Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Akshaya Triteeya


Akshaya Triteeya is the Yugadi Day for Tretaayuga

(Kartheeka Shukla Navami – Kruthayuga Yugadi
Maagha Amaavasye – Dwaparayuga Yugaadi
Bhadrapada Krishna Trayodashi – Kaliyuga Yugadi
Chaitra Shukla paadya -  Starting Day of Srushti)

  • This is one “swayamssidda” auspious day.  There are 3 1/2 muhoorthas termed as “Swayamsidda”.  Vijayadashami, Yugaadi, and Akshayatruteeya and on balipadyami half muhoortha.  On these days, dinashuddi, Vaarashuddi, Nakshatra, karanaadi shuddi need not be enquired.  We can perform Upanayana,  Aksharaabhyaasa, devara prathiste,  Borewell digging, annaprashana etc. without looking for Panchanga.   Akshaya Triteeya day,  tarpana adhikarigalu should give Tarpana as it is  yugadhi day.
  • On Akshaya Triteeya Day snaana, japa, homa, svaadhyaaya, pitru tarpana, daana all will give Akshaya phala.
  • It is on this day that Sri Vedavyasa devaru began his composition of Sri Mahabharatha.
  • It is on this day that Paandavaas received Akshaya Paathra from Sri Krishna paramathma
  • This is the Day on which Paramathma made the srusti ofMandodari  (One among the Pancha pathivratheyaru)with the Gandha
  • It is on this day that Sudama (Kuchela) visited Srikrishna carrying Avalakki with the intention of asking something.    But could not ask anything with Sri Krishna.
  • The significance of the three and half auspicious days is that there is no need to look for auspicious time. Each second on the day is highly auspicious. The day is chosen for marriages, house warming, opening of new business and shops and for making investment in property and valuable items like gold, platinum, diamonds etc.
  • As per traditional Hindu astrology, the Sun (Surya) and Moon (Chandra) are astrologically believed to be at their most exalted position on the day.

Courtesy: Narahari Sumadhwa-Sumadhwaseva.


हरि सर्वोत्तम || वायु जीवोत्तम ||


Harikathamrutasaara [HKMS]: 14-16

Our life is like a war field. The difficulties arising in every moment in our battle for life are like the opposing army which one faces on the battle field.

Solution:

The solution to this problem is to remember the lotus feet of the lord and offer all shubha-mishra-ashubha karma at his lotus feet without expecting any fruit [phala] for the same. 
The karmas that we do must be done in order to please the Paramatma. When we do so all our difficulties will vanish immediately.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Significance of Varoothini Ekadashi


Sri Krishna replied, "Oh King, in this world and the next, the most auspicious and magnanimous Ekadashi is Varoothini Ekadashi, which occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Chaitra/VaisAkha.

Whoever observes a complete fast on this sacred day has his sins completely removed, obtains continuous happiness and achieves good fortune.

Fasting on Varoothini Ekadashi makes even an unfortunate woman fortunate. Upon anyone who observes it, this Ekadashi bestows material enjoyment in this life and liberation after the death of this present body. It destroys the sins of all and saves people from the miseries of repeated rebirth.

"By observing this Ekadashi properly, King MAndhAtA was liberated. Many other kings also benefited from observing it – kings such as MahArAja DhundhumAra, in the IkshvAku dynasty, who became free from leprosy resulting from the curse that Lord Shiva had imposed upon him as a punishment.

Whatever merit one obtains by performing austerities and penances for ten thousand years is achieved by a person who observes Varoothini Ekadashi.

The merit one achieves by donating a great amount of gold during a solar eclipse at Kurukshetra is gained by one who observes this one Ekadashi with love and devotion to Sri Hari, and certainly attains his goals in this life and the next. In short, this Ekadashi is pure and very enlivening and the destroyer of all sins.

"Better than giving horses in charity is giving elephants, and better than giving elephants is giving land. But better still than giving land is the giving of sesame seeds and better than that is giving of gold. Still better than giving gold is giving foodgrains. All the forefathers, devas and human beings become satisfied by eating grains. Thus there is no better gift of charity than this in the past, present or future."

Interesting Note about Charity in Hinduism: ( Please see Sri Krishna's reply below )
Giving grains in charity is very auspicious. Once Yudhisthira asked Sri Krishna, "Dear Krishna, can anyone go to heaven without performing sacrifice or undergoing austerity ?"

Sri Krishna replied,

annadau jaladash chaiva
Aturash cha chikithsakah
trvidhaM svargam AyAti
vinA yajnena bhAratah

"Oh son of BhArata, those who give food grains, drinking water or medicine to the needy go to heaven without performing any sacrifice or undergoing austerity." (MahAbhArata)
Also, Krishna states in Bhagavad GitA (BG 3:14.) annAd bhavanti bhUtAni: "All beings subsist on food grains." Therefore a gift of food grains is said to be the topmost charity. Moreover, if the food is prasAda, after naivedya to Sri Hari with devotion ( naivedya) , then it awards the recipient, liberation from the material world.

Practice:

From Padma Puran:

Dashami + Ekadashi + Dwdashi all three make Harivasara or thithitrya.
On all these three days few things are restricted.

kamsyaM mAMsaM masArAMshca caNakAn kOdravAMsthatA
shAkaM madhu parAnnaMca punrbhOjana maiThunE
vaishNavO vrata kartAca dashamyAm dashavarJyayEt ||

"The following ten things should be given up on the Dashami, (the tenth
phase of the Moon), the day before the Ekadashi: eating on bell-metal plates, eating any kind of urad-dal, eating red-lentils, eating chick-peas, eating kondo (a kind of grain that resembles poppy seeds or agarpanthas seeds), eatingspinach, eating honey, eating in another person's house/home, eatingmore than once and participating in sex of any kind.

dyUtaM krIDAMca nidrAMca tAMbUlaM daMtadhAvanaM
parApavAdaM paishunyaM stEyaM hiMsAM tathAratiM
khrOdhaM caiva anrataM vAkya mEkAdashyaM vivarjayEt||

"On the Ekadashi day one should give up the following eleven: gambling, sports, sleeping during the daytime, beetal nuts and its leaf, brushing one's teeth, spreading rumours, faultfinding, talking to the spiritually fallen, anger and lying.

kAMsyaM mAMsaM surAM kshoudraM tailaM patita bhAshaNaM
vyAyAmaMca pravAsaMca punarbhOjana maithunaM
vraksha praShTaM masUrAnnaM dvAdashyAM parivarjayEt ||

"On the Dwadashi the day after Ekadashi (the twelfth phase of the Moon), one should give up the following twelve: eating on bell-metal plates, eating urad-dal, red-lentils, or honey, lying, strenuous exercise, travel, eating more than once, any sexual activity, shaving the body, face or head, smearing oils on one's body and eating in another's home."

Sri Krishna continued, "Whoever observes the Varoothini Ekadashi in this way becomes free from all sinful reactions and returns to the eternal, spiritual abode. One who worships Lord JanArdana (Krishna) on this Ekadashi by staying awake throughout the entire night, also becomes free from all his previous sins and attains to the spiritual abode. Therefore, Oh king, he who is frightened of his accumulated sins and their attendant reactions and thus of death itself, must observe Varoothini Ekadashi by fasting very strictly.

"Finally, Oh noble Yudhisthira, he who hears or reads this glorification of the sacred Varoothini Ekadashi obtains the merit earned by donating one thousand cows in charity and at last he returns home, to Sri Hari."

Source: Padma Mahapurana part-3 uttarakhanda 49th chapter.

Courtesy: Sri Phanindra Mankale & Sri Ram[Detroit]

Sri Krishnarpanamastu!

LIST OF EKADASHI’S IN KHARA NAMA SAMVATSARA [2011-12]


CHAITRA MASA
14.04.2011 :  Thursday   : Kamada Ekadashi
29.04.2011 Friday  : Varoothini Ekadashi 
Harivasara Starts after  9.20 PM on 28.04.2011

VAISHAKHA MASA
14.05.2011 Saturday : Mohini Ekadashi 
Notes : Harivasara startes after 9.04 pm on 13.05.2011
28.05.2011 Saturday : Apara Ekadashi 



JYESHTHA MASA
12.06.2011 Sunday   :Nirjala Ekadashi 
27.06.2011 Monday :Yoginee Ekadashi 


ASHADHA MASA
11.07.2011 Monday : Shayanee Ekadashi 

Notes: It is also called Prathama Ekadashi. Chaturmasya (Shaka Vrata) starts on this  day Sri Vishnu Sahayanotsava, Sudarshana Homa and Tapta Mudra Dharana will be performed on this day.

SHRAVANA MASA
09.08.2011 Tuesday : Putrada Ekadashi 

End of Shakavrata in Chaturmasya. Harivasara will be there till 6.300 AM on  10.08.2011
25.08.2011 Thursday  : Aja Ekadashi 



BHADRAPADA MASA
08.09.2011 Thursday : Parivartini Ekadashi 

End of Dadhi Vrata and start of Ksheera Vrata in Chaturmasya. Sudarshana Homa, Taptamudra Dharana will be done on this day.
23.09.2011 Friday 

Indira Ekadashi 


ASHVAYUJA MASA
07.10.2011 Friday : Pashankusha Ekadashi 

Harivasara will be till 6.27 AM on 08.10.2011. End of Ksheera Vrata and Start  of Dvidala Vrata in Chaturmasya.
23.10.2011 Sunday : Ramaa Ekadashi 



KARTIKA MASA
06.11.2011 Sunday : Prabodhinee Ekadashi 
End of Chaturmasya. Sudarshana Homa, Tapta Mudradharana will be done. Bheeshma Panchaka vrata may be observed.
21.11.2011 Monday : Utpatti Ekadashi 


MARGASHIRE MASA
06.12.2011 Tuesday : Mokshada Ekadashi 
Geeta Jayanti. One can initiate Vishnu Panchaka Vrata on this day.
21.12.2011 Wednesday Safala Ekadashi 



PUSHYA MASA
04.01.2012 Wednesday : DASHAMI ANUSHTANA

05.01.2012 Thursday : Putrada Ekadashi (Vaikuntha Ekadashi.)
19.01.2012 Thursday : Shat-tila Ekadashi 


MAGHA MASA
03.02.2012 Friday : Jayaa Ekadashi 
Harivasara is there till 8.37 AM on 04.02.2012
18.02.2012 Saturday : Vijayaa Ekadashi 

It is Dwadashi though, Ekadashi is to be observed as Tithi laps on Dashami. i.e  17.02.2012.
Hence Dwadashi is to be observed on 19.02.2012 despite being Trayodashi.



PHALGUNA MASA
04.03.2012 Sunday: Amalaki Ekadashi 

18.03.2012 Sunday: Papavimochani Ekadashi 




Courtesy: srsmutt.org
url: http://www.raghavendramutt.org/node/869


Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Nuggets Of Truth


Of all the human weaknesses, anger may be deemed to have formed one of the closest bonds with man.



It "visits" one almost evey day and very often, like a thick friend, keeps him long but disturbing company. A slight provocation, an insignificant remark or even a small obstruction in the performance of day-to-day chores is enough to open the lid of anger and to release intense heat that engulfs one's whole being. Like a volcano, it errupts, blowing thick columns of smoke that cloud reason and, if not contained, pushes up bubbling molten lava that destroys every fortification built for one's spiritual progress. Anger, at times, is even observed to demonise man. All philosophers and thinkers have, therefore, all along advised man against the danger of harbouring anger.


Vidwan M.R. Gopalacharya, the philosopher and thinker, has also written on anger. The Vidwan, who had acquired the wisdom of the ancients and was well versed in classic literature, has quoted from the texts and renowned scholars and poets. He has also penned his own obsevations on the subject based on the closer observation of life and his own experience. He advocates anger management when it is not possible to eliminate it, evidently for one to lead a fuller life.   The nuggets are as below:                    
 
  1. Anger is at the bottom of revenge. Many vices grow and die a natural death; but some wax stronger with the advancement of age. Anger is the foremost of these. Mysteriously enough, it grows strong when every thing else becomes weak. The oldest man can get inflamed even when he is in the jaws of death.
  2. Anger blunts the brain, dulls the intellect and hinders moral progress.
  3. Anger and indiscretion walk cheek by jowl; repentance always on both their heels,
  4. Homer says in his Iliad, "Anger, far sweeter than tricklimg honey, rises like smoke in the breast of men". There is much truth in what he says. To get angry with the right man, on the right occasion and to the right degree, for the right reasons and for the end, in the right manner only to the perceived wrong is a great honour, which a saint alone can claim.
  5. Aristotle held identical views. The Vedas and Shastras too subscribe to this. For this purpose, we should not nourish our wrath. We should never keep it warm. He, who does not strive to stem his anger tide, would take the risk of riding a wild horse without a bridle, in the mountainous regions.
  It is also true that a man without righteous anger will have a maimed personality.
 Anger exhibited in its proper time and place assumes the form of grace, if it is directed against one who is the culprit.
 Reasonable anger is justified, but it should not last long. If it lingers in the mind for long, irremediable harm is wrought. What Milton calls inextinguishable anger should have no place in human ethics.

Madhwa Philosophy




Shri Madhwacharya's philosophy 
- By Vidvan. M.R.Gopalacharya

The individual soul can NEVER become identical with God; at best he will reach a status similar to that of God in that he will be free from the cycle of births and deaths. Even in the final state of redemption, the liberated souls are infinitely graded in their spiritual bliss. Still every jeeva gets whatever he wants. He is free from moral turpitude. He rejoices to see his spiritual superiors and comrades. All live in full amity and comity. The measure of happiness is determined in consonance with intention and extension of spiritual service. God was perfect, is perfect and will ever remain perfect. The individual soul was never perfect, is still imperfect and will ever remain imperfect. Still neither is thinkable without the other. The perfect God is unthinkable without the imperfect universe and the imperfect world of souls. The idea of perfect God (Paramatama) having no jeevatmas to rule is as absurd an abstraction as the idea of a king having no subjects to rule. We honestly know ourselves to be imperfect and our imperfect selves are unthinkable, except as standing out against the background of perfect one.


Madhwa employs his heavy artillery to explode atheism, monism, pantheism and other hostile theories and at the same time proves that the arguments of the opponents sound fierce and formidable, but they are blank cartridge. It should be kindly noted that Madhwa conducts his logical or metaphysical contests with a remarkable balance of mind in the sportsmanlike spirit of the best swordsman. He fights for truth. There is the least attempt at the personal vilification of the opponent. He shows at length that these theories do not have a scrap of evidence and that they rest entirely upon faulty arguments and misinterpreted Vedic texts. The so-called school of logic that claims itself to be rationalist is shown to be irrationalistic in the extreme. The principle of "Unity in diversity" is true in the case of Madhwa, in the sense that the Supreme Thing controls the vast multiplicity of things that are widely different from one another, just as one thread of the necklace controls numerous pearls.


Therefore, Madhwa tries to bring everything under the aegis of this Supreme Principle, Vishnu.  Madhwa has no sympathy with "Nirguna Brahman". He demolishes the theory of "Brahma-Saguna Nirguna" and he discusses all logical possibilities and disproves them. He admits that Brahma is Nirguna in the sense that He transcends the three Gunas of Prakriti, not in the sense that He is characterless absolute. The Nirguna Brahman is conceived by the monist to be featureless, characterless, utterly inactive, and apparently incapable of any description. It is devoid of all ethical content. Madhwa says that this principle can excite neither affection nor aversion. It neither attracts nor repels. It is set forth as a trinity of negations--- negation of non-existence, negation of ignorance, and negation of misery. Strict warning is given by the monist that it is not positively existent and that it does not have positive happiness and knowledge. So Brahma is non-entity, described in circumlocutive language. He takes no share in the thoughts and feelings of His creation. Therefore we cannot devoutly worship the Divine Being, which is no more than an abstraction denuded of every vestige of personality. Nirvishash Brahmawada –the theory of Absolutism---holding that the Supreme is Absolute, one without a second, tries to prove that everything except it, is a mental construction, a figment of imagination, a mere appearance. Madhwa says that, strangely enough, Shankara attempts to solve the problem by denying the very existence of the problem. The world of sense can never be a mental construction. That it is a real existence and not a fictitious abstraction can be proved by sound commonsense, inferential knowledge, perpetual experience and scriptural authority. If God were featureless, we cannot rise strengthened and ennobled when we emerge from our prayer to Him. For we want our God to be at least what we ideally wish to be. It can be said with an approximation to truth that God is the most exquisite expression of the loftiest aspirations of the greatest human beings in their sublimest moods, i.e. He is at least goodness, power, at the loftiest point to which the greatest of all human beings of all times can ever aspire to project himself.

Sri Madhwacharya’s Instructions



The Pious people should have a liking for Sri Hari who is the controller of body and who is supreme. They should leave their ego, attachment and desire for material objects and should do their duty as a service to God.
Remember God while waking at Brahmamahurtam (4am) . Go to toilet, brush teeth, and take bath. After bath, wear dry cloths. Remember Sri Narayana who is embedded in Sun god, recite Gayatri mantra and give arghya three times. Meditate gayatri thousand or hundred or at least ten times. Meditate Gayatri standing until Sun rise. After Sun rise one can sit. Do the morning worship when   stars are present in the sky, evening worship when Sun is present, Maintain silence while performing evening worship. Sri Narayana is sitting in Padmasana in the solar system. He is wearing vanki on shoulder, makara kundala on the ears, crown on the head, pearl necklace on the neck, he has golden body, conch and disk on both the hands. Meditate on such Narayana. After Gayatri japa meditate Narayana 8 letter  mantra three times that of Gayatri. After the japa remember the devotees of Vishnu, other devatas, teachers and parents.
One should serve the God according to ones ability by remembering him, by talking about him. Acquire things for sadhana in righteous way. Offer daily activities, dear wealth and all activities motivated by the sense organs to Sri Hari. Give the offered food to guests, then thinking of satisfied Sri Hari eat food. Perform evening worship before Sunset. Night after 9’O clock sleep thinking about Janardhana. If you getup in between in the sleep, think about Janardhana.
Whatever jiva does with body, senses, mind, intelligence should be offered to Narayana. In the society of Jivas which are everlasting there are two types, Kshara    and Akshara. Brahma and other devotees who have the destruction of body are  called Kshara. Lakshmi is called Akshara as her body is everlasting and without destruction. In Vedas it is told that there is “paramatman” one who is different from Kshara and Akshara. He is all pervading. He is wearing the whole universe and is feeding it. Even if there is destruction of this universe which is governed by Him,   there is no    destruction for Him. Sri Hari is above Kshetra tatva and is superior to Lakshmi who represents   the Akshara. That is the reason why Hari is called “Purushottama” in man made  puranas and in Vedas, which are not man made. One  who has faith in what is told above and worships Hari as the Supreme being above all, knows the essence of     Vedic Scriptures. This is a secret knowledge. One who knows this is a Jnanin and gets liberated.
One should perform every activity with love and affection for Sri Hari. Remember Sri Vishnu always, never forget him, philosophy behind all the discipline and austerity while performing activity is to remember Him. Keep always your mind in Sri Hari. Always have devotion to Sri Hari. Do every activity to get love and affection of Sri Hari. By remembering Sri Hari one can get all the fruits. One who wants liberation from material world should be always sincere to Sri Hari. People belonging to all the  varnish and Ashrams should worship Vishnu as he is the supreme personality.
One who knows Sri Hari as knower of all, ever new, regulator of universe, one who wears, having limit less attributes, one who is brighter than Sun, that Java will get liberated with the grace of Sri Hari.
 ||| Sri Hari Sarvothama Vayu Jivothama |||
-Sri Madhwacharya's Sadachara-Smriti


Reasons why people commit sin..


Four reasons why people commit sin
1. अज्ञान - Ignorance
2. अल्पशक्ति - Powerless-ness
3. आलस्य - Lethargy
4. दुष्टभावन - Bad Thinking

Life's Goal

Hari Sarvothama! Vayu Jeevothama!


Every individual earnestly desires to be always happy and never get tained with even the slightest of sorrows.
Every person is in search of such happiness in this world. Most of the people are mistaken that happiness can be brought with wealth.
But, from a larger perspective, the happiness which wealth brings is shortlived. On the other hand, our experience tells us a different story.
The more wealthy you are, the more complex your life will be. Sometimes you become so busy being rich that you don't even have
time to enjoy your life. Security becomes a major issue, which may sometimes makes you sleepless. This is the story of almost every
rich person out there.
Well, then you should ask a question here. So, how to be happy? How to achive my goal? The answer to this question is that
happiness is not outside you. IT IS YOU. You are happiness. You are of the nature of pure bliss. The only thing which lies between
you and your experience of pure bliss is your ignorance. You get this body, experience different states of life like birth, death, youth,
old age etc., because of this ignorance. You are bound to this world, due to this ignorance.
Ignorance of what? Ignorance of the doership of God. Ignorance of the fact that you are totally dependent on Him. He is your Master.
He is your life force. You exist because of Him. He is everything to you. But still you don't make an effort to know Him, worship him
for what all he has done to you.You fail to know the Super Power within you and everywhere.
The result? is bondage. You are bound to this world and experience joy and sorrow like the winter and summer seasons. You cannot stop.
You cannot escape. You continue to be in the shackles of Samsara.
But one day, you will be tired. Tired of the stereotyped life-style. Tired of parting from your loved, again and again. Tired of this life
and birth cycle. After all, it is only like a bubble's burst in the vast oceans of existence.
This is the time to ponder! Ponder for the true meaning of life. Ponder for the absolute truth. What is my goal? Where to find it? What are
the means?
No answer can satisfy you. As the people around you are themselves ignorant. They are sailing in the same boat as you are. Who can
answer your questions? Who can lead you to the right path? Only a person who has transgressed this world, who tasted pure bliss. Who
have realized the ultimate truth! Where do we find such people? Do they exist now? Have they existed before? Yes, they did exist
before. They exist now. But unfortunately, such people are very rare. One in a million! It is your duty to search for them.
Enroute, you will find many who will guide you, Help you to reach your mentor. Your master. Your Guru.
guruprasAdo balavAn na tasmAt balavattaraM
apyachyuto gurudvArA prasAdakrit
-Sriman Madhwacharya