🕉Dharmic

A Must-Read Incident from Sunder-kand!
"What if I weren't there?"
In Ashok Vatika, when Ravana, filled with rage, rushed with a sword to kill Mother Sita, Hanumanji felt he should snatch the sword and cut off Ravana's head!
However, the very next moment, he saw "Mandodari" holding Ravana's hand!
Seeing this, he was overjoyed! He began to think, if I had intervened, I would have been under the delusion that "If I weren't there, who would have saved Sita?"
Often, we too fall prey to such a delusion: "What if I weren't there?"
But what happened here? The God entrusted the task of saving Devi Sitaji to Ravana's own wife! Then Shree Hanumanji understood that the God accomplishes whatever task He wishes through whomever He chooses!
Later, when "Trijata" said that "a Vanar has arrived in Lanka, and he will burn Lanka!" Hanumanji became very worried, as the Lord had not asked him to burn Lanka, and Trijata was saying that she had seen in a dream that a Vanar had burned Lanka! Now, what should he do? Whatever the God wills!
When Ravana's soldiers rushed with swords to kill Hanumanji, Hanuman made no effort to save himself. And when "Vibhishan" came and said that killing a messenger is unjust, Shree Hanumanji understood that the God had made this arrangement to save him!
The height of astonishment came when Ravana said that the Vanar should not be killed, but cloth should be wrapped around his tail, ghee poured on it, and set on fire! Then Shree Hanumanji thought that Trijata's words about Lanka were true, otherwise, how would I have found ghee, oil, and cloth to burn Lanka, and where would I have found fire? But even that arrangement was made by You through Ravana! When You can get Your work done even by Ravana, what's surprising about getting it done through me!
Therefore, always remember that whatever is happening in the world is all divine will! We are merely instruments.
That's why never harbor the delusion "what if I weren't there?"
I am neither superior nor special,
I am merely a humble servant of God.
Jai Siya Ram! 🙏🏻

5 months ago | [YT] | 14

🕉Dharmic

"Until one revives one’s direct knowledge of the spirit soul and drives away the illusory identification with the material body and mind caused by the three modes of nature, one must cultivate those things in the mode of goodness. By increasing the mode of goodness, one automatically can understand and practice religious principles, and by such practice transcendental knowledge is awakened."
Srimad Bhagavatam : 11-13-6.

Purport
One who desires to cultivate the mode of goodness must consider the following points.

One should study religious scriptures that teach detachment from mental speculation and material sense gratification, not scriptures that provide rituals and mantras to increase material ignorance.

Such materialistic scriptures do not give attention to the Supreme Personality of Godhead & thus are basically atheistic.

One should accept pure water for quenching thirst & cleaning the body.

There is no need for a devotee to use colognes, perfume, whiskey, beer, etc., which are all polluted manifestations of water.

One should associate with persons who are cultivating detachment from the material world & not with those who are materially attached or sinful in their behavior.

One should live in a solitary place where devotional service is practiced and discussed among Vaiṣṇavas.

One should not be spontaneously attracted to busy highways, shopping centers, theatres, pubs and so on.

Concerning time, one should rise by four o’clock in the morning and utilize the auspicious brāhma-muhūrta to advance in spirituality.

Similarly, one should avoid the sinful influence of hours such as midnight, when ghosts & demons are encouraged to become active.

Concerning work, one should execute one’s prescribed duties, follow the regulative principles of spiritual life & utilize all of one’s energy for pious purposes.

Time should not be wasted in frivolous or materialistic activities, of which there are now literally millions in modern society.

One can cultivate birth in the mode of goodness by accepting the second birth of initiation from a bona fide spiritual master & learning to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

One should not accept initiation or so-called spiritual birth in unauthorized mystical or religious cults in the modes of passion and ignorance.

One should meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the enjoyer of all sacrifices, & similarly, one should meditate on the lives of great devotees & saintly persons.

One should not meditate on lusty women and envious men. Do not fail to remember this again and again in your mind.

Concerning mantras, one should follow the example of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra & not other songs, verses, poetry or mantras that glorify the kingdom of illusion.

Purificatory rituals should be performed to purify the spirit soul & not to bring down material blessings on one’s material household.

One who increases the mode of goodness will certainly become fixed in religious principles, and automatically knowledge will arise.

As knowledge increases one is able to understand the eternal spirit soul and the Supreme Soul, Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Thus the soul becomes free from the artificial imposition of the gross & subtle material bodies caused by the modes of material nature.

Spiritual knowledge burns to ashes the material designations that cover the living entity, & one’s real, eternal life begins. Vedic education means one has to understand his real identity as brahman or the spirit soul. Unfortunately the modern educational system is so defective that everyone is educated to accept this body as self.

9 months ago | [YT] | 12

🕉Dharmic

Exceptional Knowledge From Our Ancient Itihaasa (History)
A R R O G A N C E

After travelling long through a forest, Kalidasa reached a village. He felt very thirsty and looked around for water. He saw an old woman drawing water from a well. He went up to her and asked her for water.
She agreed to give him water, but asked him to first introduce himself,

WHO ARE YOU ?
"Introduce yourself”
Now Kalidasa, who was a renowned and revered scholar of his time, thought that an ordinary and old village woman was not worthy of knowing who the great Kalidasa was.
So he said,
I am a traveller.
But the old lady replied, “No, you cannot be a traveller. In this world there are only 2 travellers – the Sun and the Moon. Both Rise and Set every day and keep travelling perpetually.

WHO ARE YOU ?
Thirsty Kalidasa said, “Alright then, treat me as a guest.”
Old lady promptly replied,“No you cannot be a guest son.
In this world there are Only 2 guests – Youth and Wealth … both are temporary and do not stay even if you plead with them a million times, and hence, can only they be called as guests.”

WHO ARE YOU ?
Thirsty but now quite intrigued with the profoundness of this old lady, Kalidasa said, “I am a TOLERANT Person, Mother.
Now the old lady replied, “You don’t quite look tolerant young man.
In this world only 2 truly know the meaning of Tolerance.
Bhoomi (Earth) and Tree. How much ever you stamp the earth or throw stones at the tree (for the fruits), both continue to nurture us.

So,
WHO ARE YOU ?
With unquenched thirst, Kalidasa was increasingly becoming irritable. He said,“Fine then, consider me a Stubborn Person.
The lady smiled and said, “No my child, you are not that stubborn.
There are only 2 truly stubborn personalities Our nails and our hair. We keep cutting them non-stop, but they continue to grow.”

So
WHO ARE YOU ?
Kalidasa had been patient so far, but now in anger he said, “Alright, I am a Fool”.
Now the lady gave a wide smile and said,“There are only 2 kinds of fools in this world.
A King who rules without having any capability or knowledge & a Minister who is a sycophant to such a King and lavishes praises on such a useless king.”

WHO ARE YOU ?
Kalidasa realised that, he had been outsmarted by an old illiterate village woman.
In complete awe and humility, he fell at the feet of the lady, saying,
“O Mother! How ignorant I was to think that I know myself.
I am ashamed of myself. Pardon my ignorance.
Show mercy, and grant me water, I beg of you.
When he touched her feet and then got up,

Whom did he see ?...
Mother Saraswati The Goddess Of Learning And Wisdom🙏
She said, “Kalidasa, you are wise. But only if you know yourself, you become a true Manushya (human being).
Your EGO has overshadowed your achievements.
You are educated, but you have also given to arrogance.
Hence, I had to come to guide you.
The mark of a true human being is *not his knowledge, but his humility.

_Your Intellect
_Your Education Is Of...
_NO USE IF IT..._
_ONLY FEEDS YOUR_
_E G O_ 🙏

11 months ago | [YT] | 12

🕉Dharmic

Dattatreya is a famous Rishi, son of Rishi Atri and his wife, Mata Anasuya. His birth was a divine boon, hence 'Datta' means 'given' & 'atreya' means 'son of Atri'. He is the manifestation of the Trimurti, Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva. He is often revered as the Supreme Guru.

In the eleventh canto of Srimat Bhagwat, Shree Krishna cited a conversation between King Yadu & Dattatreya (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.7.32).

The King asked,” I cannot relate to your source of happiness. Your moods of laughing, weeping, & rolling on the ground confuse me. Why are you acting so? And how are you extremely happy performing such uncommon activities?”

Dattatreya: My bliss & contentment are the fruits of self-realization.

King: You have been studying with your parents?

Dattatreya: There is much to learn from everyone & everything, not only from my parents.

King: Then you have a teacher? Who is it?

Dattatreya: Soul(Aatman) alone is my Guru, yet I have gained the necessary wisdom from the whole creation, via 24 individuals who are therefore my Gurus.

King: Twenty-four gurus at such a tender age? Who are they?

Dattatreya: Mother Earth is my first guru. She taught me to hold lovingly in my heart all those who trample me, scratch me, and hurt me, just as she does. She taught me to give them my best, remembering that their acts are normal & natural from their standpoint. The earth also teaches us to be steadfast in its cycle & duties. An inertia property of staying undisturbed even when oppressed accepts injuries by anthropogenic actions still providing feeds. A human should understand that his/her aggressors are selflessly contributing for the better under the act of god, & a person should never be distracted from his/her progress path.

Dattatreya: The wind is my second guru. The wind moves unceasingly, touching flowers & thorns alike, but it never attaches itself to the objects it touches. Like the wind, I learned not to prefer flowers over thorns, or friends over foes. Like the wind, my goal is to provide freshness to all without becoming attached. The wind also teaches us to attain freedom without being disturbed by the materialistic world. Wind travels freely without any attachment, the same as the truth. The speed of wind can disturb objects of the materialistic world as it swirls around. If your mind is swirling around materialistic dilemmas, it will be almost impossible to identify the truth.

Dattatreya: All-pervading & all-embracing sky pace is my third guru. Sky has room for the sun, moon, and stars, and yet it remains untouched and unconfined. I, too, must have room for all the diversities of existence & still remain unaffected by what I contain. All visible & invisible objects have their rightful place within me, but they have no power to confine my consciousness. The sky teaches us to exceed boundaries & reach beyond the material environment.

Dattatreya: Water is my fourth Guru. This force contains life and purity. It cleanses whatever it touches & provides life to whoever drinks it. Water flows unceasingly. If it stops, it becomes stagnant. “Keep moving, keep moving” is the lesson I learned from water. It also teaches us to serve with pride and purify those who come in contact. A saintly person manifests Godhead’s personality transparently, like pure transparent water. Life-preserving water provides purification. If you want to get purified, you need to get associated with purity.

Dattatreya: Fire is my fifth Guru. It burns everything, transforming it into flame. By consuming dead logs, it produces warmth & light. Thus I learn to absorb everything that life brings & turn it into the flame that enlightens my life. In that light, others can walk safely. Fire consumes every materialistic object & converts them into flames of brightness & warmth. The lesson from the fire is like knowledge from teachers that blazes life lessons, when conditions are appropriate.

Dattatreya: The moon is my sixth Guru. The moon waxes and wanes, & yet it never loses its essence, totality, or shape. From watching the moon I learned that waxing and waning, rising and falling, pleasure and pain, loss and gain are simply phases of life. While passing through these phases I never lose awareness of my true self. The moon teaches the phases of life. Every shape-shifts of the moon are equally important spiritually and physically. The value of the moon never ceases to degrade despite rising or falling, waxing or waning, & losing or gaining. The phases generate self-awareness in humans. In a deeper sense, the moon phases symbolize the life cycle: birth, death, & reincarnation.

Dattatreya: The sun is my seventh guru. With its bright rays, the sun draws water from everything, transforms it into clouds, & then distributes it without favor as rain. Rain falls on forests, mountains, valleys, deserts, oceans, and cities. Like the sun, I learned how to gather knowledge from all sources, transform that knowledge into practical wisdom, & share it with all without preferring some and excluding others. The sunrays is deluded as multiple, but it is from the same Sun. Our spirits inhabited in distinctly different physical bodies are, in reality, the same.

Dattatreya: My eighth guru is a flock of pigeons. When one fell into a hunter’s net & cried in despair, the other pigeons tried to rescue it & got caught, too. From these pigeons I learned that even a positive reaction, if it springs from attachment & emotion, can entangle and ensnare. If you care more for transient stuff, you yourself can get destroyed due to their loss.

Dattatreya: My ninth guru is the python who catches & eats its prey, & then doesn’t hunt again for a long time. It taught me that once my need has been met, I must be satisfied & not make myself miserable running after the objects of my desire. A python teaches us to stay satisfied. The lesson from python is to accept what life brings to us instead of chasing worldly objects.The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain.


Dattatreya: The ocean is my tenth Guru. It teaches me discipline. The ocean is a vast, limitless, and mostly calm entity. The lower water layers are almost untouched and undisturbed. Clusters of billions of tons of river water pouring into the river do not change the calmness. We should be disciplined & calm even when we possess numerous materialistic benefits.

Dattatreya: The moth is my eleventh guru. Drawn by light, it flies from its dwelling to sacrifice itself in the flame. It taught me that once I see the dawn, I must overcome my fear, soar at full speed, and plunge into the flame of knowledge to be consumed and transformed.

Dattatreya: My twelfth guru is the bumblebee, the bumblebee teaches us to take a little from nature and, in turn, enrich the source from which we fulfill our needs. Bees seek nectars from flowers, but the intake is very little. Before consuming the nectar, the bee sings and flies joyfully to aid the pollination process. However, bees store a lot of materialistic possessions, which is why their home gets invaded. Humans should take the amount we need from nature & enrich the source but not store excessive quantity.


Dattatreya: Once I saw a wild elephant being trapped. In mating season, a male elephant scented the smell of a female elephant in the pit. The uncontrolled male sprung into the pit with his desire for sexual engagement. The pit was a trap created by a hunter when the male was tamed. The restless elephant lost his life when he only cared for desire but did not look at the condition of his surroundings.This elephant is my thirteenth Guru, because he taught me to be careful with my passions and desires. Worldly charms arouse our sensory impulses, and while chasing after the sense cravings the mind gets trapped and enslaved, even though it is powerful.


Dattatreya: My fourteenth Guru is the honeybee. It gathers nectar from different sources, swallows it, transforms it into honey, & brings it to the hive. It consumes only a bit of what it gathers, & shares the rest with others. Thus I should gather wisdom from the teachers of all disciplines & process the knowledge that I gain. I must apply the knowledge that is conducive to my own growth, but I must be ready to share everything I know with others.

Dattatreya: The deer is my fifteenth Guru, with its keen sense of hearing. It listens intently and is wary of all noises—but it is lured to its doom by the melody of the deer hunter’s flute. Like the deer, we keep our ears alert for every bit of news, rumor, & gossip, & are skeptical about much that we hear. What I learned from the deer is that we become spellbound by certain words which—due to our desires, attachments, cravings, & vasanas —we delight to hear. This tendency creates misery for ourselves & others. Identifying truth & genuine authoritative information is a must while making decisions.

Further continued in comment section.

1 year ago | [YT] | 13

🕉Dharmic

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi🙏🏻
Ganesha Sthuthi…
गजाननं भूतगणादि सेवितं
कपित्थ जम्बूफलसार भक्षितम्
उमासुतं शोक विनाशकारणं
नमामि विघ्नेश्वर पादपङ्कजम् ॥
Gajananam Bhuta Ganadhi Sevitam
Kapittha Jambu Palasara Bhaksitam |
Uma Sutam Shoka Vinasha Karanam
Namami Vignesvara Pada Pankajam ||
1: (I Salute) Sri Gajananam (Who is having an Elephant Face ), Who is Served by the Bhuta Ganas (Celestial Attendants or Followers) and Others,
2: Who Eats the Core of Kapittha (Wood Apple) and Jambu (Rose Apple) Fruits,
3: Who is the Son of Devi Uma (Devi Parvati) and the Cause of Destruction of Sorrows,
4: I Prostrate at the Lotus-Feet of Vigneshwara ( the God Who Removes Obstacles ).
Let us pray to Lord Ganesha for divine guidance to help us overcome all obstacles in our spiritual path, and bless our works so it may serve others.

1 year ago | [YT] | 14

🕉Dharmic

ANCIENT INDIAN HEALTH TIPS IN SANSKRIT TRANSLATED IN ENGLISH
Goldern Words Of Wisdom In Sanskrit By Our Sages
Ayurveda is a gift, when you get ill and can't find solutions in traditional medicine. Ayurveda is the way of healing and nourishing way of living. And the food, of course it's simple ingredients and million of spices taste heavenly. Light, nutritious, healthy dishes are cooked with care and love, where the main goal is to please your digestive system and heal your body.
There are many ways how to look at Ayurvedic food either as a healing fuel for your body or just healthy, vegetarian meals.
Being mindful about what you do, doing yog or workout and meditation, how you eat food, taking care of your physical and mental health, are the key fundamentals.

1. अजीर्णे भोजनं विषम्।
If previously taken Lunch is not digested, taking Dinner will be equivalent to taking Poison. Hunger is one signal that the previous food is digested.
2. अर्धरोगहरी निद्रा।
Proper sleep cures half of the diseases..
3 मुद्गदाली गदव्याली।
Of all the Pulses, Green grams are the best. It boosts Immunity. Other Pulses all have one or the other side effects.
4. भग्नास्थि-संधानकरो लशुनः।
Garlic even joins broken bones.
5. अति सर्वत्र वर्जयेत्।
Anything consumed in Excess, just because it tastes good, is not good for Health. Be moderate.
6. नास्ति मूलमनौषधम्।
There is No Vegetable that has no medicinal benefit to the body..
7. न वैद्यः प्रभुरायुषः।
No Doctor is capable of giving Longevity. (Doctors too have limitations.)
8. चिंता व्याधि प्रकाशाय।
Worry aggravates ill-health..
9. व्यायामश्च शनैः शनैः।
Do any Exercise slowly.
(Speedy exercise is not good.)
10. अजवत् चर्वणं कुर्यात्।
Chew your Food like a Goat.
(Never Swallow food in a hurry. Saliva aids first in digestion.)
11. स्नानं नाम मनःप्रसाधनकरंदुः स्वप्न-विध्वंसनम्।
Bath removes Depression.
It drives away Bad Dreams too.(Two times bath mandatory)
12. न स्नानमाचरेद् भुक्त्वा।
Never take Bath immediately after taking Food. (Digestion gets affected).
13. नास्ति मेघसमं तोयम्।
No water matches Rainwater in purity. (Though not applicable everywhere in today's era)
14. अजीर्णे भेषजं वारि।
When there is indigestion taking plain water serves like medicine.
15. सर्वत्र नूतनं शस्तं, सेवकान्ने पुरातने।
Always prefer things that are Fresh.
Whereas, Rice and Servant taste good only when they are consumed as late as possible.( Atleast 6-12 months after harvesting)
16. नित्यं सर्वा रसा भक्ष्याः।।
Take the food that has all six tastes.
(viz: Salt, Sweet, Bitter, Sour, Astringent and Pungent).
17. जठरं पूरायेदर्धम् अन्नैर्, भागं जलेन च।
वायोः संचरणार्थाय चतर्थमवशेषयेत्।।
Fill your Stomach half with Solids, a quarter with Water and rest leave it empty.(Filling your stomach completely with solid results in various diseases in long term)
18. भुक्त्वा शतपथं गच्छेद् यदिच्छेत् चिरजीवितम्।
Never sit idle after taking Food.
Walk for at least half an hour.
19. क्षुत्साधुतां जनयति।
Hunger increases the taste of food.
In other words, eat only when hungry..
20. चिंता जरा नाम मनुष्याणाम्।
Worrying speeds up ageing..
21. शतं विहाय भोक्तव्यं, सहस्रं स्नानमाचरेत्।
When it is time for food, keep even 100 jobs aside. (It is even said that Lord of death allows you to complete your meal before taking you away)
22. सर्वधर्मेषु मध्यमाम्।
Choose always the middle path. Avoid going for extremes in anything.

1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 12