Sanskrit Meaning – GLOSSARY

ABHAYAM: Fearless.
ABHIMANA: Egoism, identification with the body.
ABHYASA: Spiritual practice.
ADHIKARI: A qualified person.
ADHISHTHANA: Substratum, support.
ADHYASA: Superimposition or false attribution of properties of one thing on another thing.
ADHYATMIC: Spiritual.
ADHYAYANA: Study.
ADVAITA: Non-duality.
AGRAHYA: Unknowable.
AHANKARA: Egoism.
AHIMSA: Non-injury in thought, word and deed. Click here for a more detailed explanation.
AISVARYA: Divine powers.
AJARAM: Without old age.
ALABDHABHUMIKATVA: The feeling that it is impossible to see reality.
ALASYA: Laziness.
AMARA: Immortal.
AMARA-PURUSHA: Immortal being.
AMRITAM: Immortal.
ANADI: Beginningless.
ANAHATA: Mystic sound heard by Yogis.
ANANDA: Bliss, happiness, joy.
ANANDA-GHANA: Cloud of bliss.
ANANDA-SVARUPA: Of the form of bliss.
ANANDAMAYA: Full of great happiness.
ANTAHKARANA: Internal instrument such as mind, intellect, ego and the subconscious mind.
ANANTAM: Infinity.
ANTARATMAN: Inner Self.
ANTARYAMIN: Inner witness.
ANUBHAVA: Experience.
APTA: Realized.
ARHATA: A perfected Soul.
ASAMPRAJNATA: Highest superconscious state where the mind is completely annihilated and Reality experienced.
ASANA: A bodily pose or posture.
ASHRAM: A hermitage; monastery.
ASHTANGA: Eight limbs. Click here for a discourse on Raja Yoga / Ashtanga Yoga.
ASURIC: Demoniacal.
ATMA-JNANA: Knowledge of the Self.
ATMA-SVARUP: The essential nature of the Self.
ATMAN: The Self.
AVADHUTA: A naked sage.
AVARANA: Veil of ignorance.
AVIDYA: Ignorance.
AYURVEDA: The ancient Indian science of medicine.

BENARES: A holy pilgrimage centre of Hindus, now called Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India.
BHAGAVAD-GITA: A scripture containing Lord Krishna’s teachings.Click here to view an online version.
BHAGAVATA: Name of a Purana (sacred work dealing with the doctrines of creation, etc.)
BHAJAN: Devotional song
BHAKTA: Devotee of God
BHAKTI: Devotion.
BHARATAVARSHA: India.
BHAVA(NA): Feeling; mental attitude.
BHAYANAKA-SABDA: A fear inducing sound.
BHOGI: Enjoyer.
BHUMA: The Unconditioned, the Great Infinite, Brahman.
BHUTA-SIDDHI: A psychic power by which mastery is gained over the elements.
BODHISATTVA: A being who, having developed the Awakening Mind (a mind infused with the aspiration to attain the state of Buddhahood), devotes his life to the task of achieving Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings.
BRAHMA-CHINTANA: Constant thinking of Brahman.
BRAHMA-JNANA: Direct Knowledge of Brahman.
BRAHMA-NISHTHA: One who is established in the Knowledge of Brahman.
BRAHMA-SROTRI: One who has knowledge of the Vedas and the Upanishads.
BRAHMA-SUTRAS: Classical Vedantic scripture.
BRAHMA-TEJAS: Spiritual halo.
BRAHMA-VIDYA: The science of Brahman, knowledge of Brahman, learning pertaining to Brahman or the Absolute Reality. Click here for an essay on Brahma Vidya.
BRAHMACHARYA: Practice of celibacy. Purity in thought, word and deed. Click here for a discourse on Brahmacharya.
BRAHMAMUHURTA: Period from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m.
BRAHMAN: The Absolute Reality; God.
BRIHADARANYAKA: Name of an Upanishad.
BUDDHA: One who is totally purified from all defilements and who has realized all that can be known.
BUDDHI: Intellect.

CHAITANYA: Pure Consciousness.
CHAKRAS: Centres of energy in the human system.
CHANDOGYA: Name of an Upanishad.
CHELA: Disciple.
CHIRANJIVI: One who has gained eternal life.
CHITTA: Subconscious mind.

DAIVIC: Divine.
DAMA: Control of senses.
DARSHAN: Vision.
DAYA: Mercy.
DEHA: Body.
DEVAS: Celestial beings.
DHARANA: Concentration.
DHARMA: Righteous way of living as enjoined by the sacred scriptures, virtue.
DHYANA: Meditation.
DIVYA-DRISHTI: Divine perception.
DVESHA: Repulsion; hatred; dislike.

EKADASI: Eleventh day of the Hindu lunar fortnight. Click here for a discourse on the significance of Ekadasi.

GANDHA: Smell.
GANGA: River Ganges.
GAYATRI: One of the most sacred Vedic Mantras; goddess.
GITA: Renowned sacred text “Bhagavad-Gita”. Click here to view an online version.
GUNA: Quality born of nature.
GURU: Teacher; preceptor. Click here for a more detailed explanation.

HAVAN: Sacred oblations.
HIRANYAGARBHA: Cosmic intelligence; the supreme lord of the universe; cosmic mind.

INDRA: The Lord of gods; the ruler of heaven.
INDRIYAS: Senses.
ISHVARA: Lord; God.

JADA: Insentient.
JAPA: Repetition of the Lord’s Name.
JIVA: Individual Soul.
JIVANMUKTA: One who is liberated in this life.
JNANA: Knowledge; wisdom.
JNANA-INDRIYAS: Organs of knowledge or perception.
JNANI: (Pronounced Nyani) A wise person.

KAIVALYA: Emancipation; state of absolute independence.
KARMA: Actions operating through the law of cause and effect. Click here for a discourse on Karma Yoga.
KARMA-INDRIYAS: Organs of action – tongue, hands, feet, genital organ and anus.
KARMA-KANDI: One who observes strictly the duties ordained in the scriptures.
KARMASRAYA: Receptacle of actions.
KARUNA: Compassion
KASHAYA: Hidden desires.
KIRTAN: Singing devotional songs.
KRIYA: A type of of exercise in Hatha Yoga.
KSHAMA: Forgiveness.
KUNDALINI: The primordial cosmic energy located in the individual.
KUTIR: A small cottage; hut.

LAYA: Merging; dissolution.
LINGA-SARIRA: The subtle body, the astral body.
LOBHA: Greed.

MAHA: Great.
MAHABHARATA: A Hindu epic.
MAHANT: Great sage
MAHAPURUSHA: A great soul.
MAHARISHI: Great sage
MAHASAMADHI: The departure of a Self-realized saint from his mortal coil.
MAHATMA: Great soul
MAITRI: Friendship.
MANAS: Mind.
MANONASA: Destruction of mind.
MANTRA: Sacred syllable or word, or set of words through the repetition and reflection of which one attains perfection.
MAYA: The illusive power of God. Click here for a more thorough explanation.
MOHA: Infatuation.
MOKSHA: Liberation.
MOUNA: Vow of silence.
MOUNI: One who observes silence.
MUKTI: Liberation.
MUMUKSHU: One who aspires after moksha or liberation.
MUNI: An ascetic.
MURTI: Idol.

NADA: Mystic sound.
NIRODHA: Control or restraint.
NIRVANA: Liberation; final emancipation.
NIRVIKALPA-SAMADHI: Superconscious state where there is no modification of the mind or Triputi.
NITYA-SIDDHA: A liberated soul of marvellous powers who is ever present on the astral plane.
NIVRITTI: Renunciation.
NIYAMA: The second step in Raja Yoga; observance – purity, contentment, austerities, etc.

OJAS: Spiritual energy.
OM: The sacred monosyllable which symbolizes Brahman.
OORDHVARETA: A Yogi who has stored up the seminal energy in the brain after sublimating the same into spiritual energy.

PARIVRAJAKA: Wandering monk.
PARAM-DHAMA: Supreme abode.
PARAMAHAMSA: The highest class of Sannyasins.
PASU-SVABHAVA: Animal nature; bestial nature.
PATANJALI: The author of Yoga-Sutras. Click here for a discourse on Patanjali’s Raja Yoga / Ashtanga Yoga.
PRAKRITI: Mother Nature, causal matter.
PRANA: Vital energy; life-breath.
PRANAVA: The sacred monosyllable Om.
PRANAYAMA: Practice of breath-control.
PRATYAHARA: Abstraction of senses; fifth step in Raja Yoga.
PREMA: Divine Love.
PRITHVI: Earth.
PURANA: Hindu myths and legends.
PURNA-JNANI: A full-blown sage.
PURNA-YOGI: A full-blown yogi.
PURUSHA: The Supreme Being.

RAGA: Attachment.
RAJA: King.
RAJAS: One of the three qualities of Prakriti which generates passion and restlessness.
RAJA-YOGA: A system of Yoga generally taken to be the one propounded by Patanjali Maharishi, i.e., Ashtanga Yoga. Click here for a discourse on Raja Yoga/Ashtanga Yoga.
RAJASUYA-YAJNA: A sacrifice performed by a monarch as a mark of his subduing all other kings.
RAMAYANA: A holy narative of Lord Rama.
RASA: Taste.
RASASVADA: Tasting the bliss of lower Samadhi.
RISHI: Sage.
RISHIKESH: A sacred place in the Himalayas.
RUPA: Form.

SADHAKA: Spiritual aspirant.
SADHANA: Spiritual practice. Click here for a discourse on Sadhana.
SADHU: Pious man; Sannyasin.
SAGARA: Ocean.
SAHASRANAMA: The thousand Names of the Lord.
SAKSHI: Witness.
SAKTI: Power; the feminine aspect of Divinity.
SAKTI-SANCHAR: Transference of power by a developed Yogi.
SAMA: Serenity; control of mind.
SAMADHI: The state of superconsciousness where Absoluteness is experienced attended with all-knowledge and joy. Oneness.
SAMSARA: The process of worldly life.
SAMSKARAS: Impressions in the subconscious mind.
SAMYAMA: Perfect restraint, an all-complete condition of balance and repose, concentration, meditation and Samadhi.
SANKARA: The well known teacher of Vedanta philosophy. Click here for a biography.
SANKIRTAN: Singing of divine songs.
SANNYASINS: Those who have embraced the life of complete renunciation.
SATCHIDANANDA: Existence absolute(Sat), Knowledge absolute(Chid), Bliss absolute(Ananda).
SATSANG: Association with the wise.
SATTVA: Purity-one of the three qualities of nature.
SATYA-YUGA: the Age of Truth, the first of the four Hindu time-cycles.
SHABDA: Sound.
SIDDHI: Psychic power.
SIVA: Lord Siva – bestower of auspiciousness on His devotees.
SLOKA: Verse.
SPARSA: Touch.
SRADDHA: Faith.
SRI: Auspiciousness-a name is qualified by putting “Sri” before it as a mark of courtesy and auspiciousness.
STOTRA: Hymn.
SUDDHA: Pure.
SUKHA: Happiness.
SUSHUMNA: The chief among astral tubes in the human body running inside the spinal column.
SUTRA: Aphorism.
SVADHYAYA: Study of scriptures.
SVARUPA: Essential nature; Reality.

TAMAS: One of the three qualities of nature which generates inertia, laziness, dullness and infatuation.
TANMATRA: Subtle, undifferentiated root elements of matter.
TAPAS: Austerity.
TAPASCHARYA: Practice of austerity.
TATTVA: Essence; principle.
TEHSILDAR: Revenue officer.
TRIPUTI: The triad-seer, sight and seen.
TRISHNA: Sense-hankering.
TURIYA: The state of superconsciousness, the fourth state transcending the waking, dreaming and deep sleep states.
TYAGA: Renunciation (of egoism, desires and the world).

UDDALAKA: A great sage of yore.
UPADESA: Spiritual advice.
UPANISHADS: Revelation; text dealing with Ultimate Truth and Its Realization.

VAIRAGYA: Dispassion.
VASANA-KSHYA: Desireless.
VASANAS: Subtle desires.
VASTU: Article.
VEDANTA: The school of Hindu thoughts (based primarily on the Upanishads).
VEDANTIN: One who follows the path of Vedanta
VEDAS: The most ancient authentic scripture of the Hindus, a revealed scripture and therefore free from imperfections.
VEERYA: Seminal energy.
VETTA: Knower.
VICHARA: Enquiry into the nature of the Self, Truth, Absolute, Brahman.
VIGRAHA: Attack.
VIKSHEPA: The tossing of mind.
VISHAYA: Sense-objects.
VIVEKA: Discrimination.
VRITTI: A wave in the mind-lake.
VYAVAHARA: (Worldly) activity.

YAJNAVALKYA: A great sage of yore.
YAMA: First step in Raja Yoga; Eternal vows – non-violence, truthfulness, etc.
YOGA: Union; union with the Supreme Being – any course that makes for such union. Click here for a discourse on Yoga.
YOGI (N): One who practices Yoga; one who is established in Yoga.
YONI: Source.

ZAMINDAR: A rich landlord.

Places of Worship in Bali

 

Bali sometimes called an island of a thousand temples. Indeed the number of temples in Bali is much more. Most accepted number is between 10.000 to 20.000, this is without counting household temples inside almost every house in Bali.   

In every village there are three main temples which are dedicated to Brahma (Brahman or Hyang Widhi shakti or power of creation) called Pura Desa, Wisnu (Brahman shakti of preservation) called Pura Puseh and Siwa (Brahman shakti of annihilation) called Pura Dalem, together they are called Kahyangan Tiga. Pura Desa or Bale Agung also has a purpose as a place to hold village council meeting, usually situated at the center of the village. Pura Puseh is also considered as temple of villager origin, meanwhile Pura Dalem as temple of  the dead is located near the village cemetery.   

There are kawitan temples devoted for ancestors of many family clans in the village, there are melanting temples in the markets, subak irrigation temples, temples on the beaches, lakes, mountains, rivers and other sacred sites. In every household of Hindu Balinese, there is a family temple with shrines to worship Hyang Widhi and family ancestors.   

Beside these temples there are some very important temples for the whole of the Balinese called Kahyangan Jagat temples. These temples are places to worship many important Brahman or Hyang Widhi manifestations. Temples of this kind are often so picturesque and beautiful, so they became the object of interests to tourists and photographers that come to Bali from any directions. The following list of eight Kahyangan Jagat temples includes some exotic names:  

• Lempuyang temple, place of worship to Brahman manifestation as Ishwara, situated in the eastern part of Bali.
• Andakasa temple,  place of worship to Brahman manifestation  as Brahma, situated in the southern part of Bali.
• Batukaru temple,  place of worship to Brahman manifestation  as Mahadewa, situated in the western part of Bali. 
• Ulun Danu Batur temple,  place of worship to Brahman manifestation  as Wisnu, situated in the northern part of Bali.
• Goa Lawah temple, place of worship to Brahman manifestation  as Maheshwara, situated in the southeastern part of Bali.
• Ulu Watu temple,  place of worship to Brahman manifestation  as Rudra, situated in the southwestern part of Bali.
• Bukit Pangelengan temple,  place of worship to Brahman manifestation as Sangkara, situated in the northwestern part of Bali.
• Besakih temple,  place of worship to Brahman manifestation  as Sambhu, situated in the northeastern part of Bali. Beside as a place to worship Sambhu, it is also as a center of all Kahyangan temples of Bali and as a place to worship Brahman manifestation as Shiwa.  

In other areas in and outside Bali, there are Jagat Nata temples. These group of temples don’t have tiered merus, instead a Padmasana or a shrine as symbolical seat of Brahman, the one and only God. Like Kahyangan Jagat and many other temples, these kind of temples open for all Hindu worshipers of all nations. The examples of these are Pura Jagat Nata Denpasar, Pura Jagat Nata Singaraja, Pura Aditya Jaya Jakarta and many others. Other than on the odalan or birth day ceremony of the temples which held twice a year, also in every full moon they are worshipped by many Hindu youth. 

Gayatri Mantra

Every time the Balinese pray in a temple, the following Vedic mantra of Gayatri or Tri Sandhya is almost always recited and chanted.

 

Meanings: Om bhur bhuvah svah   tat savitur varenyam,    bargho devasya dimahi;   dhiyo yo nah prachodayat The Supreme who pervades the three worlds bhur bhuvah and svah, the radiant supreme divine being; may he bestow his pure divine light to our mind and intellect. Om narayanad evedam sarvam   yad butam yacca bhavyam,   niskalangko niranjano nirvikalpo,   nirakyatah sudho devo eko   narayanah nadvityo’sti kascit. From Narayana  thus all these evolved, which have been existing and which will come to exist. He is divine, without form, overcome any confusion, ever existing. He is radiant, pure, one without a second. Om tvam sivah tvam mahadevah,   isvarah paramesvarah,   brahma visnusca rudrasca   purusah parikirtitah. You are Siva, You are Mahadeva, Isvara, Paramesvara, Brahma, Visnu and also Rudra, the supreme soul, source of everything. Om papo ham papakarmaham   papatma papasambhavah,   trahi mam pundarikaksa   sabahyabhyantara sucih. O The Supreme, I am full of sorrow, my action is full of sins, my soul so destitute, and my birth is also so poor. Save me from all this sorrow, purify my body and mind. Om ksamasva mam mahadeva,   sarvaprani hitankara,   mam moca sarvapapebyah   palayasva sada shiva. Forgive me O Mahadeva, redeemer of all sentient beings, save me from all this sorrow, guide me, redeem and protect me, O Sada Shiva. Om ksantavyah kayiko dosah   ksantavyo vaciko mama,   ksantavyo manasa dosah   tat pramadat ksamasva mam. Forgive my sinful deed, forgive my wrong speech, forgive my sinful mind, forgive me for all those misdeeds. Om santih, santih, santih. O The Supreme, peace, peace, peace.

THE VEDAS

By

SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA

Sanskrit Literature
Veda-The Revealed Wisdom
The Unique Glory of the Vedas
Divisions of the Vedas
The Essence of the Vedas

SANSKRIT LITERATURE

Sanskrit literature can be classified under six orthodox heads and four secular heads. The six orthodox sections form the authoritative scriptures of the Hindus. The four secular sections embody the latter developments in classical Sanskrit literature.

The six scriptures are: (i) Srutis, (ii) Smritis, (iii) Itihasas, (iv) Puranas, (v) Agamas and (vi) Darsanas.

The four secular writings are: (i) Subhashitas, (ii) Kavyas, (iii) Natakas and (iv) Alankaras.

VEDA-THE REVEALED WISDOM

The Srutis are called the Vedas, or the Amnaya. The Hindus have received their religion through revelation, the Vedas. These are direct intuitional revelations and are held to be Apaurusheya or entirely superhuman, without any author in particular. The Veda is the glorious pride of the Hindus, nay, of the whole world!

The term Veda comes from the root ‘Vid‘, to know. The word Veda means knowledge. When it is applied to scripture, it signifies a book of knowledge. The Vedas are the foundational scriptures of the Hindus. The Veda is the source of the other five sets of scriptures, why, even of the secular and the materialistic. The Veda is the storehouse of Indian wisdom and is a memorable glory which man can never forget till eternity.

The Vedas are the eternal truths revealed by God to the great ancient Rishis of India. The word Rishi means a Seer, from dris, to see. He is the Mantra-Drashta, seer of Mantra or thought. The thought was not his own. The Rishis saw the truths or heard them. Therefore, the Vedas are what are heard (Sruti). The Rishi did not write. He did not create it out of his mind. He was the seer of thought which existed already. He was only the spiritual discoverer of the thought. He is not the inventor of the Veda.

THE UNIQUE GLORY OF THE VEDAS

The Vedas represent the spiritual experiences of the Rishis of yore. The Rishi is only a medium or an agent to transmit to people the intuitional experiences which he received. The truths of the Vedas are revelations. All the other religions of the world claim their authority as being delivered by special messengers of God to certain persons, but the Vedas do not owe their authority to any one. They are themselves the authority as they are eternal, as they are the Knowledge of the Lord.

Lord Brahma, the Creator, imparted the divine knowledge to the Rishis or Seers. The Rishis disseminated the knowledge. The Vedic Rishis were great realised persons who had direct intuitive perception of Brahman or the Truth. They were inspired writers. They built a simple, grand and perfect system of religion and philosophy from which the founders and teachers of all other religions have drawn their inspiration.

The Vedas are the oldest books in the library of man. The truths contained in all religions are derived from the Vedas and are ultimately traceable to the Vedas. The Vedas are the fountain-head of religion. The Vedas are the ultimate source to which all religious knowledge can be traced. Religion is of divine origin. It was revealed by God to man in the earliest times. It is embodied in the Vedas.

The Vedas are eternal. They are without beginning and end. An ignorant man, may say how a book can be without beginning or end. By the Vedas, no books are meant. Vedas came out of the breath of the Lord. They are not the composition of any human mind. They were never written, never created. They are eternal and impersonal. The date of the Vedas has never been fixed. It can never be fixed. Vedas are eternal spiritual truths. Vedas are an embodiment of divine knowledge. The books may be destroyed, but the knowledge cannot be destroyed. Knowledge is eternal. In that sense, the Vedas are eternal.

DIVISIONS OF THE VEDAS

The Veda is divided into four great books: the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sama-Veda and the Atharva-Veda. The Yajur-Veda is again divided into two parts, the Sukla and the Krishna. The Krishna or the Taittiriya is the older book and the Sukla or the Vajasaneya is a later revelation to sage Yajnavalkya from the resplendent Sun-God.

The Rig-Veda is divided into twenty-one sections, the Yajur-Veda into one hundred and nine sections, the Sama-Veda into one thousand sections and the Atharva-Veda into fifty sections. In all, the whole Veda is thus divided into one thousand one hundred and eighty recensions.

Each Veda consists of four parts: the Mantra-Samhitas or hymns, the Brahmanas or explanations of Mantras or rituals, the Aranyakas, and the Upanishads. The division of the Vedas into four parts is to suit the four stages in a man’s life.

The Mantra-Samhitas are hymns in praise of the Vedic God for attaining material prosperity here and happiness hereafter. They are metrical poems comprising prayers, hymns and incantations addressed to various deities, both subjective and objective. The Mantra portion of the Vedas is useful for the Brahmacharins.

The Rig-Veda Samhita is the grandest book of the Hindus, the oldest and the best. It is the Great Indian Bible, which no Hindu would forget to adore from the core of his heart. Its style, the language and the tone are most beautiful and mysterious. Its immortal Mantras embody the greatest truths of existence, and it is perhaps the greatest treasure in all the scriptural literature of the world. Its priest is called the Hotri.

The Yajur-Veda Samhita is mostly in prose and is meant to be used by the Adhvaryu, the Yajur-Vedic priest, for superfluous explanations of the rites in sacrifices, supplementing the Rig-Vedic Mantras.

The Sama-Veda Samhita is mostly borrowed from the Rig-Vedic Samhita, and is meant to be sung by the Udgatri, the Sama Vedic priest, in sacrifices.

The Atharva-Veda Samhita is meant to be used by the Brahma, the Atharva-Vedic priest, to correct the mispronunciations and wrong performances that may accidentally be committed by the other three priests of the sacrifice.

The Brahmana portions guide people to perform sacrificial rites. They are prose explanations of the method of using the Mantras in the Yajna or the sacrifice. The Brahmana portion is suitable for the householders.

There are two Brahmanas to the Rig-Veda-the Aitareya and the Sankhayana. “The Rig-Veda”, says Max Muller, “is the most ancient book of the world. The sacred hymns of the Brahmanas stand unparalleled in the literature of the whole world; and their preservation might well be called miraculous.”

The Satapatha Brahmana belongs to the Sukla-Yajur-Veda. The Krishna-Yajur-Veda has the Taittiriya and the Maitrayana Brahmanas. The Tandya or Panchavimsa, the Shadvimsa, the Chhandogya, the Adbhuta, the Arsheya and the Upanishad Brahmanas belong to the Sama-Veda. The Brahmana of the Atharva-Veda is called the Gopatha. Each of the Brahmanas has got an Aranyaka.

The Aranyakas are the forest books, the mystical sylvan texts which give philosophical interpretations of the rituals. The Aranyakas are intended for the Vanaprasthas or hermits who prepare themselves for taking Sannyasa.

The Upanishads are the most important portion of the Vedas. The Upanishads contain the essence or the knowledge portion of the Vedas. The philosophy of the Upanishads is sublime, profound, lofty and soul-stirring. The Upanishads speak of the identity of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. They reveal the most subtle and deep spiritual truths. The Upanishads are useful for the Sannyasins.

The subject matter of the whole Veda is divided into Karma- Kanda, Upasana-Kanda and Jnana-Kanda. The Karma-Kanda or Ritualistic Section deals with various sacrifices and rituals. The Upasana-Kanda or Worship-Section deals with various kinds of worship or meditation. The Jnana-Kanda or Knowledge-Section deals with the highest knowledge of Nirguna Brahman. The Mantras and the Brahmanas constitute Karma-Kanda; the Aranyakas Upasana-Kanda; and the Upanishads Jnana-Kanda.

THE ESSENCE OF THE VEDAS

Live in the spirit of the teachings of the Vedas. Learn to discriminate between the permanent and the impermanent. Behold the Self in all beings, in all objects. Names and forms are illusory. Therefore sublate them. Feel that there is nothing but the Self. Share what you have,-physical, mental, moral or spiritual,-with all. Serve the Self in all. Feel when you serve others, that you are serving your own Self. Love thy neighbour as thyself. Melt all illusory differences. Remove all barriers that separate man from man. Mix with all. Embrace all. Destroy the sex-idea and body-idea by constantly thinking of the Self or the sexless, bodiless Atman. Fix the mind on the Self when you work. This is the essence of the teachings of the Vedas and sages of yore. This is real, eternal life in Atman. Put these things in practice in the daily battle of life. You will shine as a dynamic Yogi or a Jivanmukta. There is no doubt of this.

History or Mystery

HISTORY OR MYSTERY – MAHABHARAT, THE REAL HISTORY

INTRODUCTION

Some questions need to be asked by students of History – How many books of history are recoverable other than that is religious? Why couldn’t we keep alive books that were taught in B.C.? Why only Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, Mahabharat and Ramayan, and other so called as religious books recovered? Is it that there was no technology living in those days? How was the knowledge of town planning and architecting kept alive in the days of Harrapan culture? No doubt, there must have been studies of these things as well.

Myth or Truth

Ramayan And Mahabharat – Myth OR Truth

8.1 Is History of India written under unbiased circumstances? If no, then how can the Truth get realized out of it?

8.2 Is Ramayan and Mahabharat a myth? Are the characters like Rama and Krishna imaginary?

8.3 How can imagination sustain uninterrupted faith, love and dedication across thousands of years?

8.4 Who will answer the coincidences of existence mentioned in the so called epic books? Who will solve the puzzle that Rama Setu is mentioned in one and only book of the world – Ramayan and it exists? Who will solve the puzzle that submerging of Dwarka is mentioned in one and only one book of the world – Mahabharat and it exists?

Realizing GOD

REALIZING GOD

Once a person starts realizing the gap between His and him, I and Mine, Body and Soul, he starts developing faith and feeling towards the manifestations of God automatically. Because, the first thing that he feels is the manifestation of God within him, and this is his experience that he gains through meditation or consciously practicing righteous actions as described above. Having realized the sense of God within him, he develops the sense of seeing the same Godly manifestations in other humans and in other creatures. He starts understanding the natural powers in force, as comes out from the boundary of body and starts seeing the world from a broader perspective. He then starts realizing that what seemed scientific to him earlier was actually a manifestation of same God. He starts developing the second vision around Science, a higher vision. If science had explained him ‘How’ of everything, this new vision explains him ‘Why’ part of happenings, thereby making his understanding more towards completion – helping him to move towards God, a complete state. He suddenly finds that what was not understood by him as unmanifested form of God is now clear to him. And thus, Bhagwad Geeta says: Chapter VII, Verse 6 – 11:

The Realizer

THE REALIZER

A simple conclusion by anyone would be to declare that this Realizer is none else than ‘The Self’. But the question actually is ‘who is this Self?’ The first impression is our physical form. Hindu scripture elaborates this as follows: ‘The Realizer is constituted first by five basic elementary constituent (Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Space). Over them sits ego, intellect and threefold nature (the three categories of ‘Cause’ world as mentioned earlier). The Realizer is further formed by 10 basic senses (five senses of intellect – eye, nose, ear, tongue and skin; five senses of action – voice, legs, hands, muscles and gender). On these senses sits our mind (Mind constitutes of memory, emotions, thoughts, etc.) and five objectives of the senses (smell, taste, vision, touch and sound). Thus, at a broad level there are at least these 24 elements that constitutes the Realizer.’

Life and GOD

INTRODUCTION

When I said, the concept in Hindu starts from knowing the Body and its knower, I exactly meant that it starts with realizing The Self, which is eternal and never dies. As life and the Self are not easy to understand even scientifically, particularly from elementary vision and Hindus have gone out of creations to see things from the vision of creator. But it would be hard to take this unless we go into their understanding. Life is difficult to understand because all its aspects are not visible. Hindu belief says that Creations as realized have three forms of existence, together realized as life and together they define eternity as well. Physical body, the Cause and the Soul together forms the life – and together they are the source of self – realization. This concept of life being eternal is not without proof in this philosophy.

Religious Hindu or Simply Humans

INTRODUCTION

When life science is discussed, it cannot go away from the physical body that holds life and thus the concept of life in Hindu philosophy starts with acknowledgement of two entities – the knowledge of body and its knower. The properties of this body, its modifications, the effect and the causes, its powers and all, which appears now in some scientific and philosophical books, are already unfolded in Hindu books. Despite of the maturity of Hindus, many actions of a Hindu are reasoned as ignorant behavior, without entering any argument with any Hindu scholar.As said, life in Hindu philosophy starts from knowledge of body and its knower – the two being separate and yet in union to establish a consciousness of life. Life is an eternal entity, and has capability to outreach the eternal God. A Hindu strongly believes that unless there is eternity with us, we cannot understand or achieve the eternal God. A Hindu believes that a Man is capable of doing everything which includes even achieving God. No religion on this globe says that God can be achieved, none describes God as a part of our own entity and we being a part of that eternal entity. While some religions stresses that God and Creation are separate entities and God is one, Hindu asks ‘Where is that one?’ While the same religion, fails to answer the question (sometimes pointing to the sky ‘there’), Hindus starts answering ‘Here is God’ (in the Self). There is a huge distance between the concept of ‘there’ and ‘here’, but they may or may not be necessarily different. Only, point is that the ‘there’ clearly specifies unreachable and ‘here’ specifies reachable. Though ‘here’ is equally tough to be reached as the God or Goal is same as in ‘there’, but ‘here’ sets up a perception of God in vicinity and reachable thus allowing one to attempt and reach God, while ‘there’ segregates God and creation completely. And truly how can one reach ‘there’ if he has not known ‘here’ first. Thus, an attempt to reach God, which no other religion does, makes Hinduism sit over them in all aspects. For sure, Hindu philosophy needs to be understood by other believers also, and cannot be overlooked as it is the path ahead from where they are.