When Robbers Were Reformed

Spiritual practice can reform all types of persons including the one's who are involved in antisocial activities. Even people such as thieves, robbers etc. can be reformed with the spiritual practice. Even if you are the vilest of all sinners, when you turn to the spiritual practice & turn towards the God, you will be reformed. Below is a story in which two robbers were reformed with the spiritual practice:

"Once there were two sons of a rich & high class Brahmin (Hindu priest). Due to bad company, they got into the lustful ways and ran out of their wealth, fortune & good luck in no time and suddenly became penniless.

Having nothing to do & nothing to fed for themselves, they were not able to maintain their daily needs. They were somehow not able to keep their body and soul together. Out of misery & frustration they turned to highway robberies and hiding in jungles overpowered stray travelers, killed them and seized their possessions.

Once a sage happened to pass by them. Those two robber brothers also subjected this saint to the same inhuman treatment & were about to kill him. The sage did not cried & kept his calm. Sage through his spiritual vision saw that these two robbers are from a high caste Brahmin family. He gave the two robbers wise counsel & advised them to lead a life of spiritual practice. He asked them to turn toward the God & leave this wrong way of life. Through his spiritual counsel he was able to change the minds of robber brothers. He took them to his ashram where these two fallen brothers started worshipping the Lord and started offering prayers to God daily. In this way in the end they were able to attain salvation & finally went to Lord's beautiful abode to stay with Him."

In Bhagwat Gita also God says:

"api ced asi papebhyah
sarvebhyah papa-krt-tamah
sarvam jnana-plavenaiva
vrjinam santarisyasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 36)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you turn to the spiritual practice & turn toward the God, you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries."

Jai Sri Krishna

Merry Christmas

Dear Readers,

May Love, Peace and Joy come down on earth on Christmas day to make you happy and cheerful. May Christmas spread cheer in your lives!

Merry Christmas

Here below is a sweet story titled "A Box Full of Kisses" which shows power of unconditional love. Here below is the story.........

"The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy.

"The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses... from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this."

Thanks,

When God Laughs

In this world God is all-powerful; almighty; unlimited in power & has all the ability to do anything but still we in our ego think & believe that we are the doer of everything & controller of all the events. But it is not so as God controls everything & manages all the events in the world. In His all powerful form God is called Omnipotent. 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 Omnipotent power is sufficient to fulfill all His purposes and promises, including His promise of "Eternal life" for His devotees.

But still there are many people in this world who do not believe in all such powers of God & think themselves to be the master of everything. On such fools God laughs & feel pity for them. For such people Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa says:

"God laughs on two occasions. Firstly God laughs when the physician says to the patient’s mother, ‘Don’t be afraid, mother; I shall certainly cure your son.’ God laughs, saying to Himself, ‘I am going to take away his life, and this man says that he will save him!’ The physician thinks he is the master, forgetting that God is the Master.

On second occasion God laughs again when the two brothers divide their land with a string, saying to each other, ‘This side of land is mine and that side is yours.’ God laughs and says to Himself, ‘The whole universe belongs to Me, but still they say they own this portion or that portion of land."

God is supreme & we should consider His supremacy in all the events. In this world even a leaf does not flutter without the God's will. Bhagwat Gita also talks about God to be Omnipotent. Below are some verses regarding that:

"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."


"kasmac cha te na nameran mahatman
gariyase brahmano ’py adi-kartre
ananta devesa jagan-nivasa
tvam aksharam sad-asat tat param yat" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eleven verse 37)


"Arjuna said to Lord Krishna: O great one, greater even than Brahma, You are the original creator. Why then should they not offer their respectful obeisance's unto You? O limitless one, God of gods, refuge of the universe! You are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation."


"tvam adi-devah purushah puranas
tvam asya vishvasya param nidhanam
vettasi vedyam cha param cha dhama
tvaya tatam vishvam ananta-rupa" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eleven verse 38)

"Arjuna said to Lord Krishna: You are the original Personality of Godhead, the oldest, the ultimate sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You are the knower of everything, and You are all that is knowable. You are the supreme refuge, above the material modes. O limitless form! This whole cosmic manifestation is pervaded by You!"

"pitasi lokasya characharasya
tvam asya pujyas cha gurur gariyan
na tvat-samo ’sty abhyadhikah kuto ’nyo
loka-traye ’py apratima-prabhava" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eleven verse 43)


"Arjuna said to Lord Krishna: You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, of the moving and the nonmoving. You are its worship-able chief, the supreme spiritual master. No one is equal to You, nor can anyone be one with You. How then could there be anyone greater than You within the three worlds, O Lord of immeasurable power?"


"aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 8)


"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts."

"yad yad vibhutimat sattvam
srimad urjitam eva va
tat tad evavagaccha tvam
mama tejo-’msa-sambhavam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 41)


"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor."


So let's consider God to be all powerful, Omnipotent God. Let's know that God is able to do anything that is logically possible for Him to do. Let's know that God is able to do anything that it chooses to do. Let's know that God is able to do absolutely anything, even the logically impossible. So let's pray such a powerful, Omnipotent God.

Jai Sri Krishna

How to get rid of Pain & Suffering

If you want to get rid of "Pain & Suffering" from your life then here below is a small story which shall show you the way to it :

"In the olden times a businessman had to cross a jungle. That man took a donkey to carry his baggage & heavy luggage. He put all his baggage on to the donkey's back; and also loaded an empty tin container on donkey's back. The donkey was burying under the heavy load and stopped moving forward. The businessman now removed that empty tin container from the donkey's back and threw it away. On seeing this the donkey felt mentally relived & felt that the load on his back had been greatly reduced and started moving through the jungle without having any further regret. That poor donkey was happy with the false feeling that load has been reduced from his back while he was carrying all that load."

In this world we too are getting deluded similarly by the delusive energy of God called Maya. She puts our minds through the pains and sufferings of life & we all our life feel these regularly. Our mind is always full of worries, anxieties, pains of day to day life, diseases and mental sufferings. Sometimes that delusive energy of God called Maya removes a little pain from our life & gives us a small happiness & pleasure. We at that time feel that we have got fully rid of all the problems & miseries of the life & we again rush with more vigor towards the jungle called life. We forget that all those miseries & pains of life are still there & if we do not find the true answer to get rid of all these sufferings then we shall always feel the same way all through life & shall get reborn again to live a life of pain & sufferings. To get rid of all these pains & sufferings permanently, is to know your true self which is your Soul & Supersoul (God). Once you know your Soul & Supersoul (God) then all the miseries of life shall go away from your life.

In "Bhagwat Gita", Lord Krishna Says that if a person is devoted to God only then God rescues that person from all the miseries of life. Lord says:

"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)

'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 miseries of life & also from the cycle of birth and death i.e always protect that devotee.'

So let's move towards God & always worship Him. By doing this He shall take away all the sufferings & miseries from your life & shall show you the true light.

Jai Sri Krishna

Let's Pray God as Life Is Not Permanent on Earth

Each person that is born on this earth 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.

Life is aptly described in below lines of the Persian Poet, 'Omar Khayyam' :

'Lo! some we loved, the loveliest and the best
That time and fate of all their Vintage prest,
Have drunk their Cup a Round or two before,
And one by one crept silently to Rest. '

'Omar Khayyam'

Lo, here were all those our near & dear one's, whom we loved the most & are gone now. Wine of life that used to flow through their mortal body has gone. Time & fate (karmic law of cause & effect) has acted in their case & after drinking a Cup or two (of life), they have departed from this earth & have died a short or long before us. So shall be the fate of our self also & we shall too some day depart after drinking a Cup or two.

So instead of letting time & fate rule our destiny & lead us to death, why not let God immortalize us. So let's pray to God daily, know Him daily so that God can bless us with the immortality. Lord Krishna says in Bhagwat Gita :

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

"Lord Sri Krishna says: O Arjuna, Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My pure devotee, under My protection, reaches the Eternal and Imperishable abode by My grace."

"ananya-cetah satatam
yo mam smarati nityasah
tasyaham sulabhah partha
nitya-yuktasya yoginah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 14)

"Lord Sri Krishna says: O Arjuna, Whosoever, always & constantly remembers Me with undivided mind; by that person, I am easy to obtain, O Arjuna, because of his constant engagement in the devotional service to Me."

So just see what's on your mind most of the time. It might be your daily affairs, your family etc. but God might be missing from your life. It is always good for a person that he does not let God slip out of his mind, anytime in his life. The person who does not forget the God in life, bids fair to realize Him in this very birth.

So Let's pray to God always as life is not permanent on this earth. Let's pray Him so that He can bless us in this & after life. Loving & praying God can only save us from all type of miseries.

Jai Sri Krishna

God Is Seated In Everyone's Heart

You come to see so many people in this world. Some are rich, some are poor; some are white, some are black; some are qualified, some are illiterate; some are healthy, some are weak. In fact each person is unique & different in this world. We all are having different bodies & each one of us is having a different face of it's own. Such variety in nature creates the illusion that we all are different individual beings. But all that variety in nature is at the physical level & at the Soul level we all are one as there is only one indivisible, Omnipresent Soul that is present in all of us.

It is the Indestructible, Indivisible, Omnipresent Soul present in our bodies that makes it so lovable, otherwise no one can love this body of five nature elements. All attractions in the body are due to this Divine Soul only. Once this Divine Soul leaves this body, it is called the death of that body & all attractions, all love departs with that Soul. This divine Soul is nothing but a spark of the "Universal Omnipresent Soul", the Almighty God. All human beings are lovable due to the presence of this Divine Soul in our body.

Below is a story which depicts how a devotee of God could not attain to immortality as he could not see the God present in all beings.

"Once there was a 'High Caste devotee' of God. He always used to practice the rituals as followed by high priests. He had no home & always used to wander in different villages & places. He was free of desire, lust, hatred, greed & used to live in a world of his own.

God became very happy with his devotion & asked him for a boon. 'High Caste devotee' told the God that he was desire less and he did not want anything, but God insisted for some boon to be granted to him as a reward of his devotion. At this 'High Caste devotee' asked for a boon that, whenever, he was in need of food & he felt hungry, food may be provided to him. God granted him that boon & disappeared.

One day, 'High Caste devotee' after wandering for a long distance felt hungry, but there was nothing available nearby. Then he remembered that the God had granted him a boon that he would find food at his desire. Suddenly, he saw a man dressed in torn & dirty rags, carrying food in a bag asked him, "Sir, would you like to have some food." Looking at the apparent dirty & impure condition of the man & being himself of High caste, he felt repelled at that man's condition. He politely refused "No, Thank you". The person carrying the food again approached him, but in utter disgust & in anger the 'High Caste devotee' told that person to go away and that he was not interested in his food. The person carrying the food disappeared. Seeing the sudden disappearance of that person, he realized that it must be God, who disguised Himself as that man dressed in torn & dirty rags and came to provide him food.

On his prayer now God again appeared before the 'High Caste devotee', smiled and told him, It was the "King of heaven" only who had come to fetch you food. In fact this food was not the ordinary food but was the divine one, Nectar Food. If he would have accepted & eaten it, he would have become immortal, but on one condition to test whether you could see the Divinity in all, whether you could see the divine being in that man dressed in torn & dirty rags.

That 'High Caste devotee' now understood how he had failed in the test. It was his Ego, which made him refuse the Nectar Food.

So the moral of the story is that we should see the God / Divinity present in all beings & we should not discriminate with any body & love everyone equally."
All the religious texts & Bhagwat Gita also teaches us that we should love all human beings equally as the God as Soul resides in everyone's heart & seeing the presence of that divinity present in all beings, we should not discriminate with any body & love everyone equally. Below verses of Bhagwat Gita explain that only:

sarvasya chaham hridi sannivisto
mattah smritir jnanam apohanam cha
vedais cha sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedanta-krd veda-vid eva chaham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fifteen verse 15)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me comes remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas."


"ishvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tishthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 61)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The Supreme God dwells/resides in the hearts of all beings, who are mounted on the automation of this body, causing them by His illusive power of material energy to revolve (according to their actions) and is directing the wanderings of all living entities."

So let's see God equally seated in everyone's heart. Let's not differentiate people between their body skin color, their language, nationality, status etc. & see the presence of God equally in all beings. Let's Love everyone equally.

Jai Sri Krishna

Peaceful Mind Is Key To Happiness

Just do a reality check in your daily day to day life. Check whether you remain stressful, tense, disturbed in mind or you remain calm, peaceful, happy in mind. If you remain stressful, tense, disturbed in mind then it shall lead to unhappiness while if you remain calm, peaceful in life then you shall be happy in life. We see this world through our mind so if our mind is peaceful; we enjoy the beauties of nature & love being born to enjoy this life. But if our mind remains tense, stressful, disturbed; life seems like a curse. We can never enjoy our life if our mind remains in a disturbed state of mind. So the key to happiness in life is that our mind remains calm & peaceful.

To understand your state of mind, you should introspect & see what are the reasons that your mind becomes stressful, tense & disturbed. If you throw a small stone in the calm, peaceful pond of water then ripples are generated in the pond. If you try to stop those ripples with your hand or any other means, more & more ripples are generated. Same is the case with our mind. When our peaceful mind is disturbed due to any reason in our life then trying to undo that situation is very difficult. So we should try to analyze in our life, what was the reason that caused those ripples in the first place in your peaceful mind. Also, in future you should try to stop such situations in your life.

The main reason why our mind remains disturbed is that we are not satisfied with our present state. If you have something, you are not happy with it. In your relations you may not have harmonious relations with your near & dear ones. If you have a particular amount of money with you, it seems less to you & you want more of it. Same is that, you have Greed for other things & don’t know how to enjoy the one’s you are already having.

To be peaceful at mind, the first & foremost thing is to be satisfied with what you have at present & try to make harmonious relations with the people all around you. Once you are able to do that then you shall find that you are better off & much peaceful. Just try to appreciate the positive aspects in your life & avoid pondering over negatives in life & that shall make you more peaceful. Also try to control your desires as unfulfilled desires are the ones which keep our mind disturbed.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which teaches, how a person of peaceful, unwavering and undisturbed mind behaves in life:

“aapurya-manam achala-prathistham
samudram apah pravishanti yadvat
tadvat-kama yam pravishanti sarve
sa shantim-apnoti na kama-kaami” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter II verse 70)

"As the waters (of different rivers) enters the Great Ocean, which though full on all sides remains undisturbed, like wise a person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires - can alone achieve peace, and not the man who runs after these desires & strives to satisfy such desires."

"sama-duhkha-sukhah sva-sthah
sama-lostasma-kanchanah
tulya-priyapriyo dhiras
tulya-nindatma-samstutih" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 24)

Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: One who is situated in the Self (soul) and behaves same during happiness and distress; one who looks upon a lump of earth, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; one who is equal toward the desirable and the undesirable; one who is situated equally well in praise and blame is the one who is of steady mind.

"manapamanayos tulyas
tulyo mitrari-pakshayoh
sarvarambha-parityagi
gunatitah sa ucyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 25)

Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: One who is steady in honor and dishonor; one who treats alike both friend and enemy; and who has renounced all material activities—such a person is said to have transcended the three modes of nature & lives in a peaceful state of mind.

So if you want to have peace of mind in life, you need to be satisfied with what you have at present in life & should not hanker after those desirous objects which are beyond your reach. Just try to make harmonious relations with the people all around you & you shall feel peaceful & happy in life. Other than that turning your mind's attention towards God or Spiritual practices like listening to devotional songs (Bhazans), reading spiritual literature, chanting religious mantras, doing Yoga etc. shall also make your mind peaceful & the "Key to Happiness lies in a Peaceful Mind only".

Jai Sri Krishna

Devotion

Devotion is the commitment to any person, cause or thing. A person devoted to something always remains in the thought of that thing, does all his actions toward that thing & always remains committed to that thing. Similarly Devotees of God also do live in the thought of God, do all their actions toward Him only & always remain committed to God. In this way they always live in a mood of ecstasy and self-surrender to God. Such devotees always channel their emotional energies toward God only. Stories of such devotees abound in Hindu scriptures. Here below is a story "God's Devoted Crow" about that only :

"In the "Treta Yuga" Lord Vishnu descended on earth as "Prince Rama". He was looked upon as God embodied on earth. Not only were human beings devoted to Him, but also were there many from the animal kingdom. One of those was a crow.

One day Lord Rama and his younger brother Lakshmana were walking beside the Lake Pampa. Lakshmana saw on the other side of the lake a large crow, behaving very strangely. Crow would run up to the water, look at it, bend its head, and then run back into the forest without drinking the water. Lakshmana saw the crow doing the same thing many times. So Lakshmana (who had great respect for his brother's opinions) asked Rama what he could make out of such a behavior of the crow. Why should a bird act like that?

Lord Rama gave one look at that crow and said, "Oh Lakshmana, I can tell you about it: this crow is very devoted to me -- so much so that he is chanting my name constantly upon his tongue. Just now he is thirsty, quite thirsty. But to drink the water he would have to interrupt his repeating of my name, and he just cannot bear to do that." So such was the devotion of that crow towards Lord Rama that it would always chant & repeat Lord Rama's name."

Among humans Arjuna was a true devotee of Lord Krishna & knew that He was the God of the universe. He knew about all the powers of Lord Krishna & also knew that God in the form of Krishna shall save him & lead him to victory. He was having much faith in Lord Krishna than His army. Due to his faith in Lord Krishna only, ultimately he won the Kurukshetra war while Kauravas (his enemies) lost the war. In the Bhagwat Gita, teachings given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna on the battle field of Kurukshetra, Lord is saying:

"samo ’ham sarva-bhutesu
na me dvesyo ’sti na priyah
ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya
mayi te tesu chapy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 29)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him."

"man-mna bhav mad-bhakto
madhyaji maam namaskuru
maam-evaishyasi yuktvaivam
atmanam mat-parayanah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter IX verse 34)


"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to me, worship Me & offer obeisance's to Me. In this way, linking to Me, you shall surely come to Me."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."

"patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 26)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: If any one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or even water, I readily accept that offering of that devotee."

So let's have devotion towards the God. Let's remember God for some time in our daily life so that we can too generate some "Spiritual Emotion" toward the God. Once that is developed, we shall always find God near us & our life shall be filled with joy, love & ecstasy. So the Devotion to God is the supreme. It removes all the sins of a devotee & removes all the ignorance from one's life.

Jai Sri Krishna.

God is One

There are said to be 330,000,000 or 330 Million (33 Crore) Gods & Goddesses in Hinduism. To me the only explanation for such a huge numbers may be like that all the residents of some "Godly Planet" are called Gods or Goddesses. In other words 330 Million (33 Crore) is the population of that "Godly Planet" on which all these Godly people live. Anyway, on this our own earth, people follow different religions & have different faiths in regard to God. Different religions of the world depict God in different forms. In Hinduism God is depicted as Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Durga, Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati etc. while in some sects of Hinduism, God is depicted as formless God too. In Christianity God is depicted as Jesus Christ who is said to be the Son of God. Sikhism & Muslim sects mostly believe in a formless God. So different minded people of the world see the God in different forms or formless God too.



In reality "God is One" who but appears in different forms. All these Gods & Goddesses are manifestation of one Supreme God only. It can be understood very easily like this:

"There is a potter who makes different forms of Gods & Goddesses from clay of the ground. Clay is basically the same in all the forms but out of same clay different Gods & Goddesses appear to us. In the same way there is only One God but it appears in different forms. Similarly if you see that Gold for making different ornaments is same but with this gold various types, shapes of ornaments are made & are given different names. Similarly God is One but He is worshipped in different cultures, countries in different ways, forms & with different names. There are different paths in this world to reach that same One God."

In Bhagwat Gita Chapter Ten, Lord Krishna is himself saying that He is the source of all beings & gods. Not even that, as per Lord Krishna, all these universes & creations spring from but a spark of His splendor only. As per Him, He is seated in the hearts of all living entities. He Himself is Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva & Lord Brahma. He Himself is Sun, Moon, Wind & Fire. He Himself is Rama God too. He Himself is Lord of wealth - Kubera. He Himself is Spiritual word Om. He Himself is river Ganges. Among women He Himself is manifested as Goddess of fortune (Lakshmi), Goddess of wisdom (Saraswati) & other Goddesses of fame, memory, intelligence, steadfastness and patience. As per Lord Krishna His opulence is limitless.

Hindus likewise believe in only one God. They glorify and praise His thousands of qualities. For example when God is love, He is symbolically represented by Lord Krishna, God as virtue is represented by lord Rama, God as power is represented by Lord Hanuman, God as wisdom is represented by Goddess Saraswati etc. etc. So these different aspects of Gods represent spirituality, purity, power etc. of the Ultimate One who is endless truth and bliss.

If there are many "Pots filled with water" & if these pots are put under the Sun then Reflection of the Sun can be seen in all these pots. It appears that individual Sun is appearing in each pot. Not only that, water of each pot gets heated equally when Sun is reflected in the water pots. Now just as the Sun may be reflected in numerous pots of water, so the same one God is reflected in everything. Similarly there is one True Universal Self or One God who is appearing in different forms.

Below are some verses from Bhagwat Gita which explain about the Oneness of Supreme God:

"yac chapi sarva-bhutanam
bijam tad aham arjuna
na tad asti vina yat syan
maya bhutam characharam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 39)
"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being—moving or nonmoving—that can exist without Me."
"aham atma gudakesha
sarva-bhutasaya-sthitah
aham adis cha madhyam cha
bhutanam anta eva cha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 20)
"Sri Krishna said: I am the Super Soul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings."

"yad yad vibhutimat sattvam
srimad urjitam eva va
tat tad evavagaccha tvam
mama tejo-’msa-sambhavam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 41)
"Sri Krishna said: Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor."
So let's see one God in all different forms. Let people not fight on the basis of religion. There is only one God & He is called by different names by his lovers, devotees in affection. Sri Ram, Sri Krishn, Gobind, Waheguru, Allah, Jesus are all the same. So let's all have wisdom to respect each others faith & let's all realize that One God in all the different forms.

Jai Shri Krishna

Does God Exist?

There is a saying that "Seeing Is Believing". That means we believe in those things that we see. Now do you know the things which exist but yet we cannot see these with our eyes. Just see the subtle radio or micro waves that travel to your mobile phones, to your Laptops while accessing the internet through Wi-Fi technology, all those FM channels that you get in radio, seeing the television through dish technology etc. All these are examples of those invisible rays that actually travel through this invisible space & reaches to your various instruments like, mobiles, radio, TV etc. & get these working due to these invisible rays. Such subtle rays do exist but we cannot see these with our eyes, yet we can see the effects of such invisible rays.

Similarly as we do not see God so many of us do not believe in Him. But just like invisible rays travelling to your mobile, FM radio, TV etc. God too exist in the Invisible form & is sitting silently within this infinite space watching all of our actions. Now if you have faith in this then you shall believe in God, otherwise not. As a matter of fact, God exists if you have Faith in Him, otherwise not. 'Faith" in God is prime to know about His existence.

Now if you do not have faith in God, then shall God cease to exist? God is truth & truth is always having existence. God was there when we all were not, God is there when we are having our present existence & God shall be there even when we shall not be there. He is the ultimate truth & truth exists always. In the night you see many stars in the sky but when the sun rises in the morning you do not see these stars at all. Now can you say that there is no existence of stars, as these shall be again visible, once the night comes & whole sky shall again lit with stars proving their existence. Similarly when our mind wanders in ignorance, during that time we do not believe in His existence but when our mind is lit with the light of knowledge, we are able to see the existence of God. Then we do not say that there is no existence of God.

God is the faith of human beings that a Supernatural Power exists in this universe which has created us & this all other universal forms. He is having supernatural powers, who is omniscient (knows everything), who is omnipresent (who is present everywhere), omnipotent (who is having all the powers & is all powerful), who is imperishable & indestructible. Faith of humans in such a big & great entity having all the powers is known as God.

In Bhagwat Gita God Himself is saying:

"yac chapi sarva-bhutanam
bijam tad aham arjuna
na tad asti vina yat syan
maya bhutam characharam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 39)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being—moving or nonmoving—that can exist without Me

"shraddhaval labhate jnanam
tat-parah samyatendriyah
jnanam labdhva param shantim
acirenadhigacchati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 39)

"Sri Krishna said : O Arjuna, a faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and having achieved it he quickly attains the God & spiritual peace."

So just come out of the darkness of ignorance & have faith in God. It's the Faith in God only which shall deliver us from all the miseries of life. If you have Faith in God then it shall enlighten your thinking & let you come closer to all humanity & to God. Once you feel yourself one with all the humanity then peace, joy, bliss shall come to your mind as you shall see the image of God & image of yourself in all human beings.

Jai Sri Krishna

God Gives Meaning To Everything

Faith in God can change one's thinking & perspective to view this world. Everyone views this world differently as per their experiences & understanding of this world. There are two type of people in this world. First one are atheists & these people do not believe in any supernatural force called God as they have no faith in the super powers of any force called God. Second one are devotees of God who have full faith in supernatural powers of God. For them faith in some higher power makes them understand this world better. Below is simple arithmetic which shall make this difference clear between the thinking of an atheist & a devotee.

If you have "one," and you go on adding zeros in front of it, like this: 0 + 0 + 0 + 0001, does it become more than one? Does it add value to it? It does not. But if you put the "one" first and then add zeros after it: 1 + 0 + 0 + 0, the number goes on expanding to infinity. In the same way, the atheist lives in a world on his own & for him world is like the first "0 + 0 + 0001" ; there is something there, and he keeps on adding "things", but he doesn't get much. For him the world revolves around him only, for him his body, his social circle, his money, relatives etc. are prime but these things & people go away from him at the time of death. As his thinking is limited & he is not having faith in God so he is left alone. He is also not protected by God in this life & after life.

On the other hand, for a devotee God is like the second "1 + 0 + 0 + 0" & he puts God first in life before anything and in this way his thinking goes on expanding to infinity. By having such devotion, he is able to understand the mystery of this universe & God better. As everything in this world has originated from that single source called God so to keep Him prime & then adding things to it makes everything valuable.

God is actually the "Formless Brahman" (God in un-manifest aspect) & is all alone before creation. Then out of His will He creates this universe & things go on adding to Him just like 1 + 0 + 0 + 0 & infinite universe is born out of Him. When God did this creation out of His un-manifest aspect, then this manifest infinite universe came into being. God in his manifest aspect is called 'Ananta' or Infinity. Initially God was one & to multiply himself into many he created this universe; that is why it only takes 'Zeroes' to be added to '1' to get it manifested in hundreds of thousands forms.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita explaining that un-manifest aspect of God:

"etad-yonini bhutani
sarvanity upadharaya
aham krtsnasya jagatah
prabhavah pralayas tatha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 6)

"Sri Krishna said: All created beings have their source in these two natures. I am the source of all creation & into Me again it dissolves.

"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. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this world is threaded on me.

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

"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."

So let's have faith in God. Let God come first always before any other thing in our life. As God is present everywhere & controls everything, so in this world everything has meaning because of God only. Let's all pray to that supreme, divine, all powerful God only.

Jai Sri Krishna

Do You Believe In Luck?

That day a poor person won 'Many millions worth of Lottery' & people said, "Wow, what a Lucky guy!". Recently an old lady in her last will, gave everything to her caretaker (servant) of 30 years, all her property, money worth millions & people said "Wow, what a Lucky person!". In this way, many people find themselves Lucky suddenly. Similarly, people do get sudden losses in business, have sudden misfortunes in life & people say, "What a bad Luck!". Sudden gain or sudden loss in life is said to be due to one's Luck. Now what is this Luck? Do you believe in this Luck? Here below is described what is Luck & what is it's relation with the Human Karmas.

Luck is generally said to be blessings of God. It is also similar to Bhagya, Kismet, Fate etc. but differs from these in a way that it is sudden, by chance that something good or bad happens in one's life. Now the question is, "Why suddenly Luck shines on a particular person & that person wins a lottery?" To understand this we need to understand the Hindu theory of Karmas.

As per Bhagwat Gita, individual soul is immortal & is capable of taking rebirth in different bodies after it leaves one body at death. As per the Hindu Philosophy, 'Actions or Karmas' of previous birth become the basis of this birth & Karmas of this birth become the basis of next birth & so on. Every Karma has a consequential Fruit related to it. A person has to enjoy the good or bad fruits of "Karmas", in his/her next births. Karmas done by a person, remains with that person, unless he/she has enjoyed the consequential Fruits arisen out of doing that Karma.

At the death of a person, individual soul takes with it all the accumulated Karmas, which contain Karmas done in this birth & also the Karmas from the previous births for which its fruits are yet to be enjoyed . Now when a person gets something by chance, it is the outcome or fruits of previous births Karmas which are bearing fruit now. So when a person suddenly wins a lottery, then at that time some very good deeds or Karmas of previous births suddenly bear good fruits. Similarly when a person gets sudden loss in life & have a bad Luck, then also some bad deeds or Karmas of previous births suddenly bear bad fruits.

So this explains all such events as per the Hindu Philosophy. It is also due to good & bad Karmas done by an individual in earlier births only that a person is born in a rich or poor family. All inheritances too can be explained like that only. So let's all do Good deeds or Good Karmas only so that our this & next lives can be good.

Read also: What is Karma?

May God Bless You

If we have faith in God then we always want that Blessings of God be showered on us. God is all merciful. His Divine grace or Blessings shower on all the creatures. When mercy of God happens on any person then God gives that person, whatever, that person is lacking in life & also protects that person's life & belongings.

But to have such a mercy of God, you also need to have your mind turned toward Him in prayer. Your thinking should be toward the God, you need to become His devotee, you need to offer obeisance's to God and worship Him always. When you shall become absorbed in God in such a way then you shall become eligible for the God's mercy & He shall always Bless you.

Worshipping the God, becoming His devotee, doing service to God & making Him your only savior shall take you toward Him. Once you are eligible for such a mercy of God then He shall shower all His blessings on you. Below verses of Bhagwat Gita explain that only :

"samo ’ham sarva-bhutesu
na me dvesyo ’sti na priyah
ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya
mayi te tesu chapy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 29)

"Sri Krishna said: I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all beings. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is very dear to Me, and I am also very dear to him."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion or Setting aside all meritorious deeds, just surrender unto Me. I shall liberate you from all sins. Do not fear."

"ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesham nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said: But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have."

So from the above verses of Bhagwat Gita it is very clear that when God shall shower His blessings on you then He shall provide you everything in life & shall always protect you. The only thing is that you should become eligible for such a mercy of God by becoming His devotee. So let God's grace and mercy always shine upon your lives. May God Always Bless You.

Jai Sri Krishna

Know about Bhagwat Gita

If you want to know, What Bhagwat Gita is? Who spok it? When & Where was this originally spoken? What is the size of it? When was it first translated into English? etc. then read this article...............The Bhagavad-Gita : Questions and Answers

हिंदी में गीता सार (Gita Saar with English, Hindi Translation)

गीता सार (हिंदी)

क्यों व्यर्थ की चिंता करते हो? किससे व्यर्थ डरते हो? कौन तुम्हें मार सक्ता है? अात्मा ना पैदा होती है, न मरती है।

जो हुअा, वह अच्छा हुअा, जो हो रहा है, वह अच्छा हो रहा है, जो होगा, वह भी अच्छा ही होगा। तुम भूत का पश्चाताप न करो। भविष्य की चिन्ता न करो। वर्तमान चल रहा है।

तुम्हारा क्या गया, जो तुम रोते हो? तुम क्या लाए थे, जो तुमने खो दिया? तुमने क्या पैदा किया था, जो नाश हो गया? न तुम कुछ लेकर अाए, जो लिया यहीं से लिया। जो दिया, यहीं पर दिया। जो लिया, इसी (भगवान) से लिया। जो दिया, इसी को दिया।

खाली हाथ अाए अौर खाली हाथ चले। जो अाज तुम्हारा है, कल अौर किसी का था, परसों किसी अौर का होगा। तुम इसे अपना समझ कर मग्न हो रहे हो। बस यही प्रसन्नता तुम्हारे दु:खों का कारण है।

परिवर्तन संसार का नियम है। जिसे तुम मृत्यु समझते हो, वही तो जीवन है। एक क्षण में तुम करोड़ों के स्वामी बन जाते हो, दूसरे ही क्षण में तुम दरिद्र हो जाते हो। मेरा-तेरा, छोटा-बड़ा, अपना-पराया, मन से मिटा दो, फिर सब तुम्हारा है, तुम सबके हो।

न यह शरीर तुम्हारा है, न तुम शरीर के हो। यह अग्नि, जल, वायु, पृथ्वी, अाकाश से बना है अौर इसी में मिल जायेगा। परन्तु अात्मा स्थिर है - फिर तुम क्या हो?

तुम अपने अापको भगवान के अर्पित करो। यही सबसे उत्तम सहारा है। जो इसके सहारे को जानता है वह भय, चिन्ता, शोक से सर्वदा मुक्त है।

जो कुछ भी तू करता है, उसे भगवान के अर्पण करता चल। ऐसा करने से सदा जीवन-मुक्त का अानंन्द अनुभव करेगा।

Gita Saar (English)

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.

What did you bring at the time of birth, that you have lost? What did you produce, which is destroyed? You didn't bring anything when you were born। Whatever you have, you have received it from the God only while on this earth। Whatever you will give, you will give it to the God. Everyone came in this world empty handed and shall go the same way. Everything belongs to God only.

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.

You are an indestructible Soul & not a body. Body is composed of five elements - Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Sky; one day body shall perish in these elements.

Soul lives forever even after death as soul is never born & never dies. So Why do you worry unnecessarily? What are you afraid of? Who can kill you?

Devote yourself to the Almighty God only. One who takes the support of God, always gains freedom from fear, worry and despair.

 

Jai Sri Krishna

Smallest Bhagwat Gita In The World

Bhagwat Gita is one of the most sacred and religious scriptures of Hinduism. In this are great philosophies of Hinduism & these teaching were told directly by Lord Krishna to his disciple "Arjuna" on the battle field of Kurukshetra during Mahabharata war. It is also described as a practical, self-contained guide to life. Now do you know which is the smallest Bhagwat Gita in the world?

Last year Tanishq launched the World’s Smallest Bhagwat Gita in the form of a Pendant. The pendant with Bhagwat Gita inscribed can be seen under a 20X microscope and can be read under a 200X microscope. All 700 shlokas of 18 chapters of Bhagwat Gita are inscripted in 24K gold (purest form of gold) on a 1 cm sq. crystal tablet, which is developed into a pendant. This 22K gold pendant is available in 6 variants. The Bhagwat Gita Pendant is available at select Tanishq outlets across India. About this has been written about in the Limca Book of Records too. So now you can just wear it everyday and keep it close to your heart.

Link

How to get Motivated in Life?

Human mind is the most mysterious one to understand. It is our mind only which gets depressed, dejected but yet it is the mind only which get's happy, joyful & elated. Happy moments are always welcome in our life but moments of Depression, Dejection, De-motivation, Desolation all these D-words are the one's which are not welcome in our life. We would never like to be sad in life but truth is that sadness is as much a part of our life as happiness is in our life. We may be physically fit with blood gushing in our nerves, but if we are not well with our MIND then we are certainly not going to perform to our full potential. Mental health is where the key to success lies. If we are mentally supercharged then we can achieve any milestone in spite of having any physical inadequacy.

Now, How to get Motivated in Life? How to get out of negative thoughts in life? How to get out of Depression, De-motivation in life? Here is where the great teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" come into play. For those who do not know about "Bhagwat Gita" a brief is here below:

"Bhagwat Gita" is an ancient religious book of the "Hindus" & in this book are great philosophies of Hinduism. These philosophies teach us all about, how we should do our duty, how we should lead our life etc. This "Bhagwat Gita" teachings were given by "Lord Sri Krishna", God Himself, to his disciple "Arjuna" on the battle field of Kurukshetra in Haryana state of India in ancient times. "Arjuna" was involved in a war against his enemies (some of them his own relatives too) but he refused to do his duty of fighting a righteous battle as he got infatuated & started thinking of his enemies as his own near & dear ones. He told his master "Lord Sri Krishna" that he is going away from the war & do not want to fight on the battle field. Arjuna's mental health became weak & he got deeply depressed. To overcome his disciple Arjuna's depression & to motivate him to fight a righteous war, "Lord Sri Krishna" gave the great teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" to his disciple "Arjuna". After listening to all these great teachings, Arjuna's mental health became well & he became motivated & energetic to fight the war.

At times we too find ourselves in the same state of mind, as that of "Arjuna". We feel de-motivated, depressed in our life. But our state of mind can be changed to a motivated & energetic one by these teachings of "Bhagwat Gita". Through these teachings, mental equilibrium of any depressed person can be overcome & he can come out of any crisis situation. The teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" can simply transform a person. Now here below is, how it can be done:

Bhagwat Gita teaches us about the "Mind Control". Mind is the one that makes the personality of a person. De-motivated mind makes a person depressed one & a motivated one makes a person cheerful. If one's mind is in one's control & if one can concentrate deeply on one's work, then that person can do wonders in life & at work. Mind is very powerful one & to control it, to keep it in one's control is very difficult. It just wanders like wind here & there. It takes enough of self discipline & practice of meditation to control it, to get it concentrated on any job or activity.

As per "Bhagwat Gita" Chapter Six verse 34, 35, 36: "Human mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong and to subdue it, to control it, is more difficult than controlling the wind but it is possible by suitable practices of meditation and by detachment to control it. For those people whose mind is unbridled, uncontrolled & wandering, peace of mind cannot be attained but those people whose mind is controlled and who strive by appropriate means is assured of success in every walk of life."

In the Bhagwat Gita, "Lord Sri Krishna" first of all asks every person to do his DUTY. If a person does his/her duty then half of the problems of that person are solved. Not doing one's duty is very harmful as it produces negative results only in one's life, like frustration, depression, de-motivation etc. If one does at least his/her duty, then such negative factors affect that person to a lesser degree or do not affect at all. As per "Lord Sri Krishna", doing one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily is better to have a better Mental Health.

"sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah
para-dharmat sv-anusthitat
sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah
para-dharmo bhayavahah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 35)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous."

Another teaching of "Bhagwat Gita" is to do one's work for the sake of work only without caring for the fruit arising out of that work. That simply means to get deeply involved in one's work or to just think single mindedly about performing the best in one's job without thinking about the results arising out of those actions performed while doing one's work or duty. Just concentrate on your work, that's it. Below verse of "Bhagwat Gita" explains this.

"karmany evadhikaras te
ma phalesu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango ’stv akarmani" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: 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."

Another below verse of "Bhagwat Gita" explains that one should do one's duty equi-poised or to have the equanimity of mind, without caring & renouncing all attachment to success or failure. If one does one's duty efficiently & with single minded devotion, without any fear of success or failure in his/her Endeavour, then certainly that person shall succeed in his/her work, as he/she is doing that work without any fear of success or failure. His/her mind shall be at peace & ease while doing such work without any fear of success or failure. Any person whose mind is at peace, certainly works effectively.

"yoga-sthah kuru karmani
sangam tyaktva dhananjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhutva
samatvam yoga ucyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 48)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: Perform your duty equi-poised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga."

So if a person is dedicated to his work & works for the sake of work only without any fear of success or failure, then that person is going to be certainly successful in his/her carrier. By doing meditation & other yoga techniques, one can control one's mind & a disciplined mind can be made to concentrate on one's job better, producing better results. So by following the teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" one is certainly to excel in his/her job & in life.

Other than the above said teachings of Bhagwat Gita if we are able to enjoy a harmonious life at home & in society then it is a great motivating factor in life. Let enthusiasm, vigour be there in your life & let you stay motivated in the face of challenges of life. Such an attitude shall keep away the negativity in your life. Do not have regrets in life & move on in all the situations, as with such an attitude you shall quickly go ahead in your career. Always feel good about yourself & never have negative thoughts in life. Positive thoughts in life shall increase your self-esteem & that shall keep you motivated. A motivated life shall let you accomplish much more & have greater success in life.

Is God Tangible or Intangible?

What is your say on this question, "Is God Tangible or Intangible?" or "Is God having a Form or Formless?". Below is a Story by Indian saint Sri Ramakrishna which answers to this question.

"In India there are many temples where God is worshipped as Mother. In West Bengal state of India, in one of these temples, She is present there & is represented by a large stone image. The sculptor has carved in stone his idea of the Mother of the Universe, and many pious people, finding it attractive and inspiring, go there to pay their respects or make offerings to the Mother.
One day an aged monk who used a cane came into the temple. Approaching the altar he said, speaking aloud to God, "Mother, you are said to be God; tell me the truth: are you solid like stone -- this image? Or are you formless, indescribable and impossible to touch?"

"Take your cane," the monk heard a soft voice saying, "and strike my body on the left side." Monk did the same, and the cane hit the stone with a clack. "Now strike me from the other side," She said. When the cane reached the sculpture it passed right through it as if it were air. Then the monk understood that God can be both -- tangible and intangible i.e. God can be both, with a Form & Formless too -- at the same time."

In Hindu temples, people worship the God with a form while there are many sects in Hinduism where people do worship the Formless God too. Muslims too in a way worship the Formless God (Allah). In fact Hindu scriptures are full of volumes which describe God as having a Form & also as a Formless God. In other words, Manifest God is God having a Form while the Unmanifest God is the Formless God.

Bhagwat Gita is too full of verses which describe the God having a Form & also as a Formless God. Below are few verses, where God Himself is describing about the Form & Formless God & which is the easy one for worship by individuals.

"arjuna uvacha
evam satata-yukta ye
bhaktas tvam paryupasate
ye chapy aksharam avyaktam
tesham ke yoga-vittamah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 1)

"Arjuna asked: Which are considered to be more perfect, those who are always properly engaged in Your devotional service or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested God?"

"sri-bhagavan uvacha
mayy avesya mano ye mam
nitya-yukta upasate
shraddhaya parayopetas
te me yuktatama matah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 2)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect."

"ye tv aksharam anirdesyam
avyaktam paryupasate
sarvatra-gam acintyam cha
kuta-stham achalam dhruvam"

"sanniyamyendriya-gramam
sarvatra sama-buddhayah
te prapnuvanti mam eva
sarva-bhuta-hite ratah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 3-4)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable—the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth—by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me."

"kleso ’dhikataras tesam
avyaktasakta-cetasam
avyakta hi gatir duhkham
dehavadbhir avapyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 5)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme God, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied in human form."

"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."

So from the above, it is clear that God is both having a Form & is also Formless. In whatever way a person worships the God, He blesses the people equally. So the main thing is that you should have Faith in God, the grace of God shall follow automatically. So if you have Faith in God, whether that God is with a Form or a Formless God, He shall always listen to your prayers, shall always be with you & shall always bless you.

Jai Sri Krishna

Mysterious Soul

Soul has some meaning for you if you believe in something which is within this body & something which can exist without this body also. In movies we have seen ghosts etc. which are also Souls which have left this physical body at death but are yet to enter another body or are yet to reincarnate in a body. When soul lives in this physical body then it enjoys the different sensory objects through this body but when soul after death lives without this physical body then it is generally called ghost. 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.

According to Bhagwat Gita, the Soul, or Atman, is indestructible and eternal (Chapter 2.18).

"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."

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."

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."

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

Jai Sri Krishna