Sense Of Purpose

Sense Of Purpose

The most decorated olympic athlete ever with 16 Olympic medals is Michael Phelps. He says, "Keep your comments coming. Make me angry. It makes me perform better."

He channelizes his anger to a 'sense of purpose'.

Thrown out of his own company, Steve Jobs was a broken man. There was great anger simmering inside him for he believed injustice had happened to him. His comeback to Apple and the heights they achieved, after his re-instatement, is the stuff legends are made of. I believe his comeback is the greatest comeback ever in corporate history. He too channelized his anger to a 'sense of purpose'.

My mind runs to the scene in Richard Attenborough's all time classic film 'Mahatma Gandhi' when Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was thrown out of the train in-spite of a valid ticket. As the camera panned Gandhi's face (deftly played by Ben Kingsley), I felt his anger. For a few moments I could feel that anger becoming mine too. I felt like getting up from my seat, punching that TC on his face. I could feel the audience feeling that anger too. Gandhi however, did nothing like that. The way coal becomes diamond under pressure, in those moments I felt the regular Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (the coal) transforming into Mahatma Gandhi (one of the most precious diamond humanity has ever experienced). Without arms and ammunition, in a loin cloth and a stick, that simple man took on the might of the great British empire and made them leave India. He too was driven by a 'sense of purpose'.

Martin Luther King Jr, the greatest social reformer in US, was distressed and angered by the atrocities on coloured people. He decided to wage a war against the injustices being carried out. His speech 'I have a dream...' is one of the most fantastic speech the world has ever heard. He united US and its people into 'one'. He too was driven by a 'sense of purpose'.

The cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu was ridiculed by the media for his slow batting. His father had tears in his eyes as he read the scathing newspaper report. This greatly angered Navjot Singh Sidhu. He turned his game around and became the most devastating opening batsman around, for the rest of his career. He could effortlessly hit sixes and became the spectators' delight. He too was driven by a 'sense of purpose'.

India was not given the technology for nuclear power even after being promised. A few American counterparts laughed at our scientists when we reminded them about their promise. This greatly angered our team of scientists and we developed our own technology. Even today, we are one of the rare few countries in the world that has developed its own indigenous nuclear power technology. Those scientists too are driven by a 'sense of purpose'.

Spurned by his own wife, feeling humiliated and angry Tulsidas decided to prove his worth. He went on to write Ram Charit Manas, one of the greatest Hindu religious texts. He too was driven by a 'sense of purpose'.

Many path makers and path breakers have felt great anger because something greatly disturbed them.

People like you and me too feel great anger when something disturbs us. You have deeply felt this anger sometimes, haven't you? I have !

Sometimes when we have not got our due. Sometimes when things did not happen the way they should have happened. Sometimes at the way politicians loot our country. Sometimes when people allow themselves to be exploited. Sometimes when our loved ones mess up their life. Sometimes when people act irresponsibly. So on and so forth.

Path makers and path breakers, do not waste their anger by screaming, shouting, threatening, ranting, destroying or damaging things. Nor do they waste their anger by hurting themselves or others. Nor do they waste their anger by self destructive acts and habits. They do not become raving lunatics because of their anger.

They channelize their anger! They discover themselves because of their anger. They give a purpose to their anger. They lift themselves because of their anger. Their anger is like the sun that provides 'life'. Their anger gives them the awareness, focus and the drive to fix what is wrong.

Sometimes there is 'wrong' within. Sometimes the 'wrong' is in the world outside. May 'your' anger fix at least one 'wrong' anywhere. May you discover yourself in the process. Are you ready for this? Your own greatness awaits you...

VIBHUTI YOGA....

VIBHUTI YOGA....

When The Unmanifest Being Becomes Many
by Swahilya Shambhavi

Vibhuti means becoming. The Being, which is not manifested as any material object or thought manifests itself and is percieved by the sense organs and the mind and becomes Vibhuti. In the Yoga of Manifestation, Arjuna implores Krishna to reveal His true Identity, His Manifestations, as only the Supreme Self can reveal itself. He wishes to know, in what ways, names & forms can the Supreme be meditated upon.
Krishna agress to list some of the important Manifestations,as the list is quite limitless,
"I am the Soul in all beings , 
I am the beginning, middle and end of existence, among the children of Aditi, 
I am Vishnu and among the Stellar creations, 
I am the Sun, 
I am the Moon among all the Stars. 

Among the four Vedas or ancient knowledge, 
I am Sama Veda & 
among the Gods, I am Indra, the King. 

Among the Sense Organs, 
I am the Subtle Mind and 
I am the Awareness in all living beings. 
I am Shiva among the Rudras or agents of destruction of everything old. 

Among all the Semi-divine and Rakshasas, I am Kubera, the Lord of the Wealth. 

Among the Eight Vasus, I am Fire and 
among all the Mountain Peaks, I am Meru, 
I am Priest of all the Priests-Brihaspati, the Guru of Gods. 

Among the Chieftains of the Army, I am Subramanya, the Commander of the Divine Army. 

Among all the Water Bodies I am the Ocean.

Among the Great Seers of the Truth, I am Bhrighu, 

Among all the Words, I am the Sacred Syllable OM, the Universal Cosmic Sound.

Among all the Known Forms of Sacrifices, I am Austerity of Japa or repetation of the divine name. 

Among all the Steady and Unmoving Objects, I am Himalayas, 
I am the Holy Ashwatha tree among all Trees, 
Narada among all the divine seers. 
Uchaishravas-the divine Horse, 
Airavata-Lord of the Elephants, 
King among Men, 
Thunderbolt among Weapons, 
Kamadhaneu among the Cows,
the Sexual desire that leads Procreation. 
Vasuki among the Serpents, 
Prahlada among the divine Child full of devotion among the Daityas, 

Among all fields involving Calculaations, I am Time. 
I am Lion among Animals, Garuda among the Birds. 

Among everything that Purifies, I am the Wind, the Subtlest; 

Among the Wielders of the Bow & Arrows, I am Sri Rama; 
I am the Shark among Fish and the Ganges among Rivers, 

Among all types of Knowledge, I am the Knowledge that Pertains to the Soul or the essence of the Self. 
Among those who Argue, I am the Right Reasoning!!

JAI SHRI KRISHNA...

Power of Mind as per Vedas

Power of Mind as per Vedas::


Moksha Gita
1. The Guru said: The Mind has the power of creating or undoing the whole universe in the twinkling of an eye. Slay this mind through Vichara (enquiry), destruction of Vasanas and control of its fluctuation.
The power of the mind is indescribable and unimaginable. The greatest Siddhis and Riddhis are all the effects of the working of the highly purified mind. Terrific powers and psychic abilities are the expressions of the mind when it nears the All-powerful Consciousness which is the very existence of Power itself. There are beautiful stories in the Yogavasishtha which illustrate the existence of the dreadful powers of the mind. Mind is a crude form of the Chit aspect of the Reality.
The Chit-Shakti of Brahman alone appears as the mind. The purified mind has all the powers of Iccha, Jnana and Kriya which are the three aspects of the Supreme Shakti. The mind is more powerful than all the weapons of the world put together; it can do and undo things in a moment, for it is consciousness in its essence. All Yogic powers are due to the expansion of the mind in the higher and subtler regions which are swayed over by it by being included within the domain of its activities. When the mind reaches the highest state of conscious expansion or the Brahmakara-Vritti, then the goal of thought is near the reach. That is the glory of the majesty of the Self!
This Supreme State is reached through Vichara or enquiry and control of the fluctuations of the mind. Vichara or investigation into the reality behind the universe is the second stage in the development of spiritual consciousness. Such a thorough research into the hidden mystery lying as the back-ground of the universe compels the mind to desist from its terrible expansion into the Vishayakara-Vritti which beholds the external world with its innumerable functions. The hydra-hooded dragon of the mind flaps its mighty wings of lust and hatred, emits the fire of craving to protect its ego, beats the tail of self-assertion and devours the knowledge of the Truth. It can be shot dead by the gun of penetrating discrimination loaded with the explodent of burning dispassion for the three worlds. Protracted Sadhana alone can slay the evil mind and make the Jiva regain its lost Independence.


2, 3. Mind is a bundle of Vasanas (subtle desires). Through Vasanas bondage is caused. Destruction of Vasanas will bring freedom. The mind will attain quiescence like a gheeless lamp if the Vasanas are destroyed.
The mind is not an impartite substance. Just as cloth is nothing but a bundle of threads, the mind is nothing but a cluster of Vasanas or past impressions and subtle desires that persistently lurk within the sub-conscience. When the threads are pulled out one by one, where is cloth at all? When the Vasanas are burnt with their seeds the mind vanishes into the Immortal Seat of Brahman. The Upanishad says, “when the senses do not work and stand together with the mind, and when the intellect is still, that, they say is the Highest State”. The daily selfish actions of the Jiva add to the stock of these Vasanas and thus the embodied existence becomes unbroken, and the wheel of birth and death rolls on ceaselessly. The emptying of these Vasanas demands a twofold counter-activity by the Jiva. The first one is to stop the adding of newer
Vasanas and the second is the destruction of the existing ones.
The first purpose is served by beholding the Self in all beings, by rendering selfless service to other fellow beings, by devotion to the Deity and by severe concentration of the mind. The second one is effected when the mind is completely thinned out and when the Self is realised.
When the threads of Vasanas are destroyed the cloth of the mind also disappears from existence. The Ambrosia of Brahman is drunk deep. The soul is drowned in the ocean of joy. The Wisdom-sun rises and the Immortal Life is lived. The Divine Existence, the Almighty Satchidananda is attained.
In this state supreme silence alone is. The mind becomes quiescent due to the exhaustion of Prarabdhas even as a lamp unfed by oil gets naturally extinguished. The zenith of being is the cessation of thought, change and action. It is a getting of everything at once, the living of the infinite life, the highest freedom, the most supreme blessing, the greatest happiness and limitlessness of Knowledge which is not a possession but an existence, not a means of Knowing but the very being of Knowledge-Absolute.


4. Just as a silk-worm is caught in its own cocoon, so also man is caught in this vast net of Samsara by his own Sankalpas and Vasanas.
The conception that the prison of life of the individual is self-built is brought out by the example of the self-imprisoning of the silkworm with its cocoon which it itself winds around its body. Further escape from the jail becomes difficult.
The Jiva winds round itself the cocoon of love for separation from the Eternal Truth through the positive act of being untrue to itself. It is a self-deception, a self-blasphemy, a self-slaughter that is done by allowing oneself to fall into lower Yonis or degraded conditions of existence. It is real suicide, because it is killing the consciousness of the true Self. Negation of Truth is the faithfulness towards something other than Truth, and that something is obviously untruth. He who catches the unreal by discarding the Real is involved in the horrifying wheel of Samsara and once the Jiva is caught within the clutches of this turning wheel there is no easy hope of its near freedom.
The net of Samsara is knit together with the strings of Sankalpas. He cannot become a Yogi who has not renounced Sankalpas or the act of imagining. Sankalpa is a creative determination to carry out a certain effect in the realm of relative life by relating the self to objective selves which are taken for granted to be independent and real by themselves. This creative affirmation deposits the psychic objective tendencies in the core of the being of the Jiva and these tendencies assert themselves whenever they find suitable conditions for that purpose. The moral sense of the intellect suppresses the lower appetites and the base cravings during the waking experience but the moment this ethical sense is overshadowed by the Tamas that manifests itself in the dreaming and the deep sleep states, the physical propensities which mar the consciousness of the Self express themselves and demand wish-fulfilment. At this time, the discriminative faculty is held in check and the dance of the senses to the tune of the Vasanas becomes the main feature of the Jiva´s life. The material greed ejects its venom of earthly passion for the possession of and the rejoicing with spatial objects. This is how the Vasanas manage to maintain individuality and activity, and make the Jiva suffer the illness of life as a localised body. It is not merely the suppression but the complete frying of the Sankalpa-bhavana that can liberate the Jiva from the thraldom of the earth.


5. The enemy of the Atma is the fluctuating mind only. The mind through its power of fluctuation generates countless Vasanas and Sankalpas. Destroy this fluctuating power of the mind through constant Brahma-Vichara.
The Atma or the immortal Self is enveloped by the veil of mentation. The vibration of the mind generates fresh Vasanas and Sankalpas by its forward urge to expand itself info the world of nature. Every thought sends forth such currents of creative influence of the strength proportionate to the intensity of the original affirmation, and these creative urges touch the mental being of the other bodies of the universe in various degrees in accordance with their power of receptivity based on their own categories in the stages of their spiritual evolution. When the mental activity is able to affect even bodies completely separated from its own, it goes without saying that its immediate body is tremendously influenced by it.
The condition of physical health, mental peace, nervous equilibrium, harmonised flow of blood in the body are all dependent on the tranquillity of the inner organ. Every harmful thought poisons the blood of the individual, disturbs the nerves and wrecks the general health. All the diseases of the body are mainly rooted in sin and passion which work the destruction of harmony and purity with enormous vigour. All thoughts of the individual are generally directed to external acquirements or positive injury to other beings or to inordinate affections for objects of love. Such thoughts are against the real good and the growth of the spiritual consciousness and hence they spoil the career of the Jiva by drowning it in the pains of the three kinds of evil influences originating from the self and fattened by the similar actions on it of the rest of the beings of the universe and also the reactions from the heavenly bodies.
Brahmavichara is the remedy for this affliction. It is also called Brahmabhyasa which consists in thinking of Brahman, talking about Brahman, reminding one another of Brahman and resting completely in Brahman throughout. Such kinds of Sadhana for Brahma-Sakshatkara alone can free the Jiva from all sorrow and death.


6. Brahman will not shine when the dualities of the mind are not destroyed. Destroy the dualities. Brahman will shine in its pristine glory.
It is impossible to have the vision of Brahman as long as there is faith in dual existence. The Light of the Self cannot be seen by one who is fast bound to plural and dual life. Even intellectual life cannot make one behold the glorious Brahman, for the intellect functions only on a dual basis. The intellect cannot work with a feeling of total Unity, for thereby, it is trying to arrive at self-destruction. What is inclusive of the cogniser himself cannot be seen by the cognising subject. It would be just like attempting to climb on one´s own shoulders. Every method of cognition requires a process of knowing besides the knower and the known. The intellect itself is one of the senses through which the internal psychic organ manifests itself. The fact that intellectuality is excluded from immorality does not refrain it from its being included among the organs of perception.
The highest power of knowing by the individual is in its intellect and that being a slave of the dual reality, it is implied, therefore, that the Jiva, as it is, cannot realise Brahman. It has to divest itself of the clogging psychic becomings and stand up bold and unaided by the senses. When the waves, ripples and bubbles, the rays and the ramifications are embraced as one being, the world becomes no world, the body is no body, relations are no relations and qualities are no qualities.
Since duality is not of the nature of Brahman, it will not shine where there is duality. Dual perception is a refusal to perceive Brahman which is Oneness and since two contradictions cannot exist in the same nature, the experience of Brahman becomes impossible in the pluralistic world. When the sense of two-ness in being is overcome the perceiver and the perceived fuse into a single Unit and that is the realization of Brahman. Even in deep sleep duality does not appear but since duality is in a potential state there and is not destroyed, Brahman cannot be realised in the deep sleep state. Unity attended with Consciousness is the Reality. Glimpses of this state are experienced in selfless contemplation and activity of pure and spiritual determination. The joy of self-abandonment cannot be compared with any joy derived from egoistic enjoyments.


7. Ahamkara which is the source of all troubles has its seat in the mind. Annihilation of egoism will bring about destruction of the mind and annihilation of the mind will cause destruction of egoism.
Ahamkara or egoism is the main sense of the Jiva. It is the master-manipulator of diverse life. The ego is the hardening or the concretising of the universal consciousness at a point in space. It is formed of the stuff of arrogating itself and excluding all else from being. Ahamkara need not necessarily be taken to mean pride merely, but it is essentially the feeling of “I am” or self-awareness. This self-consciousness is the pivot of the rotation of the incessant revelation and the withdrawal of self-asserting forces thrown out by the ego by its powerful spells of thought. The whole universe is in fact this magical incantation of the sense of the ego which has at its background the ocean of the mind.
The ego is a monad in absolute consciousness. It strongly desires to express itself and this power of expression creates the appearance of space, time, sound, touch, colour, taste and smell in limitless being. The origin of the world is the desire to egotise in opposition to the Self. The grosser the ego-manifestation, the more real appears the world and the farther is the Jiva from the reality.
The ego or the individuality does not consist in being a simple spiritual entity or a soul but in being a mind which is a peculiar mode of the Supreme Brahman determined by a special movement or will. This self-same ego is called by various names when it performs different functions. Buddhi, Ahamkara, Chitta, Manas, Karma, Vasana. Sankalpa, Kalpana, Bhavana, Prakriti, Shakti, are all the appearances of the different forces which manifest themselves from the root of individuality in order to fulfil certain particularised conditions of self-existence.
The ego and the mind are related to one another as the source and the root. They are in a sense the same power viewed from different points of view. This power is like a wave in the Ocean of the Absolute. It is the impulse to create that causes the appearance of the ego and this will to manifest forms is cast all over in all egos each of which in its own way takes part in the scheme of creation. This creative impulse should be checked and turned inward to effect Self-Illumination or Realization of Brahman.


8. The ideas of ‘mine´ and ‘thine´ are only the creation of the mind. If the mind is destroyed through Vichara, these ideas will vanish. Destruction of the mind alone is Moksha.
“I”, “Mine”, “Thine”, and such other ideas are based on the belief in a multiple universe. The intensity of these ideas differs in the various degrees of ignorance and knowledge that characterise the individuals. There are seven grades of ignorance and seven grades of knowledge. These fourteen stages of evolution are dominated by fourteen degrees of nescience which hide the Reality little by little increasing as the darkness becomes thicker and the intelligence more obscured. The Sadhana that is practised to remove this ignorance should consist in a gradual unveiling of the Self through systematic self-restraint and abstraction. The ideas which reign over the mind are its own offshoots which later on gain independence over its natural quiescent state, and act like irremovable obstructions on the path.
The destruction of the ego is the destruction of the mind, and it is done through the practice of Yoga. Yoga is a process running along two lines, namely, the denial of individuality and the affirmation of the Self. The ego or the individuality does not consist only of intellect but also of feeling and activity. The practice of Yoga, therefore, is done through three aspects: Intellectual assertion and conviction of one´s not being an ego but the Absolute Brahman, negation of desire, infatuation and attachment, etc., and practice in stopping the ceaseless functioning of the vital current or Prana which does the activity of life by its rising and setting. These methods bring moments of rest to the psychic activity which corresponds to the moment of rest in consciousness, however little it may be. This long practice brings permanent rest of mental activity and opens the door of intuition.
When Sadhana is practised, – be it of any particular aspect of self-transformation, – the one important point to be borne in mind is the negation of the ego. It is not formal practice of routines and traditional rules that can liberate the individual but methods to pacify the egoism through common-sense and understanding. Yoga is completely an inward process, for it is not the body that is the hindrance to Absolute Independence but the mind. Any physical practice done to achieve Spiritual Perfection should be coupled with inward detachment and love for the Eternal. The yearning to catch the Infinite Being directs all the emotions to the Fullness of Existence and thus undermines the flinty egoism.


9. Destruction of Sankalpas is really destruction of the mind. It is only Sankalpas destroyed beyond resurrection that constitute the ineffable, imperishable and effulgent Brahmic seat.
The Sankalpas should be destroyed beyond resurrection. The resuscitation of Vasanas allows the tree of Samsara to grow once again and therefore, the purpose of all methods of Yoga is the utter removal of all the possibilities of further appearance of the mind. Calm, sure and steady should be the way of approach to Self-realization. There is no other way to attain Liberation than the Knowledge of what really exists, for the bondage consists in the forgetfulness of the Absolute which is here and now. Liberation cannot be attained by mere living in a forest and practising self-mortification. It is not even the renunciation of Karma that is required for the purpose of Self-realization. It is Knowledge that is wanted and nothing short of it. Knowledge consists in the conviction that Brahman is the only reality, that everything is Brahman, that nothing other than Brahman can exist, that Brahman is the very Self of all.
Jnana is a means for Self-realization and not merely an intellectual conviction. Scriptural study may help further Knowledge but by itself it is only in the realm of Maya. Jnana is not a philosophical creed but an intuitional comprehension of the entire being. The individual should expand into the Absolute and should live as the Absolute. Actual living in the Experience of Brahman, the Divine Being, is what is indicated by true Jnana.
The eradication of the mental function is not done in a moment like a magical trick. The attachment of the Jiva to its finitude has come since aeons. A mere intellectual grasping may make one believe in the illusory nature of the world, yet, the illusion does not thereby stop tormenting the individual. The cessation of Samsara takes place only through the actualisation of the undying Knowledge and practice of Yoga. Yoga should be a discipline neglecting no aspect of life. The physical, mental and spiritual aspects must be touched by every true method of Yoga for Self- realization. A one-sided development leaves the other sides as they were and Truth-experience becomes impossible.


10. Just as gold is purified by heating it on the fire, so also mind is purified by the fire of meditation.
Yoga is in its strictest sense Meditation on the Absolute Reality. The way to such a meditation lies through suffering and pain. The road to bliss always passes through self-sacrifice and self-purification. Gold becomes lustrous when it is purged of all dross and the self shines in its own Nature when it is disciplined through meditation. Spiritual meditation is practised through constant affirmation of one´s being identical with Brahman. Thereby the mind returns to Peace. When the Self is asserted to be in tune with the Great Expanse of the Reality the mind which is a shadow of the Self turns back to its substance, the Self. The mind being annihilated, the vital currents or the Pranas stop their activity, because the Prana is only an appearance of the power of the mind. The practice of deep affirmation of the Supreme Tattwa subordinates all other spiritual endeavours to reach Brahman.
One must continuously meditate on the truth that he is non-different from Brahman and thus direct all his activities, thoughts and emotions towards this end, affirming without break that he is the One Brahman himself. This method is the most difficult one, because one has to feel here the whole universe as the one essence of Akhanda-Satchidananda. By constantly brooding over the absolute existence of Brahman, one becomes Brahman only due to the power of meditation. That person who affirms Brahman in this manner acquires all power and all knowledge, for, he affirms that which is everything. His Self becomes the Infinite Whole, Satyam, Jnanam and Anantam. The mind vanishes for want of objects of perception. When the One Brahman alone is seen everywhere, where is the occasion for the appearance of objects? The breath also stops thereby and the Absolute Experience shines alone.


The affirmation of Absoluteness is suited only for the highest class of aspirants whose minds are ready to receive the higher spiritual Light. When the Sadhaka practises such severe assertions the physical consciousness will try to revolt against all measures taken against its well-being. The general result of such affirmations by weak-minded aspirants is great fear and shock. The Divine Consciousness tries to manifest itself in the individual and shatters the ego like a mad elephant that has entered a small hut. This supreme meditation is called Brahmabhavana or Brahmabhyasa. The force of intense meditation lights up the entire materialised nature and at once liberates the soul like a sudden flash of lightning. At one stroke the universe dwindles into nothingness and the Majesty of Brahman is revealed. This is the Goal.

#Courtesy Global Hinduism

Science of Speech

Science of Speech

An extract from the dialogue between King Janaka, the ruler of the Videha and a woman of the name of Sulabha, belonging to the mendicant order.

Sulabha said: O king, speech ought always to be free from the nine verbal faults and the nine faults of judgment. It should also, while setting forth the meaning with perspicuity, be possessed of the eighteen well-known merits.

Ambiguity, ascertainment of the faults and merits of premises and conclusions, the conclusion, and the element of persuasiveness or otherwise that attaches to the conclusion thus arrived at- these five characteristics appertaining to the sense- constitute the authoritativeness of what is said. Listen now o the characteristics of these requirements beginning with ambiguity, one after another, as I expound them according to the combinations.

When knowledge rests on distinction in consequence of the object to be known being different from one another, and when (as regards the comprehension of the subject) the understanding rests upon many points, one after another, the combination of words (in whose case this occurs) is said to be vitiated by ambiguity. By ascertainment (of faults and merits), called Sankhya, is meant the establishment, by elimination, of faults or merits (in premises and conclusions), adopting tentative meanings. Krama or weighing the relative strength or weakness of the faults or merits (ascertained by the above process) consists in settling the propriety of the priority or subsequence of the words employed in a sentence. This is the meaning attached to the word ‘Krama’ by persons conversant with the interpretation of sentences or texts. By conclusion is meant the final determination, after this examination of what has been said on the subjects of religion, pleasure, wealth, and Emancipation, in respect of what is particularly is that has been said in the text. The sorrow born of wish or aversion increases to a great measure. The conduct, O king, that one pursues in such a matter (for dispelling the sorrow experienced) is called Prayojanam.

[Note: By ‘prayojanam’ is meant the conduct one pursues for gratifying one’s wish to acquire or avoid any object. Wish in respect of either acquisition or avoidance, if ungratified, becomes a source of pain. The section or conduct that one adopts for removing that pain is called Prayojanam. In the Gautama-sutras it is said that ‘yamarthamadhikritya pravartate, tat prayojanam.’ The two definitions are identical.]

Take it for certain, O king, at my word, that these characteristics of Ambiguity and the other (numbering five in all), when occurring together, constitute a complete and intelligible sentence.

[Note: By occurrence of these five characteristics together is meant that when these are properly attended to by a speaker or writer, only then can his sentence be said to be complete and intelligible. In Nyaya, the five requisites are Pratijna, Hetu, Udaharana, Upanaya, and Nigamana. In the Mimansa philosophy, the five requisites have been named differently. Vishaya, Samsaya, Purvapaksha, Uttara, and Nirnaya.]

The words I shall utter will be fraught with sense, free from ambiguity (in consequence of each of them not being symbols of many things), logical, free from pleonasm or tautology, smooth, certain, free from bombast, agreeable or sweet, truthful, inconsistent with the aggregate of three, (viz., Righteousness, Wealth, and Pleasure), refined (i.e., free from Prakriti), not elliptical or imperfect, destitute of harshness or difficulty of comprehension, characterized by due order, not far fetched in respect of sense, corrected with one another as cause and effect and each having a specific object.

[Note: These characteristics, though numbering sixteen, include the four and twenty mentioned by Bhojadeva in his Rhetoric called ‘Saraswati-kanthabharana.]

I shall not tell thee anything, prompted by desire or wrath or fear or cupidity or abjectness or deceit or shame or compassion or pride. (I answer thee because it is proper for me to answer what thou hast said). When the speaker, the hearer, and the words said, thoroughly agree with one another in course of a speech, then does the sense or meaning come out very clearly. When, in the matter of what is to be said, the speaker shows disregard for the understanding of the hearer by uttering words whose meaning is understood by himself, then, however good those words may be, they become incapable of being seized by the hearer.

That speaker, again, who, abandoning all regard for his own meaning uses words that are of excellent sound and sense, awakens only erroneous impressions in the mind of the hearer. Such words in such connection become certainly faulty. That speaker, however, who employs words that are, while expressing his own meaning, intelligible to the hearer, as well, truly deserves to be called a speaker. No other man deserves the name. It behoveth thee, therefore, O king, to hear with concentrated attention these words of mine, fraught with meaning and endued with wealth of vocables.

The meaning of India and Bharata

The meaning of India and Bharata

BY MOHAN

This I just thought over the last second, for a couple minutes and surprised myself with it’s implications/hidden meanings. Now Bharata is the traditional name of India which has been taught to us all Indians as “the land ruled by King Bharat”. But I think, irrespective of the truth of the former (because it still may be valid as per my analysis that Bharat was the King nevertheless my analysis is not untrue, rather makes great deal of sense) 

Bharata probably comes from the word “Bhratru or bhrata” meaning brother. [Bhratru => bharat ra u] i.e. if the right hand side is spoken quickly it gives the LHS, therefore the LHS is a result of the RHS. This would either mean India in ancient times was coined from the “brotherlyness” of the people that lived here, or possibly the “brothers of the Lord” when in ancient times persons were considered honorable or God/Godly.

Hence the brotherlyness amongs Godly persons or simply persons. It does not necessarily come from King Bharat. King Bharat on the other hand might have been given the name to reflect his brotherly qualities at birth or at “crowning”. Now where I come from originally, there is a place called Bhapur which might be a “apabhransha” of Bharat pur with the “R^a” and “T^a”, which may have become extinct, coming from the way words were spoken in those times. Now there are plenty of Bharat pur in story books so it makes sense that in ancient times cities and villages were named as India city or the likes

(the translation of Bharat Pur would be India city because Bharat does not literally translate into India, it’s a conveniently done translation, Indians are very convenient people, read opportunistic, they don’t even want to do a truthful back searching of their own history, I have heard 100s of times how Bharat is translated as India but they are different. But how? read on.)

Now what is “India”. We have been taught often that India has come from Indus, but how?

All we have ever been told was it comes from river Sindhu or possibly Hindukush mountain range. Also we are all Hindus therefore Hindustan. Voila, but how? And the Japanese calls IndiA “Ind’O”

So here is my etymology analysis: The word India is Ind + (Ja/Ya of Sanskruta) which is nothing but Hind + Ja/Ya/Ia.

Now if you analyze river Sindhu: Sindhu = “sin” ut u. [hindu = hin ut u], If you say it’s “chin ut u” it becomes chindu. This might also come from [han ut u = han du/hndu].

SO this word comes from a “generator” which is all related to China.  (han, hun, hin, chin, sin) Now Ut in sanskruta is as I have mentioned else where the English “out/up of/from”. Notice that “ut” is as populated a word in Indian languages (in Odia we say “ut” or the stress variant “Uth” meaning get up, from where you are sitting, from sleeping, from slumber etc, In other situations we say “ut-thapn” meaning to raise, such as an issue)

SO our [(sin, hin, han, hun, chin) ut u = Sindhu/Hindu] means nothing but “out from Chin” (as in: “not in” here but there) SO someone, who is not necessarily from Chin, the original name/tranLIT of China, but stands in Chin or  a map of Chin and uses Sanskruta, an international etymology of the contemporary times, let’s say in 800 AD, let’s say in 200 BC, let’s say in 700 BC, we really don’t know from here, says pointing to India “sin ut u” to refer to the river or mountain that borders Chin to say “not in Chin (but close to Chin/borders Chin)” which is therefore India.

SO Bharat was an ancient name of India meaning something deeper than just “a King Bharat who ruled the land in those times”, brotherlyness among the propsperous people or brotherlyness with God or Godly persons. India on the other hand through river Sindhu or mountain Hindu (Hindu Kush) was an ancient name that reflected the fact that India and Indians and the mountains and rivers of the land lie in close proximity to Chin or China of those times.

Ganesh Purana

Ganesh Purana 

Ganesh Purana describes the incarnations of Lord Ganesh as taking place in four yugas viz. the Krita, Treta, Dwapara and Kali Yugas, to destroy the Asuric forces and re-establish the equilibrium of the cosmic life.

I Mohatkata Vinayaka:

In the Vana kingdom, on the banks of river Ganga, there lived a pious Rishi Rudraketu with his wife Sarada. After a long time two sons were born to them, who were named "Devantaka" and "Narantaka". The boys were handsome and strong and they propitiated Lord Siva and got a boon from Him that none whomsoever, whether it be a god, angel, human, demon or animal, could kill them. Thus they became invincible, and conquered all the three worlds. Narantak assumed sovereignty over the nether worlds and human world, and Devantak that of the heavens. Soon they upset the normal equilibrium of universal life by unleashing the rule of demonism everywhere.

The ancient sage Kasyapa and his wife Aditi were living happily in their Ashram. Aditi approached Kasyapa one day and said : "I have begotten as sons all the gods like Indra, Varuna, Vayu, etc. But I wish to have the Supreme Lord Himself as my son, so that I can love Him and serve Him in the form of my son. Kindly instruct me on the austerities that I should follow to fulfil my desire. The sage thereupon initiated Aditi into the secrets of meditation on Lord Vinayaka She performed severe penance and propitiated Lord Vinayaka. The Lord promised to be born as her son.

All the three worlds were suffering from the demonic rule of Narantak and Devantak and it was high time that the rhythm and harmony of universal life was set right And so Lord Ganesha decided to descend to the world as the son of Aditi. He manifested Himself in the humble Ashram of Sage Kasyapa and Aditi in all divine splendour The mother praised Him and at her request. He vieled His divine form and assumed the form of a normal human baby. His body was strong and muscular, and his face was serene and beautiful- Sage Kasyapa named him Mahotkata, meaning a person of strong physique. Hearing the news of divine child, all the rishis came to Kasyapa's Ashram and blessed him.

The Asuras who were having a great time under the demonic rule of Narantak and Devantak also heard about the child and his million to destroy the evil doers. They also came disguised as humans and rishis to the Ashram to rid themselves of their enemy, Mahotkata, but they were all slain as stealthily by the child, as they approached.

The king of Kashi one day paid a visit to the Ashram to request sage Kasyapa, the preceptor of his dynasty, (Kula-guru) to solemnise the wedding of his son, the crown prince of KasiSage Kasyapa was at that time engaged in a long austerity and therefore he deputed his son Mahotkata who had attained sixteen years of age by then, to do the needful. The boy was ceremoniously taken to the kingdom. On their way, while passing through a forest, they suddenly beheld all the quarters filled with a strange light. Mahotkata jumped out of the chariot and rushed through the forests in the direction of the light and came upon Dhoomraksha, a demon who was practising severe austerities. He had succeeded in propitiating the Sun deity, and was about to receive an invincible weapon of destruction from the Sun. As the weapon was being given out to the" demon, the entire world was lit up by its brilliance Mahotkata dashed to the spot and grabbed the dazzling weapon and threw it on the demon himself which killed him instantaneously. The king was aghast with astonishment.

The king reached his capital along with Mahotkata, and since there were a few more weeks to go before the wedding ceremony was to take place, the intervening time ' was spent by Mahotkata in sportive acts. He was out most of the time exhibiting his talents and strength which kept the citizens wondering at his super-human powers and skill. Soon he won the hearts of everybody, and the people could not just think of passing a day without meeting Mahotkata. He destroyed a number of demons who had disguised themselves in the palace and in the kingdom as citizens.

Narantak had placed his spies all over the worlds. The reports from Kashi were very disturbing. Soon a time came when Narantak had to drop all disguises and attack the kingdom straightaway. People became panicky at the sudden assault of the most powerful ruler of those days, but Mahotkata gathered them up and put up a great fight and killed Narantak.

Oevantak could not tolerate the humiliation of a mere brahmin boy killing his invincible brother. He sent his eight powerful demons Kardama, Deerghadanta, Taalajangha, Yakshma, Ghantasura, Raktakesa, Kalaanthaka and Durjaya to destroy the armies of the king. But they were killed by the eight powers materialised by Mahotkata in the form of goddesses, namely Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Eesithwa, Praapti and Praakasya. Thereafter, it was a direct confrontation between Mahotkata and Devantaka. When Devantaka resorted to mean methods of fighting through black magic, Mahotkata assumed his divine form as Ganesha and confronted the demon. In the fierce battle that followed, Devantaka managed to catch hold of both the tusks of Lord Ganesha, but he was thrown away by the powerful push of the Lord- The demon's hold on the tusks were however so strong, that while he fell on the ground, the tip of one of the tusks broke and came off in his hands. Lord Ganesha thrust His other tusk into the head of Devantaka and killed him.

Thus the demonic rule came to an end and peace and goodwill returned to all the three worlds. Mahotkata was honoured profusely by the king and the citizens. After solemnising the marriage of the crown prince, Mahotkata returned to his earthly parents, sage Kasyapa and Aditi. He told them that the purpose of His incarnation was over and that He had decided to withdraw from the world of humans. The parents were overcome by sorrow at the thought of separation from their darling son, but Mahotkata assured them that He would be present in astral form wherever the Divine Mother Bhavani is worshipped. And then He folded up His human form and ascended to His heavenly abode.

II Srimayuresh

In the Treta Yuga. there lived a righteous King named Chakrapani who ruled over the Mithila kingdom with Gandaki as its capital city. His queen was Ugra. The king was sad that he had no son to inherit the kingdom. Sage Saunaka of Puranic fame advised him to propitiate the Sun deity to beget a son, and initiated him and the queen Into a year-long austerity. After a few months, the queen became pregnant. As the child developed in her womb, she was subjected to extreme physical uneasiness and her body temperature started rising. A time came when she was unable to bear the foetus in the womb any longer and so she secretly went to the sea shore along with her nurses and abandoned the foetus in the sea. The king was sad at this act but he could do nothing.

The foetus developed into a boy It had a brilliant face with three eyes and its body was strong and muscular. When it cried, the whole earth trembled, and the terrified creatures of the sea fled for their lives. The sea god brought the boy to the palace and handed him over to the king. The king was overjoyed to get his son.

The boy was named Sindhu because of his birth on the sea shore He grew up fast, and after completion of his studies, performed severe austerities, propitiated the Sun deity and obtained from him powerful weapons of destruction, which made him invincible. The king handed over his kingdom to the son and retired to the forests with his queen. Sindhu defeated all the kings on earth and even extended his power to the nether worlds and heavens. He invoked Lord Vishnu by his penance and requested Him to come down to earth and stay in his capital city. Hearing this. Lord Siva decided to go away for the time being from Kailash along with Goddess Parvati and all the attendants (Ganas). As they passed over the plains. Mother Parvati was attracted by a serene and beautiful place, and alt of them decided to settle down there. Lord Siva, as usual, went into long spells of meditation while the Ganas served and worshipped Him along with the Rishis and other pious people who had gathered and camped around the place.

One day Mother Parvati asked the Lord: "On Whom are you meditating?", and He said: ' On Him, Who is the supporter of the entire universe". "Can I also meditate on Him and behold Him ?" she asked. "Of course", said the Lord, and initiated Her into the mono-syllabled Ganeshamantra Gem, She repaired to a lonely and beautiful place on Lekhanadri hills and performed penance for twelve years. Lord Ganesha appeared before Her and asked what boon She wanted. Mother Parvati said : "I wish to have You as my son so that I can always see You and serve You". "Be it so" said the lord, and He vanished.

Lord Siva, the Ganas, the Rishis and pious men greeted the news of Lord Ganesha's incarnation as Mother Parvati's son with great enthusiasm. And in due course, on the fourth day of the bright half of the Bhaadrapaada month, when the Swati star was in combination with the Moon, when the constellation of Leo was ascending (Simha Lagna), Lord Ganesha manifested Himself in front of Mother Parvati in all His divine glory. After prostrating to Him, the Mother requested Him to veil His divine form and assume the form of an ordinary child so that She could take Him in Her arms and fondle Him. The Lord accordingly assumed the form of a handsome young child.

All the three worlds rejoiced at the "birth" of the Lord. Lord Siva performed the Jata Karmas of the child. The Rishis and the pious men beheld the boy as a personification of all great qualities (Gunas). On the eleventh day. Lord Siva named the child "Gunesha". meaning the repository of all gunas. Gunesha grew up under the tender care and love of the divine parents ang in the company of the children of the Rishis. A number of demons who came to disturb the peaceful life there, were killed by Ganesha.

Once while chasing a demon, Ganesha along with the children came upon a mango grove full of ripe juicy fruits. They let themselves loose in the garden, plucking and eating the mangoes and throwing the seeds at each other. In that garden, atop a tree, a woman was keeping guard over a big egg and one of the seeds thrown by the children fell on her. Disturbed in her roost, she came down and started chasing the children. Gunesha immediately climbed the tree and took the egg in his hands. As soon as he did so, the egg cracked and out came a huge bird from it having a blue neck, a powerful peacock. It was so hungry that it jumped down in search of food and tried to swallow the running boys Ganesha jumped on the bird caught hold of its wings and beat it up. Then he mounted the bird and brought it under his control.

Seeing the victory of Ganesha the woman prostrated to him and said : "Lord I I am Vinata, wife of Sage Kasyapa This bird is my son My husband had told me that the person who would break the egg that I had laid, would become its master. I had been waiting here for years on end for this to happen- Now I am happy and have fulfilled my duty- My other sons like Jatayu, Shyena. Sampaati and others are held captive by the powerful serpents in their kingdom- Please be kind enough to release them."

The peacock by this time had recovered from the pains of fight with Ganesha and surrendered to him. Mounting his new vehicle, Ganesha returned to his parents He was given the name MAYURESH the Lord of Mayur, by the Rishis Thereafter he conquered the serpent kingdom and released the celestial birds from captivity. He conquered a number of demons who had become powerful under the reign of the demonic king Sindhu. Seeing the superhuman capabilities of Mayuresh, Brahmaji offered His two daughters Siddhi and Buddhi in marriage to Mayuresh. However, he declined to marry them immediately. He wanted first to fulfil his mission of destroying Sindhu.

Seeing that Mayuresh had come of age. Lord Siva and Parvati decided to return to Kailashh, and the whole entourage set forth on their journey. On the way, a number of Asuras attacked them, but Mayuresh vanquished them all.

Sindhu became restless. He waged a war against Mayuresh, and sent his two powerful sons Dharma and Adharma to defeat the enemy. They were killed in the battle. Sindhu himself came upon the field; a fierce battle ensued and at last Sindhu was killed. With his death. Lord Vishnu and others were free to go back to their respective worlds. The cosmic rhythm disturbed by Sindhu, was set again to its normal equilibrium The marriage of Mayuresh with Siddhi and Buddhi was solemnised.

It was time for Mayuresh to fold up his manifestation in the world. So, one day, he conveyed his intention to Lord Siva, Parvati and others "When can I again have the privilege of having you as My son " asked the Mother. "In Dwapara Yuga. I will again be born to you to kill the terrible demon Sindur, said the Lord. Kartikeya, younger brother of Mayuresh said : "Please don't leave me alone- Take me also with you." In a sweet brotherly voice Mayuresh replied: "Where am I going away from you 7 I am the inner consciousness in all beings, and so I am very much in your heart also, at all times." He then gave His Mayur (Peacock) to Kartikeya and addressed him as "Mayuradhwaja i ", and then ascended to His imperishable world.

III Sri Gajanana

It was Dwapara Yuga. The Lord of Kailash, Sri Mahadeva, one day paid a visit to the abode of Brahmaji, the Creator. Brahmaji was having a seista then; he woke up, stretched him self up and yawned. And lo ! from his yawning face manifested a big and beautiful male form. As soon as he materialised, he roared and his roaring rent the skies, upset the oceans and shook the mountains. Brahmaji recovered from his sleep and asked him : "Who are you, and wherefrom are you? What do you want?" The male said : "You are the knower of everything and why do you ask me these questions? I am your son, born out of your yawning face. Please accept me, give me my name, allot me a place to live, grant me my food, and tell me my duties." Brahmaji was enchanted by the ravishing handsomeness of his son, and said : "Because of your flawless pink complexion, your name shall be SINDUR; you shall have the power to conquer all the three worlds. Whomever you would catch hold of in anger will drop down in a hundred pieces from your arms. You shall not fear anyone anywhere in all the three words, and you are free to roam about wherever you want."

Sindur was happy and wandered through the worlds, setting waves of fear wherever he went. As he went about, a thought came to his mind : 1 did not perform any penance or undergo even the rudimentary education. How is that Pitamaha bestowed on me all these boons? How can I verify whether they are true ? He did not find anyone on whom he could experiment his strength. So he returned to Brahmaji and wanted to try the strength of boon on him. Brahmaji was taken aback. He said "Sindur ! I was enticed by your beauty and gave you all the boons, little knowing that behind your charming form was concealed a crooked mind. You have become a demon now. Lord Ganesh will soon incarnate as Gajaanan and destroy you."

But Sindur did not leave Brahmaji in peace. He chased the Creator. Brahmaji took to his heels and ran all over the three worlds. He reached Vaikunta, the abode of Vishnu and sought shelter. Vishnu stopped the demon who was close behind Brahmaji and said : "Calm down, my son ! Your father is such an old person that it does not behove a man like you to fight him. Leave him alone." "All right, then you fight with me I" said Sindur. Vishnu was in a predicament. He said : "Look I am a Satwic person and am engaged in the maintenance of this universe. To defeat me is not at all a problem for you. Well, if you really want a good fight there is Lord Siva in Kailash and He is an equal to you.'

"Be it then Lord Siva", said Sindur and went straight to Kailash, He saw the Lord sitting in meditation there and thought : "This is a forest-dweller, an ordinary mendicant, with matted locks. He is not fit for a fight with me. But then his wife is a beautiful woman. I would rather have her." And so he caught hold of Mother Parvati and carried Her away. The Ganas of Lord Siva gave a stiff fight but they were all defeated by Sindur. The commotion woke up Lord Siva from His Samadhi and He became red with anger at the act of Sindur. Immediately Mother Parvati thought of Mayuresh, and He appeared between Siva and Sindur. With a few powerful blows. Lord Mayuresh vanquished the demon and sent him down to the worlds below. He then assured Mother Parvati that as promised earlier. He would be born as Gajaanan through Her and redeem the world from the cruelties of demon Sindur; so saying He disappeared.

In the lower worlds, Sindur, the personification of brute force and blunt intellect, easily became a hero of the demons. He organised them into a powerful gang and let loose a reign of terror in the world. The pious and learned ones left their homes and took shelter in mountain caves. The gods were also not spared by Sindur and his gang. The helpless victims of his tyranny assembled together and sang hymns on Lord Ganesha.

In Kailash, Mother Parvati developed signs of pregnancy. After a few months, She told Lord Siva of Her wish to go down to the plains. And so they all came down, and while moving about, they spotted a beautiful lake surrounded by deep woods, and set up their camp there. In due course, Mother Parvati gave birth to a divinely beautiful child. It immediately took the form of the Supreme Lord in all His replendence. The Mother praised Him with divine hymns, and at Her request, the Lord changed Himself into the form of a small child, but with a difference. It developed a round bulging head, its eyes were small, its ears were like two windows, and its nose was like the trunk of an elephant. It had four arms, its stomach was pot bellied and its legs were short and its complexion was red.

The Mother was sad to see the distorted form to which the child had turned. All the people around Her were expecting to see the handsome child of the divinely beautiful Mother Parvati and the Supreme Lord Siva. How could $he show this deformed child to them? They would all laugh at this ugly form, and would even say : 'Is this the end result of all careful tendering and nursing with which the Garbha (foetus) was protected and developed by Mother Parvati ?' When she was thus lost in Her thoughts, Lord Siva came there, and immediately understood the mind of Parvati. He said to her : "Please don't be carried away by the external appearance of things. By looking at the external appearance, no one can know the inner make-up of people. Who do you think this red complexioned, four-handed elephant faced, pot-bellied form is ? Remember the Lord's promise to you that He would be born as your son in Dwapara Yuga as Gajaanana to kill the demon, Sindur ? How is it that you are not able to recognise Him in all forms; for He is the One in Whom all these worlds exist, and all forms are His only. And He is again going to be born of you in Kali Yuga with the complexion of smoke (Dhoomra Varna)"

The child turned to the Mother and said : What the Lord has said is true. I have been born to kill the demon Sindur. Now, you have to do a job for me. Please transport me immediately to the palace of King Varenya in the city of Maahishmati on the banks of river Narmada. Varenya and his queen Pushpika are both deeply devoted to me. Pleased by their devotion, I had promised them that I would be born as their son. Pushpika has just given birth to a baby, and she is lying unconscious by the pains of labour; and the baby has been stolen by a demoness. If the queen comes to know of that, she will die of sorrow. So before she gains consciousness put me by her side, so that she will be convinced that I am her child". Lord Siva immediately summoned Nandi, the chief of the Ganas, and asked him to carry out the mission.

When queen Pushpika came to her senses, she saw her newborn child lying by her side. She was aghast to see the weird form of the child, which had four arms, an elephant face, potbelly and of red complexion. All the people who came to see the child were taken aback by its ugliness. The court astrologer predicted that the child would be the cause of destruction of the royal dynasty I So they decided unanimously to abandon the child in the forests where it would be eaten up by wild animals. And thus the child was carried to a deep jungle and left there.

Sage Paraasara had his ashram nearby He spotted the child laughing away in its innocence, and was struck with wonder at its strange form. He took a close look at the child and saw divine signs on its legs, hands and forehead. With least hesitation he lifted the child, embraced it and took it home. He explained to his wife, Vatsala, the strange signs on the child. They brought him up with all tender love and care. Lord Siva and Parvati were happy to know that Gajaanan was safe in Sage Paraashara's ashram. They decided to return to Kailash.

Gajaanan mastered all the knowledge and arts which his foster father imparted to him. When he was nine years old, a strange thing happened in the ashram. A huge mouse appeared there and it set about destroying everything that came its away. It was so big and powerful that all creatures in the forest were afraid of it. Mother Vatsala and sage Paraasara were helpless against the ferocious mouse. Gajaanan who was playing outside, came in and saw the terrified parents.

On seeing Gajaanan the mouse disappeared into the lower worlds. Gajaanan however, made a loop with the rope in his hands and threw it down and entangled the huge body of the mouse in it. The mouse tried to wriggle out, but in vain. Gajaanan pulled it up to his side and subdued it. He then mounted it and made it his vehicle The humbled mouse then narrated its story. It said "I am a Gandharva; once, while hurriedly getting out of Indra's durbar, I happened to trample on sage Vamana, the short statured tapaswin. and he cursed me to be born as a mouse. When I appealed for mercy, he said that his curse could not go in vain, but that I would meet Lord Gajaanan in sage Paraashaa's ashram and would become his vehicle, whereby I would become worthy of worship even by gods." So saying, he surrendered to Gajaanan, and became his vehicle.

Gajaanan now decided to fulfill the mission of his life After taking his foster parents' permission, he equipped himself with Arnkusa, Parasu (axe), Paasa (rope) and Padma (lotus flower) in his four hands, mounted the mouse, and reached the eity of Sindur and challenged the demon. In the fight that followed, Gajaanan strangled the demon by his powerful hands and killed him. The Rishis and Devas showered flowers on the victorious Gajaanan and sang his praises King Varenya who had abandoned him because of his ugliness, repented and prostrated to the Lord. Gajaanan then gave a sermon to the king, which came to be known as GANESH GEETA. And then. He disappeared from the mortal world.

IV Dhoomraketu

In Kali Yuga, the present cosmic epoch in which we are now living, the Lord will incarnate as Dhoomraketu with smoky complexion and riding a horse. In Kali Yuga people will be short-lived and their minds will be laden with all kinds of negative thoughts and feelings There will be general chaos in all spheres of life, and people will give up all good and noble values of life. Dhoomraketu will redeem the world from its fall into dark age of Kali and restore peace and happiness and re-establish the righteous pattern of living.

The Significance of Ganapati and 'Makkhan-chor' Gopalnanda

The Significance of Ganapati and 'Makkhan-chor' Gopalnanda

In Sanskrit language, there are more than one meaning attached to a word. For example, the word GO means cow as well as sense organs. Gopal means cowherd. Gopal also means a yogi whose sense organs are completely under his control. This dual meaning enables poets to bring out their best on the physical plane as well as on the spiritual plane.

We have Krishna the cowherd boy in Vraj and Vrindavan, and we have Gopalnanda Krishna, the yogeshwar, milking the Upanishads, and the milk is the great nectar of the Bhagavad Gita.(Gita Dhyanam, verse 4, usually found at the beginning of Bhagavad Gita books). The maakhan (cream) or the gist or essence of the Upanishads is presented in the Bhagavad Gita. This is what the `makkhan chor' took from the Upanishads and distributed for the benefit of mankind.

Similarly, a common Sanskrit word to denote elephant is GAJA. Here Gajanan means elephant faced - a name for Ganapati. But the word Gaja has a much deeper connotation. GA indicates gati, the final goal towards which the entire creation is moving, whether knowingly or unknowingly. JA stands for janma, birth or origin. Hence GAJA signifies GOD from whom worlds have come out and towards whom they are progressing, to be ultimately dissolved in Him. The elephant head is thus purely symbolical.

We observe creation in its two fold manifestation as the microcosm (sukshmanda) and the macrocosm (brahmanda). Each is a replica of the other. They are one in two and two in one. The elephant head stands for the macrocosm (representing vastness or bigness), and the human body for the microcosm. The two form one unit. Since the macrocosm is the goal of the microcosm, the elephant part has been given greater prominence by making it a head.

The Chandogya Upanishad has pronounced a philisophical truth as TAT-TVAM-ASI, THAT- THOU -ART. It simply means "You, the apparently limited individual, are in essence, the cosmic Truth, the Absolute". The elephant-human form of Ganapati is the iconographical representation of this great Vedantic dictum. the elephant stands for the cosmic whereas the human stands for the individual. The single image reflects their identity.

Vedanta is the synthesis of the `within' and the `without'; the macrocosm and the microcosm. The study of this `within' of nature through an inquiry into the `within' of man, who is the unique product of nature`s evolution, is religion according to Indian thought. The synthesis of the knowledge of the `without' , which the physical sciences give, and the `within' which religion gives, is what India achieved in her Vedanta. This she calls BRAHMA - VIDYA or philosophy; God or Brahman(`BRAHMAN' is the Upanishdic term for the Supreme Reality, God) standing for the totality of reality, physical and non-physical. Brahma - vidya is Sarva - vidya- pratishtha (philosophy is the basis and support of all knowledge) says the Mundaka Upanishad (i.i.i.).

The Ganapati Upanishad  identifies Lord Ganesh with the Supreme Self. Lord Ganesh represents the Pranava (AUM) which is the symbol of the Supreme Self. Taitiriya Upanishad (1.8.1.) states: "AUM ITI BRAHMAN -AUM is Brahman(GOD). AUM is all this . Nothing can be done without uttering it. This explains the practice of invokong Lord Ganesh before beginning any rite or undertaking any project.

Lord Ganesh removes all obstacles on the path of the spiritual aspirant, and bestows upon him worldly as well as spiritual success. So he is called VIGNA VINAYAKA or VIGHNESHWAR.

Brahma said to Vyasa:
I esteem thee for thy knowledge of the divine mysteries, before the whole body of celebrated Munis distinguished for the sanctity of their lives. I know thou hast revealed the divine word, even from its first utterance, in the language of truth. Thou hast called thy present work a poem, wherefore it shall be a poem. There shall be no poets whose works may equal the description of this poem, even, as the three other modes called Asramas are ever unequalled in merit to the domestic Asrama. Let Ganesha be thought of, O Muni (Sage), for the purpose of writing the poem.

Sauti said: Brahma having thus spoken to Vyasa, retired to his own abode. Then Vyasa began to call to mind Ganesha. And Ganesha, obviator of obstacles, ready to fulfil the desires of his votaries, was no sooner thought of, than he repaired to the place where Vyasa was seated. And when he had been saluted, and was seated, Vyasa addressed him thus: ‘O guide of the Ganas! Be thou the writer of the Bharata which I have formed in my imagination, and which I am about to repeat.’

Ganesh, upon hearing this address, thus answered: ‘I will become the writer of the work, provided my pen do not for a moment cease writing.’

And Vyasa said unto that divinity: ‘Wherever there be anything thou dost not comprehend, cease to continue writing.’

Ganesha having signified his assent, by repeating the word Om! proceeded to write. And Vyasa began and by way of diversion, he knit the knots of composition exceeding close; by doing which, he dictated this work according to his engagement.

Ganesh
Eight Manifestations

The three gunas Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas are present in all beings.

When the mind, intellect and sense organs remain calm due to the predominance of Sattwa guna, and develops a taste for spiritual knowledge and austerities, it is Krita Yuga. Krita is another word for Satya.

When the mind is devoted to materialistic pursuits of acquiring wealth (artha) and fulfilling one’s desires (kama) in the righteous manner (dharma), it is Treta Yuga in which the Rajo guna (Rajas) predominates.

When under the influence of Rajas and Tamas, the mind is beset with greed, discontent, pride, hypocrisy, rivalry, etc., then it is the Dwapara Yuga.

When due to the domination of Tamas, mind is driven to deception, untruth, indolence, excessive sleep, violence, sullenness, sorrow, delusion, fear and wretchedness, know that to be the Kali Yuga.

These Yugas are not only epochs at cosmic levels, but also periods of upheavals at the individual levels. Thus all of us, individually, as well as collectively pass through these epochs in our personal, social and national lives.

The various Asuras (demons) represent the devilish forces created by the Rajasic and Tamasic tendencies. There are eight such imperfections or defective traits of the mind (vikaar) identified in the Mudgal Purana. These are described as the enemy of man. Of these eight, six are kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, and matsarya; and their two faithful allies mamata and abhimaan.

According to Mudgal Purana, there are eight important avatars or manifestations of Lord Ganesh. Each having a particular significance.

The order in which these are narrated start with the grossest manifestation Matsarya and goes down to the core Kama, and then to the subtlest viz., Mamata and Abhimaan.

The incarnation of the Lord in the form of Vakratunda, riding a lion, is the nature of Deh-Brahma. He takes this avatar to subdue the demon Matsarya (rivalry).
The incarnation Ekdanta is of the nature of Dehi-Brahma, with a mouse for a vehicle, intended to subdue the demon Madasura (conceit).

Incarnation Mahodara is of the nature of Jnana-Brahma, to overpower the demon Mohasura (delusion).

The Gajananda incarnation is to bless the Sankhya Yogi by vanquishing the demon Lobhasura (greed).

The Lambodara incarnation is of the nature of Sattwic Shakti Brahma to subdue the demon Krodhasura (anger).

The incarnation Vikata, riding a peacock, is of the nature of Sour-Brahma, to subdue the demon Kamasura (lust).

Incarnation Vighnaraj, riding the celestial serpent Sesha, is of the nature of Vishnu-Brahma and is intended to conquer the demon Mamatasura (attachment).

The Dhumra-varna incarnation is of the nature of Shiva-Brahma
to conquer the Asura Abhimaan (pride).