Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission

Vedanta Sandesh
Year - 23 Issue 8
Feb 2018

Mahashivratri Greetings
 Cover Page

This month our cover page is dedicated to Bhagwan Shankar, and

more specifically Bhagwan Sri Gangeshwar Mahadev - the presiding
deity of Vedanta Ashram, whose main festival of Mahashivratri is
coming this month - on 13th Feb 2018.
The internet is full of lovely & artistic images of Lord Shiva,
and we happened to come across one such image. The artist has
picturised Lord Shiva as Jyotirmaya, of the nature of light. He is thus
shown adorning Moon, while sun literally creates an aura around him.
Basically Lord Shiva is the truth of creation, and thus pervades the
entire creation. Inside him alone the infinite stars have been depicted.
Creation is his Virat Roopa.
Devotees devote this auspicious day to not only worship Shivji,
and also meditate on him as their very Self. Keeping the day very austere
devotees fast on this day, do Rudrabhisheka, do Japa of Om Namah
Shivaya mantra. The story goes that Lord Shiva manifested on this day
as the great pillar of fire - Anala Sthambha, he is also said to have
married Parvatiji on this day. There are many stories associated with
this day, so devotees devote this day for intense worship & dhyana of
their beloved God. Our Greetings to all our readers for this auspicious
day. Om Namah Shivaya.
Ved anta S andesh

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 CONTENTS Vedanta Sandesh
February 2018

1. Shloka 5

2. Message of P. Guruji 7-8

3. Tattva Bodha 9-13

4. Letter 14-15

5. Gita Reflections 16-23

6. We Must 24-29

7. Jivanmukta 30-32

8. Story Section 33-34

9. Mission / Ashram News 35-54

10. Forthcoming Progs 55

V edanta Sandes h

11. Links 56

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 Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission
Feb 2018 : Year 23 / Issue 8

Published by
International Vedanta Mission
Vedanta Ashram, E/2948, Sudama Nagar,
Indore-452009 (M.P.) India
http://www.vmission.org.in / vmission@gmail.com

Editor:

Swamini
Samatananda
Saraswati
V edanta Sandes h

4
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 jkxsPNklq[knq%[kkfn
cq)kS lR;ka izorZrsA
lq"kqIrkS ukfLr rék'ks
rLekn~cq)sLrq ukReu%AA
Likes, desires, happiness or sorrow etc. are experi-
enced only when the mind-intellect are there. In deep-
sleep when the mind too is asleep, none of the above are
there. This is a clear proof that all these likes etc, are of
the mind-intellect and not the Self.
V edanta Sandes h

Atma Bodha - 23

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V edanta Sandes h

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 Message
from
Poojya Guruji

Vision of Oneness - Ekatmata

Discussions on the vision of oneness is gaining popularity in today’s frag-
mented world. There was this topic of ‘Discovering the Thread of Unity’ in this
years Prerna Talk organized by Indian Cultural Foundation at Mumbai; then there
was the Ekatma Yatra, an endeavor of MP Govt to bring to forefront the message
of non-duality taught by Sri Adi Sankaracharya. MP Govt plans to build a 108 ft
statue of the great Acharya at Omkareshwar, where he met his teacher. Then
there was this talk at Davos, in which the PM presented his views on Çreating a
Shared Future in Fragmented World’. All the three talks, which were not connect-
ed to each other, but were manifestation of the common concern of importance of
such a unifying vision by various wise people of the country & the world.

Differences at various levels of our personality are very natural & obvious. How-
ever, there is also a thread of unity inspite of the superficial differences. This fact
is of most profound importance & consequence. Those who are not aware of this
underlying unifying thread, have no other option except to attach to some superfi-
cial aspect from where they not only become very limited but also isolated & frag-
mented from everyone around. The consequence of seeing the thread of unity
V edanta Sandes h

and on the other hand seeing differences galore everywhere are very profound.

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 For one who sees the thread of unity of all inspite of superficial differences, sees
all as their own. Everyone is that which they too fundamentally are, and when you
see yourself anywhere, there is love for everyone, effortlessly. Moreover, they be-
come so big, so as to embrace the entire cosmos. With such a vision there can-
not be any war or animosity. While if you see the other as different, then not only
the seer is small, limited & isolated, but everyone around are ‘not-me or mine’.
It is this perception which is the cause of all conflicts. Therefore such apparently
philosophical tenets are not a matter of someones luxury and thought, but are
so consequential, that such a knowledge needs to be taught by all countries &
societies of the world.

If the unifying thread is a matter of fact, then obviously it is a very fundamental

reality of all. For realizing it we need to go very deep within ourselves. We will
need to ignore the superficial aspects of ourselves, and keep going so deep, till
we discover a dimension from whose point of view there are no differences. It
is all about Self-Discovery. No wonder the entire culture of our ancient country
is basically adhyatmic. Discovery of this unifying thread was the objective of alll
teachings. Its realization was called Moksha - redemption. It alone is the founda-
tion of a healthy human being and the world.

Om Tat Sat,
V edanta Sandes h

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TATTVA
BODHA

Jiva & Ishwara

Swamini Samatananda
 Tattva Bodha

T he subject matter of this section is about the

oneness between the Jiva and Ishvara. Hence building upon
this subject the Acharya has so far discussed about the identity
of the Jiva and that of Ishvara and how this identity comes
into existence. This understanding of the present identity of
Jiva and Ishvara will actually lead us and help us discover the
non-duality between jiva and Ishvara making us realise that
truly there never was duality between the Jiva and Ishvara.
Therefore the Acharya warns us that since there is no duality
between Jiva and Ishvara as a matter of fact and yet if out of
ignorance we continue to live a sense of duality then the eter-
nal seeking in samsara and suffering in this world will contin-
ue to exist for ever and ever. Hence the fulfillment of life lies
in discovering this oneness or advaita between Jiva and

Ishvara.

,oeqikf/kHksnkr~ thos'ojHksnn`f"V%
;koRi;ZUra fr"Bfr rkoRi;ZUra
tUeej.kkfn:i lalkjks u fuorZrsA
V edanta Sandes h

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 Tattva Bodha
So long as the notion which is due to difference in the
conditionings that Jiva and Isvara are different, remains, until
such time, there is no redemption from ‘Samsara’ which is of
the form of repeated birth, death etc.

As we saw in the earlier part of the text that the con-

sciousness conditioned by ignorance is Jiva. In other words
Jiva is a product of one’s ignorance and has a relative identity
only in the mind. Jiva is a thought born out of a sense of lim-
itation as we are ignorant about the complete and fulfilled na-
ture of the Self. I am an incomplete being and therefore I need
contentment from outside is the womb of the Jiva who is born
and then starts walking on the two feet of enjoyership and do-
ership. In that case as long as I am limited and seek fulfillment
from outside so long the existence of Ishvara will be seperate
from me and I will be a continuous seeker living a life of joys
and sorrows, a life of fear and insecurity.

This sense of duality defines my realtionship with the

world as well as Ishvara too. As long as I see myself as a lim-
ited and fragmented being so long Ishvara will have a seperate
existence from me. There is no doubt that at the level of mani-
festation there are opposite qualities like Ishvara is omniscient,
V edanta Sandes h

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 Tattva Bodha
omnipotent, compassionate, all pervasive, but this is what the
scriptures are aiming to reveal to us that even though Jiva and
Ishvara appear to be different it is only at a manifested level,
which is incidental. Intrinsically Jiva and Ishvara are one. This
is what one should aim for as this is where the culmination of
knowledge is, to discover the oneness between Jiva and Ishvara.

In this entire journey of awakening into the advaita the

interesting thing is that the journey begins from where we are
standing today. Today I identify with the Self as a Jiva and
there is an existence of an almighty Ishvara who is seperate
from Me. The scriptures very scientifically begin from where
we stand. We begin by accepting the duality and invoke faith
and devotion towards Ishvara. This is not only a mental prac-
tise but this devotion needs to be reflected in all my actions and
the fruit of actions. As devotion towards Ishvara gets more and
more deeper the desire to know the beloved and get one with
him is the natural outcome of it. Then begins the journey of
unfolding the secrets of Tat Tvam Asi by gaining knowledge
at the Lotus Feet of the Master. Through Vedantic knowledge
one discovers the oneness between Jiva and Ishvara.

Therefore it is extremely important to diagnose the prob-

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 Tattva Bodha
lem and see that the real problem is in being ignorant and see-
ing the duality and living the life of a limited being. Samsara is
only because of this percieved duality. As long as this sense of
duality exists so long the Jiva shall continue to seek and suffer.
Thus the Acharya here says one should not accept the differ-
ence between the Jiva and Ishvara as the ultimate reality but
one should aim to see the nonduality between Jiva nad Ishvara
by studying the Mahavakyas Tat Tvam Asi.
V edanta Sandes h

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 Mail from
Poojya Guruji
Break-Ups
Q: How to handle a break-up in a relationship?

Ans: Breakup in a relationship which was initiated very lovingly and

was also apparently developing nicely is indeed a very disturbing inci-
dent. It is one of the common reason to bring about stress in a person,
whether in a boy or a girl.

Relationships are not only very important but are very special too. They
create an important foundation for life, which is of mutual love & trust.
When a relationship is not very deep, then a break-up can be handled
relatively easily, because the relationship has not yet taken deeper
roots, but when it had been developing slowly, with appropriate con-
sent and love, and then suddenly there is a break-up, then certainly it
is very disturbing. It can bring about a question-mark on ones esteem,
and makes a person wonder as to where did he or she go wrong. Intro-
spection is a good quality and if at all one finds that his or her behav-
iour has not been very cordial & respectable then necessary correction
should be brought about. Relationships for whole life have to give to
the other person due respect & comfort. There should be no obligation
from either side, one should rather get a feeling of the freedom to be
what you truly are. This ‘you’ should be loved, respected & also needed
V edanta Sandes h

by the other. If even after due reflection on the whole incident, you

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 are surprised why did it happen, then alone this shock element is there.

However, painful it may be, I personally consider break-up in relation-

ships good. It shows that the other person has some other aspirations
& values, and therefore could never have been a long-life association
and partnership. He or she was looking for some other thing which was
not possible in this relationship. Respecting the aspirations of the oth-
er person, one should rather think that - earlier the better. Love is all
about accepting the other partner as they are, and this fundamental
requirement was absent. In love there is joy of giving rather than self-
ish desires. The beauty of a good relationship is that it is your part-
ner who takes care of you and you of the other. This is ideal, and this
assures a life-long association, and is also a foundation for fulfilling
all the four purusharthas of Dharma, Artha, Kama & Moksha. In good
relationships superficially there are two people, but deep-down there
is oneness. Obviously a break-up indicates that nothing of this existed,
so consider such a break-up as a blessing of God. Such incidents will
definitely leave you wiser about the truths of life. Having learnt appro-
priate lessons get on with your life. Continue to be a good caring person
with clear values & goals. You will soon find the right person & partner.

Love & om,

Swami Atmananda
V edanta Sandes h

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 Gita Reflections

Å/oZewye/k% 'kk[ke~
v’oRFka izkgqjO;;e~A
NUnkafl ;L; i.kkZfu
;Lra osn% l osnfor~AA
V edanta Sandes h

(Gita 15/1)
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 Oordhvamoolam Adhahshakham

(Å/oZewye~ v/k%’kk[ke~)

Swamini Samatananda

They say the imperishable asvattha tree

has its roots above, its branches below and the
Vedas as its leaves. The one who knows that
is a knower of the Veda.
(Gita 15/1)
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 Gita Reflections
T his first sloka of chapter Fifteen is a highly
pregnant sloka. It is an inspiration to understand life.

Bhagwan symbolises life as a tree. He says, who so ever

knows and understands this tree of life knows the essence of
the Vedas. The knowledge of the Vedas reveals the knowledge
of life and the knowledge of life leads to the knowledge of the
Vedas. The accomplishment of Vedic knowledge does not lie in
distancing oneself from the flow of life but it is otherwise. A
life lived with full integration of the body, mind and intellect
goes on to inspire us to know the truth of life, thus inspiring us
to get Vedic knowledge. Infact the Vedas speak of the complete
package of life giving us the four Purusharthas. Man has been
going through the cycle of birth and death in this world since
time immemorial, yet very rarely does a person come to under-
stand the secrets of life. Where have we come from? Where we
will be going to? Who created this world and how? All these
questions are the doors to getting a deeper insight about life
and beyond. Life is a big riddle. Who created this world and
how? The story of life is My story. It has been the beauty of
our Vedic heritage that various philosophical truths have been
explained and revealed through a unique medium of symbol-
ism and metaphors. Here too, Bhagwan takes up the symbol of
a tree that reveals to us the philosophy of life. Even if one were
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 Gita Reflections
to understand the beauty of a tree at a very worldly level even
then a tree reflects a glory that is divine. We are so blessed by
trees. Trees are compared to a Man of wisdom always stead-
fast in knowledge. The branches and leaves of which may sway
with the winds but the roots can never be detered from their
place.They stand facing the sky and the sun like Sadhus en-
grossed in austerity. The branches bow down with humility as
they bear the fruits ready to satisfy one and all with their juisy
fruits without any expectation and without any discrimination.
A tree stands equipoised in all circumstances of heat, cold and
storms. Indeed great and endless is the glory of a tree.

The tree descibed here in the sloka is not an ordinary

tree. It is a very extra ordinary and unique tree. This is the tree
of life. The tree of life involves the whole cosmos. All living
and non-living beings. All the forms of manifestations in the
beautiful creation of God. Here Bhagwan reveals, this tree of
life is unique as it stands upside down. (Oordhva moolam adhah
shaakham.) The roots are facing the sky and the branches are
looking downwards. This tree as Bhagwan says has a very long
life-(Ashvattham). Like a Banyan Tree it is almost eternal. It
does not die for generations together. A Banyan tree is self
multiplying. The tree of life too is almost eternal because the
flow of life too is self multiplying and goes on forever and
ever. From the unmanifest to the manifest and then again back
V edanta Sandes h

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 Gita Reflections
into the unmanifest. Creation and dissolution go on forever in a
wave pattern. So life is like a big huge tree. The tree is as though
standing on its head. There is something deep about it. It is
something other than as it appears to be.

As said in the sloka the roots are upwards-’oordhvam’-One

meaning of this is that the roots are facing on the upper side
but a more meaningful implication is that the roots are superior
(utkrisht). The real beauty and life lies in the roots of the tree.
It is the roots that nourish the tree and hold it firmly to the
ground. It is the roots from where the branches, leaves, flowers
and fruits etc are born. The only thing is the roots are not as
visible as other parts of the tree. A tree therefore has one part
which is visible and another which is invisibke. Now here lies the
test of a Man’s power to discriminate. There are some people
who are able to understand that if the branches, leaves etc exist
then it is due to the roots of the tree and therefore they have
more value towards the roots of the tree and wish to discover
the roots and understand them more deeply. But these kind are
very rare. Majority of the people have a superficial mind and
they are more superficially associated with the wood, the flow-
ers and the fruits of the tree. In the tree of life too, one needs
to understand that life would not exist without the unmanifest
roots of existence, consciousness and bliss. There cannot be life
without a creator. Without the avyakta-the roots, life will cease
V edanta Sandes h

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 Gita Reflections
to exist. The purport here is to direct our attention to the roots,
the unmanifest. It is only due to the roots that every thing else
surfaces up. the branches, the leaves the buds flowers and fruits.
The world is extremely beautiful but the roots are more beau-
tifull and superior, because they alone are creating and sustain-
ing the whole tree. Ishvara is the creator and sustainer of this
beautiful world. Looking at the beauty of the world how can
we ignore the creator. If the effect is so beautiful then one can
imagine the beauty of the cause. The manifest is just an iota. It
is just like a tip of the ice berg. The scriptures reveal that the
beauty of the cause, the creator of this universe is that not only
he is the creator but he also pervades all that he has created. It
is like the clay that pervades all the creation of toys and uten-
sils. A man of faith and devotion believes in such a creator and
makes his life a service to God. His life is the commaned of Ish-
vara and therefore he is a humble sevak towards whatever God
wishes him to do. He is a karmayogi. A Jigyasu or a mumukshu
is one who enquires in to the unmanifest. He not only lives a life
of gratitude but also gains the knowledge of Ishvara and the
nature of his creation, ultimately going to realise that basically
Jiva and Ishvara are one and there is no duality. Such a person
here has been named by Bhagwan Sri Krishna as the ‘Vedavit’,
the knower of the Vedas. A Vedavit is one who has total knowl-
edge of the manifest and the unmanifest. the branches and the
roots. The leaves are the expressions of such vedavit people.
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 Gita Reflections
This gives us a definition of an enlightened life. Knowing both
the manifest and the unmanifest. A Vedavit is one who under-
stands life and also those aspects of life which are not visible. He
is truly an educated person. Education is not only about getting
some fomal education and getting a degree. So many people are
so called degree holders , they are earning in millions yet they
are suffering in life. That person is knowledgable who knows the
fundamental truths of this tree of life. He not only knows the
branches but also knows the roots. In Mundaka Upanishad it is
said there are two types of knowledge which a person should
know. Para Vidya and Apara Vidya. Know the world as much as
one needs to know the truth beyond the world. In Apara Vidya
be a superspecialist in your field but also know the truth of life
otherwise there will be ego, anxiety, tension and suffering. The
knowledge which brings about a sense of gratitude within is
Para Vidya which one should really know. Vyakt and Avyakt.
One is the branch and the other is the root. A worldly person is
only fascinated by the various fruits on the tree and has a mind
that is extrovert. A mind that constantly hungry with desires
looking out for a new experience each time. Such people are
bonded in the realm of samsara constantly moving around in
the merry go round of deisres and their temperory fulfillment.
The life of such people is a canvas of various colours of joys
and sorrows, ups and downs, success and failures. That is the
way they understand of life and accept it oo. On the other hand
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 Gita Reflections
a jigyasu is more eager to understand the roots, the cause of this
life. His only wish is to discover the creator and the substratum
also. He is not only inclined to knowing and appreciating the
roots but he can also appreciate the other aspects of this tree of
life. As it is said in Purusha Sooktam, everything is the cosmic
body of the Purusha but Paramatma is ten folds still higher.
(Atya tishthat dashaangulam).

Thus this sloka is a profound indicator of how we should

percieve life. The fulfillment of a human life is to be able to see
the branches etc with full integration and yet not get so entan-
gled with the visible aspect so as to be ignorant about the invis-
ible roots. To be able to see the glory of the roots redefines not
only our relationship with the other aspects of the tree but also
helps us discover the very substratum that is the worlds reality
and our reality.
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 WE MUST

21

Break your shell, open your wings and fly

 - 21 -
We Must
Resolve to Bring out
the Best in Us

P.P. Gurudev
Swami Chinmayanandaji
V edanta Sandes h

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 We Must
A life barren in aspirations to work out good plans, to
fulfil great schemes, to realise noble visions, is indeed tragic, emp-
ty and insufferably blistering. The deeper enthusiasm of our inner
soul is invoked only when our towering vision thrusts our eyes,
our hands and our hearts upward to heavenly heights of thought
and action. Our life must grow entirely into dedicated, cheerful
work and selfless, undemanding service. When these two are ig-
nored by members of a community, in that community poverty
and discord, sin and sickness, fear and anxiety, war and insecurity
are inevitable. These are all self-invited sorrows, made-to-order
by a society infested with idlers and selfish men. To work in an
attitude of humble service, cheerfully and selflessly is, in itself, the
greatest Religion, the highest spiritual Life that is to be lived. To
be cheerful, we must have an inexhaustible source of Joy which we
gain from the constant thought that we are serving Him through
our chosen worldly service to the unhappy ones about us. When an
act is done in pure and total love, the very act has a rewarding sat-
isfaction. When we love the Lord and act in His name there can be
no selfishness or egoism in our movements. To learn to eliminate
the ego is to move close to the experiences of the spiritual realms
within us. The spirit of dedication gives to any individual a handle
to lift himself in his own life. The universe of living creatures is
evolving and steadily marching towards a greater state of con-
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 We Must
sciousness, a larger arena of love, a higher peak of bliss. Men of
integrity, committed to the spirit-of-service-and-love, to the val-
ues of charity and selflessness, are the rare ones who have the su-
preme privilege to participate and contribute to this evolutionary
movement of the world. Continuous exertion poured lovingly into
the field of our selfless endeavour is sure to bring success even
if the efforts not well planned or carefully organised. Only there
should not be any trace of ego in the worker. And he must have the
tenacity of purpose, the fortitude to meet challenges smilingly and
an inexhaustive poise arising out of his cheerful disposition. Many
are tempted to give up their work just at a time when success is
reaching them. Had there been a bit more of the “do-or-die”pow-
er in them, they would have had the satisfaction of seeing their
great work climbing the triumphal crest. But some choose to end
in a suicidal retirement, in exhaustion, in fatigue, in disgust. These
feelings lurk only in a heart that is darkened by selfishness, vanity,
anxiety and desire. In the light of Lord-remembrance, there are
no such ghosts to frighten a sincere worker away from his “seva”.

Let each one, therefore, repeat to himself whenever he is

discouraged or tired: “Success is around the corner; let me walk up
to it and claim it all for these efforts.” But we must work with real
enthusiasm. It is indeed an agony even to watch someone work-
ing laboriously with out system or sincerity as a purchased slave,
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 We Must
fearing the fore man’s lashes. A truly enthusiastic worker auto-
matically becomes systematic in his planning and orderly in his
executions. Instead of pausing to improve all others on our team,
let us try to influence them by our own laughing face and sweating
back. We must.

Let us not complain that there is not enough time; so long as

we waste our time in complaining, we will never find enough time
to act, win and achieve. Let us avoid all dissipation of energy by
the restless movements of our limbs or by the incessant agitations
of the mind. Conserve our mental energies we must. And the only
effective way for this is to be noble in intention, ethical in purpose
and moral in behaviour. Let us be positive in our thoughts; let
wholesome, creative thoughts of love, tenderness, kindness and
mercyfill our hearts.A deeply virtuous man is the most potent
servant of mankind. He alone is the sacred reed through which the
Lord shall sing His Song of Blessing to the generation. “Be pure”
is our supreme duty, so that what we do may be fruitful and ben-
efit the maximum number. As a great thinker thundered: “Virtue
makes men on the earth famous, in their grave illustrious, in the
heavens immortal”. This is no less if not more true even today in
our modern technological age of continuous grabbing and endless
indulgence. When a team works sincerely, it is natural that there
will be human-serpents that will hiss and even bite. If the sevak
who has been steadily cultivating himself within and expanding
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 We Must
into the realms of virtuous living, firmly holds on to his cheer-
fulness, selflessness and dedication, the poison will not affect him
at all perhaps it may kill only the very serpents. This is a strange
law and never-failing. Let us be tolerant, silent, and with tender
eyes of true compassion for them, bless them ardently with more
dedicated, loving service. Victory over them will be ours in the
long run. Our life and its achievements will not be on the tongues
of others. Remember this constantly. All great servants of man
have been vilified and tortured by the society around them. Yet the
world remembers those abominations and their perpetrators only
because of the glory of those who served their generation. Also, it
is the service of such heroic men that has moulded society and its
peoples into the civilizations and cultures which we today proudly
claim as ours. To blessedly forgive and god-like work on We must.

Let us be the moulders of tomorrow, architects of the world

of coming eras. We must.

In thus working, we are one with the Lord of the universe.

What greater spiritual life is ever possible to a seeker in this world?
To realise this and divinely act on it We must.
V edanta Sandes h

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Jivanmukta
Wandering In
Himalayas

65

Yoga

Excerpts from the Travel Memoirs of

Param Poojya
Swami Tapovanji Maharaj
 Jivanmukta
C ertainly yoga is one of the higher methods of realiz-
ing God. It is far superior to Shakti worship. It is also true that, in
certain cases, men are able to know Truth only through cultivating
yoga, even though they might have precously spent years in study
and meditation. But the yoga must be of the correct type, emanating
from the Upaishads and handed down by the great Rishis. It must
be learnt from true teachers. The world should know how danger-
ous it is to experiment with breath control (pranayama) without
first carefully studying its basic principles, its nature, and its results
from a real master of yoga. Some people are under the impression
that yoga consists simply of the several steps of pranayama, such
as exhaling(rechaka), inhaling(pooraka), and so on. Some others
consider acts like neti and dhauti (two practices by by which the
nostrils and the stomach are cleansed) to be yoga. Yet others make
it for the vision of stars or the sun and the moon within. If a per-
son succeeds in raising himself howsoever little from his seat, he
is deemed to have attained the very limit of yoga. None of these
is yoga. Even if he fails to do any of these, he may still be a yogi.
Then what is yoga? What is the true nature of the yoga dealt with
in the Shastras and regarded by the wise as helpful in the effort to
realize God?

Yoga is defined as chittavrittinirodhah; that is, it consists of

attaining complete control over the vascillations of the restless
V edanta Sandes h

31

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 Jivanmukta
mind. The process involves eight steps; Self-control(yama), obser-
vance of virtues (niyama), practice of yogic postures (asana), con-
trol of breath (pranayama), withdrawal of the mind (pratyahara),
concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyan), and absorption (sam-
adhi). First, one should master yama, niyama and asana, and only
then proceed with pranayama. Pranayama means the conquest of
prana by practising breath control. The Yoga Sutra describes the
nature of pranayama, which one may attempt after attempting mas-
tery over the yogic postures: “Controlling the movements of inha-
lation-exhalation is called pranayama.” Drawing in the air deeply
(inhaling) in called pooraka; letting it out gradually (exhaling) is
known as rechaka. The complete stoppage of breathing (neither in-
haling or exhaling) is designated as kumbhaka and that is the most
important part of pranayama. Not only the hatha yogis but also the
raja yogis accept pranayama as an essential element of yoga: “The
‘ha’ sound stands for the prana known as Surya (Sun-the presid-
ing diety of the spirit); ‘tha’ signifies Apana, which is called Chan-
dra (Moon-the presiding diety of matter). The union of the two is
called yoga.” From this description of hatha yoga given by its prin-
cipal exponent. Gorakshanatha, it is clear that the particular type
of yoga stops with the attainment of health, lasting youthfulness,
vitalityand longevity. Physical health, however important, is only
physical health. However long a tree might live, it is no more than a
tree. Raja Yoga, therefore, accepts pranayama merely as a means to
an end, namely control of the mind.
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32

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 STORY
Section
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 Shiva’s Curse
A t the time of creation of the universe Brahma created a
woman named Shatarupa to help him with his job of creation. Shataru-
pa was so beautiful that Brahma became completely infatuated with
her and stared at her wherever she went. Shatarupa was embarrassed
by this attention and tried to escape his gaze, but in every direction
that she moved, Brahma sprouted a new head until he had developed
four. The frustrated Shatarupa became desperate and began to jump to
try to escape his gaze. This prompted Brahma to sprout yet another
head on top of the others in order to keep her in sight. He showed his
lordship on her. This unholy behavior and an extra attachment to the
created things of Lord Brahma angered Lord Shiva.
It is said that Shiva admonished Brahma for his “unholy” behav-
ior towards Shatarupa and chopped off his fifth head as punishment.
He effortlessly and by the mere tips of his finger nails, crushed the
head of Brahma.

Brahma had given into the cravings of the flesh and abandoned
the work of the soul and for this Shiva’s curse was that people should
not worship Brahma. The story also goes on to say that Brahma has
been continually reciting the four Vedas ever since as a form of re-
pentance, one from each of his four heads.

Brahma got attached to his own creation and reflected a behav-

iour of indiscrimination by being over powered by that which is born
of maya and is impermanent. Lack of the presence of mind he got
cursed by Lord Shiva so as not to be worshipped.
V edanta Sandes h

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 Mission & Ashram News

Bringing Love & Light

in the lives of all with the
Knowledge of Self
V edanta Sandes h

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35
 Mission News
Gita Gyana Yagna, Baroda

by Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji

Gita Chapter 8 / Kathopanishad 1-3

V edanta Sandes h

5th - 11th Jan 2018

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 Mission News
Satsang at Dubai

by Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji

Om & Ek Omkar
V edanta Sandes h

16th Jan 2018

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 Mission News
Gita Class, Dubai

by Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji

Gita Chapter 1
V edanta Sandes h

17th - 19th Jan 2018

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 Mission News
Gita Satsang, Dubai

by Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji

Karma Yoga
V edanta Sandes h

20th Jan 2018

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39
 Mission News
Stress Talk for Law Students

by Poojya Guruji Swami Atmanandaji

GJ Advani Law College, Dahisar

V edanta Sandes h

27th Jan 2018

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40
 Mission News
Meditation & QnA at Mumbai

by Poojya Guruji Swami Atmanandaji

Vivekananda Auditorium, RK Math, Khar

V edanta Sandes h

28th Jan 2018

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 Mission News
Prerna Talks 2018

by Poojya Guruji & Dr. Sambit Patra

Topic: ,drk ds lw= dh [kkst

V edanta Sandes h

28th Jan 2018

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 Mission News
Talk at Rotary Garden, Dahisar

by Poojya Guruji Swami Atmanandaji

Topic: Be The Inspiration

V edanta Sandes h

29th Jan 2018

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43
 Ashram News
Hanuman Chalisa Satsang: Jan 2018

by Poojya Guruji Swami Atmanandaji

Chaupayi - 22 Continues
V edanta Sandes h

21th Jan 2018 ñ

44
 Ashram News
Ekatma Yatra Arati

by Poojya Guruji Swami Atmanandaji

Rajwada Chawk, Indore

V edanta Sandes h

18th Jan 2018 ñ

45
 Ashram News
Ekatma Yatra Sammelan

by Poojya Guruji Swami Atmanandaji

Gandhi Hall, Indore

V edanta Sandes h

20th Jan 2018 ñ

46
 Ashram News
Shiv-Puja & Abhishek

by Siddharth Arora

Gangeshwar Mahadev, Indore

V edanta Sandes h

15th Jan 2018 ñ

47
 Ashram News
Republic Day Celebration

Flag Hoisting by Pradeep & Rekha Sharma

at Vedanta Ashram
V edanta Sandes h

26th Jan 2018 ñ

48
 Ashram News
Yogi’s Birthday Celebration

Blessings by all Mahatmas

All his delicacies served

V edanta Sandes h

1st Jan 2018 ñ

49
 Genral News
Visit - New Office of Satish Sharma

Sharma Associates - Comprehensive Law Services

The entire family is of Advocates

V edanta Sandes h

28th Jan 2018 ñ

50
 Genral News
Visit to the New House

of Anjali Kapoor & family

Poojya Guruji & Ashram Mahatmas

V edanta Sandes h

20th Jan 2018 ñ

51
 General News
Trip to Sirpur Lake

It is just 4 Kms from Ashram

It is a ‘Important Bird and Biodiversity Area’

V edanta Sandes h

A Preserved & Protected Area ñ

52
 General News
Birds of Sirpur Lake

A BNHS Recognized Place

A lovely, serene & green place

V edanta Sandes h

Great for Walks too ñ

53
 General News
Sirpur Lake Visit

It has Naktas, Moorhens, Hornbills,

Spot-billed Ducks, Egrets, Drongos etc

V edanta Sandes h

Kingfishers, Eagles, Waterhens, Shrikes etc

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 Forthcoming Programs
8th-13th Feb 2018

VEDANTA CAMP@ Ashram

Kaivalya Upa / Shiv-Sankalpa Sukta

All Ashram Mahatmas

23rd Feb-1st Mar 2018

GITA GYANA YAGNA@ Lucknow

Gita Chap-9 / Mundaka Upa 2-1

Poojya Guruji Swami Atmanandaji

5th-11th Mar 2018

GITA GYANA YAGNA@ Amdavad

Gita Chap-4 / Dhyana

Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji

16th-22nd Apr 2018

GITA GYANA YAGNA@ Jalgaon
V edanta Sandes h

Gita Chap-10 / Narada Bhakti Sutra

Poojya Swamini Poornanandaji

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55
 Visit us online :
International Vedanta Mission

Check out earlier issues of :

Vedanta Sandesh

Visit the IVM Blog at :

Vedanta Mission Blog

Published by:
International Vedanta Mission

Editor:
Swamini Samatananda Saraswati