Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission
Vedanta Sandesh Year - 23
Issue 11
May 2018
Ganga-Dusshera Greetings
V edanta Sandes h
Cover Page
This month our cover page is dedicated to Ganga-Avatarana the descending of Ganga. Every year Ganga Dusshera is celebrated on the Dashami Tithi of Jyeshtha Shukla Paksha. This year it is on 24th May. This is the day on which the prayers and tapasya of King Bhagirath were finally answered and the divine Ganga which resided in the heavens in Akash Ganga finally descended on Earth to redeem the people here, and more specifically the ancestors of Bhagirathji. It was Bhagwan Shankar who received Gangaji on his matted locks. Sensing some arrogance in her he did not let her get out of his matted locks, and again Bhagirath started yet another round of tapasya, and Shivji finally let her go by opening just one of his hair-lock. There are obviously many lessons from such stories - the power of tapasya, the compassion of the celestial ones, the greatness of Shivji, and ofcourse the divinity & magnitude of Gangaji. When we look at the sky and see the Milky Way, which is called as the Akash Ganga in our shastras. It all speaks about the holistic perception of things and magnitude of Gangaji. Not only the ancestors of Bhagirathji were redeemed, but the good deeds of such saintly people redeems the whole mankind too. On that day elaborate festivities are held on the bank of Ganges. Visitors need to visit Haridwar or Varanasi on such occasion to witness the grand festivities, including decorations and special Ganga-Aarti.
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CONTENTS
V edanta Sandes h
Vedanta Sandesh May 2018
1.
Shloka 5
2.
Message of P. Guruji
3.
Tattva Bodha 9-14
4.
Letter 15-16
5.
Gita Reflections 17-22
6.
The Art of Man Making
7.
Jivanmukta 31-33
8.
Story Section 34-37
9.
Mission / Ashram News
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23-30
38-48
10.
Forthcoming Progs 49
11.
Links 50 3
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Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission May 2018 : Year 23 / Issue 11
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:
V edanta Sandes h
Swamini Samatananda Saraswati
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jTtqliZonkRekua thoks KkRok Hk;a ogsr~A ukga tho% ijkResfr Kkr'psfĂŠHkZ;ks Hkosr~AA
Erroneously taking the individuality as the true self,
there is the genesis of fear. It is only when one finally realizes that I am not this (limited & manifested) Jiva, but rather I am the infinite Self, that we become fearless. Atma Bodha - 27
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Message from Poojya Guruji
Two Birds on the Tree Mundaka Upanishad gives an interesting analogy of Two Birds sitting on One Tree, where one bird is sitting contended, while the other one is continuously gobbling tasty fruits. Angira Rishi sees the world also in the same way. This world is like that tree, and indeed there are just two kinds of birds seen on this tree-like world - the Jiva and the Ishwara.
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The World is very often compared with a tree in various scriptures, be cause it all manifests from a single stem & roots and then has so many different branches and manifestations - leaves, buds, flowers, fruits, it provides shelter for so many, it provides food and protects us from all extremities of weather etc. It is an ideal example of how one becomes many things, and the entire many continuously keep on manifesting from one. However, in spite of its manifested multiplicity & uniqueness of everything, everything is basically connected, because they are all part of one tree alone, with one common root and also the common main stem supporting & nourishing everything. The tree also has another interesting comparison, that the roots which literally support & nourish the entire manifestation are not visible with our existing faculties, nevertheless, its existence is beyond all doubts. The visible part keeps changing continuously and drastically in every season, while the invisible part is relatively constant and unchanging. Finally, the entire tree, howsoever much is useful & beautiful, it can be cut. All these aspects become points of our deeper contemplation & reflection. Superficially it may appear that there are so many individuals living on this tree, but on closer observation, we see that there are just two alone. Every clas-
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sification has a certain basis. Here that criterion is contentment. There may be billions of individuals and still billions more other species living on this one tree, yet when we apply this criterion, then all the individuals the world over they can be clubbed under the category of seekers. Whichever country we go, whichever society we see, everyone is desperately looking out for some experiences from their world, and interestingly this goes on forever - lifelong. Seeking, seeking, and seeking. Here and then hereafter. Whether some are educated or uneducated, rich or poor, high or low, all are trying to extricate some experiences from the world outside. All the happiness & sorrow are connected to this aspect alone. We look back in our history books - this alone is the common theme of all chapters. All wars, all politics, aim to create some ideal scenario, which is supposedly most compatible with getting good experiences for everyone. So indeed we are all generically one kind. Seekers, gobblers. While we all seek, yet in the heart of hearts - we all aim for the elusive contentment. The other bird, which though not perceptible, yet its existence is easily inferred. We can never insist to see everything by our sense organs alone to prove existence of something. So the other bird is seen with the pramana of inference. There can never be an effect without a cause, no crops without a farmer, so products without an industry, no fever without a bacteria or virus, so also there can be no creation without a creator. It is common sense. Obviously, the creator of this amazingly beautiful creation has to be omniscient & omnipotent. One who has so artistically created the entire creation so beautifully has a mind which is full of love & contentment. Let’s call him Ishwara or God, or whatever name we may like, but he or she definitely is an embodiment of knowledge, power, love & contentment. That’s the definition of God in all systems & traditions. If the tree is there, then this second bird too is definitely there. Mere belief in the existence of such a bird brings about a profound change in our values, goals & life. Afterall we are all trying to attain that state alone. So our journey begins by seeing the existence of this second bird. Don’t just see the every-hungry gobblers in the world, but rather see the signature or rather the presence of this second bird - contended, omniscient, omnipotent, compassionate. If we are conscious of the presence of such a bird, then obviously we shall think about it, befriend it, and aim for it. Such people remain positive, inspired and are real devotees. Such people alone, with the blessings of God, shall one day become that too, and thus fulfill their lives.
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Om Tat Sat,
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TATTVA BODHA
Implied Meaning of Mahavakyas
Swamini Samatananda
Tattva Bodha I
nthepreviouslesson,wesawhowthestudentfoundital-
most impossible to accept the profound proposition that if one has to root out the seeking of samsara one should discover the oneness between the individual and the Ishvara. Listening to such a proposition the sudent now wishes to logically understand how this is possible? The student is truthful when he says that from the level at which he stands the identity if not only impossible it is rather blasphemous. Since the attributes of Jiva and Ishvara appear to be poles apart, the student cannot imagine the very possibility of such oneness. He therefore requests the teacher to reveal that point of view from which this impossible is made possible.
u- LFkwy lw{e 'kjhjkfHkekuh RoEin okP;kFkZ%A mikf/kfofueqZDr% lekf/kn'kklEiéa 'kq) pSrU;a RoEiny{;kFkZ%A
The teacher goes on to reveal that the word
‘tvam’ is seen from two points of view. One is the identification of a person with the superficial word meaning of ‘tvam’ which implies the
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gross and the subtle bodies. The other is the
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Tattva Bodha implied meaning of the word ‘tvam’ which is pure consciousness. This is the state of pure existence devoid of all identifications with the gross and the subtle bodies. Here the teacher is not talking of the superficial word meaning. Identification with the word meaning is where the sudent or any ignorant person stands today. This is how we look at ourself and how others also look at us. Here the Acharya is talking about that which transcends the gross and subtle bodies. This alone is our real identity. Let us see in details the two meanings of the word ‘Tvam’ or the word ‘Jiva’.
The Vachyartha & the Lakshyartha :
There are basically two meanings of the word jiva, a su-
perficial meaning and an implied meaning. The Vachyartha:
The first one is called the Vachyartha, and the other is
called the Lakshyartha. Vachyartha or the superficial word meaning is as we see ourself today at the level of our body, mind and intellect. This is how we see ourselves and also how others see us. Although this identity appears to be practically feasable in our day to day interactions this is not our true nature. Our true identity is that which transcends the three bodies, the
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three states and the five kosas too. I am the pure consciousness,
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Tattva Bodha self effulgent, and blissful existence. This identity is free from all conditionings of the body, mind and intellect. This is the deeper and implied meaning or the Lakshyartha of the word ‘tvam’ or the ‘Jiva’. The teacher is directing us to see ourself in this manner. This alone is our true identity based on the valid means of knowledge given to us by our Rishis. The world may always see us at the level of this body-mind complex but how I see myself and how I see the world should be my concern. I cannot change the perception of the world and how they look at me but surely I can change my own perceptions about my own self and the world. The implied meaning (Lakshyartha) is seen in the state of Samadhi:
This real meaning is directly realized in the state of
‘Samadhi’. Samadhi is that state of mind wherein we are free from all consciousness of the world and the body and mind as well. I am free of all identifications with the body and mind as being young, old, male, female, happy, sad, intelligent or unintelligent and so on and so forth. We just become aware of the Self. Awareness of being pure consciousness and pure existence. The enquirer alone is. This negation of the adjuncts and
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the external world is a result of deep enquiry and contempla-
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Tattva Bodha tion upon the knowledge that we have acquired through shravan and manan at the Feet of our Guru. Strong affirmation of this knowledge that I am not this body, I am not this mind and intellect and directly living this knowledge with full conviction and clarity is living in the state of Samadhi. In this state initially the awareness that I am pure existence, pure consciousness and bliss is there, but as this awareness becomes more affirmed and natural to me the need to consciously retain this thought that I am self effulgent and blissful is also not required. Conscious effort of retaining the identity is dropped. For example when I get a new identity of a Manager from an assistent manager, it first takes me a while to assimilate the identity. It also requires an effort of deliberate awareness in retaining the awareness but slowly it becomes natural to me and I dont need any deliberate thought to retain the awareness, I know I am a Manager. Even if someone calls out to me in my sleep I will respond accordingly. Similarly this new identity of being the pure existent, self effulgent, blissful self is assimilated then a deliberate awareness or effort is not required. It becomes natural to me. I effortless revel in this state of existence. This is what is meant by state of Samadhi. It comes about with affirmation and clarity of discrimination. All that we have realised through discrimination becomes more and more natural to me.
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For this the Acharya says one must practise samadhi regularly.
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Tattva Bodha The practise of Samadhi reveals to us the implied meaning of the word ‘I’.
Having seen the implied meaning of the word ‘tvam’
brings about a turning point in life. The very fact that I dont see my self as the body mind complex frees me of various complexes. The world may continue to see me at the level of my physical appearance, my caste, my sex and my mental levels, but I have discovered a different identity of myself. The world will continue to see me as a limited being but I have discovered a new limitless Self. This is how we are one with Ishvara. This is the point of view which the teacher is discussing.
To see this oneness between the Jiva and Ishvara we
have to enquire upon the word meaning and implied meaning of both Jiva and Ishvara. In this section we have tried to understand this at the level of ‘tvam’ or ‘Jiva’. Next the Acharya will
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talk about the word meaning and implied meaning of Ishvara.
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Mail from Poojya Guruji Conviction of a Sant Q: What are your views on conviction of Sant Asaram Bapu? Ans: Now that the honorable court has after due diligence proved the complicity of Asaram in the deplorable sin I would not prefer to call him a Sant anymore. He will go down in history as yet another Kapati Muni. However, before we go into more details I would like to draw a distinction of a Kathakar from a true Man of Knowledge. He was a self-acclaimed Brahma-Gyani, advertising everywhere that a Brahma Gyani has come to your town. We have never read or seen this anywhere else. I never considered him a man of knowledge, irrespective of his grand shows. He may at best be a believer in God and could be inspiring millions for a devoted selfless life, but was not anything more. His being a Kathakar also proved to be a farce. In Hinduism a Brahma Gyani is someone who having studied the Upanishads from a Shrotriya & Brahma-Nishth Guru, turns away from all ephemeral things of the world, meaning they take the resolve of Sanyas, and then alone they realize the timeless. This is our timeless tradition. I never saw any of these things in him. One of the things which are required for a sanyasi is Aeshana-Traya Tyaga. Complete turning away from Lokeshana (desire for fame), Vitteshana (desire for wealth) and Putreshana (desire for children or even hordes of shishyas). He always displayed a complete absence of these. His ad-campaigns, his acquisitions of properties all over, amassing of wealth, and drives for more & more shishyas, all indicated existence of Aeshanas rather V edanta Sandes h
than their absence. The only credit I would give him was his marketing skills to inspire common people for satsang. On closer observation, I found that he always targetted the simple & weak-minded, gullible people who were looking
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for some support, and they got a psychological crutch in him. Incidentally such class of people are in great numbers, and he polished the art of hooking them. When you get the hang of getting large followers, then politicians are not far behind, and so also business men. So everything fitted in very nicely. However, he obviously had a great sexual appetite, which the court validated, and this let him down. He did try to develop discreet systems, like hidden doors etc, but one day the sin does get exposed. We are believers in Dharma, and dharma does not discrimninate between the famous or infamous. If you do any wrong you shall get appropriate karma-phala. Everyone needs to draw proper lessons from such incidents. Lets accept that good & bad people exist in every field, whether it is religion, politics, judiciary, bureaucrats, businessmen, doctors, engineers or even teachers. Good & bad exist everywhere. Why should we baselessly expect someone to be good? Even when we go for shopping we have to investigate, you get your children married only after due deligence, then why should we be gullible in these cases. Baseless & unvalid expectations shall always be shattered, sooner or later. So this is just a wake-up call for everyone to be more alert & awake. Inspite of all our discretion we shall still be decieved, then lets simply & humbly learn to be more alert and as far as possible try to live an intelligent & awakened life. There are always hundred Kauravas and only five Pandavas, yet the beauty is that the good still exist and we need to believe in this and keep humbly treading the Sreya-Marg.
Love & om,
V edanta Sandes h
Swami Atmananda
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Gita Reflections
V edanta Sandes h
leks·ga loZHkwrs"kq u es }s";ks·fLr u fiz;%A ;s HktfUr rq eka HkDR;k ef; rs rs"kq pkI;ge~AA (Gita 9/29) 17
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Samoham sarva bhuteshu........ na priyah (leks¡ga
loZHkwrs"kq u es }s";ks¡fLr----)
Swamini Samatananda
I am equally disposed to all living beings; I am neither inimical nor partial to anyone. But the devotees who
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worship me with love reside in me and I reside in them. Gita 9/29 18
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Gita Reflections
I
am the same limitless Ishvara in al the be-
ings because the atma of everyone is me alone. I am not someone seperate from them. So I am equal to all. I have established a universal law and everyone is graced as per their own invokation and prayers. As it is said in the fourth chapter-Ye yathaa maam prapadyante taams tathaiva bhajaamyaham-As all surrender to me I reward accordingly. Everyone follows my path in all respects. Just as sunlight showers its light equally on one and all but each one embraces the sunshine in his own way. A mirror will reflect the sunshine very brightly, clear waters in a lake will reflect sunshine at a different level, and a rock or a stone may not reflect any light at all. This shows that the grace of the sunlight being the same the reflection of sunlight varies depending upon the reflecting capacity of the surface. This negates the idea that the sun may be partial to some and not others. Thus the grace being the same each one is benefitted and blessed according to his own efforts and desires. There is no partiality on the part of the Sun. So also subjectively consciousness is revealed in the same manner in everyone but it all depends on the purity of the mind to be able to reflect the consciousness. If a mind is impure and is entangled in the attractions of the outside world such a mind cannot focus in devotion of the Divine Self and hence is not blessed by any revelation V edanta Sandes h
of the Real Self. A classic example can be seen in Mahabhara-
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Gita Reflections ta. In the Mahabharata, Shri Krishna gave Arjuna and Duryodhana an equal opportunity to chose either his divine army or to chose Sri Krishna himself. Arjuna chose Shri Krishna and Duryodhana chose the army. In the same manner Ishvara or consciousness too blesses and is revealed in all beings in an equal manner. Ishvara is an embodiment of compassion and selfless love. The very thought that Ishvara is partial is a false and ridiculous imposition upon the knowledge and compassion of God. In fact God showers his love and blessings equally even upon those who defy his very existence. Thus a person who does not have the selfless devotion, total surrender and the inquisitiveness to know the nature of Ishvara is not blessed by his grace. Just as milk is not sustained in a vessel that is impure so also an impure mind is not suitable to embrace the grace of God. Just as a rough mirror will not reflect a clear image so also an impure mind will not be able to reveal the principle of consciousness even though it is readily available for anyone to see. Thus it is the height of ignorance to say that Ishvara is favourable to one and unfavourable to another. Thus Sri Krishna goes on to say-Na me dveshyosti... Na Me dveshyosti:
If all beings are but my own self and not separate from
me then how can I have dvesha (dislike) towards anyone. Just
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as a mother when she does something for her child she feels
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Gita Reflections the satisfaction of doing it for herself. This is because she sees oneness between herself and the child. When everyone is me Sri Krishna says how can I disIike myself or others. Ishvara is ‘Poorna’ complete within himself. Dislike or hate is always a result of ignorance and seeing the Self as limited. Dislike is an expression in the world of duality. So Bhagwan shuns the very possibility of disgracing someone on the basis of personal dislikes. Having said this Bhagwan goes on to complete the implication by even negating the doubt that Ishvara may not dislike anyone but he may have a fondness for some. This doubt is also negated when Bhagwan says-Na priyah... Na priyah:
I have no favorite nor any beloved. It is only an attribute of
a Jiva to have personal likes and dislikes towards someone. An ignorant jiva who is inspired by ego satisfaction looks for conducive relationships and situations. Any relationship that brings about satisfaction of the limited self-receives special fondness and attention and on the other hand any inconvenient person becomes a victim of vengeance and dislike. Ishvara has created this world out of his joy and love. To see any such discrimination in him is only a reflection of a Jiva’s petty mind and knowledge. The implication of the words when Bhagwan says-those who worship me will come to me etc points out to the qualification
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required of a single pointed devotion, total surrender and an in-
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Gita Reflections tense desire to know Ishvara himself. Oneness with Ishvara lies in knowing Ishvara himself. It is not a case of being favorable to some and being unfavorable to others. The truth is that even grace has to be invoked. Ye maam bhajanti
Thus Bhagwan says-Those who worship me and seek me
alone with devotion attain me. A mind, which is pre-occupied with its own ego-centric attachments with the non-Self, cannot come to discover the pure existing, self-effulgent and blissful nature of the Self. When the mind has detached itself from external attractions, it becomes ready to seek and to discover its true identity with the Self. It all depends on the mind. An extrovert mind is inclined to seeking superficial pleasures outside and thus suffering consequently whereas a Sattwik mind is curious to discover the fulfillment within. Mayi te teshu
Sri Krishna further goes on to say these spiritual seekers
exist in me and I exist in them. What about others? They are also non separate from me but as they are still not that thirsty to seek me their devotion too is devoid of commitment. If they
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do then I am in them.
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-2-
The Art of Man Making Swami Chinmayananda
-2-
The Art Of Man Making
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Urgency for the Study of the Geeta
P.P. Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji 24
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The Art of Man Making
I
tisnotoftenthattheyouthof anationhastofacesuch
dire situation and terrible challenges as we have now in our country. And yet, it should be recognised as a condition which no backward nation can avoid when it tries to rewrite its own history. These are the pangs of the new birth; and no new birth is ever possible without its accompanying pains. Since this is a natural condition through which the youth must march forward, we may profitably look back into our culture to discover available techniques we may have for reinforcing ourselves and for getting the necessary strength, stamina and daring to face the national reconstruction challenges.
A very similar situation is depicted in the Mahabharata
times and a message to the youth had been given by the Subtle thinkers of the era to the despondent youth of those times Arjuna represents the world of youth, and the Bhagavad Gita given out through Arjuna thunders forth the solution to the world outside. He is placed against a background of the din and roar of a self annihilating civil war in this country. The opening chapter of the Bhagavad Gita paints for us a confusing atmosphere of stress and tension, of sweat and dust, of din and roar, natural on every war front. Apart from the clamouring sounds and rattling noises of the impatient armies standing face to face, we are also given a peep into the tension created in the subjective Minds of V edanta Sandes h
the people by the tragic outer situation. The challenge is not only outside man, but it springs forth from within his own bosom. The
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The Art of Man Making disturbance is created by the mental stress and strain churn the within of the man of action and he comes to feel lost. In fact, this innocuous gets itself projected to express as the outer disturbances around. examples are many about us today to illustrate the scientific truth of the statement. Many of our strikes, whether they be in the industrial concerns or in the universities or even in our administration itself, all of them ultimately erupt from the inner tensions felt, which were restrained and suppressed for a long period of time in the past.
This inner shattering of the psychological personality in
man is projected out so vividly in the characterisation of Arjuna that in the Bhagavad Gita, the Pandava Prince represents the ‘confused man of the world- the disillusioned youth’ of all times. The case history of Arjuna is recorded with scientific precision in the opening chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
As the commander in chief of the Pandava forces this
great warriors who had proved his prowess many a time earlier, comes to the war-front and reviews the array of the enemy lines. he discovered that the unholy hordes who are championing the unjust messages of pure covetousness and lust for power are more powerful. The Kaurava forces are larger in number, better equipped and more efficiently manned. Compared with these forces of relentless materialism, the Pandava forces, representing the saner and the nobler values of life, are weak, incompetent, V edanta Sandes h
and apparently inefficient. This practical calculation sinks the warrior in Arjuna into a state of utter dejection, a psychological
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The Art of Man Making state of impotency and hysteria. When one is convinced that one must fight against certain Obnoxious tendencies, and yet when one finds that, under the circumstances, one dares not to strike, the resultant mental condition of painful disillusionment is called ‘dejection’.
Arjuna is represented in the Bhagavad Gita as an enthusi-
astic soldier who has reached this benumbing state of utter dejection.
In such a ‘state of dejection’, an intelligent man of action
discovers in himself many a logical argument, each one apparently righteous, to convince himself that he should ‘run away’ from the field of his duty and positive action. This state of ‘escapism’ is detrimental to any great achievement. But all psychological cowards, often, unconsciously live this life of escapism. At all such moments, human intellect has got the ability in itself to seek and to discover false justification supporting its own self escapism.
Arjuna argues that he cannot fulfil, his duties towards his
Nation, and he brings forth a chain of empty arguments, all of them extremely sentimental and highly emotional. On the whole, Vyasa, the author, demonstrates in Arjuna the total break up of the human personality under the stress and strain of its own immediate environment.
I am here deliberately choosing my vocabulary in order to
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bring home to my listeners the irresistible parallel that we find in the conditions today around us: the youth of our country psycho-
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The Art of Man Making logically going through this ‘Arjuna state’ of an inner collapse.
After our independence, the new generation, conscious of
their New Found freedom, dreamt of a progressive Nation moving ahead with determination and vision to make the people self sufficient and even prosperous. The youth, intelligent they are, find in themselves a search of confidence that they can achieve what they want in this rich country by exploring and exploiting its own natural resources. And yet, at levels they find their hopes shattered, their vision belied, their ambitions thwarted. The negative forces around them seem to gather more strength at every moment and, naturally, a sense of disillusionment verging on the point of hysteria and despondency overwhelms the youth. They become at moments and at other moments too despondent to care what is all happening around them. Their mind corrupted, intellects drooping in despondency, physically they come to live an unholy and unnatural life of excesses and shameless corruption, justifying everything that they are doing in a mad sequence of noisy logic. This we find today among the youth all around the world.
At this moment, were Arjuna all alone, he would have cer-
tainly, in his dejection and despair, run away from his post of duty, allowing all the negative forces in the country a free play to sabotage the constructive plans and to blast all the sacred hopes of a national revival. Luckily for the Prince there was at the time the V edanta Sandes h
great Master Lord Krishna to resurrect the Arjuna mind from the abyss of despair into the very peaks of hope and the warmth
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The Art of Man Making of a clear vision.
Though a proficient man, due to his mental agitations the
great warrior in Arjuna becomes temporarily inefficient. Great achievements are earned not through proficiency alone, but achievements are rewards of efficiency. Today all around us we find in our country, we have through education stepped up the general proficiency in our youth. But their capacity to apply their knowledge in the field of their activity is definitely at a low ebb. If knowledge adds up to form proficiency, the ability to translate that knowledge into action at the appropriate field is called efficiency
We are at present a nation proficient no doubts but, alas,
extremely inefficient. Arjuna the proficient warrior in the first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita demonstrates himself to be inefficient to meet the challenge due to his subject mental rupture. Lord Krishna his song divine treats the shattered personality of his student and rehabilitate his personality and we find that the dejected Arjuna of the first chapter rises up in the last chapter with a newfound determination to act and fulfil his duties towards the world. This mental rehabilitation process is the theme of the Bhagavad Gita, and in our national revival we shall need no other knowledge so urgently as this great secret technique. Hence claim the Gita is a scripture for the teenagers of the na-
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tion.
Under the Arjuna State, man sinks into a hysterical con-
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The Art of Man Making dition and at a time loses his capacity to discriminate correctly what should be done and what should not be done. Temporarily his sanity is robbed from him by the rising fumes of own confusion in his bosom, and he comes to act madly— sometimes suicidal often tragic society. In our country I need not illustrate the working of this psychological law, as we find so often our own national transport vehicles burnt down, our own Municipal wealth destroyed, when people lose their discrimination at such moments of psychological disturbance in them.
In short, at such tragic moments man loses his ability
to think correctly and abdicate his power of judgement, he, benumbed by worldly problems around, staggers under the crushing load of his own self created miseries. This was the condition of the student in the Bhagavad Gita, and the educational treatment given to him constitutes the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita. the immediate urgency for mastering this knowledge for
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us as a nation is now obvious and evident.
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Jivanmukta Wandering In Himalayas
65 Yoga Excerpts from the Travel Memoirs of Param Poojya Swami Tapovanji Maharaj
Jivanmukta H
e alone is a real yogi who has tran-
scended the three mental states of tamas, rajas, and satwa, and reached that supreme state of self-abidance. Nobody else deserves that name. Others in their ignorance only confuse the ends and means. It is therefore a supreme duty of a student of yoga to understand the real nature of yoga and persue it enthusiastically and wholeheartedly. A well-known principle of yoga is: Yoga yogat pravartate (“Yoga improves with yoga” that is, yoking with Reality(yoga) is accomplished through yoga practices ). There are several stages in the practice of Yoga. One must proceed step by step from the lower to the higher stage. But if, God’s grace, one has already transcended some of these stages, one can proceed directly to the next stage. If a man has attained dharana without practising pranayama and pratyahara in this life, he need not waste his time or energy practising those earlier excercises. Similarly, if his mind in its innate purity can readily concentrate upon the abstract, he need not seek corporeal aid. So everyone must examine his mental equipment and proceed higher and higher as it may be possible in each individual case. The science of yoga acknowledges asamprajnata as its highest goal. It recognizes him who has reached that state as the supreme yogi. It also admits that there is nothing illogical if qualified persons reach the goal at one leap, while persons less qualified have to reach it by the regular practise of pranayama, pratyahara, V edanta Sandes h
and other preliminary excercises.
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Jivanmukta Brahman
Brahman is the ultimate Truth. He who has accepted It
has accepted everything; who knows it knows everything; who has gained It has gained everything. But nobody knows Brahman, nor desires to know it. Nobody seems to possess that purity and fitness of mind which makes one desire to attain Brahman. People are engaged in the relentless pursuit of ephimeral and limited worldly pleasures. To get those flimsy joys and to preserve them, they waste precious human lives. They appear innordinately proud of such possessions. Alas! even man is not his own. Then how can those external things become his possessions? All these pleasures are but the infinitesimal part of the Bliss of Brahman. Few indeed are the people who aim at the Supreme Bliss. If people fail to perceive their ultimate goal, it is all on account of Maya. Now and at all times, here and everywhere, the delusive power of Maya functions unchecked. there seems to be no limit
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to her powers.
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STORY Section 34
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Ganga Avataran
T
he background to this story: When King
Sagara of the suryavamsa decided to perform the ashvamedha yagna, his courtiers discovered the sacrificial horse had gone missing. The king therefore ordered his 60,000 sons to go find the horse. The arrogant princes went about burning and destroying places in their quest to find the horse. And presently they came to Sage Kapila’s hermitage. They found him in meditation and the horse tied next to him.
Sage Kapila was, with yoga power, above the earth. They
thought this is the culprit, and set fire underneath. His bottom started heating up, and he opened his eyes; and when he opened his eyes, all the princes became ashes.
Far away, the king was thinking, “What happened to my
children? They are not coming back.” He sent his son, Amsuman. Prince Amsuman met Sage Kapila and learnt of the whole event. It was the sage’s counsel that if Amsuman wanted his brothers back, he must perform the cremation rites of washing the spot where they were turned to ash, with the holy waters of the Ganga available only in Swarga.
Throughout his life prince Amsuman struggled to bring
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Ganga down. He said, “Until Ganga flows on their ashes, they are
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Ganga Avataran not going to get liberation.” And he died. Throughout his life he struggled, but nothing happened. Then came his son Bhagiratha. Bhagiratha prayed, prayed, prayed, prayed. Ganga was sitting in a big Kamandal in Brahmaloka, and he prayed to Brahma, “Please release it.”
Brahma said, “It cannot be released like that. When Naraya-
na (Vishnu) takes Vamana Avatara, he will become Visvarupa; and his feet will touch all the three worlds and his toes will topple down the Kamandal and the Ganga will flow down. Then only you will get it.”
Oh! Bhagiratha was waiting for Vamana Avatara. You can
imagine how many births he had taken; God only knows. And Vamana Avatara took place, and the toe of Vishnu touched that Kamandal and it turned upside down. The whole thing fell down. And Brahma said, “Now it will go to Patala. Its force is such that you will not get the Ganga here. It will go to the nether regions. So you must do something to prevent it from going.
Then he [Bhagiratha] prayed to Lord Siva, “Please hold it
up in your Jata (matted locks); otherwise my whole effort will go in vain.” He tied his Jata and kept it [Ganga]. But Siva wouldn’t release it. He simply kept quiet. Then again Bhagiratha prayed to Lord Siva, “Please release it. The purpose is something else.” V edanta Sandes h
Then afterwards he [Siva] released it through his hair. Then
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Ganga Avataran Ganga came with such force, and it flowed through the Ashrama of a sage called Jahnu. He was so angry he simply took the Ganga and swallowed it. Then Bhagiratha prayed to Jahnu, “Please release it.” Then he released it through the ear. Because it [Ganga] came out of the ear of Jahnu Rishi, she is called Jahnavi. Then it flowed, and it flowed through the ashes of the ancestors and then they were liberated. This happened, they say, today [Ganga Dasara]. Valmiki devotes to narrate this wonderful history of Ganga coming here in the Bal Kana in Ramayana. She flowed through three regions. First from heaven; from heaven she came to the astral region; and from the astral region to earth she came. And she is called by different names. In one place it’s Mandakini; in another it’s Bhagirathi; a third is Jahnavi. So, this is the birth of Ganga on this earth.
Alakananda comes from Badrinath, and Ganga is called
Bhagirathi. The name ‘Ganga’ came afterwards. Bhagirathi flows from Gomukh, and this Bhagirathi and Alakananda join together in Devprayag. Then she is called Ganga. And then she flows. In Allahabad she joins Yamuna also. And there is a third river called Sarasvati, which is flowing underneath, they say – under
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the earth, and you cannot see her.
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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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Mission News Gita Gyana Yagna, Jalgaon
by Poojya Swamini Poornanandaji
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Gita Chapter 10 / Narada Bhakti Sutras
16th - 22nd April 2018
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Ashram News Sankaracharya Jayanti Celebration
Procession from Ashram to S’charya Gate
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Special Puja performed
20th April 2018
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Ashram News Sankaracharya Jayanti Celebrations
Pravachan & Prasad after Procession
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Young devotees climbed on top for Abhisheka
Great Enthusiasm in young & old
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Ashram News Hanuman Chalisa Satsang
by Poojya Guruji Swami Atmanandaji
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Chaupayi - 25-26
Vedanta Ashram, Indore
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Ashram News Hanuman Chalisa Satsang
by Poojya Guruji Swami Atmanandaji
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Chaupayi - 25-26
Vedanta Ashram, Indore
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Ashram News Audio-Visual Presentation
Topic: Birds of Indore
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by Padma Shri Bhalu Mondheji
Followed by Q & A
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Ashram News Birds of Sirpur Presentation
Sirpur Lake has been declared as an IBA by BNHS
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There was great enthusiam in devotees
14th April 2018
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Ashram News Sanyas Deeksha Day Celebration
Early Morning Special Puja
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Bhandara for inmates
30th April
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General News Birds of Sirpur
Sirpur is IBA - Important Bird Area
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Photos by Ashram Mahatmas
Lake is just 5 Minutes drive from Ashram
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General News Birds of Sirpur
BNHS has declared it an IBA
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Photos by Ashram Mahatmas
Lake is just 5 Minutes drive from Ashram
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Forthcoming Programs 4th-10th June 2018 GITA GYANA YAGNA@ Mumbai Gita Chap-18 / Mandukya-1 Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji 27th Jul 2018 Guru Poornima@ Indore Pujan & Bhandara All Mahatmas
13-19th Aug 2018 GITA GYANA YAGNA@ Bharuch Gita-3 & Bhaja Govindam Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji
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28th Aug - 2nd Sept 2018 Vedanta Camp@ Indore Amrutbindu Upanishad / Vigyan Nauka Stotram All Mahatmas
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