Chinnajeeyar
Existence
of God and Who is God
How can we say
that God exists?
Ans: We see that the universe that we are all part of – which is not
created by us or anyone around us, is working so well. Then it is only logical
that there must be some power controlling everything and running the system.
Detailed Explanation: The world around us, and our lives have not been
created by any of us. Our origin is not yet known clearly. None of us control
what’s happening around us, yet the system is working very well. It is
therefore only logical that whenever a system goes in order, there must be some
person or power behind it, controlling everything and running it. This
power that is controlling everyone and everything, should naturally be much
more intelligent and powerful than any one of us. Else it will not be
able to run the system so perfectly. This power must also be quick in execution
and all pervasive as it is able to observe every corner of the universe and
knows everything. This power is referred to as God.
What is the name
of the unseen supreme power?
Ans: To name the all-pervasive and all-knowing power, that is bigger
than the biggest of objects is tough. In the Vedas, the closest appropriate
name given is Na:ra:yana, which encompasses all attributes of the absolute
supreme being.
Detailed Explanation : In order to name the superpower that is
all-pervasive, all-knowing, and controls everything and is bigger than
the biggest of objects, let us refer to our scriptures. The name for this
absolute supreme being, that encompasses all these attributes is Na:ra:yana,
given to us in the ve:das.. Among the literature, only the word Na:ra:yana is
able to cover the vastness of the power of God. Other names are unable to cover
all the abilities of the supreme Being.
The origin of the term God in English is not known clearly. Some
say it’s an acronym for generator, organiser and destroyer. Maybe … God is
beyond names and is beyond form. If we want to call God with some kind of name,
the ve:das give a very appropriate name called Na:ra:yana.
Ans: i:svara (controller of everything), Vishnu(all pervasive),
Bramha (biggest of biggest of objects) – all highlight different attributes of
the supreme being. However, only the name Na:ra:yana conveys the vastness of
the power of God.
Detailed Explanation The scriptures give an explanation for these names. i:sa
means to control and the one who controls everything is i:svara. Our scriptures
also mention the name Vishnu that means all-pervasive (permeates every atom of
the universe). As this power is also bigger than the biggest of the objects,
it’s also called as bramha. Not to be confused with the 4 headed Bramha:
(chatur mukha Bramha:) who also seeks the grace of this supreme power. Our
scriptures also say, that this power is not only big but can make anyone also
big. The description given in our scriptures for the word Bramha is “bruhathi”
and “brumhayathi”. Bruhathi means big one. Brumhayathi means whoever surrenders
to it, can also be made big. Hence it’s also known as Bramha. A point to note –
If long vowel is there Bramha: – it’s the 4 headed divine being
that is being referenced by that name; the supreme power is just called Bramha
However the name for this absolute supreme being, that
encompasses all these attributes is Na:ra:yana, given to us in our
authoritative scriptures.
Should we revere
and respect this supreme power Na:ra:yana?
Ans: Revering and respecting the supreme Being is mark of our
gratefulness, for the help we receive from Him for our very own survival.
Surrendering to Him, will enable one to receive the benefit of the power.
Detailed Explanation : The supreme power has helped us by creating the world
for us. Revering and respecting this supreme power is our own decision. God
doesn’t demand anything from us. However it’s a mark of our gratefulness for
the help we receive from Him for our own survival. The Upanishads recognize the
power as sarvajna, sarva ve:ththa: meaning one that knows
everything in all respects. Given the existence of such an all-pervasive and
all-knowing power, surrendering to it will enable us to receive the benefit of
this power and enable us do things in a better way. The supreme power will not
go against our free-will and hence our consent and submission is required for
Him to help us. Belief in God helps in empowering oneself and
develop self-confidence.
God or Gods?
Is there only one God?
Ans: It’s only logical that there can be only one power
that controls everything. Otherwise it would result in conflicts in the
system which is not the case.
Detailed
Explanation The presence of some unseen or
invisible power behind all the creation is evident. The perfect execution of
the system also implies that there is a controller behind the same. If there is
more than one controller or creator, we would experience conflicts just as a
kingdom would face when it has 2 rulers. Hence there can be only one God who is
the controller of the universe. The same is also ascertained in the ve:das, the
authoritative scriptures of ours, which mentions de:va ekaha meaning
there is only one God.
If there is only one God, who are the other deities that
have a temple and that is worshipped by many?
Ans: There is only one supreme power. But it’s abilities are seen
through many souls and they are powers of God and not Gods by themselves. They
are misconstrued as Gods by humans. The souls showing His power are known as
de:vatas.
Detailed
Explanation : When God is in every form, it is
only logical that every form belongs to Him. People get misled by seeing some
of the powers that are there in the world, thinking that they run the universe.
For example, the self-illuminating planet sun, also called as Surya Narayana is
worshipped by some for being the life giver. Yes, he can be worshipped as God,
as God is in him too. God is in the Moon, tree, bird – everywhere and
everything. All the things that are visible, are different organs of God says
the Ve:da. A person works through his organs. The sun is His eye, the space is
His ear, and the wind is His nose. So, wherever His power is seen or
experienced, instead of connecting those powers to God, some mistakenly call
them as God, which is wrong. God will always be one. But His abilities are seen
through many others. Each will be able to bring out His abilities in some
respect of their own. They are not Gods but are the powers of God. And
they are called ‘de:vata:’ in Sanskrit (closely translated as divine beings in
English).
What do de:vatas do and how many de:vatas are there?
Ans: Each de:vata has a different role assigned to them, to help
run the universe. If one has to categorize the de:vatas, it is said in the
ve:da that there are 330 million(33 crores) de:vatas.
Detailed
Explanation: God has unlimited powers (infinite).
Each de:vata is one aspect of the power of God. The human body is made of 5
elements and a de:vata body is made of light (te:jas). The de:vata of water is
Varuna, Agni is the de:vata of fire, Va:yu is the de:vata of wind , Kube:ra is
the de:vata of wealth, Ashwini kuma:ras are de:vatas for health and so on.
Different de:vatas play different roles to help run the universe. It is similar
to different ministers running different departments under a ruler in governing
the kingdom. They are superior beings than humans and hence, are
misconstrued by some as Gods. The Ve:das say that de:vatas are the different
parts of God – anga:ni anya:ha de:vata:ha sa a:tma (sa a:tma is the inner
soul which is God). God is inside them too, just like everyone else. All the
de:vatas are His different parts and his limbs. It does not make sense to
worship the part of a person instead of the person themself. If one has to
categorize the de:vatas it is said in the ve:das that there are 330 million (33
crores) de:vatas.
Prayer
What is prayer?
Ans: Prayer is an outpouring of one’s love, that flows incessantly
from the heart towards whom they love. That love flows automatically in the
form of words, music, etc . Prayer is a call with love.
Why do we pray to God?
Ans: We pray to God due to our love towards Him, the one who has
helped us with many things right from our survival. It’s an automatic
outpouring of our love that generates from the gratitude we feel for Him.
Prayer should not be a call to God to fulfil our desires arising from our
greed.
Detailed
Explanation: Whenever we understand that we receive
help from someone, we feel like expressing our gratitude, our thanks to the
person. When we throw a piece of bread to a dog, it responds with love
and care, even a tiger that receives a piece of flesh shows its gratitude by
playing with the zoo-keeper. Just taking a little something from someone, makes
us feel humble and makes us respond with love. We receive tremendous help and
abundant energy from God. It’s only natural that our love outpours and the
result is prayer. Some people mistake prayer to be a call to God to ask for
things they desire. Prayer is not there for us to ask God for more things
arising out of our desires. God knows and gives one what they truly need
and does not require us to ask. Prayer is nothing but the outpouring of our
love for God.
How should we pray to God? Does prayer mean being serious
with our eyes closed?
Ans: God does not expect anything from us. One can pray to God
however they want. Love for Him makes us do some activity and hence prayer
comes out in multiple ways. In the form of tears through eyes, or listening to
songs or words about Him through our ears or singing through our mouth or
dancing with our legs and hands and many more.
Detailed
Explanation: God does not expect anything from
us. We pray out of our love for Him. Praying to God is always associated
with sitting quiet, taking flowers and saying things like o:m ke:sava:ya
namaha, o:m ma:dhava:ya namaha, o:m govinda:ya namaha etc.
Yes, this is a way, but not necessarily the way.
Whatever one wants to do for God, like offering food, flowers, song, it
is ok with God. God understands our intent and the amount of love that we
have. Whenever love forces one to do some activity with pri:ti (love), that
becomes a prayer. And Bhagavad Ramanuja says when the overflowing love mixes
with roopa (form), hands will feel like doing something – take flowers, wash
the feet, make garlands etc, or the lips will sing or legs will dance.
Such activities are not because we have to do it, but we feel like doing it.
Prayer is not something that you sit and wait for the mood to come. The love
that you feel, commands you to do something. And the love comes when you
understand the help received and understand the relationship with God.
I do not understand the meaning of the slokas I recite. So
what is the point of reciting them?
Ans: Whether one knows the meaning of a sloka or not it doesn’t
matter. Just like how the sound of a cuckoo brings us joy even if we don’t
understand the meaning, chanting the sloka helps one to experience joy. If the
meaning is known, then it is even more joyful.
Detailed
Explanation: Slokas are the outpourings of the people
who felt incessant love for God . Slokas are not something that one creates
because of their knowledge in Sanskrit, or for any kind of benefit. Slokas came
out of pure love. Hence when one recites it with the same love and intention,
it brings in the same effect to them as it did with its creator. Whether one knows
the meaning or not, it doesn’t matter. When the cuckoo sings, it brings us joy
even if we don’t understand the meaning. Similarly chanting of the sloka brings
us joy whether we know the meaning or not. The joy is multiplied if one
understands the meaning as well.
Something
for us to ponder – We spend energy and effort on many activities that don’t
give us any kind of benefit. Do we stop doing them? When there are people with
experience who got the benefit, why should we leave it? So do not stop reciting
slokas. Out of the many slokas present, learn whatever suits you, and
enjoy. You will definitely see the benefit.
Ve:das
What are the Ve:das?
Ans: Vedas are compilation of divine sounds responsible for the
creation of the entire universe. Ve:da means that which reveals or which
bestows. They contain universal truth and scientific facts.
Detailed
Explanation: Vedas are compilation of divine sounds.
These sounds were preserved as they are and passed on to generations by
experienced people called Rushis (sages of ancient times).
Vedas are the outpourings, as a result of the penance and experiences of
ancient sages. They bestow things we require and reveal the truths that are
needed. ve:dayathi iti ve:daha – Vedas reveals everything we
need. Vedas contain things truly experienced by sages . In other
words, it is science. Vedas talk about both the visible world and the one that
is not perceived by us. Vedas talk about the land we live in, about the solar
family that we observe, about the galaxy in which we live and so on. In general
the ve:das talk about the whole universe and a lot about other worlds,
that was experienced by these sages. Vedas contain universal truth and
scientific facts.
Why should we accept the vedas?
Ans: Vedas contain universal truth and facts. When a foundation
exists, it makes sense to understand them and build upon it rather than
starting from scratch. This will save time and effort and help build new things
Detailed
Explanation: Vedas contain wisdom needed for the
world and have been passed down through generations as messages. They contain
universal truth that is not perceived by us. One can choose not to accept them
and can go down the path of discovering things from scratch. However, it takes
a long time to discover something. People of the vedic lore lived a much longer
life (tens of thousands of years) and had the time and knowledge required to
discover and experience various things. Currently our lifespans are nowhere
close to that. When a foundation exists, it makes sense to build upon that,
rather than starting from ground zero. This also saves efforts and produces
more value. Any word of wisdom need not be ignored.
How do we know that Vedas indeed contain the truth?
Ans: Vedas are ‘a:ptha va:kyam’ – meaning messages from our
well-wishers handed down to us through a lineage of people. They contain
universal truth and facts, some of which are beyond the perception and
conception of humans. Just because something is complex and is not yet fully
comprehended does not mean it is incorrect. It is our job to figure out the
facts.
Detailed
Explanation: Vedas contain universal truth about the
world we live in and other worlds. Not all the information about the visible
world itself, is comprehended by us. But that does not mean what the Veda
contains is untrue. Take the example of the mathematical equations of Srinivasa
Ramanujam. We don’t understand some of the equations even now. That just
implies the equations are complex for us to grasp. Similarly, anything that is
difficult to comprehend need not be denied. Whatever the vedic sages spoke, are
about concepts they have seen and experienced. None of it is beyond logic or
experience. It’s our job to understand and figure out those facts. Vedas talk
about facts and universal truth that we cannot perceive or conceive and that
which is beyond our imagination. We are limited by our senses and imagination
and hence it’s advised to start with the existing words of wisdom to discover
more. Swamiji shares an example given by Pedda Jeeyar swamiji on how our
sensory perception can go wrong – A Britisher while passing by a bridge
observed a washer-man washing clothes on the banks of a river by beating the
clothes on a stone and dropping them in a clay-pot which had fire lit under it.
Later he made a remark on his observations saying “Poor illiterate Indians they
are cooking the clothes in a clay pot and trying to break the stone using
multiple clothes.“ How ignorant the observer was! This is a great example to
prove how our sense observation may go wrong. Hence, it’s very important we
take the guidance of a wise guru, to understand things beyond our
comprehension.
How many vedas are there?
Ans : Though Vedas are considered as a mass of divine sounds,
basing upon their characteristics they have been classified as four having 1131
sub branches. They are the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda Sa:ma Veda, and Atharva Veda.
Rig Veda has 21 branches, Yajur has 101 branches, Sa:ma has 1000 and Atharva
has 9 branches. Unfortunately, we lost most Vedas as time passed. Today,
we are able to get only 11 branches of Veda.
Temples, deities and regulations
Why do we go to
temple if God is everywhere?
Ans: Temple is the powerhouse where the energy of God is absorbed and
is delivered through the vigraha (the divine idol). Hence it is important to go
to a temple.
Detailed Explanation: Though God is everywhere, we need a temple to physically feel
His presence and focus on Him. A:layam, the word for temple means a
place where the energy of God is absorbed. And vigraham (idol)
is the one which captures the power of God and passes it to those who visit the
temple. We can compare it with Lift irrigation where water is lifted through
pumps and distributed. The vigraham is purified and sanctified with vedic
processes. And it purifies and sanctifies anyone who comes there. That is why
we call it as “vigraham” – vise:she:na gra:hayati Temple is similar to a
power house. Electricity may be present in the air but it needs a system to
latch it and receive the power. The one that receives the power is a:laya and
the one that delivers it is vigraha.
If one can buy
an idol from shop and keep it, it’s a vigraha. So why should one go to temple
then?
Ans: An idol becomes worshippable, when certain vedic procedures are
done. Otherwise it is just a doll. Many people don’t get a chance to do
the same. Moreover, only in temple can one share the joy of experiencing God
with others and where everyone feels the ownership of God.
Detailed Explanation: A TV newly bought won’t play all the channels until the
required procedures are done. Similarly, an idol purchased becomes a
worshippable vigraha, only if its sanctified with proper procedures. Many don’t
get a chance to do the same and hence a temple is important. A person also gets
to share the joy of experiencing God with others (be it group chanting or
singing) at a temple better than in a house. In a house, one is limited by the
number of people they can share the joy with, and are constrained by neighbors
who might find it disturbing. In a temple, everyone feels the God is their
own. At home, our ego kicks in and it becomes “my God”. In a temple,
everyone can say “our God”, “our temple” and that is how it becomes a place fit
for worship by everybody. There is discrimination based on caste,
religion or other criteria. So, temple is very much needed as a place of
worship.
Ans: God does not impose any restriction as such. In order for
us to receive the grace of the all- powerful force properly, we have to follow
certain things. And those include sna:nam, dhya:nam and mark on the forehead
which will equip us to receive His grace properly.
Detailed Explanation: God has no restrictions; no rules and He is ok with anything.
However, we need to follow certain things and equip ourselves to receive the
grace of the all-powerful one. Sna:nam (bath), sandhya (twilight prayer),
mantra (that which protects the mind), japam (meditative chanting) and dhya:nam
(meditation) – all these are samska:ras for us to make us fit for receiving His
grace. A doctor gives suitable medicine after conducting many checks.
Eventually, the medicine prescribed by doctor might not be very costly. But to
arrive at that conclusion he must go through many screenings. He is qualified
and he qualifies us also with that prescription. Similarly, if one is serious
about realizing God then one must equip oneself for God with certain qualities
and qualifications. Snanam (bath), Dhyanam (meditation) and mark on the
forehead etc are all part of it.
Why cannot we go
inside the sanctum sanctorum near God? Why should we see Him from a distance?
Ans: Any powerful area that controls the lives of many people needs
to be protected and only people with proper qualification can enter the same. Sanctum
sanctorum contains the almighty God. Hence it is only appropriate that
qualified people are allowed there.
Detailed Explanation: In the cockpit area of a flight only the pilots are allowed to
enter. Things seem simple from outside – a few buttons and listening to
instructions with a headset. Then why are there so many restrictions? The
reason is that – it is a powerful area that controls many people and one
requires proper qualification to enter the area. It needs a skillful person to
run and protect that area. The sanctum sanctorum is the area of all-pervasive
controller of the universe! When we have restrictions entering places like the
cockpit area, labs in many departments how can everyone without proper
qualification enter the room of the almighty perumal?
Why only certain
people are allowed to be inside with the vigraha and touch the vigraha of
perumal?
Ans: When one observes so many rules for things which are pretty
mundane and relatively small, we need to be even more careful with God, the
all-powerful one. It is equivalent to meddling with the high-power electricity
grid.
Detailed Explanation: A person is appointed in a
chemistry lab to take care of things there, must be a qualified person with
some degree in chemistry. He needs enough qualification to work out things in
the lab and understand what is present. There are multiple chemicals in the lab
when not handled properly can lead to destruction and cause harm. Qualification
is always needed to do anything. To be with vigraha, which is the powerhouse of
God, one definitely requires qualification. When one observes so many
rules for things which are pretty mundane and so small, don’t we need to be
even more careful with God the all-powerful one? Its equivalent to meddling
with the high power electricity grid. And hence only qualified persons handle
the vigraha of perumal.
Why should we
bathe before going to the temple or doing pooja at home?
Ans: Water, the life-giving source helps rejuvenate the body.
One engages in spiritual activity to charge the mind and it’s important to
energize the body before charging the mind.
Detailed Explanation: Water is the life-giving source. Life gets energized with
water. One may not eat for two days. However, the tiredness is replaced with
energy just taking a bath. The fresh energy in the body is due to water.
Bathing oneself is to energize the body before charging the mind. One goes to
temple or does pooja to energize the mind and spirit. It is important to
energize the body before charging the mind. This is the reason one takes a bath
when one wakes up in the morning or is physically tired after doing some work.
To rejuvenate the mind or spirit one can chant manthra or some sankalpa.
Ans: Body, mind and intellect need to be in synchronization in order
for a human being to be fit. Food plays an important role in keeping them
synchronized and only sa:tvic food that is not ra:jasic or ta:masic in nature,
helps maintain this balance.
Detailed Explanation: One eats to support body, mind and intellect. These
three don’t work independently. The intellect guides the mind, mind guides the
body and senses. Synchronization between the three elements is required, for a
human being to be physically and mentally fit. The food one consumes plays an
important role for the same. Scriptures talk about ka:ya suddhi i.e the object
we eat should be pure by birth (sa:tvic or good in nature) and should not be
ta:masic or ra:jasic. Ta:masic foods are the one not pure by birth like
garlic, onion, radish etc. There is no instrument to measure the ta:masic
quantity in food and we go by the foods classified by our elders. Ra:jasic foods
are those that are polluted by any deed or intention. While cooking food, if
saliva or hair gets in accidentally the food is polluted with ra:jasic quality.
Ta:masic and ra:jasic foods are not good for health. Food is a key element in
man’s growth and its advised to consume sa:tvic food only.
Ans: To avoid foods polluted by bad elements such as hair
unknowingly, we offer them to God before consuming ourselves, and request Him
to take care of all impurities.
Detailed Explanation: One who is really serious about eating the right food, can
easily avoid ta:masic food because the list of ta:masic foods is known.
But ra:jasic food is difficult to avoid. While cooking there is a possibility
of sweat, hair etc that can fall unknowingly. Pollution can happen at many
levels – right from the procurement of vegetables and groceries, preparing the
things, cooking the things, where and how its prepared, and who prepares it.
And one will not have any kind of knowledge of these things. To avoid such
things affecting our nature, we offer them to God and request Him to take care
of all the mistakes. It the only solace we can take.
Ans: When situations force us to eat food outside, pick up whatever
is good, offer it to God in your mind and eat it.
Detailed Explanation: Many a time, one has to travel for work or we also go to our
relatives’ house who do not share the same beliefs as us and don’t believe in
God. In all these cases, whatever prasa:dam is given, take that food. Using a
little water, cut it and sanctify it and offer it to God
Why do they
cover the food in the temple when they take it from kitchen to offer it to
Perumal?
Ans: Unknowingly ra:jasic quality maybe mixed with the food
taken to offer to perumal. Hence its advised to cover food while carrying in
open spaces
Detailed Explanation: One might wonder why cover the food when taking it from temple
kitchen to the sanctum in temple when both are inside temple. In one of the
temples, a person was carrying the prasadam on his back without covering. A
bird carrying a scorpion flew past it and the venom from the scorpion landed in
the food. No one observed it. Later when the prasa:dam was distributed,
everyone fell sick. Ra:jasic quality can be mixed with prasa:dam
unknowingly due to various reasons. Hence its advised to cover food while
carrying in open spaces.
Ans: A Sri Vaishnava is the one who feels the presence of Lord
Vishnu in every object around and also within themselves. This happens by
adopting a vedic ritual known as pancha samskara. A Sri Vaishnava is one who
feels the pain of others as their own and helps.
Detailed Explanation: A Sri Vaishnava is one who understands the inseparable
relationship with Lord Maha Vishnu. This happens not just by thought but by
adopting a Vedic ritual called Pancha Samskara. A Sri Vaishnava is one who
feels the presence of Lord Vishnu in every object around and also within
themselves and feels the joy and pain of others and shares it with others. If
one is suffering, it is not the physical form that suffers but the inner soul
who is none other than Vishnu. Hence when another person is suffering its the
same Vishnu who is suffering and a Sri Vaishnava feels the pain of the other
person as though it is theirs and responds by trying their best to relieve the
pain of the other. As Narasimha Das sang “Vaishnava janato tene kahiye peed
parayi jaane re” A Vaishnav is the one who feels the pain of others as their
own and helps.
How does one
become a Sri Vaishnava
Ans: If one believes in the relationship with Vishnu, one can
become a Vaishnav by taking pancha samska:ra recommended by Lord Vishnu Himself
in the A:ga:ma:s. They are tha:pa, pundra, manthra, ya:ga and na:ma:
Detailed Explanation: One can become a Vaishnava if they strongly believe the
relationship with Lord Vishnu. However, a few things are recommended if we need
vedic sanctity. Lord Vishnu Himself reccommended in A:gama:s that one can
become a Vaishnava by taking the pancha samska:ra. There are 5 samska:ra:s
recommended by Lord Vishnu Himself in the A:gama:s namely (1) tha:pa (the
imprint of the conch and disc symbol on one’s shoulders. The imprint is done
after heating the symbols and hence called tha:pa) (2) pundra (the tilk on the
forehead representing the divine feet of the Lord) (3) manthra (Intiated with
the ashta:kshara manthra) (4) ya:ga (doing service to perumal like thiru
a:radhanam) (5) naama (referring oneself as servant of Swami Ramanuja).
Is there a
difference between a Vaishnava and Sri Vaishnava
Ans: Sri Vaishnava follows the Sri Sampradaya where one worships
Maha Vishnu along with Maha Lakshmi as described in the Vedas. There are
certain schools of thoughts which may not worship Lakshmi along with Vishnu and
to distinguish from them we prefix Sri:.
Detailed Explanation: There is not much difference between the two. Both of them
believe in the strong relationship with Vishnu who is the spouse of Maha
Lakshmi (also known as Sri:). We don’t have two Vishnu’s, one with Maha
Lakshmi and one without. Vedas when describing Vishnu, always described Hiim as
the one with Maha Lakshmi. There are a few Vaishnavite schools of thoughts
which do not believe in Sri: but just believe in Maha Vishnu. They worship
Vishnu but do not worship Maha Lakshmi along with Vishnu. To distinguish from
those schools of thought Sri: is prefixed. Sri Vaishnava is the school of
thought where one follows Sri Sampradaya and it is the Ramanuja school of
thought.
What are the
basic things a Sri Vaishnava needs to learn or read?
Ans: First step to excellence for any spiritual life is to lead a
normal moral life. Common things like eat the right things, do good things,
talk with humility and work modestly and be a sattvik (good) personality
is fundamental for leading a spiritual life
Detailed Explanation: Anyone should start with leading a normal moral life. That is
the foundation of a spiritual life. Common things like eat the right things, do
good things, talk with humility and work modestly and be a sattvik (good)
personality is fundamental for leading a spiritual life. Nowadays our habits
are corrupted with all sorts of food, polluted surroundings, and improper
dressing. Moderation in all of this is the first step to excellence. Forego ego
and do not think I did this or this is mine. Dedicate activities and result to
God. Anything to be done, do it without ego but with humility and loyalty to
god. Dedicating actions to God will not affect the result. It also does not
mean rejecting or ignoring the people around you. The people around you are
also provided by God, so that you can share things with them, teach them or
learn from them. Ultimately one needs to feel the presence of God in
everything.
What are the
basic things a Sri Vaishnava needs to do every day?
Ans: At the mind level a Sri Vaishnava should dedicate all his
actions and results to God and consider God as their boss. At the physical
level one should chant the guru parampara, take sri pa:da theertham, do thiru
aradhanam, offer food to the Lord first and then partake it.
Detailed Explanation: A Sri Vaishnava needs to observe a few things both at the
physical and intellectual level. . At the physical level, a Sri Vaishnava must
chant the guru parampara (lineage of our acharyas), take sri pa:da theertham
(the water offered to the divine feet), do thiru aradhanam to perumal, offer
the cooked food to the lord first and then partake it. At the mind level a Sri
Viashnava should feel that God is their boss who takes care of both the soul
and body. S/heshould dedicate all their actions or activities to God be
it at the start or at the finish of the activity and also dedicate the results
of the activities. This internal attitude that God takes care of
everything and surrendering oneself to Him is core of Sri Vaishnavism. A Sri
Vaishnava should also connect everyone around them to God. These help one
to feel the presence of God everywhere including within themselves . These are
the basic things a Sri Vaishnava needs to cultivate
When you say
develop love for God, how can one develop on someone that cannot be seen?
Ans: When someone says that they love their mother, father, child
or spouse it is just not the body that they love but what is inside them.
However, one does not see the soul inside. Does that mean that we do not develop
love for them as we are unable to see the soul inside? We do develop the love
for them seeing their body. The world around us is the body of God. It is very
important for us to understand this and then we feel the love automatically.
How do I feel
connected to God? How can I feel the presence of God?
Ans: God manifests all around us in the form of beautiful
mountains, rivers, flowers, fruits etc . We have given the name of nature to all
of these, but they are indeed the divine form of God. His divine presence is
all around us. It’s for us to realize this and feel connected to God.
Detailed Explanation: God manifests all around us. The blossoming flower is the
smile of god. The moving clouds across sky is the divine movement of his
eyes. Through the wind we experience the divine touch of God. Hearing the
sweet voice of cuckoo, one feels that God is talking to us. We can see God in a
dancing peacock. We experience the presence of God in the taste of a
juicy sweet mango. The divine form of God has manifested itself all around, in
the form of universe. However, we have given the name nature to
all of these. And are disconnected from the divine supreme power. Everything in
nature around us, that helps us to survive and appreciate is nothing but the
presence of God. These are all the things, through which one is connected to
God
Answer: Nature is His divine body and we need to get connected to His
inner soul. We do not love only the body of a person, but the life along with
the body. That life of nature is what is known as God.
Detailed Explanation When we love a person, we love them holistically that
includes their body and life. Do we continue to love the body of a person even
when there is no life? It is just a cadaver then. We love the person when
there is life in the body. It’s the same with God. What we see around us is the
body of God. We need to get connected to the life of His form. The life inside
is known as God. There is every chance for the things around, to prevent us
from attaining the connection with His inner self. The Vedas talk about how to
attain the inner connection with the soul of God (paramatma) and it is
important for us to make the connection.
How does one
develop complete trust in God?
Ans:We believe in God because of elderly preaching and sampradayic
lineage. Trust comes from personal experience which can either happen next
moment or after a few births. One has to either believe the words of elders or
wait to experience themselves.
Detailed Explanation: One might believe, but not trust. What does it mean? A man
crosses a valley between 2 cliffs on a rope with his child on his back. He is
very much appreciated and spectators tell him that they believe he can repeat
the feat. However, when he offers to cross the rope with the child of a
spectator none is willing to give him. Though they believe him that he
can cross, they do not trust him to carry their own child across. We believe in
God because of elderly preaching and sampradayic lineage and also the fact that
it feels good when we do so. However, for trust, it has to be personal
experience which can be a lengthy process. It may happen next moment or after a
few births. So, either one has to believe the words of elders or wait to
experience themselves. These are the two things which will give the confidence
to trust.
Why should one
dedicate everything to God? Are we not the ones doing all the activity?
Ans: The common understanding is that effort on activities is 50%
from God and 50% from us. But our thoughts and efforts are His and sankalpa,
the resolution one takes to do something is also His. Hence one should
dedicate both activities and results to God.
Detailed Explanation: The common
understanding of people regarding their activities, is that 50% is God’s effort
and 50% effort is theirs. 50% from the side of ji:va:tma should also be there.
Then only it becomes purushaarttha (that one as a human
being wants to achieve as goal). But the effort from us is also given by Him
and the thought is also given by Him. “matthaha smrithi gya:nam apo:ham cha” –
so our thoughts and efforts are His and sankalpa, the resolution one takes to do
something is also His. The confusion comes when one’s ego comes in and makes
them think that they are the ones doing it. We are an instrument in His hands
to do things. Hence one should dedicate both activities and results to
God.
Ans: When one understands, I belong to Him, the things I have
belong to Him And my activity is a service to Him then the question of
passivity does not arise . The very purpose of a person being born here is to
serve Him.
Detailed Explanation: God has given us
knowledge and tools to use the knowledge. Buddhi is intellect
and the body is the tool, both of which are given by Him. The ability of the
body (shari:ra) is to work and knowledge helps to synchronise those
activities with the goal to achieve something. The problem arises when our ego
comes in between and thinks that it is “I” who does it. It also doesn’t mean
that one has to stay passive and not do anything. This is not a free pass to
give up everything and stay passive. All of this is given by Him so that we can
work with it for serving Him in this earth. When one understands, I belong to Him
, the things I have belong to Him And my activity is a service to Him then the
question of passivity does not arise . The very purpose of a person being born
here is to serve Him. We are an instrument who works for Him – Just like a
computer which acts under human instruction. Arjuna during the Kuruskshetra
war, thought that he was waging war with his relatives and he was going to kill
them. He did not realize that he was just an instrument in God’s hand to
execute God’s plan. This is what the Lord clarified in Bhagavad Gita. So the
question of passivity does not arise.
Abhisekham/Thirumanjanam
and the science behind
Why do we do
thirumanjanam (abhisekham) to idols? Is there any scientific reason behind the
same?
Ans: The deity made of stone may get some defects owing to natural
reasons such as heat or inadvertent physical damage. Bathing of deity using
milk, honey, yogurt helps identifying these defects even by a simple lay man.
This process should be done regularly to identify defects sooner than
later.
Detailed Answer: Thirumanjanam is done for deities (not to be mentioned as
idol). It’s the process of bathing the deity with ingredients such as milk,
yogurt, honey etc. The deity is made of material like stone, metal, etc.
Sometimes the material may get some defects owing to natural reasons such as
heat or due to some inadvertent physical damage. These may not be visible to
the naked eye. Since the priests are not experts in determining these defects,
there are simple procedures prescribed to identify the same. Milk, yogurt,
honey are the 3 materials that help in identifying the originality and quality
of the stone and also anything unnatural. The process is done while
consecrating the deity initially as well. Swami quotes an example where kshi:ra
agriva:sam was done for deity (soaking the deity in milk) to be consecrated in
a new temple. After 12 hours it was found that the back of the head of deity
developed a big hole as it was hollow and was defective. This wasn’t detectable
with the naked eye as the vigraha had been covered from outside. Thirumanjanam
is a simple process that even a lay man can perform and understand to identify
such defects. And it needs to be performed regularly to identify defects sooner
than later. It’s not appropriate to have a deity in a temple where the stone
has defects as it may yield bad results.
Does
Thirumanjanam have any spiritual significance apart from doing it for
scientific reasons?
Ans: Milk, yogurt, honey and fruits used in thirumanjanam represent
knowledge, faith, love and the results of our actions. Symbolically the process
implies that we offer these to the Lord and we get them back purified along
with His grace i.e knowledge given by Him, love and faith towards Him and
results of our action to Him.
Detailed Answer: Each and every religious practice uses natural methods and
have a scientific reason behind it. Apart from that, these practices also have
a symbolic meaning. Milk, yogurt and honey are used in Thirumanjanam of the
deities. Fruits are offered to God as part of the process. Milk is the symbol
for knowledge, yogurt is the symbol for faith, honey is a symbol for love and
the fruits are the symbol for the results of our action. These things, which
are there in every human being, are offered to God requesting him to purify
them. By offering Him milk, yogurt and honey, we imply that we offer or
dedicate our knowledge, faith and love to Him and through fruits offer the
results of our actions (karma phala) . When we get these back, we get
them back along with His grace i.e., knowledge given by Him, faith towards Him,
love towards Him. Our life becomes much smoother and we can enjoy life without
tensions and sorrow. Anything offered to Him gets purified and sanctified. As a
result of the purification process one does not get attached to these things.
Ans: The quantity of ingredients used in Thirumanjanam is not much
and is used to help detect any defects in the stone. And after thirumanjanam
the same is distributed to devotees and is not wasted or trashed. Rather than
thinking it as a waste it should be looked as enriching the thought process of
people who consume the same later.
Detailed Answer: Thirumanjanam is done for two reasons, one is scientific
that is necessary to identify defects in the material that the deity is made
of. The other is symbolical representation of offering our love, knowledge,
faith and results of our actions to Him and get it back along with His grace.
In this activity the quantity of ingredients used, is not much. It is done
using only recommended quantities, unless it’s a deity that is extremely large
such as Sravana Belagola. And the thirumanjanam prasadam is once more
distributed to devotees and not wasted or trashed. Apart from these, temples
also have many schemes such as annadhanam that distributes food for the needy.
Rather than looking at this as a waste, it should be looked as enriching the
thought process of people who eat the same after being offered to God.
Belief in God
and practical application in our daily lives
How can belief
in God help in controlling our bad emotions like anger?
Ans: When we think we are answerable to each other, the problem comes
and emotions rise high. However, if one considers God as the boss at home to
whom one is answerable, it helps in controlling anger. Our job is to let Him
know of everything and accept whatever He does.
Detailed Explanation: At office, people work together in teams and there are people
who work hard and those who laze around. How much ever one is irritated and
angry on the one who is lazy, there is no yelling and shouting. Everyone
completes the work as a team. Any complaints are made to the boss with the
belief that the boss will take care of things. The reason we control our
emotions because of the boss above us, who we believe is the right one to take
action on such issues. Similarly, at home God is the boss. And everyone at home
is answerable to Him and not to each other. When we think we are answerable to
each other the problem comes. Just like office, everyone in the house has God
as a boss who is there to take care of everything and our job is to let Him
Know and accept whatever He does. The quarrels that are caused by thinking that
we are the boss will deplete our own ability and lead the mind in unnecessary
paths.
Ans: When the need to shout at a person arises, using the names of
God instead of harsh words is better. It’s a way to vent out anger. Also, as
these are names of God, they purify the atmosphere. It does not damage the
friendship and the individuals can have a good laugh later. Believing in God as
boss and reciting His names definitely helps.
Detailed Explanation: Swami gives us a great tip which is funny but effective and
unique. When one gets angry as a first step the angry person wants to reject
the other person and follows it with words as “I don’t like it, I want it to be
this way .” etc Next the facial expressions also becomes aggressive and the
desire to use harsh words arises. Though one’s vocabulary might be good, when
one is angry only a few words come out. Instead of these harsh words, if one
knows Vishnu Sahasranama, it helps throw a 1000 words. One can say these words
in harsh tone, using the same facial expressions. Other foul words damage
friendship and ends up hurting people. However, the names of God purify the
atmosphere. Swami jokingly mentions that the other person will be confused and
the situation diffuses. The angry person also gets to vent their anger and both
can have a good laugh. So definitely believing in God as boss and
reciting His names when angry helps.
Ans: Human Beings, animals and trees are creation of God and man is
supposedly at the top of this chain. It is expected that he does more than the
other two beings. However, we see that man is neither as selfless as a tree or
as faithful as an animal even though he claims he is good or a conscientious
person. Praying to God helps him/her to grow to that level and is not for
fulfilling material needs.
Detailed Answer: In an office, there are different levels of employees with
varying salaries. A top level employee receives more salary than lower levelled
ones. S/He is expected to know of her work plus the work of all her juniors and
is expected to perform more than the lower levelled employees. Hence the
justification of higher payment. Similarly, in life we have different
types of living beings such as plants, animals and man. All are creation of God
and receive a certain amount of energy (similar to salary). When we consider
eating, sleeping and procreation of these beings, it is similar in all respects
and no variation in payment is required. However, we observe that trees
don’t live for their own sake – Any amount of energy they possess is given to
others in the form of shade, wood, fruits/vegetable/flowers. And it keeps doing
this every season regenerating itself. The second category is animals, which
live by themselves and live sincerely. They do not speak a lie; take what is
needed for them and nothing more. Animals also transfer their qualities to the
next generation 100% without any deterioration. However, man receives more than
these categories and he also takes more than these two from nature. Yet his
contribution back is not in the same category as plants that give a 100%. He is
not able to transfer the good qualities learnt 100% to his next generation (it
is always less). Are we selfless as plants or as faithful as an animal? Man is
much below the level of trees or animals, though he is supposedly higher in the
chain. So, it is not justified to claim we are not bad because we follow and
live by conscience. Praying to God is not for material reasons but to get the
help, to reach the level that a man is required to grow into. Prayer is
not for achieving the results of one’s actions.
Ans: What may appear as a bad thing happening to one, may not be
really bad and we land in a bad situation based on our thought process.
Everything happening is for good and it depends on how one perceives it. It is
because of God that we have this body to live in this world. Instead of blaming
Him, let us be grateful to Him. Let us also remember that there is no one who
can claim that they have never done a bad thing ever or never hurt anyone.
Detailed Answer: How can anyone claim that they haven’t done anything bad
ever? How many insects have we killed unknowingly like batting a mosquito,
killing several insects when we travel or build a house. Is there anyone who
has never said a lie ever in their life or never hurt anyone by their
behaviour? It is a combination of both arrogance and ignorance when one says
that s/he has not done anything bad to anyone or claim that s/he is a good
person. Secondly what we consider as a bad thing is based on our thought
process. They may not be bad necessarily. A man who had to go for a job
interview missed his flight and cursed everyone including God. However later he
found that the flight met with a problem and had to do an emergency landing. He
was much better off. What appears bad may not be really bad. Everything
happening is for good and it depends on how one perceives it. If we think that
something is bad the thought process has a cascading effect which disturbs
everything and lands one in a bad situation. God has given us the body to live
in this world and is the one helping us to breathe. He does not ask anything in
return. Let us be grateful to Him for being the universal caretaker and not
blame Him for everything that happens to us.
I compare myself
to others and feel unhappy many times. How can God / religion help?
Ans: Comparison is the cause of unhappiness. Each person is unique.
When our own 2 eyes in our body are different, how does it make sense to
compare two unique people? Religion tells us that we are different from our
body and helps us in discovering our abilities and energies for our role to
play in this universe.
Detailed Answer: Each person in this world is unique. In our own body both
our eyes are different. When that is the case, how does it make sense to
compare 2 unique people with different background. It is equivalent to
comparing roses to apples. No one can become you and you cannot become anyone
else. Hence comparing with others is not advisable. It is the cause of
unhappiness. Religion helps us in discovering our own energies and abilities.
It lets us know that we are just not the body alone but more than this body.
You are a person with knowledge carrying records of the past and supported by
God in a way that is exclusively for you. Religion makes us understand the
support we receive from God, our qualities, our role to play in this universe using
our abilities and skills.
Ans: Jealousy makes one forget their own abilities and focus on
something that the other person has. It results in panic as one constantly
worries. It is always better to understand one’s own inert abilities and use
that to the best. Jealousy is never good and doesn’t help in one’s
progress.
Detailed Answer: The result of comparison is jealousy. Jealousy means not
being happy with another’s progress. Jealousy makes one forget their own
abilities and focus on something that the other person has and trying to
replicate it. It results in panic, as one constantly worries and aims to attain
what the other person has or does. This will not yield right results. If
one aspires the same result for their own sake, then practicing in their own
way is good and not in another person’s way. When the thought process takes a
wrong step by feeling jealous, the inner spring that needs to flow naturally is
disturbed. It stops them from understanding their own abilities, inhibits them
from using their own skills for the better. And in the end becomes detrimental
to the person feeling jealous. It is always better to understand one owns inert
abilities and use that to the best. Thinking that one is trying to do good out
of jealousy, can lead to bad. So, don’t allow the feeling of jealousy and think
that it will help you in your progress.
Regulating
thought process is tough. How can one regulate it so that negative feelings
don’t rise?
Ans: When one realizes that they are the powerful instruments in
the hands of the all-powerful supreme being then they are no longer incapable,
insecure or ordinary. They can draw enormous power from God and do great
things. Forgetting this is the main reason for all sorts of disturbances that
happen in our mind.
Detailed Answer: Negative emotions and thought process go away when one
understands that they are here in this world with a purpose. Everyone is an
instrument in the very powerful hands of God. No one here should think that
they are ordinary or incapable or insecure. God is the all-powerful supreme
Being. Being an instrument in His hands means the instrument also becomes
powerful. When we are instruments in the hands of God then imagine how
powerful and capable we are inherently! Understanding that and submitting ourselves
to become an instrument in the hands of God, we can draw enormous power from
God and perform good things in this world. Unfortunately, we forget that most
times and that is main reason for causing all sorts of disturbances like
jealousy etc in our mind.
Upanishads are hidden secrets from the Vedas. They should be
learnt by people who are real seekers.
What do our
scriptures say about creation of the world?
Creation is a chance given to the souls to improve themselves
and that chance has been provided by God due to his compassion.
What are the 3 fundamental
entities that we classify everything in the universe as?
The 3 fundamental entities are (1) all the living entities that
have consciousness, a soul (cit) (2) All that is seen called nature and also
includes the inert objects (acit) 3) And the union of nature and soul happens
because of another entity called God (ishwaran) – who helps the souls to get
rid of their Karma. Souls have Karma with them forever and they cannot act on
their own and they need help from God.
In the 3
fundamental entities which remains constant?
All the 3 entities cit (soul) acit (nature and inert objects)
and Ishwaran are permanent but there is a difference in their consistency. The
entity called God, is constant in terms of form and nature. Both are constant.
For the soul, the form is constant but not the nature. And for prakruti /
nature – both the form and the qualities are inconsistent.
Cit means an object with ‘chetana’ or knowledge. One having
knowledge of his own is called Cit or soul. It is very subtle in its form and
cannot be divided any further. But the knowledge that it inherits is limitless
and can expand to any distance any time without any restrictions. However, when
the soul is contained in a body, the expansion of the knowledge will be conditioned
only to that particular body.
Is Cit same as
ji:va or ji:va:tma? What kind of objects possess a ji:va:tma?
Cit / Ji:va / Ji:va:tma are all synonymous. Every visible form
present contains ji:va:tma in them. It is functional in moving entities (human
beings, animals, birds etc) and non-functional in inert objects. These inert
objects are what is referred to as acit
In every part of the human body there are multiple cells. This
is true for body of any moving entity, be it an animal, insect, bird, etc. Each
cell contains a soul of its own. It implies that they have a separate
ji:va:tma. Since this is a biological body, the jivatma is able to exhibit
itself. However there is only one prime cell or one prime soul which is the
owner. This owner adopts many other souls in the process of its growth. All the
other several billions of cells serve the master soul and are subservient to
the master. And as long as the owner soul is present these will function. If
the owner is not there they stop functioning. In that case these subservient
cells go to their original state and need to start the process of finding a
body again based on their karmic journey.
Yes, inert objects also contain a soul in them. Here, the ji:va
cannot exhibit itself or function. The stone is formed with a specific ji:va in
it and when the formation took place other ji:vas also joined. When the stone
breaks, the pieces with their souls become independent on their own. There is
no relationship like master servant here, as stone is an inert object and the
souls need not function. The non-functional status continues in the individual
pieces as well. However the soul will be carrying with it, the karmic records
of its past. Depending on the records, the particular stone maybe used in a
temple or devotees house or in a graveyard or in a drainage.
Who or what is
Ishwara (Parama:tma)?
Parama:tma (I:shwara) is the all-pervasive controller. There are
objects such as sky and air which pervade but do not control. He pervades and
controls in all respects and that’s why He is called Parama:tma (“parama”
from paro: ma, meaning there is no one superior than Him to
control). God has the qualities and abilities to control.
Visishtadwaita is qualified monism. Essentially, a seed and tree
are the same. Seed is the one that contains many things. Many things come out
from a seed and once again they go back into a small seed. The seed is the
micro version and the tree is the expanded version or macro version. Both the
micro and macro versions are one and the same and contain many things in them.
That is Visistadwaita. God is like seed, the micro version. Contained within
him is nature and the souls. The world that is seen is His expanded form. Both
God and the world are not different but the cause and effect. Both are
qualified ones. Qualified means visistam.
What is the
relationship between Cit, Acit and Ishwara?
Relationship between Cit, Acit and Ishwara is like the body
(Cit, Acit) and the soul (Ishwara)
Does the world /
universe get destroyed?
The universe is of a permanent nature but constantly changes
forms and shapes and thus names and purpose. It is always in a state of flux.
What is the
significance of creation and destruction cycle of the universe?
Creation and destruction of the universe are part of the
recycling process in order to purify the universe. The previous form is lost to
get a new form.
Karma is the record of each and every one of the activities done
by the soul. Karma cannot be tampered with. It is like the black box in flight
which keeps recording but does not get destroyed.
What is the
effect of doing good and bad things when we live in this world?
The effect of doing good and bad things is reducing or adding
the karmic records
Does the soul in
Acit also earn karma?
The soul in acit will be getting rid of karma. Adding comes when
one feels and if that doesn’t happen, karma is not added. It is the thought
process that makes the karma to be added or recorded. If one is free form ego,
karma is not added. So, in an inert object form, there are no feelings or ego,
hence karma is not added. There is no creation of new karma in acit, but
reduction of past karma happens.
Do jiva:tmas in
cells that are subservient to the master soul accrue karma?
The living cells inside moving entities like humans cannot think
for themselves. But they do experience karma and hence they joined the main
body. When the owner soul does good, then good karma is added to their account
and when the owner experiences bad, their bad karma is reduced.
Can the effect
of Karma be nullified?
The effect of karma cannot be nullified by anyone. No one can
meddle with karma or tamper with it. God has the ability to transfer the karma.
When He decides to take a person to his abode, God transfers the good karma to
the people who liked this person and the bad karma to the people who did not
like this person. Once the soul is thus rid of all the karma, God takes the
person to His abode. The person who is liberated does not have their karma
disappear. Someone else has to experience. There is no question of
nullification of karma.
There are trillions and zillions of soul, basically countless ad
such a situation will never arise.
What does it
mean to say the soul lives forever?
A soul lives forever means that a soul can never be destroyed.
In order to destroy something, you have to be able to enter the object. A soul
is so small and subtle that there is nothing that can enter it and hence it
cannot be destructed. However, perumal can enter it but he enters in a
different way in the form of energy. Since the soul cannot be destroyed, it
lives forever.
What happens to
the soul after the one dies? <>>
We call something as death when the current body is left behind.
So, soul has no body at all. so Thus, there is no question of death to
the soul.
“Vaisnava janato tene: kahiye je pi:d para:ye ja:ne re:”
Vaishnav is the one whose heart cries, feeling the pain of others . Vaishnavism
is the sect which teaches compassion.
What is
difference between Sri Vaishnavism and Visishtadwaita?
Sri Vaishnavism is about feeling the presence of God everywhere.
It talks about the jiva’s relationship with God Vishnu in all respects.
Visistadwaita is about knowing the concept of the universe, the inseparable
relationship between the nature and souls with God – both in subtle form and in
gross form. Visistadwaita is more concept oriented whereas Vaishnavism is the
practical part.
How does Sri
Vaishnavism help with facing the consequences of Karma?
Sri Vaishnavism helps anyone by giving us the knowledge that all
the responsibility lies on the shoulders of the Lord. Whether its joy or sorrow
He’s the one who enjoys and not us.
How does one
reach the complete state of joy forever?
One reaches the complete state of joy forever by surrendering to
Lord Vishnu, the master controller of the universe. if one surrenders then He
takes care of it.
What does
surrendering to God mean?
Act of surrendering to God means developing the mental faith
that you dedicate yourself and your activities to God and that He’s monitoring
us always. Surrendering does not mean helplessness out of incapability of doing
things. It is the act where you have complete faith in what God does. Sita
could have burnt down Ravana to ashes but she did not do so, as she had
surrendered to Rama and held the belief that He will take care of her.
Can the complete
state of joy happen on earth also if one surrenders to God?
Complete state of joy while being on earth is not possible
because of Prakruti or nature. Because, it is always in the fluctuating mode of
satva, rajas and tamas.
What does the
act of surrendering to God involve?
The act of surrender involves surrendering to God through all 3
instruments – physical, mental and verbal forms.
What does moksha
or liberation mean?
Mukti/moksha are words given for the release of soul from the
karmic bondage
What are the
texts one needs to read to understand Sri Vaishnavism
The Vedas and vedic literature talks about Vaishnavism. They are
our primary source texts. We can use the commentaries of our acharyas to
understand the same. Apart from this, Bhagavad Gita is best recommended.
Bhagavad Gita is a message of God for us, to apply and to put it
in action.
Azhvars are chosen souls of God who dive deep into the ocean of
qualities of God. They explained that experience to us, to the world in the
form of verses and poems.
Divya Prabhandam is the outpouring of azhvars as a result of
their great experience with God
Why is perumal
considered as the first a:charya?
Perumal is the first a:charya because He is the first one who
showed the path of release from the karmic bondage. He showed it to His first
son, Brahma: and from him to the rest of the souls. So He became the first
a:charya. And He renewed that message time and again during his avata:ra’s.
How did we get
our guruparampara (lineage of acharyas )?
A person becomes an acharya by following the great experiences
of elders, practising them and passing them onto the next generation. Those who
are sincere to that message join the lineage of acharyas and take the
responsibility of spreading the message. It was the great Swami Ramanuja who
identified people to become part of the lineage and deputed them all across the
world. Those deputed people became acharya purushas and they appointed people
in the next generation to carry on the message giving them the required
training. Thus the lineage of knowledge continues and is still available even
after 1000 years. Swami Ramanuja identified the acharyas before him as well.
How does one
find the right teacher?
A true acharya is the one who brings knowledge and practice
together. One need not go in search of the right acharya. The right acharya
comes to one when there is a need and when it is the right time as per wish of
the God.
Detailed Answer: One need not go in search of the right Acharya or teacher.
The right acharya comes to one, when there is a need and when it is the right
time. Knowledge cannot be measured or seen. The recommendation given by
scriptures is to observe the practices of a person and infer the knowledge a
person possesses. One who brings knowledge and practice together is the true
acharya and to achieve that is very difficult.
Each school of thought is a parameter to understand the
different facets of the ultimate reality called as God. They don’t show
everything about God but focus on one specific thing. Understanding them helps
us in our life and how to deal with people.
Detailed Answer: The different schools of thought are present for us to
understand the different facets of reality. Each school of thought is a facet
of the reality. An object can be looked at from multiple ways. Take the
example of an apple. Are the apple and colour of the apple the same? Are the
apple-skin and apple the same? Are the apple-taste and apple the same? Looking
at the formation and shape of the apple, helps in drawing the picture of the
apple. Understanding the nature of the fruit helps you in developing what
condition it is useful for. Each different parameter helps us in understanding
the object differently. Similarly, each school of thought is a parameter in understanding
about the ultimate reality that we call as God. They don’t show everything
about the particular goal but they focus on one specific aspect. Knowing about
these philosophies will help one in life and how to deal with people as well.
So, it is for our good to understand these schools of thought.
Understanding concepts to whatever extent possible in different
schools of thoughts is good enough. One need not understand all philosophies in
entirety. High level understanding itself will help us in our growth and our
good.
Detailed Answer: One need not understand everything present in every school
of thought. If one understands whatever is possible that is good enough. Taking
the example of the apple again, is it necessary for one to know about
everything – which garden was it grown, what fertiliser was used, how many
insects were killed, in what vehicle was the fruit brought to the shop, who
brought the fruit to the shop etc. One needs to understand only that
information, which is necessary for them. It is a good thing if one understands
whatever is required. Hence understanding the concepts in the various schools
of thought to whatever extent possible, will help us in our growth and
our good.
Why is god
referred to as peruma:l?
One who stands as an example to the rest of the world in human
life is referred to as peruma:l and is worshipped as well. The illustrious and
righteous Rama was given the title of peruma:l as He showed that a man can
exist with all virtuous qualities. ‘perum’ means big and ‘a:l’ means
person.
Detailed Explanation: ‘perum’ means big and ‘a:l’ means person. It’s
a title given to Lord Rama who being a man existed with all virtuous qualities.
The illustrious and righteous Rama, followed the code of conduct to the tee and
was a model for everyone in the society. Even the devatas adored him and
continued worshipping him after he slayed Ravana. One who lives a human
life and makes himself a model for the society is referred to as peruma:l and
will be worshipped by everybody including the de:vata:s. One who exemplifies
himself to the rest of the world is called peruma:l and is worshipped as
well..
What does ko:yil
mean and why are temples referred to so?
Ko: is the supreme boss and ‘il’ is his place. God is our path
finder and is our boss. So the place where God stays is ko:yil.
Detailed Explanation: Ko: is the supreme boss and ‘il’ is his place. God is
our path finder and is our boss. So the place where God stays is koyil. Ko:
also means Garuda. So ko:yil also means Garuda’s place. Garuda is the
representative of Ve:das. So wherever vedas stay, is also where the ve:da
ve:dya (God) stays. So that place is where God stays and is ko:yil
But now it refers to all temples. Some people worship Vishnu,
some Lord Shiva, Shakti, Ambal and some other forms for other people .
But whatever form is worshipped, that is the one that leads the life of those
people and becomes their boss. The place where their boss stays becomes their
ko:yil. The word was fundamentally only used for Vishnu temples but now it is
also used for temples for other forms such as sivan koyil. Amman koyil
etc.
U:rdhva Pundram / Thiruman (Tilak on head)
What does
thiruman (tilak on the head) symbolize?
Face should represent what is felt in our heart because
face is the index of one’s mind. Everyone wants to be happy always, love
others, be loved and feel at peace. Thiruman represents love and peace
and hence joy.
Detailed Explanation: People wear a variety of things on their foreheads. Sri
Vaishnavas apply a red line surrounded by white lines. SOme people apply
vibhuti as horizontal lines. And nowadays there are a variety of decorations
for the forehead in varying colors. Face should represent what is felt in
your heart because face is the index of one’s mind. Everyone wants to be happy
always, love others, be loved and feel at peace. Thiruman represents love
and peace and hence joy.
How should the
thiruman be worn and how are joy, peace and love represented?
A base with a root is drawn with white color
(representing peace) in between the palce between the eyes. From there onwards,
2 white lines proceed upwards uptil where the hair touches the forehead. A red
tilak representing love starts between the eyes and goes upwards as well. Peace
and love results in joy .
Detailed Explanation: Everyone wants to be
happy and love each other in a peaceful environment. WE want peace to be the
foundation and joy to progress. Colors are also important in representing these
emotions.
In thiruman, a place is identified as the beginning of this
journey . The journey begins between the eyes. The reason being eyes show the
external world. It’s the beginning of knowledge. White represents peace and is
also the foundation for joy. So a base is drawn in between the eyes with a
strong root which will not be shaken at any point of time. From there it
progresses upwards on two sides uptil where the hair touches the forehead. A
red tilak is drawn in the middle representing love. It also proceeds upward
from the middle of the eye and is drawn uptil the point where the hair touches
the forehead. The root of the base starts from a place called na:sika mu:lam
which is identified as the middle point of nose as identified by
scriptures.
Why do some say
that thiruman represents the divine feet of the Lord?
When one believes in Maha Vishnu and surrenders to his feet to
get His grace, then out of love we like to keep his feet on our head. Hence
thiruman is said to represent his divine feet (thiruvadi).
Detailed Explanation: When one believes in Maha Vishnu and surrenders to his feet to
get His grace, then out of love we like to keep his feet on our head. Ahzvars
also keep singing that “I keep your feet on my head” – “thalaiyalla:l kaima:ru
ille:n’. Hence thiruman is said to represent his divine feet (thiruvadi). Its
not literally putting his feet on our head but out of love we symbolically do
so. The white represents the divine feet of the Lord and the red represents
Mahalakshmi or Sri: Hence the red powder is known as Sri: chu:rnam. Sri: is a
personification of love and hence she is also called tha:ya:r or mother.
Why do we put
the lord’s own feet on his divine face?
Sri: Chu:rnam represents Maha Lakshmi personification of love.
And the divine feet of the Lord represents peace. When these symbols represent
peace and love, it can adorn the Lord’s divine face to show us that this is the
way to adorn it. It’s not literally taken as Vishnu and Lakshmi pa:dam (divine
feet). It’s adorned on perumals head as a symbolic representation of peace and
love.
Rapid fire questions from children
Our purpose on the earth is to discover the truth about
ourselves and to love everything and not hate everything.
How did man
first discover God?
When things happened beyond man’s control, man understood that
there is someone behind everything. And that someone started being called as
God.
Just like how air controls our lives God controls us as well.
God controls air as well and the rest of the things.
If God knows
everything why does He make us do bad things?
God never wants anyone to do bad things or hurt other people. If
you don’t hurt others and believe in Him, He takes care of you. However, if
you do not care about Him and do not want Him, He thinks that you need
independence and He leaves you to see the result. And then if you do bad
things, people around you themselves, teach you a lesson and not God. But then
God doesn’t come to help you at that time as you wanted that
independence.
If God considers
all of us equal why are there different castes?
There are many activities done by people in the society. Based
on the activity, people have been divided into castes. Though different parts
of the body do different activities they are all equal in an individual’s eyes.
Similarly, God feels equal about everybody even though they do different
activities as we are different parts of His body. Humans named it as a caste
and started fighting with each other over political gains and that became bad.
Caste is not a bad thing but using it wrongly is a bad thing.
Mantra created God. Mantra is a sound. Sound has always been
there. Its supreme. And God came out of that. He then learnt it and then His
breath became the mantra.
How was the
world before God came?
The world was in a subtler form like the seed. Then God
camecame, and He let it grow. Then it started growing. Before Him it was like a
seed.
If we know
something is bad why do end up doing bad things?
We end up doing bad things because of weakness. We know that
movie watching is bad to eyes but the weakness in us, makes us watch. We know
that drinking coffee is bad, but we cannot stop it. Though we know many things
are bad, we do it because of our weakness, thinking that they need to be
enjoyed.
We chant slokas to show our gratitude to God. Slokas are nothing
but a prayer. The purpose of a prayer is to make ourselves strong.
I say slokas
before going to bed but I still get bad dreams. Why?
Sloka doesn’t help us when we recite it mechanically and are not
remembering the real meaning of prayer.
Jai srimannarayana Raviji!
Happy for
the interest you have in knowing the facts.
Udayavar means possessor. Lord Ranganattha bestowed this title
to Ramanuja Swamy when Swamy entered Srirangam. Ramanuna Swamy is the owner of
this world, called Li:la: vibhu:thi, and eternal abode of God that is Nithya
Vibhu:thi. Hence, Swamy became Udayavar.
Emberuma:na:r is the title given by his own Guru Sri
Go:shttipurna Swamy, otherwise called as Thiru kkottiyur Nambi. When the sacred
manthra revealed to the world by Ramanuja Swamy at the cost of His own life’s
risk, his guru astonished and said that you are greater than us. Em perum
a:na:r.
Swamy’s mortal body is there in the Sannidhi, which is called
Udayavar Sannidhi in Srirangam temple. It is considered that the body is not
just mortal, and he is also the guru to the Lord, and then it is the command of
Lord Himself, they kept the body in the temple for daily worship. It is
accepted for acharyas.
Thirumanjanam is not done to the mu:la mu:thy because they apply
pachchkarpuram like stuff over the body.
Jai srimannaryana !
We were clear that de:vathas are also ji:vas, who took this life
as per their previous punya visesham. Consuming that, those de:vathas will
again go to get some other body as per their karmic records. This is what Lord
Krushna said in the concluding slokas of 8th chapter of Bhagavad Githa
‘a:bramha bhuvana:d lo:kah punar a:vartino:rjuna!’
We need not know where those soles were in their previous life
or after their post is over.
Firstly, it was never said that Rama is the ONLY one who had
followed father’s words. But he is one of the first ones who has excelled and
stood as an example for the way a son should respect and obey the father. In
fact, Dasaratha, Rama’s father could not order in words that Rama has to go
into forests for fourteen years. But, Rama understood the situation of his
father and the thoughts in his heart and followed the unsaid words.
This is the greatness of Rama.
When Bharatha approached Rama and began to plead him to come
back to kingdom, Rama refused. Bharatha even said to Rama, ‘Dear brother,
Father has given me the kingdom. Now that the kingdom is in my hands, I would
like to give it to you. Let me go to the forests’. Rama answered, ‘Father is no
longer here to change his order. We are not authorised to exchange/alter/edit
his wish. Let us just follow father’s words.’
– From the ‘Q&A Session’ with Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji,
Ramayana Tarangini, 2017
Is it fair that Sri Rama sent Sitha Devi away into forests?
Sri Rama is a Chakravarthi, a ruler. A ruler’s
duty does not begin and end at a specific point in a day. His primary
responsibility is to ensure every person is happy under his rule at all times.
Even a single penny taken away from a hundred disqualifies it from being
hundred. Therefore, he could not disregard the disapproval of even one person.
Swasukha: nirabhila:shaha – If
everyone is happy when Sitha lives separately from Rama, then it is better that
they both sacrifice their happiness for the sake of everyone else. This is what
Sri Rama believed in.
However, there is a hidden and agreed reasoning behind why Sri
Rama’s decision in this regard is fair.
When Rama had to go to forests for 14 years to abide by the
decision of his father, everyone in the kingdom followed him through the
journey for an entire day. Rama had begun his journey early hours next day
without telling all his followers because he had to make sure everyone lives
their life as usual. However when Sitha Devi was let go to the forests, no-one
questioned, disagreed or asked him to bring her back – including the ministers
and sages. This shows that a lot of people were okay with Rama’s decision. In
such a case, Rama had to sacrifice his happiness. Sri Rama and Sitha Devi are
therefore considered our ultimate saviours because they think and act for the
happiness of all of us than for themselves. Sitha Devi is always happy to
support Rama for ensuring he succeeds as a ruler. Also, Rama left her under
divine guidance and shade of a great sage, Valmiki. It is important to go
through the root scripture, Valmiki Ramayana to understand the reasoning and
secrets rather than depend on other sources. Let all the rulers learn the good
deed of working to the benefit of everyone in their jurisdictions.
Following
the Acharya verdict is the only way we have to act. Bhagvad Ramananujacharya
said that do service to Lord Narayana, And Narayana is all pervasive. That
means the whole world is His divine Form. You always serve anyone through ones’
body only. If so, you need to serve Lord Narayana also through His Body that is
the world. In that world wherever there is need that is to which you need to
offer service as His Service. That is real a:ra:dhana. That is real da:sya of
Narayana. That is what our acharyas did and we also do follow them.
” Talking superficial words and not knowing properly is the way of pitiable
persons ”
1 ) ALL MONTHS ARE HOLIER IN THEIR OWN WAY. EACH HAS SOME
IMPORTANT EVENT. SO IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO DISCRIMINATE. YET, CHAITRAM IS
GOOD BECAUSE IT IS THE BEGINNING OF ALL THE MONTHS. WHERE AS MARGASI:RSHA IS
BETTER BECAUSE ALL THE CROPS ARE REACHING ON TO HAND TO ENJOY. SO ON AND SO
FORTH.
2 ) AGAIN EACH OF THE EKADASIS HAS ITS OWN MERIT. YET, VIAKUNTTA
E:KA:DASI IS BETTER TO OBSERVE, ATLEAST, IF NOT ALL.
3 ) ONE NEEDS TO DO THE REGULAR SANDHYA AND PUJA TAKE
THEERTHAMS. OFFERING UNCOOKED FOOD LIKE FRUITS ETC., IS GOOD. OR ELSE, OFFER
SOME PREPARATION WITH SWEET AND FLOUR USING THINGS OTHER THAN RICE AND OFFER
THEM TO THE LORD. USING SALT ALSO IS NOT GOOD ON E:KA:DASI. THEN TAKE PRASADAM
AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. OR REDUCE TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE ON THAT DAY.
MARRIAGE IS SOMETHING THAT MAKES A TRIANGLE BONDAGE, BETWEEN
COUPLE, AND BOTH THE FAMILIES. ALL THEY SHOULD ACCEPT AND PERFORM IT IN A MOOD
OF JOY. IT SHOULD NOT BE DONE WITH FORCE WITH SADNESS.
HENCE, IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO ENTERTAIN LOVE WITH PROPER PERSONS
OF UNDERSTANDING. BOTH BOY AND THE GIRL SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE SAMPRADAYAM AND
SYSTEM OF THE FAMILIES. UNFORTUNATELY NOW A DAYS IT IS MISSING AND THUS
CREATING DEPRESSION AMONG THE CHILDREN AND THE PARENTS.
ONE CAN BECOME VAISHNAVITE IF SANKHA AND CHAKRA IS TAKEN ALONG
WITH MANTHRAM FROM A PROPER GURU. THEN, A VAISHNAVITE WILL NOT WORSHIP ALL THE
DEVATHAS BUT RESPECTS ALL THE SAMPRADAYAS AND DEVATHAS TOO. HE WORSHIPS ONLY
VISHNU AND HIS PARIVARAM.
ACCEPTING BOTH THE PARENTS IS VERY MUCH IMPORTANT. SO YOU TRY TO
INFORM YOUR PARENTS FIRST AND THEN ASK THEM TO APPROACH HER PARENTS. LET HER
ALSO APPROACH HER PARENTS AND CONVINCE THEM TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE WITH YOUR
PARENTS. IF THAT IS DONE FIRST, OTHER THINGS MAY BE SORTED OUT SOON.
If the parents are not able to come to an understanding, then we
suggest you and the girl also to be restrained yourself from the proposal of
marriage.
IF YOU ARE A BRAHMACHARY, YOU NEED NOT OBSERVE THE
UNTOUCHABILITY. YOU NEED TO TAKE A SNANAM, AFTER KNOWING THE MESSAGE AND THAT IS
ALL. BUT THIS RULE WILL APPLY IF YOUR ANUSHTTANAM IS LIKE A BRAHMACHARI. THAT
IS, YOU MUST BE PERFORMING SANDHYA VANDANAM 3 TIMES A DAY. AGNI KARYAM 2 TIMES
ETC. IF NOT ALL AT LEAST SANDHYAVANDANAM.
IF NOT ALL THE ACTIVITIES, ATLEAST, WHAT TTD IS DOING IN
PRINTING THE CONSORT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LORD IS RIGHT. IN ALL THE
TRADITIONAL TEMPLES AND ALSO IN ALL THE TRADITIONAL HOUSES, LADIES ARE PLACED
ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HUSBAND ONLY. NOT ON THE LEFT SIDE AT ALL. FOR THE
RIGHT SIDE OF THE MALE IS AUSPICES TO
HIM AND THE LEFT SIDE OF THE LADY IS AUSPICES TO HER. ALWAYS, EVERYBODY WANTS
THAT HIS OR HER BETTER HALF SHOULD BE ON THE AUSPICES SIDE ONLY. THEN, MALE
SHOULD COME ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE LADY AND LADY SHOULD COME ON THE RIGHT SIDE
OF THE MALE. DHARMA SASTHRAS RECOMMEND THIS SYSTEM ONLY. IN SRIVAISHNAVA
SAMPRADAYAM, ALL SECTIONS OF THE SOCIETY FOLLOW THIS TRADITION ONLY.
KRISHNASHTAMI OR ” SRI JAYANTHI ” AS SRI VAISHNAVITES CALL IT,
SHOULD BE CELEBRATED, IN A DAY WHEN DURING THE SUN’S STAYS IN SIMHA RASI, AND
WHEN ROHINI STAR OR ASHTAMI THITTHI, STAY WITHOUT ANY POLLUTION.
POLLUTION MEANS, BY THE TIME OF SUN RAISE, THAT PARTICULAR STAR
OR THITTHI, ENJOINING WITH THE PREVIOUS ONE. THEY CALL IT AS “VIDDHA”.
TO CELEBRATE THE FUNCTION, OUT OF BOTH THITHHI AND STAR,
WHICHEVER WILL REMAIN LONG WILL ONLY BE CONSIDERED TO BE THE ONE FOR FUNCION.
IF THAT REMAINS TO THE MORNING THAT IS ENOUGH, THAT NEED BE THERE DURING MID
NIGHT. BUT THAT DAY CAN BE TAKEN “PURE” FOR PERFORMING THE FUNCTION. IT IS
BECAUSE THE
KRISHNA’S JANM SLOKA SAYS
“SIMHA RA:SOW ASITHE: PAKSHE: RO:HINYA:M ASHTAMI: THITTHOW |
CHARAMA:RTTHA PRADA:THA:RAM KRUSHNAM VANDE: JAGAD GURUM ||”
(Swamiji is refereing to the year 2006)
NOW ON 15TH OR 16TH OF AUGUST, SIMHA RASI ENTRANCE TO SUN HAS
NOT HAPPENED AT ALL. HE IS STILL IN KARKATAKA RASI. HE IS ENTERING INTO SIMHA
RA:SI ON 17TH IN THE EVENING AT 6.48 pm. SO PERFORMING HIS FUNCTION IN AUGUST,
IS NOT PROPER.
DURING September, ON 15TH SUN IS IN SIMHA RASI, THOUGH PURE
ROHINI WAS ON PREVIOUS DAY, BUT ASHTAMI GOT POLLUTED ON 14TH, HENCE THAT DAY IS
NOT GOOD, WHICHEVER WILL REMAIN TILL END CAN BE TAKEN, SO, ASHTAMI STAYS ON 15H
ALSO AND THAT TOO WITHOUT ANY POLLUTION, SO “15TH SEPTEMBER” WILL BE OUR “SRI
JAYANTHI’
DAY.
WE ARE SURE WE DID NOT CONFUSE YOU MUCH.
DOING FASTING IN TOTAL, TAKING A:RA:DHANA THI:RTHAM AND A VERY
LITTLE PRASADAM IS REALLY GOOD. IF ONE IS NOT ABLE TO OBSERVE THAT, BETTER TO
REDUCE THE FOOD AS LESS AS POSSIBLE THAN THE REGULAR ONE, OK!!!
WE DID NOT HEAR THE STORY OF THITHIES GOING TO LORD ETC……LORD
RAMA BORN ON NAVAMI, LORD KRISHNA BORN ON ASHTAMI. THERE IS A PURPOSE BEHIND
CHOOSING THOSE DATES BY THEM.
1) LORD RAMA, A PU:RNA MA:NAVA AVATHA:RAM. HE NEVER SAID THAT HE
WAS GOD. INSPITE OF DEVATHAS SAYING SO, HE DENIED THAT. THAT PU:RNATHWAM IS
SHOWN BY THITTHI ” 9 “. NINE AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, IS A PU:RNA SAMKHYA.
INDESTRUCTIBLE NUMBER IT IS. MANUSHYA SHOULD LIVE LIKE THAT IN THE HISTORY, BY
PRACTISING HUMANE QUALITIES, LIKE THAT OF LORD RAMA.
2) LORD KRISHNA, IS THE INCORNATION OF LORD HIMSELF DIRECTLY ON
THIS EARTH. HE IS NOT A MAN LIKE SRI RAMA. WHILE LOOKING AT LORD KRISHNA, ONE
SHOULD NOT THINIK OF MAN AT ALL. HE IS GOD-HIMSELF. ACCORDING TO THE
VEDAS, GOD WILL BE REVEALED THOUGH A MANTHRA THAT IS ” 8 ” SYLLABLES, CALLED
ASHTA:KSHARI MAHA MANTHRA. THAT IS WHY HE CHOSE TO BE THE EIGHTTH BORN TO
DE:VAKI DE:VI, AND 8TH THITTHI ALSO.
ACCORDING TO THE JYOTHISHA, THOSE ARE NOT BE TAKEN AS GOOD DAYS
TO START SOME NEW ACTIVITY AND THAT IS SA;STHRA, WHICH NEED TO BE OBSERVED.
BECAUSE SA:STHRA IS ALSO THE ORDINACE OF GOD-HIMSELF. HENSE, FOLLOWING THAT IS
RESPECTING HIM ONLY.
WE WON’T PERFORM ONLY THITTHIS TO LORD SRIRAMA & KRISHNA.
SOME PEOPLE DO SO, THOSE WHO DON’T OBSERVE RIGHT SA:STHRA. OBSERVING THEIR
BIRTH STARS, IS ONLY THE CUSTOMERY BY TRADITIONAL SRI VAISHNAVITES. SRIRAMA
NAVAMI BECAME FAMOUS, BECAUSE OF LORD SRIRAMA CHENDRA AT BHADRACHELAM IN ANDHRA
PRADESH. THE CONSECRATION OF THAT TEMPLE TOOK PLACE ON THAT DAY AND STARTED
CELEBRATING KALYANAM ON NAVAMI, ACCORDING TO A:GAMAS.
PEOPLE STARTED NAVAMI-CELEBRATIONS.
FOR KRISHNA’S BIRTHDAY, EVEN TODAY, WE OBSERVE RO:HINI ONLY. IT
IS ONLY NON-VAISHNAVITES, WHO DO NOT FOLLOW RIGHT SA:STHRA, OBSERVE SRA:VANA
BAHULA ASHTAMI ONLY. WE SEE THAT RO:HINI STAR SHOULD BE PURE AND
ASHTAMI THITTHI SHOULD BE PURE AND THEN ONLY OBSERVE THAT CELEBRATION.
LEAVE ALL THIS, THEY BORN ON SOME THITTHIS AND YOU SHOULD
PERFORM THEM AS THEIR BIRTHDAYS. WHY YOU NEED TO HAVE ANY OBJECTION AT ALL,
WHETHER OR NOT TO PERFORM THAT ON THAT DAY?
THE BIRTH STAR OF YOUR BABY WAS PU:RVA BHA:DRA ONLY. YOU NEED
NOT CHANGE THE TIME AND CALCULATE THE DIFFERENCE OF TIME ETC., AND BREAK THE
HEAD. TAKE THE PANCHA:NGAM HERE AND TAKE THE EXACT TIME FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT,
TAKE THE DAY AND DATE OF LOCAL CALCULATION, LOOK INTO THE PANCHANGAM AND DECIDE
THE STAR OR THITTHI. IN THAT WAY YOURS’ NOW IS PU:RVA:BHADRA ONLY.
LION THRONE IS ‘SIMHA:SANAM’ ON WHICH GOD SITS. NITHYA UTSAVAM
IS DAILY RITUALS OBSERVED IN TRADITIONAL TEMPLES, DONE ACCORDING TO SOME A:GAMA
SA:STHRA.
NO. IT IS NOT. ACCORDING TO ORIGINAL SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM,
COMPOSED BY THE GREAT SAGE VEDA VYASA, THERE IS NO CHARACTER CALLED AS “RADHA”
AT ALL.
THE MENTION OF RADHA IS AVAILABLE IN RAJASA PURANA LIKE ‘BRAHMA VAIVARTHA
PURANAM’.
WE CAN TAKE ‘RADHA’ AS A SYMBOL OF DEVOTEE WITH SELFLESS
DEVOTION. IN SANSKRIT “RADH” MEANS TO PLEASE. THE DEVOTION OF ONE, WHO PLEASED
LORD WITH HIS HEART, DEED AND WORD, WILL BE CALLED AS RADHA. BECAUSE THE WORD
‘DEVOTION’ IS IN FEMININE GENDER, SO THE WORD ‘RADHA’ ALSO BECAME A FEMININE
GENDER WORD. WHEN A
CHARACTER IS PERSONIFIED THAT CHARACTER BECAME ‘LADY RADHA’.
HOW LORD LOVES SUCH A DEVOTEE AND HOW SUCH DEVOTEE IS MERGED IN
LORD, IS SEEN IN RADHA-KRISHNAS. HENCE RADHA IS NOT REALLY A PERSON, IT
APPEARS. THAT IS THE REASON WHY KALYANAM IS NOT PERFORMED TO THEM. IT IS DONE
TO THOSE WHO WERE REALLY THERE DURING HIS PERIOD.
WE ARE HAPPY FOR YOUR INTEREST. ACCORDING TO VAISHNAVA
SAMPRADAYAM, AFTER 13 DAYS OF THE CEREMONY, IT IS PERFORMED “PARAMAPADA UTSAVAM”.
IT THAT IS DONE THAT DEPARTED SOUL, CHILDREN OF THE DEPARTED SOUL, CAN GO TO
TEMPLES AND DO ALL SIMPLE PUJAS WITHOUT ANY HESITATION. MANY PEOPLE WON’T DO
THAT UTSAVAM, THEY
NEED TO OBSERVE THE RESTRICTION OF NOT GOING TO TEMPLE AND DO PUJAS OR ANY
FUNCTIONS ETC., FOR ONE YEAR. WHICH THEY CALL AS “SAMVATSARA SU:THAKAM” WE
THINK THAT RULE MAY BE OBSERVED UPTO ATLEAST 6 MONTHS IN OTHER COUNTRIES BY
INDIANS.
FOR VAISHNAVITES, ONE YEAR RESTRICTION IS NOT THERE TO DO THE
PUJA, WHICH IS A REGULAR ACTIVITY, AFTER DEMISE OF PARENTS. FINISHING THE
PARAMA PADO:TSAVAM WITH ‘IYAL GOSTI’ ON 13TH DAY, CLEARS THE ‘A:SOUCHAM’ AND
MAKES ELIGIBAL FOR NITYA KARMA. PUJA IS ALSO ONE AMONG NITYA KARMAS. SO IT HAS
TO BE DONE. EVEN IF
IT IS A TEMPLE, ONE CAN GO FOR DARSAMAN AND FOR SELF PUJA, IF HE IS A PUJARI.
KALYANAS AND SPECIAL CELEBRATIONS SHOULD NOT BE DONE.
EVEN THAT IS TO SHOW ONE’S SORROW ONLY. BUT, FOR NON
VAISHNAVITES, THEY DO NOT DO THE PARAMA PADOTSAVAM, 1YEAR A:SOUCHAM WILL BE
THERE, SO THEY CANNOT GO TO TEMPLE AND DO THE PUJA.
WHEN THERE IS BIRTH OR DEATH IN A FAMILY, THE WHOLE FAMILY GETS
“A:SOUCHAM” WHICH MEANS IT GETS POLLUTED. THIS POLLUTION CONTINUES FOR ABOUT 10
DAYS OR SO.
IT MAY CHANGE IN SOME CASES. WE DO NOT WANT TO GO TO THOSE DETAILS.
THE POLLUTION AFFECTS DURING BIRTH OF A NEW BABY IS CALLED
“JA:THA A:SOUCHAM”, WHERE AS THE POLLUTION AFFECTS OF DEATH IS CALLED “MRUTHA
A:SOUCHAM”. FOR BOTH OF THEM ONE SHOULD OBSERVE. MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT
MRUTHA:SOUCHAM IS TO BE OBSERVED,BUT NOT THE JA:THA:SOUCHAM. BUT IT IS SAID
THAT JA:THA:SOUCHAM IS MORE SEVERE THAN THE MRUTHA:SOUCHAM.
HOW AND AT WHAT LEVEL IT EFFECTS, IS NOT OUR TOPIC OF
DISCUSSION. AS YOU KNOW WELL THAT IF A TELEPHONE TOWER IS AFFECTED ALL THE CELL
PHONES IN THAT AREA GET AFFECTED. THAT MAY BE TAKEN AS AN ANOLOGY.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION SCRIPTURE (SA:STHRAM) NEVER GIVES
EXPLANATIONS WHY TO DO. IT SIMPLY ORDERS WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO. GIVING
EXPLANATIONS IS ONLY FOR OUR SATISFACTION AND IN OUR LIMITED UNDERSTANDING.
THAT MAY BE CORRECT OR NOT. YET, THE DICTUM SHOULD BE OBSERVED AND FOLLOWED.
OTHERWISE, IT SAYS YOU RECEIVE
PUNISHMENT IN SOME OR THE OTHER WAY.
NO. IT IS A HEALTH HAZARD. NOT ANY GODLY IMPACT. SO TAKING GOOD
CARE AND USING PROPER MEDICINE, WILL TAKE CARE. NO NEED TO SATISFY ANY GOD OR
GODDESS BY UNWANTED OFFERINGS LIKE MEAT ETC.,
YOUR IDEA IS GREAT. YOU NEED NOT DEPEND UPON DUMMY THINGS. BE
FIRM ON GOD. AND DO PUJA TO LORD VISHNU IN KURMA FORM.
-chinnajeeyar-
WE ARE HAPPY FOR YOUR INTEREST IN MAINTAINING THE VEDIC
PRACTICES.
INITIALLY AFTER BATH AND MARKING THE HEAD, ONE HAS TO CHANT GURU
PARAMPARA AND 3 MANTHRAS, GIVEN BY OUR ACHARYAS. DURING THE COURSE ITSELF,
DWAYAM WILL BE CHANTED. OTHERWISE, THERE IS NO TIME RESTRICTION TO DWAYAM. BUT
RULES ARE HERE FOR SANDHYA VANDANAM. DWAYAMANTHRAM, IS NOTHING TO DO WITH
OTHERS. SO ALSO SANDHYAVANDHANAM WITH DWAYAM TOO. AFTERNOON AND EVENING
SANDHYAS SHOULD BE DONE AT THEIR OWN PLACES AND AT RECOMMENDED TIMES.
=CHINNAJEEYAR=
IT IS ONLY MEN RECOMMENDED TO DO THE SALAGRAMA PUJA, BUT NOT
LADIES. THERE IS NO QUESTION OF SAMPRADAYA. IT IS A COMMON RULE FOR ALL THE
SAMPRADAYAS. FOR SALAGRAMA, SO MANY MANTHRAS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CHANTED, WHICH
MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO THEM. THEN, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DOING PUJA, YOU CAN
HAVE VIGRAHAS LIKE GODA, KRISHNA, RAMA ETC., AND DO THEM WELL. EVEN IF THERE IS
AN UNAVOIDABLE BREAK IN BETWEEN, HERE AND THERE, IT IS ACCEPTABLE.
=Chinnajeeyar=
MORNING SANDHYA SHOULD BE DONE FACING EAST.
* NOON SANDHYA ALSO SHOULD BE DONE FACING EAST ONLY. RIGHT FROM
BEGINNING TO THE END. NO NORTH BUSINESS.
* WHEREAS IN EVENING SANDHYA VANDHANAM THERE ARE SOME CHANGES.
* UPTO ARGHYA PRADA:NAM, IT SHOULD BE DONE FACING NORTH.
* STARTING FROM ARGHYA PRADA:NAM IT SHOULD BE DONE, FACING WEST.
* BUT, WHILE DOING A:CHAMANAM IN BETWEEN, IT SHOULD BE DONE FACING NORTH ONLY,
FOR, DOING A:CHAMANAM FACING WEST IS PROHIBITED.
=Chinnajeeyar=
WE GOT YOUR DOUBT. WE GIVE A CONSOLIDATED ANSWER. GO:THRA
STARTED TO SAY THE MAIN RUSHI, FROM WHOM THE LINEAGE IS STARTED. IN OLDEN DAYS,
A FEW RUSHIES ARE USED TO FORM A GROUP AND MAKE RELATIONSHIPS ONLY AMONG
THEMSELVES, JUST LIKE ‘ASHTAGO:THRIES’ NOW. OF COURSE, THAT SYSTEM IS BEING
LOST GRADUALLY. YET THAT
IS HOW THE GROUPS WERE STARTED VIZ., 3, 5, 7, 9 OR 11 & 12 RUSHIS. SIMILAR
NAMES WERE THERE TO RUSHIES. BHARADWAJA IS NOT JUST ONE, OR GOUTHAMA IS NOT
JUST ONLY ONE. THERE ARE MANY RUSHIES HAVING SIMILAR NAMES. THIS IS A BIG CONFUSION.
IN THE SAME GOTHRA, DIFFERENT VEDA SAKHA PEOPLE ARE EXISTING. SIMILARITY
CONFUSES
US MOST OF THE TIMES. SO SAME NAME OF THE RUSHI MAY BE THERE WITH IN THE SAME
VEDA, IN DIFFERENT SAMPRADAYA, IN DIFFERENT CASTE, AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OF
THE WORLD. ONCE UPON A TIME, ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE LIVING TOGETHER. LATER, SOME
TSUNAMI, MUST HAVE SEPERATED THE CONTINENTS AND THUS PEOPLE FORGOT THEIR
ORIGINS. EVEN IN THE SAME COUNTRY, PEOPLE MUST HAVE GOT SEPERATED, BY VIRTUE OF
THEIR PROFESSION OR SOMEOTHER REASON. GOTHRA MARRIAGES IN THE SAME CASTE OR
FAMILY ARE RESTRICTED, FOR THEIR ORIGIN MIGHT BE ONE.
=Chinnajeeyar=
JAI SRIMANNARAYANA
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND SANKRANTHI 2009, TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!
WE APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST IN DOING SARANAGATHI TO LORD VISHNU.
YOU MUST HAVE HEARD THAT LORD KRISHNA SHOWED HIS UNIVERSAL FORM
TO ARJUNA IN 11TH CHAPTER OF BHAGAVAD GEETHA. ALL FORMS OF HIS VIBHUTHI WERE
SHOWN IN HIM TO ARJUN. THAT MEANS IF YOU WORSHIP LORD VISHNU ALL FORMS ARE
WORSHIPPED. HE EXPLAINED THAT TO ARJUN ALSO IN HIS OWN WORD IN 7TH CHAPTER.
WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
IN A SMALL BODY LIKE OURS, IF YOU PLEASE THE PERSON, ALL PARTS
OF THAT PERSON GOT PLEASED, RIGHT! IF ONLY A PART IS RESPECTED, THAT PERSON MAY
NOT BE PLEASED. BUT PERSON IS HAPPY, THEN THE WHOLE BODY IS HAPPY. IN THE SAME
WAY IF LORD VISHNU IS PLEASED ALL DEVATHAS ARE PLEASED. IF YOU TAKE CARE OF
JUST ANY ONE OTHER DEVATHA, IT DOES NOT PLEASE ALL OTHER DEVATHAS. NOW, THE
GANESH, WHOM YOU WORSHIPPED SO FAR, IS DEFINITELY PLEASED WITH YOU AND HENCE,
SHOWING YOU THE PATH OF LORD NARAYANA..
SO YOU CAN HAPPILY TAKE SARANAGATHI AND BE GREATFUL ALWAYS TO
LORD GANESHJI. ALL THE THREE SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT FOLLOWED VEDAS, ARE CALLED
VAISHNAVA SCHOOLS. THEY SAY THAT THE SUPREME IS CALLED WITH INNUMERABLE NAMES
AND MAINLY NARAYANA / VISHNU ETC., SO THESE 3 ARE CALLED VISHNAVA SCHOOLS.
THE DIFFERENCE IS ONLY WITH THE END AS HOW IT WOULD BE.
ADVAITHA, PREACHED BY SANKARACHARYA, SAYS THAT REALITY IS ONLY ONE,
VISHNU, AND REST ALL IS ILLUSIONERY. (EX. IS APPLE IS ONE AND ONE ONLY)
DWAITHA, REVEALED BY MADHWACHARYA, TALKS ABOUT DUALISM LIKE, GOD, SOULS
AND NATURE, THEY NEVER BECOME ONE AND SEPARATE ONLY. (EX. SKIN OF THE APPLE AND
CORE OF THE APPLE NEVER BECOME ONE AND THEY ARE SEPARATE ENTITIES ONLY)
VISISHTADWAITHA, REVEALED BY RAMANUJACHARYA, SAYS THE NATURE, SOULS AND GOD ARE
3 REALITIES, AND THEY WILL BE THERE FOR EVER LIKE THAT. WHEN SOULS RELEAVED FROM
KARMIC BONDAGE, AS A RESULT OF SARANAGATHI, BECOME EQUAL TO LORD VISHNU AND
ENJOY THE DIVINE SERVICE OF LORD. (EX. THOUGH SKIN, CORE AND TASTE ETC,. ARE
DIFFERENT AND HAVE THEIR OWN ENTITIES, ALL THEY PUT TOGETHER BECOME ONE. THAT
ONE IS A QUALIFIED ONE. THAT IS VISISHTAM = QUALIFIED. )
WE FOLLOW THAT RAMANUJA SCHOOL. SARANAGATHI CONCEPT IS THE
ESSENCE OF VEDAS. But now a days, out of ignorance, advaithies are thinking
that they are not vaishnavites and started thinking that sivji is supreme and
worship him only. In fact, adi Sankaracharya never accepted this.
1) NO DOUBT THAT THERE ARE MANY SLOKAS INTRUDED IN MAHA BHARATHA
IN RECENT TIMES. AS WE KNOW THAT THE WHOLE STORY ULTIMATELY DECLARES THAT LORD
VISHNU IS THE SUPREME AND MANY LIKE BHISHMA IN RAJASUYA YAGA, RISHIS IN FOREST
ETC., REVEALED THAT LORD VISHNU IS THE ULTIMATE GOD. SO, ANY SLOKAS
CONTRADICTING THIS FACT, SHOULD BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED AS INCLUDED BY RECENT
PUNDITS FOR THEIR OWN SAKE.
WHILE LORD KRISHNA WAS IN KAILASA YATRA, LORD SIVA DECLARES THAT LORD KRISHNA (
VISHNU ) IS ONLY THE “KA:RANA TATWAM” ACCEPTED SIVAS PRAYERS AND GRANTED THEM
OUT OF COMPASSION WITH HIS ACT LIKE ASKING FOR BOONS FROM SIVA ETC., HE SAYS
THAT IN HIS SLOKA VIZ., “ KA ITHI BRAMHANO: NA:MA, I:SO:HAM SARVA DE:HINA:M |
A:VA:M THAVA:NGE: SAMBHU:THOW TASMA:TH KE:SAVA NA:MA VA:N || myself and bramha
both were come out of your own divine form thus your name became “KE:SAVA”
THERE ARE MANY OTHER INCIDENTS TO PROVE THAT LORD VISHNU WAS WORSHIPPED BY ALL
OTHER DEVATHAS AND SURRENDERED TO HIM. SO SLOKAS GOING IN TUNE TO THIS WILL BE
TAKEN AS AUTHORITY AND OTHERS WILL BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED THAT THEY ARE LATER
ADDITIONS ONLY.
2) ACCEPTING NARAYANA OR VISHNU AS SUPREME, IS JUST BECAUSE OF
VEDAS ONLY. AS PURUSHA SUKTHA IS CONSIDERED TO BE QUINT ESSENCE OF ALL THE
VEDAS. THERE IT IS ACCEPTED THAT “THE ONE WHO IS THE ORIGIN OF THIS UNIVERSE IS
THE DIVINE SPOUSE OF LAKSHMI ETC.,” THIS IS ENOUGH TO PROVE THE SUPREMECY OF
LAKSHMI NATHA.
TO PROVE THAT VISHNU AND NARAYANA ARE ONE AND THE SAME, WE TAKE THE MEANING OF
THE WORDS AS NO ONE HAD EVER CHANCE TO WITNESS THE FORM IN TOTAL. ANY QUESTION
OF THIS TYPE RELATED TO THE SUPREME CONCEPTS, SHALL BE REPLIED ONLY THROUGH THE
EVIDENCE FROM SCRIPTURES WHICH ARE COMMONLY ACCEPTED BY ALL. ALL THEY DECLARE
THAT LORD VISHNU AND NARAYANA ARE ONE AND THE SAME. SRI VISHNU SAHASRA NAMAM
ALSO SAYS THE SAME.
VISHNU, THIS NAME IS EXISTENT TO MANY DEVATHAS & ALSO.TO INDRA, ONE OF THE
SURYAS IS ALSO CALLED AS VISHNUS. IN GITHA, LORD WAS REFFERING TO THAT ADITHYA
ONLY.
=CHINNAJEEEYAR=
ANS: GOD IS NOT A BUSINESS MAN. HE WILL NOT CLEAR THE ACCOUNT OF
THE INDIVIDUAL THEN AND THERE ITSELF, WHENEVER IT IS STARTED.HE WANTS US TO
REALIZE AND PRACTICE GOOD THINGS. WHAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS, GOD DID NOT
CREAT SOULS. NOR HE CREATED THEIR SAMSKARAS. THEY ARE SELF MADE. ACCORDING TO
THE SAMSKARA,
GUNAS ARISE, AND ACCORDING TO THOSE GUNAS, BIRTH APPEARS, ACCORDINGLY
ACTIVITIES ARE DONE. SO ‘DIFFERENCES OF OPINION’ IS NOT GOD-CREATED. IT IS MAN
MADE. WHOM WE CALL AS GOD OR SUPREME, IS ONE ONLY. IT IS ACCEPTED BY ALL. AS
YOU REALIZE THAT SUPREME, YOU GIVE A NAME. ‘KRISHNA’ ALSO A NAME CAME LIKE
THAT, VENKATESWARA ALSO A NAME CAME LIKE THAT ONLY. NAMES ARE ALWAYS APPEAR TO
REVEAL CERTAIN QUALITIES OR GUNAS. WITHOUT THAT NO NAME WILL BE THERE. WE,
HUMAN BEINGS, MAY HAVE NAMES WITHOUT ANY MEANING OR IRRELEVANT TO THE OBJECT,
BUT NOT
THOSE NAMES TO GOD. NOW, THOSE WHO FIGHT SUPPORTING THEIR ARGUMENT, AS ‘THIS
FORM OF GOD IS ORIGIN AND EVERYTHING CAME OUT OF IT’ OR ‘THAT FORM IS THE
ORIGINAL’, ARE BASICALLY IGNORANTS, IN REALIZING THE FACT THAT ‘ALL THE NAMES
BELONG TO THE SAME ONE AND FOR GOD, EVERYTHING CAN COME FROM ANYTHING.
NOW, COME TO THE POINT, THAT LORD KRISHNA BORN IN JAIL AND
WITHDRAW HIS INCARNATION ALSO ON A DAY. THAT CLEARLY SAYS HE IS ONLY AN
INCARNATION. THERE MUST BE SOME ORIGIN FOR THAT ALSO. SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM ITSELF
CLEARLY SAYS THAT ‘ORIGIN’S’ NAME IS ‘VA:SUDE:VA’ IN SOME PLACES AND
‘NA:RA:YANA’ IN SOME PLACES.
AGAIN THESE NAMES ALSO WERE GIVEN BASING UPON A PARTICULAR
ABILITY OF THAT SUPREME. WHEN WE GO INTO THE ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD, THE WORD
‘NA:RA:YANA’ ENCOMPASSES WIDER AREA THAN THAT OF ‘VA:SUDE:VA’. WHEN WE LOOK AT
THE WORD “KRISHNA” EVEN ITS MEANING ALSO IS LIMITED WHEN COMPARED TO THE WORD
‘NA:RA:YANA’. THIS IS ABOUT THE WORD WE ARE MENTIONING. NOT ABOUT THE SUPREME.
“SUPREME IS ALWAYS SUPREME ONLY” IN WHATEVER FORM AND NAME HE IS. NAMES AND
FORMS CREAT LIMITATIONS FOR EVERYTHING. FOR GOD, THOUGH FORMS ARE HAVINGS
LIMITATIONS, BUT THE POWER IN THAT PARTICULAR FORM, WILL HAVE NO LIMIT. CHAPTER
4 OF BHAGAVAD GITHA MAKES IT CLEAR.
KRISHNA, THUS SHOWED THE LIMIT OF HIS FORM IN THAT INCARNATION. FOR THE NAME OF
“NARAYANA” THERE IS NO LIMIT EITHER IN THE NAME (ACCORDING TO VYA;KARANAM) OR
IN THE FORM, FOR, THE WHOLE UNIVERSE WITH ALL THE BEINGS IN IT, IN OTHER WORDS,
ENTIRE MATTER & MATERIAL WITH ENERGY, COMES IN TO THAT FORM.
SO, DIFFERENCE OF OPINION COMES, WHEN OUR PERCEPTION IS
DIFFERENT OR NOT FULL. IN FACT, THERE NO NEED TO ARGUE. ACCEPTING THAT OURS IS
ALSO “A VIEW” IS ALRIGHT. BUT, IF WE SAY THAT OURS IS ONLY “THE VIEW” , AND ALL
VIEWS OF OTHERS OR WRONG, BECOMES A BIG PROBLEM. A ROSE IS ALWAYS IS A ROSE.
BUT DIFFERENT PEOPLE LOOK IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AT IT. A POET, SCIENTIST,
PHILOSOPHER, BUSINESS MAN, COMMON MAN ETC., HAVE THEIR OWN VIEWS OVER IT, RIGHT!
IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE ROSE, BUT OF THE PERSONS. SAME WITH SUPREME ALSO.
ACCORDING TO VEDAS, WHATEVER YOU FIX UP AS YOUR GOAL, AND
MEDITATE UPON GOD, YOU REACH THAT GOAL ONLY. NOT A COMMON GOAL. THIS IS CALLED
“yattha: krathu nya:yam”.
AS AND HOW YOU MEDITATE, THUS YOU ATTAIN. IN YOUR QUESTION YOU
ASKED ABOUT ISKCON. THEY BELIEVED IN GO:LO:KAM AS THEIR GOAL. BUT NOT
VAIKUNTHAM. HENCE THEY REACH GO:LO:KAM ONLY. HERE OUR OPINION IS IMMETERIAL.
THE OPINION OF VEDA IS IMPORTANT. FOR US VEDA IS SUPREME AND UNQUESTIONABLE
AUTHORITY ON ANY ISSUES RELATED TO SOUL, GOD AND ATTAINMENT.
Being an Acharya of an authentic sampradaya do you consider ISKCON sampradaya
as an authorized one?
ONLY TO SOME EXTENT, YES. THEY ACCEPT “BRAHMA VAIVARTHA PURANA”
AS SUPREME AUTHORITY. We accept that part of purana & only then, when and
where it is not contradicing the Vedas. In Vedas it is clear that the ultimate
GOAL of the soul
should be “so: dhvanah pa:ra ma:pno:thi thad vishno:h paramam padam”
‘Paramapadam of Vishnu’. This is only we accept.
AGAIN IN VEDAS IT IS SAID THAT ” A:NANDA RASA” IS THAT SOUL
ENJOYS WITH GOD, IN THAITTHARI:YA SA:KHA OF YAJURVEDA.
Why do we do kalyanam on Sri Rama Navami, instead of celebrating birthday of
Rama ?
THERE ARE 2 REASONS FOR PERFORMING KALYANA UTSAVAM TO LORD SRI
RAMA ON SRI RAMA NAVAMI DAY.
A) THERE IS A SLO:KA IN A:GAMA SCRIPTURES SAYING “YASYA AVATHA:RA DIVASE:
THASYA KALYA:NA MA:CHARE:TH” ‘ kalya:na utsavam should be performed to those
particular incarnations on their birth days itself ‘. THE REASON FOR THIS IS,
THAT THE VERY
PURPOSE OF INCARNATION ITSELF, TO DO GOOD TO THE WORLD. THAT GOOD CAN BE
ACHIEVED ONLY THROUGH HIS MERCY. GODDESS IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF THE MERCY
(DAYA:) OF GOD. SO WHEN HE COMES DOWN TO THE EARTH, IMMEDIATELY MERCY, THE
DIVINE MOTHER, ALSO SHOULD COME AND JOIN ALONG WITH HIM. THEN ONLY HE CAN START
HIS WORK. THOUGH, BOTH OF THEM ARE ALWAYS TOGETHER, YET, WE FEEL SATISFIED WHEN
WE SEE THEM BOTH JOINED TOGETHER. THAT JOINING FUNCTION ONLY IS CALLED
‘KALYA:NO:TSAVAM’. IN SUPPORT OF THIS STATEMENT WE QUOTE AN INCIDENT FROM
SRIRAMAYANAM FROM AYO:DHYA KA:NDA. “WHEN SRI RAMA REFUSED TO TAKE SITA ALONG
WITH HIM TO THE FOREST, THEN SHE GAVE MANY ARGUMENTS AND AT THE END SHE
CONCLUDED SAYING “GACHHA RA:MA MAYA: SAHA” ‘ THUS O RA:MA!, GO TO THE FOREST
ALONG WITH ME ONLY’. THEN LORD RAMA ACCEPTS TO TAKE HER WITH HIM. This is the
reason why we perform kalya:nam and keep both of them together,
on the day when the avatha:ra maho:tsavam is done.
B) ESPECIALLY FOR SRIRAMA, PERFORMING THIS ON SRIRAMA NAVAMI,
STARTED FROM “BHADRACHALAM” ONLY. FOR THE PRA:NA PRATHISHTTA OF THAT TEMPLE WAS
DONE ON SRI:RA:MA NAVAMI DAY BY SRI RA:MADASJI, DURING HIS TIME. SO
AUTOMATICALLY KALYANAM WAS STARTED BEING DONE ON THE SRIRAMA NAVAMI DAY, WHICH
LATER, BECAME
PRACTICE THROUGH OUT THE COUNTRY OR AROUND THE WORLD.
IN ALMOST ALL THE TEMPLES, KALYANOTSAVAS ARE PERFORMED DURING
THE BRAHMOTSAVAS ONLY, LINKED WITH THE PRATHISHTTA DAY OF THAT PARTICULAR
TEMPLE. IN OTHER WORDS, BRAHMO:TSAVAM MEANS, BIRTH DAY CELEBRATIONS OF THAT
PARTICULAR TEMPLE OR DIETY.
What is the significance of
ADHIVAASAMS that we doto the vigrahams at the time of pratishtha.
ADHIVA:SAM, IS A PROCESS OF PURIFYING THE STONE OR METAL THAT IS
BEING USED AS VIGRAHA OR DIETY. KEEPING IN THE PADDY IS CALLED “DHA:NYA
ADHIVASAM”. KEEPING IN THE WATER TANK OR RIVER IS CALLED “JALA ADHIVASAM”. SOME
PEOPLE MIX UP MILK ETC, AND CALL IT “KSHEERA ADHIVASAM”. A FEW DO IT SEPERATELY
ALSO. KEEPING ON
THE BED ARRANGED IN A FEW LAYERS OF CERIALS ORGANIZED IN A PARTICULAR WAY IS
CALLED “SAYYA ADHIVASAM”. SOME DO SOME OTHER ADHIVASAS ALSO. ALL THIS PROCESS IS
TO TEST THE STONE OR METAL STATUES TO QUALIFY THEM TO BECOME THE DIETY.
Who revealed the saiva , sakti and gaanaapatya agamaas to the world
THOSE PARTICULAR DEVATHAS ONLY ADVISED THEIR DEVOTEES TO DO
THEIR PUJAS IN A PARTICULAR PROCESS, BECAME AGAMAS OF THOSE PARTICULAR
DEVATHAS. IT IS THE SAME EVEN WITH LORD VISHNU ALSO. AND THAT BECAME ‘VAISHNAVA
AGAMA’ MORE PARTICULARLY “SRI PA:NCHA RA:THRA A:GAMA”. But for vaikha:nasa
system, it is the sage ‘vikhanas’ ordained his 4 disciples viz., atri, bhrugu,
marichi & ka:syapa, to do the worship of Lord Vishnu only, and then they in
turn, wrote some books on how to do the worship of Lord Vishnu. People started
calling them as ‘vaikhanasa agama’.
ANYTHING CHANTED IN PRAISE OF GOD SHOULD BE OFFERED TO THE LORD
ULTIMATE, SRIMAN NARAYANA ONLY, IN VEDIC SAMPRADAYAM. BECAUSE THE LORD OF
GODDESS LAKSHMI & BHUDEVI, IS THE SUPREME PURUSHA, WHO IS THE ORIGIN OF
THIS ENTIRE UNIVERSE. (HE IS SAHASRA SI:RSHA: PURUSHAHA and HRI:SCHA THE:
LAKSHMI:SCHA PATHNYAU) HENCE,
ALL THE PEOPLE BELIEVE AND FOLLOW VEDAS SHOULD SAY AT THE END “SRI:MAN
NA:RA:YANA:YE:THI SAMARPAYA:MI”.
WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF THAT NA:RA:YANA. THAT
NA:RA:YANA HIMSELF TOOK INCARNATION A LOT AND APPEARED ON THIS PLANET EARTH TO
SAVE THE SOULS. LAST ONE AMONG THEM WAS LORD SRI KRISHNA. DURING THAT
INCARNATION, IN HIS GREAT DIVINE SONG BHAGAVAD GITHA HE SAID “OFFER EVERYTHING
TO ME. I SEE THAT IT REACHES
PROPER DESTINATION” ( THATH KURUSHWA MADARPANAM ). OFFER SOMETHING, NOT ONLY TO
HIM, BUT TO ANYONE YOU OFFER ANYTHING, THROUGH KRISHNA, IT SAFELY REACHES THE
END, WITHOUT ANY CUTS AND DISCOUNTS.
THAT IS THE REASON EVERYBODY HAS TO DEDICATE ANYTHING SAYING
‘SARVAM SRI:KRISHNA:RPANAM ASHTU’.
THOUGH NA:RA:YANA & SRIKRISHNA ARE ONE AND THE SAME, YET, NA:RA:YANA
IS THE RIVER AND KRISHNA IS THE DECORATED SHORE. YOU NEED TO ENTER THE RIVER
THROUGH A SHORE ONLY, RIGHT! BY SAYING THESE TWO SENTENCES, YOU ARE RECOGNIZING
THAT THE RIVER AND THE SHORE ARE NOT SEPARATE.
JAI SRIMANNARAYANA
WE ARE HAPPY WITH YOUR QUESTION.
ACCORDING TO VEDIC TRADITION, THE MANTHRA OF NARAYANA IS CALLED AS MANTHRA
BRAHMAM/ MANTHRA RAJAM ETC. IN SHOWERING JNANAM ON DEVOTEES WHO MEDITATE UP ON
THAT, IT IS LIKE AN OCEAN. WHERE AS OTHER MANTHRAS ARE LIKE DROPS IN THAT.
THE MEANING OF MANTHRA ‘GOVINDA’ MEANS ‘ ONE WHO SAVES EVEN AN
INNOCENT BEING AND BLESSES WITH ULTIMATE BLISS ‘.
‘ ONE WHO BLESSES THE DEVOTEES WITH THE ABILITY OF GOOD SPEECH ‘
ALSO.
ONE WHO MEDITATES ON THIS WILL BE BLESSED WITH THE GRACE OF LORD
AND GOOD SPEECH.
FOR THE MEDITATOR OF NARAYANA MANTHRA, LORD BLESSES EVERYTHING.
=chinnajeeyar=
A small question Swamiji: What is the meaning of “Adiyen”..?
ANSWER
Meaning of the word ‘adiyen’ …. In tamil ‘adi’ is foot. ‘yen’ means ‘ I
‘. Hence, ‘I am your foot’ if we say in telugu it is like ‘mee pada
dhu:li’ something like that.
SUPREME IS ONE AND HAS MANY ORGANS IN IT LIKE OUR BODY HAS MANY
LIMBS. WE ARE ONE ONLY, YET EACH OF THE PARTS HAS ITS OWN ENTITY, WORKS FOR THE
ONE ONLY. SO ALSO, IN THE UNIVERSE ONE SUPREME, WITH ALL THE JIVAS AS HIM
LIMBS, ALONG WITH THE NATURE, PRAKRUTHI. JIVA IS SEPARATE BUT A PART OF THE
WHOLE. THIS IS WHAT HE SAID IN BHAGAVAD GITHA “ mamaiva:mso: ji:va lo:ke:
ji:vabhu:thas sana :thanaha “.
THIS IS WONDERFUL QUESTION. GOD IS REALLY CLOSER THAN ANYTHING
IN THIS WORLD; HE IS CLOSER THAN YOUR OWN SELF. BUT ARE WE REALLY ABLE TO
IDENTIFY? NO, FOR SURE. UNLESS ONE IDENTIFIES, ONE CANNOT FEEL HIM.
IT IS THE KARMIC LAYER NOT ALLOWING US TO REALIZE HIS PRESENCE WITH US.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS? IF THIS IS OK, THEN, WE ARE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE
MANTHRA IN SPITE OF THE KA;RMIC LAYER, BUT NOT GOD. THEN WHICH ONE IS GREATER?
IS IT GOD, WHO WILL NOT SHOW UP AT ALL, WHEN THERE ARE OBSTACLES, OR , IS IT
MANTHRA, WHICH ALLOWS US TO UNDERSTAND HERSELF AND HER MEANING ALSO, CROSSING THE
BARRIERS OF OBSTACLES? THAT IS WHY OUR ACHARYAS HAVE CONSIDERED THAT THE
MANTHRA IS CLOSER THAN GOD HIMSELF TO THE SEEKERS.
srI: Respected Bhagavathas, I would
like to know the origin, composer of Sri Srinivasa Gadyam.
IT WAS SRIMAN ” PRATHIVADI BHAYANKARAM ANNAN SWAMY ONLY, WE
SUPPOSE, WHO COMPOSED SRIVENKATESWARA SUPRABHATHAM ETC.,
Jai Srimannarayana!
Your question seems genuine. Sarana:gathi does not mean realizing God as ‘means
& end’. It is total surrenderance. You may realize Him in any manner. Once
surrendered then you loose your identification. Yet, you do everything,
because, your body, mind, intellect and the soul itself became Him properity.
He makes them to function and for Him sake only.
Then all the activities will be there. The only difference is everything will
be aimed at God.
As we are not inscient beings, having knowledge of ourselves, we
need to show some difference than an life-less object. That is what we call as
‘pra:rdhana’. It, in fact, is not a request for granting anything, including
mo:ksha. Still, we request for things to grant, ” IT IS CHAITANYA KA:RYAM AND
RA:GA PRAYUKTHAM” that means it is only the result of the knowledge one
possesses. And when we know the unbreakable relation-ship with God, He is
having all wonderful traits with Him, all are for us only, We also are not
otherwise doing anything for our own sake nor trying to go on our own for some
other goal, not trying to wipe out our sins on our own, and He is not incapable
of erasing them in total, as there is no other reason for our stay here in this
world, we plead before God to accept us soon to Him. That becomes the
Pra:rdhana, what Bhagavad Ra:ma:nuja made with Lord, of course, it is done for
our sake.
Jai Srimannarayana!
If initiation is taken then after chanting the Guru Parampara, ashta:kshari
manthra may be chanted. There is no swara or specific way to chant it. Chant it
in a normal way, not too fast nor too slow. If possible try to recollect the
meaning of the manthram. That given a lot of benifit than just repeating like a
parrot. You can just start it after taking Sri: pa:da thi:rtham.
What as a lady should I chant everday
as a practice?
TO CHANT AND DO PU:JA, THERE WAS NO DISCRIMINATION, WHETHER THEY
ARE LADIES OR GENTS ETC., ALL ARE EQUAL BEFORE GOD. AFTER CHANTING THE MANTHRA
GIVEN TO YOU AS INITIATION, BY YOUR GURU, YOU CAN CHANT ASHTA SLO:KI, 8 SLO:KAS
WRITTEN BY SRI PARA:SARA BHATTAR. THEY ARE THE QUINTESSENCE OF 3 MANTHRAS. YOU
CAN CHANT SRI VISHNU SAHASRA NAMA STHOTHRAM. YOU CAN ALSO CHANT SANKSHE:PA
RA:MA:YANAM ETC, SO MANY ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR SRIPATHI STHUTHIMA:LA:.
Jai Srimannarayana!
Ma:, is a nama of goddess Lakshmi. If it is short “ma” then it refers to the
soul. This is ‘jeeva’. The meaning is one who is an embodiment of knowledge or
one who possesses knowledge as his nature. It is not a manthra. Usually manthra
needs to have o:m at the begining, then there should be ‘namaha’ either in the
middle or at the end of that name. Then only it will be called as manthra. If
you want to make ‘ma’ as a manthra then it will like ” o:m ma:thre: namaha”. or
“o:m namo: ma:thre:”
Jai srimannarayana to all Bhagavad
bandhus!
MAY 14TH IS MOTHERS’ DAY. FOR US, EVERY DAY IS MOTHERS’ DAY, FOR
GODDESS LAKSHMI IS ALWAYS TAKING CARE OF US WHILE INTERCEDING BETWEEN US AND
GOD. BUT FOR WEST IT IS ONLY ONE DAY THEY ALLOT FOR MOTHERS. PITY FOR THEM. YET
WE ARE SENDING HEREWITH A PRAYER THAT REVEALS THE GREATNESS OF THE NAMASKARAM
OFFERED TO THE
MOTHER.
“Thandri
kante: kolachu daivammu kante nu
Gurula kante sarva surula kante
Talli pa:damulaku thalavanchi mrokkina
Kara thala:malakamu laraya sirulu”
MEANING “PROSTRATING BEFORE MOTHERS DIVINE FEET IS THE RESULT OF
GREATER VIRTUES, FOR IT IS GREATER THAN PROSTRATING BEFORE FATHER, BEFORE
WORSHIPPING GOD, BEFORE GURUS OR BEFORE ALL THE DEVATHAS. BOWING BEFORE MOTHER,
SHOWERS ALL THE WEALTHS AT OUR DOORSTEP”.
WE ARE HAPPY FOR THE CURIOUCITY YOU HAVE. THE NAMES OF THE
UPANISHADS CAME IN DIFFERENT WAYS. SOME CAME BY THE FIRST WORD THEY HAVE VIZ.,
I:SA, KE:NA ETC., SOME NAMES CAME BY THE PERSONS CHANTED THOSE PARTS OF THE
VEDAS. KATTHA AND CHHANDO:GYA NAMES CAME LIKE THAT. THE PART OF SA:MA VE:DA,
WHICH WAS CHANTED
AND PROTECTED FROM GENERATIONS TOGETHER BY ORAL TRADITION, BY THE SCHOLARS
CALLED ‘CHHANDO:GAS’, BECAME ‘CHHANDO:GYO:PANISHAD’. HENCE, THIS NAME CAME
AFTER THE SCHOLARS WHO WERE CHANTING IT.
AT THE OUTSET, ONE NEEDS TO REMEMBER THAT RAMAYANAM WAS NOT BOOK
OF POETRY, WRITTEN BY SOME POET.. IT WAS HISTORY. VALMIKI RECORDED ALL THAT
WHATEVER HAD HAPPENED. HENCE THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY QUESTION LIKE ‘WHY IT HAD
HAPPENED’. ALL THAT WE NEED NOT KNOW HOW SOMETHING WAS HAPPENED. AND TRY TO
UNDERSTAND THE REASON IF POSSIBLE, JUSTIFICATION SHOULD BE ACCORDING TO
WHATEVER HAD HAPPENED NOT ACCORDING TO OUR OWN LOGIC.
NOW, RAMA KNOWS THAT SITHA WAS PURE AND SITHA KNOWS THAT RAMA
WAS ALSO GOOD. WITHOUT SITHA’S ENTERING INTO THE FIRE ITSELF RAMA WAS SURE OF
SITHA’S CHARACTER. BUT HE ALSO WAS A MAN. SO HUMANLY WEAKNESSES BOTHERED HIM.
THAT WAS A DIFFERENT ISSUE. SHE PROVED HER GREATNESS, WHILE COMING OUT FROM THE
FIRE. BUT
WHO KNOW ABOUT IT? ONE MAN, HIS OWN BROTHER KNOWS. ALL OTHERS WHO WITNESSED
WERE MONKEYS, DEMONS AND DEVATHAS. NO OTHER MAN WAS THERE TO SAY. SO THERE IS
ALWAYS A ROOM FOR SUSPICION. AND THAT SUSPICION WAS THERE IN ALL THE PEOPLE OF
AYODHYA. ONLY ONE CAME OUT AND OTHER WERE HIDING IN THEIR HEARTS ONLY. THAT WAS
THE REASON THEY DID NOT ASK RAMA, WHEN THEY CAME TO KNOW THAT SITHA WAS SENT TO
FOREST. RAMA GOT IT CONFIRMED BY THEN, SO HE DECIDED TO SATISFY THE WHOLE
COUNTRY, RATHER THAN KEEPING HIMSELF AND SITHA HAPPY BY LIVING TOGETHER. SO HE
SENT HER TO THE FOREST. THEY MADE THE COUNTRY FEEL HAPPY
AT THE COST OF THEIR OWN LIVES AND JOY.
VARAHA INCARNATION HAS TAKEN PLACE MANY YUGAS AGO. WHEREAS
SRINIVASA’S INCARNATION WAS IN THE KALIYUGA ONLY. THOUGH LORD INSTRUCTED THE
KING TO CONSTRUCT A TEMPLE FOR HIM IN KALIYUGA, BUT PRIOR TO THAT, RIGHT FROM
KRUTHA YUGA, HE WAS APPEARING TO MANY PEOPLE THERE ON THE TIRUMALA HILLS.
DURING THAT
TIME, HE USED TO INTERACT WITH VARAHA SWAMY ALSO. THOUGH THE AVATHARAS ARE
DIFFERENT THERE IS NO PROBLEM FOR HIM TO INTERACT. YOU MUST BE KNOWING THAT
RAMA AND PARASURAMA AVATHARAS ARE OF THE SAME GOD, YET BOTH HAVE AN INTERACTION
AND FIGHT TOO. ALL THAT IS HIS PLAY.
WHO CAN QUESTION HIM FOR HIS DEEDS?
AS YOU HAVE RIGHTLY OBSERVED THAT VISISHTADWAITHIS, FOLLOW THE
VEDIC PRINCIPLE, WHICH SAYS THAT THERE ARE 3 REALITIES, THE NATURE, GOD &
SOUL. ALL THE 3 ARE ETERNAL. GOD DID NOT CREATE ANY OF THE SOULS OR THE NATURE.
SOULS AS THEY ARE SO TINY IN SIZE AND HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR OWN, THEY ARE
PRONE TO BE CAUGHT UP BY THE THINGS AROUND. THE NATURE ATTRACTS LIKE THAT. GOD,
AS HE IS VIBHU, ALL PERVADING, KNOWS EVERYTHING AND WILL NEVER BECOME PREY TO
THE ILL EFFECTS OF THE NATURE. AND AT THE SAME TIME HE IS ALL COMPASSIONATE. AS
AN ABLED PERSON HELPS TO THE OTHERS, SO ALSO GOD TRIES TO HELP THE NEEDY. A FEW
SOULS, WHOM WE CALL AS BADDHAS, CAUGHT UP IN THE CLUTCHES OF THE NATURE, NOT
ABLE TO ACT ON THEIR OWN
AND FACING THE PAINS OF THE BIRTH & DEATH. COMPASSIONATE GOD COMES TO
RESCUE THE SOULS AND TAKES MANY AVATHARAS (INCARNATONS). WHILE HELPING, AT
TIMES, HE COMES DOWN HEAVILY ALSO, AFTER ALL, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SOUL ONLY.
THIS IS THE WAY HE GOT CONTROL OVER THE SOUL.
FOR THOSE WHO ACCEPT HIS GUIDANCE, HE SHOWS ALL GOOD AND LEADS
TO A PLACE WHERE THE NATURE CANNOT ACT UPON THE SOUL. THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE
IN HIM, HE CANNOT HELP THEM. THEY KEEP ON ROTATING IN THE NATURE UP & DOWN,
BECOMING INCAPABLE OF KNOWING WHO AND WHAT THEY ARE.HERE GOD’S INTERFERENCE IS
NOT THERE. IT IS KARMA ONLY, SHOWS ALL POWER AND THE NATURE CONTROLLS
EVERYTHING. GOD IS ONLY AN OBESERVER THEN. SO THERE IS NO PARTIALITY TO HIM.
REGARDING BUDDHA AND VISHNU. WHEN A WALL TAKES MANY CRACKS, IT
WILL BE REMOVED IN TOTAL AND THEN A NEW ONE WILL BE CONSTRUCTED. IT IS THE SAME
WITH ‘VEDIC DHARMA’ ALSO. PEOPLE WERE BADLY EXPLOITING VEDIC RITURALS IN THOSE
DAYS, AND USING VEDA FOR THEIR OWN BENEFITS. PEOPLE WERE RATHER CHEATED BY THE
SO-CALLED VEDIC PRACTITIONERS. WE CAN SEE THE SAME SITUATION NOW ALSO. AS
PEOPLE ARE DEVOTED, MANY PRACTITIONERS ARE ELLURING PEOPLE WITH MANY YANTRAS,
MANTHRAS AND THANTHRAS TOO. THEY EVEN STARTED CREATING NEW GODS ALSO. LORD
VISHNU HIMSELF THOUGHT OF REBUILDING THE VEDIC DHARMA, FORWHICH HE HAS TAKEN
THE BUDDHA AVATHARA AND SPREAD ETHISM. BUT THE INTERESTING THINGS WAS THAT HE
MADE PEOPLE
TO FOLLOW THE ESSENCE OF VEDA. BY HIS 3 SUTHRAS HE MADE PEOPLE TO RESPECT
GURU(buddham saranam gacchami), TO PRACTICE GOOD (dharmam saranam gacchami) AND
TO OBEY THE ORDER OF THE SOCIETY (sangham saranam gacchami). LATER, ONCE THE
WRONG PRACTICES HAVE GONE, LIKE ANIMAL SACRIFICES ETC., FOR MUNDANE BENEFITS,
GOD MADE ACHARYAS LIKE KUMA:RILA BHATTU, TO REVITALIZE THE VEDIC DHARMA.
Jai Srimannarayana!
The world is such a great thing, which can drag any person, no
matter whosoever he may be. When one is in this world, should go along with the
things available. All that you need to relate them to your Lord,as they are
provided by
Him and see how best you can relate them to Him. But while doing so, you must
select possibly good things. Then try to feel the presence of your Lord always
within you and taking care of you always. If you are not detached mentally with
Him, that is enough for Him to bring you up, from wherever you are.
Try and Try again to feel Him. OK!
Jai Srimannarayana!
Who said vedic knowledge could not be obtained by women and non-brahmins? One
whoever is interested can get the vedic essence. The restriction is only to
chant vedic manthras from the beginning to end. Because they involved with
intonation ie. Swaras. Manthra will not add any stress on the uterus of women.
That is very un-scientific. As other wont perform Sandhyavandhan three time a
day, they asked not to chant the manthras from ve:das. but they can always
learn
the meaning and other details of the vedas and practise them. Smruthis are
valied for all the ages. But howmuch you need to take from each, that is what
one needs to understand. Every Smruthy has its own relevance.
Jai Srimannarayana!
Listening 24 hours to devotional songs etc., is no doubt good.
But the body never permits one to do so, because it has so many other things to
do. If ignored the person will be thrown out by the society. And the karma also
will not allow one to do so. Do it for some time and be able to attend all
other activities as service to God only.
Traditions & So Called Scientific reasonings:
SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA
Jai Srimannarayana
It is interesting to know that some discussion was going on,
with regard to observing the distance during Ruthu time to women.
There are so many traditions being observed by our Vedic people,
proved to be good for health and also for the sake of spiritual benefit.
Proving all of them through the ‘so-called science’, may not be
possible all the times. For the scientific devices have their own limitations,
proving through them is not impossible.
These scientific revelations keep changing everyday. One person
says something and gets a noble prize today,
and tomorrow, another person condemns that theory and gets another noble prize.
Again some other comes and re-establishes the older discovery, in a different
style, he also gets another noble award. All these silly things can be found in
our World records book. Hence, proving through such unreliable sources is
meaningless.
Our traditions and customs are time-tested and more useful
ones’. No doubt people whoever are interested will definitely reap the good
fruit of these practices certainly, one day.
Those whoever is not interested, also will experience the result
of such abuses, slowly. So, try to follow first, whatever our ancesters ordered
us to follow, then search for the reason, why they said so, or atleast, what
would be their idea behind putting such practices for future generations.
Even if you could not trace the reason through any mode, still
keep practicing, let some day come, someone comes to
prove it’s role for the good of the individual and Society in general.
JAI SRIMANNARAYANA!
GOD GAVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU DESERVE, RIGHT! PEACE, ENERGY OR ENJOYMENT ETC.,
WILL NOT REST IN THE THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE OR IN THE SUBJECT WE LEARN. IT
DWELLS, IN THE MIND AS AND HOW WE RECEIVE THINGS AROUND AND WITHIN OURSELVES.
“RECEIVING AND INTERPRETING THEM” ARE VERY IMPORTANT THINGS.
EVEN IF YOU GO TO A VILLAGE AND LEARN PRABANDHAS, START CHANTING… EVEN THEN
ALSO THAT CHANTING MAY BECOME MECHANICAL AFTE SOME TIME. YOU MAY SEE MANY
PEOPLE CHANTING VEDAS AND PRABANDHAM, LIKE THAT. SO LEARNING SUBJECTS IS ONE
PART. STARTING RECEIVING
THINGS IN A POSITIVE WAY IS MAIN PART OF THE WHOLE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU THINK THAT JOB IS YOURS, THEN YOU MAY FEEL
BORED TO DO THAT. IF YOU EITHER FEEL IT DUTY FOR YOUR SURVIVAL, THEN YOU DO IT
AS A BURDEN. IF YOU THINK THAT IT IS A WAY TO SERVE GOD, THROUGH YOUR OFFICE,
CUSTEMER, DEALER OR BOSS, INSTRUMENTS LIKE PAPER & PEN & MACHINES ETC.,
THEN YOU LOVE EVERY MOVEMENT, FOR YOU ARE WITH GOD AND SERVING HIM ONLY. ALL
THAT WE CHANT MANTHRAS, PRABANDHAS OR PUJAS ETC., SHOULD ALLOW US TO FEEL THIS.
THEN ONLY THEY, WE CAN SAY, ARE BEING UTILIZED WELL. OTHERWISE, IT IS ONLY
SPENDING ENERGIES ON
SOMETHING. YOU MAY TRY THIS FOR SOME TIME AND GET BACK TO US. OK!!
JAI SRIMANNARAYANA!
THE DESCRIPTION YOU HAVE SEEN, MUST BE FROM ISCON BOOKS. THEY
FEEL THAT KRISHNA IS THE ORIGIN TO ALL THE INCARNATIONS. FROM HIM ONLY
EVERYTHING CAME. WE ACCEPT IT THOUGH, FOR LORD KRISHNA IS NONE ELSE THAN LORD
NARAYANA HIMSELF, YET, HE IS ONLY ONE AVATHA:RA AMONG MANY. THAT HAS BEEN VERY
CLEARLY DESCRIBED IN SRIMAD
BHAGAVATHAM. THE DIFFERENCE IS, IN OTHER AVATHA:RAS, LORD CHOSE ONLY A FEW
QUALITIES FOR HIS ACTIVITIES, WHEREAS IN KRISHNA AVATHA:RA, HE APPEARED WITH
MANY OF HIS DIVINE QUALITIES. AND ALSO, THE QUALITIES OF ALL AVATHA:RAS ARE
SEEN THERE. THAT IS WHY, KRISHNA AVATHA:RA IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE “PARIPU:RNA
AVATHA:RA”.
THE LORD SUPREME IS NO DOUBT NAMED AFTER ‘VA:SUDE:VA’ ALSO.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER NAMES IN THOUSANDS TO THE LORD SUPREME. ACCORDING TO VEDAS
THE NAME GIVEN TO HIM IS ‘SRIMAN NARAYANA’ OR ‘VISHNU’ OR ‘PARAMAM PADAM’
THE NAME ‘VA:SUDE:VA’ GIVEN TO KRISHNA BECAUSE HE IS THE SON OF
‘VASUDE:VA’.
LORD SUPREME, HAVING THE NAME AS ‘VA:SUDE:VA’ IS VERY MEANINGFUL AND ALSO FIXED
ON HIM. VAS=EXISTS, DIV=SHINES. ONE WHO EXISTS EVERYWHERE AND EFFULGENT, IN
OTHER WORDS, OMNI-PRESENT WITH HIS GRACE IS ‘VA:SUDE:VA’. THIS NAME IS ALSO
SEEN WITH 1)THE LORD IN HIS PRIMERY ABODE, THE PARAMAPADAM, & 2)THE FIRST
ONE AMONG
THE FOUR PLANNING ABODES, THE FOUR VYU:HAS.
PARAMAPADAM, VYU:HAM AND KRISHNA AVATHA:RA, ALL THESE 3 ARE
VYAKTHA RU:PAS OF VA:SUDE:VA, i.e., FORMS THAT ARE VISIBLE. BUT THE NAME
‘VA:SUDE:VA’ THE ALL PERVASIVE, EVER EFFULGENT IS THERE WITH THE FORM OF THE
LORD THAT CANNOT BE SEEN BY ANYBODY ‘AVYAKTHA’. THIS FORM ALSO WAS SHOWN TO
ARJUNA IN HIM VISWA RU:PA
SANDARSANA IN 11 TH CHAPTER OF BHAGAVAD GITHA. NO BEGINNING NOR ENDING TO THAT
FORM.
THAT NAME, IF AT ALL GIVEN TO THE SUPREME SHOULD BE LIKE ‘NA:RA:YANA’.
THAT IS WHAT MENTIONED IN PURA:NAS AND UPANISHADS.
IT LOOKS THAT YOU HAVE MESSED UP THE THINGS AND GOT CONFUSED.
THE WORD”AHANKA:RAM” HAS SOMANY MEANINGS. 1. EGO, 2.MANAS (MIND), 3. THINKING
THAT THE BODY AND THE SOUL ARE ONE, 4. AN ELEMENT THAT BECOMES THE ORIGIN TO THIS
UNIVERSE, WHICH TAKES 3 FORMS AND NAMED AFTER i)SA:TWIC AHANKA:RAM, ii)RA:JASA
AHANKA:RAM & iii) THA:MASA AHANKA:RAM. AMONG THESE 3, ALL THE SENSORY &
VITAL ORGANS + MANAS WILL EMERGE FROM SA:TWIC AHANKA:RAM. ALL THE 5 ELEMENTS
WITH THEIR QUALITIES(PANCHA BHUTHAS) WILL EMENATE FROM THA:MASA AHANKA:RAM. THE
RA:JASA AHANKA:RAM WILL HELP THESE TWO AHANKA:RAS, IN BRINGING OUT THEIR
DETAILS.
OF THE 4 AHANKA:RAS 1 & 3 ARE FEELINGS. 2 & 4 ARE
ELEMENTS (DRAVYAS). YOU GOT CONFUSED WITH 1 & 4. SRI PILLAI LO:KA:CHARYA,
REVEALED ALL THESE DETAILS IN HIS WORK ‘THATWA THRAYAM’. HE GOT THE INFORMATION
NOT FROM THE DIVYA PRABANDHAMS. PRABANDHAMS GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT FEW THINGS
ONLY. PURA:NAMS GIVE THESE DETAILS.
2. WHO TOLD THAT GUHA OFFERED NON-VEG FOOD TO RAMA? IN VALMIKI
RA:MA:YANAM IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT GUHA OFFERED ONLY VEGITARIAN FOODS LIKE
HONEY, FRUITS ETC. MUCH DESCRIPTION IS NOT NECESSARY, WE FEEL.
Jai srimannarayana!
If one does not feel the joy of reading and listening the
stories of Lord, that persons life on this earth is simply waste. You are
really blessed to feel the joy of them.
We are happy with your doubts. we are writing something at those questions. you
may look at them.
I would like to know who is true vaishnavite?
1. stamping samasrenalu
ANS: “STAMPING” WORD IS NOT GOOD. SAMASRAYANAM IS TAKEN, OUT OF FAITH IN
SASTHRAS AND ACHARYAS. IT BURNS THE SINS AND MAKES THE SOUL PURE. LATER HOW DO
WE KEEP IT, DEPENDS UPON OUR OWN ACTS.
2. Following strict diet restrictions
ANS: FOLLOWING STRICT DIET RESTRICTIONS, BASED UPON THE LOVE AND
CONCERN WE HAVE ON GOD. AS THE QUALITY OF THE SOIL DEPENDS UPON THE FOOD
PROVIDED IN IT, THUS THE ABILITY OF THE BODY GROWS WITH THE FOOD GIVEN TO IT.
TO GROW SATWIC QUALITIES, SATWIC FOOD IS VERY ESSENTIAL. IF ONE DOES NOT FOLLOW
THAT, IT MEANS HE IS NOT INTERESTED IN SATWIC QUALITIES AND THEN HE IS NEED NOT
BE CONSIDERED AS A DEVOTEE AT ALL. OUR ACTIONS SPEAK ACCURATE ABOUT OUR
THOUGHTS, THAN OUR WORDS AND FEELINGS. HENCE DIET ALSO PROVES ABOUT A REAL
VAISHNAVA.
3. Doing pooja daily
ANS; DOING PUJA MAY NOT PROVE VAISHNAVISM, BUT IT IS AN ACT
COMES OUT AUTOMATIC, WHICH MAKES EVERY ACTIVITY AS PUJA OF LORD ONLY. NOT
REALLY FEELING IN THE HEART AND DOING PUJA DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL.
Please let me know what is the most important characteristics
other than mentioned above for being a true vaishnavite?
Finally a true vaishnavite is he whose heart bleeds for others and feels the
relation with God in all respects.
IT IS TRUE THAT MIND IS SO POWERFUL TO DISTURB US LIKE ANY
THING.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE TO ALLOW YOUR THOUGHTS TO FLOW IN THEIR
OWN WAY. THEN THERE WON’T BE ANY STRESS ON YOUR MIND. THEN THE FLOW OF THOUGHTS
SHOULD BE CHANNALIZED IN THE WAY YOU LIKE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOUR MIND IS SHOWING FRUITS, LET IT THINK. TAKE KRISHNA TO THAT
PLACE AND SHOW HIM ALL THE FRUITS YOUR MIND IS CARRYING WITH IT, AND TELL
KRISHNA THAT ALL THOSE FRUITS ARE FOR HIM. THEN YOUR MIND GETS PURIFIED BECAUSE
OF HIS PRESENCE THERE.
NOW, HERE YOU DID LISTEN YOUR MIND AND YOU WILL ACHIEVE YOUR
FOCUS ON KRISHNA ( OR YOUR GOAL ALSO).
Are there reallyy 33 Crore Gods ?
In Sanskrit this term
is refered as “33 Ko:ti De:vathas”
‘Koti’ in Sanskrit language means: “Section”.
For Instance, words like ‘Pratipaksha Koti , Purvapaksha Koti’ in Sansrkit use
the word ‘Koti’ in them.
Hence, 33 Koti Devathas mean – 33 sections of Gods who administer this creation
in different ways.
The 33 Koti Devathas are:
- 12
“Adityas” – (They take care of the sustanance of the universe in different
ways)
- 11
“Rudras” – (They change the forms of the entities from one to another.
People call it destruction, but it actually means changing the forms for
the better)
- 8
“Vasus” – (They nurture the entities)
- 2
“Ashwinis” – (They rectify the problems. They are known as the doctors.
One of them take care of living entities, while the other takes care of
‘Animal Husbandry and Forestry’)
Under each of the Koti Devathas, there are millions of other
Gods working for them
– Excerpt from Sri Swamiji’s Pravachanams : LA Summer Camp 2007
EVERYBODY TAKES BIRTH EQUALLY CRYING, IE. SUDRATWAM. THE OTHER
PART OF THE SLOKA WAS “ KARMANA JAYATHE DWIJAH” BY VIRTUE OF HIS DEEDS ONE
ATTAINS DWIJATWAM, MEANS, GETS JNANA JANMA, A BIRTH ACQUIRED WITH KNOWLEDGE,
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ITSELF GIVES THAT ‘DWIJATWAM’. NOW, COMING TO OUR ISSUE, ONE
WHO UNDERGOES PANCHA SAMSKARAMS, IS ACCEPTED AS ATTAINING 3RD JANMA.
THE KARMA ONE HAS TO DO IS REALIZING AND DEDICATING TO THE LORD AND DEVOTEES.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN ONE HAS TO LEARN SOMETHING SPECIAL FORTHAT PURPOSE. NO!
DEDICATE ALL THE ACTIVITIES TO THE LORD KRISHNA, IMMEDIATELY AFTER FINISHING
THEM. THIS IS ALL WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
‘EXCEPT RADDISH AND ONION, GARLIC, LEAVES LIKE MARUWANA ( GONGURA); OTHERS ARE
MOSTLY OKEYED.
TRY TO LEAD A SIMPLE LIFE THAT IS ENOUGH. LEAD A REAL LIFE IT IS ENOUGH.
We are happy for the question you have.
According to our scriptures there are 8.4 million varieties of species. It
means that all the moving creatures have been classified into 8.4 millions. In
each of them there again may be sub-divisions viz., if you take a cat for
instance, there are white cats, black cats and cats in different verities. That
is how we take them.
Now, a soul after leaving a body need not enter the same variety
of body. It may enter any body. But, that depends upon the karma it is carrying
with it. That karma leads one soul from the bottom to the top and from top to
the bottom also. That means, a soul may go to an insect body from a human and a
tiny creature may come and take a human body also. Kingdom of each creature has
its own qualities, but that is decided only after getting that particular body
by the soul. All this is about moving creatures only.
The soul may enter even plant body also depending upon its own
karma. Because we are able to prove the existence of life in all types of
plants and trees also. Your friend need to understand a lot in this subject.
WE ARE HAPPY FOR THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE RELIGION. WE
GIVE ANSWERS IN SHORT. Ok!
1. WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY BE CALLED AS HINDUS. BECAUSE WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT GODS, & THINGS LIKE SOULS, VIRTUES(PUNYAS) OR SINS(PAPAS),
HEAVEN, HELL AND MANY MORE THINGS – NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN THEM, BUT BECAUSE
WE ARE KNOWING ABOUT THEM THROUGH A SCRIPTURE CALLED VEDA. ALL THE SASTHRAS,
PURANAS ETC., ARE ELABORATING THE ESSENCE OF VEDAS ONLY. HENCE WE SHOULD BE
CALLED AS VEDICS. ALL THE NAMES LIKE VISHNU, SIVA BRAHMA OR ANY OTHER DEVAS OR
FOUND ONLY IN THAT VEDA. OK.
AND THEN, PEOPLE BELONGING TO KING BHARATHA WERE OUR ANCESTORS.
HERE “OUR” MEANS NOT ONLY PEOPLE IN INDIA, BUT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD, LET
THEM BELONG TO ANY RACE OR COLOUR. BECAUSE OF THIS ALL THESE HUMAN BEINGS
SHOULD BE CALLED AS “BHARATHAS”. KEEP THESE TWO THINGS IN MIND FIRST. ‘HINDU’
IS THE NAME USED AS A DISTORTED VERSION.
IN VEDAS, THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD. NOT MANY. BUT THAT ONE, IS
ALL-PERVASIVE, SO HE IS CALLED AS VISHNU. HE IS GREATER THAN THE GREATEST. SO
HE IS CALLED AS BRAMHA. HE ALWAYS DOES GOOD TO ALL. THUS HE IS CALLED AS SIVA.
HE IS CONTROLLING EVERY THING SO, HE IS NAMED AFTER ISWARA. HE DWELLS IN AND
OUT OF ALL OBJECT, KNOWING EVERY MOVEMENT, RIGHT FROM ATOM TO COSMOS. SO HE IS
NAMED AFTER NARAYANA. ULTIMATELY IT IS ONE GOD ONLY, HAVING SEVERAL NAMES,
REVEALING SEVERAL ACTIVITIES, TO SUPPORT THIS UNIVERSE. GREAT PEOPLE GAVE
DIFFERENT FORMS TO DEPICT THOSE ACTIVITIES. ONE NEED NOT BE CONFUSED BY SEEING
DIFFERENT NAMES AND FORMS.
AND THEN, WE, FOLLOWING VEDAS, TRY TO FEEL THE PRESENCE OF THAT
UNIVERSAL POWER GOD, IN EVERY OBJECT EVEN IN THE NATURE AND ALL LIVING
ENTITIES, MAY BE THEY ARE DOMESTIC OR CRUEL. WE RESPECT ALL THE SYSTEM OF THE
UNIVERSE BECAUSE THEY ARE WITH SOME PURPOSE. NO ENTITY EXISTS WITHOUT REASON.
HENCE, EVERY CRUEL CREATURE IS ATTACHED TO ONE FORM OF GOD VIZ., SERPANT WITH
VISHNU, SNAKES WITH SIVA, LION WITH PARVATHI, EAGLE WITH VISHNU, BULL WITH
SIVA… LIKE THAT. THIS SAYS THAT YOU NEED NOT IGNORE EVEN THOSE ANIMALS AND
BIRDS. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH THEM IN YOUR HOUSES. WHAT
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THEY MUST BE KEPT IN THEIR RESPECTIVE PLACES AND
SHOULD NOT BE DISTURBED
BASED ON THE PERSONIFIED FORMS OF THOSE POWERS OF GOD, PURANAS
GAVE INNUMERABLE DETAILS OF EVENTS. WE NEED PROPER GUIDANCE TO FOLLOW THEM,
FOR, THEY ARE DEALING WITH UNIVERSAL SECRETS. OTHERWISE THEY APPEAR ODD. THEY
WERE DESCRIBED WITH THEIR SPOUSES, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE MARRIED LIKE HUMAN
BEINGS, BUT THE WOMAN IS A FORM OF ENERGY. SO EACH OF THE FORMS OF GOD HAVING A
FORM AND SOME ENERGY. ONE CANNOT SEPARATE THE ENERGY FROM THE
OBJECT. FORM IS MASCULINE WORD AND ENERGY IS A FEMININE WORD. SO THEY WERE
SHOWN AS WIFE AND HUSBAND. IN VEDIC CULTURE WIFE AND HUSBAND LIVE TOGETHER TILL
THE END. THEY NEVER QUARREL AND TAKE DIVORCE EVERY NOW AND THEN. EVEN AT TIMES
SOME QUARREL APPEARS, IT WILL BE WITH SOME PURPOSE TO HELP SOMEBODY IN THIS
WORLD. HENCE, THERE ARE WIVES WITH DIFFERENT FORMS OF THAT “ONE GOD”.
WE VEDICS NEVER CRITICISE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO SEE ‘THAT ONE
GOD’ IN SOME NEW FORM THEY LIKE, BECAUSE WHEN GOD IS UNIVERSAL AND IN-DWELLER
OF EVEN AN ATOM, THEN ALL OBJECTS BECOME ‘HIS FORMS ONLY’. THE IDOL WHICH
PEOPLE WORSHIP ALSO FALLS IN THAT SAME CATEGORY; WHY CANNOT IT BE ACCEPTED? TO
DRAW THE POWER FROM THE IDOLS, AGAIN, THERE RECOMMENDED SOME PROCEDURE IN BOOKS
LIKE PANCHARATRA AGAMAM. ONE NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THEM, TAKE RIGHT LEARNING FROM
THEM, THAT MAKES TO UNDERSTAND TO A LITTLE EXTENT. WHEN YOU CRITICISE OTHERS,
YOU ARE PROVING YOURSELF AS AN INTOLARENT OR JEALOUS.
THEN, HOW CAN ONE NOT HAVING ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THESE FACTS,
CRITICISE ANYTHING? IT IS SO IMMETURE AND IGNORANCE LIKE AN INFANT BOY
CRITICISING HIGH THEORIES OF SCIENCE. IF ONE REALLY WANTS TO SAY ‘NO GOD OR NO
VEDAS’ ONE SHOULD FIRST READ THEM IN TOTAL, UNDERSTAND FULLY, GET THE
ACCEPTANCE FROM LEARNED VEDIC SCHOLARS AND THEN ONLY CAN SAY NO TO THOSE VEDIC
TRUTHS.
UNFORTUNATELY YOUR FRIEND IS LIKE A LITTLE FROG IN A SMALL POND.
HE DOES NOT KNOW THE BIG OCEANS OF KNOWLEDGE. ALL THAT WE CAN SHOW SYMPATHY TO
YOUR FRIEND, TALKING BIG THINGS WITH SMALL MOUTH. YOU NEED NOT WORRY WHETHER
YOU ARE GOING TO HELL OR PURGATORY (
temporary naraka ), BUT LET HIM FIRST SAVE HIMSELF FROM THEM. JESUS NEVER SAID
THAT HE IS GOD. HE WAS VERY HUMBLE IN SAYING THAT HE IS THE MESSENGER OF GOD,
OR, SON OF GOD. BUT HE HIMSELF DOES NOT KNOW WHO THAT GOD IS. LORD IN VEDAS AND
MANY PLACES DECLARED THAT NARAYANA IS ‘GOD-SUPREME’.
jai srimannarayana sir, what is the
lifehistory of shabari(ramayana)? kunchakarra rama
ACCORDING VALMIKI, SABARI WAS A HUNTER LADY, LIVING IN THE
HERMITAGE OF SAGE MATHANGA. HIS DISCIPLES WERE HER GURUS. THEY WERE TAKING CARE
OF HER, SINCE HER CHILDHOOD. SHE WAS DOING SERVICE THERE TILL THEIR DEPARTURE.
THEY INFORMED HER THAT Lord RAMA IS GOING TO VISIT THIS ASRAMAM AND THEIR
GURU’S GREATNESS SHOULD BE EXPLAINED TO HIM. THOSE DISCIPLES OF SAGE MATHANGA
SAID THEY ARE WERE NOT ABLE TO PROLONG THEIR LIFE TIME AND HENCE THEY WERE
LEAVING THEIR BODIES. SABARI THUS INSTRUCTED BY HER GURUS WAITED FOR 13 LONG
YEARS FOR LORD SRIRAMA TO COME
TO HER PLACE. ULTIMATELY HE AND HIS BROTHER LAKSHMANA VISITED THAT ASRAMAM.
THEY HAD INTERACTION WITH HER AND WITH THEIR ACCEPTANCE, SHE LEFT THE BODY IN
THE SELF-CREATED FIRE AND ACQUIRED A DIVINE BODY AND REACHED THE LOTUS FEER OF
HER GURUS. THIS IS THE STORY AVAILABLE IN SRI RAMAYANAM.
THAT IS GOOD YOU HAVE REALIZED THAT YOU ARE IN THE POSSESSION OF
THOSE QUALITIES WHICH ARE BAD. THIS IS STEP ONE. WHENEVER YOU KNOW SOME BAD IS
WITH YOU, YOU ALWAYS TRY TO ELIMINATE IT. IF NOT IN PRIVACY, ATLEAST IN THE
PUBLIC. THEN 2ND STEP STARTS. IF YOU HAVE BOSS IN THE OFFICE AND YOU ARE ONE
AMONG MANY EMPLOYEES
IN HIS OFFICE. AND IF ONE CO-WORKER DID SOMETHING WRONG, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO
FIRE HIM OR SHOWING A BURNING EYES TO HIM. BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT THE DECISSION
MAKER OVER HIM. YOU RATHER CONTROL YOUR FEELING AND TRY TO BE GOOD WITH HIM
TOO. HERE IS THE SOLUTION. WHEN YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE THE BOSS, YOU TRY TO SHOW
ANGER
ON ANYONE. OTHERWISE, YOU TRY TO TELL THEM NICELY. THIS STEP MAY BE TRIED FOR
SOME TIME AND OBSERVE THE RESULT. THERE ARE MANY MORE STEPS OF COURSE, WHICH
CANNOT BE DOWNLOADED FREE.
ANS: ALWAYS ELDEST OF THE FAMILY ONLY WAS ELIGIBLE, IF HE IS NOT
OTHERWISE HANDICAPPED. TO OBSERVE THAT ONLY, BHARATHA DID NOT ACCEPT THE THRONE
AND SUBSERVED THE PA:DUKAS, IN PLACE OF LORD SRI RAMA. WHEN HE CAME BACK, THE
THRONE WAS GIVEN BACK. BECAUSE RAMA WAS NOT OTHEREWISE, HANDICAPPED.
DHRUTHA RA:SHTRA WAS BLIND. HENCE, HE LOST THE CHANCE OF RULING
THE KINGDOM. PANDU ALSO WAS SUFFERING FROM ILL-HEALTH. YET, BECAUSE OF HIS
VISION AND ABILITY, HE WAS GIVEN THE KINGDOM AND CROWN. AUTOMATICALLY, HIS
CHILDREN GOT THE CHANCE OF BECOMING HEIRS.
BECAUSE OF PANDAVAS’ OVER-KINDNESS AND DURYO:DHANA’S HIGH
HANDEDNESS, KAURAVAS STARTED RULING THE KINGDOM. IN FACT, DURYO:DHANA WAS NEVER
CONSIDERED AS KING AT ALL. AFTER PANDU’S DEMISE, DHRUTHARA:SHTRA WAS ONLY THE
KING. YET, DURYO:DHANA, DECLARED HIMSELF AS THE KING, AS WAS STARTED MAKING
ANNOUNCEMENTS AS HE WAS THE
KING OF KINGS. “DURYO:DHANA SA:RVABHOUMA”. HE WAS A ROWDY. HAVING A BIG GAND
WITH HIM. HIS FATHER WAS SO MUCH FASCINATED TO HIS SON. HENCE, NO OTHER OPENED
THEIR MOUTHS. INSPITE OF SOME ELDERS SAY SOMETHING GOOD, THEY NEVER CARED THOSE
WORDS AT ALL.
ANS: WHEN GOD HIMSELF COMES DOWN DIRECTLY, WE CALL THEM AS
‘SA:KSHA:TH AVATHA:RAM’, LIKE KRUSHNA, RAMA, VAMANA, NARASIMHA ETC. THERE ARE
SOMEMORE INCARNATION CALLED ‘AMSA AVATHARAMS’ ‘A:VE:SA AVATHA:RAM’ ETC., TAKE
FOR SOME LITTLE PURPOSES. BALARAMA, PARASU RAMA ETC., ARE A:VE:SA AVATHA:RAMS.
GOD IMPOSES HIMSELF ON THEM FOR SOME TIME AND AFTER FULFILING SOME WORK, HE
WITHDRAWS HIM POWER AND THEY BECOME ORDINARY PERSONS ONLY. PARASURAMA AVATHARAM
FOR SOME HORRIBLE PURPOSES. WHEREAS VEDA VYASA AVATHARAM ALSO A A:VE:SA
AVATHARAM, FOR WRITING SOME PURANAMS, BRAHMA SUTRAMS ETC., CALLED AS ‘SAKTI
A:VE:SA AVATHARAM’. INCARNATIONS LIKE MATSYA, KURMA ETC., ARE CONSIDERED AS
AMSA AVATHARAMS OF GOD DIRECTLY, BUT NOT LIKE THAT OF RAMA ETC, THESE ARE ONLY
FOR A VERY LIMITED PURPOSE.
OTHER THAN THESE HIS POWER WILL BE THERE IN ALL THE JIVAS
ACCORDINGLY TO THEIR KARMA, HIS POWER IS PROVIDED. IT IS THE SAME EVEN WITH THE
JIVAS LIKE BRAHMA, INDRA, RUDRA ETC., EVEN WITHIN US ALSO HE DWELLS. BUT OUR
KARMA IS OF LOW GRADE AND BRAHMAS KARMA IS OF HIGH PURE KARMA. THIS IS LIKE ORIDINARY
PETROL USED FOR NORMAL CARS; AND HIGHLY PURIFIED PETROL, USED FOR AEROPLANES OF
HIGH QUALITY.
IN ONE SENCE, WE ARE ALSO SOME AVATHARAS OF GOD ONLY, RIGHT!!
JAI SRIMANNARAYANA!
You need not get mad after him. Rama was the son of a
chakravarthi. He was provided with all sorts of luxaries with his father King
Dasarath. You need not deprive him with those things. It was only during the
period of his exile, his step-mother ordered him not to enjoy anything that is
luxurious. So he observed austirities like a sage in the forest.
While he was in his kingdom during his childhood and after
returning from the forest also he was having all sorts of princely wealths and
facilities. So you need not yell at your friends that Rama was not having any
paricharikas to serve him. All that you can say that he shared his life only
with Sitha.
Jai Srimannarayana Sheelaji!
We have gone through your mail. Also observed the reply given to
you by our Sri Vishnuji. It is nice.
In olden days Gods used to play with human beings. Probably to
give a repartee, now a days human beings are playing with Gods. They stopped
creating man and man started creating Gods.
In olden days, we used to hear few stories about Ganesa, that he
was the son of Lord Siva & Parvithi, having two wives viz, Siddhi and
Buddhi. But now a days, my god, it is unbelievable that Ganesa appearing in
somany forms. Some, Lakshmi Ganapathi also appeared from some corner. We do not
know when and where he came from. And also we do not know whether his parents know
something about Lakshmi or not. All this type of writings are nothing but their
own creations and ultimately they impose these things in puranas and say, that
some Rishi has written them. We have sufficient evidences about our own gods,
fortunately. So, you need not believe all the non-sence from x, y, z books.
Jai Srimannarayana!
Happy to know about Sitaramakalyana Mahotsavam in your home.
1.Perform Vishwaksena Puja
2.Conduct Punyaha Va:chanam
3.Arrange a place for Kalyanam. Take Sri Rama & Sita to that mandapam.
4.Provide Asanam to Lord RAma.
5.Offer Madhu Parkam, ie mixture of Yogurt & Honey.
6.Decorate Him with a New Yajno:pavi:tham.
7.Conduct mangala ashtakam chanting.
8.According to the local tradition, any other offerings like Gudam Jeerakam
mixture may be offered.
9.Perform PUja to Mangalasutram and offer to Sita after touching to Rama’s
hand.
10.Akshatas may be sanctified and offered to both by each one’s hand. She
offers Him and He offers to her.
11.Brahma Grandhi bandhanam and Vedic asi:rwa:dam.
12.Chant Va:rana Ma:yiram and give Ha:rathi.
13.Distribute Prasadam etc., to the devotees.
There are the main activities. You may chant manthras to each of
these
activities at length.
Contact any pandit to get the manthras.
Jai Srimannarayana!
Buddhism, though originally founded by Siddhardha for peace and non-violence,
but at a later stage, people following started turning too violent, eating raw
meat, even today we can see that. Anything that moves could be taken by them as
food. That is one of the reasons.
Next reason is, they did not accept Vedic tradition as
authority. If one does not accept vedic tradition, then there would not be any
history to the nation left behind. People of this land accepted the history of
Rama & Krishna etc., as their own. But when that was denied, they did not
take the Buddhism to their heart. So we are vedic people.
Unfortunately, today this fact is in need to be understood.
=chinnajeeyar=
Interesting questions you have.
Q) Did Ravana actually have 10 heads or is it an allegorical
meaning ?
A) Ravana was having 10 heads. Though they were interpreted as 10
indriyas or organs of the body like sensory and vital organs, yet he was really
also was having them.
Q) Which Treta Yuga did it take place ? I have heard it was in
the 24th treta yuga.
A) 24th trethayuga was the rama’s period. Right you are.
Q) Are Vanaaras, Rakshashas, etc are humans with different
qualities or they actually different living entities?
A) Vanaras were having ability to have their own chosen from. Ka:maru:pa
Dha:rana: sakthi. So they can take any form they want.
Jai Srimannarayana!
Vishwakse:na and Vina:yaka were not one and the same. Vishwakse:na appears just
like Lord Na:ra:yana Himself. Colour will be ordinary not blue. Along with
Sankha and Chakra he will be holding a long stick in his left hand and showing
index finger with right hand, to fear all the evil powers. Several elephant
headed (gaja mukhas) gana:dhipathis are in his force, to obey his instructions
in removing the hurdles of Vishnu devotees. Vishwak Se:na is the whole and sole
to look after the administration of the entire Universe and also the
Paramapadam. Here is a verse says that
“vande: vaikuntta se:na:nyam, de:vam su:travathi:sakham |
yad ve:thra sikhara spande: viswam e:thath vyavasthitham ||”
Whatever draft he prepares with regard to running the vibhuties
or Universes, will be accepted by Lord Srimannarayana, without any alteration
or addition, it seems. A:lawanda:r Stho:tram reveals this in its verse
” priye:na se:na:pathina: nyave:di thath, thattha:nuja:nantham uda:ra
vi:kshanaihi”.
This is the greatness of Sri Vishwak Se:na. As Gajamukhas are
somany in the Pariva:ra of Vishwak Se:na, in some occassions if devotees
worship a Gajamukha in the place of Vishwakse:na, as a representative of him,
will also be accepted. Because all the pariva;ra:s pass on the result to their
boss always.
But then that Gajamukha will be having four hands with sankha
and chekra and also with U;rdhwa pundram on his fore-head. There may not be
rats as his chariot. These Gajamukhas are not mu:shika Va:hanas. We are sure
you understood the subject.
Jai Srimannarayana!
In Tamil there are no many a letter. They have to be adjusted for somany other
sounds. Hence there will be some problem in fixing up the usage of particular
sound to a particular letter. ‘ka’ may be pronounced as ‘kha’ , ‘ga’ and ‘gha’
also. You need to choose your own sound from that letter. So also here with the
word Venkata. If you take this word as a Tamil word you can pronounce either
‘vekata’ or ‘vengada’ makes no difference. If you take the word as a sanskrit
word then it should be ‘ve:nkata’ only.
For Tamil one, the meaning was already given by Nammalwar as,
‘kadangal ve:m’ kadangal=unavoidable debts like karmas, which soul carries
along with it, which should be otherwise experienced without any hesitation,
will be, ve:m=burnt to ashes, when one surrenders unto Him.
In sanskrit the meaning was given in a different way like ‘ve:m’
= all the links with one’s own sins, ‘kata=will be cut off in total, to one,
who surrenders to Him.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ALL OF THEM BY KNOWING? THERE ARE
MILLIONS OF GODS. YOU NEED TO CHOSE ONLY ONE FOR YOU AND BE HAPPY WITH HIM. LET
THEM BY HAPPY IN A WAY THEY ARE AND YOU TRY TO BE HAPPY BY
WORSHIPPING ONE AND RESPECTING ALL DON’T MESS UP EVERYTHING, OK!
Jai Srimannarayana!
According to Sri va:lmi:ki Ra:ma:yana, there is no mention about
Sri:ra:ma’s worship to Lord Siva. Lord Siva appeared before Sri:ra:ma, after
the death of Ra:vana, along with all the other De:vathas. And then Lord Siva
praised Sri:ra:ma as the Ultimate Supreme Lord to all the Ji:vas. And there
only, he suggested Sri:ra:ma to go back to Ayo:dhya and bless
the Bharatha and others for some time and come back to the Divine abode, when
all the De:vathas requested Sri:ra:ma to come back to Divine Abode, because
Ra:vana was killed. This shows the concern that Lord Siva has towards the Lord.
That is all mentioned about him. It was Tulasi Das who made somany inter-polations
about other dieties and also he made his own story about Srira:ma in his
Ra:macharitha Ma:nasa book. He is the one who made the story of Ra:me:swaram in
his book. But it is not authentic sofar as Ra:ma’s history is concerned.
We always treat Sri RA:MA:YANA as our ancient history and not
just an epic or a pura:na. History means ‘that has to be accepted as it is
without any changes or additions’. Sri RA:MA:YANA & SRIMATH MAHA:BHA:RATHA
are our historic books, but not pura:na:s or epics. Sri Tulasidas also made
mistakes in this regard. This made so many people to think about
Srira:ma’s worship to Lord Siva.
There is one place in Va:lmi:ki Ra:ma:yana, where the
name”Maha:de:vaha” mentioned. People give the meaning to that word as Lord
Siva, which is wrong there. The context is ‘Ra:ma returning from Lanka in the
Pushpaka Vima:nam, along with Sitha and other subjects. Sri Ra:ma was
explaining the events and places to Sitha from the areal view. While crossing
the Ocean, He was showing the bridge, constructed by the Va:naras and said how
that was built and so on. When the flight reached the other end of the Sea,
then He said “Athra pu:rvam Maha:de:vah prasadam akaro:th Prabhuhu” it means “O
Sitha! when we wanted to cross the ocean, it was here only, Maha:de:vah= The
God of Sea, Varunade:va, appeared and blessed us with the means as and how can
we build the bridge”. Here the word Maha:de:vah is wrongly interpreted by
somany. In fact, there was no Siva appeared during their sojourn to Lanka.
Some people say that after killing the Ra:vana, Ra:ma was
possessed by Brahma Hatya Dosha ( A greater sin captures by killing a
brahmin)and to get rid of that sin he consecrated the Siva Linga at
Ra:me:swaram. This is again a false story created without any authority. If
Ra:ma is captured by the sin, by killing a Demon, who did all non-sense, then
no one
will dare to punish wicked. By punishing a wicked person, no one will be
captured by sins. And Ra:ma never felt sorry for killing Ra:vana and He never
wanted to do any Pra:yaschitta (purification act) for that act.
You may read Sri Va:lmi:ki Ra:ma:yana, whenever it is possible.
You can take it granted any event, which goes in accordance with that only. If
something goes against to that you need not ask anybody and think it is a story
created by the writer according to his own wish.
WHEN YOU UTTER NAMES WITH DIFFERENT QUALITIES, YOU ARE ACCEPTING
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FORMS. THE SANSKRIT WORD “BHE:DA” CREATED ALL THIS
TROUBLE. PEOPLE NOT ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE RIGHT MEANING OF THIS WORD, MADE
EVERY THING MESS. BHE:DA=DIFFERENCE; BHE:DA=CLASH, THERE IS NO CLASH BETWEEN
THE DE;VATHAS. BUT THERE IS A VERY CLEAR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALL THE DE:VATHAS.
EACH ONE OF THEM HAVE THEIR OWN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. THE INNER FORCE TO
ALL OF THEM IS THE NARAYANA ONLY. SO THEY CAN BE CALLED AS DIFFERENT PARTS OF
THE SAME POWER. IN THAT WAY YOU CAN SAY THAT THEY ARE ALL ONE TOO. THE INNER
POWER CAN ALSO BE CALLED WITH THE NAME OF THOSE DE:VATHAS ALSO. FOR YOUR
INFORMATION, SRI RAMA NEVER WORSHIPED LORD SIVA, ACCORDING TO SRI RAMAYANAM. HE
DID NOT CONSECRATE RAMESWARAM. THIS IS A MADE UP STORY. ANYTHING RELATED TO SRI
RAMA, WILL BE ACCEPTED IF VALMIKI RAMAYANA MENTIONS THAT.
YOU ARE NOT AT ALL WRONG, IF YOU PLAN TO RETURN OR IF YOU START
SUPPORTING YOUR MOTHER COUNTRY, OK!!!!!
ONE NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THE STORY OF SRI RA:MA AS A HUMAN BEING.
SO HE NEEDS TO GO TO A GURU AND LEARN STRICTLY ACCORDING TO THE HUMAN TERMS AND
CONDITIONS. WHEREAS ONE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT LORD KRISHNA IS NOT A HUMAN
BEING. HE CAME TO SHOW AS AND HOW GOD WOULD BE. SO HE, IN FACT, DOES NOT NEED
TO GO TOANY GURU AND LEARN ANYTHING. YET, HE ALSO APPROACHED GARGA:CHARYA WHILE
HE WAS YOUNG AND APPROACHED SA:NDI:PANI FOR 64 DAYS TO JUST UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
64 KALAS ARE. IT IS ONLY TO SAY THAT ANYONE NEEDS A GURU. THAT IS ALL. HE NEVER
GOT TRAINED IN ANY SUBJECT FROM ANYONE.
ANU-GITHA IS JUST AN ABRIDGED VERSION OF THE WHOLE GITHA. THE
SLO:KAS WERE ALSO DIFFERENT, BUT THE CONTENT WAS THE SAME.
THIS IS ONLY APPLICABLE TO HARE KRISHNA BHAKTHAS ONLY IT SEEMS.
FOR ALL SRI VAISHNAVAS BHAKTHI MEANS ‘A BRIDGE OF LOVELY THOUGHTS TOWARDS GOD.
WHATEVER SERVICE ONE DOES TO GOD, THE NAME OF THE BHAKTHI MAY CHANGE VIZ., IF
ONE LISTENS TO THE STORIES THAT LOVELY THOUGHTS MAY BE CALLED AS ‘SRAVANA
BHAKTHI’ , KEERTHANA BHAKTHI, SMARANA BHAKTHI ETC.,
TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF MANTHRAS ONE NEEDS GURU’S UPADE:SAM
BUT NOT THE PHILOSOPHY OF GRAMMERIANS. THAT LEADS TO MORE COMPLICATIONS RATHER
THAN DEVELOPING DEVOTION TOWARDS THE MANTHRA.
How was time measured in the vedic period?
Measuring
the time was so great by our vedic people. You can read the 4 & 5 canto of
Srimad Bhagavatham, where the creation of time was mentioned.
What are all the minimum Vedha Bagas one should know
THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC VE:DA BHA:GAS THAT ONE SHOULD KNOW, AS
SUCH. IT DEPENDS UPON, WHAT ONE REQUIRES. IF ONE WANTS TO PERFORM SANDHYA
VANDANAM, THOSE MANTHRAS MAY BE LEARNT. IF ONE WANTS PITRU KARMAS TO BE
PERFORMED THEY MAY BE LEARNT. SOME MORE MANTHRAS FOR SOME OTHER PURPOSES VIZ.,
PANCHA SU:KTHAS, UPANISHADS, NAMAKAM, CHAMAKAM, ARUNAM ETC., ANYTHING TO LEARN
MEANS “WHY” “HOWMUCH” ETC., QUERRIES MUST BE KNOWN.
VEDAS ARE BEGINNING-LESS ( ANA:DI) ONLY. UPANISHADS ALSO BECOME
A PART OF VE:DA ONLY. THE STORIES WE USUALLY HEAR IN THEM, WILL BE REPEATED IN
EVERY MANVANTHARAM AND IN EVERY CREATION. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS
EVENTS MAY CHANGE. PEOPLE IN THOSE POSTS WOULD BE THE SAME. VASISHTTA, VYA:SA,
PARA:SARA ETC, ARE ACTUALLY THE POSTS IN WHICH SOME BLESSES SOULS TAKE BODIES
AND DO SOME SERVICE TO THE LITERATURE FOR FUTURE GENERTIONS TO KNOW.
IT SEEMS KALKI AVATHARA COMES AT THE END OF EACH KALIYUGA,
ACCORDING TO THE SRIMATH BHAGAVATHAM. HOW IT COMES AND WHAT IT DOES IS
DESCRIBED IN BHAGAVATHAM. THIS MAY HAPPEN IN EACH KALIYUGA IT APPEARS. BASING
ON THAT ONLY THE GREAT SAGE VEDA VYASA WRITTEN ABOUT THE APPEARANCE OF KALKI
AVATHARAM. 71 KALI YUGAS WILL BE REPEATED IN EACH MANVANTHRA. WE ARE IN 28TH
KALIYUGA. SO, KALKI AVATHARA MIGHT HAVE COME 27 TIMES ALREADY, ACCORDING TO THE
PURANAM.
JAI SRIMANNARAYANA
DREAMS ARE THE RESULTS OF OUR PREVIOUS KARMAS, CREATED BY GOD
ONLY. IF THEY ARE GOOD, REMEMBER THAT GOD IS ALLOWING SOME GOOD KARMAS TO BE
CONSUMED. IF ONE GETS BAD DREAMS, THEN GOD IS REMOVING SOME BAD KARMAS FROM THE
STORE ROOM. THEY MAY LEAD TO SOME RESULT, ON WHICH YOU NEED NOT THINK MUCH AND
BOTHER YOU, BUT HE HAPPY THAT GOD ALLOWED YOU TO REDUCE SOME LOAD OF KARMAS.
IN BHAGAVAD GITHA LORD KRISHNA CLEARLY SAID ‘MATTHAS SMRUTHIR
JNA:NAM APO:HANAM CHA’ WHICH MEANS FROM ME ALONE, NEW THINGS ARE KNOWN BY ONE,
ALREADY KNOWN THINGS ARE RECOLLECTED AND SOMETHING KNOWN IS ALSO FORGOTTEN. ALL
THESE ARE UNDER LORD’S CONTROL ONLY.
FOR SOME PEOPLE GOD SHOWS CERTAIN THINGS JUST BEFORE THEY MIGHT
OCCUR. THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE CALL AS DIVINE VISION. SOME PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GUESS
THE FUTURE EXACTLY, BECAUSE OF THE LORD’S GRACE. A FEW PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER GOD
BEHIND AND WILL BE GREATFUL TO HIM, BUT MANY FORGET GOD BEHIND AND POSE AS IF
THEY ARE
GODS. THEN THE PROBLEM STARTS. DIVINE VISION IF GIVEN BY GOD, BE HAPPY AND
APPRECIATE THE GRACE OF GOD ON YOU.
DREAMS ARE THE CREATIONS OF GOD, TO CONSUME OUR PAST KARMAS OF
CERTAIN CATEGORY. KARMAS ARE DIVIDED INTO 3 CATEGORIES. BIG, MID AND SMALL. BIG
ARE ENJOYED IN THE EXTERNAL WORLD, WHETHER THEY ARE GOOD OR BAD. ALL MID WILL
BE SENT FOR STORE ROOM, FOR NEXT BIRTH. SMALL WILL BE ALLOWED FOR DREAMS TO
BOTHER AND CONSUME. THEY ARE NOT UNDER OUR CONTROL BUT UNDER GODS CONTROL. THEY
ARE AS REAL AS THE EXTERNAL WORLD. THEY WILL CERTAINLY FORETELL ABOUT FEW
THINGS. BUT NOT NECESSARILY AS WE HAVE SEEN THEN. YOU MAY SEE SOMETHING, IT
MIGHT APPEAR IN SOME OTHER FORM IN THE WORLD. LIKE, YOU SEE THE CLOUDS AND IT
RAINS LATER. THUS YOU PREDICT THAT CLOUDS ARE THE INDICATORS FOR RAIN. LIKE
THAT, SOME SCEENS YOU SEE
DURING DREAMS, YOU EXPERIENCE SOMETHING, FOR YOU HAVE CONSUMED SOME PORTION OF
THE KARMA. AS WE ARE NOT CREATORS OF THE EXTERNAL WORLD, SO ALSO THE INNER
WORLD. AS WE CAN MANIPULATE ONLY SOME PORTION OF THE EXTERNAL WORLD, SO ALSO BY
DOING SOME SADHANA, WE ALSO CAN MANIPULATE SOME PORTIONS OF THE KARMAS AND
AVOID EVIL EFFECTS OF DREAMS. SOME DREAMS ARE TO BE CARED AND SOME HAVE TO BE
IGNORED.
YOU ARE BLESSED FOR SEEING LORD IN YOUR DREAMS. IT SHOWS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO
GET SOMETHING GOOD. BE HAPPY. WHEN YOU ARE SEEN SMALL, IT MEANS THAT YOU ARE
UNNECESSARILY FEELING THAT YOU ARE GREAT, AND HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE
REALLY NOT. APPLY IT TO THE EVENTS YOU ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE. OK!
YADAGIRI GUTTA IS A 100 KM DISTANCE TEMPLE FROM HYDERABAD. LORD
LAKSHMI NARASIMHA IS THERE IN FIVE FORMS. ONE AMONG THEM IS GANDA BHERUNDA
NARASIMHA SWAMY. THIS FORM IS NOT CLEARLY VISIBLE TO THE VISITING DEVOTEES AS
THIS IS UNDER A STONE. LORD HERE IT SAYS, IS A SELF-INCARNATED ONE. THERE IN
THAT TEMPLE
HE IS WORSHIPPED ACCORDING TO SRI PANCHARATRA ONLY NOT IN TANTRIC WAY OF
WORSHIP.
Jai Srimannarayana!
We are happy for your interest to know about sage Viswamithra.
There were no many viswamitras, like other sages. Only one was there, who was
highly praised by Sage Valmiki.
When you talk about the age, in those days they used to live
long, like thousands of years. It was not a big issue in those days at all.
Sumanthra the minister of Dasaraddha, Ravana, Vasishta etc., were living even
in Krutha Yuga.
So also Viswamithra. Now a days, we people started comparing with our own
knowledge and age and experience, which is wrong.
Another Lo:ka created for Trisanku by the same Viswamithra, who
was having enimity earlier with Sage Vasishta. Menaka met with the same Sage,
yes!
To his own credit he made penance for thousands of years on each corner of this
country. He met with different issues on each of these corners. But he was the
same Sage.
Rama belongs to Surya Vamsa. After Rama, approximately 32
generations were continuing. Then there may be some gap. During Rushabha Deva
again the Chandra Vamsa started in Ayodhya. This might have started after a few
lakhs of years,
when dwapara yuga was started.
Some people say that yugas go in some thousands. Even that is wrong. They go in
4:3:2:1 ratio, which altogether come to 43,20,000 years. The size of human
beings also was not as we see them today. Recently, some skeleton found in
North
Indian Desert was so amazingly huge, may be between 30 to 50 feet height. There
was some record also found along with it, which was not totally revealed by the
Govt. but says that they were interacting with brahma and Siva etc. we try to
put that available information for you soon.
So people living for thousands of years was not a great thing in
those days. Finally, it was the same sage Viswamithra, who was mentioned in all
the episodes you have memtioned and he lived for many a year, before and after
Rama.
He did
not appear in Ramayana after Rama’s marriage, but he was there. We are not sure
whether Viswamithra’s mention was there anywhere in Lord Venkateswara’s
History?
God appears in different forms. Each form helps in some way or
the other. Rama is the replica of humane qualities and if one worships His,
that person develops humane qualities. Lord Krishna is the replica of divine
qualities and to His
worshippers He blesses divine qualities. Lord Siva also several occasions
sought the help of these incarnations. You can see that in Sri Ramayana, after
the killing of Ravana. All the devathas appeared before Rama and one among was
Lord
Siva, who praised Srirama as the saviour of the wise and punisher of wicked. We
can see this in all most all the incarnations. People with no knowledge and
having love towards Lord Siva, spread such wrong stories. One can definitely
worship Lord Siva, at the same time, they should not create wrong stories
against incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Somany big big people are trying to do
this
in recent decades. Remember, Lord Rama & Krishna teach us as and how to
face the problematic situations, yet how to maintain equilibrium. You may
remember our githa jyothi, suthras ‘worship your own..respect all’. If this is
understood, then there won’t be any wicked thoughts like this.
YOU MUST HAVE MISTAKEN MY FRIEND, IN UNDERSTANDING THE KARMA
THEORY. KARMA, IS ONE’S OWN RESPONSIBILITY, ORDAINED BY GOD, COMES BY BIRTH.
WHATEVER THE WORK ASSIGNED, SHOULD BE DONE WITHOUT ANY TRACE OF HESITATION,
DEDICATING THE RESULTS TO GOD. THAT BECOMES KAINKARYAM, IF EXECUTED WITH LOVE.
FISHING TO THE RECENT TSUNAMI VICTIMS, KILLING THE INNER BACTERIA TO A DOCTOR,
OFFERING FLOWERS TO GOD BY A PRIEST ETC.,ARE ALL CARRY THE SAME WEIGHT. MANY
DUTIES ARE LIKE THIS. IF ONE IS SUFFERING FROM ANY PROBLEM, DUTY OF A PERSON
WITH HEART, IS TO HELP. THIS IS JUST HUMANITY. IF ONE IS CHARITABLE, HELPING
WITHOUT ANY EXPECTATION, WILL BE THE PRIMARY DUTY, LET OTHER MAY BE ANYONE.
THIS IS CHARITY.
NOW, YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE DUTY OF A RELIGIOUS OR A SPIRITUAL
PERSON, FOR, HIS PLANE IS HEIGHER THAN THE ABOVE, HIS HEART MEALTS IF SOMETHING
GOES WRONG.
NOW, WHEN YOU ARE ATTACHED TO THE RESULT, THEN THERE IS NO POINT IN PUTTING
YOUR EFFORTS, ALL THAT YOU TRY TO FIND OUT WHO IS SMART IN BRINGING YOU THE
MEDAL, RANK ETC., IF NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE OPEN MARKET. A SPIRITUAL MAN WON’T
DO THAT. HE NEVER EXPECTS NOR DEMANDS FOR TEMPORARY RESULTS.
FISHER MEN ARE THE KARMA YOGIS. THEY DID NOT DEMAND FOR
ANYTHING. WORLD STARTED HELPING THEM ON HUMANITARION GROUNDS, YOU AND ME DO
THIS WITH THE SPIRITUAL MIND, DEDICATING TO GOD.
FOR THE SAKE OF SLOKA, IT IS MENTIONED ‘NARAYANAYETHI
SAMARPAYAMI’. TO AVOID CONFUSION FURTHER, THEY ADDED THAT NARAYANA IS NOT
SINGLE ONE BUT ‘SRIMANNARAYANAYETHI…’ OF COURSE, NARAYANA IS ALWAYS ‘SRIMAN’
ONLY. WHEN THAT
CONCEPT INCARNATED BECAME ‘KRISHNA’ TO WE OFFER TO HIM EVERYTHING.
THE STORIES OF CHANDAMAMA NEED NOT BE TAKEN AS EXACT STORIES OF
THE PURANAM.
LORD IN HIS DIVINE ABODE IS CALLED AS PARA-VASUDEVA OR SRIMANNARAYANA.
WHEN HE STARTS THE CREATING HE TAKES THE NAME AS VISHNU, ALONG WITH BRAHMA
& SIVA. BUT WHEN EVER THE TIME COMES TAKES INCARNATIONS. IN THAT PROCESS,
ONE INCARNATION AMONG THEM WAS LORD KRISHNA, WHO IS VERY NEAR TO US. SO WE
DEDICATE AT THE END
TO HIM, AS HE ASKED THAT FROM US IN BHAGAVAD GITHA IN 9TH CHAPTER. INCARNATIONS
FROM KRISHNA, AS EXPLAINED BY ISCON, IS NOT ACCEPTED BY OUR ACHARYAS. EVEN
AUTHENTIC PURANAS ALSO WERE NOT IN TUNE TO THAT CONCEPT. THIS HAS BEEN
EXPLAINED IN BRAHMA VAIVARTHA PURANAM, WHICH WAS CONSIDERED AS A THAMASA
PURANAM. SO YOU
NEED NOT TAKE THE PORTIONS OF THAT, WHICH GO AGAINST TO SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM,
BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST AUTHENTIC ONE. IN THAT BHAGAVATHAM, ISCON PEOPLES STAND
WAS NOT SUPPORTED.
YOUR POINT IS CORRECT. CRITICAL BOONS WERE ASKED BY HIRANYA
KASIPU ONLY NOT HIS BROTHER HIRANYAKSHA. YET BOTH THE BROTHERS MADE LORD TO
APPEAR IN TWO APPEARANCES. AND BOTH THE AVATHARAS ARE PECULIAR. BHOOVARAHA AND
NARASIMHA. THAT IS THE REASON BOTH THE BROTHERS ARE CONSIDERED AS A SINGLE
UNIT. SO NO MATTER WHETHER YOUNGER OR ELDER ASKED THE BOON. BOTH MADE THE LORD
TO PUT A LITTLE OF HIS EFFORT FOR THEM. IN FACT, HIRANYA KASIPU TURNED VOILENT
ONLY BECAUSE OF HIS BROTHERS DEATH ONLY. FOR ATTACKING SRIHARI ONLY HE ASKED
ALL THOSE BOONS, THAT MAY BE THE REASON PEOPLE STARTED CREATING A PROVERB AS
“HIRANYAKSHA VARALU”.
WHENEVER LORD APPEARS, MOTHER ALSO TAKES A FORM TO APPEAR ALONG
WITH HIM. MOSTLY LAKSHMI ONLY COMES. FOR VARAHA APPEARANCE ONLY WIFE BHOODEVI
OCCUPIED THE PLACE, BECAUSE THAT APPEARANCE ITSELF WAS ONLY FOR HER SAKE. WHEN
LAKSHMI COMES, OTHERS TAKE SOME FORM TO HELP HER. THERE IS NO QUESTION ON ROLE
THEY PLAY, FOR ALL RELATIONSHIPS TO THEM ARE ESTABLISHED WITH HIM ONLY.
How much time
does it take after death for a person to take re birth ? How can we get moksha
?
JAI SRIMANNARAYANA !
RE BIRTH MEANS DO YOU THINK THAT A SOUL AFTER LEAVING THE HUMAN
BODY, AGAIN TAKES ONLY HUMAN BODY? NO. THERE IS NO SUCH RULE THAT A SOUL FROM A
HUMAN BODY SHOULD TAKE A HUMAN BODY ONLY. DEPENDING ON THE PAST ACCUMULATED
KARMAS THAT SOUL MAY TAKE ANY FORM OF BODY, MAY BE A DIVINE BODY, AN ANIMAL
BODY OR AN INSECT BODY OR SOMETHING ELSE. IN FACT, TO TAKE ANOTHER BODY IT
TAKES NO TIME. IMMEDIATELY IT HAPPENS. IT IS LIKE CHANGING FROM ONE VEHICLE TO
THE OTHER BY A PASSENGER.
GETTING MOKSHA MEANS ULTIMATE LIBERATION FROM KARMIC BONDAGE
HAPPENS ONLY BY THE DIVINE GRACE OF ALMIGHTY SUPREME LORD NARAYANA !
AND THAT GRACE FALLS ON US BY THE RECOMMENDATION DONE BY THE GURU. HENCE,
GURU’S GRACE IS MORE IMPORTANT.
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