Uniting India
Meenakshi
Student
Posts by Meenakshi
The power of Nama Japa (Story of Ajaamilan)
May 7th
The summer heat drives us towards shades from trees. Those who are indoor, use fans and coolers. Those who are affluent install an air conditioner. Now on the same analogy, we are suffering from the heat of worldliness. We have to seek the cool shade of Divine Name chanted with love and faith. For every season nature provides corresponding remedies also. In hot summer seasons, we see the abundance of watermelon, and other seasonal fruits which appease the heat. For this Kaliyuga, God has compassionately provided an easy remedy, i.e., repeating the name of God with love and faith. Even in this practice, we are not consistent. Let us make it a habit to repeat the name of God during morning and evening for Five minutes at least with concentration and devotion. The story of Ajaamilan – a classic example of how taking the name of God will help us. This story is part of the Bhagavatham.
Ajaamilan was born in a Brahmin family and did his duties well. He was married to a very pious lady who served him well and had good children. One day when he went to the forest to collect wood for homam, he met a woman More >
Quote of the Day- by Swami Vivekananda
Mar 16th
We have wept long enough; no more weeping, but stand on your feet and be men. It is a man-making religion that we want. It is man-making theories that we want. It is man-making education all round that we want. And here is the test of truth-anything that makes you weak physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject as poison; there is no life in it, it cannot be true. Truth is strengthening. Truth is purity, Truth is all knowledge. Truth must be strengthening, must be enlightening, must be invigorating. We speak of many things parrot-like, but never do them; speaking and not doing has become a habit with us. What is the cause of that? Physical weakness. This sort of weak brain is not able to do anything. We must strengthen it. First of all our young men must be strong. Religion will come afterward. You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through a study of the Gita. You will understand Gita better with your biceps, your muscles, a little stronger. You will understand the mighty genius and the mighty strength of Krishna better with a little of strong blood in you. You will understand the Upanishads better and More >
A Must Read Speech by Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam
Mar 16th
I have three visions for India. In 3000 years of our history people from all over the world have come and invaded us, captured our lands, conquered our minds. From Alexander onwards. The Greeks, the Turks, the Moghuls, the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Dutch, all of them came and looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any other Nation. We have not conquered anyone. We have not grabbed their land, their culture, their history and tried to enforce our way of life on them. Why? Because we respect the freedom of others. That is why my first vision is that of FREEDOM. I believe thatIndiagot its first vision of this in 1857, when we started the war of independence. It is this freedom that we must protect and nurture and build on. If we are not free, no one will respect us.
My second vision forIndiais DEVELOPMENT. For fifty years we have been a developing Nation. It is time we see ourselves as a developed Nation. We are among top 5 nations of the world in terms of GDP. We have 10 percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty levels are More >
The significance of Rama Nama
Mar 10th
A guru was teaching Vishnu Sahasra naamam to a group of young boys. Guru chanted the slokam :
Sri Raama Raama Raamethi Rame Raame Manorame | Sahasra naama Tathulyam Raama Naama Varaanane ||
Then he told the boys: “if you chant Raama naamam 3 times, it is equivalent to chanting the whole Vishnu Sahasranaamam or chanting Lord’s Naamam 1000 times.
One of the boys could not agree with the teacher. He questioned the teacher “Guruji, how can 3 times=1000 times? I do not get the logic. How 3 naamams =1000 naamams?
The smart Guru, a great devotee of Lord Raama spontaneously explained: Lord Shiva says that the name of Lord Rama is the sweetest of all the words & chanting this name would be equivalent to chanting the whole Vishnu Sahasranama or thousand names of Vishnu.
Here is the interesting calculation to prove that 3 times chanting of Rama naamam = 1000 times chanting or chanting the whole Vishnu Sahasranaamam.
Take the name Rama. It has two Sanskrit letters RA& MA RA (2nd consonant in Sanskrit : ya, RA, la, va, sa and sha) MA(5th consonant in Pa, Pha, Ba, Bha, MA). Substitute the value of RA & MA as 2 & 5 to make RAMA : 2 More >
Ten Indians who deserve to be on the rupee Part-1
Dec 25th
India after Gandhi” has been so obsessed with Gandhi that we belittle everyone’s stature in front of the father of our nation. I remember in one of my favorite movies, the actor tells his friend that if they go to jail, they will be respected like Gandhi and their faces will be printed on the currency notes. Seriously, the writer of the movie needs to be reminded that no matter how much a person does, he will never be close to the “greatness” of Gandhi and will never get his face on the currency note.
In India, a person’s greatness is counted only after Gandhi. A popular Indian weekly even created an opinion poll titled “Greatest Indian after Gandhi”. Really! Is nobody even equal to Gandhi?.
I am not, in any way, undermining the greatness of Gandhi ji. I just want say that India has been blessed by many great people who deserve equal respect and stature. These people are equally patriotic as Gandhi. Only thing I am saying that they should be remembered and revered as Gandhi and their faces should also appear on the currency notes.
Swami Vivekananda:
Swami Vivekananda is the legendary spiritual personality who brought international limelight to the glory More >
Bhaja Govindam by Shri Aadi Sankaracharya Part-1
Dec 5th
Jagadguru Shri Adi Sankaracharya is very famous for his teachings on Vedanta. He was born in kaladi, kerala to a Brahmin parents named shivakaru and Aryamba. He traveled through out india to teach and spread Advaitavedanta (concept of oneness) and Gained many disciples all over india.He restructured all the 72 forms of desultory religious practices into acceptable norms and laid stress on the six ways of worship based on Vedas. He discussed with many a scholar during His long journeys in the country and was the cause for many philosophical treatises establishing the concept of Advaita, with commentaries on Brahma Sutras, Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Ten Principal Upanishads and a few other works and poems in praise of various dieties of Hindu mythology.
Shri Shankara composed a number of hymns to foster the sense of devotion in the hearts of men but one of his great work was Bhajagovindam, A Very devotional poem in Sanskrit. It is in this prayer that he emphasizes above all else the importance for developing devotion for Lord Krishna, which is the principle means for attaining the Grace for the Supreme, and the freedom from further rounds of reincarnating in material existence. It is this prayer that More >
India at 65 – Years After Independence
Aug 14th
Since 1947, India has been celebrating Independence Day to rejoice in her freedom from imperialism. Its essence is also to recall how much suffering people had undergone during the British rule.We all are now ready to celebrate 65 years of Indian Independence, which is obviously a good day to sing patriotic songs, listen to dignitaries’ speeches and feel passionate about our motherland. However, we tend to forget the basic introspection required that where are we heading, as an Indian and as a Nation?
Of course, we also have to understand and analyze the purpose of our freedom. One can reasonably expect this exercise to be done after a decade or so, when things would have begun to take shape as envisaged before Independence. For a celebration of any achievement by an organization or an annual function, it is the past performance that is normally evaluated. If we look at India, increasing casteism, communalism, corruption, terrorism, etc, are not just the by-products of decadent social system; we all are equally responsible. After 65 years of Indian Independence we are still moving ahead with 64% of literacy rate (not even one percent per annum) along with the total population of 1.22Billion by 2011. In fact, some of the states’ More >
Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma- Purandara Dasa
Aug 3rd
Worship of a mother Goddess has been part of the Indian tradition since its earliest times. Lakshmi is one of the mother goddesses and is addressed as “mata” (mother) instead of just “devi” (goddess). Goddess Lakshmi means Good Luck and wealth to Hindus. The word ‘Lakshmi’ is derived from the Sanskrit word “Lakshya”, meaning ‘aim’ or ‘goal’, and she is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, both material and spiritual.
Lakshmi is the household Goddess of many Hindu families and a favorite among women. Although she is worshipped daily, the festive month of Shravana Masam is considered as special month for worshiping Lakshmi. Lakshmi is depicted as a beautiful woman of golden complexion, with four hands, sitting or standing on a full-bloomed lotus and holding a lotus bud, which stands for beauty, purity and fertility. Her four hands represent the four ends of human life: Dharma or righteousness, “Kama” or desires, “Artha” or wealth, and “Moksha” or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Cascades of gold coins are shown flowing from her hands, suggesting that those who worship her gain wealth. She is always shown wearing gold embroidered red clothes. Red symbolizes activity and the golden lining indicates prosperity. Lakshmi is More >
Save the Holy Cows, Stop Killing them!!
Jul 28th
“Gaavo Vishwasya Maatarah”. Cow is the mother of the world not of any one person or country. After Mother Earth, Mother Cow is the greatest giver on planet earth. In Sanskrit the word ‘Goushala’ literally means cow protection or the place where cows are sheltered. Other Sanskrit names for the cow are Gou-mata (mother cow), Kamadhenu (wish fulfilling cow), and Aghnya (never to be killed). This cow-killing is the most sinful activity and who does that will suffer in many ways.
The Vedic literatures (Hindu scriptures) state that protection must be given to weak and helpless living entities by the stronger members of society. It is the duty of a householder to protect and provide not only for one’s family but even for the ants that live within one’s house; what to speak of higher living entities like the cow, who are at the mercy of their owners. The scriptures state that the cow is our mother. We drink the milk from the cow, therefore we must accept her as our mother and protect her. As such how can a civilized society allow violence to come to such helpless living entities, who sustain us all with their milk.”
In Hinduism the cow is held More >
Mahalakshmi Ashtakam from the Padma Purana
Jul 20th
Worship of a mother Goddess has been part of the Indian tradition since its earliest times. Lakshmi is one of the mother goddesses and is addressed as “mata” (mother) instead of just “devi” (goddess). Goddess Lakshmi means Good Luck and wealth to Hindus. The word ‘Lakshmi’ is derived from the Sanskrit word “Lakshya”, meaning ‘aim’ or ‘goal’, and she is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, both material and spiritual.
Lakshmi is the household Goddess of many Hindu families and a favorite among women. Although she is worshipped daily, the festive month of Shravana Masam is considered as special month for worshiping Lakshmi. Lakshmi is depicted as a beautiful woman of golden complexion, with four hands, sitting or standing on a full-bloomed lotus and holding a lotus bud, which stands for beauty, purity and fertility. Her four hands represent the four ends of human life: Dharma or righteousness, “Kama” or desires, “Artha” or wealth, and “Moksha” or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Cascades of gold coins are shown flowing from her hands, suggesting that those who worship her gain wealth. She is always shown wearing gold embroidered red clothes. Red symbolizes activity and the golden lining indicates prosperity. Lakshmi is More >
