Sri Yantra and exploring Tantra

 Hari Om. 

Om Sri Durgayai Namah. 

Om Sri Mahalakshmyai Namah.

While I was in Rishikesh last month, I came across a very nice shop with lots of different spiritual materials for worship.

I had a small list of items that I needed and obtained these. However, while I was as there, I noticed a large number of beautiful crystals and particularly, a selection of Sri yantras made of clear quartz. I already had a brass Sri yantra with which I have been conducting worship of the Divine Mother. However, I now felt deeply drawn to purchasing a crystal one—they looked so beautiful. 

I asked the shopkeeper if they were made of clear quartz (they seemed to be based on my experience of owning some crystals) and he confirmed they were. This crystal is particularly associated with Divine Mother worship (and I do japa of Her mantras with a mini-mala made of this material). 

Crystals can magnify energy and should be generally used with caution in worship (as I’ve mentioned in a previous post from autumn 2022). 

However, it felt right to me to obtain a crystal Sri yantra to worship the Goddess. I therefore spent some time examining various yantras and finally selected one that seemed just right for me. It was beautifully carved and just the right size (medium sized, fitting comfortably within my palm). 

I conducted some simple pujas of Lakshmi with the yantra while in Rishikesh and again on returning to my usual home. After this, I began to feel that I would like to study this subject further. 

I am therefore actively reading and exploring this topic currently (including the Sri Vidya tradition taught by the organisation Devipuram). I do not know whether I will become a full student of Tantra but there are aspects of this worship that have always felt completely natural and intuitive to me. I also had a dream years ago about meeting yogis in an ashram who practiced Tantra in the Kaula tradition. 

I feel somewhat drawn to study Tantra and to practice simple pujas of Devi using the crystal Sri yantra. We are in the auspicious month of Kartika currently. This is a good time to explore, start and continue sadhana.

I wish all of you a very happy Diwali. May Sri Sita-Rama bless us all. 

Om Sri Lakshmi-Narayanabhyam Namah.

P.S. Twin souls and Tantra 

I intuitively feel that many twin souls are naturally suited to the path of Tantra. We experience the kundalini, intense cleansing of our energy body/chakras, we dream of Shiva and Shakti, and of each other. We are each other’s natural spiritual counterparts.

On an astral/mind-based level, we feel each other all the time, we feel the flow of energy and thoughts subconsciously and at times, consciously. We experience a natural sense of union in the astral realms. 

Tantra is a clean spiritual path. It is fit for those who adhere firmly to yogic ethics (which many twin souls naturally do based upon their unique spiritual paths). 

It involves development of devotion to the Divine Mother. It involves becoming receptive to Her guidance from within (She resides in the hearts of all beings and things). 

It is the Divine Mother who draws us to worship Her through the sadhana of Tantra. She who is Durga, who is Kali, who is Lakshmi and Saraswati (the One Mother has many names and many forms). 

I may write again about this subject depending upon how my studies of Tantra go. 

In the meantime, I want to tell my twin that I miss you so. I want the Divine Mother to help bring us into a harmonious union in this lifetime to perform Her work and be Her instruments—if and only if, this is Her will (and I feel it is). The Divine has gone out of His/Her way to create this connection for us and other twin souls. There must be a task to fulfill —I hope and pray we are able to. 

(Part of my sadhana with the Sri Yantra is to ask Lakshmi to help bring you to back in my life in a way that She wants —and we had both better keep our egos in check this time for this to happen, otherwise we will end up in yet another unwanted separation.)

In the meantime, I want to say that I love you and I miss you—intensely, the twin soul way. The Shiva-Shakti way (which is never in half-measures as you might have noticed yourself!).

  

P.P.S.

With regard to Tantra, I intuitively feel that the mind is the real tool for all practices related to this subject (and not the body though this is our physical instrument as souls). 

Through mind alone, there is bondage to this world. Through mind alone, there is liberation— as Krishna says in the Gita.

All spiritual practices (including those of Tantra) are therefore naturally most effective when performed by the mind (and not the body). 

Hari Aum Tat Sat. 

Spiritual home: A visit to Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh

 Hari Aum.

I hope all readers had a wonderful Navaratri. I had the immense good fortune of visiting Rishikesh and participating in the spiritual activities at Sivananda Ashram recently.

I had just over a week of annual leave from work so made a short visit to North India (Delhi and Rishikesh) to see family (both biological and spiritual families). It was my daughter’s first visit to this part of India (she has been learning Hindi for the past year so I told her this is a good opportunity to practice!). 

I was particularly excited about taking her to Rishikesh, a place that I feel is like none other on the planet. (I wrote about Sivananda Ashram in October 2017 and feel all of this still applies today). 

The weather in North India is relatively cool and pleasant at this time of year. After the searing heat of summer, temperatures of 25-28 degrees in the daytime and 16-20 degrees at nighttime are very pleasant. It is not-too-hot and not yet too cold. 

After eight long years, I felt very happy to be able to visit Rishikesh and especially Sivananda Ashram. Even when physically away, this place always feels close to my heart and mind. I had been longing to go for a while but the visit was delayed due to various reasons (including the pandemic, arrival of daughter, health issues, work and so on).

One difficulty I faced was that, as a householder yogi, the expectation of one’s spouse and relatives is often that every holiday should be spent in the traditional way— visiting family or going to a favoured holiday destination for relaxation and material enjoyment. 

I had to have a mini-fight with them to be able to make this trip—even going as far as to mildly (or maybe no-so-mildly!) threaten to take sannyasa (but a modern version that would involve fulfilling my duties as a mother—as abandoning this would be completely unacceptable both spiritually and materially, and against dharma in my specific situation). 

After threatening to take up sannyasa/ monastic life (a spiritual way of life that has, on some level, been an inspiration for me for decades) if not given the freedom to visit Rishikesh, there was a backing down by my husband and others who then kindly took steps to help me arrange the visit!

I also stated that, from now on, especially as my daughter is a bit older (aged seven), I would like to visit Rishikesh and the Ashram every year ideally or at least once in two years (with or without the rest of the family in accordance with their wishes; I do not wish to compel anyone to join me but, equally, I cannot be compelled to stay away!). Never again I declared, would I be able to stay away for eight years (unless things turn out that way by the will of God)! All this was accepted by my relatives for which I am very grateful.

Being a householder devotee is no easy task. But it is a great privilege and opportunity too. One can also truly relate to and appreciate the descriptions in the Puranas of various relationships (such as Yasodha’s love for the baby Krishna, the teasing by Krishna of His wife, Rukmini and so many other divine Lilas). Although these are divine Lilas, they are portrayed through the lives of human avatars that we can relate to, that help us to form a loving relationship with God Him/Herself.

I was at Sivananda Ashram during the annual Sharad Purnima puja at the Vishwanath Mandir. The full moon on this night is said to have special healing properties. It is also a sacred night associated with Krishna’s famous Rasa Lila dance as well as the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati’s son, Kartikeya, is also said to have manifested on this day.

It was a clear night in Rishikesh with a large glowing full moon visible in the sky. The temple was decorated with beautiful diyas (clay lamps) and flowers. Various devotees from all over the country and elsewhere were present. 

I too attended with my family. We heard the chanting of many sacred Vedic hymns and mantras. The main focus of the puja was Lord Shiva. The devotees were all invited to participate by forming queues on either side of the entrance to enter the shrine and offer a large spoon of cooked rice to the Shiva linga as mantras were recited. (There were separate queues for women and men in accordance with tradition; we were also seated separately in the temple).

Many different offerings were made by the Swamis conducting the puja such as milk, honey, water, rice, turmeric, Bilva leaves, fruits and flowers.

It was a simply beautiful experience. I was surprised to find tears streaming down my eyes as I gazed upon the deities in the temple, including Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna and the Divine Mother.

I have come home after so long, I said. So much has happened since I was here last, eight long years ago, both in spiritual and material life. It was only by Your grace, I told Them, that I was able to continue with spiritual life despite all the trials and tribulations, despite the health issues and the pandemic, despite so many challenges within and without. Keep me on the spiritual path, no matter what, I said. 

Help me, O Guru and God to do japa daily, to be sincere, to develop true devotion, to complete the purascharanas and to attain God in this very lifetime. 

As streams of tears fell silently from my eyes while standing in the queue and watching the puja, a few drops fell on my daughter’s head (she was just ahead of me). She asked me if I was upset and gave me a big hug to try and comfort me. I smiled and said these were tears of happiness and that I was ok. She was then reassured and enjoyed the rest of the puja. 

During this visit, I also spent time attending meditation and chanting sessions at the Samadhi Shrine, where the mortal remains of Sivananda are placed with his statue and a Shiva linga. My family and I participated in the various daily spiritual activities such as Mahamantra chanting and satsangs. 

My daughter, Uma, had been sporadically chanting mantras until this time. I told her that mantra japa was a great blessing and the age of seven is when children were traditionally introduced to sacred mantras. She could do a mini-mala of a mere 27 recitations of any mantra or prayer from any spiritual tradition of her liking I suggested (Sivananda teaches us to respect all traditions; as my husband is a practicing Christian as well as a yogi, we celebrate both yogic/Hindu and Christian festivals and also visit both temples and churches). She chose a short Radha-Krishna mantra out of the selection I offered and has been chanting this daily since. She has had a fondness for these deities for some time. 

Uma is also keeping a spiritual diary to record her mantra chanting as I suggested this will help her keep track of the regularity of her practice. In addition to obtaining a mini-mala for her japa, she asked for and obtained various other ‘souvenirs’ from the trip including toys and books (spiritual and material gifts are both necessary, especially for children). 

She also received generous quantities of sweets in the form of ‘prasad’ (food that has been offered to God) given by the kind Swamis at the Ashram. Overall, she was very satisfied by the trip and said she would love to visit again!

On the whole, although this was a very short trip due to the limited one week of leave from work during the school break, it was deeply satisfying. I felt I was home again. A family member asked me if I do not regard places other than Rishikesh as home. I said the various places where I have lived and worked in life are home—from this lifetime. However, Rishikesh and the Himalayas, feels like home for many lifetimes, not only this one. The feeling one gets there cannot be experienced anywhere else (at least for me and many other yogis). 

As one travels on the road from Haridwar to Rishikesh, through the meandering hilly terrain and chaotic traffic (that is classic for India), past placid cows who roam about freely (my daughter enjoyed counting the cows but agreed with me when I said they really should be placed in a ‘goshala’/cowshed!), one enters the realm of the yogis. 

As one leaves Delhi and other more materialistic cities far behind, and enters this sacred region in the foothills of the Himalayas (called the Shivalik hills), one finds that material matters fade away from the mind and spiritual thoughts strongly predominate.

This is after all, the land of Shiva, the land of Vishnu and the land of the Divine Mother (the whole Earth belongs to God of course but some areas have a concentration of spiritual places like the Himalayas).

A key feature of this hilly region is the sacred river Ganga which flows from the Gangotri glacier further up from Rishikesh down to the plains in North India. Daily worship (Ganga arati) is conducted at the banks of the river especially in the evenings when lights and flowers are offered along with the chanting of hymns and mantras. 

People also come from far and wide to take a dip in Ganga as this is regarded as a method of spiritual healing and washing away of past sins. There are dedicated areas near the banks where the water is more shallow and it is regarded as relatively safe to briefly enter the water (which is freezing cold even in Rishikesh). I had a brief dip too and also collected a small amount of water to take back with me (this is often used in pujas and worship).

This trip was too short (four days) to be able to really get involved in the free medical work provided by the Sivananda Charitable Hospital (as I have done on previous visits). The senior Swamiji, who is the head of the hospital, told me they currently have a full team of doctors (including physicians and surgeons) which was very good to hear. 

It is a privilege to be able to support the excellent work of the hospital and Ashram and I was glad to be able to make a donation towards this prior to leaving (the Ashram never asks visitors to donate anything but rather, makes a point of giving to others whatever they can, be it spiritual teachings, food, medicine, education etc —they perform numerous types of useful work in society).

During the visit to Ashram, I had the chance to speak with some of the Swamis and obtain some spiritual advice. I also met fellow yogi friends from Europe who were there at the same time by coincidence. It was a wonderful experience and I wish it could have lasted longer.

However, as householder yogis, our karmas call us back to our usual spheres of life and we must perform our duties as a form of spiritual practice. And so, I am now physically back at my usual home but feel ever connected to Sivananda Ashram and Rishikesh, which is my true spiritual home.

The karma sannyasa tradition (created by Swami Satyananda, disciple of Sivananda) is suitable for householder sadhakas who wish to make spiritual progress while living a regular life in society. (I have written a post about this previously).

I will conclude this post by wishing all readers a very happy Diwali in advance. May the light of our spiritual practice shine daily throughout the next year. May God bless us all with true devotion and spiritual liberation in this very lifetime.

Om Namo Narayanaya 

Hari Aum Tat Sat

Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma

 Hari Aum.

As I mentioned in previous posts, despite my ongoing commitment to spiritual life and japa yoga, I am currently very much immersed in householder life. I presently have a long and tedious list of chores to get through during this weekend (and some in my life would say, I should be working my way through some of them instead of writing this post!). 

However, I have been watching the Mahabharata series (made in 2013-14) again in recent weeks. And I have been longing to write about Yudhishthira for a while-- and now seems like the perfect opportunity.

The word 'Yudhishthira' is synonymous with 'dharma' or righteousness. He was devoted to virtue his entire life. He was a highly intelligent king who always saw good in everyone (his enemies often took advantage of his good nature to cause him and his family harm-- as in the case of the famous game of dice described in the Mahabharata).

I personally feel a little thrill of admiration and reverence whenever I utter the name 'Yudhishthira'-- there is something just so endearing about him. He is described as being extremely kind and good; it is impossible not to like him. His relations find his intense love of dharma or righteousness exhausting at times-- as he is the eldest brother and also King, his younger brothers and wife, Draupadi, are compelled to constantly adhere to dharma, and remain calm in the face of severe provocation (from their enemies, the evil-minded Kauravas)--and they do not find this at all easy!

Yudhishthira insists being kind and forgiving in the face of evil. His brothers (the hot-headed Bhima in particular!) often want to express righteous anger and even vengeance in the face of evil-- but Yudhishthira does not allow it. He believes in giving  good in return for evil. This is the way of dharma.

One can feel frustrated at times by the manner in which he forgives people who do not appear to deserve any forgiveness,  and who repeatedly take advantage of his kindness. "Why Yudhishthira?!" one cannot help but say as one reads his story. "Why must you keep giving them the benefit of the doubt?! Why do you trust them? Why are you so good to those who treat you so horribly?! Don't do it, because they will make you suffer!". 

But Yudhishthira just cannot help it-- he is after all, the son of dharma. He is the son of Lord Yama himself, the demi-god of death whose other name is Dharma or righteousness.

(The legend of the Mahabharata says that his mother, Queen Kunti, was taught a mantra that allowed her to summon any of the demi-gods to gift her a child. When her husband, King Pandu, was cursed to never be able to have his own children, he asked his wife to use the mantra to obtain children born of the demi-gods. In accordance with her husband's wishes, Kunti used the mantra to request the devas to present the couple with children. The first demi-god invoked was Yama and so Yudhishthira, born by his grace, became the eldest son of Kunti and Pandu, and thus the oldest of the Pandava brothers).

Yudhishthira loved dharma or righteousness intensely and tried his best to live in accordance with its principles (these include the yogic ethics). He had a great love for ahimsa or non-violence and did not wish to participate in a war with his cousins, the wicked Kauravas. However, destiny compelled him to fight as it was his duty or dharma as a kshatriya or warrior to work for justice for his people. He was a vital instrument in the hands of Krishna, the avatar of Narayana, who was born to establish dharma on Earth.

He also had an intense love for truthfulness. As truth is the essence of dharma or the Divine, Yudhishthira practiced this devoutly throughout his life and never willingly spoke a single untruth.

After the infamous game of dice, Yudhishthira had regained everything he had lost due to the wisdom of his wife, Draupadi (who invoked Krishna and brought His grace upon them). 

After this, he was invited one last time by Duryodhana and Shakuni to play a very short game. There would be only a single throw of the dice. The winner would take the kingdom, and the loser would have to go to the forests outside the land in exile for twelve years. A further thirteenth year would need to be spent incognito (if they were discovered during this time, the cycle would have to be repeated, i.e. another twelve years and a further incognito year would have to be undergone).

It was part of the warrior code at the time for a king to accept a challenge, be it a war or a game of dice (refusing this was regarded to be an act of weakness or cowardice). It was clear by this time that the Kauravas were extremely wicked and dangerous. However, in accordance with the kshatriya code, Yudhishthira felt compelled to accept the invitation. 

He lost of course (as the dice were false) and he, accompanied by his four brothers and wife, were forced to go into exile. Before they left, they were told their kingdom would be returned after the period of exile was completed (the Kauravas refused of course to keep their promise, which led to the great war in accordance with the law of karma and Divine will).

A number of interesting events take place during the exile, the war and later during Yudhishthira's rule as King that demonstrate his exceptional commitment to dharma or goodness.

Some of these include the famous 'yaksha prashna' (the test posed by a being called a 'yaksha'), the incident involving Guru Drona, the great conversation with Bhishma (including the teaching of the Vishnu sahasranama) after the war, and his ascent to heaven (after his time on Earth). I want to write about some of these events in the coming weeks.

I wanted to describe the yaksha prashna here but will aim to write a separate post on this soon if possible as it is very interesting and also a bit lengthy. In the meantime, I will leave you with one famous question posed by the yaksha (who was Yudhishthira's own divine father, Lord Yama, in disguise) and the King's answer.

After asking many challenging questions related to the material and spiritual aspects of life, Lord Yama asks his son: "What is the greatest wonder?"

Yudhishthira, who had so far correctly answered all the questions posed by his divine father, replies:

"Every day, numerous living beings die and depart for the realm of Yama, the demi-god of Death. Yet, those who are still alive feel that they will live forever. What can be a greater wonder than this?"

This famous question and answer is often discussed by various spiritual Gurus in the yoga tradition. They remind us, their disciples, not to take our lives for granted. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, what even the next moment will bring. Life can change in seconds as some of us may have seen and even experienced.

The great Gurus Adi Shankara and the Buddha famously described human life to be as fragile as a drop of water trembling on the tip of a leaf or a blade of grass. At any moment, this drop can fall. Therefore, they tell us to wake up as quickly as possible from the slumber of spiritual ignorance. 

This life is as precious as it is fragile, they say. It is to be used wisely to attain that which is everlasting, a state of peace and bliss that is beyond the mind and senses. 

For this reason alone, many of us plod daily upon the spiritual path. Desiring this alone, drawing inspiration from great individuals like Yudhishthira, we adhere to the path of dharma to the best of our ability.

When Lord Dharma or Yama, pleased with his son's virtue and wisdom, asked him to request various boons or blessings, Yudhishthira (after asking for various blessings for others) said:

"O Lord, may I always be able to conquer greed, delusion and anger. May my mind always be directed towards charity and austerity."

Yudhishthira is, in many ways, a wonderful inspiration for us as spiritual seekers. Despite living an intensely busy life as King and householder, he remained deeply committed to a life of spiritual attainment and dharma. Contemplating his life and teachings grants a powerful motivation to walk the path of dharma.

Om Dharmadhyakshaya Namah. 

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Stardust and starlight

Hari Aum.

 

Om Namo Narayanaya. 

I recently visited a science museum with some of my relatives and saw an amazing virtual reality show about our cosmos. It was based on real astronomical data gathered from various observatories. It made one feel as though one was walking through space, seeing stars, planets, galaxies and even black holes.

It was magical. Breathtaking. Absolutely stunning.

(My favourite childhood memories include visiting the local planetarium to watch shows about the stars. They are so beautiful. But this was even more special due to the virtual reality aspect —we were not sitting looking up at the stars; we were walking among them!).

As this science show explained, we are all literally made of star stuff. We are all physically made of stardust or cosmic dust.

As many of you will know, the nebulae (which are the ‘nurseries’ where stars are born) are filled with gas and materials that create not only stars, but also their surrounding planets and the beings that live on them.

We are, therefore, literally born of the stars (physically). The materials in our bodies are ancient, made of recycled matter (that existed in the soil, and in the plants and other substances we eat). 

When a star dies, it may form a supernova which leads to an enormous explosion that scatters starry material over vast distances in space— this material is used for the creation of new stars (and their associated planets).

At the end of the show, my relatives and I felt a sense of extraordinary wonder, of awe, of joy, a thrill — at living in such a cosmos. 

How vast is the cosmos. How small is our Earth. And, how tiny and microscopic are we in the grand scheme of things.

Yet, our little Earth is very unique. It is described as being in the ‘Goldilocks zone’ in the cosmos— a spot at just the right distance from a star, our Sun, which leads to a temperature that sustains life as we know it here (not-too-hot and not-too-cold).

So, today, as we go about our daily routines, let us take a moment to remember that we are, all of us, made of stardust. Born from the stars, we were made to reach the stars. Not just the light of the physical stars (in terms of space travel in the future) but very importantly, the light within—the light of awakened consciousness.

Each of us is truly a little light in ourselves, a little spark made from the great lights in the sky above us— physically. And in terms of our consciousness, we are a little spark of the great Light, that immense power that created this immeasurably vast universe and ourselves.

It is easy to forget this reality in the midst of our busy daily lives— but when we look up at the night sky, glowing with stars, we can remind ourselves of this wonderful truth. 

We are very fortunate to be here. On our own little Goldilocks planet, our Earth, having the opportunity to live our lives, spend time with our loved ones, and reach out for the ultimate star—the Divine that created us all. 

So, let us take care of this Earth, our shared home. It is so beautiful, so very precious. And, let us chant a little mantra daily for peace within and without. The mantra is our guiding light; a manifestation of our inner star, our inner light. Let this light shine bright in our lives.

Om Parameshvaraya Namah. 

Om Namo Narayanaya 

P.S. After watching this stunning show on the cosmos, I purchased a simple, portable handheld telescope and am excited about doing some more star gazing. Many of our neighbouring planets (e.g. Venus, Mars) are visible in the night sky with the naked eye. I am hoping to get a slightly better view with my mini-telescope. 

P.P.S. We are all made of star stuff. In the world of spirituality and twin souls in particular, it is said that some of us are also ‘starseeds’—beings who lived in other worlds in the past (it is likely that many of us on this Earth have lived elsewhere before we were born here, especially as the cosmos is vast, and we have been born many times).

Starseeds are said to be one type of being who are interested in spiritual growth (their own and encouraging that of others). This is some further information on star seeds: https://www.yourtango.com/self/things-feel-true-might-be-starseed-soul-originated-from-another-world

I’d never heard of starseeds until a couple of years ago when I realised that I was on a twin soul spiritual journey. I have had dreams of the stars on a few occasions (often for no particular reason), specifically the constellation Orion (this is one of the constellations associated with star seeds). In some of these dreams, my twin soul was also present. 

Based on the description of starseeds associated with Orion, and certain features of my life (including dreams, distinctive birthmarks, and other life experiences), I feel it is a possibility that my twin soul and I are starseeds connected with this constellation.

And one specific task of Orion starseeds is to recognise the connection between science and spirituality—something which I’ve discussed in previous posts and will continue to write about (as a spiritual seeker and practicing doctor). This is an interesting description of Orion starseeds (which fits with my experience): 

https://www.centreofexcellence.com/orion-starseeds/#4

I may write more about this topic of starseeds and their spiritual journey later (Pradnya, the twin soul I’ve mentioned elsewhere on this blog, has also shared some information on this subject online).

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Message to my twin soul

 Hari Aum.

I do not know what you are going through currently. But I want to say that I feel this connection with you is real.

I hope you and I can have friendly bond one day. 

I also want to say that you mean much more to me than you realise. Please trust the universe that everything will turn out as it is meant to, and all will be well in the end. 

I do not want us (and other twin souls) to carry sadness throughout our lives at the way this connection played out. The universe does everything for a reason which will ultimately be for our wellbeing.

I want you to know that I love you. And always will. 

There was a bereavement in my social circle recently which reminded me that people do not express their feelings for each other often enough, and it can then be too late. I do not want it to be too late for us.

Our circumstances may be typical for twin souls, it is true. But so is the love. 

I feel the love is real and at least I feel the need to recognise it. 

I hope you are well. I also hope your spiritual life is going well (as that seems to be the main purpose of this twin soul journey). Take care and may the universe keep you well. I do miss you. 

Om Sri Lakshmi- Narayanabhyam Namah.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S. If the mirror numbers is the only communication you feel capable of, that’s ok. I would be happy to see them.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Janmashtami greetings

 Hari Aum.

I would like to wish all readers a very happy Janmashtami. May Lord Krishna bless us all, our families and the world at large.

One of the best ways to worship the Divine, aside from mantra japa, is donating to worthy causes. One worthy cause that I would like to suggest is supporting the relief work in Nepal. The horrific flooding that affected that portion of Himalayas last week has left many people in need as entire communities were washed away. There are various aid agencies that are working to provide relief to the people there and I would suggest that donating to support their work would be a good way to celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna.

I was watching the Mahabharata online recently (the 2013-14 version). I had watched it years ago in Hindi, but this time I am watching it in Malayalam (as I am presently learning this language--which is my mother tongue spoken by my ancestors in Kerala-- and my teacher told me to watch some programmes in the language). Although it has elements of the usual Bollywood drama, it is actually very well made in my view. It truly brings to life the various aspects of human nature, and most of all, the futility of war.

It also shows that there are no real winners in any war-- either on a small scale between people, or on a large scale between countries. We are all parts of a single Divine being. It is not truly in our nature to fight with each other. 

We do fight because of our individual egos, something that we each have to deal with all our lives until we attain Self Realisation. But, it is important to keep our egos in check-- otherwise, we will find ourselves in the middle of a Mahabharata war in our own lives. And that would very unfortunate.

While tackling our own egos, we also have to deal with other people's egos all our lives-- whether at home, or at work, or in society at large. The best way to deal with our own ego, and those of others, is of course to invoke the Divine. And, in my view, one of the best forms of the Divine to invoke is Sri Krishna, the playful yet serious avatar of Narayana.

Some years ago, I wrote some books on His Lilas as described in the Bhagavatam. However, a substantial portion of His life is described in the Mahabharata-- I have read condensed versions but not the full original one. I am hoping to get hold of this and read it in the coming months. I might then write about bits of it (as I did recently with regard to the bond between Draupadi and Krishna). (As you might have noticed, my reading of the Ramayana has been paused currently; I will return to this again later).

On Krishna's birthday, I just want to say that He is truly a very unique avatar of the Divine. I have read books about many divine avatars and their divine Lilas-- but, in my view anyway, there is no avatar quite so extraordinary and interesting as Him.

Every word, every action of His from birth till His departure involved blessing His devotees, teaching them important lessons about life and protecting them. Although, He is said to have withdrawn His physical form from this planet five-thousand years ago, many people still feel His blessings and protection daily.

Our Gurus tell us that it is not very difficult to connect with Him and to obtain His grace (and many of us who follow their teachings have experienced the truth of their words on some level). All is takes, they say, is to repeat one of His mantras daily, and try on some level to be a decent person (to keep one's own ego in check, and be restrained when dealing with the egos of others). It is very strange but true. He is here today, just as He was all those years ago. 

Regarding my own spiritual practice, I am plodding on with my seventh purascharana at a very gentle pace (have committed to 5-9 malas a day based upon my circumstances). I am in the midst of my life as a householder-- there are plenty of responsibilities related to both home and work. 

Yet, in some ways, after all these years of being a householder, He has on some level made a sannyasi out of me. I feel more of a sannyasi today than I did many years ago when I was contemplating formal vows of sannyasa. 

The reason is very simple. It is one thing to choose God over the world when one has not really experienced what the world actually is. It is quite another to choose God over the world after one has experienced a great deal of it-- both the highs and the lows. (When I say 'sannyasa' here, I am talking about an internal state, not the external robes and lifestyle of sannyasa).

Ultimately, when one has been walking the spiritual path for some years, it becomes very clear to most spiritual seekers that God alone is one's true refuge in life. We see that we cannot find true peace and bliss anywhere else. Not in ourselves, and not in others. It is not our fault and it is not the fault of others either. This is just the way we are all made. 

All our minds, filled with the three gunas of Prakriti (sattva, rajas and tamas) are designed to be ever-moving, ever-changing and ever-restless on some level. They are not designed to produce lasting peace and happiness-- to ourselves or anyone else (looking for happiness here is like looking for water in the mirage of a desert-- a complete waste of time).

This is the reason Krishna tells Arjuna 'Abhyasena tu Kaunteya!' (Keep practicing, Arjuna/son of Kunti!) when the latter declares the mind is impossible to control (in the Bhagavad Gita). And that is what we all must do if we wish to attain the spiritual goal of life-- abhyasa or practice, every single day. 

On that note, I will conclude this post and go off and do some more abhyasa of my own. As usual, the Krishna books that I wrote and published on Amazon Kindle will be available for free download around Janmashtami-- the dates this year are Sunday September 6 to Thursday Sept 10 inclusive (starting midnight PDT); I hope you find inspiration from them for your sadhana. 

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

Shri Krishna sharanam mama. Om Namo Narayanaya, dasoham tava Keshava (the mantra recited in the Sivananda centres).

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Draupadi and Krishna: Sakha bhava part 2

 Hari Aum.

This post continues the story of the events in the court of the Kurus after the fateful game of dice.

After attempting in vain to disrobe Queen Draupadi, Dushasana, completely exhausted, collapsed to the floor in a heap. Duryodhana, and the other  Kauravas, watching these events, felt highly discomfited. This was not at all what they had expected! 

To make matters worse, the second eldest Pandava, Bhima (whom Duryodhana particularly disliked), now made an extremely alarming threat.

Bhima had so far been controlling his intense rage at the events that had occurred in the royal assembly. From the moment his brother had begun the ill-fated game of dice, and committed folly after folly, Bhima's fury had been growing. 

This had increased exponentially when his brother staked Draupadi. He had vehemently opposed this but was silenced by his brother, Arjuna, who reminded him of his obligation to adhere to the kshatriya code of dharma (which was to accept his older brother and King's decisions).

However, it was now simply unbearable. Filled with wrath, and appearing like the demi-god of death Yama himself, Bhima made a vow. He declared that he would avenge the diabolical treatment of his wife at the hands of Dushasana by killing him in battle with his own bare hands.

This statement further intensified the highly charged atmosphere at the royal court. Everybody was terrified witnessing the intense hatred between the royal cousins that threatened a civil war in the country.

Hearing his cousin's words of rage, Duryodhana desired to insult him and humiliate Draupadi further (as the disrobing had not worked out as he had hoped). He then performed an act which is regarded as another defining moment in the legend.

Glancing mockingly at Draupadi, in full view of the royal elders and public, he exposed his left thigh and invited her to come and sit there. Her five husbands were slaves and of no use to her, he said. She was better off without them! 

She now had the option of choosing another husband for herself, preferably one who would not be foolish enough to stake her in a gambling match! 

These provocative words of Duryodhana led to Bhima making another fateful pledge. He declared that, one day in battle, he would surely break the very thigh that Duryodhana had exposed (these words came true years later during the great Kurukshetra war) and avenge the humiliation of his wife and the Pandavas.

As he made this pledge, the silence in the court was broken by the harsh cries of birds of prey and the howling of jackals outside; these were regarded as being a cosmic warning of great misfortune in the future.

These alarming pledges and disturbing cosmic signs finally jolted the royal elders into taking some meaningful action.

Duryodhana's doting father, King Dhritarashtra, had quietly tolerated his proud and obstinate son's conduct so far. Now, however, he felt as though a great calamity would take place unless he intervened on his foolish son's behalf.

Realising that great injustice had been done to Draupadi and the Pandavas at the hands of his sons, he told the Queen that he would grant her any wish that she desired. By doing so, he hoped to pacify her and the Pandavas and to save his sons from death at their hands in battle.

Draupadi accepted King Dhritarashtra's offer. For her wish, she said that she desired that Yudhishthira be freed from slavery. The elderly King immediately granted this wish. 

Then he said that he desired to grant her a second wish. She accepted this offer and said that she wished for the other four Pandava brothers to be granted their freedom. This wish too was granted.

Then Dhritarashtra said he wanted to grant her a third wish. However, Draupadi declined, saying that she was content with what had already been given. She said that the Pandavas would achieve prosperity and wealth again through their own efforts in accordance with dharma (thus she did not ask for the kingdom or wealth to be restored to them).

Yudhishthira now approached Dhritarashtra and asked him what should take place next, saying they would ever be obedient to his wishes. He was advised by his uncle to return home to his kingdom and rule in peace.

Dhitrarashtra expressed his wish for there to be peace between the cousins. 

The elderly King's wish was accepted by Yudhishthira, and the Pandavas, accompanied by Draupadi, then departed for their kingdom. 

(Duryodhana of course could not bear the idea at giving up the kingdom that he had stolen from them and contrived to deprive them of this again-- and the consequences of this led to the Mahabharata war in which he and his brothers were defeated by the Pandavas who were supported by Krishna). 

I will now pause the story of this section of the Mahabharata. This episode of the game of dice, and the Lila (divine play) of Draupadi and Krishna beautifully highlights the sakha bhava (or relationship of friendship with the Divine). It also has many other key messages relevant to our lives today.

Here we see how one person, Yudhishthira, cousin and dear friend of Krishna, forgot to invoke Him at a vital moment in life. He had hoped to succeed based on his own skill but came under the influence of Maya/delusive power of the universe. Thus, he committed great mistakes and experienced much misery as a result.

In contrast, we see how Draupadi, also a beloved friend of Krishna, had the wisdom to remember Him in her time of great need. She, therefore, received His grace and protection in full. Not only was her own dignity preserved due to her wisdom, but she also managed to win back the lost dignity of the Pandava princes. 

Her in-laws attempted to humiliate her, and her husbands placed her in grave danger and did nothing to protect her. However, she successfully overcame all this suffering by relying upon her own wisdom, by leaning upon the relationship that she had cultivated with the Divine (in the form of Krishna). 

She utilised her great devotion and wisdom to overcome the suffering that would have been inflicted upon her family and kingdom by the Kauravas due to the poor judgement of her husband. 

This story is not merely fiction. It highlights a very important truth of our lives. Those that come into our lives (whether relatives, friends, strangers or unfriendly people) have a limited ability to grant us anything (be it joy or sorrow). Their abilities are far superseded by the power of the Divine. 

It is this relationship with the Divine which should therefore be the central one in the life of every wise person.

And, as women in particular, we know that we live in a world not at all dissimilar to that in which Draupadi lived. Every day, we hear and read in the news of the atrocities to which women are exposed (both at the hands of their relatives and strangers). We may even see this in our own social circles and experience this in our own lives. 

Women remain vulnerable to harm by men in particular today in exactly the same way as Draupadi experienced. 

Let every woman, therefore, be wise and strive to cultivate a strong and unbreakable bond with the Divine to ensure that she has as much protection as possible (for herself, her family and the good people in the world as a whole).

How, one might ask, can one develop this sakha bhava or friendship with the Divine today? There is no avatar of His on Earth at present as far as we are aware.

As in the case of Draupadi, it was the recitation of His divine names that granted her protection. Although present in physical form on Earth, Krishna was not visible at the courtroom when she called Him (though it is said that He ran there on foot upon hearing her prayer, and was invisibly present; this is said to demonstrate His love and care of His devotees). However, He responded to her prayer in full.

As women especially, we would be wise to follow in her footsteps. Even today, in this Kali yuga, the holy names that Draupadi uttered have power. They can grant us the same protection that she experienced. Many devotees of the Divine (as Krishna/ Shiva/ Divine Mother) have experienced this reality. 

We should daily recite any name or mantra of any form the Divine that appeals to us for our own spiritual and material growth and protection (We should take all practical steps to protect ourselves and also remember God.)

Equally, the wise learn from the mistakes of others. Let us remember the mistake of Yudhishthira in forgetting to invoke Krishna at a crucial time and the negative consequences that followed. 

As our Gurus advise, we should invoke the Divine before every act as far as possible (or at least remember Him/Her periodically during the day as much as we are able). 

May Krishna grant us true devotion and constant remembrance of Him. 

Om Sri Krishnaya Namah. Om Bhaktavatsalaya Namah. Om Pushkarakshaya Namah.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat. 

Draupadi and Krishna: Sakha bhava part 1

 Hari Aum.

In previous posts, I have mentioned that there are five main bhavas or emotions that one can direct towards the personal aspect of God to cultivate a relationship with Him/Her. This is a vital aspect of the path of bhakti yoga, the spiritual path of devotion to the Divine. We may have more than one bhava towards God but one may be the primary feeling.

The five bhavas towards God are:

i) Dasya - feeling one is a servant of the Divine. This is an important bhava for all seekers to cultivate as it helps to subjugate one's will before the Will of God. This is crucial in helping us come out of the clutches of the lower mind/ego. 

Regardless of cultivation of the other bhavas, this one is essential in my view, particularly at the start of spiritual life, and it remains important until the end, until one attains God). (Note: A devotee cultivating dasya bhava towards the Divine, and seeing Him/Her in all beings and things, cannot feel superior towards other creatures in any way for any reason, whether spiritual or material).

An example is Lord Hanuman (avatar of Lord Shiva) who served Lord Rama. 

ii) Vatsalya- feeling that the Divine is one's beloved child. The feeling of parents towards children is often one of intense love and sacrifice. This bhava is therefore a powerful one to cultivate. It comes naturally to those who love to nurture and care for others, especially children. 

An example is Yasodha, the mother of Lord Krishna. She developed strong and unwavering devotion to God through her intense love for Krishna (avatar of Lord Narayana), whom she raised as her own child.

iii) Shanta: a feeling of peaceful love and contemplation of the Divine. An example is King Janaka, the father of Mother Sita. He was a king and Self-realised soul who ruled his kingdom as an instrument of the Divine. 

iv) Sakha: a feeling of friendship towards the Divine. Here one feels that one's ishta devata is a dear friend. Just as with human friends, one feels able to talk freely with Him/Her. One experiences the usual ups and downs of friendship with the Divine (just as one would with a human friend).

Prince Arjuna, and His wife Draupadi, has this bhava towards Lord Krishna. I will come back to Draupadi and sakha bhava further in this post (this is the main topic of this post).

v) Madhurya: a feeling that the Divine is one's beloved. The gopis (cowherd women) of Vraja had this feeling towards Lord Krishna. They developed intense love and remembrance of Him as a result and attained Him.

Let us now return to Queen Draupadi and sakha bhava and study this a bit further.

Before we delve further into this bhava, let us briefly discuss the background of Queen Draupadi. We will then look at a key episode in her life where her sakha bhava towards Lord Krishna was particularly important. Her life contains useful teachings for spiritual seekers, particularly those of us who cultivate the sakha bhava or feeling of friendship towards the Divine.

The life of Queen Draupadi is described in the great epic known as the Mahabharata (modern historians say this was written around 2000 years ago but the yogis describe it as a historical spiritual text that describes events that took place during the avatar of Lord Krishna around 5000 years ago. It is said to have been composed by sage Vyasa around that time and was originally written down by Lord Ganesha). 

King Drupada, the father of Draupadi, and ruler of the land of Panchala (modern-day Uttar Pradesh in North India) conducted a sacred fire ritual (homam) to pray to the Divine for children. As a result, he was blessed with a pair of divine twins who emerged fully grown from the flames. Both of them played an important role in assisting Lord Krishna in establishing dharma (or righteousness) upon Earth. 

The first of these was a handsome young man, a warrior prince, who emerged wielding a sword and shield. He would be known as Drishtadyumna (his name means one who is courageous /' drishta', and glorious /'dyumna'). 

His sister, who came to be known as Draupadi (daughter of Drupada), was similar to her brother in many ways. She too had a celestial beauty and great courage. She is described as appearing like a blue lotus, dark in hue, with dark eyes and long beautiful hair. 

They had a fiery temperament and were fierce when it came to fighting for justice. 

Drishtadyumna excelled as a warrior and played a vital role in the great battle of Kurukshetra (that led to the destruction of the wicked Kauravas). He fought on the side of the Pandavas and Lord Krishna and was instrumental in the victory of good over evil.

His sister, Draupadi, was fated to play a crucial role in causing the great war to take place. Her relationship as a close friend of Lord Krishna was the core feature of her life.

She was married to Prince Arjuna, the Pandava prince and dear cousin of Krishna. (Krishna played a key role in enabling them to marry by helping Arjuna to attend her svayamvara, or groom selection ceremony). Arjuna passed an extraordinarily difficult test at archery to win her hand. The other princes who were present were furious at this and attacked him but Krishna helped to calm them down. This was her first encounter with Krishna and the beginning of a close friendship.

Although Draupadi loved Arjuna and wanted to marry him alone, by a strange twist of fate, she was compelled to marry him along with his four brothers (polyandry was strictly forbidden at the time but, in this case, an exception had to be made! However, not everyone approved of Draupadi's marriage to the five Pandava princes as we will see).

The evil-minded Kaurava prince, Duryodhana, had also desired to marry Draupadi due to her beauty and position as daughter of the powerful King of Panchala. He was unsuccessful at passing the archery test set by King Drupada and could not win her hand. Filled with rage and jealousy, he plotted and schemed to humiliate the Pandavas along with their wife, Draupadi. This brings us to the game of dice, a key turning point in the Mahabharata.

King Yudhishthira, the eldest amongst the five Pandava brothers was a noble and just ruler. He was a member of the great royal dynasty known as the Kurus.

He ruled over a portion of the Kuru kingdom whose capital was a magnificent city known as Indraprastha (which had been created with the help of the devas; this region encompassed modern-day Delhi). 

Yudhishthira had performed a grand worship of the Divine, called the Rajasuya yajna, and had thereby achieved the status of a mighty emperor, a King among kings. He was widely regarded as a repository of virtue and wisdom.

However, he had one weakness-- a love for gambling. This weakness was fully exploited by his paternal cousins and arch enemies, the Kauravas, and led to his downfall. They were intensely jealous of everything that he and his brothers had worked so hard to accomplish.

The maternal uncle of Duryodhana, the wily Shakuni, possessed an unusual set of dice. The dice were infused with the spirit of his own deceased father and obeyed his every command.

Shakuni and Duryodhana plotted to deprive Yudhishthira of everything he had in life by inviting him to a gambling game using this unique set of dice. Upon receiving the apparently friendly invitation, Yudhishthira arrived at the palace of Duryodhana at Hastinapura, accompanied by his brothers, his wife and entourage.

The game of dice began with staking relatively small things-- horses, elephants and gold. The dice always favoured Shakuni, and Yudhishthira lost every round they played. Then, the stakes grew higher-- the entire army and large portions of land. Eventually, the Pandava King realised that he had staked and lost all his land and property. 

By now, his mind was gripped with an obsessive desire to gamble; this was in great part due to the influence of the spirit of the dice. He was intoxicated by the game and could not find it in himself to stop. He was convinced that it was only a matter of time before luck would turn in his favour. However, with the false dice, this was impossible.

When Shakuni saw Yudhishthira gripped with despair when he realised how much he had lost, he smiled slyly. He then helpfully told the King that he still had his brothers. He could stake them one by one! If he won a single throw, he would win back everything that he had lost until then. Shakuni urged him to continue saying that he may still be able to win.

Yudhishthira was unable to resist. He staked and lost each of his four brothers one by one (they were completely aghast at their brother's conduct; a brother who was famous for adherence to dharma at all costs. However, they were not permitted to interfere in the game in accordance with the kshatriya/warrior code of conduct).

Finally, seeing Yudhishthira sunk in utter despair, Shakuni suggested that he may as well stake himself-- he had lost everything by now anyway! The Pandava King, feeling numb, nodded and agreed. He promptly lost of course.

At this, Duryodhana's heart leapt with joy. He could not believe it! His cousins, the Pandavas, who had always been praised by one and all for their virtue, their courage, their skill at war-- who had been regarded as better at everything compared with himself and his Kaurava brothers-- humiliated! Defeated! 

And so easily-- just with a simple game of dice! Not a drop of blood had been shed; no war had been required to deprive them of everything! It was unbelievable! Extraordinary! Ecstatic with joy, he and his brothers laughed and congratulated each other.

Meanwhile, the Pandava brothers remained silent and in a state of complete shock, as they digested the events that had occurred. As they did so, they received a further suggestion from the Kaurava side.

Why not stake Queen Draupadi? As their wife, she was their possession, and they had every right to gamble her! Perhaps she would be their lucky charm, the one who would turn their entire fortune around! 

She was their last hope, said Shakuni smiling. If they staked her and won, they would get back their entire lost wealth, kingdom and their own freedom, he said. 

At this suggestion, there was a stunned silence in the royal assembly. All those with a conscience could not believe their ears. Stake the Queen! It was unthinkable madness. It was completely unrighteous. Under no circumstances, should such an act be done, they thought.

But, by now, King Yudhishthira, had lost all reason. Consumed by intense agony and despair at his actions--which had involved handing over the care of his beloved kingdom to the evil-minded Kauravas, and the enslavement of his brothers and himself-- he clung desperately to the faint hope that just one more throw of the dice might save him.

He therefore agreed to stake his wife, Queen Draupadi. At this there was an outcry in the palace but Shakuni and Duryodhana silenced everyone. It was time for the final stake!

The result of the final stake was, of course, predictable. The dice were thrown in turn, and Shakuni spoke the familiar words—“I have won!”.

After losing everything, including Draupadi, Yudhishthira seemed to be a daze. He could barely register the mocking laughter of the Kauravas. He could hardly hear the lamenting of the courtiers and citizens as they grieved over the folly of these events. He seemed lost in his own world.

Duryodhana, on other hand, was over the moon. He felt as though he was the lord of the entire earth. The supreme ruler, the greatest king! He had attained all there was to attain! 

He looked scornfully at the Pandavas-- his servants, his slaves! He could treat them with the contempt that they so richly deserved!

He decided to humiliate them in public-- that would be entertaining! With this in mind, he ordered them, as his servants, to remove their upper garments and was delighted when they silently obeyed. 

It was simply wonderful, beyond his wildest dreams! His thoughts now turned to their wife, Queen Draupadi. The fiery Queen, who had spurned his advances in the past, was not a favourite. It was time to show her her new place-- at his feet, or indeed, on his thigh, he thought.

Filled with vile thoughts, he turned to Dushasana and ordered that the Queen be brought before him. His brother was told to go to the women's chambers and summon Draupadi. If she resisted, said Duryodhana, his brother should not hesitate to use force. She was no more than a servant now, and they were free to do as they pleased with her.

Dushasana now hastened to the women's chambers to fulfill his brother's command. Draupadi was filled with shock and disbelief upon hearing of the outcome of the game of dice. When Dushasana told her, that her husband had played and lost, not only his entire kingdom, his brothers and himself, but also her, she was unable to believe her ears.

Her presence was required at the royal court at once, by order of her new master, said Dushasana gleefully. She had no choice but to obey, he said.

Filled with intense grief and fury, Draupadi rejected this order. She did not accept any of this nonsense, she said. She was not a possession to be played and won or lost in a game of dice! Who, in their right mind, would stake their wife in a game!

Upon hearing this, Dushasana, who had been enjoying Draupadi's grief, was filled with rage. Advancing threateningly upon her, he reached out and grasped her long hair with his hands. As she protested, he tugged at her hair and forcibly dragged her into the royal court-- in front of everyone.

As these events took place, time itself seemed to stand still. All dharma appeared to have fled in shame. 

The Queen was cast upon the ground, while her five husbands, sons of the demi-gods, filled with celestial power, remained silent. The royal elders, the courtiers and the citizens were also stunned into silence.

There was then a great uproar at the palace. Everyone began to argue and debate upon the rights and wrongs of the events that had occurred. 

Some were in favour of the Kauravas, saying they had played and won fairly. 

Others were in favour of the Pandavas, declaring that they had been treated unfairly by their evil-minded cousins.

In the midst of all this chaos stood Draupadi. She then raised her voice to ask a question and everyone fell silent to hear her words.

Facing Yudhishthira, her voice shaking with pain and rage, she asked her husband: "Whom did you lose first-- yourself or me?"

"If you lost yourself first, as a slave, you no longer had any rights, including over me! You had no right to stake me! I am a free woman!"

There was then an intense debate upon the laws of the land and their interpretation in the circumstances. 

Queen Draupadi made the argument that, as Yudhishthira had already lost himself when he had staked her, he no longer had any rights left over her or anyone else. His stake was therefore invalid and she remained free.

However, others stated that this was not true. A man always had a right over his wife, they argued, regardless of whether or not he was a slave. His rights as a man superseded his status as a slave, they said.

After some minutes of feverish arguments on both sides, Duryodhana became infuriated. It was time to demonstrate his authority as supreme ruler, and show the Pandavas and Draupadi their station! He had no time to waste on useless legal arguments!

He therefore loudly addressed his brother Dushasana: "Draupadi is our servant now!", he said. "Like the Pandavas, let her too be disrobed. Divest her of her garment!" 

Dharma had long fled the royal court, and now only adharma after adharma unfolded.

This was a moment so extraordinary, so appalling, so utterly vile, that time itself seemed to stop. The planets seemed to pause in their orbits. Destiny hung in the balance.

The Kauravas had made their choice-- and it was adharma. The consequences would surely follow in good time-- but for now, Draupadi was seemingly all alone, without anyone to come to her aid.

She looked at her husbands--  first at Yudhishthira, the embodiment of virtue, but he was silent. She looked at the mighty Bhima (who was trembling with rage on her behalf) but he was silent. 

She gazed pleadingly at Arjuna, who wielded the divine bow, the Gandiva-- but he too was silent. In desperation, she looked at the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, but they too were silent. Her five valorous husbands, sons of the devas, were sunk in misery and utterly silent. They could not even look her in the eye.

The royal elders were silent. The courtiers were silent. The public was silent. Not a word was now spoken in her favour. Not a finger was lifted to help her.

Seeing her utter helplessness, despair and misery, Duryodhana's joy increased a thousandfold. Dushasana then began his task to remove the clothes of the Queen in public, an event that had never before taken place in the land.

As he grasped the long cloth that was draped over the person of Draupadi and began to try to remove it, she resisted with all her might. 

Draupadi was now faced with a deeply unpleasant realisation. She was truly all alone. The court was full of watching people and not one of them was willing or able to help her. 

Born from a divine fire, blessed with celestial beauty, a sharp intellect and great virtue, belonging to a wealthy and noble family-- all of this had come to naught. None of these was of any use in her time of greatest need.

At this moment, she remembered a dear friend-- Krishna. She had much greater wit and wisdom than her husband (it is said that Yudhishthira had lost the game of dice because he forgot to invoke Krishna before playing. Had he done so, the delusive spell cast by the dice of Shakuni, would have been broken). 

"O Krishna! O Yadava! O Govinda!", she cried. "Can You not see what is happening?! I am being assaulted by the Kauravas! Please come to my aid! Save me from this predicament! Protect my dignity!"

Draupadi made this request with all her heart and soul, and with the firm conviction that it was Krishna alone who could help her.

And those of us who know the story, know full well that she was quite right. It was Him alone who helped her.

At the time of this event, Krishna was at Dwaraka, preoccupied with defending His people and kingdom from an attack by an evil-minded king. He would later meet and console Draupadi in person.

But, for now, He provided her a miracle. 

As the court watched, great quantities of cloth of various shades were removed from Draupadi's person. However, there was no sign of her being even slightly disrobed. Dushasana, perspiring heavily, continued to pull and tug, and tug and pull, but to no avail. 

Surrounded by numerous streams of silken cloth, protected by Krishna's grace, Draupadi remained fully clothed in the royal assembly. 

The court realised that they were witnessing nothing short of a miracle, that the Divine had responded to Queen Draupadi's plea for help.

Continued in the next post.......

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat

The not-so-dark night of the soul

 Hari Aum.

I am writing this for all spiritual seekers, especially twin souls, who will one day go through this experience. I wrote my first detailed post on this subject in January 2019 when I was going through it myself. I have been through it again since —and I admit it is never easy.

I do want to say that, although the dark night of the soul can indeed be very dark, it is not quite so dark as it initially seems.

There is a light within us, a flame that never goes out. It is the light of the Divine. 

We are mostly unaware of this when we are spiritually asleep. In the dark night of the soul, we begin to wake up spiritually. It is terrible but also a beautiful time. Because, in this darkness, our own light is revealed. 

Our connection with the Divine is strengthened during this time. We emerge much stronger spiritually when the process is completed.

To those who are going through this, I just want to say —hang in there. It is going to get better. And you are not alone. The Divine is with you always. This is the greatest truth. 

We cannot see the face of God every moment. But if we have a regular spiritual practice, no matter how small we may think it is, we will feel His/Her presence and protection. There will be ups and downs but, at every step, we will feel He is there for us.

This is not imagination. When you call out for help, you will receive it. This has happened with me so many times that I have lost count; whether it is a small or major issue, I feel the response of the Divine. It happens this way for many spiritual seekers. And it is not because we are advanced spiritually. Not at all. 

It is because we are dear to the Divine. Despite our many flaws, and the resulting suffering we experience on this planet, we are loved by Him/Her. This applies to every one of us (no matter our opinion of ourselves or those of others). It is simply the reality. 

Whatever happens in life, therefore, we must stay in touch with our favourite form (or formless aspect) of the Divine. We can achieve this by doing a daily spiritual practice such as mantra japa (which our Gurus advise as a particularly potent method). 

Do not stop your spiritual practice in the middle of the dark night. There are forces in the universe that would like you to stop, but do not give in to them. You need the light of your spiritual practice to keep you going so you can make it through safely. 

The Divine will help you to keep going; but we must also do our part. God helps those who help themselves, as the well-known saying goes.

Thus, even if spiritual practice feels very difficult in the middle of the dark night, keep it up. Reduce it if necessary. Make adjustments, relax non-essential rules. But never stop. Never, ever stop repeating the mantra every day (even if just for five minutes). 

Whatever happens, keep this up. This is my advice to myself and to you, my dear fellow spiritual seekers. This is the advice of our Gurus and we must follow it. It is the spiritual key to the golden dawn that appears after the dark night ends.

The more we progress spiritually, the more severe will be our spiritual tests. And we must pass these tests. It is our destiny. 

We are meant to experience the dazzling sun of the Divine once the dark night ends. We need to be patient and go through this process of spiritual awakening—as our Gurus did before us. 

It is Guru Purnima today. Following the teachings of our Gurus is the best way of expressing our reverence for them, and ensures that we receive their grace and blessings on the spiritual journey.

Om Sri Gurave Namah

Om Namo Narayanaya 

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Message to the twin soul collective

 Hari Aum.

For some reason, this evening I felt like sharing my thoughts with the group of twin souls on the planet (never felt drawn to this before but I feel guided to do so and therefore here I am).

(I will write in the form of a stream of consciousness, rather than a very structured message. So, here goes. I will say at the outset that I have more questions than answers, by the way)

As a group of spiritual seekers we know what we have been through. We know what others on this journey have been through. And, we know it has not been easy.

I am not going to outline our typical common experiences here. We all know what they are, and there are far better websites out there that explain these. I want to focus more on the present and the future, rather than what we have already been through.

We've all been walking this journey for some time now (from some years, to some decades; and in most cases, many lifetimes).

What are we going to do with this connection? Many of us are in broadly similar situations.

We feel a bond, an energetic bond with our twin. We are all in various different far-flung places on the planet, far away from each other and generally, at some physical distance from our twin.

Karmics abound in the picture-- spouses, children and other relatives of all shapes and sizes. They're everywhere, and they are just fantastic and wonderful, all of them. Only issue is they are mostly not twin souls and have no idea what we are going through. Not so easy handling them therefore.

Spiritual guides also abound on this journey. Some are real and some are not. Various words and phrases are bandied about, including but not limited to: spiritual growth, going inwards, unconditional love, healing, purging, karmas, chakras, kundalini, meditation, spiritual purpose, cleansing, ancestral bonds, mission, higher self, lower self, union, separation, ego, death, rebirth, starseeds, angels and more.

What next, my dear friends, my fellow twin souls?

What are we going to do now, after everything we have been through?

We have meditated till we are blue in the face, we've healed and purged, and purged and healed. We are relatively adept at handling karmas (by holding the hand of the Divine). We are in touch with our spiritual guides (who seem to expect us to take some responsibility for this journey ourselves instead of asking for help constantly).

So, what, my dear twin soul friends, are we meant to do next? 

Years ago, when I started on the path of mantra purascharana, I asked in my very first post, if anyone had any experiences to share for mutual learning.

I feel a similar way now about this journey. It is very mysterious. I have more questions than answers currently with regard to this.

Much has happened over the years, particularly in the past four. 

The main questions I currently have are:

1. What does the universe specifically want from us twin souls? (I don't mean vague airy-fairy stuff like 'spiritual growth' etc as described above. I am talking about very specifically from each one of us, what is expected from us by the Divine? Why are we in the specific situation that we are in?)

2. Are we collectively bonkers? Is this a group hallucination? How can these experiences really have happened? 

I am especially saying this on behalf of those of us of a more scientific temperament. We may be spiritual seekers, but we are also doctors, engineers and people from other scientific backgrounds. We have undergone rigorous scientific training in our respective subjects and often at relatively prestigious educational institutions in various parts of the world (and these do not encourage much spiritual thinking, yet here we are!). 

Do you therefore sometimes pinch yourself and wonder if you are dreaming? How can this stuff be happening for real? Even as spiritual seekers, knowing that spiritual laws transcend scientific ones, we still feel the need to sometimes shake our heads in disbelief at the things the universe has done in our lives. 

We are often completely grounded in reality in all aspects of our lives, except the twin soul aspect which does not follow any ordinary rules. 

Dreams, numbers, signs, synchronicities and other utterly baffling events take place regularly in our lives. The universe merrily continues to play this game with us while we look around bewildered and wondering what it wants from us.

Do you know what the universe wants from us? I do not want the usual clichéd nonsense (such as unconditional love, spiritual growth-- we all know that stuff and are working on it anyway). I want very specific answers. 

What does God want with us, that He/She is playing this strange game? What is going on?

If you have any meaningful and helpful ideas and thoughts regarding this subject, please feel free to share your views here. Until then, I am going to say goodbye for now. I wish you spiritual progress (and maintenance of your sanity on this strange soul journey) in the meantime. :) 

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Giridhara: bhava and karma

 Hari Aum.

As our Gurus say, all karmic debts must be paid before we can experience our true divine nature as being one with God.

Sivananda gives the example of the famous Swami Vidyaranya (author of the panchadasi). He performed several purascharanas of the sacred Gayatri mantra of the Vedas and became frustrated that he had not yet obtained the darshan of Divine Mother Gayatri. Later, on completion of no less than 24 purascharanas of the 24 lettered Gayatri mantra, he attained Her darshan. 

He then discovered that this much mantra japa had been required to clear his karmic debt from previous lifetimes (including to erase the effects of past negative karma). He became frustrated at various stages during the long course of sadhana but continued his practice until all karmas was dissolved and he attained Self realisation.

So, the burning of karma requires much patience and many purascharanas based on the lives of our Gurus. 

On this arduous spiritual journey, many difficult karmas have to be experienced. Many challenges will manifest from both within and without. But the one who would attain the Divine must keep going.

The path of bhakti involves cultivation of a relationship with the Divine. This provides grace and protection when handling various challenging karmas.

This relationship with the Divine is based on a bhava or feeling that we experience when we think of Him/Her. There are five bhavas or spiritual emotions/feelings/relationships in spiritual life (I have outlined these in a previous post in October 2016; one can see God as a Master, a child, a friend, one's beloved or simply a peaceful presence).

For those of us who walk the path of bhakti, one of these bhavas will come to us most naturally. And when we cultivate this bhava with the help of spiritual practices, we will find we gradually progress spiritually.

In my case, I feel the sakha bhava, feeling of friendship, comes most naturally when it comes to Krishna. And, as I said in a recent post, He has proven time and again to be a most reliable friend. By His grace alone, my sadhana continues daily. And by His grace alone, it is slowly bearing fruit.

Let me give a recent example. Less than four weeks ago, I was going through a very hectic time (was in the process of finalising new job, organising various family-related celebrations and preparing for upcoming intense dance examination). In the midst of all this (perhaps as a result of overdoing things), I suddenly (literally overnight) developed extremely unpleasant knee pain (that was severe enough to trigger a blackout; and I have a decent pain threshold especially with all the migraines ). 

Anyway, it was terrible timing, not least from the perspective of the dance examination (this is a serious hobby and I had been working towards this patiently for months). I was deeply disappointed at the prospect of not being able to take the exam but felt I had little choice but to accept this. I arranged for some physiotherapy and it seemed likely that I would not be able to dance for weeks (a previous injury many years ago, had taken months to recover from).

However, on this occasion, my recovery was swift. After about ten days of avoiding any strenuous activity and doing physio, I cautiously experimented with some dance practice and found this to be quite ok. I had lost time but not so much that I had to give up all prospects of doing the exam. I put in additional effort and was grateful to be able to do the exam a few days ago {results awaited in a few weeks-- that is another matter altogether (though it seemed to have gone ok)!}.

I had a certain conviction after the sudden appearance of this health issue, and the rapid improvement, that this was an example of the Divine helping me handle my karma.

Health issues, like other challenges in life, are ultimately the result of past karma according to our Gurus. However, they say that worship of the Divine can help to reduce the intensity of suffering and in specific situations, nullify the effects of karma.

I feel that Krishna helped me to recover quickly on this occasion and to take the exam (that some of my fellow students decided to defer to next year due to the intense pressure of preparing three years worth of theory and practical study—all of which was on the syllabus) despite the health and other challenges I experienced.

He is known as 'Giridhara', the mountain-holder. As a child, growing up in Vraja, He is said to have famously lifted the sacred mountain (known as Govardhana) to protect the gopis and gopas from the severe rains inflicted upon them by the proud demi-god, Indra (who later contritely apologised to the Divine for his actions).

It is not only the Govardhana mountain that He lifts. He lifts the mountain of our past karmas, especially the negative ones. Like He protected the people of Vraja a few thousands of years ago, He protects His devotees of the present time too.

To access His grace and protection, the golden key is the recitation of His names and mantras. Despite many flaws in my devotion, I feel I receive His protection for the sole reason that I repeat a few malas of one of His mantras (the ashtakshara of Narayana) daily. I am certain that, on this occasion, the mantra helped me to recover rapidly after my knee injury. 

So, I feel the best 'sakha' (meaning 'friend' in Sanskrit) is Krishna alone. In the sacred scripture known as the Bhagavatam, His wife (and avatar of Lakshmi), Rukmini, famously declared that any woman with even a bit of sense would choose Him over all others. And, many of His devotees will certainly agree.

After nearly fifteen years on the path of being a householder devotee, I can say that, while there may be many excellent 'purushas' (literally 'men' in Sanskrit, but can also mean ‘people’ generally) on this planet, there is only one Purushottama (Supreme Being). 

It is natural for our relationships with family and friends to fluctuate with time; people in our lives may come and go as they please. But, the Purushottama never leaves us. Indeed, our bond with Him only deepens with time. And, difficult life events (such as health issues and so on), provide opportunities to experience His grace and protection and further strengthen this bond.

And no, those of us, who cultivate the 'sakha bhava' with Krishna are not 'just friends' with Him. Of course not! He is Mother, Father, friend, relative, beloved and child, all rolled into One. How could it be otherwise when He is the origin of everyone and everything?

Let us, therefore, cultivate our chosen bhava steadily, day by day, and attain the grace and protection of Giridhara (or our own favourite form of the Divine). 

Om Namo Narayanaya. Sri Krishna sharanam mama.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S. I started my seventh purascharana at the beginning of the month and am carrying on steadily as best as I can based upon my circumstances.