Welcome

to
 Jan
40/-
2016
Page 2
 Founder His Holiness Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamigal
Patron-in-Chief His Holiness Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji

VOLUME XXXVIII No.10 JANUARY 2016

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May Tattvloka always excel, by the grace of Sharada, delighting the seekers of Truth.
His Holiness Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji

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Editor: Sarala Panchapakesan.

3 January 2016
CONTENTS
Jagadguru Speaks.............................................................................................................06
Altruism is personally rewarding, too.

How to keep New Year's Resolutions...........................08

Keep walking with patience and discipline, so that the
path to fulfilling the resolutions unfolds.

Gems of Sankara..................................................................................................................12
The Self thinks as it were; acts as it were.

Spirituality and Religion ................................................................................14

The choice is between just being religious and leading
a religious-cum-spiritual life.

Siva is Sabha-pati...............................................................................................................20
As the saying goes, all the world is the
Lord's stage.

Sparks of Wisdom.............................................................................................................25
Spiritual Quote..........................................................................................................................27

Youth Vox................................................................................................................................................28
Caring of Elderly Relatives.........................................................................32
Service to elders is a debt we have to discharge.

Manage Business with Viveka........................................................40

Maturity of a manager lies in practising time-tested values.

The Alluring Krishna of Mohanur..........................................44

The deity is credited with magical powers to promote conjugal harmony.

Book Review.....................................................................................................................................48
Lord Murugan: Karthikeya Katha.

4 January 2016
 January 2016

The Nectar of Devotion ...............................................................................50

Sagely advice from Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji.
News and Events..............................................................................................................54
Pattabhisheka Day at Sringeri.
Readers Survey.......................................................................................................................63
Help us to make Tattvaloka Better.

The Wellness Sense ..................................................................................................67

The constant play of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas
affects the flow of our thoughts.

Holistic Culinary Art Jamun.........................................................72

Jamun, the multi-benefit fruit.

Laughter is the Best Medicine..................................................... 76

Fury of Flood in Chennai............................................................................ 78
Our helplessness comes to the fore in the face of Natures wrath.

Yoga Posture.................................................................................................................................82
Upward-Facing Dog Pose (Urdhva Mukha Asana).

Story with a Moral.......................................................................................................84

New Year Presents : It is never too late to learn.

Did You Know ?...................................................................................................................87

Jai Ho Bharat...............................................................................................................................88
Kalavantin Durg: The World's Most Dangerous Hill Fort.

5 January 2016
 6 November 2015

6
 ALTRUISM IS
PERSONALLY REWARDING, TOO
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Zmo _{VahVwH$s &&
May the world flourish. May the wicked give up wickedness. May all
creatures wish for mutual welfare. May the mind attain peace. May
our intellect turn towards God without any expectation.

Such a prayer comes from a pure mind. If man leads his life ideally
with this noble attitude, he will attain sreyas. God will accept his
prayer and suitably reward him, while bestowing his grace. If at all
such a person faces any difficulty, everybody will come to his help.

We see examples of this in the Ramayana. Though just a bird, Jatayu

tried to block Ravanas path to save Sita. The squirrel, a tiny creature,
helped Rama as much as it could. And one cannot just forget the
service of the vanara sena (army of monkeys).

What we learn from this is that the prayers and activities of a pure
hearted person praying for public welfare will be effortlessly crowned
with personal rewards, too. Even persons with malice towards him
will quickly reform themselves. This is indeed the special significance
of a pure-hearted prayer.

We bless all to develop such a sattvic attitude H

7 January 2016
How to Keep New Years
RESOLUTIONS
When you keep walking with patience and discipline, the
path to fulfilling your resolution continues to unfold. One
step at a time.

8 January 2016
 In a cartoon by Annie Taylor-
Lebel, Angus, a dog, asks Phil,
another dog: What exactly is a
New Years Resolution? Its a
To do list for the first week of
January, says Phil.
Sounds familiar?
Many of us make New Years
resolutions. Personally, I like the
idea of making resolutions. It
gives you something to work
towards throughout the year.
And, of course, it gives you
another reason to celebrate
when you fulfill your promise.
Having said that, most people
fail to stay on course, and give
up their resolutions within the
first few months, if not weeks. In
my view, either do not make
resolutions or leave no stone
unturned in seeing to it that you
complete them.
When we make a resolution but
do not keep it, our self-esteem
takes a hit, it weakens our self-
confidence. Your conscious mind,
your habits, want you to break
your resolutions. They will
create plenty of noise and will
exploit every thought, every
idea, every possibility to have it
their way. If you do not stick to
your resolution at that time and
give up, it becomes a lot more
1
difficult to honour your promise
the next time. That is because
your conscious mind has won
over you, it thinks: I can do
whatever I want since this
person foregoes his stance if I
persist.
But, every time you choose to
keep your resolution and not
listen to the talkative mind, you
get a significant boost in your
ability to keep your promises.
Because, now your mind says I
am in the body of a person who
does what he pronounces. My
whining is of no use because he
will not give up. When your
mind is convinced that you will
not listen to it once you have
decided on something, it will
stop bothering you. Try it any
day. A resolution is a living
thought. Here are three golden
principles of making and keeping
your new year resolutions.
Promise to Yourself
Remember that while your
resolution may have a positive
impact on those around you, it is
predominantly for yourself. Your
resolution should strictly focus
on what you plan to do. For
example, you cannot say I will
not let my partner get mad at me
this year. Or, I will make my boss
give me a raise. Well, actually
9 January 2016
you can but this will not really
be a resolution because a true
resolution should focus
exclusively on your actions and
not others. I will not shout at
my partner can be a resolution,
for example. A resolution is a
promise you have made to
yourself.
Make a resolution about
something you feel passionate
about. Something that will
motivate you to fulfill it. While it
is natural to make resolutions
driven by the outcome, your
complete attention should be
devoted to the actions that will
lead to the desired outcome
though. Visualising the outcome
or dreaming about it is only to
keep you motivated. Results will
come from action alone. When
you feel lazy or feel like
dreaming, get up and act. Act,
act, act. Do not listen to your
mind.
Be Specific
Resolution is a not a wish list
but a to-do list (hopefully,
beyond the first week of
January). Do not just say I wish
to be a happier person or a
better person because how will
you measure such a resolution?
If you cannot quantify, then at
least be specific so you may
1
10
reasonably ascertain whether or
not you are working towards
your goal. The more specific you
are, the better chance you have
of seeing your resolution
through. For example, I will lose
weight this year is not a good
enough resolution, because
losing weight is something you
wish to accomplish. It is not an
action, or even resolution. It is
the outcome.
A good resolution focuses on
the action. Therefore, much
better is to say I will exercise
four days a week or I will not eat
desserts more than once a week
or I will only eat salad for my
lunch, and so on and so forth.
Remember, a good resolution is
not a proclamation of the
outcome but action. When you
are specific and clear about the
actions you will undertake, you
will automatically move towards
the fulfillment of your
resolutions. And every time you
move a step closer, you will feel
stronger.
Be Disciplined
The best way of staying
disciplined is to take it one step
each day, each hour at a time.
Therefore, a New Years
resolution may well be a to-do
list for the first week of January.
January 2016
Why, it is actually for the first It is how we have evolved and
day of January. The only progressed. Resolution is the art
difference between an ordinary of following your dreams, your
to-do list and this one is that it goals. It is what makes you work
gets carried forward. You wake towards what matters to you.
up on the first day of the new Make a resolution today, if you
year, you follow your to-do list. have not already, and stick to it.
You do the same on the second
day, and the third, fourth, fifth Go on, just do it H
till you arrive at the last day of
the year.
Peace.
Just stay true to your resolution Swami
today. Promise yourself that no
matter what, today you will not www.omswami.com
listen to the rebellious chatter of
your mind. Instead, you will
simply do what you have decided
you will do. And repeat it
tomorrow, the day after and the
day after. You will be amazed
how quickly the whole year will
pass. Next year, it will be much
easier to keep your resolution.
Your mind will try to derail you,
it does not like changes or Om Swami
discipline, it likes having its way.
It may say to you: As it is, life is
pretty hard, why make it harder
with all these resolutions and
stuff. Just do not pay attention
to it. You focus on what you have
to do.

The ability to dream a future,

to visualise an outcome, to make
resolutions is an extraordinary
privilege granted to our species.

11 January 2016
 A major conclusion of Advaita Vedanta is the answer to the
question,Who is the doer? Who is the thinker? The conclusion
is: It is not the Self; it is only the reflection of the Self in the
intellect. This reflection makes the mistake of identifying itself
with the body-mind-intellect and assumes the agentship of all
thoughts and actions.

The most significant scriptural authority for this is the

statement in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4-3-7): Dhyayativa,
lelayativa meaning, (the Self) thinks, as it were and shakes, as it
were. 'Dhyayati' here means 'janati', 'knows, cognises'. 'Lelayati'
here means 'karoti', 'does action', though the word's primary
meaning is 'moves', 'wavers'.

Two Kinds of Functions

All our actions can be classified into two kinds--the knowing
function and the doing function. The first, supported by the
antah-karana (the inner organ, the mind), is that of the
jnanendriyas (organs of perception and cognition, namely, eye, ear,
nose, tongue, skin), and the second one, supported by the pranas,
is that of the karmendriyas (organs of action namely, hand, foot,
larynx, organ of reproduction and organ of excretion). Both
functions are 'Mithya' says the Upanishad. That is the purport of
the words 'iva', meaning, 'as though'.

In his Bhashya on the upanishad, Bhagavatpada Sankara

says: The intellect is that which is illumined, and the
light of the Self is that which illumines.

12 January 2016
We cannot distinguish
between the two. It is because light
is so pure that it assumes the likeness of that
which it illumines. When it illumines something
coloured, it assumes the likeness of the colour. The self,
illumining the intellect, illumines through it the entire
body and organs. Therefore, through the similarity of the
intellect, the Self assumes the likeness of everything.

It is for this reason that the whole world, to its utter

delusion, superimposes all activities peculiar to name and form
on the Self. By illumining the intellect, which does the thinking
through its own self-effulgent light that pervades the intellect,
the self assumes the likeness of the latter and seems to think just
as the light looks coloured. Hence people mistake that the Self
thinks; but really it does not, nor does it have any motion.

The Supreme Lord has neither the knowing function nor the
doing function. It is his reflection in the buddhi which is doing all
these. The false identification of the reflected consciousness with
buddhi makes it appear to the buddhi as if Paramatma is doing
everything. The reflected moon in the lake quivers because of the
quivering of the water surface; the moon in the sky is not
quivering H

profvk@yahoo.com Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

13 January 2016
 SPIRITUALITY
& RELIGION
Religion builds up the human bonding which
paves the way for spirituality
14 January 2016
 A question which is often
asked is: Can one be
spiritual without being
religious? There is a tendency
these days to look down upon
religion or a religious lifestyle
for one reason or the other.
Some have the view that religion
implies fundamentalism. For
some others religion is
symptomatic of social inequality
born of the caste system. There
are others who consider religion
as empty rituals and promoting
superstitious beliefs and
outmoded customs and
practices.
Many are happy to declare
themselves as working for
spiritual progress but hesitate to
say that they are religious also.
Therefore, several important
questions need to be examined
and these are: (i) What is
religion? (ii) What is spirituality?
(iii) What is the difference
between the two? (iv) Are the
two optional or to be practised
together or separately and if so
in what order?
There are and can be several
differing views on all these
questions. However, this article
is intended to present the
approach of our scriptures and
acharyas in our tradition.
1
15
Religion or religious lifestyle is
something connected with
relationship (sambandha or
yoga). Relations are important
and inevitable in human life. It
is also seen that relationships
have an impact (positive or
negative) on our physical and
emotional health and
success/failure, prosperity/
penury in our lives. In fact, a
few good relationships can have
the effect of converting hell into
heaven and a few bad
relationships can provide a
result to the contrary. Therefore,
scriptures recognise the
importance of the relationships
and have devoted considerable
attention and provided valuable
guidelines.
Three Categories
Relationships can be broadly
divided into three categories
(i) Jiva sambandha (our
relationships with all living
beings and particularly human
beings); (ii) Jagat sambandha
(our relationships with the
external world); and (iii) Isvara
sambandha (our relationship
with the Lord).
Our relationship with other
beings begins with the
connection with mother from
the womb to start with and
January 2016
continues with family and
society at large. This human
bonding is very important as
research has shown that where
this is lacking, the growth of the
individual is likely to be
adversely affected. As regards
our relationship with the world,
it can be seen that we are
connected right from birth to the
environment (like the child
having to breathe immediately
on being born) and natural
elements and forces (akasa, vayu,
agni, apaha and prithvi). Our life
is heavily influenced by the role
of environment and ecology.
Most Important
Our relationship with Isvara,
the creator and protector of the
universe, is the most important
and enduring association, not
affected by time and continuing
through our various births
(janma-janmantara sambandha).
It is without beginning (anadi)
and is endless (ananta) as well
and capable of giving emotional
security.
Scriptures therefore enjoin that
we must do everything to value,
preserve, nurture and hold
steadfast to this crucial bonding.
A religious lifestyle is one
where I appreciate the
1
16
importance of all the three
relationships and continue to
work for their maintenance and
healthy growth. Naturally, we
would like to know how this can
be done. Our religion provides
very valuable inputs based on
well established principles to
help us in this task.
Taking the example of the
relationship between the mother
and the child, we see that during
pregnancy a part of the mother's
mind is always devoted to
thoughts on the child. Following
this bonding with the child at
the thought level, the mother
starts talking to the child after
birth in a language that the child
can grasp reinforcing the bond at
the speech level, which
continues for life thereafter.
Besides the mental and vocal
bonding (manasa, vachika
sambandha), the mother's
physical association with the
child starts very early, the child
being sensitive to the mother's
touch (kayika sambandha).
The under current of all these
connections at various levels is
the manifestation of the
mother's relationship with the
child. Thus, through manasika,
vachika and kayika karma we
cultivate and nurture all
January 2016
relationships in the world. All
our religious practices and
customs reflect our efforts to
bond with and develop and
maintain our relationships with
the fellow-beings, with the
world at large and the Lord.
Thus, all of us need some kind
of religion and rituals in
fostering these three
relationships. Some may follow
the traditional practices set out
in the scriptures while some
others use their own improvised
ways of cultivating and
maintaining these relationships.
Other Values
Besides religion, all ethical
values highlighted in the
scriptures play an important role
in the healthy development of
these three relationships and
help to avoid any undue conflict
or friction. Values, such as
ahimsa, satyam, danam, daya or
karuna (compassion) are all
instrumental in maintaining the
bond with jiva, jagat and isvara.
It is therefore clear that
religious practices, disciplines
and values stipulated in our
scriptures are very relevant and
useful in the context of
maintenance of our smooth
relationship in all the three cases.
1
17
We also have to take note that
the rituals and practices laid
down in the scriptures are only a
means to help maintain our
relationships and not an end in
themselves. The scriptures
therefore warn us against our
getting carried away by the
rituals themselves and miss the
essence or the purpose for which
these are intended. Such an
obsession has led to a lot of
research to enquire into the
customs and practices laid down
in the tradition resulting in
avoidable controversies and
symbolism.
Also, our scriptures are quite
flexible in the performance of
rituals and where for instance,
the materials specified are not
available, substitution with the
available materials is permitted.
What is needed is the
commitment, sincerity and
devotion in the practice of
worship and puja.
We need, however, to respect
the tradition and try to follow
the guidelines as far as possible.
The intent is that all our actions
at the thought, speech and
physical levels should promote
our relationships with fellow-
beings, the world and the Lord.
Wherever due to age and ill
January 2016
health, physical performance is
not possible, one can take to
recital or reading (parayanam)
and where even this is difficult
one can do manasa puja. Thus,
rituals and values are relevant
for all of us. Even atheists
(nastikas) will have to follow
some kind of rituals and values
in maintaining their
relationships with others and
the world at large. Therefore it
follows that all of us have to be
religious in some way or other.
Absolute Freedom
What is spiritual life? This is
dealt with by the scriptures in
the end portion of the vedas
(Vedanta). This portion of the
scriptures is devoted to the
study and discovery of the
absolute reality which is the
support of all the relative things
in the universe and transcends
all duality.
Absolute freedom is possible
only by the pursuit of the
absolute reality. Without the
knowledge of absolute reality,
our freedom from the world will
be limited.
In the relative world, even
isvara's freedom to create is
limited by the karma of the jivas.
If the Lord had total freedom, he
18
would have created a world free
of all inequality, suffering,
sorrow and death. Once I
discover that absolute freedom is
possible only by the discovery of
absolute truth and that I need to
transcend my relationship with
jiva, jagat and isvara and I devote
my life to that pursuit, I am said
to be leading a spiritual life with
moksha as my goal.
The religious life I lead can be
used for
(i) material prosperity and
(ii) by appropriate redesigning
for spiritual goals also. Thus a
religious person can be religious
without being spiritual. But one
can never be a spiritual person
without being religious.
A religious person, however,
has the choice to be merely
religious or to lead a religious
and spiritual life H
athreyaanna@gmail.com
R B Athreya
(Based on lectures by Swami
Paramarthananda in Chennai.)
January 2016
19 January 2016
 The Lord of the Stage

SIVA is Sabha-pati

As the saying goes, all the world is Lord's stage.

20 January 2016
 T he famous Sri Rudram, a
key hymn occurring in the
Krishna Yajur Veda, praises
Siva as Sabhapati, namas
sabhabhyah sabhapatibhyascha vo
namaha. In each anuvaka of this
potent prayer, Siva is worshipped
invoking the benevolent aspect,
rather than his terrible aspect.
Siva dances within our minds and
hearts and removes maya, our
karma bonds, avidya and egoism,
and makes us experience ananda.
The entire cosmos is the stage for
Lord Siva's dance. His movements
vibrate within every atom of
matter and life in the entire
cosmos, chetana (sentient) as well
as achetana (insensient) forms.
Siva's Sabhas
Sabha stands for an assembly
hall as well as a stage. Siva's
cosmic dance as Nataraja is
portrayed in several ways. The
five halls of Nataraja's cosmic
dance are known as Pancha
Sabhas. In the traditions in south
India, these are:
Kanaka Sabha (Golden Hall) at
the famous shrine in
Chidambaram;
Rajata Sabha (Silver Hall)
in Madurai;
Ratna Sabha (Ruby Hall) at
Tiruvalankadu near Chennai;
Tamra Sabha (Copper Hall)
in Tirunelveli; and
1
21
Chitra Sabha (Hall of pictures) at
Kutralam.
Nataraja in the Silver Hall in
Madurai Meenakshi-Sundaresvarar
temple, a stone icon, has his right
foot raised. This was Siva's
response to a plea by a Pandya
king, who appealed to him to
change the posture as otherwise
he would get tired, always
dancing with his left foot raised.
At the Ratna Sabha, Nataraja
appears in the Urdhva tandava
posture, lifting his left foot high
and touching his crown with it.
The Tamra Sabha at Nellaiappar
temple in Tirunelveli enshrines
Siva as Periya Sabhapati.
The Three Dances
The Puranas describe three types
of dance by Nataraja:
Sandhya Tandava is described
elaborately in the Pradosa stotra. It
describes that seated on a gold
throne studded with gems, Parvati
watches Siva dancing on the
heights of Mount Kailasa with
choicest accompaniments. The
Goddess of learning, Sarasvati,
plays the veena, the celestial chief,
Indra, plays on the flute, the
creator, Brahma, maintains taal
with cymbals, Lakshmi sings and
Vishnu beats the drum.
January 2016
Bhairava Nrtya. Siva's furious
dance as Bhairava (Virabhadra) as
he destroys evil, is watched by
ganas (groups of all species). The
dance stage is the cremation
ground.
Nadaanta Nrtya, the enchanting
dance performed in Chidam-
baram. Nataraja wears on his head
a cobra, the river Ganga, the
crescent moon, a wreath of bilva
leaves, and a sacred thread. In his
right ear he wears man's kundala
(ear rings) and on the left ear, the
tatanka worn by women. He holds
a drum in the right upper hand,
and with the other hand sports
the abhaya mudra. One left hand
holds a flame and the other points
fingers downwards at Muyalaka,
the evil dwarf at his right foot.
With left foot raised high,
Nataraja stands on a lotus from
which springs a circle of light
(Tiruvaasi) that touches the drum
and the fire in the Lord's two
hands. The dance depicts Siva's
Pancha-kriya: Srshti, Stithi,
Samhara, Tirobhava (veiling
through Maya) and Anugraha
(grace, release).
Siva's Sandhya Tandava is
watched by groups of :
Gandharvas (celestial musicians
and dancers), Yakshas (semi-divine
attendants of Kubera), Pathagas
1
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(lords of all winged creatures),
Uragas (masters of all reptiles
that move on their chest), Siddhas
(divine beings with the eight
super powers or siddhis), Saadhyas
(celestials of Bhuvarloka, a region
above earth and below svarga),
Vidyadharas (attendants of Siva),
Amaras (all immortals), Apsaras
(wives of Gandharvas) who
assemble at twilight to witness
Siva's dance.
Dance in Dahara-akasa
Siva's dance in Chidambaram
signifies dance in the Dahara-
akasa. Dahara is the cavity of
the heart and 'A-kasa' means
refulgent everywhere. ( 'A' means
on all sides, 'Kasa' is glowing).
Daharakasa is literally the
knowledge-space, or the space of
the heart.
At this famous Siva shrine, this is
indicated by the empty space in
the sanctum, or what is known as
Chidambara rahasya, or the secret
of Chidamabaram. As the priest
removes the curtain to 'show' the
devotee, the rahasya, in the eyes
of the beholder, there is nothing
but empty space. One merely sees
the golden bilva leaves to signify
the presence of Siva and Parvati.
What is sought to be indicated is
the akasa tattva, the principle of
space. Space is formless. We can
January 2016
only know the secret of Siva tattva
by going within. When you
remove the veil of illusion and
desires, you experience the vast
infinite inner space. For a few
moments your mind becomes free
from thoughts. We realise that
there is some secret of which we
have had a small glimpse, like a
flash, and this experience brings a
transformation in life.
Empty space is pervaded by
Mahakala Siva, the lord of the
universe, who is the inherent
consciousness of the Conscious
Emptiness. Conscious Matter is
the result of blending of time and
emptiness. Its creator is
Emptiness, which, though bearing
all movements of matter, remains
beyond and unaffected by it.
Legends describe three types of
space: Bhutakash the physical
body, Chittakash thoughts and
emotions, and Chidakash the
vast, Supreme Consciousness. The
life-force energy is awakened in
the Chidakash. To realise this
thought, one has to unveil the
"curtain of maya," which the
priest in front of the rahasya seeks
to demonstrate. Encapsulated in
the world of illusion, we are
unaware of the absolute reality.
According to legend, Chidambara
Rahasya will never be revealed as
23
it is the secret relating to each
individual and it is left to them to
realise its true meaning.
Sabhapati is Bliss
Siva is dancing to indicate the
rhythm of life. If both feet are
stuck in the ground then you
cannot dance. Even to walk you
need to take one foot up.
As Sabhapati, Nataraja represents
the Ananda Tattva (bliss) that is
desired by the whole world. Every
atom in the world is filled with
the potential for action, yet it is at
peace. Siva, the principle of
infinite peace and bliss is not
inert. It is peaceful, yet dancing.
The entire creation is dancing in
bliss. The entire creation is
longing for bliss.
Nataraja is a symbol of birth,
growth, and death. Creation starts
with the sounds of the drum.
Protection for life and desires is
assured by the hand in abhaya
mudra. The fire points to
renunciation and destruction of all
attachments H
gvramakrishna@yahoo.com
Lalita Ramakrishna
January 2016
 ?? January 2016

Page 24
Aamdw{MV H$m Am{Vo Jh_mJVo &
N>omw: nmdJVm N>mm ZmonghaVo _: &&
Even if a person is inimical towards us, we should treat him
courteously when he comes to our house, offer him a seat and
water. He should in no way be humiliated.

The tree knows the woodcutter comes to chop it off; still it

welcomes him with its shade. H

Courtesy: Subhashitani V. Rajagopala Ganapadigal

25 January 2016
26 January 2016
 x

27 January 2016 Os
Dear Swamiji,

My question is very simple. If everything is in the hands of God then

why should I plan my future or work hard? God will provide for me.
Please enlighten me.

Tushar Sharma, 24, New Delhi

1
28 January 2016
Dear Tushar,
T o begin with, I believe
that our actions and
surroundings determine
a great deal of our future and not
just God. Krishna says in
Bhagavad Gita (18.13, 14) that
there are five elements that
determine the result of anything.
They are approach, doer,
resources, efforts and fifth is
destiny. Once I wrote a post on
my blog on the same topic citing
a story of a monk. I quote:
Once upon a time, a man, in
search of livelihood, on his way
to another town had to pass
through a jungle. It so happened
that he lost his way in the
woods. Roaming helplessly, he
came across an old banyan tree,
its roots hung low and it
canopied a wide area. He saw a
fox sitting under the tree. At
first, he got scared, thereafter,
relieved, for, he noticed that it
was lame, an old fox, mostly
disabled, unable to hunt.
He sat there in a shady corner.
What he witnessed a while later
amazed him, He observed birds
on the tree occasionally dropped
pieces of meat and the fox fed on
them. That was how it survived.
It dawned on the man that there
1
29
was no need for him to run
M i n d
around, that, he too, like the fox,
could just take up a corner
somewhere, God would provide
for him too.
Subsequently, he managed to
navigate his way out of the
forest and parked himself, under
a tree, outside the first village he
came across. He vowed to
surrender to God and only live
off what was offered to him.
Days went by and no one offered
him anything. He was starving,
at the verge of collapsing. His
faith shook, just short of
shattering, and he wondered
how could God be partial, how
come he provided for the fox and
not him.
While he was engrossed in his
own world, he saw a sannyasin,
a mystic, pass by. In his frail
condition, he called out for the
mystic, narrated his story, his
predicament, and put him the
question that bothered him. The
monk chuckled, and said, Who
told you to take on the role of the
fox? Are you lame? Disabled?
You should be the bird, working
for yourself as well as providing
for those who depend on you.
I hope you get your answer in
the story above. If you do believe
January 2016
that God provides for everyone,
by the same logic, we must also
accept that the same God gave
you a mind capable of thinking
and deliberating, limbs that
move, a body that functions. He
provides through the capabilities
each one of us is blessed with.
It is up to us whether we want to
build on them, nurture them and
consequently give meaning to
our lives or simply neglect them.
It is a choice, a personal choice.

Our present is the result of the

choices we made in the past and
your future rests on the choices
you are making today. Be wise in
what you choose H

Peace.
Os
www.omswami.com

30 January 2016
Page 31
1
32 January 2016
 Caring
of ELDERLY RELATIVES
Service to elders is a debt we have to discharge
D o you have all your four
grandparents alive?
Two paternal, and two
maternal. Or, at least, one or
more of them? If not, do you
have living relatives of their
generation?
Where do they live? With your
parents, in your home?
Or, with one of your
uncles or aunts? Or, on
their own? Or, in an old
age home? Or, moving
from one child to
another?
How well do they live?
In good health? With
svadheenam, self-
reliant, able to take
care of themselves
and their daily needs
and routines? Or
sick, at risk of fall,
illness or violence?
Till about the middle of
the 20th century, such
33
M i n d
questions were generally not
raised. It was automatic that the
older generation will live, until
their peaceful death, with one or
more of their children. There
were benefits to all three
generations in such a joint
family system. But, now such
questions are being raised
worldwide.
Capitalism, the market, global
mobility, education or dual
careers may have their benefits,
but also their casualties. Senior
citizens are among the latter.
Singapore has passed a law
imposing the obligation on
children to care for their parents.
The UN has declared an
International Day of Older
Persons. Do you recall the date?
October 1.
The Five Rinams
Besides law and such global
policies, our culture provides an
important set of values. The
first is that we should approach
January 2016
our life primarily as debtors
with debts to repay; and not as
creditors, with entitlements.
You may have heard of the
Pancha Rinam, the five debts that
each of us owes. One of these is
Pitru Rinam, debt to our
ancestors. While performing the
annual Sraddha ceremony for our
deceased parents, we recall three
or more generations. While this
is symbolic and useful, what is
even more critical is that we take
good care of elders who are alive
and with us, here and now.
A Growing Problem
Care of the seniors is a growing
problem in India and world over.
The population of people aged 60
years and above globally is
currently 600 million. The
forecast is that it will reach two
billion by 2050, when many of
you, our dear young readers, will
still be alive. The proportion is
projected to rise in India from
about 10 per cent now, to 20 per
cent in 2050; and 33 per cent by
2150. The aim of the UN Day is
to honour, respect, and care for
the elderly; and help them grow
old with dignity and inclusion.
What can you do about it?
First, commit yourself deeply to
the value of Pitru Rinam. If one
or more of your grandparents are
1
34
living with you and your parents
in your home, take care of them
as much as you can. Do not leave
it entirely in the hands of your
mother, father or elder siblings.
If they are living with one of
your relatives elsewhere, visit
them, in your annual holidays.
See the elders' pride and joy
when you meet them. Send
them periodic emails. Talk to
them on Skype or Facetime.
Many seniors are net savvy. Call
them, regularly, at least once a
month, when they are
reasonably well; and even once a
week when they are unwell.
Remember, life is anityam,
uncertain. Do not neglect, and
regret later. If all your nuclear
family seniors are no more,
spend some time with elders of
the extended family. Beyond
them, visit seniors of friends in
old age homes, etc. Earn their
asirvadam, blessings. If, despite
all such good work, you have a
lonely old age, after a few
decades, do not complain. Look
back with deep satisfaction on
how well you had discharged
your debt H
athreyamb@gmail.com
M.B.Athreya
January 2016
35 January 2016
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
39 January 2016
 Maturity of a manager lies in practising time-tested values.
M ost managers lead
day-to-day
management of
business more by impulse, and
less by viveka. Impulsive action
is marked by lack of forethought
and an impetuous, emotional or
passionate reaction to
situations. 'Act first, think later,
and repent even later' is the
outcome of most impulsive
behaviour.
40
On the other hand, viveka
stands for a calm, discerning
ability, characterised by a
perceptive, judicious approach
in any situation. Viveka
essentially denotes maturity of
mind. In the words of a Buddhist
lama, maturity is when you
understand that whatever you
do, you do for your own peace.
Our scriptures urge everyone
January 2016
to gain Viveka, the ability to
differentiate between the real
and the unreal. Viveka
Chudamani(Crest Jewel of
Discrimination), the Vedantic
treatise authored by the
universal teacher, Adi Sankara,
offers a step-by-step approach in
the form of dialogue between a
master and disciple on how to
shed false perceptions about
anything that is unreal, and gain
insight on the enduring aspects
of living.
Practical Approaches
At the level of day-to-day
management of business and
dealing with multiple
stakeholders, viveka implies a
few key approaches for a
practising manager.
The first is to learn not to
complain about any situation,
but to make the best of the
available resources. A mature
mind will understand that
complaining makes things look
worse than they are. When
people complain, they focus only
on what is wrong.
If things in a company are 80
per cent good and 20 per cent
bad, when a manager spends
most of his time thinking and
talking about the bad 20 per
1
41
cent, the situation would look a
M i n d
lot worse than it is. A
complaining attitude makes
people around despondent, and
it smothers creativity and
innovation.
Focus on Controllable
A mature manager
differentiates between
controllable and non-
controllable factors, and focuses
on the former, instead of
frittering energy trying to
manage the latter. Some external
factors would seem to constrain
growth and inhibit a desirable
way of functioning of an
enterprise. For example, there
could be crippling regulatory
issues, or predatory practices of
competitors that may not look
prudent in the long term.
Likewise, internally the required
infrastructure facilities may be
wanting. Viveka lies in not
getting overwhelmed by such
factors, but work around to steer
a sustainable, dharmic approach.
A mature manager learns to
operate within the constraints,
and tries to draw the best in any
situation. Perfect conditions
exist nowhere, and one should
learn to motivate the staff to
function within the given
framework.
January 2016
Viveka in Relationships
Mature handling of relation-
ships with all stakeholders is an
indication of Viveka. Good
working relationships make the
work always enjoyable. People
are more likely to go along with
changes that a manager wants to
implement when he maintains
sound relationships with
everyone.
Mature managers realise that
networking and relationship
management is key to long-term
growth, and not frenzied short-
term measures. They train staff
on how to develop sound
relationships with existing and
potential clients by adopting
what is called a 'farming'
approach - a slow, solution-
oriented attitude, instead of a
'hunting' approach focused on
immediate results.
It is important that
relationships are not sacrificed
for short-term gains. For
instance, several finance
managers have learnt a painful
lesson that when you switch
long standing relationship with
a bank in favour of a new entrant
that comes up with tempting
offers, there could be a cost
eventually when business
conditions turn adverse.
1
42
Prudence lies in not getting
swayed by temporary gains
without giving due weight for
long-established relationships.
Mature handling of relation-
ships with senior and junior
colleagues is a hallmark of good
leadership. According to a recent
research, 86 per cent of
employees believe that if they
like their manager, they are more
productive. Mature managers
take care to respect the opinions
and ideas of all employees, as
this is a good way to keep them
energised and happy.
Tolerance, a sign of Viveka
A visible sign of maturity in a
manager is how he handles
differing views and maintains
respect for everyone. As the
employee mix becomes more
diverse with younger and senior
workers, successful managers
understand the importance of
harnessing the power in the
convergence of diverse
viewpoints, passions and
inspirations.
A Viveki manager will realise
that the leadership style should
be varied according to
situations, with decisions made
consensually, with inputs and
consultation from all concerned.
January 2016
He will realise that it is better to
depend less on positional power,
and more on personal impact. He
will know how to make policy
exceptions without causing
harm to overall discipline.
Tolerance and mutual respect are
the hallmarks of a Viveki.
The Valmiki Ramayana refers to
several leadership qualities of
Rama to highlight his balanced
approach. The Ayodhya Kanda
mentions that Rama would never
lose his cool, and he would speak
sweetly to everyone without
causing any form of dissonance.
He would be true to his word
(satya sandha), have no envy
(anasuyaka), have immense
patience, would show gratitude
(krutajnata), and would always
keep his senses under control
(vijitendriya).
Big Picture
The most important attribute
of a Viveki is his ability to view
any situation in a holistic way,
and not in individual parts. In
business, this happens when the
manager realizes that he is just
not earning a living, or doing the
best at the job, but would leave a
legacy behind.
Readers may be familiar with
the Story of Three Stonecutters
43
that offers a lesson on seeing the
M i n d
big picture. A traveller walking
along a lane comes across three
stonecutters working in a
quarry. Each was busy cutting a
block of stone.
Interested to find out what they
were working on, the traveller
asks each of them what he was
doing. The first stonecutter
replies, I'm cutting a stone.
Not getting wiser, the traveller
asks the second one who replies,
I'm cutting this block to make
sure that it is square, and the
dimensions are uniform so that
it fits in the wall. The third
stonecutter, who appeared the
happiest of the three, replies,
I'm building a cathedral.
This ability to see the larger
purpose helps to develop a
prescient approach to manage
any emerging issue in a
business. Once we truly
understand the grand purpose,
whether in business or personal
life, the right way to handle day-
to-day issues simply falls in
place. That is the true benefit of
operating with Viveka H
rk@tattvaloka.com
R.Krishnamurthy
January 2016
44 January 2016

The Alluring Krishna of
Mohanur
A temple credited with magical powers
promotes conjugal harmony.
We all know about Ardha-
rnarisvara, the composite
androgynous form of Siva and
Parvati, depicted as half male
and half female, split down the
middle. But how many know
about the composite form of
Vishnu represented as Krishna
and Rukmini?
There is a beautiful temple on
the banks of Cauvery river at a
place called Mohanur about 18
kilometres from the town of
Namakkal in Tamil Nadu, which
is well known for its hugely
popular 18-feet high Anjaneya
carved out of a single rock.
The main temple in Mohanur is
dedicated to Kalyana Prasanna
Venkatesvara and includes a
sannidhi of Sammohana Krishna.
The literal meaning of
Sammohana is alluring or
hypnotising. The panchaloka
1
45 January 2016
M i n d
vigraha of Krishna is indeed
unique and captivating.
There are Puranic accounts to
indicate that Mohanur was
originally known as Bilvaranya
kshetra, full of bhel trees. Once
Siva was eager to see Vishnu in
his bewitching Mohini form and
the latter obliged. Since then the
place came to be known as
Mohanur.
Readers may be aware of the
legend describing Mohini as the
only female avatar of Vishnu. She
appeared as an enchantress to
acquire the pot of amrit, the
elixir of immortality, from the
thieving asuras for the benefit of
devas. Many different legends
tell of her various exploits and
marriages, including union with
Siva. These tales relate, among
other things, the destruction of
Bhasmasura, the ash-demon.
Mohini is worshipped in Western
India where temples are devoted
to her depicted as Mahalasa, the
consort of Khandoba, a regional
avatar of Siva.
Origin from Ant-hill
There is an interesting story
behind the main temple
dedicated to Venkatesvara in
Mohanur, which is said to be
about 1300 years old.
There lived an old man in the
place who visited Tirupati
regularly. Over a period of time
his age would not permit him to
do the pilgrimage. Extremely
disheartened, he decided to end
his life by drowning in the
Cauvery river. Before doing so,
he prayed ardently and there
emerged a snake from an anthill.
Stunned by the sight, he went
back to the village. That night he
had a dream in which the Lord
informed him that he was
embedded in the ant-hill near
the river and that he should be
installed.
A svayambhu murti emerged
when the ant-hill was dissolved
with the water of Cauvery. Later
the kalyana form of Vishnu with
Sridevi and Bhudevi was duly
installed. The mud formations
are still visible inside the
1
46
sanctum sanctorum. There is a
symbol of wristband and sword,
which is the signature sign of
Nayak rulers, at the entrance of
the sanctum indicating the
involvement of rulers of Nayak
era in building the temple
around the 16th century.
Bewitching Krishna
The shrine of Sammohana
Gopala with the idol made of
panchaloka as we enter the
Rajagopura is of particular
significance.
In this beautiful vigraha, the
male part is on the right side of
the composite form and the
female form on the left side, seen
in tribhangi lalitha posture, with
the neck slightly tilted, and the
waist and knee in a romantic
triple fold. His left leg is in the
front while the right leg is firmly
placed on the ground.
He is eight-armed, carrying
sankha (conch); chakra (wheel);
ankusam (goad); pushpabanam
(arrows of flowers);
ikshuchapam (bow of
sugarcane); pankajam (lotus
flower), and venuvadyam (flute).
Beautifully adorned with
ornaments and sandal paste, he
is enticing in appearance. Very
fascinating is the way the
January 2016
ornaments are depicted on the
murti. The whole concept is
focussed on Ekatvam, oneness of
male and female principle, which
is the very basis of creation.
While it is common to see
Lakshmi seated in the chest of
Vishnu or independently, this
composite form where Rukmini
occupies one half of Krishna is
indeed a rare phenomenon and
an unusual representation.
While there are many other
shrines of importance in this
temple, such as that for
Sudarsana, Lakshmi, Hayagriva,
Dhanvantari and Medha
Sarasvati, this bronze of
Sammohana Gopala is absolutely
captivating and unique.
The temple priest Sri
Venkatasesha Bhattachar said
that there is textual authority for
such a form, and he quoted from
Vaikhanasa Agama Marichiprokta
rupa dhyana Muktavali.
The installation of this bronze
took place in 2013.
Couple Reunited
The temple, and the shrine of
Sammohana Krishna in
particular, are miraculously
associated with several incidents
1
47
of married couples getting re-
M i n d
united after spells of separation.
About a quarter century ago, a
gentleman from Bengaluru,
upset over separation from his
wife, is said to have come across
details of the composite form of
Krishna in a text, and provided a
pencil sketch to a painter to
commission a painting of the
same, to be installed in the
Mohanur temple. On the day the
painting arrived at the temple,
there was a message that the
separated couple were brought
together by the girl's father.
Many couples who are on the
verge of divorce offer prayers to
Sammohana Gopala here and
have experienced restoration of
marital harmony.
Sammohana Gopala is thus not
only bewitching, but also brings
joy to couples in his composite
form, reminding them of the
greatness of oneness H
prparthasarathys@gmail.com
Dr. Vanamala Parthasarathy
January 2016

LORD MURUGAN:
KARTHIKEYA KATHA
I n this interesting and
delightfully readable book,
Sri R. Viswanathan, a former
senior banker who regularly
discourses on the various
aspects of Kaumara tattvam, has
incorporated a lot of research
material on Karthikeya, revered
as the effulgent younger son
of Siva.
There are highly informative
anecdotes relating to the six
popular resorts of Muruga
known as the Aru padai veedu,
with the author explaining the
meaning of this term in a novel
48
Book Review
By R. Viswanathan.173 pages.
Price Rs.200. Published by Trinity
Press, 113, Golden House,
Daryaganj, New Delhi 110 002.
way. The number six is
significant in all the episodes
involving Muruga, his very birth
from the six balls of fire that
emerged from the fusion of Siva
and Parvati as Ardhanarisvara,
his six foster-mothers, the
number of his faces, the days of
his battle with the demon
Surapadman, and so on.
One could perceive many
parallels between the episodes
described in this book and those
in the Valmiki Ramayana and
Kalidasas Kumarasambhavam.
Many incidents and beliefs are
explained beautifully,
interspersed with Vedantic
concepts, such as the author's
explanation regarding the
significance of rooster on
Murugas flagstaff and peacock
as the Lord's mount. The
January 2016
differences in the worship of
Karthikeya in the North and the
South of Vindhyas are also
charmingly brought out.
The style of story-telling
adopted by the author is
innovative, with absorbing
details and points of view on
observing Dharma as the sub-
stratum, like a sugar-coated pill.
The names and the significance
of several popular places of
spiritual import have been
described for the benefit of lay
readers. For instance, how the
river flowing in Madurai
acquired the name Vaigai, or the
origin of the term 'Tiruttani' are
revealing. Excellent cross
references from some of the
famous ancient works on
Muruga such as the
Tirumurugatruppadai of the
great poet, Nakkeerar, of the
Sangam period of Tamil literature
add to the value of the book.
The author has also lent his
touch with the reason for the
age-old belief that Siva's elder
son Ganesa is to be propitiated
before launching on any mission.
It is interesting to read his
description of the meaning
behind the three-tier
arrangement in the famous
Swamimalai temple in the South,
49
with the sanctum for Siva
M i n d
located at the base, Ganesa in
the middle tier, and the temple
for Muruga on top.
Karthikeya is said to have a
reddish complexion,
corresponding to that of the red
planet, Mars. The similarity
suggested is that both are
commanders of forces. While
Muruga, as explained in the book,
is the commander of the devas,
Angaraka, the deity presiding over
the planet, Mars, is said to be the
commander of the celestial forces,
according to astrology.
The book appropriately
concludes with excerpts from the
work of saint Arunagirinathar,
the Muruga bhakta non-pareil.
The author may consider
including in any future edition of
the book, more details about a
vital aspect associated with
Karthikeya: The inner
significance of the sacred
syllable, Om, meditated
worldwide for peace and inner
wellbeing H
cl.ramakrishnan@gmail.com
C.L.Ramakrishnan
January 2016
Devotional Path brings peace and joy even at an early stage.

50 January 2016
 P eople have a natural
capacity to love. Affection
requires an object and
when that object is God, it gets
the appellation, Bhakti, or
devotion. He who attains such
devotion no longer longs for
anything. While attachment to
wife, wealth, etc., causes
bondage, attachment to God
liberates. So bewitching are
God's glories that even sages
who have realised the Truth
and have nothing to achieve
go into raptures on
thinking of him.
Though intrinsically
formless, the Lord
appears in various
forms to grace his
devotees. We read in
the Devi Mahatmyam of
the Markandeya Purana,
"You are gorgeous,
lovelier than all that is beautiful
and absolutely stunning.
Greatest of the great, You are
verily the Supreme Goddess."
Immediate Response
A devotee wanted to pray, "O
Bhavani, please bestow on me a
compassionate glance." So, he
began with the words "Bhavani
tvam." So eager was the Goddess
to fulfil her devotee's wish that
she did not realise that the
1
51
devotee's pause after "tvam",
S r i n g e r i
meaning "You", was only the
interval between successive
words. Taking the request as
complete, she immediately
granted him Bhavanitvam or the
state of being Bhavani, i.e. she
made him one with herself.
Sankara has stated this in his
Soundaryalahari.
The Lord's mercy extends to
all. Did not Rama tell Sugriva
when the latter voiced
concern about accepting
Vibhishana? "To anyone
who seeks refuge in me
saying, 'I am Yours', I
grant fearlessness".
Overpowered by
love for devotees
who have
surrendered,
Krishna declared
to Uddhava, "With
a view to purifying myself by
the dust of the feet of the sage
who longs for nothing, bears
enmity to none and is
equanimous, I always follow
him.
While it is said that a true
devotee is under God's loving
care, it would be wrong to infer
that a devotee ought not to have
any hardship. The Lord is not
only compassionate but also
January 2016
perfectly just. If a person had
committed major transgressions
in earlier births, allowing him to
go without punishment in the
form of suffering would be a
travesty of justice. A judge who
refuses to penalise murderers on
the ground of kindness would be
doing disservice to society. He
can, of course, take mitigating
circumstances and repentance
into consideration to reduce the
punishment to a person found
guilty of a crime. Likewise, God,
being just, does award
punishment even to devotees,
but, being kind, reduces the
penalty to the extent possible.
No Need to Seek
God is omniscient,
omnipotent, omnipresent and
an ocean of mercy. Hence, there
is just nothing that the devotee
has to make known to God
which is not already known to
him. Further, if the devotee
says, "I want this; I want that",
how can he be said to have full
faith in the gracious
dispensation of the Divine One?
This apart, even when faith is
inadequate, it would be
appropriate to avoid praying for
anything. So, he who attunes
his will to that of God can never
have any reason for
dissatisfaction.
1
52
The path of devotion is special;
one begins to experience peace
and joy even before making
much headway. Sharpness of
intellect, scholarliness,
prowess, age, physique, social
status, occupation, wealth, etc.,
are not of any consequence for
the bhakti path.
God being most loveable, there
is no reason why anyone cannot
cultivate devotion. Devotion to
God can be developed by
repeatedly thinking of God and
his glories. The company of holy
devotees helps develop devotion.
On the contrary, bad company
turns one's mind away from God.
Experience of Peace
Even when one is able to
briefly fix his mind on God, there
is an experience of peace
because, at least for that short
duration there are no concerns,
like for a baby in the mother's
arms. This feeling itself
provides an impetus to the
budding devotee to think further
about God.
In a verse in Sivanandalahari,
Sankara has portrayed the stages
in the growth of devotion. In the
first stage, the devotee somehow
approaches God, just as the seed
of the Ankola tree manages to
get to the tree and attach itself
January 2016
to its trunk. Thereafter, the
effect of grace, which was there
even earlier, begins to be clearly
felt. God holds on to the devotee
just as a magnet attracts and
holds a needle. The devotee feels
the pull of God. In the third
stage, the devotee and God are
close to each other. Next, just as
a creeper adds to the beauty of a
tree, the devotee adds, as it
were, to God's glory. Indeed,
devotees, such as Prahlada were
ornaments of God. In the final
stage, the devotee merges with
God just as a river flows into and
becomes one with the ocean.
Practice of Devotion
Krishna has compassionately
taught how devotees of different
capabilities should practise
devotion. A mature aspirant is
advised to fix his mind and
intellect on God as the Cosmic
Person. To the aspirant unable to
view everything as related to God,
Krishna teaches repeated fixation
of the mind on some chosen form
of God. Suppose a person is
unable to meditate even on any
form, he is instructed to be intent
on service to the Lord. The
devotee should engage himself in
hearing the glories of God.
Finally, if a person is unable to
be absorbed even in such tasks,
53
there is an easier option. The
S r i n g e r i
Lord says that the aspirant
should dedicate all actions to
him and give up desire for the
results of all acts. Longing for
results is productive of bondage.
The aspirant, acts with the
feeling, "I do this for God." He
does not go a step down and
declare, "I do this, so that God
may be pleased."
Acting as he does for the sake of
God, the devotee abstains from
misdeeds. He acts with firmness
and enthusiasm.
The Lord proclaims, "Fix your
mind on me. Be my devotee.
Worship me. Prostrate before
me. Conducting yourself in this
fashion, offering all ends, means
and needs to me, you shall come
to me alone. Truly, do I promise
thus to you, for you are dear to
me." Who would not want to
surrender himself to God who is
so very loving and loveable H
Condensed from the book
Enlightening Expositions of His
Holiness Jagadguru Sri Abhinava
Vidyatirtha Mahaswamigal
brought out by Sri Vidyatirtha
Foundation.
January 2016
 Jagadgurus witnessing Go Puja

1 Mahasannidhanam performing Kartika Somavara

Puja to Lord Chandramoulisvara

Page 54
 Pattabhisheka Day
at Sringeri
T he 26th anniversary of
the Pattabhishekam
(ascendance to Sri
Sharada Peetham at Sringeri) of
Jagadguru Sri Bharati Tirtha
Mahaswamiji was celebrated on
November 1, 2015 at Sringeri.
Sahasra Narikela Homa was
performed and purnahuti took
place in the presence of
Mahasannidhanam and
Sannidhanam. Earlier, the
Acharyas had darsan at all
temples in the premises.
In the evening, at a public
function in the presence of the
Jagadgurus, Sri V R
Gowrishankar, CEO &
Administrator of the Peetham,
read out the report of the
Navaratri celebrations, pointing
out that this year's Navaratri was
historic in that both the
Jagadgurus graced the Durbar
for the first time after the Sishya
Sveekara in January 2015.
Jayantis of Acharyas
The Jayanti (birthday
celebration) of the 34th Acharya
1
55
S r i n g e r i
of the Peetham, Jagadguru
Chandrashekhara Bharati
Mahaswamiji, and the 35th
Acharya, Jagadguru Abhinava
Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji, were
celebrated on November 7 and
10 respectively. On both days,
Mahasannidhanam and
Sannidhanam offered homage at
the adhishthanam shrines in
Narasimha Vanam.
Mahasannidhanam performed
special puja at the shrines at
night with Rudra Krama
Archana.
Coinciding with the event,
vidyarthis and pundits of Sri
Sadvidya Sanjeevini Samskrta
Mahapathashala conducted a
Sabha, which began with Veda
Parayana. The Sabhas were
presided over by Vidwan MA
Nagaraja Bhat and Vidwan
Vinayaka Udupa respectively.
Scholars narrated in Sanskrit
incidents from the lives of the
Jagadgurus while Brahma Sri
Tangirala Dakshinamurthy
recounted some anecdotes in
Kannada.
January 2016
Mahasannidhanam performing puja to Sannidhanam inaugurating
Vidyashankara on the Aradhana Day of Sankaracharya Ashtottara Shatanama
Jagadguru Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji Parayana Yajna by lighting a lamp

Jagadgurus participating in the Vidyashankara Rathotsava

56
53 January 2016
 The Jayanti of the 32nd
Acharya, Jagadguru Vriddha
Nrisimha Bharati Mahaswamiji,
was observed on November 24.
Kartika Somavara Pujas
Mahasannidhanam performed
Somavara Pujas on the four
Mondays of the month of Kartika.
The pujas were telecast live by
Sankara TV.
Vidyashankara Aradhana
The 682nd Aradhana of the 10th
Acharya of the Peetham,
Jagadguru Sri Vidyatirtha (1229-
1333 AD), was observed on
November 18. The Acharya was
known to be always absorbed in
the bliss of self-realisation. The
royal brothers, Harihara and
Bukka had great reverence for
the Guru.
Mahasannidhanam performed
Aradhana Puja at noon in the
Vidyashankara temple built over
the samadhi of the Acharya. Next
day, Sri Vidyashankara Rathotsava
carrying the utsava murty of the
acharya took place through the
main streets of Sringeri.
Ksheerabdhi Dvadasi
On November 23, Ksheerabdhi
Dvadasi was observed with
special puja to Lakshmi-
narasimha in Narasimhapura
1
57
Agrahara. Dhatri Homa and Tulasi
Kalyanam were performed. Tulasi
S r i n g e r i
Kalyanam is the ceremonial
marriage of the holy Tulsi plant
to Lord Krishna. The wedding
signifies the end of the monsoon
and the beginning of the
wedding season. In the evening,
deepotsava took place at the
Tulasi shrine facing the temple
of Sri Janardana Swami near Sri
Vidyashankara Temple.
Laksha Deepotsava
On the day of Kartik Purnima
(November 25), Laksha
deepotsava took place, with
Mahasannidhanam accompanied
by Sannidhanam lighting a lamp
at Malahanikaresvara temple.
The Murti of Bhavani
Malahanikaresvara was carried
along the main streets, with the
entire place looking resplendent
with the beauty of countless
number of earthen lamps lit.
Yagas at Vidyaranyapura
Mahasannidhanam and
Sannidhanam graced the
purnahutis of the Maharudra
Yaga and Krishna Yajur Veda
Samhita Yaga at Vidyaranyapura
Agrahara on November 27 and
29 organised by Brahma Sri
Tangirala Dakshinamurthy and
his family. Chaturveda Parayana
also took place. In his anugraha
January 2016
 Ubhaya Jagadguru leading the procession
of Malahanikaresvara on the occasion of
Lakshadeepotsava

Sri Sannidhanam leading the Vidyashankara Rathotsava

Page 58
 Mahasannidhanam lighting the first
deepa during Deepotsava

Gracing Purnahuti of Maharudra

Homa at Vidyaranyapura

Page 59
 Teppotsava in the divine presence of Sri
Sannidhanam as part of Laksha Deepotsava

1 graces Deepotsava at
Sri Sannidhanam
1
Sri Durgamba temple

Page 60
bhashanam, Mahasannidhanam
expressed happiness that in
recent times, all the three
Samhita Yagas had been
conducted in the ancient
agrahara, which came into
existence in memory of
Jagadguru Sri Vidyaranya.
Sri Sankaracharya
Ashtottara Shatanama
Yajna
Sri Adi Sankaracharya
Ashtottara Shatanama Parayana
Yajna commenced on 6th
December 2015, conducted by Sri
Shaankara Tattva Prasaara
Abhiyaanam of the Sringeri
Peetham. As part of the Yajna,
tens of thousands of devotees
have begun chanting the
Ashtottara Shatanama of Sri Adi
Sankaracharya in groups at
various centres.
Earlier, Sri Mahasannidhanam
in His Anugraha Bhashanam for
the event said that it is our
foremost duty to remember and
revere Sri Adi Sankara, the
incarnation of Lord Paramesvara,
for reviving Sanatana Dharma
and for showing the path of
welfare to all. If we understand
the pregnant meanings behind
each name in the Ashtottara, and
chant the names with sincerety,
it will be as if Sri Adi Sankara
1
1 61
himself stands in front of us and
giving his darshan. Sri
S r i n g e r i
Mahasannidhanam blessed that
every follower of Sanatana
Dharma participate in this Japa
Yajna, the greatness of which is
vouched for by Bhagavan himself
in the Gita, where He states -
kmZm Onkmo @ p_ - Of all Yajnas,
I am the Japa-Yajna. Sri Maha-
sannidhanam also said that the
Parayana of the Ashtottara of Sri
Adi Sankaracharya must become
part of our daily prayers.
In His Anugraha Bhashanam, Sri
Sannidhanam pointed out the
importance of Guru in Sanatana
Dharma, and the role of the Guru
in our lives as the remover of
ignorance. He extolled the
virtues of Sri Adi Sankaracharya
and called for chanting of the
Ashtottara Shatanamavali with
total Sraddha and Bhakti H
Details of the Ashtottara Yajna
can be found at
http://www.sringeri.net/ashtott
ara-yajna.
January 2016
62 January 2016
T attvaloka, The Splendour of Truth, has been serving the cause of
preserving the rich tradition and cultural heritage of India for
nearly four decades, seeking to spread our ancient wisdom and
spirituality among modern minds. We include wide ranging articles
in every issue to appeal to all age groups, and people in various walks
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63 January 2016
 Keeping up with the techno-
logical improvements, we have
now revamped our website,
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A subscriber can now read the
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For those responding by
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Looking forward to your active
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Editor and Publisher
January 2016
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65 January 2016
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66 January 2016
Page 67
 THE THREE HUMOURS
The constant play of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas
affects the flow of our thoughts.
Ignorance
This is called tamas in Sanskrit.
Tamas also means darkness,
illusion, error and gloom. It
primarily refers to a state of
aggression. The functions of
deterioration, death, decay,
disintegration and complete
destruction are governed by the
mode of ignorance. Anything
comprising the five elements must
eventually decay. This is the fate
of any material entity. These
entities may be living or non-
living, moving or still, natural or
artificial, organic or inorganic.
Upon decomposition, they merge
back into the five elements.
No matter how dearly or
intelligently you hold on to
whatever matters to you,
eventually it will meet
destruction; it will separate from
you. The fundamental law of
nature is that everything must go
back to its original state. If you
boil water and leave it aside, it
1
68
will go back to a normal
temperature. It cannot remain hot
forever. If you freeze it and leave it
aside, it will go back to being
water. This is the law of nature.
So, not only is tamas not bad, it is
necessary, because it is simply the
stage before restoration and
rejuvenation. The destruction in
tamas is illusory, because nothing
is really getting destroyed. Only
the forms are changing; it is
merely a change of appearance a
sort of transformation.
Tamas in the human mind is the
seed of aggression, negativity,
hatred, depression, delusion, fear
and anger. In the darkness of
tamas, in that illusion, one no
longer sees right from wrong. In
fact, its rising and gripping
ignorance justifies all wrong acts
as right. Whether it is partners
lying to each other, people killing
each other, governments fooling
their people, or countries going on
a spree of territorial aggression,
January 2016

tamas makes it all look like a
normal part of our contemporary
world.
Additionally, tamas means
inertia, dullness and lethargy. Ego
is tamas.
Passion
Passion is called rajas in Sanskrit.
Rajas also means blood.
Interestingly, rajas also means a
vaporous cloud or a sphere of
mist. It is this description that
gives us the real insight into the
nature of passions: they are
impermanent and fugacious. Like
a cloud of mist, they disappear as
soon as they appear. This is the
essence of human life.
Throughout our lives we work
hard to feel good, to feel happy.
But pleasures are never like the
gentle stream they come in
squirts and spurts, as if happiness
is teasing us.
All pleasures spring from the
pursuit of passion. The writer at
his desk, the athlete on the field,
the scientist in her lab, and the
artist with her painting, all derive
a certain pleasure in pursuing
their passion. Every time a
passion is fulfilled, it gives us a
glimpse of happiness. A
neurotransmitter is fired in the
1
69
y
brain. It feels good. This tiny
experience of happiness and
B o
euphoria subsides after a while,
and then we are back pursuing the
passion again.
Rajas sits in the middle of the
modes of ignorance and goodness,
because during the arousal of
passion, one may lean towards
either ignorance or goodness.
When one's passion is dominated
by ignorance, one could easily
harm the other person or even
take someone's life. But when
goodness dominates passion, one
may even jump into the sea,
risking one's life to save another
person.
Passion, when tamed and
harnessed, brings out the
extraordinary in an individual.
Such a person may become an
inventor, a scientist, a
mathematician, a preacher, an
artist, a musician, a peace worker
or an administrative officer. When
it is channelled, this energy
bestows exceptional absorption,
concentration and persistence on
a person.
The fact that the word, rajas, also
means blood signifies that every
person has some passion, just as
everyone has blood in their
bodies. Not everyone discovers his
January 2016
passion, though. Each individual
has certain talents and passions
hidden in him: It is in their blood.
It is only a matter of bringing
them out. Nature creates with
rajas. Therefore, in your
microcosm, too, creativity is a
function of passion. Rajas
represents transience, desire and
action.
Purity
Purity is called sattva in Sanskrit.
Sattva also means goodness, light and
knowledge. But, most importantly, it
means your innate nature; your basic
fabric. Your inherent nature is pure
bliss and light.
Imagine you are hiding a small
lamp in your hands and you walk
into a dark room. As soon as you
open your hands, the whole room
will light up. The light in your
hands has removed the darkness.
But what if you walk into a lit
room, hiding a bit of darkness in
your closed hands? The room will
not become dark when you open
your hands. There will be light all
around. Because, light is the
dharma of nature; it is the way of
nature.
Similarly, our own true nature is
light and bliss. If we become
aware of our passions and
ignorance, they automatically
70
become feeble, because sattva is
boosted with awareness.
In fact, yogic and Ayurvedic texts
mention knowledge (jnana),
scientific knowledge (vijyana),
restraint (samyam), mindfulness
(smriti) and concentration
(ekagrata) as the antidote to and
treatment for mental afflictions
caused by imbalanced mental
humours. Each of these five
strengthens sattva.
The sage-physician, Charaka,
makes it clear that ignorance and
passion can be faults, and,
therefore, may be detrimental to a
person's physical and mental
health, but sattva can never be
harmful no matter what. Sattva
represents the quintessential
mental, psychical and emotional
balance. Nature sustains with
sattva. If nature goes out of
balance, the world will cease to
exist. If rajas is pleasures and joy,
then sattva is happiness and bliss.
The constant play and
competition between sattva, rajas
and tamas triggers changes in
mood, emotion and the flow of
thoughts. Tamas causes a disease,
rajas treats it and sattva heals the
sufferer. Sattva represents
steadiness, peace, clarity and
balance.
January 2016
 y
Imagine someone shouts at you famous, be recognised, own
aggressively, with an intent to something, have someone, be

B o
upset you. If, then, you something and do more. These
contemplate physically abusing or fires first give us warmth, then
harming this person, it means they dry us out and then they
tamas is strong; it is governing burn us. These mental fires arise
you. In the same situation, if you out of fluctuations in our mental
feel your aggressive emotions well humours. They affect the fire in
up, but you do not yell at the our body directly, impacting our
other person, rajas has won over health and well-being.
tamas. If, however, you do not feel
any negativity or aggression; you There are 13 fires in the human
do not feel like giving it back to body controlling various
the person, nor do you have to metabolic functions in the organs
curb your reaction, in simple and tissues and at a cellular and
terms, you remain unaffected, molecular level. Of these, the four
it means that your mode of digestive fires are dominant; they
goodness, sattva, has won over govern the others.
both tamas and rajas.
To be continued...
Our mental and physical
humours have an intricate
Courtesy:
relationship with the energy flow
The Wellness Sense Os
and the digestive fire in our
bodies. Vedic texts list many types
of fire, notably, the fire of wisdom
(jnana-agni), the fire of the senses
(darsana-agni), the fire of passions
(kama-agni) and the fire of love
(prema-agni). For our benefit or to
our detriment, these are the fires
that heat, transform, mould and
shape us. When unchecked, they
can also burn us.

Most in our world are burning in

one or more of these fires--the
burning to have more money, be

71 January 2016
Jamun
the Multi-benefit Fruit
J amun, endearingly associated
with Lord Siva, is a delicious
tropical plum-like fruit found
abundantly in many parts of the
world. The fruit's enduring
association with Siva is recorded
in the puranas. The celebrated
Siva temple, Jambukesvaram, near
Trichy in South India sports
jamun tree as the sthala vriksha
under which a famous sage had
done intense tapas.
Legends describe how
Kartikeya, the younger son of
Siva, once sported as a shepherd
1
72
boy sitting on a jamun tree and
kindled the spiritual energy of
Avvaiyar, the famous Tamil
poetess. When the tired poetess
asked him to shake the tree to
collect the fruit, he asked for her
choice of cold or hot fruit. As
she blew the dirt sticking on a
fallen fruit, he teasingly asked
her whether the fruit was too
hot to eat. Realising that the
illiterate shepherd boy had
fooled her by a play on words,
the humbled poetess looked up
to behold the beautiful form of
Subrahmanya.
January 2016

Health Benefits
Also known as jambul, jamun is
eaten as a health snack in many
parts of the world. Astringent
and acidic in nature, this pulpy
sweet fruit is eaten with salt.
The natural fruit has a
single seed.
Jamun has a unique colour and
taste. Its skin is satin-soft,
gleaming and inky-dark like the
heart of the monsoon cloud.
(This is why the fruit is also
known in Sanskrit as
meghamodhini, meghavarna and
Shyamala.) The sweet and tangy
flavour of the ripe fruit is
heavenly. The purplish patch the
fruit leaves on the tongue when
eaten is because of plant
pigment, anthocyanin. (In Greek,
'antho' means plant, and 'cyan'
is blue).
Jamun is loaded with nutrients
essential for good health. Its
bark, leaves, and seeds have
been used since ancient times to
cure various diseases and
ailments. Jamun juice in
particular is gaining momentum
globally because of the presence
of bioactive phytochemicals that
minimise the risk of liver disease
and cancer. Major sugars present
in this ripe fruit are fructose
and glucose.
1
73
y
Medicinal Properties
Jamun tree is known to be
B o
effective in the treatment of
diabetes. Extracts of its bark,
leaves and seeds are used in
combination with herbs to
reduce levels of glycosuria and
blood sugar. Powder of dried
seeds is consumed with honey
over a course of two months to
bring down blood sugar levels.
Jamun juice should be included
in a diabetic's diet.
The bark of jamun tree has
anti-helmintic properties, which
help in treating urinary
disorders. A glass of jamun juice
with half teaspoon of bark
powder daily is recommended
for persons with urinary
infections and urinary tract
disorders. Vinegar made from its
fruit helps in treating
enlargement of spleen, urine
retention and chronic
diarrhoea.
Regular intake of jamun seed
powder three times a day helps
in regulating blood sugar level as
well as insulin secretion, and
stimulate healthy liver function.
Jamun juice is excellent for
natural bowel movement. The
seed powder is used as a cure for
digestive disorders, an excellent
January 2016
home remedy for abdominal
bloating.
Jamun minimises the risk of
cancer. This fruit has several
bioactive phytochemicals that
include polyphenols to fight
cancer cells. Individuals that
undergo chemotherapy or
radiation sessions benefit
significantly by taking jamun
juice. Anthocyanins, flavonoids,
ellagic acid and gallic acid
present in jamun have the
capacity to prevent
carcinogenesis in the organs of
the body.
For Blemishes, Scars
Turmeric mixed with jamun
juice and applied on skin is
helpful to get rid of blemishes
and light scars. Jamun's
astringent property helps it
keep oily skin fresh, smooth and
acne-free. The fruit contains a
good amount of vitamins, such
as A and C, as well as minerals
beneficial for the health of eye
and skin.
Vinegar made from jamun is
used as a cure for sore throat and
whooping cough.
Bark powder mixed with water
is effective in curing tapeworm
infection.
1
74
The pulp of jamun is used for
treating gingivitis or bleeding
gums. Leaves of jamun are burnt
to form an ash which, when used
for brushing, helps to strengthen
the gums. Intake of water boiled
with jamun bark helps in curing
respiratory disorders including
asthma and bronchitis. Taking
jamun bark water with honey
two times a day is also beneficial
in treating leucorrhoea among
women.
Jamun seed powder taken with
yogurt assists in curing kidney
stones.
The fruit contains good amount
of potassium essential for
keeping heart healthy and
preventing hypertension, stroke
and other cardio vascular
diseases.
Some Precautions
Buy fresh jamun in small
amounts so that it can be
consumed within about two days
as it easily loses freshness.
Generally it is picked from the
ground when it falls after
getting ripe, or picked directly
from the tree when it changes its
colour to dark blue or purple.
Avoid buying bruised, spotted,
cut, wrinkled, small, lightweight
and light coloured jamun.
January 2016
 y
Jamun can be enjoyed in a Pregnant as well as breast-
number of ways, such as fruit feeding mothers should avoid

salad, jamun vinegar, seeds
powder, juice, jam, murabba,
jellies, pickles and chutney. It can
be sprinkled with black pepper
powder and salt according to the
taste of the person.
While jamun has the property
to lower blood sugar level,
diabetic patients should take it
carefully as it may reduce blood
sugar level to a great extent
leading to hypoglycaemia. The
fruit should also be avoided a
few days before and after any
surgery as it might lower the
blood sugar level.
B o
jamun.
Our ancestors had the wisdom
to plant jamun trees in public
places. Even at the start of the
last century, when Lutyen's Delhi
was taking shape, jamun tree
had prominently figured in the
planter's list. As a result, the
beautiful avenues of New Delhi,
such as Rajpath, are lined up
with imposing jamun trees
whose umbrella-like crown
soaring to over hundred feet
provide cool shade to the delight
of millions H

More Precautions 55cmani@gmail.com

Avoid eating jamun on an
empty stomach.

Avoid drinking milk at least

one hour before and after Dr Chandra Venkatasubramanian
eating jamun.

People suffering from edema

should avoid eating jamun.
Also by those with a history of
regular vomiting and those
fasting for long periods.

Excess intake of jamun may

cause cough and accumulation
of sputum in the lungs, and
lead to body pain and fever.

1
75 January 2016
 L aughter is an infective
phenomenon. Among all
the 84 lakh creations of
God, only man is endowed with
the faculty of laughter. In fact,
man is the only animal that
'laughs and weeps'.
Many laughter clubs have
sprung up now, where senior
citizens gather in parks and
bellow their guts out. Many
people snigger at these practices,
but laughter is definitely
associated with good health.
Medical Benefits of Laughter
Studies by reputed Medical
organisations have endorsed the
76
value of laughter for positive health
and in the control of neurosis.
It helps release pent up
emotions, resentment, anger, and
malice.
Regular laughter before sleep has
been seen to help insomniacs.
Laughter has been useful in
increasing the Endorphin levels in
the body. It relieves pain in
chronic sufferers of arthritis and
helps in muscle relaxation.
It helps in abdominal breathing
and better oxygenation of the
body.
January 2016
 y
Laughter regulates stress by
reducing the levels of cortisol,
Universities in Ancient India

B o
adrenaline and nor-adrenaline.

It increases the immunity of the

body by increasing the body's
natural killer cells, antibodies and
immunoglobulins.

It is believed that the purpose of

existence is for joy and all Indian
Spiritual masters encourage
laughter and positive thoughts
and exhort the aspirants to dump
their sorrows and negativity into
the graveyard, before plunging
into a Spiritual way of life.
Conclusion
Studies at Stanford University by
Dr. William Fry have revealed that
laughing 100 times a day is as
good as jogging or exercising
briskly for ten minutes.
As we grow older we laugh less.
A 6-year old child laughs about
250 to 300 times a day and an
average adult laughs about 40
times a day and the serious and
glum persons laugh less than 5
times a day H
drrajesh.vishwanathan@gmail.com
Dr. Rajesh Vishwanathan
Takshashila, one of the oldest
universities in the world became a
noted centre of learning several
centuries before the Chrisitan Era,
and continued to attract students
from around the old world until the
destruction of the city in the 5th
century. At its height, it has been
suggested that Takshashila exerted a
sort of "intellectual suzerainty" over
other centres of learning in India.
Nalanda was one of the world's first
residential universities, having
dormitories for students. In its
heyday, it is said to have
accommodated over 10,000 students
and 2,000 teachers.
Among others was the Kerala School
of Mathematics and Astronomy,
which flourished between 14th and
16th centuries.

1
77 January 2016
Fury of Flood in Chennai

Our helplessness comes to the fore

in the face of Natures wrath

78 January 2016
 I

y
t appeared to be just like
another rainy day on

B o
December 1. The water
outside our gate was running
like a rivulet, another usual
feature. Our area always used to
be water-logged even for
moderate rainfall. So, none of us
was really prepared for what was
to come. I sat watching the
water flow. It reminded me of
Venice, except that this was dirty
water.

Fickle Existence
A big leaf from the opposite
tree fell near our gate. It
strangely had one water drop on
it. It slowly revolved in the
water My mind recalled the
verses of Acharya Adi Sankara in
Bhaja Govindam how fickle was
human life like water drop on a
lotus leaf.

nalini-dala-gata-jalam-atitaralam

tadvat-jeevitam-atishaya-chapalam

I don't know why, but a slight

uneasiness gripped my heart
sampraapte sannihite kale... (at
the time of final breath). Why
were these verses so persistently
running through my mind? The
rain had by now intensified.
Soon we realised this was just
not some ordinary rainfall.

79 January 2016
Worried, we all withdrew into
the house as water entered our
gate.
We made frantic calls for a
boat. Meanwhile, we tried to
rearrange the things on the
ground should water invade the
house. We waited and waited
no boat came. Darkness had set
in. I don't know why a sense of
fear gripped me. Remembering
Bhaja Govindam, I frantically
chanted 'Govinda, Govinda'. As
we watched in horror, water
started seeping into the house.
We somehow reached the open
terrace which had no room or
proper flooring but only a
thatched roof. Still that was our
only option now. I was shivering
both in cold as well as in fear.
The thatched roof provided
minimal shelter as it was
leaking in many places. A dog
howled miserably outside. It
was heart-rending. To me, it was
a symbolic howl of a whole city
in distress.
O, Mother, Please...
I prayed and prayed as never
before in my entire life. I invoked
the Mother Goddess sarva
rakshakara chakreshvari the
deity of the Sarvarakshakara
chakra, the sixth avarana of the
1
80
Sri-chakra. 'Please Mother ! Save
us !!!' The rain continued
pounding on. Was this pralaya?
Finally, at dawn, the rain
stopped. We heard voices at the
gate. A few friends of ours had
braved the waters and waded
through chest-deep waters to
reach us. I cried out in relief and
gratitude. The Mother had heard
my prayer!
Sink or Swim
There was a temporary lull in
the rain and time was running
out as more rain was forecast.
Someone led me into the water. I
cried out in fear and desperation.
But, like the Shakespearean
quote, 'To be or not to be', it was
either to sink or swim. In this
case, to wade. I held on tightly to
my 'rescuer', who then was the
Mother Goddess Herself in my
sight. We somehow with great
difficulty waded out. I could feel
the strong undercurrents
swishing around, threatening to
pull us in.
It was surely divine grace that
saw us through. We spent a few
days at a friend's place. The
magnitude of the disaster
unfolded through the media.
Chennai was stunned, shocked
and devastated.
January 2016

Light Amidst Darkness
The only ray of sunshine was
that people cut across all
barriers to help each other out.
While heart-rending stories
emerged, so did heart-warming
ones. Our local milk-man doled
out milk for stranded people in
spite of his own house being
flooded. When one of us went to
buy candles, the shop owner
politely said, 'Please take only as
much as you need. Just because
you have extra money, do not
buy the whole stock'. Ordinary
people showed extraordinary
courage and compassion.
Who was to blame? Fate, El
Nino, the wrath of the elements,
inefficiency, inadequate drainage
system, encroachment of water-
bodies, water mismanagement,
haphazard construction or a
combination of all?.... Perhaps,
the answer will never be found.
1
62
81
y
As for me, it left me very sober.
I learnt to be grateful for every
B o
little drop of fresh water, every
morsel of food and every bit of
clothing. It taught me not to take
everything for granted. It
showed me the unpredictability
of life. However much one reads
about the fleeting nature of
existence, it is quite different
when one experiences it. I
again recalled Adi Sankara's
words jeevitam atishaya
chapalam. After things settled
down, we returned. It was with
tears of gratitude that I went
first to the puja room.
Things will never be the same
again ! H
asharsree@gmail.com
Dr. R. Asha
 YOGA
Upward-Facing Dog Pose (Urdhva Mukha Asana)

82 January 2016
 T his New Year, relax and
make a vow to get
physically and mentally
healthy. This pose here is an
ancient blessing of pulling
yourself out of depression and
working towards a healthy
living. One step at a time, one
day at a time.
Organising the Pose
1) Lie prone on the floor. Stretch
your legs back, with the top of
your feet on the floor. Bend your
elbows and spread your palms
on the floor beside your waist so
that your forearms are relatively
perpendicular to the floor.
2) Inhale and press your inner
hands firmly into the floor and
slightly back, as if you were
trying to push yourself forward
along the floor.
Then straighten your arms and
simultaneously lift your torso up
and your legs a few inches off
the floor on an inhalation. Keep
the thighs firm and slightly
turned inward, the arms firm
and turned out so the elbow
creases face forward.
3) Press the tailbone toward the
pubis and lift the pubis toward
the navel. Narrow the hip points.
Firm but do not harden the
buttocks.
83
4) Firm the shoulder blades
y
against the back and puff the
side ribs forward. Lift through
B o
the top of the sternum but avoid
pushing the front ribs forward,
which only hardens the lower
back.
Look straight ahead or tip the
head back slightly, but take care
not to compress the back of the
neck and harden the throat.
5) Urdhva Mukha Asana is one of
the positions in the traditional
Sun Salutation sequence. You can
also practise this pose
individually, holding it anywhere
from 15 to 30 seconds, breathing
easily. Release back to the floor.
Benefits
Improves posture
Strengthens the spine, arms,
wrists
Stretches chest, lungs,
shoulders and abdomen
Firms the buttocks
Stimulates abdominal organs
Helps relieve mild depression,
fatigue, and sciatica
Therapeutic for asthma H
January 2016
NEW YEAR
PRESENTS
84 January 2016
 FUNtasticK
Two little boys were at play one day when a Fairy suddenly appeared
before them and said, "I have been sent to give you New Year presents.

She handed to each child a package, and in an instant was gone.

Vasu and Uday opened the packages and found in them two
beautiful books, with pages as pure and white as the snow when it
first falls.

Next year the Fairy came again to the boys. "I have brought you
each another book" said she, "and will take the first ones back to
Father Time who sent them to you."

"May I not keep mine a little longer? asked Vasu.

"No" said the Fairy, "I must take it just as it is."

"I wish that I could look through mine just once," said Uday.

"You shall look at your book," said the Fairy, "and Vasu, at his." And
she lit for them two little silver lamps, by the light of which they
saw the pages as she turned them.

The boys looked in wonder. Could it be that these were the same
fair books she had given them a year ago? Where were the clean,
white pages, as pure and beautiful as the snow when it first falls?
Here was a page with ugly, black spots and scratches upon it; while
the very next page showed a lovely little picture. Some pages were
decorated with gold and silver and gorgeous colours, others with
beautiful flowers, and still others with a rainbow of softest, most
delicate brightness. Yet even on the most beautiful of the pages
there were ugly blots and scratches.

Vasu and Uday looked up at the Fairy at last.

"Who did this?" they asked. "Every page was white and fair as we
opened it; yet now there is not a single blank place in the
whole book!"

1
85 January 2016
 "Shall I explain some of the pictures to you?" said the Fairy, smiling
at the two little boys.

"See, Uday, the spray of roses blossomed on this page when you let
the baby have your playthings; and this pretty bird, that looks as if it
were singing with all its might, would never have been on this page if
you had not tried to be kind and pleasant the other day, instead of
quarrelling."

"But what makes this blot?" asked Uday.

"That," said the Fairy sadly, "That came when you told an untruth
one day. All these blots and scratches that look so ugly, both in your
book and in Vasu's, were made when you were naughty. Each pretty
thing in your books came on its page when you were good."

"Oh, if we could only have the books again!" said Vasu and Uday.

"That cannot be," said the Fairy. "See! They are dated for this year,
and they must now go back into Father Time's bookcase, but I have
brought you each a new one. Perhaps you can make these more
beautiful than the others."

So saying, she vanished, and the boys were left alone, but each held
in his hand a new book open at the first page.

And on the back of this book was written in letters of gold, "For the
New Year."

Moral: It is never too late to learn our lessons and start a new
towards a positive direction in life.

86 January 2016
 FUNtasticK
In the world of henna art and design, the name Pavan Ahluwalia
reigns supreme. She is a Guinness World Record holder, earning her
spot as the fastest henna artist after painting an impressive 511
unique armbands in a single hour last year.

She is a self-taught artist, who has been creating Mehndi decorations

since the age of seven. The familiar aspects of the ancient art are all
there--and Ahluwalia still maintains a large bridal audience for those
looking for conventional Indian, Pakistani or Bengali designs--but it
is her flair for multimedia and contemporary work that sets her
apart from other henna artists in her field.

87 January 2016
88 January 2016
 Located at an elevation of 2,300 feet in the Western Ghats near
Mumbai, the Kalavantin Durg is a truly amazing structure that was
used as a watchtower in the past.

As one of the 23 forts that were handed over to the Mughal Empire
by Shivaji according to the Treaty of Purandar in 1665, it was
reclaimed by the Maratha forces two years later.

The fort is believed to be built around the time of Buddha, or

approximately around 500 BC, for a queen named Kalavantin whose
story seems to have been lost in the mist of time.

One of its most impressive features is the steps leading up to the

fort that were cut into the rock of the hill with great perfection.
There are no railings on the edge and no ropes on the wall to support
the climb, which makes the climb down pretty tough to handle if one
suffers from vertigo.

The steps up to the peak are almost a three-hour climb while

getting to the fort is yet another challenge to face, recommended
only for the experienced trekkers.

However, once at the summit, the panoramic view of Western

Ghats is breathtaking. Not only the city of Mumbai can be viewed
from here but also other forts like Peb, Chanderi, Materan, Karnala
and Ershai are a sight to see. Accessible from Mumbai-Pune
Expressway, the fort is a main tourist attraction. On every Shimga
Festival of Holi, locals from Machi-Prabal Village dance on top of the
fort and they consider it a part of their culture and heritage.

Kalavantin Durg's location and treacherous steps up to the top have

given it the rightly deserved reputation of being the most dangerous
fort in the world. H

1
89 January 2016
90 January 2016
91 January 2016
Registered with Registrar of Newspapers of India under No.30492 / 78
Postal Regn. No. TN/CH(C)/316/15-17 Licensed to post without pre-payment.
WPP No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP/156/2015-17 Date of Publication 24th December 2015.

His Holiness Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji

With Pranams to the Benign Guru

VALLUVAR COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
New Madurai Bye-Pass Road, Karur 639003. Tel: 04324-646049 www.valluvarcollege.ac.in
We seek to promote the betterment of youth in academic and
entrepreneurial efforts anchored on ethical values and devotion to God

92 January 2016