Bala Kanda Part 8: Breaking the bow

 Hari Aum.

Om Sri Ramaya Namah.

I hope all readers had a wonderful Diwali celebration. Let us continue our study of the Ramayana of sage Valmiki.

In the previous post, we saw Sri Rama, Lakshmana and the sages arrive at the kingdom of Mithila (also known as Videha). 

Within this fortunate land, lived Sita, incarnation of Mother Lakshmi and daughter of the ruler, King Janaka. As the land was inhabited by an incarnation of the Goddess of spiritual and material wealth Herself, it was no wonder that it shone with an extraordinary divine splendour. 

The sages, accompanied by the Princes, entered the kingdom praising it for its great beauty. They made their way to an area where worship was being conducted by the King. Upon being informed of the arrival of the sages, King Janaka was filled with delight and hastened to welcome them. 

The King himself was no ordinary ruler; he was a 'rajarshi' (or 'raja-rishi'; in Sanskrit, 'rajah' means 'king' and 'rishi' means 'sage') , i.e. a kingly sage, a man of great spiritual wisdom (Self-Realisation). He embraced Vishvamitra and the other sages with great joy. Then, in accordance with tradition, he reverentially worshipped them, offering them a seat, food and drink.

After they were all well-rested, and had exchanged pleasantries, the King curiously asked about the origin of the two Princes. Remarking that they resembled the demi-gods in appearance and prowess, he asked sage Vishvamitra to tell him who they were.

Sage Vishvamitra explained that they were the children of King Dasharatha. He went on to tell the King and his entourage about the various valorous deeds performed by them including vanquishing negative forces and offering protection to the sages in the forests. He then went on to narrate the redemption of Ahalya that had occurred as a result of her meeting Sri Rama. 

The family priest and chief sage at the palace of King Janaka, Shutananda, was none other than the son of Ahalya and her husband, sage Gautama. He was overcome with joy and wonder upon hearing that his mother had received the fruit of her many years of penance, and that she had been reunited with his father.

Exclaiming that the arrival of Sri Rama was a great blessing, he praised both Him and sage Vishvamitra. Declaring that Sri Rama was very fortunate to have Vishvamitra as His Guru, he went on to tell Him about the greatness of His Guru. 

He explained in great detail how the former King Vishvamitra had decided to abandon his royal riches, and embark upon a very lengthy and extraordinarily intense course of austerities that had led to him finally becoming a great sage. (This is a long story and I am not going to explain it in full here as I want to remain focused mainly on the legend of Sri Rama Himself). 

In essence, Vishvamitra had discovered that sages had much greater powers than kings after foolishly trying to battle with one of them (the great sage, Vasishtha). He then decided that it was futile to continue to be a king and performed great tapas to become a sage. He finally succeeded after numerous  failures (including overcoming the loss of his spiritual power due to being seduced by the celestial dancer, Menaka, an apsara who had been sent by Indra to distract him from his penance).

After the narration of the great deeds of Vishvamitra was completed, King Janaka praised him greatly saying there was no end to his glories. However, as it was now dusk and time to perform the evening worship, he sought the sage's permission to depart, saying they should meet again in the morning. He then went around sage Vishvamitra along with his entourage as a mark of respect, received his blessings and left for his home. 

After a restful night, they met again the next morning in the outdoor place of worship. Vishvamitra then told the King that Sri Rama and Lakshmana were very eager to see the great bow of Lord Shiva and requested him to show it to them.

King Janaka was very pleased to hear this and told them a bit about the bow. This had been given as a gift by Lord Shiva to the demi-gods. They, in turn, had given it to King Devarata, an ancient ancestor of Janaka, for safekeeping, and the bow had remained in the care of their family ever since. It was exceptionally large and heavy and had been placed inside a strong chest made of iron. 

The King explained that he had declared that the man who could lift and string the bow of Lord Shiva alone would be a fit suitor for his daughter, Princess Sita (there is a legend that says the reason for this is that he had once seen Her lift the bow in play as a child while searching for a missing toy). 

Many kings and princes had attempted to this task desiring to win the hand of the Princess but their efforts had all been in vain. Far from being able to lift and string the bow, they had not been able to even move it. After their failure, some of them had become enraged at the perceived insult to their prowess and had attacked Mithila. The King had been compelled to seek the help of the demi-gods to defend his kingdom.

Janaka then told them about his daughter, Sita. One day, he had been ploughing a field in which some worship was due to be performed. In the furrow that he had created, he had noticed a tiny baby girl. As he and his wife had not had any children of their own at the time, they had resolved to adopt this little girl as their own daughter and named Her 'Sita' (this means 'furrow' in Sanskrit).  The baby girl had grown up unusually quickly (this was usually the case with divine beings) and was now a beautiful young woman. 

Saying that if Sri Rama could lift the divine bow, He would win the hand of his daughter, Sita, in marriage, King Janaka commanded the bow to be presented to Him. Several thousand strong and well-built men were required to perform the task of bringing the bow before Sri Rama. A large group of citizens from the kingdom of Mithila also gathered around with great interest to watch the events.

The chest was opened and the divine bow of Lord Shiva was revealed to Sri Rama. As He gazed upon it, King Janaka declared that when numerous beings with great divine powers such as the demi-gods, Gandharvas, Nagas and Yakshas had found it impossible to lift the bow, let alone string it, a mere human being could not be expected to achieve this task!   

Sage Vishvamitra now addressed Sri Rama saying "Dear child, behold the divine bow!".

Sri Rama, gazing at the bow, declared His intention to lift the bow, toss it in the air and string it! He then grasped the bow firmly in the middle, and lifting it, strung it with ease making the entire process appear like child's play. 

As He bent the bow while tying the string, it broke into two pieces due to the force that He had applied! As the divine bow broke, a terrific sound was produced (like an enormous crash of thunder) that reverberated in all directions. This was rapidly followed by a great earthquake that led to most people falling over except for sage Vishvamitra, Sri Rama, Lakshmana and King Janaka!

After everyone had recovered somewhat from the shock of these events, King Janaka addressed Sage Vishvamitra. He declared that it was simply extraordinary that this had taken place. Never in his wildest imagination could he have even contemplated such a thing happening he said! 

Saying that he was in no doubt about Sri Rama's power and glory, he declared that He would be a most fitting husband for his daughter, Princess Sita. Having secured Him as Her husband, She would no doubt be most fortunate, he declared!

He stated that he wished to immediately send his eminent ministers as messengers to King Dasharatha to inform him of the wonderful events that had occurred. They were to tell Dasharatha that Sri Rama had won the hand of Princess Sita in marriage and invite him to Mithila to have the wedding conducted without any delay!

Vishvamitra agreed to these plans and King Janaka's ministers were sent to the palace of King Dasharatha in Ayodhya. Upon hearing this news, King Dasharatha was filled with immense joy and excitement! 

He informed his own ministers, and they delightedly agreed to the alliance between Sri Rama and Princess Sita. King Dasharatha then declared that they would travel to Mithila the very next day! They would be accompanied by a number of sages and priests, carrying a great number of gifts and be protected by a sizeable portion of their army. 

The ministers of King Janaka were exceedingly pleased with the highly favourable response from King Dasharatha. They spent the night at the palace in Ayodhya while preparations were made for the journey the next day.

To be continued.....

Om Sri Ramaya Namah.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Kartika and Radha mantra sadhana

 Hari Aum.

We are currently in an especially auspicious and sacred lunar month known as 'Kartika'. This began a week ago and will end on November 15 which is a full moon day; this final full-moon day of this month is known as 'Kartika purnima' and is excellent for spiritual practices.

This month is strongly associated with Lord Krishna and is a time when His devotees take up additional spiritual practices as these are said to yield greater benefits. In ancient times, when the Krishna avatar was physically present on Earth, the gopis of Vrindavana, including Radha, conducted a special sadhana dedicated to the Goddess Katyayani (a form of Mother Parvati) during this month. The purpose of their sadhana was to acquire Krishna as their 'husband' and they achieved their goal (this later lead to the well-known 'rasa lila' dances).

I admit that, while I have been an enthusiastic Krishna worshipper over the years, I never really felt a deep bond with Mother Radha in the past. I certainly felt a very close bond to other forms of the Divine Mother, especially Durga, and also Lakshmi. However, I greatly respected Radha and worshipped Her along with Krishna (mainly because She was associated with Him). 

There was no deep love in my heart for Radha however; in fact, I will honestly admit that I was actually a tiny bit jealous of Her initially (despite my not wanting to feel this way!). 

However, as I saw Her and Durga as One, and felt a deep love for Durga, I hoped She would pardon me (and I have had the impression that She had; in fact, She Herself is famous for being in a virtually perpetual state of jealousy-- of a spiritual nature (!)-- of any lady who remotely approached Lord Krishna!).

Anyway, the situation has changed and I find myself currently to be more of a Radha devotee than a Krishna one (they are One of course). This transformation occurred around ten days ago, when I found myself in bed with a particularly unpleasant migraine which lasted a couple of days. During this experience during which I felt very unwell, I had the feeling (completely out-of-the-blue) that Mother Radha's energy was the solution. I therefore spent some time thinking deeply about Her for the first time in my life.

Two days later, after I had recovered from the migraine, I was tidying and de-cluttering a bookcase and by coincidence (perhaps not really a coincidence but rather, divine grace) came across a book known as the 'Narada Pancharatra' (In Sanskrit, 'pancha' means 'five' and 'ratra' means 'night'). 

I had purchased this book (it is actually printed in two volumes) quite some years ago as it is known to be a valuable resource for devotional practices and mantras related to Radha and Krishna. I had found the book interesting at the time, but did not feel particularly connected to any of the spiritual practices or mantras described and did not feel the need to take any of them up previously.

However, around ten days ago, after my migraine and interest in Mother Radha, I found myself drawn to this book and spent some time reading certain sections. I will not describe the entire book in detail here (might do this in another post sometime) but essentially, it consists of a wonderful conversation between Lord Shiva and sage Narada on the subject of devotion, and the worship of Radha-Krishna/Narayana (Shiva is Narada's Guru here) in particular.

There is one major section in particular dedicated to the worship of Mother Radha. Within this, there is a description of certain mantras related to Her worship; I read this section mainly last week. 

(After reading this, I wondered if I should share these mantras on this site and feel I received a sign from my Guru that I should, and hence the reason for this post.)

In this section, Lord Shiva outlines four key mantras for Sri Radha. He greatly praises these, declaring that (like other mantras of the Divine), they grant great spiritual and material blessings (including true devotion and spiritual liberation)

I will outline these mantras here. They contain 'bija' (seed) syllables, and in accordance to my Guru Sivananda's advice, should be chanted in large numbers only under the guidance of a suitable Guru. 

(Note- extensive chanting of bija mantras can awaken the kundalini energy rapidly which can be harmful to the unprepared spiritual seeker; the guidance of a Guru is essential therefore. One should never chant bija mantras for prolonged periods and in large numbers without a true Guru).

The mantras for Radha mentioned in the Narada Pancharatra are (in the order that they appear in the book):

1. Shreem Radhayai Svaha: known as the 'shadakshara' or six-syllabled mantra. 

Lord Shiva explains to Narada that this mantra originates from the Sama Veda and grants true devotion. He praises it greatly, saying that it is very dear to Lord Krishna/Narayana Himself and grants all spiritual and material blessings. 

He states that chanting this mantra during the full moon of the month of Kartika in particular is highly auspicious (destroys negative karma and grants spiritual liberation). 

2. Om Hreem Shreem Shreem Aim Krishna Pranadhikayai Svaha: known as the 'fourteen syllabled mantra'. 

Lord Shiva explains that this mantra was chanted by the great sages known as the Sanat Kumara in ancient times. 

3. Om Shreem Hreem Aim Krishnapriyayai Svaha: the 'eleven syllabled' mantra

This mantra was chanted by Goddess Ganga.

4. Om Shreem Shreem Aim Sarvadyayai Svaha. 

This mantra was chanted by Goddess Tulasi.

Lord Shiva praises all four mantras greatly, declaring that they each grant the four goals of human life (dharma, artha, kama and moksha) along with bhakti (devotion).

Note:

'Shreem' and 'Hreem' are bija mantras for Mother Lakshmi (Radha is Her manifestation)

'Aim' is the bija mantra for Sarasvati 

'Svaha' is the energy associated with Agni, the deity associated with fire.

After reading this section of the Narada Pancharatra related to the worship of Mother Radha, I was drawn to the six syllabled mantra in particular. 

I decided to do a small sadhana with this mantra during this auspicious month of Kartika to acquire the grace of Mother Radha (1 mala a day for 40 days, in addition to the usual ashtakshara chanting; I feel I received a sign from my Guru Sivananda that I could chant this and am currently in the midst of this sadhana). 

One week after chanting this mantra daily, I felt some significant benefits in terms of general wellbeing. The energy associated with Mother Radha is healing and also love, particularly unconditional love.

Prior to chanting this mantra, I offered Mother Radha an apology for not being able to feel a better connection with Her in the past. Based on my experience of chanting Her mantra, I feel She is an extremely forgiving, compassionate, nurturing and gentle form of the Divine Mother.

She is exactly what exhausted spiritual seekers require to heal and recover from the ordeal of the spiritual journey. I also feel that She has a special role to play for twin souls who are in a painful separation phase. I feel Her worship holds the key to twin souls achieving inner peace and wellbeing.

Based on my experience, and if one's Guru/intuition permits, I would recommend chanting the shadakshara mantra of Mother Radha daily (for example, either a 'mini mala' of 27 recitations, or a full mala of 108 recitations) during this sacred month of Kartika. 

I pray to Mother Radha to heal and protect all beings (including all twin souls) generally on this planet who are undergoing various ordeals and challenges (especially in this complex time of various conflicts in the world). 

May the Grace of Mother Radha protect us all, may She bless us all with unconditional love and healing.

I wish all of you a spiritually fulfilling month of Kartika. May Radha-Krishna bless us all.

Om Sri Radha-Krishnabhyam Namah.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Vijaya dashami greetings and the comfort zone

 Hari Aum.

Tomorrow is the tenth day of celebration known as 'Vijaya Dashami' that occurs after the auspicious nine nights of Navaratri. This is a highly auspicious day according to the Vedic calendar. Any material or spiritual venture that commences on this day is said to have the blessings of the Divine and will be successful (according to the principles of Vedic astrology).

It is a perfect day (muhurtha) to begin a spiritual practice such as mantra japa or purascharana. It is a wonderful day to renew our spiritual resolves. On a more material level, it is an excellent day to start a new project or take up anything new related to our personal wellbeing.

This day is especially associated with the worship of Mother Sarasvati, the Goddess of wisdom, the One who presides over education and the arts. It is a day of great celebration across various schools of yoga as well as those related to classical music and dance in India. 

It is a day to express our gratitude to our Gurus, both in spiritual and material life. It is a day to celebrate our teachers, to pay our respects to them, and to please them by committing to study the subjects that they teach us with renewed zeal and enthusiasm.

Like many yogis everywhere, I hope to celebrate this highly auspicious day by worshipping Mother Sarasvati. I will also be attending my usual music and dance classes on this day and will have an opportunity to give thanks to my Gurus. I remember my spiritual Guru, Sivananda, in particular on this auspicious day-- he is the source of all blessings, both spiritual and material, in my life.

This is also a good day to challenge oneself, to take up something that we want to do but have not yet managed to, something that may place us a little outside our comfort zone. This may involve deciding to cultivate a new skill, take up a new hobby, or do something that challenges us in a positive way-- something that helps us to grow and develop further. This can help us in our spiritual lives by giving us opportunities to cultivate various positive qualities.

The universe has recently provided me with an opportunity to step out of one of my comfort zones; this is related to the field of dance. I am generally not too comfortable with the idea of performing anything on stage (this is related to various childhood experiences including being raised in a home where the expectation was that I would be 'seen and not heard' and also an unpleasant experience of public speaking at school as a young child!). While I am generally comfortable with chatting with people one-to-one or in a small group, I feel distinctly uneasy at the prospect of public speaking or performing before a larger group!

When I first started learning Bharatanatyam a couple of years ago, my intention was to take up a much-loved hobby for the improvement of my own wellbeing and health. It was also to be able to explore an art form that has a very beautiful spiritual and devotional dimension. I felt this could be a valuable addition to my bhakti yoga practice and this has indeed turned out the case (I practice dance at home in front of an altar or temple with various forms of the Divine and also my Guru-- I always feel that They are very supportive and appreciative even at this very early stage in my learning!).

As I was struggling to keep motivated with learning dance (due to various other commitments) while having only individual classes, I switched to learning in a group from late last year (and supplement this with individual classes too when needed). 

However, I had no intention whatsoever of taking any dance examinations (in fact, I firmly told my teacher at the outset that I would not do these as I was only learning dance as a hobby and not to obtain a qualification!). And I certainly did not anticipate performing for a long time to come! 

But we are influenced by the company we keep (a key part of spiritual life too of course-- hence the great value of satsanga!). 

And my fellow dance students are not only highly enthusiastic--some of them are positively eager to get onto the stage! It was because of my dance classmates that I felt inspired to take the dance examination in summer this year (this compelled me to practice more seriously so was very useful). 

And now, our dance teacher has announced, quite unexpectedly, that he wants our class to do a little performance on stage in a few months (this is a lot sooner than I had expected-- I was under the impression that we would not be expected to perform until towards the end of next year which felt like a long way away!). 

After this announcement, I privately shared my wariness of being on stage with my teacher; his response was to reassure me, saying there was nothing to worry about as he would train us all very well and I would be performing in a group (and not alone-- thankfully!). 

I have decided to trust him (and myself-- for now anyway!); this is because I have seen his other students perform, and I know he sets a relatively high standard and ensures his students are ready (regardless of their stage in learning)! So, I now find myself being swept up in a current of preparing for a mini-dance performance and have decided to simply go with the flow! 

I am trying to find time to practice dance in the midst of other commitments related to home and work. As the saying goes, 'where there is a will, there is a way'!  (Again, here too, I am inspired by my fellow students who also have other commitments based upon their own stage in life, including those related to family, work and education). 

As Lord Ganesha is traditionally worshipped first in any venture in the Vedic spiritual tradition, the first devotional piece we will be performing will be dedicated to Him. I am praying to Ganesha, the Divine remover of obstacles, to remove all obstacles in the path of my satisfactory performance of this piece as a form of devotion to Him!

And, as the auspicious Vijaya Dashami day approaches, I am also praying to Mother Sarasvati, the Goddess of the arts, to bless me with the ability to perform dance (and vocal music which I am also learning and which is mandatory for Bharatanatyam) to an acceptable level and in a manner that is pleasing to the Divine (with a decent level of skill, but without any unhelpful ego!). I would like Her to help me step out of one of my comfort zones (I feel this will also be of benefit to me spiritually). We shall see what She says-- only time will tell!

I hope you too will be inspired on this beautiful day to take up something new of value, especially related to spiritual life and possibly even comfort zones! May Mother Sarasvati bless us all with spiritual progress and grant us success in learning in all aspects of life!

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah.

Om Sri Sarasvatyai Namah.

Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundayai Vicche.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S. Vijaya Dashami is also celebrated as 'Dussehra', the day when Lord Rama defeated the demon-King Ravana and was re-united with His wife, Sita. It is a day of the victory of good over evil. It is a wonderful day to worship this great avatar of Lord Narayana. 

Om Sri Rama, Jaya Rama, Jaya Jaya Rama.

Hari Aum Tat Sat. 

The glories of the ashtakshara mantra: Part 2

 Hari Aum.

Around four years ago, I attempted to provide a translation of the 'Ashtakshara mahatmyam" to the best of my ability based upon a modest grasp of the Sanskrit language.  This consists of a conversation between sage Vyasa and his son, Shuka, and describes the many spiritual and material benefits of reciting the ashtakshara mantra of Lord Narayana (the link to the post is below). 

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/803812822913447625/787398039754352026

The ashtakshara mahatyam describes the theory of spiritual practice with regard to this mantra, i.e. what should happen over time as we recite it. The practical side of this is left to us-- the rishis intended that we would practice this mantra regularly and gradually experience the benefits they described for ourselves.

As we all know, spiritual life is not easy. It involves work, a lot of work-- largely done by ourselves upon ourselves, with the help of God and (if we have one) Guru. The spiritual journey is also usually a long one (lasting a lifetime or more). 

If we have already done a lot of spiritual work in previous lifetimes, then the amount left for this lifetime may only be a little and we will attain the spiritual goal relatively soon. But, for the majority of seekers, there is still plenty of spiritual development to be done in this lifetime. And, for that, we have no option but to commit to a regular, daily spiritual practice (there are, of course, no shortcuts on the spiritual path).

Over the years, I have written on this blog about some of the highs and lows of spiritual life that I have experienced. For example, in the post below, I provided a summary of some of the positive benefits and also the challenges that I have experienced while reciting this mantra for some years. 

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/803812822913447625/6488796706028449058

There are two main challenges as far as I can see on the spiritual path. One is having to deal with past karmas. The other is inner and outer obstacles. However, the mantra helps one to handle both of these. I would like to explain this a bit further.

If a spiritual aspirant decides they wish to attain knowledge of their true spiritual nature in this lifetime (and this is the goal generally advised by all Gurus), then all their past negative karmas from countless previous lifetimes need to be purged in one lifetime. This will not be easy or pleasant.

Very few, if any, spiritual seekers attain God after a pleasant, comfortable life. Most of them undergo all sorts of experiences that would generally be regarded as unpleasant from a material perspective, that produce mental and physical suffering. This is not only a chance to purge karmas but an opportunity to develop faith in God and form a close bond with Him/Her (the ishta devata) who helps one through these.

This is where the glory of mantras, and in my experience, the ashtakshara mantra, comes in. Based on some recent events, I would like to write a little more about the practical benefits of reciting this mantra. 

It is said that the mantra itself is the devata; it is itself the very deity one is worshipping, in the form of sound. As Vyasa explains in the ashtakshara mahatmyam, this mantra helps us to destroy past negative karma, protects the mind from creating new negative karma, and also actively creates good karma and thus material happiness. 

But, most of all, it helps us transcend all karma, both good and bad, to create a bond with God, a spiritual connection with that Being who resides within each one of us. And, eventually, it helps us realise that we are one with that Being, that is our true essence, our true nature.

I would say that the universe allowed me to settle into a habit of repeating the mantra daily for a few years before unleashing a huge amount of karmic purging onto me. If the significant challenges had come up as soon as I started the practice, I may have simply given up, or perhaps not, I really don't know. 

But in any case, I am very grateful to have been permitted by God to have developed a habit of daily mantra japa and to have experienced some of the positive benefits of mantra chanting before the real spiritual challenges started some years ago. 

It is the recitation of this mantra alone that has helped me to cope with everything that I have faced in life. This mantra, given by my Guru, I feel has connected me to both my Guru and the Divine (both as Mother and Father).

Why am I writing a second post on the glories of this mantra now? Well, the reason is that I have further experienced some of its glories! 

Last month, I wrote a post saying the spiritual 'silver jubilee' that is occurring this month was not sweet at all. Only Diwali sweets were in sight (and I've already had plenty of those over the years!), but no darshan of Narayana, no sign of Him at all, either in dream or in the waking state. 

I was very frustrated, upset and annoyed with Him at the time of writing that post. This was mainly because I felt ignored by Him. Nothing happens without the will of God. It was He who must have created in me a desire to have His darshan at the present time-- and that wish had not been fulfilled (I last dreamt of Him ages ago). I was beginning to feel quite abandoned and that was not a good feeling.

During this Navaratri, which began last week, I had a dream of Lakshmi, and then later (in the same dream) of Her and Narayana together. It was a very simple but beautiful dream and I woke up feeling very happy. 

After this dream, I felt that Narayana had finally listened and responded-- He had heard me when I said I wanted a darshan of Him in some form. This felt necessary for encouragement (especially after dealing with all the challenges in recent times) to keep going on the spiritual path. (I also see this dream as indicating that I should continue with my regular worship of the Divine Mother, particularly as Lakshmi).

Despite my being grumpy with Him at times, despite my various flaws and imperfections, despite my lower mind (with all the 'shad ripus') being alive and kicking, despite all this, He heard me and He showed up in my dream in accordance with my request.

I am writing this post only to say that He hears us when we are frustrated, He hears us when we are angry, He is sympathetic, He is kind and compassionate. It is true that He does not just show up every day in our dreams or in the waking state when we demand it, but He does show up when we really need Him to, when we need encouragement to keep going upon the spiritual path. This has been my experience.

And the ashtakshara mantra connects us with Him. It helps us to form a close bond with Him. It draws His grace upon us.

The main positive feature about my spiritual life is that I repeat the ashtakshara mantra every single day (while attempting to follow the yogic ethics), come hell or high water. The capacity to do this, despite living a fairly busy 'worldly life', is in my view, due to the protecting grace of my Guru and the Divine Mother. 

Every morning and every evening I sit down for at least a few minutes and recite this mantra no matter what condition I find myself in (currently sticking with the 7 malas per day which is quite modest, and of course, frequent remembrance during the day as far as possible). If there is no time to have a seated session (fortunately that is unusual), I walk about and recite this mantra silently or aloud (if there is nobody about) to myself while performing various chores. If it is late at night, and I am very sleepy, I do not generally give in to the lower mind's wish to sleep unless the mantra japa for the day has been completed.

So, japa of the ashtakshara mantra remains a top priority in my life. I feel it is the basis of all other dharmas, all artha, kama and the quest for moksha and parabhakti. As sage Vyasa says, the four goals of human life (dharma, artha, kama and moksha) are rooted in the recitation of the ashtakshara mantra which grants all these. I feel this mantra has greatly benefited me both spiritually and materially over the years.

So, in summary, all that I can say, is that the ashtakshara mantra is wonderful, it is glorious. It connects us with the Divine, and allows us to feel His grace and blessings and His living response to our call to Him. 

I would therefore say that it is well worth reciting this mantra daily (and I will very much continue to do so, God willing). (Of course, our Gurus say that all names and mantras of the Divine, including from other spiritual traditions, are equally powerful and protective-- so some form of daily recitation of these based upon our own inclination would be wise).

Om Shri Lakshmi-Narayanabhyam Namah. I wish all of you a very happy Navaratri. Let us continue to pray for our own spiritual progress and the welfare of all beings.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Eclipse and Navaratri sadhana

 Hari Aum.

There is a solar eclipse tomorrow in the sign of Virgo. This is a very good time to do a variety of spiritual practices, including japa, kirtan and tarpanam.

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2024-october-2

At this volatile time in world politics, I would like to share some quotations on peace by Swami Sivananda and other Gurus. It is good to remind ourselves of their advice and teachings at this time.

Yogananda:

"Change yourself and you have done your part in changing the world. Every individual must change his own life if he wants to live in a peaceful world. The world cannot become peaceful unless and until you yourself begin to work toward peace."

"Meditate often and hold on to the peaceful aftereffects. We must send out thoughts of love, goodwill, harmony. In the temple of meditation, with the light of intuition burning on the altar, there is no restlessness, no nervous striving or searching. Man is truly home at last, in a sanctuary not made with hands, but with God-peace."

"I believe that if every citizen in the world is taught to commune with God (not merely to know Him intellectually), then peace can reign; not before. When by persistence in meditation you realize God through communion with Him, your heart is prepared to embrace all humanity."

Anandamayi Ma:

"Without the repetition of the name and the remembrance of God, there is no hope of peace on earth. Let duty come first and foremost."

"It is possible to practice God's name under the most adverse circumstances. He causes everything to happen and is therefore ever near."

"By your japa [repetition of the Lord’s name] and meditation those who are close to you will also benefit through the helpful influence of your presence. In order to develop a taste for meditation you have to make a deliberate and sustained effort, just as children have to be made to sit and study, be it by persuasion or coercion."

"By taking medicine or having injections a patient may get well; even if you do not feel inclined to meditate, conquer your reluctance and make an attempt. The habit of countless lives is pulling you in the opposite direction and making it difficult for you – persevere in spite of it! By your tenacity you will gain strength and be moulded; that is to say, you will develop the capability to perform spiritual disciplines. Make up your mind that however arduous the task, it will have to be accomplished. Recognition and fame last for a short time only, they do not accompany you when you leave this world. If your thought does not naturally flow towards the Eternal, fix it there by an effort of will."

"In order to pluck a rose, one has to put one's hand into the midst of thorns. But if the rose is a person's aim and he has a keen desire to pluck it, he will not refrain from doing so for fear of being pricked. Moreover, the Reality arranges whatever is necessary for each one. It certainly knows the real need of every individual. If one has at least this much faith, there is no reason at all to feel distressed."

Sivananda:

"World peace is possible when all the people of the world wake up to the facts governing universal life and when there is a heart-to-heart feeling of goodness, love and oneness among the inhabitants of the world. Peace, to be lasting and constructive, must be achieved through God. There can be no peace without the Lord or God. God is peace. Root yourself in Peace or God. Now you are fit to radiate peace."

On this note, it is the auspicious day of Sarva Pitru Amavasya tomorrow and, as mentioned previously, there will also be a solar eclipse on this day. An eclipse is said to magnify energy, both light and dark. According to the yogis, those who harbour thoughts of violence will be more prone to evil thoughts during an eclipse. Equally, those who generate thoughts of goodwill and peace during this time will themselves benefit and also be of use to others.

We should obviously do some mantra japa for world peace during this time. The more the better. However, even a few minutes will have a positive effect. Any mantra or name of God from any spiritual tradition can be chanted as per our Gurus. 

Wars are never truly fought due to any religion. They are fought due to the love of one's own ego masquerading as devotion to God. Where there is true devotion, there can never be war; there can only be goodwill. 

The sacred time of Navaratri starts the day-after-tomorrow. This is a deeply auspicious time to worship the Divine Mother and chant Her mantras, especially the Navarna. Let us invoke the Divine Mother during this time and gain Her blessings for ourselves and the planet. 

As Krishna says is the Gita, we have a duty to act in accordance with the principles of dharma/righteousness, but it is not up to us to decide the results of our actions; that remains in the hands of God. At times like this, in accordance with the teachings of all Gurus in all spiritual traditions, we absolutely have a duty to chant mantras and prayers for inner and world peace. 

Om Namo Narayanaya. Om Sri Durgayai Namah. Om Namah Shivaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Tarpanam and ancestral karma

 Hari Aum.

According to the yogis, our ancestors leave a very deep imprint upon our material existence. Modern science has shown that we carry the genes of our parents; we obtain half our genes from our mothers and the other half from our fathers. They, in turn, obtained their genes from their own parents, who in turn obtained theirs from their parents-- and so on and so forth. So, we carry within our physical bodies, genetic material that has been passed down through countless generations.

While it is true that genes are 'shuffled' from generation to generation, we still have extremely similar genes and traits compared to our ancestors. Some genes may be 'expressed' while others may exist in apparent silence within our physical being. We may thus look and perhaps even behave in a similar way to some of our ancestors, even a generation or two before that of our parents. All of this is on a physical level. 

However, the yogis say our connection with our ancestors is much deeper than the blueprint for our physical bodies that they give us.

The  yogis tell us that the thoughts, feelings and lives as a whole lived by our ancestors shaped not only their destinies but also those of their descendants, namely ourselves. 

We inherit not only their genes, but to a significant extent, their karma; our karma is intertwined deeply with theirs. It is not only raised cholesterol, diabetes and various diseases that can run in families. The yogis say, spiritual and material traits can also very much run in families. 

They tell us that souls are not randomly born in families-- they are allocated by the universe to those families where they can receive the results of their own past karmas.

Why should we bother with our ancestral karma as spiritual seekers? Well, the yogis say, this is actually an important topic from the point of view of spiritual progress.

We can only be spiritually free or 'liberated' or 'Self-realised' once we have released all of our own karma. But, we carry within ourselves, the karma of our ancestors to a great extent. (This is why, the yogis say, there can be repeating patterns in families, not only of disease, but also other life events).

The yogis say that our ancestors, being souls, are still very much alive in other realms. One name for this realm of the ancestors is known as 'Pitru loka' (in Sanskrit, 'Pitru' means 'ancestor', and 'loka' means 'realm').

From the realms that they inhabit (outside the Earthly plane), our ancestors are said to be able observe us, their descendants. They are said to be aware of our deeds, and generally take an interest in our welfare.

However, like us, they too are bound souls, trapped within the material realms of samsara (the cycle of birth and death). And they too have minds with their own thoughts and feelings (comprising the 'astral' or subtle/non-physical aspect of their existence).

As we are deeply connected to them, not only physically, but also subtly (through the subconscious layers of our minds), it is said that their unfulfilled desires manifest within us. These can and do influence us according to the yogis.

Gurus, including Sivananda and others, have said that it is our duty to pray for the welfare of these souls who are our ancestors. 

And, in the Vedic tradition, there are various special prayers and spiritual rituals that have been performed since time immemorial for the welfare of one's ancestors and the release of our karmic debt towards them. These are very useful for spiritual progress.

One particularly popular one is known as 'tarpanam' or the water ritual. I would like to explain a bit about this here, particularly as we are currently in a sacred period of time known as 'Pitru paksha' or the fortnight dedicated to the ancestors in the Vedic calendar. This occurs in autumn every year and is a particularly good time to perform the tarpanam ritual. 

(Note- this ritual applies to householder spiritual seekers; it does not apply to monks/nuns/Swamis who renounce their families and perform another spiritual ritual for their karma).

Just as fire can be used for worship (for example, by performing homams/havans, the sacred fire ritual), so also water can be used for worship in tarpanam. Unlike homams which can be more complex and time consuming, a tarpanam can be a relatively quick and simple procedure (lasting from a couple of minutes to an hour depending upon the time available).

In essence, the tarpanam ritual involves pouring water while reciting specific mantras. The water is poured over the right hand so that it flows in a particular manner.

The human hand, according to the yogis, is not merely a vital structure required for the performance of actions in the material world. It is, they say, a portal to the realms of the demi-gods and ancestors. How so? The tarpanam water ritual provides the answer.

In essence, when one pours water over different parts of the right hand, while chanting specific (simple) mantras, the water is said to purify and bring peace to the souls of our ancestors. Three generations of ancestors on the maternal and paternal sides of the family are traditionally made water offerings in the tarpanam ritual. 

Many years ago, I discovered an excellent website with a detailed description on how to perform tarpanam for one's ancestors (it is the same site that I have previously shared on this blog that contains the manuals for the fire ritual or homam). I am referring to the website of Sri PVR Narasimha Rao-- please see below for the link. Just as for homams, he provides free manuals for simple and more complex tarpanam rituals.

https://www.vedicastrologer.org/tarpana/download.htm

I personally perform the simplest version (as this works for me due to my current schedule and commitments; in total this takes me around 5-10 minutes as I pour water a few more times than mentioned in the manual). I admit I do not perform the tarpanam ritual regularly throughout the year but I do try my best to perform this quite a few times during the pitru paksha period. 

I have therefore been doing the tarpanam ritual in the past few days in addition to my daily mantra japa. I have found that this simple five minute ritual brings me great peace and makes me feel connected in a positive way to my ancestors (particularly my grandparents who have passed away). I intend to make a greater effort to perform this more regularly in the coming year.

I would recommend performing the tarpanam ritual during this sacred time. The pitru paksha period culminates in an auspicious date known as 'Sarva pitru amavasya' (the new moon day of the lunar fortnight) which occurs on October 2 this year (it varies slightly each year based on the lunar calendar). 

This auspicious day in particular is said to be excellent for spiritual practices and especially for tarpanam (like other new moon days, it is not regarded as being particularly auspicious for material activities in accordance with the principles of Vedic astrology). In fact, if there is one day in the year when one should perform tarpanam, it is said to be the day of Sarva pitru amavasya.

This year, it so happens that a solar eclipse will take place on October 2. An eclipse is also a very good time to perform tarpanam (in addition to mantra japa) according to the yogis. So this year's Sarva pitru amavasya is particularly special for worship of God and performance of tarpanam based on the Vedic calendar.

May the souls of our ancestors be at peace, may they be released from their karmas, and may they bless us all with peace, joy and spiritual progress.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Note- if readers are not comfortable with the Sanskrit mantras for tarpanam, but would like to perform the water ritual, I feel that is perfectly acceptable and would recommend saying the prayers (equivalent to the meaning of the mantras) in your own language. 

While Sanskrit mantras do have their own value and effect, one's thoughts and feelings also have a powerful effect. While performing the water ritual (and pouring water in the manner described by Sri Rao), I feel it is quite reasonable to make the prayers in one's own native language (if one is not at ease with Sanskrit. However, the mantras for the simplest version of tarpanam, on the website mentioned above, are relatively easy and worth learning if at all possible).

Om Namo Narayanaya.

The not-so-sweet spiritual silver jubilee

 Hari Aum.

I was reflecting that it is nearly twenty-five years since I first developed an interest in worshipping Lord Krishna. During this period, I have experimented with various spiritual practices, ranging from meditation, to mantra japa, to kirtan, to yoga asanas to pranayamas, homams, pujas and more.

But there no sign of Him yet. This makes the mind pensive. He has given me all sorts of things I never asked for. All sorts of people have come and gone in my life. But no sign of Him yet. And I wonder, what is the use of all these people, if You have not yet come as You? (Yes, it is true that all the souls whom I have met are all manifestations of God-- and are just wonderful and fantastic of course, whether they came into my life invited or uninvited!- but where are You?!)

I ask God pensively, "What have I not endured for Your sake, honestly?! What have I not gone through? What further troubles are You plotting? Is what You have supplied already not enough!".

Another dark night of the soul....surely not. I have to admit, I am tired. Fed up of this spiritual path that is so long and dreary.

On some level, I feel I should celebrate. To keep up spiritual life, with all its ups and downs, for approximately two and a half decades in the midst of all sorts of worldly challenges has not been easy (I have been consistent with daily mantra japa in particular for nearly thirteen years). I am grateful to God and Guru for allowing this to happen. But I am getting a bit irritable at present. 

How long does one have to wait for a darshan of God?!

He has provided a whole bunch of people I never asked for, including soul mates, karmics, toxics, twin souls and other randoms-- I am very respectful of them all generally, but honestly, there comes a time when one's patience begins to run out! What is the use of all of them if there is no Vishnu/Krishna in sight?!

I can honestly say today, that I am thoroughly fed up of spiritual life. Tired of striving, tired of battling, tired of this Maya jugglery. 

I am reminded of the original Vishnupriya (the Goddess Tulasi) who found it in herself to pronounce a curse on Lord Vishnu Himself. There are times when I wish I could do the same-- heartless God with no compassion, endlessly making His devotees run like hamsters in this dreaded wheel of samsara.

Day after day, night after night...the same old drama....the same sadhana....but no sight of God. No darshan, no prospect of one at all. It is unbelievable.

I know the Gurus tell us to be patient. But for how long is a soul to be patient! Ramakrishna famously advised his students to tell God "I have said Your name, so how can I be a sinner? How can I be in bondage anymore?"

I feel like saying the same to God. "I am really very tired and I require a darshan of You. It is very simple really. Just show up. Like You did for Sivananda and others. And don't tell me I have not done enough to please You-- I simply refuse to believe it!" I could be wrong, but I totally feel that God should now give me His darshan!

I am happy to continue all the purascharanas that I have committed to even after the darshan-- I really am. I just need to have a darshan around now, not in another lifetime or when I am very, very aged (assuming I even live that long). (If you have had His darshan, can you please pass on my message-- I would really appreciate it!)

So, as this 'silver jubilee' of spiritual life approaches (around next month), I must say that I am not pleased with Vishnu. Not at all pleased. No amount of "Om Namo Narayanaya" has led to His darshan. All sorts of other, wanted and unwanted, 'darshans' have taken place-- but of Him, no!

And the tragedy in all of this, is that He leaves His devotees with no choice at all. There is no option but to carry on. What can be gained by stopping on this spiritual journey? The answer is clearly nothing at all. 

There is no lasting permanent peace or happiness in this world filled with Maya. And the Lord of this Maya has placed us all in this quicksand of samsara and cheerfully walked off (He may be everywhere, but, as we are not aware of this most of the time, this is what He has effectively done!).

An acquaintance was telling me today of the tragic death of her middle-aged son last year. He had developed a health issue that did not at all fit with the typical picture of the illness. Life is full of such unfortunate events. There is no certainty at all here.

As Sivananda says, life here is essentially a mixture of one part of happiness and sixteen parts of problems. That is the ratio. When this is the case, we need to ask ourselves what we are really doing with our time. What is the use of running around day and night in this material world? It really makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Anyway, I am determined to celebrate my silver jubilee of being a Krishna devotee-- even if there is no sign of Krishna whatsoever! I plan to gift myself an excellent box of chocolates and other sweet treats (it helps that Diwali is not far off!). I will enjoy eating these sweets in the midst of chanting "Om Namo Narayanaya!" (and will not take kindly to any questions being asked by my Higher Self/ God/ Guru about my devotion or self-control!). I will take this as a sort of prasad!

I really hope all of you are having a better time with your sadhana than I am. If there are other souls who have also been walking this spiritual path for a long time and are also exhausted, I can only say that I greatly sympathise with you. We just have to keep going. Have some chocolate (or similar) and carry on-- it is not as if there are any other options available anyway!

On that note, I am going to do a little japa and go off to sleep! 

Om Namo Narayanaya. Om Namo Narayanaya. Om Namo Narayanaya!

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Bala Kanda Part 7: The legends of Ganga and Ahalya

Hari Aum.

Om Sri Ramaya Namah.

In the previous post on the Ramayana, we saw Sri Rama begin the work of His avatar on Earth to protect the good and destroy evil. We see Him rid the forest of demonic beings and grant safety to the sages engaged in spiritual practices.

Sri Rama and His brother now set off with the sages to the kingdom of Mithila to witness the worship of the divine bow of Lord Shiva. 

Their journey through the forests took a few days and as they walked, they engaged in many interesting conversations with the sages and learned about various subjects. A lot of the conversations began by Sri Rama asking Vishvamitra to tell Him about the history of a particular place or river that they saw. 

During the course of these discussions, Vishvamitra told Sri Rama a bit about his own family (his sisters and their marriages; one of his sisters had taken on the form of a sacred river known as 'Kaushiki'!). 

They also passed by the sacred river known as the Ganga, which represents a form of the Divine Mother. Rama asked about Her origin, and this led to an extremely detailed discussion about the Ganga, Mother Parvati, Lord Shiva and Kartikeya. (This is explained in very great detail in the Ramayana; I will provide a relatively brief summary here).

The deity of the Himalaya mountain known as Himavan, and his wife, Menaka, had two daughters. The older was Goddess Ganga and the younger was Goddess Parvati. 

Goddess Ganga had the capacity to purify anyone She came into contact with. The demi-gods thus requested Her presence in their celestial realm, Svarga, and so She went to reside with them. 

Goddess Parvati performed severe penance, against the wishes of Her parents, and achieved Her desire of marrying Lord Shiva. Their union led to the birth of a son, Kartikeya, who became the leader of the army of the demi-gods. 

In the meantime, various events took place upon Earth that led to the Goddess Ganga being brought from the celestial realms to this planet (the Ganga is said to flow in three realms-- heaven, Earth and the underworld). 

This in itself is a long story but, in essence, Her waters were needed to purify and release the negative karmas of a group of royal princes who had been cursed by a divine sage. Three generations of kings of this royal family (who were none other than Sri Rama's ancient ancestors) performed intense austerities to please the divine Creator, Brahma to obtain the boon of having the Ganga come to Earth. The first two Kings were unsuccessful, but their descendent, King Bhagiratha, finally succeeded in pleasing Brahma with his austerities. 

After granting the boon to King, Brahma reflected that the Earth would not be able to bear the tremendous force of the direct descent of Goddess Ganga from the celestial realm. He therefore told King Bhagiratha that he needed to perform further austerities to obtain Lord Shiva's help regarding this matter.

After the King performed further intense austerities, Lord Shiva appeared and said that He was pleased with him. He told him that He would allow the Ganga to flow through His matted locks of hair to enable Her to make a safe descent to Earth.

Thus, the lovely Goddess Ganga, daughter of King Himavan, prepared for Her journey to the Earth. She now assumed the form of an immensely great and powerful river. As She was about to descend upon the sacred head of Lord Shiva and enter His hair, She privately wondered if He would truly be able to handle Her power. She doubted it and reflected that She would probably end up flowing directly to the underworld carrying Him with Her! 

Lord Shiva, seeing Her pride, was not at all pleased and decided to give Her a fitting response! And so, as Goddess Ganga flowed into His hair, She found Herself in a vast realm similar to that of the Himalayas. She wandered about for a long time trying to find a way out but discovered that She was completely lost!

Meanwhile, King Bhagiratha, who had been anxiously awaiting Her arrival on Earth to free his ancestors, saw what had happened. He then performed another round of intense spiritual practices to please Lord Shiva and secure the release of Ganga from His hair!

The King finally succeeded, and at long last, the moment came for the Ganga to flow upon the Earth. Knowing that this would be a unique and spectacular sight, the demi-gods, divine sages and other celestials gathered together in the heavens in great excitement to watch. 

They saw Goddess Ganga emerging from the matted reddish-gold locks of Lord Shiva, and entering the Himalayas. As She flowed onto Earth, there was tremendous sound, and great sprays of water rose high up into the air, forming foam that appeared like little white clouds. Numerous fish, dolphins, snakes and various other creatures were seen within Her sparkling waters.

King Bhagiratha was overwhelmed with joy to see that his penance had finally borne fruit. He now set off, accompanied by the Ganga, to a faraway place within the underworld where his ancestors had been cursed by sage Kapila and reduced to ash. The Ganga became a broad and fast-flowing river as She followed him. When She flowed over the ashes of the royal princes, their souls were purified of all past negative karmas, and they entered the celestial realms rejoicing.

Sri Rama and Lakshmana were enthralled to hear about the legend of the Ganga and the efforts of their ancient ancestors in bringing about Her arrival on to Earth. As it was now night time, Vishvamitra said that they should all get some rest. They went to sleep and, upon rising the next day, continued their journey towards Mithila. 

On the way, they reached the wonderful city of Vishala where they would spent a night before reaching their destination. Rama wanted to know about the history of this area too, and this led to another interesting discussion with Vishvamitra. This place was connected to a divine lila of Narayana which involved the churning of the divine milky ocean by the devas and the asuras (I have explained this lila elsewhere on this blog--the post on eclipses dated August 2017-- so will not describe it again here).

King Sumati, the ruler of Vishala, was delighted to hear the news of the arrival of the sages and the two princes, and warmly welcomed them. After ensuring that they were all well-rested and had eaten a delicious meal, he curiously asked the sages who these two princes of divine appearance were. 

The sages explained that they were the sons of King Dasharatha, ruler of Ayodhya. They told King Sumati that the Princes had been of great help in ridding the forests of asuras and in granting them protection. The King was wonderstruck and delighted to hear of the valiant deeds of the Sri Rama and Lakshmana and they all spent a very pleasant evening together.

The next day, they bade farewell to King Sumati and set off for Mithila.  After walking for a while, they arrived at the outskirts of the kingdom which appeared to be filled with great beauty and splendour. 

As they all gazed upon Mithila and praised its beauty, Sri Rama noticed a small hermitage not far from where they stood and asked Vishvamitra to tell Him about it. The sage explained that it was a place associated with misfortune and went on to tell the tale.

The hermitage had been the home of the noble sage, Gautama, and his exceedingly pretty wife, Ahalya. The two of them had performed spiritual austerities there for many years. One day, the sage went to the river to bathe and perform some worship. 

Upon his departure, Indra, King of demi-gods, and husband of the demi-goddess Sachi, appeared at the hermitage. Using his divine powers, he now assumed the form of Ahalya's husband, Gautama. Entering the hermitage, he beheld the beautiful Ahalya and addressed her with charming words. 

Declaring that those who desired enjoyment did not care for rituals related to appropriate timing (it was the tradition then to have intercourse based on favourable times of the menstrual cycle), he declared his desire to sleep with her at once.

Ahalya, using her own divine powers, recognised that the person in front of her was Indra in the guise of her husband, rather than the sage himself. As she too desired Indra, she agreed to his request and they slept together. Afterwards, they felt very satisfied and pleased with themselves, but then wanted to avoid being caught by sage Gautama who was known for his tremendous ascetic power!

Ahalya therefore requested Indra to leave the hermitage immediately, saying that he should guard both himself and her from her husband ever finding out about their deed. Indra, who was highly pleased, laughed and declared that he would depart as unobtrusively as he had arrived. He then took leave of her, walking quickly and hoping to avoid encountering the sage.

However, just as Indra approached the door of the hermitage, he saw sage Gautama entering, carrying sacred grass and wood for a fire ritual. The two Gautamas now stood facing each other-- one filled with anxiety and with lowered eyes, and the other glaring with intense wrath!

Realising what had taken place, the enraged sage Gautama pronounced a curse on both Indra and Ahalya. For his misdeeds, he declared that Indra would immediately lose his masculinity (this led to Indra being instantly castrated; he later sought the help of the other demi-gods and corrected this with some difficulty!).

Turning to his wife, Gautama declared that she should perform intense penance at the hermitage for several years to expiate her sin. He told her to remain there without food or water, and surviving on air alone. Declaring that she should henceforth sleep on ashes on the ground, and be filled with remorse, he stated that her beautiful form would, from now onwards, be invisible to all beings in the material realms.  

He told her that Sri Rama would visit their hermitage in the future, and she would be purified of all sin only after meeting Him. After this had occurred, he said that he would accept her back as his wife. Sage Gautama then left the hermitage and went to the Himalayas where he continued his spiritual practices.

After narrating the legend of Ahalya, Vishvamitra led Rama to the hermitage. As Sri Rama entered, His eyes fell upon Ahalya, who by now had an extraordinarily bright divine aura as a result of years of penance. 

In accordance with the tradition, Sri Rama and Lakshmana touched her feet as a mark of respect. She in turn, welcomed them and Vishvamitra to the hermitage with great reverence and offered them food, drink and hospitality. 

After meeting Sri Rama in this way, Ahalya regained her original visible celestial form, and the demi-gods and other celestials rejoiced and showered flowers from the heavens upon them all. Sage Gautama now returned to the hermitage and joined his wife in worshipping Sri Rama (they then resumed their life at the ashram and performed spiritual austerities together once again).

After this auspicious event, Sri Rama took leave of sage Gautama and Ahalya, and left for Mithila with Lakshmana and the sages.

To be continued......

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Janmashtami greetings

 Hari Aum.

The celebration of the birthday of Lord Krishna is coming up in two days time. Based on the Vedic lunar calendar, the date falls on August 26 this year. 

A very happy Janmashtami to all readers. May Lord Krishna bless us all with the capacity to keep up our spiritual practices. May He bless us and the whole world with devotion and spiritual wisdom. 

As usual, in celebration of Janmashtami, the books on the life of Lord Krishna that I had written a few years ago will be available for free download from Amazon for a period of five days (i.e. August 26th- 30th inclusive, starting from 12 am PDT). Please see below for the link. (There are four books in total. The last book, Yogeshwara, contains the Uddhava Gita.) 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Vishnupriya-Devi/author/B07B95YQCV?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1724517017&sr=8-2&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Just to say, I am currently in the process of preparing my next installment of the Ramayana series for this blog (was hoping to have published it by now but was unable to due to travel and then getting Covid-- was not as bad as two years ago but still fairly unpleasant).

On a public health note, please keep an eye out for your local government/ medical advice regarding the Mpox virus-- as many of you may be aware, this was declared a 'public health emergency of global concern' by the WHO around ten days ago. There is obviously no need to panic but common sense is needed-- and this would mean keeping an eye on the situation and following our local public health guidelines regarding taking preventative measures etc.

This is a UN article on the subject:

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1153361

On a more positive note, I am glad to say that I passed my recent dance exam (with actually quite decent marks to my surprise!) and received some encouraging feedback from my teacher. I have been therefore been permitted to continue my studies and progress to the next year which I am happy about (of course, 'happy' can be a strong word after a two-hour class of what can feel almost like military training but still!)

In the midst of viruses, wars and various other troublesome issues on this planet, I feel it is very important to maintain one's sanity through a combination of spiritual practice and enjoyable hobbies!

Speaking of wars, there unfortunately seems to be no sign of any of them abating currently. Let us therefore continue our prayers for the relief of suffering and the general wellbeing of everyone. May sanity prevail, however long it takes. 

In accordance with the advice of Gurus of all spiritual traditions, let us do daily chanting and singing of the names of whichever deity we like for our own wellbeing and that of everyone.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

Om Namo Narayanaya. 

May Lord Krishna bless us all.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S. I watched the 'Kalki 2898 AD' movie on Netflix a few days ago and found it quite interesting (not too pleased that the sequel will only be released in three years time though!). 

It paints a very grim and grisly picture of a future Earth at a much later stage in Kali yuga, the present spiritual age of quarrels and war (unfortunately our scriptures, the Puranas, do describe a significant deterioration over time). The Earth is shown to be devoid of clean air or water or even sunshine. And then, of course, an avatar of Narayana appears-- this avatar is called Kalki (the one yet to come in this spiritual age; His name is pronounced as "Cull-key").

After watching this movie, I felt extremely grateful for the simple things in life that I often take for granted, such as drinking water, relatively clean air, sunshine and plants! This movie really reminds one that we cannot take anything in life for granted.

Unfortunately, the depressing reality of our world today is that there are places where people currently suffer intensely in a way that is not far-off from that portrayed in the movie. This is why our Gurus tell us to keep up spiritual practice every day, no matter what happens within or without in our lives. 

The mantra of God gives protection to us and to others-- that is a simple fact of life according to them (and many of us would have found this to be true in our own experience of life).

It is also useful to remind ourselves that, although there is much that is negative about this Kali yuga, our Puranas declare that this is the best time (of all yugas) to be born as a human being. 

No other yuga/period of time produces such rapid results from spiritual practice as this one (we are still talking about decades of practice though, of course-- just not thousands of years of practice as the longer-lived people of previous ages were apparantly expected to do!). It would be nice to make full use of our current birth in this Kali yuga and thus attain the spiritual goal (and hopefully not be compelled to be reborn at a later stage when the situation is likely to be much worse than it is at present).

On that note, I am still continuing my current purascharana at a steady seven malas per day. And I'm also keeping up some singing/bhajan/kirtan and devotional dance as part of my worship as this combination currently seems to work for me. 

I hope and pray that you too are keeping up your own daily spiritual practice and that this is going well. 

Om Namo Narayanaya. 

Hari Aum Tat Sat

Brahmacharya and Kundalini

 Hari Aum.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Brahmacharya is a Sanskrit word that consists of a combination of two words-- Brahman and Acharya. It literally means the activity or conduct of the Supreme Being, Brahman. And a key feature of Brahman is the absence of any worldly desire. 

One who has fully conquered all material desire is called a true brahmachari. According to Sivananda, only one who is fully enlightened can be called a true brahmachari. The state of samadhi is attained when one become free of all worldly desires.

The Upanisads famously declare "Tat Tvam Asi" i.e. "You are That (Brahman)". And, "Aham Brahmasmi" i.e "I am Brahman (applies to each one of us)". 

The great Guru of ancient times, Adi Sankara, declared 

"Brahman satya, Jagat mitya. Jivo Brahmaiva Na Aparah."

Meaning: "Brahman alone is true/real, the material world is a (temporary) illusion/false. The individual soul (Jiva) is no different from Brahman (the Supreme Truth/Being)".

But despite these declarations, we still feel that we are jivas, individual souls. And we are full of worldly desires. We cannot be perfect brahmacharis right away even if we want to be-- because we are yet to recognise our oneness with Brahman/the Supreme.

To overcome our material desires, as spiritual seekers, our Gurus advise us to practice brahmacharya to the best of our ability based upon our individual life circumstances. This involves paying attention to our minds, the number of worldly desires that we have and managing these in a spiritually beneficial way.

Brahmacharya for a spiritual seeker is often associated with control of sexual energy in particular. Yogis regard the desire for sex as the most powerful desire in existence (as it is, after all, associated with creation). Handing this desire is one of the greatest challenges of spiritual life according to them (and many of us would probably have experienced this ourselves, particularly if we have been walking the spiritual path for a while).

The yogis tell us that sexual energy is a manifestation of the divine energy called the Kundalini (that rests in most people in the energy centre at the base of the spine). This is the energy of God. It is a sacred energy. Contrary to widely-held beliefs in both material and spiritual circles, there is nothing impure, wrong or dirty about sexual energy in itself. It is a pure energy. 

However, to be expressed as a pure energy, this Kundalini/sexual energy needs to be handled with the divine qualities of ahimsa/non-violence and satya/truthfulness. (When it is expressed with hatred, violence, exploitation and falsehood, unrighteous behaviours such as rape and cheating occur which lead us spiritually downwards.)

Not all spiritual seekers are obliged to express their sexual energy. Some choose to be lifelong celibates. And that is perfectly fine if that is their true calling in accordance with the will of God. This is one form of 'brahmacharya' meant for those living monastic lives in the yoga tradition.

However, the majority of spiritual seekers (both in ancient and modern times), do choose to express their sexual energy. Usually this is within the bounds of a long-term relationship or marriage. Many Gurus, including Sivananda, have stated that householders/people who are married/in relationships, are also expected to practice brahmacharya, or control the expression of sexual energy. Aside from practicing ahimsa and satya, they advise doing so by being moderate in sexual relations (the definition of 'moderate' depends upon on the couple) and learning to see the divine in our partners.

There are many people today professing that sex can be a spiritual path. I would politely disagree (and I would respectfully recommend avoiding anyone offering to teach sacred sex as there are a large number of false and dangerous 'Gurus' in the world today who are ever ready to exploit gullible spiritual seekers; we hear of this regularly in all spiritual circles). 

It is true that sexual energy is a pure energy. And sex therefore can indeed be a sacred, pure act. But the spirituality of sex cannot be taught to anyone. Anymore than spirituality in general can be taught to anyone.

Spirituality has to arise from within (you cannot learn to be spiritually hungry anymore than you can learn to be hungry for material food). Spiritual desire comes as a result of the grace of God. And when it manifests, it begins to encompass everything on its own, be it eating, sleeping, working, sex and pretty much all actions in daily life. 

To allow spirituality to arise naturally from within, the Gurus say that one of the best paths is the combination of mantra recitation and karma yoga (service of humanity). Prolonged regular practice of these two techniques enables us to become firmly established upon the spiritual path.

Some say that sexual thoughts gradually reduce as spirituality increases. Others say that the awakening and activity of the Kundalini energy within them, creates intense sexual thoughts (this is more so when the Kundalini is active in the lower chakras). So, the expression of sexual energy may increase or decrease at different times in spiritual life depending upon the will of God and our karma (for example, whether or not we are destined to have children etc). 

As the Kundalini can only be controlled safely by the grace of God, the Gurus tell us that it is essential for us to adhere to regular spiritual practice, to recite our chosen mantra or name of God every day.  Our ishta devata, or favourite form of the Divine, helps to direct our Kundalini energy gradually from the lower chakras/energy centres towards the higher ones (such as the heart and the forehead chakras).

Before I conclude, it would be remiss of me not to mention twin soul sexuality. What a tricky topic this can be. What is the technique to practice ahimsa, satya and brahmacharya when one has such a complex soul connection? 

Twin souls, as I've mentioned previously, have a strong energetic/astral connection. Their energy centres or chakras are interconnected, and as a result of this, they also have a strong sexual connection. This is felt when they are in each other's presence, but also when they are miles apart. In many cases, this energy is never acted upon in a physical sense. 

In fact, the main purpose of this connection is said to be to trigger an awakening of the Kundalini in each other; in other words to cause a spiritual awakening. 

My current understanding is that the practice of ahimsa and satya for twin soul sexuality is for them to privately acknowledge to themselves that this connection exists (without any violence towards themselves or any unhealthy guilt or shame regarding this). And, the practice of brahmacharya for twin souls involves being sexually faithful to their chosen life partners as long as they remain in those relationships. 

Ultimately it is up to each spiritual seeker, including twin souls, to learn to manage their own Kundalini or sexual energy. It is up to each one of us to find a way to direct this sacred energy, given to us by the universe, upwards towards the higher energy centres or chakras for the sake of spiritual progress. 

And, as we do so, it helps to remember that this is a gradual process that can take much time and patience. And also, that sexual energy is a manifestation of the divine Kundalini-- in other words, it is a pure energy, the source of all creation and should be treated with the respect that is due to any other divine energy.

Om Sri Shaktyai Namah.

Om Sri Durgayai Namah.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.