Extracts from Shrimad Bhagavatam

I visited the web-site of Prabhu pada and read some parts of Shrimad Bhagavatam. Presenting below some extracts from Canto 12, which describes Kali Yuga - Very fascinating:

Extracts from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (approximate translation)
From 12th Canto (The Age of Deterioration)

Chapter 1 of Canto 12
Kali Yuga

SB 12.1.36: At that time the brāhmaṇas of some will forget all their regulative principles, and the members of the royal order in these places will become no better than śūdras.

SB 12.1.37: The land along the Sindhu River, as well as the districts of Candrabhāgā, Kauntī and Kāśmīra, will be ruled by śūdras, fallen brāhmaṇas and meat-eaters. Having given up the path of Vedic civilization, they will have lost all spiritual strength.

SB 12.1.38: There will be many such uncivilized kings ruling at the same time, and they will all be uncharitable, possessed of fierce tempers, and great devotees of irreligion and falsity.

SB 12.1.39-40: These barbarians in the guise of kings will devour the citizenry, murdering innocent women, children, cows and brāhmaṇas and coveting the wives and property of other men. They will be erratic in their moods, have little strength of character and be very short-lived.

Indeed, not purified by any Vedic rituals and lacking in the practice of regulative principles, they will be completely covered by the modes of passion and ignorance.

SB 12.1.41: The citizens governed by these low-class kings will imitate the character, behavior and speech of their rulers. Harassed by their leaders and by each other, they will all suffer ruination.

Chapter 2 of Canto 12
The Symptoms of Kali-yuga

SB 12.2.1: Religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, tolerance, mercy, duration of life, physical strength and memory will all diminish day by day because of the powerful influence of the age of Kali.

SB 12.2.2: In Kali-yuga, wealth alone will be considered the sign of a man's good birth, proper behavior and fine qualities. And law and justice will be applied only on the basis of one's power.

SB 12.2.3: Men and women will live together merely because of superficial attraction, and success in business will depend on deceit. Womanliness and manliness will be judged according to one's expertise in sex, and a man will be known as a brāhmaṇa just by his wearing a thread.

SB 12.2.4: A person's spiritual position will be ascertained merely according to external symbols, and on that same basis people will change from one spiritual order to the next. A person's propriety will be seriously questioned if he does not earn a good living. And one who is very clever at juggling words will be considered a learned scholar.

SB 12.2.5: A person will be judged unholy if he does not have money, and hypocrisy will be accepted as virtue. Marriage will be arranged simply by verbal agreement, and a person will think he is fit to appear in public if he has merely taken a bath.

SB 12.2.6: A sacred place will be taken to consist of no more than a reservoir of water located at a distance, and beauty will be thought to depend on one's hairstyle. Filling the belly will become the goal of life, and one who is audacious will be accepted as truthful. He who can maintain a family will be regarded as an expert man, and the principles of religion will be observed only for the sake of reputation.

SB 12.2.9: Harassed by famine and excessive taxes, people will resort to eating leaves, roots, flesh, wild honey, fruits, flowers and seeds. Struck by drought, they will become completely ruined.

SB 12.2.10: The citizens will suffer greatly due to atmosphere. They will be further tormented by quarrels, disease and severe anxiety.

SB 12.2.11: The maximum duration of life for human beings in Kali-yuga will become fifty years.

SB 12.2.12-16: By the time the age of Kali ends, the bodies of all creatures will be greatly reduced in size, and the religious principles of followers of varṇāśrama will be ruined. The path of the Vedas will be completely forgotten in human society, and so-called religion will be mostly atheistic. The kings will mostly be thieves, the occupations of men will be stealing, lying and needless violence, and all the social classes will be reduced to the lowest level of śūdras. Cows will be like goats, spiritual hermitages will be no different from mundane houses, and family ties
will extend no further than the immediate bonds of marriage. Most plants and herbs will be tiny, and all trees will appear like dwarf śamī trees. Clouds will be full of lightning, homes will be devoid of piety, and all human beings will have become like asses.

SB 12.2.24: When the moon, the sun and Bṛhaspatī are together in the constellation Karkaṭa, and all three enter simultaneously into the constellation Puṣyā — at that exact moment the age of Satya, or Kṛta, will begin. (important key for Astrologers)

Chapter 3 of Canto 12
The Bhūmi-gītā

SB 12.3.1: Seeing the kings of this earth busy trying to conquer her, the earth herself laughed. She said: "Just see how these kings, who are actually playthings in the hands of death, are desiring to conquer me.”

SB 12.3.2: Great rulers of men, even those who are learned, meet frustration and failure because of material lust. Driven by lust, these kings place great hope and faith in the dead lump of flesh called the body.

SB 12.3.14: The real purpose here to teach transcendental knowledge and renunciation. Stories of kings lend power and opulence to these narrations but do not in themselves constitute the ultimate aspect of knowledge.

SB 12.3.18: In the beginning, during Satya-yuga, the age of truth, religion is present with all four of its legs intact and is carefully maintained by the people of that age. These four legs of powerful religion are truthfulness, mercy, austerity and charity.

SB 12.3.19: The people of Satya-yuga are for the most part self-satisfied, merciful, friendly to all, peaceful, sober and tolerant. They take their pleasure from within, see all things equally and always endeavor diligently for spiritual perfection.

SB 12.3.20: In Tretā-yuga each leg of religion is gradually reduced by one quarter by the spread of irreligion.

SB 12.3.21: In the Tretā age people are devoted to ritual performances and severe austerities. They are not excessively violent or very lusty after sensual pleasure. Their interest lies primarily in religiosity, economic development and regulated sense gratification, and they achieve prosperity by following the prescriptions of the three Vedas. Although in this age society evolves into four separate classes, O King, most people are brāhmaṇas.

(Astrologically, this means people were born in brahmana constellations like Revati, etc. Does this mean that there was a mating and breeding season in humans for children to be born in these specific constellations?)

SB 12.3.22: In Dvāpara-yuga the religious qualities of austerity, truth, mercy and charity are reduced to one half by their irreligious counterparts.

SB 12.3.23: In the Dvāpara age people are interested in glory and are very noble. They devote themselves to the study of the Vedas, possess great opulence, support large families and enjoy life with vigor. Of the four classes, the kṣatriyas and brāhmaṇas are most numerous.

SB 12.3.24: In the age of Kali only one fourth of the religious principles remains. That last remnant will continuously be decreased by the ever-increasing principles of irreligion and will finally be destroyed.

SB 12.3.25: In the Kali age people tend to be greedy, ill-behaved and merciless, and they fight one another without good reason. Unfortunate and obsessed with material desires, the people of Kali-yuga are almost all śūdras and barbarians.

SB 12.3.26: The material modes — goodness, passion and ignorance — whose permutations are observed within a person's mind, are set into motion by the power of time.

SB 12.3.27: When the mind, intelligence and senses are solidly fixed in the mode of goodness, that time should be understood as Satya-yuga, the age of truth. People then take pleasure in knowledge and austerity.

SB 12.3.28: O most intelligent one, when the conditioned souls are devoted to their duties but have ulterior motives and seek personal prestige, you should understand such a situation to be the age of Tretā, in which the functions of passion are prominent.

SB 12.3.29: When greed, dissatisfaction, false pride, hypocrisy and envy become prominent, along with attraction for selfish activities, such a time is the age of Dvāpara, dominated by the mixed modes of passion and ignorance.

SB 12.3.30: When there is a predominance of cheating, lying, sloth, sleepiness, violence, depression, lamentation, bewilderment, fear and poverty, that age is Kali, the age of the mode of ignorance.

SB 12.3.32: In Kali yuga, cities will be dominated by thieves, the Vedas will be contaminated by speculative interpretations of atheists, political leaders will virtually consume the citizens, and the so-called priests and intellectuals will be devotees of their bellies and genitals.

SB 12.3.35: Businessmen will engage in petty commerce and earn their money by cheating. Even when there is no emergency, people will consider any degraded occupation quite acceptable.

SB 12.3.36: Servants will abandon a master who has lost his wealth, even if that master is a saintly person of exemplary character. Masters will abandon an incapacitated servant, even if that servant has been in the family for generations. Cows will be abandoned or killed when they stop giving milk.

SB 12.3.37: In Kali-yuga men will be wretched and controlled by women. They will reject their fathers, brothers, other relatives and friends and will instead associate with the sisters and brothers of their wives. Thus their conception of friendship will be based exclusively on sexual ties.

SB 12.3.38: Those who know nothing about religion will mount a high seat and presume to speak on religious principles.

SB 12.3.39-40: In the age of Kali, people's minds will always be agitated. They will become emaciated by famine and taxation, and will always be disturbed by fear of drought. They will lack adequate clothing, food and drink, will be unable to properly rest, have sex or bathe themselves, and will have no ornaments to decorate their bodies. In fact, the people of Kali-yuga will gradually come to appear like ghostly, haunted creatures.

SB 12.3.41: In Kali-yuga men will develop hatred for each other even over a few coins. Giving up all friendly relations, they will be ready to lose their own lives and kill even their own relatives.

SB 12.3.42: Men will no longer protect their elderly parents, their children or their respectable wives. Thoroughly degraded, they will care only to satisfy their own bellies and genitals.

SB 12.3.51: My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.

SB 12.3.52: Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṇu, in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mahā-mantra.

Treating Cancer with Reiki

TREATING CANCER WITH REIKI

From a Holistic Viewpoint, What Creates Cancer?

Chronic illness is created when there is disparity between the soul (spirit) and the personality (ego) or an imbalance among the four bodies - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. As a result, each type of cancer will evolve from its own particular origin. Reiki treatment should be applied with care and consideration to the underlying "root" cause. Generally, cancer manifests when the immune system is out of alignment.

How Can Reiki Help Treat Cancer?

1. Reiki re-balances, enhances and stabilizes the immune system, thus encouraging the body to heal itself, but Reiki does not and will not "cure" cancer

2. Reiki harmonizes and balances the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels/bodies allowing energy to flow freely to improve the inter-action between the four levels (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual)

3. Reiki lowers stress, inducing peacefulness and calmness

4. Reiki relieves pain, aiding in the overall comfort level

5. Reiki balances the main chakras inducing balance "within"

6. Reiki releases energy blockages, toxins and impurities from the four levels or bodies (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual)

7. Reiki lowers the heart rate

8. Reiki reduces the effects of nausea caused from chemotherapy treatment

9. Reiki helps to regenerate cellular growth

10. Reiki accelerates healing

11. Reiki strengthens the ability to heal yourself

Where Healing Starts

First heal the emotional and spiritual bodies - this requires un-conditional love and forgiveness

1. Take full responsibility for your present state of being; for your own life. Avoid "victim" mentality and resist playing the "blame" game; instead, change your attitude or thinking pattern and become accountable, informed and empowered

2. Empower yourself by applying daily self-healing Reiki techniques learned through attunement to Reiki Level 1 (self-healing level)

3. Release and forgive unconditionally, yourself and others, who have wronged you (past or present lifetimes) or who may have contributed to your present state of being. As well, release old cells, plus cellular or thought patterns that impede your healing

4. Love yourself and others unconditionally - acknowledge and accept good traits, as well as flaws and weaknesses, as well as strengths

5. Believe and trust in your abilities - you are a unique, powerful spiritual being

6. Build self-esteem and self-confidence "within" - your opinion is the only one that truly matters

7. Release judgements for yourself and others

8. Uncover and release - physical or emotional root cause for the disease such as....

1. Deep underlying grief

2. Fears that control you

3. Hidden or controlled deep-seated anger (passive/aggressive behaviour)

4. Destructive behaviour

5. Lack of nurturing

6. Trauma occurring before puberty

Considerations for Reiki Practitioner and Patient/Client

1. Both the Reiki practitioner and the patient/client should only focus energy and attention on the wellness of the patient/client, rather than on the illness. There must first be a change in consciousness before healing can begin. "Like" energy attracts "like" energy, so where you place all your attention is the type of energy that you will attract. This is based on the Law of Attraction.....what you think, you will feel - what you feel, you will energetically vibrate at - what you energetically vibrate at, you will attract that same energy to you. So for healing to commence, it is important to break the present energetic frequency cycle and raise it to a higher vibrating frequency range.

2. The patient/client must initiate their own healing by asking for it (if they are physically able to do so) and by participating in it - it is pointless to coerce any type of healing modality that is not accepted or wanted.

3. It is absolutely necessary for both the Reiki practitioner and the patient/client to utilize an attitude of non-attachment to the end result.

Implement a Daily Healing Routine - in addition to receiving Reiki treatment, conventional treatment or any other complimentary treatment, it is also important to establish positive changes in your daily life. Below are suggestions, to use as a guideline, that will aid in your healing process and well-being.

1. Lifestyle

1. Continue to follow your physician's conventional treatment plan, but educate yourself about the benefits or consequences of each medication or treatment

2. Investigate other complimentary, alternative modalities that may also help to alleviate drug or treatment side effects

3. Remove as many stressors from your life as possible

4. Eat balanced and nutritious foods

5. Eliminate or change anything that does not benefit your highest good (this may be food, alcohol, tobacco products, people, situations, or employment)

6. Watch how you think, act and speak - always react positively with love, compassion and humility for yourself and others; always take the high road - this will elevate your energy vibration, enabling you to attract more positive, higher energy

7. Make an effort to know yourself intimately and to love and accept yourself unconditionally - be truthful to whom you really are and live your life accordingly. In other words, live for who you are, instead of trying to please others or make "false" impressions

8. Enjoy and do whatever you feel a deep urge or motivation towards - it's never too late to learn something new. Resist making excuses, delaying or procrastinating, because you will be the only loser

9. Let go of "control"; learn to relax and just go with the flow. Remember, it is a waste of time and energy to manipulate or worry about situations or others in order to feed your own wants or needs

2. Daily Affirmation - use affirmations that are positive and that are in the present tense

1. Avoid using: I Think - this denotes a possibility for the future that is not fully believable yet

2. Avoid using: I Will - this denotes a thought about to be realized, but not quite ready - it's a bit like procrastinating

3. Only Use: I AM - this denotes happening NOW, in the present time

Example Affirmation:

"Everyday, in every way, I AM getting better and better and better. I AM healed on all levels. I AM well"

3. Set your Intention before the Reiki Treatment (or other healing treatments) - it is your focused intention that activates Reiki healing

Example Intention:

"I ask this healing session to release all blockages, eradicate all toxins, impurities and cancer cells from my body. I ask for regeneration of only healthy cells within my body which will restore my physical energy and health. I know and believe that this healing session heals and balances me on all levels - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual"

4. When Going for Reiki Healing Treatments - always ask for spiritual guidance and help during the healing process. Although you have the ability to access help and guidance from your own soul and higher self, your soul and higher self do not always have all the answers or absolute knowledge. By asking for spiritual guidance, if necessary, your higher self will connect to the spiritual realm or to the universal source seeking higher knowledge or guidance.

5. Talk to Your Soul Daily - it is necessary to re-connect to your spiritual self (soul) in order to establish a link to your universal source. Your soul has the necessary information, knowledge and wisdom to heal you or retrieve the knowledge from the universal source, but first you must ask for its assistance and guidance; you must let your soul know that you are ready, willing and open to receive. Also, you must communicate to the area in your body that is "sick" or out of alignment and to ask for it to heal. You must accept responsibility for your present state by communicating un-conditional forgiveness and love to your soul and to the affected area.

Example Soul Talk

1. Close your eyes, take 3-deep breaths and relax

2. Just concentrate on your breath, at your heart centre, as you slowly and rhythmically breathe in and out

3. Visualize your soul self sitting in your heart centre (might be in the form of a small child or it might be a younger version of you)

4. Ask your soul to give you advise and guidance as to how you can heal completely from the cancer in your physical body

5. Ask your soul how you can help to improve your physical well-being

6. Tell your soul that (past and present time) you unconditionally forgive yourself, plus all circumstances, as well as anybody who may have contributed to your current state or condition

7. Tell your soul that you wish to release and be free from all limiting behaviour or thought patterns which do not serve your highest good

8. Tell your soul that you are ready and open to receive messages and information that will benefit your healing journey conducive to your highest good

9. Now talk directly to your cancerous area and ask for forgiveness for causing its distress and ask for it to heal itself

10. Tell your cancerous area that you love it and thank it for serving you well

11. Tell your cancerous area that you will be so grateful to have your health restored 100% and that once you are completely well, that you will be sure to love and care for yourself in a most positive way

12. Listen carefully for any information or messages - a very quiet voice, a symbol, a feeling, a thought, an urge

13. Do not discount what information you receive

6. Each Night - say a prayer of gratitude....

Example Prayer:

"As I connect to my soul, my higher self, my spirit family, my spirit healing team and to my spiritual source, I give thanks and gratitude for all blessings, gifts, inspirations, information, knowledge, wisdom and healing received and shared - thank-you, thank-you, thank-you"

As a complimentary therapy for cancer treatment, Reiki should be embraced as a valuable and viable healing "tool". Its energy will ignite a flame deep within, which will then expand to heal on all levels; this is especially important since true healing requires a mind-body-soul connection. Even if you are presently sceptical about the validity of Reiki, why remain ignorant, scared or indifferent to something that may possibly help? Consider what your alternatives are - the proof is in the experience and unless you take a chance, you can only wonder.

Shada Darshana - An Introduction

Shada-Darsana

There are six Darshanas (windows to Truth) that treat Veda as authority. They are called aastika darshanas. They are Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa and Uttara Mimamsa. There are six nastika darshanas that do not accept the Veda as authority and are called nastika darsanas.

The astika darsanas can be grouped into three pairs - Nyaya-Vaiseshika, Sankhya-Yoga, Purvottara Mimamsa. Nyaya and Vaiseshika are called arambha vada. Sankhya and Yoga are called parinama vada. Purva and Uttara Mimamsa discuss philosophy of Veda. Purva Mimamsa discusses the philosophy of karma kanda and Uttara Mimamsa discusses the spiritual philosophy (esp. Upanishads). Nyaya, Yoga and Uttara Mimamsa say that there is an Isvara the Lord of All souls. The other three are Nireeswara vaadas. They talk of Atman, but not of Paramatman. Nireeswara vaada is not necessarily nastika vaada and these darsanas do lay equal amount of stress on Dharma and that is the reason they are called aastika darsanas and not because they accept a Parabrahman different from individual atman. They differ in their basic tenets like Isvara.

All these darsanas hold that atman is different from manas (mind), buddhi (intellect) and prakruti (nature) and that binding is because of the contact of these with the Purusha. Once the contact is rid, that is liberation. They differ in which of these causes binding, what causes creation and whether creation is an appearance or true in a given state. They also differ in whether atman is same as Brahman or not. Differentiating these and understanding the uniformity of these is very important both in understanding Hinduism as well as differentiating Hindu from non-Hindu ideology. Here is a brief note of each darsana.

Vaiseshika

Text: Vaiseshika darsana by Kanada; Bhashya kaara by Prasasta Pada; and Vartika kaara by Jagadidh Bhattacary.

It has 10 chapters, 20 ahnikas, 370 sutras. It accepts 2 pramanas (criteria for verifiability) and 7 padarthas. Vaiseshika is one of the earliest darsanas hypothesised. According to it, atma-manas contact causes the nine Gunas - buddhi, sukha, dukha, iccha, dvesha, prayatna, dharma, adharma, sanskara. This is the samsara for atman. Realising this and separating mind from atman so that the Gunas get dissolved and do not arise again, is Moksha. This is possible through satkarma, sravana, manana and so on. According to Vaiseshika darsana, Guna-nasha forever is moksha.

Nyaya

Text - Nyaya darsana by Gotama; Bhashya kaara by Vatsayana; Vartika kaara by Udyota kaara.

It has 5 chapters, 10 ahnikas and 528 sutras. It accepts 4 pramanas and 16 padarthas.

According to Nyaya, midhya jnana (nascience) causes sansara and tatva jnana (gnosis) brings liberation. Destroying misery (dukha) forever is Moksha. Jiva is different from Isvara. Isvara is a nominal (nimitta karana) cause for creation, the substantial cause of creation is paramaanus (upadana karana). Jivas are multiple because of multiple bodies (sareera). But Iswara is one. Iswara created the Veda.

It is called Nyaya because it is constituted of five "laws" - Pratijna, Hetu, Udaharana, Upanaya, Nigamana. Nyaya includes formal logic and modes of scientific debate. It explains the logical constructs like antecedent and laws of implying. It expounds various modes of scientific debate and methods for debate, like tarka, vitanda, chala, jalpa and so on.

Sankhya

Text - Sankhya darsana, Sankhya karikas; Author - Narayana avatara Kapila gave 25 sutras and Vaiswanara avatara Kapila gave 6 chapters. Disciple line of the latter Kapila - Asuri, Panca Sikhacarya, Iswara Krishna. Iswara Krishna wrote the Sankhya Karikas with 70 aryavrittas. Bhashya to these are given by Gauda pada. Vartika is given by Vijnana Bhikshu. It accepts 3 pramanas and 25 tatvas (principles).

Sankhya is also an old school. It says that binding is bevause of mistaking Prakruti for Purusha. Realising their difference is liberation. As such, binding and liberation are for the Prakruti and not Purusha. They appear on the Purusha because of contact with Prakruti. Nyaya recognizes Iswara. The world is true. Purusha is asanga and chidrupa, not touched by creation or action. He is Jnana rupa, but not Jnanasraya. That is, Purusha is himself knowledge and not seen as a result of knowledge. In liberated state Purusha is neither jada nor ananda rupa. Multiple Purushas exist. There is no single Iswara, and Prakruti Herself does creation. Sukha, dukha and moha are because of the three gunas (satva, rajas, tamas).

Yoga

Text - Yoga sutras; Author - Patanjali; Bhashya - Badarayana; Vartika - Vijnana Bhikshu. It has 4 padas and 194 sutras. It accepts 3 pramanas and 25 tatvas.

According to Yoga, mistaking buddhi for Purusha causes binding. Realising their difference is liberation. Purusha is asanga and chidrupa. Buddhi satva has three qualities (satva-rajas-tamo gunas) and it attracts Purusha. Atman separated from buddhi and its qualities is Moksha. Yoga of eight limbs (yama, niyama, asana, pratyahara, pranayama, dharana, dhyana, Samadhi) gets one to Samadhi state. By the grace of Iswara too one gets to Samadhi state. One can realize the buddhi-atman difference in that state. Avidya is binding and jnana is Kaivalya (liberation). Binding and liberation are for buddhi and not for atman, they only appear over the atman. Iswara is one.

Purva Mimamsa

Text - Purva Mimamsa darsana; Author - Jaimini; Bhashya - Sabara Swamy; Vartika - Kumarila Bhatt. It has 16 chapters in the adhikarana way. It accepts 6 pramanas. Purva Mimamsa is also called Karma-Mimamsa.

Dharma develops by performing Vedic rituals. By refraining from prohibited deeds and actions inspired by desires, one can be cleansed from sins. It leads to a state beyond dharma and adharma. After experiencing the result of past karma, body (sareera) dies. If the state beyond dharma and adharma is attained by then, the atman does not assume sareera any more. Thus liberation from sareera forever is Moksha. Moksha is a result of nivritti dharma. One can get to swarga (heaven) by pravritti. Atman is different from those like sareera and indriyas (sense organs). There is no Iswara separate from atman. Atman is jnanasraya but not jnanarupa. That is, atman can be known through jnana but is not jnana itself. Veda is accepted as pramana in Purva Mimamsa. Atma-manas contact causes the nine Gunas (spoken of by Vaiseshika). In liberated state when atman liberates from contact with manas, gunas get dissolved. Atman is jada rupa in that state.

Uttara Mimamsa

Text - Brahma sutras; Author - Vyasa; Bhashya - Adi Sankara; Vartika - Narayana Saraswati. It has 4 chapters, 16 padas and 555 sutras. It accepts 6 pramanas (pratyaksha, anumana, upamana, agama, ardhapatti, anupalabdi) and 25 tatvas.

According to Uttara Mimamsa, binding is lack of discrimination between atman and non-atman. From knowledge of atman and its true nature, ignorance is dissolved. Experiencing it as nirguna (without qualities), advaya (one without second), and Brahman is Moksha. Jiva-Iswara difference is because of nascience. Once that goes, the natural unity of Jiva-Para realizes. Until the unity is realized, Jagat (world/universe) is true. Jagat appears over Brahman. Once that is realized, the world is an illusion (mithya) and only Brahman remains. Brahman is the undifferentiated (abhinna), nominal (nimitta) and substantial (upadana) cause for creation. Thus, Uttara Mimamsa holds the indefinable nature of Brahman. Purushas are not multiple. There is one Iswara and Prakruti does not create by Herself - She does it for and inspired by Iswara.

Listen to GAYATRI MANTRA:

Get this widget Track details eSnips Social DNA

Dhanya Ashtakam

Get this widget Track details eSnips Social DNA

LISTEN TO BHOOMI MANGALAM ABOVE

Dhanya Ashtakam

That jnanam prasamakaram yadheendryanam thathjneyam yadupanishatsu nischithartham,They dhanya bhuvi paramarth nischitheha,Seshasthu bramanilaye paribramanthi., 1

That is wisdom, which maintains senses at peace,
That is knowledge, which is the understanding of Upanishads,
He who does all the work towards understanding this truth is blessed,
And all others are in the state of utter confusion in the maze called the world.

Aadhou vijithya vishayan mada moha ragadweshadhi shathru ganamahrutha yoga rajya,Jnathwamrutham samanu bhootha parathma vidhya,Kanthasukha bhatha gruhe vicharanthi dhanya., 2

He indeed is blessed, who wins over the enemies within
of the Passion, desire hatred and excess of emotions
And gets in to the kingdom of yoga and reaches,
The deathless state, and lives happily with,
The wife called knowledge in the house of reasoning .

Thyakthwa gruhe rathi madho gathi hethu bhoothamaathmachayo upanishadatha rasam pibantha,Veethaspruha vishaya bhoga pade virakthaDhanyascharanthi vijaneshu viraktha sangha., 3

He indeed is blessed who forsakes the desire created by passion,
In the home which is the reason for his downfall,
Who drinks the essence of Upanishads leading,
To the desire to know about Athma,
Who becomes detached, not getting interested,
In the passion and the material wealth,
And who wanders in solitude far away from society .

Thyakthwa mamaahamithi bhandakare pade dwemaanavamaana sadrusa samadarsanascha,Kartharamanyamavagamya thadarpithaniKurvanthi karma paripaka phalani dhanya., 4

He is indeed blessed who forsakes the two words, “me” and “mine”,
Who views insult and praise as equal and the same,
Who understands himself as different from the “doer “ within him,
And who dedicates all his actions and their results to the “doer”.

Thyakthvaishana traya mavekshitha moksha margabaikshamruthena parikalpitha deha yathra,Jyothi parathparatharam paramathma samgnamDhanya dwijaa rahasi hrudyavalokayanthi., 5

That twice born is indeed blessed who forsakes,
The three desires for wealth recognition and family,
Who practices and walks in the path of salvation,
Who manages his walk of life with the nectar of alms,
And who researches in his heart about the eternal light,
Of the eternal soul and understands it.

Nasanna sanna sadasanna mahanna chanuna sthree pumanna na napumsaka meka bheejam,Yairbrahma thath samanupasitha meka chithaDhanya virejurithare bhava pasa bhaddha., 6

He is indeed blessed, who is not good nor bad, nor great.,
Not man nor woman and nor an eunuch,
Who is the only cause of the world,
Who with concentration only searches for the eternal truth,
And who becomes person of luster without getting entangled,
In the desires for reaching the eternal..

Agnana panga parimagna mabhedha saramdukhalayam marana janma jaravasaktham,Samsara bhandana manithya maveksha dhanyaGnaasina thadavaseerya vinaschayanthi., 7

He is indeed blessed, who gets free of the mire of ignorance,
Sorrow, death, birth and disability due to aging,
Who understands that these ties of the world are transient,
And cuts the bondage with the knife of wisdom,
And who understands that this is the philosophy of life.

Santhairananya madhibhir maduhra swabhavairekathwa nischithamanobhira petha mohai,Sakam vaneshu vijithathma pada swaroopamSasthreshusamyaganisam vimrusanthi dhanya., 8

He is indeed blessed, who decides on the oneness,
Who forsakes passion, who gets the company of peaceful,
Incomparably intelligent people with sweet nature,
Who live in the forest and who forever think and analyze,
Scientifically about the significance of the soul.

Ahimiva janayogam sarvadha varjayedhya,Kunapamiva sunareem thyakthu kamo viragee,Vishamiva vishayanyo manyamano duranthagn,Jayathi parama hamso mukthi bhavam samethi., 9

Victory to that great realized soul,
Who avoids crowds of people like a snake,
Who disregards a pretty woman like a corpse,
And who leaves out bad thoughts just like poison,
With an assurance that he will surely attain salvation.

Sampoorna jagadeva nandanavanam sarvepi kalpa dhruma,Gangavari samasthavarinivaha, punyaa samastha kriya,Vacha prakrutha samskrutha sruthi siro Varanasi medhini,SArvavasthithirasya vasthu vishaya drushte parabrahmani., 10

To him who realizes para brahma, the entire world is a garden,
All trees are wish giving trees, all water is the water of Ganga,
All his actions are pure and blessed, all his talks whether,
In prakrit or in Sanskrit are summary of Vedas, the entire
World for him is the holy city of Kasi all his actions,
Are fully filled with Para Brahma, the eternal truth

Anathma Sri Vigarhanam

Labdha Vidhya rajamanya, Thatha kim,Praptha sampath prabhavadayam Thatha kim,Buktha Nari sundarangi, Thatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 1

What if he has got education which is honored by kings?
What if he has got wealth and great honour?
What if he has enjoyed a woman with pretty form?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Keyuradhyair bhooshitho va, Thatha kim,Kauseyadhyai aavrutho va, Thatha kim,Thruptho mrushtanna dheena va, Thatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 2

What if he wears ornaments like the golden bangles?
What if he has got dressed himself in silken cloths?
What if he was satisfied by well prepared feast?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Drushta nana charu desasthatha kim,Pushtascheshta bandhu vargha sthatha kim,Nashtam daridryadhi dukhaam sthatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 3

What if he has visited several pretty countries?
What if he has many well nourished relatives?
What if he has lost the sorrow of poverty?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Snathastheertha jahnu jadhou sthatha kim,Dhanam datham dravya ashtashta asankhyam sthatha kim,Japtha manthraa koteeso vaasthatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 4

What if he has taken bath in sacred waters like Ganga?
What if he has given gifts of 16 kinds several times?
What if he has chanted billions of times the sacred chants?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Gothram samyakh bhooshitham va sthatha kim,Gathram basmaschaditham va strhatha kim,Rudrakshadhi sadhatho va sthatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 5

What if all his clan members are well ornamented?
What if his body has been fully applied with ash?
What if he wears sacred beads like Rudraksha?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Annair viprastharpitha va sthatha kim,Yagnair deva sthoshitho va sthatha kim,Keerthya vyaptha sarvalokaisthatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 6

What if he has satisfied with food learned Brahmins?
What if he has made devas happy by Yagnas?
What if his fame has spread all over the world,
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Kaya klishta schoupavasai sthatha kim,Labdha puthra sweeyapathnyasthatha kim,Pranayama sadhitho va sthatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 7

What if he practiced starvation punishing his body?
What if he got a son through his own sweet wife?
What if he has mastered the technique of Pranayama?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Yudhe shathru nirjitho va Thatha kim,Bhooyo mithrair pooritho va Thatha kim,Yogi praptha sidhayo va Thatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 8

What if he won over all his enemies in battle,
What if he has added his strength through new friends?
What if he has attained occult powers through Yoga?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Aabdhi padhbhyam lankitho va, Thatha kim,Vayu kumbhe sthapitha va sthatha kim,Meru pana vrudhatho va sthatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 9

What if he has crossed the ocean by foot?
What if he has able to retain his breath ?
What if he holds the Mount Meru in his hand?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Kshwela peetho dugdha vadha, Thatha kim,Vahnirjagdho laja vadha, Thatha kim,Prapthaschara pakshi vathkhe, Thatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 10

What if he has drunk poison, just like milk?
What if he has eaten fire like popped rice?
What if he moves in the sky similar to a bird?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Badha samyak pavakaadhyasthatha, Thatha kim,Sakshadhidha loha varyas, Thatha kim,Labdho nikshepo anjanadhyous, Thatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 11

What if he ties and keeps fire under control?
What if he is able to pierce hard metals?
What if he is able to locate treasures using collyrium?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Bhoopendrasthwam praptha murvya, Thatha kim,Devendrathwam sambrutho vaa, Thatha kim,Mundeendrathwam chopa labdham, Thatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 12

What if he secures the kingship of the world?
What if he gets the lordship over all devas?
What if he becomes the chief among the sages?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Manthrai sarva sthambhitho va, Thatha kim,Banair lakshya bedhitho va, Thatha kim,Kala gnanam cha aapi labdham, Thatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 13

What if he is able to control everything through chants?
What if he is able to hit accurately his aim?
What if he is able to know, past, present and future?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Kamathanga ganditho va, Thatha kim,Kopavesa kunditho va, Thatha kim,Lobha slesha varjitho va, Thatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 14

What if he is able to cut passion and worries?
What if he is able to blunt his anger?
What if he is able to keep away the embrace of avarice?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Moha dwantha poshitho va, Thatha kim,Jathou bhoomou nirmadho va, Thatha kim,Mathsaryadhir meelitho va, Thatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 15

What if he is able to crush the gloom of delusion?
What if he is able to be completely devoid of all his pride?
What if he is not affected by jealousy?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Dhathur loka sadhitho va, Thatha kim,Vishnur loko veekshitho va, Thatha kim,Shambhor loka sasitho va, Thatha kim,Yena swamathma naiva sakshathkrutho abhooth., 16

What if he is acquired the world of Brahma?
What if he has seen the world of Vishnu?
What if he ruled over the world of Shiva?
If he is not aware of the knowledge of his own self.

Yasyedham hrudhaye samyaghanathma Sri vigarhanam,Sadho dhethi swatha sakshathkarasya bhajanam., 17

Any one whose heart always thinks,
About the realization of the self.
Is the only one fit for realization of the self,

Anye thu mayika jagath branthivya moha mohitha,Na thesham jayathe kwapi swathma sakshath kruthir bhuvi., 18

For others are in a stupor of desire,
And do not realize this world,
And to them the thought of,
Self realization never occurs

Importance of Tilak

Get this widget Track details eSnips Social DNA

ABOVE: Listen to OM SARVE BHAVANTU SUKHINAH

Tilak

Tilak is a mark of auspiciousness. It is put on the forehead with sandal paste, sacred ashes or kumkum (red tumeric). The devotees of Siva apply sacred ashes (Bhasma) on the forehead, the devotees of Vishnu apply sandal paste (Chandan), and the worshippers of Devi or Shakti apply Kumkum, a red tumeric powder.

The scriptures say:

A forehead without a Tilak, a woman without a husband, a Mantra the meaning of which is not known while doing Japa (recitation), the head that does not bend before holy personages, a heart without mercy, a house without a well, a village without a temple, a country without a river, a society without a leader, wealth that is not given away in charity, a preceptor without a disciple, a country without justice, a king without an able minister, a woman not obedient to her husband, a well without water, a flower without smell, a soul devoid of holiness, a field without rains, an intellect without clearness, a disciple who does not consider his preceptor as a form of God, a body devoid of health, a custom (Achar) without purity, austerity devoid of fellow-feeling, speech in which truth is not the basis, a country without good people, work without wages, Sannyasa without renunciation, legs that have not performed pilgrimages, determination unaided by Viveka or discrimination, a knife which is blunt, a cow that does not give milk, a spear without a point- all these are worthy of condemnation. They exist for name's sake only.
Tilak is applied at the Ajna Chakra, the space between the two eyebrows. It has a very cooling effect. Application of sandal paste has great medicinal value, apart from the spiritual influence. Application of sandal paste will nullify the heating effect when you concentrate and meditate at the Bhrumadhya. Tilak indicates the point at which the spiritual eye opens. Lord Siva has a third eye at the Brumadhya. When he opens the third eye, the three worlds are destroyed.
There are various methods of applying Tilak. Saivas apply three horizontal lines with the sacred ashes. The Vaishnavas apply three vertical lines (Tripundra) on the forehead. When they apply Tilak, they say: "O Lord, protect me from the evil effects of the Trigunatmika (3 kinds of) Maya which has Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas as its binding cords."

Some Vaishnavas apply only one vertical line. Only the method of application differs, but the significance is the same in Vaishnavas, Saivas and others.