Does God Exist?

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

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

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

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

In Bhagwat Gita God Himself is saying:

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

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

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

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

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

Jai Sri Krishna

God Gives Meaning To Everything

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jai Sri Krishna

Do You Believe In Luck?

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

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

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

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

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

Read also: What is Karma?

May God Bless You

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jai Sri Krishna

Know about Bhagwat Gita

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

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

गीता सार (हिंदी)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gita Saar (English)

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

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

Whatever belongs to you today, belonged to someone else earlier and shall belong to some one else in future. Change is the law of the universe.

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

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

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

 

Jai Sri Krishna

Smallest Bhagwat Gita In The World

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

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

Link

How to get Motivated in Life?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is God Tangible or Intangible?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jai Sri Krishna

Mysterious Soul

Soul has some meaning for you if you believe in something which is within this body & something which can exist without this body also. In movies we have seen ghosts etc. which are also Souls which have left this physical body at death but are yet to enter another body or are yet to reincarnate in a body. When soul lives in this physical body then it enjoys the different sensory objects through this body but when soul after death lives without this physical body then it is generally called ghost. As we are not able to see this Soul due to it's subtle nature so it looks mysterious to us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jai Sri Krishna

How To Be God Minded

We generally have things of the world on our mind. These are our daily affairs, our family etc. which are on our mind most of the times. To have God on our mind or to be God minded, we need to develop love for God & need to understand that our own self is a spark of the almighty consciousness. We need to understand that we all are a reflection of the Divine Light.

So just have faith & belief that you are a Soul, and that you live in this physical body. Your Soul is part & parcel of God, the light of the Lord. God, Your Savior, is guiding you into all the truth through your Soul. You are a child of the God, born of the Spirit of God. Having such thoughts you shall always delve in God.

As per Bhagwat Gita, think yourself to be that Soul which is beyond this body, which is unthinkable, imperishable, ineffable, eternal, all pervading, immobile, un-manifest & immutable. In fact your nature is also that only which is also called Brahmn. Also see the same Soul present in other beings as God is seated in everyone's heart. When you shall see God present in all the people around you then you shall always have God on your mind.

"aham atma gudakesha
sarva-bhutasaya-sthitah
aham adis cha madhyam cha
bhutanam anta eva cha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: I am the Super Soul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings."

Other than this just have devotion in God as through devotion towards God, He shall always be on your mind. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 14

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

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

How to be Happy in Life

Happiness is a state of mind. It is a choice that we make in our life. If we choose our state of mind to be happy, then we feel happy, otherwise we feel sad.

In our life we have always options to choose & feel happy in all of the circumstances in our life. So always make a choice about happiness & not otherwise in your life.

We cannot be happy all of the time, but we certainly can be more fulfilled than others if we are having a positive attitude towards life & we handle all of the situations in life with rational & positive attitude. Happiness is not much to do with material goods or high achievements in life, rather it is all about our outlook on life.

Here below are few points which needs to be considered for happiness in one's life:

1) Believe in yourself. Your inner strength is your Soul strength, Mental strength which comes into action in your hard times, which defeats all of your negative symptoms of sadness, depression etc. in your life. In hard times your self confidence builds your low esteem. When you are passing through bad times, you have a feeling of self dejection & a feeling that you have lost all in life. In all such times, your Soul strength comes into play & if you believe in that inner Soul strength then you can easily over come all of your negative traits & can feel happy. Bhagwat Gita teaches us that we are a Soul which is indestructible & is having infinite powers in it. Problems in life, how big these may seem are too small in front of the infinite powers of your Soul. So believe in that Soul & it's inherent infinite powers. As our Soul 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.

"You really have to look inside yourself and find your own inner strength, and say, "I'm proud of what I am and who I am, and I'm just going to be myself." Mariah Carey
2) Appreciate what you have: We generally do not appreciate the positive aspects in our lives. Our nature is to ponder on the negatives & what we don't have in life. To us others grass always seem greener. In fact we should appreciate what we already have. That shall give you a strength that at least you have been able to achieve that much. Do not compare yourself with someone very rich & with much more facilities & resources than you. Just see how good you are from those who lay a life along roadside without even having a roof over there head. We should be grateful to God for whatever we have in life. If you are able to thank God for, whatever, He has given you in life, then also you shall appreciate what you have in life. We should always focus on the positives in life. So let's start appreciating what we have. Appreciate what you have achieved in life till now. Appreciate your own looks & body. Appreciate the house you live in. Appreciate that you & your family are having good food while there are many who are not just having that also. Appreciate your loved ones, your children. Appreciation of yourself shall bring confidence in you, it shall also bring peace & happiness in your family life.

3) Have positives in your life: Just have positive traits in your life & you shall feel happy. Having a nature of Forgiveness shall remove unnecessary tensions in your life. Showing Gratitude towards others is also a positive aspect in life as it makes you humble & creates an environment of peace & harmony in your life. Have smile on your face & laugh a little in your life as it makes your mind cheerful. Don't be dormant in life & be physically active as active people are the one's who feel happiness in life.

4) Be peaceful in mind: To be peaceful at mind, the first & foremost thing is to be satisfied with what you have at present in life & try to make harmonious relations with the people all around you. Once you are able to do that then you shall find that you are better off & much peaceful. Other than this do little prayer daily to God & if you are able to find time then do little meditation daily, as meditation makes one's mind peaceful. Here below is a verse of Bhagwat Gita & as per that let's control our desires & let's not hanker after these 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” (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."

God helps those who depend on Him only

It is said in Puranic stories that God rushes to His devotees, whenever, he/she calls on Him with sincere prayers & devotion. Lord Krishna came rushing to save Draupadi, when she called on Him when kauravas (Duryodhan, Dushashan etc.) tried to disgrace her. Similarly God came rushing to Gajaraj (an elephant) when he was caught by a crocodile, when he went to drink water in the river. At that time Gajaraj called on God & God came rushing to save the Gajaraj.

In Bhagwat Gita Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to always have faith in Him only as, whosoever, keeps faith in Lord Krishna, He always protects that devotee. But here below is a story of a holy man of India who due to his ignorant acts could not get favors of God. Here below is the story.

In some Indian villages people generally wash their clothes by the river side. Over there washermen generally take the clothes down to the river bank, where they can wade and wash these clothes. The clothes are soaked and whacked against big flat stones & are then spread out in the sun to dry these clothes on the green grass.

During one sunny day, a Holy man, a lover of God, came that way who was praying hard and was walking with his eyes almost closed. Accidentally he stepped on some of the clean clothes spread on the grass and the washermen saw it. Angry, they came to give him a beating.

Now this holy man became very frightened. He earnestly and loudly called on the God to come to his rescue and save him from the washermen's anger. When God heard the Holy man crying, He came rushing to intervene. But just then the man himself picked up some bricks & stones to throw at the washermen; seeing this God just returned to his heavenly abode. So the Moral of the story is, "God helps those who depend on Him only".

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

'Those people, who worship Me by surrendering all their activities unto Me, are always devoted to Me, always meditate upon Me, Having always fixing their minds upon Me, O Parth - to them, I swiftly rescue from the ocean of birth and death i.e always protect that devotee.'

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

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

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

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

So If a person has the above said assurance of the God, then one should make a resolve that one shall not let God slip out of his/her mind till he/she lives on this earth. Do not let anything else take control of your mind & let God be always on your mind. By doing so God shall always be with you in all of your circumstances & shall protect you always from all troubles of life. Then God shall be your Savior always.

Believe it or not, Prayers can Heal the Sick

Prayer is an act of addressing the God with devotion. 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.

Recently as per one news item "Prayers really can heal the sick":

"Prayers can heal the sick, especially if the well-wisher is standing near the person he or she is praying for, says a team of researchers from Indiana University in the US. Researchers say the vision and hearing of patients in their tests improved after healing practitioners prayed for them.

One elderly woman who could not see a person’s hand when they held two fingers up in front of her face from a foot away, is said to have been cured after a healer placed their hands over her eyes and prayed for less than one minute, reports the Daily Mail.

Researchers found that some subjects with impaired hearing could hear better after prayers and other subjects had their tested vision improved."
So Let's pray to God with our heart & God shall have mercy on us. A simple prayer is enough for the God to become Happy with us. Below verse 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."
Below is a beautiful quote about the Prayer:

God looks not at the oratory of your prayers, how elegant they may be; nor at the geometry of your prayers, how long they may be; nor at the arithmetic of your prayers, how many they may; not at logic of your prayers, how methodical they may be; but the sincerity of them He looks at. -T. Brooks

God is in Which Direction?

Recently as per one news item "Saudi villagers prayed in wrong direction for 10 years". As per the news:

"Muslim worshippers at a mosque in a Saudi Arabian village near Mecca discovered that they were praying for 10 years in the wrong direction. Muslims are meant to pray in the direction of the most sacred site in Islam, known as the Kaaba, a large granite structure in the holy city of Mecca.

Villagers in Hadda, 20 km north-west of Mecca, should have prayed southeast, but instead bent down five times a day in a northern direction. After realizing the error, the mosque's leaders changed the direction of the prayer carpets so the worshippers now face the Kaaba."

As per another news item, "Indonesian Muslims told to change prayer direction". As per the news:

"Indonesia’s Muslims learned that they have been praying in the wrong direction, after the country’s highest Islamic authority said its directive on the direction of Mecca actually had people facing Africa.

Muslims are supposed to face the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia during prayer and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued an edict in March stipulating westward was the correct direction from the world’s most populous Muslim country.

“But it has been decided that actually the mosques are facing Somalia or Kenya, so we are now suggesting people to shift the direction slightly to the north-west,” the head of the MUI, Cholil Ridwan, told Reuters. “There’s no need to knock down mosques, just shift your direction slightly during prayer.”

Now the main question is, in which direction God actually is?

Actually the God is the Omnipresent Soul who is invisible & is all pervasive in this world. God is present all around us & is hidden in this invisible space & is there in all the directions. God gets seated himself always within this all pervasive Space in all directions & sees all our activities & controls this whole world. In the "Antaryami" aspect, God is seated in our heart & listens to all our prayers. So the belief that God is present in only one direction is not correct but that God is present in all directions. In, whatever, direction you pray to God, He will always listen to your prayers. So if you think that you were praying in the wrong direction then just don't worry, your prayers have not been wasted as God has already listened to your prayers as He is sitting in your heart & is always listening to your prayers.

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

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

"O Lord, Present are You in the depths of our heart.
O Lord, When free of desires and unshaken by sorrow, we
Seek for You only, then by Your grace,
O Lord, Your Form and Your glory stand clearly before us.

Below are verses from Bhagwat Gita which explain about God's Omnipresent nature through which He is present all around us.

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 (God) exists, pervading everything in this world."

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

"Sri Krishna says in Gita: Just like the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, so do all created beings rest in Me i.e. in God, who in its unmanifest aspect always rests within this all pervasive space."

Have Faith In God

For an individual being God exists just because of that person's "Faith". If you have "Faith" in God then God has some meaning in your life, otherwise not. If you have Faith in God, then only you can know more of Him, otherwise your journey towards God just stops there. Faith in God elevates an individual's thinking process & it purifies the heart, emotions & soul and leads one to the vision of God.

Faith is the soul of every religion. It creates new hopes and awakens in one the presence of God. Faith is the eye that sees the Lord and the hand that clings to Him. Faith is power. Faith is strength. Faith is abundant energy. He who has faith in God is strong. He who doubts about God is weak. Strong faith in God precedes great actions. Faith illumines the spiritual path, builds a bridge across the gulf of death, and takes one to the other shore of fearlessness and deathlessness.

Below is an Upnishdic story regarding the Faith:

In ancient times, a severe draught occurred in one region of India. One of the village in in that region was severely affected with this draught. Without rains, the villagers faced a bleak future, as their all livelihood depended on agricultural produce only. All of the rivers and the lakes got dried up due to the extreme heat of the sun. Not even a single drop of water was left in the wells. Whole of village people were really desperate for the water.

Villagers approached the village priest (pundit) and asked him to organize a prayer to the rain God & asked him to organize a meeting for the same in the temple. All of the villagers came to attend this prayer meeting. In the last one man arrived at the temple and all of the villagers started looking at this one man with curiosity. Among all the villagers this man was the only one who was carrying an umbrella to this prayer meeting. No villager was ever seen carrying an umbrella outside of the rainy seasons. To the villagers it seemed unconventional to carry an umbrella when there was not one rain cloud in the sky.

The prayer meeting commenced and at the end of all the rituals and ceremonies, when people were about to leave the temple, they could not hold back their curiosity about the man and his umbrella.

‘Why was he carrying the umbrella?’ villagers asked him.

The man with the umbrella replied: "I have "Faith" in God & the God will provide. He only gives and He only takes away. God will surely answer our prayers for the rain and I will need the umbrella for the rains".

The villagers laughed at him. Not one of the villagers could appreciate the absolute and sincere "Faith" of the man with the umbrella. The scorching heat of the sun outside the temple was still fresh in their minds.

Lo……..Behold, a miracle took place. As the people were going out of the temple door and putting on their shoes, rain clouds appeared in the sky, the gentle breeze gave way to stormy winds, suddenly the sky darkened and thunder and lightning heralded the coming of the rains. A sudden rainfall opened the eyes of the villagers. Their ridicule of the man with the umbrella changed to their amazement, disbelief, and they now understood the intense "Faith" of this man. Now the villagers got convinced that it was the sincere "Faith" & prayer of this man and devotion to the God that He has answered to his prayers.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita on Faith:

asraddadhanah purusha
dharmasyasya parantapa
aprapya mam nivartante
mrityu-samsara-vartmani (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 3)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Those who are not Faithful in this devotional service, cannot attain Me, O Arjuna. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world."

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

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

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

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

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

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

So just have Faith in the words of the God. It's the Faith in God which makes our perceptions & beliefs. If you have Faith in God & words of the Lord Krishna, then you shall be able to turn toward the God. It's Faith in God only which determines how you can mould your life. So just have Faith in the words of Lord Krishna & His teaching in Bhagwat Gita.

Jai Sri Krishna

Devotion to Lord Krishna removes all Sins

In our life, we knowingly or unknowingly, sometimes commit the sin. In scriptures there are many ways such as penance, charity etc. are told, through which atonement to such sins can be attained. But there is no way more swift, fast for atonement to sins than Devotional service to 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. Below are few verses from Bhagwat Puran regarding this:

"Some manage, in relying on nothing but an unalloyed devotion towards Lord Krishna, to destroy all their badness beyond revival, like the sun does with fog."

"A man full of sin, o King is for certain not as much purified by penance, as the devotee who has surrendered his life to Lord Krishna in dedicated service unto the original person of God."

"In this world there is 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.

"Most of the atonement, well performed by a nondevotee will not purify, o King, like all the rivers can't purify a liquor jar with their regular washing of it."

"Once the mind is of full of surrender to the two lotus feet of Lord Krishna & the mind is full of hankering after Lord's qualities, then that person shall never encounter Yamarâja (Lord of death) and his superintendents, or even in one's dreams meet his servants carrying the ropes to bind, because doing such devotional service to Lord Krishna is the right atonement for all sins."

In Bhagwat Gita also God himself is giving that assurance:

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

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

So let's always pray to Lord Krishna & let's always engage our mind in devotional service of Him. Let's read religious texts, scriptures & literature regarding the Lord Krishna. Let's 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 Lord Krishna & we shall be purified of all the sins in our life.

Jai Sri Krishna.

Hide and Seek game of God

Have you played "Hide and Seek" game in your childhood? I think there shall be very few people who have not played this game in their childhood. Here below is a "parable" named "Hide and Seek" of Sri Ramakrishna, saint of Bengal, which illustrates about the true nature of God. Through this we can understand how God is present near us while He is hiding from us & how we are not able to see Him.

"Hide and Seek" game has many versions & people of different countries play it in many different ways. In one form which is played in some countries, the one who hides is called "Granny" & all others are seeker of her. This "Granny" blindfolds the eyes of other persons and then hides herself. These blindfolded persons are to seek that hidden "Granny" one by one. Whosoever can find and touch the "Granny" has the blindfold removed from his/her eyes and is "free". So the game goes like that. In the philosophical sense same is the case with us. God is similarly nearby us (like Granny) & has covered our eyes with ignorance and hidden Himself here. If you are able to find Him, touch Him, then you are freed of Maya (the blindfold, the illusion, the duality).

Actually "Maya" is the energy of God which creates illusion about God & blindfolds our inner eyes (our knowledge) of God. When we are under the influence of "Maya" energy then we are not able to see God or know our true Soul nature. Here below are verses from "Bhagwat Gita" which describe about the nature of this "Maya", how this illusive energy of God deludes the human beings & puts a veil of ignorance on human mind. This veil of ignorance just disappears from the human mind once he/she starts having faith in God & have devotion in that Almighty. God himself in below verses is declaring that one who is engaged in pure devotional service goes beyond this illusion of "Maya" easily & attains to the God in no time.

Below verses explain the nature of "Maya" & how it binds the free Soul to it's qualities:

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

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The three Material nature born qualities (goodness, passion and ignorance born of Maya) bind the imperishable Soul to this body, when this Soul comes in contact with these three modes (qualities) of nature."

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

"Sri Krishna said: As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, so is the living entity (Individual Soul) is covered by different degrees of this Ignorance."

"daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature (Maya), is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross over it."

Below verses explain how one can be free of the influence of "Maya" by having devotion towards the God:

"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 said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions (shall be freed of Maya). Do not fear."

So let's devote our heart, mind & Soul to God as by doing so we shall be free of the power & influence of the illusory nature of Maya. Once we are able to find God, touch Him with our heart then we shall be a Free Soul & shall be eligible to live in His Divine Abode ultimately. So let's be the ultimate winner in "Hide and Seek" game of the God.

Jai Sri Krishna

4 Types of Devotees

Do you believe in God? If yes, then what type of devotee are you? Bhagwat Gita describes about 4 types of devotees of God.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jai Sri Krishna.

O My Lord

Lord Krishna is the Supreme God. One who listens with care and attention, in respect of Lord Krishna, will always find affinity with God and shall be purified from all vices. A devotee always works for Lord Krishna. Therefore all devotees always get delighted in the service of Lord Krishna as it enlivens the soul. So let's always do everything in this world with our full devotion to please the Lord Krishna only. By doing so we shall get the special and causeless mercy of Lord Krishna.

Below is a small prayer to the Lord Krishna:

"O Lord Krishna, 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.

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."

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

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

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

"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 Krishna. Let's read His 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 Lord Krishna & we shall attain to the Bhakti of the Lord.

Jai Sri Krishna.