Ganesha Chaturthi – The Birth Day Of Veghana-Harta (Obstacle-Averter) & Vegana-Karta (Obstacle-Creator For Evil Doers) – Celebrations from 25th August 2017 (Friday) to 5th September 2017 (Tuesday).

 

LORD GANESHA

 

Call Ganesha by any name Ganapati or Vinayaka

Or any of His 108 names

Each has distinct meaning of its own

Known as a most powerful deities of all

The one who could be most easily identified

A huge and gigantic (Vikat rupa) one with the elephant head

The Bhupati – the Lords of the Gods

A Bhudhinath, the one who is the Lord of wisdom

And is also a knowledge giver

And above all Vishwaraja, the Lord of all.

 

Ganesha is born out of the dirt

Rubbed out of the being of Adi Shakti

Goes to prove beyond any stretch of imagination

A most significant lesson for us humans

That we ought not feel egocentric about our origin

But should introspect that even dirt has boundless power of its own

With our sincere thoughts and actions.

 

The collected mass of dirt was infused with pranpritishtha – Living energy

By Omnipotent and Omniscient Trinity

And with their blessing transformed Him the Vishwaraja – the Lord of all

The one who is Gunina – the master of all virtues

The most Kirpalu – the most merciful and benevolent (Kirpalu) of all

The one who removes all obstacles of His devotees

But the one who creates obstacles in the paths of evildoers

Which makes Lord Ganesha the first amongst all the deities.

.

 

When a new project or business has to see the light of the day

Venerable one is worshipped firstly

For sure success of that venture

Or when any sacred ritual or prayer or meditation has to start

His name makes a huge difference

In the fructification of our sincere efforts.

.

 

Ganesha has two consorts

Named Ridhi and Sidhi

Ridhi is for prosperity that is required

Sidhi is for getting spiritual movement upward

Including increasing positive thoughts into actionable results.

 

Lord Ganesha is also worshipped

For bestowing protection

And for increasing the power of recreation

Whilst removing obstacles from one’s path

Because of Lord Ganesha

Is considered as the patron

Of sagacity and intellect in abundance

My fond prayers to Thee O Lord Ganesha

Do bestow ease, peace & grace

For all humanity

So that all live in harmony.

 

 

Ganesha Chaturthi – The Birth Day Of Veghana-Harta (Obstacle-Averter) & Vegana-Karta (Obstacle-Creator For Evil Doers) – Celebrations from 25^th August 2017 (Friday) to 5^th September 2017 (Tuesday).

 

Before delving on as to why we celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, it is essential that we should know the circumstances and how life was infused in a lifeless creation by Goddess Parvati.

 

Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayak Chaturthi is celebrated on the birthday of Lord Ganesha, which falls between 25th August 2017 (Friday) to 5th September 2017 (Tuesday). He is the most loved son of Lord Shiva and Lordess Parvati. The devotees’ firm belief is that on this day, he bestows his supreme blessings on us with his presence and showers his bounties (shuvta) on us as he is the Lord of prosperity, unlimited wisdom, and a troubleshooter to the core.

 

The Ganesha’s birthday is celebrated according to the Hindu Calendar month of Bhaadrapada starting with the Shukla Chaturthi – 4th day of the waxing moon period till 14th day of waxing of the moon. There is a celebration of ten days for which exhaustive preparations are made before hand. This includes; procuring of the lovely idol of Lord Ganesha, preparation of eatable, especially modaks for friends and relatives, some install Ganesha Idol on this day. This festival is celebrated in almost all the parts of India. Even in foreign countries like Canada, USA, UK etc where Indians are there, this festival is celebrated with gaiety and enthusiasm. It has special relevance in Maharashtra.

 

How the Birthday of Lord Ganesha came about?

 

Legend has it that Lordess Parvati created Ganesha out of sandalwood paste which was applied to Her body before taking bath. She was impressed by her own creation which ignited her curiosity of breathing / infusing life into that creation. Low and behold, the creation of Maan Parvati came to life!

 

Subsequently, She told him to guard the entrance to the bathroom and ordered him not to allow anybody enter it while she took bath. All this transpired when Shiva had gone somewhere. When He returned back, Ganesha, standing guard, did not allow Him to enter. On asking who he was. Ganesha replied that he was Ganesha the son of Maa Parvati.

 

Lord Shiva sent His Ganas to teach the child first lesson in mannerism. As Ganesha was created by Shakti, he was very powerful besides being obedient to the core. Indira and his army of demigods too used their power to overpower Ganesha but in vain.

 

Now it was the turn of Narda with Saptarishis came for persuading the child for allowing Lord Shiva but it was also a futile exercise. All this infuriated Lord Shiva still further. Out of anger, He severed the head of Ganesha. When Maan Parvati came out after Her bath, she found the severed head from the body of her creation. This scene enraged her immensely. Observing her state, Lord Shiva promised to bring back to life their son. For this purpose, the demigods went in search of the person facing north. They could not find any humans. They could find only bring the elephant’s head which was fixed on the headless body. Ganesha came back to life instantly through the supernatural powers of Lord Shiva.

 

WHY GANESH CHATURTHI IS CELEBRATED?

 

Previously, only Hindus used to participate in the festivities but presently there is a community participation in this festival. There is the enactment of concerts; discourses based on intellectual/spirituality related topics, skits, folk dances etc. Dahi Handi competition is another interesting and much awaited by the participants. Here prizes are also given. People of all castes, religions, and color participate in these festivities and this becomes a fertile ground for national integration and engenders understanding between different communities. All these activities have the two-fold benefit. Firstly, it enhances unity in diversity and secondly, it ensures completive fervor between people.

 

As Lord Ganesh is the embodiment of good tidings, people start their new businesses on this auspicious day so as to have His blessings for the success.

 

From the above, it is evident that this auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated for ensuring cohesion/unity between all the communities, encourage non-discriminatory ideas/ideals besides getting the opportunity to celebrate the auspicious occasion imbibing spiritual onward march and finally to get Lord Ganesh’s bounties of unlimited intelligence and wisdom.

 

ROLE OF GRACE IN OUR LIFE

ROLE OF GRACE IN OUR LIFE

The root word for grace is a Latin word gratia – meaning gratefulness or thankfulness. It also means possessing sophistication or elegance or kindness which has been bestowed by our God. The grace may be in our thoughts, actions, attitude, form, approach, natural ease and poise, grace in behavior, etc. These positive traits change the very course of our life. The one who is lacking in grace is not welcomed anywhere but one who is having grace in his/her attitude/approach is sought after. Even for their invites, it is exclusively mentioned; ‘ you are requested to grace the occasion’.

Graceful dealings with others win us friends and well-wishers. Individual conducting with grace and poise are bestowed with magnetism and consequently, they win friends and well-wishers whereas lack of it brings about repulsion and enemies as a consequence.

GOD GRACES ALL HIS CREATIONS EQUALLY

 Mother Nature (Prakriti), the God’s own creation, does not discriminate while giving her priceless gifts of air, water, and sun. Also, God’s love and affection besides all other graces for the benefits of all without discrimination are always there whether we merit it not. He is always there for showering us His graces including final liberations (Moksha). Here Souls and Super Souls are inter-related. For becoming a contender for all His graces,  one of the important factors is our sincerity in our prayers.

GOD’S GRACE PLAY PREDOMINANT ROLE INTO THE LIVES OF GREAT PERSONAGES

There are so many amongst us humans who rose from the ordinary backgrounds or although with different disabilities yet they stood out and showed to the world at large that they are second to none. This happened due to the bountiful graces of our Creator. They even changed the irrational religious thoughts and in many cases changed the destinies of hapless people with or without any infirmities. This is all due to the benevolent graces of our Source. I shall cite a few examples where God’s grace played seemingly a prime role.

The life of Adi Shankara from his birth during the reign of Vikramaditya (788 CE – 820 CE) was inclined towards spiritualism. When he was at the age of eight, he went to have a bath with his mother. During his bath in the river, he was caught by a crocodile. He called out his mother loud and asked her to permit him to have a life of sannyasin otherwise he would be killed by the crocodile to which his mother agreed. The crocodile leaves him and he gets a free life to follow his life of hermitage. He had his education at different places like Kashi, Badrinath. Omkareshwar near river Narmada. He studied Vedas, Puranas, Brahmasutra and many other Hindu scriptures. His teacher Govinda taught him Gaudapada. He established and founded monastic centres (Maths) in north, east, west and south India.

He lived for 32 years during which he was so much graced by the Almighty God that he travelled so much, not only within India but also South Asia with a view to propagate and spread Advaita Vedanta philosophy, wherein, he had debates and discussions/discourses with different sages and dharma gurus, wrote commentaries on so many scriptures. What a normal person cannot do in hundred years, he had done in just 32 years. This does not happen without the grace of God.

Shankara traveled across India and other parts of South Asia to propagate his philosophy through discourses and debates with other thinkers. He is reputed to have founded four maths (monasteries), which ultimately helped in the spread of Advaita Vedanta philosophy.

God bestowed upon grace on personages like Mother Teresa – the apostle of love and mercy – her selfless and inspirational work provided succor to multitudes.

Going through the life of Helen Keller, it was obviously heart-rending. She lost her eyesight, hearing and speech at an early childhood due to a strange brain fever. Due to these handicaps, she was forced to remain aloof in a confused state with no communication with others with her state of health. But due to her inner strength and grace of Almighty God, she worked tirelessly and became one of the best international speakers of repute besides authored many books even in Brail which helped the blind and mute people. She became an inspiration and a pillar of strength for those with different infirmities. If it is not due to God’s grace then what!

GRACE OF GOD OR  GRACE IN OUR  ATTITUDE  BENEFITS US IMMENSELY

1. Grace in our approach. Our composure and mannerism while facing emergent and daunting contingency is tested. There are the ones who just cannot face sudden emergencies. In other words, they lack requisite grace and poise. They get stressed while facing a piquant situation. Therefore, the way we approach in solving the problem count. Thus grace in our attitude not only helps us in our workplace but also becomes a bulwark in fighting negative tendencies in our character. 
2. Grace in Conduct of Foreign Affairs of a Country. There are countries who possess grace and poise in pursuing their foreign policy outlook. They do not bully others with disrespect words and phrases while conveying their viewpoints.
3. The grace of God comes with sincere effort. It is not so easy to get God’s graces because to qualify for His graces, In other words, we’ve to possess all the positive traits – compassion, empathy/understanding, humane approach including our work culture, our relationship with others, etc. Having followed a way of life which is for them based on love and affection with our fellow human beings. It is also a fact that when we follow a spiritually oriented life; based on religious principles, following all the constructive characteristics, refinement in our thoughts and Karmic deeds so that we are self-aware. This could bring about a qualitative change in our day to life. Having achieved self-awareness and removing negativity, we naturally come under the shadow of our God.

It has rightly been enunciated in Holy Quran: He specially chooses for His mercy whom He pleases, and Allah is the Lord of mighty grace.

4. The grace of self-improvement. I happen to meet a parent, who has two twin sons studying in the same class, school and having the same lifestyle besides same congenial environment at home. One son scored 9.8 CGPA in 10th CBSE Board examination while the other one could just get 6.2 CGPA. While saying so the father continued, the former is studious, hardworking, very inquisitive about what he does but the latter has to be reminded about his homework, does not understand the subject matter to be studied but crams his lessons.
5. The grace of Goddess Lakshmi for material possession. Goddess Laxmi is the Goddess of wealth. She lives in a home who is sincere in attitude. She graces those who put in sincere work and render selfless service, generous, compassionate to the humanity.
6. Total surrender and attainment of peace. It has rightly said in Bhagwad Gita that if we wholeheartedly surrender to God, then by His grace, we shall get eternal peace not only in this birth but also will get liberation (Moksha).

In Holy Bible, it has been said that bounties of God include all the all the activities of God towards humans. It could be favored which the humans merited or unmerited, forgiving and finally salvation. All the natural bounties are due to God’s graces.

Guru Nanak Devi Ji says: Knowledge of the ultimate Reality is not a matter of reason; it comes by revelation of the ultimate reality through Nadar (grace) and by mystical experience.

Conclusively, it could be said that it could be the grace of God or self-imbibed trait, play the predominant role in our life. Grace helps us in having peace and calmness in our lives. To be the candidate for God’s graces, we require having sincerity in our prayer beside having purity in our thoughts and actions. Grace thus pays in the long run. One who possesses this trait leaves a trail of the fragrance of benevolence and positive feel. God’s graces may remain in all of us so that there is an air of amity and brotherhood amongst all.

715T AUGUST – 71ST INDEPENDENCE DAY (HEARTIEST FELICITATIONS TODAY)

715T AUGUST – 71ST INDEPENDENCE DAY (HEARTIEST FELICITATIONS today) 

Keeping in view the sacrifices made by our forefathers, I pray to Almighty God that India may have inclusive growth and development., despite impediments. My wish-list for this 70th Independence Day and the coming ones is a mix of social harmony, economic, political expediency, probity, law & order besides facing the realities of our times including the specter of terrorism, extremism, violence etc.

• ATTACHMENT WITH THE COUNTRY. There may be some differences due to diverse cultural traditions, diverse religions, diverse caste and creed, colour, language etc but we should always have enduring love for our LAND – BHARAT. When different voices are heard, we get saddened. A RIGHT MESSAGE should go that despite differences, we are ONE. Nothing can divide us.

• DEMONETIZATION AND ITS AFTER-EFFECTS. Though demonetization of currency notes of R. 1000/- and Rs. 500/- have increased the tally of Income Tax Payees, it has also helped the Government in bringing to fore the hidden money kept in safe havens besides helping the Government to stop counterfeit or fake notes. With availability of cash in the banking stream, they can meet their requirements of loaning cash to the general public along with meeting the adverse conditions created by NPA of the Banks.
• THREAT LOOMING LARGE FROM FOREIGN SOILS. There are the countries which are threatening either their neighbours or are threatening using even nuclear weapons knowing well that nobody can win by using these weapons of mass destruction. India should do whatever it can so that peace prevails everywhere. Insensitive heightened rhetoric will not help only sagacious foreign policy moves can solve the pestering problems.
• HEALTH CARE OF THE GENERAL MASSES. What happened in Gorakhpur in UP recently is unfortunate and an eye-opener, we would like the authorities to introspect and help provide medicare to the citizenry in general so that there is no deaths. Mere politicizing this episode will not solve this health care problem. All out efforts by the medical community along with the administration is called for in this context.
• PEOPLE’S REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE. We choose our representatives so that they pass various legislations and exert for the upliftment of the society as a whole. Some modicum of wisdom has been shown by our parliamentarians which earlier on (in the previous Monsoon Session was missing.

THIS TIME IMPORTANT BILLS LIKE GST and many more are being passed after incisive dialogue and discussions. Every Indian felt satisfied, the way discussions on GST were held and all the parties showed unanimity or consensus for passage of this important bill. Then discussions with regard to ongoing Kashmir turmoil besides discussions on unfortunate incidents meted out to Dalits and weaker sections of the society; the maturity and wisdom of our representatives was really worth appreciation. We want our parliamentarians to show sagacity and legislate through discussions and dialogue on the matters impinging on the people’s wellbeing. This shows that despite differences based on party affiliations, we can rise above There may be differences and those are always there but these have to be discussed threadbare in proper forums and solutions provided. The Government too should take holistic view of the pestering problems at hand and reach consensus on the topics which are of importance for the country as a whole. That is the democracy we want and prosper in India.

• CHANGE IN THE MINDSET ON THE BASIS OF CASTE, CREED AND COLOUR. Previously the varnas or caste system wwas on the basis of professions the people followed. Now everybody is free to profess his/her profession therefore there should not be any need to give more credence to narrow parochialism Recent happenings (it may be in Gujarat, UP, Bihar or any other place) are the blot on the society as a whole wherein the Dalits are beaten up mercilessly either by cow protection vigilantes or cold shouldered even by the law enforcement agencies when approached by them for action. These incidences also echoed in the Parliament and all expressed their anguished on the sordid incidents. On the name of cow protection, some irresponsible and heartless instead of taking recourse to lawful action law unto themselves and hand out punishment in the full glare of the public. People in general are incensed by these incidents and the Centre and States should come forward and bestow protection to the Dalits and weaker sections of the society.
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  • I WANT MY INDIA TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF FELLOWMEN. The insensitivity and callousness that we show towards road accident victims is really pathetic. Our heart should feel pain when anybody is pained. The recent incident in which a tempo drive hit at 5.40 AM and till 6.10 AM nobody came to his succor and he was left to bleed. A man went there but to steal the mobile of the accident victim! It is not only the tempo driver, CCTV footage showed that several vehicles passed that way, a police van too passed that way but nobody cared for the accident victim. Such incidents and accidents are common butit should be our sincere endeavour to provide immediate medical care to the hapless person – in this the person concerned died leaving his dependent parents, wife and children to fend for themselves. Today, it is somebody else, tomorrow may be he/she is your near and dear one then what; if timely medicare is not provided to that person? May be it is the fear of police harassment that people do not come to the rescue of the victims. In that case law should be made to offer proper reward to the good Samaritan rather than harassment.
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  • HONORING THE NATIONAL HEROES. It should be our endeavour to respect the dependents of those who laid down their lives for freedom of our country. Not only freedom fighters but those who lay down their lives for protect of the hard earned freedom should also be respected. We remember our heroes only when some unsavoury incident of terrorist happens but soon thereafter we woefully forget their valour and supreme sacrifice. What the ongoing demolition drive by BBMP has brought home is really pathetic. A portion of the house of Lt Col Niranjan Kumar (killed during Pathankot terror attack) has also come under demolition list. Such is the apathy and heartless attitude shown to the dependents is really an eye opener. It is my wish that those who make supreme sacrifices should be respected.
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  • TRADITIONAL MODES OF BEHAVIOR/VALUES. It is a sad commentary that we are forgetting the traditional modes of behavior. The values which our forefathers attached to family and our cultural modes of behavior is being forgotten and in its place narrow regional considerations are being given credence knowing fully well that these are neither beneficial to anybody in the society. I would like my countrymen to imbibe traditional values for which my Bharat is acclaimed since ages with the dictum, respect others if you want to get respect. It is never a one sides affair.
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  • A COUNTRY WHICH RESPECTS THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRL CHILD. It is high time we respect our women folks. The Divine Trinity has his female counterpart; Saraswati (learning) – Lord Barmha, Lakshmi (wealth) – Lord Vishnu and Parvati (power) – Lord Shiva. All the rituals, especially auspicious ones, are incomplete without women being part of it all. Disrespecting women was construed as the disrespecting the God. All the relationships – mother, wife, daughter, sister, etc are essential for us all. In olden times these relations were considered very reverential. Without these, what is the status of father in relation to mother, wife in relation to husband, daughter in relation to son, sister in relation to brother etc.
  • 
  A woman was supposed to be the manifestation of Goddess/Shakti and the male was supposed to be incomplete without the female (Shakti) with him. Lord Shiva is incomplete with His Shakti (Maan Parvati) that is why it is called SHIVSHAKTI.

  Even in Ramayana times women used to choose their suitors – Maan Sita chose Lord Rama after he broke the Dhanush of Lord Shiva in a sacred ceremony called soambar. Even in Mahabharta Dropati chose Arjuna in a soambar.

  In other words, those who want to subjugate women and refuse to give their proper place, they are hypocrites. A simple question: CAN THIS PROCREATION and raising of new GENERATION possible without women? Men and women are the equal partners and ought to be taken as such.

• SELF RESPECT. It is a fact that respect is earned by our day to day behavior and demeanor. We have to earn our respect. It is not given to us on the platter for nothing. If I want that others should respect me, it is essential that I respect others. One who knows how to maintain self respect knows the need of respecting others on the basis of quid pro quo. It is synonymous with: Charity begins from home. Even a small child will respond with respect if I treat that child well.
• SPECTER OF TERRORISM. World is facing the ugly face of terrorism emanating from some parts of the world. The terrorists are striking at will anywhere it wants causing mayhem and killing including violation of human rights. Now is the time when human rights of all the people without discrimination have to be protected. The scourge of terrorism and violence have to be tackled with iron hand. This is an international problems and should be tackled under the aegis of UNO otherwise the humanity as a whole will suffer without unreasonably.

RESPECT OF BHARAT MATA IN THE COMITY OF NATIONS. We are connected with other countries of the world. Anything that happens in one part of the world has its reverberations / repercussions in other parts of the world. It may be economical deceleration, political upheaval, extremists / terrorists strikes / activities, all these have their affects on all the countries.

• IF WE WANT TO PROGRESS, IT IS A MUST THAT WE ARE INTERNALLY STRONG. For this to happen, it is a must that we are economically stable, politically strong, militarily strong, whose opinion is taken with a pinch of salt diplomatically, helps the weaker countries with finance and sometimes militarily as done in case of African nations by India many a times.

• BLACK MONEY MENACE. It has been seen that in order to avoid paying taxes and to escape from queries of sources of black money, people are stashing their ill-gotten monies in the foreign banks in the process, bleeding the country. The money which ought to have been used in job creation, infrastructural creation/improvement, etc are being used by others! Government, in the light of directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, has constituted SIT to unearth black money. This is a welcome step. Lets see if it could show tangible results and bring back the black money which could be used in our country.

• CORRUPTION FREE SOCIETY. One of the impediments that is eating into the very vitals of our society is the hydra headed corruption. We are aware about the scamps and corrupt practices that were used in allotting coal blocks, use of middle man in defence purchases, and currently even the Judiciary has come under attack with some people tarnishing its image. God forbid, this is the wing of our society which should/is respected the most, if it falls prey to corruption then on whom our society will bank on! Wish that our country becomes corruption free one. This is a crying need of the hour as corruption is taking the wheels of progress backward.
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• UNQUESTIONABLE INTEGRITY. I would like all people with unquestionable integrity for upholding the unity and solidarity of India. This is the most essential asset for an individual. If it is in suspect then very existence of ours is in doubt and a life with doubt is fraught with impediments.
 
• RESPECT FOR EACH OTHERS FAITHS AND BELIEFS. India has diverse cultural modes. Its different religions, castes, creeds, belief systems, languages etc. If we respect each others’ modes of behavior, then there would be cohesion and brotherhood amongst our country men. When we are united, then no power can subjugate us. For this to happen in real sense of terms, it is important that we respect each other rights.
 
• EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT. Education of the masses is one of the important factor for overall health of the country. Care ought to be exercised that students are taught the skills along with the general education so that they ‘earn while they learn’. Skilled and semi-skilled training should be imparted according to the capacity and capability of the student. We are rich in Human Resource. We have to exploit this rich resource for our own benefit. This is also important for avoid brain drain which is presently happening. Our IITs and IIMs are churning out technocrats and management professionals of highest caliber. Their talents should never go waste. Let our Government come forward in absorbing these talents for garnering benefits for our country.

• Economically Strong Country. Now-a-days, economical clout in the comity of nation is very essential. For becoming economically strong, it is a important that all the sectors of the economy; may it be industrial or agricultural should contribute their mite for economic health of the economy. This can only happen when we have inclusive growth and development. Nothing happens in isolation.

• RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D).Due to one reason or the other, this has been experienced that our R&D is just in doldrums. For example, the different projects which are being pursued by DRDO are not fructifying on time or lacking necessary resources (manpower or other resources). For example, the project for producing indigenous fighter aircraft project is just not complete till date. Wish that our R&D matches with best in the world so that we do not be dependent on others for our defence needs or any other crucial needs.

• INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT TAKES PLACE. Due to one reason of the other, the industrial development of our country remains almost stagnant or is below par. This is due to lack or resources. A country whose markets are being exploited by foreigners remains industrial backward is really bad. People buy and use Chinese made goods at cheaper rates without any guarantee of their use. Can India not manufacture the same goods for their own people and exploit gigantic market – benefiting the industry and the people both. The profit earned by the owners of the industry could then be pumped for more production and increasing their capacities.

• AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IS ENSURED. Due to beggaries of monsoon, the agricultural production remains uncertain. The fear of scanty rain results in increase in prices of food item/vegetables etc creating food inflation. This is especially so in rainy season. The prices of vegetables is sky rocketing. The people do feel a pinch.
 
• If water management is properly done, then, the deficit created by scarcity of rain could be bridged.
• The Government’s project/ plan of connecting major river could do wonders in this regard.
Pollution to be tackled on the war footings.
• Infrastructure Development ought to be a continuous process.
• Imports / Export Policies oriented for improvement of imports and exports. More exports means more foreign currency for the country. More foreign currency could reduce the budge deficit which has become a number one headache for the country.
• Foreign Exchange Reserve to be replenished.
• Fiscal Policies revised as per the need of the hour so that the current rate / value of rupee does not fall as is being happening presently.
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• IT Sector to be given boost. India is potentially a soft power giant. But we have to exploit this resource to the hilt as is being done by other countries. We IT experts are proving their mettle in other countries. We are thus losing our human resources and also the benefits which our country ought to have garnered.

• It should never be forgotten that other countries too are improving in this sector. It is a must that this Sector should be given more incentive so that it improves further and earns much needed Foreign Exchange for the country.

• Spiritually Forward Nation. One of my fondest wish is that India may become progressive but with spiritualistic outlook, where people are awakened morally, culturally, aesthetically, progressive and more compassionate. Also keeping all along in that progress – leaving none.

• The above are some of our wish-list which every right thinking Indian would like to have for the overall development of the Bharat of our dream.

It is my fond wish that our next Independent Day should be more progressive in its outlook, self reliant, spiritually awakened and its youth positively oriented for steering the ahead from the choppy waters of deceleration. Also, there should be peace and tranquility between different communities. Discrimination on the basis narrow regionalism or caste, creed or language should cease and our dharma should be development for all – all inclusive.

NECESSITY OF INCARNATION OF KRISHNA – WISHING YOU ALL HAPPY JANAMASHTHMI

NECESSITY OF INCARNATION OF KRISHNA – WISHING YOU ALL HAPPY JANAMASHTHMI

 

When gross misconducts are at the worst

When irreligious people rule the roost

When there is no respect for the principles of natural justice

When voices of virtuous souls are gagged with force

When human values are ignored woefully

When ignorance replaces knowledge and sagacity

When people are disgruntled immeasurably

When ignorance is respected unduly

When egocentric tendencies are pampered

When even blood relations are imprisoned

When divinity and spirituality lose its sheen

When saintly advices are not paid any heed

                             When arrogance is allowed to increase

When subjectS are hugely coerced by their masters

To submit to their whims

And force them not to pray Omnipotent and Omniscient

When seers’ Yajna are defiled 

By throwing rubbish and filth on the sacred fires

When sages and opposition voices are stifled with highhandedly

When even just-born kids are done to death mindlessly

Because of fear of these children

Growing and becoming a cause of their own death

When general masses are uncared

And left at the mercy of evil marauders

Thence our Lord Vishnu descends from His Abode

To this material world to deliver the pious ones

And to annihilate the evil which has made a residency

Bedeviling our societies

As well as to re-establish the principles,

Of morality and fair-play.

 

At the stroke of midnight,   Ashtami Tithi and Rohini Nakshtra,

There appeared Lord Vishnu  dressed in shining attire

And carrying His weapons including Sudharshan Chakra,

In the confinement of Kamsa,

On request from mother (Devaki) & father (Vasudeva),

He turned Himself as a baby to be hidden from evil Kamsa,

Thus took place the birth of Krishna in Yadu dynasty,

Kamsa knew full well the truth

That nobody can frustrate the purpose of Lord Vishu incarnation

Since the will of God always prevails on all occasions.

 

The violent and vigilant guards remained in deep sleep,

Oblivious what transpired in the guarded dungeon just near,

Whilst heavy downpour made the Yamuna fully swollen,

With Sheshnag providing a shelter from rain,

Yamuna swelled still further on,

Ready to touch the feet of the Supreme Lord,

Then Krishna offered His Divine Feet for Yamuna’s  touch.

At Nandgaon Vasudeva exchanged the baby Krishna

Brought back Yashoda’s daughter named Yogmaya

He was back to his prison cell without being found out by anyone.

 

At Nandagaonm, Krishna performed many of His Leelas

Showed His mystical prowess at Mathura and finally Dwaraka,

He mesmerized Gopis with His flute – musical best,

Attracting even the cows herds in hoards,

Gayatri Mantra was initiated to the Krishna by Guru Gargamuni,

And Vedic arts and sciences by Guru Sandipanimuni,

At Mathura He killed many demons,

To ward off the demons threats,

Thus stopping threat looming large,

Of many a ferocious demons.

During His childhood days and  life time.

 

He married many  queens,

Rukimni being the most beautiful one,

Love of Radha & Krishna is etched in folklore’s,

Will ever remain in our memories,

As the pious Love of Divines.

Acted as a Charioteer of Arjuna,

The greatest dhanushdhari of all times,

Was the role of His in the Kurukshtra war!

Where Lord Krishna displayed His stupendous Universal Form,

When Arjuna was in doubt to fight war,

Against kith and kin of his own,

Then the Supreme Lord delivered His famed Bhagavad Gita,

“The Song of God”,

Containing essence of Jnana,

All encompassing knowledge – Gyana.

In the war that ensued,

Evil doers were destroyed,

And with them the wickedness that pervaded,

A victory of good over evil was ensured,

A sweet lessons for us mortals to follow indeed.

 May Lord Krishna’s blessings be showered on all of us

NEED OF  INCARNATION

The demons kings were very harsh in their behavior towards their subjects. They inflicted all sorts of punishments on them including not allowing them to worship their deities and carrying out various rituals as enshrined in the scriptures. . The demon kings wanted that people should obey them, pray them and remain slave to them. All this and more made the world perturbed. This necessitated and impelled deity of earth – Mother Earth (Bhumi) to go to the Lord Brahma in Brahmaloka  with tears in her eyes to reduce the burden of sins being perpetrated by the demons from the earth. Lord Bhrahma, Lord Shiva along with all Demi God accompanied Mother Earth for invoking Lord Vishnu to come to their succor. All prevailed upon Lord Vishnu to appear as the son of Vasudeva and all other Demi Gods to appear on the Mother Earth in different forms to assist Lord Vishnu in His new Avtar.  .   

Lord Krishna Himself has enunciated in Bhagwad Gita that whenever there is excessive evil/sin in the society; when there is prominence of repressive and regressive forces besides prevalence of irreligious practices, He appears on this planet to eliminate evil thus minimize the scourge of evil from the society besides protecting the pious and righteous people. His form may be different in different ages but He takes birth or incarnates and shows the right course to the people at large with His thoughts and actions.

Lord Vishnu is the cause of creation and He incarnated as Krishna to eliminate demonic forces prevalent in the society at large. It has rightly been said that God is omnipotent and omniscient besides He possesses innumerable names: Lord-Allaha-Rama-Krishna-Jehova-Budha-Akalpurakh but Truly speaking; He is the ONE. He has personal and impersonal aspects. To exemplify this; a drop of water has the same chemical and physical properties as water from huge reservoir of water. One or Many hardly makes any difference. Our body which we love the most is impermanent. Our soul and the Super Soul are permanent. It does not die with the death of the body. God incarnations and saints’ lives which have been enumerated in different scriptures have made it amply clear about the importance of God Consciousness through their discourses and other mystic actions, remain inspiring us humans. Such is the importance of incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Krishna.

 KRISHNA JANAMASHTAMI

Krishna Janmashtami has been variously described as: Krishnashtami, Saatam Aatham, Gokulashtami, Ashtami Rohini, Shrikrishna Jayanti, Sri Jayanti, Krishna Janma, Gokulashtami, Sri Krishna Jayanti, etc.

The birthday of Sri Krishna is celebrated every year. As per the astrological calculations and scriptural details, the date of Krishna’s birth, which is known as Janamashtami is 18 July 3228 BCE. Lord Krishna lived upto 18^th February 3102 BCE. He is the 8^th Avtar of Lord Vishnu. This festival is celebrated on the 8^th day of Krishna Paksha (dark night) between the months of August – September every year.

Krishna belonged to the Yadu dynasty descending from Soma. He was the 8^th son of Princess Devaki and Vasudeva (son of Surasena). Krishna was carried across the River Yamuna by Vasudeva after his birth in the confinement of Kamsa.

After the marriage ceremonies, while Kamsa was taking his sister Devaki and brother-in-law Vasudeva in the cheriat, he felt very happy. There is a custom of brother accompanying the married sister to her in-laws home. The procession was passing merrily while Kamsa was driving the chariot. The atmosphere was surcharged with joyous/ecstasy.

As ill luck would have it, there was a prophecy from the sky: “Kamsa, you are such a fool! You are driving the chariot of your sister and your brother-in-law, but you do not know that the 8^th child of your sister will kill you. “. Kamsa was dumbfounded and could not control his anger and therefore wanted to kill Devaki (the daughter of Devaka) but Vasudeva intervened and promised that they will give all their newborn children to Kamsa after their births and agreed to stay in his jail cell. They were thus imprisoned under the supervision of guards. Vasudeva also commented that Kamsa being a greatest warrior and should not kill his own sister. He also told Kamsa that we are dying every moment that passes and death is evitable for the one who is born. Thus he pacified Kamsa through his (Vasudeva’s) flattery.

Afterwards, Kamsa imprisoned his own father (Ugrasena) and declared himself as the King besides usurping the power of King Surasena (Vasudeva’s father). He expanded his power to other parts too through his prowess.

Subsequently, first six children of Devaki and Vasudeva were killed by King Kamsa sooner they were born after the news of their birth was conveyed to him. While Kamsa’s relatives and friends tried to dissuade him from doing so but he did not listen to anyone.    Then there was a news of miscarriage of seventh child but actually seventh child was transferred to Rohini as Balarama – just secretly – a Mystical potency of God.

When Krishna was born, there was an atmosphere of peace, auspicious stars were visible in the sky besides there were all positive signs. The demigods were very pleased and began to shower flowers. Then Lord Vishnu appeared before Devaki and she felt very elated. Vasudeva was also very happy after seeing the shine on the face of the newborn – such opulence and effulgence. The demigods had already informed them that Supreme Personality of Godhead would be born from the womb of Devaki. He was really convinced that the newborn was the Godhead Himself. Vasudeva  began to offer prayers. He was of the firm belief that now Kamsa will get justice for his sinful acts. He thus prayed and requested Him to save them from the hands of Kamsa. Devaki requested Him to take the form of an ordinary child so that no harm is done to him.

Afterwards, a mystic thing happened, all the prison locks got opened, all the guards slept and there was a heavy rain. On the birth of eighth child, Lord Vishnu ordained that the child be taken to Gokula to Nanda and Yashoda. There upon, Vasudeva took infant Krishna with him, crossed the river Yamuna and reached Gokul. After leaving infant child at Gokula, he brought back Yashoda’s daughter named Yogmaya back to his prison cell. Due to the grace of Lord Vishnu, nothing went amiss. The birth of Krishna, and activities are all transcendental and one who understands it is spiritually rich person. His birth is according to His time and place besides the need of such an eventuality. Even the planetary systems were adjusted auspiciously at the time of Krishna’s birth.

Foster father Nanda Baba and mother Yashoda of Lord Krishna were very happy while they were celebrating the birth of their newborn son with great pump and show. There was an atmosphere of joy everywhere. Yashoda always thought Krishna as her dear son and not anything else – they all enjoyed the childhood pastimes of Krishna thereafter.

The news of the 8^th child was given to Kamsa. While Kansa was about to kill Yogmaya, she vanished from his hands and thundered that his killer was in Gokul and warned about his looming death. Thereupon Kamsa sent his various ferocious demons to kill Krishna.

KAMSA’S PERSECUTION RECKLESSNESS STARTS

Kamsa comes to know about the birth of 8^th child and further information that he is taken to Gokula made him furious. He got exasperated and lamented; now the cruel death will not be far away he thought. Yet he wanted to do everything in order to eliminate the child.

• Kamsa sent Putana who was known for killing small children by her sinful methods, to kill child Krishna. Krishna killed her after suckling her breast.
• King Kamsa sent demon named Trnavarta with mystic powers. He was eliminated by Krishna without much difficulty.
• A demon named Bakasura attacked him and his cowherd friends. Krishna killed him.
• Serpent Aghasura was killed after playful acts of Krishna and his friends with him.
• Dhenukasura attacked Krishna and his gops. He killed the demon.
• Demon Pralambasura sent by King Kamsa was killed by Lord Krishna.
• Demon Kesi in the form of a horse was killed by Krishna.
• While visting Mathura, Lord Krishna killed the wrestler named Canura by hurling him to the ground while wrestling.
• Finally Lord Krishna dragged the demoniac King Kamsa and threw him on the ground, struck im with His fist repeatedly and killed him. That was the end of the evil along with Demon King 

 WHAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC DO ON THIS PIOUS DAY

Devout keep fast on this day and remain awake till midnight at the time when Krishna was believed to have born. The image of Krishna as an infant is kept on the cradle or swing both at homes and temples and everyone wants to have a dharshan makes the swing to move. This is considered an auspicious thing.

Devotees sing songs and make merry besides exchanging gifts and flowers. In temples satsang and puja is also held.

Janamashtmi is celebrated differently In different parts of India. In Maharashtra, Dehihandi is celebrated where buttermilk is kept in a pot and kept at a convenient height. Different parties try to break this earthen pot so as to win this contest. This event is undertaken to remember the event of stealing of buttermilk by Krishna in his childhood from Gopi’s homes. The participants in this event are called Govindas.

In Mathura (the birth place of Krishana), Gokul and Vrindavan the festival is celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm. People gather in large number and offer their prayers to Him. Even in Dwarka in Gujarat where Krishna established his kingdom, people visit Dwarkadish temple. Bhagavata Purana, the part dealing with the pastimes of Krishna are recited besides offerings of betel, fruits, flowers etc done by the devotees.

Gokulashtami is celebrated with great fervor in South India too. In Tamil Nadu, the people decorate the floor with kolams (decorative pattern drawn with rice batter).

Besides Lord Krishna’s mysticism and Leelas are always enjoyed by the devotees.

• Lord Krishna dance upon the heads of the serpent Kaliya thereafter Kaliya realized his mistake.
• Protected the people from the heavy rains on the village Vrindavan by lifting Govardhan hill on his little finger.
• Rasa Lila (Dance) with gopis at Vrindavana to the tune of the flute.

It is opined in Bhaghwad Gita that those who know about the birth, His appearance and all activities of Lord Krishna become eligible to be transferred to spiritual world. JAI SHRI KRISHNA.

 

RAKSHA BANDHAN – RAKHI BANDHANA (AS ON 7TH AUGUST 2017)

RAKSHA BANDHAN – RAKHI BANDHANA (AS ON 7TH AUGUST)

Meaning of ‘Raksha’ is to assure security

Bandhan means a bond or a surety

That a brother bestows

Upon his sister, so valued one

It hardly makes any difference

Whether she is of biological origin

Or just a known human perchance

It could be a knot of thread between neighbors

And other society members

With no consideration of religion

Caste, color or region

This festival is held in the Hindu month of Shravan

Witnessed by the auspicious FULL MOON FROM THE HEAVEN

The RAKSHA BANDHAN is the festival, so pure

When sister ties the sacred thread around her brother’s wrist

She is suffused with sisterly adoration

And awe-inspiring sentiment of brotherly affection

A festival of deep bond of emotion

Wherein a brother promises defence

To his sister from any danger unforeseen

An ultimate ‘bond of protection’ though unwritten

Yet this thread is not an ordinary twine

But solemn word was given.

Purpose is to keep the fabric of society intact

To ensure communal harmony, with no strings attached

History is replete with examples

When Rajputs & Maratha queens sent Rakhis,

To the Mughal kings

And won their sympathies at the time most critical

 

There is also a story of Alexander the Great’s spouse

Sending a Rakhi to King Porus

Which King Porus reciprocated and respected

By not harming her husband

Such is the sacred strength of Rakhi’s bond.

Such is the power of this ordinary thread,

That it can keep even adversaries united.

O our All-powerful Creator,

Thee who can do anything anywhere,

Knot the world communities with ThouThread, so Holy

So that all live in peace and in harmony.

RAKSHA BANDHAN  

The word Raksha means an act  of protection and bandhan is related to a/bond/or an association. Taken together the two means a relation which ensures/ protection from unpredictable quarters.  Raksha Bandhan, in other words, is a bond between brother and sister for bestowing protection to the sister whenever contingency arises – a sacred pledge that he (brother) will fulfill the promise of protection come what may. In return, the sister prays for the wellbeing and prosperity of her brother. It is not merely the case of brother protecting his sister but otherwise also. We have examples of some financial sound but married sisters coming to the succor of their brothers who due to some reasons cannot bear the expenses of their education etc come to the rescue of their brothers.A case in point is of a sister named Aruna Tyagi, aged 50-years, whose brother was done to death by some goons. Despite police complaints and entreaties thereafter, nobody was caught. This lady determined to meet the Chief Minister and justice and for that, she would be traveling 600km for justice! As we ready for Raksha Bandhan, ‘a sister marches 600 Kms for justice is the heading of the news.

Raksha Bandhan is a  Hindu festival which highlights the importance of brother-sister relationship. Here, brother-sister may be related biologically or even unrelated. In some parts of India it is simply called Rakhi festival or Rakhi Purnima (falling on the full moon). India is a multi-cultural society, not only Hindus, it is celebrated by Sikhs, Jains etc. The sister ties a (Rakhi thread) sacred thread on the wrist of her brother and the brother, in turn, gives a solemn pledge or promise to the sister to come to her succor at any unforeseen exigencies. A promise which is formulized on RAKHI PURNIMA DAY. This festival falls on full moon day (Shravan Poornima) and that is why it is also called as Raksha Poornima.

The brother-sister relationship is really very sensitive. When brother and sister are biologically connected then they grow up together under the same roof and the parents make them understand the importance of the brother-sister relationship. As the sister, after she grows up, has to leave the home and hearth of her parents after she is married, Rakhi Thread becomes a sacred link between brother and sister to remind each other that there exists somebody to care for him/her. It is, in other words, an emotional bond/link which brings forth the memories of the past days when both brother and sister had lived and brought up together. To say the least, I opine, sisterly love is next the motherly love.  A simple woven thread, self-made or purchased from the market with great reverence cements relationship even further between brother and sister.

Some of the salient features of RAKSHA BANDHAN are given below:-

1. Raksha Bandhan signifies the love and affection between brother and sister – an emotional link which solidifies the relationship between the two blood-related or otherwise. It may include brother and sister who are not biologically related. Just strangers but they establish a bond by tying a simple twine on the wrist which solidifies the relationship. Sometimes this sister-brother relationship does not take into account the artificial boundaries or barriers of caste, creed, color or religion.
2. Brother promises to protect her sister and come to her succor whenever called for besides giving a suitable gift for his sister as a token of love. It could be a sister promising to come to the assistance of a brother in need.
3. At the time of tying the knot of sacred thread parents, grandparents and other members of the family ritualistically gather to shower their blessings on brother-sister at a spot where the sister ties the knot of Rakhi to her brother and pray for their well-being and prosperity. Tying of knot of a Rakhi is done in a ceremony by lighting an earthen wick or a candle in a shallow plate. Sister applies tilak or tikka on the forehead of her brother and then ties Rakhi. The purpose of lighting a wick is for the sanctification of RAKSHA BANDHAN in presence of Fire God. Brother gives her gifts and promises to protect her whenever there is a need. Subsequently, the sister prays for the wellbeing and prosperity of her brother. Some sing religious songs in connection with Rakhi festival.
4. The sister prays to God for the safety and prosperity of his brother.
5. A sacred thread, in the form of Rakhi thread, cements a bond between brother and sister thus establishes goodwill and emotional bond between them two.
6. Most importantly, when brother-sister love is affirmed outside the biological relationship then it will enhance inter-faith cohesion and fellow feelings between different castes, religions etc. This practice persisted in the past and is prevalent now as well. Raksha Bandhan evokes feeling of love, respect, and a sense of protection and also engenders a feeling of togetherness between different religions.
7. Then there is a practice of sending Rakhi threads made by the school children to the soldiers guarding the borders who could not be with their sisters because of their emergent commitments. These soldiers will naturally feel elated and emotionally suffused by this sacred gesture.
8. Self-made Rakhi Threads along with the sweets and gifts are sent to the orphanages for tying to the ones who were not so fortunate to have their brother tying this sacred thread. This also brings the smile on their faces.
9. Brothers and sisters who are geographically separated send their Rakhis by post or any other fast means along with the gifts in the form of gift cheque etc. Nowadays, due to the progress of communication owing to the net connect, Rakhis could even be e-Rakhied without wastage of time. What a way to exploit the fast communication! This gesture too keeps the bond of brother-sister love ever blossoming.
10. The Prohits self-make Rakhis and distribute amongst their disciples who put these on their writs with fervor. This too is considered as a SHARED TWINE.

Historical Perspective

Earliest examples of a Rakhi Bandhan prayer is found in VISHNU PURAN:  a prayer that Yasoda sung while tying a sacred Rakhi lucky charm on Krishna’s wrist.

May the lord of all beings protect you,
May the one who creates, preserves and dissolves life protect thee.

Historically legend has it that Rajput queens used to send rakhi threads (a scared thread) to other neighbouring rulers in order to show their linkage or relationship and establish a bond of relationship and spread brotherly feeling amongst the neighbourhood and avoid bloodletting on small pretext or misunderstanding of any nature.

There is a legend, Lord Ganesha had two sons named Shubh and Labh. While Ganesh’s sister came to tie a Rakhi around the wrist of Ganesh, his sons became disappointed. They wanted a sister too. Then  Narda Muni came and persuaded  Lord Ganesha for the same and thus created a daughter by the name of Santoshi Maa by the divine flame emerging from wives named Ridhi and Sidhi who tied Rakhi on the wrists of her brothers Shubh and Labh.  There is also a legend in Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana that after Lord Vishnu won the three worlds from demon king Bali, he requested Lord Vishnu along with Maa Lakshmi to stay in his palace. This was not like by Goddess Lakshmi. She had a plan. She tied a Rakhi around the wrist of King Bali and made him his brother. When asked for a gift she asked for the freedom of Lord VISHNU and freed from the promise to live at his palace. Demon king agreed.

In Mahabharata, Lord  Krishna considered Draupati as his sister. When there was a cut on his finger while beheading Shushupal, she pierced a piece of her sari and tied it around his injured finger which was bleeding. Krishna took it as a sacred thread (RAKSHA BANDHAN) and bestowed her protection whenever called for the same.

There is also a legend of Yama (the lord of death) and Yamuna (river). Yama, due to pre-occupation could not visit her for 12 long years. She told Ganga for the same. Gangaji mentioned this to Lord Yama. He visited his sister thereafter. Yama was very happy to see his brother after a long time; prepared tasty food for him. On asking for a gift, she extracted a promise that he should visit her year after year. This too is connected with Raksha Bandhan.

May true spirit Raksha Bandhan prevails and creates congenial brotherly feelings amongst the humanity as a whole