Mar
14
SATYA NARAYAN VRATA
You are all familiar with narada rashi. he is the triloka sanchari.-the one who moves about in three words. when he once visited the earth plane, there was great misery. he was unable to find a way to relieve human suffering. he at once approached lord narayan and related to him the sad state of affairs on earth. lord narayan said to narada, ‘o venerable rishi, let people observe the satya narayan vrata in the evening of shankranti or purnima. let them all hear the story (katha) of satya narayan. all miseries will come to an end. there is no doubt of this”.
Rishi narada thereupon returned to earth and preached the glory of the satya narayana vrata. many observed the vow without taking any food during the course of the day and attained what they desired. all were happy and prosperous.
The observance of the satya narayan vrata does not cost much. you need only give a small gift to the pundit who comes to read the story and then distribute some prasad which also need to be very costly. some wheat flour arest nd sugar will make up the prasad. a little curd and some fruit are required. even the poorest man can observe this vrata.
In north india the vow is observed by the vast majority of people. it takes about three hours to complete the whole observance. it is generally observed on the full moon day, particularly the kartik, vaisakh, sravan and chaitra purnimas and the shankranti day. it can also be done on new moon days.
They speak about the glory of lord narayana and his grace, his prasad, and of the incalculable benefit derived by observing the vrata. he who hears these stories with faith, devotion and one-pointedness of mind derives considerable benefit.
Mar
14
HANUMAN JAYANTI
“Yatra yatra raghunatha kirtanam,
Tatra tatra kritha masthakanjalim,
Bhaspavaari paripurna lochanam,
Maarutim namata raakshasanthakam”
MEANING : “we bow to maruti, sri hanuman, who stands with his palms folded above his forehead, with a torrent of tears flowing down his eyes wherever the names of lord rama are sung”.
Sri hanuman is worshipped all over india- either alone or together with sri rama. Every temple of sri rama has the murti or idol of sri hanuman. Hanuman is the a vatara of lord shiva. He was born of the wind-god and anjani devi.his other names are pavanasuta, marutsuta, pavankumar, bajrangabali and mahavira.
He is the living embodiment of ram-nam. He was an ideal selfless worker, a true karma yogi who worked desirelessly and dynamically. He was a great devotee and an exceptional brahmachari or celibate. He served sri rama with pure love and devotion, withut excepting any fruit in return. He lived to seve sri rama. He was humble, brave and wise. He possessed all the divine virtues. He did what others coul. He do not do- crossing the ocean simply by uttering ram-nam, burning the city of lanka, and bringing the sanjeevini herb and restoring lakshmana to life again. He brought sri rama and lakshmana from the nether world after killing ahiravana.
He had devotion, knowledge, spirit of selfless service, power of celibacy, and desirelessness. He never boasted of his bravery and intelligence.
He said to ravana,” I am a humble messenger of sri rama. I have come here to serve rama, to do his work. By the command of lord rama, I have come here. I am fearless by the grace of lord rama. I am not afraid of death. I welcome it if comes while serving lord rama.
” His birthday falls on chaitra shukla purnima(the march-april full moon day).
On this holy day worship sri hanuman. Fast on this day. Read the hanuman chalisa. Spend the whole day in the japa of ram-nam. Sri hanuman will be highly will be highly pleased and will bless you with success In all your undertakings.
Glory to hanuman!glory to his lord, sri rama!
Mar
14
CHITRA PURNIMA
The twelve month of the hindu year, based on the lunar calendar, are named after that star during whose ascendency te full moon of that month occurs. The full moon day of chaitra month, that is, the purnima during the ascetndency of the chaitra star is particularly sacred to the chitra guptas, the recording angels of the hindu pantheon. A special worship is offered to these celestial representatives of the god of death, and an offering of spiced rice is prepared and later disturbed as pras or holy sacrament. A fire worship is done at the close of the ritualistic worship. By the performance of this religious observance annually, these angles of the other world are greatly pleased and judge man’s actions with more sympathy.
The psychological effect of this worship, done on the very first full moon day of every year (chaitra is the first of the twelve months), is to vividly remind us of the higher power that maintains a constant watch over every aet of ours on this earth-plane. This memory serves as an invisible check on one’s conduct. The conception of the chitra guptas as located within each shoulder is a powerful inducement to keep oneself engaged in constantly doing good actions only.
The term chitra gupta means “hidden picture”. A true picture of all our good and evil actions is preserved in the ethereal records. The hindu personifies it for the sake of worship.
The hindu scriptures prescribe elaborate worship of the chitra guptas on this day. The deity is invoked in an image or a kalasa (vessel filled with water) and then worshipped with all the rituals and formalities of the worship offered to god’s image. Meditateon chitra gupta’s , reciting the following verse:
“Chitra guptam mahaa praajnam lekhaneepatra dhaarinam;
Chitra-ratnaambara-dhaararn madhyastham sarvadehinaam;”
Then offer ritualistic worship withincenes, camphor, flowers, etc. feed some Brahmins, the poor and the needy. Give bountifully in charity and receive the lord’s blessings.
Mar
14
DURGA PUJA OR NAVRATRI
Durga, who sxists in all beings in the form of intelligence, mercy, beauty, who is the consort of lord shiva, who creates, sustains and destroys the universe.
This festival is observed twice a year,once in the month of chaitra and then in aswayuja. It lasts for nine days in honour of the nine manifestation of durga. During Navratri ( the word literally means “nine nights”)devotees of durga observe a fast. Brahmins are fed and prayers are offered for the protection of health and property.
The beginning of summer and the beginning of winter are two very important junctions of climatic and solar influence. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the divine mother. They are indicated respectively by the rama-navaratri in chaitra (april-may) and the durga navaratri in aswayuja(September-october). The bodies and minds of people undergo a considerable change on account of the changes in nature. Sri rama is worshipped during ramnavmi, and mother durga during navaratri.
The durga puja is celebrated in various parts of india in different styles. But the one basic aim of this celebration is tto propitiate shakti, the goddess in her aspect as power, to bestow upon man all wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, knowledge (both sacred and secular), and all other potent powers. Whatever be the particular or special request that everyone may put before the goddess, whatever boon may be asked of her, the one thing behind all these in propitiation, worship and linking oneself with her. There is no other aim. This is being effected consciously or unconsciously. Everyone is blessed with her loving mercy and is protected by her.
Mar
14
MEDITATION ON LORD GANESHA
“Gajaananam bhootaganaadisevitam Kapittha jamboophala saara bhakshitam;
Umaasutam shoka vinaasha kaaranam Namaami vighneshwara paada pankajam.”
MEANING: I worship the lotus feet of ganesha, the son of uma, the destroyer of all sorrows, who is served by the host of goods and elementals, and who takes the essence of the kapittha-jarnbu fruit (fruit resembling the bilwa fruit).
Mar
14
MEDITATION ON LORD DATTRATREYA
“Maalaakamandalu dharah karapadmayugme Madhyastha paaniyugale damarutrishoolam,
Adhyastha urdhva karayoh shubha shankhachakre Vande tamatrivaradam bhujashatkayutam.”
MEANING: I meditate on lord dhattatreya, the son of arti, who has six hands , who holds the rosary and water-vessel in two hands, with damaru and spear in the other two hands, and with conch shell and discuss in the upper two hands.
Mar
14
MEDITATION ON LORD SHIVA
“Shaantam padmaasanastham shashadharamakutam panchavaktram trinetram,
Shoolam vajram cha khadgam parashumabhayadam dakshinaange vahantam;
Naagam paasham cha ghantaam damaruka sahitam chaankusham vaamabhaage,
Naanaalankaara deeptam sphatika maninibham paarvateesham namaami.”
MEANING: I prostrate myself before the five- faced lord of parvati, who is adorned with various ornaments, who shines like the crystal jewel, who is seated peacefully in the lotus pose, with moon- crested crown, with three eyes, wearing trident, thunderbolt, sword and axe on the right side, who holds the serpent, noose, bell, damaru and spear on the left side, and who gives protection from all fear to his devotees.
Mar
14
SHANKARA JAYANTHI
“Guru charanam,
bhaja charanam,
Satguru charanam,
bhava haranam.
Maanasa bhajare,
guru charanam,
Dustara bhava saagara taranam.
Guru maharaaj guru jaya jaya,
Para brahma satguru jaya jaya ”
Religion is realization: it is not mere learning- this is the divine message which stands deeply in the minds of every hindu. This is not a mere fancy. This is not a mental conception. This is not a stretch of imagination. It is not a coinage of the brain. Nor is it a decision intellectual prodigy.
This is the assertion of shankara, india’s greatest philosopher-saint, the incarnation of lord shiva, reverently known as srimath adi shankaracharya.
Shankara is our Vedanta guru. He was god incarnate. He was born at a time when Indian thought and culture were decaying, when they underwent sore distraction, when ethical glory and the widespread influence of the buddhistic cult was gradually dying, when there was complete chaos and confusion, when innumerable sects sprang up and, with their own individual doctrines, confounded the masses, when evil social influences and blind superstitions, garbed falsely in the clothes of religion, attracted the credulous masses into a frenzy, and ambused them into complete ignorance of the ultimate reality. There were no less than seventy- two cults and sects of this type which carried away people from the right path.
Shankara appeared on earth to deliver very many struggling souls. He set them free, and enlightened them through his peaceful, unostentatious persuasion and loving propaganda. Though his irresistible logic, he planted the triumphant banner of unique intellectual conquest over all other schools of philosophy. Before him, all other theories proved to be phantoms and fallacies.
It was only shankara who gave the unshakable concrete form to Hinduism and established the unity and purity of enlightened hindu thought and culture. Superstitions and corrupt practice melted away in no time.
Mar
14
KARTIGAI DEEPAM
On the full moon day of the month of kartigai (November-december) which falls on the ascension of the kartigai star, the hindus celebrate the kartigai deepam. Is is on this day that the huge beacon is lit on the holy hill arunachala, in south india. Once lord shiva assumed the form of a hill at tiruvannamalai in south india. He quelled the pride of brahma and Vishnu who were quarelling as to their relative greatness. One day, when lord shiva was in meditation, parvati left him and went to the hill of arunachala. There she performed penance. She was the guest of the sage Gautama. It was during her penance here that mahishasura was killed by durga hidden by parvati. Parvati saw shiva as arunachalesvara. She was taken back by the lord to his side, and made his ardhangini once more, i.e., she occupied half of the body of the lord.
Arunachalesvara is tejo lingam, arunachala or the tiruvannamalai hill is the place that represents the five element.(the five elements are represented by five holy places in india.)
When the light on the top of tiruvannamalai hill is unveiled on the kartigai deepam day, people see the big light and worship it. They recite again and again in a loud voice” harohara”. The esoteric meaning is that he who sees the light of lights that is burning eternally in the chambers of his heart yhrough constant meditation attains immortality. The light on the arunachala brings the message to you that the self or lord shiva is self –effulgent, he is the ligt of lights.
On the kartigai deepam day in south india, people make bonfires in front of temples in the evening. It is said that lord shiva burnt the chariots of several demons who were torturing sages and celestials. This bonfire symbolises this legend.
People place rows of earthen lamps in front of their house on the evening of kartigai deepam and worship the lord. They also light a variety of fireworks.
Annihilate the three impurities, namely, egoism, selfish action and delusion. Burn the mind, senses and the desires in the fire of knowledge of the self or shiva-jnanam. Attain full illumination and behold the light of lights, which illumines the mind, intellect,sun, moon, stars, lightning, and the fire. This is real kartigai deepam. May the light of lights illumine you all! May lord shiva bless you with more light! May you merge in this supreme light and attain the etrernal abode of bliss and immortality!
Mar
14
IDOL WORSHIP DEVELOPS DEVOTION
Idol worship makes concentration for man simple and easy. You can bring before your mnd’s eye the great pastimes of the lord in his particular incarnation in which you view him. This is one of the easiest modes of self-realisation. It is one that suits the majority of people today.
Just as the picture of a famous warrior evokes heroism in your heart, so also a look at the picture of god will elevate your mind to divine heights, just as the child develops the maternal feeling by caressing, nursing and protecting its doll made of rags, and sucks it in an imaginary manner, so also the devotee develops the feeling of devotion by worshipping the idol and concentrating on it.