Vedanta Sandesh - Apr 2019 by Vedanta Mission

Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission

Vedanta Sandesh

Apr 2019

Year - 24

Issue 10

Cover Page

The cover page of this month is of the awesome Indian Paradise Flycatcher (Male), which was clicked at Matheran (Maharashtra) by P. Swamini Samatanandaji in Feb 2019. Normally the male member of this species becomes white on maturity but takes time. The bird is initially of Rufus color, and within a span of two years, it slowly changes color to White. This special photo is showing the transformation stage of that so-called morphing. Indian Paradise Flycatcher bird is a native of Indian sub-continent and is also the state bird of the state Madhya Pradesh. It is characterized by its milky white color, long flowing tail, bluish-black crested head, prominent eyes with a white circle around it. They love deep forests and they also come out for their flies and insects, or for taking a dip in some pond, for a short time and again go back into the dense foliage. It's a great joy to see their flowing flight. The female member remains rufous colored, and her tail is also not long. Her throat is more greyish. The scientific name of the bird is Terpsiphone paradisi, and its local name is Dudhraj.

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Om Tat Sat

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CONTENTS

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Vedanta Sandesh Apr 2019 1.

Shloka 5

Message of P. Guruji

Tattva Bodha 9-14

Letter 15-16

Gita Reflections 17-23

The Art of Man Making

Jivanmukta 29-31

Story Section 32-35

Mission / Ashram News

7-8

24-28

36-60

10.

Forthcoming Progs 61

11.

Internat News 62-63

12.

Links 64 3

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Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission April 2019 : Year 24 / Issue 10

Published by

International Vedanta Mission Vedanta Ashram, E/2948, Sudama Nagar, Indore-452009 (M.P.) India http://www.vmission.org.in / vmission@gmail.com

Editor:

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Swamini Samatananda Saraswati

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v#.ksuso cks/ksu iwoZa lUrels Ă˘rsA rr vkfoHkZosnkRek Lo;esoka'kqekfuoAA

Just as before the sun-rise, the slowly increasing light

of dawn removes all the darkness and then the king-like Sun appears on the horizon; so also before the dawn of self-knowledge, all the delusions have to be effaced. Atma Bodha - 43

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Message from Poojya Guruji

Importance of Nationalism

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There is a famous shloka which says that ones Janani & Janmabhoomi is greater than even heaven. Both need to be protected & respected. Unfortunately, the love for our motherland has somehow dwindled in our country since Independence, and it is so astounding to see that there is an organized gang of people whose self-interest depends on a poor and pathetic country & its people. This is such a great tragedy yet to our utter surprise it is a fact. Motherland is the place for our birth, childhood, all the levels of education, cultural activities, entertainment, and creating a society which is the symbol of the best in the world, not only for our own lives but for the well-being of the whole world in the process. Patriotism is like a thread which binds the diverse sub-continent like India. The extent of diversity is so amazing here, that a travel from North to South or from West to East appears as though we are traveling to a different country altogether. With such a profound diversity it was extremely necessary that this component should have been addressed properly. Whatever could be the nature of that thread the final result should have been the unity of our diverse country & its lovely people. However, strangely love for our country did not seem to be a priority for the rulers of the country. Everyone knows about the section of people who openly propagate the division & breaking up of the country. This

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should never happen in any sovereign & independent country. Imagine such elements raising their heads in countries like China, US, Middle-East, etc. Such kind of freedom is never allowed. In such a scenario it was such a great relief that the present dispensation really loved the country and because of their sincerity, a positive wind of nationalism started flowing in the country. This was direly needed and will bring about a sea-change at all levels of our national life. With the central government elections around the corner, I also appeal to all thoughtful people who wish to have a country of dreams they should definitely support the nationalistic parties in every way they can. It is indeed a turning point in the history of our country and the present NDA government, and more specifically the BJP party should be given not one but many more chances to set the things right and create a strong, unified and prosperous country, which becomes like a light-house of hope & goodness for the whole world.

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Sarve bhavantu sukhinah. Om Tat Sat.

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TATTVA BODHA

Going beyond Agami Karmas

Swamini Samatananda

Tattva Bodha I

n this section of the text Acharya discussed the

different types of karmas and how a Jivanmukta goes beyond these karmas. So far we have seen how a Jivanmukta goes beyond the Prarabdha and Sanchit karmas. In this last section we will see how he goes beyond the Agami karmas.

vkxkfe deZ vfi Kkusu u';fr fdap vkxkfedeZ.kka ufyuhnyxrtyor~ Kkfuuka lEcU/kks ukfLrA “The Agami Karmas also get burned by the ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ gyana. Gyani (knowing himself as a non-doer, blissful existence) does no karmas, however, (as because of prarabdha karmas the body still exists, and acts too, so some new karmas are created) he remains untouched by them like a lotus remains untouched by the water in which it exists.”

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fdap ;s Kkfuua LrqofUr HktfUr vpZ;fUr rkUizfr KkfuÑra vkxkfe iq.;a xPNfrA ;s Kkfuua fuUnfUr f}"kfUr rkUizfr 10

Tattva Bodha KkfuÑra loZekxkfe fØ;ek.ka ;nokP;a deZ ikikReda rn~xPNfrA “Furthermore, those who glorify, venerate, and serve the gyani’s, to them all the punya (agami) karmas of a gyani go. While those who have avarice & aversion towards these gyani’s, and who speak ill about them, to them go the papa (agami) karmas of the gyani’s. It is said too that the good hearted ones get the virtuous karmas, and the ill-hearted ones as though invite the negative ones.” The blessing of seeing the Self as Brahman is liberation here and now. Awakening into the truth of ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ a Brahma Gyani rises above the sense of all limitation and seeking and thus all identifications with the Jiva is dissolved. It was due to ignorance that the Jiva was born with a strong conviction that I am a small limited being and I need to overcome this limitation by doing something and by achieving something from outside. As long as there is the Jiva who sees himself as a small limited being and who needs fulfillment from outside so long there will be a Doer and Enjoyer. This alone is the story of samsara, putting us on an endless trip of seeking. With shravan, manan and nididhyasan one awakens in the true

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nature of the Self and comes to see the Self as Self-effulgent

Tattva Bodha and Blissful in nature. The moment one awakens into this truth all sense of limitation and resulting doership is dissolved as a dream. Now in this scenario, even a Brahma Gyani continues to live his life until his prarabdha karmas are exhausted. This body is a fruit of actions in earlier lives and even this birth I bear the fruits of my actions here and now. These karmas also come into the category of prarabdha karmas. Prarabdha karmas are those that I am conscious of. So these have to be dealt only through experience. A knowledgable person goes through them in a dignified manner without any reaction. Non-reaction puts an end to prarabdha karmas. Now, further, in this case, the Agami karmas are those new karmas which are created by the body of a Man of wisdom. Even though a Brahma Gyani is seeing the truth that he is not a limited doer and he is neither an enjoyer but he is the self-effulgent blissful being, his body continues to act due to its prarabdha karmas. Now as per the law of karma when the body acts, then these actions must bear fruits too. The interesting thing here is that a Man of wisdom is detached from all sense of doership, all actions, and their results. As the Acharya says here that a Brahma Gyani lives like a lotus flower who remains untouched & unaffected by the waters in which it exists. He is not affected by any adversities or convenient situations. Since he has ris-

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en beyond all doership and enjoyership he has no expectations

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Tattva Bodha from any situation or for any particular situation for himself. He accepts all situations without any reactions. His responses are for the well-being of one & all (sarve bhavantu sukhinah). That attitude of action, to live selflessly and yet enthusiastically which was learned while learning the art of karma yoga now becomes natural to a Brahm Gyani. He neither wishes to change any situation due to any personal likes and dislikes nor has any attachments to hold on to any situation. Yet he continues to live effortlessly like a Yogi, fully, dynamically, and selflessly. Having understood this, now, a question arises, that if the results of these agami karmas do not bear fruits for a Brahma Gyani as he is free from any sense of doership or enjoyership, then what happens to such karmas? Where do they go? Here the Acharya reveals the interesting secret to the accounting of these karmas. Accounting Agami Karmas of a Gyani : We have often seen in our culture and tradition that there is a great significance of a Brahma Gyani Mahatma visiting the house of a householder (a grihasthi). It is considered a great honour and privelige to serve such Mahatmas. Even more this

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is clearly experienced by a sincere student who has completely

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Tattva Bodha surrendered at the Holy Feet of his Guru. With his faith, sincere and dedicated service to the Guru he is indeed blessed with all the knowledge, love and tapasya of his teacher. He is blessed in such a manner that sometimes it is difficult for the desciple to believe how did he ever deserve such blessings. This is the answer to the question regarding the accounting of the newly created karmas done by a Man of wisdom. The scriptures say that the fruits of all virtuous karmas done by a Gyani go to his disciples and students who revere and serve him. As against this any one who speaks ill of a Brahma Gyani or perform any wrong deed against him bear the fruits of the negative agami karmas of the knowledgable one. Here one must understand that even though a Brahma Gyani deliberately never performs any sinful actions, yet the world of karmas is very subtle and relative, so the possibility of any paap karmas is not ruled out. At the same time all those who do not have value for spiritual knowledge and knowledgable people naturally deny themselves the blessings of knowledge. Such people continue to suffer endlessly the consequences of their own ignorance. In this manner the accounting of the agami karmas of a Jivanmukta stand null and void for him. He is free from any fruits of

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actions.

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Mail from Poojya Guruji Way out of Despair Hari om !

Not â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; but yes, majority of the people do think on these lines and shortly realize that every worldly experience to be

of mo-

mentary satisfaction, and thus end up in hopelessness & despair. There is another kind too, a minority, they also initially realize the hopelessness of the ways of the world, but then do not despair, but rethink on their fundamental presumptions and bring about the necessary corrections.

Normally, a common man of the world starts his/her innings of life with two basic presumptions. One, that we are basically incomplete, and have come in this world to seek something; and Two, what we seek is out there in the world. Despair is basically a self-realization that neither of these presumptions were right. Instead of gravitating towards negative emotion of despair just humbly question your baseless presumptions and check out for alternate scenario. If at all you have to blindly follow someone,

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then why follow the stupid ways of the world, and not of the wise ones.

What the wise ones realized was that we are neither incomplete, nor is

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the world capable of filling our imaginary empty cup. What we come here for is not to acquire some worldly objects or experiences but basically to wake up to the truth of life and live a blessed life exuding love & fulfillment. Enlightenment is the real goal not extricating some extraneous experiences.

Despair has tremendous energy, and can bring about profoundly positive or even disastrously negative outcomes. This crossroad is critical, so use your energy intelligently and turn the tables. Think.

Lots of love & om

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Gita Reflections

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vuq}sxdja okD;a lR;a fiz;fgra p ;r~A Lok/;k;kH;lua pSo okaXe; ri mP;rsAA (Gita 17/15) 17

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Most Dexterous Speech (vuq}sxdja

okD;a------)

Swamini Samatananda

That speech which is not harmful, which is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial, and the regular study of scrip-

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tures are said to be verbal austerity. (Gita : Ch-17 / Sh-15) 18

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Gita Reflections

he fulfillment of a human life lies in evolving spiritually. Our practical day to day life is not an independant spectrum on its own. Whatever we live, practice and desire in our everyday life it is a step forward or backward in our spiritual evolution. Thus the scriptures speak of ‘Tapas’. Tapas is integrating, polishing and directing all our faculties in tune with one’s goal of acquiring spiritual knowledge. Ultimately knowledge alone is the means to liberation but all tapas helps in bringing about a mind and body suitable for knowledge. In the 17th chapter of the Gita Bhagwan Sri Krishna speaks of tapas at three levels of the body, speech and the mind. In this sloka the Lord speaks of tapas of speech. Polishing one’s faculty of speech is one of the greatest forms of tapasya.

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The Vaag indriyam or the organ of speech is one of the most powerful indriyas we have. It is said that the superiority of a human being lies in his intellectual prowess and the fact that he can become self-conscious. Here one should also note that another very important faculty which a human being posseses is the power of speech. The power to communicate. No worldly knowledge, no social communication and no spiritual knowledge would be possible without this faculty of speech. In-fact spiritual knowledge has been traditionally passed on by word of mouth alone. Thus the scriptures speak of ‘sravanam’ as one of the most important phases of spiritual learning. The fact

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Gita Reflections that the Vedas and the Gita lay a lot of emphasis on how we use this sense organ shows how important and powerful it is. Such is the power of words that one sentence can either become the cause of war and destruction or it can dissolve egos and invoke love for one another. One sentence can win the heart of someone, and encourage him to win the world or it can demotivate a person to the level of committing suicide. Once we assimilate this fact then alone we can appreciate the importance of tapas of speech. Tapas of speech is a verbal discipline. It is disciplining our speech from being impulsive, hasty, unthoughtful, harmful, and quantitative to making it cultured, thoughtful, non-violent, pleasant, brief and yet beneficial for the self and others. In this sloka Sri Krishna gives us four parameters that make us a righteous and a thoughtful speaker. Thus practicing these four parameters forms the vaangmaya tapas.

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Anudwegakaram vaakyam: One must understand that words are highly potent and can hurt a person more deeply than physical violence. The scars of physical hurt can fade off with time but a scar caused by verbal injury can hover in the mind for years together. ‘Anudwegakaram vaakyam’ means making sure that our words don’t hurt a person due to our impulsiveness or loose words. Not only is this a paap, a sin towards another person but also a sin towards the self as it will surely lead to our spiritual downfall. In case we need to use harsh words it should always be a last resort

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Gita Reflections keeping in mind the requirement of the situation. It should be a deliberate act only to bring about the welfare of the opposite person. Other people should not be a victim of our verbal vomit only to throw out our mental suppressions and anxieties. Any harsh means should always be taken up with a clear conscience and free of any regret later on. Words spoken are like arrows shot which can never be brought back again.

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Satyam: The second parameter is Satyam. Satyam means ‘Truthfulness’. Truthfulness is a harmony of thoughts and deeds, or thoughts and speech. What I know and what I speak should not be divided. All my faculties are in harmony with each other. It also means that whatever I am within so also I am with others outside. I do not have a split personality. I speak what I know and do as I say. Being truthful is the only way we can win the trust of people and at the same time have a mind which feels light and relaxed within. A dishonest person is constantly under pressure of keeping up a front and protecting himself from being caught. This is a sure shot way of losing energy, time and peace of mind. Therefore asatyam is the biggest obstacle to spiritual growth. In Mundaka Upanishad there is a very famous mantra’Satyameva jayati-Satyam alone wins. Often we compromise on truth for material gains, we compromise on truth to avoid relationship clashes. This shows our fears and insecurity on losing out something we value. But one must realize that ultimately it is the truth alone that prevails and wins.

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Gita Reflections However much we try to hide behind the untruth at some time or the other truth will be unfolded. Not only this no one can escape the karma phala of such unrighteous activities. We are accountable for every sin we commit. Knowledge of Vedanta comes to become a far fetched goal. Thus it is very important to abide by truth.

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‘Priyam’: Speech is a tool for communication. This communication is fruitful when along with being truthful and meaningful, it should also be priyam that is, it should be ‘pleasant’. Pleasant does not imply sweet talking all the time or pleasing someone unrealistically but it means the art of communication without hurting the ego of a person. Every individual, in spite of having many flaws and limitations is dear to his own self, because the truth is that we all are of the nature of ananda and so we all love our selves. Therefore pointing out someone’s negativities without hurting someone’s ego or putting him down is an art one should learn. There is always a way when we can successfully communicate the shortcomings of someone in a pleasant manner. One has to keep in mind the status, authority and mutual faith in any relationship before we can communicate a harsh truth. A truth when pleasantly communicated will be taken more positively, otherwise things will only worsen. The begining of any communication should always be by respecting the very existence of a person. It is only in dire situations when harsher steps need to be taken. Thus our scriptures say-Priyam vada.

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Gita Reflections Hitam: It is very important to keep in mind that talking to someone or communicating with someone should be with the sole objective of benefitting the self and the other person. Talking should not be a meaningless gossip. Gossiping is a cheap entertainment at the cost of others. In fact often gossip can have dangerous results when wrong messages are passed on from one ear to another. It can result in the destruction of relationships and waste of time and energy. Therefore each time we open our mouth it is important to think-Is this conversation benefitting me or the person in any way. If not stay away from it.

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Swadhyabhyasanam Having practised the values mentioned in the first line a spiritual seeker conserves valuable energy and developes a mind that is focused and integrated. So now this faculty of a focused mind and speech is directed to valuable studying of the scriptures. A human birth, along with the blessings of a Sadguru and the Scriptures is very rare. So Bhagwan says the best use of the organ of speech is to use it for the study of scriptures. Chanting Vedic mantras and slokas, reading the Ramayana and Mahbharata and studying the BhagwadGita and the Upanishads is what ultimately makes the blessing of speech fruitful.

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The Art Of Man Making

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Look At The Problem

P.P. Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji 24

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The Art of Man Making

problem in life is a challenge to be faced. The out-

er problems created by the arrangement of happenings and the pattern of the available environment are all actually interpreted by the mind, judged by the intellect. Behind the hands and the legs we have a set of intricate and highly sensitive equipments which evaluate and judge the outer world for us and finally discriminate and decide what our outer equipments of action must do in response to the challenge ahead. These are the mind-intellect equipments. The beauty and strength, smartness and alertness of the mind-intellect decide the quality of the individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance in life; in short, his success in life. In order that the intellect may come to the right decision, it must have correct data. But the reading of the outer problem by our unbridled senses is often gnarled by the unsteady, confused and even severly dis-integrated state of mind. The mind gathers the sense-reports and presents them to the intellect to decide how, as an individual, it should respond to the external challenge. When the mind is unsteady, the data presented become a confused, misinterpreted jumble, and the intellect, even V edanta Sandes h

if its decisions are right, it is not effective in solving the prob-

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The Art of Man Making lem as its decisions are based upon false data. In short, if we do not care to cultivate a system of order in our inner equipments of experiences, and do not discipline the outer sense-organs of perception and action, then like an untuned instrument, we will get but a clamour of noises, never the liquid melody, the dancing rhythm, the lilting notes and the stupendous harmony of a life lived dynamically, rich in its success and achievements. The subtle technique of re-tuning our shattered mind-intellect equipment is achieved through what is so famously known as Karma-Yoga-the path of selfless dedicated activity. When we perceive an object or try to evaluate a situation, not only do the sense organs bring in their reports and the mind compiles and presents them to the intellect for final judgment, but the very ability to think, rationalize, judge, etc., of the intellect is conditioned by a factor in us which modern psychologists call the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Unconsciousâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This Unconscious is composed of impressions the personality has gathered from its own thoughts and actions in the past. These impressions are called by the Hindu Rishis

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as Vasanas.

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The Art of Man Making Thus, if I am a drunkard, I have drink-vasana, and so when I see a bottle of whisky, my recation is to grab it immediately, while you, a perfect teetotaller, will turn your face and walk away in disgust. Later, I cannot complain that I was tempted by the bottle. Really speaking, the whisky bottle has no such powers, else how would you walk away so easily? These Vasanas in each one of us gathered from the past march out into their expression-first as a ‘desire’ in the intellect, then as a ‘thought’ in the mind, and lastly as an ‘act’ at the body level. Each one of us is thus a helpless expression of our own past Vasanas. These Vasanas are to be intelligently exhausted or eliminated. They are first to be purified and then exhausted through appropriate actions. When the Vasanas are healthy ones, the problems get easily solved by our correct evaluation of them and our apt counter-actions. Where the Vasanas have ended problems also end. Therefore, the apparent problems outside the individual’s envi-

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ronment are but reflections ordered by the Unconscious in him.

The Art of Man Making The world is the final projection of the total Vasanas in all the individuals playing in life. Thus, world problems or national problems are all essentially eruptions caused by the Vasanas in all the individuals put together. Through individual perfection alone can world perfection be achieved-this is the declaration of all scriptures. Now the question is, how best can we individually purify and ultimately redeem ourselves from the compelling encrustations of Vasanas? The technique advised in the Geeta is Karma-Yoga-the way of performing all actions in an attitude

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of selfless dedication to a desirable goal.

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Jivanmukta Wandering In Himalayas

76 Trilokeenath contd Excerpts from the Travel Memoirs of Param Poojya Swami Tapovanji Maharaj

Jivanmukta B

eyond the pass the landscape presented

a strange appearance. The high, barren, bare peaks capped with snow stood on all sides inspiring us with wonder and awe. Here and there were villages inhabited by Buddhists who appeared to be of a mixed race, and their Buddhism could hardly be distinguished from Hinduism. There Lamas lived at a distance from the villages. They were not so devoted nor so righteous as the Lamas of Tibet. Most of them were householders, enjoying the company of women and leading quite a worldly life. From a spot called Khoxer we resumed our journey the next morning. The path led in a northwesterly direction. As our toes and fingers had gone stiff in the benumbing cold, we found it hard to walk in the morning. We had spent a sleepless night on account of the intense cold and scarcity of fuel. It was 8 or 9 a.m. when the sun rose above the line of the mountain tops . When its warm rays fell upon us, our hands and feet began to move freely and before 10 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock we reached a place called Seesu, nine miles from Khoxer. We rested there for a while. There was no possibility of getting more food in the locality . At a wayside village we cooked our meal and satisfied our hunger before we resumed our journey.

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Our next destination was a charming little town called Gondu-

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Jivanmukta la, seven miles ahead. The place was remarkable for its palace. The next morning we covered ten miles and arrived at a village named Lotu. We passed the night in a dharamsala in the vicinity of the village. The inhabitants of the village were Buddhists, fond of entertaining sadhus, and my companions were remarkably skillful in gathering alms. Therefore had no worry about my meal. As the head of the band of sadhus, I was treated with particular consideration . Since the sadhus did not like to accept cooked food from others, they received rice and did the cooking themselves. All along the route we could have milk and buttermilk in plenty and so, in spite of all our exertions, we remained as strong and

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energetic as ever.

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STORY Section 32

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Dwadasha Jyotirlingas (Kedareshwara)

hata-Rudreeyam: Linga Formations are

representations of Maha Deva and worship to Lingas is most certainly the worship to Shiva and his virility itself. While there are crores of Linga Swarupas made of sand, rock, metal and various other matetial bases all over the Universe, distinct Beings like Brahma-Vishnus,

Deva-Danavas,

Yaksha-Gandharvas,

Mu-

ni-Manavas and others were stated to worship Shiva Lingas in their own ways having materialised them with varying materials and varying names of Shiva. This staggering mateial base with which the Lingas were made and distinguished with different names of Maha Devas was called Shata Rudreeyam.: Brahma meditated the feet of a Golden Linga called Jagat Pradhana; Krishna to the head of a black stone Linga named Urjit; Sanakadi Munis to the heart of Jagadrati Linga; Sapta Rishis worshipped a Darbha Linga named Vishwa Yoni; Narada conceived an all-pervasive Akaakasha Linga and worshipped Jagatvija; and so on..... Dwadasha Jyotir Lingas: Nandeshwara described the most Celebrated Twelve Shiva Lingas viz. Kedarnath in Himalayas [Uttaranchal], Bhima Shankar in Dakinya [Pune, Maharashtra], Vishweshwara in Varanasi, Triambaka on Godavari Banks, So-

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manath in Sourashtra [Gujarat], Mallikarjuna in Shri Shaila

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Legend of Kedarnath [Andhra Pradesh], Mahakaala in Ujjain [Madhya Pradesh], Omkareshwara [also in Madhya Pradesh], Vaidyanath at Deogarh [Bihar], Nageshwara near Dwaraka [Gujarat], Rameshwara [Tamil nadu] and Ghishneshwara [near Ellora Caves, Aurangabad, Maharashtra]. Let us see the glory and legend behind each of the Dwadasha Jyotirlingas. Kedareswara: Flanked the snow-clad peaks of Himalayas at a height of 3585 m from Sea level Kedar is the highest point of human comprehension where the Kedareshwara Jyotirlinga is present. Kedareshwara is famous shrine for Lord Shiva devotees. The lingam at Kedarnath Temple, unlike its usual form, is pyramidal and is regarded as one of the 12 Jyotirlings. Lord Shiva manifested in the form of Jyotirlingam or the cosmic light. Kedarnath is highest among the 12 Jyotirlingas. This ancient and magnificient temple is located in the Rudra Himalaya range. This temple, over a thousand years old is built of massive stone slabs over a large rectangular platform. As per mythology and legends, there are various stories associated with Kedareshwara Temple. Legend 1: Legend goes that Nara and Narayana - two incarnations of Vishnu performed severe penance in Badrikashraya of V edanta Sandes h

Bharat Khand, in front of a Shivalingam fashioned out of earth.

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Legend of Kedarnath Pleased with their devotion, Lord Shiva appeared in front of them and said that they may ask for a boon. Nar and Narayan requested Shiva to take up a permanent abode as a Jyotirlingam at Kedarnath so that all people who worship Shiva shall be freed from their miseries. Legend 2: According to another legend, the place came into being during the period when the five Pandavas brothers were asked to seek Shivaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blessings purging them of the sin of killing their cousins. Lord Shiva unwilling to give darshans to the Pandavas filed Kashi to live incognito in Guptkashi, where eventually he was detected by the Pandavas. Besides, yet another popular legend related to Kedar Temple, Goddess Parvati worshipped Kedareshwar to unite with Shiva as Ardhanareeswarar. Bhairon Temple: A little away from Kedarnath is a temple dedicated to Bhaironathji who is ceremoniously worshipped at the opening & closing of Kedarnath Temple. The belief is that Bhairavnathji protects this land from evil during the time when

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temple of Kedarnath is closed.

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Mission & Ashram News

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Bringing Love & Light in the lives of all with the Knowledge of Self

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