Personal Miracles- Diaries 05/03

Yesterday morning, I dreamt of my nani (grandmom) in my sleep. I saw that I will no longer be able to talk to her. So I kept weeping in my dream because I was dying to speak to her since I am extremely extremely close to her. She is one of my spiritual guides. When I got up, I thought of calling her. I had to get ready really quick since I was going on an outing. I kept thinking of calling her for a couple of hours but did not get an opportunity to do so. Eventually I forgot about it. Today morning, when I called my mom, nani was with her. When she spoke to me she mentioned that she kept thinking of me the whole day yesterday. Every phone that rang, she hoped it was me. She didnt know why she wanted to talk to me.

Is this a coincidence? I dont think so since this has never happened to me before. I feel my soul is connected to hers, spiritually. Since in my dream I kept looking out for her and trying to talk to her, she too was looking to talk to me. I think this is a miracle, showing us how connected souls can talk; how there are things that are difficult to apprehend but are so pure in its occurrence.

We both are Krishna Bhakts, and we both are connected to each other.

Vrindavan Stuti- Pt. Jasraj

Again, a very beautiful bhajan by Pt. Jasraj. The verse was written by Shrila Vishvanath Chakravarti Takhur who combined all the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in this beautiful verse.

I looked very hard to find the translation of this verse. The only website where I found it was: http://gosai.com/writings/the-importance-of-mahaprabhu.

Here is what they had:

Verse in English:
aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam
ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena va kalpita
srimad bhagavatam pramanam amalam prema pum-artho mahan
sri-caitanya mahaprabhor matam idam tatradarah na parah

Translation in English:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, is worshipped along with His transcendental abode Vrndavana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopis of Vrndavana. Srimad Bhagavatam is the spotless authority on everything and pure love of Godhead is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

(Caitanya-matta-manjusa by Srila Viswanatha Cakravarti Thakura).

Ram Darbaar

“Nana bhaati Ram Avataara,

Ramayan sat koti apara”

Translation: Many are the forms of Lord Rama’s incarnation, Myriad are the ways of singing Rama’s saga

 

In the Spirit of Diwali, here is a beautiful bhajan on Ram. This bhajan is about the coronation of Shri Ram and Sita.

Diwali is a festival of lights, celebrating the arrival of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. This bhajan shows the exact same thing.  When Ram was made the king, people all around the world came to see the event. Infact, such was the beauty of the event that even Gods could not stop themselves from singing praises of Lord Ram.

Whenever I hear this bhajan, I realize that there is so much more to life than the materialistic, short lived pleasures that we surround ourselves with. Through Lord Rama’s name our soul becomes enlightened. In today’s world, each person’s character has shades of grey. Very few people have pure white shades. Only through the enlightenment can we find the shade of white in our shades of grey.  With that thought, lets work towards finding the light in our minds, in our souls. A very happy Diwali to all of you!

Happppy Birthday Radha Rani!

It is Radhasthami today, Radha Rani’s Bday!!! Dont forget to wish her happy bday today 🙂

God’s Existence!

Earlier, many years ago, the general question about God used to be “ Who is God? Is my God the better God or is your God the supreme one?”

Now in this tech age, everything has changed. Perceptions about God have also changed. The general question about God is “Does God exist?” People want proof these days otherwise they will not believe in anything.

Great people like Mahatma Gandhi & Mother Teresa have something in common. They are similar to saints or monks. These people have very “clean” souls. They are selfless and have a beautiful heart. Thus, these people are successfully able to find God. Or at least have strong belief in the Supreme one. In this century more and more people are intoxicating their souls and bodies with corruption, greed, alcoholism and infidelity. Due to these factors our minds and our hearts are no longer “clean”. Our conscience is no longer clear. In such a scenario it is extremely difficult to find God. Thus it is becoming increasingly tough to have faith in him.

Every one has God’s energy within them. The greatest saints, the greatest texts have stated that God resides within us. His picture is very blurry though. With things like intoxication and greed, we blur the picture even further. With selfless acts and good Karma, we make that image sharper. It is as simple as that. My nani(grandmom) told me once that in order to find God and to get fruits of your bhakti, you need to keep your heart clean. If grown in a bad soil, your plants will never give fruits. However, when you grow plants in a good soil, you will definitely see results. Therefore, actions done with a positive mind and a clean heart, result in great fruits.

Everyone should have a relationship with God. Spend 10 minutes a day with him and you will see the difference. In the worst situations, there is a reason why people look for God or use phrases like “Oh my God”, “Thank God”. He will give you refuge and your positivity will definitely increase. A few months ago, I was sitting in an airplane. Suddenly the plane jerked hard. All the passengers got extremely scared. At that point of time most of us called out god. I thought to my self, I wish I had done more puja(worship) or more meditation. I wanted to earn more good karma before leaving earth. So in that dire situation, I first thought about my Krishna. Even during my Dad’s death, the only thing that got me through was God. I read Gita and recited shlokas and bhajans. I would have probably gone mad if it was not for Krishna. So in the most important situations, the only thing that can help a person through is bhakti. It is never too early to start building your relationship with God. Every day counts. Thank him if you have a complete family. Many of us don’t. Thank him if all your body parts/organs function normally. Many suffer from extremely painful diseases. Thank him, if you have the money to afford a decent living.

There are so many reasons to thank God.

I have found my relationship to grow stronger through occasional meditation & yoga. Whenever I am working, instead of listening to Pop songs, I try listening to bhajans. I have found that my work efficiency doubles while listening to Krishna’s songs. Maybe it is just me, but you should definitely try it. It is not that one should give up all the pleasures in life and become a Yogi. Sure, it is difficult to avoid going to parties or having a social life with things like alcohol involved. However, one can still do God’s bhakti if everything else is done in moderation.

“ God’s bhakti is so beautiful and addictive that no doctor/rehabilitation Center can cure it. The only cure is more bhakti and more love. “

I promise that if you spend atleast 5-10 minutes of your day with God, you will never be lonely again.

Spread the Joy and spread some love 🙂 !

– Prachi

Tulsidas – Miracles (contd)

Tulsidas(Miracles)

This post is a continuation of Tulsidas Miracles. Here is the link to the first post:

https://bhaktiroute.wordpress.com/2012/04/08/tulsidas-miracles/

As you may know, Tulsidas was an ardent Ram Bhakt. He is the composer of Ramcharitmanas which is an Awadhi(hindi-like) version of Ramayan. Sage Valmiki wrote Ramayan thousands of years ago. He himself played a very important role in Lord Ram and Sita’s life. Tulsidas is said be an incarnation of Valmiki. Hanuman gave him a boon to sings praises of Shri Ram in a common language during Kalyug and help people get rid of their distress. That is exactly what Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas does. It is written very beautifully and immediately relaxes an individual.

His Bhakti led to many miracles. Apart from the miracles that I mentioned in the first post, there are many more. Once a thief went to Tulsidas’s house at night in order to steal. He saw that two men with bows and arrows were guarding the house. One had a bluish-like complexion and the other had a fair complexion. He was very frightened upon seeing them and thus ran for his life. The next day he fell onto the feet of Tulsidads and asked for forgiveness. He narrated to Tulsidas all that he saw. Upon hearing the incident, Tulsidas became really worried. He felt very guilty that he made Lord Ram and Lakshman guard his house. Immediately, he donated whatever precious thing he had in his house.

There is also another beautiful story of how Tulsidas met Lord Rama. Every Day Tulsidas used to water a tree while chanting Lord Rama’s name in Kashi. In that tree lived a spirit. The spirit became so happy with Tulsidas that he wanted to grant Tulsidas a boon. Tulsidas said that he only wanted to see Lord Rama. The spirit said that to see Lord Rama, Tulsidas should meet Hanuman. Tulsidas wondered where he would find Lord Hanuman. The spirit then told Tulsidas that wherever there is Rama Katha being narrated, Lord Hanuman disguises himself as an old diseased man and is the last man to leave. Tulsidas was overjoyed on hearing this as he used to recite Ram Katha everyday. Lord Hanuman was therefore attending his Katha every day. Next day he organized the Ram Katha and was very excited to meet Lord Hanuman. At the end of the Katha he saw a diseased old man leaving. Immediately he fell on to his feet and asked him to reveal himself.  Lord Hanuman was very pleased and asked Tulsidas for a boon. Tulsidas said that he wanted Darshan of Shri Rama. Hanuman then directed him to leave for Chitrakut as that is where he would meet Lord Rama. This is mentioned in Tulsidas’s Hanuman Bahuk.

In the year of 1607, once when Tulsidas was making Chandan (sandalwood), two young princes came to him and asked for Chandan. Lord Hanuman came in the form of a parrot and spoke:

  || Chitrakoot Ke Ghaat Par, Bhai Santan Ke  Bheer

   Tulseedaas Chandan Ghisen, Tilak Det Raghubeer ||

Translation:

“…Amidst the large crowd of holy men in Chitrakut, while Tulsidas grinds the sandalwood to turn it into paste, Raghubeer (Lord Ram) appeared before him asking the paste to be smeared on his forehead…”

This allowed Tulsidas to recognize the two princes as Lord Rama and Lakshman. Tulsidas was overjoyed and went into trance. His wish was fulfilled as his life’s goal was now accomplished. He had the rare opportunity of seeing the beautiful Lord Rama with the help of Hanuman.

Tulsidas was right when he wrote:

|| Raam Duwaare Tum Rakhvaare,                                        

Hota Na Aagyaa Binu Paisaare || (Haunman Chalisa)

“…Oh Hanumanji! You are the sentinel at the door of Lord Ram’s mercy-mansion. No one may enter without your permission (get near the Lord without your blessings)…”

Mahabharata Series : Bheesma (Part 1)

I have been watching the Mahabharata Series by Dr.BR Chopra for a long time now. Even though I have watched the series a couple of times previously, it is only now that I have realized the real meaning. Mahabharata is truly the greatest epic of all times. It has drama, romance, action & adventure. If one reads or watched the entire Mahabharata, he/she would become trained to deal with various issues in life.

The first thing that I want to write about is Ganga Putra, Bheesma. Bheesma was one of the strongest characters in Mahabharata. He was a superb warrior and was a man of principles. He also suffered greatly throughout his life. He led a life filled with loneliness and frustrations.

Bheesma’s birth:

Bheeshma was Shantanu, the King of Hastinapur and River Ganga’s son. He was then named Devrata. He took birth on earth because of a curse given to him by Maha Rishi Vashishta. He was actually one of the eight Vasus. Vasus are Indra’s attendants in court. He is Dyaus (sky) amongst the eight Vasus. He was cursed because he stole Rishi Vashishtha’s cow Nandini upon his wife’s request. Nandini was this golden cow that fulfilled all the wishes.  The other 7 vasus were cursed too because they supported Dyaus and helped him steal the cow. Upon being cursed by the Rishi all of them were extremely worried. They went to Vashishta and asked for forgiveness. Vashishta could not take his curse back but said that the 7 vasus who only helped Dyaus take birth and would die within the first year and thus won’t suffer. Dyaus on the other hand would have to suffer his entire life. Nonetheless he would be one of the greatest warriors in the history of India.

King Shantanu was the great grandfather of the Padavas. Ganga knew of this curse and decided that she would help the eight Vasus. When Shantanu asked Ganga to marry him, she kept a condition that he could not ask her any questions. The day he would question her, she would leave him and go. The king agreed and they decided to marry. One by one her sons were born. She drowned her 7 sons as soon as they were born. King Shantanu was extremely helpless. However, when the eight son was born, King Shantanu could not hold himself back and asked Ganga to stop. It was then that Ganga explained to him the entire story of the Vasus. Now that the king had questioned her, she had to leave him. The eight son could no longer be killed because the king stopped her. He was then named Devrata.

King Shantanu stops Ganga from drowning Bheesma

Ganga decided that she would train Devrata to be the future King of Hastinapur and would return him back to the king once he was capable enough.  Devrata learnt archery from Rishi Parshurama (avatar of Vishnu), Vedas from Rishi Vashishta himself and other subjects from Gods in Indra’s court. He was the bravest man and that time. Thus as a young teenager, Ganga returned Devrata to King Shantanu. The king rejoiced and they shared a beautiful father-son relationship. Devarata was crowned the future King to the throne.

Ganga returning Devrata to Shantanu

The story does not end here. This was just the happy part. After that came the sad part. I will write more on the next part later. Hope you enjoyed this post 🙂

-Prachi

Shri Radhe Sharnam Mamah – Pt Jasraj

I am in loooooove with this Bhajan. This is truly devine. Pt.Jasraj has the most beautiful songs. This video is taken from the the youtube account “dharmaraksha”.

This bhajan praises Krishna for his divine pastimes. Krishna is the lord of Radharani. Radharani is also called Madan-Mohan-Mohini. She enchants the enchanter (Mohan) of Cupid (Madan). She and Krishna are one just like Shiva and Parvati. It is said that upon chanting Radhe Radhe, Krishna will definitely come. This is because Krishna is where Radha is. However, Radhika’s name is extremely sacred. Therefore, it should be chanted with deep love and respect.

Lyrics & Translation:

Chathur mukhadhi samsthutham, samastha sthvathonutham,
Halaudhadhi sayutham, namami radhikadhipam. 1
I salute the Lord of Radha,
Who is worshipped by Brahma and other devas,
Who is always worshipped by good people,
And who is accompanied by Bala Rama and others.
Bhakadhi daithya kalakam, sagopagopipalakam,
Manoharasi thalakam, namami Radhikadhipam. 2
I salute the lord of Radha,
Who killed asuras like Baka,
Who looked after gopas and gopis,
And who had pretty black lock of hair.
Surendra garva banjanam, virinchi moha banjanam,
Vrujanga nanu ranjanam, namami Radhikadhipam. 3
I salute the lord of Radha,
Who broke the pride of Devendra,
Who cured the illusion of Lord Brahma,
And who pacified the gopis.
Mayura pincha mandanam, gajendra danda gandanam,
Nrusamsa kamsa dandanam, namami Radhikadhipam. 4
I salute the lord of Radha,
Who decorates himself with feather of peacock,
Who broke the tusks of the elephant,
And who punished Kamsa.
Pradatha vipradarakam, sudhamadhama karakam,
Suradrumapaharakam, namami Radhikadhipam. 5
I salute the lord of Radha,
Who gave back the children of the Brahmin,
Who removed poverty of Sudhama,
And who stole the tree from heaven.
Dananjaya jayapaham, maha chamookshayavaham,
Pithamahavyadhapaham, namami Radhikadhipam. 6
I salute the lord of Radha,
Who removed the defeats of Arjuna,
Who destroyed huge army of enemies,
And who removed the sorrow to grand father Bheeshma.
Muneendra sapa karanam, yaduprajapa harinam,
Dharabharavatharanam, namami Radhikadhipam. 7
I salute the lord of Radha,
Who was the cause of the curse of sages,
Which destroyed the people of Yadu clan,
And who lightened the load on the earth.
Suvruksha moola sayinam, mrugari mokshadhayinam,
Swakeeyadhamayayinam, namami Radhikadhipam. 8
I salute the lord of Radha,
Who slept below a banyan tree,
Who gave salvation to hunters,
And who attained his place in heaven.

Achyutam Keshavam

This is one of the most beautiful bhajans ever! It has been sung by Vikram Hazra from Art of Living.

“Achyutam Keshavam Krishna Damodaram,
Ram Narayan Janaki Vallabham”

Here Lord Vishu/Lord Krishna is being praised by different names:

Achyutam : Infallible one

Keshavam: There are 2 main reason why Krishna is called Keshav

1) He has beautiful hair
2) He killed the demon Kesi sent by his evil uncle Kansa

Damodaram: This name was derived from one his divine pastimes. His mother Yashoda had tied him with a cord (daama) around his waist because of his naughtiness.

Janaki Vallabham: Sita(Janaki) is his Consort/ Sita is his loved one. Sita was Janak’s daughter and hence was called Janaki.

Yudhishtira’s Nyaya – Lessons Learnt

During the time when Drithrashtra was the King of Hastinapur and both the Pandavas and the Kauravas had grown up, there was a need for a new Yuvaraj (heir to the throne). Drithrashtra was always greedy about the throne. He wanted Duryodhan to be the next king. However, Drithrashtra was a mere representative of Pandava who had abandoned his throne due to a crime he had committed unknowingly. Thus, Yudhistira who was the eldest son of Pandava was the rightful heir to the throne.

In order to make a decision as to who is suitable to be the next king, Vidhur (the wise minister and the brother of Drithrashtra) decided to test both Duryodhan and Yudhistira in the courtroom. Four men were bought in who had committed a murder. When Duryodhan was asked to do justice to the four men, he said that punishment for murder was death sentence in their kingdom. Therefore, each man should be hanged. Then Vidhur asked Yudhistira to do justice. Here is what he said:

“ First I want to know the caste of each man. Upon saying so he found that one was Shudra, the other Vaishya, the third one was Kshatriya and the fourth one was a Brahman. He then said that Shudra is uneducated and he doesn’t know the difference between right & wrong. So he should be imprisoned for 4 years. Vaishya has some knowledge between good and bad. Thus he should get double of what Shudra gets. The Kshatriya is the protector of the nation and thus should not kill people and make them feel unsafe. So the Kshatriya should get double of what Vaishya got. The fourth man is a Brahman. He is well versed with the differences between good and bad. His punishment should be the most severe but you cannot kill a Brahman. Therefore, the head priest of the kingdom should decide the punishment of the Brahman.  Every person is different. You cannot measure every person’s doing in the same scale. That would definitely be unjust”.

Mahabharat teaches us all the lessons we need to learn in order to lead a just life. The story that I just narrated has a very powerful meaning not only in terms of how justice should be granted to each individual but also in terms of our behavior towards each person. Since every person is different and comes from different background we need to change our behavior accordingly.  If we meet someone who comes from modest background, it is our duty to behave modestly and treat him or her with respect. Also, when we are judging someone’s actions towards us we should understand where the person is coming from. If we start considering these things while interacting with different individuals, the world would definitely be a happier place.