Arambh

Dear readers,

Wish you and your loved ones a peaceful and prosperous 2009!

Jai Shiv Shambhu!

Jai Mahamaya!

~ Souvik

A mate search

Dear readers,

Please take this article in a lighter note.

Who among us can say a mate search is easy? No, it is not.

So, what options do we have, which abstraction do go after?

Well, there is basically the trinity available here for comparison.

For females, choices of men:

Brahma type - Extremely potent, a well-versed in his academics, has a great job, extremely innovative, has great contacts.
Strength : potency, creativity
Weakness : too concentrated on progeny, not so much a romantic type, sometimes lusty (for other women)

Vishnu type - Handsome, rich and very well mannered. Excellent speaker and articulate in almost all matters. Liked by all
Strength : Very caring
Weakness : Little indifferent with respect to continuous attention to partner because has many matters to look into.

Shiva type - Handsome, total out caste, has weird friends and circle. Knowledgeable and seemingly arrogant.
Strength : Cannot live without his love, extremely potent
Weakness : Totally engrossed in partner, his life is his love

For males, choices of females:

Saraswati : Intelligent, extremely talented, working woman and very independent.
Strength : Innovative
Weakness : Career centric

Lakshmi : Wealthy, capricious, moody, sober and very pretty
Strength : Lovely
Weakness : Looks conscious, figure conscious, may take time to get into progeny

Parvati : Sensual, well-to-do, home-maker and yet believes in equality in home between man and woman
Strength: Perfect Home-maker
Weakness : I could fine none :)

From ages when couples married, elders blessed them to be like "Shiva Parvati"!

In many parts of India, unmarried girls fast on Shiva-ratri to get a husband like Shiva.

In matters of marriage, Shiva-Parvati seems to be the best choice for a traditional family. However, the other types are also not too difficult to see around us.

Jai Shiva Shambhu!

~ Souvik

Aradhanam Govindam!

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Achyutam Keshavam

This song is melodiously sung by Vikram Hazra of Art Of Living.
Let the bhakti flow!
Jai Shri Krishna!

Alaap

Loved this title song from good old days!
Jai Shree Krishna!

Aum Namah Shivay!

Aum Namah Shivay!
1 Aashutosh One who fulfills wishes instantly
2 Aja Unborn
3 Akshayaguna God with limitless attributes
4 Anagha Without any fault
5 Anantadrishti Of infinite vision
6 Augadh One who revels all the time
7 Avyayaprabhu Imperishable Lord
8 Bhairav Lord of terror
9 Bhalanetra One who has an eye in the forehead
10 Bholenath Kind hearted Lord
11 Bhooteshwara Lord of ghosts and evil beings
12 Bhudeva Lord of the earth
13 Bhutapala Protector of the ghosts
14 Chandrapal Master of the moon
15 Chandraprakash One who has moon as a crest
16 Dayalu Compassionate
17 Devadeva Lord of the Lords
18 Dhanadeepa Lord of Wealth
19 Dhyanadeep Icon of meditation and concentration
20 Dhyutidhara Lord of Brilliance
21 Digambara One who has the skies as his clothes
22 Durjaneeya Difficult to be known
23 Durjaya Unvanquished
24 Gangadhara Lord of River Ganga
25 Girijapati Consort of Girija
26 Gunagrahin Acceptor of Gunas
27 Gurudeva Master of All
28 Hara Remover of Sins
29 Jagadisha Master of the Universe
30 Jaradhishamana Redeemer from Afflictions
31 Jatin One who has matted hair
32 Kailas One Who Bestows Peace
33 Kailashadhipati Lord of Mount Kailash
34 Kailashnath Master of Mount Kailash
35 Kamalakshana Lotus-eyed Lord
36 Kantha Ever-Radiant
37 Kapalin One who wears a necklace of skulls
38 Khatvangin One who has the missile khatvangin in his hand
39 Kundalin One who wears earrings
40 Lalataksha One who has an eye in the forehead
41 Lingadhyaksha Lord of the Lingas
42 Lingaraja Lord of the Lingas
43 Lokankara Creator of the Three Worlds
44 Lokapal One who takes care of the world
45 Mahabuddhi Extremely intelligent
46 Mahadeva Greatest God
47 Mahakala Lord of All Times
48 Mahamaya Of great illusions
49 Mahamrityunjaya Great victor of death
50 Mahanidhi Great storehouse
51 Mahashaktimaya One who has boundless energies
52 Mahayogi Greatest of all Gods
53 Mahesha Supreme Lord
54 Maheshwara Lord of Gods
55 Nagabhushana One who has serpents as ornaments
56 Nataraja King of the art of dancing
57 Nilakantha The one with a blue throat
58 Nityasundara Ever beautiful
59 Nrityapriya Lover of Dance
60 Omkara Creator of OM
61 Palanhaar One who protects everyone
62 Parameshwara First among all gods First among all gods
63 Paramjyoti Greatest splendor
64 Pashupati Lord of all living beings
65 Pinakin One who has a bow in his hand
66 Pranava Originator of the syllable of OM
67 Priyabhakta Favorite of the devotees
68 Priyadarshana Of loving vision
69 Pushkara One who gives nourishment
70 Pushpalochana One who has eyes like flowers
71 Ravilochana Having sun as the eye
72 Rudra The terrible
73 Rudraksha One who has eyes like Rudra
74 Sadashiva Eternal God
75 Sanatana Eternal Lord
76 Sarvacharya Preceptor of All
77 Sarvashiva Always Pure
78 Sarvatapana Scorcher of All
79 Sarvayoni Source of Everything
80 Sarveshwara Lord of All Gods
81 Shambhu Abode of Joy
82 Shankara Giver of Joy
83 Shiva Always Pure
84 Shoolin One who has a trident
85 Shrikantha Of glorious neck
86 Shrutiprakasha Illuminator of the Vedas
87 Shuddhavigraha One who has a pure body
88 Skandaguru Preceptor of Skanda
89 Someshwara Lord of All Gods
90 Sukhada Bestower of happiness
91 Suprita Well pleased
92 Suragana Having Gods as attendants
93 Sureshwara Lord of All Gods
94 Swayambhu Self-Manifested
95 Tejaswani One who spreads illumination
96 Trilochana Three-Eyed Lord
97 Trilokpati Master of all the Three Worlds
98 Tripurari Enemy of Tripura
99 Trishoolin One who has a trident in his hands
100 Umapati Consort of Uma
101 Vachaspati Lord of Speech
102 Vajrahasta One who has a thunderbolt in his hands
103 Varada Granter of Boons
104 Vedakarta Originator of the Vedas
105 Veerabhadra Supreme Lord of the Nether World
106 Vishalaksha Wide-eyed Lord
107 Vishveshwara Lord of the Universe
108 Vrishavahana One who has bull as his vehicle

Adbhut Vani

Govinda Bolo Hari Gopal Bolo!

Amar Chicago Barir Kali Pujo

Dear readers,

Wish you, your family and friends a very prosperous Diwali and a Shubho Maha Kali Pujo.

Today I celebrated Kali Pujo with some friends at my apartment in Chicago downtown. Below are some of the snaps of Diwali@Chicago.


Regards,

Souvik

A song - Satyam Shivam Sundaram

Satyam Shivam Sundaram!

Aaradhana Re-visited : Solah Somvar Vrat

Dear readers,

I have a karmic debt to fulfill- replying to my numerous fellow Shiv bhakts on the mahima of infallible Solah Somvar Vrat and its katha.

I have completed this vrat once and have completely achieved a goal which not only seemed impossible to me but was regarded by many great advisers of mine. The whole credit goes to Kaleshwar Devadidev Mahadev's blessings, blessings of my pitrs, my grand-parents, my parents, and my elders and Gurus, well-wishers, relations and friends.

Even during this vrat, I faced many obstacles, temptations which were forcing me to break my vrat, but with Kalptaru's blessings I succeeded in vanquishing such hindrances.

I have recently started this vrat the second time and thus it is karmic debt that I reply to the queries of all my fellow Shiv bhakts on this matter.

I am no scholar. I have very minuscule understanding of spirituality and religion compared to most learned Gurus around. So, please pardon my lack of understanding in this article. I am just putting forth what I think is right and what I practice for the great Solah Somvar Vrat, which in incomparable in its results and the completion of which gives the greatest pleasure to Umapati.

In today's age and time, most of the readers who will read this blog article either have a business or are office-goers. However, there may be women readers who are home-makers. In either cases it is highly improbable that the bhakt will stay at home the whole time. So, I shall write my views on this in as much practical sense as possible.

Q) Can anyone do this?
A) Yes.
Just as Shiv is in every living soul, just as every life is a proof of Shiva's existence, so can any living soul do this vrat and gain His blessings.

Q) What is the procedure of doing this vrat?
A) Can there be any fixed procedure for showing one's compassion to one's Aaradhya? So, there is no fixed procedure to do this procedure, atleast none that I know of. However, I will share how I perform this vrat.
Every Monday I wake up filled with joy that today I get to do something for my Shiva, my soul. I wake up with Aum Namah Shivay mantra. I look at the rising Sun and raise a glass of water and ask Shiva to give me strength to complete today's vrat and drink the glass of water remembering Him. Then I finish off toilet, have my bath and go to work.
At work I avoid any confrontation on Mondays, avoid bad words, avoid group gossip. I have my ipod which I listen to Shiva mantras while working. I don't go for lunch with my work colleagues on Mondays. I talk as little as possible. I concentrate on my dharma, which at that moment is my work, my assignments for the day. If I have meetings, I stick to my agenda and generally tend to talk less. The reason is that speech is the source of all trouble (remember Dakshinamurthy teaching through silence).
At around Madhyanya (mid-day around 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm depending on the zone of Earth where one resides), I have some fruits. Sometimes I even skip this and just carry on with water. I generally leave work at 5:00 pm on Mondays and come home before sunset. At sunset I remember if I have objected my Lord in anyway during the day and seek forgiveness for all sins done. I pray to Shiva with MahaMrityunjaya mantra and take some fruits and a glass of milk.
In the evening I skip social get-together on Mondays and avoid lies. I generally try to do something that pleases the Lord very much. I generally call up my grandparents and chat with them, I call up my parents and tell them how much I miss them. One should remember the story of Ganesha's parikrama of his mother and father as He regarded them as the Universe and how much it pleased Shiva and Parvati. Karma is the best way to appease the Lord, much superior than elaborate rituals. Doing something good for elders, Gurus and parents and pleasing them pleases the Lord automatically.
I sleep around 10:00 Pm peaceful, placid and contended and with a prayer that the Lord keep showering His merciful blessings on His bhakts.
I try to observe satwick lifestyle during the vrat and avoid lies. Satya or truth is loved Shiva and thus one should avoid telling a single lie during the vrat.

Q)How is this vrat possible for women if it has to be continuous?
A)Menstrual cycle shouldn't matter - This is the one word answer to this question.
Mother who is the Jagadjanini, who we worship daily -have we asked if we should avoid worshiping her during certain days? If mother can be worshiped, then mother-kind can worship too. I strongly oppose this idea of banning women from worship on certain days of the month. The reason that it was brought in place was very different - places of worship would become untidy as most modern measures used today were not present. Those days have long gone and makes ZERO sense in today's age and time. So mother-kind, please do not hesitate to do this vrat.

Q)The question of upvas-What should we eat and what we shouldn't?
A)Anything that makes you feel that you are sacrificing something by not eating it, shouldn't be eaten.
Lets us understand the word Upvas and the meaning associated with it. Upvas means living with the Lord. If the Lord comes to your house, you will be so pre-occupied by attending to Him that you will forget to attend to yourself i.e. your dress, your food, your laundry, your movies, your social functions, your meetings etc.
Eating is just a part of living. During this vrat, the essence of Upvas has to be lived-which is control of instincts. If you cannot live without non-veg food, the you cannot eat it during this vrat. If you are a vegetarian, then you have to sacrifice what you eat normally. If you eat cronflakes every morning, you have control your instinct and avoid eating it during this vrat days. If you eat rice, roti etc. as a habit then you have to control it during this vrat. This is the essence of upvas that we should all understand. However, please remember that control of instincts doesn't mean killing oneself or punishing one's body beyond tolerance. Gastractive patients should eat what is necessary for them. Shiva is also one's own self. So to punish one's own self to the point beyond tolerance is also annoying Shiva. The intention is not control one's natural instinct without causing harm to typical bodily functions.
I don't eat fruits much on usual days so during this vrat, I take only fruits and milk once. One should make this judgement himself/herself and in accordance with one's own conscience.

Q)What mantras should I chant?
A)Anything that pleases your soul.
The word mantra means something that pleases the maan, the mind. Even if you donot chant a single mantra and at the end of the day said "I love you" to your parents, that is much more pleasing to the Lord than even a Rudrabhishekam. The single teardrop of joy from your grand-father's eyes when he receives your call will send your vrat message directly to Shiva more than reciting any Rudra Chamakam. Deeds please the Lord more than any ritual. However, if you are interested in the sanskrit mantras, you can use a variety of options available on the web. I always beileved in keeping it simple, so I have only chanted Panchaksari mantra during the sixteen Mondays. Although I do listen to a lot of bhajans and stotras during the day.

Q)Do I have to fast?
A)No, you don't need to do. Please refer to my earlier explanation of upvas.

Q)Can women do this vrat?
A)Very much. Monthly cycles is a natural phenomenon and how can Pashupatinath (the ruler of all animal kingdom, human included) have a problem with that?

Q)What do I do on the 17th. Monday?
A)Whatever you do, make sure you are seeking blessings of your elders. Without that you shall not receive the blessings of Shiva, the Adi Guru.
I shall mention what I did. I called my friends (as I was away from home) to my place. I performed Rudrabhishekam. I made the Shivlinga out of atta, turmeric and chandan. I called my elders at home to seek their blessings. I shared the story of Solah Somvar Vrat with them.
My friends had brought cooked food with them. We all sat and ate together chanting Aum Namah Shivay.

Q)Where can I find the story of Solah Somvar Vrat Katha?
A) http://satyamshivamsundaram.blogspot.com/2005/11/aaradhana.html#comments

Spread the word, please the Lord and be Happy!

~ Souvik

Aradhana - Devi Sooktam

Devi Sooktam!

Aayo Devi Mahima Gaye!

Sing Along Devi's Mahima!

Aradhya Devi Maha Maya

Jai Jai Hey Mahishasura Mardini!

Aadar

Jai Shiv Shambhu!

Anta Hoyeo Anta Noy- Shubho Bijoya

Dear readers,

Dasamai is here and tears have already started rolling down the cheeks of millions. Its time to say good bye to the Mother.

However, there is still reason to celebrate. It is after all Bijoya-the victory of Good over Evil.

Shubho Bijoya to all readers!

~ Souvik

An Email from the Goddess Herself!

From here.

Dear readers,

This is not my article. It is written by Sandip Roy and Illustration by Uttam Ghosh.

Please take this email from Mahamaya in a very light note. She had just come out from a quarrel with Shambhu before writing this email! :)

~ Souvik

In the olden days whenever I, Durga, came down to earth to visit my father's home, the astrologers and priests would figure out how I was coming each year.
Was it by boat? Oh no, that meant floods
Was it by elephant? That meant good harvests.

It was not easy going all over India on an elephant from the pandals in Chittaranjan Park's Bengali corner in New Delhi to Jaymahal in Bangalore and of course, the hundreds of pujas all over Kolkata.

But now it's truly getting out of hand! America, Canada, London, Tokyo.
How is one goddess, even with 10 arms supposed to keep up with all this?

The problem, dear Bengali in the Diaspora, is I know how much all this means to you. And I hate to disappoint you. So I come every year across oceans and continents.

But here is my Pujo list of things that would make my life easier:

~ I know Kolkata shuts down for five days during Durga Puja. But now it's turned into a month long affair with you Diasporan types. I am sorry, I just went through my booking schedule. I have to be on call from September 27 in Hayward, California to October 19 in Torrance, California. In between I am going to have to make it to Phoenix, Stamford, Atlanta, Tampa, Chicago, St Louis, Washington DC, Dallas and more. I love you all but it's getting a bit too much. Really, does one Bay Area need five Pujos one the weekend before the actual dates, one on the days of, one the weekend after and two others just because you are too lazy to drive to the other three? I mean what next? You'll be having Durga Puja in your private two-car garages. Remember I am a festival, not a block party.

~ All your children are very talented and I bless them all but they don't all need to be in the song and dance show. I cannot, just cannot sit through another talent competition listening to your little darlings lisp through Bengali songs. And most of all I am afraid that the stampede of mothers in their new saris trying to make sure their Pinky or Neel gets the limelight is going to knock me off the stage. And don't even get me started on the daddies in their raw silk kurtas trampling over each other as they try to get the best view of the stage with their camcorders.

~ It took me the longest time to get those Calcuttans off the what-can-we-make-Ma-Durga-out-of-this-time gimmick. I've suffered, yes suffered as I've been made out of newspapers, matchboxes, bottles, pins and god knows what else. But just as we were all getting back to good old fashioned clay here you guys come. I am not a plaster of Paris goddess. I am not a fiber glass goddess. You can paint me all you like to look like the earthen goddess I am. But I know my smile is painted on as I stand in some draughty school auditorium. Inside I am just fiberglass.

~ I don't really mind the two-day Pujo. But ohh the jet lag, the jet lag. I just can't be blessing you in Los Angeles one day and take the red-eye to New Jersey. It's not easy to travel with an entire family and pets, you know, not to mention a demon. Could you guys coordinate with each other a little more? The Bangla bands you are flying in from Kolkata also told me to tell you the same thing.

~ And did I mention what a pain it is to fly these days? I mean gone are the days when all I worried about was whether or not someone had booked the Hindu vegetarian meal for all of us, except for Mahisasura who eats anything. Now there are all these baggage charges. I mean charging for the first bag! My heavens, I cannot believe it. And have you ever tried to get your array of weapons through the X-ray? Good luck. I am sorry but I was asked by YOU to come save mankind. Now I am being treated as a potential terrorist. And what about those immigration people asking me every single time if I am bringing animal or plant products into the United States?

~ Also could you people stop fighting? I don't care whose wife said what. I don't care if you think because you are vice president for sales at Intel Corporation and got an ad for that programme brochure you should have more clout on the Puja committee. I come home once a year and I would like a little less bickering please. Let me make this clear. I don't know why the Bengali Association of New England won't talk to the Bangla Sangha of New England and I don't care. But I'd rather not be in the middle of your little tug-o-war. Could you sort that out before I get there, please?

~ No more bad tinny Rabindrasangeet. And absolutely no more also-rans from Zee's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa contest. A contestant on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is NOT Manna Dey! It gives me a headache because you can wander in and out and go queue up for shingara and chai. I have to just stand there and suffer.

~ Please stop with those e-mail Bijoya cards that burst into loud dhaaker-drumbeats as soon as you open them at the office. If you want to wish someone happy Bijoya, call them, write them, go visit them with some Sondesh. Don't spam them. It doesn't make me feel more benevolent towards you. Stop. Right now.

~ Figure out the food please and the parking. This is my party and I have had enough of all those complaints about how the food line is too long, how the food ran out, how the mutton curry tasted Punjabi not Bengali like your mother made it in Shyambazar! And if you overflow from the parking lot don't park in places you are not supposed to park and then complain when the city gives you a ticket. I am a goddess, I am not a parking ticket miracle worker. I have other demons to slay.

~ I know at the end of it all you are going to pack me into a big box and load me into someone's garage for a year. I know it. I am resigned to it. But could I get a television in there? With cable? (Give me a break, I have five children to entertain!)

Anondo Sommelan

Dear readers,

On Oct., 4th. & Oct 5th., the University students in Chicago organized a homely Durga Pujo.

On the left is the Sandhya Pradip.

Below is Mahamaya Durga's Pandal and decoration. In the last snap I am with my childhood friend Ani.

Jai Durga!

Souvik

Aadanda Utsav

Dear readers,

Live Durga Pujo from Kolkata - click here.

Sharadiyo Shubhechcha!

Souvik

Aagamani

Dear readers,

Devi Paksha began on September 29th., 2008.

Wish all a very auspicious Durga Puja and Navratri!

Regards, Souvik

Alochana-What, Who and How is Durga?

Dear readers,

This article is not strictly religious and completely my views on Mahamaya Maa Durga and DurgaPujo.

You have every right not to agree with me and I absolutely respect any different opinion on this topic.

This is a original article and no part of this article is taken from any website.

This is a thought that came to me on my 29th. birthday and I had to express it in my blog.

Symbolism of Durga

Let us first visit the story of Mahamaya Maa Durga.
Rambha, (boon gainer from Agni Dev), fell in love with a Mahisha and through their union was born Mahisasur. After severe austerities Mahisasura was given a boon by the creator Brahma that no man or God would be able to kill him.

Mahish or the Bull is indicative of desire, lust, craving, intertia - the most basic of human instincts.
The very nature of this instinct is that it cannot be killed by a man or a God. It is immune to punishment, hard-work, stress etc.
The only aspect this instinct is stimulus to is that to the object of its deep rooted desire - its object of lust, in this case a woman.

When MahaDevi appeared before Mahisasura, he wanted to mate with Her and make Her his wife. Thus, this instinct fails to realize and undermines the fact that the very object of its affection can cause its demise.

Durga crumbles this ego in humans. Durga stands for the fact that one's own desire can be the cause of one's end. Desire, interia, unquenched thirst is represented by the Bull, Mahisa. The vahana of Mahamaya is the Lion, the symbolic of the soul.

When the soul realises that the desire is improper, then only can it pounce upon it and Devi kills it.

Improper desire, passion etc. rise in the human mind every time. However, the soul has to be shaken, the consciousness has to fight it and there by making the Lion pounce upon the Bull.
It is this very soul that differentiates us from lesser species which acts only based on instinct. This consciousness is our touch with the divine.

The Devi is within all of us, Durga is in all of us and the battle with Mahisasura is being fought every day, every hour and every minute.

It is important we see this battle and make Durga win every time.

Regards,

Souvik

Aagamani

Pitr-Paksha begins: Tuesday, 16-09-2008

~ Souvik

Arambha Utsav

Wishing all readers a Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!

Jai Shree Ganesh!

~ Souvik

Adbhut Lila

Dear reader,

Happy Janmashtami to all!

~ Souvik

o maiyyā morī, maiń nahiń mākhan khāyo

(1)

bhor bhayo gaiyana ke pāche

(tune) madhubana mohi paṭhāyo

cara prahara vaḿśī vata bhaṭakyo

sāñjha pade ghara āyo

(maiyyā, maiń kab mākhan khāyo)

(2)

maiń bālaka vahi yan ko choṭo choṭo

yeh chīko vidhī pāyo

yeh gvāla bāla sab bair pade haiń

bar-bas mukha lapaṭāyo

(3)

yeh le apani lakuṭa kambalīya

bahuta hī nāca nacāyo

jiye tere kuch bheda upaj hai

tuhe mohe jāñyo, parayo jāñyo

sūra dāsa tab hasī yaśodā

le ura kaṇṭha lagāyo

(naina nīra bharī āyo)

(te nahin mākhan khāyo)

Alochana-Capillary Action

‘Milk-gulping’ Shiva
Thursday August 14 2008 10:55 IST
ROURKELA: Call it a scientific process or a miracle, stone images of Lord Shiva and His carrier Nandi reportedly gulped milk in Sundargarh district. Hundreds of devotees thronged the Shiva temple at Gopabandhupali here and reportedly fed both the divine objects milk and water. Scientists attributed the cause to capillary action.

This is not the first time this incident has happened. September 21st., 1995-Hindus all over the world observed this phenomenon.

To read the details about the incident, please click here.

I guess it is time that we realised two things:
1) Science either has an explanation about the things we call "miracles" or there exists one but it still hasn't be discovered.
2) We don't need miracles to have faith

~Souvik

Aadi Shakti

Image from here.

To read Durga Saptashati in Sanskrit click here.

To read the interpretation click here.

The story:

Before the creation of the world, Lord Vishnu lay in deep meditative sleep on his serpent coiled in the form of a couch. A lotus then sprang from his navel, on which was seated the god of creation Brahma. No sooner had this happened than two demons named Madhu and Kaitabh also sprang from the earwax of Vishnu, intending to kill Brahma.

Brahma tried to awaken Lord Vishnu by shaking the stalk of the lotus he was sitting on, but in vain. He then realized that the sleep that had settled on Vishnu’s eyes was the Great Goddess in her form of Mahamaya, an expression of the divine mother’s power of delusion. Brahma then worshipped her with an inspiring hymn of praise, asking her to release Vishnu from his slumber. The ever-compassionate goddess obliged.
Awakening, Vishnu held Madhu Kaitabh and engaged them in a combat, which went on for five thousand years. The two demons then puffed up with pride, thinking themselves invincible. It was at this moment that the great goddess struck at the duo with her maya, making them vain enough to say to Lord Vishnu himself:
"We are pleased with your power and strength. Go ahead and ask for a boon."
Vishnu immediately seized the opportunity and asked for the boon that they be slain by him then and there. Indeed, one should always watch out for those moments of pride, which are the opportune instances for maya to delude us.

Thus cornered, the duo realized their folly; but seeing water everywhere, were wise enough to ask that they be killed only in a dry place. Vishnu then sat down in the water itself. However, like the auspicious lotus remains untouched by the water it grows in, similarly did Vishnu’s lotus like body remain untainted. He then proceeded to place both of them on either thigh, and cut off their heads.

I have found two interpretations of the Madhu Kaitabha story on the internet.

Version 1 from here:

Madhu actually means honey and he represents attachment (raag) to this world, which seems sweet to us. Kaitabh means a pricking thorn and signifies our aversion (dvesha) to things we deem as unpleasant. Both of these traits, which do much to make up our overall nature or temperament (prakriti or svabhav), is a residue carried over from numerous previous births. Both are products of maya and need to be annihilated.
In another interpretation, Madhu is honeyed praise, while Kaitabh is sour criticism, both of which enter through our ears, but are two side of the same mayic coin and need to be discarded. In either of the interpretations, the two demons attack our intelligence, symbolized by Brahma who is the patron deity of intellect. The Bhagavad Gita says:
"When your intellect, though perplexed by what you have heard, shall stand immovable and steady, then shall you attain self-realization". (2.53)

The goddess as restful sleep is an apt metaphor signifying her motherhood. When a mother sees her small child tired after playing in the fierce sun, she catches hold of him, feeds him and pats him to sleep, even against his own wishes, knowing very well that the sleep will restore his energy. Indeed, while our whole day is spent in emptying our shakti, the compassionate goddess takes it on herself to continue replenishing it. So she puts Vishnu to rest, tired after the exhausting task of maintaining the universe, and when the next creative cycle begins, relieves him from his slumber.
However, we cannot win over the two demons of attachment/aversion or praise/criticism, relying solely on our own powers, like Lord Vishnu who was unable to defeat them even after many years of fierce battle. The only way to win over maya is to surrender ourselves to Mahamaya, the goddess who created it in the first place. The fact that the two demons asked to be killed in a dry spot is also loaded with spiritual symbolism. Both these pairs of traits can only be destroyed on the ground of Vairagya (disenchantment), which is the dry state of existence, devoid of all worldly rasa.
However, the state of the goddess symbolized by sleep is not her brightest manifestation. The Gita says:
"The pleasure arising from sleep is known as tamasic." (18.39)

Version 2 from here:

Madhu means honey. "Madhu keeta" means an insect of honey, i.e. honey bee. Madhukaita means belonging to honey bees. It can be the qualities or nature of honeybees. One of the meanings of "bha" is "having a similarity to". Thus, in myjudgment, "Madhu Kaitabha" means "having a semblance to the nature of honeybees".

Madhu Kaitabhameans "having a semblance to the quality of honeybees". What is the quality ofhoney bees? Well, they keep working hard to accumulate the sweet honey! They arenot intelligent enough to think about any higher things in life. Thus, MadhuKaitabha are an allegory to the quality within us which makes us work hard, likehoneybees, with a single-minded focus on accumulating material comforts. Likehoneybees accumulate honey, we accumulate material objects and spend whole lifeworking hard doing just that.

Vishnu is a personification of the sattwa guna of the Parama Purusha(Universal/Absolute Being). Within us, Vishnu is an allegory to the sattwa gunawithin us. Madhu Kaitabha were born from Vishnu's earwax when He was alseep. Theability to work hard like a bee is not really a terrible thing. This ability isessentially born from the sattwa guna within us, when it is in deep slumber(i.e. sattwa guna covered by taamasi shakti, i.e. sattwa guna that "manifests"in a taamasik way).

There are so many good people in this world, who just spend their entire livesin honest labor like the honeybees and accumulate things for themselves andothers around them. Their sattwa is in deep sleep and Madhu Kaitabha born fromthat asleep sattva are very much active.

The problem with this focus on hard work and accumulation of material objects isthat it keeps us away from supreme bliss. Madhu Kaitabha's attack on Brahma andVedas is symbolic of that. Vedas symbolize the supreme and liberating knowledgeof self and Brahma, the carrier of Vedas, symbolizes the sadhana to achieve thesupreme knowledge. The focus on working like honeybees and accumulating materialobjects tries to kills one's ability to do sadhana and obtain supreme knowledgeof self.

Vishnu battles Madhu Kaitabha for 5,000 years. Devi Bhagavatam even describesthat Vishnu wondered in the middle how to defeat Madhu Kaitabha, as He findsthem quite formidable! Even when the sattva in us awakens, it is difficult forit to overcome the formidable instinct to lead the life of a honeybee and toaccumulate the material objects for oneself and others.

When Madhu Kaitabha finally agree to be slain by Vishnu, they ask Him to killthem in a place where there is no water. They see that there is water all aroundand think that there is no place where there is no water. The Mooladhara,Swadhishthana, Manipoora, Anahata and Visuddhi chakras are the seats of earthy,watery, fiery, airy and ethery elements respectively. Swadhishthana chakra issupposed to control desires and hence water symbolizes desire. As long as thereis desire, it is tough to overcome the instinct of just working for materialobjects!

When they want a place that has no water, Vishnu shows his thighs. There is nowater there and only earthy element. This suggests that Parama Purusha'sMooladhara chakra is in the thighs of Vishu.

According to Parasara, thighs are seen from the 9th house of dharma. The earthyelement symbolizes the commitment and stability. The fact that earthy elementcame from the thighs of Vishnu shows that it is the dharma of sattwa gunasustaining this universe that ensures that there is commitment and stability inthis creation.

Moreover, it is apt that someone born in the ears (3rd house) of Vishnu foundend in the thighs (9th house, i.e. 7th house of death from the 3rd house) ofVishnu! Similarly, Brahma, who is born from the navel (6th house) of Vishnu should naturally find His end in the 12th house of Vishnu (feet), which is the7th house of death from the 6th house! That may be why Vishnu goes to sleep,when there is a change of Brahma.

Thus, the instinct within us to keep accumulating material objects like honeybees accumulate honey finds its end in the dharma of the sattwa guna, i.e. whenthe sattwa guna within us follows its dharma. Then we are fully awakespiritually. Naturally, the path to self-knowledge becomes open then and Brahmabecomes elated.

Thus, the story of Madhu-Kaitabha refers, allegorically, to the instinct most ofus have towards leading a "regular" life, working hard like honeybees andaccumulating objects for self and others and how that instinct needs to bedefeated by waking up the sattwa guna and allowing to perform its dharma.

Advent into Aries

Shubho Noboborsho and Happy Mesh Shankranti to all readers!

~ Souvik

Add a little color!

Dear readers,

Wish you and your loved ones Happy Holi!

Here's a little about Holi.

Regards,

Souvik

Astral Details

Maha Shiv Ratri timings (USA, CST)

Start:
Date: March 5, 2008
Time: 14:01:45
Time Zone: 6:00:00 (West of GMT)
Place: 87 W 39' 00", 41 N 51' 00"
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Altitude: 596.00 meters
Tithi: Krishna Chaturdasi (Ve) (100.00% left)
Vedic Weekday: Wednesday (Me)
Nakshatra: Dhanishtha (Ma) (67.55% left)
Yoga: Siva (Me) (55.09% left)
Karana: Vishti (Sa) (99.99% left)
Hora Lord: Mercury (5 min sign: Ar)

End:
Date: March 6, 2008
Time: 12:55:29
Time Zone: 6:00:00 (West of GMT)
Place: 87 W 39' 00", 41 N 51' 00"
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Altitude: 596.00 meters
Tithi: Krishna Chaturdasi (Ve) (0.00% left)
Vedic Weekday: Thursday (Ju)
Nakshatra: Satabhishak (Ra) (70.38% left)
Yoga: Siddha (Ke) (50.77% left)

Maha Shivratri or Maha Sivaratri or Shivaratri or Sivaratri (Night of Shiva) is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha of the month Maagha (as per Shalivahana) or Phalguna (as per Vikrama) in the Hindu Calendar.

Advent of the Event

Date: 6th. day of March, 2008

Day: Thursday

The Event: Maha Shiv Ratri

From here

The term ‘Shiva' is a confluence of two syllables, ‘Shi' and ‘Va', meaning the ‘redeemer of sins' and ‘liberator of sufferings'.

The Shvetashvetara Upanishad says, "Shiva is more minute than the minutest".

He is often considered to convey a divine dot, a point or seed of cosmic creation, sustenance and conclusion. In numerical counting, the devout Hindus says ‘Shiva' instead of uttering ‘one' which points to His position in the universe as the originator.

Shivapurana mentions the oval flame or jyotirlinga form of Shiva. The Sanskrit suffix linga signifies mark, sign, symbol, quality or characteristics of an entity that has two phonetic parts: lin or laya and gam or agaman respectively, referring to the process of destruction and recreation which Shiva epitomises.

Shiva is effulgent and beyond three attributes of sattva , rajas and tamas . With rajas in the form of Brahma, He creates; with sattva in the form of Vishnu, He preserves, and with tamas in the form of Rudra, He destroys. When the world is in darkness of ignorance Shiva appears in the form of a column of light, Jyotirlinga , in front of deities Brahma and Vishnu. In the race to prove their superiority they try to fathom the column of light, but fail. Shiva, along with all human souls, dwells in the supreme abode of divine illumination and complete silence. It is called Shanti Dham or Param Dham and is located amidst the sixth element of sacred light, far beyond the physical universe.

Localised in incarnated bodies through successive births and interaction with material world, humans experience entropy and complete loss of all available energy. They pray for divine intervention and help. In human ignorance, Jyotirlinga Shiva descends on earth in the corporeal body of Prajapita Brahma and reveals His sacred knowledge about soul, supreme soul, world drama, law of karma and raja-yoga meditation for recharging human souls by linking their minds to the supreme source of spiritual energies. His divine knowledge, revealed through Brahma, gives us insight to see the self and other beings as soul (tiny conscient point of divine light in the forehead) and to experience its innate and original qualities of purity, peace, love, bliss, knowledge, power and happiness. The regular practice of such soul consciousness would make you so light, positive, peaceful, blissful and powerful that your meditation and contemplation become effortless.

Cultivation of soul consciousness would also foster essential unity, harmony and brotherhood of mankind under the spiritual fatherhood of one incorporeal Supreme Being. By seeking the companionship of Supreme Soul Shiva in meditation, we need not make special efforts to weed out unwanted, negative and harmful personality traits, habits, leanings and dependencies as they would automatically not only get sublimated in the subtle fire of intellectual communion or yoga of our inner self with the divine being, but would also be substituted with the natural, pure, positive, healthy and benevolent qualities, powers and proclivities. Being firmly seated in the joyful experience of our inner-self, we can smoothly connect and commune with the Almighty who is the eternal source of infinite spiritual knowledge, virtues and strength. By this simple and natural process of introspection and contemplation on self and the Supreme, we can empower ourselves and become one with Sat-Chit-Anand , truth-consciousness-bliss.

From here

Shiva is 'Shakti', Shiva is power, Shiva is the destroyer, the most powerful god of the Hindu pantheon and one of the godheads in the Hindu Trinity. Known by many names - Mahadeva, Mahayogi, Pashupati, Nataraja, Bhairava, Vishwanath, Bhava, Bhole Nath - Lord Shiva is perhaps the most complex of Hindu deities.
Hindus recognize this by putting his shrine in the temple separate from those of other deities. Shiva, in temples is usually found as a phallic symbol of the linga, which represents the energies necessary for life on both the microcosmic and the macrocosmic levels, that is, the world in which we live and the world which constitutes the whole of the universe.
In a Shaivite temple, the linga is placed in the centre underneath the spire, where it symbolizes the naval of the earth. The actual image of Shiva is also distinct from other deities: his hair piled high on the top of his head, with a crescent tucked into it and the river Ganges tumbling from his hairs. Around his neck is a coiled serpent representing Kundalini or the spiritual energy within life.
He holds a trident in his left hand in which is bound the 'damroo' (small leather drum). He sits on a tiger skin and on his right is a water pot. He wears the 'Rudraksha' beads and his whole body is smeared with ash.
Shiva is believed to be at the core of the centrifugal force of the universe, because of his responsibility for death and destruction. Unlike the godhead Brahma, the Creator, Shiva is the dissolving force in life. But Shiva dissolves in order to create, since death is the medium for rebirth into a new life. So the opposites of life and death and creation and destruction both reside in his character.
He is also often portrayed as the supreme ascetic with a passive and composed disposition. Sometimes he is depicted riding a bull called Nandi decked in garlands. Although a very complicated deity, Shiva is one of the most fascinating of Hindu gods.
Since Shiva is regarded as a mighty destructive power, to numb his negative potentials he is fed with opium and is also termed as Bhole Shankar, one who is oblivious of the world. Therefore, on Maha Shivratri, the night of Shiva worship, devotees, especially the men folk, prepare an intoxicating drink called Thandai (made from cannabis, almonds, and milk) sing songs in praise of the Lord and dance to the rhythm of the drums.
Maha Shivratri, the night of the worship of Shiva, occurs on the 14th night of the new moon during the dark half of the month of Phalguna. It falls on a moonless February night, when Hindus offer special prayer to the lord of destruction.
Shivratri is the night when he is said to have performed the Tandava Nritya or the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction. The festival is observed for one day and one night only. According to the Puranas, during the great mythical churning of the ocean called Samudra Manthan, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean.
The gods and the demons were terrified as it could destroy the entire world. When they ran to Shiva for help, he in order to protect the world, drank the deadly poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it.
This turned his throat blue, and since then he came to be known as Nilkantha, the blue-throated one. Shivratri celebrates this event by which Shiva saved the world. Shivratri is considered especially auspicious for women.
Married women pray for the well being of their husbands and sons, while unmarried women pray for an ideal husband like Shiva, who is the spouse of Kali, Parvati and Durga. But generally it is believed that anyone who utters the name of Shiva during Shivratri with pure devotion is freed from all sins.
He or she reaches the abode of Shiva and is liberated from the cycle of birth and death. On the day of Shivratri, a three-tiered platform is built around a fire. The topmost plank represents swargaloka (heaven), the middle one antarikshaloka (space) and the bottom one bhuloka (earth).
Eleven urns or kalash, are kept on the swargaloka plank symbolizing the eleven manifestations of the Rudra Shiva. These are decorated with bilva (woodapple leaves) and mango leaves atop a coconut representing the head of Shiva.
The uncut shank of the coconut symbolizes his tangled hair and the three spots on the fruit Shiva's three eyes.

From here

167 Hindu pilgrims arrive in Lahore

LAHORE: About 167 Hindu pilgrims crossed into Pakistan on a special train from Wagha Border on Monday to celebrate Maha Shivratri. The pilgrims will stay till March 10. Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) officials Syed Faraz Abbass, Syed Raghib Ali and Azhar Abbass received the guests and accompanied them to Gurdwara Dera Sahib, where the ETPB had made arrangements for their stay. About 200 pilgrims were expected to visit Pakistan to celebrate Maha Shivratri, but only 167 pilgrims arrived. ETPB official Aslam said the pilgrims would stay at Gurdwara Dera Sahib for a night and then would proceed to Katas Raj Temples, Chakwal, on Tuesday. He said the pilgrims would stay at the temple till March 7. He said the pilgrims would then return to Lahore. The pilgrims would stay in Lahore on March 8 and March 9, and then would visit Krishna Mandar. He said the pilgrims would leave for India on March 10. He said the authorities concerned had made special security arrangement for the pilgrims. The ETPB authorities have set up a medical dispensary, deputed Rescue 1122 squads and made provision for langar (charity meal). The word Maha Shivratri means the night of Shiva, and ceremonies are pre-arranged chiefly at nighttime. Maha Shivratri is the night on which lord Shiva and Parvati got married. Maha Shivratri falls on the 13th (or 14th) day of the dark half of ‘Phalgun’ (February-March). The event marks the night when lord Shiva performed the Tandav dance (the dance of destruction).

A Quest Beyond Astrology

Dear readers,

Today I started my new yahoo group "A Quest Beyond Astrology"

All the questioning minds can join the group with and contribute their views on the subject of astrology based on modern science.

Here is the link to the group.

Below is the description of my group:

"It is indeed very difficult to explain the astrological phenomenon. I am not in the least disposed to an either-or explanation. I always say that with a psychological explanation there is only the alternative: either and or! This seems to me to be the case with astrology too."

~ Carl G. Jung in a letter to Hans Bender, April 10, 1958, Carl G. Jung Letters, Volume 2, 1951-1961, p. 428.

"I know nothing of the science of astrology and I consider it to be a science, if it is a science, of doubtful value, to be severely left alone by those who have any faith in Providence."

~ Mahatma Gandhi

"We should take astrology seriously. No, I don't mean we should believe in it. I am talking about fighting it seriously instead of humouring it as a piece of harmless fun."

~ Richard Dawkins, British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and popular science

"Courteous Reader, Astrology is one of the most ancient Sciences, held in high esteem of old, by the Wise and the Great. Formerly, no Prince would make War or Peace, nor any General fight in Battle, in short, no important affair was undertaken without first consulting an Astrologer."

~ Benjamin Franklin, among many other things one of the Founding Fathers of United States of America.

We can love it or hate it but no one can deny its existence. Astrology has survived through ages and in diverse geographical locations.It is practiced in many different countries of the world and in numerous different methods.Belief is a personal choice but truth has to stand to the test of science and logic.How true is astrology? Is their any truth in it in terms of modern science? Is it science at all? Is it philosophy, psychology, art or mere gibberish?Facts, figures and references in this forum has to be concrete with authentic, recognized and respected sources and it has to be backed by science and over all logic.Join me in a quest beyond astrology to share, discuss and find the truth behind this subject.