tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292345822024-03-13T03:53:00.961-07:00Anaghs' RamblingsAnagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-69812185608080760382015-09-12T08:58:00.002-07:002015-09-12T09:44:02.934-07:00Para prakriti and Apara prakriti<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been listening to Sri Prem Siddhartha's expositions on the Bhagavad Gita and I am at the place Sri Bhagavan talks about Para and Apara Prakriti.<br />
<br />
Just like Brahman, everyone has attributes of Para and Apara Prakriti.<br />
<br />
The joy you get from watching the sunset is an excellent manifestation of Apara Prakriti. It is a causeless, reasonless bliss.<br />
<br />
I hope to bring Apara Prakriti more actively into my life such that it manifests itself in everything I do. The way I work, the way I interact with people and the way I watch Turiya grow.</div>
Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-25894587059930309682010-03-05T10:25:00.000-08:002010-03-05T10:36:23.721-08:00Conscious BreathingI have been reading "Many Voices" by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Elieen</span> J. Garrett. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Elineen</span> was a really developed and accurate "sensitive". The most remarkable thing about her however was that she wanted to scientifically study her ability and was ever looking forward to ways her psychic abilities could be tested and measured. Below I quote some interesting parts from the book.<br /><br />"When we breathe deeply, for the sake of breathing into our inner self, we will become assured of the self as an individual form moving in freedom within an ocean of observation. It is the simple unification of the self with this external ocean of life which frees one to receive and perceive.<br />I am often asked from whence comes my energy. It comes on the breath - the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">conscious</span> use of breath. "<br /><br />One pushes away the burned-out experience of every breath with the next one. In this way, the past does not crowd upon us. We have shaped and ordered it as a temporary screen than cannot mask us from the route we have to travel when sleep overtakes us.<br /><br />Thus no matter how abstract an idea maybe, if we take it in our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">conscious</span> breath and relate it to ourselves it will be accepted and broken into symbol and imagery, to be "arranged" and coordinated through our senses "<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Conscious</span> breath seems to be the key here ...Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-2431812616955211012010-02-25T09:25:00.000-08:002010-02-25T10:04:06.838-08:00Aakashat patitam toyam sagaram pratigachchatiRecently I watched the Adi Shankaracharya movie in Samskritam after a long long time .. The last time I watched it was on a Sunday afternoon when DD used to broadcast a national movie on Sunday afternoon's. They probably still do it .. but I haven't seen one in more than 10 years.<br />As a funny aside, Naren was watching Mackenna's Gold at the same time. So for a while there it was Old turkey buzzard meets Purnamadah purnamidam before I got my pizza and went to the other room :)<br />There is a one line verse that keeps coming throughout the entire movie - "Aakashat patitam toyam sagaram pratigachchati ( Having fallen from the sky water makes it way toward the ocean ) "<br />At all the critical junctures of his life, Shankara pauses and we hear this in the background, when his dad passes away , when he sees and injured man being killed by superstitious tribal people, when he sees a sick man being thrown out of the village ..<br />The beauty of cinematography ( and of course philosophy ) is such that this simple line is so profound, so moving .. it's impossible to capture in words all the emotions it evokes ( well maybe if you are Hemingway it's a different matter ... )<br />At this time, to me, it symbolized the inevitability of things .. something not to be too happy or too sad about .. something that hints at deep Vairagya .. Perhaps what it means to us will also be partly influenced by where we are in life at that time ...<br />All in all an excellent movie to watch once every few years and like a true classic, always fresh, always inspiring and always holding the secret to eternity.Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-84423257405528833492009-11-06T06:24:00.000-08:002009-11-06T06:39:00.195-08:00Kasya tvam. Kah kuta aayatA verse from Bhajagovindam by Adi Sankara that I loved as soon as I saw it<br /><br />Kaa te kaanta kaste putrah<br /> Samsaro'yam ativa vicitrah<br />Kasya tvam kah kuta ayat<br /> Tattvam cintaya tadiha bhratah<br /><br />Translates to<br /><br />Who is your wife ? Who is your son ?<br /> In this world these are extremely wonderful<br />Of whom are you ? Whence have you come from<br /> Think of this my brother <br /><br />I don't have a keyboard with phonetics to transliterate properly but I hope it's not too hard to read. The only word in the traslation I put that I am not really happy with is wonderful for "vicitrah".<br />We could look up a dictionary to see what it really means, but I suspect that it has several meanings ... In this context I feel it means more like extremely intriguing, something more like - these are really good questions to ask.<br />But the verse itself is so wonderful. Simple, easy to ready and with enough in it to ponder for hours - typical Adi Sankara style ...<br />So the though for the day is<br />"Kasya tvam ? Kah kuta aayat ? " Who are you ? Where from you have come ?!?Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-3294312215335635802008-11-01T17:45:00.000-07:002008-11-01T17:55:49.825-07:00Nagula Chaviti ....I stopped blogging since a while ago ... No deep philosophical thoughts moved me in the last so many months. I guess New York is a better environment or perhaps it is the university life ... So instead of letting my blog die I though perhaps I could write about simple things .. things that I did not think were important before. Like Naren says "when you are out of form, just stay in the context. At least."<br />Today is Nagula Chaviti. I thought it was not a big festival but when I called Saroja atta, she decided to fast and not cut any food today. So I thought atleast let me pray for a while. So for 10 minutes or so I was just chanting "Subramanyam subramanyam, kartikeya subramanyam" from an old yoga camp.<br />The power of chanting is unbelievable. I could feel a perceptive difference. A surge of energy and some real nice peace. No wonder the ISCON people do it so much ...<br />Also the power of Pranayama. Prasad mama made us all do pranayama daily for atleast 3 minutes daily. The minute spent of Kapalabhati was wonderful. Current of energy flowing, vitalizing and the kind of urging to go into meditation ...<br />Simple things, beautiful things, things that get you back in form !Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-43739572597500798172008-02-12T17:31:00.000-08:002008-02-12T17:44:41.789-08:00Tell me about your mystics ....A wise man once said, "Tell me about your mystics and I will tell you how wise your people are ... "<br /><br />Well, this is the same wise (wo)man writing the rest of the post ! But really, of all the achievements of a people it's not the technological, architectural, social, or cultural achievements that sing true praise of them but how many mystics lived among them and how well they treated them.<br /><br />For all other achievements are of no real significance if their relationship with God is not intimate ... Which is why we all should be proud to be Indian !<br /><br />I am interested these days in the religion of Judaism. I would love to know what their mystics were like ...Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-56017888887988947602008-02-11T13:49:00.000-08:002008-02-11T14:06:00.784-08:00Selfish vs selfless ??Since childhood we are taught that selfless activities - like helping people in need, are better than selfish activities - buying tons of candy for yourself !<br /><br />But are these so called selfless activities really selfless ?<br /><br />Some of them are obviously selfish ones - like when rich people give to charity and get extensive coverage for it and some of them are not so obviously selfish - like say in the case of anonymous donors who do not feel comfortable being recognized ....<br />But they remain selfish as long as they derive something out of it - recognition, fame or even a quiet warm feeling deep in your own heart.<br />Is a truly selfless act possible at all ?<br />What about the person whose concept of is self is so all-encompassing that he treats the whole universe as him-self. But wait a minute in that case it becomes a truly selfish act !<br /><br />So I guess there is nothing that is truly selfless ....Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-36635238729489264722008-02-06T20:23:00.000-08:002008-02-06T20:31:21.128-08:00The Path to salvation is a razors edgeThe Path to salvation is a razors edge - So says the Katha Upanishad.<br />Somerset Maugham's razors edge tries to make a story around this. I remember reading this as a kid; and I remember being really impressed by it !<br />I saw the movie just now and I must say that while it was an interesting movie it had nothing to do with the Katha Upanishad or salvation or even a razor's edge ( literally or figuratively)<br />I guess this is what happens when someone tries to write about something they have no clue about !<br />Alas the job of salvation is not a rosy one filled with adventure and drama. Sometimes it's long and tedious and needs tremendous patience. Like the job of a scientist, sifting through a bunch of data ....<br />Or so I assume ...<br />But it is like a razor's edge. It's so easy to go off track and wander for eons !Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-50404532492614078242008-01-29T18:55:00.000-08:002008-01-29T18:59:44.366-08:00Mr Micawber used to say .....What with the economy heading toward a recession(?) and all that I was recently reminded of what Mr. Micawber used to say ...<br /><br />"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."<br /><br />But there are so many interesting things to do with those last six shillings !!!Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-1088367056220538302008-01-20T15:53:00.000-08:002008-01-20T16:12:19.684-08:00The elusive little .....Life is good ... pretty good ... Especially today :) <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Woke up</span> late .. After a marathon of six movies yesterday. Had a great breakfast.<br /><br />And here I am sitting and looking at the great view from my french windows.<br /><br />Everything is great.<br />Everything except for the elusive little that is. The elusive little that will not come except in brief flashes .. rare moments ... only to taunt perhaps ...<br /><br />The elusive little which is not people .... nor <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">possessions</span> ...<br />That which has been captured perhaps by philosophers, poets or mystics ...<br />The elusive little that can be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">unveiled</span> only in your own heart ... and even to speak of it would jinx it forever ...<br /><br />Or perhaps it's just imaginary, it exists only in my mind. Perhaps it's just the product of hours of leisure <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">compounded</span> with scores of satisfied and unsatisfied desires ..<br /><br />Meanwhile here is a great song<br />http://www.raaga.com/channels/telugu/movie/AD000161.htmlAnagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-8937226091393511392008-01-08T14:02:00.000-08:002008-01-08T14:12:09.466-08:00An inexplicable peace ...There are times when an inexplicable peace steals upon us .... for no apparent reason ... and at the most unexpected moments too .... a deep feeling of stillness, calm and rest ... of riding waves of bliss in an ocean of comfort.<br /><br />These moments are so precious that sometimes I feel that thinking about them even will take away the sweetness and the best thing that can be done is to just BE.<br /><br />These are the defining moments of life and the only ones worth living for ...Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-48335593930742585692008-01-02T11:40:00.000-08:002008-01-02T11:55:56.461-08:00Resolutions .....<span style="font-family: arial;">Sometimes when things are going good vacation, new year's resolutions, party's all look like a big colossal waste of time ..<br />At other times when you've been slacking off for a while and have nothing to show, New Year is a good time to make some resolutions ..<br />Even if you are not going to follow all of them, it's good to make some ... They remain somewhere at the back of your mind and keep reminding you of the "miles to go before you sleep " !<br />My new year resolutions<br />1. To become more disciplined - Either you control the mind or it controls you ...<br />2. Spend more time in solitude - The only single unchangeable goal of any human is to find God. You may word it differently or define God differently but this is only true quest, the final quest that puts an end to all other quests ..<br />3. Loose weight - It's like in Miss Congeniality where all the beauty pageant participants keep wishing for "world peace ". Sandra Bullock's has to add "world peace" at the end of her speech coz though it's almost impossible it sounds good on paper.<br /><br /></span>Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-41951403450104900342007-05-24T11:42:00.000-07:002007-05-24T12:09:09.448-07:00Hola everyone ..It's good to be back blogging after a long long break.<br /><br />I've read about 10 Calvin and Hobbes in the last one month and was just writing about how I got kidnapped from the Brooklyn bridge by Martians.<br /><br />I had most of my stuff down when my computer unexpectedly switched off :(<br /><br />So that was that and the true story of my trip to Mars and how well I was treated there is lost forever....<br /><br />They have high speed internet on Mars and I could read stuff - but unfortunately the keyboards are all Martian and if I would have written anything it would have just looked gibberish. Also, they have a firewall so we cannot access Martian sites from here ...<br />All in all it was a good trip, but it's great to be back.<br />Missed my room, my couch and most of all the atmosphere - there isn't any oxygen in the atmosphere in Mars so we Earthies have to continuously wear a mask there ...Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-19007418911635643912007-04-19T16:39:00.000-07:002007-04-19T16:40:08.741-07:00An interesting article by Paramahamsa Yogananda<a href="http://www.crystalclarity.com/content.php?page=pyarticle2">http://www.crystalclarity.com/content.php?page=pyarticle2</a>Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-3457374660186967622007-04-15T17:01:00.000-07:002007-04-15T18:00:46.211-07:00Forced disillusionment ....Today I saw <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Deepa</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Mehta's</span> "Water".<br /><br />It portrays the life of widows in the early 19<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> century in India. Widows were denied even the most simple pleasures of life and forced into a life of piety for their "sins" that brought upon them such a fate. The could not touch other people at times, they could not laugh aloud, they were forced to keep their head's shaved and wear only white. They could not even eat what they wanted. They were forced to live a life of so called "sanctity" so that they could achieve a better "life" in future lives :)<br /><br />There is one old widow "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bua</span>" whose desires and dreams are so childlike, like someone whose life just stopped years ago. Her only memory in her entire life is of her wedding and all the different sweets that she got to eat. White, round <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">rosogulla's</span>, piping hot <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Gulab</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">jamun's</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">jalebi's</span> ... And her only desire is eat a sweet. Daily she craves for a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ladoo</span>, so childlike is the the fevour, intensity and simplicity of her desire ....<br /><br />At her deathbed the only thing she can think of is eating a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">ladoo</span>. Not God, not heaven, not even a better life in future.<br /><br />No society with all it's "age-old wisdom" can force this fate on anyone. Like Vivekananda says <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">existence</span> goes "from truth to higher truth". Even if God himself came down in all his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">infinite</span> beauty and grace it is of no use to her; she only wants a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">ladoo</span>.Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-13338873327414918142007-04-10T19:09:00.000-07:002007-04-10T20:48:23.386-07:00The Laws of Karma ....I see a lot of comments on the blog. Thanks all ... I've been busy winding up my thesis ... But here is an interesting (?) question ...<br />Is the law of Karma the same always ? Or is it slightly dependent on the circumstances ? Is it the same if a person stole money for medicne for a sick child and if someone stole for not so dire a need, like say have a party.<br />How do we define dire? If we think of it really, nothing is so dire. If the child died, he would be born again ...<br />And if it's all in the mind maybe I have the same dire need to have the party that the other person has to save his child. This is not so funny given how important people think their social status is.<br />So does that make stealing in both these cases of equal karmic significance?Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-22962062021026461212007-04-05T18:17:00.000-07:002007-04-05T18:26:40.250-07:00The Mind !The mind is the single biggest friend or the worst enemy ever that you can have.<br /><br />About and hour ago I was terribly worried over something work related. I imagined all the bad things that could ever happen, worked up more worry, more worry and finally get frustrated of it all.<br />Then I sat for a while and read a bit from one of Babaji's books. And then I calmed down. And felt a lot better.<br />None of the circumstances have changed, since I started worrying ... All my "troubles" are still as existant or non-existant as they ever were ...<br /><br />The fear of something is always worse than the thing itself. I am sure everyone know's what I'me talking about.<br />The mind should be given just enough freedom not too little not too much.Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-16757618608835654052007-04-04T12:49:00.000-07:002007-04-04T13:06:24.728-07:00SatguruOnly recently am I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">beginning</span> to understand the real significance of the Guru in one's life. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sadguru</span> is like the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">conscience</span> amplified. He's the one that's been there, done that ... He knows the forest and all it's ways. He also knows you and knows how best to coax and convince you. He can be a taskmaster if needed, or he can be a personification of love.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Yogananda's</span> guru <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Sri</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Yukteshwara</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Giri</span> is an excellent example of an ideal Guru.<br /><br />Then there is the Guru <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">tatva</span>. Like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Dattatreya</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Babaji</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">SriKrishna</span> and anything in the universe that you learn something from, an ant - industrious and persistent, the sunset - surreal and awe-inspiring, mountains - eternal and unwavering ...<br /><br />Then there are people like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Ekalavya</span> or the little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Dhruva</span> whose Guru's are mostly in their head!<br /><br />Anything that inspires you to "a better <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">existence</span>" has the guru <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">tatva</span>.<br /><br /><br />The grace of the guru-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">tatva</span> can bestow a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">satguru</span> who can "hold my hand" to eternity ...Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-76801486149268390922007-03-26T13:04:00.000-07:002007-03-26T14:01:01.671-07:00Ramayan vs MahabharatAll along, I used to think that the Mahabharata is a much more interesting story than the Ramayana because it is so much more a developed plot.<br /><br />More drama, more action. The villans have a streak of good, the good guys some bad qualities. Like the danaveera Karna,<br />Like Dharmaraj Yudhishtira who can gamble away his wife ..<br /><br />God himself is so much more flamboyant as Krishna than as Rama.<br />Cuter, naughtier....<br />Varied relationships to different people. The darling baby of Yashoda .. Eternal sweetheart to Radha and the Gopika's .. Different even to his wives .. obedient and almost docile to Satyabhama .. the Lord of her heart to Rukmini ..<br />The best friend of Arjuna ... Philosopher and Guide to the Pandava's ....<br /> a special friend to Draupadi.<br />So much variety, so much romance ..<br />Rama on the other hand (except for a couple of days when Kaikaie lost her composure) pretty much ruled the show. Obedient brothers, obedient wife, sages who respect him and shower boons and divine weapons ...<br />God he must have been bored !<br />And bored I certainly was.<br />Too much of Sattva is not good for us ordinary mortals I thought! Untill today when I saw the episode of Sabari once more.<br />Sabari's story is like fresh pure honey. A single taste - Sweetness.... Like a pitcher of pure milk, a single colour - White. A single emotion - Love.<br />Simple pure and intense.<br />How else can a story of half eaten fruit being offered to the Lord become immortal. Perhaps this is what He was referring to when he said<br />"patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktyA prayacchati / tad-aham bhakty-upahRtam aSnAmi prayatAtmanaH "<br /><br />And then he teaches the "Ninefold path to devotion" to Sabari as follows:<br /><br />1. Fellowship with saints<br />2. Fondness for legends of the Lord<br />3. Selfless service to the Guru's lotus feet<br />4. Hymns to the Lord's virtues with a guileless heart<br />5. Chanting the lords name with steadfast faith<br />6. Practice self-governanace and detachment<br />7. See the world as one with the lord and rever Saints higher than the Lord<br />8. Contentment with what one has and not find fault with others even in a dream<br />9. Simplicity and honesty in everything. Have faith in the lord with neither exultation nor depressionAnagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-37618720038935819222007-03-23T13:00:00.000-07:002007-03-23T13:14:53.021-07:00Shame on the Indian Cricket TeamIndians can never be systematic. Poor fitness levels, laziness, erratic performance and total unpredictability.<br />Either there is a miracle and one (or 2) guys win the match for the team or they loose. It has never happened that everyone systematically does his bit.<br /><br />Not just in Cricket. In everything I guess ..<br />I either work 15 - 16 hrs for 3 or 4 days and finish my work or do not work at all. Never have I consistently worked for 6- 8 hrs for even a week :(<br /><br />Shame shame shame. A totally indisciplined people ...Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-58108848033692360802007-03-21T12:01:00.000-07:002007-03-21T12:30:06.842-07:00The Ashwathama episodeToward the end of the Kurukshetra war, Ashwathama uses the Brahmastra on the unborn child of Abhimanyu to end the Pandava dynasty. Before that he killed all the Pandavas' children in the dead of the night in stealth, breaking all the rules of war that Bhishma had framed.<br />His rationale for this is that the Pandava's themselves had broken several rules and they killed all the Kaurava heroes by cheating. Which is true. Drona was disarmed by a lie and killed when he had cast away his bow and arrows and was grieving for his son. Karna was unlawfully killed. So why not the upapandava's ? And why not the unborn baby ?<br />Krishna revives the baby and curses Aswathama to eternal pain from a festering wound on his forehead. Why ? Why ? Why eternity ?Is'nt God supposed to be merciful and ever-loving. What kind of a curse is this ? Eternity ... ETERNITY !!!<br />Why did he refuse to not use wepons himself and then use all kinds of trechery and devious means to kill the Kaurava warriors ? And why was Aswathama cursed so ? Why is there a Brahmastra that can destroy the universe and why is he cursed for using it ?<br />Why is there a right and wrong and a complex dharma defining it if at the end of it whatever 'God' does is right and most other stuff is wrong ?Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-37978928697936325362007-03-17T17:31:00.000-07:002007-03-17T17:36:37.564-07:00Importance to idlenessIdleness is useful, important and periods of utter inactivity are totally necessary in life. My most recent bout to total idleness (99.999% idle from the past 6 months) made me realize what I want from my existance.<br />Dont get pulled into this whirlpool of activity. Dwell in idleness with no planned activity, nothing at all to do ....<br />You will learn some important truth's about life and maybe get a glimpse of God.<br />I've been much at peace ...Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-55431747061727267732007-03-16T13:22:00.000-07:002007-03-16T13:45:38.993-07:00Like a water droplet on a lotus leaf ....Karna in the Mahabharata is like "a water droplet on a lotus leaf " or like mercury in the plam to give a more modern analogy, cohesive, contained in his Self ... In the world yet not of the world ..<br /><br />Inspite of the really negative company of Duryodhana, Dushasana and Skahuni he is relatively righteous. Everyone makes one or two mistakes, Bhishma made some, Drona made some and so did he. Big deal !<br /><br />On one hand we have Arjuna who falters at every step and has to be practically handheld by the Lord and on the other hand we have Karna who gives his everything away in charity, to mortals and immortals .. forgives his mother who cast him away as a baby .. protects his brothers by never letting them know that he is one of their own .. and dies the most glorious death on the battlefield, forsaken by mother Earth, forsaken by his Guru, forsaken by his very father the Sun God ... brave and alone ... fighting his destiny to the very end ...<br /><br />No mortal man or immortal God can ever bear up such a burden so well as him, neither Arjuna nor Bhishma neither Devendra nor Surya. Even Krishna himself cannot inspire such awe and respect for he has no destiny to fight against, neither adversity, nor sorrow, nor a glorious divine heritage of the Kuru dynasty that was denied to him. He is perhaps the most admirable character in the entire Mahabharata, and certainly one worth emulating.Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-29110989825746885092007-03-15T13:58:00.000-07:002007-03-15T14:03:37.878-07:00my favourite line from todays mahabharatKrishna's rationale to Yudhistir for telling a lie that Ashwatthama is dead ... "When the ocean of milk is churned, there is Vish along with Amrut. The one who can drink the Vish is Lord Shiva !" If the Pandava's would have told the lie without the backing of Krishna it would have been a great adharma, now it is'nt ! So I guess the only important thing in life is identifying Krishna ... Whatever else you do, if you can do this ... that's it ...Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29234582.post-55199200577918839902007-03-14T16:36:00.000-07:002007-03-14T16:38:07.188-07:00From Babaji's Mysticism unlockedNot for the sake of the child is the child dear,<br /> the child is dear for the sake of the self.<br /> Not for the sake of the wife is the wife dear,<br />not for the sake of the husband is the husband dear<br />the wife is dear for the sake of the Self - so also the husband<br />This is the Truth<br /><br />So true ... Else all children would be equally dear .. all wives and husbands ..<br />all Mothers and all Fathers ..<br />all Selves would be One's self.<br />Then there would be no need for dharma for there would be no adharma. There would be no necessity to weigh actions as just or unjust, no need to discriminate between good and bad....<br /><br />Would there ?Anagha Mudigondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418218360092487914noreply@blogger.com0