Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Navaratri - Spiritual Significance

Navaratri - It is celebrated all over India with extreme zeal and enthusiasm. It is a nine days celebration and devotees during these nine days observe fasts, go to temples, and worship Goddess Durga. The entire surrounding is full of pious echo of Maa Durga bhajans. People do Jagraate, Golu (the festival of dolls), organize community feasts and celebrations. The celebrations are at its climax on the eighth and the ninth day of the Navratri. In Hindus this festival is given immense importance and treated as a festival of eternal enlightenment. Quotes of some popular Hindu scholars will explain you the eternal significance of the Pooja. Read the Navaratri quotations given below to understand more.


Spiritual Significance of Navarathri
During Navaratri, for the first 3 nights, Goddess Durga is invoked first to remove impurities from the mind. Then, for the next 3 nights Goddess Lakshmi is invoked to cultivate the noble values and qualities. Finally, for the last 3 nights Saraswati is invoked for gaining the highest knowledge of the Self. This is the significance of the three sets of three nights when all these three are gained subjectively, and then there will be Vijayadasami (Dussera), the day of true victory. Dussera can also be interpreted as “Dasa-Hara”, which means the cutting of the ten heads of Ravana. So,it's a resolve to cut the ten heads–passion, pride, anger, greed, infatuation, lust, hatred, jealousy, selfishness and crookedness–of the demon, Ego, and thus justify the celebration of Dussera. 


Navaratri is celebrated in various parts of India in different styles. But the one basic aim of this celebration is to propitiate Shakti, the Goddess in Her aspect as Power, to bestow upon man all wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, knowledge (both sacred and secular), and all other potent powers. Whatever be the particular or special request that everyone may put before the Goddess, whatever boon may be asked of Her, the one thing behind all these is propitiation, worship and linking oneself with Her. There is no other aim. This is being effected consciously or unconsciously. Everyone is blessed with Her loving mercy and is protected by Her.

History of Navarathri

Navratri is a very important Hindu festival celebrated in India, which is devoted to Goddess Durga. The festival is celebrated with great reverence and faith across the country. It stretches over a period of nine days, with each of the nine days being dedicated to one of the nine forms of the Goddess. Talking about the history of Navratri festival, it can be explained through the stories mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. In case you want to know more about them, explore the information given below



History and  Origin Of Navratri


In different parts of India, different legends describe the history of Navratri:

North India
The legend in North India goes that Mahishasura, the mighty demon, worshipped Lord Shiva and obtained the power of eternity. Soon, he started killing and harassing innocent people and set out to win all the three lokas. The gods in swargaloka appealed to Lord Shiva, to find a way to get rid of the demon. To protect the world from the atrocities of Mahishasura, the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva united their powers and created a divine female warrior, known as Goddess Durga. Mahishasura, when he saw the divine beauty of Goddess Durga, got mesmerized.

So fascinated was Mahishasura by Goddess Durga's beauty that he approached her with the intention of marriage. The goddess agreed to marry him, but put forth a condition - Mahishasura would have to win over her in a battle. Mahishasura, proud as he was, agreed immediately! The battle continued for 9 nights and at the end of the ninth night, Goddess Durga beheaded Mahishasura. The nine nights came to be known as Navratri, while the tenth day was called Vijayadashmi, the tenth day that brought the triumph of good over evil.


Eastern Belief
As per the legend prevalent in East India, Daksha, the king of the Himalayas, had a beautiful and virtuous daughter called Uma. She wished to marry Lord Shiva, since her childhood. In order to win over the Lord, she worshipped him and managed to please him as well. When Shiva finally came to marry her, the tiger-skin clad groom displeased Daksha and he broke off all the relationships with his daughter and son-in-law. One fine day, Daksha organized a yagna, but did not invite Lord Shiva for the same.

Uma got so angry at her father's rude behavior, towards her husband, that she decided to end her life by jumping into the agnikund of the yagna, where she was united with eternity (since then, she came to be known as Sati). However, she took re-birth and again won Shiva as her groom and peace was restored. It is believed that since then, Uma comes every year with Ganesh, Kartik, Saraswati and Laxmi and two of her best friends or 'sakhis', called Jaya and Bijaya, to visit her parent's home during Navratri.


Another Legend - Ram and Ravana
Yet another legend of Navratri relates to the Hindu epic Ramayana. It goes that Lord Rama worshipped Goddess Durga in nine aspects, for nine days, in order to gather the strength and power to kill Ravana. He wanted to release Sita from the clutches of powerful demon king Ravana, who had abducted her. Those nine nights became to be known as Navratri and the tenth day, on which Lord Rama killed Ravana, came to be called Vijayadashmi or Dusshera, signifying Rama's (good) triumph over Ravana (evil).

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Inspirational quotes?

Why read through inspirational quotations?


In this day and times, where as a woman you wear several hats at once, there's much chaos and disorder surrounding your life. So you're wanting to regain some peace, clarity and inspiration.


Sometimes, it's simply not possible to hear of inspiring quotes from the people living in your environment. Instead, negativity prevails in the air. People complain and people moan constantly about their lives. And you desperately need to hear of some positive and inspirational messages.


Reading inspirational thoughts and words soothe your soul. Be inspired by the wisdom of the great personalities and may you gain the needed motivation to pursue whatever you dream of achieving in your life.


Time passes real quickly and may you find the courage within you to go after your heart's desires. And when the time comes for you to look back at your life, may you be deeply grateful that you've led a life that has purpose and meaning to you.


The great inspirational quotes speak to your heart and bring a spark to your day!









Friday, May 7, 2010

Happy Mothers Day!!

No gift to your mother can ever equal her gift to you - life ..
On the special occasion of Mothers day, thank her - for, what you are today is because of all her hardwork and sacrifice...
Pay tribute to your mother - the greatest blessing of God on you..
And most of all, on Mothers day, thank your mother for all the love she has showered on you,
and wish her Happy Mothers day!!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

True Leadership..

Came across this interesting article today, based on "Vision of the Bhagvad Gita". Though the article was a bit long, it was worth reading and I thought it should definitely be on my blog so I could come back again, and read it frequently, to cleanse my thoughts...

It is the responsibility of the great leaders to live an exemplary life. The problem in today's society is that respect for higher (spiritual) values is diminishing, and it is hard to find role models to portray those values. With the advancement in information technology,  one could always find lots of information on the internet. But, not sure if all of those is reliable.. And there is so much details out there that they are not even necessary.. One needs a true leader or teacher, to provide guidance, and selectively take those information to ones advantage. People simply observe and implicitly follow the virtues, values, ideals, action or conduct upheld by the leader. Hence the reason, in every field of life one needs a true teacher or a leader, to observe the right ideals and learn the true values.

We may excuse ourselves by saying that we are just ordinary people, and we are not leaders, and so we lack leadership qualities.. That's not true though.. For, every person is a leader to someone in this world.. And there is always someone we look upto and there is always someone who looks upto us. At home, children see the parents as a source of love, great wisdom and strength. Children think that their parents are omniscient and omnipotent. So, no one can escape responsibility.

In this world, sometimes we across people who have no consideration for others, and they do not take responsibilty for anything, but expect others to take the responsibility and criticize others constantly. They fail to fulfill their own responsibilty, while they expect everything from others.. Even if one can't set an example for the society, we can set an example for our children.. If there is no expectation from our actions, then there is no question for disappointment. Sooner or later, greatness and recognition will come to those who do their work with dedication. It is very important to set high goals in life, and vision is necessary. And so also the ability to translate that vision into right attitudes and actions. That is a lesson our children will learn from us as well.

In Bhagwad Gita, Lord Krishna says that ignorant people perform actions with attachment, where as the wise perform actions without attachement, wishing the welfare of the world.. Ignorant people here does not refer to uneducated people.. But those who are spiritually ignorant.. That ignorance expresses itself as extreme attachement to power, position, prestige and also to be obsessed with the fruits of their action.. From the worldly stand point, they seem to achieve everything, but in that process they create restlessness and agitataion. In the process of trying to fulfill their own ambitions, they may try to hurt and agitate the minds of others whom they use to achieve their goals. Lord Krishna says that, like ignorant people, one should be obsessed with ambition, and work with great energy and dynamism, but his motivation should be noble. Our actions being the same, if the attitude changes the results can be phenomenal.

As we see again and again, there cannot be an action without some desire or motivational factor. Therefore, our motivation must be to see everyone happy, and to see only the good, and let not anyone be unhappy or sorrowful in this world.. May it be your familymembers, kids, colleagues, or anyone you deal with. If we work with this feeling, then we will see a tremendous difference in our performance.  This is very important and necessary for all parents, teachers and leaders. Most of the time, our attitude is that we are right and they are wrong. We want everyone to take interest in what we value and we tend to force them. Instead, first we should take interest in what they enjoy. Then, if we ask them to look at something that is important to us, they will do so naturally. But they will never cooperate if they are constantly told that what they do is not right. 


A person who works for his personal ambition is agitated and restless, where as the wise person, though in action, is calm at all times, and efficient in his endeavors. Because his mind is calm, he is able to achieve maximum results with minimum time and effort. His complete attention is on the action because his mind is not preoccupied with expectation or anxiety for the results. When problems arise, they are not disturbed, and so they act efficiently. The wise person remains steadfast and performs all actions with the right attitude. So, the way to true leadership is to stay calm at every situation and to share the secret of our success with others. That is the science of true leadership.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Valentine... ?

Valentines day…. There were days when I considered it as hype, and thought it was all too artificial.... Every point in life I gave it a different definition..

Today, my kids gave me a cute handmade Valentine, along with a gift, and insisted me that it should be at my desk in my office, and it should remind me of their love for me, always! Those words from my loved ones gave me a whole new definition this time, and a reason to celebrate Valentines Day! Yes, celebrate it for the sake of my kids (much to the J of my better half!).

True Love, laughter and support…. One gets all of these from the bosom of the family…Valentines day brings warm thoughts of close family ties... the thoughts of my best childhood days that I spent with my loving parents and sister, the love and support from my husband that grows every moment, the joy that I get in the company of my close friends…

In the real sense of the word, Valentine just means ‘True Love’. In a way, Valentines Day reminds us how much it means to love and to belong, and to cherish fond memories - For, true love and affection is what helps build strong hopes for a bright dawn of tomorrow... Just as every flower has a fragrance, and every song has a tune, so is life.. True love is the soul /sole (purpose) of ones life!

Happy Valentines Day!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Unconditional Love, the Ultimate Vision

Unconditional Love Is the Ultimate Vision -  from a Chinmaya Mission article

Life is a series of perceptions and responses to the external world. Our response depends upon our vision and understanding of life and our value system. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna differentiates between the type of vision that leads to happiness and freedom and the kind that leads to bondage.

The noblest or sattvic vision of life is one by which we see the one indestructible reality in all beings irrespective of their names, qualities, and characteristics. However, the world viewed through our senses appears totally different; no two objects are identical. How is it possible to see the one Truth or the oneness of all beings?

The mediocre or rajasic vision is one by which we see all things and beings as different from each other. When your attention is focused on differences and numerous dissimilarities are detected, it moulds your attitude towards other religions, cultures and countries in a negative way. A vision of oneness brings about integration and a vision of differences creates more and more divisions.

We see it happening often in families and with people. It begins gradually as a simple difference of opinion between husband and wife, two friends or two communities. Two brothers clash for a greater share in the property forgetting that they belong to the same family. Once the vision of oneness is lost, differences are perceived which create conflicts generating more and more likes and dislikes. Such a person neither lives in peace and joy nor does he allow others to do so.

A tamasic vision is a low kind of vision in which the person gets fanatically and exclusively attached to just one or some things, persons, experiences or ideologies. This little finite attachment is taken for the ‘whole’. Some people are crazy and greedy over money, while others are fanatical about power or pleasures in life. When people give exclusive importance to just one of the many things of this world, even though they appear to be successful in that particular field, their total life is miserable because everything else is neglected. A person with a tamasic vision can never live in peace and happiness.

The life of a person with a sattvic vision is predominated by just one emotion; the emotion of pure love. However, most people neither know what love is nor understand the meaning of it. Love is a very different thing. Just take the example of our body. Even though I see the many parts in the body, I have the vision — “In all these parts there is one Truth, that is myself. I am present everywhere in all of them.” Therefore, we have equal love for every part of the body. There is no favouritism. We don’t say, “I will only look after my head when it is unwell, but if something happens to my foot, that’s not my problem!”

A vision of oneness is a readiness to serve all and it creates an attitude of forgiveness — kshama. When we hate someone, we actually hate ourselves, because that someone else is really not different from us. All bodies are made of five elements; hence the material cause of all is the same. At the same time, there is the same life force that enlivens me as well as others. Where is the difference? Therefore, who is hurting whom?

Just imagine the state of a person whose heart is filled with love, compassion, forgiveness and kindness. What will be the state of his mind? Will he not be totally happy and free?

Sunday, February 7, 2010

True definition of music....

According to me, true music needs no lyrics... And composing good music is not an easy task.. It's a gift from the divine! Illayaraja's music is the true meaning of soul-stirring music.. Only through his music did I realize that one could hear feelings!!! Spellbound!!! I grew up listening to his music.. and to this day, I remember those mind blowing, melodious background scores he had composed... What a great contribution to the world of music by the Great Maestro,  who is well known for using instruments rather than electronics. His music has a classical touch..Truly soulful, eternal music! His background music (BGM) has no comparison.Those days we did not have this kind of communication explosion, otherwise he would have gone places. The world needs to know about him. Hats off to the great Maestro !


Today, thanks to the internet world, his fans across the globe share his great music works on the web..
Here are some samples of his great work that I found on YouTube.... Listen and enjoy!


1) Heart warming and eternal soundtrack from the album How to Name it by the Maestro of Indian Music Ilayaraja, that earned him the "Maestro" title. It's a fusion of Indian and Western classical music, dedicated to the Carnatic master Thyagaraja and to J. S. Bach.:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UcfRzCdmMs

2) To me this one is one of the best!!! A master piece that speaks the heart! Again, from the album How to Name. It's a fusion of Indian and Western classical music, dedicated to the carnatic master Thyagaraja and to J. S. Bach.
Music Composer: Ilaiyaraaja ; Violinist: VS Narasimhan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz-MTrlIG_8&feature=related

3) Movie: "Raja Paarvai" -- best violin BackGround Music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E9vvKHP21I

4) Here is a fusion of his Backgroundscores from various Tamil movies.. Left me truly spell bound!!! After more than 20 yrs, I still remember some of the movies just because of his background scores...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYlJbRmaUTo

5) Best background music (BGM) from movie "Varusham 16"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvIbdUqrBiQ&feature=related

6) BGM from movie "Nayagan"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1v0XwZ_2UY&feature=fvw

7) BGM from movie "Mouna Ragam"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSWTgRMHP4Q&feature=related

Friday, January 29, 2010

Cell Phone vs. Bhagvad Gita

CELL PHONE vs. GITA

Wonder what would happen if we treated our Gita like we treat our cellphone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several time a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Gita?
Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Gita being disconnected because Krishna already paid the bill.
Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities?
And no dropped calls!

ESSENCE OF BHAGVAD GITA
Whatever has happened, has happened for good.
Whatever is happening, is happening for good.
Whatever is going to happen, it will be for good.
What have you lost for which you cry?
What did you bring with you, which you have lost?
What did you produce, which has destroyed?
You did not bring anything when you were born.
Whatever you have, you have received from Him.
Whatever you will give, you will give to Him.
You came empty handed and you will go the same way.
Whatever is yours today was somebody else's Yesterday and will be somebody else's tomorrow.
SO WHY WORRY UNNECESSARILY?
Change is the law of the universe.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Words of Wisdom... continued..

More Subhashitani (Quotable Quotes)...

1)
pusthakasTHA thu yA vidhyA parahasthagatham DHanam
kAryakAlEsamuthpannE na sA vidhyA na thadh Dhanam

Meaning: Knowledge that is contained only in books and your wealth that is in the hands of others, cannot be called true knowledge or real wealth, because they are not available when you need them.

2) shaile shaile na maanikyam, moukthikam na gaje gaje
saadhavo na hi sarvatra, chandanam na vane vane"

Meaning: Just as the precious stone (Maanikya) is not found on every mountain, just as the diamond cannot be found on every elephant (note: Indra's elephant, Airawata supposedly had a diamond on his forehead), and just as sandalwood is not there in every forest, so also good people cannot be found everywhere (and therefore the need to appreciate their worth and presence, wherever they are).

3) AyaM inaja: prao vati gaNanaa laGuchetasaam\
UdaarcharitaanaaM tu vasadaiva kuTumbakam\

Meaning: Consideration like "he is mine or he is another's" occur only to the narrow minded persons. To the broad-minded persons, the whole world is a family.

4) KshaNaSa: kaNaShchaiva vidhyaam artham cha Saadhayeth
KshaNe nashte kutho Vidhya KaNe nashte kutho Dhanam

Meaning: Every moment one should learn; from every bit one should earn.
If you waste a second (kshan) you can't get knowledge (vidhya), and if you waste a bit (Kan) u can't get money (Dhanam)

Monday, January 25, 2010

Subhashitani - Quotable Quotes, words of wisdom...

It was when I entered my 5th grade, that I was introduced to Samskrit. Until then we had been learning Hindi and Tamil as second language.. To begin with, it felt as though we were just boning up the verses, and thought it was just a challenge for our memory.. But gradually as we started learning complex grammer, poems, shlokas, stories from Ramayan, Raghuvamsha etc.., we were taught with the analysis, grammer and translation of some of those great compositions. I was fortunate to have experienced teachers (Pt. Sankara Shastri, Smt.Shyamaa Mukundan, and Pt.N.Srinivasan), who put in a lot of their time and energy in explaining the grammer and meaning. Even though we were learning Tamil and Hindi at school, Sanskrit became my passion.. When I switched from Matriculation to Stateboard in high school, I chose to pick Sanskrit as my second language. I simply fell in love with this wonderful language for the entire construct, rules of grammar, and juxtaposition of words.. Sanskrit is truly India's gift to the world (and not just in the context of it being touted as the best one for computers to understand). My personal interest stimulated me to study Sanskrit by taking up some after school programs. And with the motivation from my mom, I went thru Balabodh, Prarambha, Pravesha exams from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. After my high school, I had to focus on my graduation, and slowly I had to drift away from my Sanskrit classes. Every now and then, when I browse through the web, it is amazing to see there are so many people out there who are contributing to the revival of this Language.
Quotable quotes, called as “Subhashitani”, are two-line Sanskrit verses that teach ethics and values, through the use of similies. Similies are extensively used in Sanskrit literature because it is easier to drive home the simple truths and facts of life, and they help break down complex philosophy in a manner that an ordinary person can understand. Even though I learnt them almost 20 years ago, I still remember some of theese verses, called as the "words of Wisdom". Some I had forgotten over the years, and I could gather the words/meanings from the web. Thanks to the internet world!
Here are some of the Subhashitani, with explanantion given below for each of them.

1) aho durjana sa.nsargAt.h mAna hAniH pade pade |
pAvakaH loha sa.ngena mudgaraiH abhitADyate ||

Meaning :
O, in the company of evil men, one's respect is hurt at every step. Gold in the company of iron gets struck by the mallet.

2) aachaaryaat.h paadam.h aadatte, paadaM shishhyaH svamedhayaa |
paadaM sabrahmacharibhyaH, paadaM kaalakrameNa cha ||

Meaning
A fourth of knowledge is obtained from the teacher, a fourth
due to the student's own intellect, a fourth from his friends and
classmates, and the remaining fourth from experience.

3) Vajradapi kthorani mRidani kusumadapi

lokoktaraNaam chetansi ko hi vijnaatumarhati


Meaning : The minds of the great ones cannot be easily judged because it is harder than diamond and softer than flowers.


4)praarbhyate na khalu vighna bhayena niicheeha

aarabhyavighna vihataaha virmanti madyaha

vighnai puna punarpi pratihanyamaanaa

praarabhyamuktamajanaa na parityajanti


Meaning : The people of lower category willnot start the work at all because of obstacles, where as the middle category people will start the work and leave when the obstacles come, but the people of upper category will never leave the work in between what so ever the obstacles that will come in the way and they will finish the work at any cost.


5) naabhisheko na sanskara singhasya kriyate vane

vikramarjita satvasaya svameva mRigendrataa

Meaning : Nobody has crowned the lion in the forest formally as a king, the lion has acquired this position by virtue of its power.

6) SulabhaaH puruuShhaH loke satatam priyavaadinaH
apriyasya ch pathyasya vakataa shrotaa ch durlabhaaH

Meaning : In this world there are many people who talk pleasingly always.
but people who admonish sternly for well being are rare and listeners are rare too.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Positive attitude...

"When God leads you to the Edge of the Cliff, Trust Him fully and Let Go,
Only One of Two Things will happen, Either He'll Catch You When You Fall, Or He'll teach You How to Fly!"

Sometimes we must be hurt in order to grow,
Sometimes we must fail in order to know,
Sometimes we must lose in order to gain,
Because some lessons in life are best learned through pain.
Have a cheerful day!!!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Five Finger prayer...



This is beautiful - and it is surely
worth making the 5 finger prayer a part of our lives.
1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a 'sweet duty.'
2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.
3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.
4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You can pray too much for them.
5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all, which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.