Supreme Power of The Universe

All the religions of the world, whether it is Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism etc. believe in "One Supreme Power". This Supreme Power is given a different name in all these different religions but all say that there is One Supreme Power out of which this universe has emerged. This "One Supreme Power" is eternal, omnipresent, omnipotent, and complete in all respect.

This "One Supreme Power" is the Originator of the Divine Law through which this whole Universe works in Divine order. Such Divine order can be seen in our day to day life like rising of Sun, Nourishing of all nature born species etc. We can see all such Divine order, all around us. Human mind let's us understand the outer natural world, but human insight makes it possible to experience the Divine Law in nature. This Divine Law is Supreme. This Earth, Heaven & all the Cosmos were created according to that Divine law. This Supreme Divine law can be understood from below analogy:

Every morning, Sun emerges from the eastern horizon & dispels the darkness of the night. With the help of light of the Sun, whole world gets lit up & all creatures are able to sustain themselves. Sun is the source of energy to this world & it's energy nurtures our earth just like a mother feeds her children. Now just imagine, if Sun stops rising in the morning. In such a case all the creatures including us shall come to perish for the want of sunlight & it's energy.

Who has created this Sun & who in this Universe is ensuring that it rises daily from the east to sustain all creatures? Certainly no human being has done this. Sun was created by the Supreme Power called God & only He is ensuring that it rises daily from the east & that all creation is maintained. It all happens according to that Supreme Divine law which is maintained by that "One Supreme Power" called God.

In general God is the faith of human beings that a Supernatural Power exists in this universe who has created us & 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 Infinite in size, knowledge & powers, one who is imperishable & indestructible. Faith of humans in such a big & great entity having all the powers is known as God.

In Bhagwat Gita Chapter Ten, Lord Krishna is 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.

This whole world has it's existence in that Universal Soul (God) only. God is like the ocean & you are like a wave of that ocean. We all are waves of the same Ocean. There is no higher or lower wave. As the waves and the ocean are one, so are you, part & parcel of God only. One's ego only separates one from the God. Just lose your ego & dive yourself in the ocean of Universal Soul.

When a fire is burning, many sparks come out it. Similarly, all these souls have come out from that Universal Soul. "Mundaka Upanisad" explains that only:

"tat etat satyam yatha su-diptat pavakad
visphulingah sahasrasah prabhavante
sa-rupah tathaksharad vividhah saumya
bhavah prajayante tatra caivapi yanti"

The Supreme God is real and eternal. As many thousands of sparks come from a blazing fire, so many different living entities are manifested from the imperishable Supreme God and then again go & merge into Him.

In Bhagwat Gita also God says that this whole world & it's people are nothing else but part & parcel of Him only. Just like clusters of Yarn-Beads are woven on a thread, so is this whole world threaded in Him. So You are nothing but a "Spark of the Divine".

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

"Sri Krishna said:
There is nothing else besides Me,
Like clusters of Yarn-Beads,
Formed by knots on a thread,
All this world is threaded on Me (universal soul)."

So let's believe in that "One Supreme Power" & worship that Supreme Power who is ruling this Universe, someone who is all powerful. One who is all knowledge, one who is imperishable & indestructible. Such a divine entity having all the powers is called GOD.

Jai Shri Krishna

Tumhi ho Bandhu Sakha Tumhi Re

                           

There is a popular hindi song "Tumhi ho Bandhu Sakha Tumhi Re" from movie "Cocktail" going on TV, FM radio etc. nowadays. But over here, I am not going to discuss about that love song picturised on Saif Ali Khan & Deepika Padukone, but about the lyrics of an old prayer to God "Tumhi ho Bandhu Sakha Tumhi Ho" from where I think, some lyrics of the said song in movie "Cocktail" are taken. Let's see from where, actually these lines have come from & also try to understand that beautiful prayer devoted to Almighty God.

In my school days below few lines were engraved in cement on the top of front entrance gate of our school. Whenever, I used to enter the school in the morning, I used to read these lines which is a simple four line prayer to God. Since then it has got engraved in my mind.

त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव,
त्वमेव बंधू च सखा त्वमेव,
त्वमेव विद्या द्रविणं त्वमेव,
त्वमेव सर्वं मम देव देव

It's meaning is that:

"O Lord, You Are My Mother, Father,
You Are My Kinsman And Friend.
You Are My Wealth Of Knowledge, Strength, Power And Velour.
You Are My All God Of Gods".

Below is an old devotional music Hindi video "Tumhi Ho Mata Pita Tumhi Ho, Tumhi Ho Bandhu Sakha Tumhi Ho". It's also a prayer to the God similar to the above one.

It's lyrics are here below: "Tumhi ho maata pita tumhi ho, tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho tumhi ho saathi tuhmi saharay koie na apana siva tumharay tumhi ho naiyaa tumhi khevaiya tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho jo khil sa ke na woh phool hum hain tumharay charanon ke dhul hum hain daya ke drishti sada hi rakhana tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho tumhi ho maata pita tumhi ho, tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho"

  The meaning of above lyrics is: "You are the mother, You are the father You are the kinsman and You are the friend You are the companion & You the support, There is no one is own except You in my life, You are the boat and You are the boatman We are the flower that cannot blossom... and We are the dust of You feet. O God, Please always keep merciful eye on us You are the mother, You are the father You are the kinsman and You are the friend " So Let's pray God with above few simple lines & God shall have mercy on us.

 These simple few lines are enough for the God to become Happy with us. Below verses of Bhagwat Gita ensures that only: "man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru mam evaishyasi satyam te pratijane priyo ’si me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65) "Lord Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend." "sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66) "Lord Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."

Jai Shri Krishna

Holy OM

"OM" is the mystical word which is uttered during Hindu religious practices. This is considered a very holy & auspicious word. What is the meaning of "Om"? How chanting of Om is beneficial to one's body, mind & soul?

In literal sense:

"Om" is the Sound symbol that represents God. If you want to express God in the form of sound, you should utter this mystical sound "Om". In Bhagwat Gita Lord Sri Krishna says that:

"maharsinam bhrgur aham
giram asmy ekam aksharam
yajnanam japa-yajno ’smi
sthavaranam himalayah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 25)

"Sri Krishna said: Of the great sages I am Bhrgu; Of Vibrations / Sounds, I am the transcendental Om. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa], and of immovable things I am the Himalayas."

Before the creation God was one without a second. Then He wanted to become many. At such a thought of God, a vibration came into existence which took the form of sound Om. This vibrational sound Om became the basis of all creation. This primeval sound Om is nothing but another form of God which is recited in religious practices.

When you repeatedly chant this sound Om it gives peace of mind & gives energy to the body. Chanting it elevates the depressed mood of a person. Meditating on it while chanting it lifts our consciousness to the Godly state where peace & happiness comes to our body, mind & soul.



Jai Sri Krishna

Will Power is nothing but Soul Power

A man is very fond of sweets. In his life he has relished all sorts of sweets. Whenever he sees the sweets, he has the mouth watering temptation to eat these. Today he has gone to an Indian wedding, where he finds so many types of tempting sweet dishes. He wants to eat so many of these, but Alas!!! he is Diabetic, i.e. he is having sugar problem & has been advised by his doctor, not to take any kind of sweets at all. Now see his situation. His senses & Mind (Mann) are tempting him to eat the sweets but his intellect is telling him the doctor's advice not to eat it. On the one side is "Temptation to eat the sweets" & on the other hand, "There is his Intellect" which is telling him the consequences of eating the sweets. Ultimately, man shows "His Will Power" & decides to get rid of the temptation to eat the sweets & do not eat the sweets.

 As per Indian philosophy, Human Mind (Mann) is very fickle & stubborn. It only wants to enjoy the objects of the senses. On the other hand is Intellect, which decides, what is wrong & what is right. However Soul is supreme & is governing the Intellect & Mind (Mann), both. So whenever, in your life, your mind takes control of you due to temptations, inaction, laziness, procrastination etc. then use your Soul power through your will & get rid of all these negative traits. It is the Soul power that overcomes the negative traits & negative impulses in life, through "Will Power" execution. Our Soul is nothing but part & parcel of Universal Soul only. Universal Soul is nothing but God only who is infinitely powerful. So your Soul is also having the infinite potential to overcome all these negative traits in life.

In Bhagwat Gita philosophy, Mind is said to be very powerful one & to control it is just like keeping in control the raging wind. Mind just wanders like wind, here & there. It takes enough of self discipline & practice to control it. Through Soul Power (Will Power) only it can be controlled. As per "Arjuna" to "Lord Sri Krishna" in Bhagwat Gita Chapter Six verse 34:

"chanchalam hi manah krishna
pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye
vayor iva su-duskaram" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 34)

"Arjuna said to Lord Sri Krishna: This mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it, to control it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind."

"sri-bhagavan uvacha
asamsayam maha-baho
mano durnigraham chalam
abhyasena tu kaunteya
vairagyena cha grhyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 35)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: O mighty-armed Arjuna, it is undoubtedly that mind is very difficult to curb & is restless, but it is possible by suitable practices of meditation and by detachment to control it."

Soul strength is our Inner Strength, which comes into action in our hard times to defeat all such negative symptoms of laziness, inaction, procrastination, sadness, depression etc. in one's life. In hard times, it helps in building our low esteem and loss of confidence. When we are passing through bad times, we have a feeling of self dejection & a feeling that we will not succeed in life, in all such times, our Soul Strength comes into play. This Soul present inside our human body, in fact gives strength to our mind to carry out all the difficult tasks & to overcome all these negative traits in life.

In Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 18, God himself tells that :

"jyotisam api taj jyotis
tamasah param ucyate
jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam
hridi sarvasya visthitam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is un-manifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone’s heart."

So "Immortal Soul" is situated in everyone’s heart & gives strength, knowledge & guidance to every human being. So if we have faith in our inner Soul, then we shall get all the power & Inner Strength to get over all our adversities. So let's look inside ourselves so that we can come in touch with our real self (Soul) from where emerges all our Inner Strength. Be yourself & be proud of yourself, as your original self is part & parcel of the Universal Self (God) & with His grace you shall come out of all the adverse circumstances.

Jai Sri Krishna

Motivate Yourself & You will Succeed in Life

Have you ever seen that when you are motivated in life, you are able to do everything in life with ease & enthusiasm. When you are motivated in life, success follows you in life. But when our mind gets depressed, dejected, demotivated, life seems impossible & we are not able to lead life enthusiastically & as a result we do not succeed in 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. One can never succeed & be victorious in life if he feels himself, defeated at mind.

In the ancient Kurukshetra war, "Arjuna" the great disciple of "Lord Sri Krishna" also came into such a de-motivated & dejected state of mind. In that war "Arjuna" 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. His mind became week & highly de-motivated. 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. Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which show how Arjuna became de-motivated & how he refused to do his duty of fighting a righteous war.

"arjuna uvacha
drstvemam sva-janam krishna
yuyutsum samupasthitam
sidanti mama gatrani
mukham cha parisusyati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter One verse 28)

"Arjuna said: Krishna, at the sight of these friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, my limbs give away, my body is quivering and my mouth is parched."

"na cha saknomy avasthatum
bhramativa cha me manah
nimittani cha pasyami
viparitani keshava" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter One verse 30)

"Arjuna said: O Krishna, "My mind is reeling & I am now unable able to stand here any longer. I see the omens also inauspicious; only causes of misfortune."

"sanjaya uvacha
evam uktvarjunah sankhye
rathopastha upavisat
visrjya sa-saram chapam
soka-samvigna-manasah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter One verse 46)

"Sanjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield, cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief."

"sanjaya uvacha
evam uktva hrishikesham
gudakeshah parantapah
na yotsya iti govindam
uktva tusnim babhuva ha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 9)

"Sanjaya said: O King, having spoken thus to Sri Krishna, Arjuna, again said to Lord Krishna, “Hey Govinda, I shall not fight,” and fell silent."

Now 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. Below are verses of Bhagwat Gita in which Lord Krishna gave sermon to Arjuna to do his duty of fighting a just & righteous war & motivated his mind.

"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."

"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."

By the teachings of Lord Krishna, weakness of mind of Arjuna was gone & he became motivated. Below is a verse of Bhagwat Gita in which Arjuna acknowledges that his weakness of mind has gone & that he is now motivated to do his duty of fighting a just & righteous war.

"arjuna uvacha
nasto mohah smritir labdha
tvat-prasadan mayacyuta
sthito ’smi gata-sandehah
karisye vachanam tava" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 73)

"Arjuna said: O Lord Sri Krishna, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your grace. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions."

So it is seen above, how the defeated & de-motivated mind of Arjuna became good & motivated by the teachings of Bhagwat Gita. Similarly we can also come out of the state of depression, de-motivation & dejection by reading the teachings of Bhagwat Gita. These teachings show us how to do our duty properly & how to lead a good life. So let's all follow the great teachings of Bhagwat Gita as told by Lord Sri Krishna Himself to Arjuna. These teachings are as much relevant in fast day to day life of ours today as these were in ancient times.

Below are few "Motivational Quotes" from our modern times great thinkers:

Be miserable. or Motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice.
Wayne Dyer

Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.
Og Mandino

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.
Norman Vincent Peale

Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.
Thomas Jefferson

Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.
Robert H. Schuller

Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.
Peter Marshall

The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.
Confucius

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.
Confucius

Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.
John F. Kennedy

When you fail you learn from the mistakes you made and it motivates you to work even harder.
Natalie Gulbis

Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.
Gordon B. Hinckley

You can never quit. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.
Ted Turner

You can't expect to hit the jackpot if you don't put a few nickels in the machine.
Flip Wilson

So let yourself always be motivated in life. Let enthusiasm, vigor be there in your life & let you stay motivated in the face of challenges of life. Such an attitude shall always 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 let have negative thoughts in your life. Positive thoughts in life shall increase your self-esteem & that shall keep you motivated. Also enjoy a harmonious life at home & in society as it always keeps one's mind motivated in life. A motivated life shall let you accomplish much more & have greater success in life.

Jai Shri Krishna

When Mind & Heart Find Peace in God

We daily face myriads of problems in life that our mind gets disturbed, tense & do not find peace anywhere. In such a situation what should we do? Simple & easiest solution in such a situation is to take refuge in God. Just remember Him with Love & see, your mind shall become peaceful. Here is how a devotee describes such a situation when he comes in refuge of God. He says:

Oh! Lord: Just like a person wandering in the scorching heat of sun, gets peace, after coming under the shade of a tree, the same pleasure my heart has got from, when I came in Your refuge. O my Lord, My mind was always wavering; It was not getting any support & it was just like a boat struggling with waves, not finding the bank of the river. But with your guidance that unsteady & wavering boat of my mind has come to the bank. Oh! God, such a pleasure my heart has got from when I came in Your refuge,

Oh! Lord: When you shower your blessings, fire becomes cool like sandalwood. With your blessings, pitch dark nights glow like full moon nights. Oh! God, as if a desert, thirsty for centuries, gets the message of rainy season, the same pleasure my heart has got from; when I came in Your refuge

Oh! Lord: That path on which one may find You, let me take steps on that, whether it is a path of thorns or flowers, whether that path is dry or wet with the rain. Let me never waver while moving on that path. O Lord, as if somebody is thirsty of water & is fed Nectar, the same pleasure my heart has got from; when I came in Your refuge.

The above lines are basically the English translation of a beautiful Hindi Bhajan. "Suraj Ki Garmi Se Jalte Huay Tan Ko Mil Jaye Taruvar Ki Chhaya" is a great Devotional prayer sung in the praise of Hindu God Rama. It has been sung by "Sharma Bandhus" & they earlier sung it for the Hindi film 'Parinay' which was the first and last playback song of the group. Here below is the video of that bhajan & also below are it's lyrics.



Lyrics: "Suraj Ki Garmi Se Jalte Huay Tan Ko" - Lord Rama Prayer

Jaise suraj ki garmi se jalte hue tan ko
Mil jaaye taruvar ki chhaaya
Suraj ki garmi se jalte hue tan ko
Mil jaaye taruvar ki chhaaya
Aisa hi sukh mere mann ko mila hai
Main jab se sharan teri aaya, mere ram

Suraj ki garmi se jalte hue tan ko
Mil jaaye taruvar ki chhaaya
(Bhatka hua mera mann tha koi
Mil na raha tha sahaara) - 2
Laheron se ladti hui naav ko - 2
Jaise mil na raha ho kinaara
Mil na raha ho kinaara
Us ladkhadaati hui naav ko jo
Kisi ne kinaara dikhaaya
Aisa hi sukh mere mann ko mila hai
Main jab se sharan teri aaya, mere ram

Suraj ki garmi se jalte hue tan ko
Mil jaaye taruvar ki chhaaya
Sheetal bani aag chandan ke jaisi
Raaghav krupa ho jo teri - 2
(Ujiyaali poonam ki ho jaaye raatein
Jo thi amaavas andheri) - 2
Jo thi amaavas andheri
Yug yug se pyaasi marubhumi ne jaise
Saawan ka sandes paaya
Aisa hi sukh mere mann ko mila hai
Main jab se sharan teri aaya, mere ram

Suraj ki garmi se jalte hue tan ko
Mil jaaye taruvar ki chhaaya
(Jis raah ki manzil tera milan ho
Us par kadam main badhaaoon) - 2
(Phoolon mein khaaron mein patjhad bahaaron mein
Main na kabhi dagmagaaoon) - 2
Main na kabhi dagmagaaoon
(Paani ke pyaase ko taqdeer ne jaise
Jee bhar ke amrit pilaaya) - 2
Aisa hi sukh mere mann ko mila hai
Main jab se sharan teri aaya, mere ram

Suraj ki garmi se jalte hue tan ko
Mil jaaye taruvar ki chhaaya
Aisa hi sukh mere mann ko mila hai
Main jab se sharan teri aaya, mere ram

Suraj ki garmi se jalte hue tan ko
Mil jaaye taruvar ki chhaaya

Jai Sri Krishna

Just Surrender

If we have complete faith in God & if we surrender completely to God, then whatever, shall happen in our life, shall be through the will of God. As God cannot do anything wrong to His devotees & He always protects His devotees, so our life shall be protected by the Divine Grace of God.

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

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

"man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaishyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo ’si me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

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

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

Abandon all supports and
look to me for protection.
I shall purify you from the
sins of the past; do not grieve.

So let's just surrender to the will of God & be devoted to Lord Krishna. Let's sing His Glories, read literature regarding Him & also do loving service to humanity (charity etc.) in His name. By doing so God shall always protect us in life

Jai Sri Krishna.

Don't be Tense, Get Relaxed

Tension is a very common word in our fast day to day life. In one's life everyone suffers from tension at some point or the other. Tension can be due to workplace pressures, in relationships etc. etc. Tension normally disturbs our physical and mental health. Due to tension a person fails to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism.

Common tension symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and accelerated heart beat. Otherwise tension can also cause backache, insomnia, fatigue, hypertension, eating disorder etc. Every one of us want to get out of this tension & get relaxed. Let's see how we can achieve that.

We generally compare ourselves with others. This comparison given tension to our mind as we all live in different circumstances with different capabilities. In such a unique world, comparing ourselves & our situations with others is absurdity. But if we do so, we shall get tense, as what others have may not be with us or what qualities others have, may not be with us. Do not compare yourself with others as you are unique in your own sense & others don't have those qualities what you are having. This world is such that each person in this world is unique & we should love that uniqueness of every person than comparing it with others. The art of making beautiful shoes is with a cobbler & not with you. Similarly you are the master of your own Karma (whatever job / work you do) & not anybody else. Let's respect the Karma of each person & not the results those Karma's bear. World is run by the Karma's of each person & not by the fruit's those Karmas bear. So let's be happy doing our own Karma than running after the fruit's those Karma's bear.

The other reason why our mind remains tense is that we are not satisfied with our present state. If we have something, we are not happy with it. We may not have harmonious relations with many people in our life which also gives tension. If we have a particular amount of money with us, it seems less to us & we want more of it. Same is that, we have Greed for other things & don’t know how to enjoy the one’s we are already having.

To get relaxed & be peaceful at mind, the first & foremost thing is to be satisfied with what we have at present & try to make harmonious relations with the people all around us. Once we are able to do that then we shall find that we are much better off & much peaceful.

So if we want to come out of tension then first of all we need to change our lifestyle. Other than that, we need to learn some relaxation techniques such as meditation, doing deep breathing exercises, listening to soul soothing music etc. as it relaxes one's mind. Living alone in silence without any disturbance for some time also relaxes the mind. Having a long simple walk, seeing the beauty of nature, doing some physical exercises, massaging the body can also help in reducing the tension.

Also as per teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" we need to be happy with our present state of life & should not hanker after the material desires. We need to have faith in God & should do our own duty as while doing one's own duty only, one can be happy. Do not blame God for the miseries of life, but just surrender to the will of God. Seek God's mercy & He shall give you peace of mind & happiness in life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Oh, my Lord

A devotee of Lord Krishna says to Lord:

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

Lord Krishna tells His devotee through Bhagwat Gita:

 "bhaktya mam abhijanati
yavan yas chasmi tattvatah
tato mam tattvato jnatva
visate tad-anantaram" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 55)

"Sri Krishna says: O Arjuna, One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God."

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

"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."

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

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

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

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



So let's all be devotees of Lord Krishna & follow the teachings given by Him in Bhagwat Gita. By doing so God shall bestow His mercy & love upon us. Once we are under His divine mercy & love then all the ignorance shall flee away from our life. After that all the good luck, bliss & ecstasy shall come in our life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Know Your Powers

There is a very common story that once, a Lion's cub was raised among the lambs from the start of his birth. That Lion's cub when grew up, always thought himself to be a lamb only. Many times, that Lion was told about his true nature that he is the king among the animals but he always thought himself to be a lamb only. So, that Lion was an ignorant one, as he believed himself to be someone different than his true self.

In another story there was a tribal man who lived in a remote jungle area & was unaware of the modern day developments like Cars, Airplanes etc. He used to move around on his horse. One day someone gave him a modern day car having 150 horsepower (HP) engine. As he was unaware of, what was a car & how it moved, he put two horses ahead of the car & made them drive the car while he sat in the car. He was just unaware of what the car was & how powerful it was. He didn't knew that this car was having the power of 150 horses & can run at 5-10 times the speed of the horses. It was his ignorance only that he was unaware of the power of the car engine.

Similar to the above, is our situation that we are unable to see our true nature, that we are that infinite powerful soul. Potential & powers inside ourselves are infinite & if we tap those powers in our soul then we can do anything & achieve anything in our life. We all need to introspect & know that our true soul source is having infinite potential. Soul strength is the Inner Strength, Mental strength or Personal Strength which comes into action in our hard times to defeat all such negative symptoms of sadness, depression etc. in one's life. In hard times it helps in building our low esteem and loss of confidence. When we are passing through bad times, we have a feeling of self dejection & a feeling that we will not succeed in life, in all such times, our Soul Strength comes into play.

Inner Strength is basically an exploration to find our authentic self. Now how we can peep into & explore our original inner self? Here is a great book "Bhagwat Gita" which is a reservoir of all such questions. "Bhagwat Gita", time & again tells us that we have a Soul inside our human body & this Soul has infinite potential. As this Soul of ours is a spark of the Infinite all powerful, all pervasive Universal Soul, so it's powers are also limit less. This Soul present inside our human body, in fact gives strength to our mind to carry out all difficult tasks. Believing in oneself is nothing but believing in one's inner Soul. All fountains of knowledge & strength come out of this inner Soul only.

In Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 18, God himself tells that :

"jyotisam api taj jyotis
tamasah param ucyate
jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam
hridi sarvasya visthitam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is un-manifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone’s heart."

So God is situated in everyone’s heart & gives strength, knowledge & guidance to every human being. So if we have faith in God, faith in our inner Soul then we shall get all the power & Inner Strength to get out of all our adversities.

So let's look inside ourselves so that we can come in touch with our real self (Soul) from where emerges all our Inner Strength. Be yourself & be proud of yourself, as your original self is part & parcel of the Universal Self (God) & with His grace you shall come out of all the adverse circumstances. So have devotion in God & it shall strengthen your mind to face all the challenges of Life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Above The Clouds Sun Is Always Shining

How often do you feel sad in life? How many times your mind gets depressed, dejected in life. We don't want to be sad in life but truth is that sadness is as much a part of our life as happiness is in our life. How good it would have been, if our mind always remains in a happy, joyful & elated state of mind. In times of difficulty, we feel, that there is darkness all around in our life but we generally forget that Sun always shines above the clouds. Clouds in our life can darken the horizon of the sky sometimes but not always. Let's always have hope in our life that everything shall happen good in life ultimately.

Here below is philosophy of "Bhagwat Gita" which states that, whatever, happens in our life, always happens for the Good only. Before that let's see a beautiful story below:

"In old times there was a farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit him. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.

“All happens for the Good only,” the farmer replied. On hearing this his neighbors were surprised.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.

“All happens for the Good only,” replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

“All happens for the Good only,” answered the farmer. On hearing this his neighbors were again surprised.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

“All happens for the Good only,” said the farmer."

As per the "Gita Saar" which is the brief essence of the Philosophy of "Bhagwat Gita". It is said that:

"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."

"जो हुआ अच्छा हुआ, जो हो रहा है अच्छा हो रहा है, जो होगा अच्छा होगा। जो बीत गया उस के लिए मत रोवो, जो आने वाला है उस की चिंता मत करो, अपने वर्तमान में धयान लगाओ"

We should have faith in ourselves & think that our soul is a spark of the Infinite, all powerful, all pervasive Universal Soul, so it's powers are also limit less. Just have positive traits in your life & you shall feel happy. Have a nature of Forgiveness & it shall remove unnecessary tensions in your life. Showing Gratitude towards others is also a positive aspect in life, which makes one humble & creates an environment of peace & harmony in one's life. So considering this we should have a positive attitude in our life. We should look positive in our times of adversity. We should have faith in God & we should always think that "Sun always shines above the clouds.

Jai Shri Krishna

What is the Proof that Soul Exists?

Soul, Spirit, Atman, Self etc. are words which are used to define subtle nature of ourselves which is invisible & mysterious. But if you say that Give me a proof for the existence of this Soul, how can it be given? Here below is how we can understand this invisible & mysterious Soul.

We in our daily life generally say that, "My Body", "My Mind", "My Senses or Indriyas", "My Pranas", etc. When you address these things as "My" that clearly means that your true Self, the Soul or Atman is entirely different from the Body, the Mind, the Prana and the Senses. The Body & Mind are your servants or instruments. They are as much outside of your true Self, Soul as these outside things as your home, car, bed etc. You are holding this body just as you are holding a long walking stick in your hand. Your true Self, the Soul is the possessor or proprietor of this body. The body is your property or possession. The body, the senses, the mind, etc. are not the Soul, Self or Atman, but belong to it.

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

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

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 Shri Krishna

Say, I Believe

There are many people in this world who have staunch faith in God, while there are others who doubt His existence. Doubt about God is basically a feeling of uncertainty about the truth, reality or distrust of the existence of God. In spiritualism doubt is just the opposite of the Faith. Faith in God as the Supreme reality is the essence of any religion. If you have doubt in the existence of God & do not consider Him the all powerful one, who has created this universe & it's creation, then you are not the Faithful one.

Faith makes our perceptions & beliefs. If you have Faith & believe in religious scriptures, words of a saint, then you are able to turn toward the God. It's Faith only which determines how you can mould your life. Here is a small story which explains the virtues of faith:

"Once upon a time there used to live four monks in a hermitage with their master. Three of the monks always used to spend all of their time in debating and talking about the existence of God & all types of intellectual pursuits. Fourth one was a simple man who had great faith in God & always used to sweep the floors of the temple. At the end, this simple man got enlightenment first. At this the intellectual monks asked their master, how come the simple man got enlightenment first? At that their master responded, "When he was sweeping the temple floor, he was also sweeping the corners of his mind of all doubts". His firm faith in God without any doubt is the reason that he is able to attain to enlightenment first."

If you do not have faith in God then you cannot believe in the words of God. Such a doubting person cannot find peace in life & cannot attain to the Divine consciousness. Doubting soul finds happiness neither in this world nor in the next, while the faithful one's attain peace & reach to God easily. Below verse of Bhagwat Gita explains that only.

"ajnas chasraddadhanas cha
samsayatma vinasyati
nayam loko ’sti na paro
na sukham samsayatmanah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 40)

"Sri Krishna said: But ignorant and faithless human beings who doubt the revealed scriptures, do not attain to the God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next."

Below verses of Bhagwat Gita describe the virtues of Faith:

"tad-buddhayas tad-atmanas
tan-nisthas tat-parayanah
gacchanty apunar-avrttim
jnana-nirdhuta-kalmasah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 17)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: When one’s Intelligence, Mind, Faith and refuge are all fixed in the God, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation."

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

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

So let's have Faith in God & do not doubt about the existence of God. It shall be Good if you have Faith in the words of a saint or in religious books than denying the fact that billions of people on earth, believe in God, pray daily for God & find peace of mind in God. So just proudly say, "Yes, I believe in God".

Jai Shri Krishna

From Deity to Infinity

Swami Vivekananda in his youth age was in search of a true master who would lead him to God. Whenever, he used to meet any saint, he would ask him, "Have you seen God?", but no one would say with conviction that he has seen God. Same question he put to Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa when he saw him for the first time. At his question Sri Ramakrishna replied,"Yes, I have seen God as real as I am seeing you before me."

Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa was the caretaker of Kali Temple at Calcutta. He used to worship the stone image of Goddess Kali in the temple but due to his devotion, Mother Goddess Kali, used to take the live form & used to talk to him. As per Sri Ramakrishna:

"ALL doubts disappear when one sees God. It is one thing to hear of God, but quite a different thing to see Him. A man cannot have one hundred per cent conviction through mere hearing. But if he beholds God face to face, then he is wholly convinced.

Formal worship drops away after the vision of God. It was thus that my worship in the temple came to an end. I used to worship the deity in the Kali Temple. It was suddenly revealed to me that everything is Pure Spirit. The utensils of worship, the altar, the door-frame - all Pure Spirit. Then like a mad man I began to shower flowers in all directions. Whatever I saw I worshipped."

God is all pervasive Pure Spirit. This universe is infinite only due to that Infinite Pure Spirit pervasive all around us. Pure Spirit as infinite being is limitless, omnipresent & the one who fills this limitless space. Such an Infinite Pure Spirit exists everywhere. Below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which describe about the infinite nature of Pure Spirit :

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

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

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

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

So though God is there in clay Idol in unmanifest form but that un-manifest God is Pure Spirit who is present everywhere & encompasses whole universe in it. That un-manifest God as Pure Spirit only takes live form before a true devotee. That infinite, un-manifest, Pure Spirit is realized in meditation as God & that Pure Spirit only helps us when we think of God & ask for His help. That all pervasive Pure Spirit is only called Bráhmn. So let's understand that Bráhmn, the all pervasive Pure Spirit & once we are able to understand & realize that then we shall transcend from Deity to Infinity as everything in this universe is Pure Spirit only.

God is Infinite Pure Spirit,
Whole world dwells in Infinite Pure Spirit,
Whole world comes from Infinite Pure Spirit,
Whole world goes back in Infinite Pure Spirit,
Whole world breathes in Infinite Pure Spirit,
Let's worship that Infinite Pure Spirit, the God.

Jai Sri Krishna.

Idol Worship

In many religions of the world people do idol worship while there are other religions where idol worship is forbidden. In Hinduism people do pray the idols of their revered Gods but there are people in other religions who disapprove of such idolism. Now big question is whether God is actually there in Clay Idol or not?

As per the philosophy of Bhagwat Gita & Hinduism, God is omnipresent (present everywhere) in it's un-manifest aspect & is always present all around us. Every inch of the space is occupied by Him. Every nook & corner is filled by Him. In this aspect He is called Brahm (God) who is Truth Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and is Infinite.

It is this un-manifest aspect of God that is present in Clay Idols that Hindus worship as their God. Now to fulfill the desire of a devotee, this un-manifest, all pervasive Brahm (God) who is there in Clay Idol, by the power of His Yogmaya, manifests Himself as an embodied Being and appears before the devotee. So in this way the Un-manifest God in Clay Idol becomes manifest before the devotees.

So this omnipresent, un-manifest God appears before a devotee in whatever form he worships 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.

In Bhagwat Gita, Arjuna asked Lord Krishna to show him the "Cosmic Form of God" & Lord Krishna showed Arjuna his physical "Virat Rupa" or "Cosmic Form of God" in which all these universes & all these planets, stars etc. were present. This physical "Virat Rupa" of God or this whole universe is the external body of the omnipresent, un-manifest God. Similarly this small Clay Body of God is the miniature aspect of that "Virat Rupa" or all inclusive physical universes.

Generally we see that, whenever, people go to the temple & come in front of the Clay Idol, people close their eyes. Why it is so that when people come before their revered God, they close their eyes? Simple answer to this is that they feel God much closer to their heart inside themselves when they come in front of the Clay Idol. Yes, God who is there in omnipresent, un-manifest aspect in the Clay Idol is also sitting in their hearts in un-manifest aspect. So that is the reason that while closing their eyes before the Clay Idol, people feel the presence of un-manifest God present everywhere & also in their heart.

So the answer to the question, "Whether God is actually there in the Clay Idol or not?" is in Yes. Yes, God is there in the Clay Idol. Let us respect the feelings & thinking of those people who do Idol Worship.

Jai Shri Krishna

Is this World an Illusion?

That day a friend of mine was talking philosophically & telling me that all this world is illusion, it does not exist in reality. Whatever we are seeing is just mere magic etc. etc. I kept listening to him. Then I just asked him to close his eyes & open it only when this magical, illusory world disappears. But when he opened his eyes, world was still there only. Where this world shall go? It was there only, it is there only, there is no magic that this world shall disappear.

Then what is that my friend was talking? Why he was calling this world as Maya (माया or māyā) or illusion? What is the philosophical meaning of his saying this world an illusion? Was he wrong in his saying that this world is unreal? In philosophy, the meaning of Maya is "that is not" but which appears to be real. In Hinduism, this world in which we live is called unreal not because of that it does not exist, but because it is unstable, impermanent, unreliable, ever changing and illusory. It is unreal because it is transient & changing every second. Just check the things around you, these are changing every second. So this changing world, which is not permanent is called Maya or illusion & not real.

In Hindu philosophy, Universal Spirit (Brahman) or God is the only truth which never changes & always remains the same but this world is changing every moment so that is the reason it is called untrue. Since Maya causes the material world to be seen, it cannot be untrue also. Hence, Maya is described as indescribable.

Purpose of Maya: In reality the purpose of Maya is to produce the duality in this world. Maya performs this role at the behest of the Supreme Lord only. God is not bound by Maya, just as magicians are not illusioned and deluded by their own magic. She has two principle functions - one is to veil the Universal Spirit (Brahman) and obscure and conceal it from our consciousness. The other is to present and promulgate the material world and the veil of duality instead of the Universal Spirit (Brahman).

Lord Krishna in Bhagwat Gita details about the 'Maya' in it's various chapters.

"mama yonir mahad brahma
tasmin garbham dadhamy aham
sambhavah sarva-bhutanam
tato bhavati bharata" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 3)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, My womb is the great Nature (Prakriti or MAYA) which is the source of birth of all living entities, and it is in that I place the germ (embryo of life). Thus it makes possible the births of all living beings."

"sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 4)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, It should be understood that all species of life, are made possible by birth in this material nature (Prakriti or MAYA), and that I am the seed-giving father."

"prakrityaiva cha karmani
kriyamanani sarvasah
yah pasyati tathatmanam
akartaram sa pasyati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 30)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, One who can see that all activities are performed by the nature (Maya) alone and sees that the self does nothing, actually sees." (The Self is the silent witness).

Ramakrishna on Maya

Ramakrishna acknowledged the power of Maya in life. He was all love and reverence for maya, perceiving in it a mysterious and majestic expression of Divinity. To him Maya was God.

In the guru Ramakrishna's experience, Maya was divine. Ramakrishna "did not, like a Vedantic scholar, repudiate the world as maya, but gave it a spiritual status, seeing in it the manifestation of Chit and Ananda." Ramakrishna had a "vision of the divine Maya, the inscrutable Power of God, by which the universe is created and sustained."

According to Ramakrishna, Maya projects and withdraws the world.
Further, "Maya . . . is the Mother of the Universe, identical with the Brahman of Vedanta and with the Atman of Yoga.

Ramakrishna discovered that maya operates in the relative world in two ways and he termed these "avidyamaya" and "vidyamaya.' Avidyamaya sustains lower planes, but vidyamaya is enlightening, including qualities like kindness. Vidyamaya elevates a man to a better consciousness. With the help of vidyamaya he then gets free of maya, if only for a while. The two aspects of maya are two forces of creation.

Ramakrishna said further: "When I think of the Supreme Being as inactive - neither creating nor preserving nor destroying - I call Him Brahman or Purusha . . . When I think of Him as active - creating, preserving, and destroying - I call Him Sakti or Maya or Prakriti, the Personal God.

To Ramakrishna maya itself was God - everything was God - [maya] was one of the faces of [the Godhead].

As per Ramakrishna: Maya can not be distinguished from the supreme [Godhead]

As per Ramakrishna: The mighty weaver (Maya) is none other than the Divine Mother.

As per Ramakrishna: Maya releases from bondage.

"I tell you the truth: there is nothing wrong in your being in the world." - Ramakrishna

Vivekananda on Maya

This universe is maya - Vivekananda

Maya is used incorrectly to denote illusion or delusion. - Vivekananda

God is 'HERE' Not 'THERE'

Our mind always wanders outside in the world in search of God. We generally think that God is someone faraway sitting in a distant heaven. Our search for God is always in the outside world but it is not a practical approach to find God. In fact God is present everywhere i.e. He is omnipresent & is present in all places, all the times. He is there within ourself, within our house, within all the places around us & also in our place of worship. So it is not necessary to go to some outside place to find God but we can worship & get His Blessings within ourself & our home only.

Below is a little tale -- about looking for the God nearby ourself only. This little tale is by India's great saint from Bengal, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa.

"ONCE, a bird sat on the mast of a ship. When the ship sailed through the mouth of the Ganges into the 'black waters' of the ocean, the bird failed to notice the fact that it has come away from the land. When it finally became aware of the ocean, it left the mast and flew north in search of land. But it found no limit to the water in the sea and so returned back on the ship. After resting a while it flew south. There too it found no limit to the water in the sea. Panting for breath the bird returned to the mast of the ship. Again, after resting a while, it flew east and then west. Finding no limit to the water in any direction in the sea, at last it settled down on the mast of the ship only."

Same is the case with our search for God. God we seek is very near to us. Still we wander about Him from place to place outside in the world. As long as a man feels that God is 'there', outside in the world, he is ignorant. But he attains knowledge when he feels that God is 'here' nearby himself only.

Below verse of Bhagwat Gita explains His omnipresent nature:

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

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

"In the Bhagwat Gita Chapter Fifteen verse 15 Lord Krishna says:

"sarvasya chaham hridi sannivisto"

God is seated in everyone’s heart.

In the Bhagwat Gita Chapter Eighteen verse 61 Lord Krishna says:

"ishvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tishthati"

The Supreme God resides in the hearts of all beings.

So let's look inwards & find the God in our hearts who is the source of all Joy, Peace & Bliss. Be sure that "God Loves You", only thing is that you need to turn toward HIM.

So just have faith in God & get the mercy of God nearby yourself only. God's merciful hand shall extend to you, wherever you are if you show devotion to God. When His grace shall happen then God shall give you, whatever, you are lacking in life & also shall protect your life & belongings. Then you shall always be protected in life by God. Such type of Special mercy of God shall only happen on you when you shall engage your mind in thinking of God, become God's devotee, offer obeisance's to God and shall always worship Him within your heart & nearby yourself. Being completely absorbed in God so, surely you shall become eligible for God's Special mercy.

Jai Sri Krishna.

Imitate Good People & Good Things

We all have been taught from the school times that we should imitate good people & good things in this world. We should not do the company of bad people & should not imitate bad works of other people. We should only imitate good people & good works of other people in this world. Here below is a story by Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the great Indian saint, which tells us that if we imitate good things today then it shall become an inspiration for us to lead a good life tomorrow.

"In ancient times in India, once a Thief with a purpose to steal, entered the palace of a king in the dead of night and overheard the king saying to the queen, "I shall give my daughter in marriage to one of those sadhus (holy men) who are dwelling on the bank of the river," The thief thought within himself & planned: "Well, here is way to have good luck for me. I will go and sit among the sadhus (holy men) tomorrow in the disguise of a sadhu, and perhaps I may succeed in getting the king's daughter. "The next day he went & sat among the sadhus. When the king's court men came soliciting the sadhus to marry the king's daughter, none of them gave their consent to marry the king's daughter. At last they came to the thief in the guise of a sadhu, and made the same proposal to him. The thief kept quiet & did not say "No" to them. King's court men went back and told the king that there was a young sadhu who might be influenced to marry the princess and that there was no other sadhu who would consent. Then the king himself came to the sadhu by the bank of the river and earnestly entreated him to honor him by accepting his daughter in marriage.

By this time the heart of the thief had changed at the king's visit. He thought within himself: "I have only assumed the garb of a sadhu (holy man), and see!! the king himself comes to me to ask for the hand of his daughter. Who can say what better things may not be in store for me if I become a real sadhu!" These thoughts so strongly influenced him that, instead of marrying under false pretences, he began to mend his ways from that very day and exerted himself to become a true sadhu. He did not marry at all, and ultimately became one of the most pious holy man of his day. Imitating of a good thing sometimes leads to unexpected good results."

In Bhagwat Gita Lord Krishna says that one can atone for his / her sins in many ways like penance, charity etc. but there is no way more swift, fast for atonement to sins than Devotional service to God / Lord Krishna. In this regard Bhagwat Puran & Bhagwat Gita, both explain about this assurance in detail that Devotion to Lord Krishna is the supreme purifier for all the sins that a person commits in life time.

'Api chet su-duracharo
bhajate maam ananya-bhak
sadhurev sa mantavya
samyag vyvasito hi sah' (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter IX verse 30)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Even if the vilest sinner worships Me with full devotion, he should be considered a noble soul or saint; as he has taken the right step by worshipping me."

Through above verse 30, God is telling Arjuna that even if the most sinful of person worships Him with full devotion, then He considers him to be a saint only as he has rightly resolved in his life. So many times we too think that we have done many sins in life & how God shall accept us, but here God makes it very clear that once a person become devoted to Him, He does not considers that person a sinner, rather God considers that person to be a Saint as he has taken the right decision in his life to become devoted to God. Let's all be devotees of God.

'kshipram bhavti dharmatma
shasvac-chantim nigachati
kauntey pratijanihi
na me bhaktah pranashyati' (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter IX verse 31)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: He speedily becomes virtuous and secures lasting peace. O son of Kunti, know it for certain that My devotee never falls."

Through above verse 31, God is telling Arjuna that such a sinful person after becoming His devotee becomes a person of good virtues and always remains in peace & such a peace is not temporary but is ever lasting. God is assuring the son of Kunti (another name of Arjuna, his disciple) that his devotee never falls again in life as He always protect him. So let's all worship the God always so that He can protect us always.

"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."

Like the Sun does away with all the fog, similarly Devotion to God does away with all the sins. A man full of sin, is for certain not as much purified by penance as by the devotion to Lord Krishna. In this world there is only this path that is really appropriate & the one that is followed by the well-behaved, fearless and auspicious, saintly people; that is in surrendering oneself to Lord Krishna. So let's all be devotees of Lord Krishna.

Jai Sri Krishna.