Month: November 2012

Busting “How Shiva did not recognize his own son” Myth

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Ganapati Idol at Home – This Ganesh Chaturthi

Verbatim reproduction of Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravishankar Ji’s counter to a rabble rousing fugitive Islamic Scholar who mocked Shiva unable to recognise His son.

The stories in the Puranas contain many incredible and hard-to-believe occurences. But they should not be interpreted as a nursery rhyme. Their language is Shakespearean and laden with great depth and meaning. We need to interpret these stories with a very refined state of mind.

The story goes that Parvati created a boy out of dirt from her body and appointed him to guard the doorstep. The first question that comes is how could Parvati, the Goddess Herself, have so much dirt? Parvati symbolizes the triguna – sattva, rajas and tamas. The entire creation is made up of trigunas. The dosha or imperfections that originate out of the triguna is an obstruction for the functioning of Prakriti. That was the boy that Parvati created to stand guard at the door.

Shiva is Shuddha Chaitanya, pure consciousness. Like the sun does not recognize darkness and cuts through it, Shiva does not recognize dosha and slays the impurity. But Prakriti cannot stay without impurity. So Shiva replaces the dosha with the head of an elephant, which symbolizes knowledge. Through knowledge, all the doshas or obstructions of Prakriti can be taken care of. This is the spiritual and metaphysical meaning of Ganpati being slain. So worshipping Ganpati as the remover of obstacles and the giver of gyana, knowledge is the most amazing depiction of the nature of consciousness.

Going a step further, even this difference between Prakriti and Purusha is done away with. That is why, the Ganpati Upanishad says,

ajam nirvikalpam niraakaaram-ekam
niraanandam aanandam advaita poornam
param nirgunam nirvishesham nireeham
para brahma roopam ganesham bhajema

Ganesha is the only One unborn unmanifest Reality. He is nirvikalpa and advaita – the formless, undivided One. This is the play and display of consciousness within itself.

While Ganpati is certainly the nirakara Parabrahman, he is invoked and worshipped in the mud idol for a period of time for the joy of the devotees. Then the Ganpati is asked to merge back into our heart and the idol is immersed in water. This ritual is observed for the sake of devotees, not for the sake of Ganpati. He who is without form is invoked in a form and then his spirit is invoked back into one’s heart as the idol is immersed.

Ganesh Chaturthi Greetings

Tulsi Vivaha-Reward for Devotion

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tulasi-dala-matrena
jalasya culukena va
vikrinite svam atmanam
bhaktebhyo bhakta-vatsalah

[Sri Krishna – affectionate toward His devotees, is partial to a devotee who offers Him merely a tulasi leaf and a palmful of water]

Uttana Dwadashi (12th day in the Waxing phase of moon) in the month of Karthika is Celebrated as Tulsi Puja (or Tulsi Vivaha with Vishnu). It is also called Ksheerabdi Dwadashi Vrata. It is the day where the Chaturmasa vrata ends (Chaturmasa vrata starts on Ashada Ekadashi – Pandarapur Ekadashi)

Tulsi Brindavana at Home

The story behind this Vrata according to Aparna (my better half):

Tulsi known for her utmost devotion, piety and unflinching loyalty to her husband, Shankhachuda makes him extremely powerful. Shankhachuda falls into evil ways and starts harassing the world but was invincible due to Tulsi’s austerities. He has a boon that he can be killed only if chastity (Pativratata) of Tulsi is violated. Bhagwan Vishnu appears in the form of Shankachuda and Tulsi mistakes her for her husband and serves him as loyally as always. Tulsi’s chastity and loyalty thus gets violated making Shankhachuda weak and gets killed. Tulsi realized her folly and immolates herself on a pyre. Despite the devotion towards Bhagwan Vishnu she was distressed that Bhagwan was stone-hearted to trick her and curses Him that he turns into a black stone – Lord Vishnu thus turns into Saligrama stone. Saligrama origin is in the River Gandaki and Saligrama has perpetual Saanidhya or proximity to Bhagwan Vishnu. And Tulsi has perpetual saanidhya or proximity to Maate Lakshmi. After the ceremonial rituals of offerings, Bhagwan Vishnu (in the form of Gooseberry plant) and Maate Lakshmi (in the form of Tulsi) is married and the Karta of this pooja is believed to have performed Kanya Daana (which is considered to be one of the most meritorius acts) in human life. This also marks restart of marriage season for Hindus after the brief hiatus during Chaturmaasa.

It so happens that Tulsi maata, before self-immolating curses Bhagwan Vishnu to suffer separation from his wife (Curse gets effected in Ramayana where Bhagwan Rama and Sita are separated).

Puja at home (Wife on the left and Son on the right)

Bhagwan Vishnu however blesses tulsi to take the form a Tulsi plant and insists that she forms an essential part of worshipping Him. He takes the form of Gooseberry plant and marries Tulsi. It is believed that Tulsi was born as Rukmini and marries Lord Vishnu’s incarnation – Krishna on the 12th Day (Dwadashi) on the shukla paksha (waxing phase of moon) in the month of Karthika. Tulsi puja is celebration of this marriage.

It is also believed that Bhagwan Krishna (Vishnu’s Avatars) who goes to sleep on Naraka Chatudarshi day (first day of Deepavali) wakes up on the Twelfth day (hence called Uttana Dwadashi)

Tulsi with Gooseberry Plant

Worship include lighting of lamps with Ghee Wick held in a Gooseberry and Deepa-Daana (Donation of Lamp) in the evening. Gooseberry Stalk along with Tulsi plant to signify Bhagwan Vishnu and Tulsi and the usual Puja samagris.

Ghee Wick Lamp in Gooseberry

Following items will be required for the Puja:

Tulsi Plant, Saligrama Stone, Kalasha (Small Pot), Tender Coconut, Coconut, Red Cloth, Flowers and Fruits, Beaten rice (avalakki/poha) naivedya or any other sweet preparation, Turmeric, Kumkum, Akshate, Jewellery, Gooseberry Stalk, Gooseberry, Sugarcane & Rangoli powder

Puja Process:

  • Place pot of Tulsi Plant in the Thatch made of Sugarcane (or a ready Mantapa)
  • Clean the area around and in front of Tulsi and prepare Rangoli design in front of the same.
  • Place Saligrama Stone near Tulsi, Plant Gooseberry stalk next to Tulsi plant in the same pot.
  • Light Lamps around Tulsi plant
  • Decorate Tulsi with Turmeric, Kumkum, Askhate.
  • Cover Tulsi with Red cloth
  • Spread rice (into form of a mat) and place Kalasha with Mango leaves and Coconut.
  • Offer Fruits & flowers
  • Offer Naivedya
  • Light Dhoopa (Agarbatti or incense sticks), lamp and Camphor Arati
  • Offer Nellikayi (gooseberry) Arati and
  • Circumbulate (pradakshine) 5-7 rounds around Tulsi & offer Namaskaara
  • Accept Prasadam with utmost devotion
  • Chant Tulsi Mangalashtakam and conclude the Puja

Thanks to His Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji after a Blissful Art of Living Satsang in Jeevan Sandhya Home for Aged, what better way to sign off the day – with Tulsi Puja

Guru Puja and Satsang in Jeevan Sandhya -Home for Aged

namah tulasi kalyaaNi namo vishhnu priye shubhe |
namo moksha pradaayike devi namaH sampatpradaayike ||
Tulasige Namaskara

Yanmule sarva thirthani yanmadye sarva devatha |
yadagre sarva vedashcha Tulasi thvam namam mayham

||Om Tulasyayi Namaha||

Supreme Power Store

Ensures1 Comment

A nice story sent to me by an Acharya of AOL. Posting here with her permission for everyone.

In the days of yore, the devas got together and with Brahma in the chair were debating greatly as to where to hide away the secret and supreme power available to the Man . The discussions and the debates raged on for yugas. One of the gods suggested, Hey, look! hide it deep under the depth of samudra (ocean), another said hide it below Himalayas and other mountains and yet another one said, hide it in a cave of a thick jungle (forest). A very learned Rishi (Sage), said, Keep it in the depth of Man’s mind. With a foolish wandering mind, he would never suspect that all the power that could be there is right within and they will never look within. Only spiritual, intellectual and sadhak would look within, use the power and make a big name.

We now know the difference between people who are great and who is not. Great people invariably tap the power of their own minds while the others keep burning out all the energy looking all over the world, in the depth of the seas, below the mountains, in the caves little realizing that it is within us.

Guruji has marked our path with the milestones, roadsigns and whatever is divinely and humanly possible for our easy journey into ourselves. Let us travel this path and unleash the power within. A small tribute to this GREAT PERSON, if we do this. What say?