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106 views134 pages

English Book With Cover Back Radha Krishna Final

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tp.extrawork
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE HOLY BOOK OF HINDU RELIGION

Genesis of Hindu Religion . The Basic Tenets of Hindu


Retigion
. Smriti Sastra - Frequen y asked questions . The Vedic Religion
of Hinduism & Veda HymnsoLord Krishna and The Bhagvad
Gita & Gita Hymns o Daily prayer Must for a Hindu
- . Bhajan_
Chanting of Lord's praise. Heaven & Hell . ldolWorship
. Caste
System o Manu Smriti . Upanisads. Vishnu,s ten incarnations
o
Bhagavan Mahavir . Sankaracharya. Hindu Monk
Swami
Vivekananda & His philosophy o Meaning of important
Hindu
words

Hindu Religlous & CharitableTrust

1
Contents

Page No.

t. Genesis oI Hindu Beligion 5


2. The BasicTenets of Hindu religion I
3. Smriti Sastra - Frequently asked questions 11

4. The Vedic Religion of Hinduism & Veda Hymns 42

5. Lord Krishna & Gita Hymns 75

6. Daily Prayer - Must for a Hindu 97

7. Bhaian Chanting of Lod's praise


- 1V2

8. Heaven & Hell 1m


o ldolWorship 105

10. Caste System 109


11. Manu Smriti 'I 15
,
12. Upanisads 117

13. Vishnu's ten lncamations 119

14. Bhagavan Mahavir 12.


15. Sankaracharya 123
16. Hindu Monk SwamiVivekananda & His philosophy 125
't7. Meaning of important Hindu words 1n
Author's Note

the Hindu scriptures


The Holy Book of Hindu Beligion is a glimpse from
Select readings
and is culled from the enormous volume ol Hindu literature'
p.ayei.slo lshwara
from the scriptures, a devout Hindu needs for his daily
havebeenincludedinthisvolume.lfanyonecancontributetheoriginal
and authentic manuscript connected with the Hindu
Religion' he may give
it to the publisher for possible incorporation in
the next editions'
the revelations
Sanatana Dharma is a gift ol lshwara to humanity through
allother religions
ol many messiahs (Rishies) and savants (Munis) While
of enhancing
are surviving on the charisma ol one man, single doctrine
other spiritual paths' Hinduism
supporters base and does not recognize
to worship as
has a liberal tradition. lt gives its members the full freedom
they wish without any interference from pseudo religious
bigots The author
of the mankind and
has only taken dictation from Him for the benefit
Book of Hindu
takes no credit whatsoever for writing or editing The Holy
Religbn.
them bliss and
May lshwara bless the readers ol this book and conler on
success in life. I

Prof. Dr. Satyaiit Chakrabarti


Trustee
Hindu Religious & Charitable Trust

4
I
GENESIS OF HINDU RELIGlON

The essence of Hinduism as a religion is about 2O,OOOl years old. lt is


the first religion of human civilization.
Three main prophets, who propoundedthe ISHWARA,s sermons to the
wotld,werc BRAMHA, lvho hailed lrom central lndia, B/SH /lJ (also known
as Narayan for Lord Venkateshwara or Lord Balaji) came from South
lndiaand MAHESWARA (He is also called Shiva / Rudra / Sankara) who
hailed from Kashmi i.e. North lndia.
These IBIAO revelations were so powerful and their contribution was so
vast that their messages influenced the lndian subcontinent and many
other counlries. Even in those ancient days when communication in any
form was very poor, their message travelled far and wide and was
established as Sanatana Dharma.
These three messiahs are called Adi-Devatas and they are the three
main founders oI lhe Sanatana Dharma laler known as Hindu religion.
They revealed Vedas.
Hinduism is not based on a single book; nor is its origin attributed to any
human being. The Hindus call the VEDAS as ApOtJRLtSHEyAM - which
means not authored by PURUSHAoT MAN, man being merely an instrument
of God to spread his words.
Hinduism is a name given by central Asians to describe the civilization
on the eastern bank of the river Sindhu. They pronounced ,S,as ,H'and
described the residents of the eastem bank of the riverSindhu as Hindus.
They invaded lndia, b€came its rulers and the name given by them became
popular.Around 4500 B.C. to 3500 B.C. north western boderwas attacked
by the horse mounted invaders. Gradually they invaded almost whole of
lndia.

The originaf name of the Hindu religion was SANATANA DHARMA and
Vedic religion is its principal philosophy.The people who came to lndia as
invaders and rulers gradually intermingled with the local population and
adopted the basics of th6 Hindu philosophy and lost theirforeign identity.

5
The God of the Hindus is known as ,shwara. lshwaraislhe one supreme
entity. He is absolute, all pervasive and eternal. He has no beginning and
no end. He has no form, colour or description. He is the creator, the cause
ol all causes. He is all powerful and does not require any subordinates to
carry out his desire.
/shu/ara sends messiahs (Devalas) to various regions o, the earth in human
form to benefit His creation as a reflection ol His greatness. These
messiahs are called Devaras in some of the lndian languages.
Devotees pray to /st wara and celebrate the life, deeds and teachings of
Devatas in temples. Devatas are essentially human beings with
supernatural power.Their manifestations, however, were bound by their
historical period, social settings and geographical location.
Ordinary human beings go to the idol ol Devata in temples. An idol is not
only an object of worship by the devotee but it becomes the centre of
concentration through intense prayerclo lshwara.
One who has read and grasped the Vedas i.e. one who is knowledgeable
in the inner meaning ol religious philosophy, has no need to worship an
idol. He/she has already realized the true nature of ,shwara and the futility
of idol worship.
,shwara alone deserves our prayer. /shlvara is omnipresent, omnipotent
and not bound by boundaries ol the earth or the solar system. All human
beings come to Him with their prayers and their rituals.
The Hindus during the early history of Sa natana Dhama,were monotheists
and believed in one lshwara. Hindus leamt idolworship lrom the dazzling
urban civilization of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. The residents of
Mohenjodaro and Harappa were worshippers o, the Sun-God, Lord Shiva-
linga, Mother Goddesses and some animal totems etc.
This idol worship was the resultant lnfluence of Mesopotamian (Egyptian)
and Sumerian (Persian) civilizations. During that period "Cuneiform'was
used as the script lor communication in Harappa and Moheniodaro as
well as in Mesopotamia (Egypt). Cuneilorm script was lull of pictures of
idols.The Harappan and Mohenjodaro civilizations flourished priorto 1475
B.C. Hindu scripture records that in the year 1475 B.C. there was a huge
6
undersea earthquake which created very high sea waves and the high
water level ,looded the river Sindhu and its embankments. Harappa,
Mohenjodaro etc. were covered with mud. When the water receded men,
animals and vegetation perished almost instantly and were buried under
thick layers ol mud.
The urban civilization of Harappa and Moheniodaro used plenty ottimber
for construction and lurniture making. Wood was used in a big way for
building work and maintaining the civilization. lt caused delorestation.
Deforestation altering the ecological balance became nature's curse and
contributed to the extinction oI the Harappan and Mohenjodaro civilizations.

ldol worship is actually the hero worship of DevatadMessiahs. Deyatas


were essentially human beings and that is why sometimes the Deyata ot
one region is not worshipped in other regions- Howerr'er, ,sf,wara accepts
all the prayer, be it in any manner or in any name.
During the early Rik Vedic period the practice of caste system, child
marriage or Sati Daha were unknown, though division ot labour was in
vogue. One member of a tamily may be teaching and preaching, another
could be engaged in warfare, at the same time the third lrom the same
family may be an artisan. lnter-marriage and interchange of profession
were normally accepted in the society.
Women were equally involved in Vedic learning. Apala, Ghosa, Viswabara,
Lopamudra, Bisakha and others were tamous erudite ladies of the early
Vedic period. Women had their own choice and say in the matter of marriage.
Women also learnt the technique of weaponry and took part in warfare.
One famous woman General of warfare was Mudgalani. Ladies used to
be partners of their husbands in all walks of life.
Primariry the Hindus are monotheist and believe in an alFpowe ul lshwara.
/SHIUABA is also kn own as Devathey, Devadu,lshwaran,Kadavul,lraivan.
The Deyafas are respegted as human heroes and heroines wih supefiuman
abililies, as though possessed ol some of the qualities o'f lshwara.

7
lrotes .-
1
) The great histo an and authot Kalkut, in his historical treatise PRITHA pudished by
Mandal Book House, 78/1, Mahatna Gandhi Road, Kolkata - 700 009 , lNDlA, wrote in
page 26 that hislorically when Kaliyug was 3179 yeasold,ldian year@mnng Saka&ah,
i.e., yeat countjng ftom the tme ol King Kaniska started.ln the year A.D 2oos it is 1927
SakaMah. Thus as on date, age ol Kalyug is apprcximately 51 06 (3179+1 927) years,
say 5W yeas. We know Satyaug bmmerrced when Bramha, Bishnu and Maheswaa
got revelation and propounded Sanatana Oharma. There are tourYugs which go on
cyclically in human evolution. They are Satyayug, Tretayug Draparyug and Kaliyug.
Each yug having an aDrcximate time period of SOOO years.Thus Sanalana Dharma is
existing awrcximately for littie ovet 2O,OOO years. We arc at the end ol the Kaliwg and
Hindus can reasonably expect the advancement ol Satyayug. ln Satyayug all human
beings are provided with basic necessifes ol lile i.e., food, shelbr and clothing. A men
and women rcmain tnJthful in all their aclivities, they have positive attitude. All people live
in hamony with mutual rcspect and love for each other.
2) Smte Hindu philosophet saint strongly believe that Bramha, Bishnu and Maheswara
arc three dilfeent manifestatons ol the same tomless lshwara.
THE BASIC TENETS OF HINDUISM

1 Acquire knowledge and do not be guilty of innocence. One only


has the right to perform one's task to the best ol his/her abilities
giving up attachment and concem;the result will be proportionate
to lhe etfort and circumstances.
2 Charity should be a gifl, without expectation of any return. lt
should be given atthe right time, place and to a worthy person or
worthy cause.
The human body is like a boat, the tirst and foremost use of
which is to carry one, across the ocean of life, to the shore of
immortality. lshwaru has ordained transmigration of soul i.e.
mortal takes birth again and again and enioys fate as a lruit of
the consequence ot his actions in this life as well as that of his
previous births. Accidents, unexplained mishaps as well as super
successes to one or a group of people is a result of such
accumulated sins or virtues ol previous births.
4 One shall lo\re lshwara with heart, soul, and all his strength.
Any one who shows disrespect lo lshwara is an enemy of the
humanity.
One should not kill, commit adultery steal or lie or covet others
property and must live a life of honesty, be ol an amiable
disposition and do hard work.
6 One who forgives men of their trespasses and sins, lshwarawill
forgive him of his sins.
7 One should sharpen his mentalpoweras it it were an arrow which
can reach the cause of sorrow and be its ultimate end.
8 One need not know Mantra or Stotra to pray. lnvocation or
contemplation is not mandatory. One needs only to open up one's
heart to /siwara. No priest is needed.
9 The soul is immorlal i.e. life is recyclable. The body perishes
with death butthe soul remains unperturbed.The soulcannot be
cut by sword or burnt by fire.

I
10 Life is an etemal struggle between the forces of good and evil.
One should be very careful with his thought and words so as not
to hurt a good man.
11 One should never give way to the deadly emotions of anger,
envy, lear and grief. Always be optimistic about /shlvara's long-
term plan and believe that everything will come out all right in the
end.
Everyone comes naked into the world and departs in the same
way. During this short period of life one must work to make his
environment better so that when he leaves this world, it remains
a better place than what he had found.

13 Every thing in this universe is the creation of lshwara and every


one has equal rights and responsibilities to use /sflwal'a's gifts.
ln the realm of ,shlvara, no one has a higher claim.

14. It is incumbent upon all persons above the age ol ten to pray to
/shwara at least twice a day (ln the morning chant Manlras and
pray for the success of the day's plan and in the evening chant
Mantra and lhank lshwara for the success achieved and introspect
for all that failed). O ne musldo Pranayama at least for ten minutes
in a day.

15. One must organise or attend Bhoi Utsav in lull moon night once
in a month.
.16
At least once in a week every one should go to a common place
i.e. temple and pray jointly with the community members. The
priest should conduct prayer and should discuss the meaning of
at least five slokas from the Gita, Veda Shastras and Upanisad
and explain how their essence can help mankind of today.

'10
SMRIT! SHASTRA
(Fr€quenUy asked questions)

Smriti Shastra is a book on question-answers about the conduct of


daily life. This is lrom memory (i.e. Smriti) of various Hindu
SHASIBAS and sayings of great Hindu saints. There is more than
one version of SMRITI SHASTRA.

Q1. What is the test of true faith in lshwara ?


Ans A faithfuldevotee will have courage as a way oflife Courage is
not something that comes llying to one's heart in a momenl ol
need or in emergencies. Courage is not something that can be
handed over to a person through lessons lt is as much a habit
as anything else. Courage is a part of character, which can be
formed through prayer and absolute submission to the will of
,shwara. A true believe(in tshwaraknows that nothing can stand
against the divine and that eveMhing will come out afl right in
the end. A true religious person takes action courageously in
spite ot fear.
o2. What is God ?
Ans. God is ,sf,wara. ln Hindu religion it is depicted by the word 'Om'
and symbol ' 3i '. lsfiwara is an indivisible One being omnipotent
to do every thing and is the cause of all causes As He is all-
powerful, he does not require assitance to fulfill his wish He is
existing from the beginning of time and is endless lshwara did
not require a parent to take birth and his name is not given by
parents. lt is a name given by human devotees' Thus' lhe nam€
ot ,shr4/ara is not very significant.
Q3. What is the difference between lshwaraand Devata?
Ans lshwara is indivisible one having all the power to do everything
and is the cause of all causes Devatas are essentially human
beings sent to earth by ,shwara as prophets' lshwara, out ol his
kindnessand love, sends his messengers to the world as teachers
and saviours, who through their own examples, guide and

11
illuminate the mind ol the masses and make the world a betteF
and safer place to live. They enioy the reflected glory of /shwara.
Followers ot Devata are aclually followers ol lshwara. ln lhe
personitication ol Devata, they find the messenger of /sf,wara.
And they showertheir respect, gratitude and admiration in various
forms. Some make idols, some chant their name, and some
compose folk songs in their reverence - Devta arc loved as the
chosen ones of lshwara. ll is believed that they also answer to
the prayers. However, best result is obtained by loud prayer direc{y
lo lshwara regularly in chorus, i.e. rcciting Mantras (Hymns) in
the morning and evening. Chanting Mantras takes ten minutes a
day but protects one for the eternal lite.
Q4. lf /sfiwara is Supreme, is not it an insultto lshwaeil Devatasarc
worshipped ?
Ans. ln the Gita it is said that /shwara is supreme and is alFpowerlul
and He is so immense that He is not bothered in positive or
negative ways even if you worship His messengers i.e. Deyalas
in place ol Him.*

*Note
: An exampte - A respectable and powerful person will never be
bothered whether a small creature like an ant shows respect to
him or to his subordinates. Similarly lshwara is not bothered if
one shows respect to Devata. Howerer, compaison between an
ant and a man is not correct. lshwara is iinfinitely greater than a
human being. He shows mercy and not anger. However, direct
prayer to lshwara is always better and rewarding.

12
Q5. When we feeldejected by the selfish world, what is the best way
to be fully spiritual ?
Ans. A synergy between activities and spiritualism is the key to one,s
existence in this world. By one's activities and hard toil we shall
construct the temple of /sl,r4lara that shall soar above the clouds.
lshwara shall reside in that temple with all His glories. /sfiwara
has glven everybody sense, strength, nerves, muscles and
emotions. Why has this world been created by /shwara in all its
varieties and diversilies? lshwarahas apurpose and an objective.
lf one tries to isolate himself from daily activities and etforts, it
shall be an act ol eldreme spiritual selfishness. lt will deprive
one of the love ol lshwara. The temple ol lshwara is the place
where people can enjoy peace and get theteeling of being fulJilled
from nothingness. /shwara has no statue or idol.
Q6. What is the manilestation of /shl4/ara when the time began ?
Ans. Darkness was concealed in darkness then, and all that existed
was - indiscriminate chaos. The one, which was covered by the
void was manifested. The one is /shwara, whose grace created
all that moves and all that are static, that walks,swims and flies.
That formless reality which lies hidden within is lshwara.
Q7. What is the actual n ame ol lshwara? How does he motivates His
creation ?
Ans. That reality which lies hidden in mystery is where the universe
finds one single home. ln that reality all unites, from that all
emerges. The one Lord has no name. Sages called Him /shwara.
Prophets came to the earth in human lorm to motivate His
creations. Prophets rellection o, His greatness. They are known
as Devatas. Pious persons pray lo lshwara and celebrate the
life, deed and the teachings of Deyatas in temples.

Q8. Do we need to go to temple daily ? What should the priest do ?


Ans. Visiting temple regularly and chanting the Lord,s prayer in chorus
gives mental strength and ensures divine protection.

The priest should conduct the chorus of prayer and explain the

I.J
meaning of at least live slokas from Veda/Upanisad/Gita and
other Hindu texts. Devotees will get guidance from these hymns
in solving their problems. The priest should act as a triend
philosopher and guide to the Hindu society and should
continuously try to improve the society's ethical and material
comfort level.
o9. Do we need to do puia to the deity and pay the priest ?

Ans Chanting prayer is more fruitful, compared to the offering of puia


to the deity. Otfering puia is not mandatory' Priest's financial
needs are to be appreciated and a respectable amount should be
given to encourage highly qualilied and capable people to ioin
the profession of priesthood. Good priests make good society'
Q10 How should a funeral be for a devout Hindu ?

Ans. Fire is considered to be one lonn ol ParamAtman. Thus the


body should be put on fire so that Atman and ParamAtman
become one. However, the law of the land should be followed'
o 11. What should be the true method of Hindu marriage ?
Ans. Atrue Hindu maniage is a happening between a man and woman
and solemnized as per law ot the land and complying with the
local custom.
Q12 How should one be punished for being disloyal to the spouse'
And how should one be punished tor adultery ?
Ans. Disloyalty to the spouse is a breach ol faith. There are many
types of breach oI taith, e.g. between employer-employee, tax
payer{ax collector, government ofricer and the public, etc'
Punishment applicable for breach of laith also should be applicable
here. Law must prevail equally.
Adultery is a case ol cheating on the spouse and the law of
cheating should be aPPlicable.
Q13 lf a rape takes place what is the punishmenl ?

Ans. Rape is a violence of extreme severity and punishment should


be in accordance with the violence
14
o 14. Which person deserves heaven ?
Ans. To reach heaven, a Hindu is expected to chant hymns (manlras)
twice daily. At least for ten minutes he should do Pranayama
and associate himself with Bhoj Utsav.
A person who works hard to earn a living, who helps others to
earn a living, is not greedy, acquires the knowledge of scriptures
with devotion and follows it in his own life, is the right person to
go to heaven.

o 15. How should one be treated in heaven who helps build or maintain
a temple for lhe use of public ?
Ans One who builds a temple for public or spends money or energy
lortemple maintenance, lshwarakeeps a house for such person
in heaven.

Q16 How is the position of /shrara and Satan in the Universe ?


Ans. lshwara is ultimate absolute happiness and Satan is
pain.Followers ol lshwara lead a happy life, give ioy to all and
enioy etemalheavenly pleasure. Followers of Satan lead a violent,
covert and dirty life and inject pain on who so ever comes in
contact with them and are destined to Hell. Followers of Satan
snatch wealth. Followers of /srwara earn a living by dint o, hard
workand by giving seMce to /shwards creation. Satian is a human
concept, where as lshwara is the eternal truth.
Q 17 ls it a requirement for a person lo be a Bramhachari lo be a
priest?
Ans. A priest should be a well educated, enlightened person o, selfless
positive attitude with patience to hear the problems. He should
have intelligence to giv6 solutions and comfort lo the problem -
ridden person. Bramhacharya is not an added qualification.
Melodious voice to recite hymns is an added qualilication.
Bramhacharyais an attitude of lile and nothing more.

Q 18. Why in ancient days many Rishi's took Bramhacharya ?

Ans. Rishies were those people who had a great thrust for knowledge

15
They used to go lo various parts of the world in search of right
toacher passessing true knowledge. There were no schools'
colleges or books at that time. Teachers used to teach students
verlcally in their hermitage for a long period ol time. ln many
instances teacher along with his disciples had to move around
the nook and comer ol the country braving harsh climate, ferocious
animals and some carnivorous people of the rorest. Under these
circumstances, it was ditficult to move with family, children etc
through forest and river. Most of the people were of low income
group and lower savings. lt was hard to make provision for the
family, when the seeker of knowledge had gone to dislant places
fora long period of absence. Thus seekers of knowledge generally
used to take Bramhacharya lo avoid financial obligations ot a
family life. People showered great respect to these Bramhachari
i.e. Blshls for their great knowledge.

Q 19. What is the need to study the scripture oI the religious books ?
Ans. All scriptures were written with inspiration from lshwara.Fhese
books stand as the pole star of life and protect one lrom taking
wrong decisions.

o 20. Why does /shlvara give adversity ?


Ans. lshwara has given human beings their limbs, intelligence and
conscience. Adversity causes some oI them to lose laith in
lshwara. I shwara lests people through adversity.

o21 There were many impodant people of the society, who sacrificed
the interest and security ol lhe vast majority ol the mass on
being allured by foreign power with material gain or, to satisfy
their personal vengeance on the king of the land. How these
people should be treated ?

Ans Unlortunately these people are invariably very cunning, mighty


or inlluential who can confuse the mass with their treacherous
gift ol the gab. You treat these persons of meanest treachery in
the same way you will treat a person who sells your mother in a

to
flesh trade. lf you cannot master the courage to act, a dark cell
in the hell is waiting for you.

Q22. When a corrupted man lives better, why does /shwara order man
to be honest?
Ans. A corrupt man eats better, an honest man sleeps better_ An honest
man with integrity, enjoys a happy life. His chitdren are blessed.
o 23. How should great achievers behave ?
Ans. They should pray to lshwara"lelme not say or do anything which
will annoy you".
Q24 What should be the place of women in family and society?
Ans. To flythe body, a bird needs to have equalstrength in both wings.
Similarly, a woman and a man should have equal position in all
lamily and social matters for all round happiness.
o 25. Do we please /shwa raby taking Sannyas i.e. renunciation of the
worldly affairs ?
Ans. Sannyas means renouncing worldly affairs and working forone's
own spiritual upliftment. Spiritual selfishness is the most extreme
form ol selfishness. There is a unique system embedded in all
human society that prevents onefrom becoming an outright selfish
person. It is this inherent system that makes one interested in
the welfare ol others even when one tries to protect his own
interests. ln fact, it is not possible to protect ones own interest
without taking care of the interests ol others. lt is this collective
interest, which always navigates one to protect the self as well
as the interest of others. Even narrow personal interest gradually
merges and unites with that of their children, their lamilies, their
neighbours and theircountry and the world at large. ln this world
work is the only worship which pleases lshwara_ Sannyas is
selfish escapism.
Q26 Why do we need Bramcharya? Who needs it ?
Ans. During studentship, the mind should be concentrated on learning
and Bramchatya helps to concentrate.
A person who takes a vow to free himself of all worldly attractions
17
of li{e, is expected to practice control over his sensual organs
and various daily needs. Bramhacharya is a part of renunciation
ol the worldly comlort and needs of the sensual organs.

Q27. Why does Ishwara desire all to be disciplined ?


Ans. Discipline is painlul to practice. lt however, produces a haNest
of righteousness and peace lor those who have been trained by
it. /shwara loves the disciplined person.
Q 28. With the change of circumstances why does man change?
Ans. This world belongs to the man who is wise enough to adiust his
mind as per the existing facts. lshwara loves wise men. Those
who have done nothing in life are not qualified to judge those who
have done at least a little.
Q29 How should one control his tongue ?

Ans. It is important not only to say the right thing in the right place' but
also notto say the wrong thing in the face of temptation. Unpleasant
truth annoys the receiver. Show respect to anyone in authority.
Q 30. Should one take risk in lile lor a livelihood ?
Ans. One may be disappointed if one fails, but one is doomed il one
does not try. Defeat is not the worst ol failures. Our deeds
determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.
Q31 What is courage ?
Ans. Courage is resistance to {ear, mastery over lear- not absence of
fear.

Q32 How does one choose a comPanion ?

Ans. He who walks with a wise man shall be wise. Company ol fools
shall cause destruction.
Q33 Whom will the lshwara make successful in life ?
Ans. The price of success is hard work, dedication to the task at hand,
and determination thal whether we win or lose, we have applied
the best of ourselves to the job at hand. Do not hanker for result,
for result is ordained to be proportional and resullant of all forces'
Diligence is the mother of good fortune.

'18
o 34. Should we leave family and social life to become a sage?
Ans. It is better to carry out our duties and responsibilities faithtully
rather than indulge in spiritual activities for the delight ol our
souls. lt is not prelerred to indulge solely in spiritualactivities by
neglecting our duties. Such activities are spiritual luxuries and
do not serve /shlyara.
Q 35. Whalis Bramhacharya?
Ans. Bramhacharya (Wactice of celibacy) is the practice of self-control
and concentration on the goal. lt is not only control of sex. Sex
is a gift ol /shwara and not a sin i, used with proper control.

Q36 ls killing of animals allowed in religion ?


Ans. Bare minimum killing is allowed lor self defence and for food
only. However, causing injury, more than minimum, is violence
and is a sin. Many animals and insects live on killings, e.g. the
tiger, lizard, spidet etc.ll lshwarawoutd have prohibited alltype
Of killing even for the purpose ofrood, He would not have created
carnivorous animals like the tiger/leopard/spider etc.
Q 37. Can a Hindu woman remarry after her husband's death?
Ans. When the husband dies, a Hindu woman is allowed to remarry.
Example : ln Mahabharata when King Bichitrabirya, Father of
Dhritarastra, king of Hastinapur, died at a young age, King
Dhritarastra's gtand-mother Queen Satyabafi insisted that the
lale King Bichitrabirya'swile Ambatikashould have conjugal lile
with the elder brothe( ol Bichitrabirya i.e. with Vlshma. However,
as Vishmatook a vow at his young age not to marry and to
remain a Bramhachai (have a lile of celibacy) throughout his
lite, he refused to comply with the request of his mother. However,
another son o, Satyabati,i.e. parasarcomplied with the request
and as a result of conjugal activity with Amba tika,King Dhritarastra
was born.
o 38. lf I know my companion has commltted a sin, as a Hindu should
I abandon him ?
Ans Assist your companion even il he is a sinner, assist a sinner by
forlcidding and withholding him lrom committing further sins.

o 39. Should a pious man work hard to eam a living or should we resort
to begging ?
Ans. Whosoever is able and fit must work for himself and for others,
/shwara is gracious to him. /shwara is gracious to him who earns
his living by his own-labour and not by begging.
Q 40. How should a person treat his employer ?
Ans. He who provides lood for your lamily deserves your loyalty and
revolting against him is annoying to /shwara.
o 4'l How to control jealousy ? How to ask for a boon ?
Ans. A wealthy person should look towards a less wealthy person and
the poor to a poorer person to judge the g'ace ol lshwara and
abandon jealousy.
Do not pray for a boon from lshwarutor whalyou think is good'
pray to Him for what He thinks is good for you.

Q42. What is the result of the quest for knowledge ?


Ans. Go in quest ot knowledge even unto the furthest corner of the
earth for he serves /shwara well who devotes life to leaming and
seeks knowledge lrom the cradle to the pyre. Know yoursell to
rcalize lshwara.The ac{uisition of knowledge is a duty incumbent
on every pious person, male and female. Acquire knowledge, it
enables its possessor to distinguish right from wrong and helps
to choose the right direclion to heaven and earth.
o43 Accumulation o, wealth makes a person rude and proud. ls it
a sin to run after accumulation of wealth ? How should one
behave in adult life in a malerialistic world ?
Ans ln the kingdom ot /sitvara all aclions are iudged by the motives
prompting them.The proud will not enterthe kingdom of /shwara,
nor a foul mouthed person. The pious man to /shrara is rich with
a contented mind, which the abundance of worldly goods cannot
provide. Be in the world like a drop of water on a lotus leaf. Create
wealth but do nol get attached toillot lshwara i'as sent you to
make the world richer. Whatever mishap may belall on you, it is
20
on account ol something which youraction has resultedfn. Pray
for His pardon.
Q 44. To be head priest ol any temple, is Bra hmacharyaamusllot the
priesl ?
Ans No. Brahmacharya is not necessary Brahmacharya in student
life is beneficial as it helps a studentto concentrate in his studies.
ln adult life Brahmacharya is a great pressure on mind even
when one carries out normal routine work. Great Hindu prophets
never recommended Brahmacharya.

Q45 ls giving alms mandatory for Hindus ?


Ans. Giving alms is good but not mandatory for Hindus. Religious
philosophy is not for present day economic conditions onty. lt is
for eternity. lshwara is mercirul to Hindus and hence persons
who depend on alms is last vanishing from the Hindu society.
Everybody must work to create wealth so that the world is
prosperous and the need of giving alms to beggars vanishes.
However, Hindus are required to donate at least one per cent of
their earning for common causes of society and temple
maintenance.
Q46 How should Hindu religion treat scientific discoveries ?
Ans. Teachings of Hinduism and teachings of science are actually
two sides of the same coin. For example in Atharba Veda hymn
no 19151213-5, when we read the description " Gagan Duhita's
Night ", we see the suggested security personnel's deployment
in arithmetic progression i.e. 99,88,77,66,55,44 ,33,22,11 . elc.
The same A. P. Series was described also in the Hindu scriptures
propounded by Aryabhatta, Bramhasfuta, Siddhartha Sekhar,
Lilabati etc. Arithmetic Progression was very clearly described
in hymn no. 17 in Bramhasfuta Sidhanta by Bramhagupta as
following:
qqffi{g-dqFrdr{Ts.crffi rs<tl-q
qrRTilqffi"f qqtri !-{guFi rfrreq tt
- EESkr

- ur6{tzR--grd rlFrdrqrq 1\e E ll

Padamekahinamuttargunita saniunamadina hantadhanam


Adijutantadhanadhang madhyadhanag padagunanang ganitam
This hymn means, n-th term t,= [a + (n - 1)b],
Middle term M 2a
+
(n-1)b ,
sum of all terms S"= n/2 [ 2a + (n-1)bl.
2
Hindu religion has elasticity to assimilate all new discoveries ol science
into il and transform itself with the new truth. This resilience ol Hindu
religion has given it the strength to keep its main tenants intact and not
got converted even in the tace of invasion of proselyting foreign religions,
hostile loreign rulers and huge religion based civil wars. To a Hindu
scientific discoveries are treated as revelation oi lswar's gifts, i.e., the
thing, which was already gifted by God is being discovered by scientist
and Rishis (Saints).

Q 47. What dress is ideal for a Hindu priest ?


Ans. Any dress convenient for working in the contemporary world is
suitable. During Lord Krishna's time, dhoti and kharam (wooden
clogs) were in vogue and priests used those dresses. With
eflicient and cheaperclothes being made available, priests have
the choice of modern dress suitable for working in the
contemporary world. For a Hindu priest dress must be utility
oriented.

Q48. Can apriest use intemationaldress like that of trouser and jacket?
Ans. To match fast working pace and in a cold climate, trouser and
jacket are suitable. ln a hot climate and relaxed atmosphere
dhoti and sleepers arc suitable. However, a priest is useful to
the society for his knowledge, discourses he delivers and solace
people receive from him. None of these qualities are affected by
the dress code one chooses. Thus importance oJ an attire in the
22
eflectiveness of a priest is insignilicant and is to be left to the
individual taste.
Q49 What is the effect ol Hindu's attire of dhotl in their social, cultural
and religious life?
Ans. Dhorl is a less costly attire and its use gave an austere image in
social life. However, dhoti clad person cannot work at any last
pace or move briskly or involve himself in self-defence. Dhorl
clad Hindus always got subjugated by the trouser clad Central
Asian invaders.
Q50 ls dhotl the ideal dress for performing important functions of
national pride?
Ans. Hindus became slow pedormers in dhoti and were defeated in
almost all competitions to achieve any thing as a person or as a
nation e.g. wealth, power, fame, health etc. Even good food,
good housing, robust health or any other comfort was not
achievable. Hindus made cocoons forthemselves and developed
a pseudo pride in a domain where no one will compete c.g. tiylng
with almost no food, no comfort, or no wealth etc.
Q51, Will /shurara consider it a sin for Hindus to respect a stone statue
as symbol ot the all mighty /shwal'a or the symbol of devil Satan?
Ans. It is not a sin but is unnecessary to depict a stone or statue as
symbol of lshwaraor symbol of Satan. However, it is an eflective
method of gathering a crowd in one place. Preachers of all religions
used this methodology in one way or the other to bring people
together. Followers of some path use the symbol ol statue,
structure, book, etc. to show respect to the concept ol /shwala
and others used the symbol ol a stone pillar to show disrespect
to the concept of Satan. However, lhese are too trivial for the
greatest of the greal lshwaralobe impressed in any way.
Q 52. Will it be better forthe humanity and pleasing to /shulara to have
stern jurisprudence like amputating the hand of the thief ?
Ans. lshwara is the creator of everything and everybody. He has
immense kindness and He cannot be heartless to his own creation.
A thiet steals out oJ abject poverty. Society provides no easy
opportunity for a person to earn a livelihood. Society provides no
safety net for even bare minimum existence. A person who is
forced to steal in a particular country, may get social security net
in a different country, where he can lead a decent life. Thus
stealing is not a crime against /st wara. lt is a malady ot the
social and the political system. Amputating the handsolathief
is a terror tactic adopted by uniust selfish rulers to intimidate
common people to silence. Common people then tremble out of
tear and do not even voice their legitimate grievances.
Q 53. Will it be better tor the humanity and pleasing to /shwara to have
a straight forward jurisprudence like putting to gallows the women
who get into extra marital atfairs ?
Ans All men and women have the right to get natural enioyments out
of life. lt is a gift from lshwara.ll awornan has dishonesyabusive/
unkind/uninteresting/sicuimpolent husband, she shows no
disrespect to /shwara by being attracted to another man. Rulers
and top layer of the ruling elite, who are in many cases dishonesv
abusive/unkind/pervert themselves, wanl to subjugate their
womenfolk through method ol terror in the name of divine
ordinance. The affecled men have only the right to divorce the
women and society can lorce the women to accept divorce
without alimony. Any olher punishment is a crime against lshlvara.
However, loyalty to each other ensuresa permanent bliss between
man and his wife and guarantees good upbringing of children and
is pleasing to ,shwara.

o 54. Do the Hindus need weapon for selJ-defence ?

Ans. All Hindus above the age of fourteen must possess some weapon
legally allowed by the law ol the land. Even the poorest of men
should have a stick in his house. The possession of weapon
gives courage, self-esteem and protection during thetime oI need.
Courageous person can only have true love ol lshwara.
Q 5s. What sorl of group or people should be encouraged by Hindus ?
Ans. The group or people who ensure sell respect, power, safety and
24
linancial well being of Hindus should be supported and those
who remain inditferent to Hindu interest should be opposed.

Q s6. How should one behave if he finds his religion ot Devata is


insulted?
Ans As one deals with the slayer of one's mother in the same way
one should deal with a person who insults /shr,yara ot Deity.
Q57 Should a Hindu allow people of other religion to enter a Hindu
temple ?
Ans Unclean persons and those with infectious diseases should be
prevented. All other persons should find Hindu lemple a refuge
for spiritual solace.
Qs8 What should a devotee expect from a Hindu temple ?
Ans. The temple should be a place of prayer open to all lor all times
(sunrise to sunset).The temple authorities should try to feed the
hungry from the donation received from devotees. lt should give
education, treatmenl and other reliet to the people and be part ol
the social struggle for wellare of all devotees. lt should have a
big hall where devotees can come and offer prayers.

Q 59. Should politics and religion be separated ?


Ans. Politics is the attitude of people to any issue. Attitude is the result
of sense of values. And sense of values is the product of
adherence to a religion. Religion and politics are intermixed and
have a symbiotic relationship. When this relationship is ignored,
politics become not for the people but lor the continuance of
immoral people as ruler.t

"Note : Mahabharata is the best example to tind an answer. Vishma


ignored politics but adhered to religion and the result was the
perversion ottheKoutavas.ll he had mixed rcligion and politics,
he would have agreed lo his fathefs se@nd mariage to.satyabali
but would not have succumbed to undue Wtiticat pressure of
Satyabati's politician father. Satyabati,s father said that he would
permrt his daughter Satyabati to wed Kng Sanlanu (Vishma's
fathei onty if Vishma abdicated his right to the throne. Vishma
abandoned potitics and religiously agreed to the condition to
satisfy his father King Santanu's lust. The result was disaster
and caused the end of Kouravs dynasty. Thousands of innocent
men lost their lives duing the war of Mahabharata. Vishma himselt
would have been a great, strong and rightous king of lndia.
Vishma faited to mix religion and politics and by doing so he
denied lndia of a powefiul and a great king. lf Vishma would
have been a king, it would have helped millions of lndians.
The other example is Lord Krishna. He mixed politics and religion
in altthings he did and Gila is a product of that Lord Krishna by
mixing politics with religion could banish the Kourava kingdom
and establish the great righteous kingdom of the Pandavas.
Q60 How should one behave with the King ?

Ans. One should be loyalto the King so that he can carry outthe work
related to the building of the nation. There are many ways ol
nation building and one may lind a better method but nothing will
be achieved by pushing the King to abandon his method. Loyalty
should be absolute provided the King is a sellless worker. The
king's public work and not his personal life is important.
o 61. Can someone use the temple congregation to enhance his
business ?
Ans. The temple is not a placelor publicising ones business.The temple
is a place to recite prayer lo lshwara and to discuss about
common social problems.
o 62. What happens when the priest pronounces the s/okaswrong ?
Ans. tshwarawill understand and be kind to the followers, the priest
however, will not get the benefit of the prayer. lf a wise man
knows the correct pronunciation, he should teach the priest the
correct pronunciation, when the priest is alone. Public
embarassment of the priest should be avoided.

26
Q63 Which work is more respectable ?
Ans. Gita teaches that there is no hierarchy of labour. No work is
degrading. lJ any work ought to be done, then it should be a good
and respectable work.
Q64 How to change the world to make it a happier place ?
Ans. Everyone thinks of changing the world, but thinking of changing
onesell will be morc lovable to lshwara.
o 65. Why do the devotees of Ishwara go to the temple for ldol worship?
Ans. The mantras ol ldol worship are lull of adulation and admiration
ol lhe Devatas' contribution. Devatas arc Hindu prophets who
came as messiah ol lshwara.ldol worship is a demonstration of
hero worship. Best benefit, however, is obtained through regular
chanting of /shwara manfras (hymns).
Q66 Can any Devata claim to be the last prophet of Hindus ?
Ans. All prophets were human. /shwara has the final right if He would
send another prophet or not. No human can usurp that right from
lshwan.Till dale Lord Kishnaisconsidered to be the last prophet
of the Hindus.
Q 67. How should the head ol any temple be respected ?
Ans. The head of any temple is generally the custodian/trustee/
administralor ot the temple and a priest. Devotees should
respectfully cooperate with the head ofthe temple so that he can
conduct himself in a manner benelicial to all devotees and society
at large.

Q 68. Will Hindu's endure injustice as a fate accompli ?


Ans. Hinduism upholds the principle ol free will, as opposed to that of
predestined fate. True Hindus will never meekly endure injustice
unless they become first convinced of their incapability to
determine their own destiny. Vedas say "Verily lshwara will nol
change the condition of a folk, till they change what is in
themselves'. Hindus are obliged to revolt when they are convinced
that the king who is charged with the task of preserving thejustice
of the governing system proves to be the mainstay of its abuses.

27
Q69 What sort of political state is conducive to the Hindus ?
Ans. Politics is the art of achieving and running a government. ln the
political system, the spread ol Hindu philosophy must be possible.
The most preferable king is the one who works lorthe beuerment
of the Hindu subjects. A king who, il not totally committed to
Hinduism, but at least sympathetic to its goals, is acceptable.
By this token a Hindu who lives under a regime devoted or even
favorable to Hinduism should activelywork lor the survival of the
government and the spread ol Hindu philosophy. And any Hindu
who lives under a regime hostile to Hinduism, should struggle for
its overthrow wheneverthe opportunity presents itself.

Q70 When and how should a Hindu show disobedience to a ruler ?


Ans. ln case, disputes as to who should be the king or why we should
obey the king arises, all conscious Hindus must look back in
history and.discuss with other Hindus. The impulse to do so
should be much more powerful when Hindus are under a hostile
regime, as large number ofthem have suffered lor many centuries,
under alien rulers, or those associated with them. The vital
condition which should be observed by Hindus in exercising its
right to resist injustice and negligence, even if by group work, is
that the advantage of such an act will always outweigh its
disadvantages.
u/t Can a Hindu leader use position, caste or group to advance their
political importance ? Which type of work is degrading ?
Ans. Any one who uses political methods or theory which encourages
any division amongst Hindus in any lorm is an enemy of /shwara
and deserves to be annihilated. The /shwara knows nothing ol a
hierarchy of labour. No work is degrading. lf it ought to be done,
then it is good work.

Q72. Do you believe that adherents to one God theory, opposed to


idolatry, are making the world a better place? Can lasting absolve
one ol his sin ?
Ans. The contribution of the iconoclasts to medical science, tood

28
technology, physics, chemistry, mathematics etc. are negligible.
Their bigotry only legitimized violence and torture on innocent,
weak, women and animals. They only encouraged psychological
and physical slavery of all faithful. They induced criminals to
commit all sorts of crime with the preposterous promise that the
God will wash away all their sins i{ they control their food habit
for few days or make good otferings to God.

Q73 How do cruel enemies and rapacious armies subjugate whole


nations in the name ol lshwara?
Ans Sectarian psychology is always skillfully used by megalomaniacs
to expand their territory ol influence and trick their own people
into believing that they ale working to please lshwara.
Expansionists use lhe lshwara'snarne to allure or scare people
ol worldly things and establish their own hegemony. lshwara's
name is used to block any unbiased thinking and possibility ol
any subsequent army revolt.
Q 74.. Will an absolute Hindu king who continuously consults wise men
and experts be the best option ?
Ans. Once a king implements consultation between the rulers and the
ruled, the provisions laid in the divine jurisprudence on the right
to resist iniustice, will prevail and automatically ensure democracy
for the masses.
However, as consultation depends on the good faith ol the
absolule monarch, provisions against injustice remain only in
the intellectualdomain of the leamed few, il is never implemented.
Thus a totalitarian king is not an option.
Q75 Can the assembly of wise men act as a sateguard against a
tyrannical ruler ?
Ans. An unjust ruler always gets his rule sanctitied by summoning an
assembly ol high priests with intellectual and moral reputations
and get their assent to his absolute rule at the point of the sword
or lhrough distribution of favours. He later claims to have divine
dispensation which people must accept meekly as fate accompli.

29
o 76. ls it better to have totalitarian rule or rule established by consensus
of the entire community ?
Ans Judging from the concrete historical instances from the beginning
of civilization, the entire community has never played any role in
installing the ruler. lt has always been established by force, and
maintained by oppression. Advocates of the absolute monarch
were always community jurists, (i.e. religious and political leaders)
agreeing to it as the consensus ol silence.
Q77 How religion and politics are related ?
Ans. Religion and politics are both interwoven in the psychology ofthe
masses. They are unnatural to be divorced lrom each other. For
if they are completely separated, religion will die out ot starvation
oI political patronage and politics wilhout the boundaries of
religious ethicswillbe immoral, setfish and oldemonic in ctaracler.
o 78. How should one pedorm puja?
Ans. Chanting prayer ol ,shwara is the best puja. Avoid using water,
liquid, etc. lor puja. lt is unhygienic and is annoying to the deity.
Q 79. Do we need to fast tor achieving the best reward from puja ?
Ans. One should last during fulFmoon day between sunrise to sunset
and enjoy community dinner, by rotation, called 'Bhoj-Utsav'atlet
the moon rises. One should invite triends and acquaintances.
This brings the blessings of ,shlvara and the devotees get good
health and great wealth. For other days Puja should be done in
clean dress and in tree mind without worry. Remaining in fast is
not necessary for doing any social functions. lt is believed that
the number ol people you associate with thol-Utsav', the same
number of yourforefathers get lood. You may invite people or be
invited, the result is always good.
o80 Who can be a priest ?
Ans. Any good man or woman above the age of 20 can be a priest.
The priest should be educated, a person of moral character and
a good orator with knowledge of Hindu religion and scriptures.
The priest should be able to explain Veda/Gita/Upanisads elc. in
the congregation of devotees and sing bhalans. The priest should
30
be courageous, of good health and habits. The priest should be a
person who will treat his own children and the devotees with
equal love and care. The priestshould be able to guide devotees
in their prayers and act as a leader lor social upliftment.

o81 How should one perform puja ol the various Deyatas ?


Ans. Minimum fifteen mantras are a must. Atter reciting the basic
tilleen mantras one should recite individual Devata's gteal
achievement to commemoElte the great contribution of a particular
Devata. This will encourage devotees to emulate the same. The
priest should recite these from the book or from memory. Any
olfering, besides prayer, is only to display the wealth of the devotee
and is of no use to /shwara. Excepl prayer, ,shr,yara do not accept
any other thing.
Q 82. What should be the priest's income ?
Ans. A priest should get salary from the temple fund. Devotees must
pay one hundredth ol his monthly earning to the temple fund or
to Hindu social organisations as an offering of gratitude to /sl,wara
for he gave us a human life and wealth.
Q83 Why are devotees required to pay to the temple orfor other social
causes ?
Ans ln this world all men are equally loved by /st wara. However, due
to various reasons, one has more earning capacity compared to
that of others. Someone enioys a better portion of the world's
wealth, which actually is for all to share equally. One is relieved
of sin of higher income and wealth generation if bne shares his
earning with others. Temple or other social services are the
means through which one gets rid of the sln of enjoying more
wealth, by donating minimum one hundredth of his monthly
income.
Q84 Whal are the causes lor good donations ?
Ans. Land rortemple construction. Food forthe hungry. Medicine and
relief to lhe sick and the old. Education ,orthe masses. Training
to the livelihood/employment seekers. Safety and security to
the fearful.
3'1
o 85. How much time should one spend on prayer ?
Ans. One should pray two times a day. Once in the early morning and
once before going to bed. The minimum prayerto /shwara takes
about live minutes. One should do Pra nayama rcgularly alleasl
for continuous ten minutes. However, afterdoing prayer to /s/,wara
one can add prayers of various deities and it can be for hours.
The priest should be watchlul not to be strenuous to old, children
and sick persons and determine the length of prayer. Prayer for
five minutes twice a day, ten minules Pranayama daily and one
Bhoi Utsav in a monlh is required to reach heaven.
Q 86. ln a temple congregation how should devotees stand for prayer ?

Ans. Devotees should stand in formation ol 9 by 9, or 12 by 12 etc.


depending on the size otthe room and number ol devotees. The
priest will help. lt means nine persons should stand side by side
in one row and nine persons should follow the first person i.e
column should be ot I by I i.e., 81 persons can be in a
congregation. ll, say,22 persons are there, then tirst row and
second row should be ol 9 by 9 i.e. 18 persons and in the third
row there will be four persons. This will make a congregation ol
22 persons and so on.
Q 87. What isthe best position lorwomen in a congregation in a temple?

Ans. Depending on the congregation hatf of lett-side rows and columns


should be used by women.
Q 88. Why is daily prayer important ?
Ans. Prayer is an invisible tool, which helps accrual of great wealth. lt
ensures alFround success in worldly attairs as well as an eternal
lile. After hundred years everything will be forgotten about one's
success or failures but prayer of today will guide one in hisi/her
eternal lile.
Q89 How to meet ,shwara ?
Ans. Whoever loves to meel lshwara, rshwal'a loves to meet him.
Q90 To save the honov ol lshwara should a Hindu be enemy of the
people of other laith ?

32
Ans Only ignorant megalomaniacs usurp as saviour oI the honour of
one lshwara and deny that /shwara only created all tribes and
gave them rituals through his messiah, for who can exist il He
desires not.
Q 91. Who will be going to heaven and who will go to hell ?
Ans- The world has hvo types of people Surand ,Asur. Surs are the
people who work hard to create weallh and share it amongst
others to make world peaceful and happier place to live by all.
They are created by lshwara.fney will have an etemal dwelling
in heaven. Asurs are people who live by snatching the wealth of
lshwara's men and spread hatred and terror. The Asurs are
emMimenlol Satanic instincts and are destined to bum etemally
in hell.
o92 lf some one does a crime or a sin, can performing puja or making
oflerings to the deity reduce the penalty ?
Ans. lshwaraor any deity is not influenced by any bribe. Offering pu.ia
only helps the needy priests. Sincere repentance, adequate
compensation to the aggrieved and regular prayer only ensures
return of love and mercy frcm lshwara.
o93 Are not the Hindus embodiment of patience as against revolution?
Ans. Hindus for over the last one thousand years have remained
subservient to foreign rulers. They were not united and thus not
courageous enough to fight back. And instead of revolution they
camouflaged their daily humiliated existence as nonviolence
and love of peace. They propounded many philosophies to make
Hindu society champion ol impotency. To justify their cowardice
and slave nation status, they started taking pride in theirenormous
capacity to tolerate the brutality intlected on them.
Q94 What should Hindus do to annihilate Satan who creates problem
Ior lshwara?
Ans Hindus believe that /shwara has unlimited power and Satan can
not be a match ,or lshwara- ll anyone accepts that Satan exists
in the kingdom of lshwara and is creating problem for /shwara,
he actually believes that /st wara is helpless with limited power.
But lst rara is alFpowerrul. And if /shwara is alFpowerful, logically
Satan can not exist to create problems for /siwara.
Satanic character or deeds are very human phenomena. /shwara
gave us intelligence, common sense and the judgment. Human
beings choose to be Satan because of the lust for physical
satisfaction, power, wealth etc.
Q 95. someone does not pray to /shwara regularly, will He getannoyed
lf
with him?
Ans. ll ,shwara wanled man to continuously pray to him, He would not
have sent man to the eanh. He would have kept the man with
Him so that man could go on praying continuously. lshwara is
too great an entity to be bothered by these small matters.
However, man being an intelligent person gets the opportunity to
pray. Prayer gives impetus to achieve success in all walks of
the world as well as etemal life. One can accomplish more in one
hour with lshwaralhan in one life time without Him.*

o96. Why is it that in /shlvarab realm some are good, some are bad,
some are saints, some are terrorists ?
Ans. This lease of life on earth is a shorttraining ground. Human beings
are given intelligence and power o, judgement. Here we train
ourselves and decide on a way ol life. On the basis of our activities
in this short period of life in earth, our place in heaven and hell is
decided.

"Note: For example if a man lives by the seashore and does not take
bath regularly in the sea, the sea is not affected, but by bathing
regularly in the sea one can enioy robust health and disease
tree life.
34
Q97 Will it be pleasing lo lshwara, if all human beings are converted
to become lshwara believers ?
Ans. lI lshwarawished all human beings to pay homage in the name
ot lshwara only, He would have done it in a moment as He is all_
powerful. None ol His wishes can remain unfulrilled. Those who
convert people of otherfaith to lheir own brand oflaith by lure or
by rorce actually insult /shwara by treating Him as impotent.
lI it was displeasingto lshwara, He would not have kept different
human races with ditferent modes of worship. All would have
chanted the name of /shwara through natural lorce. lt is the will
o, /sf,rara that people ofvarious taiths should practise their forms
o, worship. However, in whatever form the prayer is otfered, it
reaches Him-
Q 98. How is lshwara responsible for salvation of individual human
beings ?
Ans. Verses ot Vedaabsove lshwaralrom responsibilities for individual
human salvation, something, which is essentiallythe rruit of man,s
own action.
Q 99. Why could a Devata like Lord Krishna not used his power to
convertthe Hindu masses to a modern nation de!r'oid of poverty
and ill-health ?
Ans. Verses warned all Devatas (i.e messiahs) repeatedly against
acting as an 'ag6nt', 'guardian' or ,holder of absolute authority'
over humanity, by restricting them to their sole function of
communicating the divine message through wise words, sermons
and examples of righteous behavior. None of the Devatas,
including Lord Krishna, could usurp tne power ol lshwara.
Q 100. Will lshwara be displeased if a Hindu woman doas not dress
conservatively ?
Ans Dress has nothing to do with pleasure or displeasure of /shlyara.
,shula/a is too big for these trivial matters. Recommendation of
a dress code on women is a rerlection on the nature and character
of the men of the society. Where men are educated and civilized .
Hindu women are free to choose their own life style and dress
code.
101. Should we display the sign ol belonging to the Hindu faith
?
o
Ans. One must take all opportunities to display the sign that one is a
Hindu. And one must take opportunity to talk about his laith and
spread the message of Hinduism. By doing so he will be doing a
pleasing service to lhe lshwara.
Q 102 What is the desirable and ethicaltood-habit lor Hindu ?
Ans. Since Vedic period there were vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian
Hindus. ln place where abundance of vegetable and truits are
available, vegetarianism is prevalent. There are places where
not even a blade of grass grows, people are bound to be non'
vegetarian for their survival. Food - habit has nothing much to do
with ethics of lile.
Q 103 What punishment is reserved for the ealers of cow meat in lndia?
Ans. Cow being the most important pillar of lndian agriculture and
economy, its slaughter deserves to be banned' ln an over
populated hungry and poverty stricken country like lndia' iJ a
cow is allowed to be killed tor food, it will be eaten away in no
time and will cause continuous crop failures and starvation death
to poorer people. To save the poor rural masses cow must be
protected tor agriculture. Religious ban on cow slaughter is to
protect the masses lrom starvation deaths

Q 104 Why are some Hindu Devatas shown to have multiple hands and
heads ?
Ans. Super human achievements in the use ol weapons or in the field
of knowledge were exaggerated by story tellers and made myths
about Devatas, which over-zealous artists and sculptors gave
unnatural form to suit the metaphorical and wild imagination All
Devatas were human beings and none were above natural law'
All Devalashad one head and hvo hands. Hindu hymns (mantra)
explain this as following:

36
frqwfint ilqt \'+.m sl-dftfii
E-g-drgge-ctt ffi ttuat rr

rl-S-+t{rotT{ yr: Sr: oTrFs.lq


qurqrfu Ht fa $rerift-d-{dt r

Timastakanang jnanam ekashire abasthitam


chatubahutulya balam dwihaste ropitam
Bha$echhapunnafthang punah punah abirbhutam
pranamami tuang hi lshwarapreritadutam.
Oh lshwara you sent messiahs in human form time and again. This
messiahs are very wise and in their one head they have the capabilities
of three heads. Their two hands are poweiul enough to work as if four
hands are working.
Q 105. Some Devata is depicted as a debauch e.g. lndra, even then
why are Hindus respectful to him ?
Ans. ln physical strength and skill of warfare, lndra was great. He was
also a very brilliant political leader with a great loresight but he
had little control over his lust and got entangled in many scandals.
Hindus respect the super human qualities of lndra but not his
scandals. Story of lndra teaches the Hindu public that a brilliant
man is not always necessarily a perfect man.r
*Note : (i) There
are many instances where a doctor is a great surgeon in
operation theatre but cheats the country as a tax evader.
(ii) Alben Einstein was one of the greatest scientists ol alltime
but he cheated his wife to remarry another woman.
ln all these cases the men, even with personal shortcomings,
got the respect of the masses for their billiance and contibution.
Story of lndra is of no exception.
.106.
O How should Hindus treat people who believe in different path o,
salvation?
Ans. People who believe in different path of safuation should be treated
with courtesy.
Q 107. Which prolession is most respectable for a Hindu ?
Ans Any professional duty discharged with best ability and honest
sincerity is respectable. However, those who live on physical
labour are mosl loved ones to /shwara. And being an entrepreneur
and doing business is most pleasing to Him as businessmen
create wealth, which they leave for posterity.
o 108. Which community has contributed maximum forthe continuance
and llourishing ot Hinduism ?

Ans /shwara loves His creation and is pleased to see them being well
off economically. Workers and artisans had highest contribution,
entrepreneurs came second, academicians and politicians took
third place, all other professions came lourth. However, due to
political reasons distribution of wealth was not commensurate
with contribution lo the economy. Hindus need to do structural
adjustment.
Q. 109 Which are iix things a man should never lrust ?
Ans. /srwara ordains that a man should never trust or take for granted
the six unreliable i.e. (a) promise of a king (b) spread of fire
(c) direction of wind (d) depth of water (e) a heretic person
(f) a person ol another faith who is intolerant.

Q.l10. ls there conflict between science and religion ?

Ans. Science is the practice ol finding physical explanation about the


universe and using that knowledge to make the lshwara's world a
better place. There is no legitimate conllict betlveen science and
religion in Hinduism. The main source ol conflict between the
two arose when some false prophets propagated the concept of
lhe lshwara being someone with whom human could
communicate. /shwara has no form, colour or description and as
such question of His talking to anyone does not arise.
Q.111. Who created man and how ancient man lived ?
Ans. Through evolutionary process human species came to exist in
planet earth lor over million years. The ancient man had no
knowledge ol /shwara and the cause ol all causes. People lived
in groups / tribes. They lived a savage life through hunting oI
38
animals, plucking fruits and snatching food, wealth and women
of other groups.
Q.112 When lshwaracame lo save man ?
Ans. lshwarawaslnere from the beginning of all existance but ignorant
man were not aware. /shwara sent his messiahs time and again
but they were not etfective due to non-existance of any
communicable language. And people were tribes, who were
ferocious and fearful ol all other human beings. They believed
none other than their own tribal chiel. They feared natural
calamities, disease, terocious animals and members of other
groups/tribes. They thought that i, they otfer food or sacrifice,
they would be relieved from these calamities. They imagined
God as a great King or a great tribal leader who need absolute
loyalty o, his lollowers and who would become revengeful iI his
follower started tree thinking. They were the false Gods of
ferocious ancient p€ople. About 20000 years ago ,shwara decided
to further help mankind and three messiahs Bramha, Bishnu,
Maheswara came to this wodd. They unilied the lndian
subcontinent and spread the knowledge ol lshwara and His
dictates. They propounded Veda. Sanatan Dharma was
established and man was saved from animal-like existance.
Q.l13. What is the difference between tribal Gods and lshwara?
Ans. Tribal Gods are lalse Gods. They are like jealous political leaders
who promise various moral as well as immoral benefits to their
followers so that number ol believers in their leadership swells.
Their supporters forces non-believer into subjugation with killing,
raping and looting orthrough alluremenl.

Followers of true God i.e. lshwara are aware of His dictates tor
leading a civilized decent life in this world. They are taught the
true short path to heaven. No force or induced allurement is
employed to enhance the number of /shwarabelievers.
Q. 114 Whal is Bhol Utsav ? What is its benefit ?
Ans. It is a religious community dinner held, afler day long fasting, on
39
full moon night. Dinner is sponsored by rotation amongst friends,
relations, well-wishers and acquaintances. Fasting is done once
in a month during day time. Those who atrange Bhoi Utsav or
take part in Bhoi Utsavwill surely get a place in the heaven and
will also ensure safety and security of devout's children and will
earn wealth. This is a must for all Hindus. Food should be taken
after oflering thanks to lshwara and all deceased foretathers (men
and women both). ln Veda it is said Bhoi Ulsavgives even better
result compared to performing Jagyas.

Q.115 How property to be distributed to the heir after death ?

Ans. All wealth belongs to lshwara and his creation. Human being,
through coordinated hard work and intelligent use of opportunities,
create wealth. Thus the heir has limited right on properties ofthe
deceased. His/her right on property goes to the spouse And
afterthe death of the spouse, the children have righl on share ot
the property equally to the extent thal the property do not sutfer
economic mismanagement because of the division. lmmovabe
property should be with sons and movable property should go to
lhe daughters.
Female heir is expected to be married and be part of a ditferent
family and thus has right on immovable property of that family.
However, il the female heir decides to remain spinster or is
widowed, she will have equal share in the immovable property
also as that of male heir.
lfequality cannot nol be maintained, the value ofthe totalproperty
should be determined and the daughters should be paid off the
value of their share of the property before tille ot the property is
changed. Respectable persons Irom the society may be invited
to act as arbitrator to avoid any dispute about the division of the
property. lf any member ol the heirs decides to sell of his/her
share o{ the property, first opportunity to buy out the shares
must go to the existtng shareholders

40
Law of the land will act as supreme in matter ol distribution of
the property it any irreconcilable dispute arise.

Q.116. How one can convert himselr/herself to a good Hindu ?

Ans. Any one who wants to be a Hindu or to remain so need to lollow


the basic tenets ol Hinduism and vow (i) that man and women
are equally loved ones ot /sfnval'a and none has additional right
to enjoy lile (ii) that ,siwara created all tribes ot human races,
animals and nature. No human race can exist against His will.
And considering any human race as anti-/shwara is loolish (iii)
That /shwara has given limbs and intellect to human beings and
thus every human being is required to work hard, responsibly,
piously and compassionately to be eligible to have good living on
earth and be eligible to go to heaven and to get eternaljoy after
dealh. (lshwara is not responsible for the misdeeds or loolish
acts ol the human.) (iv) that a person should recite the tifteen
Hymns (Manfras) twice daily, do pranayam at least once in a day
for minimum ten minutes and arrange to take part in Bhoi Utsav
(community dinners on full moon night after day long fast)
(v) be brave and hate all cowardice (vi) study Gita and yeda
when one needs guidance in life.

Those of you who shallwork to spread yourfaith and protect your


religion from the otlenders, shall have surely comfort and pleasure
in heaven.

41
THE VEDIC RELIGION OF HINDUISM

Veda recognizes no sin, it only recognizes error and the greatest error,
says the yeda, is to treal onesell as weak and a sinner. yedlc religion or
the religion of the yedas, is the oldest stratum of religious activity known
to have exisled in the world.
ln lndia, Veda is being recited since 18000 B.C. The Hindu religion is
about a 20,000-year old religion and the starting point of religion in the
civilized world. The religion was originally known as Sanatana Dharma,
meaning eternal way of life.
Sanatana Dharma was undisturbed till 3500 B.C. Around 3500 B.C.,
lndia was invaded by riders from the north-western border of lndia. They
called the lndians - "Hindus" i.e. civilization which flourished by the side
ot the river Sindhu. The name given by the rulers stuck. And the name,
Sanatana Dharma, slowly came to be known as
Hr,;1du Dh arma/Hinduism.
Sanatana means elemali Dharmameans lhe good way of life.
From that time onward, it is believed that Kaliyug slaned and lhe Veda
became somewhat impure by amalgamating ritualistic hymns.
Original yeda had a scientific and philosophical base. The yedlbreligion
gave lndia its scientitic and philosophic base and developed highly
humanistic sense of values and compassion for all creations.
The strength of Vedalies in its miraculous power. lt cures diseases and
spreads a safety net around the family and lriends of the regular recitor ol
lhe Veda. Till date many experiments have revealed the fact time and
again but could not explain the reasons ,or the miracle.
Mass recitation of hymns from the yeda in public places has given lire to
terminally ill people on many occasions. lt is believed that regular recitation
and following the sayings ol yeda bestows peac€, tranquillity and success
in all walks of life.
There are various stalements as to the origin ol the yedas. One is that
the hymns emanated like breath from Bramha.llis ageed that they were
revealed orally to the sages. yeda reigned between 18000 B.C. and A.D.
1000 and then suddenly there was a vacuum. Today we have Vedas
written by lhe Germans and the British and they only deal with the ritual
portion. The rise and duration of the yedic schools cannot be precisely
dated;tradition furnishes the names of several hundreds of yedicschools
but nothing is known aboutthem beyond lhose few whose supposed texts
survived, ror exam ple lhe Aitareya and Shankhayanaxhools, the Blgveda
andlhe Apastamba schooland the Ba udhayana ot lhe Yaiurveda school.
The most importanttexts are also the oldest. These are the fourcollections
(samhlta), which are called the Veda orVedas (i.e. Books ol Knowledge).
ln a broader sense, the term(s) yedas also includes allorpart ofthe latter
literature, as these were based on one or another of the four samhltas.
The four yedas are Rigveda, Samaveda, YaiuNeda and Atharuaveda.
The downfallof the yed,breligion was brought about by lhe invaders from
Asia minor, Europe. They invaded the upper lndus basin sometime around
3500 B.C. Basic beliefs go back to the period of 18000 B.C. During 4500
B.C. to 35OO B.C. Veda influenced the lranian religion before the
Zoroastrians whose philosophy closely resembles that ol Vedic lndia.
The original Vedas were monotheist in nature. lt was forced to be
intermingled with the lranian method of Sun and lndra worship and
sacrilicial rituals. The exchange of religious ideas also gave glimpses of
lndian gold reserves and wealth to foreigners and they came to lndia as
invaders. They brought with them their customs and religion and lorced it
upon the locals. They raped, maimed and subjugated the local people.
Hindus always remained nonviolent and a champion ol peaceful
coexistence and never gave importance to dlscipline, martial art and self-
defence. As a result Hindus were always weak and at the receiving end of
the aggressors. Aggressors bumt major portion of the Veda. Some scholal's
fled with yeda texts to extreme south or extreme north of lndia.
Ihe Rigveda, o( Vedaof Verses, earliest ol the Samhltasis composed of
about hymns addressed to the one God called /shwaraand denoted
1,OOO

by "Om". Most ot the hymns refer directly or indirectly to one being; but in
generalthese have only a distant connection with the rituab.fhe Rigveda
verses are inlended for understandingol lshwara.
fhe Samavedaq yeda of chants is made of a selection ol verses drawn
almost wholly trcm lhe Rigveda with musical nolations, intended for

43
spreading /sf,u/ara's message to the public in an attractive and pleasing
mannet. AthaNaveda deals mostly with worldly inter-personal relations
and Yajurveda deals with rituals.
Next in probable chronologicll order come lhe Brahmanas commenlaries.
Brahmanas are not of any caste but are books lor recitation. These are
prose texts, compiled separately from the various yedas and serve to
interpret their formulae or their rituals.
.|-he
Aranyakas or 'rorest texts', composed in 12000 B.C. were intended
to be studied in the forest, away lrom the community, because of their
esoteric or magical characler. fhe Aranyakas contain mostly symbolic
interpretations of rituals or ol the mantras (sacred formulae). Finally, the
most important, arelhe Upanishads (16000 - 1 000 B.C.).
These texts are generally very short and summarise a speculative
teaching, often through parables or passages of dialogue lor easy
understanding of the moral of the story by the masses. Majot Vedic
Upanishads are lhirteen in number; the rest (about 1 00) are post-vedic,
though many of them are influenced by lhe Vedas.
Fhe Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads are also known
as the shruti (sruti), which is 'heard' or divinely revealed section ot the
literature. Fleciting of yedas gives a miraculous power. As a proof ol this
power, we may note that though lndia was subjugated by many foreign
rulers lor over thousands of years, Vedic lndia remained follower of
Hinduism. Many other countries could not withstand the pressure ol
invaders' religion and got converted. Chanting ol Veda gave lndians the
super naturalstrength to remain unperturbed. Following lew yedic hymns
may be read, realized and recited to appreciate Hindu philosophy.

44
VEDA HYMNS

a+sfuq}-qdqsq l1l
Ve do a khi lo - dh armam ilo m.
The vedas arc omnitorm dealing in all aspects of lire and reality.

qg t
fs{srqi <qrg q{is{ I

tcrs€ {dfuc: q&iq: il{tq u2tl

Madhu me jihavaydh dadhatu Paramelvarqh


yenaaharh samapiyall sarvajane bhyah bhiydsam.

Fill me with the sweetness of honey so that I may speak glorious words
to the masses.

qrs-{ffi REr$-( i-<rd lrffi + +qr qfr q-(


ffiq; ![-6 q's
yrfdrar: r-5i rffiq{ 'ffi( 11

I
c Tq{Ifr(Ti nfd n {-rqr q6 rErst'( y-+d: r

oil+{qtii €Trcr dtsi T{qrerqa q{: f6- qrrq: rr


a-q: ertr( dcqr Tu-6ci sq-&i {furi sdqr fq{ r

g-€+ltrafrftii q<r*( f,c€Rq.|ffifi{ rr:rr

NesadAsinno sqdqsit taddnirh nasidrajo no ryorte paro yat


kimavaivaly kuha kasya xtrmannambhah kimisid gahanarh gabhiram
nq mityurasid.amfitqrh nq torhi ta ratrayA ahna qsit prqketah
anidavirath svadhaya tadekah tasmAddhAnyanna parah kirh canisall
tanahat tuntaso gitdhamagre opraketath salilarh sarvama idam,
tucchayenabhvapihitarh yadAsi, tqpasastaflmlrhinaj ayatuikam.

Neither nonexistence nor existen@ was manifest then (i.e. betore creation,
during dissolution), nor was there dust (earth), nor the great sky nor anything
grealer else beyond.
What veil then covered the all-pervading blissful ? Was it a vast mass ol
water thrown up by a conjuror ? How deep and unfathomable was that
water ?

45
There was neither death nor immortality then, nor was there any sign ol
night or of day.
There. then, did exist one lile principle but without breathing air, sustaining
itselJ on its own power of sustenance and nothing apart lrom it did exist'
Then there was the darkness (otherwise called lgnorance' Avidya, Maya)
wrapped all around in deep darkness ol unrecognition as il within one
indiscriminate mass of water all around (wherein the seed ol the universe
of names and forms was yet to sprout forth)
When the all-pervading reality was veiled by that ignorance, devoid of
essence and hence worthless, then out of the growing glory of that
ignorance there emerged the one single being (called Prathamaja or
Hiranyagabha).

: qfr qrtf<sqfifu:
q*rflqa;fffl
H-ni it {B s.-frc: fistq 1q,
qs xqffi* er$'v{ ttrtam rr+tr

Yatrigni lcandromah siryo vatasti$.hantyaryifib


skambhah tari bruhi katamal svideva saly
yasya trayastrihiaddeva oige san-e samahita.

Who supports the universe; Who is that One Being on whom Agni,
Chandrama, Surya and Vata rest ? ln His reflected glory we have allthe
thirty-three devatas as gift of his manifestation.

yo-stsi T+ert fifi+Jt<rq-q r

rRe-t qq qsrcrdw( il( + f{5: s(H llslt


Pund arikah navadvArqrh tibhirguryairAvrr lam
tasmin ,-ad \aksandtmavat tad vai brohmavido vidul.t.

The human body has nine doors (outlets). Three gunas (Sattva, Baias
Tama gunas) arc inherent in the body, pervading and regulating it The
body has a heart likened to a lotus, wherein dwells the Spirit-to-worship'
He who has realized Brahma knows that spirit as the Atma ilself'

46
fu1; q{t*'s6q; 11

q f{fl:r4q,fi h5orR-rl<s R fi{mT.{i FrsS


e'66ui fiqq r

6td(yr<r6h s snflrt yorvrqfr s frqTilr


qrtortrt sRlt wT Fffiuqqdk6r$qrq
merft wrqs dr*i I +fi
q-fr Efrq: q}sfr rfu rrorr
i lv a rah pa ra maikasva nipa h
sa nityall sa rvavyapi ibhu randd i rqnantqlcq
v sa
nira*iro niripo var4andtito niskampalca,
kvacit labdartpe4a sa Atman{th prakAjayqti sa vidhAta
kara4qnArh kdro1ath tafiA sa najaktinfin tadicchApura4qya
kesr pi
sahoyasya prayojatarh na vartate
jato dvitiya4 ko'pi nAsfi-
/shwara is one supreme enlity. He is absolute,all pervading and
eternal
He has no beginning and no end. He has no form, colour oi description.
Sometimes in the form of word, He manifests Himself. He is the
cr€ator,
lhe cause of causes. He is all-powerful and does not require help from
anyone else to carry out his desire. Why ? None else but He ever
exists.

+fc-( d-Wrg-q Etr*, +F{q ftq 6gq+ ,

aF+€qr vd qat, tt ffir +.: qlf+td Grf, z ,,,


Kecit tatsayujyqrh labhante, kecicca virahe4a vilwjyante,
tasyecchayd sarva ghatate, tena vind koh karyakarane samanhah
?

Some attain His union, others depart in separalion, all that He wishes
does happen. Who else can do a thing ?

{ sr W q6ITq snfrr5qtsrrisgdsrrd
Tgrq{ + rO rqfr q gq *E rrsrr
sa vd esa mahinaja dtmd ajaro amaro amrito_abhayo
brahmdbhayath vai brahma bhavati ya evath veda-

The atman is desireless, lacking nothing, Iears no death;


the atman is
ageless, immortal and everyouthful. He who knows so becomes
Brahma
and as fearless.

47
qq' qqlF€ qrqt fqqgrrs qqt t

crdf{dI e {r{rq V+fi Vfiq n-q


qriq ffirs ener( edlqtq( llell
?ka viil'ahhuvqnas\o srastA
evAsti naParo
palayitA ca safihortfica punarapi srijqnAya tut
eradevo diryatvamilasya bhasvot vQrcasqmameyam'

maintains and destroys


There is one single being who creates the universe'
is splendor, immensely shining'
it io l.".r""t" it.inis oivinity His

ia.tkt+e {dstu Yftrqi i{qtd tsrt


a-era gllqfr rq'd qqrtrtd q{qfufr 111611

Isv rastasyaiva ditarupe ra prithiryah Prerayati Devan


tosnutc ca prabhavati fiaigalah samAseneha mtnuflamanhQale'

from whom good


,sfiwara sends devas as his messengers to the world
accrues to humanity.

qqr+d' qt 3fu81 sr 3rFIFrqT q'rcFls qrls<{


sFi srd's €-qqr+{ srdq
erfqt {ffii{t cFr{tq6T{r( ll
qr*{qr q-fu sr(st e efn
ffi
qq1 Yffi
UFT€ cFrtrdrfi ft56i
erqa r4fr lftga1 tttttt
bhagavantsm
YqthAkanah va uttisthon vA qnonyatwnasd stiyamanaica
soyfuh prata'lc a svo- samij ena sdrddhan
pr drtlan h kurvitAhamihfi B hLSqvat- sak&la'n

prartll<uralq ksiyale sarvoPqpoth Prapsyqte co svargam


bhitistharh pairudrjarrcna lauhamnkuh yatha prayiti
aYaka bhavati Pariiuddhnm'
Pray with sole concentration to morning and evening pre{erably
in
'shrala
po.ition chanting Lord's praise with your community' Fare to
reduced
"i"nJingil
p"r"JJ" As rust iJ removed by much polishing' sin is
irr"v"t.
by regular PraYer.

48
w{sr qq11 srTrs gr eqTqt{&trs t r

a.f+q 6-€q q EHr +f+e-€Fi qffi 11121;


sarveatra janmand amritasya putra apApqviddhiica te
kvacit kalmasafi ca kritva keciddhtAnarh kledayanti.

All creatures take birth as sinJess and lull of nectar and maintain basic
purity in its existence even if their own evil doings soil them over with
impurity temporarily.

TdrqtfiSqrcdrfiw: r

r q fTil{i crrs-{ r qr qF*H6q: rr

fuc*..{omr q;fg( r6Ri Eqt r

akqr zag qrqt q,f's-(, arhr g q,fscQfr q(g=rir{ l13l


Ucco vanico va na.ko'pi janah
na ca nitarhh pApakrin rut va pavitrasvaripah
ilvarakaru4ayd kalcit nahatvarh labhate.
Tadicchaya riddhaka jiyate kalcit,
lrane4a tu kalcidabhyeti podantunnatam.

No human is high or low, no man is a condemned sinner or a sanctitied


being. By lshwara's grace one obtains greatness. By His will some are
born prosperous and others have to work for it.

q{ +{ t
T+ refd B"c+ e,fl r

T{c Eqi fq-+ I drsfr gFrq-dfr l14il


yatra yotra me mano gacchati dri!ryate prabhum
tqsya kripArh vinA na ko'pi ruuktimarhati.

Whichever way one looks, one finds lshwara,lhe Lord. None has won
salvation without His grace.

49
q-dir + Errrqfd {s{q 1or+tfrq
n-q yria f{Gcoi g s-m r

Tt, E-cql F R-S. irqffi+qq+ tttstt

akletena vai sambhavati i*vorasva gunakinanam


tad gu4anfuhca niripa4ah tu kleiakarameva pratiyate,
guroh kr ipaya eva taj jiitnamevd.dhigamtate.

It is easy to repeat the praise of ,shlryara but difficult to lathom the mystery
of it. lf, through the lavour of a Guru (spiritual teacher) it gets ingrained in
the mind, one reaps the lruit easily.

:}1$qqsrq,qr til{rfr fq-gq Ti fsFi


qffi r{ e t+ifr eira:dreq l-qII 116l
vetastat palyanvisyA bhubenani vitlvdn yatra vilva bhavattekanidam
yasminnidah sarh ca vicaiti otahprotoica pmjasu.

The One is the Lord of all that moves and that is static, ol those that
walk, swim and fly. ln the Universe all this unites, trom it all emerges.

qffi4 {+q €f< wirq{FT r

* qnrtd g:{+a-a-wfr} qgf5 {qrt 1;

H F {rg{df( S:{{trcs l6qs q{r-fr{+Sqrqs rs


q { ffi {qRqFRs r;-5{ qs1 ;11711
arutghaSlastasmirueva sqdaiva sqnti Parqrnclvqmsya
yo jAnnn duhkhdroyajarjaro nwnusyeha xthsdre
sa eva jfiititnwrhoti duhkhatravasw fuuva.lca prd-nivritten4fiyalca msya
sa vai vijAndd sahsd.rasagarana gaharuth rahasyan

,shwara has blessed him whchas recognized the existence of sutfering,


it's causes, it's remedy and it's cessation only, he has fathomed the
mystery ol lite.

50
*qcei, yifri!+ <ri, wHrqyndrR+{rfl+€-{q
sTTilsdnTrc iqrurfuqrftqi fu
cR.Si q q--fifr rrrerr
Ved.apathanarh, purohitebhyao danah,
y aj fi a st a pqs itqd ika i r Atmap idqnd m
qmf itat valAbhaya tapqicqra\amityAdikath
mohagrasrqrh pailuddhath na karoti.
Reading the Vedas, making offerings to priests or
sac rifices to lshwara,
seltmorlification by heat orcold and many such penances
pertormeO tor
the sake of immortality, do not cleanse ihe man
who is not iree trom
delusions.
Tsqr Itud + &te-qnfri Tcefr r

t &qrqt dq Wnfc-flrt U.)sqi ; T6roT 1te1


iraddhaya pijito vai iivarosmatprdrthanah pirayati
He piyatama ! tavaiva suraksilritqndfi nbhaisa4oh
ca grihd4a.

Worshipped by us with our homage, lshwara, accepls


each prayer of
ours._Placing ourselves under your protection,
O Mosf Beloved, accept
our all virtuous desires.
ot<Ts{k T{fu E,rqrs+d Bflsinf{
Fdrfu tfunf{ q.drfrr vceFd rr
\rdq sTqq ffi fdqrdT {fldl+
T{ruri E rqq-qrds-d-frq1aq1g 11

frqqqrqurdrs t, t qrHqnqqr:
tsrq E'+ E rt' qffi clrs{r{: sd<r rrzon
Antalcarqnti manasi kornastebhyo udifini
sarvd4i cestitani kann@i ihaloke
etaln kqrnan vilok ate vidhAta ilaloke
N a rdq arh I ub hd ! u b ha ka rmapha la_v i d hina
_
kit e
Ti ksl.tabhisa4o ratd.lca ye, y e cdtidarpaparaya4dh
Tesdra krite nargo bhavati pard4mtkhah
sarvadi
ln ths kingdom of ,srwara ailactions are judged
by ihe motives prompting
them. The proud willnol enterthe herv enot t-shwara.
nor ariolr[.p""f.o.

51
;Ir{Fnffi 9-q-qil €lq' 1 +rqr 1 {$r {t{ I

qt+s qEi tr €qwds qliqT f+gE+ d3 ET{


lruteno
rr21rr

NoJamatufi Pra'racanena labhyal na medhaya na bahudhit


yamevaiqa vfi4ute tena lablryastasyaisa Almd vivri\ute tanuth
svam'

One cannot comprehend ,snwarathrough explanatory


discourses nor by
To him He
intelteaual power nor by listening to sayings in many ways'
he accepts with love Only he can
appears in his full splendour, whom
reach and realize Him.

{qqun q-flT*iqs {6dI sd-*f<il


nq-qqr+ UftF+ars i q{r: {s{dqt Yfi<fu ll22ll

lubhesatld satvamakrodhalca lud'dhata satyavoditd


Prema-davodayo gurlairanvitalca ye jandl Isvarastes t
prasidati'

purity and kindness in


,shwara loves traits of goodwill, love, truthfulness,
your character.

qr+* tE\ q-qfr Xtfr


er{Plr
ilqqr6lB q lrqfr s6q
{I emtlI q ilqq qrfr T'tdt qeqrffis l qrzTt ffi: lP3ll

Yavonnaiva asthA ilvare bhavati piryd


tqvannakaPli sthah ca bhavati sudustaram
sa Asth| ca fivanna yAti puru'atarh yovodAstikes.u na isyote
pitih

you will not complete


You will not enter paradise until you have faith, and
your failh till you love all those who believe in lshwara'

sfdf{*i Yr&i E-dfr sq 6qeh{rffiqr s6 I

i-d + 5st qs-5$Ri qrqfrs qrqfr cs<I ttz+tt

Prqtiniyatoh prarthantuh kunita sada tadarthabhavanayd saha


prasalna'
tato voi drilvate bhagavadudbhisarh bhngyaliSca bhavati

to whom the
Continue your regular prayers for fortune smiles on them
light of the lshwarais rcvealed.

52
<{ir-rrfrrdqnsqRryrt ws-(-ireiq6rerlTrt
sftrqirrEst g qrrftqfurt*4 r-6i rffiqt 11

qs qer qffik(. ffiq{ rrzsrr


dar sana- ga\itatust rap a rq gdaarh b ha g avat - p re s i tamah dj a nandm
protivodhasukarath tu bhtgavat-sris.ti-rahasyarh gahanarh gabhiram.
a i c a y a sy a d ha rm ainA r g a s t at al.t p ra tipa g ana n a mi iv a r a sy iu a haniy
"-
a m.

It is easierfor philosophers, mathematicians and messiahs to rathom the


depth of /shwara's creation. He tolerates no deviation trom righteousness.

crrtrcdrs Tdurgqr {s{ freq ffi r

q6q + tr+ *fi-fu ltrri q: e-+flfr l


it{Rr!++ q.ti q: *i qi-qq(sT6: r

s qq r+( tcqr qs<enq qqq lfqqq 112611

pqqrahifilca bhitvd lraddhaya sevtunahe ltvararh nityam.


Mahdn vai Isvarc dhi-hinnntuh dhiyan yah pracodayati.
Tadvadihaloke varttote ydh prAjfio dhi-sampatsamriddhah
sa eva nayet supathi yovadalpajfidn jandn prithivyam.

May we, becoming free from sin, devotedly serve the /shlyara. The noble
/sf,wara rouses the intelligence of the unthinking. Likewise one who is
wise with intellectual wealth here in this world should lead other people
having less knowledge along the path of righteousness.

Ss{s r-6(<r frHr ffi Wrq r

6qnFrs-dt qcdsFt-{trwt eT r fria1ft6


ild-ft,nq sq{ I27[
Ii,rtarasya mahaddanarh vive ko vidrqte nri4om
tasmadadhikatararh samanhasadhanamislatarq,h vi na kirhcandsti
tattvavodhiya samyak.
lshwara's greatest gift to human is his reasoning and nothing is more
perfect or more desirable than reason to realize truth fully.
T[ Cs q{r+fr, Tls vfrIr6fr I

q+{fqf6i +C n-g qpi qq66; il281t


Na?na eva d.hardmeti, nagnalca pratigacchati
yaddaivavihitath korna tqttu sAdhyah prqyqtnatah
One comes naked inlo the world and departs also naked. One must work
to match one's destiny as divinity ordained.

s w E<fr s+{ qr sPirry6qffi qfu;


sd t+s trai {nk: rrwfi ttq qTqIT ll2elt
Sa eva sukhi sadaiva yah svdrrhaparafinatyeti samalall
satya,h tenaiva lavdharh idntih !frstati tenaiva c@td.
Happy is he who has overcome all selfishness; attained peace and has
found the trulh.

ff qeffit T+4 qtufifd t{fufl


qdrjli qs dt+tt
'rar{ri e {{urfl+i t

qrqr ffisft qtarqfuaffi q


t+{ d"i qrr+(-qqFi ffqtgdfr gsq. l3ol
Ji vanarh yathaptath tameta varenyamiti vicintyo
gatqsinAfi ca pira4a lakyath dharmdnugarh yasya jivitam
.iarayd pi(yamano'pi yast1'tnabhinandati ca
tenaiva labhyarh Bhogavat-prasatluh drghamttyulceti dhruvam.
Accept life, welcomming old age, all of you striving one behind the other
filling the gap made by death. May lshwara, give you healthy and long
lile.
t fesruFrski Edt< €-e;a-{r( q,srfr i vf+qeF<
tffiran {il sfrii fnffi< t * ftsm-qnqql: rtattr
vitvdsanirvahari kurvonti sva-vacandt kadipi na pravicalanti
Ye
ilraranqnnA krifiril pratijftAh ninahalanti te vai vi!1/asa'parayanal.

The faithfulare those who perform theirtrust and lail not in theirword and
keep their pledge to ,srwara.

54
frftt ffir arw(q-+g s-6r +E qfr{dfr
,rdi fu{I ts li-dfd srf: g-*srgw1: 132,
Pririth vinA Bhagavad bhaktesu irad.d.hi naiva paripuryati
lraddhirh vina nunath bhavati svargah praveiaduskarah.
You wilf not enter paradise unless you have reverenc e ot lshwarai and
you will not complete your reverence till you love all cre alions of lshwara.

q<r FdqqrEilfr€(+rd.r er€ffird"r fftycfd


d*q fd r+aq, vdi sflfrqtlfterfr: rraarr
Yadd santosam.dpnoti satkiryiqa asatkdryina klilyati
Tadaiva hi bhqvennorah satt-ah satyamitvarasthitah.

When your good work gives you pleasure and your evil work grieves you,
then only you are trueto lshwaru.

sr=i si <rfd $fkhc: frlsilii r1qft q6rqs;


S:€rt'q qqrffi r*e *r: cfr(fr u34l
Annah yo daddti bubhiksitebhyah pid ifinAh bh.ovqti sahqyakah
duhkhAr an samallis.yati tasyaiva ilqh prqsidati.

/shrara is pleased when you gladden the heart of a human being, when
you feed the hungry, when you help the atflicted and lighten the sorrow of
the grieving and remove the wrongs done to the injured.
qiaqr: sffiqts ffi vwqr enkrq,=r I

q* q qq+ +qi yffi *{rq: rr3srr


KsarhntuWAh sarvajivdlca nipi laptavyd ardtayaica
evqth le monyante tesfuh prasidati Keiavah-

Show mercy and do not curse youradversary and then /shwara is pleased
with them.
T( <rfd <lcTqr6+{ F{ qr+ C-urficr(
Si Rcrct( gq qs {yn3ms.q 136l
yad dadai daksitahastena tanna vamo vijaniyA,
evath samacaret bu.dha esq ilvAaulqsanam.

The best of alms is that which right hand gives and the left hand knows
not of. So live likewise. That is whal lshwara otdains.
qra v-cr* lt +d q re Ti t*qm ed$ r

nffi 6q atq-<rt-qnrqRuflR gq-ds qHr


{ffi *4fd e 6<\ q{ni f-et q trJqtfr qclr tt

+{ +{ v-fitq B1 E qrc A ffi t

AqIIq-+Rrrf {Sqfd q ffi tt:ztt


Paratra pr(ryqte nare karma cq tas\a nino,h viramati ihdloke
k thapi tusya troqa-dana-janaprosara4ddi sukrita*a kinrya
sucirarh jivati sa hyidayesu jananAh PrityA ca tamonucarahn jannh
tena kena prakireno ko hi narut nu jivati
pa re samupakardrthorh vajjivati sa jivat i.

After the death ol a person his works in this world stops bul his noble
deeds like his acts of charity, his etforts for spreading of knowledge will
live for ever and by enlightening their hearts will make them his lollowers.
One may live by any means whatsoever, but one who lives for the good
ol others lives his life truly.

@ q'ft Fit**
Ert: rrfuet r

q-d f6 6r+* q-iqui gqd lrt: g{erca


qqr erfuRr*ri qEfr qdTi q-t}fr q ttgstt
itvarq.sristau iagali krodhadvegu diramh parihara
yoto hi dvqvetai manus)A$di't sukritah grqsarah nirmilayaralca
yathd agniindhanarh dahati bhasmibhitorh karoti cq.

ln lshwara's realm keep yourselves far from envy and anger because
these eat up and take away good actions as lire eats up and burns the
wood.

56
qrfrrE v<r ffq-dr t+mi v<n-q(sor r

sr<t qqr *tg 'IErfd Ft-{qFi t+egr1 rr

fuiq s< e*rr(sm: +-gurrrfuia: r

sTkcf{ Tqdntd ilrr wkfiq}r&zil pri qk1 rrserr


Mdtd tu sadA snehardracitta tirardt sanfina-vdtsala
sadararh yatha kr()d.e gyiha4dti rurudyamanath nijaputram,
Ilvarastu sada bhaktavatsqlah karur4ighanavigrahah
Atmoni grihnAfi tutha bhaktasyalrad.dhayA ktitah stutim.

As a mother, always full of affection, takes into her lap her crying son
with lov€ and care, so does /shryara, mercy incamate, ever-loving His
devotees, accepts their hymns (devotion for Him sung by them).

FT fu{ qturqFlqrg{d fl(q: { gvufr "meq: r

qs. s( Esr {gqr BieFJ q{ crf,ftsFcrg: [40il


Indrath mitrath varu4amagnimAlruratho d.ivyah sa supartlo garutminh
ekarh sa.d viprA bahudhA vadathtyqgni yamath mdtailvdnamahuh.
Speak o, lndra, Milra, Varuna, Agni and the divine Gurutman. They are
retlection of one Bealig which the sages call by many names Agni,
Yama, Matarisvan etc. -

Bqr+ld Brg<i {qqt qrwfut rdr k+ qsqr$-d qf<t ,

qr{Frrfls 6s qffi t*a <rgt ypfu qqr+{ {E il411t


Usdkdle anudaye sathdhydvdth castamite rabau
Dev ath s amupd,sita mandire
dhy qyamanalc a ta Ea mahittanah
Devasyq sqyujlqfi prdnhayo samdjena saha-

At the early hour of dawn and in the evening after sundown, have
communion with the Divine through prayer and meditate on His glory with
members of the community in the temple.

57
qqrfr ffi€ {rt-<eiilqrfflr( |

M ffi rrqfr ssq-vqf{rq r{ l42u


Yasyap i p re mdt iinyamasti i iv ara-dar landydc ir dt
i h,arasyapi premdtilnyarh bhavati svaripa-pradarian@a tam.

Whoever loves to meel lshwara, /shwara loves to meet him

qil qdrfr yFrat ed+ 66q qr6aq-{6+t++: r

rmai m-q rtrFi deil{T qfraq rtc:tt


yotro yatrqpi prithivyatt vartate vidvan Bhagavat-sevakottamah
jftAnAnvesoasya gantavyoh tattat sthAnath tirThobhirtofi pqvitram.

ln quest of knowledge go to any corner ol earth where a learned man may


stay; for a knowledgeable person serves lshwarawell. His habitation loo
is sacred.
nFfir6r, EIr-q + e<s{ fd+s.ifr r

xi e eRi {rryq {€, rtfdf{fucrgq q Hridr+ ru4rt


lfiirumahara, jiiinavfur vai sodasad vivekamtti
ritah ca caituth laknuydn mantye, gatinidelatndpnuyat co svargaloke.

Acquire knowledge, it enables its possessorto distinguish rightfrom wrong


and helps to take the right decision on earth and heaven.

TErk{qqeiqffi{dqn-q-dfq-{q-(
ft
fqii qft, qI qq i-<FFkt:
s?i Hfu6 {Etur eFd qR a q-{ qrr( u&ilq ! 4sl
Ti sthAsmin jqgstyAh nalinidalagataialavinduvat
vittath vardhaya, ma bhavq tqdi,saktalL
Kathqth tvamiha ilvare\a prerito yadi nq kartturh iagat fiddhataram !

Be in the world like a drop oJ water on a lotus leaf, create wealth but do
not get attached toillot lshwarahas sent you to make the world richer.

58
qR trqfr erfu rnaaqTr<t
T{l{<s5Cr( gqq 1r45il
Yadi bhavati cnviqlarh iAivatumdnandam
BhrandnandasvaripAt prArthaya anandamainute dhruvam.

Whoever searches for eternalioy, let him seek that from the all-pervading
spirit through prayer.

q{ql=rRl: fitflrCFmdrfs-tri q ts-di iEfrq.|n4-q


fir+t aqrqr4rs qqr( 1-qr q ** s
qefifrfq-yrwr:
q€ E-isr{ ffiq-{q Hqhq a-dt Fd<r
€ q-dfr {s{s qtr}qr€r<qrs{frfu r {rtq( u47l
Yasydcarah nitidhannaniyqtqic inlanoh ca uttqmo,h tut nav ikaiakare m
pitarau tathdcdryd!;ca yasmit ptrji ca \athqvidhi-praptah
sevA ca
yastu sva-dos.aty vi!;odhanaya svalameve .ratote saflad[t
sa bhavati ilvarasya paramqprenaprasadqbhajanamiti na sarhlayam.

lshwara loves him dearly observes the percepts of morality, cultivates


and develops good thoughts, honour and serves parents, teachers and
rectilies his own faults.

+ mi cgrq, sd ftrri qrvrTqfr


c-6(
qer{ e${trt} a 6'ffi am ffi ga-d tr+str
Mahat vai sa\,qrh madhumacca, saDe sthirc pdpAnmucyqte
satyAd valavattaro na kalcidapi tAtu vidyote bhutqle.
Truth is noble and sweet; truth can deliver you lrom evil. There is no
saviour in the world stronger than truth.

59
q* ft qdq-wrnt tttd,rlqi q q r

rFr:-vEGtt fd r{Ffirsr +Mdni 6,.Cun{ ll


v{ qrqq-fffrs :fi$q vqrq+ ttastt
Mano hi sarvokatrq4anafi iye sthqth ca lre$lhalil co
marcl.tprabhavd hi pravyiniradyd ces1ifirurh kdrna\An.
Sarve bhovapoddrthd4ca manaqteva praj dyante.
Mind is the forerunner of all activities; mind is the highest of all sensory
powers. All concepts have their origin in the mind.

g{s qt{rlt Gm'f q B-qqfd f+i +d q


{ ,ffi{ ffi qdfiI1r{ |

{st g €sr{ qq q r+g YqIqNTq ltsolt


Ilvarasya jivAnAtu hifirthotu la utsfiiyati jivanlr karma ca
sa bhavatu premdspadath sarvajanarwn
ileare tu sarhiar-ath yasya sa bhavatu ghri4abhijanam.
Love him who dedicates his life and wotklo lshwara's creation and hate
him who doubts Him.

S qdr+ q c{qrk gafd: r

fu I q,dai frisi efrr+RFi qlt{ qrqT ffi ttsttt


iivare paraloke ca yasy?sti dridhamatih
teno na kartlovyafi hirhsanath prativeiinarh k@ena manasa vapi,
Those who firmly believe in lshwaraand the life beyond, let him not injure
his neighbour physically or mentally.

vftr+fui e.qfr qqni qst ilg*i sffir


ffiffi w: e{ g 5Rni-wi *-{ I veifr rrszrr
Prativelinarh kanapi ksudhAfianl po!-vu tauabhuktah tyaktva
dhirmiko jonah svayarh tu bhuribhojanoh karttu,h na laknoti.
A true religious person will not leave his neighbours hungry and eat to his
tiil.

60
t+eSr qs qffi frqsrE-qTsqrdr t
d q-dfd vql q{frer-rirqur-rEfurrw': tt
EriEEm-fi 1 6s fffi: EIr( s<l=FI I

r Effi rtq frilrc crqfHsfr fqtm 115311

Jihvd yasya nannaghatini nindyavak-bho4q4arata


yo bhavati sadd pa rapiQ ana-io;a4a-prav1inimanaskall
dharmdnustdnadapi na tosya niqkyiti! syat kadacano
na kutrdpi tasyq hitqyq prq*alcitto'pi vidhiyate.

No amount of religious perlormance or penance will atone for the fault of


abusive tongue, retaliatory and lustful mind.

srns fTqHurs q q{ld €Tdr qdBq!fuqrqql


?rsrF€ q qfidk+ ffi: tt

q { q}6prffi firqr4r ear+<d: rqrfu {stt


+ $r'mrcqrT{+ ilHrsfr H{T qrq+ fqsqql 1s5411

Prqjfialca vicakqa4aica sa evdste


s arhy at d y asye nd iy a b ho g av d s and

yasydsti ca piitosike viraktih.


sa vqi mohAfldhakare nimagno andhavadajiah pracarati sahsAre
yo bhogald! asdpura4e tad ito'pi k;amfuh yacate ilvaranmf iqA.

That person is wise and sensible who controls his physical desires and
abhors rewards. He is an ignorant man who follows his lustful appetite
and prays in vain lor God to forgive him.

qafs-( tsrKrtki qr q'rfi q+qrfuqki qr


{s{qqqwftfti rnunFfTqrrr{ u{t qryi q frt)q1 ttsstt
Kuu.lcid dcliddgatath va kocana jarwjafijAarh vd
i lv a r ada bhay ap r dr t hinarh la r a4d rt h i nam al r ay arh
pradevarh marhgalah ca vidheyam,

Whoever from any part of the world or from whatever tribe seeks God's
protection from fear and seeks refuge, give him that and do good to him
so that he feels safe and comfortable.

61
{Et +qti qq E{M: €-ffi< ffi< +q
r Eelqcrr( s f{tFd fuid ffifd S.t{ ttsott
ilrarqrh kevelah bhayafi kurva4aly sarvapadi vipadi caiva
na kasmidaparat sa vibheti nirbhayarh jivaliti dhruvam.

One whb fears God alone will fear none else and will no doubt live without
fear of any danger or adversity.

qftffiq-dffidls {s{q {rrreerdr+ors *q-et r

t s ,rerfi sffi 3q1sq qq. gEffifr+: q1fu13 115711


A ti p rak r ak i yas i ddludco i iv a ra
it q
sv

mAng alyav Artfiv a ha lc a kev alam


te ca lraddharhd stathapi updsyastu eka evadvitiyal Paramelxaral.

Persons able to do miracles are only /sf,wara's massengers of good news.


They should be respected but worship is resenred for Paramesvara, the
only one Supreme Being.

tqq+ ffd q A 1rtd f{Fi td6rc flld deq I

erql{tils F{eilqr((rfu t gfd futI srEfr q{r€q: ttsett


Vbhave sati tu yo nyilarhso vi tirh vihaya caroti jivanam
anydyav fittalcs bhiksamtdtdA wh prati
i !;varo bhavlti paraimukhah.

/sl,wara withholds Himsell from a man who is heartless and lives


disregarding moral rules, wrongs others and even il wealthy, begs lor
morc.

wr<ni e<t v ur6r<+h eTrfni +st q


+ 10m-tfr q €rfs €qt {qurriq rsel
Klan anAth hridayqrh ya AhlAdayati anfin-Atil klelarh ca
yo ditrikaroti sa svargasya labhate rajanargarn.

He who gladdens the heart of the weary, removes the suffering of the
afflicted, gets a shorter road to paradise.

62
q: {qdq+ frswq e[rthi q q6trq6: I

s cS( etnqqqil{ {srqfu eErr+.( rroorr


Yahismanhayate viiyasfin ArfiqnAth co sahdyakall
Sa pabet svargqdvaramupdvr itam iivaramapi sahayakam.

He who supports believerc ol lshwara and he who helps the distressed,


will also be aided by ,sf,wara towads his passage to heaven.

ywrd qFrqRr<tr r+im: r *n: Vsaqri*i


ard{ r erqt qratqrd-rs qqrqd er}* rrorrr r
Pr ist haghno vyabhicAradapi bhoyathkaral.t i $' aml\ p r ist haghafiruth
tdvan rw ksatnate yavadevdhatasya ksamAmasau na labheta.

Backbiting is more grieveous than adultery. lshwara will not pardon the
backbiter until the victim pardons him of that.

qE ?rq{fr +q{ cfrq}"r g erffi


E-frf{+,t gtser rFT {m: vffi rrozrr

Yastu ndcarati bhaikgah pailrame,la tu arjayati


svajivikirh purusasya tasya i$,ara4 prasidati.

/shwara is gracious to hlm who eams his living by his own-labour and not
by begging.

d s<Ifd qt' wq{rq e a-qErrilT€h


f{fui +{ s6 ffi +( ist r1qfu t+cff: 1163;g

Yo dadati annah svajandya sa bvAnugatyamarhati


virodhath tena saha kriyate cet iiyoro bhavoti viraktah.

One who provides ,ood to your family deserves your loyalty and hostility
towards him is annoyingto lshwara.

63
?rr-q c.FrE T{q-f{5ilt-fq I

<itisfr rv( <R-ra<qq: sc( r

\r{+{ ffi ilradr {a-r-ler<1 rrearr


Dhanavitn paqatu dhanaba ltaromufiqroltoram
daidrc'pi palyatu daidmta ramadhall kramam.
Evameva vicqryath tAratamyena i tyara-prasadqm.

A wealthy person should look to those less fortunate and poor to poorer
person and appreciate what /sl,wara has granted to him.

*6 Eftq<r$sfs qlqrfrrmp6qr fiqEi TqFd r

fre q'rn vge-*foair+err qat {arrJws+1 riosrr


Katni indriyadaso'sti ktnabhogalolasd nicatvarh nqyati
t iqlha jagati pad mapa, ramivarhbhqsA. Etadvai Is:r,aranu sdsanam.

Over sensual man is a slave to his passions, lust is degrading. /shwara


ordains man to remain like lhe petals of a lotus (surrounded by water
without getting wet).

frsqg€-sFi eT sqtti vfr e-q Etr-qq


il( Rrri fq HFrms{frfil-d{
orqqpr-ffiFd srrrfrq1qq-q 1661
Vqayasukhatyagath va sonijarh prati yat kartlavyam
tat tydgarh naiva tydgamistoraprinitam
k funap dla - v imo c a namit i ty q g omi lv a ra s am m a ta m.

Abstinence ol material comfort and abandoning of social responsibilities


are not dear to lshwara, He only appreciates one's being free from the
stranglehold of desire.

64
vei qs Efu s$ri frrfqr1 r

fc"q-dri q{ q qgqqqqq s1

<qt s cfrqr qFT qFrr * qqqrfir ,

itq yqt(fr tr<, grd fosq nozrr


Satyqh yasla vratopavdsarh santosarh tirthabhtltam
diyyajn Ana,h dhyAnarh ca yajfid*arupam
dayA ca prarimA yasya ksp a vai japamalA
tasya prasidati ilvarah purato ni\am.

Theywho make truth theirfasting, contentment their place of pilgrimage,


divine knowledge and meditation their ablutions, mercy their images and
forgiveneness their rosary are foremost in /srwarabfavour.

frR-tr( dqr<fcq ffi sre I qq {s{rt{: l68n


HithsanAt sft1ddanritat virato bhovo. Esa Iharidesoh.

lshwara ordains you to abstain from killing, stealing and lying.

ff u qyql sri fr-qrq r

wqa-vmrvnt d v4 a-s S:qdrr{ il69[


Itvarorh ma dusaya. Svayuit vicAroya.
Svakrito-pdpaprajdtqth vai sanah tava duhkhabhogam.
Do not blame it on lshwara, iudge yoursell aboutthe sins you have com-
mitted to deserve the suflerings.

fu r $q qR n-e qrftun cft$-d t* er-vfirt r {ffi


qR il ffi{+ilFJe-qtr{s lrier fqr-dT r+efr rrzorr
ilyararh na dusaya .vadi tava vdrind paripirito
dipo andhakArah no ditikaroti
yadi va vinastendhanendgniprajjvalanasya pracesta viphati bhavati.
Do not blame /shwara if your lamp filled with water does not dispel darkness
or your etfort to light a fire with rotten wood, fails.

65
qr{( EEr ftqdr 15 riqr{gqfrrs
drd( grn dqs4r {s(mTqrq qR qr E-dI ll71ll
YAvat tf is4q sthifi nf is.u sarh,tArasukhobhogasya
tavad vfitha tapaicaryd iivoralabhaya yadi vq krifi.
Till sell continues to lust atter wordly pleasures, moritification is in vain
even in the cause of lshwara.

gTsRq{r{qlttw+tfiqqkrq ,r}ri a g wvq r

qnfrt Er+qtqoi s+4 6-ft4 qdqrfireh 11

+r + s-f,+ dqo: n-{rrfrc: qttqt qtqf-(rftrtrtTt rtzztr


P ralaroksArthamavalyakiyadravyaj dtasya bho garh na tu papom

larirarh svasthyqrakqa4arh safuiiva ka tavyah dhormasddhanarthau


tena vai varttale projjvalah prajfinpradipah
s ddhy at e c ag hakl itp rat i rodham.

To satisfy the necessities of life is not evil. To keep a healthy body for
pertormance of religious activities, is a duty, otherwise one shall not be
able to keep buming the lamp of wisdom, or resist even an evil doer.

dt) qr fufirqi aCFr qrE qr


frfi-*.rS+qI +Erqi gfc.oqrsrT sr(
qrfiETr vr{T q-fl' qr fu{sqRr{ il731t
Bodhe vtt cintayarh k trna1i va(i vq
iivikariqne vd cestdyelit iuddhilak;a4d syAt
saphala prArthana kritd ya iivarasakilam-

Prayer to lshwarawillbeat lhe fruits of purity in understanding, thought,


speech, actions, livelihood and etlorts.
f{rq{Fi sI cws'grs{t
q-treqrst qffi<q; trt
sTftfq-( q..dlfrr +tqTd I frUE Aft 117a11

Matsyamdrhsavarjanorh digamvqratyarh vo tnastakamu4d anam


kardamAlipt agarh vagnihot radikoth caittuti
kanicit karma mohagrastarh na viluddhorh kurvanti.

Neither abstinence trom fish or m€at, nor going naked, nor shavlng the
head, nor miring the body with mud, nor sacrificing to lire will cleanse a
man who is not free ,rom delusions.

R qE fqsrsqq qs ersi 6,d q


f+tFrftfr qq$ qr5aq-yqrflfr; 11751s

Sa evq vilvqsavdn yasya vtrcanath karma ca


nirdpad.amiti manyante B hagava|prajdvargdh.

A faithful is he, lrom whose tongue and hands /shwarabcreation is safe.

tg {,wt-+fd {{rqffr q-rgtsT:


I laqer: yrre8 ts{s, tsi Td-fr ffi; p176;1

ye tu iivaro kartritue sahlayanti kapurusith


te nikristd.h latravolca I*varasya, te{tah mahoti vinastih.

The greatest enemies of lshwaraare those who are cowards and doubt
the will of /shwala. Doubters are subject to huge destruction.

ss+q 4t si( etd-stii frffiq r

qw<rq qqrEq( qkr{r€ri q cRei( l77l


Satyameva vocoth vadet prat|ftatarh nirvahayet
nyastadqvath sampadayet malinayasqruit ca paritvajet-

Speak the truth, perform when you promise and discharge your trust
Have no impure desires.
qr+fr Wdr qrdr v<d Yfr lrdfd
il<fir"i <qrqdt l{'r+R H4$q Yqq sfu tt
Risi qr{td rqnt qR ilq rsfr ETfrqr4(
qsrg€xref qt e+ncthqloffmR ttzetr
Yavati snehalild mata sanfinah prati bhavoti
tadadhiko dayturutto Bhagavdn svayahsfi$an praian prati
hihsanoth narhqti prajAnAh yadi tanna bhavati canivdryam
khAd! a s athg rohartham v A a tma sq.,h rakta4irthama pari ha ryam

/shwara's kindness towards His creatures is more than a mothe/s love


towards her babe. Do not destroy any ol lshwara's creations if not an
absolute necessity for lood, or self preseryation.

qi qs cfur1 qrq-{r q g{i{dr I

dr+tqRrs r{EfiI: e qq qt{g{dtd


eTQiTqi gtffi ag(tr<ft{ul: rl

d s rrqi q r1ffi qrff; I

qrdkq ,JrRi qr+fint sI Ecfri q tqr( ttzstt


Mano yasya pavitram vAssna ca susathyota
ilokoccardlca madhusvandl sa eva bhavilumarhati
prArthanAxtrh purohito yajamane bhyo vahudattadaksi4all
kavos1o mriduvak vai sa drdva4e tu bhavati iaktall
vavadew bhranti,h lrdvakttndr va kumaliit cq tusAtn.

Any person who has pure mind, control on desire and can recite slokas
melodiously may le ad apraye( as purohit lGurul lor whom the benefactors
may provide in plenty. Purohit may speak kindly, pitying for the listeners
errors with gentle warmth that melt always any ill will from listeners mind'

68
t{6qxrqi qrrTq
qrqurx-qEt
fe{riil€qga+.{srgq+ q
ud6{qen-Eei qr n-<Frqq<T ueorr
Wvooara4fuh bhd\anairavanarh cdnyaa
vijftdnatattva pravuddhaktra4amucyote ca
dharmakarmdnus.t hAnatulyah vd tadadh ika v a radam

To listen to the words of the learned and to instill into others the lessons
of scienc€, are equi\alent to, or more gaintul than, religious exercises.

T+frof qfrf{<s *nqt r<k;<q:


Bqdsfr cH q s[rldcqr{q+ l81l
Manisirlfuh masivindulca virdr1fuh raktavindaval1
ubhayo' pi pavitau ca amritopumavucyate.

It is said that the ink of the scholars is as holy as the blood ol the heroic
martyrs.

'gd re +usr<r('-qsgqrq trdqFr{+( |

H sR srdrai qrs+ a( qt fi,rrdr rr{ Rdqq( R-6 l82l


'Suk*i bhava iharaprasddit' - evamuvdcya mitranabhinqndyet.
Sa yadi sahoyyah yAcote tat pArlve sthito bhava sarvasampat sahL

When greeting a friend remind him ol lshwara's grace. When your friend
needs you, stand by him with all your resources.

91' si{m: fuqqft qf{f,m{qdwr{ r

f<+r Bciq r*i


ct-*i le.fslr}ei sqt: q€
SE qq +uirrvrr+rfd a-s fui: yfr<fr il83[*
it-t arah svayathlukrah snihyati pavitrajanamasathloyaru.
Divd uposla taktoth pAyana,h par*tibhojanath vajanaih saha
evarh yastu pour4anAsamo{arati ,asya vai inaroh prasidati.

/shwara is pure and loves the pure. /shryara is pleased to clean your sin il
on the full moon day, you fast during sunlight and feast in moon light with
community members. This is called ,Bho.i Utsav'.

69
@g + <qgr{ it efr esirsR ssnq
fr+g I

vga?Tffi afd ff{ r+sf,ql qtcr ,fifds tqr rr

qs {ardqT: tl84tt
iivarosristesu jivesu yo dayAvAn wh Prati ii;varo'pi daydvda.
Poiuvadhaicedqnivarya,h tarhi fin svalPatuma pi4A bhitilca deya
Es0 iSvaradelah.

Whoever is kind to lswara's creatures, /shwara is kind to him, lJ an animal


has to be killed, lshwara orders that minimum fear and pain should be
afflicted.

oTrffi 1 qfirarfr sr( ttrrrd( qf<R t

r st( vftTfui q s<t sd ftet-dl ,{+( llssll


dstiko na vyabhicdri syAt parodAra,h nabhigacchet
na vadet pratisjddha,h co sQdq satye sthito bhavet.

Followers of ,shwara must not commit adultery. They must nol desire the
wile ot other and must not utter what is forbidden and musl always be
steadrast in truth.

q{rqg qrFr(-vEr: I iTq vfr s<dr qs r

qa-d e qqfrq1qffi eNIiF'I: ll


qqrft+ Eunfrqs qlrei t'i q {Tdq I

t *e vmffiqr: vfrlsfls qq< tt86tt


Paiavaica Bfuigavat-sriqAb Tdn prati sadayo bhava
yaraste c o manus.iv akv<rc ane alaktdl.t
Ksudh.Artebhyo tris4artebhyalca khadyorh peyat ca diyarAm
te naiva prdptaklamdh prapiditalca bhavantu.

Animals also are created by lshwara. Be compassionate to animals tor


they cannot speak. Give food to the hungry and water to the thirsty. They
should not be tortured or fatigued.

70
err-{frs d"TyrF*i frqrq q-<r€h qrqq r

S$ * srrqk€r r vfu grc<Iffi


n 6ls{ Mr q *.srfr +i rTqt I srFf,tE qrqt q rrazrr
Sravakasya vodhalaktbi vibhAvya voktunarhati vAcam.
Esa vai Bhagovadicchi" Samavisgye yugapadalocyamine
na kaicid visayo na kasyapi bodhafi gamyate. Bhrantireva jAyak cq.

/shwara desires that man should speak to the other as per the listene/s
mental capacity, il all things are discussed with all men, some subiects
may not be understood by some body and may be misunderstood.

eri tF6 WRfq gqe'q arEt w1 r

sfir<q+{e-6+( in-s irer q;tfiqiqq rrssrr


Annath dehi ksudhdnaya iuksuqasva aturatu jonam
ktlcidanyatendvaddhascet kuru tasya vandhuamocanam.

Feed the hungry and visit the sick and tree the captive if he is uniustly
confined.

sq{{r: qrtrfi-drtsfr qR i$-6rqgcqq-*


qrqrffi dr{ EFs qrqfqmr{ rr89il
Sqhacar?th pApakarttaro' pi yadi sahayyamupaydcante
papAnniydryq ton kurusva pApqviratan.

Assist your comrades even if they are sinners. Assist a sinner by


forbidding and withholding him rrom sinning.

d ffi q: qq{s dfd q.d q enfr+


CGq q Tq g€FI: ggqg E?i qt{fr {st: lt9oil
yogyo yah samanhalca karoti karma ca Alrrwno
Yo
parasyo ca ta, sohayah prosannaica svayath bhavati livarah.

Whosoever is able and fit must work for himself and tor others, /shwara is
helptul and gracious to him.

71
fui-drqrq 3TrflT:i tqk
vftrq+q rnr6{smd{q qrofrql ttgttt
i 3v arulrub haya amanarh v iddhi
pratiiqnosyt jianahara4amavaiyath kara4iyam.

Know yourself to realize lshwara.Ihe acquisition ot knowledge is a duty


incumbent on every human.

crfr 1 I qs {'q{r+$:
v+r<tufr+r
qr + sr-dfu qIdT q 6-qI q qm qT 1

ai ytc q-q 6ff ilffi{oi T*t' Tqfr ne2u


Ndi tu samidara4iyo. esa ilvardelah
sa vai bhavati nArA ca katqa ca bhagini vd
firh prati yqt korttavyoth tqdakoralarh narakafi tayqtL

/shwara enJoins you to treat women well for they are your mothers and
daughters and may be, sisters. Shirking responsibilities towards women
will open up your path to hell.

qr 5r-drqkq 1 Ei5tq ffi <nt


vttrcFi
q{qFr6-{fr dtg 5w q.rqfuq rstd ilE fr41 ttsttt
PratidAnalh va punarldhhamicchant na kurusva kimapi ddnam
evamanicchannapi labhettu pu4yarh jagadapica bhavati tava mitram.

When you donate anything, do it without wishing a restitution or desiring


to get back some profit. Thus will you attain virtues and the world also will
become your friend even if you do not desire so.

s5qv-+ ffi g frErir( wtq *a-qt


${qqqrFr q-ffi{ Tfr ffi l]-qfd 6e4qfufre{1 rr94tr
Samurpanne vivade n vicardt prageva iromvyam
ubhayapaksas.va voktavyah loto visp.tstarh bhavqti tatlryamavitathafi'

When two parties come to you lorthe settlement of dispute, do not decide
belore you have heard the words ol both the sides; lor it is most proper
that the fact should be evident to you.
d +*q Eutd M{€ ertid q
Ffi++S qs tffiqrr{r q nk,
ckd: q qqriilEfucffr lgsl
Yah jivda druhyati tescotanistoth karuti ca
samajivesu ya,sya maitibhAvqnd cd nasti
patitah sa samajacyutimqrhari.

Whosoever hurts and harms living creatures, is devoid of sympathy ,or


any living thing, let him be known as an outcast.

*d g q'q-f+qqqTri # s EcftEr
qtdg s *1trhd-( €-{*srrjqt yufflr frliq
fud n ffir( eqrfkqgtfifrrsdtlr{ rrgorr
*urya,h tu jagat-vijayaksamoh jivane ca suprutisthd
kritisu ca kirttimetat saryamilvardnugrahe pinlabyA nirbharam
nilcitarh vqi nir4ayametad dstilcyavuddhe rvi tistalaksa4am.

The distinclive signs of your faith are courage to win the world and complete
dependence on lshwards will lor your life and achievements.

qr{(rgRr-{R6 q<r <r{ftil T{. ffi+r( r

qsft srkn fqqnti ae Ei r{mq+te1 rrszrr


Ytnadoyustdvadiha sqdd ddnalilo narah pretydsmaltokit
palyati svargadvarah yilAlath tasya kf ite unmuktamanargalam.

A man, always charitable during his life in worldly existence, tinds the
great door of paradise wide open br him when he departs from this world.

t-*i q-q F<t Sqnc1frit il+friE-dqkt rivt rrsarr


Hridayah yat sadA jivapremapitritarh tadabhtstatanamiha sahsare.

Whal ls most needed in this world is a heart full of love ,or creations of
lshwara.
end .r'r onfr{s +afd *dfr
qct * qg ffi qq- *rrg s5q(t l r

cs$sffidqrqq+qqr
Et+rd qt-+rd *dfr rrssrr
caraiveti
Aste bhaga dtinasya
- caraiveti
Caran vai madhu vindati caran svAdu udumvqram.
Pasya su4,asya lreni4arh yo na tandrayate caran.
Cqraiveti caraireti carqiveti.

One's fortune stays seated (never prospers) if one stays ssated. So move
on, move on. Verily when one moves on, one gels honey. Moving on (to
the tree) one does get sweet Udumvaralruits. Look ! How beautilul is the
brilliance of the Sun who is ever moving, never ratigues and stops. So
move on, move on, verily you do keep on moving.

e} Ttrrq t-*: r rq q$qlqTfir+{f,r:


.rq q-frF{:
fr{*1q.Kgs@'q: r qirq {qfoi qqrg; 11

e% wFt: IIIk: {llfu: lllooll


Aum bfuidrath kamebhih lriau"*qrna Devall
B hadrath pa iyemdks abhi ryaj at rdh
Sthirqiraiaistultuvdhsastanibhil.L Vyalema devahitarh yadoyulL
Aum lqntih lantih lantih.

Oh lshwaral Let us hear good words through our ears, and let our eyes
see good things. Let us sing hymns to you with steady bodies, limbs and
organs and thus live the whole length of our lives as ordained by the
lshwara.lellherc be peace, peace and peace everywhere.

74
LORD KRISHNA AND THE BHAGVAD GITA

{s q-tfr qrfti, qt dqq+FrR1 |

q-( EITI rq-6 {+, q(qFr< rncrE{ ll


I salute that all-blissful Lord Krishna
whose compassion makes the dumb eloquent and
enables the lame to cross mountains !

Lord Krishna was born in Mathura in 1550 B.C. Those days Mathura was
ruled by a king called Kansha. Kansha was his maternal uncle. Krishna
was the eighth child ofVasudev and Devaki.
Kansha was an evil tyrant and his tyranny spared no one. Even the sages
had to bear his brunt. Kansha imprisoned his own father King Ugrasena
and snatched the crown of Mathura. Kansha heard a divine oracle which
said that 'your sister Devaki's eighth child will be your slayer". So jusl
after Devaki's marriage, Devaki and Vasudev were imprisoned by King
Kansha.
Each time Devaki gave birth to a child in the prison, Kansha himself
would killthe child. Devaki became pregnant forthe eighth time.The divine
essence ol Lord Vishnu was born in the prison as the eighth child of
Devaki. This child is Lord Krishna.
Thunder, storm, lightning and floods marked the night of Krishna's birth.
The guards fell asleep and the doors opened through a miracle. A divine
message came to Vasudev soon after the birth of Lord Krishna, Take this
child across the Yamuna river to Gokul.You will return to the prison belore
anyone comes to know about the birth ofthis child ".Vasudev immediately
carried lhe child in his arms and he found thatthe prison doors had opened
automatically to let hirn out.Vasudev approached theYamuna rlver, which
was very turbulenl due to the fierce winds and rain. However, as soon as
Vasudev reached the riverbank, the river parted and made way forvasudev
who was carrying the divine child.
Vasudev reached the opposite side of the river safely and lound all the
people of Gokul fast asleep. He entered the house of cowherd chief Nanda
and his wife Yashoda. Vasudev put the baby Krishna in the hands ol
Nanda who put Krishna by the side ol Yashoda. Yashoda was the loster
mother of Lord Krishna. She brought up the child Krishna. Krishna means
black. Lord Krishna had dark skin. Hindus thus, have a special love and
respect lorthe dark skinned people.
The tyrant Kansha, as soon as he came to know of the birth of Devaki's
child, rushed to the prison cell to kill the new born baby. However, being
unable to kill the child of Devaki, Kansha became furious and ordered all
the babies in Brindavan and its neighborhood to be killed. Krishna, who
was born to re-establish 'Sanatana Dharma' rcmained unscathed and
subsequently thwarted all Kansha's attempts to put an end to his life.
Kansha utilised an uncle of Lord Krishna, Akrur to bring him to Mathura
on the ploy of a compromise discussion.
As soon as Krishna came, Kangsa tried to kill him first through his hired
killers and later with the help of a mad elephant. Ultimately, Kansha himself
was killed by the youthful Lord Krishna during a hand to hand fight and
Kangsa's lather Ugrasena was reinstalled on the throne.
Lord Krishna's childhood was full of dangerous attempts on his life. He
gre\ry up with the cowherds and the milkmaid girls.These girls were known
as gopis in Brindavan. He was an excellentflute player. During his childhood
Krishnalaught his friends how to use the excess energy of youthlul vigour
in the art form of music and dance.This dance form is still being practised
as Dandi Rash Dance.
Radha a gopigirl was his most ardent friend and disciple. Upto the age ol
fourteen Lord Krishna enjoyed his childhood in the midsi o, songs, dances
and youthlul pranks.
At the age ol lourteen Lord Krishna left his childhood abode Brindaban
and best lriend Radha permanently and went to Mathura where he slew
the wicked King Kansha. Krishna became the disciple of Saint Sandipani
from his childhood days. He learntVedas as well as martialarts of warhre
in the Ashram of the guru.

Throughout his life, Krishna struggled to give the deprived masses their
76
due. He sacrificed all comforts and even his lile forthe cause of the have-
nots and fought forthe causes of the deprived. And in doing so he had to
fight continuously with the powerful politicians of his period.
His aim was to make Sanatana Dhaffna a centalized movement under
one umbrella. He gave patronage to Pandava KingYudhisthira to establish
a just kingdom where even the poorest of the poor will get the chance to
live honourably and will get justice through the vehicle of centralized
S a n a ta na D h a rm a lenels.

During his time a powerful tyranl King Jarasandha was ruling Magadh.
Kansa was Jarasandha's son-in-law. To take retr'enge of Kansa's dealh,
Jarasandha invited Kal Javan, a foreign leader ot horse-riding invader
tribe from north western boarder of lndia. He along with his army crossed
Hindu Kush mountain-pass and attacked Krishna's Mathura. Krishna killed
Kal Javan in a one to one fight.

Jarasandha, however, continuously oppressed, killed, maimed and


imprisoned the Jollowers ot Lord Krishna. The wicked king laid seize on
Mathura time and again with the intention ol genocide. He blocked essential
food supplies by deploying a large army. Each time Lord Krishna fought
valianlly and defeated Jarasandha on every occasion.
Krishna realized that they had meagre resources compared to the unlimited
supplies of wealth and resources of Jarasandha. He found that he would
need 300 years to deplete Jarashandha's large army. Under the
circumstances Lord Krishna decided to avoid further bloodshed of the
poor masses of Mathura.

To ensure the salety of common men of Mathura, Lord Krishna made a


long journey along with all his followers. The team ol lollowers crossed
about thousand miles and reached the sea shore ol lndia's westem coast.
There he established the city of Dwaraka.
He entrusted the governance of Dwarka to his kinsmen, lhe Vrishnis.
Though himself a hmous war or, a wise statesman, an intelligent diplomat,
he never coveted a throne.

He subiugated many tyrant kings of their kingdoms for establishing justice


to the deprived masses but never occupied the throne himself. He always
77
gave it back io the people ol the country.
After many years, when he was aged 53, he revisited Brindavan once on
the fiervent requests ofthe old friends.When he came to revisit Brindavan,
the common masses enthusiastically disengaged the horses of his chariot
and pulled the chariot themselves. Till today Hindus all over the world
commemorate this short visit of Lord Krishna to his native lriends ol
Brindavan as'Chariot Festival'.
Lord Krishna was often seen in the midsl ol intense activity, but he
remained always calm and unattached. He took all sufferings on himsell
and always stood by the weak and the deprived in the face ol the deepest
provocation and danger to his lile.
There was a wicked king at Pragjyotispur, who had imprisoned sixteen
hundred young women for his service. He caused immense sufferings to
the people ol his kingdom. The masses appealed to Lord Krishna lor
relief. Lord Krishna fought and killed the king o, Pragjyotishpur.
He gave back the Kingdom to the son of the defeated king. Sixteen
hundred women were freed but the question arose as to who will leed
them and protect their honour. To protect the life and honour of these
unfortunate imprisoned women, Krishna in a public lunction, announced
that from that day onward all people should treat these ladies as the
wives of Lord Krishna and must provide for their upkeep, safety and pay
respect due to the wife of Lord Krishna. And any wrong doing to any of
these ladies will invite death penalty from the Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna,
however, never had physical relations with anyone ol them. Till this day
any Hindu woman in distress consifrLord Krishna as her husband and
protector and gets solace.
Lord Krishna was the greatest human being on earth. He was the mosl
compassionate and loving character, a brilliant scholar, great
mathematician, great scientist, great artist and a charming player of the
flute. He was the slrongest of human beings, a statesman politician and
a warrior who was neverdefeated by anyone.

Lord Krishna was always a man of the masses and he lived a very simple
life. Hindus believe Lord Krishna is the ,sf,warab own son . lshwara senl
his own son Lord Krishna to us, to suffer all types of sutferings so that
7A
sufferings o, the common mass reduces. He had all the opportunities to
be in a palace and to sleep on a golden bed, but he preferred to take rest
under a tree in a lorest as any poor man would have done.
ln the year 1475 B.C. he was taking rest under a tree. Seeing his rosy feet
from a distance, a hunter mistook lhem fora red bird and aimed a poisonous
arrow which pierced his leet.The hunter realized his grievous mistake and
was grief-stricken and wanted to commit suicide, but Lord Krishna blessed
him with a smile and soon after gave up his mortal life.
Though thousands of years have elapsed, the memory of Lord Krishna
and the sweet tune o, his flute is still evergreen in the hearts of billions of
his devotees.

Lord Krishna is worshipped in various forms. He is the lavourite ideal of


men and women, the ideal of children as well as of adults. He was the
most delached 'Sannyasin' and the most wonderful householder in one;
he had all the power and riches of a king and was at the same time living
in the midst ol the most exemplary renunciation.

lmmediately after his death a very high tidal wave from the seas, caused
due to earthquakes underthe seabed, in 1475 B.C. swept Dwaraka and a
vast coast line of the Arabian sea. Lord Krishna is the last messiah i.e.
Oeyara of the Hindu religion.

Lord Krishna is the lshwara's Gprcsentative, the saviour of all. Whoever


loves him, he bestows success, relief and peace. He protects the poor
and weak lrom oppression. He had sacriliced all his happiness for the
benefit of the toiling poor mass. He had never accepted kingship. He
always stood for the cause of the ordinary people.
Anyone who commits himself/herself to Lord Krishna is relieved ol all
pains and sufferings and goes to heaven to be by the side of lshwara for
eternaljoy. Lord Krishna promised to come back again to ameliorate the
sufferings of ethical loyal people. He promised it himself in the Glta.

79
T<r q-<rr€ qdq r-mrfrrffd snad
a-<rfl:i qqrq6l
qR-dnrq qrcf{q ffiRnq q Sqil{
$Tfiqrqrq-{reirq Rrrgrfu gt gt

Yadd yadi hi dharmashya glanirbhabati bhdrata


abhyutha-nam adharmashya tadatmanam srijamyaham
paritranaya sadhunam binashaya ca duskritam
dharma samsthapanar thaya sambhabami yuge yuge

Here Lord Krishna is promising, "l will take birth again, whenever needed
to clean the polity of injustice and evil deeds and establish a state where
all men and women will live with dignity and honouf'.

The Gita is treasure house of knowledge in the Hindu religion i.e..it guides
one about the good Hindu way ol liJe to follow. lt is the most important
text to a Hindu. Persons of any other religion may also read and practise
it in their daily lives.
The Gita is a collection of sermons given by Lord Krishna to his disciple
Arjuna on the eve of lhe great historical war of Mahabharata. This war
was betwaen the Kourava and the Pandava clans.This war was fought in
'1500 B.C. at Kurukshetra, which is siluated about 100 km north west of

New Delhi, lndia.

Arjuna was a great warrior and was on the side of the Pandavas. During
these sermons, Lord Krishna was in a trance with a supematural torm
(Viswarup Darshan) and talked in a trance and passed it to the whole
world through Arjuna. Through the Gita, Lord Krishna teaches the Hindus
the best way to live a life and the best path to reach /shwara.
Lord Krishna said Ka rma Yoga (achievement through hard work) is superior
lo Jnan Yoga (achievement th rough pursuit of Knowledge), he said /st lvara
is supreme and indivisible with no beginning and no end. ,st wara is the
cause ol all causes.
Lord Krishna explained that the caste system is a division ol labour
according to ones capabilities and /st wara did not ordain it. He said that
80
everything in this universe is a creation ol lshwaru.ll /sf,lyarawould have
hated anything or any person, He would have annihilated it himseff and
would not have depended on His followers to do the job.
The Gita teaches that hypocrites (Mithyachary) never attain salvation
and they are dangerous persons and are to be shunned.The Gita teaches
us that we should try to do our work in the most excellent way without
asking lor immediate results for the result will be automatic, proportional
to our contribution and as per circumstances.
The Gita says that renunciation ot worldly aflairs, i.e. t aking sannyasa,is
easier and less pleasing to /shwara. Lord Krishna encouraged his followers
to struggle and win the batfles oI lrfe th rough Kama_yoga(success through
hard work and application of honest intelligence).

The Gita also teaches one that true knowledge is engulfed in a smoke
screen of falsehood. This falsehood is spread by the hypocrites who are
power seekers. The original Gita contains 7OO s/okas (verses) and 1g
chapters. Few of the original s/okas lor regular working people are being
presented here.

81
GITA HYMNS

q qqr ci vr{< diRqq qqrE{61 |

qq e-€fTq-f+ qlqr: qtd qftI: t

Ye yatha marn prapadyanle tedstathaiva bhajamyaham


mama va(amananuvartante manusyab partha sarvalalr

Ariuna, howsoever men seek /shwara, even so do I approach them; for all
men follow my path in every way.

affir*rrd cr q.-&S q<rq-{ I

qr 6{s-dtg{cf t sdswn'dtrr t

Karmanyvidhikaraste ma phalequ kadachana


mi karmaphalhheturbhfrma te sa4go' stvakarmani

Your right is to work only, do not hanker lor fruit there of. Be not impatient
in judging the proportion of your achievemerits fortruit is automatic and
cannot be prevented.

* tr S6+tmt gEfr-fffdftqfd I

ilEr rr;ilfu i{& ffrq{q {il{q q I

Yada te moha-kalitang buddhir vyati-tarisyati


tad6 gantasi nirvedam sritavyasya Srutasya ca

Where your thoughls are no longer influenced by the mire ol delusion,


worldly joys and sorrows will be ot little relevance to you. Etemal peace
will then be yours in this world as well as the world beyond.

82
4

T{: g(RK{ yts-dd ldsq t vda gq vd r

el-n-trFrdf{frEei vd {qrfrfr n-dsfu vd: r

Namah purastidatha pdstha-taste namo,stu te salvata eba sarva


ananta-yiryamita-vikramastvarft sarya samaprosi tato si sarvah

O lshwara o, infhite prowess, my salutations to you lrom all sides. O


unique soul of everything my obeisance toyou from all aspects indeed.
You who possess limitless might, pervade all ; therefore, you alone are
eveMhing.

ii qt-seqqrfr Twtdr5dqZ+ I

sr{rkTff{ e-{ q strIrssarfr r

Jneyani yattatpravaksJami jajni twdmritajrute


anedimatpara ft brahma na sattatrasaducyate

He oughtto be known, and knowing which one attalns supreme bliss.That


supreme ,shwara who is an infinite entity, is said to be neither Sat(being)
nor Asat(non-being).

ffq
q4€-dr€q !+qrc-Sfterilr I
qR *n: vgvfr u Rr<RrerFI T6rirFI: I

Divi s[ryasahasrasya bhavedyugapadutthiti


yadibhrh sadri$i sa syadbhasastasya mahetmanah
l, there be the aura o, a thousand suns bursling forth all at once in the
heav6ns, even that would hardly approach the splendor of the mighty
lshwara.

83
7

vdil: qrfi,rqG rsftsfs{ffi5q{ t

vft: tRrrd q-4tr{€ ffi t

Sarvatah pAni. Padam tatsarvatoskli iiromukham


sarvatah &utimalloke sarbamdbritya tiqlhati
in all
He, as if, has hands and ,eet on all sides' eyes, head and mouth
directions, and ears all round; lor it stands pervading all in the universe'

qr<t +-sF{filq r -a-d gqit fe5: t

3lET'firTi sH fu tat< v<a: t

Nadatte kasyachitpaPam na chaiva suFitam vibhuh


ajnane-navritani Fananitena mutchyanti jantavah

/shwara is much beyond to be influenced by the virtue or sin ol anyone'


Knowledge is enveioped in ignorance and as a result human beings
constantly fall prey to delusion'
9

uir g il€Fi tsi 1ft6rysq1 1

Mce-+q.i n-+.Rrqf( (Gq I

Gyqfiena tu tad Syana,h yes1ng nalita matmanh


tesam adilyavqi-gyanarh prokikryati tat param

lgnorance has to be set aside by true knowledge of /shwara, then wisdom


iill be shining as the sun shines and supreme wisdom brings success'
10
qd {ffiil q{ osrmffid-c1 t

qcfffi Tis q,r+sfu r156{q 1

Balath balavaytdth chAhah kanw rdga vivarjitam


dharmi-viru.ddho bhutesu kdmo'smi bharatarsabha
in living
,shwara is the might ol the mighty, free from passion and desire;
beings, He is the normal sexual desire not conflicting with virtue

84
11
Tilq: y{IrFr;q: V{Cr+q<I€(T: I

d dcxqqnqs fqrrfqq {,qt, r

Unaml purusas tva anyah paramitrnety_udahritah


yo loka-trayami-vi$ya bibhartya abyaya iCwarah

The supreme Lord is /srwara. He is the infinite being who is the cause
of
allcauses. He upholds and maintains all,and has bden spoken of as
the
imperishable Lord and the Supreme Spirit.

12

{d[rfunfl-+ Tmscr ffi rq: r

qist€rfir{ sr iffirqsgEr€q I

Mridha grAher.Ftmano jatpi-daya kriyate tapah


parasyot sidandrtham vA tarya_masamuda hriram

Austerity which is practised through perversity and is accompanied with


sell-mortification or is intended to harm otheri, such austeriiy has been
declared as Tamasika.

13
<reqfufd q+i ffis3rorfid r

S *.rd q qr) s ilfi €rffi qil{ r

Ditavyam irijad dAnarn diyatea nupk,Erirr


.
dese kdle cha pare cha tad denam sattikam smdkm
A selfless gift bestowed on a deserving person without any expectation
at an opportune moment and place is pronounced as Satii*a'

85
'14

T{ rqq-6Rr{ s-m5rflc ET ${: I

ffi s qftiw€ n-qFi rrqt{ qil{ I

Yat ru pratyu-PakarArtham phala muddirya bd punah


diyate cha pariklistarh tad danarir r6jasarh srryitam

A gift which is bestowed in a grudging spirit and with the obiect o, getting
a service in return or in tho hope of obtaining a reward, is called Reiasika'

15

{vt: vd*nrni thfrs$ tisfr t

TAT6-dIF qrq-qT I

IIiararah sarYa bhritandng fuiddese arjuna tisthati


bhramayan sarva bhftani yanha r$deni mayaye

lshwara abides in the heart of all creatures, causing them to revolve


according lo lhe.J Karma by His illusive power, seated as those beings
are in the vehicle of the bodY.

16
crEqr{ rrrdsdsqo}sqstRFlrfr{' I

q:ss{SXtgcwqqffi |

Parastas-masttu bhavonyo vyakto vyaktat sanitanah


yah sa sarvesu bhlitesu naiyatsu na vina*yati

Far beyond a/en this manifest, yet other manifests exists, that Supreme
Divine Person will not perish even though all things ol this world will per-
ish one day.

86
17
sii ffi<ci Eil q r(
3r16.rt Eti |

sfsftq-q+ cref q q a-*s i eo r

Asraddhayi hutam datttrm tapas taptam kitam cha yat


asadityu chyaE pArtha na cha tat pretya no yeha

An oblation which is otfered, a gift given, an austerity practisod, and


whatever good deed is performed, withoutfaith, are alltermed as naught;
and is oI no result.
18
Til<rq{ft e}swiTt*ilt q;r: I

q q-sH'oi qa+ +m.la-c5c-d+ r

Yad yad acharati rlesthas tatya devetaro janah


sa yat pramanadl kurute lokastad-anuvanate

For whatever a great man do€s, that very thing other men also do ; whatever
standard he sets up, the general masses follow the same.

19
B-dtgftt +nr i Eqf *.d i€( |

rim-*q q u,df srgq-fqrfuqr: FrT: I

Utsideyurim€ loka na kurjdrfi karma ched aham


sartkarasya cha kana sydmupa hanyam imam prajatr
ll /shwara ceases to act, these wortds will perish. Similarly by not working,
one causes confusion and ultimately destruction of all.

87
20

EFrqrtrr q{rrqrgRFrtlq: qt rFT: I

cffi< q{T gkd Sd: elir< {: I

Indridni paninydhur-indriyebhyah Param manab


manasastu pard hddhir-yo buddhey paratastu sab

The senses are said to b€ greater than the body ; but groater than the
senses is the mind. Grealer than the mind is the intellect; and what is
greater than the intellect is ,shwara (the conscience).

21

dr{urHfdqEYf Errut v ctilc t

6{rfur qfuq-trrf{ sr11-aqq*rjql I

Brahmana khatriya-vaisern sidr6nam cha parantapa


karmani pravibhaktini svabhava-Prabhavair-gunaih

The designation of the Brahmans, the Ksatriyas and the Vaidyas, as well
as of the S,ldras are to be divided according to manifestation ol their
protessional qualities.

22

{qmq rildrci g:uergq*rm' I

+qgmt 5ffi fuffinrafa


Sanayasastu mahdbiho duhkha mdptu mayogatah
t

jogajukto munir-brahma nachire nadhi gachchhati

Withoul Karmayoga, however, S^irklyayoga (or renunciation ot doership


in relation to all activilies of the mind, senses and body) is ditficult to
accomplish; whereas the Karmayogiwho keeps his mind fixed on God,
rcalises Bnhma(God) in no time.

88
23
r +-&i r 6qfFr tr|*-eq Vqfr yt: r

r s'Cs-d{+'i Eqr+F{ r+dt r

Na kartritwang na karmdni lokasya slijati prabhuh


na karmaphala samjogam swabha-vastu pravartate
lshwara deletmines not the doership nor the doings of men, nor even with
the result ot actions; but it is nature of the man which alone functions.

24
{l-ffi vqr ESflil T(.rCrnq: I

Trtrsr<I{qr+rd vngki qETqq{ r

Sarba karmanyi-api sad6 kurbino madya pairayah


rnat prasAdAdbaproti Slwatam padam abyayam

The kamayogl , who depends on /shlyala, attains His grace, the etemal,
imperishable stale, even though perlorming allaction.

25

at *-d Ei fid qd a6drr:


ftqii I

YrfucHrfrqtlyfs*Mq: I
Niyatam kuru karma twang karma jy6yo hyakar_manah
&rira-ynrr:api cha te na prasid dhyed karmanah

Perbrm your allotted duty;Ior action is superiorto inaclion. Bydesisting


from all actions, you cannot e\r'en maintain your body.

89
26
dqrfi ffi fr1g6r f{tf,q: t

nsrdcrgfi +e u-{fd dF6fi f:rm: r

Moghaia mogha karmano mogha-gyaid biche tsah


rakqasima-Ssurim chaiva prakr,itim mohiru-m iritah

Misguided persons with false hope of paradise, with destructive actions


and lruitless rituals do embrace a fiendish and delusive nature.

27
qf< td-E-dT ry< ft6*dT: t

LJilrfr qf< qtwr urta qsTfii-isft qrq


Janti deva-brata debAnpitrin ydff i pitri-bratdh
bhftani janti bhftejya janti madya jinopi marn

Those who are vowed to Gods go to the Gods; those who adore the
spirits reach the spirits and those wlto worship Him come to Him alone.

28
q: q-+dnFr+6<irdtrq {qrqq{ I

qfilr<fr c tE il{q s{n sftTBnr I

Yah sarbtrdnabhisnehas tat tat prepya &rbhifubham


ndbhinandati na dyesti tasya pragya pratislhita

He who is unattached to anything, and while meeting with good or evil


neither rejoices nor recoils, his mind is stable.

29
q+6. {@dtqqc:
,'io.,ildfr I

qnidlrrqgffi gk{rvnsurqfd I

Krodhdd bhavati sammohah sammohat smriti-vibhnmah


smriti bhrarnl4d buddhi ndirr buddhinesft prarniyati

From anger arises inlatuation; from infatuation, con{usion ol memory;from


confusion of memory loss of reason; and from loss ol reason one goes to
complete ruin.

90
30
i q,-dunrfircrTr*q..d gtslszd r

r q riqs{Aq fsRi qqftrrrafr I

Na kama{Emmanerambhi naiqkarmam puruso'drute


na cha sannyasani deb siddhim samadhi gachhati

Man does not attain lreedom from action without entering upon action; nor
does he reach perfection merely by ceasing to act.
31

r fr *.la-GTurfi qrg fdqeq..tr{-( I

q'r{i ucvr: qd rrd' Y{trr${d: r

Na hi ka.iyachit-skanam api jatu tisthatya karmakdt


kd{ate hyaba.{ r karma sarvah prakrit-jair gunai}r

Surely none can ever remain inactive even for a moment ; for everyone is
helplessly driven to action by natural forces.

32
(sfl-({ri6-: {dii 6.14 qd qqr* r

errd urqc;s'.+ Yffiq}fd g5s: l


Tasmada saktah satatad karjam karma sam6chara
asakto hyacharan karrna parmaproti puruFtl

Go on efficiently doing your duty without attachment. Doing work without


attachment, one attains lhe lshwara.

33
q Eq qrri IEi T(SuFrsTr€qfr |

qfu fi qt E-dr q-Hqqqi{rq; I

Ya imarfr paramari guhyam mad bhaktes vidhasyati


bhakting mayi parang kitwa mam evaisyaty sangdayah

He who, offering the greatest love lo lshwara, preaches the most pro-
found gospel ofthese scriptures among public shall go to heaven;there is
no doubt about it.

91
34
q-g-tr qql qe TUr6dhqIrM: I

il€q H-dRqft fi t*<eq6,dRrrqqq r

Cbdturvamani maya sristani guna-karma-vibhEga$a


tasya kartr-mapi rnang viddhyakanaram avyayam

The four orders of society are dominenl according to the predominant


qualities and involvement in corresponding duties; and created through
humans like me, the immortal Lord, is not involved.

35
*qr-qq.f fqgur: qtqqldwjBdr( r

eq{ laqi *q: qtqd rr{ffi; I

Sreyanasya dharmo bigunah paradhamal swanuglhitAt


swadharme nidhanam keyah paradharmo bhayAvahah

One's own duty, though devoid of merit, is preferable to the duty of another
well performed. Even death in the perlormance of one's own duty brings
blessedness; anothefs duty is fraughl with lear.

36

{-qp; 5$frqs t,*qss-{Ed r

r+< q.f*i-qrsro.f+'il frffi 1

Sanyisah karma joga$cha nil&eya-sakard bubhau


tayostu karma-samnayasat karmajogo viSistyate
'lhe Yoga ol knowledge and the yoga of action both lead to supreme
bliss. o{ the two, however, the yqga of action (being easierto practice) is
superior to the Yoga of knowledge.

92
37
ffiiil yslrdrrifl: s-d<k I qflosilI: I

goqqftqe: {qrJl{drffi s-m( |

Sankhya yogau prithag baldh pravadanti na patdtah


ekam pyasthitah samyagu bhayor vindate phalam

It is the ignorant, not the wise, who say lhal Seikvayoga and Karmayoga
lead to divergent results. For one who is lirmly established in eith€r, gets
the fruit of both (which is the same. viz. realization of God).

38
fflti s$.rffiq-d: E-d{ r

qs-dhtrr;n{ qreft++gqf r

Niyatang sanga-rahitam arEga dwesatah kritam


aphala prcpsuna karma jat tat sefivikam muchyate

That action which is ordained by the scriptures and is not accompanied


by the sense of doing, and has been done wilhoul any partiality or prejudice
by one who seeks no relum, is called Safiv,ka.

)9
rrrfr5ffig{6$fffi5Efu;1
6ffi+c: qtf rrqe: cF$mfd: r

Rigi karma phala prepsur luHho hingsdtmako Srchih


harsa $okinvitah kafia rajasah parikirtitah

The doer who is full of attachment, seeks the fruit ol actions and is greedy,
and who is oppressive by nature and ol impure conduct, and is atfected
by ioy and sorrow, is to be avoided as he is Pelbsika.

93
40
Td: I-{furtdnt tq sdFr( ilil{ r

w*-dun dqqd ffii tqqfd ril;rq: I

Jatah pravrittir bhUt nam jena sarba midang tatam


swakarmana tam bhyarchya siddhim bindati mdnabah

Man attains the highest perfection by worshipping ,shwara through his


own natural duties. From Him the tide oJ creation has streamed forth and
by Him all this universe is pervaded.
41

*-{FEqrtrr tqq q sTrd qrqT Hq I

EF<qtrTffq1atrqr ftuqrqR; s t-qfr |

Karmendridni sangjamya ya Aste manasa smaran


indriyathan bimuratmd mithyn ch6rah sa uchyate

He who outwardly restrains the organs ol sense and action, sits mentally
dwelling on the objects of senses, that man of deluded intellect is a
hypocrite.
42
s{iTtsFi dedr 6-dr 6TUi q yqtrsq{ I
fuErTrs yer-*..+Er td +dn ccq{ |
Adhisthdnam tathA karta karanari cha pritha ghidham
vividh5i cha prithak chestd daivam chaibatra paichamam.
The following are the five factors operating towards the accomplishment
of actions, viz. the time and sincerity of action, the ditferent methods
adopted, conglomeration of other torces and the will ol lshwara.
43
qg6a6q.6..d r srei or{tq r( r

Ti <r=i ffi'*q qrdflh qflfrlTr1


Jangya-dana+apah-karma na tyajarfl kadyameba tat
jagyo ddnam tapad chaiba pabanani manisi nam

Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance may be performed, as sacrifice,


charity and penance are true love of /shwara. These purify wise men.

94
44
g:uFr*+ q-oC mq-+-dvrqqrdE I

s E-dl Ird{i ilFi rq eFrs'ai arrq r

DuklBm mityeba yat-karma kaya kleia-bhayat tyajet


sa kdtwa rajasam tydgam naiba ryega phalam labhet

Should anyone do renunciation for fear of physical discomfort, practising


such form of renunciation is Rajasika which reaps not the truit of
renuncialion.
45
o 16 65cr Yr+q iq-q irqiu-q{rqf,: I

qq o.'dw'trsrrfr q HrftqFrrm I
Na hi dehabhriti datyarr tyaktuni karmAnyadesat
yastu karma phala ryagi sa tyagi tyabhi dhiyate

All actions cannot be given up in their entirety by anyone possessing a


body, he alone, who renounces the lruit of actions, is called a man ol
renuncialion.
46

E<t iklq*ch Iq ;lIrri6'T.T IE-EIiFT I

r qr{4*-q qrai I q qi ?irsqqqfr |

Idari te natapaskaya nebhakdya kadachana


na cheiu irusabe vichyam na cha marir yo'bhyasuyati

This secret gospel of the Gita should never be imparted lo a man who
lacks penance, nor to him who is wanting in devotion, nor even to him
who lends not a willing ear; and in no case to him who finds fault with
lshwara.

95
47
3[9r(rlr';rr: Ywr srdgrg qtrq r

sTeTq qt fir+fr Ugdqrf{cdf{ r

asradhadhanah purusA dharmasyasya parantapa


aFapya mam dvartante mrityu-sangsfua-vartmani

People having no hith in his religion, will lail to understand lshwara. And
in whatever may be the aspiration, they will revolve in the path of despair
and death.
48
+'*ai qr Fr rrrT: qrd +rqqcrsrfr I

{-( Effdd-d e-+-dfre qtil r

Klaibyam ma sma gamalr pirtha nairat tbayyu papadyate


khudrarfr hridaya-daurbalyang tyakto tistha parantapa

Yield not to unmanliness. Shake otf this cowardice faint-heartedness


Stand up, you scorcher ol enemies.

96
DAILY PRAYER - Must for a Hindu

MA].ITRA
(Hymn to invoke lshwara'8 blessings)

All Hindus are required to recit€ the following manfras and do pranayama
at least twice a day. All men, women, even a child who is ten years old
and above, must recite the following minimum mantl€s. lf these manfras
are recited audibly in Vedic melodious rhythm, these will bestow on the
reciter health, wealth, power, peace and tranquility. lt is believed that the
reciter will achieve success in all his efforts and will lead a very happy
life. The recitation can be done at any time and at any place but for best
result, pray early morning and early evening in a temple or in a garden
with others in the lorm of a chorus. For many thousand years, these
mantras prcved powerful. Melodious recitation creates a super natural
vibration which forms an invisible protective shell arround the reciter.
Modern science is yet to reveal lhe reason for the potency of these
mantras. Any percon, even if he is not a Hindu, can recite lhese mantras
and will receive benefits.

.i@: 6 4i frq: .14i fqq:


rli
3% T{s: e: a-(efTgdtq q'tr tds rffi6
ftr+ + r: y+(qr( l
Aum Sn-Visquh, Aum SriVisnuh,Aum Sn-Visnuh,

Aum bhrirbhuvah svah tatsaviturvarenyari bhargo devasya dbrimahi


dhiyo yo nah pracodaydt

g}q-ar€gqt{+Ist Erq+{i q6rgfd{ |

qrflft vffisurdsPs frqF5.q tl


Aum javakusuma sarnkeiarfl kA*yapeyam mahadyutim
dhvdntarim sarvapdpaghnam praqatosmi diviikaram

97
sx as-Eo-s Erorq qffifcsqsq
frfdEi ts tt-q Rffig qdsr rr

d; Tfr rTUrTili r ei qCr nqffi 11

Aum vakratuqda mahakiya suryakoti samaprabha


nirvighnarn kum me deva sarvakaryequ sarvadA
Aum namo Ga4apataye Aum namo Ga4apataye

e; q+ trrecmn {5+q q+tHrf6fr+q


R-d.f+ t

yurqfi ts6tur q wdrl *sriftil(dq I


F{-nR-dr Tn 3TrrrBF< Nur 5<: 5a' t

nqd *$d{ a-6leqq}s6, 11

Aum bande sarvabhute virajamdnam ftvaram ekamevddvitiyam


praqamimi devanrpena tan sarvdn Isvarapreritadutan
i*vara-preritd duti dgacchanti devaripeqa punalr punah
tanmadhye keslhatrayari Brahma Viq4u Mahe3varah

s% n+ Telq tdrq ,fr srgq ftmq q t

qrrkqtq qgnq rirE<q lq\ tq: tt


Aum namo brahma4ya devoya go brahma4a hitdya ca
jagaddhitdta kris4dya Govindaw namo namttl.t

iiiqw6q 4gisrq E1{ qrqld+ |

vord Fd{FIRnq rif{<q qd tq, tt

Aum Kriq4aya vdsudevqye haraye Poramdmqne


pra4ata kleianalaya Govindaya namo namal.t

3%rrrrd6Rrq ffirqrTq qqrf,{rrnq qA'q{rq I


i{srq {6rq f{le{rq 6$ ;6nr< cc: frrqrq tt
Auru N dgendrahirdya Tilocqnqy s bha snrtilSa rttg oy a M ahe lv araya
nityayq tuddhqya digqmvardya tasmai rwkircya nalinah Sivoya

98
e% q<rffi *6q-qqqqt*cm
ndql-vqrrcs-qlq1g 1

UkdH a-d q+nrq qs: frrqrq tt


Aum Manlikint salila candana carchdya
i ita ra - p ram a t ho n at h o - M oh e i va rdy a
No n d
Mantldrapuspa-bahupuspa supujitoya Tbsmai nakArAya namah Sivaya

s% Tq: ftrqrq vn<rq qrtq=FTttr+ |

f{ffi erer:t ei f6; qld:q1; 11

Aum namall iiuat, lanto.to kira4atrayahetave


nivedaydmi cdtnfutah tvatu gatih paramelvaraly

di ?ffi q-qrqi gIri*i gE*iq I

rqir+fq e;qrgddqftq qrldr( n


Aum tryanbakarh yajemahe sugandhim puqlivardhanam
urverukamiva bandhanin mrityormuk&iya manUitat

3x sdqg.erg.d, ffi
v{rdqrftrt r

YRA *q*
rilft rrrqtrr rdsq tt
Aum sarvamahgalanahgalyetu, Sive sarvhnhasodhike
lara4ye tryambakz Gouri Ndraya4i namoslute

3; flqwsnt ilrq \rfim srsR*i


E-il{Effini ffi ttuq rr

q+6r$untr Sr: 5l: 3fa{41 t

qurqrR ii ft $rqrift-ir$t rr

Aum trimastakanafi jianam ekaiire avasthitarn


caturbahutulyabalam dvihaste ropitam
bhaktecchipuraqartharfr punah punah evirbhutam
praqamdmi tam hi iAvarapreritdutam

99
urfHe:s*qtrrftr.r:
arflwr': olgdsgq 1ftrai vferr+ft tr

#+s
q+.nt tq{ tff{rq r

+tfid-q{i-{,sdEiffiqtt
Aum ya asdko dharmaniqlhah sa vai Suro na nastikatt
nasdkah kapuruso' bhut prithivydm paridhdvati
ekSSadr svoptujanesya deyam dinajaniya
yo bhurnjita-svayameva sa moghad kevaladi ca

a; ffii w{ rq t*.e qrlili qrr(


+{ s*{ g',frw w Tr: sg|ga-q rr

Aum ila v5syamidarh sarvadr yat kiica jagatyad jagat


tena tyaktena bbuijithd mE gridhah kasyasviddhanam

s% d+q qp6v q fqfl d+q, d+s q-gs qql di-q


Etq f€r qt{ot H+q, Ei-q sd qq He tt

Aum tvafiEva nEti ca pita tvamevq tvameva bandhuica sak]r.i wameva


tvameva vidya dravi4aril tvameva. tvameva sarvaril marna devad€va

100
The minimum religious duty of every Hindu man and woman are to
(a) recite fifteen hymns (mantras) (b) to do Pranayamaand (c) to perform
Bhoj Utsav (see Q & A no. 114 ol Smriti Sastr4. Atter reciting above
fifteen hymns, one should do minimum 10 minutes Pranayama eilhet
seating on a chair or seating on the floot in 'Padmasan'posture. ln case
Pranayama cannot be done along with recitation of hymn due to time
shortage, it should be done at least once during the day. While doing
Pranayama always sit with a straight spine and a relaxed body.While you
do Pranayama, let your mind be thought free. Chanting of hymns and
doing Pranayama improves your position in heaven and earth to a great
extent. The devout will always got ultimate tavourable justice of /srwara.

Pranayama is simple. To do one round; shut the right nostril with the
thumb and inhale air lo maximum e)dent through the left nostril; close left
nostril with forefinger, open the right nostril and exhale through the right,
then inhale into the right nostril; close the right nostril, open the left, and
exhale through the lett nostril. Continue, doing for minimum 10 minutes.
One may learn it lrom a yoga teacher also.

Those Hindus who perform religious duties will get great health, respect,
security, wealth in this lite and will get heaven in after life (see Q & A no.
91 of Smnti Sastra). All devout may note that ,shwara is a single supreme
being who creates and suslains eveMhing in the orderly cosmos. /shwara
keeps walch over us and responds to our prayers. Manifestation ol lshwara
is immune to scientific scrutiny as by design, lshwara leaves no
observable consequences.

Recitor and their near and dearones will be protected from any misficrtune.
The above fifleen mantras is enough for avarage people. However, il one
has time and inclination, additional mantras may be recited during the
pula o, various deities or during conduct of various social customs like
marriage, funeral, shradha etc.

101
BHAJAN - CHANTING LORD'S PRAISE

Bhajan's are songs in Lord's praise, to be sung during religious and social
functions preferable in chorus.

lrmdrfi{t rilTdrfirt €lr+d F+ v\ t


rTRId sd et<-u-+ ffi
q-q e t qsfr rr

rrcrflfi{t qrdrfrrt qr+d vd q+g t


q frqfuft q{twt ,rq-fi{: ug e r+ic t rr

qqfl'tr{t Frr+d vd q+g t


grsrdrfr{t
q: qtfr sqd rsnfr{r r-{fu qE s qqfu t rr

,rsdr+{t qrfldrt qq+d sd q+E t


r: gqqfr q1frsq-e1q{ e}qi sq s 'rafr t rr

Bhaj aEmi$adr j apat,misad samavetarir sarbajanequ re


n63ita sarva prabheda jano liamanasi khalu sa vasati re
bhajatamiAartr j apatamrtadr samavetadr sarva janesu re
ya viSvasati parame3varam bhayahr'nah khalu sa bhavati re
bhajatemiSarir japatarni{arfl samavetarir sarva janesu re
yalr karoti svadharma rak{imi*a manasi khalu sa vasati re
bhajatAmisafr j apatamr:{arfi samavetari sarva janesu re
yah pujayati parame$vara-amara lokadr khalu sa gacchari re

102
HEAVEN AND HELL

There are seven layers of heaven and heavenly pleasure and comfort.
/shwara sends human lo live a courageous lile with a mission to struggle
for causes dear to Him.
He wants His believers do good to His masses and fear His ordains.
Human in lowerlevels ot heaven takes rebirth when he repents his failures
in the world. He begs /shwarafor another chance to do good works in the
world he had left behind.
The highest level ol heaven is for the devout who is courageous even to
make supreme sacritice to protect the masses from deviating away from
lshwara, is leatlul o, His wrath, who is humble in daily prayer, does regular
pranayam, arranges or attends Bhoj Utsav once in every month, works
hard to make world a better place, helps the needy and support the
community temple and its priest, respect the law of the land.
The devout will go to heaven. ln heaven /shrryara will keep for lhe devout
a great dwelling place facing the sea and rear side will face snow-capped
hills.The devout will have admiring friends, respect, prominence, joy and
true knowledge.

Devout will have most tasly good food tor asking, will have attractive,
healthy and ploasantly active partner for most satisfying coniugal life
(see Gita Sloka no. 11) and will have daily orgasm.The conjugal partner
willtake ditferent forms each day of the human heroes and heroines whom
the deyoufhad always appreciated.
All that is good and desirable will be available at command. The deyouf
will be near /sl,wara every day and willenioy supreme bliss in the Heaven.

The enemy of the devoutwillgo to helland will be put in boiling oit,


wi get
coniugal partner atflicted by leprosy. He will be forced to eat thoms like
cactus and 13 days old rotten stinking meat ol rat & crow as regular food
and will always remain thirsty and full of various paintul ailments and in
the company o, wicked, condemned sinners and stinking dead bodies.

103
Those who do not fear the wralh of lshwara and is not respectful to his
ordains, those who allow themselves to be used lor surrounding the Hindus
with people ol hostile faith and those who have no respect for lshwara
will go to hell.
These fitth columnist sowthe seed for mass killing of the lsh$/araJaithfuls.
Their action, omissions and commissions helps build luture slaughter
house tor the laithlul ol lshwara.Ihey are destined to hell
Any devout Hindu will reach heaven and will be purged all his sin should
he master the courage to deliver the severest punishment to these fifth
columnists and make their journey to hell quick and fast.

104
IDOL WORSHIP

"Each one ot us is heir apparent to the Emperor ot Empercrs, the


lshwara".

ISHWARA is the only one suprcme God to a Hindu. The Supreme is


described as that from which the entire universe of names and lorms has
arisen. That in which the world continues to exist and that unto which
alone the world will ultimately merge. There is no question ol having any
other God as /SHWA RA(ISHWARA\S also known as Devathey/Devadu/
lshwaran/Kadavunlraivan) is omnipotent and omnipresent, who needs no
partner lo discharge his duties. Veda sloka says:

ft{: Y{t{'€6rI: lr

{ fTfl:q-ffi filJnrfffi<a € Fnr-sr+ fi6dr qffid trqq r

6id( ITqstur s oililri v'*mqfr u funm


6RWrt qfili ilT Fdflfucqft*rg{unq aerft wrqe vqt+i I q-f+

q-fr fa-dq: +i.sfr ilfid rr


I3varah paramaikasvarupah,
Sa nityah sarvavyapi vibhuranadirananta{ca sa
nirdkdro nirupo varpanatrlo niqkampaira,
kvacit iabdaripeqa sa itmdnarn prakalayati sa vidhata
karalanarir kara[afi tatha sarvasakdman tadicchd pura4aya kasyapi
sahayasya prayojanam na vartate
yati dvitiyah ko'pi nisti.

lshwara is one supreme entity. He is absolute, all pervading and eternal.


He has no beginning and no end. He has no form, colour or description.
Sometimes in the form of sound, He manifests Himself. He is the creator,
the cause of causes. He is all-poweiul and does not require assistance
from anyone else to carry out his desie. Why ? None else but He ever
exlsls.

This supreme reality is /sf,ryara which is also called yishnu. One should
not confuse Vishnu witlr Bishnu and Brahma wilh Bramha. Bishnu and
105
Bramha were first prophets ot Sanala na Dharma. One should be careful
as the similarity of spelling sometimes creates confusion. The word yisf,nu
originates from the root y/Smeaning to pervade. yishru is all-pervading.
/shwara has no beginning and no end.
lshwaradid nol rcquired a parent. lt is not parents but the human beings
who gave the supreme entity a name i. e. lghwara.P&ple of various religions
call him by various names. Hindus calledhim lshwara I Vishnu lBrahmal

Devadul lshwarenl KadawJl lraivan etc.The symbol of ,sf,wao ;"'e%' 1Om).


Veda says :

{m, n-s F:6tur Yftrqi i1qfr t{rt


6s5q rg'd qJeei vrfrfr u
ISvarah tasya dutaruper.ra prithivydrh prerayati deydn
tasmacca marlgalam manxqyatvarfl prepnoti.

lshwara sends devtas as his messengers to regions of the world from


where good accrues to humanity.

The Hindus believe that ,siwara sends a part of himsel, as messiah


(Devata) to the people ol the world so that men and women are guided
towards more fulfilling, harmonious human lile. Devatas are human
messiahs.
These messiahs are treated by Hindus as replicas oI lshwara and they
are Galled Devab. fhey are greatly loved and respected Hindu heroes
and heroines. The Hindus believe that after their L/LA (i.e. worldly lile as
a mortal human being) in this world they go back to metge wiln bhwara.
The Hindus believe that even when the Devatas are not present in this
world, they can still guide and help. The Hindus make statues oI the
messiah and pray to /shwara using them as media. These messiahs are
known as idols or Devatas.
The Hindus know that the idol is nol ISHWARA. lt is only a medium to
concentrate on lshwara and showing respect to the image is actually
praying to the Almighty through the known image of /shwara.
Any one will salute his nationalflag wherever in the world he may find it.
Every one knows the national flag is only a piece of fabric and colour and
106
not the nation. However, one is prepared to even lay down his life if he
finds that his national flag is being insulted. Respecting the national llag
is an example of idol worship.
No one prays to the stone statue but p@yslo lshwara.That is the reason
why before all mantras (hymn) one first says Om i.e.,'33' which means in
Sanskrit "rshwara is the greatest'.
Hindus immerse their idol afte, worship to prove that the statue of
the idol is not important.To concentrate one's mind on the concept
ol Ishwa'a'simage through the idol is useful.
Super humhn achievements in lhe use of weapons or in the field of
knowledge were exaggerated by story-tellers who created myths about
lhe Devatas. Overzealous artists and sculptors gave unnatural form to
suit their metaphoricaland wild imagination. All Deyafaswere human beings
and none were above natural law. All Devatas had one head and two
hands. Hindu hymns (mantra) explain this as :

1ffi ilq q+lyR fiqiffit


ffi itutq rr

qd-6r1{urTd T{: Et: sTriqtd{


qurqrfu iqi ft {,rqrift-cr{.q rr

Trimastakdndm jfl dnam ekaSire avasthitarir


catur bihutulya balart dvihaste ropitam
bhaktecchd purar.lifiharfl punah punah ivirbhutam
pra4amami tavm hi l3vara prerila dutam.
Oh lshwara you sent messiahs in human lorm time and again. This
messiahs are very wise and in their one head they have the capabilities
of three heads. Their two hands are poweiul enough to work as if bur
hands are wo*ing.We allbow to these lshwara's messengers.
ln the course of the last 20000 years, the Hindus were bestowed with
many messiahs / prophets and treat€d them as the incarnation of the
Adi-devtas IBBAHMA, BISHNU and MAHESHWAR).For example Rarn
who was born about 5000 years back and Knsf,na who was born about
3500 years back are both lreated as incarnations of Bishnu and receive
homage, love and respect.
A Hindu loves /shwara and would always like to be near lshwara.fhatis
107
why ordinary Hindus who have not read the Vedas and Gita, worship
ldols. Those who have knowledge of Vedas and Gita, know that /shwara
is the only God. HE deserves everything that a human being can offer.
ldols are only H/S representations. lt is only proper to pray to lshwara.
When Hinduism was expanding it tolerated and assimilated all tribes and
sections oI people of various parts of the world and had shown respect to
their way of life and their heroes, their idols. As a result, many idols have
come to be regarded as Hindu idols. These idols may be revered by one
section of Hindus when another section may not even know of its existence
and may not even appreciate such idols. Name of the God as per dialect
also varies.
ln north lndia God is worshipped as lshwara, where as in southern states
of lndia they are wo rchipcEd as MufthyNigmham (idoll, lshwara/lshwaradu
(God), Lord Venkateswara/Lord Balaj i (Bishnu), Murugan/Shanmukhal
Kumar Swamy (Kartlkeya) respectively.
However, all Hindus are united because all believe in the uniqueness of
the all-pervading, all powerful suprem e enlity (lshwara /Devathey/Devadu/
Devthai/Kadavul/lralvan) who is the cause of all causes.
Seventh chapter, hymn number twenty ol Bhagavad Gita says clearly
that one obtains lruit by praying to /shlvara, but those who have lost their
reasoning power and being ol ignorant nature, worship deities, i.e. idols ol
Devalas:

q-I++dd"Etll, jqs+5qt{frt; I

ii it frqqqrc nq rgefi Frzrdl: HIII l


k6mais tais tat hatajian6b prapadyante'nya devateh
tarfi tarfi niyamamasthaya prakrityA niyateb svaye

Those whose wisdom has been carried away by various desires, being
prompted by their own nature, worship other deities besides ,shwara
adopting rules relating to each.

108
THE CASTE SYSTEM

The Caste system is a social exploitation and moral corruption introduced


by the central Asian invaders to divide and rule the Hindus. Before these
invaders came, there was a broad division of labour into four categories.
During the early Rig Vedic pedod, the same lamily had members engaged
in different vocations.Those who chose to persue education were called
Bramhins, those who opted to be good at martial arts were called
Kshatriyas, intelligent persons who had a lot ol property or do business
were called yaisyas, craftsmen and skilled artisans were called Sudras
and were engaged in.,obs of their liking and specialisation.
Around 4500 B.C. to 3500 years B.C. nomadic horse riding warriorgroups
lrom central Asia invaded lndia. The new rulers converted the economic
categorization of profession into four major casles as Erah mins, Kshatnyas,
Vaisyas and Sudras.
Those who were not educated and had no particular skillrrrere of no inlerest
to the new rulers and were left to fend lor themselves. Today they are
known as Dallrs.
The caste system was a social order where skill and knowledge were
passed on lrom parent to child.There was no technical training or school
in those days. There was no paper or written books. There was no way lo
acquire skill and knowledge. Training in skill and knowledge passed from
generation to generation. lntercaste translerwas, however, prevalent and
normal amongst Hindus.

The invaders with their naturalthirst for blood subjugated the peace loving
country but found it extremely difficult to match the moral strength and
courage of conviction of lhe native people.
The invaders became the new rulers and they misused the caste system
and made the economic division ol labour into a pseudo-religious matter
and tried to administer it as water-tight compartments, as if, it had a
religious sanction. lt must be appreciated that everywhere in the world a
social error, if continued lor a long time, gets the force of law.

109
Water-tight compartmentalization ol the caste system was the gravesl
error of Hindu society, which wily politicians through generations exploited
to divide and rule. Some groups of people who were benelitted through it
supported the system.
The philosophy of Sanatana Dharma gave tremendous moral slrength to
the Hindus and the invaders found it very difficult to convert people ol
this laith.
Nearly always the new masters sought and received help of hypocrites
(Mithyachari)lo divide Hindus and weaken them. Hypoc es (Mithyachai)
relers lo fitth columnists who pretended to be devout Hindus and humanists
but actually destroyed the society lo satisfy their own selfish narrow ends.
They satisfied their ego, greed and pleased the powers that was. Many
times they misguided the people and made way for foreign conquerors to
come and loot the Hindus.
People were vastly illiterate, ignorant, misinformed and suffered from abiect
poverty.With the passage of time vested interest grew in the court of the
new rulers and in the competition to grab the meagre resources each
group developed 'in group'and 'out group'psychology.

Thousands of years ol this economic divide turned the caste system into
a social disease. And to perpetuate this exploitation, hypocrites
mischievously gave it the colour of religion.
Gita is against caste syslem and very cleady said that caste isiob division
according to prolessional qualities and is a division of labour established
by people. lshwara (i.e. religion)is not involved in this. Following two Gita
slokas are interesting.

qrfluls{tf,qkYrt Enut a vtav t

o'.drFr vtqrrtrrFr eqrqqq+{d: r

brahmala kqatriya-vig5m Audr.a0ar[ ca paramtapa


karma4i pravibhaktS-ni svabhe-va-prabhavair-gu4ai/r.

The designation ol the Brahmans, the k*triyas and the Vailyas, as well
as ol the S(dras is to be divided ac:cording to manifestation of their
prolessional qualitie s.
1l0
qsdd qqr qE Xurs'ChsTrr1qr: I

Ts E-dnfi fi f**eodTtrqq{ t

caturvaqram maya sristaril gurla-karma-vibhd-gasa}.r


tasya kartaramapi mirn viddhyakartdramavyayam.

The lour orders of society are dominant according to the predominant


qualities and involvement in corresponding duties ; and created thtough
humans like us, the immoftal Lord is not involved.

Economic and polilical skulduggery made religion a dirty cess pool. The
Hindus became a divided house. Sanatana Dhamai.e. HlNDU|SMnever
prescribed casteism but the adherents tolerated il out ot compulsion and
ignorance and lshwarabecame displeased and ordained thatfollowers of
caste system will remain poor, weak and enslaved.
It is said /shwara ordained that anyone who will denounce casteism and
will work lor unifying the Hindus will get eternal heaven and will also help
his forelathers reach their heavenly abode.

To prove that lhe caste system was political and economic exploitation
and not a religious matter, a look at Bengal is revealing. ln 1200 A.D. there
was a powerful king in Bengal, lndia. His name was Ballal Sen. During his
rule, Nath Brahmins (also known as Rudraja Brahmins) were considered
to be a highly respected Brahmin caste and were acting as royal priests.

Pitambar Nath was the royal priest ol King Ballal Sen. When lhe father of
the king died, the king wanted his guru Pitambar Nath to take the Pinda
Dan (i.e. items given during the funeralof a person) as a royalgift. Pitambar
Nath relused to accept any gift, connected with the funeral, lrom the
King.The King took this relusal as an insult and out of his egoistic rage
took away the sacred thread of Sri Pitambar Nath (sacred thread was the
sign o, the Brahmin caste) and issued a royal decree that all persons
known as Rudraja/Nath Brahmini.e.,high caste will henceforth be treated
as Sudra,l.e. low caste.
Since then persons of Nathnudnjaclan were treated as Sudras in Bengal;
but outside Bengalthe same Narf,s are highly respected Brahmin priests.
This is an example to prove that the caste system is not a matter of the

111
Hindu religion but a politicalexploitation of Hindu society bywily politicians.
It is said in the Puranas ( i.e. old scriptures) that Natf, Brahmins (Rudraia
Brahminsl arc descendants of Lord Shiva ( also known as Lord Rudra). ln
Nepal (the last Hindu country), the royal priest is a Nath Brahmin.
ln Kolkata (lndia) the tirst priest ol the famous Kall temple was Sri
Chowringhee Nath. Kolkata's main road was named in his memory and
was known as Chowringhee Boad.
Fewfamous Naths were Somnath, Gorakhnath etc. in whose memory the
great Somnath temple (Gujarat) and Gorakhnath temple (Uttar pradesh)
were built.These facts prove again that the caste system has nothing to
do wilh the Hindu religion.
ln'Ban Parbd ol Mahabharatai.e.hagpenings during the daysol Pandav's
banishment in forest, four brothers of Pandavwerc made unconscious by
yaksha. The four brolhers drank water wilhout permissionhom Yaksha's
water body. When, Yudhisthira, the eldest brothet ol Pandav, arrived in
search of his four brothers, Yaksha said he will give antidote to the rour
brothers if Yudhisthira gave correct answers to his hvelve questions.
yaksha's ninth question to yudhisrhlrwas

IIq1 tfu C+{ sr*a+{ qt-t qr r

dlFrq +{ l]_dfd e{.d-d-( gFRqillu


14fi{ 1q-1 eqTq, vo}+ 1.o.1

"What makes one a Brahmin birth, character, study or wisdom".


-
Yudhisthir rcplied -

T5 qS Ed ilriT 1 Erulr+ r q udt I

6r{rt fr fgiid e Tt-i-a I €yFr: tr


laaqd 3ij .{qrq, *ir+ 1"a;
"Neither birth nor study nor wisdom, it is characler alone that makes one
a Brahmin".
This is another proof from Mahabharata that man's caste belonging to is
not by birth but by choice.
The lndian caste system is an issue born out of economic management
(job distribution) and political exploitations.
Duringthe Gupta period in lndia, Brahm ins / Ksharyasl@k to the business
of artisans as a normal phenomenon. A Brahmin named Mayursharma

112
adopted the prolession o, warrior and established the Kadamba kingdom.
Another Brahmin named Matribishnu took the profession ot Khastriya
and became the governor ol a State under the Gupta Kingdom. pradosh
Varman was a ludraby caste but worke dasa Khastriya ind became the
governor of a province.
During the Gupta peiod many BramhDstook to the lucrative profession
of hunting in the forest. Many individuals from a Cudra background built
the famous Sun lemple ol Mandasore.These are some examples to prove
that the caste system was only a division ot labour in the Hindu society.
During the Vedic period the concepl of untouchability, with respect to the
Sudras or anyone else as a dalivuntouchable did not exist. Any
condemnation of a person was due mainly to his / her engaging in an
activity not useful or acceptable to the society. lt was, however, prevalent
that any type of socially stigmatic situalion could be improved through
penance and by changing one's behaviour.
The leaming process in the old days was long and lasted for decades in
hermitages in harsh and lorest-like conditions. Knowledge was exchanged
between the guru and the pupils. lt was usually in the oraltradition stnce
written manuscripts were scarce.The children were predisposed through
the natural and continuous exposure to the tamily business and were
readily inducted by their parents into their traditional prolessions. Over a
time, this method of selecting the professions inadvertenfly gave rise to
the tradition of vocation-based families all around, even though society
had not sought such an outcome.
Hindu society remained llexible and allowed people the treedom of choice
in their undertakings (e.9., Satyakama was a Sudra by birth but became
a most respected Erahmn by learning th e Vedas\. During the Vedicpeiod
anyone could become a priest, the question of reservation ofthe position
Ior he Bramhindid not aise.

Yeda sloka says:


qF{dr€r {qfrfuq; tvroi eg fret{r q
d 1r a-aer %E sr6R q rc6g l
Pavitr atmd samyatendriyah peAalam madhujihva ca.
Thrt gurum sraddhaya &iqu upahir ca prayacchatu.

Any person who has pure mind, control on desire and can recite
slokas
melodiously may lead aprayer as purohit (Guru)lor whom
the beneractors
may provide in plenty.
I 13
Itwas deemed vocationally advantageous and convenientror a couple to
marry within same caste as their common background enabled them to
get involved in their lamily occupation quickly without facing any
uncertainty or requiring any additional apprenticeship. Moreover, lhe bride
and the groom in this type of a wedding arrangement would be less likely
to encounter any unexp€cted, unfamiliar, inhospitable and unwanted post-
marital social siluations.
The marriages among people lrom vastly different backgrounds were
allowed and also took place quite often (ln the Mahabharata we see
Satyavati, daughter ol a Sudra fisherman and Shantanu,lhe Kshatriya
king marrying and society imposed no restrictions). The caste system
was basically an arbitrary social custom which arose over a period on the
direction of the rulers and also as a matter of convenience whereby the
people stuck to their family professions and also married within the same
type of families i.e. vocations. The Sama yeda sloka says that lshwara
do not appreciate exploitation but desires his followers to treat everybody
equal and nurse the afflicted one.
+ <<rtd g1Rr+ra: frtc-drqt €EFF6:
g:€rdfort vqrffid
6fq fir: Yffi tt

y o da.lati bubhi*s itebh 1-ah pid itdnath sahoyakoh

duhkhartdnith samailasyati tameva ilal prasidati.

lshwara is gtad when you give ioy to a human being, when you feed the
hungry, when you help the afflicted and lessen the sonow ot the sorrowtul
and remedy to the wrongs done to the iniured.
Atter thousand years ol loreign bondage lndia got freedom in 1947 and
became free to eradicate the evil social divide i.e the caste system.
lndia adopted reservation of jobs and quotas of seats in educational
institutes for those who suffered for generations due to caste consideralion.
Practising caste system is punishable by law in lndia. Modem educated
Hindus are not in lavour ol the caste system and denounce it strongly'

'114
MANU SMRITI

ln the period approximatery 3500 B.c. group


a of in\raders lrom the north
western boundary of lndia came and conquered
the country They nof only
subiugated the temporal life of its citizens
but wanted a cuttrrul inrr"ion
also. They tried to incorporate their ritualistic
religion into lndian retigious
life. They tried even to influence the
Vedas in a big way.
The Vedas were the guiding light in the theological
realm of inter-personal
relations, social behaviour and were monolheist
in nature. Vedic religion
was forced to be intermingred with the rranian
method of sun and rndra
worship and sacrificiar rituars. Many saints
fred ro the south of India and
to the caves of the Himalayas.
lranians and rulers from Asia rn.

B
it weak, subservient ,nd
C
,""rrl'?;:;il?H
Manu propounded a strong rure of sociar.iob
ill:ff"T::#:Ui;
distribution and named
il Manu Smriti. Manu himself was a brilliant person
and lived during the
later part o, Vedic period.

Veda is the actual religion ol Sanatana Dharma (i.e. Hinduism). Manu


Smztr was a work aimed to help loreign
subjugation. Hindus wouljdo well
to realize the trick played on them through
the social division created by
Manu. However, the mathematical work
done by Manu was brilliant and is
a service to science.
Manu is an ancient author of an important
Sanskrit treatise on law the
Manu Smriti.Tne name Manu means simply ,man,.,Manu,
may reflect an
ancient lndo-European tradition, although
the possibility remains open
lhat Manu was a parallel but indep€ndent
development, as in the case of
the Hebrew Adam (also meaning ,ma n).The
Shatapatha Brahmana, an
important post-Vedic religious book, recounts
how Manu wa" ,n a"O O,
fish to which he had done a kindness,
that a flood would Oestrof a vrst "
portion of mankind. He, theretore,
built a boat, as the fish adviseO; and
when the flood came he tied this
boat to the ,ish,s tail and was safely
steered to a resting-place on a mountain
top. ln the puranas, this fish was
considered to be an incarnalion ofVishnu.

'I 15
as
ln the exuberant cosmological speculations of later Hinduism'
there were said
expounded in the Puranas and in the Manu Smritiilselt '
of the lourteen subsidiary
to be founeen Manus, a separate one lor each
(kalpa\ ol8'640'000'000 years'
cosmic periods within the great time c ycle
in the current cycle'
Manvantarai.e., our present time being the seventh
destined to come to an end'
Afterthe fourteenth Manu, the whole earth is
And that is to be followed by a new creation
in an endless series of
is' however' ol limitless
creation and dissolution. Existence of Universe
time.
some torm of judgement and
Manu calculated that the human being with
*a" existing in this world for last 2 5 million years However'
"onsciorsness walked on two legs but with animal inslinctwas
existing
human being, who
sincelastfift-eenmillionyears.lshwara'however'createdthissolarsystem
another 8640 X 365 X
about 4OO0 million years back and it will exist
'or
million years lshwaragave 1OO
1OO = 3,15,360,000 i.e. another 315'36
mathematics'
years' lshwaralie' to our solar system as per Manu's
tormally called the
fhe Manu Smiti(the 'Laws' or'Code of Manu' )' more
Humanity" is the book
Manava Dnarma Shastra i e" Religious Book of
and clean
on legal and allied topics. lt emphasises on transperancy
that the best cause of the
admin'istration by the king. He propounded
six percent
*if f O" a"ted il the king is allowed to take a maximum
"orntry to an outline of civil and
ta* on'tn" earning ol his subjects ln addition
four traditional' stages
criminal law, the text discusses at length the
and linally
(ashrama\ol a student lile, married householder' hermitage
forelgn
ii" ."ft,.." ascetic. Division of labour was wrongly applied by into
Job division turned
invaders to divide the nation and make it weak'
into social class (varna)
social division and as a result it degenerated
which{ormsthehistoricalbasisolthecastesystem.ManUsmriliisthus
avaluablesourceolinformationonthehistoryofdegenerationofthe
has made the Hindus
lndian political and social system Manu Smriti
Smriti.ovet veda' lndia
weak. As a punishment for emphasising Manu
foreign nations According to
suffered subjugation in the hands of many
system is an
in" pr* v"i,. religion and sermons of Gita' the caste peopte practise the
inJgli"no a-ct. some time even unknowingty
"rirnin"l Manu Smriti tor their
Many lndian politicians still use
"rr"," "y","r.
interest and keep the country divided and weak
They are all
"".,"r""
enemies ol lshwara'
116
UPANISAOS

Upanisadmeans annihilating the ignorance completely.lt leads the spiritual


seeker nearerto /shwala.The hymns ol Upanisadsawaken holy thoughts
in the mind ol spiritualaspirant. When hymns are chanted with intonations,
the divine atmosphere is created with holy vibration all around.

fhere ae 108 Upanisads. Most famous ollhem arc Katha, Kena, Mundaka,
Mandukya, Prasnah, Chandogya, Swestaswantan, lshavasya, Narayana,
Mahanarayana, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Suryopanisad, Brihadaranyaka
Upanisad.

The Upanisads (16000-1000 B.C.) are ancient lndian treatises r,vhich inquire
into the nature ol lhe divine, principles and the means of salvation. They
represent the rinal stage in the tradition of the Vedas, and so the
development of thought that they unfold is known as the Vedanta
('concluding chapters ot the Veda'). Most ol the older Upan,bads are later
developments from the Vedas, but they reveal a philosophical as well as
a practical approach to religious and material lite elaborating on the inner
meaning of the utterances of the later Rigvedic hymns. lt deals with the
realization thatthe individual's atman (soul) is one with the universalAfmar,
or Supreme being BRAHMA,theidentity being summed up in the phrase
'tat tvam asi'(that thou art) of the Chandogya Upanisad.Tne nature of
eternal life is discussed in the Katha Upanisad, other themes are
transmigration and the doctrine ot Maya, the illusory nature of the material
world (in the Syeta svatara Upanisad).
The texts ol lhe Upanisads are generally very short and summaries a
speculative teaching, often through parables, a passage ol dialogue for
easy understanding of the moral of the story by the masses. The so
calledvedic Upanisads are 1g in number;the remainderof about hundred
are probably post-vedic, though many are influenced by the Vedas. The
parables used by the poets, writers and artists on many occasions
emphasized the martial skill ol the Devatas.They depicted them, as if,
possessors of several hands holding many different types
of weapons.

117
Geological time scale ot world & ten incarnations of Bishnu

Era Sub-Era Epoch Begin End


-
(million years)
Lod Bld('la, &i Kishm & Si
Quaternary Holocene 0.0115 - 0.00
Cenozoic
Pleistocene 't
.81 - 0.01 15 Parasuram Abtar

Tertiary Pliocene 2.59 - 3.60 Baman Abtar

Miocene 7.25 - 20.4


Nrishingha Abtar
Oligocene 23.4 - 28.4

Eocene 37.2 - 48.6


Baraha Abtar
Paleocene 5A.7 - 61 .7

Mesozoic Cretaceous 70.6 - 40'1

Jurassic 15't - '197


Transition Phase
Triassic 204 - 250

Paleozoic Permian 254 - 295

Carbonilerous 304 - 345 Kurma Abtar

Devonian 375 - 411


Matsya Abtar
Silurian 419 - 439

Ordovician 446 - 479

Cambrian 496 - 534

Proterozoic 630 - 2300 Bramha Era


Pre-
Cambrian Archean 2800 - 3600

Hadean 3850 - 4150

1'18
TEN INCARNATIONS OF BISHNU

ln Hindu religion, the scientific chronology oI eadh,s evolution is exptained


through Bishnu's ten incarnations. ln Hindu religion, Bishnu is synonym
with Paramatma i.e. lshwara_ Every living being has a soul i.e. Atma.
which is part of Pa ram-atma.
How Bishnu (i.e. lshwara) has made evolulion lrom nothing to today,s
human ,orm is explained by the history of ten incarnations of B,bhnu i.e.
ten various states of soul (Atma). Ten incarnations of
gr:91, nu arc
Matsya
(Fish), Kurma (Tortoise), Baraha (Boa r) Nara Singha(Hatf man
haf tion),
Baman (Dwartl, Parasunm, Ram, Sri Krishna, Bhagaban Buddha
and
Kalki.

Long long ago, through lhe will ot tshwara a portion of the hot gaseous
material escaped from Sun and started rotating around Sun. On being
cooled, it consolidated into planet Earth. At the early stage, earth was
full of water and first lire came to planet Earth as fish (i.e. Matsya).
Paleozoic Silurian-Devonian time period of earth,s evolution is known
as
Fish period of Earth's evolution. During that time yeda dealt with
the art ol
procreation. Fish was the first incarnation of B,shnu.
The next period of earth's evolution was the Carbonilerous epoch
ol
Paleozoic era, i.e. the time when lib was amphibious. Here animals learned
to live by taking orygen direcfly from air.The second incarnation
ol Bishnu
was in the form olTortoise i.e. an animal, which can live in both water
and
land.

The third incamation o, Bishnu was in the lorm of Boar(Baraha).


Here the
character of the animal-though it lives on land buf feels comfortable
in
slash and mud. lt learnt to give birth on earth and was
a mammat. By
nature it used its teeth to find food trom beneath the
earth,s surface.
(lt is Eocene -Paleoc€ne epoch in the tertiary period
of earth,s ar'olutionary
process).

The lourth incarnation ol Bishnu was Nrishingha


i.e. half man and hal,
animal. For example Chimpanzee, Orang Otang,
Gorilla etc. were part
human and part animal. Stories tellthat Nishinghavanquished
the harmful
119
Hiranyakashipu lhrough use of his teeth and nail. ln evolution, food for
human consumption were continuously destroyed by insects The human
were living on forest and their main staple food was banana. Banana
plantations were being destroyed by a type of insect. Here the hall man
halt animal Nrishinghadeveloped a technique to save banana plantation
from the insect by the use ol teeth and nail and saved the food lor human
consumption. Till date these banana insects are enemies of Orang Otang,
Bebun etc. Thus banana took a special place in Hindu religious tunctions
as it always remained very important food tor human survival This was
the Oligocene-Miocene epoch ofCenozoic era of earth's evolution process'
The fifth incamation of Blshnu was knownas Bamani.e. Dwarf (Homogan'
It is in Neogene period and Miocene division of evolution). ln this form
man was standing on two legs but took help of hands to move and in
height it was almost half the size of today's man. lt is known as Eaman
(Dwarl) Avtar of Eishnu.
The sixth incarnation of Brshnu was the full lorm of man i.e. Parashuram'
He took the help ol axe for his survival. He is not surviving on physical
strengrth alone but by intellectually devised means of survival. He learnt
the use of axe in producing lood through methods of agriculture. He also
learnt the use ol fire. That is why in old religious literature he is called
Agnihotii.e. one utho learnt to controllhe use ol fire (Agni\. Parashuram
killed Kartabijariuna (known as kshatria tree) and made the Kshatria's
rootloss twenty-one times and put his axe on the mother's chest to justily
his duty. Kaftabiiarlun is a hard wood huge tree with thousand branches'
Parashuram discovered axe and using axe and cleaned the lorest ot
Kaftabijarjunlrcestvventy-one times. He developed the technique of using
axe to clean forest and to make land suitable for agriculture This is the
inner story ol uprooting the Khatras for twenty-one times He used his
axe to cut the mother earth's chest to make hard land into small dust
so

that he could use it for agriculture. From his time human existence saw
agriculture based human civilization and Parasuram became invincible
of
through use of new weapons i.e. his axe. Parashuram as the harbinger
agricultural revolution was respected as the sixth incarnation of
Elshnu'
period of earth's
Parashuramwasin the Pleistocene epoch oi quaternary
120
evolution, i.e. the time period when primitive method o, agriculture only
was known to man.
The seventh incamation of 8r'sl,nu was Ram. He used Bow and Arrow
and could attack from a distance. His Bow and Arrow proved more effective
lhan Axe in ensuring safety against ferocious animal and enemy. parnb
Bow and Arrow proved superior lo parasuram's Axe. From the lime ol
Lord Ram, actualhuman civilization on the basis ot kingdom started. He
introduced the importance of public opinion in making lhe state taws.
Bam not only introduced democracy but he also saved Ahalyai.e. using
plough to make agriculture in fallow land. Fam is also c alled,sitapat i.e.
lord oI Srfa. Srta in Sanskrit language m eans,plough head'. He introduced
plough and plough head in the use ot agriculture. He used his knowledge
lor vast improvement in agriculture and it resulted in economic upliftment
ol common man. He was lrom Holocene epoch of Cenozoic era of earth,s
evolution.
The eighth incarnationwas Lord Krishna. He was a perlect human being
from all sides. He propagated the utility of knowledge in science, philosophy
and ethical values. He set the slandards of good and evil. He introduced
modern thinking in political theory where all human can live in peace and
with dignity.

The ninth incamation o, Blsf,nu was L ord Buddha- Siddhartha Gautam ot


Buddhadev.He gave the world the sweetest three wods,A himsa parama
Dharma' i.e. nonviolence is a greatest virtue.
The tenth incarnation ol 8,sf,nu is yet to come. His name is destined to
be 'Kalkl' which mean one who will eradicate the sufbrings of common
mass by use of thermo-nuclear means.

121
BHAGAVAN MAHAVIR

Bhagavan Mahavir was son ol Sidhartha, an influential Kshat,a leader ot


Baisali. He was born on 3oth March' 599 B.C. Bhagavan Mahavir had
everything. He enjoyed enormous wealth, a beautitulwife and a nice Emily'
He was against the sacrificial rituats. He supported the reincarnation of
Veda but was against the many rituals'Jagya' .He wanted to find the truth
of human existence. He abandoned allworldly comfort and family life-

He taught his disciples that getting Salvation is the best form of ioy'
Salvation comes through honest thinking, honest living and honest faith'
He called them 'IBLRATNA' i.e. three gems.

Bhagavan Mahavir was the lollower of Parsanath Tirthankar' Tirthankar


established 'Jainism'. Bhagavan Mahavir was a revolutionary' Animal
slaughterwas extremely painfulto him. He protested against Caste System'
He said contributio n ol Bramhin need not be considered as superior' He
showed that 'Baisyas' i.e. business class people contribute more to
humanity compared to the ritualistic Bramhins. Business community of
Baisali started supporting and lollowing Bhagavan Mahavir in a big way'
They started calling themselves as Jains.
Jainism propounded lour cardinal principals as (i) Non violence ii) Honest
living (iii) Not to steal (iv) Not to covet others property. Bhagavan Mahavir
added Bramhacharia (Celibacy) as the fifth principle. Bhagavan Mahavir
wrote an important holy book named 'Pulbd This book has twelve chapters

known as'Dadash Angd and followers ol Bhagavan Mahaviradopted this


book as their guide. 'Jain Kalpasutra and Jaina Bhagabali Sutra' are two
other important sources to understand Bhagavan Mahaviis philosophy'
Followers of Bhagavan Mahavir, known as 'Jains', are strict vegetarians'

122
SRI SANKARA (SANKARACHARYA)

Sri Sankara, the greatest philosopher of all times and the greatest
Hindu
of his time, is generally supposed to have been born at Kaladi
in Kerala
on the Wet Coast of the lndian peninsula in A. D. 7g8.
Even as a boy he attended the Vedic school. His sharp brain
went prying
into the soul of the sacred Vedic Lore and tormulated, with astute genrus,
accurate definitions and exact analysis, a synthetic philosophy.
He
renounced the world before his mind could be conlaminated
by its vites,
and embraced monotheism, dedicating his life to lshwaraitealization
and,
also, to bringing back the world to its pristine purity.

Assuring his mother that he would be at her bedside at her last


moment,
this passion-less recluse went in search of a teacher, who could formally
initiate him into the mysteries ol Sannyasa and show the way to
the
Supreme. At Omkamath, on the river Narmada, Sankara found his guru
in
Govinda Bhagavatapada. He stayed with him exploring every racet
ol the
supreme truth, and humbling himself in the modesty of wisdom.
ln fulfilment of the mandate from his Guru to establish Adyaita
Vedanta
(One God Theory) as the meeting ground ol all monistic
and duatistic
views, contradictory though they might appear to be, the young genrus
went to Varanasi, the ancient seat of Vedic religion and culture,
and started
spreading the gospel of ,One God, i. e. lshwara. He held disputations
with
the learned leaders of various schools ot thought, and, by uncovering
false assumptions and questioning, assumed certainlies,
established the
supremacy of his system ol thought. Here the ,irst four
disciples of
Sanandana, later known as padmapada, joined him.
From Varanasi, the spiritual colossus journeyed on to
Badrinath with his
disciples, spreading the message ol his synthetic philosophy.
He visited
many holy places such as prayag, Hardwar, Hrishikesh,
Srinagar,
Rudraprayag, Nandaprayag, Kamarupa and Gomukhi,
worshipped the
Deities on the way, and thus demonstrated thal
a knower ot Nirguna
Brahmai.e lshwara, loose nothing by paying homage
to the slatues of
Oeyaras (ldols of messiahs Sankara wrote
). commenlaries on the ten

123
Upanisads, the Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Sutra and established his doctrine
on a lirm foundation.
Then he wandered about from place to place engaging himself in
discussions with leaders of diverse creeds and sects, and, by his superb
puncturing
dialectic skill, he went on denouncing false dogmas and
erroneous presumPtions.
Sankara travelled all over, the length and breadth ofthevast sub-continent
lourtimes, established four principal monasteries al thefourcardinal points
ol lndia, the Sringeri Math on the Sringeri hills in the South, the Sarada
Meth al Dwaruka in the West, the Jyotirmath at Badrik'ashrama in the
North, and the Govardhana Math al Puti in the East and appointed his
tour chief disciples as pontiffs of these Matf,s (Temples) to promote the
spiritual welFbeing ol the monks and the people connected wilh the
Matf''
He also assigned to each Marh (Temple) one Veda Thus, Big Veda
went

to Govardhana Math, Yaiur Veda to Sringeri Malh, Sama Vedato Sarada


Malh and Atharva Veda to Jyotir Math.
Many obnoxious cults had vitiated the lndian society then' and temples
were in the hands of acoterie of corrupt priests dabbling in hideous lorms
ol worship and animal sacrifice. Sankara, with the help of scriptural
evidence and his dialectic skill, proved that these militated against the
very spirit o, the Vedas. He reformed these corrupt practices by inlusing
into them the noble principles ol worship oJ One He demonstrated
'lshwara
that ideas of image worship is only to pay respect to messiahs but best
result is obtained by praying to /shwara.
His deep affection for his mother triumphed over the rules
governing the

order of sannyasins, and on her passing away, he performed the tuneral

rites of his mother in the face of stiff opposition from his relatives
During
parents'
these days Sannyasins were not allowed to do last rights of
of thirty-two'
He passed away in Kedarnath on the Himalayas, at the age

124
HINDU MONK SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
AND HIS PHILOSOPHY
was born on
Swami Vivekanan da look Hinduism to its Vedic roots He
12th January 1863. He said : 'Courage is what the Upanisads
speak to
it has been
me from every page.This is the one great thing to remember'
the onegreat lesson I have been taught in my life Be courageous O man'
be not weaf'.
race has
Swami Vivekananda said, "Everything that we have had as a
had only
weakened us". ll seems as il during that period the national life
till we have
one end in view, viz., how to make us weaker and weaker'
dares to
become real earthworms crawling at the feet of every one who
display his sword and put his foot on us'
dwells a
What I want is muscles of iron and nerves of steel' inside which
mind ol the same material as that of which the thunderbolt is made'
worship strength and manhood.
All power is within you; you can do anything and everything
Beleve in
everything
that; do not think thal you are weak.You can do anything and
you like, without even lhe guidance of anyone' All power is there
Stand

up and express the divinity within you'


Your people require heroes; be heroes stand firm like a rock'Truth always
fresh vigour
triumphs. What masses want is a new electric fire to stir up a
in the nationalveins. Be brave, man dies but once
My disciples must not
poise;take not
be cowards. I hate cowardice. Keep up the deepest mental
the slightesl notice ot what puerile creatures may be saying
against
even
you. lndiflerence! lnditference! lndifference! All great underlakings are
achieved through mighty obstacles Put forth your manly effort'
What makes you weep, my friend? In you is all the power' summon up
your all powerlul nature, oh, mighty one! and this whole universe will lie at
your leet. lt is those loolish people who identity themselves with their
bodies that piteously cry, weak, weak, we are weak, what the nation
wants is action and scientific genius. We want great spirils, tremendous
energy and boundless enthusiasm. lt is the man ot action, the lion-heart
thatthe goddess of wealth resorts to. No need of looking behind. Forward!
125
We want infinite energy, infinite zeal; infinite courage, and infinile patience;
then only will great things be achieved.
Veda recognizes no sin, it only recognizes error; and the greatest error,
says the Veda, is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a
miserable creature and that you have no power and you cannot do this or
that.
Strength is life, weakness is death; strength is lelicity, lire is eternat,
immortal! Weakness is constant strain and misery. Weakness is death.
Positive thoughts ol being strong, helpful should be cultivated in your
mind from the very childhood.

Weakness is one of the causes of suffering. We become miserable,


because we are weak. We lie, steal, killand commit othercrimes, because
we are weak. We suffer, because we are weak. We die, because we
are
weak. Where there is nothing to weaken us, there is no death, no sorrow.
Strength is the one thing needed. Strength is the medicine for the wortd,s
disease. Strength is the medicine which the weak must have when
tyrannized by the strong. Strength is the medicine which the ignorant
must have when oppressed by the learned. And it is this medicine
that
sinners must have when tyrannized by other sinners.
Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own
shoulders, and know that you are the creator of your own destiny. All the
strength and succouryou want is within yourselves. Therefore make your
own future.
Thinking all the time that we are diseased, will not cure us; medicine is
necessary. Being reminded of weakness does not help much. Give
strength; and strength does not come by thinking of weakness all the
time.The remedy lor weakness is not brooding overweakness, butthinking
of strength.

Either in this world or in the world of religion, it is true that fear is the sure
cause of degradalion and sin. lt is fearthat brings misery, fearthat brings
death, lear that breeds evil. And what causes fear ? lgnorance ol our own
nature. Each ot us is heir-apparent to the Emperor of Emperors, the
lshwara.
126
Know that all sins and all evils can be summed up in that one word-
weakness. lt is weakness that is the motive power in all evil-doing lt is
weakness that is the source ot all selfishness. lt is weakness that makes
men iniure others. lt is weakness that makes them manifest what they
are not in reality.
What our masses now want are muscles of iron and nerves of steel;
strong willpower which nothing can resist, which can penetrate into the
mysteries and secrets of the universe and will accomplish their purpose
in any fashion even il it means going to the bottom ol the ocean and
meeting death face to face.
We have wept long enough; no more weeping, but stand on yourfeet and
be a man. lt is the man-making religion that we want. ll is the man-
making theories that we want. lt is the man-making education all round
that we want. And here is the test of truth, anything that makes you weak
physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject; there is no life in it, it cannot
be true. Truth makes you strong. Truth is purity. Truth is all knowledge'
Trulh must strengthen, must be enlightening, must be invigorating'
W6 speak of many things parrot-like, but never do them; speaking and
not doing has become a habit with us.Whal is the cause ol that ? Physical
weakness. This sort of weak brain is not able to do anything' We must
strengthen it. First of all our young men must be strong. Religion will
come afterwards. You will understand the mighty genius and the mighty
strength ol Krishna only when strong blood flows in you. You will understand
the Upanisads better and the glory of the Atmanwhen your body stands
firm upon your feet and you teel yourselves as a man.
Be moral, be brave, be a strictly moral man, brave unlo desperation'
Cowards commit sin, brave men never. Try to love anybody and everybody'
Get up, and set your shoulder to the wheel, for how long is this life? As
you have come into this world, leave some mark behind. Otherwise where
is the difference between you and the trees and stones? They too come
into existence, decay and die.
Be bold ! My children should be brave, above all. Not the least compromise
on any account. Preach the highest truths. Do not fear losing your respect
or causing unhappy friction. Rest assured that if you serve lruth in spite
127
ol temptations to lorsake it, you will attain a heavenly strengrth, in the
face of which men will quail to speak before you things which you do not
believe to be lrue. People would be believing in whatever you say to them,
i, you can strictly serve truth lor lourteen years continually, wilhoutsverving
from it.

128
MEANING OF SANSKRIT NAMES /WORDS

4ylar(lncamation) Hindus believe in reincarnation i.e. a person


- takes rebirth with the qualities of previous birth.
The primary three prophets of Hinduism were
Bramha, Bishnu and Maheswara. Maha
Lakshmi was the wife of Bishnu, Maheswara's
wife was Bhagavati and sons were Kartikeyan
and Sri Ganesh. Time and again great were
bestowed on Hindu society prophets and mosl
of them are being treated as incarnations
(Avtai ot any one of the earliest prophets or
their spouses. For example Lord Rama, Lord
Krishna, Lord Venkates/r/ara, Lord Balaji are
considered incamations of Bishnu. Lord Shiva,
Lord Nataraja, Lord Subramanium are
considered incamations of Maheswara. Durga,
Kali are incamations of Bhagavati.

Asura The person who does not care for society's


good, is selfish and fiendish in nature.

Brahma One of the various names ol lshwara.


Bnmha ls the name of one ol the first three propounders
ol Sanatana Dharma (Hindu religion). He lived
in central lndia.

Bishnu He is one ol the three earliest propounders o,


Sanatana Dharma. He hailed lrom south of
lndia. He is also known as Narayana or Lord
Venkatesr/ara.
Bramhacharya The practice o, celibacy, control ol the urges
ol sensual organ, mainly adopted to achieve
fullconcentration of mind for some noble cause.
Bhajan Melodious tunes sung in praise of /shwara.
Bramhin/Brahmin The persons who earns a livtng as an
academician. ln old days Bramhins were the
main source ol knowledge dissipation about
Veda and other scriptures.

129
Devata Devata's are messiahs/prophets who act as
heroes, guides, saviours etc. and are respected
bythe people. As they were human beings they
had human limitations. All of them were
influenced by existing social equations and time
period of their lives. Thus many of their actions
may raise questions in our modern mind.They
however, deserve our salutations for their
positive contributions in the progress of lhe
civilization, fruit of which we are enjoying daily.
Dharma Ethical values through which a person should
conduct his way of living.
Dalit The person who was deprived by the society
of the privilege oI acquiring any special skill
and was torced to earn a living by working as
an unskilled labour

Gita The sermons given by Lord Krishna for pious


person to follow in daily life.

KhawasKshatdyas The person, who has acquired skill & knowledge


- of martial art and earns a living working forthe
security ol the nation or a organization etc.
Malwwaa One of the earliest three propounders ol
Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism). He hailed from
Kashmir i.e. north ol lndia. He has many other
names such as Shiva, Rudra, Nataraja, Lord
Subramanium etc.
Muni A high level saint who can realize the concept
ot the Veda and ,shwara in its entirity and explain
it in easy language for the benefit of the
common man.
Rishi A super high levelsaint /prophet who is inspired
by /shulara to visualize a new Goncept hitherto
unknown to humanity.

130
Rakhash/Rakshasa Means fiendish people (Demons).
-
Sanatana Dharma The earliest religion of the human civilization.
-
Later on it got a popular name "Hinduism".
Sudra The person who is a skilled artisan and use
physical labour lor earning a living.
Vishnu One ofthe various names o, /shwara. The word
Vishnu originated lrom the sanskrit root word
y/S meaning to pervade. Vishnu is alFpervading.

Veda Oldest scriptures ol Sanatana Dharma


(Hinduism). lt gives guidance for conducting a
purposelullife.
Vaisya The person who is an enlrepreneur and eams a
living through business.

131

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