Ekaadashi

Today being Ekaadashi is a very auspicious day to Vaishnawites, devotees of Shree Mahaa Vishnu.

Desmond Tutu

Mr Desmond Tutu died today. Aa an anti-apartheid activist, he will be remembered for his efforts to end decades long apartheid regime in South Africa. 

Divine Discourse

It was joy viewing Shree Bhupendra Bhai Pandyaji's divine discourse on Sanskar TV Channel this evening. He explained the need to discover the divided nature in us. For instance a person should know whether he is a husband or a man, a wife or a woman, man or a human being, a human being or a jeevaatma and so on. I think that he meant that this discovery should lead towards knowing the Paramaatmaa which is different from the jeevaatmaa (Dwaithaa philosophy) as propounded by Madhwaachaarya, the spiritual Guru of the community in which I belong.

Modiji at Kaashi Vishwanath temple

A few days back there was a function at Shree Kaashi Vishwanaath Temple in Vaaranaasi, Uttar Pradesh. As leader of our countryfolk, our Prime Minister Shree Narendra Modiji participated in the function by performing sankalp under the guidance of the temple priest. A nice gesture that had never been displayed by any Prime Minister we have had before Modiji became our PM.

Dhanur maasa

Today is an auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. Dhanur maasa begins today. Special worship is offered to our Divine Mother Shree Mahaa Lakshmi, the wife of Shree Mahaa Vishnu, our Divine Father, daily for a month from today onwards. 

As I write this post, it is joy viewing a divine discourse on Shreemad Bhaagavath Katha by Shree Indradevji Saraswathi Maharaj, from Brindaavan, Uttar Pradesh, on Sanskar TV Channel.

Krishna Manthra and George Harrison

In my previous posts I have mentioned about The Beatles, the best ever western softrock music group. 

In the 1960s, during their tour to our country, the members of the group got immensely interested in Hindu philosophy and Indian classical music. George Harrison became involved in Krishna Manthra and Paul McCartney became a disciple of  sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. Let me share a bit of George's experience in this post.

Hanumad vratam

According to our Maadhwa almanac, Hanumad vratam is observed today. Special worship is done to Hanumaanjee, the greatest devotee of Lord Shree Raam, an incarnation of Shree Mahaa Vishnu. 

The following image is from the toys made in a village known as Kondapalli, near Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India; it shows Hanumaanjee worshipping Lord Shree Raam and His wife Seethaa Devi.

Following is the image of a set of toys made at Kondapalli. It shows the ten main incarnations of Shree Mahaa Vishnu. 

Shree Hari and His Bhagavad Geethaa

Today is a very auspicious day to Hindu people in general and Vaishnavites in particular.

Today being Ekaadashi, devotees of Shree Mahaa Vishnu fast on this day and offer special worship to Shree Mahaa Lakshmi and Her Husband Shree Mahaa Vishnu. 

Today is also known as Geethaa Jayanthi. This was the day during Dwaapara Yuga, a little more than 5000 years back, that Lord Shree Krishna presented His true form in all divine splendour to Arjuna and delivered the most revered Bhagavad Geethaa (God's Song) and guided him to resolve his dilemma as to whether to fight or not, with Kauravaas. 

Many Organisations offer free downloadble pdf version of the revered Bhagavad Geetha. One such is that of ISKCON. There are many programs on TV to mark the occassion. One such was telecast on Bhakthi TV this evening. It was a Geethaa Paaraayanam led by Shree Gangadara Shastri. 

The following image is that from a collection of toys made at Kondapalli, a village near Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. It shows Shree Krishna riding Arjuna's chariot at the battle field at Kurukshetra where the battle between Paandavaas and Kauravaas took place.

While it is easier to buy Kondapalli toys online, it is better to visit the village, see how the craftsfolk make the toys, and buy from them directly so that it is relatively beneficial to them.

Friend in need is a friend indeed

We have all heard the adage "A frind in need is a friend indeed".

Day before yesterday, I visited a few old friends in a Senior Citizens Home in which I and my mother stayed for a few years until we moved to an apartment near where my brother stays. 

Among these people, there were Mr Sudhakar Rao and his wife Mrs Vijayalakshmi Sudhakar Rao, basically from Andhra Pradesh. They were an active Brahmin couple with a helping tendency. Mr Rao was an Administrator in a hospital and Mrs Rao, a high school Headmistress. 

Day before yesterday I was shocked to hear that Mr Rao died due to cardiac arrest a little more than a year back. I remember him as a smart gentleman who used to do daily walking round the campus after wearing a formal dress of nicely pressed trousers, shirt, socks and a well polished pair of shoes. His wife used to coordinate rituals in the temple housing Lord Shree Krishna and other deities. It also had a statue of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Before leaving Mrs Rao's house, she gave two banana fruits. It reminded me of Mrs Van Chan Khan (shown in the photograph below), my line manager during my stay in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

She was the Inspector General at the Inspectorate of Education at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Government of Cambodia.  In Cambodia there is a custom of offering fruits to participants in official meetings. Usually after official meetings, there would be some excess fruits. As my line manager and I used to share the same office room, beforeeaving for her home, she had the nice gesture of placing a few fruits in my bag and asking me to take them to my residence. Whenever I politely refused, she would say, "Guru, I know that you don't really enjoy cooking after hard day's work and that your Indian restaurants here in Cambodia may not have 100% vegetarian food items cooked by any Brahmin. Hence these fruits can be handy to you".

Thanks to these people.

Divine discourse and Bheema jayanthi

It was joy to view Shree Bhupeshbhai Pandya's divine discourse from Ishhavaasyopanishad. He mentioned beautiful verses including one that means "The world is complete on itself. It is the beauty of His Creation". As usual, he was quoting the revered Bhagavath Geethaa, Lord Krishnaa's Divine lecture to Arjuna.

Today is an auspicious day in the Hindu Calender.  It is the birth anniversary of Bheemaa. 

Bheema is considered to have been born as Hanumaanji previously, and after his life as Bheema, he is considered to have been born as Madhwaachaaryaa, the spiriritual Guru of Maadhwaa community, to which I and my ancestors belong.

 

Divine discourse

It was joy to view Shree Bhupendrabhai Pandya ji's discouse on Shree Hari on Sanskaar TV Channel. He explained the Guru - Shishyaa (Teacher- Learner) relationship from spiritual perspective.

We some times see good people dying when young and evil people living longer than 90 years or so thereby polluting people and doing everything to break families down.

Recently, my brother's brother-in-law, a good person, died at a young age probably in his 50s. Similarly Arun, younger brother of one of my former colleagues, passed away when he was just in his 50s. Arun was a gem of a person.

Russia, US and India

Current visit of Russia's President Vladimir Putin to our country is of interest not only to political analysts but also to very ordinary senior citizen folks like me (who were in our teens in the golden '60s).

During that golden era, it was common to see portraits of celebrities from different countries, particulatly the US and Russia (known as USSR in those days). Alongside portraits of Mahaatma Gandhiji, Netaaji Subash Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore etc. there used to be Kruschev, John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr etc. adorning the walls. 

We used to get very informative magazines such as SPAN (published by the US embassy in Delhi) and Soviet Land (Published by USSR Government in different languages). Although SPAN is still being published, it's editions and those of Soviet Land of those days were giving more importance to socioeconomic issues than political ones, unlike today. Soviet Land had regular columns for philatelists with latest stamp releases. 

Government Radio Stations such as VOA and Radio Moscow used to broadcast  programmes in different world languages including Hindi and Tamil.  VOA used to have daily half hour program known as 'Tamizh maalai" meaning 'Tamil evening' and Radio Moscow used to broadcast for longer duration and began it's programs with a local presenter saying "Moscow vaanoliyin Tamizh oliparappu.." meaning 'This is the Tamil language programme beamed from Radio Moscow..." There were also other popular broadcasters such as BBC and Radio Beijing (known as 'Radio Peaking') that used to broadcast in Indian languages. 

As Mary Hopkin sang, 'Those were the days...".

The beatles get back

On 25 November, the full history in the development of 'Get back' by the 'The Beatles' was released, thereby bringing back nostalgic memories of the best softrock band and the late '60s.

Shree Raam Kathaa

This morning I had the joy of viewing Sant Muralidharji Maharaj's 'Shree Raam Katha' on Aashtha TV Channel. He was explaining the concept of 'Bhakthi' (Devotion to Shree Hari) and the excellent qualities of Hanumaanji, the greatest devotee of Lord Shree Raam (an incarnation of Shree Mahaa Vishnu). 

Though there are numerous totally immersed viewers in such divine discourses, some are ecastatically absorbed.  The photograph shows one such devoted viewer. I think that this gentleman (with folded hands in front of his chest) is nearly of my age or younger. He seems to have an excellent sense of devotion.

Health insurance oddities

Let me describe a common problem faced by us and how there is no proper policy guideline/s from the Government. I have been having some dental problem for which I sought treatment. The dentist prescribed a denture.

The treatment cost about Rs 12, 000. When I contacted Star Health Insurance with whom I have had my health issues insured, they said that dental issues are not covered in their scheme. Are dental issues not dental issues? I think that our Central Government look into such anamolies and rectify them.

Until a few years back, in any financial transaction, either the remitter or the receiver or both, had to literally make his/her/their presence at the bank.  This involved time, energy and money. But today, without spending much of any of these three, secure financial transcations are possible.

(I was able to send my monthly house rent and monthly maintenance to my apartment owner and apartment maintenance office respectively, simply by using my mobile phone. I could also renew my health insurance. All these in about 15 minutes. Of course I am sure that most people derive such benefit).

Thanks to compure engineering and mobile technology.