Jiva (जीव, jeev, jiwa, jeeva)

When you consider yourself as an individual self, living within your body then you are an individual “Jiva”. There are billions of people on earth & billions of different creatures living on earth in their individual bodies. All these individual souls living in different bodies are called different “Jivas”. So each person is an individual “Jiva” as per Hindu philosophy.

In Hinduism Jiva or (जीव, jeev, jiwa, jeeva) is the immortal essence (individual soul) of a living organism (human, animal, fish or plant etc.) which survives physical death. It is somewhat similar to atma, but whereas atma refers to "the cosmic self", “Jiva” is used to denote an individual 'living entity' or 'living being' specifically. The terms Paramatma and jivatma are used to avoid this confusion. Jivás, originates from the Sanskrit word with the root jīv- which means “to breathe”. So a soul in a body which breathes is called a “Jiva”.

In the Bhagavad Gita, the “Jiva” is described as everlasting, unchangeable, eternal, numberless, indestructible and eternally the same. “Jiva” is not a product of the material world (Prakrti), but of a higher 'spiritual' nature. When physical body dies, the Jiva takes a new physical body depending on the karmas done by that Jiva in previous births.

"apareyam itas tv anyam

prakritim viddhi me param

Jiva-bhutam maha-baho

yayedam dharyate jagat" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 5)

Sri Krishna said : Besides these, O Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities. (All living entities belong to the superior nature (or energy) of the Supreme Lord. The inferior energy is matter manifested in different elements, namely earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego.)

As per Sri Brahma-Samhita :

"sa nityo nitya-sambandhah,

prakritis ca paraiva sa"

The same Jiva is eternal and is for eternity and without a beginning joined to the Supreme Lord by the tie of an eternal kinship. He is transcendental spiritual potency.

Lord Sri Krishna is the Supreme Lord & just like the sun is eternally associated with his rays so the transcendental God Sri Krishna is eternally joined with the “Jivas”. The jivas are the infinitesimally small particles of His spiritual effulgence and are, therefore, not perishable like mundane things. “Jivas”, being part of Divine Lord’s effulgent rays, exhibit on a minute scale the divine qualities of God. So“Jivas” are identical with the qualities of Lord. Though Lord Krishna is the all powerful, all-pervading, all-extending Supreme Lord; but Jivas are confined to bodies only. When a Jiva meditates through devotion & merges with the Lord then only he attains to the Lord’s all powerful, all pervasive sublime nature.

Jai Sri Krishna

Intelligent Businessman

Once there was a businessman who had a flourishing business. He was a rich man with all the amenities of life. He had a beautiful family with lovely children. He was living a happy life when suddenly due to bad luck he had a big loss in business. Loss was such that he had to mortgage everything & ultimately lost his home also. All the members of the family, especially his wife started weeping at the loss of business & home but the businessman was not perplexed & was as calm as usual.

Seeing her husband so unconcerned about everything, said to him: "There is so big a problem that has come upon all of us but you are not worried at all; your heart seems to be that of a stone!! You don’t care that we have lost even our beautiful home also." At this the man said, "O.K. now I shall tell you why I am not worried? Last night, I dreamt that I had become an exalted king, I was having a palace of gold & was having everything of life, enjoying life to the fullest when you woke me up. Now I am really wondering whether I should weep for that Kingly status & a palace of gold or to the loss in life that has occurred to us.”

The businessman was really an intelligent man & knew philosophical truth that the waking state is as unreal as the dream state. Loss & gain in wakeful state are as real & as unreal as it is in dream state. Both does not remain forever. Only real thing is the one eternal substance, and that is the Self or Atman which never changes. In fact what we call life is nothing but a prolonged state of dream only which dissolves at the end of life.

This dream body of ours is not true as it dissolves when we wake up & dream state is over. Similarly this gross physical body of ours is also not permanent & true as it dissolves at the time of death. But our Self, our Soul which is beyond any type of body, is real & true as it remains even when dream or gross physical body is dissolved. Below verses of Bhagwat Gita says about this truth only.

"na-asato vidyate bhavo
nabhavo vidyate satah
ubhayor api drsto ’ntas
tv anayos tattva-darshibhih" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: The unreal has no existence, and the real (Soul) never ceases to be; the reality of both has thus been perceived by the seers of the truth."

As per Bhagwat Gita we should not get disturbed in life due to success or failure in it. We should remain calm at mind in all circumstances. Below are few verse which explain that.

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

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

"samah satrau cha mitre cha
tatha manapamanayoh
sitosna-sukha-duhkhesu
samah sanga-vivarjitah"

"tulya-ninda-stutir mauni
santusto yena kenacit
aniketah sthira-matir
bhaktiman me priyo narah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 18-19)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn’t care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service—such a person is very dear to Me."

So we should have such an attitude in life that we do not get perturbed in all the conditions, whether it is success or failure, loss or gain. We should be equipoised in life. As per Bhagwat Gita such an equipoise person in life can only know the real truth of life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Water the Roots

“Once a rich man employed a new servant in his house. Servant’s duties included everything of the house, as well as, gardening of the beautiful lawns, trees etc. in the house. On the first day, in the early morning in the house, owner asked the servant to do watering of all the plants in the garden. Poor servant had never done jobs in gardening, so he took a long plastic tube & started putting water on the leaves of all the trees in the garden. He went on putting water on each & every leaf of each tree & doing so the water tank in the house got empty.

Seeing no water coming in the taps of the house, the owner of the house enquired about, what was the matter. Suddenly owner realized that new servant has wasted all water in the garden. He immediately came to the garden & enquired from the servant, “why he was putting water on the leaves of each plant?” The ignorant servant said that he was obeying his master’s instructions only to water the plant. The owner got angry & told him that he has asked him to water the roots of each plant & not to put water on each & every leaf of each plant. The poor servant did not knew that by putting water in the roots only, each branch, each leaf of the tree is nourished & not by putting water on the leaves of the plant!!!!!!"

In our understanding of God, we also do such mistakes that we start watering the leaves instead of the roots. God is one supreme & that God has created all this creation of humans, demigods etc. In this world, there are many demigods but we should worship the One who has created all these demigods. We should know that “One Supreme God” & worship Him. That One God is the root of this world tree. If we shall worship the root cause of this world, we shall automatically worship all other demigods.”

In Bhagwat Gita Lord Krishna tells us, how by worshipping the One Supreme God, one can worship all other demigods.

"yo yo yam yam tanum bhaktah
shraddhayarcitum icchati
tasya tasyachalam shraddham
tam eva vidadhamy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 21)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: I am in everyone’s heart as the Super soul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular demigod (deity)."

"sa taya shraddhaya yuktas
tasyaradhanam ihate
labhate cha tatah kaman
mayaiva vihitan hi tan" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 22)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone."

"antavat tu phalam tesam
tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam
devan deva-yajo yanti
mad-bhakta yanti mam api" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 23)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My Supreme planet."

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

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

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

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. As per Him, He is seated in 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.



So let’s know that one One Supreme God from whom all other Gods, demigods have evolved. Let’s worship & devote ourself to that supreme deity only as by watering the roots (doing worship to the Supreme Lord), all the leaves shall automatically be watered (all other Gods & demigods shall automatically be worshipped).

Jai Sri Krishna

Vanity or Egotism is Not Good for One’s Life

“Once there was a powerful ‘Spiritual Guru”. He had a very devoted disciple who had staunch faith in the supreme powers of his Guru. He had so much faith in his Guru that he once simply walked over the river by simply chanting his Guru’s name. His Guru on seeing his disciple’s feat thought “Well, is there such a power in my mere name? Then how great and powerful must I be!” The next day, the Guru also tried to walk over the river chanting...”I......”I....”I, but no sooner did he step into the river water than he sank down and was soon drowned; for the poor man did not know how to swim even.”

So though Faith can bring miracles while vanity or egotism is not good for a person’s life & brings about the destruction of a person. Ego is nothing but to feel oneself more important than others, to feel different & superior to others. Such a feeling of finding oneself different from others is nothing but the ignorance & such an illusion is called ego. We all are part & parcel of the Omnipresent Soul & that one same soul is present in all of us. So if we are able to realize that soul within all of us then we cannot find ourselves different from others.

Human beings generally crave for Name, Fame, Pleasures of life etc. which satisfies one's ego & these are the Idols in one's life which a person adores very much. But these Idols do not do any good to one self as it obscures one's real 'Soul nature', which is divine with unlimited powers & is always blissful. Such craving for Name, Fame & Sense pleasures drowns one's self respect & obscures the divine being from our sight. These worthless temptations destroy one's reputation & always give delusion by which a person is not able to know his Divine Self.

Below is a verse of Bhagwat Gita which tells how an egoistic person behaves:

"ahankaram balam darpam
kamam krodham cha samsritah
mam atma-para-dehesu
pradvisanto ’bhyasuyakah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Sixteen verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Bewildered by false ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, these egoistic people become envious of the Supreme Lord, who is situated in their own bodies and in the bodies of others, and blaspheme against the real religion."

Below is a verse of Bhagwat Gita which tells how surrendering one's ego one can achieve the God:

"tam eva saranam gaccha
sarva-bhavena bharata
tat-prasadat param shantim
sthanam prapsyasi sasvatam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 62)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, surrender your ego fully unto the God. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode."

As a rope that is burnt retains its shape intact, but has become all ashes, so that nothing can be bound with it; similarly, the person who feels one with everyone & is devoted to God, retains only the form of his egoism, but not has any idea of vanity (Ahamkâra).

So Let's shed our ego & not be egoistic, as it shall not do any good to one self. Let's surrender our ego in the Divine feet of the God & adore Him only so that He can give us a blissful life.



Jai Sri Krishna

Understanding Pain & Suffering In Life

In our life we all suffer Pain at some point of time in our life. Pain, whether physical or mental is the most unwanted thing & is always avoided by all of us. But still it is a fact that pain is as much a part of our life as joy is in our life. In joy we feel so happy that we always forget the reason why we are having this joy but when we are in pain, we certainly try to analyze why we are having this pain. When you suffer from some physical illness then you try to think why it is there. You consult your doctor & ask him to get rid of you of this pain.

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

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

In Bhagwat Gita Lord Sri Krishna says to Arjuna :

"Material nature consists of three modes—Goodness, Passion and Ignorance (Sattva, Rajas & Tamas). When an individual living entity comes in contact with nature, he becomes conditioned by these three modes." - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 5)

"The mode of Goodness, being purer than the other two, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode become conditioned by a sense of happiness and knowledge." - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 6)

"The mode of Passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, and because of this, the embodied living entity is bound to material fruit producing actions." - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 7)

"Know that the mode of Darkness, born of ignorance, is the delusion of all embodied living entities. The results of this mode are madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul." - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 8)

"The mode of Goodness conditions one to happiness; Passion conditions one to fruit producing action & pain; and Ignorance, covering one’s knowledge, binds one to madness." - (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 9)
Now you have to see that in which of the above said modes of nature you are established. If you are doing good Karmas, helping others, living a pure life, having devotion to God, doing acts of sacrifice, charity etc. then you are living a Sattvic life & it frees one from all sinful reactions & gives a life of happiness.

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

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

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

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

Jai Sri Krishna

Love Of Radha Krishna

Today is “Radha Ashtmi”, the Birthday of Goddess Sri Radha ji. Here we shall know about Sri Radha Ji & her divine. immortal Love with Lord Sri Krishna. Sri Radharani was a Gopi who was most near to Lord Krishna’s heart. Sri Radha's devotion and dedication towards Lord Sri Krishna was complete, that is the reason that she was most dear to Lord Sri Krishna. Goddess Shri Radha Rani took birth at a place called Barsana in Uttar Pradesh state in India. Goddess Sri Radha was the daughter of Vrishbhanu & her mother was Kirti.

Goddess Sri Radha was not married to Lord Sri Krishna but still she was most dear to Him even more than His wives. It was because, Sri Radha was always full of devotion towards the Lord & never thought of anyone else besides Lord Sri Krishna. In pictures Sri Radha is almost always depicted alongside Sri Krishna.

Sri Radha Rani is considered as the greatest devotee of Lord Sri Krishna. It is said that Sri Radha, herself is the "Devotional energy" of Lord Sri Krishna who is the Lord of the universe. Her name always comes before the name of Lord Sri Krishna that is why God's one name is "Radha Krishna" also. Just take out only one "R" from "Radha Krishna" & it becomes just "aadha Krishna" i.e. "half Krishna" & that is the power of the name "Radha". As Sri Radha Rani is always in the thought of Lord Sri Krishna the Supreme God, so her state of "Spiritual Emotion" is called "Maha Bhaav or महाभाव" i.e. the highest state of Spiritual Emotion or Spiritual Ecstasy.

As per the Bhagwat Gita, devotion is the easiest method to develop "Bhaav" & get close to the God. God himself declares about the glory of devotion in Bhagwat Gita:

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

"Sri Krishna says to 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)

"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."

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

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

"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 let's have devotion in God. Let's remember God for some time in our daily life so that we too can generate some "Bhaav" or "Spiritual Emotion" towards the God. Once that is developed, we shall always find God near us & our life shall be filled with joy, love & ecstasy.

Jai Shri Krishna

Shape & Color Of Water

Water is the most essential element to complete the creation on earth. Without water we cannot imagine our life & rather there cannot be any life without water. Can you describe the shape & color of water? There is unlimited amount of water in the ocean or a river but what's the color & shape of this water?

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

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

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

As per Bhagwat Gita, we should think ourselves to be that Soul which is beyond this body, which is unthinkable, imperishable, ineffable, eternal, all pervading, immobile, un-manifest & immutable. Our nature is also that only which is also called Brahmn.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jai Sri Krishna

Can Money Give us Real Happiness of Life?

Money is one thing which is required by all of us to live a normal life. We all need money & without it our life seems incomplete. So we have a aim in life to earn money & the more we earn it, the more we feel satisfied in life. But, is money everything in life & can money give us Real Happiness in Life? With money we can buy many things & these things may make us happy for a short while, but such happiness does not last for a long time. If we need only material things to make us happy, then we live a pretty sad and unfulfilled life.

Happiness is not much to do with material goods or high achievements in life, rather it is all about our outlook on life. A poor person can be much happy in life than a rich person. One of the good way to be happy in life is to attain happiness by doing your work in life (whether it is your household duties, office job, teaching, managing children, doing social work etc.). Money that comes from your doing the job is only a fruit or by-product of doing your job. If we hate what we are doing and rely on the money that we earn to make us happy by buying products in the market, then we are living a meaningless life. True happiness in life comes from doing your job / work properly without caring much for the money it earns.

As per Bhagwat Gita also, it is doing your job / duty in a proper manner without caring much for the fruits or the money that it shall generate, gives true happiness in life. As per "Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47", Lord Sri Krishna says to his disciple Arjuna:

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

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

So as per Bhagwat Gita, money etc. are just the "by-products" of doing your duty. Main thing is that you do your duty with full devotion in life without caring much for the fruits or money it shall generate.

As per another Bhagwat Gita verse, true happiness of life comes not by hankering after the Material desires. One who is able to control his/her desires, finds peace in life & with peace comes happiness 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."

So let’s do our job / duty properly without much caring for, how much money it shall generate. Let’s not hanker after money unnecessarily & do the good work in life. Let’s enjoy our work & that selfless work only shall give us happiness in life. Also Love & appreciate your loved ones, your children, as loving them shall bring peace & happiness in your family life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Meaning of Om Tat Sat

In Hindu religious practices "Om Tat Sat" words are considered highly spiritual words. These are three mystical words which are uttered many times during  Hindu religious practices like yagnas performed by Hindus. These are considered very holy & auspicious words. What is the meaning of "Om Tat Sat"? What does these three words mean?

In literal sense:

"Om" is the Sound symbol of God. If you want to express God in the form of sound, you should utter this mystical sound "Om". In Bhagwat Gita also God 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."

"Tat" means ‘that’; it also refers to God only.

"Sat" means ‘truth’ & God is truth which is everlasting and unchanging.

So "Om Tat Sat" means; what is everlasting and unchanging is God, whose infinite Existence - Consciousness Bliss is denoted by Om. Within Om is everything. Om contains all. Om is all. Om is present everywhere, like light.

As per the Bible which refers to "Om" as "Word":

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." which is simply that "In the beginning was the Om, and the Om was with God, and the Om was God."

So If anyone knows the meaning of the above saying, they need not go anywhere. They know everything.

In Christianity also three words are referred & those three words are "Father, Son, Holy Ghost". These three words of Christianity corresponds to the above said three words only "Sat, Tat, Om". "Father" corresponds to "Sat". "Son", corresponds to "Tat" & "Holy Ghost" corresponds to "Om". These three fold nature of God in Hinduism & Christianity is beautifully related in his book "Autobiography of a Yogi" by great saint Paramhansa Yogananda. As per him:

"Sat" or "Father" aspect of God is one who lives beyond this vibratory creation of ours.

"Tat" or "Son or Christ Consciousness" aspect of God is one who lives within this vibratory creation of ours & is present everywhere within this space or vibratory creation & is called omnipresent God.

"Om" or "Holy Ghost" aspect of God is one who is witness of this "Tat" or "Son or Christ Consciousness" aspect of God.




As per "Paramhansa Yogananda":

The outward manifestation of the omnipresent Christ Consciousness (Tat aspect of God), "It's Witness", is Om, the Word or Holy Ghost. This Om is the invisible divine power, the only doer, the sole causative & activating force that upholds all creation through vibration. Om, the Word is the creative vibration that externalizes all creation.

Brahma - Vishnu - Shiva represents the triune expression of God in the aspect of "Tat or Son", the Christ Consciousness immanent in vibratory creation. The Shaktis, Energies or the "Consorts" of the "Trinity" are symbols of "Om" or the "Holy Ghost" the sole causative force that upholds the Cosmos through vibration.





Below are some verses from Bhagwat Gita also which illustrates the "Om Tat Sat":

"om tat sat iti nirdeso
brahmanas tri-vidhah smrtah
brahmanas tena vedas cha
yajnas cha vihitah pura" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seventeen verse 23)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, From the beginning of creation, the three words "Om Tat Sat" were used to indicate the Absolute Truth. These three symbolic representations were used by Brahmins while chanting the hymns of the Vedas and during sacrifices for the satisfaction of the God."

"tasmad om ity udahrtya
yajna-dana-tapah-kriyah
pravartante vidhanoktah
satatam brahma-vadinam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seventeen verse 24)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Therefore, transcendentalists undertaking performances of sacrifice, charity and penance in accordance with scriptural regulations begin always with Om, to attain the God."
 
"tad ity anabhisandhaya
phalam yajna-tapah-kriyah
dana-kriyas cha vividhah
kriyante moksha-kanksibhih"
(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seventeen verse 25)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Without desiring fruit producing results, one should perform various kinds of sacrifice, penance and charity with the word Tat. The purpose of such transcendental activities is to get free from material entanglement."

"sad-bhave sadhu-bhave cha
sad ity etat prayujyate
prasaste karmani tatha
sac-chabdah partha yujyate"

"yajne tapasi dane cha
sthitih sad iti cocyate
karma chaiva tad-arthiyam
sad ity evabhidhiyate"
(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seventeen verse 26-27)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The Absolute Truth is the objective of devotional sacrifice, and it is indicated by the word Sat. The performer of such sacrifice is also called Sat, as are all works of sacrifice, penance and charity which, true to the absolute nature, are performed to please the God."

Jai Shri Krishna

God & this Universe

Our Universe with endless Galaxies is Infinite. Now what is the relation of this Universe with God, is what we shall know in this article. As per one recent article on universe:

“Astronomers have unveiled the largest ever 3D map of the sky, encompassing massive galaxies and distant black holes. The new map pinpoints the locations and distances of over a million galaxies. The release includes images of 200 million galaxies and spectra of 1.35 million galaxies, according to a Harvard-Smithsonian statement with SDSS-III.

Mapping these big galaxies thus provides an effective way to make a map of the rest of the galaxies in the universe. With such a map, scientists can retrace the history of the universe over the last six billion years. With that history, they can get better estimates for how much of the universe is made up of “dark matter” - matter that we cannot directly see because it does not emit or absorb light - and “dark energy”, the even more mysterious force that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe. We hope that our new map of the universe can help someone solve the mystery.”

Now God is also called Infinite. Infinite simply means “Without Limits” & beyond the comprehension of human mind.. When we think of that infinite then we just think of the limitless. Now God is called the creator of this limitless Universe & is much bigger than this Universe. Vedas say that all this Infinite, limitless Universe was created with just one fourth of the powers of God & three fourth of His powers still remains with the God. So God is beyond Infinite & is incomprehensible.

We human beings cannot measure the vastness of the God & Universe due to limitations of human mind. The above study of scientists to measure, to have the pictures & to map 200 million galaxies proves the existence of so many & more galaxies which exist in this universe. As per philosophy, all these infinite galaxies are created by God who Himself is infinite. God is infinite, limitless, omnipresent & the one who fills this limitless space. Such an Infinite God exists everywhere & is not limited by time or space. In all the religions of the world God is designated as a singular, universal Supreme Being who encompasses all this creation. His all the attributes such as power, wisdom, love, compassion etc. are limitless & hence Infinite.



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

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

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

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

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

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

Here below is a "Hymn to that Universal, Omnipresent Infinite God". It is from "Svetasvatara Upanishad":

"O God,

You are the Ancient One & the Lord of Shining Light,
You dwell beyond all the darkness and the night;
knowing You alone can a man cross over death,
There is no other path for him to take."

All heads are Your heads, all faces Your faces,
You dwell inside the heart & also in all hidden places.
Through the whole universe, You have extended Yourself.
You are Shiva, the auspicious, the ever-present Lord."

With hands and feet everywhere, eyes and ears
Everywhere, heads and mouths everywhere,
You have filled up every corner of the space.
Smaller than smallest and larger than largest."

"O Lord, Creator of even Brahma, the creator,
Revealer to him of the knowledge called Veda,
To You, I come in my longing for freedom;
To You, for refuge, with reverence, I come!"

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

Jai Sri Krishna

Self Illuminated Abode of God

As per Hindu Philosophy there are two type of Worlds in this Universe. Material Worlds & Spiritual Worlds. Let's first talk of Material Worlds.

Our Earth, our Solar system, other planets in our Solar system & many other types of Solar systems are there in this Galaxy of ours. All these planets including earth, moon etc. in our Solar system & other solar systems are there in this Material World. Our earth is illumined by the Sun. Similarly other planets like Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn etc. are all illumined by the Sun, as all are part of the Sun's solar system. Sun is the external body which illumines all these planets & these planets have to depend on some outer body like Sun to have their existence / life. Similarly other Solar systems are there, in which also other Suns sustain their planets. In Material World no single planet is self illumined, that means all planets have to depend upon some other celestial body like Sun to illumine them & give life to them.

In Spiritual Worlds it is not like that. Spiritual Worlds are abodes of God Himself & there is no need for any external body like Sun to illumine it. These are illumined by the power & Grace of God Himself, that is the reason that these Planets / abodes of God are Self Illumined in nature. These planets are full of beauty & there is no disease etc. on those abodes. A person's soul always remains in Blissful & Happy state over there. These Spiritual Worlds are beyond the Material Worlds. Below verse of Bhagwat Gita explains that these abodes are Self Illumined in nature.

"na tad bhasayate suryo
na sasanko na pavakah
yad gatva na nivartante
tad dhama paramam mama" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fifteen verse 6)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, That God abode of Mine is not illumined by the Sun or Moon, nor by fire or electricity as these are Self Illumined in nature. Those who reach there never return to this material world again."

Now how we can attain to these Spiritual Worlds? If we believe in God & invoke Him by prayers daily, then He shall certainly come to our rescue, as He always comes to the rescue of His devotees. So by the devotion, prayer to the Almighty, He shall arrange for our stay in the beautiful Spiritual Worlds which are abodes of God Himself.

God Himself is declaring below in Bhagwad-Gita that, a person can come to Him through devotion.

"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 devotee."

As God is the Supreme Soul from whom all these souls have emanated, so worshipping him constantly, one shall be established in the soul & shall attain a blissful life.

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

"Sri Krishna said: 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."

So let's be devoted to God as worshiping Him we shall be able to transcend this Material World & shall be able to enter the beautiful Spiritual World which is abode of God Himself.

Jai Sri Krishna

Our Interpretation of God

"There are four blind men who discover an elephant. Since the men have never encountered an elephant, they grope about, seeking to understand and describe this new wild being. One gets hold of the trunk and concludes that it is a snake. So for him elephant is like a snake. Another explores one of the elephant's legs and describes it as a tree. So for him elephant is like a tree. A third one finds the elephant's tail and announces that it is a rope. So for him elephant is like a rope. And the fourth blind man, after discovering the large body of the elephant, concludes that it is, after all, a wide mountain.

Each in his blindness is describing the same thing: an elephant. Yet each describes the same thing in a radically different way. We all are like those blind men only in our knowledge of God who describe the God as per our own understanding. Now say a fifth man (who could see) comes to the scene and he were to describe the elephant as an elephant, then he would tell clearly about the elephant as it is."

Same is the case that only a true master who has seen God actually can tell how God looks like. Let's seek such a True master, Great soul or Guru who shall tell us about the true nature of God & shall lead us to Him.

In Fact God is our faith that a Supernatural Power exists in this universe which 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, who is imperishable & indestructible. Faith of ours in such a big & great entity having all the powers is known as God.

In below quotes of "Bhagwat Gita" Lord Krishna is saying to Arjuna about the nature of God:

"bahir antas cha bhutanam
acharam charam eva cha
suksmatvat tad avijneyam
dura-stham chantike cha tat" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The Supreme Truth exists outside and inside of all living beings, the moving and the nonmoving. Because He is subtle, He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know. Although far, far away, He is also near to all."

"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 hands and legs, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super soul exists, pervading everything."

"avibhaktam cha bhutesu
vibhaktam iva cha sthitam
bhuta-bhartr cha taj jneyam
grasisnu prabhavishnu cha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 17)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Although the Supersoul appears to be divided among all beings, He is never divided. He is situated as one. Although He is the maintainer of every living entity, it is to be understood that He devours and develops all."

"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."

As God is someone Superhuman, having Infinite size, knowledge & powers, then it is very difficult for us with limited knowledge & power to fully understand & describe the God in total. Let's seek a True master, Great soul or Guru who knows God fully, the one who can tell us about the true nature of God & can lead us to Him.

Jai Sri Krishna

Bhagwat Gita Quotes on Soul

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jai Shri Krishna

Prayers that God hears

Those who have faith in God, generally Pray for Him. Prayer is an act of addressing the God with devotion for the purpose of worship. Prayer is a way of having a personal experience and intimate connection with our loving God. Prayer can be done during the worship or can be done just silently in our mind. Through prayer we have a personal experience & an intimate connection with our loving God. If we pray to God with sincerity then He shall answer to our prayers immediately.

Below are some beautiful Prayers that God responds to very quickly:

1) "O My Lord, You are My Supreme God. You are the Giver of everything in my Life. Each and every moment, You cherish and nurture me; I am Your child, and I rely upon You alone. Your greatness cannot be described by the tongue as you are Unlimited, Infinite Lord and Master of everything in this world & no one knows Your limits.

2) "O My Lord, as I am ignorant one, so You destroy all of my sins and teach me in different ways. O Lord, be always merciful on me & always save me. I seek Your Sanctuary as You are my only hope. You are my companion and my best friend. Save me, O Merciful Savior Lord."

3) "O My Lord, Give me the strength and understanding to resist anxiety, anger, envy, depression, bitterness, hopelessness, loneliness, fear and guilt. Help me to live in Your joy and peace. Save me when “my heart within me is distressed. Pl. help me so that my life is free from all such negative emotions. When I am tempted to give in to them, show me Your Truth & Grace."

4) "O My Lord, I give you my hands to do Your work; I give You my feet to go Your way; I give You my eyes to see as You see; I give You my tongue to speak Your words; I give You my mind that You may think in me; I give You my spirit that You may reveal in me. Above all, I give You my heart that You may love in me - love the Lord and love all humankind. I give You my whole self, Lord, that You may grow in me, so that it is You who lives, works and reveals in me."

5) "O My 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, so have mercy on me".

6) "O My Lord, by the power of Your quickening Spirit, let me touch the lives of others for good, whether through the word I speak, the prayer I speak, or the life I live. O Lord give me the strength to live in Your Spirit".

Just like Prayer to God, Chanting is also used to invoke the God. Chanting can be done individually or as a group practice. "Divine Chants" are chanting the names of God which give peace of mind. Listening to these chants regularly gives lot of peace of mind. These Divine Chants can make people dancing to it's tune to ecstasy. Some of the beautiful chants are here. Just click on the link to see these chants.........Divine Chants.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So let's always engage in devotional service of Lord. Let's read spiritual literature, always sing His glories so that He can always be merciful on us. If we shall do such devotional service to God then we shall get special mercy of the Lord & we shall attain to the devotion of the Lord.

Jai Shri Krishna

Bhagwat Gita quiz contest conducted in Pakistan School

Karachi, Jul 4: At the time of religious intolerance in Pakistan, shlokas from Bhagwat Gita reverberated at a school here during a quiz competition to test the knowledge of Hindu boys and girls about their religion, leaving the minority community having something to cheer about.

For months now, the Hindu community in Pakistan's southern Sindh province has been complaining of bias and injustice over the issues of kidnappings and forced conversions but for a change they celebrated being able to organise a religious event without any problems.

The quiz competition testing the knowledge of the Hindu boys and girls about their religion - Sanatan Dharma - was enthusiastically participated by at the Santa Maria school in Karachi's Gizri area. Read More................Bhagavad Gita quiz contest conducted in Karachi school