OM - A.U.M - OM - A.U.M

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Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.27.23

piṇḍe vāyu-agni-saḿśuddhe
hṛt-padma-sthām ́parāḿ mama
aṇvīḿ jīva-kalāḿ dhyāyen
nādānte siddha-bhāvitām

SYNONYMS

piṇḍe — within the body; vāyu — by air; agni — and by fire; saḿśuddhe — which has become completely purified; hṛt — of the heart; padma — upon the lotus; sthām — situated; parām — the transcendental form; mama — of Mine; aṇvīm — very subtle; jīva-kalām — the Personality of Godhead, from whom all living entities expand; dhyāyet — he should meditate upon; nāda-ante — at the end of the vibration of oḿ; siddha — by perfected sages; bhāvitām — experienced.

TRANSLATION

The worshiper should meditate upon My subtle form — which is situated within the worshiper's own body, now purified by air and fire — as the source of all living entities. This form of the Lord is experienced by self-realized sages in the last part of the vibration of the sacred syllable oḿ.

PURPORT

According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the praṇava, or oḿkāra, has five parts: A, U, M, the nasal bindu and the reverberation (nāda). Liberated souls meditate upon the Lord at the end of that reverberation.

An Offering of Fresh Water

for Sri Krishna

Water absorbs prana (Life Force) from sunlight, air, and ground that it comes in contact with. Plants and trees absorb prana from sunlight, air, water, and the earth's soil. Men and animals obtain prana from sunlight, air, ground, water, and food. Obviously, fresh organic food contains more prana than preserved food.

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Krishna said to Uddhava: "One should worship Me in the form of water by offering water itself. Actually, whatever is offered to Me with faith by My devotee — even if only a little water — is most dear to Me." - Srimad Bhagwatam 11.27 16-17

War of 3010 B.C

After the passing of his father (Maharaj Parikshit) King Janmeyaya performed a Yagna (Ritualistic Ceremony).

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The Grandfather of the Padavas (Bhisma) was born 120 years prior to the Mahabharat War (World War). He was shot by a shower of arrows on the 7th day of the 18 day battle, which took place 3010 BC. Three months later he expired.

Maharaj Yudhistira was 70 Years Old when installed as the World King (Dharmaraj). He renounces the Kingdom at the age of 100.

Parikshit (son of Arjuna) born at the time of the war was installed as King after Yudhistira renounced the throne. He was 30 years old when his reign began.

Three years after the war, the compilation and details of Mahabharat were written in about 100,000 shlokas (condensed verses) by sage "Veda Vyas son of Parasara Muni".

A short time later King Parikshit performs a Yagna (ritualistic ceremony). Veda Vyas recites the Mahabharat to the kings and people gathered there.

Mahabharat includes the famous "Bhagavad-Gita" a discussion between Sri Vasudev Krishna and Pandava Arjuna. It took place on the first day of the war. This dialog lasted for three hours after which the war commences.

King Parikshit renounces his Kingdom knowing death is near and hears Srimad Bhagwatam from Sukadev (son of Veda Vyas).

At the end of the dwapara yuga, the heir of the Pandavas, Parikshit, their grandson, died bitten by Takshaka, the King-serpent, because of a curse by the son of a sage. Parikshit’s son, Janamejaya, vowed to take revenge and started a sarpa yagna (snake sacrifice). Fearful of his certain death, Takshaka pleaded with Indra to save him. Indra sent Brahspati who requested Janmejaya to stop his yagna and Janmejaya yielded. However, because of the enormous sacrifice of serpents, he was soon afflicted by a virulent form of leprosy. Then sage Atreya asked him to take refuge in the temple of Guruvayur and worship Lord Krishna and told him about the origin of the temple.

"Once a childless royal couple, King Sutapas and his wife worshipped Lord Brahma who handed over the Archa- Vigraha (Deity Form) now installed at Guruvayur and asked them to worship it. Eventually Lord Vishnu appeared in all His splendour and promised to be born as their child. Lord Krishna was born as their son. After He left this earth for his holy abode, the port city of Dwarka was submerged. Guru, the preceptor of the gods and his disciple, Vayu, god of Winds, saved the carved form. After a long quest for an appropriate site, they entered Kerala and met Parasurama, legendary creator of Kerala. He led them to a beautiful lake full of lotuses, the present tank, Rudratirtha, beside which Shiva and Parvati waited to welcome them. The Deity form was duly installed. The temple and the place came to be known as Guru-Vayur, a reverential reference to the sponsors, Guru and Vayu."

After Janmejaya the descendants of the Pandava Dynasty continued to rule the Kuru region for another 1200 years.

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Giving Up Useless Ones

Sri Krsna spoke to Arjuna 5000 years ago in the midst of a world war. The location was Kurukshetra (Northern India). That discussion is what is referred to as the Bhagavad-Gita.

This One and only verse (BG 2.22) was discovered thousands of miles away, inside an Ancient Egyptian Pyramid:

vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
navani grhnati naro ’parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani samyati navani dehi

Translation

As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.

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Sometime after the war, the existing world ruler was facing death. At this time the Srimad Bhagwatam or Bhagavata for short once again became manifest. The Bhagavata is about a person who knew death was knocking at his doorstep. Maharaj Parikshit was cursed to die in seven days. And so he called for "a conference on death and dying," gathered keynote speakers from various religious disciplines, the greatest sages of the world, and asked them "What is the purpose of life? And what is the duty of a person who is about to die?"

And the answer was: "Hear about the supreme personality of Godhead's pastimes, recite the names of God constantly, and remember Him in all circumstances." But that was not really an instruction just for the time of death, because, as the Gita says, you need to train your consciousness throughout life. If your life had no meaning, your death will be equally meaningless.

The Bhagavata therefore is meant to be heard constantly through out this life. By doing so we will realize our spiritual identities even while on earth. Then when the body expires we will be allowed to return home "back to Godhead." Thus ending the cycle of birth and death(samsara). -AJD

Lesson from an Artichoke

Artichoke

Can any mundane Scientist, Philosopher, Politician, or Historians explain to me how this Artichoke became so beautiful ?

I have seen Buddhist Monks spend many many days creating Mandalas. In the west, skilled canvas Artisans will spend months painting a Mandala.

Digital Artisans (even though less time consuming) also require skill, effort and time to create their awesome computer generated renditions.

In every instance a person, time, effort and skill are required. So why accept the creation and not the creator ?

Can anyone say that this weblog just popped up by itself with no human intervention ? :-) -AGD

Historical Names

Srimad Bhagavatam 2.4.18 - ACBSP

kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa
abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah
ye 'nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah
sudhyanti tasmai prabhavishnave namah

SYNONYMS

kirata -- a province of old Bharata; huna -- part of Germany and Russia; andhra -- a province of southern India; pulinda -- the Greeks; pulkasah -- another province; abhira -- part of old Sind; sumbhah -- another province; yavanah -- the Turks; khasa-adayah -- the Mongolian province; ye -- even those; anye -- others; ca -- also; papah -- addicted to sinful acts; yat -- whose; apasraya-asrayah -- having taken shelter of the devotees of the Lord; sudhyanti -- at once purified; tasmai -- unto Him; prabhavishnave -- unto the powerful Vishnu; namah -- my respectful obeisances.

TRANSLATION

Kirata, Huna, Andhra, Pulinda, Pulkasa, Abhira, Sumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.

PURPORT

Kirata: A province of old Bharata-varsha mentioned in the Bhishma-parva of Mahabharata. Generally the Kiratas are known as the aboriginal tribes of India, and in modern days the Santal Parganas in Bihar and Chota Nagpur might comprise the old province named Kirata.

Huna: The area of East Germany and part of Russia is known as the province of the Hunas. Accordingly, sometimes a kind of hill tribe is known as the Hunas.

Andhra: A province in southern India mentioned in the Bhishma-parva of Mahabharata. It is still extant under the same name.

Pulinda: It is mentioned in the Mahabharata (Adi-parva 174.38), viz., the inhabitants of the province of the name Pulinda. This country was conquered by Bhimasena and Sahadeva. The Greeks are known as Pulindas, and it is mentioned in the Vana-parva of Mahabharata that the non-Vedic race of this part of the world would rule over the world. This Pulinda province was also one of the provinces of Bharata, and the inhabitants were classified amongst the kshatriya kings. But later on, due to their giving up the brahminical culture, they were mentioned as mlecchas (just as those who are not followers of the Islamic culture are called kafirs and those who are not followers of the Christian culture are called heathens).

Abhira: This name also appears in the Mahabharata, both in the Sabha-parva and Bhishma-parva. It is mentioned that this province was situated on the River Sarasvati in Sind. The modern Sind province formerly extended on the other side of the Arabian Sea, and all the inhabitants of that province were known as the Abhiras. They were under the domination of Maharaja Yudhishthira, and according to the statements of Markandeya the mlecchas of this part of the world would also rule over Bharata. Later on this proved to be true, as in the case of the Pulindas. On behalf of the Pulindas, Alexander the Great conquered India, and on behalf of the Abhiras, Muhammad Ghori conquered India. These Abhiras were also formerly kshatriyas within the brahminical culture, but they gave up the connection. The kshatriyas who were afraid of Parasurama and had hidden themselves in the Caucasian hilly regions later on became known as the Abhiras, and the place they inhabited was known as Abhiradesa.

Sumbhas or Kankas: The inhabitants of the Kanka province of old Bharata, mentioned in the Mahabharata.

Yavanas: Yavana was the name of one of the sons of Maharaja Yayati who was given the part of the world known as Turkey to rule. Therefore the Turks are Yavanas due to being descendants of Maharaja Yavana. The Yavanas were therefore kshatriyas, and later on, by giving up the brahminical culture, they became mleccha-yavanas. Descriptions of the Yavanas are in the Mahabharata (Adi-parva 85.34). Another prince called Turvasu was also known as Yavana, and his country was conquered by Sahadeva, one of the Pandavas. The western Yavana joined with Duryodhana in the Battle of Kurukshetra under the pressure of Karna. It is also foretold that these Yavanas also would conquer India, and it proved to be true.

Khasa: The inhabitants of the Khasadesa are mentioned in the Mahabharata (Drona-parva). Those who have a stunted growth of hair on the upper lip are generally called Khasas. As such, the Khasa are the Mongolians, the Chinese and others who are so designated.

The above-mentioned historical names are different nations of the world. Even those who are constantly engaged in sinful acts are all corrigible to the standard of perfect human beings if they take shelter of the devotees of the Lord. Jesus Christ and Muhammad, two powerful devotees of the Lord, have done tremendous service on behalf of the Lord on the surface of the globe.

As Śukadeva Gosvāmī began his prayer by discussing the word yat-kīrtanam, so also Lord Caitanya recommended that simply by glorifying the Lord's holy name, a tremendous change of heart can take place by which the complete misunderstanding between the human nations created by politicians can at once be extinguished. And after the extinction of the fire of misunderstanding, other profits will follow. The destination is to go back home, back to Godhead, as we have several times discussed in these pages.

According to the cult of devotion, generally known as the Vaiṣṇava cult, there is no bar against anyone's advancing in the matter of God realization. A Vaiṣṇava is powerful enough to turn into a Vaiṣṇava even the Kirāta, etc., as above mentioned. In the Bhagavad-gītā (9.32) it is said by the Lord that there is no bar to becoming a devotee of the Lord (even for those who are lowborn, or women, śūdras or vaiśyas), and by becoming a devotee everyone is eligible to return home, back to Godhead. The only qualification is that one take shelter of a pure devotee of the Lord who has thorough knowledge in the transcendental science of Kṛṣṇa (Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam). Anyone from any part of the world who becomes well conversant in the science of Kṛṣṇa becomes a pure devotee and a spiritual master for the general mass of people and may reclaim them by purification of heart. Though a person be even the most sinful man, he can at once be purified by systematic contact with a pure Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava, therefore, can accept a bona fide disciple from any part of the world without any consideration of caste and creed and promote him by regulative principles to the status of a pure Vaiṣṇava who is transcendental to brahminical culture. The system of caste, or varṇāśrama-dharma, is no longer regular even amongst the so-called followers of the system. Nor is it now possible to reestablish the institutional function in the present context of social, political and economic revolution. Without any reference to the particular custom of a country, one can be accepted to the Vaiṣṇava cult spiritually, and there is no hindrance in the transcendental process. So by the order of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the cult of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or the Bhagavad-gītā can be preached all over the world, reclaiming all persons willing to accept the transcendental cult. Such cultural propaganda by the devotees will certainly be accepted by all persons who are reasonable and inquisitive, without any particular bias for the custom of the country. The Vaiṣṇava never accepts another Vaiṣṇava on the basis of birthright, just as he never thinks of the Deity of the Lord in a temple as an idol. And to remove all doubts in this connection, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī has invoked the blessings of the Lord, who is all-powerful (prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ). As the all-powerful Lord accepts the humble service of His devotee in devotional activities of the arcana His form as the worshipable Deity in the temple, similarly the body of a pure Vaiṣṇava changes transcendentally at once when he gives himself up to the service of the Lord and is trained by a qualified Vaiṣṇava. The injunction of Vaiṣṇava regulation in this connection runs as follows: arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ śrī-viṣṇor nāmni śabda-sāmānya-buddhiḥ, etc. "One should not consider the Deity of the Lord as worshiped in the temple to be an idol, nor should one consider the authorized spiritual master an ordinary man. Nor should one consider a pure Vaiṣṇava to belong to a particular caste, etc." (Padma Purāṇa)

The conclusion is that the Lord, being all-powerful, can, under any and every circumstance, accept anyone from any part of the world, either personally or through His bona fide manifestation as the spiritual master. Lord Caitanya accepted many devotees from communities other than the varṇāśramites, and He Himself declared, to teach us, that He does not belong to any caste or social order of life, but that He is the eternal servant of the servant of the Lord who maintains the damsels of Vṛndāvana (Lord Kṛṣṇa). That is the way of self-realization.

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Note: Sometime ago I posted an article titled "Ancestors of Modern Humans".

Messengers

Makhana Taskara (Krsna the butter thief) and Balaram along with other boys are taking butter to their full satisfaction. They then gave the remainder of the butter to the monkeys.

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Visarada, Tunga, Vavaduka, Manorama and Nitisara are the leaders of the young gopa (male cowherds) messengers. They carry Krsna's messages to the youthful gopis (female cowherds) to arrange pastimes and also to settle quarrels. - Sri Rupa Gowami

Green Chutney

This green chutney, sometimes called Hari Chutney is easy to prepare and when offered to Sri Krsna with vegetable pakoras and a whole lot of love and devotion, the entire universe will be pleased. It is made with fresh cilantro (green coriander) and a variety of spices. This chutney tastes delicious with pakoras, samosas etc. Like a condiment, coriander chutney can be used in a variety of ways!

Ingredients:

• 1 big bunch of chopped Cilantro (green coriander)
• 3 green chopped chilies
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Pinch of asafetida (hing)

Method:

1. Blend all ingredients, except the cilantro, into a paste.
2. Add the cilantro, a little at a time, and blend. If needed, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. The water will help in blending.
3. Blend well and add more salt, green chilies, or lemon juice to taste.

Tips:

1. A little oil and sugar will help keep the color fresh.
2. You can make Coriander chutney in large quantities in advance and freeze it in ice cube trays. When ready to serve, defrost as many cubes of the coriander chutney as needed. If you freeze immediately after preparing, it will not lose its bright green color or freshness.

Variations:

Mix mint leaves with cilantro half and half (use the leaves but no stems)

A few ideas:

• To make a delicious dip for vegetables, chips, or crackers, mix 1 part chutney and 3 parts yogurt.
• To make a sandwich spread, mix 1 part chutney and 2 parts cream cheese.

SPIES

When Sri Krsna was young, he displayed many wonderful pastimes. In order to manage the more difficult situations in which he found himself, precise and confidential information was often required. Assistance from groups of experts in the field of information gathering was welcomed by Sri Krsna and sent on secret fact finding missions quite regularly.

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Catura, Carana, Dhiman and Pesala are the leaders of Krsna's expert spies, who travel in various disguises among the cowherd men and gopis. (SSRKGD)

Satyabhama overheard them

Vasudev Krishna and King Satrajit were having a private conversation when Princess Satyabhama overheard Vasudev Krishna say "she probably doesn't even know the song "farewell by a hero's wife". After hearing this she ran to Subhadra (Krishna's younger sister)and asked her to sing the song. Satyabhama memorized every word. After some time as her affection for Vasudev Krishna matured she spontaneously composed additional verses.

This song was recited by all the chaste ladies who were married to Ksatriya Warriors. During the age of Kings all the young girls were taught this song and all the ladies would sing it while their men folk were at war.

What follows is the original song and then the additional verses;

Original song -

Go forth to battle, my lord, if Dharma beckons to you:
I will not try to keep you back.

If I kept you back, your comrades would laugh at you and the highborn maidens with flowing skirts would be ashamed even to look at you.

Let your heart be full of joy, my lord,
As a Kshatriya, you are reared to valour.

Your glory is to fight in the vanguard of the battle,
For the honor of your noble forbears,

For Dharma which Never Dies.

An occasion may arise when you and your comrades may be few and the enemy numberless;

But remember: the moon is only one, the stars numberless, Yet it is the moon that destroys darkness.

My lord, you are born to glory; you will certainly return victorious.

Never, never will I see you fleeing from the field of glory.

Perchance our citadel may fall and our people perish;
I may never see you again.

If God so wills, do not weep for me; never will your enemies carry me off in tears and end my days of freedom.

Remember this: I will never live in the house of another,
Nor work the loom for him, nor carry water-pots from his well.

I will weep, no doubt, but not for myself;
my tears will be an offering for the love you bore me.

When you are no more, I will not let other women bring me sorrow, saying that my lord is gone.

I will share your funeral pyre, as I shared your bed.

Hand in hand, we shall go to the God of Death as joyfully as when we took the seven steps around the nuptial fire.

Additional Verses

‘If perchance, lord, flame-tipped shafts from venomous tongues are aimed at your fair name, so dear to me, so precious to you, more valued than life, I will stand before you, bare-breasted, welcoming them, and like a burning pillar, reduce myself to ashes at Your feet.

Then, lord, press my ashes against your arms, which have so often held me in love, they will cling to you, as I had hoped to do, had not cruel fate intervened.’