jagdish

Greetings, i am interested in a word-to-word translation and meanings of the famous Shri Krishnashtakam by Sri Adi Shankaracharya. more specifically, if the following line from the stanza (5th verse) can be translated, it would be much appreciated. Bhuvo-Bharaa-va Taarakam Bhavaabdhi-Karna-Dhaarakam Yashomati Kishorakam Namaami Chita-chorakam Best Wishes jagdish

Greetings, Here is an interesting, yet mind-opening article.... some of you might already know about it. Source: http://www.vnn.org/world/WD9908/WD23-4573.html The Source Of Silver Foil In Sweets -- FROM TARANGA MAGAZINE USA, Aug 23 (VNN) — A couple of years ago, Indian Airlines, the domestic air-carrier of India had issued instructions to its suppliers to supply sweet without silverfoil called VARAKH. Do you know why? Silver is widely used for various purposes in the market today. Silver is considered precious and its utility is enormous. The reason behind this is that silver reflects back 95% of the light energy that falls on it. The silver foils used for edible purposes is called VARAKH So what's so special about VARAKH? This is what I would like to bring to your notice. If you keenly observe this VARAKH under a microscope don be perturbed if you happen to see traces of blood, stools and saliva of a cattle or ox. VARAKH is a silver foil and we have no second questions on this, but to prepare this VARAKH important parts of the CATTLE/OX is made use of. Intestines of Cattle/OX are obtained from the slaughterhouse. This is obtained after butchering to death the cattle/ox for beef and the part, which cannot be consumed: the intestines are pulled out of the animal and handed over to the manufacturers of VARAKH. Before handing over the intestines, they are washed in the slaughterhouse to get rid of the blood and other remains on these intestines in the limited facility that is present in the slaughterhouse. We are not sure how neatly this job is carried out. Intestines are cut into small pieces and then are bound together as pages in a notebook. A silver block is placed in the middle of these bound intestines, and the whole thing is placed in a leather bag and sealed. Experts, who know how to make VARAKH, pound the bag with wooden sticks, till the entire bag flattens out. The silver block would by this time be turned into silver foil. This Silver foil would now be separated from the intestine pack and will be placed on paper. This is VARAKH, which reaches the market ready for use. Even staunch vegetarians, who shy away from egg, unknowingly consume this as a part of sweet, pan and arecanut. Some unknowingly consume this because of the additional taste that VARAKH provides. Now the question is "Why the intestines of the cattle/ox? Why not something else?" The reason behind using the intestines of the cattle/ox for preparing the VARAKH is because of the elasticity of the intestines. They do not get cut even after a severe pounding. This aspect is brought out in the magazine "Beauty without cruelty" and the Television show of Maneka Gandhi, "Heads and Tails". In India, on an average an estimate indicates that 2,75,000 kilos of "VARAKH" is consumed. Can you estimate how many cattle/ox are sacrificed for just a bit of taste? If you are surprised as I am, after reading this article please inform as many as possible so as to ensure that we unknowingly don't consume beef. I would like to thank the authors of this article in Taranga, a weekly magazine in Kannada, for enlightening us. Authors: Nafiza Joseph and Shailaja N Raj. Best Wishes jagdish http://www.myfavouritebooks.com/forum

Greetings, is it Chimunda or Chamunda ? Basically, Chamunda is Parvati/Uma, consort of Lord Shiva. She got the name Chamunda after killing the two demons by those names, Chanda and Munda (pls check relevant spellings). There is a fair bit of information on this on the net (google, etc)

We reciprocate the Warmest and Best Wishes for the Diwali days and the New Year Jagdish

Greetings Vinayakan, Thank You for this further insight and clarification of various meanings. It is most appreciated. Best Wishes Jagdish

Greets Vinayakan Thanks for the suggestions with the alternatives Best Wishes Jagdish

please see the attached file. i would go with the first one. the first word is Prakash = light the second word is doot (the "t" is pronounced softly) = Messenger Best Wishes Jagdish

You can find plenty of these pictures on the net, just google. Best Jagdish

This appears in the Vedas and the Puranas also, Not just any specific version of Srimad Bhagwatam. These are not mere attempts at making justifications for the actions, either by the writers or by the performers of these vedic rituals. - The sacrifices are not just sacrifices. One can not take the subject matter out of context and try to glorify one's own explanation. - A car is not a living being, like the horse, and it does not have a soul (though some might argue otherwise - The junkyards are full of sacrificed cars and other vehicles) -- Granted that the karmic actions might have a part to play. -- It is not just the Rishis that had Mystical/Yogic powers (Not Magical - these are two different things) -- The actual salvation of the soul of that animal was ascertained because of the Vedic Mantras that were chanted and more so due to the purity of the chanting, during the performance of these rituals. -- It is already established, time and again that Sound is a form of Energy. Vibrated at different levels it has different effects. -- The Mantras being chanted are pure and transcendental in nature. -- Mantras are used very effectively, even today -- In this day and age people cannot pronounce the mantras properly with proper understanding due to the impure nature of the people chanting them and therefore the mantras are not as effective as they were in the past. -- Ultimately, You can believe what you like (be it in the state of enlightenment or be it in ignorance), that is the freedom you have. Best Regards Jagdish

Thank you, only presented that which i was able to find. What you are = I used to be young, healthy, attractive once upon a time... Now I am no longer (with time everything that which is temporary fades/withers), so one should not have false pride/ego upon one's temporary possessions, etc. and now what I am, you will also soon become. Best Wishes Jagdish

In the purports of the same Canto, it also explains why the Kings in those days performed those sacrifices and why we, in this day and age don't observe them anymore. - The kings then performed those sacrifices to uplift the Soul that was trapped in the body of that particular animal, horse in this case. - In those days, Sages, Rishis of the highest caliber and purity performed these sacrifices and therefore the soul of that animal instantly got liberation or moved on to the body of a being better than that of an animal. - Performing such sacrifices was a huge undertaking and it entailed distributing large wealth amongst the brahmins, feeding 1000s of people, etc. - This was a very pious activity in those times and it ensured that the person performing them also received meritious rewards in the spiritual realms. - The purity, and discipline no longer exists in the people these days and hence this activity is no longer recommended. Best Wishes Jagdish

Here are some extracts in answer to your query... Traditionally, unlike Vishnu, Shiva does not have any avatars. However, several persons have been claimed as avatars of him, such as Shankara/Adi Shankara/Shankaracharya. Some people consider Hanuman (the 11th Rudra incarnation) to be an avatar of Shiva. Nayanars (or Nayanmars), saints from Southern India, were mostly responsible for development of Shaivism in the Middle Ages. The important Shaivite sects were Kashmir Shavaites from Northern India, Lingayats and Virasaivas from Southern India. Saiva Siddhanta is a major Shaivite theory developed in Southern India. Shiva has produced no full lifetime avatars, but short stage dramas to help his devotees (particularly nayanmars). This is greatly explained in Thiruvilayadalpuram. Basically all this happened in South India, mostly Tamil Nadu. Madurai was the host for most of the short avatars. He is worshipped in his various forms because he appeared in those forms for various purposes. Example: As Nataraja, Shiva is the Lord of the Dance, and also symbolises the dance of the Universe/Nature, with all its delicately balanced heavenly bodies and natural laws which complement and balance each other. At times, he is also symbolized as doing his great dance of destruction, called Taandav (Pronounced with a soft 't' and a hard 'd'), at the time of pralaya, or dissolution of the universe. The Lingam, symbolises his form as Maha Kaal, Absolute/Eternal Time etc and is worshipped in this form as the formless absolute. His other main forms are the great yogi, or ascetic, and Nataraja, Lord of the Cosmic Dance. As a yogi he is depicted as seated deep in meditation in the Himalayas, holding a trident, a snake coiled around his neck, his body smeared with ashes, and his hair long and matted. As Nataraja, he is shown four-armed, bearing various emblems, and dancing on one foot on a prostrate demon. Shiva's mount is the bull Nandi, and his consort is the goddess Uma, Parvati, Durga, or Kali(pronounced Kaali). Hope this Helps Best Wishes Jagdish

Vande Maa Taram I think this is what you mean and it means I bow to you O' Mother. Vande - To Bow/Pay respects Maa - Mother Taram - to you Please see the attached file with two versions. the first is with the more pronounced N sound of Maa and the other is without

i am using ileap. please email me what you get in your version, perhaps there is a slight difference in pronounciation. visiio@hotmail.com

please see the attached for possible solutions Best Wishes Jagdish