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[sengamedurajesh]

Food, Sleep, Fear, Mating The above are the four that are common between humans & animals. Because of our ‘intellect’ [the power to decide], we are different. And, this is very powerful difference., but not well understood. Animals just do what they are naturally programmed to do. In fact, animals don’t (can’t) bring their “likes /dislikes” (or attachment /aversion) into their life. Imagine a…

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Hierarchy of Living Beings

Hierarchy of Living Beings

Quite often growing up in ‘modern’ world where science has very strongly influenced me, I had few basic questions like – why one should not eat meat? If one has to eat non-vegetarian then is there a hierarchy of beings? And, most importantly, aren’t plants ‘living’ beings! If they are, then ‘eating’ them is much worse a sin than eating meat of a dead animal or bird. I found the answer in the…

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Have You Ever Asked These Questions?

Have You Ever Asked These Questions?

A jiva (conscious entity) has no relationship with the panchabhootas (five elements the body is made out of; or the universe is made out of – space, air, fire, water, earth), yet the jiva’s body is made out of these very five elements. Is it natural (swabhavik)? If not then there must be a reason for the jiva to assume a body. What is that?How does Brahman (The Universal Soul) operate in this…

[sengamedurajesh]

Gita Ch 4 - My Summary Notes

Chapter 4 summary - work is not work when it is not driven by any desire.

Chapter 4 Summary – When work is not work! Work (also known as karma) is of three buckets Physical – done with hands, legs etcVerbalMental – even thinking is work. And, these three belong to five different categories: Regular work nitya karma (like showering, office work, cleaning, eating, taking care of family, praying, reading scriptures) Irregular work naimittika karma (like regular work…

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Bhagavatam 1st Skanda - My Notes

Bhagavatam 1st Skanda – My Notes

When a tree gives a fruit and that too if a fruit is eaten by a parrot, it is supposed to me most sweet. Suka Bhagavan has a face of parrot. Bhagavatam is the fruit of Vedas, told by the lips of Suka Bhagavan. The fruit does not have anything useless – skin, pulp, seed – all in allIn Kaliyug humans face many problems, and some are listed here. Average age of people drops, they don’t have interest…

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What Yoga Teaches Us?

What Yoga Teaches Us?

Hatha Yoga, the most popular type of yoga, especially in West is simple to understand! It is a series of twists, stretches and bends done mostly at a physical level, with an emphasis on physical health and potentially spill-over mental health benefits. On this International Yoga Day (June 21, 2022), I am sharing a few thoughts that may be potentially funny, inspiring or possibly obnoxious….I…

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Analogy of an Oil Lamp

Analogy of an Oil Lamp

Everyday, Hindu families light a lamp in homes. There is a deep significance to this ‘ritual’, and one of the ways of explaining this significance comes when we understand the different key components of ‘lighting the lamp’. Here we attempt it with the understanding based on Gita, Bhagavatam and Vedanta. Lamp: Our body /mind composition.Oil in the lamp: Our reservoir of desires, actions….that…

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Bhagavatam: Kunti Stuti

Ever heard of anyone asking Bhagavan to always give them difficulties?? Kunti, the mother of Pandavas asks Bhagavan Srikrishna. After the war is over when Krishna is about to leave to Dwaraka, she sings his praises, and it is known as kunti-stuti [praise or prayer by Kunti]. Here below is my English version, where I focussed on the Advaitic concepts that are mentioned in that stuti. U r in and…

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Bh.1.7: Draupadi's Vengeance on Aswattama: Upholds Dharma

Bh.1.7: Draupadi’s Vengeance on Aswattama: Upholds Dharma

Aswattama, son of Dronacharya, kills all of Draupadi’s children in the middle of the night. He does this to please his ‘master’ & king Duryodhana. But even Duryodhana abhors this act! When he is captured by Arjuna and brought before Draupadi, she actually lets him go scot-free!Her logic of why she does so is a classic case of dharma. Expressed simply, dharma is a very simple rule: don’t do to…

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Bh 1.5,6: Narada's Story

Bh 1.5,6: Narada’s Story

Vyasa is discontent even after having done so much of work splitting up the Vedas, writing Puranas and Mahabharata. Narada’s advice to Vyasa is very interesting: Narada says, any tapas, yagya, jnana [austerities, sacrifice, knowledge] is not useful if bhakti is missing; if we don’t sing praises of Bhagavan. Any sastra [scripture] or jnana [knowledge] is incomplete without this.If any person even…

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Bh.1.4: Vyasa & Reason Why Mahabharata?

Bh.1.4: Vyasa & Reason Why Mahabharata?

Sage Vyasa is born to Parashara & Satyavati [he is known as ‘parasharatmajam’]. When Vyasa’s son, Suka was going into the forest, he followed him…..there he saw few naked women who did not bother to cover themselves when Suka Maharaj was going, but Vyasa notices that they cover up their nakedness when Vyasa passed by. So, he is surprised and asks them – why did you not cover when Suka passed by?…

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Bhagavatam Skanda 1, Chapter 3: Analogies & Avataras

Bhagavatam Skanda 1, Chapter 3: Analogies & Avataras

Analogies worth remembering: Clouds are dependent on air. Dust particles are dependent on dust, but people mistake that clouds are dependent on space and dust is dependent on air. In the same way, people without having analyzed the nature of this universe, attribute it wrongly to Bhagavan. This is the power of Bhagavan, known as ‘maya’ and expressed in this world as mithya – basically meaning…

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Fact Check: Is Matsyavatara (Fish) the First Avatara of Bhagavan?

Fact Check: Is Matsyavatara (Fish) the First Avatara of Bhagavan?

As a kid when I read Amar Chitra Katha (ACK), I learnt that Bhagavan has taken nine out of ten avatara (dashavatara) (incarnation, to save the world!) and the first one is matsya (fish)…..and the tenth one is going to come in future called as kalki, a man riding a horse who will slay everybody like pumpkins are slashed. I will explain later in this blog when that event is likely to happen. Then…

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Srimad Bhagavata Mahatmyam

In the next blogs, I will summarize a few ‘aha’ moments that I have had as I read Srimad Bhagavatham. These will be summarized in a few sentences – for me to write out an elaborate version of my understanding and why it is an ‘aha’ for me. My knowledge of Hindu mythology, history & stories [combined and known as puranic stories is perhaps rooted in Amar Chitra Katha, Chandamama books I have read…

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Go Not To The Temple, By Rabindra Nath Tagore

Go Not To The Temple, By Rabindra Nath Tagore

(translated from his works in Bengali, superbly articulated, and so religion agnostic) Go not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God, first fill your own house with the fragrance of love and kindness.Go not to the temple to light candles before the altar of God, first remove the darkness of sin, pride and ego from your heart.Go not to the temple to bow down your head in prayer, first…

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Inspirational Poem

I counted my yearsand realized thatI have less time to live by,than I have lived so far. I have more past than future. I feel like that boy who got a bowl of cherries.At first, he gobbled them,but when he realized there were only few left,he began to taste them intensely. I no longer have time to deal with mediocrity. I do not want to be in meetings where flamed egos parade. I am bothered by…

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Little Known Temples in Kanchi

Little Known Temples in Kanchi

Few nuggets of information that made my temple visits in Kanchipuram memorable. ——— It is said that Adi Sankara attained Mahasamadhi here by becoming one with Goddess here. Others claim he became one at Kedarnath. We saw the original Srichakram – a powerful yantra – hand drawn by Sankara at the temple. Daily puja is done for that yantra. Kamakshi is supposed to have broken the earth and emerged…