Sarasvati: Goddess of the arts and wisdom

 Hari Aum. 

I thought I would write a bit about Mother Sarasvati today. For years, I worshipped the Mother as Durga. More recently, I took up Her worship in the form of Lakshmi. And now, after all this time, I finally feel drawn to worship Her as Sarasvati, the Goddess of wisdom. 

The worship of Mother Sarasvati is regarded by many as being very valuable regardless of one's age or stage in life.

Many children growing up in Indian households are advised by their parents and grandparents to worship Mother Sarasvati. She is the Goddess of education, of learning, of wisdom (both material and spiritual). Worship of the Mother in this form is said to help a child develop their intelligence and do well in their studies. 

When I was growing up, my maternal grandfather once came to stay with my family for some time. During his stay, he taught me a popular short prayer to Mother Sarasvati that he advised me to recite every night before sleeping. I was aged 11 at the time and did not really see the point of this prayer but did as instructed out of respect for him. 

Years later, I found myself drawn to reciting this prayer silently before every important examination in my life (and I feel that She responded every time). And, in my early 20s, when I discovered Swami Sivananda, I discovered the true value of the worship of Mother Sarasvati. 

I realised that She was not merely the Goddess of ordinary education, but She was the One who gives us knowledge of our true nature, the One who illumines us from within, who dispels the darkness of material illusion and delusion, the giver of the wisdom of the Self.

It is no coincidence, therefore, that the great Guru Adi Shankaracharya, created an order of monastics with 'Sarasvati' as a part of their monastic name. Sivanada belonged to this lineage and his full monastic name was Sivananda Sarasvati. (Note: I would like to point out that this name of the Mother is spelled in India as 'Saraswati' though this is not really correct; the correct letter is 'v' which represents the proper sound in Sanskrit. 'W' does not exist in Sanskrit but 'V' does, and Sarasvati contains a 'v' not a 'w'). Being named after Sarasvati, helps remind each monastic initiate of the spiritual goal that they seek in life.

Aside from the One who gives spiritual wisdom and illumination, Sarasvati is also the Goddess of the arts. She presides over music, singing and dance. In the classical traditions of music and dance in India, all Gurus and students revere Her and seek Her blessings for success in mastering the art they have chosen.

On the walls of the group Bharatanatyam classes that I have recently started attending, there is a beautiful painting of Mother Sarasvati along with other Divine forms. Her very appearance is inspiring for all of us as we practice our dance.

Mother Sarasvati is usually depicted as a gentle form of the Divine (though occasionally, She can also assume a fierce form and become involved in the destruction of negativity). She is described as being of a luminous white colour, dressed in dazzling white clothes and wearing beautiful ornaments. In Her hands, She holds a divine veena (musical instrument), a rosary or prayer beads, and a book; these represent music (as a divine art, a means to reach God), recitation of the mantras and names of God (the spiritual practice of japa) and wisdom/learning (jnana). 

She is also the Goddess of speech and eloquence; the One who presides over the written and spoken word. It is Sarasvati who gives us the power to speak sweetly, truthfully and powerfully to benefit both ourselves and others. She is the power of divinity that helps to guide our speech in the right direction, who enables us to use this power wisely and well in this world. 

Many of us will say that it is not easy to be perfectly controlled in speech all the time and while this may be true, it is Mother Sarasvati who helps us gradually develop our power of speech over time in such a way that it helps us both spiritually and materially.

Every form of the Divine is associated with a divine 'vehicle' which has a symbolic meaning. The vehicle of Sarasvati is the swan or 'hamsa' in Sanskrit.

The swan has a special place in the world of yoga. It is regarded as a sacred bird. In yogic literature, it is described as having a unique capacity-- when presented with a mixture of milk and water, it is said to have the ability to extract the milk and drink this alone, leaving behind the water (regardless of whether or not this may be literally true, there is certainly a symbolic meaning behind this description). 

Here, milk is said to represent spiritual wisdom while water is said to represent materialism. The swan or hamsa, being wise, drinks the milk of spiritual wisdom while discarding the lower material aspect of life and thus attains the highest good.

Again, it is no coincidence perhaps, that realised souls in the yogic tradition are known as 'Parama hamsa' (or 'great/supreme swan'). And such Gurus also tell their disciples, spiritual seekers like you and me, to be like a hamsa. 

'Be like the swan', they tell us. 'Live wisely, extract spiritual wisdom and peace from the experience of this chaotic world, and transcend the lower material nature'. Not easy to do, but this is the goal of spiritual life.

So as Navaratri, the nine nights of worship of the Mother, approaches next month, I thought it would be good to take up some regular worship of Mother Sarasvati. I am worshipping Her for spiritual progress of course and also for Her blessings for my learning of Bharatanatyam. While this skill does not seem as impossible as it did a year ago, it is not easy and this applies at any age (I note the younger students in my class have their own difficulties; it is not only the mature students like myself who find this tricky!). 

However, I am pleased to have found that my previous yoga training is proving to be surprisingly helpful in learning this form of dance; I would therefore say to any mature students of dance, a little yoga goes a very long way in developing flexibility of the spine and body.

I was telling my mother recently that just a little forward and backward bending of the spine (and may be a little side-to-side too) for as little as 3-4 minutes in the morning can produce very good results over time. Sivananda used to do a few yoga asanas in bed upon waking up; there is no need to always perform a lengthy session on a yoga mat to experience the benefits of this practice (of course, if one has the time to do this, that would be great; but if not, even a little done regularly can be very good for both mind and body). 

We need to be realistic about yoga asanas as with everything else in spiritual life. In all honesty, I have not used my yoga mat in months but I've been doing a mini-session every morning (in bed under the warmth of my duvet!) for less than five minutes. And this very small practice done daily has helped me to ensure that I can still touch my toes and have a decent amount of flexibility which my dance teachers are fairly happy with (I can improve further of course and am working upon this). 

The asanas that I personally find useful are the sitting forward bend, the camel (a type of backward bend), the spinal twist (side-to-side spinal movements) and the butterfly. You might like to experiment and discover your own set of helpful asanas to do regularly. 

If you have any health issues, you must check with your doctor regarding the safety of performing asanas; it is always better to start off gently with a new practice to avoid injury-- one should not force the body to do what it is not yet ready for, but allow it to develop the ability over time. 

Learning from a yoga teacher can also be helpful if you have access to one; there are also a lot of very good online courses these days if you cannot attend a class in-person. These are the twelve basic asanas taught in the Sivananda tradition (the inverted postures especially must be learned from a teacher):

https://sivanandayogaranch.org/twelve-basic-asanas/?gclid=CjwKCAjwgsqoBhBNEiwAwe5w0xuP1iBkAmpA8brQ-sIS4Fl3YqfGwzxpTIka8pZhz6cSTwWkWZqtZxoCfTQQAvD_BwE

Coming back to Mother Sarasvati, who is Goddess of yogis amongst everything else, let us now explore a few simple and effective mantras and prayers addressed to Her:

1. Sarasvati mantras:

- Om Sri Sarasvatyai Namah

-Om Aim Sarasvatyai Svaha or Om Aim Sarasvatyai Namah

('Aim' is the 'bija' or 'seed' mantra of Mother Sarasvati; this is pronounced as the word 'I'm' in English)

Daily recitation of one of these mantras 108 times a day (takes around five minutes) can be very helpful and soothing to the mind and good for obtaining the blessings of Mother Sarasvati.

2. Sarasvati gayatri mantra: 

Om Vagdevyai cha vidmahe, Kamarajaya dhimahi, Tanno devi prachodayat.

3. Sarasvati prayers: 

i) 

Om 

Sarasvati namastubhyam, 

Varade kamarupini,

Vidyarambham karishyami

Siddhir bhavatu me sada

Meaning:

Sarasvati I bow to/worship You, 

One who grants boons and fulfils wishes,

I am going to start my learning/education, 

Please bless me always with success.

(This is the sloka I learned as a child)

ii) 

Om 

Ya kundendu tushara hara dhavala,

Ya shubra vastra vrita,

Ya veena vara danda mandita kara,

Ya shveta padmasana.

Ya Brahma-Achyuta-Shankara prabhritibhir, 

Devai sada pujita,

Sa mam patu Sarasvati Bhagavati,

Nishesha jadya paha.

Meaning:

She who is radiant like the moon and wears a garland of snow-white jasmine flowers,

She who is dressed in shining white clothes, 

She whose hands adorn the divine veena,

She who is seated upon a pure white lotus.

She who is the origin of Brahma, Vishnu (Achyuta) and Shiva (Shankara), 

and always worshipped by divinities (demi-gods/devas), 

May that Goddess Sarasvati ever protect me, 

and completely remove all ignorance.

(This prayer is chanted at the beginning of every Sivananda yoga class).

4. The Vedic prayer to Mother Sarasvati by rishi Agastya (the two slokas mentioned above are from this longer prayer):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys2vTiXWhB8&list=RDYs2vTiXWhB8&index=1

The slokas in Sanskrit with English translation:

https://greenmesg.org/stotras/saraswati/saraswati_stotram.php

Om Aim Sarasvatyai Namah. This is currently my favourite mantra for Mother Sarasvati and I plan to recite this fairly regularly in the coming weeks and months.

May Mother Sarasvati bless us all.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Yogic anatomy: a brief outline

 Hari Aum.

It is useful to have an understanding of yogic anatomy. This helps us to better understand the rationale behind our spiritual practices, and also helps us to recognise why certain experiences may occur as we walk upon the spiritual path.

This is quite an intricate subject and I understand that there are entire books written upon this by ancient rishis. I first encountered the subject of yogic anatomy in 2006 when, as a medical student, I competed the Sivananda yoga teachers training course during my summer vacation. 

In this post, I would like to share with you some of the key concepts that I learned during that course. I will discuss the three 'bodies' and five 'layers' of our material being (some of you may be familiar with this already but I will write this post anyway for those who may not be). 

The yogis say we each have three aspects or 'bodies' that form the basis of our material existence (that forms the vehicle for our souls). 

These are as follows:

i) Physical body: as this is nourished by food and drink and is made up of gross matter, the yogis refer to this body as the 'sthula sharira' (gross body; 'sthula' means 'gross', and 'sharira' means body in Sanskrit). This body contains the 'anna-maya kosha' (food layer; 'anna' means 'food' in Sanskrit). 

ii) Subtle body: this comprises that aspect of our material being which is subtle and invisible to the eye, which cannot be touched. This includes the mind (manas), intelligence (buddhi) and prana (energy). 

In Sanskrit, this body is known as 'sukshma sharira' (sukshma means 'subtle'); some also refer to this as the 'astral body'. The yogis say that when sleep and enter the dream state (and the physical body and senses are at rest), it is the subtle body that produces the experiences that we have.  

The subtle body is further divided up into three layers or 'koshas'. 

These are the:

a) Prana-maya kosha: the 'prana layer'. This consists of various 'pranas' flowing through special channels known as 'nadis'. (Just as blood and lymph flow through specific vessels in the physical gross body, the energies called 'pranas' flow through specific vessels known as 'nadis' in the subtle body).

Our physical bodies contain energy (biochemical reactions at the cellular level; electricity coursing through nerves and muscles etc). There are said to be five main subtle energies within the subtle body that support the various organ systems in the physical body, e.g. circulation, respiration, digestion and so on. They are the subtle forces behind the various metabolic processes of the gross, physical body.  

The Sanskrit names of these five main pranas or energies are: prana, apana, udana, vyana and samana. (Please note: apana is different from Aparna! Ages ago, someone at a local yoga centre curiously asked me why I was called 'Apana' (though I am not!) as this refers to the downward flowing prana that supports the process of elimination. They asked this because my first name is 'Aparna' and the two words sound very similar in English (they sound completely different in Sanskrit though). I explained that the 'r' makes all the difference (!)-- these two words have entirely different meanings -- one is the name of a prana, while the other refers to a form of Mother Durga).

The prana-maya kosha also contains special centres of energy known as 'chakras'. This is a very important topic in the world of yoga. Why?

Because, each chakra is associated with a particular realm of consciousness. And, when we perform spiritual practices and awaken the dormant spiritual energy within us, known as the Kundalini, it begins to move through a special channel (called 'sushumna nadi') that runs through these seven main chakras. 

The Kundalini eventually ascends from the lowermost chakra (muladhara, located in the pelvic floor region) to the highest chakra (sahasrara, located at the very top of the head) and, when this occurs, the yogi experiences the bliss and wisdom of the Self, the state of God-consciousness or Self-realisation.

The seven main chakras are placed in a broadly vertical manner along our spine and have unique properties (such as size, shape, colour, sound, deity and so on). Their names (in ascending order) are muladhara, svadhishthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddha, ajna and sahasrara. These are respectively located in the perineum (pelvic floor), genital area, solar plexus, heart, throat, forehead and crown of the head.

Mediation on the higher chakras (heart chakra or anahata, and forehead chakra or ajna) is an important yogic practice that helps us to develop devotion and intuition. (The subject of chakras is very interesting and I might write an entire post only on this later).

b) Mano-maya kosha: the layer of the mind; this comprises our thoughts, feelings, emotions, habits, tendencies, character. The quality of mind depends upon various factors including habits of previous lifetimes, diet, the company we keep etc. 

Just as the physical body is fed by food, the mental body or layer is 'fed' by the senses. The five sense organs of sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing feed and influence this mental layer. The three types of influences on this layer are sattva, rajas and tamas. Sattva is that which produces harmony and health, while rajas produces agitation and tamas produces dullness and inertia.

A sattvic mind is capable of experiencing positive emotions such as compassion, empathy and so on. This aspect of the mind is capable of expressing devotion. 

A mind that is predominantly rajasic or tamasic is highly materialistic in nature and is dominated by various negative qualities such as anger, pride, jealousy and so on.

c) Vijnana-maya kosha: the layer comprising the intellect. In yoga, the intellect or 'buddhi' is regarded as the main tool to control the mind, to direct it towards that which is good and helpful and to avoid that which is harmful and destructive. 

It is the intellect which can develop the vital qualities of 'viveka' (ability to tell right from wrong; and the eternal from the perishable) and 'vairagya' (dispassion or a turning away from the senses in favour of the Supreme).

It is the intellect that can choose what to feed the five senses and thus the mind. It also decides what food to feed the physical body.

Thus a strong intellect is required for physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. It enables us to plan and conduct spiritual practices to develop a quality that is even higher than itself, namely, intuition.

Intuition is that wisdom that is revealed through spiritual practice. It is wisdom and knowledge that is not based on input from our five senses or intellectual analysis. It arises from within our true being, the soul aspect of our nature which is one with God. As we walk the spiritual path, our intuition gradually develops.

iii) Causal body: 

This 'body' is essentially a storehouse of our past karmas or actions. It is not destroyed when the gross and subtle bodies disintegrate and dissolve after death. It is transferred from one lifetime to another and contains our subtle tendencies, qualities and karmas. 

A portion of karma from the causal body is allocated for us to experience in each lifetime. Based upon this, in accordance with the law of karma, we obtain a suitable gross and subtle body. In Sanskrit, this body is known as 'karana sharira' ('karana' means 'cause).

The causal body contains the ananda-maya kosha, which means the layer of bliss ('ananda' means 'joy' or 'bliss' in Sanskrit). 

In deep sleep, it is said that we experience the peace and bliss of the ananda-maya kosha. It is this experience that the yogis say makes us feel refreshed and recharged after a good night's sleep (if we only enter the state of dreams without experiencing deep sleep, this may be less restful).

This causal body only dissolves at the time of Self realisation, when we recognise that we are Spirit not matter. All karmas dissolve upon the attainment of God, when the individual soul recognises its oneness with Him/Her/That. 

The effect of mantra recitation on the three bodies:

As you will have noticed, much of this blog is centred around the practice of mantra. A mantra is said to harmonise and balance all five koshas within the three bodies. It is said to have a beneficial effect on both the gross and subtle bodies and their overall functioning. 

The yogis declare that mantra recitation is vital to promote good health and ward off or reduce the impact of illness (there is increasing evidence in the world of modern medicine that mantras can help with a number of health conditions; for example, they have been shown to improve blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety and create a feeling of physical and mental wellbeing). 

From a spiritual perspective, recitation of a mantra of God cleanses the nadis, releases blockages within them and the chakras. It increases sattva in the mind, and reduces the proportion of rajas and tamas. It sharpens the intellect and renders it more subtle and more capable of grasping spiritual concepts and truths.

Furthermore, it destroys negative karmas stored within the causal body and creates new positive karma. Most of all, it helps us to transcend karma, to rise above both good and bad karma into the state beyond karma, namely the Self-realised state.

The mantra of God enables us to develop both devotion and wisdom/intuition, the two wings necessary to propel us forwards in spiritual life.

Thus, the single most effective spiritual method to ensure good health and wellbeing of all aspects of our material being, and draw closer to the recognition of our true spiritual nature, is the regular recitation of a mantra of God (any one that suits our personal taste and temperament from any spiritual tradition is fine according to the Gurus). As mentioned in previous posts, even a little bit done for a while, goes a very long way and produces very beneficial results.

As the yogis say, the name and mantra of God is none other than God Him/Herself in sound form. And as God is regarded as supremely auspicious and the giver of all good fortune and blessings, it is no wonder that coming into contact with Him/Her via recitation of divine names and mantras has an overall extremely positive effect on our lives.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Building habits over time: the ten-minute practice

 Hari Aum.

There are so many things that we would like to do with our lives. But as we get older, and our responsibilities build, time becomes a real issue.

"I have no time" we say as we rush from one thing to another during the course of our day. "I would love to try that but not now, perhaps another time in the future". But the future is inherently unpredictable and there is no telling whether we would actually have the time and ability to fulfil our dreams then.

As Sivananda used to be fond of saying, "Do it now!". Make a start on whatever you feel you want to achieve in life now, he would say. Do not put it off as the perfect time may never come.

This of course applies especially to spiritual practices such as meditation. It also applies to any other skill in life, whether a hobby or professional interest. The more we practice, the better we become. Practice makes perfect; this may take a while, but in the end, we will get there if we keep at it.

I was having a discussion recently with a dance teacher. She told me that there was only one criteria that she absolutely insisted upon in her students, and that was daily practice. She said she would not exclude students based on age or their fitness level as these were no bar to enjoying and developing skill in dancing. But, she said, success depended entirely on regularity of practice.

Every day, she said, every single day, she wanted her students to put in some effort in practicing what she had taught them-- even if this was only for a brief ten minutes a day. Over time, she said, this would condition the body, improve fitness and flexibility and, most importantly, open the mind. The body influences the mind, and the mind influences the body-- there is a mutual connection. 

We say this in the world of yoga too. As one stretches and bends a little daily, the body gradually becomes more flexible. And slowly, the mind too begins to respond; it becomes more flexible too. 

Equally, the mind that is taught to meditate daily, becomes a useful instrument; it becomes capable of better control of the movements of the body. 

Whether it is yoga asanas (postures), meditation or dance, 'little and often' seems to be the key. In the world of health and fitness, there is increasing evidence that even a little exercise done daily produces far-reaching benefits.

When we want to start something new, building a habit is the most tricky bit. If we take up meditation or dance and do it for a few weeks, and then stop for another few weeks, we will not really benefit significantly. We will find that we have to start virtually from scratch every time we have a break; we end up going back to square one (or very nearly anyway).

So, the secret of success in building a new positive habit is very much to commit to only a small amount daily, but then to do it every single day. 

And preferably, to do it at the same time every day. We are creatures of habit. I also came across this idea some time ago that it helps to 'tag' our new habit onto a firmly established existing one. For example, if we want to dance or exercise daily, we could 'tag' it onto our existing habit of morning meditation. We could say that after doing our morning meditation, we will spend just ten minutes doing a mini-dance or mini-exercise workout. 

Over time, as ten minutes becomes easy and natural to us, and as we become very consistent at it, we may find ourselves increasing this to fifteen minutes, then perhaps twenty and maybe even thirty or longer. The mini-session is beneficial in itself, and also lays the foundation for a potentially longer one in the future.

So, to anyone who wishes to start a new habit, but who feels they have too little time, this could be something to consider. It would be useful to begin with just ten minutes a day, at around the same time every day (if possible). And also keeping a record of this consistent practice helps motivation. When we look back at our record of previous weeks and months and see that we have done the practice every day, we can feel a sense of satisfaction at our progress, that we are getting somewhere with building our new habit.

Although I am fairly regular with my meditation and mini-yoga asana practice (by the grace of God, I have not let a day pass without mantra japa for over a decade), I must admit that I have not been able to find the time to dance every single day. To motivate myself to do so, I recently signed up to a regular weekly group class which begins soon. I feel that being around other people dancing will help my own practice; as I've discovered that, although I very much enjoy dancing, it really is not easy to find the motivation to practice daily without a support network. 

Like meditation and yoga asanas, dancing too involves repetition. One has to repeat the same moves over and over again until they are perfected. This can feel tedious at times. Knowing others who are engaging with the same process, dealing with the same challenges, is very helpful.

And this is why the Gurus and Krishna Himself say that a spiritual support network or 'satsang' of like-minded individuals is the single most important thing on the spiritual path, the path of meditation. Building a group of friends or acquaintances who also practice daily, who can relate to the joys and challenges of the practice, is extremely valuable. It helps to exchange notes on what is going well, and what is not and tips and tricks to keep the mind engaged on the path. The power of similarly-minded people cannot be over-exaggerated in any field, particularly in the field of spirituality.

Birds of a feather flock together, as the saying goes. So in summary, to build a habit of meditation or dance or anything else, it helps to: i) do a little and often ii) keep a daily record of the practice that is done and iii) have a supportive network around one (including an inspirational teacher and other motivated students).

Sivananda used to say satsang is like a fortress in spiritual life. It protects the unwary seeker from becoming a victim of their own lower mind, which is easily persuaded to give up spiritual life and focus only on the material aspect of existence. A group of friends are capable of keeping each other going on the spiritual path; when one feels demotivated, the others provide encouragement (and in time, the favour is often returned).

So, from tomorrow, I have decided to wake up just a little bit earlier and have a go at 'tagging' my mini-dance practice on to my existing morning meditation and yoga asana practice. I also hope that forging a  new network of dancing buddies will help keep me motivated on this path! 

On that note, I will conclude this post by sharing a link to a Bharatanatyam performance depicting a famous childhood lila of Lord Krishna where He takes on the poisonous snake Kaliya and banishes him from the waters of the Yamuna. I hope you had a wonderful Janmashtami.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAD_UQw68WY

May Lord Krishna bless us all.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Janmashtami greetings

 Hari Aum.

The coming two days are celebrated in the yogic calendar as 'Janmashtami', the birthday of Sri Krishna. He was born at midnight on the eighth day of the month known as 'Bhadrapada' (the sixth month of the lunar calendar). This year, this occurs on the night of September 6/early hours of September 7. ('Janma' means 'birth' in Sanskrit, and 'ashtami' means eighth lunar day).

This day is regarded as very auspicious. It is a very good day to take stock of our spiritual lives and reflect upon the direction in which we are headed.

It is a wonderful day for the renewal of spiritual vows, to reaffirm our commitment to spiritual life and to make new plans and pledges for spiritual practice. 

The birthday of Sri Krishna, who is regarded as Yogeshvara, the lord of yogis, and Jagadguru, the Guru of the universe, is best celebrated by renewing our commitment to attain the spiritual goal of life, the goal that He Himself declared is the main purpose of human existence.

I am making a mini-pledge at this time regarding my mantra purascharana practice. Recently, I slightly increased the daily malas of japa from seven to a modest nine per day. I hope and pray to be able to keep this up for the remainder of this purascharana. Although a small increase per day, it will reduce the time taken to complete the purascharana by around six months. I feel this is doable based upon my current work and home commitments (fingers crossed it stays that way). I will of course also keep up the Mother Lakshmi mantra as I had planned throughout this practice.

For those who are yet to experiment with an extended mantra japa practice, I would like to say that this is a very good time to make a start. There cannot be a better 'muhurtha' than Janmashtami to seek Lord Krishna's blessings and embark enthusiastically upon spiritual life.

As Sivananda says, 'Life is short and time is fleeting'. There will never be a perfect time to begin spiritual life and make spiritual commitments. Now or never as they say! 

With His blessings, obtained by our earnest efforts, we are all bound to succeed regardless of where we currently are in our spiritual lives. As He says in the Gita, He ensures that His devotee never perishes. He gives an assurance that He protects, preserves and augments the spiritual progress of the devotee who seeks refuge in Him.

Just to add, as usual, in celebration of this happy occasion, I am making the Kindle books that I have written on the life of Sri Krishna as described in the Srimad Bhagavatam available for free download from the Amazon website (the dates for the download are from midnight PDT on Sept 7 to Sept 11 inclusive, i.e. five days). https://www.amazon.com/stores/Vishnupriya-Devi/author/B07B95YQCV?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

I wish all readers a very happy and spiritually productive Janmashtami. May Lord Krishna, the Master householder yogi, bless all of us with sound progress in our spiritual lives. 

Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.