How Deep Is Sea?

Once, some people got together near a sea to measure its depth. One person had a 1 meter ruler so he put that in the sea & said that sea is 1 meter deep. Another person had a 2 meter ruler so he put that in the sea & said that it is 2 meter deep. Another person had a 5 meter ruler so he put that in the sea & said that it is 5 meter deep. It is as per one’s understanding & means that one describes about the depth of Sea but no one can really tell how deep the Sea is!!

Same is case with God. No one knows how big, how powerful He is. Vedas, Puranas only tell & describe Him as per the knowledge these have but still no one can describe God in full, as He is beyond the knowledge of everyone. God is Infinite & incomprehensible.

God as infinite is limitless, Omnipresent & the one who fills this limitless space. Such an Infinite God exists everywhere & is not limited by time or space. In all the religions of the world God is designated as a singular, universal Supreme Being who encompasses all this creation. His all the attributes such as power, wisdom, love, compassion etc. are limitless & hence Infinite.

Bhagwat Gita describes the God as unborn, eternal, ever-existing, infinite and primeval. God is never born nor dies at any time. God is manifest & un-manifest both i.e. He is there before the creation & also present during the creation. He is omniscient (knows everything), omnipresent (who is present everywhere), omnipotent (who is having all the powers & is all powerful), imperishable & indestructible. He is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. He is having supernatural powers. He is Truth Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and is Infinite. He is everlasting; present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same. So are some of the qualities of God described.

Here below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which describe about the infinite nature of God:

"sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah shrutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tishthati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Everywhere are His (God's) hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super Soul exists, pervading everything in this world."

"mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 7)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, there is nothing else besides Me in this world. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this world is threaded on me.

So let's pay our obeisance to such an Infinite God. Let's also think that God is always near to us & is always in our heart. Then He too shall never give you up or never depart. God is always with you & shall always be with you if you think Him to be supreme. So always have trust in your life that God is near you though He is present in all the creation.

Jai Sri Krishna

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Do all of Your Actions for God only

In Bhagwat Gita many times some verses come that we should have Love & have Devotion to God & that we should devote our mind to God. But there also comes many verses that we should devote all our Actions to God. Now how can we devote all of our actions to God?

This whole world is the creation of God only & knowingly, unknowingly, we all are working for the maintenance of this world only. Just introspect & see that, whatever, work or job (good one), you are doing in this world, it is helping in some way or the other in maintaining & sustaining this world. Just take it in that sense, that if all the people of the earth stop doing their daily work, duties, this whole world shall come to a standstill. In that case nobody shall grow food, vegetables, fruits & other things which sustain our life & hence we shall all die. Same is the case with other professions & each person is adding value to this world by doing his/her duty.

Now, though we do duty to sustain this world only but we don't realize that. As this world is a creation of God, so we should work for Him only. If we develop this sense that we are working selflessly to sustain this world created by God only, then also we shall develop an affinity towards God.

Below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita in which God is asking his disciple Arjuna to do all his actions / activities for Him only.

"mayi sarvani karmani
sannyasyadhyatma-cetasa
nirasir nirmamo bhutva
yudhyasva vigata-jvarah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 30)

"Sri Krishna said: Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight."

'Ye tu srvani krmani
myi sanyasya mat-para
anany-naiv yogen
maam dhyayant upasate '

'Tesham-aham samud-dharta
mrityu-sansar-saagrat
bhavami na-chirat parth
mayy-avesita-chetsam ' (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter XII verse 6-7 )

"Sri Krishna said: Those people, who worship Me by surrendering all their activities unto Me, are always devoted to Me, always meditate upon Me, Having always fixing their minds upon Me, O Parth - to them, I swiftly rescue from the ocean of birth and death."
Through above verse 6 & 7, God is telling 'Parth' (another name of Arjuna, his disciple), that those people who work for God only & offer all their activities & work to Him only, to such a Soul He shows great mercy, always protects him & finally rescues him during & after death.

"yajnarthat karmano ’nyatra
loko ’yam karma-bandhanah
tad-artham karma kaunteya
mukta-sangah samachara" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 9)

"Sri Krishna said: Work done as a sacrifice for Vishnu has to be performed, otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O Arjuna, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage."

In the above verses, God is making very clear that if a person offers all his work & activities to God, thinking this world to be a creation of God only, then also He shall be happy with that person & shall protect & shall deliver that person from the cycles of birth & death. By working for God, we shall attain peace & shall attain His love & devotion. So Let's all Work for God only.

Jai Sri Krishna

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O Lord, Let Ignorance Flee Away From Our Life

'Ah, my Beloved, fill the Cup that clears
To-day of past Regrets and future Fears--
To-morrow?--Why, To-morrow I may be
Myself with Yesterday's Sev'n Thousand Years.

'Omar Khayyam'

Above few lines of the Persian Poet, 'Omar Khayyam' can be interpreted in the philosophical sense as:

Oh, my Lord , fill my consciousness with bliss, ecstasy & Your love, so that ignorance flees away from my life. Only Your love can dispel my past regrets & also the fear of future wrongs, whose consequence shall be sorrow & misfortune only. O Lord, I cannot wait until tomorrow to wait for your grace to happen on me, as tomorrow can be like infinite past only, when I died so many times without knowing you. I want you to Fill the Cup of my Life, today only, with your love & devotion. I don't want to die, time & again in future, as I have done in the past. I know you shall come to my rescue & fill my Soul with your Love.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita tell us that God shall dispel all the darkness in our life if we have faith in Him:

"sarva-karmany api sada
kurvano mad-vyapasrayah
mat-prasadad avapnoti
sasvatam padam avyayam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 56)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My pure devotee, under My protection, reaches the eternal and imperishable abode by My grace."

"cetasa sarva-karmani
mayi sannyasya mat-parah
buddhi-yogam upasritya
mac-cittah satatam bhava" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 57)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, In all activities just depend upon Me and work always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me."

"mac-cittah sarva-durgani
mat-prasadat tarisyasi
atha cet tvam ahankaran
na srosyasi vinanksyasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 58)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost."

So let’s have faith in God as He only can dispel all the darkness in our life. When His grace shall happen on us then He shall fill the cup of our life with His love & devotion. By having Devotion in God He shall fill our Souls with His Love.

Jai Sri Krishna

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God Is Always Right, Never Wrong

God is almighty & perfect. All of His actions & his words are also perfect without any impurities. He is the way of all those people who trust in Him. God knows past, present, future & never makes any mistakes.

In our life when something bad happens to us then we think that God is doing something bad for us. Often we complain about our life and negative things that happen to us, forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose. In this cause & effect world God does everything in our life for our betterment only. Below is a story which illustrates that, whatever, happens in our life, always happens for the Good only.

“In the ancient times in India, there was a king who did not believe in the goodness of God. He had a slave who, in all circumstances, said: My king, do not be discouraged, because God always does that is good for us! Everything God does is perfect, without any mistakes!

One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his majesty losing a finger.

Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman said "Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my finger."

The slave replied: "My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good, and He only knows "why" of all these things. Whatever God does is good for us! Everything God does is perfect, without any mistakes! He is never wrong!" Outraged by the response of the slave, the king ordered the arrest of his slave. Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by the wild men who made human sacrifices.

In the altar, ready to sacrifice the king, the savages found that the victim had not one of his fingers, so he was released. According to them, a person without a finger was not so complete to be offered to the gods. Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave that he received very affectionately.

"My dear, God was really good to me! I was almost killed by the wild men, but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a question: if God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail?"

"My King, if I had gone with you in this hunt, I would have been sacrificed in place of you, because I have no missing finger. So always remember that, everything God does is good for us! Everything God does is perfect, without any mistakes! He is never wrong."

So always have faith in the God & always think:

"Whatever happened in the past, it happened for the good; Whatever is happening, is happening for the good; Whatever shall happen in the future, shall happen for the good only. Do not weep for the past, do not worry for the future, concentrate on your present life."

He who has faith in God is strong. He who doubts about God is weak. Strong faith in God precedes great actions. Faith illumines the spiritual path, builds a bridge across the gulf of death, and takes one to the other shore of fearlessness and deathlessness. Below verses of Bhagwat Gita on Faith says everything:

"yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
shraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 47)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: And of all yogis, the one with great Faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me—he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion."

"ye tu dharmamritam idam
yathoktam paryupasate
sraddadhana mat-parama
bhaktas te ’tiva me priyah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: O Arjuna, Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith, making Me the supreme goal, are very, very dear to Me."

So let’s not doubt about the God & just have Faith in Him. Let’s accept the will of God in all circumstances of life & have faith that whatever, happens in our life, happens for the good only. If you have Faith in God & words of the Lord Krishna, then you shall be able to turn toward the God. It's Faith in God only which determines how you can lead your life in a better way.

Jai Sri Krishna

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Cult of Devotion to Lord Krishna

Lord Krishna is almighty, all powerful & everyone prays to Him but there is a cult of devotion in which a person falls in Love with Lord Krishna & there is a burning desire in that person's mind to meet Lord Krishna. Gopis of Vrindavan, including Sri Radha Rani are of that cult only who fell in Love with Lord Krishna. Meerabai also considered Lord Krishna like that only. Such devotee’s state of mind is the one who always think madly of Lord Krishna. This is the state of the highest devotion to the God, in which a person always yearns to meet Lord Krishna. Gopis & Sri Radha's love for Lord Krishna is so strong that in His absence their mind always yearns for Him.

In "Bhagwat Gita" Lord Krishna is saying to Arjuna:

Be aware of me always,
adore me, make every
act an offering to me,
and you shall come to me;
this I (Krishna) promise,
for you are dear to me. (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

Abandon all supports and
look to me for protection.
I shall purify you from the
sins of the past; do not grieve. (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

Lord Krishna is assuring Arjuna in Bhagwat Gita that He shall always be with him in all circumstances if he is always in devotion to Him. Same thing applies to every human being also. If a person remains devoted to Lord Krishna then Lord promises that He shall deliver that person of all the sins of the past & purify that person. By doing such loving service to the Lord, certainly that person shall be in the eyes of God always & God shall always protect that person.

So let's be devoted to Lord Krishna always. Let's sing His Glories, read literature regarding Him & also do loving service to humanity (charity etc.) in His name.

Jai Sri Krishna

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Just Serve as a medium of God

In one place in Bhagwat Gita, Lord Krishna is telling Arjuna, ”All those great warriors, Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna and the others have already been destroyed by Me (God). Therefore, kill them and do not be disturbed. Simply fight and you will vanquish your enemies in battle.”

We in our life, unnecessarily think that we are the “Doers”, however we are just a medium of God. We are just playing a role in the already scripted play of God. So we should not think that we are the doers but just think that we are the actors on this world stage of God. We are just playing a role in this play of God. In this way all our ego shall vanish & we shall surrender ourselves completely to God.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which tell that God is all powerful & He has already scripted everything & we just have to play a role in His worldly play:

"sri-bhagavan uvacha
kalo ’smi loka-ksaya-krt pravrddho
lokan samahartum iha pravrttah
rte ’pi tvam na bhavisyanti sarve
ye ’vasthitah pratyanikesu yodhah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eleven verse 32)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the exception of you [the Pandavas], all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain."

"tasmat tvam uttistha yaso labhasva
jitva satrun bhunksva rajyam samrddham
mayaivaite nihatah purvam eva
nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eleven verse 33)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Arjuna is an instrument in the fight."

"dronam cha bhismam cha jayadratham cha
karnam tathanyan api yodha-viran
maya hatams tvam jahi ma vyathistha
yudhyasva jetasi rane sapatnan" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eleven verse 34)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna and the other great warriors have already been destroyed by Me. Therefore, kill them and do not be disturbed. Simply fight, and you will vanquish your enemies in battle."

So let’s shed our ego that we are the doers but just surrender our ego at the feet of God. Let’s Just Serve as a medium of God. By doing so, we shall be doing our duty & also surrendering at the feet of God by acknowledging that we are doing all work for God.

Jai Sri Krishna

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Quotes by Lord Krishna on the Soul

Whole philosophy of Bhagwat Gita is about "Body & Soul" & what is the difference between the two. On the one hand Body is said to be perishable while the Soul is immortal which never dies. Lord Sri Krishna in Bhagwat Gita is only teaching that we should consider ourself, as that immortal Soul & that we all are immortal if we do not think ourselves, as this Body but Soul.

Soul, Spirit, Atman, Self etc. are words which are used to define subtle nature of ourselves which is invisible & mysterious. Soul is something which is within this body & something which can exist without this body. When soul lives in this physical body then it enjoys the different sensory objects through this body. Soul is indestructible & immortal. It moves from one body to the other. As we are not able to see this Soul due to it's subtle nature so it looks mysterious to us.

Now let's understand about the Soul through the Bhagwat Gita. As per Bhagwat Gita both God (Super soul) and the Individual Souls do exist & It also believes in the incarnation of the individual souls, their delusion and bondage to the cycle of births and deaths because of desire ridden actions. As per this, Soul at death gets released from this body, rises to the higher worlds (heaven etc.) or to the lower wombs (animals, birds etc.) & reincarnates or return to the earth to continue its cycle of births and deaths.

Below are Quotes in Bhagwat Gita, which describe the Soul, or Atman, in detail:

"dehino-asmin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvnam jara
tatha dehantar-praptir-
adhiras tatra na muhyati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 13)

"Sri Krishna said: Just as boyhood, youth & old age are attributed to the soul & the embodied soul continuously passes through these cycles, similarly the embodied soul passes into another body at death. The wise man does not get deluded & bewildered with such a change."

"avinasi tu tad viddhi
yena sarvam idam tatam
vinasam avyayasyasya
na kascit kartum arhati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 17)

"Sri Krishna said: Know that to be imperishable & indestructible, by which all this is pervaded; for none can bring about the destruction of this indestructible substance, the imperishable soul."

"antavanta ime deha
nityasyoktah saririnah
anasino ’prameyasya
tasmad yudhyasva bharata" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: All these bodies pertaining to the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity / soul are spoken of as perishable; therefore, fight, Arjuna."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, neither slays not can it be slain (Chapter 2.19).

"ya enam vetti hantaram
yas chainam manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijanito
nayam hanti na hanyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 19)

"Sri Krishna said: They are both ignorant, he who knows the soul to be capable of killing and he who takes it as killed; for verily the soul neither kills, nor is killed."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is never born, never dies and after coming into existence never ceases to be. It is nitya (always), shasvatah (permanent) and purana (very ancient) (Chapter 2.20).

"na jayate mriyate va kadacin
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato ’yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: The soul is never born nor dies at any time. Soul has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. Soul is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. Soul is not slain when the body is slain."

"vedavinasinam nityam
ya enam ajam avyayam
katham sa purushah Arjuna
kam ghatayati hanti kam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 21)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, how can a human being who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?"

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, does not suffer & cannot be tainted. At the time of death it does not die, but leaves the body and enters into a new one (Chapter 2.22).

"vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
navani grhnati naro ’parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani samyati navani dehi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said: As a human being puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman has the properties that Weapons cannot pierce it, fire cannot burn it, water cannot moisten it and wind cannot dry it (Chapter 2.23).

"nainam chindanti shastrani
nainam dahati pavakah
na chainam kledayanty apo
na sosayati marutah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 23)

"Sri Krishna said: The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is impenetrable, incombustible, all pervading, stable and immobile (Chapter 2.24).

"acchedyo ’yam adahyo ’yam
akledyo ’sosya eva cha
nityah sarva-gatah sthanur
achalo ’yam sanatanah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 24)

"Sri Krishna said: This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same."

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is invisible, imperceptible and immutable (Chapter 2.25).

"avyakto ’yam acintyo ’yam
avikaryo ’yam ucyate
tasmad evam viditvainam
nanusocitum arhasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 25)

"Sri Krishna said: It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body."

"atha chainam nitya-jatam
nityam va manyase mrtam
tathapi tvam maha-baho
nainam socitum arhasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 26)

"Sri Krishna said: If, however, you think that the soul [or the symptoms of life] is always born and dies forever, you still have no reason to lament, O mighty-armed."

"prakriteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 27)

"Sri Krishna said: The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature."

Lord Krishna knew the limitations of human consciousness to gauge the true nature of the inner soul. So in the Bhagwat Gita it concurs that no one can exactly know what a soul is. Someone looks at It with great surprise, another speaks about It with great surprise, some another hears about It with incredulity and yet another after hearing about It knows it not (Chapter 2.29).

"ascharya-vat pasyati kascid enam
ascharya-vad vadati tathaiva chanyah
ascharya-vac chainam anyah srnoti
srutvapy enam veda na chaiva kascit" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 29)

"Sri Krishna said: Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all."

Below verse tells how Soul is superior to matter; mind, senses & intelligence:

"indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
yo buddheh paratas tu sah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 42)

"Sri Krishna said: The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence."

So in this way Soul is a Mysterious thing & can be understood if you have faith in God & in religious scriptures.

Jai Shri Krishna

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Why can’t we see Sun Light in night?

We see the Sun during the day & its rays lit the whole world during the daytime. We are not able to see the Sun at night.  The reason being that the side of the Earth which we are on, has rotated so that it is facing away from the Sun (into space). At night we have turned our-self opposite to the Sun i.e. earth has moved in such a way that at night, Sun is in opposite direction to us. In simple terms, if we divide the Earth into 2 halves, then at any point of time, one half of the earth sees the Sun while the other half sees the Moon / night / darkness. We all know that the earth takes 24 hrs. to complete one rotation along its own axis. So, if we see, it’s hardly 12 hrs. between the sunrise and the sunset. So we go into the other half of the earth during night and vice versa. At mid night, no direct light of Sun reaches the night side, so we do not see light at night & always remain in darkness.

Here above we have seen that at night, as we are not facing the Sun & as we have moved away from it, then we are not able to see & there is darkness everywhere. Same is the case with God. When we turn away from Him then we are not able to see Him & get His light, wisdom & grace. In our real life, we all have become so busy in our life that we have turned our face away from God. All miseries of our life are only due to that only that we have turned our face away from the God & are living in the dark night of Maya. As soon as, we turn our face towards the God then we are able to see Him & He starts showing his mercy upon us. It is our fault only that we have turned our face, mind away from God, while God is always around us shining like a Sun.

So, O Lord, Lead us away from the Darkness (of Ignorance) to the Light (of Spiritual Knowledge). O Lord, in You, there lies the light of wisdom. Tamas is the darkness. Jyoti is the light. With light, darkness is dispelled. Darkness is death. The light is Truth, Bliss and Peace. The light is eternal. So Lord pl. bless all of us with your bliss.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which tells that if a devotee turns to the God, then He too turns toward His devotee & always fulfills their desires & always protects them:

"tesam jnani nitya-yukta
eka-bhaktir visisyate
priyo hi jnanino ’tyartham
aham sa cha mama priyah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 17)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged in pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me."

"purushah sa parah partha
bhaktya labhyas tv ananyaya
yasyantah-sthani bhutani
yena sarvam idam tatam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: The Lord / God, who is greater than all, is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him."

So let's have full devotion towards God. "Once the mind of a person is full of surrender to the lotus feet of God & the mind is full of hankering after Lord's qualities, then that person never encounter Yamarâja (Lord of death) and his superintendents, or even in one's dreams meet his servants carrying the ropes to bind, because doing such Devotional service to Lord is the right atonement for all sins." Let’s all turn our face to God & get his mercy. Let Lord Krishna bless all of us.

Jai Sri Krishna

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Tree from a Seed, Web from a Spider

Have you ever wondered how a big banyan tree sprouts & comes out of a small seed? Have you ever wondered how a spider spins out her thread from her own body, and draws it back with her arms?

“In ancient times in India, a very wise “Spiritual Guru” used to live in a hut in the forest. He had inherited the spiritual wisdom from his father & forefathers. Once a young man from the village came to him. This was a man well-known as the owner of land, wise in the ways of the world. He said to “Spiritual Guru”, "Please tell me that knowledge which will explain everything to me."

“Spiritual Guru” looked at him & said. "There are really two kinds of knowledge," he replied. One of them is higher knowledge and the other one is lower one. The lower knowledge is of hymns and scriptures, rituals, grammar, poetry, astrology and other such sciences.....but the higher knowledge leads a man to that being which never dies. That is called the knowledge of the Indestructible."

"Yes, sir," said the young man. "That is what I want to know about."

“Spiritual Guru” said, "Then, listen well. The Indestructible cannot be picked up like this stick or that stone. It belongs to no family, nor to any caste. It neither has eyes nor ears (yet sees & hears everything), It has no hands or feet, It is forever. Wherever you go It is there; you cannot leave It; It is all around you.

"Indestructible is very fine, very subtle, and that is why you do not see It. everything else has come out of this Indestructible, you see. You know how a spider spins out her thread from her own body, and draws it back with her arms, or how plants grow from the soil, or how hair grows on a person's body. In that same way, the whole universe emerges from that Indestructible Being called God.”

The God who is present everywhere in space & creation is called Omnipresent God. There is no place in creation which can be without the presence of God & He is present there at every point of time and space. God fills all the space & places in heaven and on earth.

Here below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which describe about the infinite nature of God:

"sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah shrutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tishthati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Everywhere are His (God's) hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super Soul exists, pervading everything in this world."

"mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 7)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, there is nothing else besides Me in this world. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this world is threaded on me.

So let's pay our obeisances to such an Indestructible & Infinite God. Let's also think that God is always near us & is always in our heart. Then He too shall never give you up or never depart. God is always with you & shall always be with you if you think Him to be supreme Indestructible. So always have trust that God is near you though He is present in all the creation.

Jai Sri Krishna

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Happy Shivratri – Lord Shiva is Supreme

This article is dedicated to Lord Shiva on the day of Maha Shivratri. Sivaratri or Shivaratri (Night of Shiva or "Great Night of Shiva") is a festival celebrated every year by the Hindus. It is celebrated in the honor of Lord Shiva who is one of the Hindu Gods forming the trinity, Brahma, Vishnu & Mahesh (Shiva). Sivaratri (Night of Shiva) literally means ‘the grand night dedicated to the worship of Shiva. This festival is observed for one day and one night every year.

Many legends are associated with the Sivaratri festival. According to one legend, Sivaratri is the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Parvati. As per another legend it is the night when Lord Shiva performed the Tandava Dance - the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction. Another legend associates Sivaratri with the great mythical churning of the ocean called Samudra Manthan. According to the legend, during the churning of the ocean, a pot of poison emerged. The gods and the demons were terrified as it could destroy the entire world. When they approached Lord Shiva for help, He, in order to protect the world, drank the deadly poison. However, he held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This turned his throat blue. Since then Lord Shiva came to be known as ’Nilkantha’, the blue-throated one. Mahashivaratri celebrates this event by which Lord Shiva saved the world. Lord Shivs is considered to be unborn and hence cannot die. He is one without a beginning or an end and exists eternally.

Here is an interesting story about the birth & father of Lord Shiva :

When Lord Brahma presiding over Lord Shiva's marriage with goddess Parvati, asked Him, what his 'gotra is', Shiva at first remained silent. For the readers not familiar with Hinduism, Gotra is the lineage name started by first person that usually is an ancient Rishi sage in that family. For example, if someone's gotra is Kashyap, then he traces back his family lineage to the Kashyap Rishi. In some cases it may also mean the lineage of the family Guru.

So upon asking His lineage, Gotra by Brahma, Lord Shiva kept quite. Brahma asked again, but no reply came from Lord Shiva. So Brahma asked Shiva who is your father? Shiva said, you are my father Brahmaji. He again asked, who his grandfather is. Lord Shiva replied, it is Lord Vishnu. Lord Brahma asked again, so who is the father of Lord Vishnu? Shiva replied: it’s ME. And in that way, he revealed that he is the father of the universe and the cosmic manifestation. He is also the ParBrahm. Beyond Brahm. Lord Vishnu has worshipped Lord Shiva in his every incarnation. This is revealed by Lord Rama and Lord Krishna, who worshipped Lord Shiva, during their incarnation.

One may consider Vishnu and Shiva the two sides of the same coin, both are one only.

The origins of Shiva are unknown. He appears by his own energy. That is why he is also called Swayambhu.
As per the Hindu mythology, God is ONE. Lord Krishna is same as Lord Rama & also same as Lord Shiva. As per Bhagwat Gita Chapter Ten Verse - 23, God himself declares that He (Lord Krishna) is same as Lord Shiva.

"rudranam sankaras chasmi
vitteso yaksha-rakshasam
vasunam pavakas chasmi
meruh sikharinam aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 23)

"Sri Krishna said: Of all the Rudras I am Lord Shiva, of the Yakshas and Rakshasas I am the Lord of wealth [Kubera], of the Vasus I am fire [Agni], and of mountains I am Meru."

Now here below is a beautiful story which shows the kindness of Lord Shiva to his devotee & how He saved one of His devotee from the tiger.

Lord Shiva saves the Hunter:

Once a hunter was wandering in a dense forest, to chase a deer and suddenly he found himself on the banks of river Kolidum, where he heard the roar of a tiger. In order to defend himself from the tiger, he climbed up a tree close by. The Tiger sat on the ground below the tree without the purpose to leave.

The huntsman stayed at the tree whole night and to keep himself awake, he plucked one leaf after another from the tree and threw it down. There was a "Shiva Lingam" under the tree and gracefully the tree turned out to be a ''bilva'' tree (leaves of this tree are adored by Shiva). Without any knowledge, the huntsman had delighted the Lord Shiva by pouring Bilva leaves all night. With the arrival of the sun, the hunter looked down and found that the tiger has gone. In its place, Lord Shiva was standing there and he prostrated before the lord. With Shiva's blessings, he attained salvation from the bondage of the material world.

Om Namah Shivaye

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Why People Shout When They Are Angry?

Do you know why people get angry in life? Moreover, do you know why people start shouting at each other, while in anger? Here below is an interesting story about that:

“A Hindu saint who was visiting river Ganges to take bath found a group of family members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other. He turned to his disciples, smiled and asked.

'Why do people in anger shout at each other?'

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout.'

'But, why should you shout, when the other person is just next to you? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner.' asked the saint.

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the other disciples. Finally the saint explained.

'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other to cover that great distance.

What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either nonexistent or very small...'

The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

He looked at his disciples and said.

'So when you argue, do not let your hearts get distant, Do not say words that distance each other more, Or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.”

We all know that getting angry is not good in life but all of us get angry at some point of time in life. Why at times, our mind gets violent & anger is expressed in our nature? In a state of anger we hurt our near & dear ones by speaking angry words. When anger gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems for oneself, as well as, for others also. In the state of anger we are at the mercy of an unpredictable and powerful emotion which if not controlled by us does harm only to our life. If anger is not controlled, it can lead to physiological, as well as, psychological problems in our life.

Now how can we control this anger? Basically, to control anger is to first control & calm your mind. If your mind remains in a state of calm then no negative emotions can arouse in it. To be peaceful at mind, the easiest way is that we let our mind delve inside our own inner nature rather than hankering after outside the worldly objects i.e. we should daily do some meditation, as in meditation mind becomes peaceful. If mind continuously runs after worldly things outside then it gets disturbed when the thing of desire is not attained. When the mind gets disturbed in this way then anger arouses in the mind & it leads to negative consequences only. When you close your eyes in meditation, you start delving inside your inner nature. What is your inner nature? It's nothing but your Soul inside, where you delve in times of meditation & attain peace. In Soul, there is peace only. Now your Soul is nothing but part & parcel of Universal Soul only. Universal Soul is nothing but God only, who is ultimate peace.

Below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which explain why we should avoid anger:

"tri-vidham narakasyedam
dvaram nasanam atmanah
kamah krodhas tatha lobhas
tasmad etat trayam tyajet" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Sixteen verse 21)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, There are three gates leading to the hell — Lust, Anger and Greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the Soul."

"krodhad bhavati sammohah
sammohat smriti-vibhramah
smriti-bhramsad buddhi-naso
buddhi-nasat pranasyati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 63)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Delusion or wild idea arises from anger. The mind is bewildered by delusion. Reasoning is destroyed when the mind is bewildered. One falls down from the right path when reasoning is destroyed."

"kama-krodha-vimuktanam
yatinam yata-cetasam
abhito brahma-nirvanam
vartate viditatmanam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 26)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the God in the very near future."

"dambho darpo ’bhimanas cha
krodhah parusyam eva cha
ajnanam chabhijatasya
partha sampadam asurim" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Sixteen verse 4)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance—these qualities belong to those people who are of demoniac nature."

So, let’s not be angry in life & let's not hurt our near & dear ones by our angry nature. Remaining calm & peaceful in life is a blessing & we should bless others with our peaceful nature. Let’s not disturb anyone’s peace of mind by getting angry with them.

Jai Sri Krishna

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All-Powerful, Almighty God

Have you ever wondered how food is converted to blood, bone marrow, bone, energy etc. in our body? Have you ever wondered how a seed grows into a full blown tree? Have you ever wondered how Sun rises daily without fail & nourishes the whole creation, beings by its life giving energy? Have you ever wondered how so many species are born & survive in this world? Who is behind all these miracles of life? No human being is having all these powers to produce all these miracles. It just cannot happen on its own. Only a superhuman Godly being having supernatural powers can do all these miraculous acts.

Believers call this all-powerful, superhuman being that makes all this possible as GOD. He is omnipotent, who is having unlimited powers & ability. He is a supernatural being who can create worlds & all this unlimited, infinite creation. He is considered all-powerful & has created all these universes. So God is supreme & is having power over all the things.

Omnipotence is the attribute of God which describes his ability to do whatever He wills. No one or no force or happening can frustrate or prevent God from accomplishing his designs. God's power is sufficient to fulfill all his purposes and promises, including his promise of eternal life for all who obey Him.

The term Omnipotent has been used to connote a number of different positions in regard to God. These positions include, but are not limited to, the following:

• God is able to do anything that is logically possible for it to do.
• God is able to do anything that it chooses to do.
• God is able to do anything that is in accord with its own nature (thus, for instance, if it is a logical consequence of God's nature that what it speaks is truth, then it is not able to lie).
• Hold that it is part of God's nature to be consistent and that it would be inconsistent for God to go against its own laws unless there was a reason to do so.
• God is able to do anything that is with its world plan.
• God is able to do absolutely anything, even the logically impossible.

However, on all understandings of Omnipotence, it is generally held that God is able to intervene in the world by superseding the laws of physics, since they are not part of its nature, but the principles on which it has created the physical world.

Bhagwat Gita also talks about God to be Omnipotent. Below are some verses regarding that:

"namah purastad atha prsthatas te
namo ’stu te sarvata eva sarva
ananta-viryamita-vikramas tvam
sarvam samapnosi tato ’si sarvah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter 11- verse 40)

"Arjuna said to Lord Sri Krishna: Obeisance's to You from the front, from behind and from all sides! O All powerful, You are the master of Limitless might! You are all-pervading, and thus You are everything!"

"yad aditya-gatam tejo
jagad bhasayate ’khilam
yac chandramasi yac chagnau
tat tejo viddhi mamakam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fifteen verse 12)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The splendor of the sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the moon and the splendor of fire are also comes from Me."

"bijam mam sarva-bhutanam
viddhi partha sanatanam
buddhir buddhimatam asmi
tejas tejasvinam aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 10)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men."

"yo mam evam asammudho
janati purushottamam
sa sarva-vid bhajati mam
sarva-bhavena bharata" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fifteen verse 19)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Whoever knows Me as the All powerful Supreme God, without doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself in full devotional service to Me."

So let’s worship that all-powerful, almighty God as by just having faith in Him only we can solve all the problems in our life. Why to beg in front of limited power humans? Let’s be directly in contact with that omnipotent God, who with His all unlimited powers shall solve all the problems of our life.

Jai Sri Krishna

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Live in this World but don’t let World Live in You

Does Hindu religion ask you to renounce the family life & live a secluded life? No, it does not say so. It only says that we should not to get attached to someone madly, as deep attachment to anyone takes our mind away from the reality of this world & God. So how should we live in this world?

As per Hindu philosophy, we should not attach our mind greatly to any material thing, place or human being, as one day we shall have to leave these or these shall go away from us. On that day, if we have great attachment to these then we shall feel great pain, otherwise it shall be a normal life for us. So let us not allow our mind to be INFATUATED by anything, which can lead us to sorrow.

Too much attachment to anything is also called Infatuation & it is the cause of most sorrows. Infatuation is something that we get attached to some object, place or person very badly. We are always thinking of that & without that thing, our life seems impossible. Due to such Infatuation our mind always wanders about that & forgets other important things in life.

Nature of our mind is so that it gets attached to some object, place or person badly. In such a state our mind is swayed by the emotions than the intellect. We always think of that object, place or person & without it, our life seems impossible.

Bhagwat Gita also teaches us to live in this world like that without getting attached to anything or any being. Just like a drop of water on Lotus, where though it is there on it but it is not attached to it.

"brahmany adhaya karmani
sangam tyaktva karoti yah
lipyate na sa papena
padma-patram ivambhasa" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 10)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, one who performs his duty without any Attachment, surrendering all the results unto the God, is unaffected by sinful action, as the Lotus leaf is untouched by water."

So, "Live in this World but don’t let World Live in You". It simply means that we should live in this world unattached & devote our mind towards the God as then, though living in this world, our mind shall be unattached to the things & beings of this world. That is the way to peace & happiness of life.

Jai Sri Krishna

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Check the Color of Your Mind

We wear different colors of clothes on different occasions. Our office clothes are sober colored, while on casual occasions we wear colored clothes of our own taste. Similarly on occasions of attending the funeral of someone. we prefer wearing white clothes as white color signifies peace. Hindu & Buddhist Holy men wear saffron clothes which signify renunciation. So different colors have different significance.

Have you ever wondered that just like the color of clothes we wear on our body, we are having a color of our own mind also. We all think & work through our mind. We all have our emotions toward others in our mind. Emotions of love, compassion are in our mind & emotions of jealousy, greed etc. too are in our mind. All the good & bad qualities in your mind makes the "Nature of your mind" & nature of your mind determines your personality. Whatever good or bad Karmas you do that is going to make your personality.

Now as per the qualities of your mind, your nature can be either Good, Bad or mixed. Based on the qualities of your mind, a color can be assigned to your mind. Mind of Good natured, calm, Sattvic type of person can be assigned "WHITE" color. Mind of Passionate, impulsive, sensuous type of person can be assigned "RED" color. Mind of Lazy, egoistic, indolent type of person can be assigned "Black" color. Below are described the qualities of all types of people.

Qualities of people with "WHITE" color mind: These Saintly, Sattvic type of persons are normally calm, balanced in their nature. They generally do good to others & are selfless, un-egoistic persons. They generally give alms to the poor & never hurt anybody even with their speech. They are never angry with anybody & are always at peace with themselves. They never hanker after or are greedy of the material things of this world. They love everybody & everyone respect, love them.

Qualities of people with "RED" or “Blue” color mind: These type of people are passionate, impulsive, type of persons. They are generally bold and aggressive in their nature. They want to enjoy every type of food & want to enjoy all the physical pleasures of this world. They are at times very much angry in their nature. They have a greed to accumulate more money & material things in life. They think of themselves before others. They do all their actions most passionately.

Qualities of people with "SAFFRON" color mind: Saffron is the color of Sanyäsa, renunciation & also of illumination, the highest state of perfection. These type of people are having spiritual knowledge and humility. As it represents renunciation so many people of the color of Saffron mind are generally disinterestedness in the worldly affairs & also are not attached much to the people in this world. They are spiritual practicants, preachers, do-gooders of society.

Qualities of people with "BLACK" color mind: These type of people are lazy, egoistic, indolent type of persons. They enjoy more pleasure in sleep. They do their actions without thinking of what consequence it shall have. They generally have morbid thinking which is very harmful to their personality. These type of people live in ignorance & delusion only. Sometimes their morbid nature leads them to madness. In fact people with mind of black color believe that, whatever, wrong they are doing is right, while it is their perverted thinking only which makes them do wrong only, the consequence of which is misery only in their lives.

Now below is what Bhagwat Gita says about all such three type of people:

As per Bhagwat Gita, your nature in this material world are due to 3 qualities of Nature & those are "Sattva, Rajas & Tamas". Due to these three qualities of Nature only, one enjoys Joy & also suffer Pain in this life. In effect Nature is of dual characteristics & "Good & Bad", "Joy & Pain" etc. are both due to dual characteristics of this nature. The living entity in material nature enjoys the three modes of nature & it is due to his association with that material nature only that he meets with good and evil consequences in his/her lifetime. Now here below are the Bhagwat Gita verses which details about the three modes of nature and how an individual gets involved with these three modes of nature & enjoys happiness & suffers pain. Basically it explains Cause and Effect in Nature.

In Bhagwat Gita Lord Sri Krishna says to Arjuna :

"sattvam rajas tama iti
Gunnah prakriti-sambhavah
nibadhnanti maha-baho
dehe dehinam avyayam" - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 5)

"Material nature consists of three modes—Goodness, Passion and Ignorance (Sattva, Rajas & Tamas). When an individual living entity comes in contact with nature, he becomes conditioned by these three modes."

"tatra sattvam nirmalatvat
prakasakam anamayam
sukha-sangena badhnati
jnana-sangena chanagha" - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 6)

"The mode of Goodness, being purer than the other two, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode become conditioned by a sense of happiness and knowledge."

"rajo ragatmakam viddhi
trsna-sanga-samudbhavam
tan nibadhnati kaunteya
karma-sangena dehinam" - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 7)

"The mode of Passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, and because of this, the embodied living entity is bound to material fruit producing actions."

"tamas tv ajnana-jam viddhi
mohanam sarva-dehinam
pramadalasya-nidrabhis
tan nibadhnati bharata" - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 8)

"Know that the mode of Darkness, born of ignorance, is the delusion of all
embodied living entities. The results of this mode are madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul."

"sattvam sukhe sanjayati
rajah karmani bharata
jnanam avrtya tu tamah
pramade sanjayaty uta" - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 9)

"The mode of Goodness conditions one to happiness; Passion conditions one to fruit producing action & pain; and Ignorance, covering one’s knowledge, binds one to madness."

Now you have to see that in which of the above said modes of nature you are established. If you are doing good Karmas, helping others, living a pure life, having devotion to God, doing acts of sacrifice, charity etc. then you are living a Sattvic life & it frees one from all sinful reactions & gives a life of happiness.

If you live a passionate (Rajasic) life, addicted to sensuous pleasures of life then it shall give pain in life (physical & mental later on). Though sensuous pleasures look good at the time of it's enjoyment but ultimately it's consequence is pain only & it leads one to all painful reactions .

If you lead a lazy life, enjoys happiness in sleep, indolence etc. & are egoistic, avoid doing your duty; then you are living in delusion. All this arises of the nature of ignorance & in this case you are leading a Tamasic life. Such a life gives pain only always & lead one to utter delusion before & after.

So its all, what type of life you live & what type of Karmas you do. Sattvic life shall lead you to happiness only while Rajasic life shall lead you to Pain & Suffering while Tamasic life shall lead you to utter delusion & shall ruin your life. Choice is yours, which type of life you want to live. Now just check also the color of your mind.

Jai Sri Krishna

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Different Yogas in Bhagwat Gita

On the battle field of Kurukshetra, when Arjuna, the disciple of Lord Krishna got infatuated & forgot his duty to fight, then Lord Krishna reminded Arjuna of his duty to fight a lawful, justful war & gave him the teachings of Bhagwat Gita. Arjuna after having been taught in the path of knowledge by Lord Krishna came back to his path of duty & fought a lawful battle against the Kauravas (his enemies) & won the battle with the grace of Lord Krishna. Bhagwat Gita has Eighteen chapters which you can read at below given links.

Chapter One of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Dejection of Arjuna."

Chapter Two of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "Sankhyayoga or the Yoga of Knowledge."

Chapter Three of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "Karmayoga, or the Yoga of Action."

Chapter Four of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Knowledge ,as well as, the disciplines of Action & Knowledge."

Chapter Five of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Action & Knowledge."

Chapter Six of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Self control."

Chapter Seven of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Jnana (Knowledge of Nirguna Brahma) and Vijnana (Knowledge of Manifest Divinity)."

Chapter Eight of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of the Indestructible Brahma."

Chapter Nine of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of the Sovereign Science and the Sovereign Secret."

Chapter Ten of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Divine Glories."

Chapter Eleven of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of the Vision of the Universal Form."

Chapter Twelve of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Devotion."

Chapter Thirteen of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Discrimination between the Field and the Knower of the Field."

Chapter Fourteen of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Classification of the three Gunas."

Chapter Fifteen of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of the Supreme Person."

Chapter Sixteen of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Discrimination between the Divine and the Demoniacal Properties."

Chapter Seventeen of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Classification of the Threefold Faith."

Chapter Eighteen of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "The Yoga of Liberation through the Path of Knowledge and Self-Surrender."

Jai Sri Krishna

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Have an Intimate Connection with Your Loving God through Prayer

“Once there was a very poor woman. She was having 4 sons & 2 daughters. Her husband was not keeping well & was bed ridden, so there was no source of income in the house. As the food & vegetable items in the kitchen started diminishing, she started worrying, how she shall arrange for these items for her family in the future. She thought of taking some lentils & vegetables on credit from the nearby shopkeeper.

She humbly approached the shopkeeper & explained the situation of her family to him. She had hoped that he will help her & give her food items but the shopkeeper refused to help her & asked her to go somewhere else for help. Seeing her plight a nearby standing man tried to help her & told the shopkeeper that he shall pay for whatever she wanted in food items.

The shopkeeper asked the woman reluctantly to put her buying list on the weighing scales and whatever her list weighs, he shall give her that much items. The woman on hearing this just bowed her head. Then she just closed her eyes & after some time took out a piece of paper and wrote something on it. She then put that piece of paper on the weighing scale carefully with her head bowed down. Just as woman put that piece of paper on the scales, it went down as if the paper has taken the place of weights on the scale.

Both the shopkeeper & the other man stood there in amazement when the scale went down and stayed down with the weight of paper. The shopkeeper looked at the scales in bewilderment & started putting the food items on the other side of the scale. The scales did not balance & he continued to put more and more food items on the other scale until the scales would balance. To the amazement of the shopkeeper, the scales would not balance at all.

Finally, he pounced to take that piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement. It was not a food items list. It was instead a prayer which said: "Dear God, you know of my needs and I am leaving this in your hands to give me, as much as, You want."

The shopkeeper gave her the food items that he had put on the scales & did not charge the woman anything after seeing that miracle. Woman thanked the shopkeeper for his good gesture. Later on the shopkeeper discovered that, in fact the scales were broken with the weight of that mysterious piece of paper; therefore, only the Lord knows how much a prayer weighs.”

Through Prayer a person can address the Lord, his/her feelings & mind. Prayer is a way of having a personal experience and intimate connection with our loving Lord. He is willing to listen to you and responds with love and concern, all the time. The method of such calling our Lord is PRAYER. Those who have faith in Lord, generally Pray for Him. Prayer can be done during the worship or can be done just silently in our mind. If we pray to the Lord with sincerity then He shall answer to our prayers immediately.

Below are verses of Bhagwat Gita in which Lord Krishna is telling about His devotees & how He always protects them:

"ye tu sarvani karmani
mayi sannyasya mat-parah
ananyenaiva yogena
mam dhyayanta upasate"

"tesam aham samuddharta
mrityu-samsara-sagarat
bhavami na cirat partha
mayy avesita-cetasam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 6-7)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pritha—for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death."

"mayy eva mana adhatsva
mayi buddhim nivesaya
nivasisyasi mayy eva
ata urdhvam na samsayah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Just fix your mind upon Me and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt."

"ye tu dharmamritam idam
yathoktam paryupasate
sraddadhana mat-parama
bhaktas te ’tiva me priyah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith, making Me the supreme goal, are very, very dear to Me."

So let's always engage in devotional service of the Lord. Let's sing His glories so that He can always be merciful on us. If we shall do such devotional service to the Lord then we shall get special mercy of the Lord & He shall bestow all the good things in our life.

Jai Sri Krishna

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Do You remember God when You are in distress?

Do you remember God when you are in distress or in your bad times only? As per Saint Kabir:

Dukh Mein Sumiran Sab Kare , Sukh Mein Kare Na Koye
Jo Sukh Mein Sumiran Kare , Tau Dukh Kahe Ko Hoye

It means that we remember God only in our anguish,
Nobody remembers God in joy,
If we remember Him in happiness,
Then how can sorrow come in our life.

Let’s see, what Bhagwat Gita says about these different believers in God who are also called devotees of God.

As per Bhagwat Gita Devotees are of different types. Some remember God when they are in distress & want to get rid of their grief. Some want to know God due to their inquisitiveness about Him. Some pray God to attain wealth in life while some wise men want to have true knowledge of God. As per Bhagwat Gita there are 4 types of devotees of God.

1) First one are those people who are in distress. In our bad times when we are in distress or when we are going through physical or mental agony, at that time we generally remember & pray to God. Such people devote themselves to God because they wish to be liberated from grief.

2) Second one are those people who want to know about the God. Such people have faith in God & want to know more about Him. Such people due to their inquisitiveness, debate about the God, read books etc. to know more about the God.

3) Third one are those people who want to gain wealth in life. There is no end to such people in this world. You can find such people generally in temples etc. asking God to give them wealth, money etc. Such people are those one's who do their appointed task for money because doing it will bring good fortune to them. So such people are the doers of selfish action in life.

4) Fourth one are those people who are people of True knowledge. Such people are really the wise men.They have true knowledge to God. They are the realized sages, who have attained to the stage of reaching the supreme goal.

Below are the verses of Bhagwat Gita which explain about the above said 4 types of devotees.

"chatur-vidha bhajante mam
janah sukritino ’rjuna
arto jijnasur artharthi
jnani cha bharatarsabha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the inquisitive, the desirer of wealth, and the one who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute."

"udarah sarva evaite
jnani tv atmaiva me matam
asthitah sa hi yuktatma
mam evanuttamam gatim" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me, I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he/she is sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal."

So just check, which type of devotee of God are you? If you are not the fourth one i.e. a person of True knowledge, a really wise person, then just strive to be the one. Just devote yourself to God, read religious literature, join the company of saintly people, give charities, alms to the people. Doing all such good works & having a yearning for God, you shall certainly become a wise person, a true devotee of God & shall ultimately attain to Him.

Jai Sri Krishna.

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We have not brought anything at the time of birth

"Once a rich man having many horses went to a local village fair. There was one thief who saw a beautiful white horse with that man. The thief stole that white beautiful horse in the fair. That thief went a little far away in the fair & tried to sell that white horse. Another thief in the guise of a rich man came to the first thief & pretended to buy that horse. To have a test drive of the horse he rode on it’s back & stole that horse by rushing it to the woods. When the First thief came to know of the trick of the Second thief, he felt very sad.

When the people asked that thief whether he has sold his horse, he said, “Yes, he has sold it”. When people asked him, at what price he sold that horse, he said, “I sold it at the price, I had bought it.” Of course, a horse got in theft was gone in theft....& yes, for a free. So the same one horse changed three hands in a single day in the fair."

Our life is also like that only. We get things in our life which remains for some time with us. Then either we sell it, gift it or it perishes on it’s own on completion of it’s lifecycle. There is nothing which remains ever with us. In all cases, either things leave it’s owner or owner leave those things.

As per Bhagwat Gita, whatever belongs to you today, belonged to someone else earlier and shall belong to some one else in future. Change is the law of the universe. We have not brought anything at the time of birth, so how is it that we have lost? What did we produce, which is destroyed? Whatever we have, we have received it from the God only while on this earth. Whatever we will give, we will give it to the God. Everyone came in this world empty handed and shall go the same way. Everything belongs to God only. We are mistakenly enjoying the thought that this is ours. It is this false happiness that is the cause of our sorrows.

If we see the life on this earth, it has a specific lifetime & age before that person disappears from the stage earth. No one is immortal & has ever stayed permanently on this earth. But we all become so much involved & busy in our life on this earth that we all forget that one day we all have to leave this earth, leave this body. Our Life is not permanent on this earth & it is for a limited period of time after which it shall pass away. So we all should know the real purpose of life & should not let God slip out of our mind & life anytime, as He only shall save us during this life & also after this life.

Jai Sri Krishna

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Ram – The Supreme God & The Son Of King Dashrath

There is many times the debate; whether Ram, the son of King Dashrath was a normal human being or He was the real Supreme God who is eternal, ever-existing, infinite, omnipresent and primeval? Let’s see what Bhagwat Gita & other religious books say about that.

In Bhagwat Gita Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that:

"yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 7)

"Sri Krishna said: Whenever and wherever there is a decline in virtue/religious practice, O Arjuna, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself the Lord of the universe, i.e. I manifest Myself as an embodied being."

"paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya cha duskritam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said: To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium."

So as per Bhagwat Gita the Supreme God, "Lord Vishnu" descends on the earth to deliver mankind from time to time. In "Treta Yuga" or "Treta Millennium" He took the form of "Lord Rama" & in "Dwapra Yuga" or "Dwapra Millennium" He took the form of "Lord Krishna". So the Supreme God, "Lord Vishnu" descends on the earth from time to time as Avatars & hence both "Lord Rama" & "Lord Krishna" are the forms of Supreme God only.

In below verse, Lord Sri Krishna fully establishes that He Himself is Lord Rama also who is the wielder of weapons like bow & arrow:

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 31:

"pavanah pavatam asmi
ramah shastra-bhrtam aham
jhasanam makaras chasmi
srotasam asmi jahnavi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 31)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Of purifiers I am the wind, of the wielders of weapons I am Rama, of fishes I am the shark, and of flowing rivers I am the Ganges."

In this "Bhagwat Gita Chapter Ten-Verse 31", "Lord Krishna" himself is clearly saying that "Among the wielders of weapons, He himself is Lord Rama." So this verse also clearly establishes that "Lord Rama" & "Lord Krishna" are the forms of Supreme God, "Lord Vishnu" only & hence are one & the same being at two different times.

In the Ramayana also it is said time & again that Lord Vishnu only incarnated as Lord Rama as the son of King Dashrath in the "Treta Yuga" or "Treta Millennium".

In Gurubani or Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji also name of Lord Rama has appeared thousands of times. Below is a verse from Gurubani:

Ek Ram Dashrath ka beta, ek Ram jo ghat ghat mein baitha
Ek Ram ja ka sakal pasaara, ek Ram jo sabse nyaara

Meaning of above verse is:

The one Ram is Dashrath's son, the same Ram abides in every pore of creation
The same Ram created everything, the same Ram is the most unique

So from above verse also it is clear that One Ram who was born as the son of King Dashrath is the one who is Omnipresent God & who sits in each & every atom, pore of this creation. So let’s pray to our Sovereign Lord King who is Sri Ram Chander, the Son of the King Dashrath. Lord Ram alone is the Giver and all creatures are beggars of Him. So the Akaal Purkh who resides in everyone is Sri Ram Chander only who was born to King Dashrath in the "Treta Yuga".

Saint Kabir also says that 'Ram' is the one who is All-pervading Lord. Saint Kabir, always chanted the name of Ram, while in meditation & also kept in mind that the same Ram is the Omnipresent God. So let's worship "Lord Ram" as the incarnation of "Lord Vishnu" & also the Omnipresent God & who sits in each & every atom, pore of this creation, the one who is always all around us.

Jai Shri Krishna

Read also.............'Lord Rama' & Bhagwat Gita

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