The advancement in technology and fast means of communications like mobile phones, internet has landed the world on a fast track and people hardly get leisure time to enjoy their hobbies, to listen to their soul, to take care of their loved ones and all the precious moments are passed in coping up with the pace of life and its cut throat competition. It’s like watching a movie in fast forward mode, where although we can see every body in action but can hardly feel the emotions. In such a scenario pressure of not only to be ahead but also to survive has increased multifolds.

As a result – the responses and reactions of human being is preconditioned and there is little or no scope of building healthy relations which are made on  the foundation of precious time shared and taking care of each other – not with preoccupied minds but with an open mind to look forward to help and involve oneself truly in the matter. With such an upbringing people have to put a lot of efforts to give even small sacrifices and adjustments in relationships.

There is an unending race of getting material wealth and pursuing always for better state of life irrespective of the present state as the contentment is always sought in achieving higher state. Humans as a result of their uncontrolled mind have become too sensitive to even smallest of the stimulus. Even a little change in their plans because of external factors and or even a little pressure on their emotions make them restless and they are trapped in various psychosomatic diseases owing of their emotional instability and random lifestyle.

Art of managing life in such a scenario has become mandatory like we manage our finances for a healthy lifestyle. Our mind needs to be controlled and directed in the right direction to experience the life on a positive note. Remember – our experience is not what happened to us but how we react to that happening. All the happenings which are result of external factors cannot be controlled by us, but the experience can be made better by controlling our own minds and thus our responses to those happenings. As life is nothing but the flow of such experiences, the moment we learn to train our mind to be stable and calm in fast paced world against all odds in all the moments, the same calmness will also reflect in our lives.

In short managing our life is actually managing our mind and harnessing our psychophysical energy system in the right direction to get the most of our mind having infinite untapped energy. Below are the some of the Vedic age old time tested techniques to control our responses and stabilise our emotions in all odds:-

• Pratipaksha Bhavana
• Purification of  Mind (Yama)
• Meditation

Pratipaksha Bhavana:-

The art of thinking exactly opposite to the negative thoughts encroaching our minds is called Pratipaksha Bhavana. There is a term in vedic scriptures called Sakshi Bhava- which means we should be spectator (Sakshi) of all our thoughts (Bhava) and should continuously monitor them to avoid any negative emotions clouding our minds. With this art while coming across the negative emotions/thoughts, as we will be aware of them as spectator, we should try to think about or contemplate on exactly opposite (Pratipaksha) thoughts to conquer these negative emotions. This process of thought monitoring is also called thought culture, wherein we purify our minds to channelise its infinite energy in the right direction. It is truly said by Swami Sivananda- “If you think again and again on impure things, an evil thought gains new strength by repetition. It gets the force of momentum. You must drive them immediately. If you find it difficult to do so, entertain counter-thoughts of God. Cultivate sublime and elevating thoughts. Evil thoughts will die by themselves. A noble thought is a potent antidote to counteract an evil thought.”

Purification of Mind (Yama):-

It is said that a concentrated but impure mind is more dangerous than a pure but not concentrated mind. As our thoughts just like our actions have got the greater capability to harm ourselves if are filled with negative emotions. What we think frequently is what we do frequently. And what we do frequently becomes our habit and then character. Our destiny is decided by our character and our thought processes. Greater is the determination and concentration- stronger is the power of our thoughts. Hence controlling thoughts is a key to our success in managing our responses and increasing our emotional quotient.

Before taking it to meditation it becomes extremely important to purify our mind with positive thoughts so that it should stay on positive thoughts exhibiting positive energy while meditation and we should be able to get the most of it. Ashtanga Yoga by Maharshi Patanjali prescribes one of the processes out of his eight fold process as Yama which means practice of Moral Values to purify the Mind from bad thoughts. This is an excellent way to prepare mind for Meditation and let it rest in peace in all kinds of adverse situations of life.

Meditation:-

It is property of our mind to craves for more sensational pleasures and keep tossing among various objects of the world. It inherently can not rest at one particular object for a longer duration. It is because of this reason that we like a movie or a novel with a very fast story line and our mind is engaged in the incidents and places changing frequently.

By doing meditation we try to get rid of this property of mind and instead of external objects driving it, we try to rest it on our internal soul for a period as long as possible. This increases our will power to contemplate on most complicated subjects and to analyse toughest situations of life from different perspectives to respond in the best possible manner.

It is truly said that tough time never last but tough people do. The above processes make us tough and give our minds ability to withstand all kinds of pressures of life. Instead of getting into grief mode we get habitual gradually to get into learning mode from our present to make our future a better tomorrow.

Dynamic Nature of Cosmos:-

Today in our hectic lifestyle when one had to be continuously in action to cope up with the competition and ever changing external scenarios. Where the world around us is dynamic and changing each moment to give us surprises at every point, we wonder if there is any thing left certain except uncertainty. Since the Cosmos is dynamic in nature and hence challenging, Hindu scriptures also call it ‘JAGAT’ where GAT indicates the ever changing -‘sadaiv gachati’ (ever changing) nature of Cosmos. We as ‘JEEVA’ also the experiencer of the cosmos often feels insecure with this uncertainty and always search for something which is certain and changeless, we unknowingly want an anchor in our lives which is reliable and can help us in coping up with the dynamic nature of Cosmos. Our Hindu scriptures say it can be only ‘ISWAR’ (GOD) which is eternal, changeless and hence can help us as an anchor to the world. “JAGAT’ as a field of experience, ‘JEEVA’ as experiencer and ‘ISHWAR’ as an anchor in totality is known as ‘TRIPUTI’.

We as once of the entities of ‘TRIPUTI’ should understand the characteristics of other two elements – The ‘JAGAT’ and ‘ISHWAR’. To know the reality of ‘JAGAT’ we live in and to understand its working we should know the actual programming of this Universe System.

The Universe of our experience ie Cosmos or ‘JAGAT’ is composed of the five basic elements also known as ‘PANCH MAHABHUTAS’. These ‘panch mahabhutas’ (5 elements of nature) are present in subtle and as well as gross levels and  with their varying levels of subtleness and grossness they make the entire Cosmos  or jagat. These elements are Akash, Vayu, Agni, Aapa & Prithvi. The Universe or the jagat being the aggregation of these five elements put together well is also called Prapanch. Although there is no specific term or the exact synonym of these five elements – Panch Mahabhutas, but still for the sake of understanding we can term them as follows:-

5 Elements of Nature:-

Akash        →      Space

Vayu          →      Wind

Agni         →       Fire

Aapa        →       Water

Prithvi       →     Earth

The above elements are in order of their level of subtlety- Akash (Space) being the subtlest one among them. Prithvi (Earth) is the Grossest. In our hectic lifestyle and struggle to excel we fail to observe  that this is a miracle of that Almighty GOD – also called ‘BRAHMAN’ in our scriptures that every thing in this world is made of just these five elements – starting from Sun, Moon, Stars, Plants, Animals, Mountains, Rivers  & even us – the Human Beings. We as human beings or ‘JEEVA’ experience these five elements as five ‘TANMATRAS’, which are Shabda, Sparsha, Rupa, Rasa & Gandha. The English synonym of these Tanmatras can be put as follows:-

Shabda    →      Sound

Sparsha    →    Touch

Rupa        →      Vision

Rasa       →        Taste

Gandha   →      Smell

GOD has given us five indriyas (senses) to experience the cosmos through above Tanmatras.

However it is a matter of introspection that if there is Supreme Power called GOD or ‘BRAHMAN’ behind the creation of cosmos and if every thing in this cosmos is governed by Divine Laws then what is our role in this creation and are we sent here with a specific goal, do we have anything to contribute in this wonderful creation of GOD of which we are also a part. Vedas try to give answer to such questions which are as relevant today also as they were in past in Vedic Era.

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Various Types of Yoga

YOGA – BEING A BUZZWORD

Yoga is being a buzzword for last few years in the youth, where it is considered more of a tool to showcase a different lifestyle than a necessary holistic approach to make body healthier in a natural way. People do various kinds of exercises and tricks with their bodies without understanding the intricacies of what they are doing. I am not discouraging it as at least in the name of yoga some kind of body exercise is being done, which is better than doing nothing for the body.

The only point is, without understanding the basics of Yoga, either we will be too casual, irregular to gain the advantages associated with it and may not be able to aim for our actual yogic goals, Or we will be reaching the other extreme end by imitating the most difficult postures (asanas) of the highest level from the books and Hindu Scriptures without any proper guide which may harm us rather than helping us.

TOP FOUR MYTHS OF YOGA

There are certain myths associated with various types of Yoga, most of them are because we do not follow any one scripture but our knowledge is based on scattered reading material from different books and from internet. Some of the most believed myths are as follows:-

• Yoga is another synonym of physical body exercises done as given in Hindu Scriptures.
• Yoga is something related purely to Hinduism.
• Yoga is a set of certain postures should be/can be done by anyone just like aerobics or exercises at gym.
• By doing Yoga we attain supernatural powers and we can do things which are not possible by an ordinary being.

FACTS OF VARIOUS TYPES OF YOGA

Fact on the contrary is entirely different, Yoga is neither a set of physical exercises nor it is some thing which can be practiced only by

Myths of Yoga

Hindus. Yoga is a pure science which is driven by certain specific and predefined processes to be practiced by any aspirant sincerely and not casually unlike any aerobic exercise. There has to be a specific goal/purpose determined before starting any kind of Yoga treatment. As there are different Yoga postures/processes for different goals. Does it mean that generally as a part of wellness campaign can some one not pursue Yoga? The answer is YES. The Yoga exercises can be done by someone as his wellness exercise without aiming for anything specific. But at the same time the utility of Yoga should not be underestimated and it should not be limited to regular exercises only done by casual health conscious aspirants.

Yoga is one of the best gifts to the mankind given by ancient sages which not only helps in keeping the one strong and healthy at physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels but also act as a medium to tap the infinite source of divine energy within, also called self realisation. Yes it is true that people may also get supernatural powers by the help of Yoga in the long course of attaining self realisation, if guided by a capable Guru. But it is also true that Hindu Scriptures never advocate practice of Yoga for these powers as goal of attaining these supernatural powers, which is also considered as underutilisation of this powerful science.

WHAT IS YOGA

Yoga is a term taken from Sanskrit Language, which is also considered to be the language of Gods, literally means Yoke taken from its root word yuj means to unite. Hence the actual goal of Yoga is to unite ourselves as one with the Divine Power and to realise the infinite and eternal Brahman – GOD within us. As per Hindu Scriptures, we all are having infinite powers as we all are actually Divine from inside and the source of Divine energy is within us which can give us all the peace and happiness eternally, but due to our Ego, worldly affairs, we are not able to realise this thing and are in continuous pursuit of sense pleasures mistaken as true happiness outside the world.. By the help of Yoga we try to achieve the goal of Self Realisation ie- the Divine Communion, where various processes are scientifically adopted step by step to reach the final goal.

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS – ASHTANGA YOGA

Among various types of Yoga mentioned in Hindu Scriptures,  Patanjali’s ‘Ashtanga Yoga’ or the Eight Fold Yoga is the most referred Yoga. Patanjali is an ancient and great sage who introduced for the first time the organised and scientific ways of Yoga to achieve Self Realisation through various steps also called Patanjali Yoga Sutras. The Yoga is to be done in eight stages in the order, also termed as Ashtanga Yoga or Eight Fold Yoga as follows:-

1. Yama:- Practice of Moral Values to purify the Mind from bad thoughts.
2. Niyama: Practice of disciplined lifestyle.
3. Asana: Practice of sitting for a long duration in a chosen pose for the purpose of meditation/achieving spiritual objectives.
4. Pranayam: Practice of controlling prana shakti (Life Energy) through yogic breathing
5. Pratyahar: Practice of diverting mind away from the subject of worldly objects at will.
6. Dharana: Practice of guiding mind to the object of meditation on will
7. Dhyana: Practice of meditation on Divine.
8. Samadhi: Ultimate realisation of The Divine.

Mantras

A word or a group of words in a mantra consists of certain Beeja Aksharas (seed letters) which have dormant powers associated with it and just like a seed when taken care grows into a tree, the beej mantras also start exhibiting their powers over a period of time after continuous practice.

As per an experiment the different types of sound vibrations are able to produce different types of images on sand. As Mantras are not just a simple arrangement of sanskrit words but scientifically discovered phrases by saints, the vibrations produced by recitation of it have a definite impact on our human body. It leaves a positive vibrations on our body chakras and helps in harnessing our psychophysical energy system. Repetition of these mantras systematically in a specific fashion for a period of time to achieve a goal is called Japa Yoga.

As per Hindu scriptures each mantra is associated with a devta (demigod) and is recited to attain a specific goal. Which mantra is suitable for a seeker- This decision is made by his Guru depending on his nature and his desired goals. When a mantra is passed on to a seeker by his Guru – it is not just a word but an inherent power associated with that word is also given. This power then is increased over a period of time by continuous practice of japa and helps seeker to get his desired goals.

There are four kind of Japa depending on how advance is a seeker in his practice. These are as follows:-

1. Vaikhari Japa: The seeker practice the japa by repeating the mantra loudly.
2. Madhyama Japa: The seeker although practice japa without making any sound but his lips movements are there.
3. Pashyanti Japa: In this kind of japa the seeker is at a very advance stage and even his lips movement are not visible as he practice the mantra within his self.
4. Para Japa: The seeker is at most advanced stage in this and the mantra is so deeply seated in his heart that even without his practice the vibrations of same are on in his self, leaving a positive effect.

Irrespective of the type of japa, it should be practiced with a lot of faith and devotion to get quick results. The power of Mantra will definitely leave its impact but it depends on the parameters like regularity, purity of mind, devotion, faith etc. There is no doubt that a person if practice japa yoga regularly with a pure mind and lot of faith and devotion will surely achieve his desired goals in a very short time.

Animals also live life, enjoy life and fight to survive in race of life. Following four things are common in animal and human life:-

Bhaya (Fear)

Nidra (Sleep)

Ahaar (Food)

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Maithun (Mating)

As human body is much more refined and designed in such a way that it can act as a channel for the flow of cosmic energy and direct realisation of Supreme Brahman (Divinity). Human life has much more higher goal than just coping up with four things mentioned above. The Goal to realise GOD, the goal to be free from all bondages of worldly life , the goal to be free from fear, anger, ego, attachment and all other negative emotions which bring down the quality of life – spiritual life.

Man should not just learn to live a human life but should aspire to live THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. A Life with valid and actual goals. We call these goals as PURUSHARTHA and are as follows:-

1. Dharma (Righteousness)
2. Arth (Wealth Management)
3. Kama (Desires)
4. Moksha (Salvation – Self Realisation)

Out of the above four – salvation is the Param Purushartha (Ultimate Goal) of human life as every soul in this cosmos is a part of GOD and is bound to unite with his almighty as ONE. We all are having infinite powers and capabilities as we all are the manifestations of GOD (Divine Mother)  but we do not realise the same because of our limitations of mind, clouded with negative emotions. Moksha is getting rid of these emotions and realising the concept of “Aham Brahmasmi” .{we are the Brahman (Divine Power)}.

Dharma is called Pradhan Purushartha (Primary Goal) as it plays a major role in living spiritual life with righteousness and helps us in sticking to the path of Divinity. It gives us strength to withstand all kinds of pressures of life and still striving for the Ultimate Goal of self realisation.

Artha and Kama are just the Instrumental Goals as they play a major role in coping up with day to day worldly affairs and help us in achieving the other two Primary and Ultimate Goals of Life. Artha is to generate wealth and prosperity through right and valid means. WhereasKamais to enjoy regulated sensual pleasure, where gradual liberation from sensual desires is preferred over oppression of same.

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business is only too eat and assimilate the food, and that somebody else does the strengthening of the body by the food for me. That cannot be; because it can be demonstrated that almost every action at which we are now unconscious can be brought up to the plane of consciousness. The heart is beating apparently without our control; none of us can control the heart; it goes on its own way. But by practice men can bring even the heart under control, until it will just beat at will, slowly or quickly, or almost stop. Nearly every part of he body can be brought under control. What does this show? It shows that we also perform the functions, which are beneath consciousness, only we are performing them unconsciously.

We have, then, two planes in which the human mind works. First is the conscious plane, in which all work is always accompanied with the feeling of “I”. Next comes the unconscious plane, where the work is unaccompanied by the feeling if “I”. That part of the mind’s work which is unaccompanied by egoism is unconscious work, and that part which is accompanied by egoism is conscious work. IN the lower animal this unconscious work is called instinct, and in the highest of all animals, man, what is called conscious work prevails.

But the matter does not end here, There is still a higher plane on which the mind can work. It can go beyond consciousness. Just as unconscious work is beneath consciousness, so there is another sort of work that is above consciousness and that also isnot accompanied by egoism. The feeling of “I” is only on the middle plane. When  the mind is above or below that plane, there is no feeling of “I”, and yet the mind works. When the mind goes beyond the plane of self-consciousness, it experiences Samadhi, or super consciousness. But howdo we know that a man in Samadhi has not gone below consciousness has not degenerated instead of going higher? In both the cases the experience is unaccompanied by the feeling of “I”. The answer is that by the effects, by the results of the work, we know which is below and which is above. When a man goes into deep sleep he enters a plane beneath consciousness. His body functions all the time; he breathes, perhaps he move the body in his sleep, without any accompanying  feeling of “I”; he is unconscious, and when  he returns from his sleep he is the same man who went into it. The sum total of the knowledge that he had before he went to sleep remains t he same; It does not increase at all. No enlightenment comes. But when a man goes into Samadhi, if he goes into it a fool, he comes out a sage…. As this illumination with which a man comes back from Samadhi is much higher than can be got from unconsciousness, or much higher than can be got by reasoning in a conscious state, it must therefore be super consciousness, and so Samadhi is called the super conscious state. This is short, is the idea of Samadhi.”

Krishna Janmashtami –  a GRAND Festival

Source:realhandicrafts.com

For Years Sri Krishna’s birth is being celebrated with great excitement all across the world on the day also known as Sri Krishna Janmashtami, which is the eighth day of Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapad month as per Hindu Calender. People celebrate this day by decorating various idols of Lord Krishna, Temple Premises and by fasting as a symbol of taking new resolutions on this sacred day and as a token of love, affection and devotion to Krishna. Krishna is said to take birth at midnight of Dwapar Yuga at Mathura somewhere in UP State when the whole Mathura and nearby villages of Gokul, Vrindavan were drenched by heavy rains. In the light of this fact people celebrate the festival by fasting all day till midnight. At exact midnight hour temple bells ring, conchshells sounded and kettledrums are beaten to announce the birth of Lord Krishna and aarties performed for his idols. People break their fast by distributing the prasadams in faithful in the form of Panchamrat.

Lord Krishna Birth Story

 Lord Krishna’s birth is also said to be as full of dramatic events & happenings as his Complete Life in Indian Mythology. The story begins with Maharaja Ugrasen, who was a very kind hearted king of Mathura by the end of Dwapar Yuga. He was imprisoned by his own son Kansa for the greed of Kingdom. His throne was seized by Kansa and the people of Mathura were forced to live with his cruel and tyrannical rule. It was the time when people started praying desperately for the arrival of an avatar (incarnation of GOD in Human Form) to rescue them from the evils of Kansa.

Kansa although was an Evil person, had a great love for his cousin sister Devki. It was during his sister’s wedding with Vasudev of Yadav clan when Kansa heard the Akashvani (Predictions from the Sky/Heavens) that his sister will very soon give birth to his slayer that will be her eighth son. The infuriated Kansa out of fear forgot all his love for his sister and ran to kill her, thinking after getting rid of her there would not be any question of son who would be his slayer.

Divine Intervention can never be challenged

It is your difficult times that show you the mirror of your true self. Kansa could not maintain his love and emotions for his sister when he heard the heavenly prediction and his true color was exposed soon when he prepared himself to kill her. But as Divine Powers had taken a decision and Lord Krishna’s birth was inevitable, things moved in such a way that later, on Devki’s request Kansa agreed to not to kill her, but he imprisoned her and her  husband Vasudev on the commitment given by Vasudev that each child will be handed over to Kansa soon after its birth. In this way to challenge the divine prophecy Kansa decided to kill Devki’s all children soon after their birth eliminating all possibilities ofKrishna’s birth.

However during the birth of Krishna, a divine aura lit up the whole cell and Lord himself appeared in front of Devki and Vasudev, informed them that he is going take reincarnation as their eighth son and instructed them to leave him at village Gokul just after his birth and bring back the just born baby girl of Yashoda  from Gokul.

As every thing was planned at the highest Divine level, all of a sudden all guards fell in deep sleep at the prison cell and Vasudev was

Source:fidaktk.blogspot.com

automatically free from all the shackles. He took the son and reached Gokul after crossing heavily flooded Yamuna  river. It was raining heavily that midnight as if nature was also trying to manifest itself aggressively as a welcome note to Lord Krishna. In the Yamuna river SheshNag himself materialized to shield the Divine Baby from the rain water through his thousand hoods.

At Gokul, Vasudev placed Sri Krishna and brought back the baby girl of Nand and Yashoda to his cell atMathura. Following which all the shackles once again tied automatically and guards woke up by the voice of baby girl and intimated Kansa about the birth of eighth child. When Kansa arrived and tried to kill the baby girl, the girl appeared as Goddess YogMaya (Goddess of illusion) and declared that the eighth child has already taken birth and is now in safe hand.

 Lord Krishna’s role in History of Mankind

What was planned by the Supreme Divine had actually materialized in spite of all efforts of Kansa, and Lord Krishna not only killed Kansa and many other demons later over a period of time but also mark his presence in the History at various points – be it his holy pranks and miracles at Gokul, Vrindavan, or be it his primary role at Political front as a mentor of Arjuna, Mediator of Pandavas for Attempts of establishing peace or  delivery of the Greatest Song of  Sacred Knowledge to Arjuna during Mahabharata eventually providing the mankind the Greatest of the Epics – Bhagvad Gita.

Thus the Sri Krishna Janmashtami ie the birth of Lord Krishna prepared the foundation of all the turnaround events of the History and is celebrated with a lot of excitement by the devotees all across the world.

The irony is that we as humans inspite of knowing this fact from deep inside of our hearts, seek and pursue one side of coin only. We forget that both the pleasure and pain are mere a play of Divine Mother to make us learn the lessons of life. Life teaches us lessons and gives us tips to establish equanimity of mind in all situations. If Failures are not accepted and are not taken as a precious gift of life to give us an opportunity to learn, Successes in any case cannot be digested and no learnings can be derived out of it. We all know that on one hand success gives as pleasure along with confidence and on the other hand failures give us pain along with opportunity to introspect, thus proved to be a better teacher of life.

If Life is taken as an Ocean sending us tides of Sukh and Dukh at different intervals, then the nature of these tides may not be in our hand, but what is in our hand is our reaction towards these tides.  We may not be able to stop the tides of Dukh while allowing the tides of Sukha only, But we can surely control our mind and refrain it from being overpowered by varying emotional stimuli given by the Ocean of Life in the form of these tides.

We always have a choice to be happy always rather than getting affected and allow mood swings by the ups and downs of the Life. There is a difference in experiencing the momentarily pleasures and eternal bliss. If we are experiencing this world through our five senses, we will surely have to experience the pleasures and pains, Success and Failures also. But we can still be happy by choosing to be happy at all times, in all conditions. Manifesting excellence and to be happy are the two basic swadharma (nature) of our souls, It totally depends on us either to go against our soul or to align our actions to maintain the basic nature of our soul and performing well even at tough times, trying to excel in all the tests of LIFE.

Why everything in Cosmos should be governed by Dharma- To understand this we must be able to first of all understand the definition of Dharma. Vedic culture looks at it in a very broad perspective and do not limit its meaning to the domain of a specific religion.

Principal power of coherence which enables the proper functioning of any system is called Dharma. We all are part of one or the other system governed by some intelligent laws. Whether it is the rotation of planet in our solar system or process of metabolism done by the microscopic cells in our bodies, all are following a system operated by some set of laws. These laws are governing the entire cosmos and are uniformly applicable on every system- like Digestive System, Ecological System, and Solar System…. These set of laws are also applicable on  the karma (actions) done by human being in the form of Dharma, and to maintain  the harmony in our lives, all should follow these set of infallible laws, then only a person will be able to live in peace and happiness. In fact the index of effectiveness is the extent of peace and happiness of a person.

The critical component in achieving the effectiveness is the ability to decide the right actions among all the available choices (alternatives). To choose the best among all these alternatives, a person must be able to evaluate them as per standard values so that he does not violate any of the laws and is adhering to his Dharma.

Dharma is the index of manifestation of excellence. Extent to which a family perform Dharma is the extent to which it succeeds in the manifestation of excellence. Dharma is important not only for the spiritual unfoldment of a person but also it is indispensable for acquiring societal prosperity or welfare. Hence all positive and negative phalas totally dependant on the extent of adherence of Dharma.

It is truly said in Bhagvad Gita:- Yato Dharma Tato Jaya – Means – where there is Dharma there is victory.

The Bhagvad Gita is the most beloved scriptures of India with a wide range of followings across the country. It is the divine Song of  the Lord and can be considered as one such book that all masters depend upon as a supreme source of scriptural authority. It occurs in the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata, comprises eighteen chapters from 25^th to the 42^nd .

This ancient knowledge was first transferred from Surya (The SUN) to King Ishvaku. Then this most secret and sacred knowledge disappeared in sands of time. Later same was revealed by Lord Krishna in the dramatic event of Mahabharata  to Arjuna in the form of great Song of the Lord unfolding all its wisdom stanza by stanza and chapter by chapter.

Surprisingly this knowledge is as practical and relevant today also as it was in that era of Mahabharata. The world today is drowned in an ocean of sorrow and is struggling to come out of it seeking the various worldly objects which can bring in happiness. This want of worldly objects is not just limited to food and shelter, but mind craves for more sensational pleasures as well. Today the problem of humanity is not juts the survival but it’s the craving and pursuit of pleasures associated with senses at physical, emotional and intellectual level. The source of all pains and sorrows of mankind is the ‘ATTACHMENT‘ and ‘FEAR‘. Man is attached to his near and dear ones and is unable to expand the circle of his actions so as to include all human beings in it; his actions are limited to the welfare of his family only and at the most to his friends/relatives. Because of which his actions in personal life and as well as in professional life are biased and he is also afraid of uncertainties which may happen to him and his near and dear ones.

Arjuna was also in the same state of mind when the teachings of Geeta were given to him by the Lord. His mind was clouded with attachment and fear. He was grieving because his near and dear ones were going to die and he felt that he may incur papa (sin) if he go ahead with the war. There was a lack of role clarity and he was not able to take right decision because of his fears. Lord Krishna then in the middle of the battle field gave him the knowledge of Geeta and motivated him to follow the path of Dharma by understanding his role and acting accordingly without getting affected with his emotions. Arjuna was then came out of his equipoise state of mind and stood up to perform his karma (action). Today we as professionals also face such situations many times in our workplace when we could not take a decision because of fear of uncertainties or our decisions are biased because of our attachments/inclinations. In fact in varying degrees every man is a victim of disease which Arjuna’s body and mind was experiencing at that time, and every man needs the cure of Geeta to perform right actions at right time.

It simply does not mean that Geeta advocates the wars and violence. It is a call to each one of us to get up and fight the battle of our own life accordingly. You can look soft from outside but you cannot afford to be weak from inside as more strong you are from within, more efficiently you will be able to fight against your own negative emotions – fear and attachment and as a result you will be able to take tough decisions of life effectively.

My shat-shat pranams to the Geeta Mata and to Lord Kirshna for providing us such a universal source of knowledge which guides us today also in all types of life situations.