Gita-God-Hinduism

The discussion of "time" in the Indian / Hindu system is fascinating. It all starts with the idea of काल (kaala). kaala is that which "moves" - moving one from one stage to another, from one state to another, from one era to another. Time "moves" people. And, even though it is divided into "bhuta", "bhavat", "bhavya", i.e. past, present and future, kaala is symbolized as one who "eats", that all that there is present and the past. Here are some units of kaala: परमाणु (paramANu):  infinitesimal particle, atom in the atom;  passing of a sun-beam past an atom of matter 2  परमाणु = 1 अणु (aNu): an atomic particle  3 अणु = 1 त्रस्रेणु (trsrENu) - 6 paramANu 3 त्रस्रेणु = त्रुटि (truTi): 18 paramANu: minute space of time; particle; this is the time taken by sun rays to pass through 3 त्रस्रेणुs  100  त्रुटि = वेधः (vedhaH): 54 paramANU: fixing the position of the sun or of the stars 3 वेधः = 1 लव (lava):  162 paramA...

A friend said something that many people have told me in the past "Why study Bhagawad Gita now? It is for old age". I always smile at that statement and I ask do we ever get old in that sense? Because, I have found that those who make that statement never seem to get "old", i.e. they will probably never touch Bhagawad Gita in their lives. Many people express pity that I am encouraging my kids to learn Gita now. They are supposedly "too young" for that. All I do is smile and chuckle :) I am not saying that they or anyone should read Gita but I am just amused by their statement or a stereotype as to when one should or should not study something. If one is inclined, age does not matter. My kids are naturally curious because they have seen me taking it quite seriously. And, I do not FORCE it on them but I want them to be exposed just as my father exposed it to me. I was a near atheist or agnostic for a majority of my life (and I confess that I went to temples ...

[ Through "arghya", we have invited / invoked auspiciousness inside us.  "agni" lightens the world outside and the keep the body alive, 'surya' lightens everything and gives the energy for us to perform duties, and 'Saraswati' illuminates the mind and the intellect.  We now seek the blessings of Goddess Saraswati and Gayatri devi, and all the deities to enable us to be enlightened. ] आयातु वरदादेवि अक्षरं ब्रह्म सम्मितम् । छन्दसां मातेदं ब्रह्म जुषस्वमे । यदहन्नात्कुरुते पापं तदहन्नात्प्रतिमुच्च्यते । यद्रात्र्यात्कुरुतेपापं तद्रात्र्यात्प्रतिमुच्च्यते । सर्ववर्णे महदेवि संध्यविद्ये सरस्वति । May the boon-bestowing ( benefactor, Goddess of benediction; Saraswati devi in this case ), who resembles ( same as, corresponding to, incessantly, perpetually ) the imperishable ( immutable, word ) 'brahma' ( supreme spirit, the Lord, absolute ), enter ( come near, approach ) us | May you, the mother of the vedas ( brahma, spirit, soul, absolute ) f...

अर्घ्य प्रदान (respectful offering to something valuable; water offered at the respectful reception of a guest) [Sun is an important part of human existence. The Sun that lightens the world outside, enlightens the world within. This is the process of inviting and invoking the Sun within. The water that is being offered is sanctified with the energy of the same Lord who energizes the sun. In the previous section we saw how the fire is visualized in the water, and here we offer water to the supreme fire; the source of both is the same pundarikAksha anyway] <keshavAya swaha .....> मम उपात्त समस्त दुरितक्षय द्वार श्रीपरमेश्वर प्रीत्यर्थे अर्घ्य प्रदानं करिष्ये । I engage in the arghya process ( respectable welcome to Sun in the horizon and into our hearts ) for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord so as to remove all my accumulated impediments (sins, evil, discomfort). ॐ भूर्भुवस्सुवः । ॐ तत्सवितुर्वरॆण्यं भर्गो दॆवस्य धीमहि । धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् । भास्कराय नमः । इदमर्घ्यम् ...

In this we will continue on the previous partial discussion around punarmArjanam: Sandhyavandana - Part 3 यासां देवा दिवि कृण्वन्ति भक्षंया अन्तरिक्षे बहुदा भवन्ति । या पृथ्वीं पयसॊऽन्दन्ति शुक्रस्तान अपःशग् स्योना भवन्तु । It is through this [aapass, the vital force, water - the nArAyaNa udaka] which the "gods" in the heavens know to nurture, to make the rain waters much giving (munificent) that makes the earth fertile (strong) to spring out and enable the seed [giving ability] of animals, May this vital force (water) be the bed of all auspiciousness. शिवेनमा चक्षुषा पश्यतापश्यिवया तन्वोऽप स्पृशत् त्वचं मे । सर्वाग्ं अग्नीग्ं रप्सुषदॊ हुवेवो मयि वर्चो बलमोजो निधत्त ॥ [Its beautiful how Sanskrit verses manifest different meanings depending on the arrangement of words and their meanings. One of the many meanings of chakshus  is "eye of mitra and God of Water" that I will use in this context, however it can also mean the very faculty of seeing, or it could mean...

Continued from the previous 2 posts: Sandhyavanadana - Part - 2  Sandhyavanadana - Part - 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------- [After the initial purification, we keep water in our palm and chant these prayers pleading deities to destroy the sins; which is an internal cleansing process] ॐ सूर्यश्च मा मन्युश्च मन्युपतयश्च मन्युकृतेभ्यः पापेभ्यो रक्षन्ताम् ।  यद्रात्र्या पापमकार्षं मनसा वाचा हस्ताभ्यां पद्भया्मुदरेण शिश्ना रात्रिस्तदवलुम्पतु।  यत्किञ्च दुरितं मयि इदमहं माममृतयोनौ सूर्ये ज्योतिषि जुहोमि स्वाहा ।। Om! May Surya, pride (my anger and other emotions), and the faculties that evoke and preside over the emotions (i.e. "gods of emotions") protect (save, guard) us from "rage" (resentment, meanness, anger, distress, grief, wrath, passion, mood), and from the all the sins perpetrated out of "rage".  May rAtri/"night" (the presiding deities of darkness; "one of the forms of Brahma") crush ...

<Continued from the previous post where we set up the stage: Part 1: Sandhyavandanam > We accumulate various karmas over a life time, and some of the pApa karma (duritas) which becomes hurdles in our pursuit of performing righteous duties. It is only by taking the names of the Lord that these duritAs are destroyed or reduced (kshaya) and through that we can offer more salutations to the Lord to please Him.   मम उपात्त समस्त दुरितक्षयद्वार  श्री परमेश्वर प्रीत्यर्थं प्राथः संध्यां उपास्ये । mama - my, upAtta - accumulated, samasta - entire, durita-kshya-dvAra - through the annhilation of my sins and discomforts, shree paramEshvara preetyartham - to please the supreme Lord, prAtah sandhyAm - morning oblations, upAsye - I observe, perform!  I engage in the morning sandhyavandana karma for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord through the removal of all my accumulated impediments (sin, evil, discomfort). [At this time we look at the water, sprinkle it all over us ...

Doing Sandhyavanada everyday is a discipline that I have been cultivating for the past few years. As a parent if you are looking to perform upanayana for your child, start practicing now and be the role model to the child. Understanding the meaning as a first step is not critical, however knowing the meaning and purpose can help perform the ritual with more commitment. I started writing this blog more for myself than anyone else so that I can help my son better. ------ o ------ Sandhyavandana is a way to salute and thank the Sun for his role in our existence, and contribution to our life. Sun is an important diety and He is the first of all manifestations - He is the Aadi. That said, it is not just the external sun that we salute through Sandhyavandana. It is also the sun within, who sparks the life within. Note that sanatana dharma what is outside (bahya) is also within (antara). So whatever exists externally, also exists interally. So, whatever ritual we do externally is also to be...

द्वितीयःखण्डः SECTION TWO यदि मन्यसे सुवेदेति दभ्रमेवापि नूनं त्वं वेत्थ ब्रह्मणो रूपं यदस्य त्वं यदस्य च देवेषु अथ नु मीमांस्यमेव ते मन्ये विदितम्॥ yadi manyase suvedeti dabhramevApi noonaM tvaM vettha brahmaNo roopaM | yadasya tvaM yadasya cha deveShu atha nu meemAMsyamEva te manye viditam || yadi manyasE – in case you think (consider), suvEda iti – “I have understood well”, asya brahMaNaH – of this brahma, yat roopam – that roopam which, tvaM vettha – that you have known, devEShu – among the devAs, asya – of that, yat [roopam] – of which form, tvaM – you [vEttha] that you know, noonam – certainly, dabhram eva api – certainly insignificant (deficient, little, scarcely), atha nu – therefore, te – your, meemAMsyam eva – needs to be examined (reflected upon, investigated, discussed), manyE viditaM – you have understood, I suppose [Gurus says] In case you consider “I know well” about this form of ‘brahma’, and the form you have known in thes...