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December 2020 , I s s u e
MASTERS DIVINE WORDS
Inside this issue
Mind is very cunning. It searches for reasons. It will logically do Masters Divine Words 1 ‘match the following’ exercise. Upcoming Events 1
A few years back, there was a cloud burst and the subsequent Sridharamrutham 2,3
deluge in Kedarnath or the cloud burst and deluge in Chennai Who is Sai Baba? 4 or the floods and deluge in Kerala; mind comes out with some The Gospel of Sri Rama- 5 reasoning and tries to justify it. krishna Priya Iyer poems 5
The stupid mind doesn’t know that the All-Powerful Lord Gajendra Mokshanam 6
‘Rudra’ cannot be reasoned out or judged. Mrutyunjaya Mantra— 7 an explanation
‘Rudra’ is beyond any human reasoning or comprehension. Just for fun 8,9
Kanda Shanshti We salute the Lord ‘Rudra’ and pray to Him with dedication to 10 Celebrations show mercy on those scores of people affected due to these disasters. Gaushala Flyer 11
Now through disasters, He is teaching the value of dedicated, self-less service. In calamity, He has given us an opportunity Upcoming Events to serve with conviction and pointedness. *************************** 12/4/2020 So the human mind should learn to serve the affected without Sankatahara Chaturthi passing sermons, as to ‘why a disaster?’ 12/6/2020 Shashti None can judge Lord ‘Rudra’ or His actions. 12/8/2020 Ashtami Lord and His ways are always inscrutable. 12/10/2020 Ekadasi *********************************************************** 12/12/2020 Shani Pradosham One may not value religious faith much but everyone believes 12/14/2020 in love and compassion….. It is just that this belief has to be Amavasya translated in to action which is the need of the hour. 12/18/2020 Chaturthi 12/20/2020 Shashti *********************************************************** 12/22/2020 Ashtami While serving the needy and the poor, Be humble….Some 12/25/2020 people serve the community but they do it with a lot of pride Ekadasi 12/27/2020 and exhibition…. Service with such an attitude is neither desir- Pradosham able nor warranted. 12/29/2020 Pournami
Sai Amrutha Jyothi http://srisainarayana.org http://sriamruthasai.org 2 Sridharamrutham
KARTIKA MAASAM IS MORE WORSHIPPED WITH PARTICULAR REVERENCE SHOWN TO BHAGAWAN SADASHIVA.....
'EKAM SAT VIPRA BAHUDA VADANTI'....
'TRUTH OR SATYA IS ONLY ONE BUT IS RUMOURED TO EXIST IN MANY FORMS'.....
THE BEAUTY OF HINDU RELIGION IS IT DESCRIBES THE ALL BENEVOLENT, ALL POWERFUL BHAGA- WAN IN MANY FORMS.... ONE SUCH FORM IS BHAGAWAN 'SADASHIVA'....
I LOVE TO CALL SHIVA AS 'SADASHIVA'....
'SHIVA' MEANS AUSPICIOUS.....'SADASHIVA' MEANS ETERNALLY AUSPICIOUS.... 'SADASHIVA' IS AUSPI- CIOUS IN EVERY ASPECT.... WHATEVER HE DOES IS AUSPICIOUS.... ANYTHING HE DOES IS ALWAYS FOR THE GOOD OF THE COSMOS....
AS HUMANS, OUR COSMETIC INTELLECT IS ATTUNED TO VERY LIMITED DISCRIMINATION OF KNOWLEDGE BASED ON WHICH WE CERTIFY SOMETHING AS 'GOOD' OR 'EVIL', 'RIGHT' OR 'WRONG', 'PERFECT' OR 'IMPERFECT'.... WE CANNOT COMPREHEND THE LARGER GOOD IN ANY ACTIONS OF BHA- GAWAN 'SADASHIVA', WHICH IS THE ETERNAL PRIMORDIAL SOURCE OF COSMIC INTELLIGENCE....
BHAGAWAN 'SADASHIVA' IS ADORED IN 'SRI RUDRAM', THE VEDIC CHANT PREDOMINANTLY FINDING A PLACE IN 'TAITREYA UPANISHAD' OF YAJUR VEDA....
'SRI RUDRAM' EXPRESSES 11 NAMES OF SHIVA AS THE GREATEST....
'NAMASTHE ASTHU BHAGAWAN VISHWESHWARAAYA, MAHADEVAAYA, TRIAMBAKAAYA, TRIPU- RANTHAKAAYA, TRIKAAGNI KAALAAYA, KAALAAGNI RUDRAAYA, NEELAKANTAAYA, MRTYUNJAYAAYA, SARVESHWARAAYA, SADASHIVAAYA, SRIMAN MAHADEVAAYA NAMAHA'...
HERE IN THESE 11 NAMES IF YOU CAREFULLY OBSERVE THE 2ND AND 11TH NAME ARE THE SAME, BUT STILL THERE IS A SUBTLE DIFFERENCE WHICH I WILL POINT OUT AT THE END......
THE 10TH NAME OF THE RECITATION IS 'SADASHIVAAYA'....
-VISHWESHWARAAYA..... HE IS THE LORD OF COSMOS, THE ENTIRE CREATION, ALL OBJECTS OF CREA- TION WHETHER THEY ARE ANIMATE OR INANIMATE, TANGIBLE OR INTANGIBLE.... HE IS THE EXCLU- SIVE OWNER OF ALL OBJECTS SINCE HE IS THE CREATOR.....
-MAHADEVAAYA..... HE IS THE LORD OF ALL DEVATAS (DEMI-GODS) WHO ARE GIVEN THE RESPONSI- BILITY OF SUPERVISING THE SMOOTH FUNCTIONING OF THE OBJECTS OF CREATION....
-TRIAMBAKAAYA....HE HAS THE THREE ASPECTS OF SRUSHTI (BIRTH), STHITHI(SUSTENANCE), SAM- HARA(RESURRECTION) IN HIM.... HE HAS THE ASPECTS OF RAJAS (ACTIVITY & PASSION), SATTVA (TRUTH & BALANCE), TAMAS (DESTRUCTION & RESURRECTION) WITHIN HIM.. HE IS THE LORD OF KAALA (TIME).....SO HE GOVERNS THE ATHITHA (PAST), VARTHAMANA (PRESENT), BHAVISHYA (FUTURE) .... SO THESE VARIOUS THREE ASPECTS IN HIM MAKES VEDAS TO ADDRESS HIM AS TRI- AMBAKA.... ALL THESE THREE ASPECTS POINT TOWARDS AS THE QUALITIES OF MOTHER NATURE AND HENCE TRI IS 'THREE', 'AMBA'KA IS 'MOTHER'S....'AMBAKA' ALSO MEANS EYES...THE THREE EYES SIG- NIFIES, THE RIGHT EYE BEING SOORYA, THE LEFT EYE BEING CHANDRA AND THE THIRD EYE IS THE 'ANGARAKA'.... LIKE MOTHER'S EYES, DESPITE LOTS OF WORK, LORD KEEPS WATCHING ALL OBJECTS OF CREATION INCLUDING HUMANS FOR CARE & PROTECTION..... MORE A MOTHERLY ASPECT OF HIM...
http://srisainarayana.org http://sriamruthasai.org 3 Sridharamrutham
-TRIPURANTHAKAAYA.....THE DEMON TARAKA HAD THREE SONS BY NAME TAARAKAAKSHA, KAMALAAKSHA AND VIDYUNMAALI.... THEY WERE BLESSED BY LORD BRAHMA WHO WAS PLEASED BY THEIR PENANCE AND OFFERED THEM THREE REVOLVING CITIES IN THE SKY WHICH REVOLVED AT A SPEED AND A DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER SIMULTANEOUSLY.... HE TOLE THEM THAT THEY WILL LIVE AS LONG AS THE THREE CITIES ARE NOT HIT BY A SINGLE ARROW OF FIRE WHEN THEY COME IN A STRAIGHT LINE.... VERY RARELY THERE WILL BE A POSSIBILITY FOR ALL OF THEM TO CONVERGE IN A SINGLE LINE.... ONCE THE DEMONS BECAME POWERFUL THEY STARTED HARASSING THE DEVAS AND RISHIS.... FINALLY LORD SHIVA SITTING IN A CHARIOT WITH LORD BRAHMA AS THE CHARIOTEER, AND LORD VISHNU AS THE ARROW OF FIRE SHOT DOWN THE THREE CITIES CALLED 'TRIPURA' WHEN THEY CAME IN A STRIGHT LINE.... SO THE LORD IS CALLED 'TRIPURA-ANTHAKAAYA', ONE WHO DESTROYED THE CITY OF TRIPURA AND THE DEMONS.....
-TRIKAAGNI KAALAAYA... 'TRIKAAGNI' MEANS THREE TYPES OF AGNI....'JATHARAAGNI', 'BHOOTHAAGNI' & 'DHAATVAAGNI"...THESE THREE AGNIS ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO ALL LIFE FORMS.... THE FOOD EATEN GETS DIGESTED AND BE- COMES MORE IN THE ABSORBABLE FORM WHICH IS DONE BY 'JATHARAAGNI'...... 'BHOOTHAAGNI' IS CONNECTED TO THE PANCHA -BHUTAS BEING, EARTH, WATER, FIRE, AIR & SPACE.... THESE FIVE ELEMENTS OF 'BHOOTHAAGNI' TRANSFORMS THE ABSORBED FOOD TO BE ASSIMILATED AT TISSUE LEVEL...THE 'DHAATVAAGNI NOW STRENGTHENS THE TISSUE METABOLISM & GIVES STRENGTH TO THE LIFE FORM....
-KAALAAGNI RUDRAAYA.... FINALLY THE LIFE FORM AFTER LIVING IT'S LIFE FORM IS CONSUMED BY THE LORD IN THE FORM OF 'KAALAAGNI' AND WHEN THE FORM IS LOOKED AT LOOKS VERY FURIOUS AND HENCE CALLED AS 'RUDRA' (THE FIERCE ONE)... SO 'KAALAAGNI RUDRAAYA'....
-NEELAKANTAYA'..... WHEN DEVAS & ASURAS WERE CHURNING THE MILK OCEAN TO GET THE 'AMRUT' (ELIXIR) WHICH WILL MAKE THEM LIVE ETERNALLY WITH GOOD HEALTH AND YOUTH, LORD MA- HA VISHNU TOOK THE AVATARA OF 'KOORMA NARAYANA' AND SUPPORTED THE MANDARA MOUNTAIN ON HIS BACK SO THAT IT DOESN'T DROWN IN THE MILK OCEAN, LORD SHIVA CAME FORWARD TO DRINK THE POISON WHICH WAS INITIALLY COMING OUT.... HE CONSUMED THE POISON BUT RETAINED IT IN HIS THROAT AND HENCE IS CALLED 'NEELA-KANTA', 'BLUE-THROATED'.... HENCE 'NEELAKANTAAYA'....
'MRTYUNJAYAYA'...... MRIKANDU RISHI & MARUDMATHI WERE BLESSED WITH A SON , MAARKANDEYA, WHO WILL BE VERY INTELLIGENT BUT WILL LIVE UP TO ONLY 16 YEARS... MAARKANDEYA WAS A DEVOUT SHIVA BHAKTHA AND WHEN YAMAS ATTENDANTS CAME TO TAKE HIM, THEY COULD NOT... YAMA HIMSELF CAME AND SAW MARKANDEYA HUGGING THE IDOL OF SHIVA AND HE THREW THE ROPE ON MARKANDEYA ALONG WITH THE LINGAM AND PULLED... LORD SHIVA FOUGHT WITH YAMA AND SAVED THE LIFE OF MAARKANDEYA AND BLESSED HIS TO EVER LIVE AS 'SWEET SIXTEEN'.... SO 'MRTYU IS DEATH.... JAYA IS VIC- TORY'.... SO THE NAME 'MRTYUNJAYAYA' MEANS ONE WHO HAS WON DEATH....
'SARVESHWARAAYA'....HE IS THE PRIMARY GOD OF ALL GODS AND DEMI-GODS.... SO 'SARVA- ESHWARAAYA'....
'SADASHIVAAYA'...... WHETHER HIS ROLE WAS THAT OF 'VISHWESHWARAN, MAHADEVAN, TRIAMBAKAN, TRIPURANTAKAN, TRIAKAAGNIKAALAN, KAALAAGNI RUDRAN, NEELAKANTAN, MRTYUNJAYAN, SARVESHWARAN, ALL THESE FUNCTIONS WAS ONLY FOR THE AUSPICIOUSNESS OF THE COSMOS.... IT WAS FOR THE GOOD OF ANYTHING & EVERYTHING.... WHETHER IT IS SRUSHTI, STHITHI OR SAMHAARA IT IS ON- LY AUSPICIOUSNESS AND NOTHING ELSE AND HENCE HE IS CALLED 'SADA-SHIVAAYA' MEANING 'ETERNALLY-AUSPICIOUS'....
'SRIMAN MAHADEVAAYA NAMAHA'..... HERE THE CONNOTATION OF 'SRIMAN' IS USED WHEREAS IN THE SECOND NAME, IT IS JUST 'MAHADEVAAYA'.... WHEN WE USE THE WORD 'SRIMAN' OR 'SRIMAAN', IT MEANS RESPECTFULLY ADORABLE SINCE THE WORD 'SRI' DEFINES THE ASPECT OF 'UNIVERSAL MOTHER'... WHEN IT IS 'SRIMAN OR SRIMAAN', IT IS MORE AN ASPECT OF 'UNIVERSAL MOTHERHOOD'....SO 'SRIMAN MA- HADEVAAYA NAMAHA' MEANS....SALUTATIONS & PROSTRATIONS (NAMAHA) TO THE UNIVERSAL MOTHER- HOOD, WHO INCIDENTALLY IS THE LORD OF ALL DEVAS (GODS & DEMI-GODS)....
http://srisainarayana.org http://sriamruthasai.org 4 Who is Sai Baba? - B a b u J a m m i
How to meditate on Baba?
No one has been able to fathom the nature or the form of Almighty. Even the Vedas and the thousand-tongued Se- sha are not able to describe it fully, the devotees also cannot know but only look at the form of the Lord, for they know that, His Feet are their only refuge. They know no other method of attaining the supreme goal of life, except meditating on the Holy Feet. Hemadpant suggests an easy way of devotion and meditation as follows:
As the dark fortnight of every month wears out gradually, the moon- light also wanes in the same degree and on the new moon day, we do not see the moon at all. Therefore, when the bright fortnight begins, people are anxious to see the moon. On the first day the moon is not seen and on the second day she emerges as a thin crescent. Then the people are asked to see the moon through the opening, between the two branches of a tree; and when they begin to see through this aperture eagerly, the distant small crescent of the moon comes to their sight. Following the same instance, let us see Baba’s form. Look at Baba’s posture, how fine it is! He is sitting with his legs folded, the right leg held across the left knee. The fingers of his left hand are spread on the right foot. On the toe are spread his two fingers – the Index and middle ones. By this posture Baba seems to say – if you want to see My true form, be egoless and most humble, and meditate on My toe through the opening between – index and middle fingers – and then you will be able to see My Light.
Some aspects of Baba’s life
Shirdi has become a place of pilgrimage, on account of Baba’s stay there. People from all quarters began to flock there and both the rich and the poor, began to be benefitted in more ways than one. Who can describe Baba’s boundless love and His wonderful knowledge and His all-pervasiveness? Blessed is he, who could experience these. Sometimes Baba observed long silence, which was in a way, his disserta- tion on Brahma; at other times, He was Pure Consciousness – Bliss Incarnate, surrounded by His devotees. Some- times he spoke in parables and at other times, indulged in wit and humor. At times He was quite calm and at times He seemed enraged. Sometimes He gave His teachings in a nut-shell, at other times, He argued at length. Many a time, He was very direct. In this way He gave varied instructions to many, according to their requirements. His life was, therefore, inscrutable, beyond the ken of our mind, intellect and speech. Our longing to see His face, to talk with Him and hear His Leelas, was never satisfied, still we were overflowing with joy. We can gauge the showers of rain, capture the wind in a leather bag but who can measure His Leelas? Baba anticipated and forestalled the ca- lamities of His devotees and warned them in time to protect them.
Source: Based on excerpts from Sai Satcharita
http://srisainarayana.org http://sriamruthasai.org 5 Priya Iyer poems
The Potter
Potter, is there compassion in your wheel? Do you ever wonder how the pots feel? The wheel and the Potter, The clay and water, Together play their logic! Aah, sometimes it feels tragic, And other times it is magic! I yearn to be the pot, That turns and swells without a thought. Yield and yield to the Potter’s design, For in his hands, Grace is yours, theirs, and mine.
The Gospel of Sri RamaKrishna — Mallika Vadlamani
Householders and Spiritual Practices.
In response to a devotee’s question, Sri Ramakrishna said, “It is extremely difficult to practice spiritual disci- pline and at the same time lead a householder’s life. There are many handicaps – difficulties in relationship, disease, poverty, grief, responsibility of children who may be disobedient and stubborn. The way out is to pray to God, occasionally going into solitude during which period one must stay away from worldly people and affairs.” When another devotee asked if solitude is really necessary, the Master replied, “Young saplings need a fence around them to to protect them from cattle. But when they grow into big, sturdy trees, they do not need a fence as even an elephant cannot break them. In the same way, solitude is necessary to protect a spiritual aspirant from worldly distractions. Once he makes his mind strong as a tree trunk, there will be no need for such protection.
Who is a holy man?
When a devotee asked him about the signs by which one can recognize a holy man, Sri Ramakrishna replied, “He who has surrendered his body, mind and innermost self to God is surely a holy man. He constantly things of God and does not indulge in any talk except about spiritual matters. He looks upon a woman as his mother and worships her. He serves all being, knowing that God resides in everybody’s heart.”
http://srisainarayana.org http://sriamruthasai.org 6 Gajendra Mokshanam (Part 5) — Sai Varanasi
The alligator was a “ gandharava” named “ HuHu”! He was showing off his swimming skills to his fellow gandharvas! He would dive deep and surface on the other bank of the lake! The other gandharvas, particularly the female counterparts ,felt it to be very amusing ! He ventured further to impress them with his capabilities! While doing so, he grasped the leg of a sage who was in deep penance , mid waist in the waters! This disturbed the saint and evoked a curse! Since his behaviour was that of an alligator , slithering deep in the waters and grasping feet, he would be born as one! This brought HuHu to his senses and he pleaded for forgiveness! The saint granted that when he gets hold of the foot of a living being who pleads for the Lord, he will be rid of his curse! The alligator stayed put awaiting the divine moment! Once he was beheaded by the Lord’s discus, he thanked God and resumed his prior “ body” of a gandharva! Because he lacked “ realization “, he did not attain salvation/ liberation !
Now, our friend, Gajendra on the other hand was a very pious Pandya king , named, Indrajyumna . He led a life of good character and conduct and was in deep concentration , offering prayers to God! One auspicious day, Sage Agastya walked in along with his disciples, to the place where the King was offering prayers to God! The king ignored the noble soul which is an act of disrespect! Not honouring a sage of such calibre and unable to visualize“ God” in all beings is a drawback in the practice to attain Godhead! Knowing of this, the sage, out of empathy towards the King, accused him of being discourteous and cursed him to take a birth of an animal that is preoccupied with it’s own body, just like the king was, deeply en- grossed in his bodily duties towards God!
Of all the animals on land, the elephant has a huge body and therefore the king had to be an elephant ,to car- ry out the curse! The king did not get offended but instead took the curse to be a blessing in disguise! This is what it was to begin with, a blessing in disguise!!! All the “ so called” curses meted out by sages ,are blessings in disguise! This was no different!
The “ moral” life that the king lead and rituals and all the worshiping that he had performed ,came to his mind ,when his foot was caught by the alligator! Thus he sought refuge in God and attained liberation!
This narrative emphasizes the importance of leading a good life and throws light on how the good affects from leading a moral life get carried over to another birth and serve as the cause for liberation!
Om tat sat!
Source: Excerpts from the discourses of Brahmasri Saamavedam Shanmukha Sarma garu.
http://srisainarayana.org http://sriamruthasai.org 7 Mrutyunjaya Mantra — an explanation
ॐ त्र्य륍बकं यजामहे सुगन्धं पुनटिवधनध म ् । उवा셁ध कममव ब्धना्म ृ 配योमुक्षध ीय मामतृ ात ् ॥ Om Tri-Ambakam Yajaamahe Sugandhim Pushti-Vardhanam Urvaarukam-Iva Bandhanaan Mrtyor -Mukshiya Maamrutaat || Many have a misconception about this mantra. The very word ‘mrtyu’ literally means death. The word ‘mrtyu’ also signifies ‘fear of death’. One approaching death, normally encounters fear of the unknown. This fear is due to lack unquestiona- ble faith on God. Due to lack of this unquestionable faith, on the death bed, one visualises ‘mrtyu’, the Yama and not ‘Mrtyunjaya’, not Lord Shiva. When one repeats the mantra of ‘Mrtyunjaya’ with faith and dedica- tion through out his life, on death bed, he visualises Lord Shiva, who is the Mrutyunjaya. Lord Shiva appears to guide the soul according to its destiny to either Pitru Loka or liberation, as case may be. So, he will not fear death (Mrtyu). Further due to one’s bondage with worldly desires and lack of desires for Lord Shiva, one visualises the ‘mrtyu’ which is impermanent and not ‘Shiva’, the ‘Mrutyunjaya’ who is eternal. So the way a ripe cucumber effort- lessly detaches itself from the creep- er, on repetition of this mantra, though living in this material world with desires, the soul gets detached from the worldly pleasures and visu- alises ‘Mrutyunjaya’ and not the ‘mrtyu’, on the death bed. He lives a hale and healthy life, full of fragrance and prosperity, He is always in a meditative state with the three eyed Shiva, the ‘Mrutyunjaya’, who is none other than the universal consciousness.
Source: Excerpts from H.H.Sri V.V. Sridhar Guruji’s posts. Picture copyrights @krishnafortoday.com & Keshav
http://srisainarayana.org http://sriamruthasai.org 8 Just for Fun — Tejaswi Dasari
Crossword puzzle solution: Lord & His consorts
Muggulu/Kolams for Beginners — Sangeetha Sridhar
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http://srisainarayana.org http://sriamruthasai.org 9 Just for Fun — Tejaswi Dasari
Crossword puzzle: Ashta Vinayak Places
The solution to this puzzle will be posted in the next month’s edition. So stay tuned.. Spot the differences
http://srisainarayana.org http://sriamruthasai.org 10 Skandashashti Celebrations & MahaSudarshana Yantra Puja
http://srisainarayana.org http://sriamruthasai.org 11 Gaushala Development
Let us build our Gaushala together!!
It is believed that feeding cows is equivalent to worshipping Krishna.
Help us in building a new cow shed and cow feeding area. Total estimate of Gaushala development : $62,000 Reaching out to 60 devotees to donate $1,116 to build this
No Donation is big or small.
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