Keep your body and mind healthy; never misuse the weakness of others

अरोगस्तरुणो वाग्मी वपुष्मान्देशकालवित् |
लोके पुरुषसारज्ञस्साधुरेको विनिर्मितः || २-१-१८

Rama was youthful, was free of diseases and had a healthy-looking body. He was an effective speaker. He knew the right time and place for actions. He could grasp the worth of every individual. He was the one gentleman/pious soul born on earth.

Lord Rama had a disease-free, good body and a healthy mind. We must have both our mind and body be healthy to remain without disease. Many a times, we ignore one for the other. Rama is teaching us to remain so and lead a healthy and happy life.
Rama was able to grasp the essence of every individual appearing before Him. Rama knew the strength and weakness of every person. But the pious gentleman (sadhu) that He was, He would never use that weakness against them. This is another learning we should have from the Lord. Many of the modern strategies teach people to misuse the other person’s weakness for personal gains and for ulterior motives. But Rama teaches a high moral standard – that one should never misuse the weakness of a person against him.
Let such Rama provide us a healthy mind and body and make us follow His morals.

नाश्रेयसि रतो विद्वान्न विरुद्धकथारुचिः |
उत्तरोत्तरयुक्तीनां वक्ता वाचस्पतिर्यथा || २-१-१७
Rama was uninterested in activities, which were not beneficial to auspiciousness/moksha. The scholar that He was, He had no taste in unholy talks – the ones that were against scriptures and righteousness. Similar to Vachaspathi, His eloquent speech contained a series of strategies for action, in support of His contention.

Lord Rama is teaching two extremely important and never to be forgotten rules – especially for saadhakas/those in the spiritual path.
First rule is that never do anything that takes you against the moksha marga; and the second rule is that don’t waste time in unwanted talks and particularly the ones that are not sacred, the ones that go against the scriptures and the ones that show irreverence to God.
We have heard about the Shreyas (the good) and preyas (the pleasant) from Kathopanishat. i.e., ones that help in moksha and the ones that give us material enjoyment. Rama, though being the prince living amid bhoga/enjoyment, was never interested in anything that went against Shreyas/moksha (Of course, He is the giver of Moksha). He is teaching us the same here – look for Shreyas (good) and not for preyas (pleasant)!
Similarly, Rama disliked anything that went against scriptures, that went against God. He would not show any interest even the talks that went against scriptures. Even in today’s world, we see innumerable things that go against the scriptures. An intelligent man must see what is going against shastras and eliminate such things from his being. Shun those talks, those little chit-chats that are against shastras, says Rama. Lord, as Krishna explicitly tells the same in Bhagavad Gita. (तस्मात् शास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्य-व्यवस्थितौ.. 16.24).
Through His acts, Lord Rama, teaches us these prime concepts. Don’t go against shastras, don’t waste time in unwanted talks; always focus on the path of moksha. Let such Rama, the giver of Moksha lead us in the Shreyas marga and teach us the pious shastras.

Years come and go.Days come and go.Moments come and go.Not a moment stands still.Movement of time is closely interlinked with the movement of the sun,which is described in great detail in Srimad Bhagavatam(SK.5_chapter 21).

The tiniest atomic particle of time is called a dwyanuka which is not perceivable to the naked eye.What is perceivable however,is a tryanuka,which is the duration it takes for a sunray to enter a darkroom thru a window which has  been just opened.A tryanuka is twice the duration of a dwyanuka.Further up the scale of time are truti,vedha,kshana and much later,muhurta,prahara,nimisha,galige,etc.and ultimately the day is over.Another day dawns.

Continue reading Another New Year →

Very philosophical take on Mahabharat. Worth reading and contemplating as the author feels that Mahabharat that is within us is a continuous process. Each individual has how own Mahabharat to fight within himself. Must Read

Beautiful description of Mahabharat . A must read
I was finally there, Kurukshetra, the ground where the great war of Mahabharata was fought. I wanted to make it my life’s work to study and write about the epic. I also knew that it was not possible till I went to the spot where the greatest war took place. It was said in the texts that eighty percent of the fighting male population of the civilization was wiped out in the eighteen days of the war.
I stood on the ground, the sun overhead; it was hot, the wind hiding the far reaches of the grounds with columns of dust. I looked around and wondered if the war really happened, if the ground beneath him had soaked all that blood, if the great Pandavas and Krishna stood where I stood.
“You will never know the truth about that!” said an aging soft voice.
I turned around to find an Old man in saffron robes appearing out of a column of dust. He had a long white beard and eyes that could settle an indignant storm.
“I know you are here to find out about the Kurukshetra war, but you cannot know about that war till you don’t what the real war is about.” the Old man said enigmatically.
“What do you mean?” I instantly knew that I was in the presence of someone who knew more about the war than any living person.
“The Mahabharata is an Epic, a ballad, perhaps a reality but definitely a philosophy.” The Old man smiled luring me into more questions.
“Can you tell me what the philosophy is then?” I requested.
“Sure. Here goes,” began the Old man. “The Pandavas are nothing but your five senses, sight, smell, taste, touch and sound and do you know what the Kauravas are?” he asked narrowing his eyes. I shook my head. “The Kauravas are the hundred vices that attack your senses everyday but you can fight them and do you know how?” I again shook my head again. “When Krishna rides your chariot!” The Old man smiled brighter and I gasped at that gem of insight.
“Krishna is your soul, your guiding light and if you let your life in his hands you have nothing to worry.” I was stupefied but came around quickly with another question. “Then why are Dronacharya and Bhishma fighting for the Kauravas, if they are vices?”
The Old man nodded, sadder for the question. “It just means that as you grow up your perception of your elders change. The elders who you thought were perfect in your growing up years are not all that perfect. They have faults. And one day you will have to decide if they are for your good or your bad. Then you may also realize that you may have to fight them for the good. It is the hardest part of growing up and that is why the Geeta is important.”
I sat down on the ground, not because I was tired but because I could understand the enormity of it all. “What about Karna?” I whispered.
“Ah!” said the Old man. “You have saved the best for last. Karna is the brother to your senses, he is desire, he is a part of you but stands with the vices. He feels wronged and makes excuses for being the vices as your desire does all the time. Does your desire not give you excuses to embrace vices?”
Then who is draupadi. I continued. She is your ego. Shared by you and your brothers.
Then how could Yudhistra the truthfull lie in battle or gamble Draupadi? It shows the frailty of humans unless you have Krishna as your charioteer.
And ashvathama? He is your thirst for revenge born from your knowledge drona
Who is dhritarashtra? Oh! The person blind to the vices. He is destined to suffer. The old man exclaimed.
What about Gandhari. She is your virtue but when she turns a blind eye to your vices. Krishna has to come and destroy the vices.
Who was Shikhandi. He is your karma from earlier births. When it stands with krishna . Can destroy even the great bheeshma.
I nodded. I looked at the ground, consumed with a million thoughts, trying to put everything together and then when I looked up the Old man was gone. He seemed to have disappeared in the column of dust.
Later, when I checked into the hotel I saw a large painting of Ved Vyasa narrating the Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha and I could swear that the Sage looked exactly like the Old man who met in the dust.

So far,we discussed about the compelling attractions of the nine gated city,and how we are held under the thrall of its attractions which makes it very difficult to develop dispassion or vairagya.

Vishayeshu alambuddhih vairagyaritiruchyatay.Vairaagya is the conviction that ‘I have had enough-no more-‘about sense pleasures..
Sense pleasures are so attractive and comforting that we do not feel that we have had enough. Continue reading The way out – Satsang or the company of saints →

Every jiva or living being is guided by and lives to fulfil its innate primordial stirring or spruhaa which is its basic characteristic.No two jivas are alike. Even when shorn of limbs physical facilities or even the body and held in the womb of Naaraayana in dissolution this stirring goes on .  Continue reading Spruhaa-the primordial stirring →

Continue reading Frolics of the jiva →