Saturday, January 21, 2012

Politics and principles

Politics and principles

Mahatma Ghandhi regarded these seven as deadly sins. They are commerce without ethics, pleasure without conscience, politics without principle, knowledge without character, science without humanity, wealth without work, and worship without sacrifice.
All great writers subordinate politics to morality. Shukra, a great writer on politics in his text ' Shukra niti ', explicitly lays down that a king is appointed as a servant of the people by being given his share of people's income for his maintenance. His duty is to take care of the people and people have the power to banish him if he is found unworthy. Kautilya's Artha shastra is also a book of authority on politics. And Kautilya himself was a great politician and administrator and established the kingdom of Maurya. His greatness lies in his practical mindedness, the more thorough way in which he welded theory and practice on fundamental moral principles. It is said that when Megasthanes came to India and heard about Chanakya ( Kautilya ), he wanted to meet him. He sent words and was allowed to go the hut in which Chanakya was living. When Megasthanes reached there, it was evening. Chanakya was writing something under the dim light of an earthen lamp. He welcomed the guest and asked him the purpose of his visit.
The foreigner replied that he had come to see him and talk to him about himself and on different topics. Chanakya asked him to wait. Then he took another lamp and after lighting it, he put off the first lamp. Then he invited Megasthanes to sit on a mat. Megasthanes sat down but could not hide his curiosity. He asked Chanakya, " I feel there must be a reason that you have put off the first lamp and lighted another one, but I don't find any difference in them, neither in the make and size nor the light that is coming out. Please tell me why you changed the lamp? ".
" Before changing it, I asked you about your purpose. I came to know that it is a personal meeting. So I put off the official lamp whose oil comes from the government treasury and I lighted the lamp for which I purchase oil from my salary. While doing a personal work, I can't misuse the government's money, " Chanakya gave a simple reply.
It was really unbelievable for the visitor. He knew Chanakya all-powerful in the Mauryan kingdom, yet he was behaving in such an honest way. He bowed before Chanakya and said, " This is the reason of your immense power ".
How many Chanakyas are there now a days !

Friday, January 20, 2012

Healthy tips

Simple tips for good health


Drinking a glass of warm water before going to bed and a glass on empty stomach in the morning will cleanse the body of its toxins.

Acidity - Eating a clove after lunch and dinner is always helpful.
A little jaggery taken after meals prevents acidity formation.
Flatulence( gas)- Drinking a cup of butter milk with little aniseed (ajwain) and black salt is beneficial.

For immediate relief of the same, taking one or two pods of garlic with big raisin (munakka) is useful.

Animals and birds as vehicle of gods and goddesses-A glimpse

Part-3

Saraswati - The goddess of learning.

She is supposed to have sprung from the Almighty's mouth. This may be the reason behind her being the goddess of learning. Saraswati, the consort of Brahma, the creator represents his power and intelligence without which organized creation is not possible. Swan is her vehicle. In popular mythological literature, peacock is also associated with her.

The peacock with its beautiful plumage stands for the world in all its glory or the sciences and arts of the world and symbolizes Avidya or Apara vidya. The sound of peacock is called keka. Among the seven notes of classical music ( Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni ), Sa known by the term shadja which is the basis of all swaras is said to have emanated from the sound of peacock. On the other hand, the swan which flies to the lake in the Himalaya mountains ( Manasarover ) at the on set of rainy season due to its aversion to muddy water on the earth is supposed to possess the peculiar power of separating milk ( essence ) from water( non- essence ). This quality of swan stands for discrimination and hence for Vidya or the highest knowledge. In the Upanishads, the worldly or secular sciences and arts are denoted by the term Apara vidya or Avidya and spiritual science is called Para vidya or Vidya. Both are essential for man. We transcend hunger and thirst ( livelihood ) through the secular sciences and obtain immortality through the spiritual science or knowledge of the self. It is to teach this great truth that the two vehicles the peacock and swan are associated with the goddess of learning.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Animals and birds as vehicle of gods and goddesses- A glimpse

Part-3

Saraswati - The goddess of learning.
She is supposed to have sprung from the Almighty's mouth. This may be the reason behind her being the goddess of learning. Saraswati, the consort of Brahma, the creator represents his power and intelligence without which organized creation is not possible. Swan is her vehicle. In popular mythological literature, peacock is also associated with her.
The peacock with its beautiful plumage stands for the world in all its glory or the sciences and arts of the world and symbolizes Avidya or Apara vidya. The sound of peacock is called keka. Among the seven notes of classical music ( Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni ), Sa known by the term shadja which is the basis of all swaras is said to have emanated from the sound of peacock. On the other hand, the swan which flies to the lake in the Himalaya mountains ( Manasarover ) at the on set of rainy season due to its aversion to muddy water on the earth is supposed to possess the peculiar power of separating milk ( essence ) from water( non- essence ). This quality of swan stands for descrimination and hence for Vidya or the highest knowledge. In the Upanishads, the worldly or secular sciences and arts are denoted by the term Apara vidya or Avidya and spiritual science is called Para vidya or Vidya. Both are essential for man. We transcend hunger and thirst ( livelihood ) through the secular sciences and obtain immortality through the spiritual science or knowledge of the self. It is to teach this great truth that the two vehicles the peacock and swan are associated with the goddess of learning.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Animals and birds as vehicle of gods and goddesses-A glimpse

Part-2

Lakshmi- The goddess of beauty, fortune and wealth is said to have sprung from the ocean during its churning and she is the wife of Vishnu, the preserver of the universe. The owl is shown as her carrier vehicle. It looks rather odd and strange that the goddess of fortune and beauty should have an ugly bird.
If we look at the character of owl, it gives a different picture altogether. All birds jump towards their food but owl remains calm. Two owls sit on the same tree, yet will be indifferent to each other. It is like a sage among the birds. It is a nocturnal bird and avoids sunlight. Owls generally live near the fields and granaries and feed on the rats, squirrels which damage the crops. In fact in some countries they are reared for this purpose. They are called barn-owls. In olden days since agriculture was the main occupation, crop was the financial base of a country. So as a protector of crop-wealth, this bird might have got associated with the goddess of wealth. Even now in places like Bengal( India), Japan, it is considered auspicious. The English poet Richard says,
' A wise old owl sat on an Oak,
The more he sat the less he spoke,
The less he spoke the more he heard,
Why are n't we like that wise old bird?.
The owl is an appropriate vehicle for Lakshmi. It is said that the bird is blind to sun light. The symbolic meaning can be that people are blinded by wealth. They forget the good aspect of the riches such as proper use, charity etc which are supposed to be the real aim of wealth.
In the light of owl being recognised as the symbol of wisdom, it can be explained that without wisdom wealth cannot serve its lofty and useful purpose.

Animals and birds as vehicle of gods and goddesses- A glimpse

Part- 1

Vahana is vehicle, stands for animals and birds who serve as the carriers of gods in Hindu mythology.
Accepted as a part of our cultural heritage from the ancient times, the concept of vahanas has helped to create a sympathetic understanding of the animal world and their part as inseparable from the nature,the selfless service,ideals the animals stand for,have inspired the human beings through the ages to connect a particular animal with a particular deity.
Each god represents a particular potency.The vahana is suggestive of the nature of the power that is expressed through him in order to discharge the particular function or it can indicate a wrong quality which has been controlled by riding over it or a right quality that is to be cultivated by the devotees. A close study of the gods and goddesses and their vahanas will give us the depth of meaning hidden in the seemingly simple descriptions.

Ganesha
The first son of Lord Shiva and Parvati is the god of wisdom and remover of obstacles. Hence he is invoked and worshipped at the commencement of every undertaking. He is usually represented in a sitting posture,short and fat with a protuberant belly and four hands,with the head of an elephant and riding a mouse.

Symbol of the mouse- The mouse is associated with the earth. According to the Brahmavaivarta Purana when all the gods presented different gifts to Ganesha in his name-giving ceremony( namakarana samskar), the goddess earth gave him a rat to serve as his vehicle.
According to the scriptures, rats,mice and moles must be propitiated with sacrificial offerings of boiled rice placed on a mole hill. Moles were were believed to be the very essence of the earth and the mounds thrown up by them represents this essence and brought about good fortune.
Mouse is called mushaka in Sanskrit. It is derived from the root' Mush' meaning to steal. A mouse stealthily enters the things and destroys them. Similarly egoism enters unnoticed into our minds and destroys all our undertakings. Only when it is controlled by divine wisdom which Ganesha stands for,it can be harnessed to fruitful channels.
The mouse that steals can represent love that steals the human heart. As long as human love is kept at the low level, it creates havoc. Once it is directed towards the divine, it elevates.
A mouse, a small animal with sharp tiny teeth and yet in a barn of grain, a single mouse can bring disaster by continuously gnawing and nibbling at the grains. This mouse in human beings is the power of desire. A man of wisdom alone can master this.
Mouse's nibbling can be symbolic of hair-splitting argument, perverse argumentation's. Ganesha's riding this shows wisdom putting an end to this.
The mouse can creep through small holes and see through the inside of all things. this symbolises the incisive intellect. Since Ganesha is the lord of wisdom, his vehicle appropriately represents intellect for wisdom the function of the intellect. Ganesha as the lord of wisdom is proved in the competition held by his parents for winning the fruit to go round the world. His younger brother Kartikkeya left for touring the universe on his vehicle peacock where as Ganesha simply went round his parents proving it be equivalent to his going around the world. Even in the Hitopadesha(moral stories) there are stories where a lion caught in a net was freed by a mouse, where all the pigeons caught in the net were freed by a single mouse. This points to the eternal truth that intellect along with wisdom alone can cut asunder the bonds of ignorance and lead to liberation.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Healthy household tips for for strong teeth and gums.

Apart from normal brushing , flossing , the following tips can be of immense value for life-long strength of teeth and gums .

Massage mustard or sesame oil with salt into the gums daily and wash the teeth with luke warm water or ordinary water.

Massaging these oils with fine turmeric powder is also good .

Rinse your mouth with half a tea spoon of salt in one cup of water before bed time .

Brush your teeth with salt mixed with little turmeric powder for sparkling teeth . Brushing should be done with index finger .

To the salt-turmeric mixture , a drop of lemon juice can be added.

Sugar mixed with the salt in the ppn 2:1 can be used for brushing the teeth before bed time. Kids can be encouraged to do this daily.

Brush the teeth with a mixture of sugar, salt, and clove powder.

Sugar, salt, cloves and a little edible camphor can be powdered and used for brushing with the index finger.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Lord Ganesha



Not that everything old is good or that everything new is bad. The wise examine and take the best from everything. Only the fools are swayed by others.So said the famous poet Kalidasa.



Vakrathunda mahakaya Suryakotisamaprabha
nirvgnam kuru me deva sarvakaryeshu sarvada


O Lord , with a curved trunk and a huge body, your lustre is equal to that of a crore Suns. Kindly remove all the obstacles in all my endeavours always.

This verse dedicated to the lord Ganesha is recited at the start of all undertakings and auspicious occasions.


The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha has an elephant face with a curved trunk, and big ears and a huge pot bellied body of a human being . He is the lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles . He is also worshipped as the god of knowledge ,wisdom and wealth .


Symbolism of the form.


Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atman or the soul ,which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence , and his human body signifies maya or the earthly existence of human beings . Thus the entire form represents the fundamental identity of macrocosm and microcosm .


Elephants are a symbol of wisdom in Asian culture and are famed for their memory and intelligence . Aristotle once said the elephant was the beast which passeth all others in wit and mind .


Ganesha's elephant head denotes wisdom. The lord represents ' Om ' , the sound symbol of cosmic reality for his figure with an elephant's trunk resembles the form of Om . His curved trunk is the symbol of power . The trunk of an elephant can pick up a pin and at the same time it can uproot a tree . The broken tusk is a symbol of sacrifice , which he broke for writing the great epic Mahabharata .His large flapping ears indicate continuous and intelligent listening to his teacher . Ganesha agreed to write the big book Mahabharata with a condition that the sage Vyasa should dictate it non-stop. Ganesha broke his tusk and wrote down continuously without leaving a word and at the same time understanding the meaning fully. This shows how sharp his listening was and how deep his concentration was . For acquisition of knowledge , listening , concentration and deep understanding are a must .


His large belly indicates that all created worlds are contained in him . It can also mean that he is full of knowledge. He is omniscient . Therefore he has the brilliance of a crore Suns.


He has four hands. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds ankusha , a goad . Goad is the insignia of the ruler of the universe with which he propels mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way .Ankusha represents anger also . He has pasha , a noose or rope in his left upper hand . Noose signifies worldly attachments which are a bondage like a rope . Anger and attachment make life miserable . By praying to Lord Ganesha our minds becomes pure and all impurities vanish . Along with rope sometimes a lotus flower is also seen in his hand . Lotus is a symbol of purity and beauty . Lotus 's rise to faultless beauty untouched by water and mire in which it is born indicates the possibility of evolution of man from instinctive impulses to the highest state - a state of Satyam , Shivam, Sundaram . Lotus represents unattachment . Doing one's duty without attachment and in the public interest leads to enlightenment . The lower right hand of the lord is in abhaya mudra , assuring fearlessness and granting divine protection . In some pictures he is shown holding a rosary in his lower right hand. It suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous . The modaka (sweet) he holds in his lower left hand ( sometimes in the trunk) indicates that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman- one's own inner self of bliss . The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms .

His vahana or the mount the mouse represents the worldly desires which are to be overcome. Mouse can signify ignorance as it roams in darkness which is a symbol of ignorance .Wisdom or knowledge alone can have control over ignorance .

Lord Ganesha is fond of Kapittha fruit (wood apple) and Jambu fruit (Indian blackberries).Durva grass and Arka flowers are offered to Ganesha in his worship . All these are veritable pharmacy of Ayurveda's secret curative and preventive medicinal potencies . All these show us the path to good health. Health is real wealth . A healthy body is the fittest vehicle for wisdom and self-realisation .

The Swastika (su+asti +ka) meaning good fortune, luck ,auspicious forms the graphic symbol of Ganapati. It is represented by a cross , being the development of the multiple from the basic unity, its central point ,with its ends bent at an angle of ninety degrees .This shows the origin of creation is Ganesha and the ends pointing all directions indicate the all pervasive nature of the god .

Brahman or the supreme consciousness is without attributes and is not directly accessible to worship , but its radiance is refracted through the images of gods. Thus each deity, itself an aspect of the universal consciousness , is at the same time intimately associated with the world of particulars through its connection with a specific name(nama),form(rupa) , sound(mantra), color(rasa), diagrammatic representation(yantra),a symbol(linga) and so on .

An image can serve to expand one's perspective , acting as a daily reminder either of the invisible celestial realms , and one's own potential divinity and at the same time ,of the essentially ephemeral nature of the world and one's own limitations set by ignorance .

The primary purpose of prayer and worship is to refine and develop the mind's ability to perceive the subtle depths of life and realize our identity with the Divine from which all life springs .

Ganesha stands for wisdom and its supremacy .The special feature in Ganesha's worship is kuttu kutti and thoppukaranam. Knocking the two ends of forehead with closed fists is called kuttu kutti.It is done before the the image of Ganesha and also at the beginning of every puja . It is believed that the nerves connecting to the intellect passes through these two ends and knocking is to invoke the lord Ganesha , the god of intellect. Keeping the two arms crossed across the chest and holding ear tips is thoppukaranam . Thoppukaranam is performed before Ganesha by holding the left ear with right hand fingers and the right by left hand fingers and doing the sit ups .

As per the modern medical research and subsequent report , doing these special sits ups while holding the opposite ear lobes help stimulate brain power and remember things better and is called 'Super Brain Yoga'.

Hindus have been doing 'Super Brain Yoga' for ages in front of Ganesha . Ganesha is associated with knowledge / memory , a point which is now proved by this research .

During the festival of Diwali , along with Lakshmi , the goddess of wealth , Ganesha is worshipped( Shubha Labha). Shubha, auspicious is Ganesha , Labha is wealth , Lakshmi .It is to be remembered that wealth can be earned only by means of knowledge and preserved by knowledge. Money without brain can be dangerous. It can also mean that real wealth is knowledge. Ordinary riches can be stolen., real riches cannot .

' In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you . ' - Oscar Wilde .

Wisdom develops mental purity and strength and helps man to overcome obstacles and reach the goal . By mere prayer to Ganesha , one cannot achieve anything. By imbibing (listening ,pondering and assimilating )the qualities for which Ganesha stands for , one can make one's life divine .