Shanthi Sandesh Hindu Temple and Community Center Of Mid -Missouri 2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202 -2043 http://shanthimandir.missouri.org (573) 814 -1286 V O L U M E
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Devi Lalitha and Devi Durga- their Functional Variety Dr. C. L. Prabhakar
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alitha and Durga are one and the same but different forms, supreme and otherwise of the Adya Shakti. Only In Veda She is referred as Uma and later as Parvati Devi, the daughter of Himavan (Parvata Rajaputri). Owing to the need of circumstances, these Devis came to this world in order to destroy the Asuras and protect the Shisthas for the continuation of the order of the world. It is clearly stated that Yada yada danavottha badha bhavishyati, tada tada avatiryahamkarishyami arisamkshayam
Inside This Issue Devi Lalitha and Devi Durga
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Executive Board
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How to teach Compassion to children
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Poem - I Am
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Apple Cider Vinegar
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Yoga Corner
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Bhagavad Gita
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Quarterly Fiscal Report
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Donor Acknowledgment
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Community Calendar
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Current Programs
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She is therefore the same Adya Shakti pressed forth by the need of staunch devotees, who when needed protection and guidance for happiness and peace in life due to the kind of Rakshasas who were also devotees but given to bad ways and deserved to be quelled and emancipated. However, for the sake of science, let us
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xecutive Board Team wishes you all a very Happy Healthy and Peaceful 2015! HTCC is celebrating its 9th Annual Devotional Program on Saturday, March 14th with a “Havan” followed by “Devotional Music”. The “Havan” will be officiated by Sri Sateesh Bhagwat of Chicago. Devotional music will be presented by Ms. Swati Sharma of Kansas City accompanied by our very own Prasad Calyam on Tabla. You don‟t want to miss this
contrast the functions and variety in these aspects of Parashakti. Lalitha is soft and authoritative. Durga is the hard deity found at worksites. It is to promote world order due to her executive skills. We get to know these deities from Vedas, Puranas, and beyond. Bhramhanda Purana and the Markandeya Purana are sources from where information to learn about them is available. In addition, Maharishis have also helped us to get to know regarding these deities. “Lalitha Sahasranamamm” that speaks of the glory of the Devi is informative and poetic. Durga Sahasranamamm that described Devi Durga is also easy to understand. Let us now analyze their functions that were varied but distributed for the benefit of the Upasakas. The functional variety exists with respect to their social, spiritual and cosmic status and others although they are the same in entirety.
Basically the entirety of Shakti is represented as Mahasarasvati, the Sattvik force, Mahalakshmi, the Rajasik force and the Mahakali the Taamasik force. They represent Knowledge, Wisdom Execution and Preservation, and the Destruction and Annihilation. Thus Adya Shakti, put in unison is the Supreme Force of Immense Activity (Para Chaitanya Rupa Devi). Words cannot describe her but the following prayer expresses the description in a nut shell: Sarva caitanya rupam tam adyam saktim ca dhimahi, dhiyo yo nah prachodayat I meditate upon the primordial energy which is very form of all the activity. May that direct my intelligence. Also we have unique suggestion in the Durga Saptasati to indicate the singularity and uniqueness in the energy supreme. This is seen herein as (continued on Page 2
Message from the Executive Board year‟s devotional program. 9th Annual Banquet will be held on Saturday, April 4th at the Peachtree Banquet Center. Please join us with your friends & family to celebrate 9 years of HTCC‟s success in Mid-Missouri. Sanjeev Khanna is chairing the “Anniversary Banquet Committee” and has planned an evening of Good Food, Music and Fun for you & your
family. Please reserve your seats for the annual banquet by purchasing your tickets from Vinita Khanna, Chandra Rawlani, Kusum Malhotra, Abirami Elangovan, Srikanta Nanjangud or any other HTCC officer. With the onset of the new year, we are now getting ready for election of HTCC officers whose terms are (continued on Page 4)