Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission

Year 19 I ssue 5
Opw! 3123
Starting Yoga Vasistha Series
Published by
International Vedanta Mission
http://www.vmission.org.in
vmission@gmail.com
Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission
Oct 2012 : Year 19 / Issue 4
Editor: Swamini Samatananda Saraswati
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Both the good and the pleasant present
themselves to a man. The calm soul exam-
ines them well and discriminates. Yea, he
prefers the good to the pleasant; but the
fool chooses the pleasant out of greed and
avarice.
In This Issue
1. Message of P. Guruji - 5
2. Atma Bodha - 6-7
4. Letter - 9
5. Gita Reflections - 10-11
6. Jivanmukta - 13
7. Yoga Vasistha - 14-15
7. Story Section - 17
8. VM News - 18
9. VM Activities - 19
10. Album - 20-21
11. VM Programs - 23
from Poojya Guruji
The message of Vedanta is class apart. It is amazing, it is liberating. It truly gives respect & dignity to one &
all, in a way no one ever has. It reveals that you & I, including every being & thing in the world is basically divine. We
are all basically Brahman, the one infinite divinity, who is just not aware of his/her truth. So all it takes a person to be
really free is just some knowledge. No saviours, no actions, no yoga, or for that matter any duality based practices of
various devotional practices. Just pure & simple knowledge of 'You are That'. This knowledge is no doubt extremely
subtle but lets not forget, it is just pure & simple realization & awakening to the truth - by valid Sravana, deep Manana
& Dhyana. Thats the 'Hindu-Good-News' - as Rajiv Malhotra, the US based Indian philanthropist, and a so called
cross-cultural ambassador would like to call it, tongue-in-cheek style :)
The message of Vedanta stands in stark contrast with other religious thoughts, wherein we need a saviour to
motivate us to follow a set rules of common sensical values & sanity. The belief of the sin-in-the-garden-of-eden
theory is specially so childish and rather degrading that it should be rubbished straight away by any right thinking
person. First sex, the loving union of our parents for our procreation is termed as sin, thereafter the whole innocent
progeny is eternally damned as sinners, then we have a virgin-born obliging saviour who suffers to just redeem us
from a so called sin, which none of us has really commited, and which in the first place is no sin at all. Then we have
the hordes of seminary products coming out to tell us the 'Good-News' that HE is coming to redeeem us soon. All so
childish, just to tell us things like that we need to love our neighbours. Religious values are always basically good but
just to communicate some good values with such levels of stories is an insult to all right-thinking people. We dont
even tell our children such level of stories to follow any good values. The world needs Vedanta, all thinking, self-
respecting people need the darshan of Vedanta, which starts with sensible diagnosis of human problem and culmi-
nates in awakening to the infinite divinity of our own self. In other thoughts even in their so called heaven such luxury
is not imaginable. They continue to remain seperate from their God whom they loved & believed all their lives. God is
just a host of all such virtuous 'guests', and inspite of all the gyana of their saviour they are not truly freed from the
curse of eternal damnation - they continue their separate limited existence & identity.
The fundamental thing to be understood is that freedom or liberation is never ever possible by any karma
whatsoever. Following someone, believing someone, praying etc is never the way to moksha. Beliefs and worship
etc are all for channelizing the energy of ignorant ones so that they can get the inner strength & capacity to enquire
deeply. Then it is just a matter of some fundamental realizations. This is way of the self-respecting ones.
The Hindu-Good-News
- 5 -
Vedanta Sandesh
Swamini Samatananda
Atma is the very Self of everything
The previous sloka and the following one too describes the vision of a Yogi, who has attained direct knowl-
edge . In the previous sloka the Acharya revealed that an enlightened person sees the whole creation in himself as an
expression of his very own self and sees himself pervading the entire creation.
In the following sloka the Acharya explains that the entire universe is nothing other than the Atman. The Self
alone manifests as the multiplicity of this entire creation. The whole creation is borne of the Self, is sustained in the
Self and dissolves back into the Self.
Atmaivedam jagatsarvam
When one looks at the world and when one thinks
of the Self, at the surface level there appears to be a
duality between the two. The Self and the universe ap-
pear as two different spectrums, one being living and the
other the objective world, being inert. As long as one
percieves the Self and the world at the level of names and
forms there will be a relative duality. It is true that there is a
multiple variety of beings at the level of names and forms.
Each form is unique in its own way, in its appearance, in
its attributes, its utility etc. A man is different from a woman,
an animal is different from a bird, a tree is different from a
flower. Not only this we see a variety of differences in the
same community itself. One flower is different and unique
from the other. So, undoubtedly the world of names and
48
forms is magnanimous in its multiplicity. But, this is where
our Vedic Scriptures and the Rishis of yore have had an
insight into the reality of the multiple names and forms.
Everything in the world, all the people, all the objects, na-
ture , everything that we can concieve is beautiful, differ-
ent and unique but in and through all this multiplicity lies a
divine substratum of unity that is all pervading, one without
a second and that alone being the very nature of Myself. I
am the life principle that is ever-existent at all times, all
pervading and blissful in nature. This nature of the Self is
the nature of everything living or non-living. Therfore I alone
express as the whole cosmos and I alone pervade every-
thing. In this sloka the Acharya thus says Atma eva idam
jagat sarvam-the entire universe is nothing but the Atman.
Aatmaivedam jagatsarvamaatmanah anyat na vidyate
Mridoyadvat ghataadini swaatmaanam sarvam eekshate
Aatmaiva:verily aatman; idam jagatsarvam: the entire universe; aatmanah: othet than aatman; anyat:
another; na vidyate: does not exist; mridaha: of clay; yadvat: like which; ghatadini: pots and so forth;
swaatmaanam: as his own self; sarvam: all; eekshate: sees.
The entire universe is verily the Atman. There is nothing at all other than the Atman. He sees everything as
his own self, as one sees pots and the like as none other than clay.
- 7 -
I alone manifest as this vivid picture of the cosmos.
Atmanah anyat na vidyate:
The Revered teacher further goes on to say there
is nothing at all other than the Atman or the Divine Self. If
at all we see and experience the world of matter it is like
waves and bubbles playing as an expression of the
waters ecstasy. All sorts of play, of high and low tides, of
small and big waves, of bubbles big and small, all this is
an expression of the blissful nature of water, which revels
in its ecstasy and effortlessly and playfully manifests in all
these forms and yet its wholeness, its blissfulness is un-
affected by anything at all. Everything comes and goes,
the life of a wave is of a few moments but the reality of
water remains as it is. Water alone is. A person standing
at the shores can identify himself with the play of the wa-
ter as high and low tides, big and small waves and feel
elated or disheartened or a person may identify with wa-
ter itself which appears to take the form of waves. This is
the freedom of a person. Likewise nothing other than the
Atman exists as real in this entire creation. Atman alone
is. It is the ignorant ones who identify with the manifested
names and forms as real and keep searching for bliss in
the world of objects and keep swinging to & fro from joy.
Mrido yadvat ghataadini
The Acharya explains the truth of onness of every-
thing in the universe with the example of clay and the vari-
ous forms of clay. The different shapes of Pots, big and
small, pots, flower vases, toys, utensils, which the potter
makes are all made out of the same mud. The Potter sees
the same mud in all the pots with different names and
forms. While people with superficial vision see the pots
with different names and forms but fail to see that all of
them are made of the same mud only. So also a yogi of
perfect kowledge sees one substratum the Atman as the
soul of all different names and forms but an ignorant mind
identifies with that which appears to be seen on the out-
side. Mud is the permanent reality and Pots are imper-
manent. On destruction, they again merge into the mud.
Likewise, all names and forms in the universe are imper-
manent and changing. They all come from the same Atma
which is all pervading and eternal. All names and forms
dissolve into the same Atma.
Swaatmanam sarvam eekshate
Two different kinds of people view the world in two
different ways. People of knowledge and people with ig-
norance. The ignorant ones see the world at the level of
manifestation alone. Different names and forms, human
beings, animals-birds, plants, the stars, the five different
elements, all this realm of plurality constitutes the world
for them and this alone is Real for the ignorant ones. Here
the acharya speaks of the unique vision of People of wis-
dom. A person who has directly seen the Reality of the
world and the Self sees the unity between the Self and all
the plurality of names and forms. The Atman is the sub-
stratum of all existence and it is one without a second.
The Atman is the I the very nature of myself. I alone per-
vade all existence, everything is born of me, is sustained
in me and is dissolved in myself too. In other words the
Atman being the common substratum of all living and non-
living existence it alone pervades everything and the Atman
alone manifests as this beautiful variety of the world. This
vision is the very goal of Vedantic knowledge. A non-frag-
mented vision towards one and all. Bhagwan Sri Krishna
explains this same import in Gita chapter 6 while explain-
ing about a yogi:
Aatmaupamyena sarvatra samam pashyati yorjuna
sukham vaa yadi vaa duhkham sa yogi paramo
mataha.
Who so, by comparison with himself, sees the same ev-
erywhere, O Arjuna, be it pleasure or pain, he is deemed
the highest Yogin.
Ejqbxbmj!Hsffujoht
Best wishes to all for an enlightening and joyful Dipawali.
Vedanta Sandesh
The Three Ants-
(The Madman by Khalil Gibran)
Three ants met on the nose of a man who was lying asleep in the sun.
And after they had saluted one another, each according to the custom of
his tribe, they stood there conversing.
The first and said, These hills and plains are the most barren I have
known. I have searched all day for a grain of some sort, and there is
none to be found.
Said the second ant, I too have found nothing, though I have visited
every nook and glade. This is, I believe, what my people call the soft,
moving land where nothing grows.
Then the third ant raised his head and said, My friends, we are standing
now on the nose of the Supreme Ant, the mighty and infinate Ant, whose
body is so great that we cannot see it, whose shadow is so vast that we
cannot trace it, whose voice is so loud that we cannot hear it; and He is
omnipresent.
When the third ant spoke thus the other ants looked at each other and
laughed.
At that moment the man moved and in his sleep raised his hand and
scratched his nose, and the three ants were crushed.
Letter of
the Month
The root
cause of all fears,
insecurity etc. for all
humans all over the
world, is basically
something very
deep. It concerns
the ignorance of the
truth of ourselves
and the world.
- Poojya Guruji
Clubbing Gyana & Karma
Hari om A...,
Thanks for your kind mail. I was happy to go through it.
VM is not only my Mission, but it is equally the mission which inspires all of us, and that
is what binds us together and makes the team. I have been trying my best to reveal the
profound and liberating teachings of Vedanta to all of you for last two decades. It is
great that the Mumbai Chapter of Vedanta Mission is celebrating the 20th anniversary
with great enthusiasm & gratitude. Lets focus very nicely on pure Vedantic teaching
without ever compromising or even diluting it. May that alone be our common prayer.
If you go deeply into the teachings of Vedanta, then it is very clearly stated that Self-
Knowledge requires complete & unfragmented attention, and that also with profound
humility and without ego. Social work is undertaken by the ego, the individuality, which
is technically called as a fragmented state of mind wherein the Seer and the Seen
(Dryshta & Dryshya) and taken as basically different from each other, then alone Karma
is possible. A student of Vedanta is one who wants to know the one unfragmented
truth, thus the unanimously accepted principle of Vedanta is to first keep aside all ego
and also the burden of doing any Karma whatsoever, at least temporarily, and give
complete attention to Atma-Gyana, otherwise we will tend to continue our studies without
ever getting anywhere. The proposition wherein we think that Atma-Gyana can co-
exist with Good-Karmas is technically called Samuchaya Vada and is very strongly
rejected by all our Vedantic scriptures and subsequent Acharyas. Even in the recently
concluded Ram Gita Camp, Bhagwan Sri Ram tells Laksman very clearly that if you
really want to go beyond ego then keep aside all karma and give complete attention
to Atma-Gyana. Now this is what Vedanta is all about, and here we have my disciples
trying to club these two incompatible things together just to garner some funds. We
respect social service, but only when done with complete heart & soul and also without
ego. Ego is the cause of all ills in the world today, so one has to first remove this thorn
and then alone think of doing anything for others, till that time the person is basically
diseased. In fact all such problems of the society are because of such egoistic &
fragmented people. To efface the ego, which is basically our erroneous identity, we
require Atma-Gyana, and for Atma-Gyana, we should have the wisdom of keeping
our ego & karma aside - till we really know ourself. Thereafter such an enlightened
man will be ready for anything whatsoever without any problem.
Blessings & Best Wishes,
Lots of love & om,
Guruji
- 9 -
Vedanta Sandesh Vedanta Sandesh - April 2009
Vedanta Sandesh - Mar 2012
by
Swamini
Samatananda
The truth about the Self revealed in the Vedas is that the Self is eternal, unfleeting,
blissful and the very life principle. The Vedas are the authentic source of the truth of
life and hence the authority of the Vedas is unquestionable. They reveal that which
has been directly seen by great Rishis of the Vedic age and thereafter too a number
of Mahatmas have directly seen this truth and realized the Self as the divine supreme
being. These Men of wisdom have then compassionately passed on the knowledge
to mankind since time immemorial. Yet it is the glory of the wrong understanding of
the Self that in spite of the scriptures revealing this truth and the realized ones making
countless efforts to show us this truth, man continues to identify with that Self which is
an imaginary entity based on the physical expression of the body, mind and intellect.
As a fruit of such wrong convictions of the Self Man continues to suffer in the name of
death, rebirth, decay and diseases.
As all of us Arjuna too identifies with the body and sees the Self as the one
who is born and the one who is going to die. As a consequence he is shattered with
the very thought of the death of so many warriors and that too his own kinsmen. In
such a situation in the second chapter of the Gita Bhagwan Sri Krishna logically explains
to Arjuna and says, Ok Arjuna! If you think the Self dies and the Self is born let us for
a while accept this, that I am born and I will die. Even in that case there is no reason to
grieve, because birth and death are then the facts of life. Everything that is born will
die one day, and all that dies is reborn again. So there is no reason to grieve. Majority
of people who are prey to ignorance and misapprehension about the Self continue to
suffer the pains and fear of the Self dying. Let us explore this fact as Lord Krishna
explain it logically in the Gita.
The Real Self is eternal and beyond time:
The true nature of the Self is eternal, that which is pure existence. The Self is
beyond the realms of time. It transcends that which we experience as the past, present
and future. Time is a product of the mind, which has an existence to bring about a
convinience of living at the level of the body and the mind. The phyical body and the
mind traverse their journey into time. We celebrate the birthday of the physical body
and so also remember the death of the physical body. The Atman is the substratum
that was present even before the birth of the body, it sustains the body in the present
and will be there after the death of the body. The Self is never born nor does it ever
die.
The body goes through a graph of six inevitable changes:
Right from conception to death a living being goes through six inevitable
changes-coming into the mothers womb, taking birth in the world outside, slowly
grows up, matures, decays and dies. These are inevitable and all living beings must
go through this. This is a fact of life at the level of the body. Life for everyone one
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A man of com-
plete and direct
knowledge too
lives in the same
world as any
common man. But
it is his state of
mind that makes
his conduct and
interaction with
the outside world
unique and divine
- Gita Chap 2
- 11 -
expresses in this wave like pattern., wherein every pattern has its own grace. If a new
born baby is beautiful, divine and pure, youth is full of energy then old age too reflects
a wealth of experience, knowledge and grace of maturity. Even the mind and the
intellect continuously change. A person who identifies with the body and sees it as
real must see this fact of life and in that case too there is no reason to grieve because
life and death are inevitable for all those who are limited in the realm of time.
Lessons from life and death:
If at all birth and death are true for the ignorant ones then too life and death
teach us some significant lessons. When
we are blessed with life let us live it with a
holistic vision of being a part of a huge
cosmi c fami l y whose head i s God
himself. Let us live life to the fullest, serving
the Sel f and the others wi th l ove,
sensitivity, creativity, enthusi asm and
intelligence. If the cycle of life and death
exists for us then surely it must function on
the basi s of our actions, meritorious or
unmeritorious. If life, death and then life agian
have to cntinue then let us perform actions that
will make my journey ahead a blessing and here too may my life be a blessing for
one and all.
Death too is a blessing as it provides a new lease to life. A new attire of life
with renewed energy and opportunities to grow. Life and death both open the doors
for each other.
Life and death are the very nature of anything that manifests within the realms
of time. If this is the truth of the physical body then it is only wise to accept this fact and
relate with the body and mind accordingly. it is only foolish to have false expectations
that may the body live for ever. It is only when we do not accept this fact of life that we
are in for shocks and pain. Death is not a hit by God on my self and my people alone,
but this is the truth of all manifested beings. Accepting this truth alone frees one of un
necessary grief and pain.
Transcending from the bondages of life & death is liberation:
Ultimately being able to see that reality of the Self which is beyond the limitations
of time and space, beyond the realms of birth and death is the goal of human life.
Birth & death by themselves do not give pain, but the wrong identification with the
body as the Self brings about the pain of attachment towards the body and the pain
of having to leave it. It brings about a sense of limitation and contant seeking. Seeing
the truth of the Self as timeless, self effulgent and blissful liberates a person of all
sense of limitation and seeking. Manifestation of life and then death is as imaginary
as seeing a dream. Liberation is to wake up from the imaginary dream world and
see the true nature of the Self.
Life and death infact are a great blessing to raise some significant questions
about the reality of the Self and of this world.
Vedanta Sandesh
Quotes
You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth. -William W. Purkey
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. -Oscar Wilde
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. -Mark Twain
I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what
you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. -Maya
Angelou
To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.
-Oscar Wilde
If you judge people, you have no time to love them. -Mother Teresa
It takes much bravery to stand up to our enemies but we need as much
bravery to stand up to our friends. -J.K. Rowling.
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
-Confucius
When the mind is weak, a situation becomes a problem, when the the
mind is balanced it becomes a challenge and an opportunity.
Vision
of a
Jivanmukta
Wandering
in Himalayas
Excerpts from
the
Travel Memoirs
of
Param Poojya
Swami Tapovanji
Maharaj
The Vedas say: When a mortals desires are destroyed root
and branch, he becomes immortal. Even in the earthly body he be-
comes one with Brahman.
But the conquest of esires is not easy. Only the devotees of
Jnana can overcome desire. A man may fast and leave aside his food
untouched, but his mind will still revert to the thought of food. By force
of will, he may keep away from worldly enjoyments, but his mind will
still remain attached to such pleasures. Infact, until a man fully real-
izes the Self, his mind cannot be completely free from desire. He who
seeks to conquer desire, except through the realization of the Self is
verily attempting the impossible. There is nothing as holy as knowl-
edge. There is nothing so great, so divine.
In 1920, I passed some time in Rishikesh as a Brahmachari. In
those days, I met and talked to many Mahatmas deeply learned in the
Vedas-men who had detached themselves completely from the world,
who had conquered desire and realized the Self. Many of them were
very old, and now I find them no longer here.
Their chief abode in those days was a small, thickly wooded
island called Jhati, sorrounded on all sides by the sacred Ganga. Now
even that island is almost gone, owing to the fluctuations in the course
of the river. In this way, and in several other ways the number of the
holy men, who once inhabited Rishikesh has dwindled and is still dwin-
dling, but there was a time when their number was considerable.
Just one look at them could lift up a mans soul, far more than
the reading of several holy texts and numberless commentaries. To
cite one instance, there was the mahatma who oblivious of all sense
of danger, went on repeating Shivoham, Shivoham (I am the bliss-
ful self), as he was being carried away by a ferocious tiger. If listen-
ing to his story can invoke courage in the heart of the hearers and
raise them to high levels of thought, how much more effective should
have been the sight of that holy person!
- 13 -
5
Vedanta Sandesh
Overview
of
Yoga
Vasistha
Summary of the
eternal teachings
of
Guru Vasistha
to
Sri Ram
Yoga Vasistha is a highly reverential scripture of Advaita Vedanta, but surpris-
ingly not very commonly known. It comprises the entire teachings of Guru Vashistha to
his disciple Sri Ram. Bhagwan Sri Ram is highly revered in Hinduism, all the devo-
tees sing his glories, there are hundreds and thousands of his temple all over the
country & the world. Devotees emulate his life, are inspired by his steadfastness in
dharma, and keep him in their hearts by his fame of being maryada-purushotama. He
was an embodiment of ananda, intelligence, profound strength and above all dharma.
Every disciple is a creation of what his teachers taught him, so those who really want
to know what made Sri Ramji what he was - then one should go into this profound
scripture called 'Yoga-Vasistha'. It reveals the vision which was always there in the
heart of Sri Ram, as revealed so lovingly and painstakingly to him by his Guru. It has
been written by the author of Ramayana itself - Sage Valmiki. It contains 32,000 shlokas
and after Mahabharata is the next longest text. It includes numerous short stories and
anecdotes which are used to help illustrate its message of 'Brahma Satyah Jagat
Mithya' and 'Ayam Atma Brahma'. It is a complete compendium of the various prin-
ciples of Vedanta philosophy pertaining to self-realization, creation theory, the role &
place of karma and other sadhanas etc. It is a scripture for Moksha. Other names of
this text are Maha-Ramayana, Purva-Ramayana, Arsha Ramayana, Vasistha
Ramayana, Yogavasistha-Ramayana and Jnanavasistha.
The knowledge of the truth of life is given only to those who have become free
of the fascination and attachment to the world around. Detached people alone can
objectively analyse everything without bringing in their likes & dislikes. Those whose
minds are contaminated with likes & dislikes can never enquire properly and there-
fore can never see the truth, because they are already conditioned by the notion as to
what is that which really matters. Just as a cup which is already full, cannot be further
filled up, so also all such conditioned people can never know the truth of life and
themselves. Detachment is the gateway to objective enquiry, and as luck would have
it, once, Ram after coming back from a long pilgrimage was very disillusioned and
disturbed on seeing the pains, problems and sufferings of people all over. He de-
tached himself from all the pleasures an comforts of his palace and was very quiet,
thinking & deliberating about what is life all about and why is the sufferings there in
life. He wanted deep factual answers of the truth of man and his mind. His parents
were very disturbed seeing such a state of their son, and after doing everything in
their hands failed to cheer him up, they finally approachd their Gurudev Rishi Vasistha
and shared the problem. The great teacher understood the real problem and saw his
1
deep and sincere inquisitiveness, and asked his parents not to worry. He was rather
happy because all this showed that the young man was ready for going deep into the
truths of life. He assured them that he will handle the problem. Ram was sent to the
ashram of Vasistha and it was there this upadesha was given to him, and out of this
teaching was metamorphosed the real Ram.
Yoga Vasistha is divided into six parts: dis-passion, qualifications of the seeker,
creation, existence, dissolution and liberation. In the process of its teachings it re-
veals that there are seven Bhoomikas in anyones spiritual process. They are:
1. Subheccha (longing for the Truth)
2. Vichara (right inquiry)
3. Tanumanasa (attenuation or thinning out of mental activities)
4. Sattvapatti (attainment of sattva, "reality")
5. Anasakti (unaffected by anything)
6. Pararthabhavani (sees Brahman everywhere)
7. Turiya (perpetual samadhi)
There are some old sanskrit commentaries available on Yoga Vasistha:
- Vasistha Ramayana-Candrika by Advayaranya
- Tatparya Prakasa by Ananda Bodhendra Sarasvati
- Bhasya by Gangadharendra
- Pada Candrika by Madhava Sarasvati
Yoga Vasistha was translated into English by Swami Venkatesananda, Swami
Jyotirmayananda, Vidvan Bulusu Venkateswaraulu and Vihari Lal Mitra, while there
are lots of translation in Hindi and other Indian languages.
Some Quotes from Yoga Vasistha:
- "The great remedy for the long-lasting disease of samsara is the enquiry, 'Who am
I? To whom does this samsara belong? "
- "Nothing whatsoever is born or dies anywhere at any time. It is Brahman alone,
appearing in the form of the world."
- "O Rama, there is no intellect, no consciousness, no mind and no individual soul
(jiva). They are all imagined in Brahman."
- "That consciousness which is the witness of the rise and fall of all beings know that
to be the immortal state of supreme bliss."
- "Knowledge of truth, Lord, is the fire that burns up all hopes and desires as if they
are dried blades of grass. That is what is known by the word samadhi not simply
remaining silent."
- "The moon is one, but on agitated water it produces many reflections. Similarly,
ultimate reality is one, yet it appears to be many in a mind agitated by thoughts."
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- 15 -
Vedanta Sandesh
Seven Steps
to
Holistic Living
Goal Of Life
Life has infinite possibilities. Explore it
fully. Make the best of your life, by aiming to
live it fully, both in the objective field and also in
the subjective realm. Do not miss out on any of
the opportunities available to you. Aim for all
the four goals of life-Dharma, Artha, Kama &
Moksha.
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Story
Section
Markandeya
Mrikandu was a great rishi. Marudvati was his wife. For a long time they had no children.
The rishi prayed to lord Siva. Lord Siva appeared to him, and said, "I am pleased with you,
Mrikandu. Tell me, do you want a hundred sons, who will live for a long time, but will all be
foolish? Or, do you want one very intelligent son, who will live for only sixteen years?"
The rishi at once said, "Lord, give me that one intelligent son."
Lord Siva said, "Good! You shall have him."
Soon the rishi got a son. He named him Markandeya. The boy grew to be very intelligent
and handsome. The rishi invested him with the sacred thread. Markandeya learnt the
Vedas and Sastras, easily. Everyone liked him.
As the boy was getting on to be sixteen, Rishi Mrikandu became sadder and sadder. One
day Markandeya asked his father: "Father, why do you look so sad?" The rishi said, "Son!
What shall I say? When Lord Siva gave you to me, he said you would live only sixteen
years. You are now about to reach that age. How can Iand your mother bear to lose you as
we will at the end of this year?" Markandeya said, "Father! Is that the reason? Lord Siva
is very kind to His devo- tees. You yourself told me that. He has saved many from death
before. I have read about it in the Puranas. I shall therefore worship Lord Siva day and
night from today. I am sure, He will save -me too! "
Rishi Mrikandu was very happy to hear his son say this. He blessed his son.
Markandeya built a Siva-Linga at a spot on the sea-shore. He started worshipping Lord
Siva morning, noon and night. He sang bhajans, and often danced in joy.
On the last day, Markandeya was about to sing bhajans, when Yama, the Lord of Death,
came to him. Yama rode on a buffalo. He held a noose in his hand. He spoke to
Markandeya, "Stop your bhajan! You boy! Your life in this world is over. Be ready to die."
Markandeya was not afraid. He clung to the Siva-Linga as one clings to one's mother.
Yama threw his noose round the boy's neck, and pulled him along with the Siva- Linga.
Then the Siva-Linga burst open and Lord Siva came out of it and said, "Yama, Please
spare this child. I am pleased with his devotion. He is now blessed with a long life.
Markandeya then prayed to Lord Siva more fervently than ever. He came home, and fell at
the feet of his parents. They embraced him, and wept with joy. Markandeya became a
great rishi, and lived very long.
- 17 -
Vedanta Sandesh
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A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna by Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji was conducted at
Hari om Mandir, Lucknow from 7th to 13th Oct 2012. The subject-matters of the morning
and evening Discourse series were Gita Chapter 15, and Panchadasi Chapter 10
(Natakdeep Prakarana).
In her 15th chapter discourses Poojya Swaminiji revealed how Bhagwan Sri Krishna
reveals the cause and effect of Samsara tree. She said that the root of this tree with all its
diversity, joys & pains is basically divine, and it is just its ignorance which brings all the
projections and all subsequent seekings. So one needs to awake to the Purushottam Tattva
and make the best of their lives. In Panchadasi the Witness consciousness was explored
till it culminates into one, non-dual divinity. On the last day was a Bhandara, very lovingly
offered by the Mandir authorities.
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Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmananda Saraswatiji was given Sanyas by Param Poojya
Gurudev Brahmaleen Swami Chinmayanandaji on 10th Oct 1988 at his Sandeepany
Himalaya Ashram at Sidhbari. Since then this day is very piously celebrated by his dis-
ciples & devotees with gratitude & blessedness.
A special program was organized at Vedanta Ashram to celebrate this occasion
with a get together of devotees & disciples. There was a special Flute Recital Program
presented by the well-known Flute artist of Indore, Sh Salil Date and his son. Salil pre-
sented more than a dozen immortal bhajans & songs on his flute. This was followed by a
Bhandara - free langar prasad for all.
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Vedanta Ashram was established on the pious occasion of Dasshera in 1995, and
since then Dasshera has an added significance for us here at Ashram. We have a tradition
of having Shiv Puja on that day by children, as such a very nice puja was organized and
conducted by Balvihar children in the morning, and in the evening there was a Bhajan Pro-
gram followed by Ravana-Dahan Progrm. This was the first time we had such a program.
The effigy of Ravana was made in-house and it was all great fun & frolic.
Pomjof!Tbutboh!Qsphsbn;
The weekly Online Satsang Program which started last month is going on in full
swing. Poojya Guruji is giving elaborate talks on Sadhana Panchakam of Bhagwan Sri Adi
Sankaracharya. First there is an hour long discourse - in Hindi, and this is followed by live
question & answers. Due to net connectivity issues there have been some changes yet the
program continues unhindered. A new rich online resource is being created in this process,
which is being appreciated by many people all over the world.
- 19 -
Vedanta Sandesh
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Oct 2012
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- 21 -
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Vedanta Sandesh
Vedanta Mission started in Mumbai in 1992 with a grand Gita
Gyana Yagna at Patwardhan Park. The organizer was an old devotee
of Poojya Guruji Sh Mangaram Wadhwani, who has since expired.
Thereafter there were series of GGY at Arya Vidya Mandir, and it
was at that time the foundation of VM, Mumbai was laid.
Its been a long journey since and many Gita Gyana Yagnas,
Sadhana Camps, Seminars, Workshops, Study Groups, Cultural
Programs etc have been organized since then. A Charitable Trust
was formed - Indian Cultural Foundation. A core group of devotees
have been managing the activities with great devotion & enthusiasm.
VM Mumbai has decided to ceelebrate the occaion with all
enthusiasm it deserves. In Dec 2012 special celebrations are being
organized, which include:
1. Organizing a grand cultural event Sufiyana at Maniksabha Gruh
2. Organizing a grand Gita Gyana Yagna at Vivekananda Auditorium
at Ramkrishna Mission Ashram Complex.
3. Releasing of a Souvenir
Special fund drives are being organized, special brochures
are being published and effforts are being made to involve as many
people as possible. For more information pl contact:
Indian Cultural Foundation
c/o Elite Builders, 12th Road Khar (W), Mumbai
Email: indcul.foundation@gmail.com / Mb: 9820027141
20 Years of Vedanta Mission
Forthcoming
- 23 -
Gita Gyana Yagna, Bhavnagar:
A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna by Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji will be conducted at Sri
Ramdas Ashram at Bhavnagar from 23rd Nov to 1st Dec 2012. The texts of discourses will be
Gita Ch-15 and Natakdeep Prakarana of Panchadasi.
Gita Gyana Yagna, Lucknow:
A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna by Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji will be conducted at
Hanuman Setu Mandir, Lucknow from 17th to 23rd Nov 2012. Poojya Swaminiji will conduct
discourses on Kathopanihad - Ch-1-valli 1, and Gita Chapter-1 in the morning & evening.
Sufiyana Cultural Program, Mumbai:
On 9th Dec a big Cultural Event will be orgnaized at Manik Sabhagruh Hall, Bandra by the
Indian Cultural Foundation, Mumbai, the parent Trust of Vedanta Mission, Mumbai. Folk singers
like Mir Mukhtair Ali and Parvathy Baul etc have already given their consent to participate.
Gita Gyana Yagna, Mumbai:
A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna by Poojya Guruji Swami Atmanandaji will be con-
ducted at Ramkrishna Mission Hall, Khar, Mumbai from 10th to 16th Dec 2012. This will be just
after the Sufiyana Program at Maniksabha Gruh on the 9th.
Gita Jayanti Celebrations, Indore:
This year Mokshada Ekadashi i.e. Gita Jayanti is on 23rd Dec. Special mega functions
are organized at Indore from 20th Dec onwards on the occasion. Poojya Guruji and other Ashram
Mahatmas are special speakers on the occasion at Agrasen Dham and Gita Bhavan.
Gita Gyana Yagna, Ahmedabad:
A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna by Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji will be conducted at
Ramkrishna Kendra, Ahmedabad from 23rd to 29th Dec 2012. Poojya Swaminiji will conduct
discourses on Gita Chapter-15 and Panchadasi Chapter-10 in the evening and morning ses-
sions respectively.
Visit
International Vedanta Mission
at
http://www.vmission.org.in/
Vedanta Mission News Blog:
http://vmissionews.blogspot.com/
Om Tat Sat