Happy New Year - 2009

Wishing all our readers a very "Happy New Year - 2009". May this Year - 2009 bring joy, happiness & prosperity to all our readers. May God Bless all in this year.

"Hey Rom Rom Mein Basne Wale Ram" - Music Video

"Hey Rom Rom Mein Basne Wale Ram" is a beautiful bhazan sung in the praise of Lord Rama. It is a song from a bollywood movie Neel Kamal. Really sweet Godly song.

God Manifests Himself Before His Devotees

God is omnipresent (present everywhere) in it's un-manifest aspect & is always present all around us. This omnipresent God consists of knowledge & knows everything about this whole world & also knows about all the people of this world. Every inch of the space is occupied by Him. Every nook & corner is filled by Him. He is therefore called Brahm (God) who is Truth Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and is Infinite.

To fulfill the desire of a devotee, this un-manifest, all pervasive Brahm (God) by the power of His Yogmaya, manifests Himself as an embodied Being and appears before the devotee. In fact there is no difference between the Manifest and Un-manifest aspects of God. It is the Un-manifest that becomes manifest only.

Brahm (God) manifests Himself in the same form in which a devotee likes to see Him. In Bhagwat Gita, Arjuna wanted to see God's Universal form in the first instance, then His celestial form endowed with four arms, and last of all His human form with two arms only. Divine Lord Krishna, in order to fulfill the desire of Arjuna, appeared before him in all these forms successively within a short time.

So the God appears before a devotee in whatever form he worship Him, whether it is the form of Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Ganesha or any other form. A devotee should always remember that the God whom he worships, always pervades through this whole universe & can manifest Himself in any form, anytime He wants to appear before his devotee. God is never invisible to such souls who have understood His true nature, nor does He ever lose sight of them.

Oh God, as you always hear to your devotees, so pl. pl. "Hear Me Lord"

"Bhagwan Ke Ghar Der Hai Andher Nahin Hai" - Music Video

"Bhagwan Ke Ghar Der Hai Andher Nahin Hai" is a beautiful song sung in the praise of God. It is a song from a bollywood movie Naya Daur.Really sweet Godly song.

God, Steal My Mind

Human mind is very fickle. It moves from one object to another, from one desire to another. It sways as per the three modes (Gunas) of nature. Three modes of nature are Sattva (goodness), Rajas (passion) and Tamas (ignorance). In Sattva (goodness) mode mind sees all things in right perspective, while in Rajas (passion) mode mind is not able to determine what is right or what is wrong, while in Tamas (ignorance) mode mind sees wrong to be right.

In Sattva (goodness) mode mind worships the God & does good to all human beings always, while in Rajas (passion) mode mind indulges in passionate sensual pleasures, while in Tamas (ignorance) mode mind does all the wrong things & believes wrong to be right.

When the mode of goodness becomes prominent, it defeats the modes of passion and ignorance. When the mode of passion becomes prominent, it defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy among the three modes of nature.

But when the human mind is pointed towards God only, then mode of goodness becomes prominent always & the other modes i.e. passion & ignorance cannot touch it in anyway. Person in devotion to God is always rescued from the other two modes i.e. passion & ignorance.

So Hey God, You steal my mind & put it in devotion of Yourself so that it can always be in Sattva (goodness) mode & does not hanker towards passion or ignorance. Hey God, please please Steal My Mind & put it in devotion of Yourself.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which explain about the three modes of nature i.e. Sattva (goodness), Rajas (passion) and Tamas (ignorance) & how these three modes of nature empower the human mind.

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

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Material nature consists of three modes—Sattva (goodness), Rajas (passion) and Tamas (ignorance). When the eternal living entity comes in contact with nature, he becomes conditioned by these three modes."

"rajas tamas chabhibhuya
sattvam bhavati bharata
rajah sattvam tamas chaiva
tamah sattvam rajas tatha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 10)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance. Sometimes the mode of passion defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy."

Why You should read Bhagwat Gita?

Here is a beautiful story illustrating, Why You should read Bhagwat Gita? Read the story here.....................Why do we read Bhagwat Gita?

"Virat Rupa" - the Cosmic or Universal Form of God

In Chapter - 10 of Bhagwat Gita, Arjuna enquires from Lord Krishna about the various forms through which Lord is pervading in all these worlds in His divine opulence. To this query of Arjuna Lord Krishna replies that, "Of lights He is the radiant sun; of immovable things, He is the Himalayas; among the stars He is the moon; of purifiers He is the wind; of the wielders of weapons He is Lord Rama etc. etc.

Now as per Chapter - 11 of Bhagwat Gita, Arjuna asks Lord Krishna to show him the Cosmic Form of God, the way Lord Krishna just described Himself. On this request of Arjuna, Lord Krishna bestows a special “vision” to Arjuna so that he can see the Divine God in His universal form. In this Cosmic or Universal Form, Lord Krishna shows His opulence's, hundreds of thousands of varied divine and multicolored forms. Lord Krishna shows Arjuna, different manifestations of Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Asvini-kumaras and all the other demigods. Lord Krishna also shows in His Universal Form many wonderful things which no one has ever seen or heard of before.

Arjuna saw in that Universal Form, unlimited mouths, unlimited eyes, unlimited wonderful visions. The form was decorated with many celestial ornaments and bore many divine upraised weapons. He wore celestial garlands and garments, and many divine scents were smeared over His body. All was wondrous, brilliant, unlimited, all-expanding.

"If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky, their radiance might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that Universal Form."
On seeing such a fierce form of God, Arjuna gets frightened & asks God, “Who are you in this fearful form & what is Your mission in this form?”

To this query of Arjuna "Lord Sri Krishna says: Time I am (Kala), 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."

Arjuna now realizing the might of the Lord apologizes to Lord Krishna, that he has considered Him as his friend & rashly addressed the Lord, “O Krishna,” “O Yadava,” “O my friend,” not knowing His divine glories.

Arjuna asks Lord Sri Krishna to return to his “intimate, beautiful form (saumya-rupa)." At Arjuna's request, Lord Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, again displays His real four-armed form and at last shows His two-armed form, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna.

The above said article explains well that we should not talk lightly of God & should show full reverence to God.

Jai Shri Krishna

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all our readers. May Jesus Christ bless all our readers. May coming year bring joy, happiness & good luck to all our readers.

God is one, whether it is Jesus Christ or Lord Krishna or Lord Rama. Really God is one as Universal Soul is one & indivisible. You can call it by any name but God in reality is one & one only.

Regards,
Sancho

Desire

Desire: Simple meaning of desire is to crave for worldly pleasures of all kinds. But in philosophy, "Desire" has been identified as a philosophical problem since Antiquity. As per Plato, individual desires must be postponed in the name of the higher ideal.

As per the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddhism), craving is said to be the cause of all suffering that one experiences in human existence. The extinction of this craving leads one to ultimate happiness, or Nirvana. Nirvana means "cessation", "extinction" of suffering. It is also known as "Awakening" or "Enlightenment". As per the teaching of Gautama Buddha, suffering is an inevitable part of life as we know it & the cause of this suffering is attachment to, or craving for worldly pleasures of all kinds. The suffering ends when the craving and desire ends, or one is freed from all desires.

In "Bhagwat Gita" Arjuna asks "Lord Krishna" a very pertinent question,“What makes a person do the wrong thing, even when he/she knows, it’s wrong and don’t want to do it?”

Lord Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that: It is Desire & Lust only which makes a person do the wrong thing, even when he/she knows, it’s wrong and don’t want to do it.

When we desire something then we are empowered by a powerful emotion to get it which clouds our reasoning. Our passionate desires clouds our mind and senses & it distorts our perception and reasoning. It is our relentless passionate desire to enjoy the material pleasures that it leads us to commit Sin. Desire covers our reasoning like smoke covers fire, or dust covers a mirror. Due to this blurred reasoning & our passionate hankering for desires, we do commit Sin in our life.

Below are verses of "Bhagwat Gita" in which "Arjuna" asks "Lord Krishna" about the same:

"arjuna uvacha
atha kena prayukto ’yam
papam charati purushah
anicchann api varsneya
balad iva niyojitah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 36)

"Arjuna said: O Sri Krishna, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?"

"sri-bhagavan uvacha
kama esa krodha esa
rajo-guna-samudbhavah
mahasano maha-papma
viddhy enam iha vairinam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 37)

"Sri Krishna said: It is desire & lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world."

"dhumenavriyate vahnir
yathadarso malena cha
yatholbenavrto garbhas
tatha tenedam avrtam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 38)

"Sri Krishna said: As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust."

"avrtam jnanam etena
jnanino nitya-vairina
kama-rupena kaunteya
duspurenanalena cha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 39)

"Sri Krishna said: Thus the wise living entity’s pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire."

"tasmat tvam indriyany adau
niyamya bharatarsabha
papmanam prajahi hy enam
jnana-vijnana-nasanam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 41)

"Sri Krishna said: Therefore, O Arjuna, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin (lust) by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization."

"evam buddheh param buddhva
samstabhyatmanam atmana
jahi satrum maha-baho
kama-rupam durasadam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 43)

"Sri Krishna said: Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence and thus—by spiritual strength—conquer the desires & lust which is the insatiable enemy."

From the above verses of "Bhagwat Gita" it is very clear that it is the individual's Desire, Lust & constant feeding of one's senses that a person commits sinful activities. Due to such constant craving for desires, one's intelligence gets covered with ignorance, just like a mirror is covered by the dust & one is not able to see the things in right perspective. So we should not constantly hanker to satisfy our desires, rather we should control these desires.

Radhe Ke Bina Shyam Aadha - Music Video

"Radhe Ke Bina Shyam Aadha" is a beautiful bhazan sung in the praise of Lord Radha Krishna. This bhazan is sung by "Anup Jalota". Jai Shri Radhe Krishna.

Tere Mann Mein Ram, Tann Mein Ram - Music Video

"Tere Mann Mein Ram, Tann Mein Ram" is a Devotional prayer sung in the praise of Hindus God Rama. A beautiful bhazan pleasing to the ears & sung by Anup Jalota.

Omnipotent God

Omnipotent: Meaning of Omnipotent is all-powerful; almighty; unlimited in power & ability; one who is able in every respect and for every work. A supernatural being who can create worlds.

Omnipotence is attributed to God who is considered all-powerful & has created all universes. It also refers that God is supreme & is having power over all things.

Omnipotence is also 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."
Bible also says:

Matthew 19:26
"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."

Water in the Pot

"Pani Re Pani Tera Rang Kaisa", this a line from a Hindi Film Song, which means in English, "Oh Water, What's your Color". Can anyone describe the color of water or in fact can anyone tell us the shape of water? There is unlimited amount of water in the ocean or a river but what's the color & shape of this water?

In reality there is no color or shape of water. In fact, whatever, color is put into water, it appears of that color. Similarly, water takes the shape of the Pot, whatever type & size of pot is. If the pot is spherical, then water takes the shape of sphere, if the pot is rectangular, water appears to be taking the shape of rectangular pot. So the shape of the water is spoken in relation to the shape of the Pot, in which water is put.

Same is the case with "Soul". The Omnipresent Soul which is invisible, indivisible & all pervasive in the universe, appears to be taking the shape of a body, when seen in relation to a body. In fact all pervasive, omnipresent soul is beyond the concept of shape, color etc. but similar to water, it appears to be taking the shape of the body, with which we are relating it. If we see a human being, we relate the omnipresent soul behind that body to be limited to the body of that particular human being. Same is the case with other bodies of animals etc. too. If we see a dog, then we think the omnipresent soul behind that dog's body is limited to that dog only, while in fact it is still beyond that body & is omnipresent.

Most of us identify ourselves with this body of ours. We see this body of ours in the mirror & feel that this is our real self. We start feeling ourselves as one point body in space & forget to feel the greatness of soul which is sustaining this body of ours & which is all pervading in this universe.

As per Bhagwat Gita, think yourself to be that soul which is beyond this body, which is unthinkable, imperishable, ineffable, eternal, all pervading, immobile, un-manifest & immutable. In fact your nature is also that only which is also called Brahmn.

In fact we are the omnipresent soul inside our body & this soul can never die though body may die. Bhagwat Gita explains this:

“acchedyo-ayam adahyo-ayam
akledyo-asoshya ev ch
nity sarv-gatah sthanur
achalo-ayam sanatanah” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter II verse 24)

"Sri Krishna said: For this individual soul is incapable of being cut; and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. This soul is eternal, constant, omnipresent, unchangeable, immovable and everlasting."

“dehi nityam avadhyo-ayam
dehe sarvasy bharat
tasmat sarvani bhutani
na tvam shochitum-arhasi” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter II verse 30)

"Sri Krishna said: O descendant of Bharata, this soul residing in the bodies of all can never be slain. Therefore you should not grieve for any living being."

"athakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6)

"Sri Krishna said: Understand that just as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, so do all created beings rest in Me (Universal Soul)."

The above verses explain the omnipresent & everlasting nature of God or the Universal Soul (one who is present everywhere).

So we should not think our self limited to this body only. We are that omnipresent soul which is appearing to be this perishable body, due to our self relating it with the body; just like we think water is of the shape of the Pot, while in reality, water is having no shape & appears to be taking the shape of Pot.

"Govinda Gopala" - Music Video

"Govinda Gopala" is a beautiful bhajan sung in the praise of Lord Krishna. It is a song from a bollywood movie.Really sweet Gopala bhazan.

Tamas or TamoGun

"It is chilling cold night. You are cozily lying in your bed inside your quilt. Your room heater is also on to beat the cold. You fall asleep in such a cozy environment. You have a nice deep sleep. Morning dawn has occurred still you are deep asleep. Sleep in such a cozy environment is making you lazy. You do not want to come out of your bed as outside you shall feel cold again. Sun has risen & it's your time to start your daily chorus but your laziness is not allowing you to do anything. You want to enjoy your sleep only in your cozy quilt. You ignore your call for your daily duty also. Your laziness has taken over your call to daily routine duty. Lo, today you have decided not to do anything & ignore your duty. You go back to sleep in your cozy bed."

The above said stanza clearly states that if you are inclined to laziness, inertia, do not do your daily duty & just becomes careless about your life, then you are falling a pray to "Tamas" or "TamoGun". A person falls a pray to "TamoGun" due to his/her ignorance & delusion only which causes indolence, laziness and sleep.

Bhagwat Gita illustrates the "Tamas" or "TamoGun" very clearly & beautifully. As per Bhagwat Gita this Material nature consists of three modes i.e. Sattva, Rajas & Tamas. Out of the three modes of Nature, "Tamas" or "Tamo Gunn" is the one which is responsible for ignorance, delusion, indolence, laziness and sleep. We should not fall a pray to this "TamoGun". We should do our daily duty, coming out of this laziness and sleep, which are born of ignorance. Below are verses of Bhagwat Gita which explains about the qualities of this "TamoGun".

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

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Material nature consists of three modes—Sattva (goodness), Rajas (passion) and Tamas (ignorance). When the eternal living entity comes in contact with nature, he becomes conditioned by these three modes."

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

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, know that "Tamas"- the mode of darkness, born of ignorance, creates delusion in all embodied living entities. The results of this mode are madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul."

"aprakaso ’pravrttis cha
pramado moha eva cha
tamasy etani jayante
vivrddhe kuru-nandana" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 13)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, When there is an increase in "Tamas"- the mode of ignorance, then darkness, inertia, madness and illusion are manifested."

"karmanah sukritasyahuh
sattvikam nirmalam phalam
rajasas tu phalam duhkham
ajnanam tamasah phalam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The result of pious action is pure and is said to be in the mode of goodness. But action done in the mode of passion results in misery, and action performed in "Tamas"- the mode of ignorance results in foolishness."

"rajas tamas chabhibhuya
sattvam bhavati bharata
rajah sattvam tamas chaiva
tamah sattvam rajas tatha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 10)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance. Sometimes the mode of passion defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times "Tamas"/Ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy."

Pl. note that all those people who have a destructive way of life, like those terrorists who struck in Mumbai, killing people mercilessly, were in fact under the influence of "Tamas" or "TamoGun", as their mind & intellect were covered with ignorance due to Tamasic nature. Hence their perverted mind thought that killing the innocent people was their duty, while they were doing demonical work only by doing such killings.

In fact "TamoGun" engulfs one's mind & intellect with the darkness of ignorance & makes a person believe that, whatever, wrong he/she is doing is right, while it is their perverted thinking only which make them do wrong only, the consequence of which shall be misery only in future. So we should not fall a pray to Tamasic nature & should not do devilish acts which lead one's soul to degradation only. To read more about the qualities of people of 'Demoniac Nature' who are under the influence of "TamoGun", read my earlier Blog Post here.......................Qualities of People of 'Demoniac Nature'.

Gayatri Mantra

The Gayatri Mantra is a highly revered mantra in Hindu Religion. It consists of the prefix :oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ ॐ भूर्भुवस्वः, a mantra taken from the Yajurveda, and the verse 3.62.10 of the Rigveda. The Gayatri mantra is found in all the four Vedas in Hindu religion. The God invoked in this mantra is Savitr, and hence the mantra is also called Sāvitrī Mantra.

In Devanagari Lipi, it is:

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः ।
तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं ।
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA,
TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI
DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT.

Brief about the Gayatri Mantra:

Gayatri Mantra is the foremost mantra in hindu religion and hindu beliefs & it inspires wisdom. Its meaning is that "May the Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path". The mantra is also a prayer to the "giver of light and life" - the sun.

Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life,
Remover of pain and sorrow,
The Bestower of happiness,
Oh! Creator of the Universe,
May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light,
May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.

How to worship Gayatri Mantra:

The mother gayatri lives in the gayatri loka which is a planet like our earth though not visible through any scientific instruments available todate on our earth.Then how can we reach towards our divine mother? Our ancient saint, rishi vishvamitra found a simple method to reach towards our divine mother and get her blessings through Gayatri Mantra.The mantra asks wisdom from mother which is a necessity in today's stress full life.

In Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 35, Lord Krishna himself declares that he himself is there present if someone chants Gayatri Mantra as it is the king of all the Mantras & God himself resides in this mantra.

"brihat-sama tatha samnam
gayatri chandasam aham
masanam marga-sirso ’ham
rtunam kusumakarah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 35)

"Sri Krishna said: Of the hymns in the Sama Veda I am the Brihat-sama, and of all the mantras, I am the Gayatri Mantra. Of months I am Margasirsa [November-December], and of seasons I am flower-bearing spring."

"Aanvi Aanvi Ve Kanhai Teri Yaad Aanvdi" - Music Video

"Aanvi Aanvi Ve Kanhai Teri Yad Aanvdi" is a beautiful bhajan sung in the praise of Lord Krishna.

This bhajan is sung by "Shri Baldev Krishan Ji" who generally accompany Shri Vinod Aggarwal Ji. Shri Baldev Krishan Ji too have a great devotion towards Shri Radha Krishna. Jai Shri Radhe Krishna.

Money & Happiness of Life

What do you think, how the happiness in life comes to you? Is it earning lot's of money in life & enjoying it or is it doing your duty without caring much for money & taking the life & money as it comes? As per Bhagwat Gita, it is doing your duty in a proper manner without caring much for the fruits or the money that it shall generate. As per "Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47", Lord Sri Krishna says to his disciple Arjuna:

"karmany vadhikaraste
ma phalesu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango’stv akarmani"

"You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty."

So as per Bhagwat Gita, money etc. are just the "by-products" of doing your duty. Main thing is that you do your duty with full devotion in life without caring much for the fruits or money it shall generate. Here below are comments on money of a Singapore’s Youngest Millionaire Mr. Adam Khoo (Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $30 million.).

As per Adam Khoo in one of his Blog Post reproduced by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan in his blog:

"Recently, someone came up to me on a plane to KL and looked rather shocked. He asked, ‘How come a millionaire like you is traveling economy?’ My reply was, ‘That’s why I am a millionaire. ‘ He still looked pretty confused. This again confirms that greatest lie ever told about wealth (which I wrote about in my latest book ‘Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires’ ). Many people have been brainwashed to think that millionaires have to wear Gucci, Hugo Boss, Rolex, and sit on first class in air travel. This is why so many people never become rich because the moment that earn more money, they think that it is only natural that they spend more, putting them back to square one.

The truth is that most self-made millionaires are frugal and only spend on what is necessary and of value. That is why they are able to accumulate and multiply their wealth so much faster. Over the last 7 years, I have saved about 80% of my income while today I save only about 60% (because I have my wife, mother in law, 2 maids, 2 kids, etc. to support). Still, it is way above most people who save 10% of their income (if they are lucky). I refuse to buy a first class ticket or to buy a $300 shirt because I think that it is a complete waste of money. However, I happily pay $1,300 to send my 2-year old daughter to Julia Gabriel Speech and Drama without thinking twice.

When I joined the YEO (Young Entrepreneur’ s Organization) a few years back (YEO is an exclusive club open to those who are under 40 and make over $1m a year in their own business) I discovered that those who were self-made thought like me. Many of them with net worth's well over $5m, traveled economy class and some even drove Toyota’s and Nissans (not Audis, Mercs, BMWs).

I noticed that it was only those who never had to work hard to build their own wealth (there were also a few ministers’ and tycoons’ sons in the club) who spent like there was no tomorrow. Somehow, when you did not have to build everything from scratch, you do not really value money. This is precisely the reason why a family’s wealth (no matter how much) rarely lasts past the third generation. Thank God my rich dad (oh no! I sound like Kiyosaki) foresaw this terrible possibility and refused to give me a cent to start my business.

Then some people ask me, ‘What is the point in making so much money if you don’t enjoy it?’ The thing is that I don’t really find happiness in buying branded clothes, jewellery or sitting first class. Even if buying something makes me happy it is only for a while, it does not last. Material happiness never lasts, it just give you a quick fix. After a while you feel lousy again and have to buy the next thing which you think will make you happy. I always think that if you need material things to make you happy, then you live a pretty sad and unfulfilled life.

I think the point I want to put across is that happiness must come from doing your life’s work (be in teaching, building homes, designing, trading, winning tournaments etc.) and the money that comes is only a by-product. If you hate what you are doing and rely on the money you earn to make you happy by buying stuff, then I think that you are living a life of meaninglessness."

So the above views of Mr. Adam Khoo clearly say the same thing what "Bhagwat Gita" teaches, that money is not what gives you the real happiness of life, rather it is doing your duty in a proper way. Money is just the by-product of doing your duty. So do your duty efficiently without much hankering for the fruits or money it shall generate.

"Hey Govind Hey Gopal, Radha Vallabh Madan Gopal" - Music Video

"Hey Govind Hey Gopal, Radha Vallabh Madan Gopal" is a beautiful chant sung in the praise of Lord Krishna.

This chant is sung by Shri Vinod Aggarwal. Shri Vinod Aggarwal's devotion to Lord Krishna is great & all his devotional Bhajans & Chants are devoted to Lord Krishna only. Jai Shri Radhe Krishna.

Bhagwat Gita - a View

Below article is contributed by Mr. M.P. Bhattathiri, Retired Chief Technical Examiner, to The Govt. of Kerala-India.
One of the greatest contributions of India to the world is Holy Gita which is considered to be one of the first revelations from God. The philosophical and management lessons in the true form in this holy book were brought in to light of the world by divine Sri. Srila Prabhupada. Swami Maharishi calls the Bhagavad-Gita the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to practical life. It provides "all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man to the highest possible level." Maharishi reveals the deep, universal truths of life that speak to the needs and aspirations of everyone. He preached and educated the people and his followers are continuing the mission by keeping this lantern burning always knowing the wishes of the modern generations. Arjuna got mentally depressed when he saw his relatives with whom he has to fight. (Mental health has become a major international public health concern now). To motivate him the Bhagavad-Gita is preached on the battle field of Kurukshetra by Lord Krishna to Arjuna as counseling to do his duty while multitudes of men stood by waiting. Arjuna faced the problem of conflict between emotions and intellect. In almost all of the cases, emotions win.

Only a very few people have a conflict-free emotion and intellect. Emotions, are required, for, without them, one is a mere robot. They make life pleasant as long as these are sensible and within limits. Bhagavad-Gita has got all the management tactics to achieve the mental equilibrium and to overcome any crisis situation. The Bhagavad-Gita can be experienced as a powerful catalyst for transformation. Bhagavad-Gita means song of the Spirit, song of the Lord. The Holy Gita has become a secret driving force behind the unfoldment of one's life. In the days of doubt this divine book will support all spiritual searches. This divine book will contribute to self reflection, finer feeling and deepen one's inner process. Then life in the world can become a real education—dynamic, full and joyful—no matter what the circumstance. May the wisdom of loving consciousness ever guide us on our journey. What makes the Holy Gita a practical psychology of transformation is that it offers us the tools to connect with our deepest intangible essence and we must learn to participate in the battle of life with right knowledge. It shows us the path to handle the situation with equipoise mind irrespective of what comes our way and reminds us time and again, that what the right action is.

The Holy Gita is the essence of the Vedas, Upanishads. It is a universal scripture applicable to people of all temperaments and for all times. It is a book with sublime thoughts and practical instructions on Yoga, Devotion, Vedanta and Action. It is profound in thought and sublime in heights of vision. It brings peace and solace to souls that are afflicted by the three fires of mortal existence, namely, afflictions caused by one's own body (disease etc), those caused by beings around one ( e.g. wild animals, snakes etc.), and those caused by the gods (natural disasters, earth-quakes, floods etc).

Mind can be one's friend or enemy. Mind is the cause for both bondage and liberation. The word mind is derived from man to think and the word man derived from manu (Sanskrit word for man).

"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy."

There is no theory to be internalized and applied in this psychology. Ancient practices spontaneously induce what each person needs as the individual and the universal coincide. The work proceeds through intellectual knowledge of the playing field ( jnana yoga), emotional devotion to the ideal (bhakti yoga) and right action that includes both feeling and knowledge (karma yoga). With ongoing purification we approach wisdom. The Bhagavad-Gita is a message addressed to each and every human individual to help him or her to solve the vexing problem of overcoming the present and progressing towards a bright future. Within its eighteen chapters is revealed a human drama. This is the experience of everyone in this world, the drama of the ascent of man from a state of utter dejection, sorrow and total breakdown and hopelessness to a state of perfect understanding, clarity, renewed strength and triumph. May the wisdom of loving consciousness ever guide us on our journey. What makes the Holy Gita a practical psychology of transformation is that it offers us the tools to connect with our deepest intangible essence, and we must learn to participate in the battle of life with right knowledge.

Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna, it is more difficult to control the mind than to control the wind ~ Arjuna to Sri Krishna.

"Freed from attachment, fear and anger, absorbed in Me, and taking refuge in Me, purified by the penance of knowledge, many have attained union with My Being." (Gita 4:10)

Management and Bhagavat Gita

Below article is contributed by Mr. M.P. Bhattathiri, Retired Chief Technical Examiner, to The Govt. of Kerala-India.

Introduction:

In this modern world the art of Management has become a part and parcel of everyday life, be it at home, in the office or factory and in Government. In all organizations, where a group of human beings assemble for a common purpose irrespective of caste, creed, and religion, management principles come into play through the management of resources, finance and planning, priorities, policies and practice. Management is a systematic way of carrying out activities in any field of human effort. Management need to focus more on leadership skills, e.g., establishing vision and goals, communicating the vision and goals, and guiding others to accomplish them. It also assert that leadership must be more facilitative, participative and empowering in how visions and goals are established and carried out. Some people assert that this really isn't a change in the management functions, rather it's re-emphasizing certain aspects of management.

Its task is to make people capable of joint performance, to make their weaknesses irrelevant, says the Management Guru Peter Drucker. It creates harmony in working together - equilibrium in thoughts and actions, goals and achievements, plans and performance, products and markets. It resolves situations of scarcity, be they in the physical, technical or human fields, through maximum utilization with the minimum available processes to achieve the goal. Lack of management causes disorder, confusion, wastage, delay, destruction and even depression. Managing men, money and materials in the best possible way, according to circumstances and environment, is the most important and essential factor for a successful management.

Management guidelines from the Bhagavad Gita:

There is an important distinction between effectiveness and efficiency in managing.

• Effectiveness is doing the right things.
• Efficiency is doing things right.

The general principles of effective management can be applied in every field, the differences being more in application than in principle. The Manager's functions can be summed up as:

• Forming a vision
• Planning the strategy to realize the vision.
• Cultivating the art of leadership.
• Establishing institutional excellence.
• Building an innovative organization.
• Developing human resources.
• Building teams and teamwork.
• Delegation, motivation, and communication.
• Reviewing performance and taking corrective steps when called for.

Thus, management is a process of aligning people and getting them committed to work for a common goal to the maximum social benefit - in search of excellence. Major functions of a manager are planning, organizing, leading and coordinating activities -- they put different emphasis and suggest different natures of activities in the following four major functions.
The critical question in all managers' minds is how to be effective in their job. The answer to this fundamental question is found in the Bhagavad-Gita, which repeatedly proclaims that "you must try to manage yourself." The reason is that unless a manager reaches a level of excellence and effectiveness, he or she will be merely a face in the crowd.
Management Lessons - Old truths in a new context:
The Bhagavad-Gita, written thousands of years ago, enlightens us on all managerial techniques leading us towards a harmonious and blissful state of affairs in place of the conflict, tensions, poor productivity, absence of motivation and so on, common in most of Indian enterprises today – and probably in enterprises in many other countries.
The modern (Western) management concepts of vision, leadership, motivation, excellence in work, achieving goals, giving work meaning, decision making and planning, are all discussed in the Bhagavad-Gita . There is one major difference. While Western management thought too often deals with problems at material, external and peripheral levels, the Bhagavad-Gita tackles the issues from the grass roots level of human thinking. Once the basic thinking of man is improved, it will automatically enhance the quality of his actions and their results.
The management philosophy emanating from the West is based on the lure of materialism and on a perennial thirst for profit, irrespective of the quality of the means adopted to achieve that goal. This phenomenon has its source in the abundant wealth of the West and so 'management by materialism' has caught the fancy of all the countries the world over, India being no exception to this trend. My country, India, has been in the forefront in importing these ideas mainly because of its centuries old indoctrination by colonial rulers, which has inculcated in us a feeling that anything Western is good and anything Indian, is inferior. Gita does not prohibit seeking money, power, comforts, health. It advocates active pursuit of one's goals without getting attached to the process and the results.
The result is that, while huge funds have been invested in building temples of modem management education, no perceptible changes are visible in the improvement of the general quality of life - although the standards of living of a few has gone up. The same old struggles in almost all sectors of the economy, criminalization of institutions, social violence, exploitation and other vices are seen deep in the body politic.
The source of the problem:
The reasons for this sorry state of affairs are not far to seek. The Western idea of management centers on making the worker (and the manager) more efficient and more productive. Companies offer workers more to work more, produce more, sell more and to stick to the organization without looking for alternatives. The sole aim of extracting better and more work from the worker is to improve the bottom-line of the enterprise. The worker has become a hirable commodity, which can be used, replaced and discarded at will.
Thus, workers have been reduced to the state of a mercantile product. In such a state, it should come as no surprise to us that workers start using strikes ( gheraos) sit-ins, (dharnas) go-slows, work-to-rule etc. to get maximum benefit for themselves from the organizations. Society-at-large is damaged. Thus we reach a situation in which management and workers become separate and contradictory entities with conflicting interests. There is no common goal or understanding. This, predictably, leads to suspicion, friction, disillusion and mistrust, with managers and workers at cross purposes. The absence of human values and erosion of human touch in the organizational structure has resulted in a crisis of confidence.
Western management philosophy may have created prosperity – for some people some of the time at least - but it has failed in the aim of ensuring betterment of individual life and social welfare. It has remained by and large a soulless edifice and an oasis of plenty for a few in the midst of poor quality of life for many.
Hence, there is an urgent need to re-examine prevailing management disciplines - their objectives, scope and content. Management should be redefined to underline the development of the worker as a person, as a human being, and not as a mere wage-earner. With this changed perspective, management can become an instrument in the process of social, and indeed national, development.
Now let us re-examine some of the modern management concepts in the light of the Bhagavad-Gita which is a primer of management-by-values.
Utilization of available resources:
The first lesson of management science is to choose wisely and utilize scarce resources optimally. During the curtain raiser before the Mahabharata War, Duryodhana chose Sri Krishna's large army for his help while Arjuna selected Sri Krishna's wisdom for his support. This episode gives us a clue as to the nature of the effective manager - the former chose numbers, the later, wisdom.
Work commitment:
A popular verse of the Gita advises "detachment" from the fruits or results of actions performed in the course of one's duty. Being dedicated work has to mean "working for the sake of work, generating excellence for its own sake." If we are always calculating the date of promotion or the rate of commission before putting in our efforts, then such work is not detached. It is not "generating excellence for its own sake" but working only for the extrinsic reward that may (or may not) result.
Working only with an eye to the anticipated benefits, means that the quality of performance of the current job or duty suffers - through mental agitation of anxiety for the future. In fact, the way the world works means that events do not always respond positively to our calculations and hence expected fruits may not always be forthcoming. So, the Gita tells us not to mortgage present commitment to an uncertain future.
Some people might argue that not seeking the business result of work and actions, makes one unaccountable. In fact, the Bhagavad-Gita is full of advice on the theory of cause and effect, making the doer responsible for the consequences of his deeds. While advising detachment from the avarice of selfish gains in discharging one's accepted duty, the Gita does not absolve anybody of the consequences arising from discharge of his or her responsibilities. Attachment to perishable gives birth to fear, anger, greed, desire, feeling of "mine" and many other negative qualities. Renounce attachment by regarding objects for others and for serving others. Depend only on God (not body, nor intellect), and the dependency on the world will end. Renouncing attachment is the penance of knowledge, which leads to His Being - Truth, Consciousness and Bliss. ( Bhagavad-Gita 4.10)
Thus the best means of effective performance management is the work itself. Attaining this state of mind (called "nishkama karma ") is the right attitude to work because it prevents the ego, the mind, from dissipation of attention through speculation on future gains or losses.
Motivation – self and self-transcendence:
It has been presumed for many years that satisfying lower order needs of workers - adequate food, clothing and shelter, etc. are key factors in motivation. However, it is a common experience that the dissatisfaction of the clerk and of the Director is identical - only their scales and composition vary. It should be true that once the lower-order needs are more than satisfied, the Director should have little problem in optimizing his contribution to the organization and society. But more often than not, it does not happen like that. (" The eagle soars high but keeps its eyes firmly fixed on the dead animal below.") On the contrary, a lowly paid schoolteacher, or a self-employed artisan, may well demonstrate higher levels of self-actualization despite poorer satisfaction of their lower-order needs.
This situation is explained by the theory of self-transcendence propounded in the Gita. Self-transcendence involves renouncing egoism, putting others before oneself, emphasizing team work, dignity, co-operation, harmony and trust – and, indeed potentially sacrificing lower needs for higher goals, the opposite of Maslow.
"Work must be done with detachment." It is the ego that spoils work and the ego is the centerpiece of most theories of motivation. We need not merely a theory of motivation but a theory of inspiration.
The Great Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941, known as "Gurudev") says working for love is freedom in action. A concept which is described as "disinterested work" in the Gita where Sri Krishna says, "He who shares the wealth generated only after serving the people, through work done as a sacrifice for them, is freed from all sins. On the contrary those who earn wealth only for themselves, eat sins that lead to frustration and failure."
Disinterested work finds expression in devotion, surrender and equipoise. The former two are psychological while the third is determination to keep the mind free of the dualistic (usually taken to mean "materialistic") pulls of daily experiences. Detached involvement in work is the key to mental equanimity or the state of " nirdwanda." This attitude leads to a stage where the worker begins to feel the presence of the Supreme Intelligence guiding the embodied individual intelligence. Such de-personified intelligence is best suited for those who sincerely believe in the supremacy of organizational goals as compared to narrow personal success and achievement.
Work culture:
An effective work culture is about vigorous and arduous efforts in pursuit of given or chosen tasks. Sri Krishna elaborates on two types of work culture – " daivi sampat" or divine work culture and "asuri sampat" or demonic work culture.
Daivi work culture - involves fearlessness, purity, self-control, sacrifice, straightforwardness, self-denial, calmness, absence of fault-finding, absence of greed, gentleness, modesty, absence of envy and pride.
Asuri work culture - involves egoism, delusion, personal desires, improper performance, work not oriented towards service.
Mere work ethic is not enough. The hardened criminal exhibits an excellent work ethic. What is needed is a work ethic conditioned by ethics in work.
It is in this light that the counsel, "yogah karmasu kausalam" should be understood. "Kausalam" means skill or technique of work which is an indispensable component of a work ethic. " Yogah" is defined in the Gita itself as "samatvam yogah uchyate" meaning an unchanging equipoise of mind (detachment.) Tilak tells us that acting with an equable mind is Yoga.
(Bal Gangadhar Tilak, 1856-1920, the precursor of Gandhiji, hailed by the people of India as "Lokmanya," probably the most learned among the country's political leaders. For a description of the meanings of the word "Yoga", see foot of this page.)
By making the equable mind the bed-rock of all actions, the Gita evolved the goal of unification of work ethic with ethics in work, for without ethical process no mind can attain an equipoise. The guru, Adi Sankara (born circa 800 AD), says that the skill necessary in the performance of one's duty is that of maintaining an evenness of mind in face of success and failure. The calm mind in the face of failure will lead to deeper introspection and see clearly where the process went wrong so that corrective steps could be taken to avoid shortcomings in future.
The principle of reducing our attachment to personal gains from the work done is the Gita's prescription for attaining equanimity. It has been held that this principle leads to lack of incentive for effort, striking at the very root of work ethic. To the contrary, concentration on the task for its own sake leads to the achievement of excellence – and indeed to the true mental happiness of the worker. Thus, while commonplace theories of motivation may be said to lead us to the bondage or extrinsic rewards, the Gita's principle leads us to the intrinsic rewards of mental, and indeed moral, satisfaction.
Work results:
The Gita further explains the theory of "detachment" from the extrinsic rewards of work in saying:
If the result of sincere effort is a success, the entire credit should not be appropriated by the doer alone.
If the result of sincere effort is a failure, then too the entire blame does not accrue to the doer.
The former attitude mollifies arrogance and conceit while the latter prevents excessive despondency, de-motivation and self-pity. Thus both these dispositions safeguard the doer against psychological vulnerability, the cause of the modem managers' companions of diabetes, high blood pressure and ulcers.
Assimilation of the ideas of the Gita leads us to the wider spectrum of "lokasamgraha" (general welfare) but there is also another dimension to the work ethic - if the " karmayoga" (service) is blended with "bhaktiyoga" (devotion), then the work itself becomes worship, a "sevayoga" (service for its own sake).
Along with bhakti yoga as a means of liberation, the Gita espouses the doctrine of nishkamya karma or pure action untainted by hankering after the fruits resulting from that action. Modern scientists have now understood the intuitive wisdom of that action in a new light.
Scientists at the US National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda , found that laboratory monkeys that started out as procrastinators, became efficient workers after they received brain injections that suppressed a gene linked to their ability to anticipate a reward. The scientists reported that the work ethic of rhesus macaques wasn't all that different from that of many people: "If the reward is not immediate, you procrastinate", Dr Richmond told LA Times.
(This may sound a peculiarly religious idea but it has a wider application. It could be taken to mean doing something because it is worthwhile, to serve others, to make the world a better place – ed.)
Manager's mental health:
Sound mental health is the very goal of any human activity - more so management. Sound mental health is that state of mind which can maintain a calm, positive poise, or regain it when unsettled, in the midst of all the external vagaries of work life and social existence. Internal constancy and peace are the pre-requisites for a healthy stress-free mind. At the initial stages when engaging in a relationship, the mind may wander and go to different places. But we must have a clear aim, a clear focus, a single pointed direction. Thereafter the mind will not wander in different places. The mind will remain on only one.
Some of the impediments to sound mental health are:
Greed - for power, position, prestige and money.
Envy - regarding others' achievements, success, rewards.
Egotism - about one's own accomplishments.
Suspicion, anger and frustration.
Anguish through comparisons.
The driving forces in today's businesses are speed and competition. There is a distinct danger that these forces cause erosion of the moral fiber, that in seeking the end, one permits oneself immoral means - tax evasion, illegitimate financial holdings, being "economical with the truth", deliberate oversight in the audit, too-clever financial reporting and so on. This phenomenon may be called as "yayati syndrome".
In the book, the Mahabharata, we come across a king by the name of Yayati who, in order to revel in the endless enjoyment of flesh exchanged his old age with the youth of his obliging youngest son for a thousand years. However, he found the pursuit of sensual enjoyments ultimately unsatisfying and came back to his son pleading him to take back his youth. This "yayati syndrome" shows the conflict between externally directed acquisitions (extrinsic motivation) and inner value and conscience (intrinsic motivation.)
Our mind is like a Computer, continuously programmed since our childhood along with some vasanas from our previous birth. This programming is both good and bad for ourselves, a healthier programming makes us a productive and happy individual, while a bad program may turn us into a unproductive. If we choose to surrender our Mind, Ego and operate from that realm, it is like asking a person to live with his brain defunct!! It will be a futile exercise. Mental peace can be achieved by effective delegation. Delegation is when supervisors give responsibility and authority to subordinates to complete a task, and let the subordinates figure out how the task can be accomplished. Effective delegation develops people who are ultimately more fulfilled and productive. Managers become more fulfilled and productive themselves as they learn to count on their staffs and are freed up to attend to more strategic issues.
Delegation is often very difficult for new supervisors, particularly if they have had to scramble to start the organization or start a major new product or service themselves. Many managers want to remain comfortable, making the same decisions they have always made. They believe they can do a better job themselves. They don't want to risk losing any of their power and stature (ironically, they do lose these if they don't learn to delegate effectively). Often, they don't want to risk giving authority to subordinates in case they fail and impair the organization.

This is one reason why such an exercise of surrendering mind, ego etc fails in the real world. Man is a biological machine, and he cannot operate without those necessary components of his software.

Management needs those who practice what they preach:
"Whatever the excellent and best ones do, the commoners follow," says Sri Krishna in the Gita. The visionary leader must be a missionary, extremely practical, intensively dynamic and capable of translating dreams into reality. This dynamism and strength of a true leader flows from an inspired and spontaneous motivation to help others. "I am the strength of those who are devoid of personal desire and attachment. O Arjuna, I am the legitimate desire in those, who are not opposed to righteousness," says Sri Krishna in the 10th Chapter of the Gita.
In conclusion:
The despondency of Arjuna in the first chapter of the Gita is typically human. Sri Krishna, by sheer power of his inspiring words, changes Arjuna's mind from a state of inertia to one of righteous action, from the state of what the French philosophers call "anomie" or even alienation, to a state of self-confidence in the ultimate victory of " dharma" (ethical action.)
When Arjuna got over his despondency and stood ready to fight, Sri Krishna reminded him of the purpose of his new-found spirit of intense action - not for his own benefit, not for satisfying his own greed and desire, but for the good of many, with faith in the ultimate victory of ethics over unethical actions and of truth over untruth.
Sri Krishna's advice with regard to temporary failures is, "No doer of good ever ends in misery." Every action should produce results. Good action produces good results and evil begets nothing but evil. Therefore, always act well and be rewarded.
My purport is not to suggest discarding of the Western model of efficiency, dynamism and striving for excellence but to tune these ideals to India's holistic attitude of " lokasangraha" - for the welfare of many, for the good of many. There is indeed a moral dimension to business life. What we do in business is no different, in this regard, to what we do in our personal lives. The means do not justify the ends. Pursuit of results for their own sake, is ultimately self-defeating. ("Profit," said Matsushita-san in another tradition, "is the reward of correct behavior." – ed.)

A note on the word "yoga":
Yoga has two different meanings - a general meaning and a technical meaning. The general meaning is the joining together or union of any two or more things. The technical meaning is "a state of stability and peace and the means or practices which lead to that state." The Bhagavad-Gita uses the word with both meanings.
M.P.Bhattathiri.

What Great Scholars say about "Bhagwat Gita"?

"When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-Gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day."
Mahatma Gandhi

"When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous."
Albert Einstein

"No work in all Indian literature is more quoted, because none is better loved, in the West, than the Bhagavad-Gita. Translation of such a work demands not only knowledge of Sanskrit, but an inward sympathy with the theme and a verbal artistry. For the poem is a symphony in which God is seen in all things. . . . The Swami does a real service for students by investing the beloved Indian epic with fresh meaning. Whatever our outlook may be, we should all be grateful for the labor that has lead to this illuminating work."
Dr. Geddes MacGregor, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Philosophy University of Southern California

"The Gita can be seen as the main literary support for the great religious civilization of India, the oldest surviving culture in the world. The present translation and commentary is another manifestation of the permanent living importance of the Gita."
Thomas Merton, Theologian

"I am most impressed with A.C . Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's scholarly and authoritative edition of Bhagavad-Gita. It is a most valuable work for the scholar as well as the layman and is of great utility as a reference book as well as a textbook. I promptly recommend this edition to my students. It is a beautifully done book."
Dr. Samuel D. Atkins Professor of Sanskrit, Princeton University

"As a successor in direct line from Chaitanya, the author of Bhagavad-Gita As It Is is entitled, according to Indian custom, to the majestic title of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The great interest that his reading of the Bhagavad-Gita holds for us is that it offers us an authorized interpretation according to the principles of the Chaitanya tradition."
Olivier Lacombe Professor of Sanskrit and Indology, Sorbonne University , Paris

"I have had the opportunity of examining several volumes published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and have found them to be of excellent quality and of great value for use in college classes on Indian religions. This is particularly true of the BBT edition and translation of the Bhagavad-Gita."
Dr. Frederick B. Underwood Professor of Religion, Columbia University

"If truth is what works, as Pierce and the pragmatists insist, there must be a kind of truth in the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, since those who follow its teachings display a joyous serenity usually missing in the bleak and strident lives of contemporary people."
Dr. Elwin H. Powell Professor of Sociology State University of New York, Buffalo

"There is little question that this edition is one of the best books available on the Gita and devotion. Prabhupada's translation is an ideal blend of literal accuracy and religious insight."
Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins Professor of Religion, Franklin and Marshall College

"The Bhagavad-Gita, one of the great spiritual texts, is not as yet a common part of our cultural milieu. This is probably less because it is alien per se than because we have lacked just the kind of close interpretative commentary upon it that Swami Bhaktivedanta has here provided, a commentary written from not only a scholar's but a practitioner's, a dedicated lifelong devotee's point of view."
Denise Levertov, Poet

"The increasing numbers of Western readers interested in classical Vedic thought have been done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta. By bringing us a new and living interpretation of a text already known to many, he has increased our understanding manifolds."
Dr. Edward C Dimock, Jr. Department of South Asian Languages and Civilization University of Chicago

"The scholarly world is again indebted to A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Although Bhagavad-Gita has been translated many times, Prabhupada adds a translation of singular importance with his commentary."
Dr. J. Stillson Judah, Professor of the History of Religions and Director of Libraries Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley , California

"Srila Prabhupada's edition thus fills a sensitive gap in France , where many hope to become familiar with traditional Indian thought, beyond the commercial East-West hodgepodge that has arisen since the time Europeans first penetrated India . "Whether the reader be an adept of Indian spiritualism or not, a reading of the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is will be extremely profitable. For many this will be the first contact with the true India, the ancient India, the eternal India ."
Francois Chenique, Professor of Religious Sciences Institute of Political Studies, Paris , France

"It was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us"
Emerson's reaction to the Gita

"As a native of India now living in the West, it has given me much grief to see so many of my fellow countrymen coming to the West in the role of gurus and spiritual leaders. For this reason, I am very excited to see the publication of Bhagavad-Gita As It Is by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It will help to stop the terrible cheating of false and unauthorized 'gurus' and 'yogis' and will give an opportunity to all people to understand the actual meaning of Oriental culture."
Dr. Kailash Vajpeye, Director of Indian Studies Center for Oriental Studies, The University of Mexico

"The Gita is one of the clearest and most comprehensive one, of the summaries and systematic spiritual statements of the perennial philosophy ever to have been done"
Aldous Huxley

"It is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived and beautifully explained work. I don't know whether to praise more this translation of the Bhagavad-Gita, its daring method of explanation, or the endless fertility of its ideas. I have never seen any other work on the Gita with such an important voice and style. . . . It will occupy a significant place in the intellectual and ethical life of modern man for a long time to come."
Dr. Shaligram Shukla Professor of Linguistics, Georgetown University

"I can say that in the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is I have found explanations and answers to questions I had always posed regarding the interpretations of this sacred work, whose spiritual discipline I greatly admire. If the asceticism and ideal of the apostles which form the message of the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is were more widespread and more respected, the world in which we live would be transformed into a better, more fraternal place."
Dr. Paul Lesourd, Author Professeur Honoraire, Catholic University of Paris

"In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita, in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial."
Henry David Thoreau

"The Bhagavad-Gita has a profound influence on the spirit of mankind by its devotion to God which is manifested by actions."
Dr. Albert Schweitzer

"The Bhagavad-Gita is a true scripture of the human race a living creation rather than a book, with a new message for every age and a new meaning for every civilization."
Sri Aurobindo

"The idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems to have been current in by gone ages. The link with Vedic conceptions is provided by Plato in his Timaeus in which it states 'behold we are not an earthly but a heavenly plant.' This correlation can be discerned by what Krishna expresses in chapter 15 of Bhagavad-Gita."
Carl Jung

"The Bhagavad-Gita deals essentially with the spiritual foundation of human existence. It is a call of action to meet the obligations and duties of life; yet keeping in view the spiritual nature and grander purpose of the universe."
Ex Prime Minister of India - Mr. Nehru

"The marvel of the Bhagavad-Gita is its truly beautiful revelation of life's wisdom which enables philosophy to blossom into religion."
Herman Hesse

"I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-Gita. It was the first of books; it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"In order to approach a creation as sublime as the Bhagavad-Gita with full understanding it is necessary to attune our soul to it."
Rudolph Steiner

"From a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita all the goals of human existence become fulfilled. Bhagavad-Gita is the manifest quintessence of all the teachings of the Vedic scriptures."
Adi Shankara

"The Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity."
Aldous Huxley

"The Bhagavad-Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna to reveal the science of devotion to God which is the essence of all spiritual knowledge. The Supreme Lord Krishna's primary purpose for descending and incarnating is relieve the world of any demoniac and negative, undesirable influences that are opposed to spiritual development, yet simultaneously it is His incomparable intention to be perpetually within reach of all humanity."
Ramanuja

The Bhagavad-Gita is not separate from the Vaishnava philosophy and the Srimad Bhagavatam fully reveals the true import of this doctrine which is transmigration of the soul. On perusal of the first chapter of Bhagavad-Gita one may think that they are advised to engage in warfare. When the second chapter has been read it can be clearly understood that knowledge and the soul is the ultimate goal to be attained. On studying the third chapter it is apparent that acts of righteousness are also of high priority. If we continue and patiently take the time to complete the Bhagavad-Gita and try to ascertain the truth of its closing chapter we can see that the ultimate conclusion is to relinquish all the conceptualized ideas of religion which we possess and fully surrender directly unto the Supreme Lord.
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

"The Mahabharata has all the essential ingredients necessary to evolve and protect humanity and that within it the Bhagavad-Gita is the epitome of the Mahabharata just as ghee is the essence of milk and pollen is the essence of flowers."
Madhvacarya

Yoga has two different meanings - a general meaning and a technical meaning. The general meaning is the joining together or union of any two or more things. The technical meaning is "a state of stability and peace and the means or practices which lead to that state." The Bhagavad-Gita Gita uses the word with both meanings. Lord Krishna is real Yogi who can maintain a peaceful mind in the midst of any crisis."
Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.

Karma, Bhakti, and Jnana are but three paths to this end. And common to all the three is renunciation. Renounce the desires, even of going to heaven, for every desire related with body and mind creates bondage. Our focus of action is neither to save the humanity nor to engage in social reforms, not to seek personal gains, but to realize the indwelling Self itself.
Swami Vivekananda (England, London; 1895-96)

"Science describes the structures and processes; philosophy attempts at their explanation.----When such a perfect combination of both science and philosophy is sung to perfection that Krishna was, we have in this piece of work an appeal both to the head and heart."
Swamy Chinmayanand on Gita

I seek that Divine Knowledge by knowing which nothing remains to be known!' For such a person knowledge and ignorance has only one meaning: Have you knowledge of God? If yes, you a Jnani! If not, you are ignorant. As said in the Gita, chapter XIII/11, knowledge of Self, observing everywhere the object of true Knowledge i.e. God, all this is declared to be true Knowledge (wisdom); what is contrary to this is ignorance."
Sri Ramakrishna

Maharishi calls the Bhagavad-Gita the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to practical life. It provides "all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man to the highest possible level." Maharishi reveals the deep, universal truths of life that speak to the needs and aspirations of everyone.
Maharshi Mahesh Yogi

The Gita was preached as a preparatory lesson for living worldly life with an eye to Release, Nirvana. My last prayer to everyone, therefore, is that one should not fail to thoroughly understand this ancient science of worldly life as early as possible in one's life.
Lokmanya Tilak

I believe that in all the living languages of the world, there is no book so full of true knowledge, and yet so handy. It teaches self-control, austerity, non-violence, compassion, obedience to the call of duty for the sake of duty, and putting up a fight against unrighteousness (Adharma). To my knowledge, there is no book in the whole range of the world's literature so high above as the Bhagavad-Gita, which is the treasure-house of Dharma nor only for the Hindus but foe all mankind.
M. M. Malaviya

Contributed by Mr. M.P. Bhattathiri, Retired Chief Technical Examiner, to The Govt. of Kerala-India

"Gopal Muraliya Wale, Nandlal Muraliya Wale" - Music Video

"Gopal Muraliya Wale, Nandlal Muraliya Wale" is a beautiful chant sung in the praise of Lord Krishna.

This chant is sung by Shri Vinod Aggarwal. Shri Vinod Aggarwal's devotion to Lord Krishna is great & all his devotional Bhajans & chants are devoted to Lord Krishna only. Jai Shri Radha Krishna.

Pain & Suffering

Pain, whether physical or mental is the most unwanted thing & is always avoided by any human being. But still it is a fact of our life that it is as much a part of our life as its joy in our life. In joy we feel so happy that we always forget why we are having this joy but when we are in pain, we certainly try to analyze why we are having pain. Say you are suffering from some physical illness & during that illness first of all you try to think why it is there & then you consult your doctor why it is there & ask your doctor to get rid of you of this pain.

But have you ever wondered, why this pain first of all occurs in our body? Pain in your body is just the "Effect" in "Cause & Effect" cycle of this nature. As Pain is the "Effect" then what is the "Cause" of this pain.

As per Bhagwat Gita, "Cause and Effect" of this material world are due to 3 qualities of Nature only & those are "Sattva, Rajas & Tamas". Due to these three qualities of Nature only our body is born. Due to individual being doing Karmas (Good & Bad), 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 :

"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." - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 5)

"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." - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 6)

"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." - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 7)

"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." - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 8)

"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." - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 9)

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 .
That happiness which is derived from contact of the senses with their objects and which appears like nectar at first but gives pain at the end is said to be of the nature of passion. - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 38)

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.