Chapter-7Knowledge and Realization[In this chapter Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, how he can be searched and researched by intelligence.]Lord Said:Oh Arjuna, by listening to meWith your mind fixed in me,With your mind depending on me,After learning yoga well,You would know me completely,And without any doubt, in your mind. 1I would teach you fully that knowledge,Together with realization and experience,After learning which there would be,Nothing left to learn in this world. 2One in thousand men trie
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An Introduction to Bhagawad Gita [A translation in to free verse]:The followers of Sanathana Dharma (otherwise called as Hindus) did notfall back on any single prophet or a single book as the basis of theirreligion. Right from the beginning, this religion (thought process) hada pluralistic view. On one hand the religion appeared to depend onrituals, prayers and rites and on the other hand it appeared to dependon a very democratic exchange of philosophic ideas between the teacherand the student a
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Posted by Vinayak Yadav on October 29, 2009 at 7:10am
Deception and Devotional ServiceOnce, a resident of Bangladesh (then East Bengal), who was a very wealthy landlord, scholar, and brahmana, and reputed to be a great devotee of the Lord, came with a friend to see Srila Gaura-Kishora dasa Babaji Maharaja. The land-owner appeared to be so deeply absorbed in devotional ecstacy that his friend had to support him as he walked, lest he fell down due to excessive trembling of the body.When the pair arrived before Srila Babaji Maharaja, two other persons
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I. THE DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNADHRITARASHTRA SAID:1. What did Pandu's sons and mine do when they assembled together on the sacred plain of Kurukshetra, eager for battle, O Samjaya?SAMJAYA SAID:2. Having seen the army of the Pandavas drawn up in battle-array, prince Duryodhana then approached his teacher and spoke (these) words:3. O teacher, look at this grand army of the sons of Pandu, marshaled by thy talented pupil, the son of Drupada.4. Here are heroes, mighty archers, equal in battle to Bhima a
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X. DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS (Vibhuti Yoga)THE BLESSED LORD SAID:1. Again, O mighty-armed, listen to My Supreme word, which I, from a desire for thy well-being, shall speak to thee who art delighted.2. Neither the hosts of the Gods nor the Great Rishis know my origin; for I am the source of all the Gods and the Great Rishis.3. He who knows Me as unborn and beginning-less, as the great Lord of the worlds, he among mortals is un-deluded, he is liberated from all sins.4-5. Intelligence, wisdom, non-ill
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The Radha Krishna Temple was the headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in London from the late 1960s. The temple came to prominence when The Beatles and especially George Harrison started to publicly express their interest in Eastern philosophy and Krishna consciousness. The Radha Krsna Temple was also the name of an album of devotional music issued by the Temple on The Beatles' Apple Records label. The album was produced by George Harrison.
Posted by kanaiyyadesh on October 28, 2009 at 12:07pm
Bhisma Pancaka Fasting================The fasting starts on Ekadasi Day which is 29th tomorrow and will continueuntil the 2nd, Rasa purnima Day. The fasting is broken at sunset (or at moonrise) on Rasa Purnima day. Generally it is recommended to do full fast onEkadasi and then the following four days fruits and roots fasting. Or onecan do five day fruits and roots fasting.Levels of fasting:-----------------Devotees can choose whichever level of fasting as is convenient to them. Itshould not dist
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Posted by Chitra Datta on October 28, 2009 at 11:47am
The Vrindavan MoodAs I stepped into VrindavanAll I could hear was Radhe RadheThe trees swayed and sang Radhe RadheThe rustling leaves whispered Radhe RadheThe milkman said Radhe RadheThe rickshaw puller cried out Radhe RadheThe Yamuna chimed Radhe RadheThe Ghats joined in to say Radhe RadheThe monkeys played pranks screeching Radhe RadheThe soft sands seemed to call out Radhe RadheThe luscious green grass smiled and said Radhe RadheThe market places echoed with Radhe RadheThe temple bells chimed
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THE DIVINITY OF SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHUOBJECTION: Madhva has said in his commentary to the Kathopanisad that there are nine types of offense to Lord Visnu, such as ascribing divinity to an ordinary mortal. You are guilty of this because you claim that Caitanya is an incarnation of God. The result of this is that you will go to the darkest regions of hell.REFUTATION: There are many evidences to prove the divinity of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. First we will present those statements of sastra which a
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Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu predictedSruti: (alphabetic order)ito 'ham krta-sannyaso 'vatarisyami sa-guno nirvedoniskamo bhu-girbanastira-stho 'lakanandayah kalau catuh-sahasrabdhoparipanca-sahasrabhyantare gaura-varno dirghangahsarva-laksana-yuktaisvara-prarthito nija-rasasvado bhakta-rupomisrakhyo vidita-yogah syam"Towards the end of the period between four-thousand to five thousand years in Kali-yuga, I will descend on the earth as Gauranga, a golden-complexioned saintly brahmana in a place by th
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Posted by Amit Ghosh on October 27, 2009 at 6:49pm
I, Me, MineBy Sankarshan Das Adhikari________________________________________The theme song of material existence is "I, me, mine." In other words in spite of the polished covering of being Mr. Nice Guy everyone is caught up in thinking themselves the center of the universe and the owner of everything. Beneath the facade of benevolence runs the undercurrent of selfishness which often rears its ugly head when least expected. This mentality is described in the Bhagavad-gita, and George Harrison, b
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Dear All,I am planning to start a NGO/Trust to Protect and Feed Cows, Cattle, Goats and Sheep.The Meeting on Protection and Feeding of Cattle, Goats and Sheep is scheduled to be held on 8th November 2009 in Chennai, Tamilnadu INDIA.Interested persons contact me through e-mail and join us and bring likeminded people.It includes persons from Foreign countries too. For detailed information mail me.My e-mail: bcvk71@yahoo.comB.C.VENKATAKRISHNANwebsite: www.vedascience.comRead more…
Datta Kshamapana Stotram(Prayer Seeking Forgiveness of Dathathreya)[This was written by a great saint devotee of Swami Dathathreya of Maharashtra called Sri Vasudevananda Saraswathi or Thembe Swami. ]Rasgnavasa tharakam swadhu labhyam,Graheetham kadachina nama Datha,Ksmaswaparadham, Ksmaswaparadham,Kshamaswaparadham, prabho klinna chitha. 1We would get the sweetness of a saviour,By always accepting the name of Dathathreya,Forgive my faults, forgive my faults.Forgive my faults, Lord who has a mer
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Sri Datta Sharana Ashtakam[An Octet of Surrender to Lord Dathathreya][Lord Dathathreya is an avadhootha who is the son of Atri Muni and Anasooya. He is the holy trinity rolled in to one. Symbolically Lord Dattatreya is depicted with three heads, six hands, four dogs, standing in front of a cow and tree. In his hands He holds a drum (damaru), discus like weapon (chakra), conch shell (sankh), rosary (japa mala), water vessel (kamandala) and a trident (trisula). The Lord's three heads represent Bra
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Posted by kanaiyyadesh on October 27, 2009 at 10:06am
By Stephen KnappWhen describing the length of the yugas or ages, and which yuga we are in and how far along we are in it, there is sometimes confusion about how to calculate them. Some people think we are already in the next Satya-yuga, known as the Golden Age. The problem is when the yugas are figured only according to the years in earth’s time, in which case any calculations will never be accurate. They are described in the Vedic literature according to the celestial years, or years of the dev
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About Surdas Surdas is one of the people who had great influence on the cultural heritage of India. He was a poet, a saint and a musician and played all the parts with the same finesse. Since there are no authentic records on the life of Surdas, his biography comes up as a combination of facts and fiction.Early LifeThere is a little disagreement regarding the exact birth date of Surdas, some scholars believe it to be 1478 AD, while others believe it to be 1479 AD. Same is the case of the year of
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About Adi Shankaracharya Adi Shankaracharya was the first philosopher who consolidated Advaita Vedanta, one of the sub-schools of Vedanta. He believed in the greatness of the holy Vedas and was a major proponent of the same. Not only did he infuse a new life into the Vedas, but also advocated against the Vedic religious practices of ritualistic excesses. He founded four Shankaracharya Peethas in the four corners of India, which continue to promote his philosophy and teachings. Adi Sankaracharya
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The Yoga SutrasBook One–Samadhi Pada1. OM. Now begins instruction in yoga. (1)2. Yoga is the restraint of the modifications of the mind. (2)3. Then the Seer is established in his own essential nature. (3)4. Otherwise, there is self-identification with the mental modifications. (4)5. The mental modifications are fivefold and are painful or pleasurable. (5)6. These are correct cognition, misconception, fantasy, sleep and memory. (6)7. Correct cognition is based on direct perception, valid inferenc
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A person without self-discipline cannot attain perfection in yoga.... An undisturbed course of self-purificatory conduct should be practised. YogabhashyaPatanjali initiated his teaching concerning praxis by calling attention to the three chief elements in the discipline of yoga: tapas, austerity, self-restraint and eventually self-mastery; svadhyaya, self-study, self-examination, including calm contemplation of purusha, the Supreme Self; and ishvarapranidhana, self-surrender to the Lord, the omn
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The Yoga Sutras--1IntroductionThroughout its long and largely unrecorded history, Indian thought preserved its central concern with ontology and epistemology, with noetic psychology as the indispensable bridge between metaphysics and ethics, employing introspection and self-testing as well as logical tools, continually confronting the instruments of cognition with the fruits of contemplation. Through its immemorial oral teachings and a vast variety of written texts, the fusion of theoria and pra
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