male devotees are seated on one side and the women on the other side. Our friend was in the front row. When Bhagavan enters the hall, He walks slowly and collects from a few the prayer chits, says a few words to devotees randomly. Bhagavan suddenly stood before our friend and said loudly, "cheers". The friend was stunned.

That very day, the friend gave up drinking once and for all.

The story 2.

Another common senior cousin took this cousin suddenly on one day to Kanchi Math. The senior is very pious person.The senior's forefathers had done திருப்பணி in a very famous temple near Kumbakonam. When the cousins arrived in the Math, there was heavy crowd. They were wondering would they be able to have darsn of Maha Swami that day. They made up their mind to return and come back some other day. Suddenly an attender to Maha Swami came out of the Math and said to the cousins, "Maha Swami instructed me to take you inside."

எல்லாம் அவன் செயல்.

What's Hindu's Gospel?.... ஹிந்துவின் சமய நூல் யாது? + Super * about Hindu, the Religion

தலைப்பை தீர ஆராயும் முன், can we ask a question, ஹிந்துக்களுக்கு இஸ்லாம், Christianity போன்ற மத விலாசம் ஏதேனும் இருந்ததா?

There's every reason to be skeptic.  Do the young ones know the பாரம்பரியா? That ours is not a religion like Christianity. In the sense that there was a founder of it, viz., the Christ Jesus.  And also unlike you can identify the time period when Other Religions got established, we can't trace the timeline when the Hindu began.  Further, no one did baptize it with the name Hindu. It's a trick that the colonial Rulers,  in their attempt to divide and rule and isolate against others, named us as Hindus   That's how the name still continues.

The base one could premise our பாரம்பரிய at the maximum is the Veda.  Vedas, were they written scripts?  Do they have a letter form? No.  They are just the powerful sabdas, sounds, which the Rishis of the yore cognized while in deep tapas.

The Rishis distilled those holy sounds and passed down their lineage. Later we got Maha Puranas, epics like Ramayan and Maha Bharat by Sages Valmiki and Vysa and Upanishads etc.

Well,

Coming back to the topic,

The brothers/sisters from other religions can cite what their holy gospel book is.  Like Bible, Quran etc.  When they ask us, we blink.  For, as said earlier, Vedas were not in identifiable scripts.

We read only the distilled versions in Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and other slokas, verses written much later after Timeless Veda happened on this prabancha, the world as we see today.

If we, the Tamil knowing populace, want to zero in on, the best treatise is Maha Swami's தெய்வத்தின் குரல் in 7 volumes.  Any one deeply interested in to know our தாத்பரியம், in one treatise where you get it, all are in தெய்வத்தின் குரல் volumes.

Years ago, when I went on Audit tour I stayed in a Coimbatore Hotel.  In the Rooms there were two books, one the Bible and the other Swami Chidhbhavananda's commentary on Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

I am aware the brethern from other Sects are so religious in their prayers, reading of their Holy scripts. 

The irony is in ours, it hasn't become quotidian to read our holy verses.

Listen to:

*தமிழக ஊடகங்களால் திட்டமிட்டு மறைக்கப்பட்ட ரஜினியின் உரை.*

கைலாயம்... நாம ஸ்வரூபத்தில்

சிவ சிவ என்கிலர் தீவினையாளர்

சிவ சிவ என்றிடத் தீவினை மாளும்

சிவ சிவ என்றிடத் தேவரும் ஆவார்

சிவ சிவ என்னச் சிவகதி தானே! (பாடல்-2716) 

- திருமந்திரம்

சிவ

சிவ

என்றிட

இறை படைத்த

நா 

ஒன்று போதும்.

நியமங்கள்,

பூஜா,

ஆராதனைகள்

யாவும் இன்றியே.

சிவன்

நேரிடை தரிசனம்

சாத்தியமில்லையா?!

ஏன் இல்லை .

சிவ

சிவ

சிவவே

சிவனே தான்.

கண் இமை

மூடி

ஒரு க்ஷனம்

சிவ

என்று 

ஸ்மரியுங்கள்.

சித்தமெல்லாம்

ஒரு

பரிபூரணம்

உணர்வை

நீங்களே

காண்பீர்கள்.

பெரும் பயிற்சி

ஒன்றும்

தேவையில்லை.

சிவாய நம.

மேலும் 

மஹா ஸ்வாமிகளின்:

சிவ நாம மஹிமை;

சிவன் தரும் மஹிமை.

தெய்வத்தின் குரல் 

Vol 3 

A call out...to Meditate

"-ve Energies cannot touch you if you are in a state of meditativeness."

-  Sadhguru 

Why be Meditative?

You.know

The Sun doesn't ask, 

"Why should I rise?".

So, 

Should every Meditator

Go all out

And invite 

More to do that -

Meditation.

Stress was a rarity

Those days.

True,

There is

Growth,

Development 

And 

Ever evolving 

Technology 

In all arenas.

But what vies

With all advancement 

Is the 

Frayed nerves.

The result is 

Stress all around.

What is the 

Stress buster?

What else,

It is the

Timeless dhyan.

Welcome to do it.

There's an urgent 

Need for it

Now

More than ever.

You can't schedule it

For a later time,

Or

Evening of your life.

For, all the Moment 

Is Now

Right Now.

"The moment you realize you are not present, you are present. Whenever you are able to observe your mind, you are no longer trapped in it. Another factor has come in, something that is not of the mind: the WITNESSING PRESENCE."

- Eckhart Tolle.

திருஞானசம்பந்தரின் -(சிவ)- விஷ்ணு!?!!! பாராயணம்

What we know is 7th century born, அன்னை பார்வதியால், அமுது - அல்ல அல்ல - ஞான அமுது பருகிய பாலகன், தெய்வக்குழந்தை , ஞானசம்பந்தர் சிவபெருமானைப் போற்றிப் பாடியதாகவே ,தேவார, திருவாசகத்தில் தேர்ந்தவர்களுக்குத் தெரிந்திருக்கலாம் சம்பந்தர் சிவனையும், விஷ்ணுவையும் துதித்துப் பாடியிருப்பார் என்று.  நாமும் அறிந்து கொள்வோமா?

அழைக்கின்றார் மஹா ஸ்வாமி.

In His தெய்வத்தின் குரல், while writing a topic titled, கவி சாதுர்யம், He refers to the abilities of Saints, literateurs, He draws our attention to speciality of certain words, which when read from left to right and vice versa reads the same way and gives the same meaning - called Palindrome.

E.g.:

விகடகவி

ஸரஸ 

குடகு

கயா ப்ராயக.

It's not in just words standing alone.

Erudite ஞானசம்பந்தர் went ahead and wrote a few verses, when read front to end and vice versa read the same:

யாமாமாநீ  யாமாமா யாழீகாமா காணாகா 

காணாகாமா காழீயா மாமாயாநீ மாமாயா

மாமாயா here refers to the spouse of Goddess Mahalakshmi - மாயா ஸ்வரூபாமன மஹா விஷ்ணு.  Ok.  Where does ஞானசம்பந்தர் refer to Lord Shiva here in this verse?  In the word, மாயாழீ - periya யாழைக் கையிலே வைத்து வீனாதர தக்ஷ்ணமூர்தியாக ஈஸ்வரன் மீட்டிக் கொண்டு இருப்பதால் 'மாயாழீ' என்கிறார்.

So,

Isn't it clear,

அரியும் சிவனும் ஒன்று,

அரி யாதவன் வாயிலே மண்ணு.

Note, it's not அறியாதவன்.

அரி - மஹா விஷ்ணு 

யாதவன் - கண்ண பரமாத்மா

அதென்ன வாயிலே மண்ணு?

மாயக் கண்ணன் தன் தாய்க்கு தான் யாரென்று வாயிலே லோகத்தைக் காண்பிக்கரதைத் தான், வாயிலே மண் என்பதாகக் கொள்ள வேண்டும்.

What a conviction! Guru Purnima

குரு பிரம்மா குரு விஷ்ணு குரு தேவோ மகேஸ்வர |

குரு சாஷாத் பரப்பிரம்மா தஸ்மை ஸ்ரீகுருவே நமஹ ||

Once a whitish by name J W Elder asked Maha Swami,

"Those days why is it, for no reason Artha Sastra advised waging war against other kingdoms, expansion mania?".

Before seeing what answer Maha Swami gave to above query, it's pertinent here to note what Maha Swami referred to about Artha Sastra.

The prime Source is Veda.  Apart from the main Vedas, there are many other upa Vedas including Artha Sastra like Ayur Veda, Kandarva Veda, Danur Veda et al. It may seem surreal to see why Artha Sastra alone doesn't have the same name pattern. The names of other upa Vedas like Ayur Veda, Danur Veda all end with the suffix 'veda', while Artha Sastra doesn't.

The reason Maha Swami cites is, despite all upa Vedas have their succincts from Vedas, the Artha Sastra have elements on its own away from Main Vedas. That's the reason why the name ending with Sastra instead of with Veda.

Well, 

Coming back to Maha Swami's answer to the white gentleman,

" The practice - of waging war against other kingdoms with the idea to usurp - was of those days.  It has more to do with Artha - Artha Sastra - and nothing to do with Vedas, Dharma Sastras.  Hence not to assume Vedas validate such acts - of usurping the wealth of others and expansion mania."

What a strong conviction?

Gu in குரு is darkness, ignorance.

Ru is to enlighten.

Pranams to Maha Swami and All Saints of Ma Bharath, on this Holy Guru Purnima Day.

ஒரு ராஜா எப்படி இருக்க வேண்டும்?

சாஸ்திரங்களுக்கு எல்லாம் மேலானது, என்றும் சாஸ்வதமானது என்றும் நாம் எல்லாம் அதன்படியே தர்ம நெறிகளின் படி அன்றாட வாழ்வில் நடந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும் என மஹா ஸ்வாமி மீண்டும் மீண்டும் வலியுறுத்துகிறார்.

அந்தக் கால மன்னர் ஆட்சியில் கூட மன்னர்கள், எதேச்சாதிகாரம் பலம் பொருந்தியவர்களாக இருந்தாலும், தங்கள் செல்வத்தைப் பெருக்கிகொள்ளமல் மக்கள் நலனுக்காகவே - for a welfare state - மக்களைப் பாதிக்காமல் வரி வசூல் செய்து செலவிட்டு வந்தனர் என மஹா கவி காளிதாசின் ரகு வம்சத்திலிருந்து மக ஸ்வாமி மேற்கோள் காட்டுகின்றார்.

மஹா ஸ்வாமி மனம் நொந்து குறிப்பிடுகிறார்:

" இப்போதானால் தினமும் ஏதாவது மந்திரி, எம்.எல். ஏ வுக்கு எப்படிப் புதிசு புதுசாக பங்களாக்கள் என்று யாராவது கேள்வி எழுப்புவதைப் பார்க்கிறோம்."

இப்படி ஏதும் தனக்கென சேர்க்காது மக்கள் நலனே பிரதானம் என்று அயராது உழைத்த மகத்தான தலைவரின் பிறந்த நாள் இன்று.

Salutes to the matchless Leader Shri Kamaraj.

Jai Hind.

Bharat Mata Ki Jai

Music 🎵 n dance 🩰- the way to ultimate - to முக்தி - மஹா ஸ்வாமிகள்

Music 🎵 n dance 🩰- the way to ultimate - to முக்தி - மஹா ஸஸ்வாமிகள் 

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi's take is straight away. That's vichara, questioning - questioning Who am I? - way.

Yet Bhagavan Himself - in His trying to experience what's it to die - felt a force in the motionless state of that trial, state of Rigor Mortis.

The music and dance involve creation of a harmonious sound, movement and vibration. That ultimately leads you to the state, the state of Truth, Advaitic non-duality. This exercise and practice Maha Swami explains and refers to as Kundalini Yogam. There is a connecting nerve, naadi, which connects from the root of our spinal cord to the peak on your head.  The whole energy is in the root base, மூலாதாரம், beneath the spinal cord.  When the energy travels upward and reaches the peak, there you feel the oneness, non-dual Advaitic state.

How do you reach that ultimate?

Multiple ways.:

Pranayama 

Mantra chanting 

Dhyan - Meditation.

Are there any milestones in between, between the root base of spiral cord and the peak of your head?

Yes.

Through seven chackras.

When you practice any of above Pranayama, mantra chanting or dhyan, it carries the energy upward through every milestone. When it reaches the chackra near the  heart and where the mind and energy consummate, you can feel the force, the force Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi referring to. Maha Swami explains this in His inimitable style,

" கீழேயுள்ள மூலாதார சக்ரத்திலிருந்து மேலே உள்ள ஒவ்வொரு சக்ரமாக ஏறிக்கொண்டு போக வேண்டும். இவற்றில் ஹ்ருதையத்திற்கு நேரே இருக்கிற சக்ரத்தில் பிராணனையும், மனஸையும் நிறுத்தும்போது அங்கே தானாகவே ' அனாஹதமாக ' ஒலிக்கின்ற பிரணவ சப்தத்தைக் கேட்க முடியும். அதனால் இதற்கு அனாஹாத சக்ரம் என்றே பெயர்.'

From the vibration that dance and music create, one can move towards the non-dual Advaitic state. 

Eswar is a dancer, dances ஆனந்தத்தண்டவம்.

The Raga ஆனந்த பைரவி emanates from this.

Eswar derives His energy from Ma Samaya Devi.

May your

Singing,

Dancing 

Dhyan

All be 

The offering 

To

Eswar

And

Ma

Parvati.

God bless.

Tailpiece:

A Times report, Bangalore, edn:

Headline:   IIIT -Lucknow turns to Kathak to keep students stress free.

A junior research scholar teaches dance to students away from class times.  Initially boys were shy to join.  Now their numbers go up.

The Director, IIIT-L, Shri Arun Sherry:

" There are several studies that prove MUSIC and DANCE are mental healers......Kathak is often termed a form of Meditation that helps release STRESS and RELAXATION."

Karma - the buzz wordPrarabdha karma - மஹா ஸ்வாமிகளின் எளிய விளக்கம்

Karma - the buzz word

Prarabdha karma - மஹா ஸ்வாமிகளின் எளிய விளக்கம் 

கிடைக்கிறது கிடைக்காம இருக்காது, கிடைக்காம இருக்கிறது கிடைக்காது.

Dialogue in a Rajini-starrer movie 

"Learn to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”

- Leonardo da Vinci 

ஒரு முறை மஹா ஸ்வாமிகளின் தரிசனத்திற்காக வெளிநாட்டு பக்தர் ஒருவர் காத்திருந்தார்.

அவர் சார்ந்திருந்த மதக் கலாசரப்படி அந்த அந்த பிறவியிலேயே பாப புண்ணியங்களுக்கான பலன்களை அடைவான் என்று.  

நமது கலாச்சாரத்தில் உள்ள பிறவிப்பயன் ஏன் பின்வரும் பிறவிவுகளிலும் தொடர்வதாக நம்பப்படுகிறது என்பது அன்பரின் சந்தேகம். விடை தேடி மஹா சுவாமிகளிடம் விண்ணப்பித்தார்.

மஹா ஸ்வாமி விடையை அன்பர் தானே உணரும் வண்ணம் அன்பரிடம் , ' நான் உங்கள் கேள்விக்கு பதில் கூறுமுன், நீங்கள் ஒன்று செய்ய வேண்டும். செய்வீர்களா?".

மஹா சுவாமிகள் கேட்டபின் அன்பர், "தங்கள் உத்தரவுக்கு காத்திருக்கிறேன்".

மகாஸ்வமியின் உத்தரவுப்படி அன்பர் காஞ்சி நகர் முழுதும் 10 மருத்துவமனைகளில் பிறந்த குழந்தைகளின் - பெற்றோர், குழந்தையின் ஆரோக்கிய நிலை, இன்ன பிற தகவல்களையும் மஹா ஸ்வாமிகளின் உத்தரவின்படி திரட்டி வந்தார்.

சில குழந்தைகள் வசதியான பெற்றோர்களுக்கு முதல் குழந்தையாக தரமான மருத்துவமனைகளில் பிறந்ததாகவும், சில குழந்தைகள் ஏழ்மையான பெற்றோருக்கு இரண்டவதகவோ, மூன்றவதகவோ வசதிக் குறைவாக உள்ள மருத்துவமனைகளில் பிறந்ததாகவும், சில குழந்தைகள் ஆரோக்கியமாக இருப்பதாகவும், சில குழந்தைகள் ஆரோக்கியக் குறைபடுடையவர்களாகவும் பிறந்து இருப்பதாகவும் தெரிவித்தார்.

Maha Swami's turn now:

எல்லாக் குழந்தைகளும் சற்றேறக்குறைய ஒரே கோள்கள் அமைப்பின் கீழ் ஒரே தினத்தில் பிறந்திருந்தும், ஏன் இவ்வளவு வித்தியாசங்கள் ஒரே சமயத்தில் பிறந்த குழந்தைகளிடம்?

Hence not to blame horoscope.

The lesson:

Do good in this birth.

The Karma entails.

வாழ்க வளமுடன் 

-  

Are you progressing? - Spiritually...

How do you measure?

விரும்பும் நற் செயலில் 

ஈடுபடும் சமயங்களிலும்,

மலர் செடிக்கோ,

நட்ட மரங்களுக்கோ 

நேரிடும் பொழுதும்,

யாதும் செய்யாது

கண்கள் மூடித்

த்யானிக்கின்ற

ஒவ்வொரு நொடிப் 

பொழுதும்

மனித சக்தியை

மீறிய தெய்வீக

ஆன்ம அனுபவத்தை

யாவரும் உணரலாம்.

அவ்வுணர்வு ஓர் 

சங்கிலித் தொடர்.

ஒரு முறை 

துளியெனும் உணர்ந்து

விட்டால் போதும்.

பின் எல்லாம்,

பாரதியின்,

' தீக்குள் விரலை வைத்தால் நந்தலாலா, நின்னைத் தீண்டும் இன்பம் தோன்றுதடா'

தான்.

The wrap quote :

"Meditation is not evasion, it is a serene encounter with reality."

 ― Thich Nhat Hanh

Vastu Shastra - Ilaiyarrakkudi sathas

Vastu Shastra - Ilaiyatrakkudi Sathas

Vastu Shastra comprises of sculpture - சிற்பம், architecture - கட்டிட நிர்மாணம்.

One Shri B.N. Shukla from Punjab participated in the ஸதஸ் - a meet where scholars assemble, discuss and debate on various disciplines - at the time Maha Swami was staying in இளையற்றக்குடி to observe sathurmasya vratam. Shri Shukla said Vastu Shastra is a upaveda - coming under one of the four prime Vedas, viz , Atharva Veda. He cited Prugu Veda Rishi wrote on Vastu Shastra.

Vastu Shastra as many are aware, though not in minute details, is concerned with building, construction, building plans and town planning as well. By the term building all edifices are covered, ranging from Temple, palaces, school, colleges, choultries, and houses of Am Aadmi.  We have all heard of Bhumi Puja while starting to construct a house. In fact it's to pay obeisance to Lord Vastu.

Every building activity is equated to a human anatomy. Like a human being has head, body and various other parts of body, a building should similarly sync in all aspects.  Vastu Shastra narrates all these meticulously. 

Many in real estate and building construction activity claim their projects are vastu compliant. I don't know if any Engineering college teaching civil engineering cares to derive from Vastu Shastra. We are clamoured to go copycat in building too.  What other Nations adapt, the same style is craved for.

Overall, holistic well being, good physical and mental health in a household has much to do with how vastu compliant one household is.

Imperative it's to have a vastu check of any household by an expert Vastu consultant.

Info courtesy: 

தெய்வத்தின் குரல் 

Vol 3, edn 27, Nov 21 pgs 730-732

Need vs Greed ....அத்தியாவசியம் vs பேராசை

Need vs Greed...

அத்தியாவசியம் vs பேராசை

'The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed.' 

- Mahatma 

Mahatma was staunch believer in our Dharma Sastras.

Mahaswami, on the title of this, draws from our Sastras and saintly sayings from Our Rishis of yore. Here are a few nuggets from His quoting:

○Dharm Sastra:

Sastra stresses on 'अपरिग्रह , aparigraham, அபரிகிரஹம்.

What's அபரிகிரஹம்?

Sometimes we learn a term from the antonym of it. The same applies here to . பரிகிரஹம் means accumulating possession, wealth. Now you can deduce meaning of அபரிகிரஹம், i.e., not adding anything.

The logical corralary would bang on your ears, "Should I have not having anything at all?". The problem lies not with the metaphor but in our tendency to go literally at anything. But the spirit leads to some senses. Again to derive home, Mahaswami refers to Dharma Sastra.

According to Sastra,

' நீ ஜீவிப்பதற்கு எது அத்தியாவசியமோ அதற்கு அதிகமாக ஒரு துரும்புகூடச் சேர்த்துக் கொள்ளதே.". When translated, it means don't accumulate anything beyond your life's necessities.

○Patanjali in Yoga Sutra gives 5 stipulations, 'yama', யமாs:

Ahimsa - non violence 

Satyam - Truth

Asteyam - refrain from stealing 

Brhamacharyam and finally 

aparigraham

○Manu repeats the first three yamas, Ahimsa, Satyam and Asteyam and adds a fourth one viz., சௌசம், the cleanliness, which our Honourable PM time and again emphazises on. Perhaps Manu might have used சௌசம to mean aparigraham.

 

Maha Swami elucidates as Many might have thought, 

' தனக்கு அத்யாவசியமானதற்கு அதிகமாக ஒன்றைச் சேர்த்துக்கொண்டால் அதுவே திருட்டுத்தான்.". Meaning if one adds to his possession anything beyond his bare necessities, that tantamounts to theft.

In this sanchara, if we attempt to question Dharma Sastra, whether it's practical, Maha Swami emphasizes, " lest we incur any Dosha, anything incompatible to good living, we must follow aparigraha Dharma."

மௌன மனோலயம் - The beauty in Silence

மௌன மனோலயம் - The beauty in Silence

In some back piece, we were speaking of Mahaswami 's stressing on upavasam - vratam - உண்ணா நோன்பு.

Mahaswami just doesn't restrict to fasting. He advises on to observe yet another vratam - vratam of observing Silence, மெளனம்.

Like as per Sastras there are special occasions on which all - except children, elderly - have to compulsorily observe fasting, examples - Yekadasi, Maha Shivratri, Gokul ashtami, Ram Navmi etc., -, the Sastras prescribe special occasions for observing Silence.

Mahaswami goes on to say, while taking food, it's advisable not to speak. The mouth has two jobs, consuming and talking. Better do only one at a time. In doing so you control your taste buds. And you don't find fault in the food.

Best days to observe silence are Monday, the சோம வாரம், Thursday, the குரு வாரம், again the day of Yekadasi.

As Monday and Thursday are working days, one may choose the weekly holiday, Sunday.

Mahatma had very hectic schedule during his days as a freedom fighter. Yet, he never failed to observe silence at least once in a week.

Fasting and observing Silence complement each other. It's a double whammy. Takes you closer to your spiritual experience.

When we fritter our energy engaging in small talks, spreading trivialities, we indeed offend Goddess Saraswati, the deity for granting ability to learn good in life. The nakshatra, star of Goddess Saraswati is மூலம். This Moola nakshatra day too is a good occasion to observe silence.

And what's best, as Maha Swami says, is to do dhyan, meditate at least for half an hour each day.

"Mediation is a vital way to purify and quiet the mind, thus rejuvenating the body."

 - Deepak Chopra

Every 💧 Drop...counts

Every 💧 Drop...counts

Sad fact is

You may ask

One day,

'where is this

Green 🍏 heaven?'.

Have we ever

Heard:

B'lore suffers

Water 💦 scarcity?

Time,

Plant saplings.

Stop 🛑

Glaciers melting.

Pinch yourself.

We are literally

Sitting on 

Fury, firey

Pans.

God,

Oh Lord Varun

Show us

Copius Mercy.