Shyamasundara: the darkness of Lord Krishna

 Hari Aum.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya. Om Shyamasundaraya Namah.

Lord Krishna is described as the Lord who is dark in colour, dark as the monsoon clouds. He is quite literally described as the embodiment of male beauty-- 'tall, dark and handsome'. This is the meaning of His name 'Shyamasundara'. He is called by various terms of endearment-- the ultimate charmer, the flute-player of Vrindavan, the irresistible One. The best friend, the true Lover, the all in all. So say the Gurus, so say the yogis.

But, as we weary spiritual seekers, trudge upon the spiritual path, repeating His holy names, what is our experience? Before we reach the happily enlightened stage that our Gurus attained, while we are caught up in the mire of samsara (worldly existence), what is our actual experience of this handsome Lord, this so-called charming One? 

Unfortunately, our experience of Him (in the form of this world that He has created) is not always very savoury! The tall, dark and handsome One can appear to have a very dark side indeed-- one that we may actually tremble to see!

On that note, it seems that every few weeks this year, the world holds its breath as another dangerous war breaks out somewhere on the planet (and various world leaders mutter the word 'nuclear' to threaten each other with little care as to the consequences). Yes, this is the world that the good Lord has created, that Krishna has created-- and a wonderful Creation it is, no doubt (despite the horrific side, there is also great beauty-- though we may struggle to see it at times!)

As He Himself says in the Gita, He moves us all as though we were puppets in a play. And, He Himself is the face of Death. We should not be surprised, therefore, at any of today's events on our planet. It is all quite natural. 

Our ancient Puranas highlight the strange and whimsical nature of Shyamasundara or Lord Krishna. On the one hand, He saves Ajamila and Pingala, whose actions could be described as less than entirely dharmic-- they sought refuge in Him and were protected. On the other, He creates a terrible Lila of destruction where the children of the Pandavas (His own beloved friends and relatives) are massacred along with countless other people, both noble and ignoble. 

While praising Him, Queen Kunti, mother of the Pandavas, asks Him to grant Her suffering so that she may ever remember Him (as the mind is said to remember God more intensely in suffering than in joy). And we know that Krishna certainly granted her wish (based on the events that took place in the Mahabharata)! (We may not all share Kunti's prayer but He generously provides us a dose of suffering anyway!). 

Equally, while cursing Him, Queen Gandhari, mother of the Kauravas (all of whom had died in the Mahabharata war) declares that, as the Creator of the world, and orchestrator of this divine Lila, His earthly clan (the Yadavas) too should perish. Krishna smilingly grants her wish, saying that it was already ordained in accordance with His will.

He is alike, indeed, to friend and foe-- as He says Himself, there is none to whom He is partial. He favours none, He rejects none. 

However, He always upholds dharma (righteousness/goodness) and the law of karma (the law that says we will reap what we sow). Those who walk the path of dharma are protected by it, and those who do not, fall foul of the law of karma-- that most unforgiving and inexorable of laws.

In His destructive aspect, Krishna is no less terrible than Mother Kali (interestingly, They both share the same beeja mantra 'Klim' suggesting that They are truly One in essence). The only difference is that Krishna looks charming, while Kali looks fearsome. 

The childhood Lilas of Krishna may be portrayed as sweet and adorable (filled with music, dancing, play and games), but when He reveals His true divine form to Arjuna (in the Gita), as the Almighty, He is both wonderful and terrifying in equal measure (to the extent that Arjuna is filled with fear and begs to see His usual human form).

As devotees, we play with our Krishna, we worship Him, we talk with Him, we walk with Him, we embrace Him in our lives in so many ways. But truly, we know Him not. We do not know His consciousness, His divine will and His plans for us. 

So He is dark in so many ways-- both in His appearance and in His deeds, but most of all, in the form of the future which lies hidden from our view. We know not what tomorrow will bring; it is shrouded in mystery. And we know, that His Lilas can be brutal to both devotee and non-devotee alike-- He impartially gives everyone the results of their own karmas. 

Ultimately, He sits upon the throne of justice, and sees us as we really are-- we cannot hide anything from Him. And Yama (also known as 'Dharma') is His right-hand man (His own manifestation, in fact)-- the one who keeps a score, a count of our deeds, both good and bad, so that we may be given our just desserts in accordance with the law of karma.

And so, as we walk through the darkness of this strange world that He has created, this world that is increasingly filled with violence and madness, we have little choice but to hold on tightly to the hand of this dark Lord, this One who hides His face, who inspires both love and fear within us. 

We have little choice because He is the only certainty here-- He alone exists, His will alone prevails over all our little wills, and His justice will ultimately prevail over all of the chaos and madness that we generate. 

As the fighting in the Middle East intensifies at the present time, let us do the only thing that we can possibly do, namely, pray. Let us pray to Krishna (or whichever form of God we are drawn to as they are all ultimately One according to the Gurus), whose Lilas are both charming and terrifying, that our minds and hearts may be filled with light instead of darkness. 

As the ancient Upanishadic prayer goes:

"Asato ma, Sat gamaya,

Tamaso ma, Jyotir gamaya,

Mrityor ma, Amritam gamaya".

Meaning:

"Lead me from untruth to Truth, 

from darkness to light, and,

from death to Immortality".

Om Namo Narayanaya.

P.S. Please can we all continue to recite the ashtakshara or any mantra or prayer of our liking for 5-10 minutes at least every day for world peace. Let us pray to Krishna and Kali that all wars may end and that a state of relative peace may be created on our planet as soon as possible.

Peace in Asia

 Hari Aum.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

This is a post that I must admit I had hoped that I would never have to write. Those of you who follow the news would be aware that there is currently is a major escalation of hostility between the governments of India and Pakistan.

The situation there is complicated and messy-- there has been simmering discontent for decades. However, the current escalation seems to be one of the worst in recent times. It is one thing to have clashes between two militaries. It is quite another for armed individuals or terrorists to attack unarmed civilians as in this case. 

Terrorism has many shades and has increasingly spread all over the world. The recent terrorist attack in Kashmir, India is heartbreaking, especially because it occurred at a time when there had been a de-escalation of tensions and an increase in peace and prosperity in the region. Sadly, all the progress that had been made in recent years now appears to be threatened as a result of this heinous incident.

I have close family and friends in India with whom I am regularly in touch. And, while it may not be particularly popular to admit this at present, I do have friends in Pakistan (whom I met years ago in Europe). I do therefore feel a sense of deep concern for people in both nations. 

There may be some significant differences, but I do know that the people of India and Pakistan also have much in common-- especially food, music, movies, sports and many other things that bring us joy. 

This makes it all the more tragic that peace eludes us. Why must there be this needless death and destruction? Let us not allow the terrorists to create hatred between our people-- because that will grant them victory. This hatred is exactly what they want; they revel in bloodshed and violence. Let us refuse to give this to them. 

Let there be no division in the country due to this tragedy-- let people remain united. I would specifically like to request avoiding the burning of any flags, joining violent protests or engaging in any act of civilian violence. This is completely counterproductive. Let us not sink to the level of others but stick to our own spiritual principles.

I know the pain in India today is great (and I feel this myself)-- not only because of this appalling and horrific incident, but because of the decades, and even centuries, of violence that has been experienced. There is a feeling that this is the last straw, that this cannot be allowed to continue.

However, the response needs to be sensible and measured (and I am hopeful that it will be as the current leadership has shown maturity over the years). War will only cause more pain. And we know, that violence only begets further violence. 

It is absolutely right for countries all over the world to take steps to protect their citizens and to respond appropriately when there is a terrorist attack. I hope and pray that the response in this case will be a measured and reasonable one. And that a full-fledged war in Asia with suffering on both sides can be avoided.

I feel a sense of fatigue in saying this but I will say it nonetheless-- please can we continue to pray for peace. Hopeless though it seems sometimes, and helpless though we may feel, this is the advice of our Gurus. We must trust and obey them-- this is our duty as spiritual seekers (and it is not as though we have many other options at present). And let us always remember that spiritual forces are much more powerful than material ones.

I particularly want to recommend the recitation of mantras (such as the ashtakshara of Narayana and the Navarna of the Goddess) and deity 'kavachas' (or 'shields') for our armed forces as they prepare to act for justice -- may the Divine inspire them to act with restraint, with maturity and grant them protection. 

May good people on both sides of this unfortunate conflict be protected by the Divine. May war-mongering and wicked forces on both sides be controlled and defeated. May God bless all of us and our planet with peace.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Om Sri Durgayai Namah.

Om Namah Shivaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S. I have today heard a very sad account of the impact of this tragedy on the family of one of the victims of this horrific attack (as they are known to a close relative of mine in India). It is utterly devastating. There can never be any justification for attacks on civilians in any country. We must pray and recite mantras daily for peace on our planet in accordance with the advice of our Gurus.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

The Kala Bhairava ashtakam

 Hari Aum.

Kala Bhairava is a form of Lord Shiva. He has a fierce form and is particularly associated with the destruction of sins and death (in Sanskrit, 'kala' means 'time', and 'Bhairava' means the 'fierce One').

Lord Shiva has two main aspects-- a sweet, peaceful, auspicious form  (I have described this in a previous post https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/803812822913447625/6919573210704216119).

However, He also has another aspect-- a furious, tremendously energetic form that destroys sin, suffering and negativity. 

Kala Bhairava is one of His particularly fierce forms and is an embodiment of divine power. He is described as being blue-black in colour (like His divine consort, Mother Kali/ Bhairavi). His dark matted locks are decorated with the crescent moon, and celestial serpents ornament His person (as garland, amulets and anklets). 

Like Mother Kali, He holds a skull, symbolising complete annihilation of the lower ego (symbolised by the head). He holds the trident and sword, His divine weapons to destroy suffering, disease and death. He holds the drum, the symbol of cosmic sound and all Creation. 

Although He is extremely fierce in appearance and in His deeds, He is said to have a gentle compassionate aspect, and is particularly known for granting protection (He is known for being a protector of anyone who is vulnerable and of women in particular).

The worship of Kala Bhairava is undertaken by those who walk both the right-hand (dakshina marga) and left-hand (vama marga) spiritual paths. He is worshipped by Tantriks and Aghoris as well as Vedantins. He is worshipped by many for both spiritual and material benefits.

His worship is said to be associated with intense cleansing of past negative karma, thus paving the way to experiencing peace, bliss and spiritual enlightenment. 

There are various famous prayers and slokas dedicated to Him. One particularly well-known one is the Kala Bhairava ashtakam. 

These eight verses in praise of Kala Bhairava were composed by Adi Shankaracharya, great Guru of Advaita Vedanta. 

Listening to or reciting this prayer is said to produce great spiritual benefit in terms of overcoming the effects of past negative karma and experiencing spiritual joy and material wellbeing.

Please see below for links to the Kala Bhairava ashtakam (words and set to music): 

https://greenmesg.org/stotras/shiva/kalabhairava_ashtakam.php

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

I discovered the Kala Bhairava ashtakam recently and feel drawn to listen to it these days. It feels like the worshipping the other half of Mother Kali whom I have worshipped for a while (including recently when I visited our family temple dedicated to Her in Kerala). I have been to Kashi previously and would like to visit again sometime when possible and offer worship at the Kala Bhairava temple.

Om Sri KalaBhairavaya Namah.

Om Sri MahaKalikayai Namah.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat

P.S. In these complex times on our planet, it would be useful to pray to Lord Kala Bhairava to protect the Earth, dispel all negative energies and to allow peace to be restored.

P.P.S. Based on some recent experiences, I feel the worship of Kala Bhairava and Mother Kali will help twin souls cleanse themselves of the effects of past negative karma, attain a state of inner peace and achieve a harmonious reunion in the 3D in a form that is in accordance with Divine will.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

2025 and world peace

 Hari Aum.

A happy New Year to all readers-- I hope this year has started well for you. I had travelled to India to visit family in the past few weeks and had a lovely time. I returned a couple of days ago and am still quite jet-lagged so am writing a short post this evening to say only one thing (that I have said before on this blog)-- please pray and recite mantras daily for world peace this year in particular.

There are all sorts of people who are predicting less than entirely happy events for humanity in 2025 to put it mildly (these people range from psychics, to military experts and scientists). There is a sense that this year will see a culmination of events that have been building up for a while, and that wars in particular may escalate significantly.

From a Vedic astrology perspective, there are some rare clusters of planets this year which cannot really be said to be auspicious. There are some positive features about the year astrologically, but there are also some significant challenges.

The overall view in spiritual circles seems to be that this year is not an ordinary one. It can be a time for significant spiritual progress, and it can potentially be very challenging materially for humanity as a whole.

I would therefore like to say three things:

1. Please perform a daily spiritual practice (e.g. chant a mantra of your favourite form of the Divine daily for at least 5 minutes once or twice daily). Do this for your own spiritual and material welfare and for those who are dear to you.

2. In addition to the usual prayers for yourself and your loved ones, kindly pray for the overall welfare of humanity and life on this planet

3. Try to consciously live an ethical life to the best of your ability (adhere to the yogic ethics as much as possible; nobody expects perfection here, however a sincere effort would be helpful).

I hope and pray that, in accordance with the teachings of Sivananda and other Gurus, our combined prayers and mantra recitation will contribute in some measure to peace on this planet.

With regard to my spiritual practice, I am continuing with daily ashtakshara mantra japa as part of my sixth purascharana (carrying on with 7 malas daily). I have completed my Radha sadhana and have now returned to Lakshmi worship (one mini-mala of 27 recitations per day). I have started worship of Lord Skanda (for astrological reasons; will likely write another post on this later).

Om shanti shanti shantih.

Om Sri Durgayai Namah.

Om Namo Narayanaya,

P.S. Due to the recent travel, I was unable to offer the Krishna books that I previously wrote for free download from Amazon over the beginning of the New Year (as has been the habit in the past)-- apologies for this. I will therefore arrange this in the coming 1-2 weeks and update this post with further details in the coming days. In the meantime, please follow Krishna and Guru’s advice to chant and pray for world peace.

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.

Peace, prayers and eclipses

 Hari Aum.

As we all know, there are all sorts of wars currently being waged on our planet, some that have been ongoing for years and some more recent ones. And of course one major war that is presently taking place is the one in Eastern Europe. Unfortunately this is showing no signs of abating; there seems to be only escalation. 

For now, scenes of war are limited to our television screens. The hideous images of destruction and bloodshed look like something out of a violent video game except that sadly, they are very real. Although we may not directly be caught up in this (we are all indirectly affected by the economic fallout etc), a time may come when we very well may be. This war, like all wars, has the potential to escalate very significantly. The recent news regarding this currently is not at all encouraging.

There are a couple of eclipses coming up soon. The first one (solar) is on October 25, which happens to be the day of Diwali. The three days prior to this date is also regarded as a sacred time. After this, there is an eclipse (lunar) on November 8. As I've mentioned in other posts, eclipses are a particularly good time to perform spiritual practice for one's own spiritual progress and for the welfare of the world as a whole. They are a very good time to pray for peace in the world. 

As Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita (chapter 2, verse 47-- please see below for the verse with translation by my Guru Sivananda and the relevant link):

"Karmanyevaadhikaaraste maa phaleshu kadaachana;

Maa karmaphalahetur bhoor maa te sango’stwakarmani."

"Thy right is to work only, but never with its fruits; let not the fruits of actions be thy motive, nor let thy attachment be to inaction."

https://www.dlshq.org/download/bhagavad-gita/

Essentially this means that we are expected to do our duty, and leave the rest in the hands of God. It is not for us to dictate what should and should not happen in this universe. However, we absolutely do have both a right and a duty to pray for peace, for happiness, for good sense and good ethics for ourselves and other living beings. Our duty is to pray to God and let Him/Her decide what to do. This is the way of surrendering our little wills before the Will of God, this is one way of being an instrument of God.

Based on our scriptures, God responds strongly to our collective prayers. An example is the arrival of the Krishna avatar. Just prior to His manifestation, an evil king called Kamsa had ordered a mass massacre of newborn babies. The horrific and heinous nature of this crime and the resulting sincere prayers of people for protection led to the hastening of the arrival of the Krishna avatar of Narayana to resolve these problems (He re-established dharma/righteousness on Earth and destroyed all evil during this manifestation). This is only one example of the response of God to the prayers of many people for help and protection; there are countless others that are described in all the world religions.

The Earth continues to face many challenges today. Various world leaders, filled with egoism and ignorance, have started this war in Europe. A war, which many experts say, could quite easily escalate into an all-out World War. The political leaders of many countries today make unhelpful, unnecessary and inflammatory statements and instigate each other to wage war. As Lord Krishna says in the Gita, there are various people born on the Earth who come here with the sole purpose of destruction; they come to wreak havoc here and destroy any peace and happiness. 

As we know, wars usually have no real winners. And a nuclear war, which some leaders are threatening each other with, would have absolutely no victors at all. It would merely destroy everything and render the Earth completely unfit for living.

Let us remember that five Pandavas with Lord Krishna on their side defeated one hundred evil-minded Kauravas. Strength does not merely exist in numbers, it exists where dharma is present.

As the final verse of the Gita says: 

"Yatra yogeshwarah krishno yatra paartho dhanurdharah;

Tatra shreervijayo bhootirdhruvaa neetirmatirmama."

"Wherever there is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, wherever there is Arjuna, the archer, there are prosperity, happiness, victory and firm policy; such is my conviction."

Let us therefore do some additional daily prayers for world peace from today. And also, do some special prayers during the upcoming eclipses and spiritual festivals such as Diwali for the peace of the world, for this war to come to an end. The current lunar month, known as Kartika, is regarded as particularly sacred and an ideal time for prayer and worship.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Eclipse: enhancing the power of japa

Hari Aum.

There are two eclipses coming up in the next two weeks. On August 7 or 8 (depending on where you live), tomorrow, there will be a lunar eclipse. On August 21, there will be a solar eclipse.

Here is a link which gives the timings and other details regarding the eclipse:

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2017-august-7

Significance of an eclipse - a spiritual and jyotish perspective

Eclipses are given great significance in spirituality and vedic astrology. In general this period is very good for spiritual activity, and very negative for material matters.

Sivananda writes in his book 'Japa yoga': "It should be borne in mind that japa done during the time of solar or lunar eclipse will produce a tremendous effect and hence this rare opportunity should not be missed by anybody, whenever it offers itself."

Elsewhere he writes: "Those who do Japa at the time of the eclipse derive great benefits. The effect of Japa and Sankirtan during the eclipse contributes towards relieving the suffering of humanity and also of the planets. These people receive the blessings of the gods. They attain perfection quickly."

Vedic astrology states that this period is highly inauspicious for material projects such as starting a new job, signing a contract, setting off on a journey, getting married, or any other 'worldly activity'.

This is because, during an eclipse, either the sun (soul) or the moon (mind) are afflicted by one of the shadowy planets 'Rahu' or 'Ketu'. This can cause lack of clarity in thinking, decision-making, and cause emotional disturbances.

Furthermore, the eclipses take place in a particular astrological sign. While an eclipse affects everyone to some extent or another, those people are maximally affected in whose lagna/ascendant or rasi/moon sign the eclipse takes place. On a personal level, these effects may not always be negative- it depends on the nature of the individual chart- but in general, some form of change or new event can be expected relating to the house in which the eclipse takes place.

The origin of the eclipse: A puranic legend

There is an interesting ancient Puranic legend related to how the eclipse originated. The story relates to Vishnu's second avatar as a tortoise (kurma). The devas (demi-gods such as the gods of fire, sun, wind, water, etc) were weakened and afflicted by the the asuras (demonic beings). They go to Vishnu and plead for help. Vishnu advises them to seek 'amrita' or divine nectar (this makes the body strong and invincible, but does not grant immortality in the form of spiritual liberation) by churning the milky ocean. He advises them to team up with the asuras who are also keen on acquiring the amrita, as considerable effort is required for the churning.

The devas and asuras then team up and churn the ocean, using mount Meru as the churning rod, the king of serpents Vasuki as the rope, and Vishnu Himself in the form of the tortoise as the support of the churning rod. They churn for a long while, and then to their alarm, a terrible poison emerges from the ocean. The poison threatens to engulf the whole of creation and destroy everything.

At this critical moment, hearing the distressed prayers of living beings, the compassionate Lord Shiva appears. He takes up the poison and swallows it, thus preventing it from harming anyone else. His divine consort, Parvati, is determined that the poison should not enter the body of Shiva, and so stays awake all-night pressing His throat with Her hands to stop the poison descending down. She is successful and the poison remains in Shiva's throat, staining His fair skin, blue. Thus Shiva came to be known as 'Neela-kantha', the blue-throated One. (This event is also said to have lead to the annual tradition of Maha-Shivaratri, when devotees stay awake all-night worshipping Lord Shiva in a variety of ways).

The relieved devas and asuras continue churning the ocean, and now, many wonders and treasures begin to emerge one by one. A divine wish-fulfilling cow, jewels, and even the Goddess Lakshmi. On seeing Lakshmi (appear this way in this Lila, or play of God), the devas and asuras eagerly try to win Her as their wife. However, Lakshmi (symbolising auspiciousness) is the eternal wife of Vishnu (symbolising Dharma, goodness), and She chooses Him alone as Her husband. (This also symbolises the eternal truth that good fortune and happiness follows those who adhere to goodness/dharma. Good fortune and goodness are wedded together. Where there is no goodness, there ultimately will be no fortune).

The intense churning continues, and finally, at long last, there appears the God of healing and ayurveda, Dhanwantari, holding in His hand a pot with the divine nectar amrita. Seeing this, the asuras grab the pot and run off with it in haste to have it all for themselves. The gods are dismayed but Vishnu tells them not to fight the asuras but to relax and watch the play. Vishnu then assumes the form of the enchanting Goddess 'Mohini', She who deludes.

Mohini walks up to the asuras (who are squabbling among themselves as to who should get to taste the nectar first), and seeing Her wondrous beauty, the asuras are stunned and lose their ability think clearly. Mohini then sweetly offers to distribute the amrita fairly between them, and the asuras eagerly agree, thinking it would be very nice to receive the nectar from the hands of this charming lady. She also manages to persuade them to agree to the devas being given a share of the amrita.

Mohini then requests the asuras and devas to stand in two rows facing each other. She then walks between the two rows, supposedly to give the divine nectar to both the demi-gods and the demons. However, She only gives the amrita to the demi-gods and not the demons. Most of the demons are too enchanted by Her appearance to notice what She is actually doing. However one demon, realises what is happening and quietly enters the row of the demi-gods, and stands between Surya (Sun god) and Chandra (Moon god) to receive the nectar.

This demon receives the nectar and has just drunk it, when the Sun and moon gods notice his presence and raise the alarm. They inform Lord Vishnu, who promptly releases His famous discus, the Sudarshan Chakra. The whirring Chakra cuts off the head of the demon, but as he had already drunk the nectar by then, his body is now 'immortal'.

The de-capitated head becomes a living being called 'Rahu'. And the headless body, becomes a living being, called 'Ketu'. These two parts of the demon, furious with the Sun and Moon gods for informing Vishnu and leading to the de-capitation, declare their enemity to these gods.

They swear that they will cause suffering to the Sun and Moon gods, and all living beings, periodically by the phenomenon known as the 'eclipse'. During an eclipse, either Rahu or Ketu, causes suffering to the Sun or the Moon god, according to this legend. Furthemore, as the human being is a microcosm of the macrocosm, the 'eclipse' of the Sun/Moon causes corresponding disturbance and upheaval within human beings (and also other living beings).

Thus ends the story of the eclipse.

This story is said to have an esoteric meaning. The devas and asuras are two forces within us, the forces of good and evil in our minds, which are ever doing battle. During an eclipse, the forces of evil try to overcome those of good, and therefore this time is especially conducive to spiritual practices which call upon the Supreme Being for protection and deliverance.

The churning of the ocean is also said by some to be a metaphor for meditation. When one 'churns' the mind or meditates, often the first thoughts that arise may be negative (anger, fear, and other suppressed emotions)- this represents the 'poison' in the story. But if one patiently continues one's efforts, later 'treasures' emerge from the ocean of the mind, such as peace, bliss, wisdom, virtue and feeling the presence of the divine. And finally, realisation of the immortal nature of one's being, 'amrita' is obtained.

World peace and the eclipse

As per the advice of my Guru Sivananda, I plan to take the opportunity of the eclipse tomorrow to do some extra sadhana. This will be for my own spiritual progress and also for the reduction of suffering on this planet and for world peace.

Eclipses are regarded as having a negative impact on global events generally. While the eclipse affects the entire Earth, those areas where the shadow of an eclipse falls are believed to be more affected. As always, it is important to remember that vedic astrology does not say that planets and their shadows are the cause of human problems. Astrology states that the planets merely indicate the good and bad karma that is to come. An eclipse is generally an indication of upcoming negative karma to be experienced.

With various people predicting a third world war in the near future (and the alarming negative attitudes of some world leaders and violent religious groups), it is vital that we all pray to God for peace. The saints say that prayers and mantras work, and frankly, I feel we don't exactly have any other better alternatives than to believe them and give it a try.

To accept that war and nuclear destruction is inevitable, and feel hopeless, is giving in to asuric negative thinking. A war may happen if God wills it, and then we will have to accept it. But until then, we must do our duty as per the saints, and pray, do japa, kirtan etc to our utmost ability to reduce the possibility of such a war.

There is already much suffering, particularly in some countries, on this planet. We already have a serious duty to pray for the relief of suffering of these people. Let us do this daily, and also take the opportunity of the upcoming eclipses to do some intense prayers for the welfare of all.

Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
May all beings be happy.

Hari Aum Tat Sat

New year resolution: Practice more japa, Avoid preachers and preaching

Hari Aum.

My new year resolution is to practice more japa. And to reduce the amount of time spent listening to people preaching and to spend less time preaching myself. I am going to mind my own business as much as possible in terms of spiritual life. I think I have made it amply clear in this blog as to how valuable a practice japa is. Those who want to do some can, those who do not wish to need not. I am not going to recommend this anymore to anybody. This practice is known to be the easiest way to God in this Kali Yuga - this is well-known to all.

Yet I see more disciples of Swami Sivananda trying to master the headstand than doing any japa, for world peace or otherwise. Similarly a number of disciples of other saints such as Ramakrishna, Chidananda etc also appear to be very keen to only propagate their Masters' life and teachings but seem to have very little interest in practicing japa or encouraging others to do the same. I have met a number of disciples of saints whose lives was built on japa who revere their Masters but are uninterested in obeying their command to practice plenty of japa. I am tired of the company of such disciples. To each their own way I say.

I am also going to reduce the number of satsangs I attend. The reason is that, in the vast majority of cases, I do not find the speakers to be practicing even 50 % of what they preach. They also seem to lack basic kindness and compassion, and appear to be mostly stuffed with only intellectual understanding of life. I am tired of listening to dry intellectual philosophers with very little development of the heart and refuse to waste my time doing this anymore.

My best satsang is the books of my Gurus Sivananda and Chidananda. I will stick to this mainly for my spiritual inspiration. My Guru says if one cannot get any decent satsang with living persons, then satsang with books of saints is adequate.

It is a terrible waste of life to end up as a dry spiritual preacher who has never tasted the bliss of the spiritual goal, of parabhakti and jnana. I feel terrified of ending up like some of aged Swamis I have seen who have supposedly dedicated their whole lives to spiritual practice but come across as dry intellectual people lacking any compassion.
To protect myself from a similar terrible fate, I will preach less and practice more in future. My practice is not too bad, but it could be so much better. So much better. I will direct my energy henceforth in improving my own practice- in doing sadhana, in conquering my lower nature and developing virtues to the utmost extent. I feel the mantra of God is my best help in this task.

I will aim to do more japa. I want to increase my practice of this drastically in 2017. I will keep up the 11 malas a day as a minimum, but I will also select 2-4 days per month on weekends to do a more extended practice of 4-6 hours japa. I will do this on some special day in that month, for example I would like to do this extended practice on the upcoming Gita Jayanti day next Saturday.

I also want to do regular kirtan. In the midst of worldly activities in the last month or so, this has reduced. I would like to do this at least 3 times a week.

My motto for the new year is: To do japa in plenty, and keep up the medical work also as a sadhana.

I found the following article online and found this most inspiring- it is available also on the link below. This is regarding Swami Sivananda's meeting with a disciple where he exhorts him to do karma yoga along with japa.

http://sivanandadaily.blogspot.co.uk/2014_05_01_archive.html

4th November, 1949

HOW CAN I HAVE RAM’S DARSHAN? 

Sri. R.P., who has been placed in charge of the Publication League, felt a bit nervous and diffident about his capabilities. He felt that was too much of a responsible position for him to occupy with success.

As Siva entered the Office, Sri R.P. caught his eye. ‘Ohji, don’t be afraid of the work. I have written to Sri Mohindra and if he agrees we shall employ him as the Manager of the League. You can also assist him and get yourself thoroughly trained by him.

‘Don’t be afraid of work. Don’t try to run away from it. You have a sweet voice. You have nicely developed the poetic faculties. You have great devotion to the Lord also.

‘Know that the best way to attain the Lord is through work and work alone. Go and remain in a cave for twelve years without doing any work. Then come back and tell me whether you have improved or degenerated. Work here ceaselessly; and do one Mala of Japa. Find out for yourself which method helps you evolve more quickly in the spiritual path. Even if you remain in a cave for twelve years you cannot have Darshan of the Lord. But if you serve selflessly, work and work ceaselessly, and in the intervals do Japa of the Lord’s name for some time daily, the Lord will at once come to you. When selfless service has purified your heart, even before you finish the first Mala of Japa, the Lord will appear before you.

‘You do not have the vision to see what a great and soul-elevating power this service has. If only you are able to see the actual change in your heart that this service brings about, and if you are mentally able to compare this with the change that cave-dwelling will bring about, then you will at once agree with me. It is lack of this knowledge that makes you dread work. It is that which makes you feel that work is waste of time and that God can be attained only through parrot-like repetition of a Mantra.

‘Go and see the Sadhus who live an idle life. They have no care. They have no responsibility. They will pretend that they have attained a very high stage when they ought to give up work. All that they are concerned about is their daily Bhiksha. They can get up at 9 a.m. and prepared to go to the Kshetra. Come back, take the food and sleep. Wake up again for Bhiksha. That is their life. Man’s very nature is Tamasic. You have to conquer that through intense selfless service. Then Satva will supervene.

‘It is this Tamas that prompts you from within to shirk work. It is Tamas that prompts you to go away and lead an independent life. You are sure of free food from Kshetras. This free food system should be stopped altogether. It is this alone that encourages man to revel in his Tamasic indulgence.  

‘You should become a dynamic Yogi. Work alone will enable you to control your mind, to banish evil thoughts from the mind and to purify the heart. In a purified heart alone will the Lord reveal Himself. Look at me. There is 8 per cent sugar in my urine. I have so many other physical ailments. I cannot even stand for an hour at a stretch; I feel giddy. Yet, I have been working till now. You have all taken your food. But here, I am still at my work. It will take two hours for me before I can take my food.  

‘You are a good worker, no doubt. But, you feel diffident. That diffidence you can conquer only when you take intense joy in service. You should love to undertake responsible work. You wish to realise God: but can you for a moment think of God’s Great Responsibility? You are afraid of this petty work. And yet, you wish to realise Him Who bears the burden of protecting and maintaining the whole universe. You think that work will interfere with your meditation. Read the life of any saint. You will find that he has practised and preached selfless service. Everyone has worked till the very end of his life. Such should be your attitude. Then and then alone can you have Darshan of Lord Rama in a minute.’"

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Completion of second purascharana

Hari Om.

I completed the second purascharana of the Om Namo Narayanaya today (my Guru mantra that I was initiated into nearly 11 years ago). It has been an eventful two years with passing a major post-graduate medical exam, getting married, dealing with some unpleasant personal health issues (including a cancer scare), taking six months out to travel in India including a pilgrimage, returning to Europe and starting work as a doctor, and now the process of looking to buy a house before thinking of starting a family. All in all, in a material sense, it has been very active. However, the thread of japa has fortunately run through all these events and has supported me in all of this.
 For this I am grateful to my Mother Durga, through whose Grace I feel I am able to do sadhana. To say thanks to Her I am going to do some Durga mantra sadhana before starting my next purascharana.

The coming Friday, December 18, is the monthly shukla paksha (bright lunar fortnight) Durga ashtami day that is sacred to Her. The plan is to start a simple sadhana to say thanks to Her on this day. I will do one mala a day of "Om Sri Durgayai Namah" daily for around four weeks from this day until the next Durga ashtami day on January 17. I will also recite the Saptasloki Durga as often as possible during this time, ideally once a day.

Then with Her blessings, I hope to start the next purascharana of the Om Namo Narayanaya mantra on January 24, which is an auspicious day to commence sadhana as per vedic astrology (Ravi pushya yoga). From tomorrow until that day, I will reduce my daily malas of japa of Om Namo Narayanaya from 11 to 5. This is to allow the mind a feeling of rest before committing to another two years of 11 malas a day.

I invited a priest home last weekend to perform a Vishnu homam with offerings of ahutis to the Om Namo Narayanaya mantra. I am unable to do a homam with 80,000 mantra repititions as per the traditional rule of purascharana completion (would be a huge and very long homam/homams). However when I previously spoke to the elderly Swamiji at my Guru's Ashram (the Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh) who has been guiding me from the start of the first purascharana,  he said not to worry if I could not do this. He said the main purpose of extended practices such as purascharana is to develop a habit of remembering God regularly and the reason to aim for a certain number of repetitions was to give the mind a target to work towards. He said it was not important to become too fixated on the numbers. In other words, he reassured me that it was not necessary to do homam, tarpanam and marjana if I was unable, and simply advised remembering God and being regular in the japa.

With this in mind therefore, I can honestly say that I have completed 800,000 repetitions for a second time today. However I have not performed any elaborate completion rituals. In terms of completion rituals, I only did a relatively small puja and homam last weekend with the help of a priest (it did take four hours though.) I have done a similar homam and puja twice previously during this purascharana. And that is it. I do not intend to do a further 80,000 repetitions for completion as Sivananda himself advises if one cannot do the homam etc. This is based on the authority of the elderly Swamiji  mentioned above. If I now did a further 80,000 repetitions of japa, I feel my mind would burn out and lose motivation to start the next purascharana which I do not want. Therefore I will do whatever is needed to keep my mind willing to continue the japa practice steadily, even if it means not adhering strictly to every formal rule.

Although 11 malas a day takes only about an hour, it has been kept up daily for several months, and there has been an element of anxiety every day about making sure this happens no matter what else is happening in my life. Therefore, my mind feels like it needs a break from this anxiety.... some 'down time'. I am going to grant my mind six weeks of down time to relax and prepare for the next purascharana......during this time as mentioned, the japa will be reduced to only 5 malas a day (25 minutes). The memory of this down time will I hope keep me going at the slightly more intense pace of 11 malas over the following two years. That worked last time and is therefore the plan once again.

I am also going to use this down time to reflect on my Guru Swami Sivananda's 20 important spiritual instructions and see if I can improve my practice of these.

Once again, I dedicate this purascharana to world peace, for the physical, mental, moral and spiritual wellbeing of all beings everywhere. May a third world war, particularly a nuclear war, be averted by the Grace of God-  this is my most ardent prayer. May humanity learn to live in peace with each other and with fellow spiritual beings in the form of other species on this planet. I feel such a prayer is worship of the Universal form of God, His virat swaroopa. I also pray that, through the performance of such purascharanas, I may attain true devotion to God in this lifetime itself. As my Guru says, once this is attained, nothing more remains to be attained.

Hari Aum Tat Sat