Tantroktam Ratri Suktam!

Om Shree Durgayai Namah!
Blessed Be!

Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Ganeshotsav (festival of Ganesha) is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). It is believed that Lord Ganesh bestows His presence on earth for all His devotees during this festival. It is the day Shiva declared His son Ganesha as superior to all the gods, barring Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel.

Ganesh Chaturthi starts with the installation of these Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures mandapas (pandals) in every locality. The pandals are decorated specially for the festival, either by using decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc. The priest, usually clad in red or white dhoti and uttariyam (Shawl), then with the chanting of mantras invokes the presence of Ganesha using the statue as a channel, or body for his energy. This ritual is the Pranapratishhtha. After this the ritual called as Shhodashopachara (16 ways of paying tribute) follows. Coconut, jaggery, 21 modakas, 21 durva (trefoil) blades of grass and red flowers are offered. The statue is anointed with red unguent, typically made of kumkum and sandalwood paste. Throughout the ceremony, Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda, the Ganapati Atharva Shirsha Upanishad, and the Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are chanted.

Ganesha is worshipped for 10 days from Bhadrapada Shudha Chaturthi to the Ananta Chaturdashi, On the 11th day, the statue is taken through the streets in a procession accompanied with dancing, singing, and fanfare to be immersed in a river or the sea symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in His journey towards His abode in Kailash while taking away with Him the misfortunes of His devotees.

Om Shree Ganeshay Namah! 

Blessed Be!

The Gayatri Mantra

"OM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA,

TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM

BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI

DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT......

Gayatri Mantra (the mother of the vedas), the foremost mantra in Hinduism and Hindu beliefs, inspires wisdom. Its meaning is that "May the Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path". The mantra is also a prayer to the "Giver of light and life" - the Sun (savitur).





Jai Maa Gayatri!
Blessed Be!

Teachings of Atharva Veda

Life without goodness, good thoughts, good actions and good words is like the sky in the night without the moon or stars. It is like a wheel without a hub or spokes! No one can push a boulder away while standing on it; you cannot be free from anxiety while all the entrances through which it sneaks in are open.

The person, who causes the downfall of a noble woman... who causes loss to his friend...who despite of his superiority is ignorant; is called a fallen man.

One, who earns leadership of the masses by working ceaselessly for people's welfare finally realizes that he has been rewarded with many added advantages.

In pursuit of money, man descends to the level of the beast. Money is of the nature of manure. Piled up in one place, it pollutes the air. Spread it wide; scatter it over fields; it rewards you with a bumper harvest.

A person should refrain from all those things that take him towards fallacy, misery, ignorance and degradation.

The blossom of Love will make the air fragrant; the river of Love will murmur along the valleys; and every bird, beast and child will sing the song of Love.

Contemplating and meditating on the 'real-self' accelerates this process of self-development and makes liberation possible.

One, who acquires knowledge and then pass it on to others, gets all his wishes fulfilled and achieves success, happiness and prosperity in his life.

Money and mansions are not the only wealth. Hoard the wealth of the Spirit. Character is wealth; good conduct is wealth; and spiritual wisdom is wealth.

Anxiety is removed by faith in the Lord; the faith that tells you that whatever happens is for the best and that the Lord's will be done.

Develop the inner vision and the habit of listening to the inner Voice; and you are assured of unshakable Peace and infinite Joy.

When the sun is over your head, there will be no shadow; similarly, when faith is steady in your head, it should not cast any shadow of doubt.

Those who are greedy and avaricious end up in misery. Because of their evil deeds they are short lived.

Do not be led by others; awaken your own reason; amass your own experience; and decide for yourself your own path.

There is only one Caste; the Caste of Humanity.There is only one Language; the Language of the Heart.

The sweetness and pleasantness of personality should be evident in his actions and thoughts. This will help in establishing peace and happiness all round and lead to the feeling of universal brotherhood.

In order to accomplish his duties fearlessly, a man must take the refuge of 'Truth'.

Forbearance, compassion and incorruptible virtue are the three pillars of a happy life. Only such a life can be called civilized; the rest is barbarian existence.

Open yourself, create free space; release the bound one from his bonds! Like a newborn child, freed from the womb, be free to move on every path!

Prayer has been made to mother Earth that she blesses us with the knowledge required to enjoy the treasures of nature without disturbig the environmental balance.

Achieve Every Goal

Krishna spells out the sure method to attain any goal that you have set for yourself in the Bhagvad Gita’s ninth chapter. He tells Arjuna, ‘Give your mind wholly to me, be my devotee, worship me, surrender to me. Make me your supreme goal.’

On the surface it sounds as though Krishna is very demanding. Some may also feel that while Krishna asks us to renounce our ego by uttering these words, He seems to be more egoistic than all of us. But all that Krishna is saying is that if you unite your mind with Him, you will attain Him. There is nothing egoistic about this Shloka; it is just a simple statement of fact – ‘If you unite your mind in me, you will not stray anywhere else.’

There are two kinds of goals in life – the ultimate goal and the immediate, specific goal. Each person may have a different goal in life – one may want to become political leader or a great artist, another might wish to be a scientist or an educationist. The goal can be time-bound, long term or short term, temporary or permanent. Whenever we want to achieve anything or reach anywhere, sankalpa or focused thought should be there first. If this wish or thought itself is not there, there is no question of any further progress.

Courtesy: Swami Tejomayananda