Gita Dharma

A little girl from Boston, Massachusetts,USA addressed Srila Prabhupada as Swami Jesus and the latter loved it. Would the result be the same,too, if I chant, Swami Jesus Swami Jesus Jesus Jesus Swami Swami?

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said "There are no hard and fast rules for chanting the holy names." However, you have to know what "the holy names" are. They are the Sanskrit names of Vishnu tattva - not jiva tattva. Swami Prabhupada always claimed to be the servant, not the deity. Therefore if you do guru puja it does not replace your regular sadhana which he bequeathed. And besides, the greatest worship and honor anyone can give to a guru is to conscientiously follow their instructions.

Please help me to find the following jathakams are in match for marriage

 

Girl DOB:26-10-1985 time:10.30am Place : Kollam

Boy DOB 13-07-1980 time 12.00pm Place Trivandrum

See if this helps: http://www.trsiyengar.com/id61.shtml

It does say that this is only for arranged marriages -

love marriages need no matching.

Hi all

I am having a tingling sensation between my eyebrows. I had this feeling first when I meditated along with a preceptor.I have been listening to lectures of various masters for a week. constantly engaging my mind in trying to analyze what I have been listening. Now suddenly I feel this wonderful feeling and when I concentrate on it, that keeps my mind so still like having zero TPS(thoughts per second).

I just want to understand why this happened, what does this indicate and where this would lead to?

Please shed some light.

Thank you all.

-S

That sounds positive and may be a sign that you are beginning to stimulate your ajna chakra (my speculation). However if you have to ask these kinds of questions on the internet then you must not have a more experienced person to mentor you. I recommend you suspend your meditation until you have a more experienced person that you have direct contact with to mentor you - that is the way it has been done for thousands of years. Otherwise there is a chance of unsettling your mind. Until you find someone, just do worship of your Ishta Devata, read Ramayana and Mahabharata and practice mauna (silence) especially in the morning hours.

I do not esteem Sri Krishna for any magical feats that he is alleged to have done but because of the sublime wisdom of his teachings.

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Thanks Smiley,

 

 

 

 

 

If we had had video cameras in India 3000 years ago, there would be no Rama or Krishna worship today. No stories of talking monkeys or sudarshana chakras.

 

 

 

 

But unfortunately there were no video cameras back then...so we are now stuck with these stories. At least we are intelligent enough to accept that current miracle mongers are playing tricks. Now if we can only take that extra step and accept that 3000 year old miracles were just as fraudulent as today's miracles...that would be a real miracle!

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

 

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Only one teaching from Sri Adi Sankara was quoted - not his entire philosophy.

What part of Bhaja Govindam do you disagree with?

In and of itself it seems to comport with the teachings of Bhagavad Gita.

Lord Siva opined in this connection that anyone who follows Shankaracharya's principles of the Sariraka-bhasya is doomed. This is confirmed in the Padma Purana:

 

"My dear wife, hear my explanations of how I have spread ignorance through Mayavada philosophy. Simply by hearing it, even an advanced scholar will fall down. In this philosophy, which is certainly very inauspicious for people in general, I have misrepresented the real meaning of the Vedas and recommended that one give up all activities in order to achieve freedom from karma. In this Mayavada philosophy I have described the jivatma and Paramatma to be one and the same." How the Shankaracharya's mayavada philosophy was condemned by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers is described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, Second Chapter, verses 94 through 99, where Svarupa-damodara Gosvami says that anyone who is eager to understand the Shankaracharya's mayavada philosophy must be considered insane. This especially applies to a Vaisnava who reads the Sariraka-bhasya and considers himself to be one with God. Shankaracharya's Mayavadi philosophers have presented their arguments in such attractive, flowery language that hearing Mayavada philosophy may sometimes change the mind of even a maha-bhagavata, or very advanced devotee. An actual Vaisnava cannot tolerate any philosophy that claims God and the living being to be one and the same."

 

Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi lila 7:110

I'm not sure if Prabhupada considered Mohammed and Jesus being great devotees of Krishna. He considered them great devotees of God in general, altough I doubt he studied either one of them in detail. Since these two personalities inspired so many millions of people to surrender to God over many centuries, Prabhupada considered them to be great devotees. Would mahajans like Prahlada, Janaka or Bhishma disagree? I doubt that. Bhaktivinoda Thakura would certainly agree with Srila Prabhupada, for his religious vision was also very broad.

Swami Prabhupāda: "Even those who are constantly engaged in sinful acts are all corrigible to the standard of perfect human beings if they take shelter of the devotees of the Lord. Jesus Christ and Muhammad, two powerful devotees of the Lord, have done tremendous service on behalf of the Lord on the surface of the globe." http://prabhupadabooks.com/?g=14363

 

Swami Prabhupāda: "Yes. Lord Jesus Christ, he was Vaiṣṇava." http://prabhupadabooks.com/?g=161716

 

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

The Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita are both supportive of each other. The Bhagavad Gita and the Vishvarupa Lila experienced by Arjuna indicate that while no one can claim one as being more supreme than the other (they are contained within each other) the beautiful human-like form is more relishable by Bhagavan's devotees. The Vishvarupa form is appreciated along with the element of awe and fear, but is encouraging because of It's enlightening features of pure consciousness. Krsna's manush rupa is praised by Krsna, Himself as very rare. Arjuna realized how he had been intimate with the Person who accommodates Vishvarupa within Him. He felt that he must have committed some offense to such a powerful Person. Krsna revealed that He likes this intimate interaction with Arjuna, because Arjuna is His dear devotee.

So you are right in that one may be subjectively attracted to one form over another, but, objectively, Krsna's manush rupa is more intimate and He actually enjoys the intimacy of His devotees through this form. This is the gist of the Bhagavatam, and is pointed towards in the Gita. Rasa lila is Krsna's pleasure. The devotees who approach Him in such an intimate way cause Krsna's Heart to melt. He becomes their servant and drives their chariot or massages their feet, out of love for them, because of their love for Him.

 

shraddhavan bhajate yo mam, sa me yuktatamo matah

 

Also Chapter 7 is indicative of this.

The Bhagavad Gita does not teach that only the two-armed form of Bhagavan is all-attractive but that all of His forms are. If one is most attracted to the two-armed form then that is fine. If another is most attracted to the four-armed form then that is also fine. He dwells within giving the proper shradda for each individual.

Keep reading a little further in the Bhagavad Gita and you will find the entrance to the Bhagavatam. When Arjuna was perplexed and discouraged by seeing the Vishvarupa form, he was subsequently shown the four-armed form of Bhagavan, and lastly the two-armed form which is also deemed Supreme, albeit most accessible and endearing.

This two armed is the all-attractive form.

I just posted this elsewhere but it seems to fit here better.

Sat (existence) is there with or without consciousness of itself. Chit (consciousness) is there with or without bliss, but presupposes sat. Ananda (bliss) is all-encompassing and is the most inclusive form of existence. Krsna's two-armed form is the form of ananda.

 

The Bhagavatam suggests:

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaḿ yaj jñānam advayam

brahmeti paramātmeti

bhagavān iti śabdyate

 

 

Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.

Since I referenced the Bhagavatam in the context of the Universal Form, I feel that I should clarify my position. Although some if it is inspiring, I do not have complete faith in the Bhagavatam. Sri Bhagavan describes the Universal Form as supreme - rupam param (B.G. 11:47) and so I can not accept the Bhagavatam's teaching that it is illusory.

The Vishwarupa is simply a representation of kala (time), the ultimate devourer/destroyer of men. (The Bhagavatam actually views the form as illusory.) Therefore when Arjuna, after seeing that terrible form asked the Lord what it meant, He replied, "I am Time, the Destroyer ..." However Sri Vishnu never requested people to make morbid sacrifices, going to great lengths to explain in Bhagavad Gita the differences between sacrifices made under the influence of the different gunas. Those who due to ignorance make morbid sacrifices, do so under the influence of tamas guna. Such sacrifices are never recommended. Unlike the evolving morals of Theists, Sri Vishnu does not change. Therefore we are left with the conclusion that any deities who requested morbid sacrifices are not Him - even though He hears the prayers of all. If a child in distress calls for his father but his father is not, any caring adult may answer that call. This does not mean that that adult is the actual parent - it is simply an act of compassion.

<center>Chapter 17. The Divisions of Faith</center>

anudvega--not agitating; karam--producing; vakyam--words; satyam--truthful; priya--dear; hitam--beneficial; ca--also; yat--which; svadhyaya--Vedic study; abhyasanam--practice; ca--also; eva--certainly; van-mayam--of the voice; tapah--austerity; ucyate--is said to be.

Austerity of speech consists in speaking truthfully and beneficially and in avoiding speech that offends. One should also recite the Vedas regularly.

samah--peacefulness; damah--self-control; tapah--austerity; saucam--purity; ksantih--tolerance; arjavam--honesty; eva--certainly; ca--and; jnanam--knowledge; vijnanam--wisdom; astikyam--religiousness; brahma--of a brahmana; karma--duty; svabhava-jam--born of his own nature.

Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness--these are the qualities by which the brahmanas work.

If you cant relay on what guru says as being true, what is the use of such a guru? Sudras can lie, vaishyas can lie, kshatrias can lie, but brahmanas can not tell lies. Satyam - truthfulness is a quality of a brahmana.

... WHERE DID ABRAHAM COME FROM HERE IN THIS THREAD

From me, because I think it is more useful to talk about than which Hindu Deity is Supreme

(which I think is harmful to the Dharma)

... AND WHAT IS THE ISSUE IF SOMEONE FOLLOWS ABRAHAMIC RELIGION ALSO DO YOU FIND IT WRONG ? WHY?

This comment is the main one that I am interested in. It is not "wrong" for someone to follow their conscience (on an individual level), and once they do I will not criticize them. However there may be cultural and social fallout (www.hinduhumanrights.org) springing from the aggregate of those individual decisions. The situation in Indonesia, the bloody partition of India in 1948 "with estimates of loss of life varying from several hundred thousand to a million" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partition_of_India) and the plight of Hindus in Kashmir, Pakistan and Bangladesh are just a few examples. Therefore before a person makes a choice to convert it is useful to try to influence them - not by criticizing the Abrahamic religions but by educating them on the glories of Sanatana Dharma since there is nothing wrong with being a Hindu either!

PLEASE TELL WHAT IS SANATAN DHARMA ACCORDING TO YOU?

DO YOU EVEN KNOW (NO OFFFENCE)

Here are some videos I uploaded: www.youtube.com/GitaDharma

My website is linked to below.

devi bhagwatam is written by ved vyaas

it has some of the most popular stories such as story of navratrein and story of sati and some very powerful prayers.not many puranas have a big impact on my mind but this devi bhagwatam has had and it is similarly written as srimad bhagwatam in the same style.

it is nota a tamasic purana mentioned in the list of tamasic puranas whereas it itself all the more talks about puranas being tamasic,sattwic and rajasic.

I can call it mayavi if not true

this puranas starts about vyaas rishis etc. beleving in vishnu to be supreme and ultimatly talks abot shakti to be supreme

this purana also talks about krishna being higher than vishnu

and rudras supremavy over vishnu

this involves some very clever writng.

 

but some of the things are unbeleivable -

brahm vishnu rudra turning into women and serving devi

vishnu saying he is under control of maya ...

First of all, what was written by Ved Vyaas, is a matter of faith for the individual aspirant. Sant, you should be careful not to offend the sentiments of some of your fellow Hindus. You have already demonstrated that many of the ancient texts within India do not comport with one another so what is there to do? I suggest you find the one/s which you are most attracted to, restrict your senses and do sadhana. Argumentative skills are laudable if they are used to educate other Hindus as to why they should not convert to one of the Abrahamic religions. There is this phenomenon in India that Hindus will argue to the death about something like Sri Vishnu vs. Sri Shiva but will simply give unqualified praise to either of the Abrahamic religions which are seeking to eliminate Hinduism through conversion (Indonesia, the most populous Islamic state was formerly Shaiva). Therefore, please use your apologetic skills towards the maintenance of Sanatana Dharma - rather than its disintegration.

Sri yogi,your avatar has something wrong with it.

 

Sri Krsna does not belong there.Sri Krsna's beauty is not even matched by a billion cupids.He always spends time with lots and lots of girls.You should not place Him like this in between great yogis.

 

Also,He is such a renunciate,that He killed His family of millions by His yogamaya.He still remained smiling.Also,due to this,He shouldn't be placed with these yogis.

i feel ike whats the point to being born to this world............alot of people would say the point of being born of this world is to become god counsiese. but everything is just so repetative u wake up u go to work everyday u come home do it all over again, then u get married and have a bunch of kids then u die of old age. u work ur whole life so all u could do is retire and die. what the point of all this, its repetative boring abd not worth it at all. whatsd the point?

Pandora, your question is the most important that a person can ask. What is the point to being born into this world? What is the meaning of life? When searching for an answer it often helps to eliminate the answers which are obviously wrong. Through this process of elimination we come closer to the truth.

We both agree that waking up, going to work everyday, coming home and then waking up just to do it all over again, then getting married and having kids just to teach them to do the same thing is in and of itself just a repetitive cycle whose only utility would be to perpetuate the human race.

That perpetuation would have meaning only if there was a point to taking human birth. There is. First you should understand that the very fact that you are asking the question gives some insight into the answer. You are a human and you are asking about the meaning of life. That is something that an animal cannot do.

Therefore taking human birth is an opportunity for inquiring into the absolute nature of things. This is what you have done. Such inquiry is nothing less than the incipient stages of the search for absolute Truth.

The search for Truth is the Prime Purpose of taking human birth.

Q. Why are we here as humans needing to search for Truth?

A. Because somehow or another we are suffering from spiritual amnesia

and we have forgotten who we really are.

We can think of this material world as a hospital or a prison ward

(since some amnesiacs may commit crimes when they forget themselves).

Either way, the purpose is the same - to get better or rehabilitate ourselves.

Spiritual rehabilitation has been affected once we realize our true

natures - however this Self-realization process takes time, effort

and great strength of character.

The Upanishads teach that this world is a prison.

The purpose for us being here is rehabilitation.

The search for truth is the beginning of that process.

Moksha, which is liberation from samsara

(the repetitive cycle of birth, death and rebirth)

is the successful end of that process.

Although it takes time to realize our true natures, we can gain

an intellectual understanding by simply making inquiry:

Q. Who are we?

A. Our essential Self is known as atma.

Q. What is the Self like?

A. It is divine.

Q. What does it mean to be divine?

A. To be divine/spiritual is to be conscious, blissful and immutable.

Q. What is immutability?

A. Immutability means that we are eternal with unchanging attributes.

Therefore we are not really subject to creation, erosion or destruction;

these can only apply to material things - like our bodies.

When you have realized your true nature, life will be anything but "boring";

however you will be a source of inspiration and blessing to others

as you enjoy abidance in the fullness of your own being.

www.youtube.com/gitadharma

... anyone who wants to eat meat and feed it to his / her children, should first watch how chicken are slaughtered and how quadrupeds suffer with a broken skull - not even beheaded! to furnish that "precious" food. After watching the slaughter, they are free to eat meat if they still want it.

www.meat.org

I would like to know alot more about hinduism but i dont know where to start the list of books is GIGANTIC!

So i would like some help to which books i should read first in order to get the best understanding.

I have all ready read Bhagavad Gita and im reading the story of Rama right now, but what books are the next? Mahabarata, the vedas or something else?

I alway recommend the Ramayana first (and I consider you read more than one translation), then Mahabharata (this is a concise edition by Meera Uberoi) and then the Bhagavad Gita. That is the order in which the books were written. After that it is up to you - however I recommend you study the Gita regularly for life since there is a special blessing promised for such a "sacrifice of knowledge". The Brahmana varna considers the Vedas the most important. The Gita is the most popular book among Hindus in general and it is the most important to me personally.

Jai Ganesh

 

Milk is a natural product, first we have it from our natural mother then we take it from the cow who produces more then required for the calf.

there is no killing involved.

Any wonder why Hindus worship cow as a mother?

Sad are those people who after having been fully satishfied by her milk sends her to slaughter house simply because she stops producing milk.

 

Jai Shree Krishna

My understanding is that milk as produced in the United States contributes to the suffering of cows. The cows are artificially inseminated annually in order to maintain their lactation. When male calves are born, what is to be done with them? They become veal. I therefore do not consume milk or dairy products that are commercially produced in the United States since I do not want to contribute to the suffering of cows.

Corporate-owned factories where cows are warehoused in huge sheds and treated like milk machines have replaced most small family farms. With genetic manipulation and intensive production technologies, it is common for modern dairy cows to produce 100 pounds of milk a day— 10 times more than they would produce in nature. To keep milk production as high as possible, farmers artificially inseminate cows every year. Growth hormones and unnatural milking schedules cause dairy cows' udders to become painful and so heavy that they sometimes drag on the ground, resulting in frequent infections and overuse of antibiotics.

Male calves, the "byproducts" of the dairy industry, endure 14 to 17 weeks of torment in veal crates so small that they can't even turn around. Female calves often replace their old, worn-out mothers, or are slaughtered soon after birth for the rennet in their stomachs (an ingredient of most commercial cheeses). They are often kept in tiny crates or tethered in stalls for the first few months of their lives, only to grow up to become "milk machines" like their mothers.

video: http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=unhappy_cows_uncut <br>

... I don't intend to indulge into arguments on this, but concept of non-violence is much more profound than jainist/buddhist non-killing - after all lord krishna inspired arjuna to slay his cousins!!! Vegetables are living beings too and eating them is killing as well. ...

www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vegetarian_foods.html

Hi,

Can anyone tell me what is the correct way to"nazar utarna".I remember doing something with mustard oil but I am not sure.Can someone provide some guidelines.

Thanks

I think the best way is to become a sincere devotee of a powerful Ishta-devata

that you choose like Vishnu, Rama, Krishna, Hanuman, Shiva, Durga or Ganesh.

Seek the guidance of a guru or temple priest representing that deity about the

best way to do that.

Patanjali is much more recent than Vasishtha (if you mean Vasishtha of Ramayana). In Ramayana Sri Shiva and Sri Vishnu (and Srimata Durga?) are mentioned and one source calculates that the birth of Sri Ramaji predated that usually given for the authorship of the Rig Veda.

He was born on 10 January 5114 B.C. according to computer analysis of observational astronomy data.

This is elucidated in depth in the book

Dating the Era of Lord Ram

by Pushkar Bhatnagar

published by:

Rupa & Co.; 7/16, Ansari Road,

Daryaganj, New Delhi 110 002

Dhruva Maharaja's story is applicable here. If there was anyone who wanted alot it was him. His prayer and determination to receive wealth, power, fame etc... from Vishnu finally brought Vishnu to him. However, upon seeing Vishnu, he lost all taste for his previous desires.

Thank you for reminding me of that. Another one of my favorite stories is that of Vishvamitra who actually started serious sadhana in order to gain enough power to get revenge on Vasishta. However he forgot about revenge once he was transformed by the process itself.

"Among the stars" is different from "one of the stars." In the former, it could simply mean that the moon exists along with the stars, nothing more. There's no case of identity. To give a mundane instance, if I say you're among aliens, it doesn't mean you're one of the aliens. The distinction between you and the aliens is maintained.

Your point is a very good one and different translations don't run into that misunderstanding because they render it differently. However his friend would still have an issue with the purport which is unequivocal. He should explain to his friend that Sri Krishna pre-existed the purport in question and there are many other purports by other Vaishnava scholars with which to cross reference. "Every work is covered by some fault just as fire is partially obscured by smoke ..." However, the reality of Sri Krishna can be conclusively established by following the process bequeathed by a person who has actually realized Him.

That is the essence of the guru-shishya tradition.

mine friend advise me to drink on urine, especially the first urine in the morning, after wake up.

 

i want to know is this healthy? is this recorded in the ayurveda?

Many people will ingest practically anything in order to maintain or increase vitality without regard to its affect upon their consciousness. However, no one is guaranteed good health, much less the opportunity to see even one more sunrise; therefore while we are sojourning in these bodies we should seek that which is for our best good - our eternal welfare. This can be accomplished by spiritualizing our eating and drinking by offering to the All-Pervading One food and drink and then consuming the remnants of that sacrifice. Therefore when considering what you want to ingest, ask yourself if it would be a suitable offering to the Supreme Being.

Upon deeper inspection regarding Vishnu and morbid offerings, you'll find the revelation of Arjuna as he witnessed the Vishwarup to be particular as he watched Vishwarup devouring the men of Kurukshetra with His mouth, their heads being crushed by his teeth. Is this not Vishnu? Vishnu is death, life and everything in between and outside.

The Vishwarupa is simply a representation of kala (time), the ultimate devourer/destroyer of men. (The Bhagavatam actually views the form as illusory.) Therefore when Arjuna, after seeing that terrible form asked the Lord what it meant, He replied, "I am Time, the Destroyer ..." However Sri Vishnu never requested people to make morbid sacrifices, going to great lengths to explain in Bhagavad Gita the differences between sacrifices made under the influence of the different gunas. Those who due to ignorance make morbid sacrifices, do so under the influence of tamas guna. Such sacrifices are never recommended. Unlike the evolving morals of Theists, Sri Vishnu does not change. Therefore we are left with the conclusion that any deities who requested morbid sacrifices are not Him - even though He hears the prayers of all. If a child in distress calls for his father but his father is not, any caring adult may answer that call. This does not mean that that adult is the actual parent - it is simply an act of compassion.

Please don't put down your pen. I thank you for your clarifications. I don't consider you a bigot by any sense, and to clarify why I addressed my statement to you, it was to remain in context with your queries, and not the get involved in a spin-off with other posters.

 

I agree that the morality of Abrahamism's contemporary teachings is and should be under scrutiny, in as much as Vedic moralities have come under scrutiny and reform. In that Allah and Jehovah are inexorably tied to Abrahamism, you'd have to debunk the whole notion that they are in any way addressing the Absolute Creator rather than serving as a reform.

 

I don't quite see your equation of Zeus and Odin to Param Ishvara, though. It is my understanding that both Zeus and Odin share their capacities with other gods in a clearly pantheistic way. Thus they have yet to be considered as Deva Deva or God of Gods, or it remains to be seen by a representation of either Zeus or Odin by a person of their faith.

 

Your question, in this regard, is one of depth. Not easily addressed. It is still a revolving door in the Hindu community as well, with the discussions of who is Param Ishvara/Ishvari, Shiva or Vishnu or Shakti.

 

Back to your original question regarding meditation and Yoga.

What I said about Sri Caitanya pertains to this. He isn't the only one to prescribe the cleansing of the lens to soul's heart, although He is certainly one who put great emphasis on Hari Nama and mantra japa as a means to do so.

 

This cleansing of the lens is what the end purpose of Yoga is.

 

Upon deeper inspection regarding Vishnu and morbid offerings, you'll find the revelation of Arjuna as he witnessed the Vishwarup to be particular as he watched Vishwarup devouring the men of Kurukshetra with His mouth, their heads being crushed by his teeth. Is this not Vishnu? Vishnu is death, life and everything in between and outside.

 

Yoga should instill in us an awareness of the true nature of things. The soul is not the body. Designations such as cat, dog, man, woman, father, daughter, are all temporary designations. Our life in this framework is precarious.

 

Meat eating and the sacrificial slaughtering of animals is gradually deemed obsolete since its foundation is the offering of our most cherished desires to God. Gradually, as one evolves, they will find that they no longer desire as much, especially the desire to benefit from the pain of other creatures of God. They will see that in God's request of sacrifice from us it is really a request of self-sacrifice since we obviously cherish ourselves above all else.

 

Compassion, tolerance, cleanliness, and truthfulness are encouraged in both Buddhism and Vaishnavism. It has been understood and shown that those who are compassionate, tolerant, clean and truthful are happy, and that those who are aDharma are not. Even a rudimentary analysis will provide for this. These are qualities which are respected world wide, not only Abrahamic or Hindu.